Mobile Camera Spectral Calibration via Color Card
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for analyzing facial skin health using mobile endpoint devices face challenges in capturing accurate images due to variations in lighting and camera quality, requiring users to travel to controlled settings or providing unreliable image calibration.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus that utilize a color calibration card with known spectral reflectance patches and a QR code, motivating users to capture calibration images by offering incentives, allowing for determination of spectral characteristics to analyze subsequent selfie images accurately.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If images are captured using mobile endpoint devices in uncontrolled environments, then ease of operation is improved, but measurement precision deteriorates due to variations in lighting and camera quality
Solution Approach 1:
The system changes the parameters of the imaging process by capturing images of a color calibration card with known spectral reflectance values. This allows the system to determine the actual spectral characteristics of the camera sensor under specific lighting conditions, thereby compensating for variations in camera quality and lighting conditions while maintaining ease of use with mobile devices
Solution Approach 2:
A color calibration card serves as an intermediary object between the light source and the camera sensor. This card with known spectral properties mediates the measurement process, enabling the system to characterize and correct for variations in lighting and camera response without requiring controlled environmental conditions
2Measurement precision
If high quality cameras in controlled settings are used, then measurement precision is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates due to requiring customer travel to labs or studios
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables self-service by allowing customers to perform their own skin analysis at home using their mobile devices. The color calibration card provides a self-contained calibration solution that eliminates the need for professional lab equipment or controlled environments, making the high-precision measurement process accessible to everyday users
3Ease of operation
If customer-provided images are analyzed, then ease of operation is improved, but reliability deteriorates due to large variations in image quality and lighting
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary calibration by capturing images of the color calibration card before analyzing skin images. This preliminary action determines the spectral characteristics of the camera and lighting conditions, allowing subsequent skin analysis to be corrected and standardized, thereby improving reliability while maintaining ease of operation
Data Source
AI summary
A method, non-transitory computer readable medium and apparatus for determining spectral characteristics of an image captured by a camera on a mobile endpoint device are disclosed. For example, the method includes receiving the image of a color calibration card comprising a plurality of color patches and a quick response (QR) code, wherein each one of the plurality of color patches has a known spectral reflectance, determining spectral characteristics from the image of the color calibration card, wherein the spectral characteristics are used to analyze additional images that are received from the camera on the mobile endpoint device and transmitting an activation signal to activate an incentive associated with the QR code to the mobile endpoint device in response to receiving the image of the color calibration card.