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Skin state analyzing method, skin state analyzing apparatus, and computer-readable medium storing skin state analyzing program

Skin state analyzing method, skin state analyzing apparatus, and computer-readable medium storing skin state analyzing program description/claims

The present invention relates generally to a skin state analyzing method, a skin state analyzing apparatus, and a computer-readable medium storing a skin state analyzing program and particularly to a skin state analyzing method, a skin state analyzing apparatus, and a computer-readable medium storing a skin state analyzing program for accurately performing multidimensional skin state analysis.

Various techniques have been proposed in the prior art related to analyzing the skin state in the field of cosmetic counseling and medicine. For example, Patent Documents 1 and 2 disclose techniques that involve imaging the surface of certain areas of the skin having wrinkles, pores, spots, and freckles, for example, with a microscope to analyze the obtained image.

However, the prior art does not disclose an analyzing apparatus that uses skin information of an examinee that is obtained by a measuring device including a microscope as is described above to analyze the texture, pores, spots, skin tone, and the amount of sebum in the skin for accurately evaluating the skin, and representing the analysis results as numerical values. Also, techniques are not disclosed for displaying the analysis results in an easily discernible manner to the examinee, a counselor, or a doctor, for example, to enable multidimensional analysis and evaluation.

Aspects of the present invention are directed to solving one or more of the above-described problems of the related art and providing a skin state analyzing method, a skin state analyzing apparatus, and a computer-readable medium storing a skin state analyzing program for accurately performing multidimensional skin state analysis.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, a skin state analyzing method is provided that includes an analyzing step of analyzing at least one of texture/pores, spots, skin tone, and sebum of the skin from the image; a storing step of storing the image and an analysis result obtained from the analyzing step in association with skin examination date/time information and examinee information; a display screen generating step of generating a screen displaying the image and the analysis result of the examinee stored in the storing step; and an output step of outputting the information generated in the display screen generating step. In this way, multidimensional analysis of the skin state may be accurately performed based on the skin texture/pores, spots, skin tone, and/or sebum analysis results.

In one preferred embodiment, the display screen generating step may involve displaying the analysis result of the examinee in association with an evaluation relative to age distribution that is stored beforehand. In this way, the analysis result of the examinee may be compared with data of persons of the same age group (same generation) of the examinee to enable multidimensional analysis according to the examinee.

In a further preferred embodiment, the display screen generating step may involve defining at least one evaluation range for classifying the skin state within the age distribution and displaying the defined evaluation range in association with the analysis result. In this way, the accurate analysis of the skin state may be enabled.

In another preferred embodiment, the display screen generating step may involve displaying a progressive skin state analysis by displaying a plurality of analysis results including a latest analysis result of the examinee and one or more past analysis results of the examinee stored in the storing step. In this way, progressive state change may be accurately determined. Thus, multidimensional analysis according to the examinee may be enabled.

In another preferred embodiment, the display screen generating step may involve displaying time intervals of a time axis in proportion to time length or a number of analysis results displayed. In this way various time displays may be enabled. Also, since time display in proportion to actual time lapse may realized, the skin state on dates other than the examination date may be easily estimated.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, a skin state analyzing method is provided for analyzing skin texture or pores of an examinee using an image of the skin of the examinee, the method including a parameter generating step of generating at least one parameter pertaining to at least one of a pore size, furrow width, ridge fineness, and ridge shape obtained from the image; and a parameter analyzing step of analyzing the skin texture or pores based on the parameter generated in the parameter generating step. In this way, the skin texture/pores of the examinee may be accurately analyzed.

In one preferred embodiment, the parameter generating step may involve using a pore area obtained from the image in generating the parameter pertaining to the pore size, using a furrow width obtained from the image in generating the parameter pertaining to the furrow width, using a number of ridges or an average area of ridges obtained from the image in generating the parameter pertaining to the ridge fineness, and using a roundness of ridges obtained from the image in generating the parameter pertaining to the ridge shape. In this way, information on the skin texture/pores obtained from the skin image may be easily and accurately analyzed using parameters that may be represented by numerical values, for example.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, a skin state analyzing method is provided for analyzing skin texture or pores of an examinee using an image of the skin of the examinee, the method including an RGB component extracting step of extracting R components, G components, and B components from the image; a pore image extracting step of extracting a pore image from the R components and the B components or G components obtained in the RGB component extracting step; a pore parameter generating step of generating a parameter pertaining to pore size from the pore image; a furrow image extracting step of extracting a furrow image from the G components obtained in the RGB component extracting step; a furrow parameter generating step of generating a parameter pertaining to furrow width from the furrow image; a ridge image extracting step of extracting a ridge image from the pore image and the furrow image; a ridge parameter generating step of generating a parameter pertaining to ridge fineness and/or ridge shape from the ridge image; and a parameter analyzing step of analyzing the skin texture or pores using at least one of the parameters generated in the pore parameter generating step, the furrow parameter generating step, and the ridge parameter generating step. In this way, the skin texture/pores of the examinee may be accurately analyzed.

In one preferred embodiment, the pore image extracting step may involve generating a difference image from the R components and the B components or G components and removing furrows from the generated difference image to extract the pore image. By using the difference image generated from the R components and the B components or G components, the pore image may be accurately extracted.

In another preferred embodiment, the pore parameter generating step may involve calculating an average area and/or a total area of pores of the pore image and generating the pore parameter based on the calculated area. In this way, a parameter based on the pores that is represented by a numerical value may be accurately obtained. Also, consistent analysis may be performed even by non-experts based on the parameters.

In another preferred embodiment, the furrow image extracting step may involve performing a filtering process on an image of the G components using a differential filter for emphasizing the furrow shape to extract the furrow image. By performing a filtering process by a differential filter for emphasizing the furrow shape using the G components, pore removal and furrow emphasis may be accurately performed. Accordingly, the furrow image may be accurately extracted.

In another preferred embodiment, the furrow parameter generating step may involve generating the furrow parameter based on a furrow width obtained from the furrow image. In this way, a parameter based on the furrows that is represented by a numerical value may be accurately obtained. Also, consistent analysis may be performed even by non-experts based on the parameters.

In another preferred embodiment, the ridge image extracting step may involve obtaining ridge portions from the furrow image, scaling down peripheries of the ridge portions by a predetermined number of pixels to generate a ridge separated image, and removing pores from the ridge separated image based on the pore image to extract the ridge image.

In this way, plural ridges that are connected to each other may be prevented from being regarded as one ridge and erroneous analysis may be avoided so that the average area or the number of ridges may be accurately obtained.

• Provisional Patent
• Utility Patent

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