JP2002132916A - Method for providing advice on makeup - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a makeup advice providing method with which an advice provider can efficiently and economically provide a customer with a detailed advice about the makeup and the customer can freely receive such advice, without restriction on the time or the place. SOLUTION: This makeup advice providing method, which provides the customer C with advice about makeup via a network N, receives the facial image of the customer C from the customer C and transmits to the customer C a simulation facial image obtained by applying virtual makeup to the received facial image and merchandise, and/or a method for practically realizing the same makeup as that of the simulated facial image.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a makeup advice providing method capable of efficiently and economically providing advice on makeup such as makeup and hair makeup to a customer.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In the sale of cosmetics, whether a product fits in with a makeup image desired by a customer depends on whether the cosmetics technician such as a cosmetics advisor in the face-to-face sales of the customer. Sometimes it is difficult to judge without actually applying makeup. In many cases, the customer himself has an image different from that of the cosmetic technician. Customers can use a sample from the store to check whether the product suits them or not.However, it is highly hygienic and psychologically difficult to apply on the face. It is often confirmed and applied to other parts, such as the back of the hand. However, in many cases, the coloring and the image of the entire face when the purchased product is actually applied to the face are significantly different from the case where the purchased product is applied to other than the face. It is preferable to actually apply makeup (touch-up) to the customer in order to determine whether the product is suitable or not, but it takes time (about one hour at a time) and very burdens the customer's skin , The patterns that customers can try on a single day are limited, and the seller becomes less efficient in sales.

In recent years, several computer systems for simulating makeup using models or faces of customers themselves have been operated as computer systems for creating the same state as when makeup is applied in a pseudo manner [Kao Corporation ): Make-up advice system, Shiseido Co., Ltd .: Beauty navigator, Polar Chemical Industry Co., Ltd .: Lip color personal advice system (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. Hei 8-20275)
4)] If these systems are used, the actual finish can be specifically imaged by the customer, and efficient advice can be given on cosmetics, a makeup method, and the like suitable for the customer. However, these systems can be experienced only in a limited place or time, such as a storefront event or an antenna shop, and the place and time for receiving advice are greatly limited. Location and time restrictions also exist on the seller side, and although cosmetics and hair color are the same color product, sales floors are different, so it is necessary to simulate and advise individually with a separate system, which is inefficient It was a target.

Further, in these systems installed in stores, simulation patterns prepared as standard in the system are limited so that advice can be completed in a short time (for example, about 10 kinds of lipstick variations). . For example, you can only give advice using standard cosmetics for standard age groups,
There is a problem that it is not possible to accurately respond to diversified customer needs, for example, the number of simulations is limited to one.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a customer with efficient and economical detailed advice on make-up, so that the customer can feel free from time and place restrictions. Another object of the present invention is to provide a makeup advice providing method capable of receiving such advice.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a makeup advice providing method for providing makeup-related advice to a customer via a network, the method comprising the steps of: receiving a face image of the customer from the customer; A simulation face image that virtually makes up the face image,
Transmitting to the customer, when receiving a response from the customer that the transmitted simulation face image is approved, the same makeup as the approved simulation face image is actually given to the customer. If information on the product and / or method for realization is transmitted, and a response is received from the customer indicating that the transmitted simulation face image is not approved, the simulation face image is modified according to the customer's request. The above object has been attained by providing a makeup advice providing method for repeatedly transmitting a corrected simulation face image to the customer a predetermined number of times.

[0007]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described below based on preferred embodiments. FIG. 1 is a flowchart showing an outline of operations of a customer and a person who provides advice regarding makeup to the customer (hereinafter, referred to as an advice provider) in the present embodiment. Here, the term “make-up” is meant to include not only normal makeup for coloring and correcting the face of the customer, but also hair and makeup for coloring and correcting the hair of the customer.

[0008] The coloring of the face includes application of lipstick, foundation, blusher, eyeshadow, and the like. The correction of the face includes adjusting the shape and density of eyebrows, drawing the outline of lipstick, and the like. Can be The coloring of the head hair includes coloring with a hair color, a hair manicure, etc., and the modification to the head hair includes permanent wave, hair cutting, hair arrangement with a wig / hairpiece, hair styling with a styling agent, and the like. In addition, the customers include all persons who can access a provider of makeup advice via a network.

A series of operations of the customer and the advice provider in the present embodiment will be described in detail with reference to FIGS.
As shown in FIG. 2, the advice provider A constructs a so-called web server W on the Internet N as a network, and creates a web page for providing advice on the web server W in a predetermined language such as HTML. It is prepared so that a plurality of customers can access the web page via their own terminals (only one customer C and its terminal T are shown).

First, a customer accesses a web server W on the Internet N using his / her own terminal (step 1). FIG. 2 shows a display screen of the terminal T of the customer C,
The state in which the web page P for providing advice created on the web server W is displayed.

[0011] As the customer terminal, various devices capable of browsing information on the web page P by connecting to the Internet (network) can be used. For example, a personal computer having a browser function (a desktop personal computer, a laptop personal computer). Personal computers, mobile personal computers), mobile phones (including a simplified mobile phone “PHS”), personal digital assistants (PDAs), and the like.

[0012] The advice provider A, which has been accessed by the customer, transmits input support information to the customer (step 2). This input support information is information that makes it easy for the customer to photograph his / her own face (or may include only the face or the hair) and transmit the photographed face image to the advice provider. For example, a sentence (character information) or an image (a still image, a moving image, or the like) explaining a shooting method, an image capturing method, an image transmission method, and the like.

The customer who has received the input support information captures his / her own face with a digital camera, an image scanner, or the like, and captures the captured face into his / her own terminal. (Step 3). The advice provider A having received the customer's face image via the Internet N creates a simulated face image by virtually applying makeup to the received face image (step 4).

As a method of virtually applying makeup to the received face image, various known image processing techniques (such as an image synthesis technique) can be used, and the following procedures (steps 41 to 43) are included. The method is preferred. That is, a step of analyzing the transmitted face image of the customer and determining to which of the plurality of impression patterns the face of the customer is classified based on the feature amount of the face image (step 41). A model face image obtained by applying makeup by each makeup pattern to a preferred makeup pattern or a model corresponding to each of a plurality of impression patterns including the determined customer impression pattern and the determined customer impression pattern, and transmitting the face image. Transmitting to the customer and prompting the user to select a desired makeup pattern (the makeup pattern closest to the impression that the customer wants to be) from the presented plurality of makeup patterns (step 42); and
The step of applying makeup to the face image of the customer under the conditions of the makeup pattern selected by the customer (step 43).

In step 41, for example, a feature amount (preferably, a distance or a ratio between predetermined measurement points in the face image) of a plurality of face images and a predetermined evaluation axis (preferably, a gender impression element axis and a A regression equation with the face impression in the age impression element axis) is obtained in advance, and the feature amount of the transmitted customer face image (obtained by measuring the distance and ratio between predetermined measurement points in the face image) is obtained. The evaluation value of the impression of the face of the customer is obtained based on the evaluation value, and the evaluation value is compared with a predetermined reference value for classification.

Note that a regression equation between the feature values of the face images of a plurality of persons and the impression of the face on a predetermined evaluation axis is obtained in advance, and the impression of the face of the specific person is determined based on the feature values of the face image of the specific person. The method for obtaining the evaluation value of
This is described in detail in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H11-265443 filed by the present applicant.

In step 41, a questionnaire is transmitted to the customer in advance, and the customer's wish obtained from the response result of the questionnaire returned from the customer is compared with a plurality of faces of the customer. It is preferable to reflect this in the process of determining which of the impression patterns is classified. The medical questionnaire includes a question item (for example, a question such as a nose bridge passing / not passing, eyes rising / falling, etc.) that allows the customer to know the impression of the customer.
Is transmitted to the customer at the same time when the input support information is transmitted.
Then, as a method of reflecting the impression of the customer obtained from the answer result of the medical questionnaire in the classification of the impression pattern, for example,
Interview results are (+ n, ..., + 1,0, -1, ...
-N) and quantized to (2n + 1) steps and applied to a regression equation set in advance as numerical values. This reflects the customer's intention in the simulation face image creation stage.

By reflecting the customer's impression in the process of determining the customer's impression pattern in this way, not only is the correlation between the evaluation value by the regression equation and the evaluation value by the beauty engineer improved, but also Customer satisfaction is improved and advice is more easily implemented.

In step 42, for example, a preferable makeup pattern for each of the plurality of impression patterns is determined in advance from the result of the judgment by the beauty technician and the like, and each of the preferable makeup patterns for each of the plurality of impression patterns is added to the face of the model. The model face image virtually applied with makeup by the makeup pattern is transmitted to the customer who transmitted the face image.

The makeup pattern is a condition for make-up. Even if the condition for coloring or correcting one part of the face is the same, if the condition for coloring or correcting another part is different,
They are different makeup patterns. As a preferable makeup pattern for each impression pattern, for example, for a "sharp adult face", the condition that a lipstick draws a thin linear outline in a rose color, and an eyebrow draws a black linear and long straight line, a condition such as "soft" The “adult face” includes conditions such as a lipstick with a rose color and a thin curved outline, and an eyebrow with a black color and a long curved line. The content to be transmitted may be any as long as the customer can select a desired makeup pattern, and a model face image obtained by virtually applying makeup by the makeup pattern to the face of the model may be transmitted. The condition may be sent as a specific sentence such as "Lipstick draws a linear outline in rose color and eyebrows draw black and linear and long", or both may be sent together, It is desirable to transmit the image information. As the make-up pattern, one that abstractly expresses the condition of the make-up (for example, “an elegant and clean impression” or the like) may be transmitted.

FIG. 3 is an example of a screen transmitted to the customer in step 42. The gender impression element axis and the age impression element axis are used as evaluation axes, and the gender impression element axis (vertical axis) is set to “soft (feminine). ))-“Sharp (masculine)”, and the age impression element axis (horizontal axis) is classified into “adult-like”-“childish”. Clockwise from the top right, "Sharp child face", "Sharp adult face", "Soft adult face",
4 categories of “soft child faces”) are displayed together with model face images classified into respective impression patterns,
The customer impression pattern K2 is highlighted to clearly show the determined customer face impression pattern classification result (in this case, “sharp adult face”).

FIG. 4 is a view showing a screen displayed after the screen (FIG. 3) for displaying the customer impression pattern K2.
A plurality of impression patterns K1 including a customer impression pattern K2
Make pattern S1 corresponding to each of .about.K4
S4 to S4 and model face images M1 to M4 obtained by applying make-up with each makeup pattern to face images of a model having the same impression pattern as the impression pattern K2 of the customer. Further, as a method of prompting the user to select a desired makeup pattern from the presented makeup patterns (which may be presented as a model face image), for example, “select desired makeup pattern "Please do", and a button (selection area) to notify the advice provider A of the makeup pattern selected by the customer simply by clicking with the mouse.
Is provided on the screen.

In step 43, makeup is performed on the face image of the customer using a known image processing technique (such as an image synthesis technique) by using a makeup pattern selected by the customer.

Then, the advice provider A transmits the simulated face image thus created to the customer via the network N (step 5). Step 5
In this case, as shown in FIG. 5, it is preferable that the face image L and the simulation face image R of the customer who have not made virtual makeup are transmitted so as to be displayed simultaneously on one screen.

The customer examines the transmitted simulated face image and transmits the examination result to the advice provider A (step 6). For example, if there is no correction request for the simulation face image, the fact is transmitted. If there is a correction request for the simulation face image, the content of the desired correction (for example, the color of lipstick is transmitted to the customer). What color do you want to change on the correction input screen?). In the screen of FIG. 5, D1 is a button for selecting whether or not there is a correction request, and D2 is a correction input field for inputting the desired content when correction is desired.

Advice provider A receiving the examination result
Analyzes the response result (step 7), and if the content of the response transmitted from the customer is a request for correction to the simulated face image, the transmitted simulated face image Then, the corrected simulation face image is transmitted to the customer (step 8). Further, when a response to the correction of the corrected simulation face image is received, the correction is performed according to the request and transmitted again. Such correction and transmission are performed a predetermined number of times. Preferably, the process is repeatedly performed until the customer receives a response to the transmitted simulation face image that the simulation face image has been approved. The correction request for the simulated face image is a typical example of a response indicating that the simulated face image is not approved. It is preferable that the above-described series of operations (operations and the like) of the customer can be performed only by operating the mouse (coordinate position input device) in accordance with the instruction displayed on the screen.

When the customer receives a response to the transmitted simulated face image that the simulated face image has been approved, the advice provider A provides the same makeup as the simulated face image for realizing the same makeup. Information about the product and / or method is sent to the customer (step 9). Providing this information is part or all of the advice on makeup.

Examples of the information on the product include a name and a model number of the product necessary for realizing the make-up, a sentence (character information) and an image (still image, moving image) introducing the product, and the like. Examples of the information on the method include a sentence (character information) and an image (still image, moving image) that explain a makeup method required to realize the makeup. These pieces of information may be a part or all of information necessary for realizing the makeup.

As described above, according to the makeup advice providing method of the present embodiment, advice can be easily provided to a person who has accessed the web server.
The advice provider can efficiently and economically provide makeup-related advice to a plurality of customers. On the other hand, the customer can easily receive the advice without being restricted by time or place.
In addition, since it is possible to provide advice to a plurality of customers at the same time, there is no need to limit the time required for each customer. Therefore, by preparing a large number of simulation patterns and corresponding advice contents, Detailed advice can be provided according to each customer.

However, unlike receiving advice at a store, after receiving advice on the Internet, it is not possible to receive a demonstration of a detailed makeup technique. That is, on a network, for example, a video explaining a makeup technique can be viewed by a streaming technique or the like, but an advice service (touch-up (professional beauty engineer) including touch-up (makeup) by a beauty engineer such as a makeup advisor is provided. Of the details of the touch-up technology and advice of the foundation based on the diagnosis of the actual skin cannot be provided. Therefore, at least a part of information on a product and / or a method for actually realizing the same makeup as the approved simulation face image can be printed as code information (coded information) such as a barcode. To the customer in a form that can be displayed on a portable terminal as a form or code information, and at a store such as a department store or a cosmetics store, based on information obtained by decoding the code information, It is preferable to provide services such as selling and / or performing makeup (step 10). The sale of the product and the provision of the service may be performed by the advice provider, or the advice provider may conclude a predetermined contract with another vendor and have the vendor provide the service.

For example, when the data is transmitted in a printable form, the customer prints a barcode, which codes the makeup conditions of the final simulation (approved simulated face image) on a printer at home or the like, and prints the barcode. The printed matter on which the barcode is displayed can be brought to the store of the designated department store, and the beauty technician reads the barcode by machine at the store and decodes the contents, so that the customer can Touch-up and the like can be performed under the same conditions and minimum time as in the final simulation. Further, customer-specific information can be obtained at the same time. This is reflected in subsequent customer management information, and useful information can be transmitted to the customer. If the customer finally likes the touch-up or the like, he or she can purchase some or all of the products for realizing the makeup of the final simulation described in the barcode at the store. Further, as information on a product for actually realizing the same makeup as the approved simulation face image, information on a shop where all of a plurality of types of products for realizing the makeup can be purchased is included. By transmitting to the customer terminal as a part of the information on the product,
The customer can collectively purchase those products.

In addition, at least a part of information on a product and / or a method for actually realizing the same makeup as the approved simulated face image is transmitted in a form that can be displayed on a portable terminal as code information. In this case, the customer who has received the transmission can purchase the desired product or receive the touch-up service simply by presenting the barcode displayed on the terminal at the store, which is more convenient. Examples of the mobile terminal include a mobile phone equipped with the above-described browser (e.g., a device having an "i-mode (trade name)" function of NTT DoCoMo), a mobile personal computer, and various other portable information terminals. .

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and can be appropriately modified without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, a customer who has approved a simulated face image may be able to order a product for realizing the same makeup as the simulated face image from the web page. Alternatively, only information on a product or only information on a method for actually realizing the same makeup as the approved simulation face image may be transmitted.
Alternatively, a step of presenting a suitable make pattern for each of the plurality of impression patterns and selecting any of the make patterns may be omitted. Also. The network may be a network other than the Internet, for example, a cable line such as a LAN or CATV, an intranet, or the like.

[0034]

According to the method for providing makeup advice of the present invention, the advice provider can efficiently and economically provide detailed advice on makeup to the customer, You can easily receive such advice without being restricted by time or place.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a flowchart showing an outline of operations and the like of a customer and an advice provider in one embodiment of a method for providing makeup advice of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a relationship between a customer and an advice provider in an embodiment of the makeup advice providing method according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a screen on which a plurality of impression patterns including a customer impression pattern are displayed;

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a screen on which a makeup pattern and a model face image are displayed;

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of a screen on which a simulation face image is displayed;

[Explanation of symbols]

A advice provider W web server C customer T customer terminal P web page of advice provider displayed on customer terminal N Internet (network)

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A method of providing makeup advice to a customer via a network, the method comprising the steps of: receiving a face image of the customer from the customer; Transmitting the simulated face image to the customer, and receiving a response to the customer that the transmitted simulated face image is approved by the customer. If information about the product and / or method for actually realizing the same makeup as described above is transmitted and a response to the transmitted simulation face image is received from the customer indicating that it is not approved, the customer's request Of the simulated face image along the line and transmitting the simulated face image to the customer a predetermined number of times. How to give makeup advice back. 2. A form or code in which at least a part of information relating to a product and / or a method for actually realizing the same makeup as the approved simulation face image can be printed as code information such as a bar code. The information is transmitted to the customer in a form that can be displayed on the mobile terminal as information, and at a store such as a department store or a cosmetics store, based on information obtained by decoding the code information, sales of goods and / or The makeup advice providing method according to claim 1, wherein a service such as implementation of makeup is provided. 3. Analyzing the face image of the customer, determining to which of a plurality of impression patterns the face of the customer is classified based on the feature amount of the face image, An impression pattern and a model face image obtained by applying makeup to each of the preferred makeup patterns or models corresponding to the plurality of impression patterns including the determined customer impression pattern, respectively, to the customer who transmitted the face image. And prompting the customer to select a desired makeup pattern from the presented plurality of makeup patterns, and under the conditions of the makeup pattern selected by the customer, perform virtual makeup on the face image of the customer. The method of providing makeup advice according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the makeup advice is provided. 4. A questionnaire including an impression item is transmitted to the customer, and the customer's impression obtained from the answer result of the questionnaire returned from the customer and the feature amount of the customer's face image are obtained. 4. The method of providing makeup advice according to claim 3, wherein the method determines whether the customer's face is classified into a plurality of impression patterns.