Moisture sensor for skin

• US 8,118,740 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2006
• Issued: 02/21/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IpVenture, Inc.
• Original Assignee: IpVenture, Inc.
• Inventors: Howell, Thomas A., Tong, Peter P., Thomas, C. Douglass, Hadiwidjaja, Angeline
• Primary Examiner(s): MALLARI, PATRICIA C
• Application Number:
  US11/479,665
• Publication Number:
  US 20060248946A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,062 Days
• Field of Search: 600/306, 600/307
• US Class Current: 600/306
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/443 Evaluating skin constituents, e.g. elastin, melanin, water
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 25/56 by investigating moisture content
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/223 for determining moisture content, e.g. humidity rain detectors on vehicle windows B60S1/0825

Abstract

A moisture sensor for skin is disclosed. With the moisture sensor, a user can determine that her skin is too dry, and can conveniently apply a skin-care product. In addition, in one embodiment, the sensor can assist in identifying different types of skin-care products to apply. As one example, a skin-care product is a type of lotion. As another example, a skin-care product is a type of shampoo.

Claims

1. A handheld moisture sensor for the skin of a user, comprising:

a sensor head on a circuit board configured to provide an indication regarding skin moisture level of the user by applying the sensor head on the skin of the user;

an output device connected to the circuit board;

an electronic controller on the circuit board, the controller being configured or designed to at least generate an output for the output device based on the indication from the circuit board; and

a power source connected to the circuit board to provide power at least to the controller and the output device,

wherein the moisture sensor provides a piece of information regarding the application of a skin-care product to the skin of the user, and

wherein the sensor head includes a plurality of fingers and each finger has at least two conducting lines adjacent to each other, with the lines covered by an insulating material, and wherein the sensor head measures capacitance during operation.

2. A handheld moisture sensor as recited in claim 1, wherein the plurality of fingers as a whole are in a configuration similar to a comb.

3. A handheld moisture sensor as recited in claim 1,

wherein the skin is the scalp of the user, and

wherein the skin-care product is a conditioner.

4. A handheld moisture sensor as recited in claim 1 wherein the skin-care product is lotion.

5. A handheld moisture sensor as recited in claim 1 wherein at least one electrical component in the sensor is electrically coupled to at least one electrical component in a bottle.

6. A handheld moisture sensor as recited in claim 1 wherein the output device includes a display.

7. A handheld moisture sensor as recited in claim 6, wherein the display displays an advertisement.

8. A handheld moisture sensor as recited in claim 1 wherein the output device includes a speaker.

9. A handheld moisture sensor as recited in claim 1

wherein the circuit board is a flexible circuit board to allow the sensor head to better conform to the curvature of the skin surface being measured.

10. A handheld moisture sensor as recited in claim 1 wherein the sensor includes an electrical connector.

11. A handheld moisture sensor as recited in claim 1 wherein the sensor includes a wireless transmitter.

12. A handheld moisture sensor as recited in claim 1 wherein the output device provides an indication when the skin measurement is accomplished.

13. A handheld moisture sensor as recited in claim 1 wherein the sensor head includes a constant force mechanism, which is configured to maintain a constant force when the sensor head is applied or pressed onto the surface to be measured.

14. A handheld moisture sensor as recited in claim 1 wherein the sensor includes a plurality of settings, each for one type of skin to allow the sensor to be personalized to the skin type of the user.

15. A handheld moisture sensor as recited in claim 1,

wherein the skin is the scalp of the user, and

wherein the skin-care product is shampoo.

16. A handheld moisture sensor as recited in claim 6, wherein the sensor includes a wireless transmitter.

17. A handheld moisture sensor as recited in claim 1 wherein the sensor provides a recommendation to the user regarding the user'"'"'s skin based on the measurements by the sensor and based on another piece of information from an additional sensor, which measures an attribute different from an attribute regarding skin moisture level measured by the sensor head.

18. A handheld moisture sensor as recited in claim 17, wherein the additional sensor is a humidity sensor.

19. A handheld moisture sensor as recited in claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the circuit board is flexible to allow the sensor head to better conform to the curvature of the skin surface being measured.

20. A handheld moisture sensor as recited in claim 19 wherein the sensor includes a wireless transmitter.