Systems and methods for hair coverage analysis

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2019355115-A1
Application number	US-201916413920-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 16, 2019
Priority date	May 17, 2018
Publication date	Nov 21, 2019
Grant date	—

Abstract

Disclosed are hair analysis systems and methods comprising: (a) a step to capture an image at least of the top of the head of a user at an image capture unit and to send the image from the image capture unit to a hair analysis unit; (b) a step to analyze the user's hair coverage and/or scalp coverage condition at hair analysis unit, based on the image from the image capture unit by using a deep neural network that predicts user's hair coverage and/or scalp coverage relative to a gender population and is trained on class labels acquired by crowd sourcing, and to provide an analysis result to a display unit; and (c) a step to display at a display unit the analysis result to the user. The present invention provides the system and the method with an improved sensitivity.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A hair analysis system comprising:
a) an image capture unit to capture an image at least of the top of the head of a user and to send the image to a hair analysis unit; b) a hair analysis unit: to analyze the user's hair coverage and/or scalp coverage based on the image by using a deep neural network that predicts user's hair coverage and/or scalp coverage relative to a gender population; and to provide an analysis result to a display unit wherein the analysis result is at least one of the followings:
the analyzed hair coverage and/or scalp coverage condition;
hair prediction based on the analyzed hair coverage and/or scalp coverage condition;
hair product recommendation based on the analyzed hair coverage and/or scalp coverage condition;
hair product usage recommendation based on the analyzed hair coverage and/or scalp coverage condition; and
hair style recommendation based on the analyzed hair coverage and/or scalp coverage conditions;
c) a display unit to display the analysis result to the user.

2 . The system of claim 1 wherein the deep neural network is trained on class labels acquired by crowd sourcing.

3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the system further comprises a Q&A user interface unit to provide a question for the user at the user interface; to receive an answer from the user; and to send the answer to the analysis unit.

4 . The system of claim 3 , wherein the answer is utilized for providing the analysis result.

5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the system using a Convolutional Neural Network.

6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the system using a Deep Capsule Network.

7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the display showing the hair product recommendation and/or hair product usage recommendation, also shows an option for the user to purchase the product.

8 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the hair coverage and/or scalp coverage to be analyzed is at least one of the followings: hair and/or scalp coverage, scalp area, hair amount, hair thickness amount, hair partition and combinations thereof.

9 . A hair analysis method comprising:
a) a step to capture an image of at least the top of the head of a user at an image capture unit and to send the image from the image capture unit to a hair analysis unit; b) a step to analyze the user's hair coverage and/or scalp coverage at hair analysis unit, based on the image from the image capture unit by using a deep neural network that predicts user's hair coverage and/or scalp coverage relative to a gender population; and to provide an analysis result to a display unit wherein the analysis result is at least one of the followings:
the analyzed hair coverage and/or scalp coverage condition;
hair prediction based on the analyzed hair coverage and/or scalp coverage condition;
hair product recommendation based on the analyzed hair coverage and/or scalp coverage condition;
hair product usage recommendation based on the analyzed hair coverage and/or scalp coverage condition; and
hair style recommendation based on the analyzed hair coverage and/or scalp coverage condition;
c) a step to display at a display unit the analysis result to the user.

10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the deep neural network is trained on class labels acquired by crowd sourcing.

11 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the method further comprises a step at Q&A user interface unit to provide a question for the user; to receive an answer from the user; and to send the answer to the analysis unit.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the answer is utilized for providing the analysis result.

13 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the display unit showing the hair product recommendation and/or hair product usage recommendation, also shows an option for the user to purchase the product.

14 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the hair coverage and/or scalp coverage to be analyzed is at least one of the followings: hair and/or scalp coverage, scalp area, hair amount, hair thickness amount, hair partition and combinations thereof.

Assignees

• Procter & Gamble

Inventors

• Niebauer Michael Frederick
• Sherman Faiz Feisal
• Kainkaryam Raghunandan Melkote
• Purwar Ankur
• Casperson Stephen

Classifications

• A45D2044/007

  Devices for determining the condition of hair or skin or for selecting the appropriate cosmetic or hair treatment · CPC title

• G06N20/00

  Machine learning · CPC title

• G06T2207/20084

  Artificial neural networks [ANN] · CPC title

• G06T2207/20081

  Training; Learning · CPC title

• G06T7/0012 Primary

  Biomedical image inspection · CPC title