JP3101898U - Pillow selection device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a pillow selecting device.
SOLUTION: A pillow selecting device 10 for selecting a pillow for a customer 20 at the time of sale has a small room 100 capable of accommodating the customer 20 whose spine is straightened. The device 10 has two background panels 250/350 on the back and left sides of the small room 100, and on the front side and right side of the small room to capture a front image A and a side image B of the customer 20 with the panels as backgrounds. , Two cameras 200/300 located at right angles to the corresponding panels 250/350. A computer 400 having a monitor 450 is used to display the image A / B on the display, and to measure the three dimensions D1 to D3 of the customer 20 without contacting the customer during pillow selection, the A and B Used to measure images. These are the horizontal distance D1 between the ear and shoulder, the horizontal distance D2 between the occiput and the scapula, and the horizontal distance D3 between the back of the neck and the scapula.
[Selection diagram] Fig. 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a pillow selecting device.

  Since sleep time accounts for approximately one-third of a person's life, the selection of an appropriate pillow is extremely important. Pillows support the sleeping person's head as well as the neck. In practice and theoretically, different people have different sizes and three-dimensional shapes, depending on their suitability for the body or their personal preferences (thickness for proper support properties). Pillows should be used). In addition, a sleeping person sometimes moves his body under subconsciousness, and particularly rotates between a sleeping position with his face up and a sleeping position sideways.

  Choosing the right pillow for each person is important, but it is often overlooked because there is no affordable choice. It is possible to actually try a pillow at the time of sale, but there is a space problem for the store side, and customers tend to be reluctant to lie down to try the pillow.

  The present invention seeks to mitigate or at least mitigate the above problems by providing a pillow selection device.

  According to the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for selecting a pillow for a customer at the point of sale, which accommodates a customer having a set of opposing surfaces and a straightened spine between the opposing surfaces. And a background member which is located on one of the opposing surfaces and has an inner surface made of a plain material, and a station which is located on the other side of the opposing surface and has the background member as a back. An imager directed to a background member to capture two images of a customer at the computer, and a computer device with a video monitor, the computer device being connected to the imager to capture Displaying the captured image and measuring the image taken to measure the customer's three dimensions without touching the customer in the pillow selection, wherein the three dimensions are the first dimension As the horizontal distance between one of the ears and the shoulder, the second as the horizontal distance between the occiput and the scapula, and the third as the horizontal between the back of the neck and the scapula It is a distance.

  The pillow selection device includes another set of the imaging device and the background member described above, which set is arranged on the opposite side of the station so as to extend in a direction substantially perpendicular to the first set. One of these two sets of imaging device and background member is adapted to take the first image from the front of the customer so that the computer device can measure the first dimension; Preferably, the other set of imaging device and background member is configured to take a second image from the customer's side so that the computer device can measure the second and third dimensions.

  The station is preferably in the form of an open cell.

  The seats are desirably arranged in a space in the station so that the customer can sit in a good posture.

  Further, the seat desirably has a backrest on which the customer can sit in contact.

  It is desirable that the station is provided with a scaffold plate to which a seat can be fixed.

    It is desirable that the imaging device or each imaging device is disposed so as to be directed substantially at right angles to a corresponding background member at least in a top view.

  It is desirable that the image pickup device or each image pickup device is arranged toward a customer's neck or near the neck.

  It is desirable that the imaging device or each imaging device is a digital camera.

  It is preferable that the background member or each background member has a panel shape.

  Further, the background member or each background member is desirably blue for imaging and blue to provide a solid background.

  The video monitor is adapted to display a vertical line on the image so as to match various parts of the customer, and it is preferable that three dimensions can be measured based on the vertical line.

  Further, it is desirable that the vertical line can be manually moved horizontally in either direction to match various parts of the customer.

  The video monitor is adapted to allow a series of multiple equally spaced parallel lines to be superimposed on the image to measure the second and third dimensions, the series of equally spaced parallel lines being: Preferably, it is used as a reference line for determining the angle at which the customer's head tilts during sleep.

  Preferably, the plurality of reference lines are inclined at an angle of approximately 10 degrees with respect to the vertical line, and one of the lines is aligned with the mouth, chin, and base of the nose of the customer.

  Preferably, the computing device has a database of various pillow size data to accommodate the three dimensions measured so that the customer can automatically select the optimal pillow.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings only through embodiments.
Referring to the figures, there is shown a pillow selection device 10 which is an embodiment of the invention for selecting pillows for a customer 20 at the point of sale, i.e., at a store, which device 10 is in the form of an open cell 100 A video monitor including two digital CCD cameras 200 and 300 disposed on the front and right sides of the small room 100, two background panels 250 and 350 disposed on the rear and left sides of the small room 100, and a screen 452. 450 and a computer 400 connected to the printer 490. The computer 400 includes an image card 410 connected to the cameras 200 and 300, an image processing unit 420 for processing a captured image, and a database 430 for pillow information.

  The small room 100 includes a scaffold board 105, a cabinet 110 located on the right side of the scaffold board 105, a ceiling board 120, a rear column 130 standing upright from the cabinet 110 and supporting the ceiling board 120 on the right side, and on the scaffold board 105. And is formed by a rear pillar 140 and a front pillar 210 that respectively support the left side and the front side of the ceiling plate 120. Cabinet 110 houses computer 400 and provides a counter on which monitor 450 and printer 490 are mounted. The rear background panel 250 is supported by the column 130 and the rear column 140 and extends between the columns. The left background panel 350 is supported by the rear pillar 140 and extends forward from the rear pillar 140 and in a direction perpendicular to the background panel 250.

  The front camera 200 is mounted on the front pillar 210. The right camera 300 is attached to the outer edge of the ceiling plate 120 by a hanging bar 310 so as to be in a horizontal position substantially similar to that of the front camera 200. Each camera 200/300 is positioned opposite a corresponding background panel 250/350 to take an image of an object against panel 250/350 along axes X / Y which intersect at right angles to each other. However, they are arranged so as to be oriented substantially at right angles to them (FIG. 7).

  Each background panel 250/350 is formed by a translucent surface layer 252/352, an opaque back layer 254/354, and a planar light source 256/356 sandwiched between the two layers (FIG. 6). ). In practice, light generated from light sources 256/356 is diffused through the surface layer 252/352 to create a uniformly illuminated solid background for imaging on the panel inner surface. As an alternative to this, each background panel 250/350 could be a simple plate with a blue tinted inner surface to provide a solid background for imaging. In any case, the solid background is effective in improving the quality of the outline of the image displayed on the monitor screen so that the outline can be easily recognized by the image processing unit 420.

  The small room 100 is provided with an internal space that can accommodate the customer 20 at a predetermined convenient position by using the chair 150 on which the customer 20 sits (FIGS. 4 and 5). The chair 150 has a seat 152 and a backrest 154, and further includes legs 156 fixed to the scaffold 105. The customer 20 should sit straight with his back (scapula) against the backrest 154 of the chair 150. The height of the seat 152 is set so that the neck of the customer 20 is located at the intersection of the imaging axes X and Y or in the vicinity thereof (FIG. 7).

  The cameras 200 and 300 are arranged so as to capture images A and B of the front and side of the upper body of the customer 20 with the corresponding background panels 250 and 350 as backgrounds, and display the images one by one on the monitor screen 452. (FIGS. 7 and 8). Images A and B should extend from the head to the shoulders, including the upper arm.

  To select the appropriate pillow for the customer 20, three biometric data, the body dimensions D1 to D3 of the customer 20, support the head and neck of the person whose pillow is sleeping up and sideways. Required for that reason. The first dimension, D1 (shoulder width), is the distance between one of the ears (preferably the earlobe) and the shoulder, measured as the distance between the vertical lines 21 and 22 shown in FIG. You. The second dimension D2 (depth of the occiput) is the distance between the occiput and the scapula, measured as the distance between the vertical lines 23 and 25 shown in FIG. A third dimension D3 (depth of neck curvature) is the distance between the posterior neck and the scapula, measured as the distance between vertical lines 24 and 25 shown in FIG.

  The computer 400 is programmed to measure these three dimensions D1 to D3 based on the images A and B captured by the cameras 200 and 300 and displayed on the monitor screen 452. Before the actual measurements are taken, the customer 20 is required to sit straight with his spine straight, his head tilted slightly forward, and his upper body lying down on an imaginary vertical bed. To determine how to tilt the head at a certain angle, monitor screen 452 can be displayed over image B with a series of multiple equally spaced parallel lines 26 as reference lines. Further, it is desirable that the parallel line 26 be inclined at an angle of about 10 degrees with respect to the vertical line as shown in FIG. The head should be tilted so that the mouth and chin, or face, generally speaking, lie on one parallel line 26 as shown.

  In the measurement, first, the position of the ear and the shoulder, the position of the occiput and the scapula, and the position of the back of the neck and the scapula are confirmed using the image processing unit 420. At this time, basically, the image A / It is based on the contrast between brightness and color between B and the plain background by the panels 250/350, or more precisely, the contrast between the outline of the image A / B. Once the relevant positions have been identified, their horizontal distance, ie the dimensions D1 to D3, can be measured. The dimensions D1 to D3 are converted from previously measured conversion data according to a predetermined distance between the camera 200/300 and the body of the customer 20, and are displayed on the monitor screen 452 as actual numbers of the body of the customer. You.

  The vertical lines 21 to 25 that match the various body parts of the confirmed customer are preferably displayed on the monitor screen 452 for visual reference or checking. These lines 21 to 25 can be manually moved in either the left or right horizontal direction by using the respective mark icons 27 displayed at the upper end. If, due to the customer's 20 hairstyle, clothing, etc., the lines do not match the expected parts of the customer's body, each line should be manually adjusted to the correct position.

  The database 430 comprises dimensional data generated according to physiotherapy studies and a wide range of statistics suitable for most, if not all, people. Such data includes D1 to D3 described above, where D1 to D3 are relatively low (to support the back of the neck), central (to support the back of the head), and left or right (to support the back of the head) (For supporting the sides of the head). Based on the measured dimensions D1-D3 as a reference, the data in database 430 has been adjusted to automatically select the most appropriate pillow for a particular customer 20. The selected pillow and its related information are printed out by the printer 490 as reference information.

  The pillow selection device of the present invention provides a quick, simple, and scientific means for selecting an appropriate pillow at the time of sale, which can be performed without touching the customer, thereby causing trouble for the customer. It also has the advantage that it can be kept to a minimum.

  In order to simplify the equipment, the seat 150 may be rotatable or the customer may be required to use the front and side panels, assuming the possibility of using only one set of camera 200/300 and background panel 250/350. It must be rotated 90 degrees to be able to capture the image.

  Although the present invention has been described by way of example only, various other changes and alternatives to the described embodiments may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the present invention as set forth in the appended claims. is there.

FIG. 3 is a conceptual diagram illustrating an embodiment of a pillow selecting device according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a front view of the pillow selecting device of FIG. 1, which includes two imaging devices, a corresponding background panel, and a computer for processing and reliably measuring a captured image. ing. It is a right view of the pillow selection device of FIG. FIG. 3 is a front view showing a user of the pillow selecting device of FIG. 2, and only a part of the present device is shown. FIG. 5 is a right side view showing the pillow selecting device of FIG. 4 and a user thereof, in which only a part of the present device is shown. FIG. 3 is a front perspective view of one of the background panels in the pillow selecting device of FIG. 2. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the arrangement of the imaging device and the background panel of FIG. 2 in relation to a user and viewed from the front. FIG. 4 illustrates an image displayed on the computer of FIG. 2 and illustrates how a first measurement is made corresponding to FIG. FIG. 5 shows another image displayed on the computer of FIG. 2, and illustrates how the second and third measurements are made in correspondence with FIG. 5. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the image displayed in FIG. 9 in more detail.

Claims (16)

  A pillow selection device for selecting a pillow for a customer at the point of sale, comprising a set of opposed surfaces and a station having a space capable of accommodating a customer having a straightened spine between the opposed surfaces, To capture two images of a customer located on one side of the station, with the inner surface being a solid material, and a customer located on the other side of the opposing surface and in the station with the background behind. Has an imaging device directed to the background member, and a computer device with a video monitor, the computer device is connected to the imaging device, displays a captured image, in the pillow selection It is for measuring an image taken to measure three dimensions of the customer without touching the customer, and the three dimensions are any one of the first dimensions. The horizontal distance between the ears and shoulders of the neck, the second dimension is the horizontal distance between the occiput and the scapula, and the third dimension is the horizontal distance between the back end of the neck and the scapula. Characteristic pillow selection device.   A further set of said imagers and background members is provided, said set being arranged on the opposite side of the station so as to extend in a direction substantially perpendicular to the first set, One of the set of imaging devices and the background member is configured to take the first image from the front of the customer so that the computer device can measure the first dimension, and the other set of imaging devices. The pillow selection device according to claim 1, wherein the second member and the background member are configured to take a second image from the side of the customer so that the computer device can measure the second and third dimensions.   The pillow selection device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the station is in the form of an open compartment.   The pillow selection device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a seat is provided in a space in the station so that a customer can sit in a good posture.   The pillow selection device according to claim 4, wherein the seat has a backrest on which a customer can sit in contact.   The pillow selection device according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the station has a scaffold plate to which a seat can be fixed.   The pillow selection device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the imaging device or each imaging device is disposed so as to be oriented substantially at right angles to a corresponding background member at least in a top view.   The pillow selection device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the imaging device or each imaging device is arranged toward a customer's neck or near the neck.   The pillow selection device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the imaging device or each imaging device is a digital camera.   The pillow selecting device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the background member or each background member has a panel shape.   11. The pillow selection device according to claim 10, wherein an inner surface of the background member or each background member is colored blue to obtain a solid blue imaging background.   The video monitor is adapted to display a vertical line on an image, and can match with various parts of a customer and measure three dimension data based thereon. The pillow selecting device according to any one of the above.   13. The pillow selection device of claim 12, wherein the vertical line can be manually moved in any of the horizontal directions to match various parts of the customer.   The video monitor, when measuring the second and third dimensions, uses a series of equidistant parallel lines as a reference line to determine the angle at which the customer's head tilts forward during sleep. The pillow selection device according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the pillow selection device is configured to be displayed so as to be superimposed on an image.   15. The method of claim 14, wherein the plurality of reference lines are sloped at an angle of approximately 10 degrees with a vertical line, one of the lines being coincident with a customer's mouth, chin, and base of the nose. Pillow selection device.   16. A computer according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the computing device comprises in a database information on various pillow sizes matching the three dimension data measured to automatically select the best pillow for the customer. The pillow selecting device according to 1.

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