Illumination Compensation for 3D Skin Sensing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Imaging-based skin sensing systems face challenges in uncontrolled environments with varying and undefined ambient illumination, leading to erroneous measurements and compromised personal care or health treatment regimes.
Innovation Solution
A method that obtains a three-dimensional representation of a body surface, determines illumination information, and uses illumination compensation information to normalize illumination variations, thereby compensating for uneven illumination in images to improve measurement reliability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If imaging is performed in uncontrolled environments with varying ambient illumination, then the system can be used in practical personal care and health applications, but the measurement accuracy and reliability deteriorate due to illumination variations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the harmful effect of ambient illumination variations into a useful signal by detecting the illumination pattern and using it to generate compensation data. The system captures images under varying ambient light conditions, extracts illumination information from these images, and uses this information to create normalization maps that correct the skin measurements, thereby transforming the previously harmful illumination variations into a beneficial correction mechanism
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter space by introducing illumination compensation factors and normalization maps that adjust the measured skin parameters. Instead of measuring raw skin properties directly, the system measures these properties under varying illumination conditions and then applies parameter transformations using the generated compensation data to obtain accurate skin measurements independent of ambient illumination
2Reliability
If illumination compensation processing is added to correct for ambient light variations, then measurement reliability improves, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements self-service by using the imaging system itself to generate the illumination compensation data rather than requiring separate calibration devices or external references. The system captures images of the target under ambient illumination, extracts illumination patterns from these same images, and uses this self-generated information to create normalization maps, eliminating the need for additional hardware or complex external calibration procedures
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary action by generating illumination compensation data and creating normalization maps before the actual skin measurement is completed. The system first captures images to determine illumination patterns, generates compensation factors, and prepares normalization maps in advance, so that when skin measurements are taken, the compensation processing is already ready to be applied, streamlining the overall measurement process
Data Source
AI summary
In an embodiment, a method (100) is described. The method comprises obtaining (102) a three-dimensional representation of a body surface. The method further comprises obtaining illumination information for the three-dimensional representation that is indicative of an orientation of the body surface relative to a reference axis. The method further comprises determining illumination compensation information (104). The illumination compensation information is used (106) to compensate for an illumination variation apparent from the illumination information in an image of the body surface.