Techniques for improving the accuracy of reproducing shared, personalized colors of cosmetic products

Abstract

TECHNIQUES FOR IMPROVING THE ACCURACY OF REPRODUCING SHARED, CUSTOMIZED COLORS OF COSMETIC PRODUCTS. In some embodiments, a system is proposed. The system comprises a plurality of product mixing devices; a color communication computer system; and a mobile computer device. The mobile computer device is communicatively coupled to a first product mixing device of the plurality of product mixing devices and communicatively coupled to the color communication computer system.The mobile computing device includes a non-transient computer-readable medium on which are stored computer-executable instructions which, in response to execution by at least one processor of the mobile computing device, cause the mobile computing device to perform actions including: receiving a message from the color communication computer system indicating a product having a first color which has been dispensed by a second product mixing device of the plurality of product mixing devices; and causing the mobile computing device to dispense the first color.

Description

Title of the invention: Techniques for improving the accuracy of reproducing shared, personalized colors of cosmetic products

[0001] Summary

[0002] The purpose of this summary is to present a selection of concepts in a simplified form, which are described in greater detail below in the detailed description. This summary is not intended to identify key features of the claimed subject matter, nor to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter.

[0003] In some embodiments, a system is proposed. The system comprises a plurality of product mixing devices; a color communication computer system; and a mobile computer device. The mobile computer device is communicatively coupled to a first product mixing device of the plurality of product mixing devices and communicatively coupled to the color communication computer system.The mobile computing device includes a non-transient computer-readable medium on which are stored computer-executable instructions which, in response to execution by at least one processor of the mobile computing device, cause the mobile computing device to perform actions including: receiving a message from the color communication computer system indicating a product having a first color which has been dispensed by a second product mixing device of the plurality of product mixing devices; and causing the mobile computing device to dispense the first color.

[0004] A method is proposed in certain embodiments. A mobile computing device, which is communicatively coupled to a first product mixing device, receives a message from a color communication computer system indicating a product of a first color that has been dispensed by a second product mixing device. The mobile computing device causes the first color to be presented.

[0005] The present invention relates to a system comprising:

[0006] a plurality of product mixing devices;

[0007] a color communication computer system; and

[0008] a mobile computer device communicatively coupled to a first product mixing device of the plurality of product mixing devices and communicatively coupled to the color communication computer system;

[0009] wherein the mobile computing device includes a non-transient, computer-readable medium on which are stored computer-executable instructions which, in response to execution by at least one processor of the mobile computing device, cause the mobile computing device to perform actions comprising:

[0010] the reception of a message from the color communication computer system indicating a product having a first color that has been distributed by a second product mixing device out of the plurality of product mixing devices; and

[0011] the act of bringing, by the mobile computer device, the first color to be presented.

[0012] According to some embodiments, the system comprises one or more of the following features: - Bringing the first color to be presented includes transmitting a command to the first product mixing device to dispense the product having the first color, - the transmission of the command to the first product mixing device includes the automatic transmission of the command to the first product mixing device without having received user input after receiving the message from the color communication computer system to cause the command to be transmitted, - the non-transient computer-readable medium contains computer-executable instructions stored on it which, in response to execution by at least one processor of the mobile computing device, cause the mobile computing device to further perform the action of

[0013] presentation, by the mobile computing device, of a live video which includes the second product mixing device performing actions to distribute the product having the first color which caused the message from the color communication computer system to be transmitted, - The act of presenting the first color includes the presentation, by the mobile computing device, of a notification on a display device of the mobile computing device indicating that the product having the first color has been distributed, - Bringing the first color to be presented includes the presentation, by the mobile computer device, of an identifier that can be scanned and used to retrieve a recipe for the product having the first color from the color communication computer system. - the non-transient computer-readable medium contains computer-executable instructions stored on it which, in response to execution by at least one processor of the mobile computing device, bring the mobile computing device to also perform the actions of

[0014] reception, by the mobile computing device, from the first product mixing device, of a message indicating that a product having a second color has been dispensed by the first product mixing device; and

[0015] transmission, via the mobile computer device to the color communication computer system, of the message, - the non-transient computer-readable medium contains computer-executable instructions stored on it which, in response to execution by at least one processor of the mobile computing device, cause the mobile computing device to further perform the actions of

[0016] the reception, by the mobile computing device, of trend information from the color communication computer system, in which the trend information indicates one or more product colors tracked by the color communication computer system; and

[0017] the presentation, by the mobile computing device, of trend information on a display device of the mobile computing device, - the actions further include the reception, by the mobile computing device from the first product mixing device, of information concerning one or more color component products within one or more cartridges installed in the first product mixing device;

[0018] wherein the presentation of trend information includes filtering trend information to exclude colors from products that cannot be dispensed using one or more cartridges installed in the first product mixing device, and / or - the product is a lipstick, a lip gloss or a lip dye. Brief description of the drawings

[0019] The foregoing aspects and many related advantages of this invention will be more readily appreciated as they are better understood by reference to the following detailed description, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0020] Figure 1A and Figure 1B illustrate a non-limiting example of an embodiment of a product mixing device according to various aspects of this disclosure.

[0021] Figure 2 illustrates a personalized color information communication system intended to distribute personalized color products according to various aspects of this disclosure.

[0022] Fig. 3 is a functional diagram that illustrates aspects of a non-example limiting the method of implementation of a color communication computer system according to various aspects of this disclosure.

[0023] Fig. 4 is a functional diagram that illustrates aspects of a non-limiting example of an embodiment of a mobile computing device according to various aspects of this disclosure.

[0024] Fig. 5A and Fig. 5C are a flowchart that illustrates a non-limiting example of an embodiment of a method for improving the accuracy of reproducing shared colors of cosmetic products according to various aspects of this disclosure.

[0025] Fig. 6 is an illustration of a non-limiting example of an embodiment of a user interface generated by the user interface engine of a mobile computing device according to various aspects of this disclosure.

[0026] Figure 7 illustrates a non-limiting example of how to present one or more relevant colours according to various aspects of this disclosure.

[0027] Figure 8 illustrates a non-limiting example of an embodiment of a push presentation of color activity information based on various aspects of this disclosure.

[0028] Figure 9 illustrates a non-limiting example of an embodiment of a presentation of a color identifier according to various aspects of this disclosure.

[0029] Fig. 1OA and Fig. 1OC are a flowchart that illustrates a non-limiting example of an embodiment of a process for accurately reproducing cosmetic product colors from presentations shared according to various aspects of this disclosure. Detailed description

[0030] Figure 1A and Figure 1B illustrate a non-limiting example of an embodiment of a product mixing device according to various aspects of this disclosure. The product mixing device 108 shown is a PERSO™ product mixing machine supplied by L'Oréal, but other product mixing devices capable of performing the actions described herein may be used as product mixing device 108 in other embodiments of this disclosure. The mixing device 108 is configured to dispense products such as cosmetics, including, but not limited to, lipsticks, lip glosses, lip tints, and other cosmetic products with customizable colors.

[0031] As shown in the front view of [Fig. 1A], the product mixing device 108 includes a button 102. The product mixing device 108 receives an insInstructions for dispensing color constituents, which, once mixed, provide a blended product of the desired color. Instructions may be transmitted by a paired device, such as a first mobile computing device 204, and may include a recipe or other instructions on the quantities of each color constituent to be dispensed to produce the desired color. Upon receiving such an instruction and pressing button 102, the product mixing device 108 dispenses the appropriate quantities of each color constituent onto a mixing surface 104. Figure 1A shows the color constituents 106 dispensed onto the mixing surface 104. In some embodiments, the user then uses a brush or other mixing tool to combine the color constituents 106 dispensed onto the mixing surface 104.In some embodiments, the user does not need to press button 102, and instead the product mixing device 108 receives an instruction to automatically dispense the color constituent products directly from the first mobile computing device 204.

[0032] Figure 1B illustrates a lower perspective view of the product mixing device 108 of Figure 1A. In Figure 1B, a cover 110 is shown in the open position, in which the cartridges 112a-112c are visible in a partially inserted position. Each cartridge 112a-112c contains a colored constituent product of a predetermined color. The user can change one or more of the cartridges 112a-112c to change a spectrum of available colors that can be provided by the product mixing device 210. In some embodiments, each cartridge 112a-112c includes a computer-readable identifier (for example, an RFID tag, a serial number, a 2D or 3D barcode; not shown) that can be read by a reader of the product mixing device 108 and / or a first mobile computing device 204 and / or the color communication computer system 202, as described in more detail below.

[0033] Users of cosmetic products often want to receive advice on suggested colors and follow currently popular color trends. With the limited number of pre-made colors that were previously available (and often marketed using identifiable names), following trends or suggestions was as simple as finding the product with the suggested name. The advent of product mixing devices has allowed users access to a large number of different customizable colors for cosmetic products. While this greatly increases the color options available to users, it raises a new problem in that it is no longer simple for a user to receive color suggestions because the customizable colors are not marketed with names or defined for the user with detailed recipe information. Furthermore, differences in lighting, display configurations, and other technical factors make it extremely difficult to communicate a color for a product to be distributed based on an image or other presentation of the color itself. It is necessary to use techniques that allow for the detection of customized color trends and their communication in such a way that the colors can be duplicated by a receiving product mixing device.

[0034] Figure 2 illustrates a personalized color information communication system for distributing personalized color products according to various aspects of this disclosure. The system 200 includes a plurality of mobile computing devices (including a first mobile computing device 204 and a second mobile computing device 208). Each of the mobile computing devices is communicatively coupled (e.g., paired via Bluetooth™ or other suitable communication technology) with a corresponding product mixing device. As illustrated, the first mobile computing device 204 is paired with a first product mixing device 210, and the second mobile computing device 208 is paired with a second product mixing device 212.Although only two sets of mobile computing device / product mixing device pairs are illustrated, it will be recognized that many other pairs may be present in the 200 system (including hundreds or thousands of pairs) without departing from the scope of this disclosure.

[0035] As described above, without additional technical assistance, it would be very difficult for the first mixing device 210 and the second mixing device 212 to produce the same custom color. Therefore, the system 200 includes a color communication computer system 202. The first mobile computer device 204 and the second mobile computer device 208 communicate color information with the color communication computer system 202 via a network 206.

[0036] For example, mobile computing devices can transmit color interest messages indicating that a user is interested in a given color. As described in more detail below, interest can include a "like" for a displayed color, a "save" of a displayed color, an indication that a color has been dispensed by the associated product-mixing device, or any other appropriate indication of interest in a color. Mobile computing devices can receive color information from the Color Communication Computer System 202, including, but not limited to, indications of trending colors for which users of other computing devices mobiles have signaled their interest, and recipes for trendy colors, colors associated with presentations or any other type of information about colors.

[0037] By managing the communication of color information, the 202 color communication computer system offers technical advantages over previous techniques. As we saw above, previous techniques made it very difficult to accurately reproduce customized colors between different product mixing devices. By using the 202 color communication computer system to collect and distribute color information, the 200 system solves these technical problems and improves the fidelity of reproducing customized colors between separate product mixing devices.

[0038] Figure 3 is a functional diagram that illustrates aspects of a non-limiting example of an embodiment of a color communication computer system according to various aspects of this disclosure. The illustrated color communication computer system 202 can be implemented in any computer device or set of computer devices, including, but not limited to, a desktop computer device, a portable computer device, a mobile computer device, a server computer device, a cloud computing system computer device, and / or combinations thereof.

[0039] In some embodiments, the color communication computer system 202 is configured to receive messages regarding interest in colors in order to determine trends and to transmit information on trending colors to users. In some embodiments, the color communication computer system 202 is also configured to transmit recipes for colors selected by users from the trending colors so that the colors can be accurately reproduced by the product mixing devices 108. In some embodiments, the color communication computer system 202 is configured to transmit to the product mixing devices 108 instructions for the automatic dispensing of products having colors associated with a presentation.

[0040] As illustrated, the color communication computer system 202 includes one or more processors 302, one or more communication interfaces 304, a color data store 308, a user data store 312, a message data store 314 and a computer-readable medium 306.

[0041] In some embodiments, the 302 processors may include any suitable type of general-purpose computer processor. In some embodiments, the 302 processors may include one or more special-purpose computer processors or AI accelerators optimized for specific tasks, including, but not limited to, graphics processing units (GPUs), vision processing units (VPTs) and tensor processing units (TPUs).

[0042] In some embodiments, the 304 communication interfaces include one or more hardware and / or software interfaces adapted to provide communication links between components. The 304 communication interfaces may support one or more wired communication technologies (including, but not limited to, Ethernet, FireWire™ and USB), one or more wireless communication technologies (including, but not limited to, Wi-Fi™, WiMAX™, Bluetooth™, 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G and LTE), and / or combinations of these technologies.

[0043] As illustrated, the computer-readable medium 306 stores logic which, in response to its execution by one or more processors 302, causes the color communication computer system 202 to provide a user data engine 310, a message collection engine 316, and a trend determination engine 318.

[0044] As used herein, the term "computer-readable medium" means a removable or non-removable device that implements any technology capable of storing information in a volatile or non-volatile manner for reading by a processor of a computing device, including, but not limited to: a hard disk drive; flash memory; a solid-state disk drive; random access memory (RAM); read-only memory (ROM); a CD-ROM, DVD or other disk storage; a magnetic cassette; a magnetic tape; and a magnetic disk memory.

[0045] In some embodiments, the user data engine 310 is configured to store information about system 200 users in the user data store 312. This information may include information associated with a given user, including, but not limited to, login information, information about saved colors, information about liked colors, privacy settings, notification settings, contact information (including, but not limited to, a network address of an associated first mobile computing device 204), profile pictures, information about the constituent color products of the cartridges installed in an associated product mixing device, and / or any other information associated with the given user.This information may also include information that links users, including other users followed by a given user, and / or other users who follow the given user.

[0046] In some embodiments, the message collection engine 316 is configured to receive messages from mobile computing devices and store related information in message data store 314. In some embodiments, the messages relate to product colors that have been recorded, liked, and / or dispensed by product mixing devices within system 200. In some embodiments, the trend determination engine 318 is configured to examine the information stored in message data store 314 to determine "trends" (e.g., colors that are more commonly liked, recorded, and / or dispensed by users in system 200 than others).

[0047] A more detailed description of the configuration of each of these components is provided below.

[0048] As used herein, the term "engine" refers to the logic embodied in hardware or software instructions, which may be written in one or more programming languages, including, but not limited to, C, C++, C#, COBOL, JAVA™, PHP, Perl, HTML, CSS, JavaScript, VBScript, ASPX, Go, and Python. An engine may be compiled into executable programs or written in interpreted programming languages. Software engines may be called from other engines or from themselves. In general, the engines described herein refer to logical modules that may be merged with other engines or may be divided into sub-engines.The engines can be implemented by logic stored in any type of computer-readable storage medium or device and be stored and executed by one or more general-purpose computers, thus creating a special-purpose computer configured to provide the engine or its functionality. The engines can be implemented by logic programmed in an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a user-programmable pre-broadcast array (FPGA), or other hardware device.

[0049] As used herein, the term "data store" means any suitable device configured to store data for access by a computing device. An example of a data store is a highly reliable and fast relational database management system (DBMS) running on one or more computing devices and accessible over a high-speed network. Another example of a data store is a key value store. However, any other suitable storage technique and / or device capable of quickly and reliably providing the stored data in response to queries may be used, and the computing device may be accessed locally instead of being connected to a network, or may be provided as a cloud service.A data store can also include data stored in an organized manner on a computer-readable storage medium, such as a hard drive, a . Flash memory, RAM, ROM, or any other type of computer-readable storage medium. A person skilled in the art will recognize that separate data stores described herein can be combined into a single data store, and / or that a single data store described herein can be separated into multiple data stores, without departing from the scope of this disclosure.

[0050] Figure 4 is a functional diagram illustrating aspects of a non-limiting example of an embodiment of a mobile computing device according to various aspects of this disclosure. Generally, the mobile computing device 402 can be implemented by a computing device such as a smartphone or tablet. However, any other type of computing device capable of providing the described functionalities, including, but not limited to, a desktop computing device, a portable computing device, a server computing device, a cloud computing system computing device, and / or combinations thereof, may be used instead.The mobile computing device 402 is configured to communicate with a product mixing device 108, including, but not limited to, communicating product dispensing instructions to a product mixing device 108, and messages from the product mixing device 108 regarding products that have been dispensed. The mobile computing device 402 is also configured to communicate with the color communication computer system 202 to report information of interest about colors and to receive information about colors (including, but not limited to, information about trending colors and / or information about colors associated with presentations).

[0051] As illustrated, the mobile computing device 402 includes one or more processors 404, one or more communication interfaces 406, a display device 414 and a computer-readable medium 408.

[0052] In some embodiments, the 404 processors may include any suitable type of general-purpose computer processor. In some embodiments, the 404 processors may include one or more special-purpose computer processors or AI accelerators optimized for specific computing tasks, including, but not limited to, graphics processing units (GPUs), vision processing units (VPTs), and tensor processing units (TPUs).

[0053] In some embodiments, the 406 communication interfaces include one or more hardware and / or software interfaces adapted to provide communication links between components. The 406 communication interfaces may support one or more wired communication technologies (including, but not limited to, Ethernet, FireWire™, and USB), one or more wireless communication technologies (including, but not limited to, Wi-Fi™, WiMAX™, Bluetooth™, 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G and LTE), and / or combinations of these technologies.

[0054] In some embodiments, the display device 414 is an LCD display device, an LED display device, an OLED display device, a touchscreen display device, or any other suitable type of display device for use with the first mobile computing device 204 as described below. Although a "display device" for visual presentations is primarily addressed here, this should not be considered limiting. In some embodiments, the display device 414 may include other technologies for presenting information, including, but not limited to, speakers for presenting audio information and haptic devices for presenting tactile information.

[0055] As the illustration shows, the computer-readable medium 408 stores logic which, in response to its execution by one or more processors 404, causes the mobile computing device 402 to provide a message processing engine 410 and a user interface engine 412.

[0056] In some embodiments, the message processing engine 410 is configured to receive messages from an associated product mixing device, including information about the products dispensed and / or the color constituent products in cartridges installed in the product mixing device, and to report the information to the color communication computer system 202. In some embodiments, the message processing engine 410 is also configured to receive messages from the color communication computer system 202 and to perform an appropriate action, including, but not limited to, causing a product having a specified color to be automatically dispensed by the product mixing device, presenting a notification about a specified color, and / or other actions.In some embodiments, the user interface engine 412 is configured to present user interfaces using the display device 414, including, but not limited to, user interfaces for presenting trends, user interfaces for controlling connections between an associated user and other users, and user interfaces for presenting notifications associated with messages received from the color communication computer system 202.

[0057] A more detailed description of the configuration of each of these components is provided below.

[0058] Figure 5A and Figure 5C are a flowchart illustrating a non-limiting example of an embodiment of a method for improving the reproduction accuracy of shared colors of cosmetic products according to various aspects of this disclosure. In process 500, relevant colors are determined by the color communication computer system 202 (e.g., trending colors among all users of the system 200, colors distributed by friend user accounts, trending colors among friend user accounts, etc.), and are communicated to mobile computing devices so that the colors can be accurately reproduced using the associated product mixing devices.

[0059] From the starting block, the process 500 proceeds to block 502, where a message processing engine 410 of a first mobile computing device 204 determines the identity of one or more cartridges. In some embodiments, an RFID reader of the first mobile computing device 204 can query an RFID tag on each cartridge to obtain a unique identifier for each cartridge. In some embodiments, the first mobile computing device 204 can use a camera to capture an image of a barcode, QR code, or other indicator on each cartridge that encodes a unique identifier for each cartridge.In some embodiments, the first product mixing device 210 can obtain the unique identifier of each cartridge (for example by querying an RFID tag on each cartridge or via cable communication with each installed cartridge), and the first product mixing device 210 can transmit the unique identifiers to the first mobile computing device 204.

[0060] In block 504, the message processing engine 410 determines the identity of the color constituent products contained in one or more cartridges. In some embodiments, a record is stored by the color communication computer system 202 in a color data store 308 for each cartridge (including, but not limited to, cartridges 112a-112c) which associates the unique identifier of the cartridge with the identity of a color constituent product contained therein.

[0061] At block 506, a user loads one or more cartridges into a first product mixing device 210. As illustrated in [Fig.1B], the user can open a cover on the first mixing device 210 and insert one or more cartridges into the first product mixing device 210 for use.

[0062] At block 508, the message processing engine 410 transmits a cartridge information message, including the identity of the constituent color products, to a color communication computer system 202, and at block 510, a user data engine 310 of the communication computer system color 202 stores the identities of the color constituent products in a user data store 312. The user data engine 310 can store the identities of the color constituent products in a user record for a user associated with the first mobile computing device 204.

[0063] In addition to the identities of the constituent color products, the user record may store any other relevant information associated with the user associated with the first mobile computing device 204. For example, the user record may store a first and last name, a username, contact information, including, but not limited to, an email address and / or telephone number, an identifier of the first mobile computing device 204, an identifier of the first product mixing device 210, a user profile picture and / or activity information for the user.Activity information may include, but is not limited to, information about colors dispensed by the first mixing device 210 (including one or more timestamps of the dispensing, a recipe identifier for the dispensed colors, and identities of the color constituent products used to dispense the colors), and information about colors liked or saved by the user via a user interface generated by the UI engine 412 (including one or more timestamps of the like / save, and a recipe identifier for the liked / saved colors).

[0064] In block 512, a user interface engine 412 of the first mobile computing device 204 presents a friend management interface on a display device 414 of the first mobile computing device 204, and in block 514, the user interface engine 412 receives instructions to associate one or more friend user accounts with a user account for the first mobile computing device 204 via the friend management interface. Any suitable user interface can be used for friend management, which may include searching for potential friend user accounts, and adding and / or removing friend user accounts to be followed by the user account for the first mobile computing device 204.

[0065] The friend management interface can also be used to modify the privacy settings of the user account of the first mobile computing device 204, such as switching from private to public mode, and / or specifying the types of stored information that are made available to friend user accounts that follow the user account of the first mobile computing device 204. In public mode, one or more features can be enabled, including, but not limited to, searching for the user account via a search interface, sharing colors saved in association with the user account with other user accounts, and sharing activities (e.g., colors displayed). (e.g., colors distributed, liked, and / or saved) by the user account with other user accounts, and reporting of this activity (e.g., colors distributed, liked, and / or saved) to the Color 202 communication computer system for aggregation with activity associated with other user accounts to determine trends. In private mode, one or more of the above features may be disabled, including, but not limited to, hiding the user account and / or associated activity from other user accounts, unless mutual consent is obtained. In some embodiments, the friend management interface may allow individual features to be set to public or private mode.

[0066] The process 500 then proceeds to a tracking terminal (“terminal A”). From terminal A ([Fig. 5B]), the process 500 proceeds to block 516, where the user interface engine 412 transmits the one or more friendly user accounts to the color communication computer system 202. At block 518, the user data engine 310 records the associations between the user account of the first mobile computing device 204 and the one or more friendly user accounts in the user data store 312. In some embodiments, the associations are stored in the user record for the user account of the first mobile computing device 204. In some embodiments, separate records are stored for the associations.

[0067] Figure 6 illustrates a non-limiting example of an embodiment of a user interface generated by the user interface engine of a mobile computing device according to various aspects of this disclosure. As illustrated, the first mobile computing device 204 has a user interface that has an activity list area 602 and a profile information area 604. The activity list area 602 includes one or more activities that have been performed by the user associated with the first mobile computing device 204 or related to the user associated with the first mobile computing device 204 (for example, colors that have been distributed, colors that have been saved, and associations created with friend user accounts).The profile information area 604 displays a username, the number of associated friend users, a profile picture of the user associated with the first mobile computing device 204, and interface elements for editing user information.

[0068] If we return to [Fig.5B], at block 520, a message collection engine 316 of the color communication computer system 202 receives a plurality of messages of interest for a color, and at block 522, the message collection engine 316 stores the plurality of messages of interest for a color in a message data store 314.

[0069] The expression "color interest message" is used to refer to various types of messages that indicate a level of interest between an interested user account and a color. One type of color interest message is one that indicates that a color has been dispensed by a product mixing device associated with the interested user account, or at least that a command to dispense the color has been transmitted to a product mixing device. Another type of color interest message is one that indicates that a color has been "liked" by the relevant user account in a user interface generated by the 412 user interface engine. Yet another type of color interest message is one that indicates that a color has been "saved" by the interested user account in a user interface generated by the 412 user interface engine.Another type of color interest message is one that indicates a color has been touched, examined by the interested user account, or interacted with via the user interface without being saved, liked, or distributed. A plurality of color interest messages can be received from a plurality of mobile computing devices and can reflect interest in a color from a plurality of user accounts (including both friend user accounts and user accounts that are not friend user accounts connected to the user account associated with the first mobile computing device 204) and colors distributed by a plurality of product mixing devices.

[0070] In some embodiments, the interest message for a color may include information relating to the color and / or the indication of interest. For example, the interest message for a color may include one or more of a recipe identifier for the color that is linked to a recipe stored in the color data store 308 of the color communication computer system 202, a description of the color in a color space (for example, a red-green-blue (RGB) color space), identifiers of one or more color constituent products used to distribute the color, a name of the color (which may be from a particular timestamp), a timestamp for the interest message for a color, an identifier of a collection associated with the color, a type of occasion for the color (for example, work, dinner, clubbing, etc.).), a geographical location for the color and a time of day for the color (e.g., day, night, day and night, etc.).

[0071] At block 524, the user interface engine 412 of the first mobile computing device 204 transmits a trend request message to the color communication computer system 202, and at block 526, a trend determination engine 318 of the color communication computer system 202 determines one or more relevant colors based on the interest messages for a color stored in message data store 314.

[0072] The way in which the one or more relevant colors are determined can be based on a type of trend indicated by the trend request message. For example, the trend request message may indicate that an overall trend is desired, in which case the trend determination engine 318 can take into account all messages of interest for a color in the message data store 314. As another example, the trend request message may indicate that a trend among friends is desired, in which case the trend determination engine 318 can limit its consideration to messages of interest for a color in the message data store 314 that are associated with friend user accounts followed by the requesting user account (namely, the user account associated with the first mobile computing device 204).As another example, the trend request message might indicate that a trend for a particular situation, such as a geographic region, time of day, type of occasion, or other type of situation, is desired. In this case, the 318 trend determination engine might limit its consideration to messages of interest for a color in the desired situation. As yet another example, the trend request message might indicate that a trend for distributed products is desired. In this case, the 318 trend determination engine might limit its consideration to messages of interest for a color that indicate a color has been distributed, rather than simply being saved or liked.

[0073] Once a set of relevant interest messages for a color is determined, the trend determination engine 318 can determine the relevant colors using any appropriate technique. In some embodiments, the trend determination engine 318 can identify the colors most frequently referenced in interest messages for a color as the relevant colors. In some embodiments, the trend determination engine 318 can identify the colors most frequently distributed in interest messages for a color as the relevant colors.In some embodiments, the trend determination engine 318 can identify the most frequently referenced colors in posts of interest for a color associated with popular user accounts (e.g., user accounts with a high number of followers) as relevant colors. In some embodiments, the trend determination engine 318 can calculate a score for each post of interest for a color that can be used to combine multiple characteristics (e.g., the popularity of the associated user account, the strength of the interest (e.g., distribution being ranked higher than the record and the record being ranked higher than the "like"), if the account. associated user is a friend user account of the user account associated with the first mobile computing device 204, etc.), and can identify colors with the highest total scores as relevant colors.

[0074] In block 528, the trend determination engine 318 filters the one or more relevant colors based on the identities of the color constituent products stored in the user data store 312. In some embodiments, the trend determination engine 318 can determine whether the color constituent products used to create the color correspond to the color constituent products stored in the user data store 312 (namely, the color constituent products carried in the cartridges installed in the first product mixing device 108), and can exclude colors for which the color constituent products do not match.In some embodiments, if the color constituent products do not match, the trend determination engine 318 can determine whether an alternative recipe can be used to recreate the color using the color constituent products installed in the first product mixing device 210, and can only exclude the color if no alternative recipe is available.

[0075] In some embodiments, the set of one or more relevant colors can be transmitted to the first mobile computing device 204, and filtering can be performed by the first mobile computing device 204 to avoid presenting colors that cannot be distributed by the product mixing device 108.In some embodiments, if the trend-determining engine 318 determines that one or more relevant colors would be filtered out because they cannot be reproduced using the color constituent products of the cartridges installed in the first product mixing device 108, the trend-determining engine 318 can transmit a message to the first mobile computing device 204 to indicate how cartridges having the corresponding color constituent products can be obtained (for example, information on ordering the color constituent products from a retailer, etc.).

[0076] At block 530, the trend determination engine 318 transmits the one or more relevant filtered colours to the first mobile computing device 204.

[0077] The process 500 then proceeds to another tracking terminal (“terminal B”). From terminal B ([Fig. 5C]), the process 500 proceeds to block 532, where the user interface engine 412 of the first mobile computing device 204 presents the one or more filtered relevant colors. Any suitable technique for presenting the one or more filtered relevant colors may be used, including, but not limited to, presenting a list of colors displaying a list of color names and featuring tiles with one or more relevant colors.

[0078] Figure 7 illustrates a non-limiting example of a presentation of one or more relevant colors according to various aspects of this disclosure. Figure 7 shows an overall trend area 702 and a friend activity area 704.

[0079] The global trend area 702 displays tiles of a plurality of relevant colors that have been determined by the trend determination engine 318 to be trending on the basis of messages of interest for a color in the message data store 314. Each tile includes a representation of the color itself, as well as a profile picture of a user account associated with the color, a count of times the color has been distributed (as indicated by messages of interest for the color) and a count of times the color has been saved (as indicated by messages of interest for the color).

[0080] The Friends Activity Zone 704 displays similar information, but for the friend user accounts associated with the user account of the first mobile computing device 204. In some embodiments, the relevant colors for the global trend zone 702 and the Friends Activity Zone 704 can be retrieved by the user interface engine 412 in separate queries to the trend determination engine 318. In some embodiments, the colors for the Friends Activity Zone 704 can be extracted from the relevant colors returned in a global query and presented in the global trend zone 702.

[0081] In some embodiments, a more active technique can be used to transmit activity information to the first mobile computing device 204. Figure 8 illustrates a non-limiting example of an embodiment of a push presentation of color activity information based on various aspects of this disclosure. In Figure 8, an 802 activity push notification is presented at the top of the user interface presented by the first mobile computing device 204. The information for generating the 802 activity push notification can be transmitted to the first mobile computing device 204 by the color communication computing system 202 using an application-directed SMS message, a message from the Apple™ push notification service, or any other suitable type of push notification.The 802 activity push notification can itself provide an indication of the color, can provide a close link to a part of the user interface that displays the color, or can provide any other relevant information.

[0082] If we return to [Fig. 5C], to block 534, the user interface engine 412 receives an input indicating a command to distribute a color from the one or more relevant colors filtered. Any appropriate technique for entering the command into the user interface may be used, including, but not limited to, a click, a long click, a double click, a click-and-drag, or any other appropriate input technique.

[0083] In some embodiments, the color information included with the relevant colors includes a color identifier, but not the color recipe, and the user interface engine 412 therefore transmits a request to the color communication computer system 202 to retrieve the recipe. This can help improve the reliability of the activity tracking provided by the color communication computer system 202, in that, in these embodiments, the first mobile computing device 204 must contact the color communication computer system 202 to retrieve the recipe, which allows the color communication computer system 202 to record the request.This can also help to improve the security of system 200, as composition information is not shared with the first mobile computing device 204 until a product having the color is ready for distribution, and composition information can only be provided to authorized devices.

[0084] Therefore, at block 536, the user interface engine 412 transmits a recipe request for the color to the color communication computer system 202. At block 538, the message retrieval engine 316 of the color communication computer system 202 records the recipe request as a message of interest for a color in the message data store 314, and at block 540, the message retrieval engine 316 retrieves the recipe from a color data store 308 and transmits the recipe to the first mobile computing device 204.

[0085] At block 542, the user interface engine 412 of the first mobile computing device 204 transmits to the first product mixing device 108 a command to distribute the color constituent products according to the recipe, and at block 544, the first product mixing device 108 distributes the color constituent products according to the recipe.

[0086] The process 500 then passes to an end block and terminates.

[0087] In some embodiments, instead of directly transmitting the command to dispense the product having the color to the first product mixing device 210, the user interface engine 412 can cause a color identifier to be presented, so that another device can be used to retrieve the recipe for the color from the color communication computer system 202 for dispensing. Figure 9 illustrates a non-limiting example of such an embodiment.of a presentation of a color identifier according to various aspects of this disclosure. As illustrated, instead of transmitting the command directly to the first product mixing device 210, the user interface presents a color identifier 902 in both a human-readable format and a scannable format (e.g., a QR code). The color identifier 902 can then be provided to another device (e.g., a second mobile computing device 208) to retrieve the recipe from the color communication computing system 202 and cause another product mixing device (e.g., a second product mixing device 212) to dispense the product with the specified color.This embodiment can be particularly useful for a user who has a first mobile computing device 204 but does not have a first product mixing device 210, and who can go to a retail outlet that has a second mobile computing device 208 and a second product mixing device 212 available for public use.

[0088] In addition to enabling the highly accurate recreation of custom colors that are trending among a group of users, the 202 color communication computer system also allows the highly accurate recreation of specific custom colors on demand. With this feature, the creation of specific custom colors can be synchronized to coincide with a presentation that uses the custom colors. For example, a presenting user can record a video or produce a live stream related to the use of a specific custom color, and the 202 color communication computer system can allow one or more viewing users to synchronize their product mixing device to generate the specific custom color with the recorded video or live stream.

[0089] Figure 1OA and Figure 1OC are flowcharts illustrating a non-limiting example of a method for accurately reproducing cosmetic product colors from shared presentations according to various aspects of this disclosure. In the method 1000, a notification indicating that a second product mixing device 212 used by a presenter is dispensing a product of a certain color is transmitted to a first mobile computing device 204 associated with a first product mixing device 210. This allows the first product mixing device 210 to operate synchronously with the second product mixing device 212, thus enabling a user of the first product mixing device 210 to follow the presentation with a highly accurate reproduction of the color used in the presentation.

[0090] Starting from a starting block, method 1000 proceeds to block 1002, in which a first product mixing device 210 is loaded with one or more Cartridges 112a-112c, each cartridge containing a color constituent. At block 1004, the first product mixing device 210 queries one or more cartridges 112a-112c to determine the identity of the color constituents. At block 1006, the first product mixing device 210 transmits a cartridge information message to a first mobile computing device 204, in which the cartridge information message includes the identities of the color constituents. At block 1008, the message processing engine 410 transmits the cartridge information message to a color communication computer system 202. At block 1010, a user data engine 310 of the color communication computer system 202 stores the identities of the color constituents in a user data store 312.The actions of process 1000 from block 1002 to block 1010 are the same as those of process 500 from block 502 to block 510 and are therefore not described again here for the sake of brevity. Furthermore, in some embodiments, similar actions for determining and transmitting information to the color communication computer system 202 regarding the color constituent products installed in the second product mixing device 212 to be used in the presentation may also occur.

[0091] At block 1012, the user interface engine 412 receives input indicating a command to be synchronized with a presentation associated with a second product mixing device 108. In some embodiments, the user interface engine 412 may present a list of presentations that can be synchronized, and the input may be received via the presented list. In some embodiments, the user interface engine 412 may present a notification indicating that a presentation is starting, and interacting with the notification may constitute the input indicating the command to be synchronized.

[0092] The process 1000 then proceeds to a continuation terminal (“terminal C”). From terminal C ([Fig. 1OB]), the process 1000 proceeds to block 1014, where the user data engine 310 of the color communication computer system 202 determines whether the identities of the color constituent products of the first product mixing device 210 are compatible with the color constituent products of the second product mixing device 212. As described above with regard to filtering the relevant colors in block 528, the user data engine 310 can check whether the same color constituent products are installed in the first product mixing device 210 and the second product mixing device 212, or if they are different, can check whether other recipes can be used with the color constituent products installed in the first product mixing device 210 to generate the relevant colors.

[0093] The process 1000 then proceeds to the decision block 1016. If, during the determination in block 1014, it was found that the color constituent products of the first product mixing device 210 are not compatible with the color constituent products of the second product mixing device 212, then the result of the decision block 1016 is NO and the process 1000 proceeds to block 1018. In block 1018, the user data engine 310 of the color communication computer system 202 transmits an incompatibility notification to the first mobile computer device 204, and in block 1020, the user interface engine 412 presents an incompatibility error message on a display device 414 of the first mobile computer device 204.Any type of appropriate error message may be presented, including, but not limited to, a warning message, an instruction to replace the cartridges with compatible cartridges before continuing, etc. Process 1000 then proceeds to an end block and terminates, and may restart from the beginning upon detection of a cartridge replacement in the first product mixing device 210.

[0094] Returning to decision block 1016, if the determination of block 1014 revealed that the colour constituent products of the first product mixing device 210 are compatible with the colour constituent products of the second product mixing device 212, then the result of decision block 1016 is YES and method 1000 proceeds to block 1022.

[0095] In block 1022, the user data engine 310 stores a record of the synchronization of the first product mixing device 210 with the second product mixing device 212 in the user data store 312. In some embodiments, the record may identify the user account associated with the first mobile computing device 204. In some embodiments, the record may include a network address or other contact information that can be used to transmit push notifications or other messages to the first mobile computing device 204.

[0096] In block 1024, the first mobile computing device 204 displays a video associated with the presentation. In some embodiments, the video may be a recorded video. In some embodiments, the video may be a live stream. In some embodiments, the video may be displayed in the user interface generated by the user interface engine 412. In some embodiments, the video may be displayed by another application (for example, a video streaming application such as YouTube™, TikTok™, Instagram, etc.) while the message processing engine 410 remains available in the background to process incoming messages from the color communication computer system 202.

[0097] In block 1026, the second product mixing device 212 dispenses a product having a color and triggers the transmission of a message to the color communication computer system 202 indicating that the product having the color has been dispensed by the second product mixing device 212. In some embodiments, the second product mixing device 212 transmits the message to the second mobile computer device 208, and the second mobile computer device 208 in turn transmits the message to the color communication computer system 202. In some embodiments, the second mobile computer device 208 can transmit a dispensing command to the second product mixing device 212 and can then transmit the message to the color communication computer system 202 without receiving another communication from the second product mixing device 212.

[0098] The process 1000 then proceeds to another continuation terminal (“terminal D”). From terminal D ([Fig. 1000]), the process 1000 proceeds to block 1028, where the message retrieval engine 316 of the color communication computer system 202 transmits a distribution message to the first mobile computer device 204 indicating that the second product mixing device 212 has dispensed the product having the color based on the synchronization record. In some embodiments, the message retrieval engine 316 can examine the synchronization records stored in the user data store 312 and can transmit the distribution messages to all relevant devices, including, but not limited to, the first mobile computer device 204.

[0099] At block 1030, the message processing engine 410 of the first mobile computing device 204 transmits a command to the first product mixing device 210 for the automatic dispensing of the product having the specified color in response to receiving the dispensing message, without having received user input after receiving the dispensing message to trigger the transmission of the command. At block 1032, the first product mixing device 210 dispenses the product having the specified color. In some embodiments, confirmation of the dispensing of the product having the specified color can be provided to the first product mixing device 210 via button 102, even if no user input is provided to the first mobile computing device 204.In other embodiments, no confirmation of product distribution is received after receipt of the distribution message on either of the first mobile computing device 204 or the first product mixing device 210 prior to the automatic distribution of the product having the color.

[0100] In certain embodiments, in which the video is a live stream, the color communication computer system 202 can transmit the messages of distribution to mobile computing devices synchronized in real time. Namely, the time between the moment when the message indicating that the product has been distributed is transmitted to block 1026 and the moment when the distribution message is received by the first mobile computing device 204 is short enough for the distribution message to appear as being received by the first mobile computing device 204 in coordination with the distribution of the product by the second product mixing device 212, which can be seen in the live stream.This real-time communication means that the first product mixing device 210 and the second product mixing device 212 can simultaneously dispense the product having the color, which allows the user of the first product mixing device 210 and the first mobile computing device 204 to follow the live flow and use the product having the color according to the instructions of the live flow.

[0101] In certain embodiments, in which the video is a recording, the distribution messages may include timestamps, timecodes, or other indications of points in the recorded video when the product is to be distributed. Therefore, the first mobile computing device 204 can receive the distribution messages and wait for the appropriate moments during playback of the recorded video to transmit the commands to the first product mixing device 210.

[0102] The process 1000 then passes to an end block and terminates.

[0103] Although illustrative embodiments have been shown and described, it will be appreciated that various changes can be made to them without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims

Claims

1. A system, comprising: a plurality of product mixing devices; a color communication computing system; and a mobile computing device communicatively coupled to a first product mixing device of the plurality of product mixing devices and communicatively coupled to the color communication computing system; wherein the mobile computing device includes a non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that, in response to execution by at least one processor of the mobile computing device, cause the mobile computing device to perform actions including: receiving a message from the color communication computing system indicating a product having a first color that has been dispensed by a second product mixing device of the plurality of product mixing devices;and causing, by the mobile computing device, the first color to be presented.;

2. The system of claim 1, wherein causing the first color to be presented includes transmitting a command to the first product mixing device to dispense the product having the first color.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein transmitting the command to the first product mixing device includes automatically transmitting the command to the first product mixing device without receiving user input after receiving the message from the color communication computer system to cause the command to be transmitted.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the non-transitory computer-readable medium includes computer-executable instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution by at least one processor of the mobile computing device, cause the mobile computing device to further perform the action of presenting, by the mobile computing device, a live video that includes the second product mixing device performing actions to dispense the product having the first color that caused the message from the color communication computer system to be transmitted.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein causing the first color to be presented includes presenting, by the mobile computing device, a notification on a display of the mobile computing device that indicates that the product having the first color has been dispensed.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein causing the first color to be presented includes presenting, by the mobile computing device, a scannable identifier usable to retrieve a recipe for the product having the first color from the color communication computing system.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the non-transitory computer-readable medium includes computer-executable instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution by at least one processor of the mobile computing device, cause the mobile computing device to further perform the actions of receiving, by the mobile computing device, from the first product mixing device, a message indicating that a product having a second color has been dispensed by the first product mixing device; and transmitting, by the mobile computing device to the color communication computing system, the message.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the non-transitory computer-readable medium includes computer-executable instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution by at least one processor of the mobile computing device, cause the mobile computing device to further perform the actions of receiving, by the mobile computing device, trend information from the color communication computing system, wherein the trend information indicates one or more colors of products tracked by the color communication computing system; and presenting, by the mobile computing device, the trend information on a display of the mobile computing device.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the actions further comprise receiving, by the mobile computing device from the first product mixing device, information regarding one or more color component products within one or more cartridges installed in the first product mixing device; wherein presenting the trend information includes filtering the trend information to exclude colors from the products that cannot be dispensed using one or more cartridges installed in the first product mixing device.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the product is a lipstick, lip gloss or lip stain.

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