Pick of the Week Archives - Foresight Valuation Group

Lynn’s Picks: Foresight’s Patent of the Week – US Granted Patent 11,983,958 Systems and Methods for Automated Makeup Application

Posted on June 12, 2024 6:53 pmModified on June 12, 2024 6:54 pmby Lynn Dudinsky

Disclaimer: This blog was created for informational purposes only and does not represent Foresight’s or the author’s opinion regarding the validity, quality or enforceability of any particular patent covered in this blog. Foresight is not a law firm and no portion of the information contained in this blog was intended to serve as legal opinion.

As a husband, I have spent a lot of time waiting for the makeup process to be completed before my wife and I are able to attend a function, date or generally leave the house. When I came across this patent, I was surprised that I had not seen a similar technology previously because one of the important features of automation and robotics has always been about simplifying routine tasks. Gemma robotics, the Israeli startup and holder of this patent, has a slogan on their website which states:

“We’re making Gemma because we love wearing makeup more than we love applying it”

This slogan is, or should be, the goal of consumer-focused robotics and other automation technologies, to simplify and more efficiently handle daily tasks. Moreover, it sheds light on what we can expect to see over the coming years; small form factor devices such as robotic vacuums and makeup application robots, as opposed to full humanoid robots such as the Optimus Robot which Tesla claims will be able to perform useful tasks in their factory before the end of 2024.

What’s Inside Patent No. 11,983,958?

This patent introduces a novel approach to makeup application where the system is used to record a face map, skin tone, facial features and preferences of the user. The user is then able to select from a wide variety of looks that have been preconfigured into the system. The system allows the user to see a preview of the selected look prior to the final selection. Once confirmed, the robot then calculates the right formula to give the desired look, mixes the formula and sprays the mixture through an airbrush nozzle onto the user’s face. In order to accomplish this, significant steps have to be taken by the system to determine the amount of makeup to mix, the sequence of application, the distance from the nozzle to the user’s face and the amount of force needed to apply the makeup. I believe the technology may be a bit early as there are no examples found on the company’s website of the system in operation and the final result; however, this patent was selected to bring the conversation back to the reason why robotic systems will soon be ubiquitous within households.

What Comes Next?

Makeup is one task that a large percentage of the population do on a daily basis and these routine, time consuming tasks, are what inventors should focus on solving using the increased ability of robotic systems and artificial intelligence. It is easy to get lost in the large format, life-like robots that you see at CES or in the news, but these systems are unlikely to achieve traction in the near future, whether that is due to cost or limitations on what these systems can perform. For consumers, the growth of robotic and AI technologies in the home should open up time for doing the things we want to do with our time. We already have examples of robotic vacuum cleaners that have since been expanded to robotic lawn mowers. However, the vast majority of homes do not have an operating robotic system to assist with daily tasks and that opens up a wide market for inventors to create relatively inexpensive systems to address a wide range of tasks that provide a significant return on investment with the most valuable assets we have, time. Over the next few weeks, this blog will feature new robotic and AI systems that address the consumer market’s need for help in these everyday tasks.

Have you come across any interesting patents you would like us to feature in future blogs or did you invent a technology you would like featured? Please send us an email at media@foresightvaluation.com or call our office at (650) 561-3374.

Lynn’s Picks: Foresight’s Patent of the Week – US Granted Patent 9,601,033: Pop-Up Greeting Card with Tab Support of a Laser-Cut, Slice-From Pop-Up Element (LovePop)

Posted on February 15, 2024 3:04 pmModified on February 15, 2024 3:04 pmby Lynn Dudinsky

In honor of Valentine’s Day, the patent pick of the week is related to a trusted method of expressing your love and admiration to that special someone or secret admirer. This method of expression is rarely viewed through a technical, nor patent, lens; however, the use of written Valentine’s messages dates back to 1415 when the oldest known valentine poem was written by Charles, Duke of Orleans, to his wife while he was imprisoned in the Tower of London. Fast forward to 2024 and many of us view Valentine’s Day cards as an exercise of searching through rows of cards at the local grocery store in the hopes of finding one that captures a moment or provides a laugh, but what does this have to do with patents? This week’s pick is from a company that got its big break in 2015 when LovePop was selected to appear on Shark Tank and managed to secure an investment from Kevin O’Leary (aka Mr. Wonderful), who invested $300,000 for a 15% of the company. Since that investment, LovePop has sold over 55 million cards.

While you may not recognize the LovePop name, you will likely have seen their cards on display for every major holiday. The images below should refresh your memory of the unique design of these cards.

LovePop has built its business around 3 dimensional fold-flat cards, with designs covering every major holiday, event and even custom designs for large brands such as Marvel, Star Wars and even The Office. While LovePop can attribute some of its success to the exposure generated from Shark Tank, the reality of their lasting success and the reason you do not see an abundance of similar 3D cards is due to the intellectual property portfolio held by LovePop. The first application filed by LovePop occurred the same year as their Shark Tank debut, and since that date, the company has grown their portfolio annually with multiple applications filed and granted every year since 2015 for a total of 31 granted US patents as of the writing of this article. The patent that started it all for LovePop is the pick for this week, patent number 9,601,033. This patent was granted in 2017 from the 2015 filing mentioned above and is titled “Pop-up greeting car with tab support of a laser-cut, slide-form pop-up element.”

As seen in the images below, the patent relates to the process and article of creating and combining slice forms (combining 2D slices of an object to form a 3D final product) in a manner that would allow the card to lay flat when folded and open into the desired design when unfolded. The patent claims are primarily focused on the use of multiple slice forms, arranged in such a way and coupled to the card in such a way to create the 3D final form when unfolded.

This seemingly simple process has morphed into blank canvas onto which the only limitation is the creativity of the designer and the tolerances of the laser cutting machine. Next time you find yourself pacing the card aisle in the desperate, usually last minute, search for the perfect card, think about the combination of intellectual property on display. From patented pop-up cards, to trademarked cards from companies like Hallmark and copyrighted material from movies or famous artists, this relatively non-technical space found in every grocery store is a microcosm of intellectual property protection and monetization.

Lynn’s Picks: Foresight’s Patent of the Week – US Granted Patent 11,859,986: System and Method for Delivery by Autonomous Vehicles (General Motors)

Posted on January 26, 2024 4:37 pmModified on January 26, 2024 4:37 pmby Lynn Dudinsky

In this week’s blog we are returning to the automotive space which was featured in the first blog post of this series (which covered Rivian’s Spare Wheel Container application). This week we are looking at a patent held by GM Cruise Holdings LLC carrying the patent number 11,859,986 and titled System and Method for Delivery by Autonomous Vehicles. This patent could provide a glimpse into the future of autonomous delivery logistics. GM Cruise Holdings LLC manufactures and commercializes autonomous vehicles for deployment in ride-sharing environments. The company was incorporated in 2018 and is based in San Francisco, California. GM Cruise Holdings LLC operates as a subsidiary of General Motors Company according to data provided by S&P Capital IQ.

GM’s patent is focused on a future application of autonomous vehicles and the system and method of utilizing these vehicles to perform tasks typically done by the individual or by a gig economy worker. The focus of this patent is primarily on the method of facilitating autonomous deliveries using a cubby based delivery assembly that is transported by an autonomous vehicles. The system seeks to overcome some of the limitations of autonomous delivery systems on the market today, namely those based on small robotic platforms or drone platforms. These limitations focus on the capacity constraints of most robotic and drone platforms which restricts the size of the delivery as well as limits the delivery to a small number of packages and/or destinations. These current platforms are also geographically limited due to range logistical considerations, and also typically function in a small geofenced area that requires training of the delivery platform to navigate the sidewalks in the case of robotic platforms, and the airspace for drone platforms. As depicted in the patent images shown below, as well as images pulled from the GM Cruise website, it appears that GM has taken a different route and is planning to implement this patented system in a larger vehicle designed to operate in normal city traffic.

Operating as a traditional, albeit driverless, vehicle enables GM to utilize an existing platform that is already scheduled for use as a driverless taxi vehicle in Japan starting in 2026, and adapt the vehicle to either service a different function or to serve multiple functions by providing taxi services when delivery demand is low and switching to delivery services when passenger demand increases.

As seen in the image above, the patent is outlining the ways in which this service may be facilitate through a control panel alerting the user where their delivery is located. In the patent, a system is described that allows for the authentication of a user receiving a delivery and authorizing the user to access one or more items in a specific cubby. The system described in the patent is one that is pretty straightforward to interact with as a user, and while this may seem like a system out of a sci-fi movie, the increased use of autonomous services occurring around us today, coupled to the growing demand and expectation for near-real-time delivery of orders, highlights the likely demand for such a system as found in this patent. Moreover, with multiple companies working together, such as is the case for the Cruise Origin being developed for the autonomous taxi service in Japan which is being developed through a collaboration between Honda, GM and Cruise, it is likely that in the coming years we will begin to see autonomous vehicles delivering our Walmart, Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s orders right to our driveway.