Handheld Imaging Device Load-State Screening for Obscured Images
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Solution Overview
Problem
Handheld personal care devices with integrated imaging capabilities face challenges due to end-effectors deforming under user force, encroaching on the camera's field of view and resulting in poor image quality, leading to high data volume and reduced effectiveness in image-based diagnostics and monitoring.
Innovation Solution
A handheld device with end-effectors that determines a loading state during image capture, allowing selective control of image transfer based on quality, reducing transmission of poor-quality images by leveraging the end-effector deformation state.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a handheld device contains a battery, processing device, display, and communication transceiver, then the device provides comprehensive functionality, but the overall size and weight of the device increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements nesting by placing the battery within the housing structure that also contains the processing device, display, and transceiver. The battery is positioned in an inner region surrounded by other components, with the housing providing structural containment for all elements. This nested arrangement allows multiple functional components to occupy overlapping spatial volumes, reducing the overall device envelope while maintaining all required functionalities.
2Duration of action of moving object
If high-capacity battery and large display are included, then device functionality and user experience are improved, but the device becomes heavier and harder to hold
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by strategically positioning the battery in a specific region of the device where its mass can be best utilized for balance and energy storage without excessive overall weight increase. The battery is placed in an inner region surrounded by other components, allowing optimized local density distribution. The housing structure is designed to provide structural support locally around the battery, enabling the use of higher capacity battery materials in that specific region while keeping other regions lighter.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple components (battery, processing device, display, transceiver) are integrated, then device versatility is enhanced, but the complexity of device structure increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple functional components into a single integrated housing structure. The housing serves multiple functions: it provides structural support, contains the battery, protects internal components, and facilitates wireless communication through integrated antenna elements. The processing device, display, and transceiver are combined in a unified arrangement where they share common structural support and spatial organization, reducing the number of separate structural systems required.
Solution Approach 2:
The housing structure is designed as a multi-functional component that simultaneously provides mechanical support, electrical insulation, electromagnetic shielding, and antenna functionality. This universal design approach allows a single structural element to fulfill multiple roles, reducing overall device complexity while supporting diverse functionalities including power storage, processing, display, and wireless communication.
Data Source
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AI summary
Proposed are schemes, solutions, concepts, designs, methods and systems pertaining to aiding and/or improving image acquisition of a portion of a surface of the subject by a handheld device having a plurality of end-effectors for engagement with a portion of the surface of a subject. Specifically, deformation of said end-effectors under a load may cause some of the end-effectors to encroach on a field of view of image capture of the surface of the user. It has therefore been realized that a determined loading state of the end-effectors during capture of an image may be leveraged to determine a quality of the image. Thus, transfer of the image is selectively controlled based on the image quality. In this way, an overall data transfer rate may be reduced by omitting transmission of poor quality (i.e., highly obscured) images.