Abstract: The present application relates to a device (10) for cutting hair. The device has a skin contacting face (13) that is arranged to be placed against a surface of the skin of a user during use. An optical system (20) directs a cutting laser beam (18) across a cutting zone (15) parallel to and spaced from said skin contacting face (13) to cut hairs extending into the cutting zone (15). A laser beam sensor (40) is configured to generate information indicative of one or more optical properties of the cutting laser beam (18). A controller (40) is configured to adjust one or more characteristics of the optical system (20) in dependence on the information generated by the laser beam sensor (40). The present invention also relates to a method of cutting hair and a computer program comprising instructions which, when executed by at least one processor, cause the method to be performed.

Abstract: The present application relates to a device (10) for cutting hair. The device (10) has a skin contacting face (13) that is arranged to be placed against a surface of the skin (16) of a user during use, and an optical system (20) configured to direct a cutting laser beam (18) across a cutting zone (15) parallel to and spaced from said skin contacting face (13) to cut hairs (17) extending into the cutting zone (15). The device also has a detector (40) configured to generate information indicative of the presence of one or more objects representative of hair (17) and/or skin (16) in the cutting zone (15), and a controller (27). The controller (27) is able to determine the presence of one or more objects representative of hair (17) and/or skin (16) in the cutting zone (15) and to adjust one or more characteristics of the optical system (20) in dependence on the information generated by the detector (40).

Abstract: A laser-based hair cutting device (10) comprises a laser source (18), an optically transparent exit window (15) and optical elements (11, 12, 13, 14). The laser source (18) provides an incident light beam (21) for cutting a hair (22) above and near a skin surface by laser-induced optical breakdown (LIOB) of the hair (22) in a focal position of the light beam (21). The optically transparent exit window has an external exit surface (15) for allowing the incident light beam (21) to leave the device. The optical elements (11, 12, 13, 14) focus the incident light beam (21) in the focal position at a working distance from the exit surface (15).

Abstract: The present application relates to a device for cutting hair comprising a skin contacting face (3) that is placed against a surface of the skin (6) of a user during use. The device also has an optical system configured to direct a cutting laser beam (8) across a cutting zone (5) parallel to and spaced from said skin contacting face to cut hairs extending into the cutting zone. Also provided is a laser positioning mechanism which is arranged so that, during use of the device, the distance (H1) between said cutting laser beam and said skin contacting face is changed to maintain a predetermined distance between the cutting laser beam and the surface of the skin of a user.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of releasing chemical compounds. The method includes distributing containers encapsulating a chemical compound over hair, said containers being configured to release the chemical compound upon reaching a transition temperature, and heating the hair to a predetermined temperature equal to or higher than the transition temperature. The heating of the hair enables heat transfer from the hair to one or more of the containers that are in proximity of the hair,whereby the one or more containers reach the transition temperature and release the chemical compound. In this manner, only those containers that are in close proximity to the hair can be heated up to their transition temperature and release the compound. Consequently, the compound is only released locally where the hair is present, while other skin areas where the hair is not present are protected against the potentially negative side effects of the compound.

Abstract: A laser-based hair cutting device (10) is provided, which device (10) comprises a laser source (18), an optically transparent exit window (15) and optical elements (11, 12, 13, 14) The laser source (18) provides an incident light beam (21) for cutting a hair (22) above and near a skin surface by laser-induced optical breakdown (LIOB) of the hair (22) in a focal position of the light beam (21). The optically transparent exit window has an external exit surface (15) for allowing the incident light beam (21) to leave the device. The optical elements (11, 12, 13, 14) focus the incident light beam (21) in the focal position at a working distance from the exit surface (15).

Abstract: A hair cutting device (10) is provided comprising a cutter unit (11), a skin stretcher (12) and slit adapting means. The cutter unit (11) comprises a skin-contact surface for dragging over a skin surface (21) in a shaving direction (55), a front surface arranged in front of the skin-contact surface in the shaving direction (55), and a laser beam exit window arranged in the front surface for allowing a hair cutting laser beam (13) to cut a hair (22) near the skin surface (21) in front of the front surface. The skin stretcher (12) is positioned in front of the cutter unit (11), according to the shaving direction (55), and comprises a stretcher surface for dragging over the skin surface (21) together with the skin-contact surface, such that a skin dome (23) is formed by the skin surface (21) in a slit between the skin stretcher (12) and the cutter unit (11). The slit adapting means are provided for adapting at least one dimension (51, 52, 54) of the slit for controlling a shape of the skin dome (23).

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for providing a motion parameter set and/or a picture repetition pattern from an input video signal, in particular for de-interlacing a video signal with using a candidate motion parameter set weighted with a picture repetition pattern value for calculating a motion compensated pixel from a pixel value of a first image. To provide motion compensation which accounts for field repetition patterns, minimizing an error criterion between at least one pixel value of a second image and at least the motion compensated pixel value by iterating the calculation of the motion compensated pixel with at least two candidate motion parameters sets and/or at least two picture repetition values, and putting out the candidate motion parameter set and/or the picture repetition value which provides the minimized error criterion is proposed.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for de-interlacing a hybrid video sequence using at least one estimated motion vector for interpolating pixels. Field for petition patents, typically occurring in film originated video material, disturb the function of de-interlacing algorithm designed to convert interlaced video single into progressively scanned video.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method, a device, and a computer programme product for calculating a motion vector from an interlaced video signal with interpolating a first pixel sample from a first set of pixels and a second set of pixels using a first motion vector, and interpolating a second pixel sample from the first set of pixels and a third set of pixels using a second motion vector. To improve motion estimation and de-interlacing, the invention provides interpolating pixels of the first set of pixels to calculate a third pixel sample as an average of at least two pixels within the first set of pixels, calculating a first relation between the first pixel sample and the third pixel sample, calculating a second relation between the second pixel sample and the third pixel sample, and selecting an output motion vector from a set of motion vectors by minimising the first and second r elation using the set of motion vectors.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for providing a motion parameter set and/or a picture repetition pattern from an input video signal, in particular for de-interlacing a video signal with using a candidate motion parameter set weighted with a picture repetition pattern value for calculating a motion compensated pixel from a pixel value of a first image. To provide motion compensation which accounts for field repetition patterns, minimizing an error criterion between at least one pixel value of a second image and at least the motion compensated pixel value by iterating the calculation of the motion compensated pixel with at least two candidate motion parameters sets and/or at least two picture repetition values, and putting out the candidate motion parameter set and/or the picture repetition value which provides the minimized error criterion is proposed.

Abstract: The invention relates to an interpolating filter with coefficients that depend on the motion vector value, which uses samples that exist in the current field and additional samples from a neighboring field shifted over a part of a motion vector. Using samples from the current field and the motion compensated previous field that are not for vectors on a vertical line, the robustness of the de-interlacing may be increased. The interpolation quality may be better without increasing the number of input pixels.