Cosmetic treatment device equipped with a contact sensor and its control method

Abstract

A beauty treatment device according to one aspect of the present invention is a beauty treatment device for performing a beauty treatment on a user's skin, and includes: a main body having a contact surface that can come into contact with the user's skin; a stimulus application unit provided within the main body to apply a stimulus to the user's skin when the contact surface is in contact with the user's skin; a contact detection unit including a contact detection sensor provided on the contact surface; and a controller that determines whether the contact detection sensor has come into contact with the user's skin and controls the stimulus application unit to operate only when the contact detection sensor is in contact with the user's skin.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a cosmetic treatment device and a control method thereof, and more particularly to a cosmetic treatment device having a contact sensor capable of detecting whether the body of the cosmetic treatment device has come into contact with the skin of a user for cosmetic treatment, and a control method thereof.

[0002] [Background technology]

[0003] Recently, home beauty treatment devices that allow users to perform beauty treatments such as massage and hair removal at home have become increasingly popular. Home beauty treatment devices allow users to easily perform beauty treatments at their own convenience in their own homes at times that suit them, lowering the barrier to beauty treatments and increasing accessibility.

[0004] As the popularity of home beauty treatment devices increases, the performance of the devices has improved dramatically compared to previous models, and the effectiveness of treatments is also increasing. This means that if the user does not use the device safely or properly, the possibility of side effects occurring and the severity of the side effects may increase.

[0005] Specifically, for example, home beauty treatment devices perform hair removal, massage, etc. using lasers, high frequency waves, etc., but when high frequency waves are applied to the skin for beauty treatments or treatments, deep heat is generated along with the appropriate treatment effect only when the high frequency electrode and the skin are in close contact with each other.

[0006] However, if high frequency waves are applied when the contact area between the cosmetic treatment device and the skin is small due to factors such as the contact angle between the device and the skin, pressure fluctuations, or skin bending, the current density increases, creating a risk of burns.

[0007] As a result, the performance and effectiveness of home beauty treatment devices have improved, but in order to avoid dangers due to incorrect or unintended use of the product, it is necessary to ensure that skin stimulation is only possible when the contact surface of the beauty treatment device body comes into contact with the skin.

[0008] Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0009] The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a beauty treatment device and a control method thereof that allows a stimulation applying unit to operate only when the main body of the beauty treatment device is in contact with the skin.

[0010] Another object of the present invention is to provide a cosmetic treatment device and a control method thereof that can accurately determine whether the main body of the cosmetic treatment device is in close contact with the skin.

[0011] Another object of the present invention is to provide a beauty treatment device and a control method thereof that can be used safely by a user by causing a stimulation application unit to apply stimulation to the skin only when the main body of the beauty treatment device is in contact with the skin.

[0012] Another object of the present invention is to provide a cosmetic treatment device and a control method thereof that can reduce the possibility of burns by preventing the contact surface between the skin and the cosmetic treatment device from coming into close contact when the cosmetic treatment device generates high frequency waves to stimulate the skin.

[0013] The objects of the present invention are not limited to those mentioned above, and other objects not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains from the following description.

[0014] [Means for solving the problem]

[0015] According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a beauty treatment device for performing a beauty treatment on a user's skin, the beauty treatment device including a main body having a contact surface that can come into contact with the user's skin; a stimulus application unit provided inside the main body to apply a stimulus to the user's skin when the contact surface is in contact with the user's skin; a contact detection unit including a contact detection sensor provided on the contact surface, and a controller that determines whether the contact detection sensor has come into contact with the user's skin and controls the stimulus application unit so that the stimulus application unit operates only when the contact detection sensor is in contact with the user's skin.

[0016] At this time, the stimulus applied to the user's skin by the stimulus applying unit may be provided by a high frequency electrode or light irradiated onto the skin.

[0017] In this case, the contact surface may have any one of a circular, elliptical, and polygonal shape, and the stimulus applied from the stimulus application unit may be applied to the user's skin from a position inside or around the contact surface, and the contact detection sensor may be disposed at another position around the contact surface.

[0018] In this case, the contact sensor may include at least a pair of contact sensing members disposed around the contact surface.

[0019] In this case, the touch sensitive members may be spaced apart at equal intervals along the periphery of the contact surface.

[0020] In this case, the touch sensing unit may include a capacitor electrically connected to the touch sensing member and configured to change its capacitance depending on whether or not there is skin contact; a voltage supply module for supplying a predetermined square wave voltage to the capacitor; and an AD converter for measuring the capacitance of the capacitor.

[0021] In this case, the touch sensing member includes first and second touch sensing members spaced apart from each other, but the capacitor is electrically connected to the voltage supply module and connected to the first touch sensing member, and when both the first touch sensing member and the second touch sensing member are in contact with the user's skin, ground can be connected in parallel to the capacitor.

[0022] At this time, a switching element for turning on and off the square wave voltage supplied from the voltage supply module may be included.

[0023] At this time, the controller can determine that there is no contact if the capacitance due to the predetermined square wave voltage supplied from the voltage supply module is determined to be a specific value, and can determine that there is contact if the capacitance is not the specific value.

[0024] In this case, the controller provides a first time interval signal to the stimulus application unit for applying a stimulus from the stimulus application unit, and provides a second time interval signal to the voltage supply module for supplying the square wave voltage from the voltage supply module, and the first interval signal and the second interval signal may be provided alternately and periodically.

[0025] According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for controlling a beauty treatment device having a stimulus application unit that contacts a user's skin to apply a stimulus to the user's skin and a contact detection sensor that includes a capacitance sensor for detecting whether the body has contacted the user's skin, the method including: a step of first determining whether a main body of the beauty treatment device has contacted the skin; a step of causing the stimulus application unit to apply a stimulus to the skin for a first time period if the main body has contacted the skin; a step of providing a square wave voltage to measure the capacitance of the capacitance sensor of the contact detection unit for a second time period after the first time period has elapsed; and a step of second determining whether the main body has contacted the skin.

[0026] At this time, in the step of determining whether the main body of the cosmetic treatment device has come into contact with the skin, if the capacitance of the capacitance sensor corresponds to a specific value corresponding to the output value of the square wave voltage, it can be determined that the main body has not come into contact with the skin, and if the capacitance does not correspond to the specific value, it can be determined that the main body has come into contact with the skin.

[0027] In this case, the step of applying a stimulus to the skin for the first time period and the step of providing a square wave voltage to measure the capacitance of the capacitance sensor of the touch sensing unit for a second time period after the first time period have elapsed may be repeated a plurality of times, and then a step of secondarily determining whether the main body has touched the skin may be performed.

[0028] [Effects of the Invention]

[0029] According to the above-described configuration, the cosmetic treatment device according to one embodiment of the present invention is provided with a contact-sensing member of the contact sensor on the skin contact surface of the skin cosmetic device body, thereby making it possible to confirm whether the contact surface of the skin cosmetic device is in close contact with the skin.

[0030] A cosmetic treatment device according to one embodiment of the present invention is configured to apply stimulation to the skin only when the contact surface of the cosmetic treatment device is in close contact with the skin, thereby preventing burns or unexpected accidents that may occur when the cosmetic treatment device is not in close contact with the skin, allowing the user to use the skin cosmetic treatment device safely.

[0031] In addition, in a cosmetic treatment device according to one embodiment of the present invention, when the skin cosmetic device is used for the first time, the contact detection unit first determines whether or not the device is in contact with the skin, and when the stimulation application unit is driven, the stimulation application unit and the contact detection unit are alternately activated. Therefore, even if the skin cosmetic device is separated from the skin while the stimulation application unit is operating, the contact detection unit can secondarily confirm the non-contact state. Therefore, the operation of the stimulation application unit can be stopped when the skin cosmetic device is separated from the skin, allowing the user to use the skin cosmetic device safely.

[0032] The effects of the present invention are not limited to the effects described above, but should be understood to include all effects that can be inferred from the configuration of the invention described in the detailed description of the present invention or the claims.

[0033] [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0034] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of a skin cosmetic device according to an embodiment of the present invention, viewed from above;

[0035] [Figure 2] 1 is a perspective view of a skin cosmetic device according to an embodiment of the present invention, viewed from below;

[0036] [Figure 3] 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating the configuration of a skin beauty device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0037] [Figure 4(a)] 10 is a graph showing a case where the capacitance due to the voltage supplied from the voltage supply module of the skin cosmetic device according to an embodiment of the present invention corresponds to a specific value and it is determined that the device is not in contact with the skin. [Figure 4(b)] 10 is a graph showing a case where it is determined that the skin has been touched because the capacitance due to the voltage supplied from the voltage supply module of the skin cosmetic device according to an embodiment of the present invention does not correspond to a specific value.

[0038] [Figure 5(a)] 4 is a graph showing a time period during which a stimulator is applied by a stimulator in a skin cosmetic device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 5(b)] 10 is a graph showing a time period during which a voltage supply module supplies a touch sensing voltage;

[0039] [Figure 6] 4 is a flowchart illustrating a method for controlling a skin cosmetic device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0040] 100: Beauty treatment equipment

[0041] 110:Main body

[0042] 120:Touch sensing part

[0043] 132: First touch sensing member

[0044] 134: Second touch sensing member

[0045] 144: Capacitor

[0046] 150: Voltage supply module

[0047] 160: AD converter

[0048] 170: Controller

[0049] 180: Stimulation application section

[0050] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0051] Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail so that those skilled in the art can easily carry out the present invention. The present invention may be embodied in various different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. In order to clearly explain the present invention, parts not related to the description will be omitted in the drawings, and the same reference numerals will be used throughout the specification to refer to the same or similar components.

[0052] The words and terms used in this specification and claims should not be interpreted in a limited manner based on their ordinary or dictionary meanings, but should be interpreted in a manner that is consistent with the technical idea of ​​the present invention, in accordance with the principle that the inventor can define the terms and concepts in order to best describe his or her invention.

[0053] Therefore, the embodiments described in this specification and the configurations illustrated in the drawings correspond to a preferred embodiment of the present invention and do not represent the entire technical idea of ​​the present invention, and therefore, there may be various equivalents and modifications that replace the relevant configurations at the time of filing of the present invention.

[0054] In this specification, the terms "comprise" or "have" and the like are intended to describe the presence of features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof described in the specification, and should be understood as not precluding the possibility of the presence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

[0055] A component being "in front of," "behind," "above," or "below" another component does not only mean that it is disposed "in front of," "behind," "above," or "below" the other component immediately adjacent thereto, unless there are special circumstances, but also includes the case where another component is disposed between them. Furthermore, a component being "connected" to another component does not only mean that they are directly connected to each other, but also means that they are indirectly connected to each other, unless there are special circumstances.

[0056] Hereinafter, a cosmetic treatment device having a contact sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0057] Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a skin cosmetic device according to an embodiment of the present invention as viewed from above, and Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a skin cosmetic device according to an embodiment of the present invention as viewed from below.

[0058] 1 and 2, a cosmetic treatment device 100 equipped with a contact sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention is a cosmetic treatment device that allows a user to perform a cosmetic treatment on their own skin. Alternatively, a user can perform a cosmetic treatment on a patient using the cosmetic treatment device.

[0059] For example, the beauty treatment device 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention can provide a suction function that uses a stimulation application unit installed in the beauty treatment device to draw the skin of the user or the person being treated into the beauty treatment device and stimulate them, or can provide a massage to the skin using high-frequency electrodes, or can apply stimulation such as laser hair removal.

[0060] Components for cosmetic treatment may be disposed in the main body 110. For example, electrodes for high-frequency stimulation and a light source (not shown) for irradiating laser or light may be disposed in the main body 110. The main body 110 may also be provided with a component (not shown) for providing a suction function that sucks and stimulates the user's skin.

[0061] Referring to FIG. 1, a handle 112 may be provided on the upper side of the main body 110 so that a user can grip and move the cosmetic treatment device 100 .

[0062] 1, a beauty treatment device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention may include an operation button 103 for receiving input of operation information for turning on / off the beauty treatment device 100, selecting various modes, etc. This is merely an example, and a touch screen or the like may be provided on the surface of the main body instead of the operation button 103.

[0063] Meanwhile, the cosmetic treatment device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention may include an output unit 104 for outputting signals, messages, etc. In this case, the output unit 104 may be a speaker for outputting sound or voice, or a display for displaying visual information.

[0064] In addition, a display unit 105 for displaying the direction of movement of the skin cosmetic device may be provided around the main body. The display unit 105 may be provided as a flashing light element to display the direction of movement of the skin cosmetic device, and the user can operate the skin cosmetic device according to the display of the light element.

[0065] Meanwhile, according to one embodiment of the present invention, the body 110 of the cosmetic treatment device has a contact surface 112 at the bottom, which can come into contact with a predetermined area of ​​the user's skin.

[0066] In this embodiment, the contact surface 112 at the bottom of the cosmetic treatment device body is formed to be circular. At this time, the contact surface 112 is the area that comes into close contact with the skin, and although it is illustrated as a circle in this embodiment, it can be formed in various shapes such as an oval, a polygon such as a square, etc.

[0067] Meanwhile, an inhalation space (S / A) into which the skin can be sucked when the cosmetic treatment device performs a suction function is provided within the contact surface 112, and a component (not shown) for sucking the skin through the inhalation space may be provided within the main body. The detailed structure for performing the suction function of the cosmetic treatment device is well known, and therefore a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0068] Meanwhile, a plurality of high-frequency electrodes 182 may be arranged around the contact surface 112 so that the cosmetic treatment device can apply high-frequency stimulation to the skin. These high-frequency electrodes can stimulate the skin by allowing high-frequency current to flow when the contact surface of the cosmetic treatment device is in close contact with the skin.

[0069] Since the detailed configuration for applying stimulation to cause high-frequency current to flow through the skin is a well-known configuration, in this specification, the configuration of the stimulation application unit for providing high-frequency stimulation will be described mainly in relation to the contact sensing unit in an embodiment of the present invention, and a detailed description of the well-known configuration will be omitted.

[0070] Meanwhile, according to one embodiment of the present invention, contact sensing members 132 and 134 are formed to be exposed as part of the contact sensor on contact surface 112. Contact sensing members 132 and 134 may be formed to have circular protrusions protruding from the contact surface. Contact sensing members 132 and 134 may be disposed separately from electrodes for applying high-frequency stimulation protruding from the contact surface.

[0071] At this time, referring to FIG. 2, the touch sensing members 132 and 134 may be a pair of a first touch sensing member 132 and a second touch sensing member 134 .

[0072] The contact surface 112 may then be provided with multiple pairs of contact sensitive members.

[0073] According to one embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 2, two first touch sensing members 132 and two second touch sensing members 134 may be spaced apart from each other at 90 degree intervals.

[0074] Accordingly, a cosmetic treatment device equipped with a contact sensor according to one embodiment of the present invention can be configured so that the stimulation applying unit operates only when both pairs of contact sensing members provided on the contact surface are in contact with the skin.

[0075] Hereinafter, the detailed configuration and operation of the cosmetic treatment device 100 equipped with a contact sensor will be described with reference to different drawings.

[0076] Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram of a skin cosmetic device according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 4(a) is a graph showing a case where the capacitance due to the voltage supplied from the voltage supply module of the skin cosmetic device according to an embodiment of the present invention corresponds to a specific value and it is determined that the skin is not in contact, and Fig. 4(b) is a graph showing a case where the capacitance due to the voltage supplied from the voltage supply module of the skin cosmetic device according to an embodiment of the present invention does not correspond to a specific value and it is determined that the skin is in contact. Fig. 5(a) is a graph showing a time period during which the stimulus application unit applies a stimulus in the skin cosmetic device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and Fig. 5(b) is a graph showing a time period during which the voltage supply module supplies a touch-sensing voltage.

[0077] 3, a cosmetic treatment device 100 equipped with a contact sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a main body 110 having a contact surface 112, a stimulus applying unit 180, a touch sensing unit 120, and a controller 170. The main body 110 and the stimulus applying unit 180 have been previously described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, and the touch sensing unit 120 and the controller 170 will now be described in detail.

[0078] Referring to FIG. 3, in one embodiment of the present invention, the touch sensing unit 120 includes a touch sensor 130, a capacitor 144, a voltage supply module 150, and an AD converter 160.

[0079] As described above, the contact sensor 130 includes first and second contact sensing members 132, 134 disposed on the contact surface. For simplicity of illustration, a pair of contact sensing members 132, 134 is shown in Fig. 3, but multiple pairs of contact sensing members may be provided.

[0080] As can be seen from FIG. 2, the first and second touch sensing members 132 and 134 may have one side provided with a protrusion protruding from the contact surface and the other side provided with a conductive member extending into the body.

[0081] The touch sensor 130 is connected to a capacitor 144, and the capacitance of the capacitor 144 is configured to change depending on whether the touch sensor 130 is in contact with the skin.

[0082] 2 and 3, one side of the first touch sensing member 132 has a protrusion exposed from the contact surface to the outside, and the other side located inside the body is grounded to the ground, i.e., the first touch sensing member 132 forms a ground electrode.

[0083] Meanwhile, the second touch sensing member 134 is disposed at a 90-degree interval from the first touch sensing member 132 on the contact surface, and has a protrusion on one side that protrudes from the contact surface, and the other side is formed of an electrically conductive member that extends into the body.

[0084] The second touch sensitive member 134 is electrically connected to a voltage supply module 150. The voltage supply module may be a microprocessor unit (MPU).

[0085] At this time, a switching element 152 is provided between the second touch sensing member 134 and the voltage supply module 150 so that voltage can be supplied by turning the switching element 152 on and off.

[0086] One side of a capacitor 144 is electrically connected to the other side of the second touch sensing member 134. At this time, the other side of the capacitor 144 is formed to be grounded.

[0087] An AD converter 160 is electrically connected to the other side of the second touch sensing member 134 to convert an analog signal corresponding to a change in capacitance of the capacitor into a digital signal.

[0088] In one embodiment of the present invention, the touch detector may be implemented as a capacitive sensor, which may be configured using a known CVD (Capacitance Voltage Divider) method to detect touch, and detects the skin contact state as a change in capacitance, and reads the value through an AD converter to easily detect the presence or absence of touch.

[0089] At this time, according to one embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 4, the voltage supply module 150 supplies a square wave voltage of, for example, 5V.

[0090] If the first and second touch sensing members 132, 134 are not in contact with the skin, the first and second touch sensing members 132, 134 are not electrically connected, and therefore the capacitor 144 is supplied with 5V, which is the initial voltage supplied by the voltage supply module 150, and the corresponding capacitance can be detected through the AD converter.

[0091] As a result, a voltage of 5V is applied to capacitor 144, and if it is determined that a corresponding capacitance has been detected, the controller can determine that no contact with the skin is being maintained.

[0092] At this time, the voltage applied to the capacitor 144 may be the same as the initial voltage supplied by the voltage supply module, but may also vary depending on the internal resistance of the components inside the main body.

[0093] Meanwhile, if the first touch sensing member 132 and the second touch sensing member 134 come into contact with the skin even slightly, electricity flows between the first touch sensing member 132 and the second touch sensing member 134, and electricity flows through the user's skin, electrically connecting the user's skin in parallel with the capacitor. As a result, the capacitance of the capacitor 144 becomes different from the initial capacitance of the capacitor 144.

[0094] More specifically, the amount of charge flowing between the grounded first touch sensing member 132 and the grounded second touch sensing member 134 changes depending on whether the first touch sensing member 132 or the second touch sensing member 134 is in contact with the skin, and the capacitance of the capacitor 144 changes depending on the amount of charge flowing.

[0095] For example, when the current flow between the first touch sensing member 132 and the second touch sensing member 134 is at its maximum, as shown in Figure 4(b), the voltage across the capacitor 144 is approximately 2.5V, and the corresponding capacitance can be detected through the AD converter. At this time, the controller can determine that the skin treatment device has come into contact with the skin.

[0096] In this case, in FIGS. 4(a) and 4(b), Ta is the time when the voltage is applied by the voltage supply module 150, and Tb is the time when the capacitance is measured due to the time delay.

[0097] At this time, the amount of current flowing between the first touch sensing member 132 and the second touch sensing member 134 may vary depending on the state of the skin, for example, whether the skin is sweaty, dry, or wet.

[0098] Therefore, according to one embodiment of the present invention, when the first touch sensing member 132 and the second touch sensing member 134 are completely removed from the skin, the capacitance value of the capacitor 144 is detected based on the initial voltage supplied from the initial voltage supply module, or when the first touch sensing member 132 and the second touch sensing member 134 come into contact with the skin even slightly and become electrically conductive, it can be determined that a change occurs in the capacitance of the capacitor 144.

[0099] Therefore, according to one embodiment of the present invention, the contact sensor 120 installed in the beauty treatment device 100 can be used to distinguish between a state in which the beauty treatment device 100 is not in contact with the skin and a state in which the beauty treatment device 100 is in contact with the skin and is energized.

[0100] Meanwhile, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the touch sensor 120 including the capacitor 144, the voltage supply module 150, the switching element 152, and the AD converter 160 is connected to the controller 170 inside the main body.

[0101] The controller 170 is electrically connected to the stimulus applying unit 180 and controls the operation of the stimulus applying unit 180 according to the capacitance of the capacitor 144 sensed by the touch sensing unit 120 .

[0102] Referring to FIG. 5, when the stimulus applied from the stimulus applying unit 180 is a high-frequency current, the controller 170 of the skin treatment device according to one embodiment of the present invention can apply the high-frequency stimulus in a time period from 0 to t1 (first period), a time period from t2 to t3 (third period), and a time period from t4 to t5 (fifth period), and can apply a voltage to the contact sensing unit 120 in a time period from t1 to t2 (second period), from t3 to t4 (fourth period), and from t5 to t6 (sixth period).

[0103] In this way, by alternating the time for applying a stimulus to the stimulus applying unit 180 and the time for supplying a voltage to the touch sensing unit 120, if the skin contact is released during the time for applying a stimulus to the stimulus applying unit 180, the stimulus can be prevented from being applied to the stimulus applying unit 180 after the skin contact is released.

[0104] At this time, the time for applying a stimulus to the stimulus applying unit 180 and the time for supplying a voltage to the touch sensing unit 120 may be changed depending on the settings. For example, the time for applying a stimulus to the stimulus applying unit 180 may be set to 0.9 seconds, and the time for supplying a voltage to the touch sensing unit 120 may be set to 0.1 seconds.

[0105] By doing this, when the cosmetic treatment device 100 is separated from the skin, the stimulation by the stimulation application unit 180 is not applied to the skin, and as a result, stability can be improved when the user is using the cosmetic treatment device 100 for treatment.

[0106] FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a method for controlling the beauty treatment device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0107] Referring to FIG. 6, a method for controlling a skin cosmetic device according to one embodiment of the present invention is a method for controlling a cosmetic treatment device that includes a stimulation applying unit that contacts a user's skin to apply stimulation to the user's skin, and a contact detection sensor including a capacitance sensor that detects whether the stimulation unit contacts the user's skin, like the above-described skin cosmetic device.

[0108] At this time, a method for controlling the beauty treatment device according to an embodiment of the present invention is as follows.

[0109] First, the main body of the cosmetic treatment device 100 is brought into contact with the skin (S10).

[0110] Thereafter, it is first determined whether the beauty treatment device body has come into contact with the skin (S20).

[0111] At this time, as described above, whether the main body of the cosmetic treatment device 100 is in contact with the skin is determined by checking whether the capacitance of the capacitor 144 corresponds to a specific value corresponding to the output value of the square wave voltage, for example, 5V, and whether the main body is in contact with the skin by checking whether the capacitance of the capacitor 144 does not correspond to the specific value or is a value smaller than the specific value. If the main body is not in contact with the skin, the step of bringing the cosmetic treatment device main body into contact with the skin is performed again.

[0112] If it is determined that the main body is in contact with the skin, the stimulation applying unit applies a stimulation to the skin for a first time period (S30). At this time, the time for applying the stimulation to the skin may be selected as a predetermined time.

[0113] After applying the stimulus for the first time period, a square wave voltage is provided to measure a voltage corresponding to the capacitance of the capacitance sensor of the touch sensing unit for a predetermined specified second time period (S40).

[0114] After providing the square wave voltage in this manner, it is determined whether the main body has contacted the skin again (S50).

[0115] At this time, if it is determined that the body is still in contact with the skin during the second determination, the stimulation is applied again for the first time period.

[0116] In this manner, the steps of applying stimulation for a first time interval and providing a square wave voltage for a second time interval may be repeated multiple times depending on the duration of the treatment.

[0117] If it is determined that the main body is not in contact with the skin in the second determination step after providing the square wave voltage, the operation is terminated without operating the stimulation applying unit 180 (S60).

[0118] Thereafter, after the main body of the cosmetic treatment device 100 is brought into contact with the skin again, it is possible to determine whether the skin cosmetic device has come into contact with the skin and restart the operation of the stimulation applying unit.

[0119] Meanwhile, the step of applying a stimulus to the skin for the first time period and the step of providing a square wave voltage to measure the capacitance of the capacitance sensor of the touch sensing unit for a second time period after the first time period have elapsed may be repeated a plurality of times, and then a step of secondarily determining whether the main body has touched the skin may be performed.

[0120] According to one embodiment of the present invention, when the skin treatment device is separated from the skin during a predetermined skin treatment time in which stimulation is applied using the stimulation application unit, the stimulation application unit is stopped, and the skin treatment is performed while checking whether the skin treatment device has come into contact with the skin, thereby enabling a more stable skin treatment to be performed using the skin treatment device.

[0121] Although an embodiment of the present invention has been described, the concept of the present invention is not limited to the embodiment presented in this specification, and a person skilled in the art who understands the concept of the present invention may easily propose other embodiments by adding, changing, deleting, or adding components within the scope of the same concept, which may also be considered to fall within the scope of the concept of the present invention.

Claims

1. A beauty treatment device for performing beauty treatment on a user's skin, a body having a contact surface capable of contacting the skin of a user; a stimulus applying unit provided inside the main body to apply a stimulus to the user's skin while the contact surface is in contact with the user's skin; a contact sensing unit including a contact sensor provided on the contact surface; A beauty treatment device equipped with a contact sensor, the beauty treatment device including a controller that determines whether the contact sensor is in contact with the skin of the user and controls the stimulus application unit so that the stimulus application unit operates only when the contact sensor is in contact with the skin of the user.

2. 10. The beauty treatment device having a contact sensor according to claim 1, wherein the stimulus applied to the skin of the user by the stimulus applying unit is provided by a high-frequency electrode or light irradiated onto the skin.

3. The contact surface has one of a circular shape, an elliptical shape, and a polygonal shape, The stimulus applied from the stimulus applying unit is configured to be applied from a position inside or around the contact surface toward the skin of the user, The cosmetic treatment device according to claim 1 , wherein the contact sensors are disposed at other positions around the contact surface.

4. 4. The cosmetic treatment device equipped with a contact sensor according to claim 3, wherein the contact sensor includes at least a pair of contact sensing members arranged around the contact surface.

5. The cosmetic treatment device having a contact sensor according to claim 4 , wherein the contact-sensing members are spaced apart at equal intervals along the periphery of the contact surface.

6. The touch sensing unit a capacitor electrically connected to the touch-sensing member, the capacitance of which varies depending on whether or not the touch-sensing member is touched by the skin; a voltage supply module for supplying a predetermined square wave voltage to the capacitor; The cosmetic treatment device having a contact sensor according to claim 4, further comprising an AD converter for measuring the capacitance of the capacitor.

7. The touch sensitive member includes first and second touch sensitive members spaced apart from each other, the capacitor is electrically connected to the voltage supply module and to the first touch sensitive member; 7. The cosmetic treatment device according to claim 6, wherein when both the first and second contact sensing members are in contact with the user's skin, the capacitor is connected in parallel to a ground.

8. The cosmetic treatment device having a contact sensor according to claim 7 , further comprising a switching element for turning on and off the square wave voltage supplied from the voltage supply module.

9. The controller 9. The beauty treatment device having the contact detection sensor of claim 8, wherein the capacitance determined by the predetermined square wave voltage supplied from the voltage supply module is a specific value, the device is determined to be non-contact, and the capacitance determined to be contact when the capacitance is not the specific value.

10. The controller providing a first time interval signal for applying a stimulus to the stimulus applying unit; providing a second time interval signal to the voltage supply module for supplying the square wave voltage; The cosmetic treatment device having a contact sensor according to claim 8 , wherein the first section signal and the second section signal are provided alternately and periodically.

11. A method for controlling a beauty treatment device including a stimulation applying unit that contacts a user's skin to apply stimulation to the user's skin and a contact detecting sensor including a capacitance sensor that detects whether the stimulation applying unit contacts the user's skin, a step of initially determining whether the main body of the beauty treatment device has come into contact with the skin; applying a stimulus to the skin for a first time period by a stimulus applying unit when the main body comes into contact with the skin; providing a square wave voltage for measuring the capacitance of the capacitance sensor of the touch sensing unit during a second time interval after the first time interval has elapsed; A method for controlling a beauty treatment device having a contact sensor, comprising: a step of secondarily determining whether the main body is in contact with the skin.

12. In the step of determining whether the main body of the beauty treatment device has come into contact with the skin, When the capacitance of the capacitance sensor corresponds to a specific value corresponding to the output value of the square wave voltage, it is determined that the main body is not in contact with the skin; The method of claim 11 , further comprising determining that the main body has come into contact with the skin if the specific value does not apply.

13. 12. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of applying a stimulus to the skin for the first time period and the step of providing a square wave voltage to measure the capacitance of the capacitance sensor of the contact detection unit for a second time period after the first time period have elapsed are repeated a plurality of times, and then the step of secondarily determining whether the main body has contacted the skin is performed.

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