JP2022098235A - Facial equipment, control method thereof, and control program - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide facial equipment capable of suppressing a pain by electric stimulation.SOLUTION: Facial equipment includes: a pad part mounted on the face of a user for covering the cheek of the user and its periphery; an electrode provide in the pad part; a power supply part for applying voltage to the electrode; and a control part for controlling the voltage supplied to the electrode from the power supply part. The control part executes voltage raising processing for raising the voltage supplied to the electrode to a desired voltage level gradually, and supplies power so that a change with time in the frequency of the power supplied to the electrode indicates a sine wave.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

There is an application for exception of loss of novelty

The present invention relates to a facial device, a control method thereof, and a control program.

Conventionally, for example, as shown in Patent Document 1 below, a facial device used for beauty is known by giving a physical stimulus to a user's face to obtain a fatigue recovery effect and a slimming effect. In this facial equipment, a vibration element is provided inside a mask that covers the user's face. Then, when the user wears the mask on his / her face and the vibrating element vibrates, each of the above-mentioned effects can be obtained.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2005-118527

By the way, some such facial equipments can be given an electrical stimulus to obtain the same effect as a vibrating element. However, there is a problem that electrical stimulation is too strong and painful for some people.

Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and provides a facial device capable of suppressing pain caused by electrical stimulation, a control method thereof, and a control program in a facial device that applies electrical stimulation. The purpose.

In order to solve the above problems, the facial device according to one aspect of the present invention is attached to the user's face, and is provided on the pad portion that covers the user's cheek portion and its surroundings, and the pad portion. It is provided with an electrode, a power supply unit that applies a voltage to the electrode, and a control unit that controls the voltage supplied from the power supply unit to the electrode, and the control unit gradually applies the voltage supplied to the electrode to a desired voltage. It executes an increasing voltage rise process, and supplies power so that the change over time in the frequency of the power supplied to the electrodes becomes a sinusoidal wave.

In order to solve the above problems, the control method according to one aspect of the present invention is provided on the user's face, the pad portion covering the user's cheek portion and its surroundings, and the pad portion. This is a control method for facial equipment including an electrode, a power supply unit that applies a voltage to the electrode, and a control unit that controls the voltage supplied from the power supply unit to the electrode. It includes a voltage rise processing step in which the voltage is gradually raised to a desired voltage, and power is supplied so that the change over time in the frequency of the power supplied by the control unit to the electrodes in the voltage rise processing step becomes a sine wave.

In order to solve the above problems, the control program according to one aspect of the present invention is attached to the user's face, and is provided on the pad portion that covers the user's cheek portion and its periphery, and the pad portion. It is a control program to be executed by the control unit of the facial equipment provided with the electrode, the power supply unit for applying the voltage to the electrode, and the control unit for controlling the voltage supplied from the power supply unit to the electrode. It is a voltage rise processing function that gradually raises the voltage supplied to the electrode to a desired voltage, and supplies power having a sinusoidal waveform to the electrodes.

In the above facial equipment, the control unit further executes a voltage drop process of gradually lowering the voltage from a desired voltage so that the change over time in the frequency of the power supplied to the electrodes becomes a sine wave. May be supplied with power.

In the above facial equipment, the control unit has a warm-up mode in which power in the first frequency band is supplied to the electrodes and a second frequency band higher than the first frequency band as modes for supplying power to the electrodes. A voltage is applied to the electrodes so that a training mode that supplies power to the electrodes and a cooling mode that supplies power to the electrodes in a third frequency band lower than the second frequency band are continuously executed. The voltage rise process may be executed when the warm-up mode is changed to the training mode, and the voltage drop process may be executed when the training mode is changed to the cooling mode.

The facial equipment according to one aspect of the present invention can give a smooth fluctuation electric stimulus by supplying a sine wave electric power to the electrode in the electric power increase process for increasing the electric power, so that the electric stimulus to the user is given. Can suppress pain based on.

It is a perspective view of a facial equipment. It is a front view of a facial equipment. It is a right side view of the facial equipment. (A) is a diagram showing a front view shape of the pad portion shown in FIG. 1, and b) is a diagram showing a side view shape of the pad portion shown in FIG. 1. It is a figure which shows an example of the use mode of a facial treatment device. It is a figure which shows another example of the use mode of a facial treatment device. It is a block diagram which shows the structural example of the facial equipment. It is a flowchart which shows the operation example of a facial equipment. It is a graph which shows the time-dependent change of the voltage frequency in a facial equipment. (A) is an enlarged view of the waveform change in the conventional voltage rise processing. (B) is an enlarged view of the waveform change in the conventional voltage drop processing. (C) is an enlarged view of the waveform change in the voltage rise processing in this embodiment. (D) is an enlarged view of the waveform change in the voltage drop processing in this embodiment.

Hereinafter, the facial equipment according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

<Embodiment>
<Structure of facial equipment>
1 to 3 are views showing the appearance of the facial equipment 1 according to the present embodiment. 1 is a perspective view of the facial equipment 1, FIG. 2 is a front view of the facial equipment 1, and FIG. 3 is a right side view of the facial equipment 1.

As shown in FIG. 1, the facial equipment 1 has a shape imitating headphones. The facial equipment 1 includes a pair of left and right pad portions 10 and a connecting portion 11 for connecting the pair of pad portions 10. The connecting portion 11 is provided with a power supply portion 30.

The connecting portion 11 is a band member that bends and extends so as to cover the user's head or neck when used by the user.

In the present embodiment, the connecting portion 11 includes a headband 12 that covers the user's head, a pair of slider bands 13 extending from both ends of the headband 12, and a pair of housings 14 connected to the slider band 13. It is equipped with. Instead of the headband 12 that covers the user's head, a neckband that covers the rear side of the user's neck may be adopted. Further, when the pad portion 10 is configured so that it can be attached to a contact portion, the headband 12 may be omitted as long as each pad portion 10 and the power supply portion 30 can be connected.

In the following description, the front-back direction, the left-right direction, and the up-down direction are defined with reference to the direction of the user who uses the facial equipment 1.

In the example shown in FIG. 2, the thickness dimension of the headband 12 in the left-right direction differs depending on the position of the headband 12. The thickness dimension of the headband 12 gradually increases from the central portion toward both ends. A power supply unit 30 and a wireless communication unit 60 are built in both ends of the headband 12. The thickness of the headband 12 may be uniformly configured.

As shown in FIG. 3, the width dimension of the headband 12 in the front-rear direction is uniform over the entire area of the headband 12. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, the thickness may be the thickest in the vicinity of contact with the crown, and the thickness may be reduced as the pad portion 10 is closer.

As shown in FIG. 2, the thickness dimension of the slider band 13 in the left-right direction is smaller than the thickness dimension of the headband 12, and is uniform over the entire area of the slider band 13.

As shown in FIG. 3, the width dimension of the slider band 13 in the front-rear direction is smaller than the width dimension of the headband 12, and is uniform over the entire area of the slider band 13.

The slider band 13 is arranged so as to be accommodated inside the headband 12, and its length can be adjusted by being pulled out from the headband 12 according to the position of the pad portion 10 selected by the user.

Since the length of the slider band 13 can be adjusted, the pad portion 10 can be brought into contact with the user's favorite position.

As shown in FIG. 2, the housing 14 is connected to the lower end of the slider band 13. The housing 14 accommodates the lower end of the slider band 13 and holds the pad portion 10. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, a pad portion 10 is connected to the housing 14 via a support shaft 15.

The support shaft 15 rotatably supports the pad portion 10 with respect to the housing 14 at both ends of the connecting portion 11, and is provided inside the housing 14. In FIG. 3, the housing 14 has a rectangular shape, but the shape is not limited to the rectangular shape as long as the housing 14 includes the support shaft 15 and accommodates the lower end portion of the slider band 13.

As shown in FIG. 4, the pad portion 10 has a rectangular shape. FIG. 4A is a diagram showing a front view shape of the pad portion 10, and FIG. 4B is a diagram showing a side view shape of the pad portion 10. Although the pad portion 10 is rectangular here, the shape of the pad portion 10 is not limited to this, and may be circular, for example.

Two of the four sides of the pad portion 10 are curved. Of the peripheral edges of the pad portion 10, the leading edge portion located in the front is formed in a curved shape in which the central portion in the vertical direction protrudes toward the rear. Of the peripheral edges of the pad portion 10, the trailing edge portion located at the rear is formed in a curved shape in which the central portion in the vertical direction protrudes toward the rear. A plurality of electrodes 20 are provided on the pad portion 10.

The plurality of electrodes 20 are provided with two sets of positive electrodes (+) and negative electrodes (−) on the pad portion 10, respectively. In the illustrated example, a set of a positive electrode and a negative electrode is provided on the front side of the pad portion 10, and a set of a positive electrode and a negative electrode are provided on the rear side of the pad portion 10. The arrangement state of the electrodes 20 can be arbitrarily changed. For example, in the electrode 20, only one set of a positive electrode (+) and a negative electrode (−) may be arranged, or three or more sets may be arranged.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a usage mode of the facial equipment 1. Further, FIG. 6 is a diagram showing another example of the usage mode of the facial equipment 1.

As shown in FIG. 5, when the facial equipment 1 is used, it is worn on the head so as to cover the crown with the headband 12. As a result, the facial equipment 1 can be used so that the pad portion 10 covers at least a part of each of the orbicularis oculi muscle, the zygomaticus major muscle, and the buccinator muscle. By driving the facial equipment 1 in this usage pattern, it is possible to stimulate these muscles (orbicularis oculi muscle, zygomaticus major muscle, buccinator muscle) of the user.

Next, as shown in FIG. 6, the slider band 13 is extended from the state shown in FIG. 5, and the pad portion 10 is rotated with respect to the slider band 13 around the support shaft 15. As a result, the portion of the pad portion 10 provided with the electrode 20 comes into contact with the portion of the user's face located inside the face in the left-right direction from the center of the eye.

At this time, the facial device 1 can be used so that the pad portion 10 covers at least a part of the orbicularis oris muscle and the levator labii muscle as well as the orbicularis oculi muscle, the zygomaticus major muscle, and the buccinator muscle. Thereby, the stimulus from the electrode 20 can be applied to the face over a wider range.

As a result, the facial muscles of the user can be tightened (pumped up), the slackening of the cheeks can be eliminated, and a small face effect can be expected.

<Example of facial equipment configuration>
FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of the facial equipment 1. As shown in FIG. 7, the facial equipment 1 includes a control unit 730, a storage unit 740, an electrode 20, and a power supply unit 30. The facial equipment 1 may include a communication unit 710 and an input unit 720. Each part of the facial equipment 1 is connected to each other via a connecting line 750 so that it can be controlled by the control unit 730.

The communication unit 710 has a function of communicating with an external device of the facial equipment 1. The communication unit 710 may transmit the information specified by the control unit 730 to an external device. As the information to be transmitted to the outside, information indicating the executed control content (what voltage and how long) may be transmitted. Information indicating these control contents may be visualized and displayed transmitted to an external device (for example, a user's terminal). Further, the communication unit 710 receives a control command for controlling the facial equipment 1 from an external device (for example, a terminal of the user or a controller of the facial equipment 1). good. The communication unit 710 transmits a control command received from an external device to the control unit 730.

The input unit 720 receives an input from the user of the facial equipment 1. Although the input unit 720 is not shown in FIGS. 1 to 6, for example, the headband 12 may be provided as a hard key or a soft key, and for example, the frequency of the voltage applied to the pad unit 10 can be specified. , Or the voltage strength may be specified, or the operation mode may be specified. The input unit 720 transmits the input content to the control unit 730. The input unit 720 may include a power button for activating / terminating the facial equipment 1.

If the communication unit 710 is provided and an operation from an external device is accepted, the input unit 720 may not be provided. Further, when the input unit 720 is provided, external control is not required, so the configuration may not include the communication unit 710.

The control unit 730 is a processor having a function of controlling each part of the facial equipment 1. The control unit 730 realizes the function to be performed as the facial equipment 1 by executing various programs stored in the storage unit 740.

The control unit 730 includes a voltage control unit 731. The voltage control unit 731 controls the electric power supplied from the power supply unit 30 to the electrode 20.

The voltage control unit 731 has a warm-up mode in which a relatively low voltage is applied to the electrode 20 from the power supply unit 30, a training mode in which a voltage higher than that in the warm-up mode is applied to the electrode 20, and a voltage lower than the training mode is applied to the electrode 20. The power supply unit 30 is controlled so that the voltage in the cooling down mode applied to the electrode 20 and the voltage in one of the three modes is applied to the electrode 20. Further, the voltage control unit 731 gradually increases the voltage applied to the electrode 20 when shifting from the warm-up mode to the training mode. At this time, the voltage control unit 731 applies the voltage to the electrode 20 so that the frequency of the applied power draws a sine wave. Further, when shifting from the training mode to the cooling down mode, the voltage applied to the electrode 20 is gradually reduced. Also at this time, the voltage control unit 731 applies the voltage so that the frequency of the applied power draws a sine wave. The details of the voltage application method by the voltage control unit 731 will be described later with reference to FIGS. 9 and 10.

The storage unit 740 is a storage medium having a function of storing various programs and data for controlling each part of the facial equipment 1. The storage unit 740 can be realized by a flash memory as an example, but the storage unit 740 is not limited to this.

The power supply unit 30 may be a primary battery or a secondary battery. In the case of a secondary battery, the facial equipment 1 may be provided with a chargeable terminal in the power supply unit 30.

<Operation>
From here, an operation example in the facial equipment 1 will be described. FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing an operation example of the facial equipment 1 according to the embodiment. As shown in FIG. 8, when the facial equipment 1 is activated, the voltage control unit 731 starts energizing the electrode 20 from the power supply unit 30 (step S801).

First, the voltage control unit 731 applies a voltage defined as a warm-up mode to the electrode 20 (step S802). The voltage (frequency) applied in the warm-up mode is a relatively low voltage (around 10 Hz).

When a predetermined time elapses after the warm-up mode is executed, the voltage control unit 731 increases the voltage applied to the electrode 20. That is, the frequency of the applied power is increased. At this time, the voltage control unit 731 executes a voltage increase process for increasing the voltage so that the frequency of the electric power applied to the electrode 20 draws a sine and cosine wave (step S803).

When the voltage (frequency) supplied to the electrode 20 reaches a desired height, the voltage control unit 731 applies a voltage in the training mode (step S804). That is, the voltage control unit 731 applies a voltage of a predetermined height from the power supply unit 30 to the electrode 20.

After applying the voltage in the training mode for a certain period of time, the voltage control unit 731 lowers the voltage applied to the electrode 20. That is, the frequency of the applied power is lowered. At this time, the voltage control unit 731 executes a voltage drop process in which the voltage is lowered so that the frequency of the electric power applied to the electrode 20 draws a sine and cosine wave (step S805).

Then, when the voltage drops to a predetermined voltage, the voltage control unit 731 applies the voltage in the cooling down mode (step S806). That is, the voltage control unit 731 applies electric power having a voltage lower than that in the training mode to the electrode 20 from the power supply unit 30 for a certain period of time, and ends the process.

The process shown in FIG. 8 may be repeated a predetermined number of times.

Note that FIG. 8 shows an example in which it is desirable to operate as the facial equipment 1 in the order of warming up mode, voltage rise processing, training mode, voltage drop processing, and cooling down mode. The operation mode is not limited to this. It may be possible to perform an operation in a mode in which a designation from a user is accepted, and at this time, the voltage control unit 731 increases the supplied voltage or decreases the voltage from a high voltage. The power may be controlled to be supplied from the power supply unit 30 to the electrode 20 so that the frequency of the power supplied to the electrodes draws a sine wave.

<Specific example of control voltage (frequency)>
FIG. 9 is a diagram showing changes over time in each operation mode of the facial equipment 1 and the frequency of the electric power supplied to the electrode 20 in the voltage rise processing and the voltage drop processing.

FIG. 9 is a graph showing changes over time in frequency when power is supplied to the electrodes 20 in the order of warm-up mode, voltage rise processing, training mode, voltage drop processing, and cooling down mode.

As shown in FIG. 9, in the warm-up mode (time T1 to T2), power having a relatively low frequency is supplied to the electrode 20. After a lapse of a predetermined time, the control unit 730 of the facial equipment 1 executes a voltage rise process in which the voltage (frequency) is gradually increased in order to shift to the training mode (time T2 to T3).

Then, when the voltage rises to a desired voltage (frequency), the voltage of the training mode that maintains the frequency and changes to some extent is supplied (time T3 to T4). When the time to operate as the training mode elapses, the voltage control unit 731 executes a voltage drop process in which the voltage (frequency) is gradually lowered (time T4 to T5).

Then, when the voltage drops to a desired voltage (frequency), a cooling-down mode is executed so as to maintain the frequency and change the frequency to some extent (time T5 to). In this way, the voltage control unit 731 of the facial equipment 1 controls the voltage.

In the facial equipment 1, it is preferable to execute the process shown in FIG. 9 several times as one course, but the number of times to be executed may be determined according to the preference of the user.

As shown in FIG. 9, the frequency of the second frequency band in the training mode is higher than that of the first frequency band in the warm-up mode. Also, the second frequency band in the training mode is higher than the third frequency band in the cooling down mode.

Here, the difference between the conventional voltage rise processing and voltage drop processing and the voltage rise processing and voltage drop processing in the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 10.

FIG. 10A is a diagram showing an example of frequency change in the conventional voltage drop processing, and FIG. 10B is a diagram showing an example of frequency change in the conventional voltage drop processing. As shown in FIGS. 10A and 10B, in the past, electric power was supplied to the electrode 20 so as to draw a frequency change of a triangular wave or a rectangular wave. However, the inventors have found that when this is done, steep electric power is supplied at the edge portion of the triangular wave or the rectangular wave, which may cause discomfort such as pain to the user.

Therefore, in the present invention, the voltage control unit 731 of the facial equipment 1 is subjected to voltage rise processing or voltage drop as shown in FIGS. 10 (c) and 10 (d) so that the steep edge does not hit. In the processing, the frequency waveform of the supplied power becomes a sine wave (a sine wave centered on the graph in the voltage rise processing or voltage drop processing shown in FIG. 9, or a wave obtained by adding the frequency to be raised to the sine wave). To supply power to the electrode 20.

As can be understood from FIGS. 10 (c) and 10 (d), the frequency of the supplied electric power does not have a steep part like a triangular wave or a square wave, and the electric power changes more slowly than the triangular wave or the square wave. Therefore, it is possible to provide a facial device 1 that does not easily cause discomfort such as pain to the user.

In the above embodiment, as a method of controlling the voltage in the facial equipment 1, the voltage is controlled by the processor of the device executing a control program or the like, but this is an integrated circuit in the facial equipment 1. It may be realized by a logic circuit (hardware) or a dedicated circuit formed in (IC (Integrated Circuit) chip, LSI (Large Scale Integration)) or the like. Further, these circuits may be realized by one or a plurality of integrated circuits, and the functions of the plurality of functional units shown in the above embodiment may be realized by one integrated circuit. LSI may be referred to as VLSI, super LSI, ultra LSI, or the like depending on the degree of integration.

Further, the control program may be recorded on a recording medium readable by the processor, and the recording medium may be a "non-temporary tangible medium" such as a tape, a disk, a card, a semiconductor memory, or a programmable logic circuit. Etc. can be used. Further, the control program may be supplied to the processor via an arbitrary transmission medium (communication network, broadcast wave, etc.) capable of transmitting the control program. The present invention can also be realized in the form of a data signal embedded in a carrier wave, in which the control program is embodied by electronic transmission.

The above control program can be implemented using, for example, a script language such as ActionScript or JavaScript (registered trademark), an object-oriented programming language such as Objective-C or Java (registered trademark), or a markup language such as HTML5. , Not limited to these.

1 Facial equipment 10 Pad 11 Connection 12 Headband 13 Slider band 14 Housing 15 Support shaft 20 Electrode 30 Power supply 710 Communication unit 720 Input unit 730 Control unit 731 Voltage control unit 740 Storage unit

Claims (9)

A pad that is attached to the user's face and covers the user's cheeks and their surroundings,
The electrodes provided on the pad and
A power supply unit that applies voltage to the electrodes,
A control unit for controlling the voltage supplied from the power supply unit to the electrode is provided.
The control unit executes a voltage rise process in which the voltage supplied to the electrodes is gradually increased to a desired voltage, and the change over time in the frequency of the power supplied to the electrodes is a sine wave. Facial equipment that supplies power to become. The control unit further executes a voltage drop process of gradually lowering the voltage from the desired voltage, so that the change in frequency of the power supplied to the electrodes with time becomes a sine wave. The facial equipment according to claim 1, wherein the facial equipment is supplied. As a mode for supplying power to the electrode, the control unit has a warm-up mode in which power in the first frequency band is supplied to the electrode, and power in a second frequency band higher than the first frequency band. A voltage to the electrode so that a training mode for supplying power to the electrode and a cooling mode for supplying power in a third frequency band lower than the second frequency band to the electrode are continuously executed. The voltage increase process is executed when the warm-up mode is changed to the training mode, and the voltage drop process is executed when the training mode is changed to the cooling mode. The facial equipment according to claim 2, characterized in that. A pad portion that is attached to the user's face and covers the user's cheek portion and its surroundings, an electrode provided on the pad portion, a power supply unit that applies a voltage to the electrode, and the power supply unit. It is a control method of a facial treatment device including a control unit for controlling a voltage supplied to the electrode from the above.
The control unit includes a voltage rise processing step in which the voltage supplied to the electrode is gradually increased to a desired voltage, and the frequency of the power supplied by the control unit to the electrode in the voltage rise processing step with time. A control method that supplies power so that the target change becomes a sine wave. The control method further
The control unit further includes a voltage drop processing step of gradually lowering the voltage from the desired voltage, and the change over time in the frequency of the power supplied by the control unit to the electrode in the voltage drop processing step is a sinusoidal wave. The control method according to claim 4, wherein the electric power is supplied so as to be. As a mode for supplying power to the electrode, the control unit has a warm-up mode in which power in the first frequency band is supplied to the electrode, and power in a second frequency band higher than the first frequency band. A voltage to the electrode so that a training mode for supplying power to the electrode and a cooling mode for supplying power in a third frequency band lower than the second frequency band to the electrode are continuously executed. Is applied,
The voltage rise processing step is executed when shifting from the warm-up mode to the training mode.
The control method according to claim 5, wherein the voltage drop processing step is executed when shifting from the training mode to the cooling mode. A pad portion that is attached to the user's face and covers the user's cheek portion and its surroundings, an electrode provided on the pad portion, a power supply unit that applies a voltage to the electrode portion, and the power supply unit. It is a control program to be executed by the control unit of the facial equipment provided with the control unit for controlling the voltage supplied to the electrodes from the above.
A control program for supplying power having a sine waveform to the electrodes, which is a voltage rise processing function for gradually increasing the voltage supplied to the electrodes to a desired voltage in the control unit. The control program further
The seventh aspect of the present invention is characterized in that the control unit is a voltage drop processing function that gradually lowers the voltage from the desired voltage, and the control unit supplies power of a sinusoidal waveform to the electrodes. The described control program. As a mode for supplying power to the electrode, the control unit has a warm-up mode in which power in the first frequency band is supplied to the electrode, and power in a second frequency band higher than the first frequency band. A voltage to the electrode so that a training mode for supplying power to the electrode and a cooling mode for supplying power in a third frequency band lower than the second frequency band to the electrode are continuously executed. Is applied,
The voltage rise processing function is executed when shifting from the warm-up mode to the training mode.
The control program according to claim 8, wherein the voltage drop processing function is executed when the training mode is changed to the cooling mode.

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