KR20220127569A - Apparatus for measuring skin condition and method using the same - Google Patents

Abstract

A skin measuring device and a skin measuring method using the same are provided. The device includes: a measurer coming in contact with the skin surface of a user to measure the skin condition of the user; and a processor analyzing the skin condition of the user based on the measurement result. The measurer includes a single wavelength or multi-wavelength light source unit and a plurality of light receiving units. The light source unit radiates light into an analysis target location of the skin of the user, and the plurality of light receiving units receive the light radiated from the light source unit. The processor measures the intensity of each of a plurality of lights received from the plurality of light receiving units, converts the measured light intensity value (hereinafter referred to as a measurement value) into an inclination value, and, based on the inclination value, analyzes the skin condition of the user, and outputs the analysis result. The inclination value is a value for correcting an error of the measurement value generated according to a change in the light intensity.

Description

Skin measuring device and skin measuring method using the same

The present invention relates to a skin measuring device and a skin measuring method using the same.

Recently, regardless of gender, people's interest in beauty is increasing day by day, and the beauty industry such as dermatology and cosmetics is also rapidly growing. In particular, in the case of skin, from treating skin diseases to managing anti-aging, people spare no time and money to maintain and restore healthy skin.

Accordingly, various measuring devices for the purpose of skin care have been released.

However, among the conventional measuring devices used in contact with the skin, it is important to make good contact with the skin and to maintain a constant pressure in a measuring device that measures not only the surface of the skin but also the inside of the skin below the dermis layer. , otherwise there is a problem in that the measured value is unstable.

In particular, in the case of a measuring device using light, the measured value may vary greatly due to a difference in the intensity of a light source that may be caused by an external temperature or aging of a light emitting device due to contact pressure with the skin and aging of the device.

That is, even if the skin condition of the same location is measured, a change in the measured value may occur according to a change in the intensity of the light source due to contact pressure with the skin or aging of the device, and thus it is difficult to accurately determine the skin condition of the user.

In addition, even if the measuring device is used within a normal contact pressure, the pressure is different for each user, the pressure is different every time even for the same user, and it is very difficult to maintain the same pressure during the measurement time.

These problems may be more inevitably accompanied when a non-medical person measures the skin condition by himself/herself at home.

Republic of Korea Patent Publication No. 10-2019-0110987, 2019.10.01.

An object of the present invention for solving the above problems is to provide a skin measuring device and a skin measuring method using the same.

The problems to be solved by the present invention are not limited to the problems mentioned above, and other problems not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description.

A skin measuring device according to an aspect of the present invention for solving the above-described problems, a measuring device that is in contact with the user's skin surface to measure the user's skin condition, and the user's skin condition based on the measured result a processor for analyzing, wherein the measuring device includes a light source unit and a plurality of light receiving units, the light source unit irradiating light into an analysis target location of the user's skin, and the plurality of light receiving units irradiated from the light source unit Received the light, the processor measures the intensity of a plurality of lights received from the plurality of light receivers, respectively, converts the measured intensity value (hereinafter, the measured value) to a gradient value, and to the gradient value Based on the analysis of the user's skin condition, the analyzed result is output, and the inclination value is a value for correcting an error in the measurement value that occurs according to a change in light intensity.

In the present invention, the processor controls the light source unit to irradiate the light a preset number of times at a preset time interval at the analysis target position, and sets the intensity of a plurality of lights received from the plurality of light receivers by the number of times. It can be measured and converted into a slope value for each number using the measured value for each number of times.

In the present invention, the processor may represent the slope value for each number of times as a graph, and determine that the smaller the variation of the slope of the graph, the higher the accuracy of the measured value.

In the present invention, the plurality of light receiving units are arranged at a predetermined interval or shape, and the processor is, among the plurality of light receiving units, a ratio value of the measured value of the intensity of each light received from the adjacent light receiving units to the inclination value. value can be calculated.

In the present invention, the processor may calculate the slope value based on any one of Equations 1 and 2 below by using the measured value or a log value of the measured value.

[Equation 1]

Slope value = R _PDn+1 / R _PDn

[Equation 2]

Slope value = log(R _PDn+1 )/ log(R _PDn )

Here, n is a natural number greater than or equal to 1, PDn and PDn+1 are adjacent light receiving units, R _PDn is a measured value of the intensity of light received from the light receiving unit disposed closer to the light source among PDn and PDn+1, and R _PDn+1 is It is a measurement value of the intensity of light received by the light receiving unit disposed further away from the light source among PDn and PDn+1.

In the present invention, the measuring device and the processor are configured as separate devices, the measuring device and the processor each include a communication unit, and the measuring device may transmit the measured result to the processor through the communication unit.

In the present invention, the processor may include a user terminal, and the measured result may be analyzed through the user terminal.

In the present invention, the processor may include a server, and the measured result may be analyzed through the server.

In the present invention, the processor includes a server that provides an application for skin analysis to a user terminal, the measured result is analyzed through the server, and the analyzed result is installed in the user terminal through the server may be output to the application.

A skin measuring method performed by a skin measuring device including a measuring device and a processor according to another aspect of the present invention for solving the above problems is in contact with the user's skin surface to measure the user's skin condition through the measuring device and analyzing the skin condition of the user through the processor based on the measured result, wherein the measuring device includes a single-wavelength or multi-wavelength light source unit and a plurality of light receivers, the measuring step is, irradiates light into the analysis target position of the user's skin through the light source unit, receives the light irradiated from the light source unit through the plurality of light receiving units, and the analysis step includes: Each of the plurality of light intensities received from the bride is measured, the measured light intensity values (hereinafter, measured values) are converted into gradient values, the skin condition of the user is analyzed based on the gradient values, and the analyzed result , and the slope value is a value for correcting an error in the measurement value that occurs according to a change in light intensity.

In addition to this, other methods for implementing the present invention, other apparatuses, other systems, and computer-readable recording media for recording a computer program for executing the method may be further provided.

According to the present invention as described above, since the measured value of the received light intensity is not constant and is deformed according to the change in the intensity of the contact or the intensity of the light source, the measured value is converted into a slope value and the error of the measured value is corrected more accurately by the user. The skin condition can be analyzed.

Effects of the present invention are not limited to the effects mentioned above, and other effects not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description.

1 is a block diagram of a case in which a measuring device and a processor according to the present invention are integrally configured and implemented as a single skin measuring device.
2 is a flowchart of a method for measuring and analyzing a skin condition according to the present invention.
3 is a view for explaining that the light source unit according to the present invention irradiates light, and a plurality of light receivers receive the irradiated light.
4A and 4B are exemplary views for explaining correction of an error of a measured value by converting a measured value into a slope value according to the present invention.
5 is a block diagram of a case in which the measuring device and the processor according to the present invention are configured as a separate type.
6 is a flowchart of measurement and analysis when a processor is a user terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.
7 is a flowchart of measurement and analysis when a processor is a server according to another embodiment of the present invention.
8 is a flowchart of measurement and analysis when a processor is a server and a terminal is included as a display device according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Advantages and features of the present invention and methods of achieving them will become apparent with reference to the embodiments described below in detail in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below, but may be implemented in various different forms, and only these embodiments allow the disclosure of the present invention to be complete, and those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains. It is provided to fully inform those skilled in the art of the scope of the present invention, and the present invention is only defined by the scope of the claims.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing the embodiments and is not intended to limit the present invention. In this specification, the singular also includes the plural, unless specifically stated otherwise in the phrase. As used herein, “comprises” and/or “comprising” does not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other components in addition to the stated components. Like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout, and "and/or" includes each and every combination of one or more of the recited elements. Although "first", "second", etc. are used to describe various elements, these elements are not limited by these terms, of course. These terms are only used to distinguish one component from another. Therefore, it goes without saying that the first component mentioned below may be the second component within the spirit of the present invention.

Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein will have the meaning commonly understood by those of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. In addition, terms defined in a commonly used dictionary are not to be interpreted ideally or excessively unless clearly specifically defined.

The conventional skin measuring device measures the intensity of light received from the light receiving device, and the measured value is used to analyze the skin condition as it is. However, there is a problem in that the accuracy of analyzing the measured value itself is poor because the measured value fluctuates greatly depending on the force of the user to attach the device to the skin or the change in the brightness of the light source.

When measuring, the skin measuring device must be in close contact with the skin as much as possible with an appropriate force. In this case, it is very difficult for the skin measuring device to contact the skin with the same pressure every time for each user or for the same user. In addition, human skin is always in a state of change, and in particular, changes in biomaterials such as hemoglobin change in real time according to blood flow. In addition, according to the pressure of the skin measuring device in close contact with the skin, the shape of the skin tissue under the skin in contact with the device is deformed due to the pressure or the change in the flow of body fluid in the corresponding area occurs in real time. Therefore, if you want to analyze the skin of a specific area, it is possible to obtain an accurate measurement value by measuring the same point of the skin instantaneously at regular time intervals and taking the average value rather than just one measurement. The measured value measured by the light receiver is inevitably changed according to the skin contact pressure.

As a method to solve this problem, a separate pressure sensor is added and analysis can be performed using the relationship between the measured value of the pressure sensor and the measured value of the light receiver, but this is due to the complexity of the circuit, the cost of the device, and the There may be problems such as an increase in the maintenance unit price in the future, and an increase in the possibility of errors due to an increase in the algorithm step.

In order to solve the conventional problem, the present invention does not analyze using the values measured by the light receiving device as it is, but converts these measured values into slope values and analyzes them using the relative slope values between the measured values. It is possible to accurately analyze changes in skin tissue while reducing the effect of errors caused by pressing pressure.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 is a block diagram of a case in which a measuring device and a processor according to the present invention are integrally configured and implemented as a single skin measuring device.

2 is a flowchart of a method for measuring and analyzing a skin condition according to the present invention.

3 is a view for explaining that the light source unit according to the present invention irradiates light, and a plurality of light receivers receive the irradiated light.

4A and 4B are exemplary views for explaining correction of an error of a measured value by converting a measured value into a slope value according to the present invention.

5 is a block diagram of a case in which the measuring device and the processor according to the present invention are configured as a separate type.

6 is a flowchart of measurement and analysis when a processor is a user terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.

7 is a flowchart of measurement and analysis when a processor is a server according to another embodiment of the present invention.

8 is a flowchart of measurement and analysis when a processor is a server and a terminal is included as a display device according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1 , the skin measuring device 10 of the present invention may include a measuring device 12 and a processor 14 . However, the skin measuring device 10 may include a smaller number of components or more components than the components shown in FIG. 1 .

The measuring device 12 may be in contact with the user's skin surface to measure the user's skin condition. Here, the measuring device 12 may include a light source unit 122 and a plurality of light receiving units 124 .

The processor 14 may analyze the user's skin condition based on the result measured by the measuring device 12 .

The skin measuring device 10 may be a device used by a non-medical person to analyze their own skin condition at home. In this case, the user of the skin measuring device 10 may be a non-medical person.

The skin measuring device 10 may be a device used by medical personnel to analyze a patient's skin condition in a hospital. In this case, the user of the skin measuring device 10 may be a medical person or a patient.

The skin measuring device 10 may have an external appearance to have a predetermined length so that the user can easily grip it.

The light source unit 122 and the light receiving unit 124 may be disposed on the lower surface of the skin measuring device 10 .

When the user brings the lower surface of the skin measuring device 10 into contact with the skin, the light source unit 122 irradiates light into the skin, and the plurality of light receivers 124 receive the light reflected inside the skin, respectively. .

The processor 14 may measure the intensities of a plurality of lights received by the plurality of light receivers 124 , respectively, and convert the measured values into gradient values to use the gradient values when analyzing the skin condition. Specifically, when a non-constant value is measured by an external factor or an internal factor during skin measurement, it is determined whether the measurement is normal using the slope value, and when it is determined that the measurement is normal, the measurement value is corrected using the slope value to correct the measurement value. A skin analysis may be performed.

The analyzed result is displayed on the screen of a display unit (not shown) installed on the exterior of the skin measuring device 10 . The user can check the skin condition through the results displayed on the screen.

The light source unit 122 may be in contact with the user's skin to irradiate light into the skin. For example, the light source unit 122 may be a light source such as a laser or LED, but is not limited thereto.

The light source unit 122 may be a light source unit having a single wavelength or multiple wavelengths. That is, the light source unit 122 may irradiate light of a specific wavelength or may irradiate light of various wavelengths.

The light receiving unit 124 may receive light reflected from the inside of the skin in contact with the user's skin. For example, the light receiving unit 124 may be a light receiving device such as a photodiode, but is not limited thereto.

The display unit (not shown) may be implemented with various display devices, such as a liquid crystal display (LCD), a light emitting diode (LED), a plasma display panel (PDP), and an organic light emitting diode (OLED).

The display unit (not shown) may implement a touch screen by forming a layer structure with each other or integrally formed with the touch sensor. Such a touch screen may function as a user input unit providing an input interface between the skin measuring device 10 and the user, and may provide an output interface between the skin measuring device 10 and the user.

A display unit (not shown) displays (outputs) information processed by the processor 14 . For example, the display unit (not shown) may display execution screen information of an application program driven by the processor 14 or UI (User Interface) and GUI (Graphic User Interface) information according to the execution screen information. .

A memory (not shown) may store data supporting various functions of the skin measuring device 10 . The memory (not shown) may store a plurality of application programs (or applications) driven by the skin measuring device 10 , data for the operation of the skin measuring device 10 , and commands. At least some of these application programs may exist for a basic function of the skin measuring device 10 . Meanwhile, the application program may be stored in a memory (not shown) and driven to perform an operation (or function) of the skin measuring device 10 by the processor 14 .

Specifically, the memory (not shown) may include at least one program for analyzing the skin condition, so that the processor 14 may analyze the user's skin condition using the received signal.

In addition to the operation related to the application program, the processor 14 may generally control the overall operation of the skin measuring device 10 . The processor 14 may provide or process appropriate information or functions by processing signals, data, information, etc. input or output through the above-described components or by driving an application program stored in a memory (not shown).

Also, the processor 14 may control at least some of the components described with reference to FIG. 1 in order to drive an application program stored in a memory (not shown). Furthermore, the processor 14 may operate by combining at least two or more of the components included in the skin measuring device 10 to drive the application program.

In the present invention, the user may be a non-medical person, a medical person, or a patient. That is, when the skin measuring device 10 is for self-care, the user may be a non-medical person, and when the skin measuring device 10 is for medical use, the user may be a medical person or a patient.

Hereinafter, with reference to FIGS. 2 to 4 , a process of measuring and analyzing a skin condition performed by the above-described measuring device 12 and processor 14 will be described in detail.

First, the measuring device 12 may be in contact with the user's skin surface to measure the user's skin condition (S110).

In a state in which the skin measuring device 10 is in contact with the user's skin surface, the light source 122 of the measuring device 12 may irradiate light into the analysis target location 51 of the user's skin. In addition, the plurality of light receiving units 124 may receive the light irradiated from the light source unit 122 .

The analysis target location 51 may refer to a point in the user's skin where the skin measuring device 10 is in contact. As the user moves and manipulates the skin measuring device 10 , the analysis target position 51 may be changed. When the analysis target position 51 is, for example, a ball, the skin measuring device 10 is used for skin cosmetic purposes, and when the analysis target position 51 is, for example, a quadriceps muscle, the skin measuring device 10 is used for measuring the effect of a muscle movement, an analysis target When the position 51 is, for example, a belly, it may be used for measuring the effect of a diet.

Referring to FIG. 3 , the light source unit 122 and the plurality of light receiving units 124 may be disposed on the lower surface of the skin measuring device 10 . The light source unit 122 and the plurality of light receiving units 124 may be disposed at regular intervals. For example, the light source unit 122 may be disposed on the left side of the drawing, and a plurality of light receivers 124 may be disposed on the right side of the drawing at regular intervals. In this case, the plurality of light receivers 124 may be arranged in a line at a preset interval, but may be arranged in various shapes according to the design and purpose of the device, and thus is not limited thereto. For example, the plurality of light receiving units 124 may be arranged in a line, or may be arranged in a spiral shape, a circular shape, a radial shape centered on the light source unit 122 , etc. according to the purpose.

The light may be reflected at different depths according to the constituents of the skin corresponding to the analysis target position 51 . Here, the constituent material may include, but is not limited to, oxyhemoglobin, non-oxyhemoglobin, water, and fat.

The degree of light irradiated into the skin is absorbed inside the skin at different wavelengths depending on the constituent materials of the skin. Accordingly, the light irradiated in FIG. 3 may be differently attenuated and reflected depending on the constituent material.

In addition, the plurality of light receiving units 124 may receive light reflected at different depths according to a distance from the light source unit 122 , respectively. As shown in FIG. 3 , each light receiving unit 124 may mainly receive light reflected at a specific depth.

The light irradiated from the light source unit 122 is reflected in the skin at depth A, depth B, and depth C, respectively, and the three light receiving units 124 are arranged close to the light source unit 122 in the order of the light receiving unit A, the light receiving unit B, Assuming the light receiving unit C, the light receiving unit A mainly receives the light reflected at the depth A, the light receiving unit B mainly receives the reflected light at the depth B, and the light receiving unit C mainly receives the reflected light at the depth C. can

That is, since the constituent materials of the body composition have different absorption rates for each wavelength, the plurality of light receivers 124 may receive different amounts of reflected light for each wavelength. Thereafter, the processor 14 applies the light attenuation rate according to the distance of each light receiving unit 124 from the light source unit 122 using the reflected light received in different amounts for each wavelength to each light receiving unit 124 in this way, and the composition ratio of the constituent materials. Alternatively, the amount of change may be calculated, and the skin condition may be analyzed through this.

Next, the processor 14 may analyze the user's skin condition based on the result measured by the measuring device 12 ( S120 ).

Specifically, the processor 14 measures the intensity of a plurality of light received through the plurality of light receivers 124, respectively, and converts the measured intensity value (hereinafter, the measurement value) into a gradient value, and the gradient value is Based on the skin condition of the user may be analyzed.

The intensity of the light may be changed by an external factor or an internal factor.

Here, the external factors may include user errors such as incomplete skin contact, device or skin contamination, aging of the light receiving element, changes in devices such as temperature, location/angle differences, and measurement behavior errors such as pressure differences. Here, the internal factor may mean a change in the composition ratio of body composition.

In this way, the intensity of light may be measured differently by an external factor, or the intensity of light may be measured differently by an internal factor.

At this time, when the intensity of light is measured differently due to external factors, if the measured value is reflected in the skin analysis as it is, the analysis result can be derived that there is a problem in the skin condition even though there is no problem in the skin condition. . Accordingly, the present invention may use the slope value to correct the error of the measured value due to the change in the amount of reflected light (intensity of light) caused by external factors.

In addition, as described above, it is difficult to accurately analyze the skin condition with a single measurement due to the characteristics of living skin tissues that change in real time. In the present invention, it is possible to increase the analysis accuracy by detecting whether there is an error in the measurement value of the light intensity received from each of the plurality of light receiving units 124 by repeating the measurement several times in an instant.

The processor 14 may control the light source unit 122 to irradiate light a preset number of times at a preset time interval from the analysis target position 51 .

The processor 14 may measure the intensity of light for each wavelength received from each of the plurality of light receivers 124 for each number of times.

For example, when the time interval is set to 1 second and the number of times is set to 10 times, the light source unit 122 may irradiate light 10 times every second into the skin of the location to be analyzed 51 .

It is difficult for the user to adhere the skin measuring device 10 to the skin surface with the same strength for the time of repeated measurement 10 times (ie, 10 seconds), immediately after the skin measuring device 10 is in close contact with the skin or during the repeated measurement time. When the adhesion pressure is changed, the intensity of the light received by each light receiver 124 may vary greatly because a change in the body fluid of the corresponding part occurs.

For example, if the number of times is 3, the intensity of light received from the light receiver A is measured as 200, 192, and 184 for each number, and the intensity of light received from the light receiver B is measured as 50, 48, and 46 for each number of times, The intensity of light received by the light receiver C may be measured as 92, 46, and 23 for each number of times.

Since the measured value is not constant for each number of times and is deformed, it is difficult to perform an accurate analysis when the measured value itself is used for analysis. Therefore, in the present invention, the accuracy of analysis can be improved by correcting the error of the measured value using the gradient value obtained by processing the measured value, not the measured value itself, and performing the analysis using the corrected measured value.

As described above, the processor 14 may convert the measured value of each light received by each light receiving unit 124 into a gradient value.

Specifically, the processor 14 may convert the measured value for each number of times into the slope value for each number of times.

For example, in the case of repeated measurement three times, three measured values for the light received by the light receiving unit A, three measured values for the light received by the light receiving unit B, and three measured values for the light received by the light receiving unit C The measured value can be converted into a slope value for each number of times.

That is, at least one of the three measured values (the first measured value of the light receiver A, the first measured value of the light receiver B, and the first measured value of the light receiver C) in the first measurement is converted into a slope value, and when the second measurement is performed is converted into a slope value using at least one of the three measured values (second measured value of light receiver A, second measured value of light receiver B, and second measured value of light receiver C) of (The third measured value of the light receiver A, the third measured value of the light receiver B, and the third measured value of the light receiver C) may be used to convert the slope value.

Specifically, when the measurement is repeated three times, the intensity of the light received from the light receiver A is measured as 200, 192, and 184 for each number of times, and the intensity of the light received from the light receiver B is measured as 50, 48, and 46 for each number of times, and the light receiver When the intensity of the light received from C is measured as 92, 46, or 23 for each number of times, the measured value itself changes, but in all three measurements, the slope between the light receiving unit A and the light receiving unit B is 0.25, and the light receiving unit B and the light receiving unit C The slope between is equal to keeping 0.5.

As shown in Equation 1 below, the processor 14 may calculate a ratio value of the measured value of the intensity of each light received by the light receiving units 124 adjacent to each other among the plurality of light receiving units 124 as the slope value. .

Specifically, the processor 14 is configured to measure the intensity of the light received by the light receiving unit 124 disposed closer to the light source 122 among the two light receiving units 124 adjacent to each other among the plurality of light receiving units 124 and , a slope value may be calculated by calculating a ratio of the measured values of the intensity of light received by the light receiving unit 124 disposed further away from the light source unit 122 .

[Equation 1]

Slope value = R _PDn+1 /R _PDn

Here, n is a natural number greater than or equal to 1, PDn and PDn+1 are light receivers adjacent to each other, R _PDn is a measurement value of the intensity of light received from the light receiver disposed closer to the light source among PDn and PDn+1, R _{PDn +1} is a measurement value of the intensity of light received by the light receiving unit disposed further away from the light source among PDn and PDn+1.

For example, when the light receiving unit A, the light receiving unit B, and the light receiving unit C are sequentially disposed close to the light source unit 122 , the processor 14 calculates the ratio of the measured value of the light receiving unit A to the measured value of the light receiving unit B Thus, the first inclination value may be calculated, and the second inclination value may be calculated by calculating the ratio of the measured value of the light receiver B to the measured value of the light receiver C.

As described above, in the present invention, since the measurement is repeated a predetermined number of times at a predetermined interval, a slope value can be calculated for each number of times. That is, when the number of times is 3, three first gradient values may be calculated and three second gradient values may be calculated.

Then, the processor 14 may represent the slope value for each number of times as a graph, and determine that the smaller the variation of the slope of the graph, the higher the accuracy of the measured value.

The reason for processing the measured value in each light receiving unit 124 and converting it into a slope value is external such as a change in contact intensity and a difference in intensity of a light source due to mechanical fatigue accumulation that may occur due to prolonged use or external temperature. This is to avoid errors in measurement values caused by factors.

That is, the slope value may be a value for correcting errors in the plurality of measurement values that occur according to a change in the contact intensity, a difference in intensity of a light source due to accumulation of mechanical fatigue, and the like.

Hereinafter, with reference to FIGS. 4A and 4B, when the user performs 20 repeated measurements at 0.5 second intervals, the measured value of the photodiode (light receiver) is compared with the change in the gradient value obtained by processing the measured value. .

Referring to FIG. 4A , even though measurements were performed at 0.5 second intervals, that is, instantaneously, the measured values of the three photodiodes were all decreased as the number of times was reversed.

On the other hand, referring to FIG. 4B , a first slope value (a ratio value of a measured value of photodiode 1 and a measured value of photodiode 2) and a second slope value (measured value of photodiode 2 and measured value of photodiode 3) ) are all kept constant. Since this is to process two measured values that decrease in the same form, it is possible to maintain a constant value of the inclination value.

For example, when the number of times is 3, the measured values of photodiode 1 are 200, 192, and 184, respectively, and when the measured values of photodiode 2 are 50, 48, and 46, respectively, the measured values of each photodiode are Although similarly decreasing, the slope value can be maintained at a constant value of about 0.25.

In this way, when the measured value is not constant while the slope value is calculated as a constant value, the processor 14 may determine that the measured value is valid (ie, it is determined that the measured value is a normal measurement). In this case, the processor 14 may correct the error of the measured value using the slope value because the measured value is measured as a non-constant value due to an external factor.

In more detail, the processor 14 may determine whether the measurement is normal by comparing the slope value with a normal value. Here, the normal value may be a value associated with an average value of a group such as a user's race, age, gender, or the like, or may be a user's calibration value (a reference value based on a previous measurement result).

According to the present invention, the processor 14 may calculate the slope value based on Equation 2 below by using a log value of the measured value.

A detailed description will be omitted because it overlaps with the description of Equation 1 above.

By calculating the slope value using the log value of the measured value in this way, error correction can be performed more accurately.

The skin condition analysis method based on the slope value can be equally applied even when the light intensity of the light source itself changes.

[Equation 2]

Slope value = log(R _PDn+1 )/ log(R _PDn )

Here, n is a natural number greater than or equal to 1, PDn and PDn+1 are adjacent light receiving units, R _PDn is a measured value of the intensity of light received from the light receiving unit disposed closer to the light source among PDn and PDn+1, and R _PDn+1 is It is a measurement value of the intensity of light received by the light receiving unit disposed further away from the light source among PDn and PDn+1.

As described above, the processor 14 may calculate the composition ratio or change amount of the constituent material through the error-corrected measurement value using the slope value, and through this, the skin condition may be analyzed.

That is, the measured value measured as a non-constant value due to an external factor is corrected using the slope value calculated by processing the measured value as described above, and the processor 14 uses the corrected measured value to determine the composition ratio of constituent materials Alternatively, the amount of change can be calculated.

In more detail, the processor 14 calculates the absorption rate of each constituent material using the error-corrected measurement value, and can calculate the composition ratio or change amount of each constituent material through the absorption rate, thereby deriving a reliable body composition index can do.

When the analysis is completed in this way, the processor 14 may output the analyzed result (S130).

Specifically, the analyzed result may be displayed on the screen of the display unit (not shown) of the skin measuring device 10 so that the user can check his or her skin condition.

Meanwhile, in the present invention, when both the measured value and the inclination value show a sudden change, a re-measurement request may be made to the user.

Specifically, when the measured value and the slope value simultaneously exceed the effective range due to external errors caused by user errors such as incomplete skin contact, device/skin contamination, etc., the processor 14 determines that the measurement is not a normal measurement, That is, it is determined that the user has measured in the wrong way, and information requesting the user to measure again in the correct way through a display (not shown) may be displayed in the form of a message or the like.

In the above, the measuring device 12 and the processor 14 are configured as an integrated device, that is, the measuring device 12 and the processor 14 are included in one skin measuring device 10, so that the skin measuring device 10 is It has been described that the user's skin condition is measured through the measuring device 12 and the user's skin condition is analyzed through the processor 14 . That is, it has been described that the skin measuring device 10 performs both steps S110 and S120.

However, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the meter 12 and the processor 14 may be configured as separate devices. That is, the measuring device 12 and the processor 14 are independent devices, and the measuring device 12 may be the skin measuring device 10 for measuring the skin condition, and the processor 14 may be an external device for analyzing the skin condition. have. That is, the subject performing the steps S110 and S120 may be different.

In this case, as shown in FIG. 5 , the measuring device 12 and the processor 14 each include communication units 126 and 142 , and the measuring device 12 (skin measuring device) transmits the measured result to the communication unit 126 . When transmitted to the processor 14 (external device) through , the processor 14 may perform skin condition analysis based on the measurement result received through the communication unit 142 .

In this case, the processor 14 as an external device may be the user terminal 20 or the server 30 .

In addition, when the measuring device 12 and the processor 14 are configured as a separate device in this way, the measuring device 12 includes a control unit (not shown), and the measuring device 12 (ie, skin measurement) through the control unit (not shown). It is possible to control the overall operation of the device 10).

Hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 6 , a process of measurement and analysis in the case where the processor 14 which is the external device is the user terminal 20 according to an embodiment will be described.

As shown in FIG. 6 , the measuring device 12 may measure the skin condition ( S110 ).

Thereafter, the user terminal 20 may receive the measured result through the communication unit 142 and analyze the skin condition based on the measured result ( S120 ). That is, the user terminal 20 may perform the function of the processor 14 described above, and a description thereof will be omitted because it overlaps with the above description.

Here, the user terminal 20 is a terminal used by a user, to which information processing means such as a computer may be applied, and includes a processor such as a control unit, a photographing unit such as a camera, and input/output means including a touch screen, and a communication function. It can mean any device, including In other words, any device such as a smartphone, tablet, PDA, laptop, desktop, or server can be applied.

Thereafter, the analyzed result may be output to the user terminal 20 (S130).

In more detail, an application for skin condition analysis may be installed in the user terminal 20 by default. Accordingly, the user terminal 20 may analyze the measurement result received from the measuring device 12 through the application, and output the analyzed result through the application.

Hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 7 , a process of measurement and analysis when the processor 14 , which is the external device, is the server 30 according to another exemplary embodiment will be described.

As shown in FIG. 7 , the measuring device 12 may measure the skin condition ( S110 ).

Thereafter, the server 30 may receive the measured result through the communication unit 142 and analyze the skin condition based on the measured result (S120). That is, the server 30 may perform the function of the processor 14 described above, and a description thereof will be omitted because it overlaps with the above description.

Here, the server 30 may be a server operated by a company or a company that provides a service related to skin analysis to a user.

Thereafter, the analyzed result may be output to the measuring device 12 (S130). That is, the measuring device 12 may receive and output the analysis result through the communication unit 126 .

Hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 8 , a process of measurement and analysis when the processor 14 as the external device is the server 30 and the terminal is included as a display device according to another embodiment will be described.

As shown in FIG. 8 , the measuring device 12 may measure the skin condition ( S110 ).

Thereafter, the server 30 may receive the measured result through the communication unit 142 and analyze the skin condition based on the measured result (S120). That is, the server 30 may perform the function of the processor 14 described above, and a description thereof will be omitted because it overlaps with the above description.

Here, the server 30 may be a server operated by a company or a company that provides a service related to skin analysis to a user.

Thereafter, the server 30 may transmit the analyzed result to the user terminal 20 , and the user terminal 20 may output the analyzed result ( S130 ).

In more detail, a service application provided by the server 30 is installed in the user terminal 20 , and an analysis result received from the server 30 may be output through the application.

That is, the server 30 is a platform server, which receives the result measured by the measuring device 12 through the user terminal 20, analyzes the skin condition, and provides the analysis result to an application installed in the user terminal 20. The analysis result may be output from the application of the user terminal 20 .

The server 30 may store the analysis result, and the user may check the stored analysis result through the application installed in the user terminal 20 . Specifically, when the user calls a request related to checking the analysis result through the application, the server 30 transmits the data corresponding to the call (ie, the analysis result) to the user terminal 20 to allow the user to analyze their skin condition You can check the results.

In more detail, the measuring instrument 12, the user terminal 20, and the server 30 may transmit and receive information, data, signals, etc. to each other through a communication network (not shown). Since the information (measurement result, analysis result, etc.) handled in the present invention is sensitive personal information, the sensitive information is not stored in the user terminal 20, but is temporarily stored in memory while the application installed in the user terminal 20 is running. It may be stored in (not shown) or directly bypassed and stored in the server 30 . In this case, all of the sensitive information may be subjected to security processing such as high-level encryption.

In addition, in the user terminal 20 , a control unit for controlling the measuring device 12 may exist separately to match a control unit (not shown) present in the measuring device 12 , and result values (measured values) coming from the measuring device 12 . may be transmitted to the server 30 . This is because the analysis algorithm is not stored in the user terminal 20, which is vulnerable to security issues such as hacking. The result value (measured value) is transmitted to the server 30 , analyzed using an analysis algorithm in the server 30 , and then transmitted to the user terminal 20 to be displayed. This is shown temporarily as described above, and the user's sensitive information is not stored in the user terminal 20 .

Each measured value and the analyzed final result information are stored in the server 30 or a separate database interlocked with the server 30 and, when called from the user terminal 20, data (result information) etc) will be sent.

2 shows that steps S110 to S130 are sequentially executed, but this is merely illustrative of the technical idea of this embodiment, and those of ordinary skill in the art to which this embodiment belongs. Since it will be possible to apply various modifications and variations to executing by changing the order described in FIG. 2 or executing one or more of steps S110 to S130 in parallel within a range that does not deviate from the essential characteristics, FIG. 2 is a time series sequence It is not limited.

The method according to an embodiment of the present invention described above may be implemented as a program (or application) to be executed in combination with a server, which is hardware, and stored in a medium.

The above-described program is C, C++, JAVA, machine language, etc. that a processor (CPU) of the computer can read through a device interface of the computer in order for the computer to read the program and execute the methods implemented as a program It may include code (Code) coded in the computer language of Such code may include functional code related to a function defining functions necessary for executing the methods, etc. can do. In addition, such code may further include additional information necessary for the processor of the computer to execute the functions or code related to memory reference for which location (address address) in the internal or external memory of the computer to be referenced. have. In addition, when the processor of the computer needs to communicate with any other computer or server located remotely in order to execute the above functions, the code uses the communication module of the computer to determine how to communicate with any other computer or server remotely. It may further include a communication-related code for whether to communicate and what information or media to transmit and receive during communication.

The storage medium is not a medium that stores data for a short moment, such as a register, a cache, a memory, etc., but a medium that stores data semi-permanently and can be read by a device. Specifically, examples of the storage medium include, but are not limited to, ROM, RAM, CD-ROM, magnetic tape, floppy disk, and optical data storage device. That is, the program may be stored in various recording media on various servers accessible by the computer or in various recording media on the computer of the user. In addition, the medium may be distributed in a computer system connected by a network, and computer-readable codes may be stored in a distributed manner.

The steps of the method or algorithm described in relation to the embodiment of the present invention may be implemented directly in hardware, implemented as a software module executed by hardware, or implemented by a combination thereof. A software module may include random access memory (RAM), read only memory (ROM), erasable programmable ROM (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable ROM (EEPROM), flash memory, hard disk, removable disk, CD-ROM, or It may reside in any type of computer-readable recording medium well known in the art to which the present invention pertains.

As mentioned above, although embodiments of the present invention have been described with reference to the accompanying drawings, those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains can realize that the present invention can be embodied in other specific forms without changing its technical spirit or essential features. you will be able to understand Therefore, it should be understood that the embodiments described above are illustrative in all respects and not restrictive.

10: skin measuring device
12: meter
122: light source unit
124: optical receiver
126: communication department
14: handler
142: communication department
20: user terminal
30: server

Claims (10)

a measuring device in contact with the user's skin surface to measure the user's skin condition; and
A processor that analyzes the user's skin condition based on the measured result;
The measuring device includes a single wavelength or multi-wavelength light source unit and a plurality of light receivers,
The light source unit irradiates light into the analysis target position of the user's skin, and the plurality of light receiving units receive the light irradiated from the light source unit,
The processor is
Each of the plurality of light intensities received from the plurality of light receivers is measured, the measured light intensity values (hereinafter, measured values) are converted into gradient values, and the user's skin condition is analyzed based on the gradient values, output the analyzed result,
The slope value is a value for correcting an error in the measurement value that occurs according to a change in light intensity,
skin measuring device. The method of claim 1,
The processor is
Controls the light source unit to irradiate the light a preset number of times at a preset time interval from the analysis target position,
Measuring the intensities of a plurality of light received by the plurality of light receivers for each number of times, and converting the intensities for each number of times by using the measured values for each number of times,
skin measuring device. 3. The method of claim 2,
The processor is
The slope value for each number of times is expressed as a graph, and the smaller the variation of the slope of the graph, the higher the accuracy of the measured value.
skin measuring device. The method of claim 1,
The plurality of light receivers,
arranged at a predetermined interval or shape,
The processor is
calculating a ratio value of the measured value of the intensity of each light received from the light receiving units adjacent to each other among the plurality of light receiving units as the slope value,
skin measuring device. The method of claim 1,
The processor is
Calculating the slope value based on any one of Equations 1 and 2 below by using the measured value or a log value of the measured value,
skin measuring device.
[Equation 1]
Slope value = R _PDn+1 / R _PDn
[Equation 2]
Slope value = log(R _PDn+1 )/ log(R _PDn )
Here, n is a natural number greater than or equal to 1, PDn and PDn+1 are adjacent light receiving units, R _PDn is a measured value of the intensity of light received from the light receiving unit disposed closer to the light source among PDn and PDn+1, and R _PDn+1 is A measurement value of the intensity of light received by the light receiving unit disposed further away from the light source among PDn and PDn+1 The method of claim 1,
The meter and the processor are configured as a separate device,
The measuring device and the processor each include a communication unit,
The measuring device transmits the measured result to the processor through the communication unit,
skin measuring device. 7. The method of claim 6,
The processor includes a user terminal,
The measured result is analyzed through the user terminal,
skin measuring device. 7. The method of claim 6
The processor includes a server,
The measured result is analyzed through the server,
skin measuring device. 7. The method of claim 6
The processor includes a server that provides an application for skin analysis to a user terminal,
The measured result is analyzed through the server,
The analyzed result is output to the application installed in the user terminal through the server,
skin measuring device. In the skin measuring method performed by a skin measuring device comprising a measuring device and a processor,
Measuring the user's skin condition through the measuring device in contact with the user's skin surface; and
Including; analyzing the skin condition of the user through the processor based on the measured result,
The measuring device includes a single wavelength or multi-wavelength light source unit and a plurality of light receivers,
The measurement step is
Irradiate light into the analysis target position of the user's skin through the light source unit, and receive the light irradiated from the light source unit through the plurality of light receiving units,
The analysis step is
Each of the plurality of light intensities received from the plurality of light receivers is measured, the measured light intensity values (hereinafter, measured values) are converted into gradient values, and the user's skin condition is analyzed based on the gradient values, output the analyzed result,
The slope value is a value for correcting an error in the measurement value that occurs according to a change in light intensity,
How to measure skin.

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