IP Library Granted Patent US 11,602,216
Granted Patent B2
US 11,602,216 · App. 16/949,630 · Granted Mar 14, 2023

Oral care system and method

Inventors: John Gatzemeyer (Hillsborough, NJ); Andrew Brent Lintott (Sutton, GB); Ian Joseph Smallman (Cambridge, GB)
Assignee: Colgate-Palmolive Company
A46B15/0006A46B5/026A46B9/04A46B15/0002A46B15/0004A46B15/0008A46B15/0044A61C17/221A46B2200/102A46B2200/1066
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,602,216
App. No.
16/949,630
Filed
Nov 9, 2020
Granted
Mar 14, 2023
Kind
B2
Art Unit
3723
USPC
15/167.1
Abstract

A method for oral care. In one aspect, the method for oral care includes a) receiving sensor data from at least one sensor configured to detect motion of an oral care device during a brushing routine of a user, the sensor data corresponding to the detected motion; and b) determining a target brushing time based on the sensor data. In another aspect, the method for oral care includes a) receiving sensor data from at least one sensor configured to detect brushing intensity during a brushing routine of a user, the sensor data corresponding to the detected brushing intensity; and b) determining a target brushing time based on the sensor data.

Claims (43)

1. A method for oral care comprising:

a) providing an oral care device comprising at least one teeth cleaning element and at least one sensor;

b) detecting a motion of the oral care device during a brushing routine of a user, via said at least one sensor;

c) receiving, by a programmable processor, sensor data from the at least one sensor, the sensor data corresponding to the detected motion;

d) computing, via the programmable processor, an offset time using the sensor data;

e) determining a target brushing time based on the sensor data, the target brushing time calculated by adding the offset time to an optimum time stored in a memory; and

f) enabling the user manipulate the oral care device to improve the brushing routine.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein determining the target brushing time comprises:

analyzing the sensor data to determine a brush stroke motion used during a first portion of the brushing routine;

determining the offset time using the determined brush stroke motion from a start of the first portion of the brushing routine;

calculating the target brushing time for the first portion of the brushing routine as the optimum time plus the offset time; and

displaying the target brushing time.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the sensor data is analyzed for the brush stroke motion comprising a quasi-circular brush stroke motion.

4. The method according to claim 2 , wherein sensor data is analyzed for the brush stroke motion comprising a composite of two or more of a y-axis brush stroke motion, a z-axis brush stroke motion, a quasi-circular brush stroke motion, and a flicking brush stroke motion.

5. The method according to claim 2 , wherein after calculating the target brushing time, determining the target brushing time further comprises:

re-analyzing the sensor data to continue determining the brush stroke motion used during the first portion of the brushing routine;

re-determining the offset time using the determined brush stroke motion from the first portion of the brushing routine; and

adjusting the target brushing time using the re-determined offset time.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein determining the offset time comprises referencing a lookup table.

7. The method according to claim 2 , further comprising:

calculating a performance metric using the determined brush stroke motion from the first portion of the brushing routine; and

storing the performance metric in the memory.

8. A method for oral care comprising:

a) providing an oral care device comprising at least one teeth cleaning element and at least one sensor;

b) detecting a brushing aggressiveness of the oral care device during a brushing routine of a user, via said at least one sensor;

c) receiving, by a programmable processor, sensor data from the at least one sensor, the sensor data corresponding to the detected motion;

d) computing, via the programmable processor, an offset time using the sensor data;

e) determining a target brushing time based on the sensor data, the target brushing time calculated by adding the offset time to an optimum time stored in a memory; and

f) enabling the user manipulate the oral care device to improve the brushing routine.

9. The method according to claim 8 , wherein determining the target brushing time comprises:

analyzing the sensor data to determine the brushing aggressiveness used during a first portion of the brushing routine;

determining the offset time using the determined brushing aggressiveness from a start of the first portion of the brushing routine;

calculating the target brushing time for the first portion of the brushing routine as the optimum time plus the offset time; and

displaying the target brushing time.

10. The method according to claim 9 , wherein the sensor data is analyzed for the brushing aggressiveness comprising one or more of a stroke rate, a stroke intensity, and an applied pressure.

11. The method according to claim 9 , wherein after calculating the target brushing time, determining the target brushing time further comprises:

re-analyzing the sensor data to continue determining the brushing aggressiveness used during the first portion of the brushing routine;

re-determining the offset time using the determined brushing aggressiveness from the first portion of the brushing routine; and

adjusting the target brushing time using the re-determined offset time.

12. The method according to claim 9 , wherein determining the offset time comprises referencing a lookup table.

13. The method according to claim 9 , further comprising:

calculating a performance metric using the determined brushing aggressiveness from the first portion of the brushing routine; and

storing the performance metric in the memory.

Continuity (2)
Division 15350223 · Nov 14, 2016
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