Method, system and apparatus for dispensing products for a personal care service, instructing on providing a personal care treatment service, and selecting a personal care service

• US 9,961,984 B2
• Filed: 03/02/2015
• Issued: 05/08/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ColorCulture Network, LLC
• Original Assignee: ColorCulture Network, LLC
• Inventors: Witchell, David J., Wickstrom, Carl, Barakat, Alana, Bush, Scott, DeSilva, Dilan, Arnold, William, Thompson, Eric
• Primary Examiner(s): Collins, Michael
• Application Number:
  US14/635,943
• Publication Number:
  US 20150173488A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,163 Days
• Field of Search: 700233, 700236
• CPC Class Codes: A45D 2044/007 Devices for determining the condition of hair or skin or for selecting the appropriate cosmetic or hair treatment
• CPC Class Codes: A45D 44/005 for selecting or displaying personal cosmetic colours or hairstyle
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 33/8442 using a computer for controlling information and converting it in a formula and a set of operation instructions, e.g. on the point of sale
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 33/848 using data, i.e. barcodes, 3D codes or similar type of tagging information, as instruction or identification codes for controlling the dispensing and mixing operations
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/2205 Controlling the mixing process from a remote server, e.g. by sending commands using radio, telephone, internet, local network, GPS or other means
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 53/42 Nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/20 of rotary type
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 43/12 having peristaltic action
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 49/06 Control using electricity regulating by means of floats actuating electric switches F04B49/04
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/42 Orifices or nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/50 Correcting or compensating means
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 11/024 the pistons reciprocating in rotatable cylinders dough-dividing machines with division boxes in a revolving body with radially-working pistons A21C5/04
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 15/005 Valves valves in general F16K
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0621 Item configuration or customization

Abstract

A method, system and apparatus for delivery of custom blended dispensing custom blended personal care beauty products for a beauty service, wherein one or more components of a beauty product are stored where they may be supplied as needed to a dispenser, and where a control mechanism regulates the dosage of beauty components to provide a desired selected personal care beauty product with the characteristics selected. A selection screen display provides an image of a person and the person'"'"'s hair that may be manipulated to simulate modifications that may include cut or styling and color or other effects. The selections are processed and stored and a formula is generated and communicating to a dispensing device to deliver the product components to produce the formula.

Claims

1. A system for dispensing a beauty product formed from a plurality of beauty product components, the system comprising:

a) a frame;

b) a dispenser supported on said frame having at least one dispensing outlet;

c) a plurality of beauty product components, each of the said beauty product components being contained in a respective container;

d) said dispenser including a plurality of lines, each line of said plurality of lines having a passageway therethrough, each said line communicatively linking one of said plurality of said containers with said dispensing outlet;

e) said dispenser including a control mechanism and a pumping mechanism;

f) wherein said control mechanism regulates the operation of said pumping mechanism to deliver dosages of a plurality of said respective beauty product components to said dispensing outlet to provide a beauty product;

g) wherein sensing and monitoring means is provided to sense an amount of said beauty component present within said container;

h) wherein said sensing and monitoring means comprises an RFID tag provided on each one of said respective containers, and a reader disposed at a reading distance to interrogate said RFID tag;

i) wherein said RFID tags are provided with identification data that identifies each beauty product component container independent of any other beauty product component container,

j) wherein the amount of component dispensed from said component container in regard to its respective RFID identification data is monitored and recorded, and wherein said reader communicates said RFID identification data of each said component container to identify each said component container position with respect to a respective pump, said dispensing amount information and said RFID identification data being communicated to a computing component for processing said information to determine the level of beauty product component in said container;

k) wherein said container RFID identification data includes the identification of the beauty product component in said component container, wherein said component container is associated with a pump of said pumping mechanism by associating said component container and said beauty product component contained in said component container, and wherein said pump is designated to deliver dosages of said associated component container based on the identified content of said component container;

l) wherein at least said frame and said dispenser are located in a first location;

m) wherein, when a determination of a level of beauty product component in a container corresponds with a low level, an output is generated, wherein said output comprises at least one of an instruction to check the supply on hand and an instruction for reordering the component;

n) wherein said output instruction to check the supply on hand comprises checking the presence at the first location for one or more additional containers that contain the same beauty product component as the said container determined by said sensing and monitoring means to have a low level of beauty component therein; and

o) wherein checking the presence at said first location is done by issuing a signal to interrogate RFID data information to determine the presence of an inventory consisting of one or more component containers containing the same beauty product component as the container determined to have a low level based on a response from an RFID tag provided on said one or more component containers containing the same beauty product component as the container determined to have a low level of beauty component therein.

2. The system of claim 1,

wherein said pumping mechanism comprises a plurality of peristaltic pumps,

wherein each line is associated with at least one pump, and

wherein said control mechanism receives instructions to produce a beauty product by regulating the operation of said respective plurality of peristaltic pumps to deliver dosages of a plurality of beauty product components from the said respective containers containing the respective beauty product components.

3. The system of claim 1,

wherein said beauty product components each have viscosities of from 1 to 50 cP,

wherein the beauty product is a hair dye, and

wherein at least more than one of said plurality of beauty product components is a component of said hair dye.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein said beauty product components each have a viscosity from 20 to 50 cP.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said container containing said beauty product component is sealingly connected to a first end of said line to form a component unit, and wherein said component unit is installed on said pumping mechanism.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein said wherein a nozzle is sealingly connected to a second end of said line, and wherein said container, said line and said nozzle form said component unit.

7. The system of claim 1,

wherein said pump mechanism comprises a plurality of pumps for delivering said hair colorant components from said respective plurality of containers,

wherein a respective one of said pumps is provided for each respective said beauty product component of said respective plurality of containers.

8. The system of claim 1,

wherein said system includes software configured with instructions to receive a first input that identifies the condition of a person'"'"'s existing hair, to receive a second input of a target color by displaying a selection of color options from which to select the desired target color for the existing hair and receiving a selection of said target color from said selection of color options, and to process the information received as the first input and the second input,

said software being configured with instructions to generate a formula for said beauty product that produces the target color when applied to the person'"'"'s existing hair,

said control mechanism operating said plurality of pumps to deliver from said respective containers a dosage of a said respective beauty product component in accordance with said formula,

wherein said beauty product formed from a plurality of said beauty product components is dispensed from said output of said dispenser.

9. The system of claim 1, including a display and a manipulation tool for manipulating on said display the electronic image of a person'"'"'s hair appearing on said display to provide a responsive representation of a cut to be displayed, wherein said cut is displayed on said hair image on said display to simulate the use of a tool, wherein a depiction of a representative transformation to said hair image on said display is carried out by allowing the manipulation of the user'"'"'s depicted hair to remove as much or as little hair as desired, and in locations desired, and wherein the transformation to said hair image depicted on the display is displayed to correspond with the use of said simulated tool by depicting the progression of said transformation being carried out on the person'"'"'s hair image depicted on the display.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein said target color is selected and wherein said responsive representation of said cut is selected, and wherein said control mechanism regulates said dispenser to dispense a beauty product that is a hair dye having said generated formula.

11. The system of claim 1,

including a display,

a capturing mechanism wherein an image of an individual who is to receive a haircut is captured and electronically stored with the capturing mechanism, the image including the individual'"'"'s face and the individual'"'"'s hair,

wherein said image portion that includes said individual'"'"'s hair is stored as a separate image;

processing the stored image of the individual to locate the individual'"'"'s hair;

suggesting through a filtered translucent overlay that contains at least one graphic, a step to be carried out on the hair of the individual to transform the hair of the individual on said image;

providing instructions through a series of graphic depictions on a display corresponding to depicted steps for transforming the hair of the individual based on a transformed image of the individual'"'"'s hair appearing on the display.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein said pumping mechanism alternates between compression and relaxation of a respective line of said plurality of lines to regulate the delivery of said plurality of beauty product components from their respective containers.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein said pumping mechanism when in compression with said line sealingly closes the passageway of said line.

14. The system of claim 1 for dispensing a beauty product formed from a plurality of beauty product components, including:

a selection system for selecting a color to apply to the hair of a person,

the selection system including software, a processor and at least one display on which is generated a plurality of hair colors from which to choose;

said selection system receiving an image of a person that includes at least the person'"'"'s hair and face,

said selection system providing on said display an image of the person'"'"'s face and person'"'"'s hair,

wherein said person'"'"'s image is transformed on said display based on a selected color to display that selected color on said hair image of said person independently of the image of the person'"'"'s face,

the selection system including a selection option that is displayed on said display for selecting a target color;

said selection system comprising software including instructions to receive a first input that identifies the condition of a person'"'"'s existing hair, to receive a second input of said target color by displaying a selection of color options from which to select the desired target color for the existing hair and receiving a selection of said target color from said selection of color options, to process the information received as the first input and the second input, said processing of said information including generating a formula for said beauty product that produces the target color when applied to the person'"'"'s existing hair; and

wherein said selection system is linked for communication with said control mechanism to communicate said generated formula to said control mechanism;

wherein said image of said person'"'"'s face and hair appear as an image with a green screen background; and

wherein said image of said person'"'"'s hair appears as an image depicting said hair surrounded by a green screen apart from an image of the person;

wherein transformation of said hair image of said person transforms the depicted hair image that was surrounded by the green screen independently of the image of the person'"'"'s face;

wherein said beauty product formed from a plurality of said beauty product components is dispensed from said output of said dispenser; and

wherein said control mechanism operates said plurality of pumps.

15. The system of claim 1 for dispensing a beauty product formed from a plurality of beauty product components, including:

a selection system for selecting a color to apply to the hair of a person;

a display;

a processor;

said selection system comprising software including instructions to receive a first input that identifies the condition of a person'"'"'s existing hair, to receive a second input of said target color by displaying a selection of color options from which to select the desired target color for the existing hair and receiving a selection of said target color from said selection of color options, to process the information received as the first input and the second input, said processing of said information including generating a formula for said beauty product that produces the target color when applied to the person'"'"'s existing hair; and

wherein said selection system is linked for communication with said control mechanism to communicate said generated formula to said control mechanism.

16. The system of claim 1 for dispensing a beauty product formed from a plurality of beauty product components, including:

a selection system for selecting a color to apply to the hair of a person, the selection system including software, a processor and at least one display on which is generated a plurality of hair colors from which to choose;

said selection system receiving an image of a person that includes at least the person'"'"'s hair and face, said selection system providing on said display an image of the person'"'"'s face and person'"'"'s hair, wherein said person'"'"'s image is transformed on said display based on a selected color to display that selected color on said hair image of said person independently of the image of the person'"'"'s face, the system including a selection option that is displayed on said display for selecting a target color;

said selection system software including instructions to receive a first input that identifies the condition of a person'"'"'s existing hair, to receive a second input of said target color by displaying a selection of color options from which to select the desired target color for the existing hair and receiving a selection of said target color from said selection of color options, to process the information received as the first input and the second input, said processing of said information including generating a formula for said beauty product that produces the target color when applied to the person'"'"'s existing hair; and

wherein said selection system is linked for communication with said control mechanism to communicate said generated formula to said control mechanism.

17. The system of claim 1,

wherein said control mechanism includes a cleaning feature, wherein the time between a dispensing of a beauty product component from its respective container is recorded, and wherein when said recorded time between dispensings of said beauty product component exceeds a threshold time, the control mechanism operates the pumping mechanism to deliver through said respectively associated line an amount of said respective beauty product component so that a fresh supply of component is present at said dispensing outlet for subsequent dispensings of that respective beauty product component.

18. The system of claim 17,

a) wherein each said line has a first end and a second end;

b) wherein said dispensing outlet comprises a plurality of nozzles, wherein each nozzle is associated with a respective one of said lines;

c) wherein each said container bag is sealingly connected to said first end of a respective one of said lines, and wherein each said nozzle is sealingly connected to said second end of said respective one of said lines, and wherein said sealingly connected container, line and nozzle form a component unit;

d) wherein said component unit is installable on said device; and

e) wherein said line of said component unit is installable on said pumping mechanism.

19. The system of claim 1,

a) wherein each said line has a first end and a second end;

b) wherein said dispensing outlet comprises a plurality of nozzles, wherein each nozzle is associated with a respective one of said lines;

c) wherein each said container is sealingly connected to said first end of a respective one of said lines, and wherein each said nozzle is sealingly connected to said second end of said respective one of said lines, and wherein said sealingly connected container, line and nozzle form a component unit;

d) wherein said component unit is installable on said device; and

e) wherein said line of said component unit is installable on said pumping mechanism.

20. A system for dispensing a beauty product formed from a plurality of beauty product components, the system comprising:

a) a frame;

b) a dispenser supported on said frame having at least one dispensing outlet, the dispenser being located at a first location;

c) a plurality of beauty product components, each of the said beauty product components being contained in a respective container bag and each container bag being supported on said frame;

d) said dispenser including a plurality of lines, each line having a passageway therethrough and communicatively linking one of said respective plurality of container bags with said at least one dispensing outlet;

e) said dispenser including a control mechanism;

f) said dispenser including a pumping mechanism comprising a plurality of pumps;

g) said pumping mechanism being connected to said plurality of lines to regulate the delivery of said plurality of beauty product components from their respective container bags;

h) said control mechanism comprising a programmable logic controller and software configured with instructions to operate the pumping mechanism to deliver a desired dosage of at least a plurality of said beauty product components from their respective container bags;

i) said pumping mechanism being operated to regulate delivery of said beauty product component from their respective container bags;

j) wherein said control mechanism receives an instruction to produce a beauty product, wherein said control mechanism produces a beauty product by regulating the operation of said respective plurality of pumps to deliver dosages of a plurality of beauty product components from their said respective container bags that contain the respective beauty product components;

k) a monitoring mechanism including an RFID tag carried on each of the said beauty product component container bags and an RFID reader disposed at a reading distance relative to said frame supported bags and being configured to communicate with a communication component;

l) at least one storage component for storing information;

m) a communication component configured to communicate information from said reader to said storage component corresponding to each of said RFID tags, wherein the information stored on said storage component is available to a hardware processor;

n) a hardware processor;

o) software configured with instructions to instruct the hardware processor to process said communicated information and, when said processed information corresponds to a condition identifying one or more of said beauty product components in a said container reaching a low level, said processor is instructed to generate an output;

wherein said output comprises at least one of an instruction to check the supply on hand and an instruction to ship one or more beauty component products corresponding to the said one or more beauty product components whose condition is identified as reaching a low level;

p) wherein dosage amounts of at least some of said plurality of beauty product components are delivered with said pumping mechanism from said respective bags in which said components are contained to a receptacle, said dosage amounts when delivered to said receptacle forming a beauty product that is a hair dye;

q) a selection system for selecting a color to apply to the hair of a person, the selection system including software, a processor and at least one display on which is generated a plurality of hair colors from which to choose;

said selection system receiving an image of a person that includes at least the person'"'"'s hair and face, said selection system providing on said display an image of the person'"'"'s face and person'"'"'s hair, wherein said person'"'"'s image is transformed on said display based on a selected color to display that selected color on said hair image of said person independently of the image of the person'"'"'s face, the system including a selection option that is displayed on said display for selecting a target color;

said selection system software including instructions to receive a first input that identifies the condition of a person'"'"'s existing hair, to receive a second input of said target color by displaying a selection of color options from which to select the desired target color for the existing hair and receiving a selection of said target color from said selection of color options, to process the information received as the first input and the second input, said processing of said information including generating a formula for said beauty product that produces the target color when applied to the person'"'"'s existing hair;

r) wherein said selection system is linked for communication with said control mechanism to communicate said generated formula to said control mechanism;

s) wherein said control mechanism operates said pumping mechanism to deliver from at least some of said respective plurality of container bags dosages of at least some of said respective beauty product components in accordance with said formula, and wherein said dosages are delivered to said dispensing outlet to produce a beauty product formed from the at least some of the plurality of said beauty product components.

21. The system of claim 20,

a) wherein each said line has a first end and a second end;

b) wherein said dispensing outlet comprises a plurality of nozzles, wherein each nozzle is associated with a respective one of said lines;

c) wherein each said container bag is sealingly connected to said first end of a respective one of said lines, and wherein each said nozzle is sealingly connected to said second end of said respective one of said lines, and wherein said sealingly connected bag, line and nozzle form a component unit;

d) wherein said component unit is installable on said device; and

e) wherein said line of said component unit is installable on said pumping mechanism.

22. A system for dispensing a beauty product formed from a plurality of beauty product components, the system comprising:

a) a frame;

b) a dispenser supported on said frame having at least one dispensing outlet;

c) a plurality of beauty product components, each of the said beauty product components being contained in a respective container;

d) said dispenser including a plurality of lines, each line of said plurality of lines having a passageway therethrough, each said line communicatively linking one of said plurality of said containers with said dispensing outlet;

e) said dispenser including a control mechanism and a pumping mechanism;

f) wherein said control mechanism regulates the operation of said pumping mechanism to deliver dosages of a plurality of said respective beauty product components to said dispensing outlet to provide a beauty product;

g) including an inventory control system associated with each said respective container to provide an alert based on the actual or a perceived content level of said respective beauty product component in said container;

h) the inventory control system including an interrogator configured to generate a signal and including a plurality of RFID tags, each one of said plurality of RFID tags respectively associated with one of said plurality of containers;

i) wherein each said RFID tag includes RFID information data that identifies the product in the container;

j) wherein said inventory control system includes a communication link between said dispenser and a remote computing component through which supplies may be ordered; and

k) wherein said RFID information includes temperature information, and wherein said RFID tag includes a temperature sensing element.

23. The system of claim 22,

wherein said control mechanism includes a cleaning feature, wherein the time between a dispensing of a beauty product component from its respective container is recorded, and wherein when said recorded time between dispensings of said beauty product component exceeds a threshold time, the control mechanism operates the pumping mechanism to deliver through said respectively associated line an amount of said respective beauty product component so that a fresh supply of component is present at said dispensing outlet for subsequent dispensings of that respective beauty product component.

24. The system of claim 23,

wherein said monitoring mechanism checks for the presence at said first location for one or more additional containers that contain the same beauty product component as the said container determined to have a low level of said beauty product component therein, wherein checking the presence at said first location comprises interrogating for the presence of one or more containers containing the same beauty product component as the container determined to have a low level, based on a response from an RFID tag provided on said one or more component containers containing the same component as the container determined to have a low level.

25. The system of claim 22,

a) wherein each said line has a first end and a second end;

b) wherein said dispensing outlet comprises a plurality of nozzles, wherein each nozzle is associated with a respective one of said lines;

c) wherein each said container is sealingly connected to said first end of a respective one of said lines, and wherein each said nozzle is sealingly connected to said second end of said respective one of said lines, and wherein said sealingly connected container, line and nozzle form a component unit;

d) wherein said component unit is installable on said device; and

e) wherein said line of said component unit is installable on said pumping mechanism.

26. The system of claim 22 for dispensing a beauty product formed from a plurality of beauty product components, including:

a selection system for selecting a color to apply to the hair of a person,

the selection system including software, a processor and at least one display on which is generated a plurality of hair colors from which to choose;

said selection system receiving an image of a person that includes at least the person'"'"'s hair and face,

said selection system providing on said display an image of the person'"'"'s face and person'"'"'s hair,

wherein said person'"'"'s image is transformed on said display based on a selected color to display that selected color on said hair image of said person independently of the image of the person'"'"'s face,

the selection system including a selection option that is displayed on said display for selecting a target color;

said selection system comprising software including instructions to receive a first input that identifies the condition of a person'"'"'s existing hair, to receive a second input of said target color by displaying a selection of color options from which to select the desired target color for the existing hair and receiving a selection of said target color from said selection of color options, to process the information received as the first input and the second input, said processing of said information including generating a formula for said beauty product that produces the target color when applied to the person'"'"'s existing hair; and

wherein said selection system is linked for communication with said control mechanism to communicate said generated formula to said control mechanism;

wherein said image of said person'"'"'s face and hair appear as an image with a green screen background; and

wherein said image of said person'"'"'s hair appears as an image depicting said hair surrounded by a green screen apart from an image of the person;

wherein transformation of said hair image of said person transforms the depicted hair image that was surrounded by the green screen independently of the image of the person'"'"'s face;

wherein said beauty product formed from a plurality of said beauty product components is dispensed from said output of said dispenser; and

wherein said control mechanism operates said plurality of pumps.

27. The system of claim 22 for dispensing a beauty product formed from a plurality of beauty product components, including:

a selection system for selecting a color to apply to the hair of a person;

a display;

a processor;

said selection system comprising software including instructions to receive a first input that identifies the condition of a person'"'"'s existing hair, to receive a second input of said target color by displaying a selection of color options from which to select the desired target color for the existing hair and receiving a selection of said target color from said selection of color options, to process the information received as the first input and the second input, said processing of said information including generating a formula for said beauty product that produces the target color when applied to the person'"'"'s existing hair; and

wherein said selection system is linked for communication with said control mechanism to communicate said generated formula to said control mechanism.

28. The system of claim 22 for dispensing a beauty product formed from a plurality of beauty product components, including:

a selection system for selecting a color to apply to the hair of a person, the selection system including software, a processor and at least one display on which is generated a plurality of hair colors from which to choose;

said selection system receiving an image of a person that includes at least the person'"'"'s hair and face, said selection system providing on said display an image of the person'"'"'s face and person'"'"'s hair, wherein said person'"'"'s image is transformed on said display based on a selected color to display that selected color on said hair image of said person independently of the image of the person'"'"'s face, the system including a selection option that is displayed on said display for selecting a target color;

said selection system software including instructions to receive a first input that identifies the condition of a person'"'"'s existing hair, to receive a second input of said target color by displaying a selection of color options from which to select the desired target color for the existing hair and receiving a selection of said target color from said selection of color options, to process the information received as the first input and the second input, said processing of said information including generating a formula for said beauty product that produces the target color when applied to the person'"'"'s existing hair; and

wherein said selection system is linked for communication with said control mechanism to communicate said generated formula to said control mechanism.