Abstract:
A diagnostic article and method is disclosed wherein the article includes a mirror, a plurality of attribute selection sites arranged along or associated with the mirror with each of the sites having a plurality of choice selectors, and an output for recommending at least one personal care product based upon input from the choice selectors. A diagnostic for skin includes attribute selection sites hosting questions related to a customer&#39;s age, skin coloration, dryness, sunburn susceptibility, pimple breakout affinity, wrinkle formation and pore size. Hair, dental and underarm products may also be personalized by the diagnostic system. The mirror allows a customer in-store to more accurately answer attribute questions through reference to the customer&#39;s mirror reflection.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The invention concerns an article and method whereby consumers can self-evaluate the most suitable personal care products for their body. 
   2. The Related Art 
   “Mirror mirror on the wall, who&#39;s the fairest of them all?”. So inquired the wicked witch of the Snow White story. Were the witch to have had benefit of a personalized skin analysis, perhaps the recommended cosmetic treatment could have elevated her to be the fairest. Alas, she blindly selected her cosmetics without an understanding of those most suitable to her skin type. 
   Clinique® has for some years provided a slide rule type diagnosis system for in-store advice. Based on answers to certain questions, a customer is directed to the appropriate cosmetic product(s). 
   In-store product recommendation charts based on customer input have not been very successful. Some of the systems are complicated to operate and interpret. Other systems fail to attract attention. Better systems are necessary than heretofore known for providing an easy to operate, easy to understand and attention grabbing mechanism which can recommend personalized product(s). 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   A diagnostic article is provided which includes:
         (i) a mirror;   (ii) a plurality of attribute selection sites arranged along or associated with the mirror, the sites each having a plurality of choice selectors; and   (iii) an output for recommending at least one personal care product based upon input from the choice selectors.       

   Attribute selection sites for skin products may be those hosting questions related to a customer&#39;s age, skin coloration, dryness, sunburn susceptibility, pimple breakout affinity, wrinkle formation, pore size and combinations thereof. Advantageously, there can be from two to twenty but preferably from three to six choice selectors within each of a plurality of attribute selection sites. The sites may range in number from three to thirty, preferably from four to eight. 
   Activation of one of the selectors in a site will in preferred embodiments preclude concurrent activation of any other selector at that same site. Each of the choice selectors within a site may differ from another by representing a different degree of the attribute describing the site. 
   Selectors may be activated by finger pressure against an area designated by a writing as a selector site. Activation of a selector can initiate an electronic transmission signal to an electronic computer. Alternatively activation of a selector can initiate a mechanical transmission not connected to an electrical output. A low cost form of the output according to the present invention involves use of charts. This may be constructed of either paperboard or plastic. The chart may be a wheel identifying a plurality of personal care products at different locations on the wheel. Alternatively it may be a flip-chart of multiple pages or screens held together by a binder such as a loose-leaf ring. 
   A most important part of the present invention is that of a mirror which in several of the embodiments may be a two-way mirror. A plurality of personal care products, each identified by an icon (e.g. a pictorial or word mark) may be supported on a screen behind the mirror. A backlight behind the mirror is so arranged to selectively highlight one or more icons. The area of highlighting will relate to the product recommended through a questionnaire. 
   A still further alternative embodiment is where a membrane keypad is held behind the mirror. Entry of answers to the questionnaire are then indicated by pressing appropriate keys on the membrane keypad. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
     Further features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent by consideration of the following drawing in which: 
       FIG. 1  is a mechanically operated first embodiment of the diagnostic article according to the present invention; 
       FIG. 2  is a product finder reference chart utilized in combination with the first embodiment; 
       FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the first embodiment shown arranged on a store shelf; 
       FIG. 4  is an electronically operated second embodiment of a diagnostic article according to the present invention; 
       FIG. 5  is a schematic cross-sectional view of the internal mechanism taken along line  5 — 5  of the second embodiment shown in  FIG. 4 ; 
       FIG. 6  is an electronically operated third embodiment of a diagnostic article according to the present invention; and 
       FIG. 7  is the third embodiment according to  FIG. 6  which has been activated by customer input to reveal those personal care products most suitable for this particular customer. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   Now there has been found a diagnostic article and method which overcomes many of the disadvantages found with previously known ones. No longer is the diagnostic article lacking features of natural human attraction or forbiddingly uninviting. A mirror forms the central focus of the present invention. Humans are invariably attracted to a mirror. For some reason a person&#39;s own image is irresistible to view. Once the customer has been attracted to the display, the diagnostic array of questions comes to the customer&#39;s attention and is less daunting than a stand alone questionnaire/recommendation device. 
   Additionally, the mirror assists a customer in answering certain questions concerning their personal attributes. For instance, a question requesting identification of a person&#39;s skin tone becomes easier to answer. A series of different tones may be depicted on or directly adjacent to the mirror. The closest tone is much more easily identified through correlating the color of the face appearing in the mirror with one of the tones of the color array. Other attributes may also interact with feedback from a mirror image. Whether skin is oily or dry can be answered by viewing the mirror reflection. 
     FIG. 1  illustrates a first embodiment of the present invention. A diagnostic article includes a mirror  2  attached to a support member  4 . Elements of the support member include an arm  6  which at one end has an attachment member  8  in the form of a screwable bracket intended to be anchored onto a store shelf  10 . Alternative support member embodiments would include a free-standing support base resting upon the shelf, a spring loaded clamp and an adhesive bond. 
   A connector member  12  is positioned at an opposite end of the arm distant from the attachment member and jutting outward beyond the shelf. 
     FIG. 3  best illustrates the diagnostic article in the context of a store shelf adjacent a variety of cosmetic containers. The connector member may be movable or stationary and functioning to join the mirror to the support member. Moveability can be achieved by a ball-in-socket, spring clamp, ratchet, hinge or similar mechanism within the connector member. 
   The embodiment shown in  FIG. 1  depicts five attribute selection sites along a selector track  14 . These attribute selection sites include ones for age  16 , color or tone  18 , oiliness  20 , sunburn susceptibility  22 , and pimple breakout frequency  24 . 
   A moveable lever  26  abuts each of the attribute selection sites. This lever can manually be manipulated to be placed adjacent one of the several choice selector positions. For instance, with respect to the sunburn susceptibility attribute selection site  22 , there can be a choice between the “often”  28  and “never”  30  choice selector positions. 
   Another of the attribute selection sites relates to Age. There are choice selector positions along this site for the age groups “16–24”, “25–36” and “37–80” seen in  FIG. 1  as elements  32 ,  34  and  36 . 
   Directly below is an attribute selection site for skin color or tone. A series of five shades of color or tone are presented at different choice selector positions  38 ,  40 ,  42 ,  44  and  46 . An identical color or tone set  48  is arrayed in much larger form across a central face of the mirror. This enlarged set of color or tone on a prominent face of the mirror helps a customer match their skin as reflected in the mirror to one of the choice selector colors or tones. Guesswork is eliminated. 
   A fourth of the attribute selection sites is that for pimple breakout frequency. Along this question printed adjacent the mirror are two choice selector positions. These are for the answer “often”  50  or “never”  52 . In some embodiments, there may be additional intermediate choice selector positions or a continuum of such positions. 
   The fifth of the attribute selection sites is that of oiliness  20 . Here there may be choice selector positions of “oily”  54  and “dry”  56 . There also may be several intermediate positions or a continuum of positions. 
   Upon a customer having arranged each of the movable levers to a choice selector position along the track, a mechanically operated pre-printed program board becomes oriented into a product selection window  58 . In the embodiment of  FIG. 1 , the window is found at a lower section of the mirror. A key  60  appears within a window. The drawing illustrates the key as the number +2 which has been printed on the program board. 
   In its most particular form, the first embodiment involves an approximately 8 inch mirror. Each movable Lever  26  is interconnected along an 1×2.5 linkages which ultimately drive a wheel with the program board. 
   The next step for a customer is to consult a product finder set of cards  62  held within a ring binder  64 .  FIG. 2  illustrates one embodiment of a typical card attached to the ring binder. Either in word reference or through a pictorial icon, the product finder card correlates the key identified from the mirror into particular personal care product(s) personalized to the customer. The ring binder with cards can be hung from the same shelf and even supported on the same attachment member as the mirror. 
   A second embodiment of the present invention is best illustrated in  FIG. 4 . A housing  66  consolidates the diagnostic article within a single easily portable device. The housing has a flat bottom wall  68  capable of free-standing on a shelf  70 . A front face of the housing is a mirror  72 . 
   A window  74  and a series of choice selectors in the form of buttons  76  are formed on the front mirror face of the housing. An LCD screen  78  is displayed within window  74 . Supported inside the housing is a program on a computer board  80 . 
   A series of questions are stored in the program. These questions relate to personal questions such as age, skin coloration, dryness, sunburn susceptibility, pimple breakout affinity, wrinkles and pore sizes. When these appear within the window on the LCD screen, each question is considered an attribute selection site within the context of this invention. The customer is requested to answer each attribute question by pressing one of the four buttons  76 . For instance, the screen may request the customer&#39;s age and list four choices such as “16+”, “24+”, “35+” and “50+”, each positioned over one of the four buttons. Color or skin tone may be depicted on the LCD screen as a color icon or in words such as mocha, olive, light honey and ivory. The mirror helps the customer decide by viewing their own face and thereupon providing input to the questions. 
   Once a customer has answered all attribute questions, the program then calculates which is the best personal care product or set of products personalized to the customer. 
   Alternatively or in addition to the LCD screen printout of best product set, a paper printout  88  can be provided describing the best product(s).  FIG. 5  illustrates the printing mechanism. A paper roll  82  is supported within housing  66 . Paper is fed from the roll to a printer  84 . Power is generated by a battery unit  86 . Printout  88  exits the housing through a slot  90 . The customer can then tear off the printout from the paper roll and retain as a reminder or personal record. 
   Advantageously the diagnostic article according to the present invention may further include a camera  67  aligned with the mirror  72  for taking an image of the same customer face as mirror reflected. A still further optional aspect of the present invention is that of a wireless phone  69 . This phone should be capable of transmitting to a distant central computer such as a central headquarters information provided by the customer. The phone connection will allow retransmission from the central location back to the diagnostic article and provide greater informational capability than would be available merely from the store diagnostic equipment. 
     FIG. 6  illustrates a third embodiment of the present invention. As with all other embodiments, a mirror  92  is the focus of attention. A series of six attribute selection sites  94 – 104  are arrayed in a column down a border of the mirror. These sites correspond to questions regarding dryness, pimple breakout affinity, sunburn susceptibility, pore size, wrinkles and skin coloration (and tone), respectively. The question posed for each attribute selection site has from three to six possible answers in the form of choice selector buttons. For instance, the skin dryness attribute site  94  has four possible choice selectors  106 – 112 . These answers may range from oily skin, dry skin, combination skin and sensitive skin, respectively. 
   The skin coloration or tone attribute site  104  depicts the selection as six colored circles corresponding to a skin tone. Each of these choice selector colors represent an activatable button. 
   Once all of the questions have been answered by a customer applying finger pressure on an appropriate choice selector, the analyze button  114  is pressed. A pre-programmed computer then provides a recommendation to several personalized products that can be used in a skin care regime. This regime is tailored to the type of skin which the customer has described in their answer response. 
   Mirror  92  is a two-way mirror which underneath the buttons has a digital keypad for transmitting information to a miniaturized computer network. Anywhere from six to twenty-four regimes can be recommended. Within each regime are anywhere from one to six different types of products such as a toner, cleanser, moisturizer and/or conditioner. Color cosmetics may also be recommended and can include facial foundation, lipstick, mascara, blush, eyeliner and nail polish. 
   Icons depicting the recommended products are placed on transparencies  115  beneath the two-way mirror. The personalized set of products is presented as icons selectively backlighted so that their images shine through the two-way mirror. 
     FIG. 7  illustrates a backlighting sequence. One of each of the chosen choice selectors of the attribute selection sites is backlighted as well as the analyze button  114 . This refreshes the customer&#39;s memory and confirms the selected answers to the questions along the attribute selection sites. Secondly, backlighting highlights three products suitable for the person pursuant to the questionnaire analysis. Backlighted depictions are presented of bottles for a facial cleanser  116 , a body shower gel  118  and a conditioning lotion  120 . 
   Variations of the third embodiment can also be practiced according to the present invention. For instance, the two-way mirror embodiment of  FIGS. 6–7  can be provided with a membrane keypad underneath the mirror. Questions and a list of potential responses are viewable by scrolling up and down the mirror. The selector choices can be highlighted by an LCD tight. Based upon the individual choice selector response, a set of personal care products are then recommended. The recommendation is accomplished by triggering a color LCD image behind the two-way mirror. The image of a product bottle can then shine through the mirror. Those icons representing other (non-appropriate) products remain dark and therefore, non-visible to the customer. 
   Diagnostic articles according to the present invention are particularly suitable for skin but are not limited thereto. For instance, the device of this invention may be applicable to hair, underarm and oral products. Among questions necessary to probe for an appropriate personalized regime for hair treatment include those related to oiliness, color, dandruff susceptibility, age, curliness and thickness. Hair products can be recommended from categories including personalized conditioner, shampoo, styling aid, colorants and hair sprays. 
   Dental products can also be personalized with the diagnostic article of this invention. Questions that may be placed to a customer include teeth whiteness, number of cavities, breath freshness, taste, packaging type and combinations thereof. Use of the mirror is particularly effective to help customers match their teeth color in response to a question(s) regarding coloration. The mirrors also are useful to have a customer identify the number of cavities which may have been previously filled. 
   The term “comprising” is meant not to be limiting to any subsequently stated elements but rather to encompass non-specified elements of major or minor functional importance. In other words the listed steps, elements or options need not be exhaustive. Whenever the words “including” or “having” are used, these terms are meant to be equivalent to “comprising” as defined above.