Patent Application
20150217518
With the advent of three-dimensional (3D) scanning, 3D designing, and 3D printing technologies, functionality and aesthetic appeal of conventional personal equipment can be maximized. For example, personal and medical equipment such as medical masks have been used to provide clean air to a user through the user's nostrils. However, typical medical masks that function by providing air through the nostrils fit poorly around the facial area and provide limited space for an exchange of a sufficient and a comfortable quantity of buffering air in front of the nostril area. Moreover, a high performance surgical mask, for example, a surgical N95 respirator or a N99 particulate filtering facepiece respirator certified by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) is hard to breathe through because air suction pressure or air discharge pressure created by human lungs is not strong enough for breathing in air or receiving sufficient air flow through air filters. Furthermore, these surgical masks do not provide adequate space for facial movements. Furthermore, the appearance of such surgical masks is not aesthetic.
Even though aesthetics play a major role in human nature, design of conventional facial masks that provide an aesthetic appeal has been overlooked. Typically, conventional facial masks are not designed to be minimally visible and therefore are easily noticeable when worn by users in public. Therefore, when users wear conventional facial masks in public, the facial masks are conspicuously embarrassing. Medical equipment such as continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) masks that provide a regulated supply of oxygen at a high level to patients who suffer from oxygen depletion during sleep cycles, are typically uncomfortable to wear while sleeping. Equipment such as the surgical N95 respirators, the N99 particulate filtering facepiece respirators, and the CPAP masks have a similar function of delivering air to the lungs, but provide an ill fit, an unpleasant appearance, and discomfort during use. Absence of an adequate seal between an ill-fitting mask and the facial area can allow inward leakage of ambient air, contaminants, etc. Moreover, defects comprising, for example, facial scars, missing teeth, a broken nose, etc., in facial features can prevent a proper fit of the mask.
Patients using continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) masks typically experience nasal congestion, nasal dryness, throat dryness, etc., due to air being blown into the nasal area throughout the night. Furthermore, some patients feel restricted while wearing the CPAP masks due to insufficient spaces between the CPAP masks and the nasal areas. Conventionally, patients suffering from oxygen depletion during sleep cycles prefer to use oral appliances to ease breathing during sleep. Oral appliances are typically available in different designs and help in keeping the airway open during sleep. However, these oral appliances fail to provide a custom fit on the intraoral areas comprising, for example, teeth, alveolar ridges, etc. Moreover, these oral appliances fail to filter air breathed by a patient via the patient′ mouth.
Hence, there is a long felt but unresolved need for a computer implemented method and system that constructs a three-dimensional (3D) facial mask for air supply and air exchange, that fits comfortably on one or more facial parts of a user's face, and that is functional, aesthetically pleasing, and can be implemented for personal and medical usage. Moreover, there is a need for a computer implemented method and system that constructs a 3D facial mask that can be customized to fit well on one or more facial parts of the user's face, with air supply and air exchange elements to facilitate ease of breathing and facial movements. Furthermore, there is a need for a computer implemented method and system that constructs a 3D facial mask for air supply and air exchange, that provides a comfort fit for the intranasal areas and/or the intraoral areas of a user's face, is minimally visible, and filters air breathed by the user.
This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further disclosed in the detailed description of the invention. This summary is not intended to identify key or essential inventive concepts of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended for determining the scope of the claimed subject matter.
The computer implemented method and system disclosed herein addresses the above stated need for constructing a three-dimensional (3D) facial mask for air supply and air exchange, that fits comfortably on one or more facial parts of a user's face, and that is functional, aesthetically pleasing, and can be implemented for personal and medical usage. Moreover, the computer implemented method and system disclosed herein constructs a 3D facial mask that can be customized to fit well on one or more facial parts of a user's face, with air supply and air exchange elements to facilitate ease of breathing and facial movements. Furthermore, the computer implemented method and system disclosed herein constructs a 3D facial mask for air supply and air exchange, that provides a comfort fit for the intranasal areas and/or the intraoral areas of a user's face, is minimally visible, and filters air breathed by the user.
The computer implemented method disclosed herein employs a computer implemented mask development system, hereinafter referred to as a “mask development system”, comprising at least one processor configured to execute computer program instructions for constructing a three-dimensional (3D) facial mask for air supply and air exchange. The mask development system receives multiple images of a user's face and biometric data comprising, for example, the user's height and the user's facial dimensions. The mask development system constructs a 3D facial structure of an actual size of the user's face using one or more of multiple facial parameters obtained from the received images and the biometric data. The mask development system constructs a 3D mask structure configured to fit internal areas and/or external areas of one or more facial parts of the constructed 3D facial structure. The facial parts of the constructed 3D facial structure correspond, for example, to a nose and a mouth of the user's face. The internal areas comprise, for example, intranasal areas and intraoral areas. The external areas comprise, for example, extranasal areas and extraoral areas.
The mask development system configures the constructed three-dimensional (3D) mask structure by creating a seal in the constructed 3D mask structure, around the internal areas and/or the external areas of one or more facial parts of the constructed 3D facial structure. The mask development system further configures the constructed 3D mask structure by configuring one or more grooves in the constructed 3D mask structure, proximal to the internal areas and/or the external areas of one or more facial parts of the constructed 3D facial structure for incorporating one or more of multiple air supply and air exchange elements, for example, an in-tube, an out tube, a safety plug, a filter element, etc. The mask development system further configures the constructed 3D mask structure by configuring one or more design parameters, for example, facial characteristics, physical dimensions, color, size, shape, one or more design patterns, one or more accessories, etc., for the constructed 3D mask structure. In an embodiment, the mask development system further configures the constructed 3D mask structure by configuring one or more spaces in the constructed 3D mask structure, around the internal areas and/or the external areas of one or more facial parts of the constructed 3D facial structure, using one or more of the facial parameters obtained from the received images and the biometric data for enabling ease of breathing and facial movements. The mask development system transmits the configured 3D mask structure to a 3D printing device for constructing the 3D facial mask for air supply and air exchange.
In one or more embodiments, related systems include but are not limited to circuitry and/or programming for effecting the methods referenced herein; the circuitry and/or programming can be any combination of hardware, software, and/or firmware configured to effect the herein-referenced methods depending upon the design choices of a system designer. Also, various structural elements may be employed depending on the design choices of the system designer.
The foregoing summary, as well as the following detailed description of the invention, is better understood when read in conjunction with the appended drawings. For the purpose of illustrating the invention, exemplary constructions of the invention are shown in the drawings. However, the invention is not limited to the specific methods and structures disclosed herein. The description of a method step or a structure referenced by a numeral in a drawing is applicable to the description of that method step or structure shown by that same numeral in any subsequent drawing herein.
The mask development system receives 101 multiple images of a user's face and biometric data comprising, for example, a user's height and a user's facial dimensions from the user or a user device, for example, a mobile phone, a smart phone, a tablet computing device, an image capture device such as a camera, one or more biometric devices, etc. As used herein, “biometric data” refers to data used to identify a user based on the user's physical traits or behavioral characteristics. The biometric data comprises, for example, facial patterns, facial dimensions, height measurements, etc. The images of the user's face comprise multiple views of the user's face. The views comprise, for example, an elevation view such as a full face view, a profile view, etc. The mask development system receives multiple two-dimensional (2D) images and/or three-dimensional (3D) images of the user's face by employing 2D and/or 3D image capture devices, for example, 2D and/or 3D cameras. Development of the fitting 3D facial mask starts with the mask development system obtaining 2D and/or 3D images of the user's face. For obtaining the 3D images of the user, the mask development system employs many methods and technologies, for example, using front view and side view photographs of the user, a full size image of the user, the user's biometric data, etc. The mask development system can also use photometric methods to obtain a preliminary 3D image of the user.
The mask development system constructs 102 a three-dimensional (3D) facial structure of an actual size of the user's face using one or more of multiple facial parameters obtained from the received images and the biometric data. As used herein, “facial parameters” refer to angular and ratiometric measurements of the user's facial features. The facial parameters comprise, for example, a nasal tip projection, a cheekbone projection, an angle between the user's forehead and the user's nose, a distance between the nose and the user's mouth, a chin projection, a nose ridge form, a width of the nose, a length of the nose, dimensions of nostrils of the nose, a distance between the nostrils, a chin shape, a lip profile, a dental profile comprising dimensions of teeth and an alveolar ridge form, etc. Using the received images, for example, a full size image of the user and the biometric data such as the user's height and the user's facial dimensions for size calibration, the mask development system obtains an actual sized 3D facial image or structure of the user. The biometric data comprising, for example, facial dimensions such as a facial width, a facial height, and a nose width helps the mask development system to improve the accuracy of the actual sized 3D facial image or structure of the user. The mask development system uses the user's height for size calibration of the full size image of the user. From an accurate measurement of the full size image of the user, the mask development system obtains an estimate of the size of the user's face by measuring the facial dimensions in the full size image of the user.
The mask development system measures the facial dimensions from the received images by applying one or more mathematical principles comprising, for example, trigonometry principles and geometry principles to the received images and the biometric data. The mask development system implements multiple algorithms that define methods for constructing a 3D facial structure, for example, from 2D images in different views based on photogrammetry, for example, by using Photomodeler® of Eos Systems Inc., a software application that performs image based modeling and close range photogrammetry for producing 3D models and facial measurements from 2D photography of the user's face.
Consider an example where a user provides a full size image of the user's body to the mask development system and wants to construct a three-dimensional (3D) facial structure of an actual size of the user's face. The mask development system receives the full size body image of the user and the biometric data comprising, for example, a measurement of the user's body height from the user or the user device. Consider an example where the actual height of the user's body is 170 cm, while the height of the user's body in the received image is 8 cm. The mask development system maps the dimensions of the user's body height in the received image, that is, 8 cm to the received biometric data, that is, 170 cm. For example, the mask development system scales the facial dimensions in the received image based on a ratio of the received biometric data, that is, the actual height of the user's body to the dimensions of the user's body height in the received image. In this example, the ratio is calculated as 170/8=21.25. Therefore, if the facial length in the received image is 0.8 cm, then the mask development system constructs a 3D facial structure with a facial length=0.8*21.25=17 cm.
The mask development system constructs 103 a three-dimensional (3D) mask structure configured to fit internal areas and/or external areas of one or more facial parts of the constructed 3D facial structure. As used herein, “facial parts” refer to different parts of a user's face that define multiple features of the face. The facial parts comprise, for example, a nose, a mouth, a chin, a jaw, cheeks, etc. The facial parts of the constructed 3D facial structure correspond, for example, to a nose and a mouth of a user's face. Also, as used herein, “internal areas” refer to concealed or partially visible areas positioned inside the facial parts. The internal areas comprise, for example, intranasal areas such as a nasal septum, nasal cavities extending from the nostrils of a user's nose, etc., intraoral areas such as an oral cavity, an oral palate, a tongue, teeth, gingiva, alveolar ridges, etc. The internal areas are typically concealed by the facial parts and therefore have low visibility as compared to the external areas of the facial parts. Also, as used herein, “external areas” refer to visible areas of the facial parts that are covered with dermis, that is, skin. The external areas comprise, for example, extranasal areas such as extranasal dermal tissue, philtrum, etc., extraoral areas such as lips, and other external areas such as the user's chin, cheeks, etc.
For construction of the three-dimensional (3D) mask structure, the mask development system uses the constructed 3D facial structure as a reference. The 3D facial structure is, for example, a model of an actual size of the user's head with the user's face as disclosed in the detailed description of
The mask development system configures 104 the constructed 3D mask structure. For configuring the constructed 3D mask structure, the mask development system creates 104a a seal in the constructed 3D mask structure, around the internal areas and/or the external areas of one or more facial parts of the constructed 3D facial structure. As the constructed 3D mask structure is configured to fit the internal areas and/or the external areas of the facial parts of the constructed 3D facial structure, the constructed 3D mask structure comprises an exact replica of a section of the constructed 3D facial structure. This section comprises, for example, external areas of a nose and a mouth that are to be covered by the 3D facial mask. Therefore, this section of the constructed 3D mask structure comprises parts corresponding exactly to the facial parts of constructed 3D facial structure. Thus, the mask development system uses the internal areas and/or the external areas of the facial parts of the constructed 3D facial structure as references to determine the corresponding internal areas and/or external areas on the constructed 3D mask structure to configure the constructed 3D mask structure, for example, to create a seal around the determined internal areas and/or the determined external areas in the constructed 3D mask structure.
In an embodiment, the mask development system creates a seal around the nasal areas, for example, the external areas of the nose of the constructed 3D facial structure, in the constructed 3D mask structure. In another embodiment, the mask development system creates a seal around a periphery of the constructed 3D mask structure. In this embodiment, the periphery comprises, for example, the nasal ridge, cheek areas, and chin areas of the constructed 3D facial structure. The mask development system further configures 104 the constructed 3D facial structure by configuring 104b one or more grooves in the constructed 3D mask structure, proximal to the internal areas and/or the external areas of one or more facial parts of the constructed 3D facial structure for incorporating air supply and air exchange elements. The air supply and air exchange elements comprise, for example, an in-tube, an out tube, a safety plug, a filter element, etc. As used herein, “filter element” refers to an element configured to filter air passing through the element. The filter element is, for example, an intraoral filter paper, mesh elements, etc.
In an embodiment, the mask development system positions the grooves, for example, above and below the nasal area of the constructed 3D facial structure for constructing a 3D facial mask that covers the external areas of the nose or the external areas of the nose and the mouth. In this embodiment, the grooves configured by the mask development system in the constructed 3D mask structure allow clean air or oxygen rich air to enter through an in-tube. In order to balance air pressure inside the 3D facial mask to be constructed, the mask development system makes provisions in the constructed 3D mask structure to let out exhaled air through an out tube. Since the exhaled air goes forward from the nasal area, that is, nostrils, and fresh air comes from all around the nasal area, the mask development system positions a groove for the in-tube above the nasal area and a groove for the out tube below the nasal area for air supply and air exchange as disclosed in the detailed description of
In an embodiment, the mask development system further configures the constructed 3D mask structure by configuring one or more spaces in the constructed 3D mask structure, around the internal areas and/or the external areas of one or more facial parts of the constructed 3D facial structure using one or more of the facial parameters obtained from the received images and the biometric data of the user for enabling ease of breathing and facial movements. The mask development system configures these spaces by using the constructed 3D facial structure as a reference and by using the obtained facial parameters to determine the dimensions of the spaces to be configured between the constructed 3D facial structure and the constructed 3D mask structure. For example, the mask development system creates an open space in front of the external areas such as nostrils of the nose of the constructed 3D facial structure by design and additional spaces around muscle movement areas, for example, around the lip and the chin of the constructed 3D facial structure as disclosed in the detailed description of
The mask development system further configures 104 the constructed 3D mask structure by configuring 104c one or more design parameters for the constructed 3D mask structure. As used herein, “design parameters” refer to design aspects, for example, an aesthetic appearance, an area of the 3D constructed mask structure such as a nasal area that the 3D facial mask is intended to cover, etc., used for designing a 3D facial mask to enhance the aesthetic appeal of the 3D facial mask. The mask development system configures the design parameters based on user information comprising gender of the user, age of the user, etc., one or more user inputs, etc., received from the user or the user device. The design parameters comprise, for example, facial characteristics, physical dimensions, color, size, shape, one or more design patterns, one or more accessories, etc. As used herein, “facial characteristics” refer to one or more parts of a face that can be personalized based on a user's preference while configuring the constructed 3D mask structure. The facial characteristics comprise, for example, a nose ridge form, a chin shape, a lip profile, etc. Also, as used herein, “physical dimensions” refer to dimensions of areas that are sealed and covered by the 3D facial mask. The physical dimensions comprise, for example, size of cheek bones, a circumference of an oral area, a periphery of a nasal area, etc. The facial characteristics and physical dimensions vary according to gender, for example, male or female, of the user wearing the 3D facial mask. Also, as used herein, the term “accessories” refers to supplementary elements configured to be positioned on the 3D facial mask for enhancing functionality and/or the aesthetic appeal of the 3D facial mask. The accessories are, for example, a decorative item, a strap, a clip attached to the 3D facial mask for facilitating an adjustable comfort fit of the 3D facial mask on the user's face as disclosed in the detailed description of
In an embodiment, the mask development system configures the constructed three-dimensional (3D) mask structure in one or more image formats comprising, for example, an object (obj) file format, stereolithography (STL) file format, etc., which can be converted into image formats that can be printed using 3D printing devices, for example, 3D printers. The mask development system transmits 105 the configured 3D mask structure to a 3D printing device, for example, a 3D printer such as MakerBot® of MakerBot Industries, LLC, Cube® of 3D Systems, Inc., etc., for constructing the 3D facial mask for air supply and air exchange. The mask development system can construct a 3D facial mask for covering only a nasal area, only an oral area, or both a nasal area and an oral area of a user's face. The mask development system can further construct a 3D facial mask for covering other internal areas and/or external areas of the user's face. A user wearing the 3D facial mask can breathe either through the nose, the mouth, or both the nose and the mouth without any discomfort.
The mask development system configures 107 the constructed 3D mask structure. For configuring the constructed 3D mask structure, the mask development system creates 107a a seal in the constructed 3D mask structure, around the external areas of one or more facial parts of the constructed 3D facial structure. For example, the mask development system creates a seal in the constructed 3D mask structure, around the extranasal areas of the nose of the constructed 3D facial structure. The mask development system further configures 107 the constructed 3D mask structure by configuring 107b one or more grooves in the constructed 3D mask structure, proximal to the external areas of one or more facial parts of the constructed 3D facial structure for incorporating one or more air supply and air exchange elements. For example, the mask development system configures a groove in the constructed 3D mask structure above the extranasal area of the constructed 3D facial structure for incorporating an in-tube and configures another groove in the constructed 3D mask structure below the extranasal area of the constructed 3D facial structure for incorporating an out tube as disclosed in the detailed description of
Consider an example where a user wants a three-dimensional (3D) facial mask of an actual size of his/her face for air supply and air exchange, where the 3D facial mask covers a nose and a mouth of the user's face. The user provides multiple two-dimensional (2D) images in multiple views comprising, for example, a profile view, an elevation view, etc., of the user's face to the mask development system. The mask development system receives the 2D images of the user's face from the user and obtains one or more facial parameters, for example, a nasal tip projection, an angle between a forehead and the nose, a distance between the nose and a mouth, a chin projection, a nose ridge form, a chin shape, a lip profile, etc., from the received 2D images. The mask development system constructs a 3D facial structure 201 of an actual size of the user's face using the obtained facial parameters. The mask development system constructs a 3D mask structure 202 configured to fit one or more extranasal areas and extraoral areas of the nose 203 and the mouth 208 of the constructed 3D facial structure 201. The mask development system configures the constructed 3D mask structure 202 by creating a seal around the extranasal areas and/or the extraoral areas and configuring one or more grooves proximal to the extranasal areas and/or the extraoral areas in the constructed 3D mask structure 202. In this example, if the user wants to incorporate an in-tube (not shown) above the extranasal area and an out tube 304 exemplarily illustrated in
For air supply and air exchange, the three-dimensional (3D) facial mask 301 constructed using the mask development system allows introduction of filtered air via air supply filters 306 similar to, for example, air filtered through fabrics used in N95 masks, N99 masks, etc., or highly oxygenated air supplied by an oxygen tank or an oxygen concentrator. The mask development system allows incorporation of air supply and air exchange elements, for example, an in-tube (not shown) to feed air into the 3D facial mask 301 from the air supply filters 306 as a continuous flow or a pulsed flow. Moisture is maintained in the 3D facial mask 301 at a comfortable level, for example, moisture at a level preset between about 20% and about 70% of the air or other gas supplied in the 3D facial mask 301. The mask development system makes provisions to keep the level of moisture, that is, relative humidity inside the 3D facial mask 301 adjustable since a comfort level for relative humidity varies substantially from user to user. The mask development system allows incorporation of one or more sensors, for example, a humidity sensor (not shown) and a regulator (not shown) inside the 3D facial mask 301 to facilitate adjustment of relative humidity inside the 3D facial mask 301.
An air supply filter 306, for example, a portable air filter or an oxygen generator that can be carried around by the user, can be used to supply air through the in-tube inserted in the groove 302 of the 3D facial mask 301. The air supply filter 306 uses a battery to pump air through a N95 filter or a N99 filter to clean the air. The air supplied by the air supply filter 306 to the 3D facial mask 301 via the in-tube is either in a continuous flow or a pulsed flow. The air supply filter 306 may also use zeolite to absorb nitrogen gas at a high atmospheric pressure, for example, of about 2 atmospheres to about 3 atmospheres and provide high oxygen concentrated air continuously to the user wearing the 3D facial mask 301 via the in-tube. The out tube 304 is connected to an air suction pump (not shown) that suctions out air from the 3D facial mask 301 via the out tube 304 to balance the air pressure inside the 3D facial mask 301.
The safety plug 305 is configured to open the seal 308 in the 3D facial mask 301 when the level of oxygen air pressure inside the 3D facial mask 301 drops below the designated oxygen air pressure level by being unplugged manually or automatically. In an embodiment, the mask development system makes provisions in the 3D facial mask 301 to incorporate or accommodate an air pressure sensor 307. In this embodiment, the air pressure sensor 307 continuously monitors the oxygen air pressure inside the 3D facial mask 301 and generates an alert to notify a user wearing the 3D facial mask 301 to unplug the safety plug 305, when the oxygen air pressure inside the 3D facial mask 301 drops below an optimum threshold level, that is, the designated oxygen air pressure level. In another embodiment, the air pressure sensor 307 automatically unplugs the safety plug 305 to open the seal 308 in the 3D facial mask 301. The material used to manufacture the 3D facial mask 301 is, for example, either similar to the material used in filters for masks such as the N95 mask, the N99 mask, etc., or plastic to enable ease of breathing and facial movements. Unlike the masks used for providing a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), the mask development system provides a seal 308 around the 3D facial mask 301. This seal 308 applies a light pressure to hold the 3D facial mask 301 on a user's face without creating any distortion around facial tissues under an edge 301a of the 3D facial mask 301.
The mask development system configures face profiles for constructing 3D facial masks 401 and 405 that fit onto existing facial structures of users without disrupting the users' overall facial profiles, in which relative proportions of the existing facial structures are maintained. The mask development system constructs a face profile, for example, by constructing a 3D facial structure 201 exemplarily illustrated in
The mask development system characterizes and personalizes different facial parts to create aesthetically appealing 3D facial masks 401 and 405. The mask development system redesigns facial characteristics such as the nose ridge form, the chin shape, and the lip profile to increase the aesthetic appeal of the 3D facial mask 401 as exemplarily illustrated in
The intraoral filter paper 601 is folded, for example, in a semicircular shape as exemplarily illustrated in
Consider an example where a user wants to develop a three-dimensional (3D) facial mask 801 for covering internal areas, for example, intraoral areas 702 of a facial part, for example, a mouth 701 of the user's face 901 exemplarily illustrated in
The mask development system configures the 3D structure for the teeth tray 802 by creating a seal around a periphery of each of the upper teeth and the lower teeth in the constructed 3D structure for the teeth tray 802 to preclude leakage of air between the gaps between the teeth 703 exemplarily illustrated in
Consider an example where a user wants to develop a three-dimensional (3D) facial mask 903 for covering extranasal areas of the nose 902 of the user's face 901. In this example, consider that the user wants to use the constructed 3D facial mask 903 in conjunction with the 3D facial mask 801 that covers intraoral areas 702 of the user's mouth 701. The user provides multiple two-dimensional (2D) images in multiple views comprising, for example, a profile view, an elevation view, etc., of the user's face 901 to the mask development system. The mask development system receives the 2D images of the user's face 901 from the user and obtains facial parameters comprising, for example, a nasal tip projection ratio, a nasal width, a nasal height, a distance between the user's nose 902 and the user's mouth 701, etc. The mask development system constructs a 3D facial structure 201 exemplarily illustrated in
The mask development system configures the constructed 3D mask structure by creating a seal in the constructed 3D mask structure, around the extraoral areas of the constructed 3D facial structure 201. The mask development system further configures the constructed 3D mask structure by configuring one or more spaces 206 and 207 exemplarily illustrated in
Since air typically flows in an uncontrolled manner through both oral and nasal cavities of a user, a safe way to ensure that a user is breathing filtered air is to develop a 3D facial mask, for example, 301 and 401 exemplarily illustrated in
In an embodiment, the mask development system 1601 is configured as a web based platform, for example, a website hosted on a server or a network of servers. In another embodiment, the mask development system 1601 is configured to operate as a software as a service (SaaS). In another embodiment, the mask development system 1601 is configured to operate, for example, as a platform as a service (PaaS) implemented in a cloud computing environment. As used herein, “cloud computing environment” refers to a processing environment comprising configurable computing physical and logical resources, for example, networks, servers, storage, applications, services, etc., and data distributed over the network 1610. The cloud computing environment provides on-demand network access to a shared pool of the configurable computing physical and logical resources. In this embodiment, the mask development system 1601 is a cloud computing based platform implemented as a service for constructing a 3D facial mask for air supply and air exchange. The mask development system 1601 is constructed, for example, using the Google App engine cloud infrastructure of Google Inc., Amazon Web Services® of Amazon Technologies, Inc., the Amazon elastic compute cloud EC2® web service of Amazon Technologies, Inc., the Google® Cloud platform of Google Inc., the Microsoft® Cloud platform of Microsoft Corporation, etc.
The network 1610 through which the mask development system 1601 communicates with the 3D printing device 1611 is, for example, the internet, an intranet, a wired network, a wireless network, a communication network that implements Bluetooth® of Bluetooth Sig, Inc., a network that implements Wi-Fi® of Wi-Fi Alliance Corporation, an ultra-wideband communication network (UWB), a wireless universal serial bus (USB) communication network, a communication network that implements ZigBee® of ZigBee Alliance Corporation, a general packet radio service (GPRS) network, a mobile telecommunication network such as a global system for mobile (GSM) communications network, a code division multiple access (CDMA) network, a third generation (3G) mobile communication network, a fourth generation (4G) mobile communication network, a long-term evolution (LTE) mobile communication network, a public telephone network, etc., a local area network, a wide area network, an internet connection network, an infrared communication network, etc., or a network formed from any combination of these networks.
The mask development system 1601 disclosed herein comprises a non-transitory computer readable storage medium such as a memory unit, and at least one processor communicatively coupled to the non-transitory computer readable storage medium. As used herein, “non-transitory computer readable storage medium” refers to all computer readable media, for example, non-volatile media such as optical discs or magnetic disks, volatile media such as a register memory, a processor cache, etc., and transmission media such as wires that constitute a system bus coupled to the processor, except for a transitory, propagating signal. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium stores computer program instructions defined by modules, for example, 1604, 1605, 1606, 1607, 1607a, 1607b, 1607c, 1607d, 1608, etc., of the mask development system 1601. The processor is configured to execute the defined computer program instructions.
The mask development system 1601 comprises a graphical user interface (GUI) 1603, a data reception module 1604, a facial structure construction module 1605, a mask structure construction module 1606, a mask structure configuration module 1607, a facial mask construction module 1608, and a mask development database 1609. A mask developer inputs images of a user's face captured via a two-dimensional (2D) image capture device and/or a three-dimensional (3D) image capture device, and the user's biometric data, for example, height and facial dimensions of the user into the mask development system 1601 via the GUI 1603. The GUI 1603 is, for example, a webpage of a website hosted by the mask development system 1601, an online web interface, a web based downloadable application interface, a mobile based downloadable application interface, etc. The data reception module 1604 receives the images of the user's face, for example, multiple views of the user's face in one or more image formats and the user's biometric data via the GUI 1603.
The mask development database 1609 stores the received images and the biometric data of the user. The mask development database 1609 is any storage area or medium that can be used for storing data and files. The mask development database 1609 is, for example, a structured query language (SQL) data store or a not only SQL (NoSQL) data store such as the Microsoft® SQL Server®, the Oracle® servers, the MySQL® database of MySQL AB Company, the mongoDB® of MongoDB, Inc., the Neo4j graph database of Neo Technology Corporation, the Cassandra database of the Apache Software Foundation, the HBase™ database of the Apache Software Foundation, etc. In an embodiment, the mask development database 1609 can also be a location on a file system. In another embodiment, the mask development database 1609 can be remotely accessed by the mask development system 1601 via the network 1610. In another embodiment, the mask development database 1609 is configured as a cloud based database implemented in a cloud computing environment, where computing resources are delivered as a service over the network 1610.
The facial structure construction module 1605 constructs a three-dimensional (3D) facial structure of an actual size of the user's face using one or more of multiple facial parameters obtained from the received images and the biometric data. The mask structure construction module 1606 constructs a 3D mask structure configured to fit internal areas and/or external areas of one or more facial parts of the constructed 3D facial structure. The mask structure configuration module 1607 configures the constructed 3D mask structure. The mask structure configuration module 1607 comprises a seal creation module 1607a, a groove configuration module 1607b, and a design parameter configuration module 1607c. The seal creation module 1607a creates a seal in the constructed 3D mask structure, around the internal areas and/or the external areas of one or more facial parts of the constructed 3D facial structure. The groove configuration module 1607b configures one or more grooves in the constructed 3D mask structure, proximal to the internal areas and/or the external areas of one or more facial parts of the constructed 3D facial structure for incorporating one or more air supply and air exchange elements, for example, an in-tube, an out tube, a safety plug, a filter element, etc. In an embodiment, the mask structure configuration module 1607 further comprises a space configuration module 1607d. The space configuration module 1607d configures one or more spaces in the constructed 3D mask structure, around the internal areas and/or the external areas of one or more facial parts of the constructed 3D facial structure, using one or more facial parameters obtained from the received images and the biometric data for enabling ease of breathing and facial movements. The design parameter configuration module 1607c configures one or more design parameters for the constructed 3D mask structure, for example, based on the user's gender, the user's age, and one or more user inputs. The facial mask construction module 1608 transmits the configured 3D mask structure to the 3D printing device 1611 directly through a wired connection or via the network 1610 for constructing the 3D facial mask for air supply and air exchange. The 3D printing device 1611 prints a prototype of the 3D facial mask using 3D printing technology.
As exemplarily illustrated in
The memory unit 1702 is used for storing programs, applications, and data. For example, the data reception module 1604, the facial structure construction module 1605, the mask structure construction module 1606, the seal creation module 1607a, the groove configuration module 1607b, the design parameter configuration module 1607c, the space configuration module 1607d, the facial mask construction module 1608, etc., of the mask development system 1601 are stored in the memory unit 1702 of the mask development system 1601. The memory unit 1702 is, for example, a random access memory (RAM) or another type of dynamic storage device that stores information and instructions for execution by the processor 1701. The memory unit 1702 also stores temporary variables and other intermediate information used during execution of the instructions by the processor 1701. The mask development system 1601 further comprises a read only memory (ROM) or another type of static storage device that stores static information and instructions for the processor 1701. The I/O controller 1703 controls input actions and output actions performed by the mask development system 1601.
The network interface 1704 enables connection of the mask development system 1601 to the network 1610. In an embodiment, the network interface 1704 is provided as an interface card also referred to as a line card. The network interface 1704 comprises, for example, one or more of an infrared (IR) interface, an interface implementing Wi-Fi® of Wi-Fi Alliance Corporation, a universal serial bus (USB) interface, a FireWire® interface of Apple, Inc., an Ethernet interface, a frame relay interface, a cable interface, a digital subscriber line (DSL) interface, a token ring interface, a peripheral controller interconnect (PCI) interface, a local area network (LAN) interface, a wide area network (WAN) interface, interfaces using serial protocols, interfaces using parallel protocols, and Ethernet communication interfaces, asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) interfaces, a high speed serial interface (HSSI), a fiber distributed data interface (FDDI), interfaces based on transmission control protocol (TCP)/internet protocol (IP), interfaces based on wireless communications technology such as satellite technology, radio frequency (RF) technology, near field communication, etc. The data bus 1705 permits communications between the modules, for example, 1603, 1604, 1605, 1606, 1607, 1607a, 1607b, 1607c, 1607d, 1608, 1609, etc., of the mask development system 1601.
The display unit 1706, via the graphical user interface (GUI) 1603, displays information, display interfaces, user interface elements such as text fields, checkboxes, text boxes, windows, etc., for allowing the users to input images of the users' face, view and enter design parameters comprising, for example, physical dimensions of a face, color, size, shape, design patterns, etc., for the 3D facial mask. The display unit 1706 comprises, for example, a liquid crystal display, a plasma display, an organic light emitting diode (OLED) based display, etc. The input devices 1707 are used for inputting data into the mask development system 1601. The users use the input devices 1707 to provide inputs to the mask development system 1601. For example, a user may upload images of the user's face, biometric data, design parameters, etc., for the 3D facial mask using the input devices 1707. The input devices 1707 are, for example, a keyboard such as an alphanumeric keyboard, a microphone, a joystick, a pointing device such as a computer mouse, a touch pad, a light pen, a physical button, a touch sensitive display device, a track ball, a pointing stick, any device capable of sensing a tactile input, etc.
Computer applications and programs are used for operating the mask development system 1601. The programs are loaded onto the fixed media drive 1708 and into the memory unit 1702 via the removable media drive 1709. In an embodiment, the computer applications and programs may be loaded directly via the network 1610. Computer applications and programs are executed by double clicking a related icon displayed on the display unit 1706 using one of the input devices 1707. The output devices 1710 output the results of operations performed by the mask development system 1601. For example, the mask development system 1601 displays one or more views of the constructed 3D facial mask to the users using the output devices 1710.
The processor 1701 executes an operating system, for example, the Linux® operating system, the Unix® operating system, any version of the Microsoft® Windows® operating system, the Mac OS of Apple Inc., the IBM® OS/2, VxWorks® of Wind River Systems, Inc., QNX Neutrino® developed by QNX Software Systems Ltd., the Palm OS®, the Solaris operating system developed by Sun Microsystems, Inc., the Android operating system, the Windows Phone® operating system of Microsoft Corporation, the BlackBerry® operating system of BlackBerry Limited, the iOS operating system of Apple Inc., the Symbian™ operating system of Symbian Foundation Limited, etc. The mask development system 1601 employs the operating system for performing multiple tasks. The operating system is responsible for management and coordination of activities and sharing of resources of the mask development system 1601. The operating system further manages security of the mask development system 1601, peripheral devices connected to the mask development system 1601, and network connections. The operating system employed on the mask development system 1601 recognizes, for example, inputs provided by the users using one of the input devices 1707, the output display, files, and directories stored locally on the fixed media drive 1708. The operating system on the mask development system 1601 executes different programs using the processor 1701. The processor 1701 and the operating system together define a computer system for which application programs in high level programming languages are written.
The processor 1701 of the mask development system 1601 retrieves instructions defined by the data reception module 1604, the facial structure construction module 1605, the mask structure construction module 1606, the seal creation module 1607a, the groove configuration module 1607b, the design parameter configuration module 1607c, the space configuration module 1607d, the facial mask construction module 1608, etc., for performing respective functions disclosed in the detailed description of
At the time of execution, the instructions stored in the instruction register are examined to determine the operations to be performed. The processor 1701 then performs the specified operations. The operations comprise arithmetic operations and logic operations. The operating system performs multiple routines for performing a number of tasks required to assign the input devices 1707, the output devices 1710, and memory for execution of the modules, for example, 1604, 1605, 1606, 1607, 1607a, 1607b, 1607c, 1607d, 1608, etc., of the mask development system 1601. The tasks performed by the operating system comprise, for example, assigning memory to the modules, for example, 1604, 1605, 1606, 1607, 1607a, 1607b, 1607c, 1607d, 1608, etc., of the mask development system 1601, and to data used by the mask development system 1601, moving data between the memory unit 1702 and disk units, and handling input/output operations. The operating system performs the tasks on request by the operations and after performing the tasks, the operating system transfers the execution control back to the processor 1701. The processor 1701 continues the execution to obtain one or more outputs. The outputs of the execution of the modules, for example, 1604, 1605, 1606, 1607, 1607a, 1607b, 1607c, 1607d, 1608, etc., of the mask development system 1601 are displayed to the users on the display unit 1706.
For purposes of illustration, the detailed description refers to the mask development system 1601 being run locally as a single computer system; however the scope of the computer implemented method and system 1600 disclosed herein is not limited to the mask development system 1601 being run locally as a single computer system via the operating system and the processor 1701, but may be extended to run remotely over the network 1610 by employing a web browser and a remote server, a mobile phone, or other electronic devices. One or more portions of the mask development system 1601 may be distributed across one or more computer systems (not shown) coupled to the network 1610.
Disclosed herein is also a computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium that stores computer program codes comprising instructions executable by at least one processor 1701 for constructing a three-dimensional (3D) facial mask for air supply and air exchange. The computer program product comprises a first computer program code for receiving multiple images of a user's face and the user's biometric data; a second computer program code for constructing a 3D facial structure of an actual size of the user's face using one or more of multiple facial parameters obtained from the received images and the biometric data; a third computer program code for constructing a 3D mask structure configured to fit internal areas and/or external areas of one or more facial parts of the constructed 3D facial structure; and a fourth computer program code for configuring the constructed 3D mask structure. The fourth computer program code comprises a fifth computer program code for creating a seal in the constructed 3D mask structure, around the internal areas and/or the external areas of one or more facial parts of the constructed 3D facial structure; a sixth computer program code for configuring one or more grooves in the constructed 3D facial structure, proximal to the internal areas and/or the external areas of one or more facial parts of the constructed 3D facial structure, for incorporating one or more air supply and air exchange elements; a seventh computer program code for configuring one or more design parameters for the constructed 3D mask structure; and an eighth program code for transmitting the configured 3D mask structure to the 3D printing device 1611 exemplarily illustrated in
The computer program product disclosed herein further comprises one or more additional computer program codes for performing additional steps that may be required and contemplated for constructing the 3D facial mask for air supply and air exchange. In an embodiment, a single piece of computer program code comprising computer executable instructions performs one or more steps of the computer implemented method disclosed herein for constructing the 3D facial mask for air supply and air exchange. The computer program codes comprising computer executable instructions are embodied on the non-transitory computer readable storage medium. The processor 1701 of the mask development system 1601 retrieves these computer executable instructions and executes them. When the computer executable instructions are executed by the processor 1701, the computer executable instructions cause the processor 1701 to perform the steps of the computer implemented method for constructing the 3D facial mask for air supply and air exchange.
It will be readily apparent that the various methods, algorithms, and computer programs disclosed herein may be implemented on computer readable media appropriately programmed for computing devices. As used herein, “computer readable media” refers to non-transitory computer readable media that participate in providing data, for example, instructions that may be read by a computer, a processor 1701 or a similar device. Non-transitory computer readable media comprise all computer readable media, for example, non-volatile media, volatile media, and transmission media, except for a transitory, propagating signal. Non-volatile media comprise, for example, optical discs or magnetic disks and other persistent memory volatile media including a dynamic random access memory (DRAM), which typically constitutes a main memory. Volatile media comprise, for example, a register memory, a processor cache, a random access memory (RAM), etc. Transmission media comprise, for example, coaxial cables, copper wire, fiber optic cables, modems, etc., including wires that constitute a system bus coupled to the processor 1701, etc. Common forms of computer readable media comprise, for example, a floppy disk, a flexible disk, a hard disk, magnetic tape, a laser disc, a Blu-ray Disc® of the Blu-ray Disc Association, any magnetic medium, a compact disc-read only memory (CD-ROM), a digital versatile disc (DVD), any optical medium, a flash memory card, punch cards, paper tape, any other physical medium with patterns of holes, a random access memory (RAM), a programmable read only memory (PROM), an erasable programmable read only memory (EPROM), an electrically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM), a flash memory, any other memory chip or cartridge, or any other medium from which a computer can read.
The computer programs that implement the methods and algorithms disclosed herein may be stored and transmitted using a variety of media, for example, the computer readable media in a number of manners. In an embodiment, hard-wired circuitry or custom hardware may be used in place of, or in combination with, software instructions for implementation of the processes of various embodiments. Therefore, the embodiments are not limited to any specific combination of hardware and software. In general, the computer program codes comprising computer executable instructions may be implemented in any programming language. Examples of programming languages that can be used comprise C, C++, C#, Java®, JavaScript®, Fortran, Ruby, Perl®, Python®, Visual Basic®, hypertext preprocessor (PHP), Microsoft®.NET etc. Other object-oriented, functional, scripting, and/or logical programming languages may also be used. The computer program codes or software programs may be stored on or in one or more mediums as object code. Various aspects of the method and the mask development system 1601 disclosed herein may be implemented in a non-programmed environment comprising documents created, for example, in a hypertext markup language (HTML), an extensible markup language (XML), or other format that render aspects of the graphical user interface (GUI) 1603 or perform other functions, when viewed in a visual area or a window of a browser program. Various aspects of the method and the mask development system 1601 disclosed herein may be implemented as programmed elements, or non-programmed elements, or any suitable combination thereof. The computer program product disclosed herein comprises one or more computer program codes for implementing the processes of various embodiments.
Where databases are described such as the mask development database 1609, it will be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art that (i) alternative database structures to those described may be readily employed, and (ii) other memory structures besides databases may be readily employed. Any illustrations or descriptions of any sample databases disclosed herein are illustrative arrangements for stored representations of information. Any number of other arrangements may be employed besides those suggested by tables illustrated in the drawings or elsewhere. Similarly, any illustrated entries of the databases represent exemplary information only; one of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the number and content of the entries can be different from those disclosed herein. Further, despite any depiction of the databases as tables, other formats including relational databases, object-based models, and/or distributed databases may be used to store and manipulate the data types disclosed herein. Likewise, object methods or behaviors of a database can be used to implement various processes such as those disclosed herein. In addition, the databases may, in a known manner, be stored locally or remotely from a device that accesses data in such a database. In embodiments where there are multiple databases in the mask development system 1601, the databases may be integrated to communicate with each other for enabling simultaneous updates of data linked across the databases, when there are any updates to the data in one of the databases.
The method and the system 1600 disclosed herein can be configured to work in a network environment comprising one or more computers that are in communication with one or more devices via the network 1610. The computers may communicate with the devices directly or indirectly, via a wired medium or a wireless medium such as the Internet, a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN) or the Ethernet, a token ring, or via any appropriate communications mediums or combination of communications mediums. Each of the devices comprises processors, examples of which are disclosed above, that are adapted to communicate with the computers. In an embodiment, each of the computers is equipped with a network communication device, for example, a network interface card, a modem, or other network connection device suitable for connecting to the network 1610. Each of the computers and the devices executes an operating system, examples of which are disclosed above. While the operating system may differ depending on the type of computer, the operating system provides the appropriate communications protocols to establish communication links with the network 1610. Any number and type of machines may be in communication with the computers.
The method and the mask development system 1601 disclosed herein are not limited to a particular computer system platform, processor 1701, operating system, or network 1610. One or more aspects of the method and the mask development system 1601 disclosed herein may be distributed among one or more computer systems, for example, servers configured to provide one or more services to one or more client computers, or to perform a complete task in a distributed system. For example, one or more aspects of the method and the mask development system 1601 disclosed herein may be performed on a client-server system that comprises components distributed among one or more server systems that perform multiple functions according to various embodiments. These components comprise, for example, executable, intermediate, or interpreted code, which communicate over the network 1610 using a communication protocol. The method and the mask development system 1601 disclosed herein are not limited to be executable on any particular system or group of systems, and is not limited to any particular distributed architecture, network, or communication protocol.
The foregoing examples have been provided merely for the purpose of explanation and are in no way to be construed as limiting of the method and the system 1600 disclosed herein. While the method and the system 1600 have been described with reference to various embodiments, it is understood that the words, which have been used herein, are words of description and illustration, rather than words of limitation. Further, although the method and the system 1600 have been described herein with reference to particular means, materials, and embodiments, the method and the system 1600 are not intended to be limited to the particulars disclosed herein; rather, the method and the system 1600 extend to all functionally equivalent structures, methods and uses, such as are within the scope of the appended claims. Those skilled in the art, having the benefit of the teachings of this specification, may effect numerous modifications thereto and changes may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the method and the system 1600 disclosed herein in their aspects.
This application claims priority to and the benefit of provisional patent application No. 61/934,859 titled “Three-dimensional Facial Mask With Provisions For Air Supply And Exchange”, filed in the United States Patent and Trademark Office on Feb. 3, 2014. The specification of the above referenced patent application is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61934859 | Feb 2014 | US |
