Sunscreen effectiveness monitoring

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10168207-B2
Application number	US-201615170206-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 1, 2016
Priority date	Jun 1, 2016
Publication date	Jan 1, 2019
Grant date	Jan 1, 2019

Abstract

In an approach to monitoring sunscreen effectiveness, a computer receives input from a user. The computer receives data corresponding to ultraviolet radiation exposure from a first ultraviolet radiation sensor and a second ultraviolet radiation sensor. The computer determines an amount of ultraviolet radiation received by the first ultraviolet radiation sensor and the second ultraviolet radiation sensor. The computer determines whether the amount of ultraviolet radiation received by the first ultraviolet radiation sensor is similar to the amount of ultraviolet radiation received by the second ultraviolet radiation sensor. The computer determines whether the amount of ultraviolet radiation received by the first ultraviolet radiation sensor is below an alert threshold. In response to determining the amount of ultraviolet radiation received by the first ultraviolet radiation sensor is not below an alert threshold, the computer transmits an alert message to the user.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for monitoring sunscreen effectiveness, the method comprising the steps of:
receiving, by one or more computer processors, input from a user;
receiving, by the one or more computer processors, data corresponding to ultraviolet radiation exposure from a first ultraviolet radiation sensor and a second ultraviolet radiation sensor, wherein the first ultraviolet radiation sensor is covered with a thickness of a sunscreen wherein the thickness corresponds to a thickness of the sunscreen applied to skin of the user, and wherein the second ultraviolet radiation sensor is not covered with the thickness of the sunscreen, and wherein the sunscreen is a topical product which absorbs or reflects ultraviolet radiation from the sun;
determining, by the one or more computer processors, an amount of ultraviolet radiation received by the first ultraviolet radiation sensor and the second ultraviolet radiation sensor;
determining, by the one or more computer processors, whether the amount of ultraviolet radiation received by the first ultraviolet radiation sensor is similar to the amount of ultraviolet radiation received by the second ultraviolet radiation sensor;
responsive to determining the amount of ultraviolet radiation received by the first ultraviolet radiation sensor is not similar to the amount of ultraviolet radiation received by the second ultraviolet radiation sensor, determining, by the one or more computer processors, whether the amount of ultraviolet radiation received by the first ultraviolet radiation sensor is below an alert threshold; and
responsive to determining the amount of ultraviolet radiation received by the first ultraviolet radiation sensor is not below the alert threshold, transmitting, by the one or more computer processors, an alert message to the user.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of, responsive to determining the amount of ultraviolet radiation received by the first ultraviolet radiation sensor is similar to the amount of ultraviolet radiation received by the second ultraviolet radiation sensor, transmitting, by the one or more computer processors, a warning message to the user.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of retrieving, by the one or more computer processors, data to assist with setting at least one threshold for a message to the user.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein data to assist with setting at least one threshold for a message to the user includes at least one of: a current weather condition, one or more areas where a UV exposure level is high, one or more areas where at least one environmental factor may cause rapid degradation of sunscreen effectiveness, an effectiveness of a sunscreen brand, a sun protection factor of a sunscreen, and a UV exposure condition.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of uploading, by the one or more computer processors, data corresponding to one or more of: an amount of ultraviolet radiation received by the first ultraviolet radiation sensor, an amount of ultraviolet radiation received by the second ultraviolet radiation sensor, a received user input, a sunscreen effectiveness, a weather condition, and an environmental factor.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein input from the user includes at least one of: a description of the user's skin tone, a level of risk of sun damage associated with the user's skin tone, a medical history of the user, a brand of sunscreen, a sun protection factor (SPF) of a sunscreen, one or more settings which correspond to a threshold for a warning or an alert message, or a trigger to start a sunscreen monitor device.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein determining whether the amount of ultraviolet radiation received by the first ultraviolet radiation sensor is similar to the amount of ultraviolet radiation received by the second ultraviolet radiation sensor further comprises the steps of:
comparing, by the one or more computer processors, the amount of ultraviolet radiation received by the first ultraviolet radiation sensor to the amount of ultraviolet radiation received by the second ultraviolet radiation sensor; and
determining, by the one or more computer processors, the amount of ultraviolet radiation received by the first ultraviolet radiation sensor is within a pre-defined threshold of the amount of ultraviolet radiation received by the second ultraviolet radiation sensor.

8. A computer program product for monitoring sunscreen effectiveness, the computer program product comprising:
one or more computer readable storage devices and program instructions stored on the one or more computer readable storage devices, the stored program instructions comprising:
program instructions to receive input from a user;
program instructions to receive data corresponding to ultraviolet radiation exposure from a first ultraviolet radiation sensor and a second ultraviolet radiation sensor, wherein the first ultraviolet radiation sensor is covered with a thickness of a sunscreen wherein the thickness corresponds to a thickness of the sunscreen applied to skin of the user, and wherein the second ultraviolet radiation sensor is not covered with the thickness of the sunscreen, and wherein the sunscreen is a topical product which absorbs or reflects ultraviolet radiation from the sun;
program instructions to determine an amount of ultraviolet radiation received by the first ultraviolet radiation sensor and the second ultraviolet radiation sensor;
program instructions to determine whether the amount of ultraviolet radiation received by the first ultraviolet radiation sensor is similar to the amount of ultraviolet radiation received by the second ultraviolet radiation sensor;
responsive to determining the amount of ultraviolet radiation received by the first ultraviolet radiation sensor is not similar to the amount of ultraviolet radiation received by the second ultraviolet radiation sensor, program instructions to determine whether the amount of ultraviolet radiation received by the first ultraviolet radiation sensor is below an alert threshold; and
responsive to determining the amount of ultraviolet radiation received by the first ultraviolet radiation sensor is not below the alert threshold, program instructions to transmit an alert message to the user.

9. The computer program product of claim 8 , the stored program instructions further comprising, responsive to determining the amount of ultraviolet radiation received by the first ultraviolet radiation sensor is similar to the amount of ultraviolet radiation received by the second ultraviolet radiation sensor, program instructions to transmit a warning message to the user.

10. The computer program product of claim 8 , the stored program instructions further comprising program instructions to retrieve data to assist with setting at least one threshold for a message to the user.

11. The computer program product of claim 10 , wherein data to assist with setting at least one threshold for a message to the user includes at least one of: a current weather condition, one or more areas where a UV exposure level is high, one or more areas where at least one environmental factor may cause rapid degradation of sunscreen effectiveness, an effectiveness of a sunscreen brand, a sun protection factor of a sunscreen, and a UV exposure condition.

12. The computer program product of claim 8 , the stored program instructions further comprising program instructions to upload data corresponding to one or more of: an amount of ultraviolet radiation received by the first ultraviolet radiation sensor, an amount of ultraviolet radiation received by the second ultraviolet radiation sensor,

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Brown Michael S
• Cleaver James D
• Mcguire Louise A
• Mcguire Michael J

Classifications

• G08B3/10

  using electric transmission; using electromagnetic transmission · CPC title

• G08B5/38

  using flashing light · CPC title

• G01J1/4228

  arrangements with two or more detectors, e.g. for sensitivity compensation · CPC title

• G08B25/08

  using communication transmission lines {(G08B13/19658, G08B21/0286, G08B25/016 take precedence)} · CPC title

• G08B21/0453

  worn on the body to detect health condition by physiological monitoring, e.g. electrocardiogram, temperature, breathing (detecting, measuring or recording for diagnostic purposes A61B5/00) · CPC title