Light-based shielding detection

• US 9,851,298 B1
• Filed: 09/20/2016
• Issued: 12/26/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Isikman, Serhan O., Land, Brian R., Klaassen, Erno H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Kiho
• Application Number:
  US15/271,002
• Time in Patent Office: 462 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0075 by spectroscopy, i.e. measuring spectra, e.g. Raman spectroscopy, infrared absorption spectroscopy A61B5/0071 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/441 Skin evaluation, e.g. for skin disorder diagnosis
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/445 Evaluating skin irritation or skin trauma, e.g. rash, eczema, wound, bed sore
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/681 Wristwatch-type devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6898 Portable consumer electronic devices, e.g. music players, telephones, tablet computers
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7275 Determining trends in physiological measurement data; Predicting development of a medical condition based on physiological measurements, e.g. determining a risk factor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/748 Selection of a region of interest, e.g. using a graphics tablet
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/3155 Measuring in two spectral ranges, e.g. UV and visible
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/3181 using LEDs
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/4754 Diffuse illumination
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/4778 Correcting variations in front distance
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2033/0096 testing material properties on thin layers or coatings
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/274 Calibration, base line adjustment, drift correction
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/33 using ultraviolet light G01N21/39 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/3563 for analysing solids; Preparation of samples therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/47 Scattering, i.e. diffuse reflection G01N21/25, G01N21/41 take precedence G01N21/55 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/474 Details of optical heads therefor, e.g. using optical fibres
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2201/0221 Portable; cableless; compact; hand-held
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/00 Investigating or analysing materials by specific methods not covered by groups G01N1/00 - G01N31/00

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a sunscreen detector for use with portable device, such as a mobile and/or wearable device. One variation of a sunscreen detector comprises an illumination system that is configured to illuminate a target skin area with ultraviolet and/or infrared spectrum light and a sensor system that is configured to detect the amount of ultraviolet and/or infrared spectrum light that is reflected from the target skin area. The sunscreen detector is configured to analyze the data collected by the sensor system to generate a notification to the user as to whether they should apply sunscreen.

Claims

1. A sunscreen detector, comprising:

an illumination system configured to emit UV light, included in a UV illumination field, and IR light, included in an IR illumination field;

a sensor system, the sensor system configured to;

detect at least a portion of the UV light and the IR light at a sensor field located within the UV illumination field and the IR illumination field,

generate a UV signal associated with the detected UV light, and

generate an IR signal associated with the detected IR light; and

a controller configured to;

receive the UV signal and the IR signal from the sensor system,

compare the UV signal to a UV threshold,

compare the IR signal to an IR threshold, and

output a first output signal when the IR signal is above the IR threshold and the UV signal is below the UV threshold.

2. The sunscreen detector of claim 1, wherein the sensor system comprises an optic to limit the sensor field.

3. The sunscreen detector of claim 2, wherein the sensor field has an area in the range of 0.1 to 1500 cm² at a distance of 5 cm from the sensor system.

4. The sunscreen detector of claim 2, wherein the sensor field has an area in the range of 5 to 20 cm² at a distance of 5 cm from the sensor system.

5. The sunscreen detector of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to:

overlay a graphic corresponding to the sensor field onto a camera image, and

output a second output signal when the IR signal is above the IR threshold and the UV signal is above the UV threshold,

wherein the graphic is a second graphic corresponding to the second output signal.

6. The sunscreen detector of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to:

overlay a graphic corresponding to the sensor field onto a camera image, and

output a third output signal when the IR signal is below the IR threshold,

wherein the graphic is a third graphic corresponding to the third output signal.

7. The sunscreen detector of claim 1, wherein the illumination system is further configured to emit visible light.

8. The sunscreen detector of claim 1, further comprising a distance sensor system configured to detect a distance of an object in the sensor field from the distance sensor system.

9. A method for detecting sunscreen coverage, comprising:

positioning a detector over a target skin region;

moving the detector across the target skin region;

emitting UV light and IR light;

detecting at least a portion of the emitted UV light and the emitted IR light at a sensor field located within a UV illumination field and an IR illumination field;

generating a UV signal indicative of the detected UV light;

generating an IR signal indicative of the detected IR light;

receiving the UV signal and the IR signal from the sensor system;

comparing the IR signal to an IR threshold value;

comparing the UV signal to a UV threshold value;

outputting an output signal based on the comparisons; and

generating an alert based on the output signal.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

displaying the alert, the alert including an instruction to apply sunscreen over the target skin region, when the IR signal is above the IR threshold and the UV signal is above the UV threshold value.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

acquiring an image that includes the target skin region; and

displaying a composite image that comprises a graphic of the sensor field overlaid over the image.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the output signal includes an indication that that the target skin region has sufficient sunscreen coverage when the IR signal is above the IR threshold and the UV signal is below the UV threshold.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the output signal includes an indication that the target skin region is to be re-measured when the IR signal is below the IR threshold.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

emitting visible light towards the target skin region to guide the moving of the detector.

15. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

calibrating the detector, the calibration comprising;

scanning a skin region that has no sunscreen to acquire a baseline UV light measurement and a baseline IR light measurement; and

scanning a reflective surface to acquire a reference UV light measurement and a reference IR light measurement.

16. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

calibrating the detector, the calibration comprising;

placing the detector against a skin region that has no sunscreen,

acquiring a first measurement comprising a UV light level and an IR light level,

pulling the detector away from the skin region,

acquiring a plurality of measurements while pulling the detector away from the skin region, each of the plurality of measurements comprising a UV light level, an IR light level, and a distance between the detector and the skin region; and

calculating the UV threshold and the IR threshold based on the plurality of measurements.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the detector is pulled back over a distance of about 1 in to about 18 in.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the controller is configured to determine melanin levels in the skin region based on the plurality of measurements.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein calculating the UV threshold and IR threshold comprises calculating a ratio of the UV light level of each of the plurality of measurements to the UV light level of the first measurement.

20. The method of claim 9, further comprising determining one or more of a presence and location of the target skin region based on the IR signal.