Determining the location of a personal care device

Abstract

According to one aspect, a computer-implemented method 100 for determining a position of a personal care device relative to a target body part is provided, the method comprising step 102 receiving an indication of an intended treatment area of ​​the body part to be treated using the personal care device, step 104 determining a dimension 208 of the intended treatment area based on the received indication, step 106 receiving first sensor data associated with the position of the personal care device relative to the body part obtained during a treatment session performed using the personal care device from a first sensor associated with the personal care device, the first sensor data being associated with the position of the personal care device relative to the body part based on the first sensor data received from the first sensor, and step 110 revising the predicted sequence of positions based on the determined dimension of the intended treatment area.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to locating personal care devices, and more particularly to determining the location of a personal care device relative to a body part of a subject. [Background technology]

[0002] Personal care devices are used by people to perform personal care activities such as hair care activities (such as shaving or trimming), skin care activities (such as skin brushing), and oral care activities (such as brushing teeth).

[0003] For example, it may be beneficial to determine the location of a personal care device while a user is performing a personal care activity to enable assessment of the level of completion of the personal care activity. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, some systems that allow the location of the personal care device to be determined may require a complex series of sensors, and in some systems, cameras may be required to accurately determine the location of the personal care device, which may raise privacy concerns, especially when the personal care device is used in, for example, a bathroom environment.

[0005] In systems that do not use cameras, movement of the personal care device can be detected, but it can be difficult to determine which body part is being treated, and whether the entire body part or only part of the body part is being treated.

[0006] US 2020 / 0201272 A1 discloses a treatment device movable relative to a target surface divided into one or more zones. The treatment device includes a device configured to determine the position of the treatment device relative to the target surface. Movement of the treatment device is detected by an inertial sensor. The device includes a motion pattern recognition device, in particular a neural network, configured to map motion data of the inertial sensor to at least one of a plurality of motion patterns included in a set of motion patterns. Each motion pattern is associated with one or more different zones of the target surface. Thus, the mapping of the motion data of the inertial sensor to the at least one motion pattern indicates an estimate of the position of the treatment device relative to one or more zones of the target surface.

[0007] US 2022 / 0347871 A1 discloses a method for determining the position of a personal care device relative to a skin surface of a subject. The method includes receiving data representing a measured degree of curvature of the skin surface in an area of ​​the subject's skin surface in contact with the personal care device. The method further includes determining an indication of the position of a first area of ​​the subject's skin surface by comparing the measured degree of curvature with curvature information for multiple areas of the subject's skin surface contained in a database.

[0008] Therefore, what is desired is a system that allows the position of a personal care device to be determined relative to the body part to be treated. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] A need has been identified for determining the position of a personal care device relative to a body part being treated that overcomes the above-mentioned problems. The inventors of the present disclosure have recognized that data obtained from sensors (e.g., inertial measurement units or IMUs) associated within the personal care device can provide an indication of the overall movement made by the personal care device during a personal care activity, and that this movement can be modified (e.g., scaled) based on knowledge of the body part, and more specifically the region of the body part, being treated during the personal care activity.

[0010] According to a first specific aspect, a computer-implemented method for determining a position of a personal care device relative to a target body part is provided, the method comprising the steps of receiving an indication of an intended treatment area of ​​a body part to be treated using the personal care device, determining dimensions of the intended treatment area based on the received indication, receiving first sensor data associated with the position of the personal care device relative to the body part acquired during a treatment session performed using the personal care device from a first sensor associated with the personal care device, predicting a sequence of positions of the personal care device relative to the body part based on the first sensor data received from the first sensor, and modifying the predicted sequence of positions based on the determined dimensions of the intended treatment area.

[0011] In this way, a single sensor associated with the personal care device can be used to obtain data indicative of device movement, which can be modified based on knowledge of where the device was being used when the measurements were obtained. Thus, multiple sensors are not required and localization can be achieved without the use of cameras. Furthermore, if the personal care device is also capable of measuring data indicative of the performance quality of the personal care activity (e.g., speed of treatment, pressure applied, etc.), this data can also be associated with the specific region of the body part being treated, which provides a more meaningful assessment of the quality of treatment in different regions of the body part.

[0012] In some embodiments, modifying the predicted sequence of locations may include rescaling the predicted sequence of locations based on the determined dimensions of the intended treatment area.

[0013] Modifying the predicted sequence of locations includes modifying the predicted sequence of locations based on determining that the predicted sequence of locations includes one or more locations that are outside the intended treatment area, such that the modified sequence of locations is within the intended treatment area.

[0014] The method may, in some embodiments, further include projecting the sequence of modified positions onto a representation of the intended treatment area.

[0015] In some embodiments, the method may further include receiving, during the treatment session, second sensor data related to a treatment parameter associated with the personal care device from a second sensor associated with the personal care device. The method may further include generating feedback related to the treatment session for provision to the receiving device based on the first sensor data received from the first sensor and the second sensor data received from the second sensor.

[0016] The method may further include providing the generated feedback for presentation to a user on a representation of the body part.

[0017] In some embodiments, the indication of the intended treatment area of ​​the body part may comprise an indication of areas to be treated or areas not to be treated on a segmented representation of the body part displayed to the user.

[0018] The indication of the intended treatment area of ​​the body part may include an image of the intended treatment style or pattern on the body part. Determining dimensions of the intended treatment area may include determining the dimensions from the intended treatment style or pattern.

[0019] The method may further include applying a weight to each predicted location in the sequence of predicted locations based on the predicted location's distance from the intended treatment area. Modifying the sequence of predicted locations can be further based on the applied weight.

[0020] According to a second particular aspect, there is provided a personal care device having a first sensor configured to measure first sensor data related to a position of the personal care device relative to a body part to be treated, the personal care device further comprising a processor configured to receive an indication of an intended treatment area of ​​the body part to be treated using the personal care device, determine dimensions of the intended treatment area based on the received indication, receive first sensor data from the first sensor during a treatment session performed using the personal care device, predict a sequence of positions of the personal care device relative to the body part based on the first sensor data received from the first sensor, and modify the predicted sequence of positions based on the determined dimensions of the intended treatment area.

[0021] In some embodiments, the first sensor of the personal care device may comprise a sensor selected from the group including an inertial measurement unit IMU, an accelerometer, a displacement sensor, and a proximity sensor.

[0022] The personal care device may further include a second sensor configured to measure a treatment parameter associated with the personal care device, the processor receiving second sensor data from the second sensor during the treatment session; The device is configured to generate feedback related to the treatment session for provision to the receiving device based on the first sensor data received from the first sensor and the second sensor data received from the second sensor.

[0023] In some embodiments, the processor of the personal care device may be configured to modify the predicted sequence of positions by rescaling the predicted sequence of positions so that the modified sequence of positions is within the intended treatment area.

[0024] According to a third specific aspect, a system for determining a position of a personal care device relative to a target body part is provided, the system comprising: a personal care device; a first sensor associated with the personal care device, the first sensor configured to generate first sensor data related to the position of the personal care device relative to the body part; and a processor configured to receive an indication of an intended treatment area of ​​the body part to be treated using the personal care device; determine dimensions of the intended treatment area based on the received indication; receive first sensor data from the first sensor generated by the first sensor during a treatment session performed using the personal care device; predict a sequence of positions of the personal care device relative to the body part based on the first sensor data received from the first sensor; and modify the predicted sequence of positions based on the determined dimensions of the intended treatment area.

[0025] According to a fourth particular aspect, there is provided a computer program product having a non-transitory computer readable medium having computer readable code embodied therein, the computer readable code being configured, when executed by a suitable computer or processor, to cause the computer or processor to perform the steps of the methods disclosed herein.

[0026] These and other aspects will be apparent from and elucidated with reference to the embodiments described hereinafter. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0027] [Figure 1] 1 is a flow chart of an example method for determining the position of a personal care device relative to a body part of a subject. [Figure 2] 10 is a flowchart of a further example of a method for determining the position of a personal care device relative to a body part of a subject. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of an example of a user interface. [Figure 4] 10 is a flowchart of a further example of a method for determining the position of a personal care device relative to a body part of a subject. [Figure 5] 1 is a schematic diagram of an example personal care device. [Figure 6] 1 is a schematic diagram of an example of a system for determining the position of a personal care device relative to a body part of a subject. [Figure 7] 1 is a schematic diagram of an example of a processor in communication with a machine-readable medium. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0028] Exemplary embodiments will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0029] According to various embodiments disclosed herein, a mechanism is provided that can accurately determine the position of a personal care device relative to a body part using data indicative of how the personal care device is moved during a personal care activity.

[0030] As used herein, the term "personal care device" is intended to refer to any device or implement that can be used to perform a personal care activity. Personal care devices can include, for example, hair-cutting devices, such as hair trimmers or shaving devices, skin treatment devices, such as facial cleansing brushes, skin rejuvenation devices, or intense pulsed light (IPL) devices, and oral care devices, such as power toothbrushes or air flossing devices. The term "body part" as used herein is intended to refer to any part of a human body that can be treated using a personal care device. For example, a shaving device (i.e., a personal care device) can be used to perform a shaving activity (i.e., a personal care activity) on a subject's head (i.e., a body part). In another example, an intense pulsed light (IPL) device (i.e., a personal care device) can be used to perform a hair removal activity (i.e., a personal care activity) on a subject's legs (i.e., a body part).

[0031] According to a first aspect, the present invention provides a method. Referring to the drawings, methods according to various embodiments will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3. FIG. 1 is a flowchart of an example method 100 for determining a position of a personal care device relative to a body part of a subject. The subject may be, for example, a user of the personal care device. Method 100 may comprise a computer-implemented method, and the steps of the method may be performed using one or more processors or processing devices. Method 100 includes, in step 102, receiving an indication of an intended treatment area of ​​a body part to be treated using the personal care device. In step 104, method 100 includes determining dimensions of the intended treatment area based on the received indication. The method includes, in step 106, receiving, from a first sensor associated with the personal care device, first sensor data related to the position of the personal care device relative to the body part, acquired during a treatment session performed using the personal care device. In step 108, the method includes predicting a sequence of positions of the personal care device relative to the body part based on the first sensor data received from the first sensor. In step 110, the method includes modifying the predicted sequence of locations based on the determined dimensions of the intended treatment area.

[0032] The steps of method 100 will be described in more detail with reference to the example shown in Figure 2, in which a processor 202 is used to perform the various steps. In this example, a single processor 202 is shown, but it should be understood that multiple processors may be used and different steps may be performed by different processing resources that may be located in the same location or in different locations. The example shown in Figure 2 relates to a shaving activity, in which a shaving device is used to cut (i.e., shave) hair on a subject's head (e.g., face).

[0033] The processor 202 receives an indication of an intended treatment area of ​​a body part to be treated using the personal care device (step 102). In some embodiments, the indication of the intended treatment area may be received via user input (e.g., from a user). Such user input 204 may be provided, for example, via a user interface, such as a user interface associated with a computing device, such as a desktop computer, a tablet computer, a smartphone, a wearable device, an interactive mirror, or the like. An interactive mirror, sometimes referred to as a smart mirror, is a unit that, in addition to functioning as a mirror that allows the user to see themselves, can also display information to the user. Information, such as text, images, and videos, may be displayed on the interactive mirror's display, which may be located, for example, behind a mirrored (or partially mirrored) panel or a mirrored (or partially mirrored) surface. In this way, the display screen, or a portion thereof, is visible through the mirrored portion, allowing the user to simultaneously see themselves and the information presented on the display screen.

[0034] A user can provide text input, for example, by typing text describing the intended treatment area (e.g., chin) or by selecting the intended treatment area from a list of possible treatment areas. In another example, a user can provide an indication by selecting the intended treatment area from a representation (e.g., an image) of the body part displayed to them. For example, the indication of the intended treatment area of ​​the body part may include an indication of areas to be treated or areas not to be treated on a segmented representation of the body part displayed to the user. The segmented representation is presented to the user on a display screen of a computing device (e.g., the user's smartphone), and the user can indicate one or more intended treatment areas by selecting relevant segments or areas within the representation. An indication of the intended treatment area may be provided as a result of the user indicating one or more areas not to be treated. For example, if a user indicates that a particular area is not intended to be treated, it can be understood that any unselected areas are intended to be treated. In the example of a user performing a shaving activity, the user can indicate areas on the subject's face where hair is intended to be left, and the processor 202 can determine that other areas are intended to be shaved.

[0035] In some embodiments, the indication of the intended treatment area of ​​the body part may include an image on the body part and the intended treatment style or pattern. For example, a user may select the treatment style (e.g., facial hairstyle) they wish to achieve from a number of options. In another example, a user may upload an image of the intended treatment style or pattern, e.g., an image of a person whose body part has been treated based on the intended treatment style or pattern. For example, a user may upload an image of a person with the facial hairstyle they wish to recreate.

[0036] In other examples, an indication of the intended treatment area of ​​the body part to be treated using the personal care device can be received in another manner, for example, from the personal care device itself. For example, it can be determined which area of ​​the body part is intended to be treated from the settings of the personal care device or from the nature or type of attachment (e.g., cutting element or treatment element) attached to the personal care device.

[0037] 3 is an illustration of an example user interface 300 in which a representation 302 of a subject's body part 304 is displayed. The representation 302 can be a live representation of the subject (e.g., a live stream captured using a camera or a reflection of the subject in an interactive mirror), a still image of the subject, an avatar representing the subject, or a general representation of the body part. In the example shown in FIG. 3, a general segmented representation 302 of the subject's head is shown. The user interface 300 also includes selectable icons 306, each corresponding to a region of the body part. A user can select one or more icons 306 that indicate the intended treatment area.

[0038] In another example, the user may provide an indication by drawing a freehand outline around the area intended for treatment. Alternatively, an image of the desired result of a personal care activity (e.g., a photo of the subject with the desired facial hair) may be provided, for example, by uploading the image, and the processor 202 may use a detection algorithm (e.g., a hair detection algorithm) to determine which area of ​​the body part is intended to be treated.

[0039] Referring again to FIG. 2 , processor 202 determines dimensions 208 of the intended treatment area based on the received indication received in step 102 (step 104). For example, the dimensions may be measurements in three dimensions, such as width (W), height (H), and depth (D). Thus, in an example where the personal care activity is a shaving activity, dimensions 208 of the shaving area may correspond to the dimensions of the area when mapped to a three-dimensional version (e.g., a model) of the body part to be shaved (e.g., the subject's head or face). In some embodiments, if an image of the intended treatment area is provided, dimensions 208 may be determined by mapping the image (e.g., a two-dimensional image) to a generic three-dimensional model of the body part (e.g., the head) and determining the dimensions from the mapping. If multiple images of the intended treatment area are provided, a more accurate determination can be made. The multiple images can be used to estimate the shape of the body part rather than using a generic body part model, and then the multiple images can be mapped to the model to obtain the dimensions. Further options include estimating the three-dimensional body part shape from a single image, or estimating the depth of the body part, mapping the image to a model of the body part, and obtaining dimensions. In examples where the indication of the intended treatment area of ​​the body part includes an image of the intended treatment style or pattern of the body part, determining the dimensions 208 of the intended treatment area may include determining the dimensions from the intended treatment style or pattern; in other words, the processor 202 can calculate the dimensions of the intended treatment area from an image of the intended treatment style or pattern provided by the user.

[0040] Steps 102 and 104 can be performed before a personal care activity begins. For example, a user can provide an indication of an intended treatment area before beginning a personal care activity. In some examples, the previously provided indication can be stored (e.g., in a memory) and used by processor 202 in subsequent steps of method 100.

[0041] During a personal care activity (e.g., a treatment session performed using the personal care device), a sensor associated with the personal care device (i.e., the first sensor 206) is configured to acquire data (i.e., first sensor data). The first sensor data acquired by the first sensor can indicate how the personal care device was moved during the treatment session. The first sensor can include, for example, an inertial measurement unit (IMU), an accelerometer, a displacement sensor such as an optical displacement sensor, a motion or movement sensor, or a proximity sensor. The IMU can include one or more accelerometers, gyroscopes, and / or geomagnetometers. In some examples, the personal care device can include multiple sensors, such as two or more of the sensors described above, which can improve the data acquired.

[0042] The processor 202 receives first sensor data from the first sensor 206 (step 106) related to the position of the personal care device relative to the body part acquired during a treatment session performed using the personal care device. The received first sensor data may include, for example, a series of data points, each data point indicating the position of the personal care device relative to a reference point (e.g., the starting point of the personal care device). Thus, as the personal care device is moved during the treatment session, its position is recorded at a predetermined sampling rate, and a sequence of positions (e.g., a path of movement) is recorded over the course of the treatment session. The nature of the data acquired by the first sensor 206 depends on the type of sensor used. For example, an IMU may measure the orientation and acceleration of the personal care device as it is moved, and from that data, the position of the personal care device relative to its starting position can be determined using known techniques.

[0043] The processor 202 predicts a sequence 210 of positions of the personal care device relative to the body part based on the first sensor data received from the first sensor in step 106 (step 108). When acquiring the first sensor data, the first sensor 206 does not know which body part or which region of the body part will be treated. Therefore, based on the first sensor data, the processor 202 can predict a sequence of positions of the personal care device relative to its starting position, but the prediction does not take into account which body part will be treated and whether the entire body part will be treated or only a portion of the body part will be treated. Therefore, it is not possible to determine when the personal care device will move between different regions (e.g., segments) of the body part. For example, it is not possible to determine when the shaving device will move from the subject's cheek to the subject's chin during a shaving activity.

[0044] Accordingly, the processor 202 modifies the sequence of predicted positions 210 based on the determined dimensions 208 of the intended treatment area (step 110). Modifying the sequence of predicted positions can include mapping the sequence of predicted positions to a three-dimensional model of the treated body part. For example, the sequence of predicted positions from a shaving activity can be mapped to a three-dimensional model of a human head. In some embodiments, the three-dimensional model can be a generic model having the shape, size, and dimensions of an average human head. Such a generic body part can be given arbitrary dimensions of W=1 (e.g., 0 to 1), H=1 (e.g., 0 to 1), and D=1 (e.g., 0 to 1). Thus, the sequence of predicted positions is scaled to fit into a cube of arbitrary dimensions 1x1x1.

[0045] In some embodiments, the total area covered by the sequence of predicted positions may be scaled (e.g., multiplied by a factor) based on the dimensions of the intended treatment region. For example, the sequence of predicted positions may be scaled between 0 and 1 in each of the three dimensions, x, y, and z, where the applied scaling may correspond to the body part to be treated (e.g., the subject's head). If, in step 104, it is determined that the intended treatment region has an area smaller than the entire body part, a scaling factor may be applied to reduce the area covered by the sequence of positions to match the dimensions of the intended treatment region. Thus, modifying the sequence of predicted positions may include rescaling the sequence of predicted positions based on the determined dimensions of the intended treatment region.

[0046] Example 1: Shaving an area of ​​the head. The sequence of predicted locations is, by definition, contained within a cube from 0 to 1 (e.g., 1x1x1). In this example, the scale of the treatment area of ​​the body part relative to the cube is HxWxD=5x5x2 (as opposed to the scale of the entire head relative to this cube, e.g., HxWxD=30x20x15), and the origin (0,0,0) is set to 15x7.5x10 instead of 0x0x0 as for the entire head. The sequence of predicted locations is rescaled to its actual dimensions (e.g., in cm) in the 0-1 cube by multiplying it by the scale of the treated body part (i.e., 5x5x2 in this example) to obtain a cm-scale prediction. Adding the origin shifts the scaled prediction to its actual location relative to the model of the body part. The scaled and shifted prediction is then projected onto the treated body part.

[0047] Example 2: Shaving a Head Region. In another example, the scale of the predicted location sequence (i.e., the area of ​​the predicted location sequence) can also be considered. In such an example, the actual dimensions of the predictor can be determined: for example, 0.8x0.7x0.4 (instead of 1x1x1 in Example 1 above). Next, the scale of the treatment region of the body part relative to a cube can be determined (e.g., 5x5x2), and the origin can be set (e.g., 15x7.5x10). The predicted location sequence is rescaled to match the dimensions of the treated body part region by multiplying the area of ​​the predicted location sequence by 5 / 0.8x5 / 0.7x2 / 0.4, so that the predicted location sequence spans the entire size of the treated body part. The scaled predicted value is shifted to its actual position relative to the model of the body part by adding the origin 15x7.5x10. The scaled and shifted predicted value can be projected onto the treated body part.

[0048] In some embodiments, a common or standard sized body part can be used to scale the predicted location sequence, while in other embodiments, the area covered by the predicted location sequence (e.g., the area covered by a bounding box surrounding the predicted location sequence) can be estimated or predicted, which may be scaled based on the dimensions of the intended treatment area.

[0049] During a personal care activity, a user may move the personal care device outside the intended treatment area, for example, by mistake or to enable viewing of the intended treatment area. In some embodiments, if it is determined that the personal care device has been moved outside the intended treatment area, predicted positions outside the intended treatment area can be ignored. In some embodiments, based on determining that the predicted sequence of positions includes one or more positions outside the intended treatment area, the predicted sequence of positions can be modified so that the modified sequence of positions is within the intended treatment area. In other words, if, after analyzing the path traveled by the personal care device, it is determined that any position in the sequence of positions is outside the intended treatment area, the area covered by the predicted sequence of positions can be scaled so that all positions in the predicted sequence of positions are within the intended treatment area.

[0050] The result of performing method 100 is that the predicted sequence of positions is modified to match the intended treatment area indicated by the user. Thus, any motion data measured during the personal care activity can be modified to apply to the intended treatment area of ​​the body part indicated by the user.

[0051] FIG. 4 is a flowchart of a further example method 400 for determining the position of a personal care device relative to a target body part. In step 402, method 400 may further include projecting the sequence of modified positions onto a representation of the intended treatment area. For example, a path of how the personal care device moved during a treatment session can be projected onto a representation (e.g., an image, a photograph, a reflection, an avatar, etc.) of the intended treatment area of ​​the body part. Projecting the sequence of modified positions onto the representation of the intended treatment area can be achieved using known projection techniques, including, for example, calculating a minimum Euclidean distance (e.g., to a representation / model of the body part). In another example, a mesh model of the intended treatment area of ​​the body part is used, for example, using a "point-to-surface" technique, as would be understood by one skilled in the art. By projecting the sequence of modified positions onto the representation of the intended treatment area of ​​the body part, sensor data acquired using the first sensor and / or the second sensor can be attributed to a specific region (e.g., left cheek, right cheek, chin, etc.) within the intended treatment area. The method 400 may comprise a computer-implemented method and may comprise the steps of the method 100 described above.

[0052] At step 404, method 400 may further include receiving second sensor data related to a treatment parameter associated with the personal care device from a second sensor associated with the personal care device during the treatment session. The second sensor may include, for example, a pressure or force sensor configured to measure the pressure applied by the personal care device to a body part (e.g., a user's skin), a timer configured to measure the time spent performing the personal care activity, a sensor configured to measure motion data indicative of how the personal care device was moved during the personal care activity, etc. In some embodiments, the second sensor data may be received from the first sensor 206. In some events, multiple second sensors may be provided and the second sensor data may be received from more than one sensor.

[0053] Method 400 further includes, at step 406, generating feedback related to the treatment session for provision to a receiving device based on the first sensor data received from the first sensor and the second sensor data received from the second sensor. The first sensor data and the second sensor data can provide an indication of how much the personal care device was moved over the intended treatment area during the treatment session, how the personal care device was moved during the treatment session, an indication of the pressure or force applied by the personal care device to the user's body part, an indication of the speed of movement of the personal care device during the treatment session, etc. Based on the received first sensor data and second sensor data, an assessment is made of how well the user performed the personal care activity during the treatment session, and feedback can be provided to the user based on one or more parameters related to the data measured by the first and second sensors. For example, the feedback can include an indication that the user moved the personal care device faster while treating one side of the body part than the other side of the body part. In another example, the feedback may include an indication that more pressure than normal was applied to the body part during the treatment session, which may result in skin irritation. In another example, the feedback may include an indication that the personal care device was moved in a linear (e.g., generally straight) manner during the treatment session, while it is recommended that the personal care device be moved in a circular motion.

[0054] In some embodiments, the feedback may include advice to enable the user to modify one or more aspects of the use of the personal care device to improve the effectiveness of use in future treatment sessions, in other words, the feedback is considered to be actionable feedback.

[0055] The receiving device to which feedback is provided can comprise the personal care device itself or any other device with functionality that allows feedback to be communicated to a recipient, such as a user or subject. For example, feedback can be provided to a user's smartphone (e.g., via an application), tablet computer, or interactive mirror. Feedback can be provided in the form of a text message displayed on a screen, e.g., "It looks like you pressed too hard during your session. Try applying less pressure next time." In another example, feedback can be provided in the form of one or more lights that illuminate in different colors to indicate the quality of the treatment session.

[0056] In some embodiments, the feedback may be provided graphically or illustratively. For example, method 400 may further include providing the generated feedback for presentation to the user on a representation of the body part at step 408. The representation of the body part may comprise a realistic likeness of the body part (e.g., based on a photograph or image of the subject's body part), a reflection of the body part (e.g., as seen in an interactive mirror), an avatar, or a general illustration of the body part. In an example where the personal care activity is a shaving activity, a representation of the subject's face may be displayed, and different colors (e.g., red, yellow, and green) may be used to indicate how well the personal care activity was performed in different areas of the intended treatment area of ​​the body part based on the first and second data (e.g., movement, pressure applied, and / or time spent). For example, an area colored green may indicate that personal care activities were performed well in that area with respect to the data received from the first sensor and the second sensor, an area colored yellow may indicate that personal care activities were performed moderately in that area and some improvement would be beneficial to the user, and an area colored red may indicate that personal care activities were performed less well in that area and improvement should be made.

[0057] In some embodiments, method 400 may further include, at step 410, applying a weight to each predicted location in the sequence of predicted locations based on the predicted location's distance from the intended treatment area. For example, this may be applied using a weighted distance function. In some embodiments, a relatively low weight may be applied to predicted locations within the intended treatment area, and a relatively high weight may be applied to predicted locations outside the intended treatment area. The weight applied to a predicted location may increase with distance outside the intended treatment area, with a minimum weight applied to any predicted location within the intended treatment area.

[0058] In examples where weights are applied to the predicted positions, the step of modifying the sequence of predicted positions can be further based on the applied weights. By applying a minimum weighted distance method, predicted positions that are significantly outside the intended treatment area (and therefore have a relatively large weight applied) are ignored or discarded, while positions that are determined to be slightly outside the intended treatment area (and therefore have a relatively small weight applied) are considered. In this way, an event during a treatment session in which the personal care device is inadvertently moved outside the intended treatment area may not actually have been part of the treatment and can be ignored.

[0059] In other embodiments, the weights can be applied in a different manner. Once the sequence of predicted locations has been scaled, they can be projected onto a three-dimensional model of the entire body part (i.e., the treatment and untreated regions). To determine the end point of the projection onto the model of the body part, the point with the smallest weighted distance from the prediction to the three-dimensional model of the body part is considered. The weight for points within the treatment region of the body part is set to a low value (e.g., up to 1). The weight for points in the untreated region of the body part is set to a higher value (e.g., based on the distance to the treatment region of the body part). When projecting the sequence of predicted locations, the distance to each point in the three-dimensional model is calculated and multiplied by a weight, and the prediction with the smallest weighted distance is selected as the winner. As a result, predictions that fall far outside the treatment region are still projected outside the treatment region, while the rest are projected within the treatment region. When providing feedback to the user, feedback for points outside the untreated region can be omitted.

[0060] Further examples considering the application of weights are given below.

[0061] Example 3: Shaving a Head Region. First, the dimensions of the bulk of the predicted location sequence, excluding outliers, are determined (e.g., 0.8 x 0.7 x 0.4 instead of the 1 x 1 x 1 used in Example 1 above). Next, the scale of the body part treatment area relative to a cube is determined, e.g., 5 x 5 x 2, and the origin is set to 15 x 7.5 x 10. The predicted location sequence is rescaled to match the dimensions of the treated body part area by multiplying the predicted values ​​by 5 / 0.8 x 5 / 0.7 x 2 / 0.4, so that the bulk of the predicted location sequence spans the entire size of the treated body part. The scaled predicted values ​​are shifted to their actual positions relative to the body part model by adding the origin 15 x 7.5 x 10. The scaled and shifted predicted values ​​can be projected onto the treated body part. In some embodiments, outliers may be projected beyond (ie, outside of) the treated body part if it provides a better fit.

[0062] According to a further aspect, the present invention provides a personal care device. Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of an example of a personal care device 500 that can be used to perform steps of the methods disclosed herein. The personal care device 500 includes a first sensor 206 and a processor 502. The first sensor 206 is configured to measure first sensor data related to the position of the personal care device relative to the body part being treated. As described above, the first sensor 206 may include an inertial measurement unit (IMU), an accelerometer, a displacement sensor, a proximity sensor, or similar elements capable of determining operational data related to the personal care device during a treatment session. The processor 502 may include or be similar to the processor 202 described above and is configured to perform steps of the methods 100, 400 disclosed herein. Specifically, the processor 502 is configured to receive an indication of an intended treatment area of ​​a body part to be treated using the personal care device, determine dimensions of the intended treatment area based on the received indication, receive first sensor data from the first sensor during a treatment session performed using the personal care device, predict a sequence of positions of the personal care device relative to the body part based on the first sensor data received from the first sensor, and modify the predicted sequence of positions based on the determined dimensions of the intended treatment area.

[0063] In some embodiments, the personal care device 500 can further include a second sensor 504 configured to measure a treatment parameter associated with the personal care device. The second sensor 504 can include, for example, a pressure sensor, a timer, a motion sensor, an IMU, etc. The processor 502 can be configured to receive second sensor data from the second sensor 504 during the treatment session and generate feedback related to the treatment session for provision to the receiving device based on the first sensor data received from the first sensor 206 and the second sensor data received from the second sensor 504.

[0064] The processor 502, in some embodiments, may be configured to modify the predicted sequence of positions by rescaling the predicted sequence of positions so that the modified sequence of positions is within the intended treatment area. In other words, the path formed by the sequence of predicted positions of the personal care device during a treatment session can be scaled based on the size of the intended treatment area.

[0065] According to a further aspect, the present invention provides a system. In the examples described above, the personal care device 500 includes the first sensor 206, the processor 502, and, if present, the second sensor 504. In these examples, the processing steps can be performed within the personal care device 500 itself. In other embodiments, the processing steps (e.g., steps of the methods 100, 400 disclosed herein) can be performed using a processor located remotely from the personal care device 500, for example, the processor of a smartphone or computing device in communication with the personal care device.

[0066] 6 is a schematic diagram of an example of a system 600 for determining a position of a personal care device relative to a target body part. The system 600 includes a processor 602, a personal care device 604, and a first sensor 606. The first sensor 606 is associated with the personal care device 604 and configured to generate first sensor data associated with the position of the personal care device relative to the body part. The processor 602, in communication with the personal care device 604 and / or the first sensor 606, is configured to receive an indication of an intended treatment area of ​​the body part to be treated using the personal care device, determine dimensions of the intended treatment area based on the received indication, receive first sensor data from the first sensor generated by the first sensor during a treatment session performed using the personal care device, predict a sequence of positions of the personal care device relative to the body part based on the first sensor data received from the first sensor, and modify the predicted sequence of positions based on the determined dimensions of the intended treatment area. In some embodiments, the personal care device 604 can further include a second sensor (not shown) that has the functionality of the second sensor 504 described above.

[0067] According to a further aspect, the present invention provides a computer program product. Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of an example of a processor in communication with a machine-readable medium 704. According to various embodiments, a computer program product is provided that includes a non-transitory computer-readable medium 704 having computer-readable code embodied therein that, when executed by a suitable computer or processor 702, causes the computer or processor to perform the steps of the methods 100, 400 disclosed herein.

[0068] The processor 202, 602, 702 may include one or more processors, processing units, multi-core processors, or modules configured or programmed to control elements of the personal care device 500, 604 in the manner described herein. In certain implementations, the processor 202, 602, 702 may include multiple software and / or hardware modules, each configured to or intended to perform individual or multiple steps of the methods described herein.

[0069] The term "module" as used herein is intended to include a hardware element, such as a processor or element of a processor configured to perform a particular function, or a software element, such as a set of instruction data that has a particular function when executed by a processor.

[0070] It should be understood that embodiments of the present invention also apply to computer programs, particularly those on or in a carrier, adapted for carrying out the present invention. The program may be in the form of source code, object code, a source and object code intermediate code, such as a partially compiled form, or any other form suitable for use in implementing a method according to embodiments of the present invention. It should also be understood that such programs may have many different architectural designs. For example, program code implementing the functionality of a method or system according to the present invention may be subdivided into one or more subroutines. Many different ways of distributing functionality among these subroutines will be apparent to those skilled in the art. The subroutines may be stored together in an executable file to form a self-contained program. Such an executable file may contain computer-executable instructions, such as processor instructions and / or interpreter instructions (e.g., Java interpreter instructions). Alternatively, one or more or all of the subroutines may be stored in at least one external library file and linked statically or dynamically with the main program, e.g., at run time. The main program includes at least one call to at least one subroutine. The subroutines may also have function calls to one another. An embodiment of a computer program product comprises computer-executable instructions corresponding to each processing step of at least one of the methods defined herein. These instructions may be subdivided into subroutines and / or stored in one or more statically or dynamically linked files. Another embodiment of a computer program product comprises computer-executable instructions corresponding to each means of at least one of the systems and / or products defined herein. These instructions may be subdivided into subroutines and / or stored in one or more statically or dynamically linked files.

[0071] The carrier of a computer program may be any entity or device capable of carrying the program. For example, the carrier may comprise a data storage device such as a ROM, for example a CD-ROM or a semiconductor ROM, or a magnetic recording medium, for example a hard disk. Furthermore, the carrier may be a transmissible carrier such as an electric or optical signal, which may be conveyed via an electric or optical cable or by radio or other means. When the program is embodied in such a signal, the carrier may be constituted by such a cable or other device or means. Alternatively, the carrier may be an integrated circuit in which the program is embedded, the integrated circuit being adapted to or used for performing the relevant method.

[0072] Variations to the disclosed embodiments can be understood and implemented by those skilled in the art practicing the principles and techniques described herein, from a study of the figures, the disclosure, and the appended claims. In the claims, the word "comprise" does not exclude other elements or steps, and the indefinite article "a" or "an" does not exclude a plurality. A single processor or other unit may fulfill the functions of several items recited in a claim. The mere fact that certain means are recited in mutually different dependent claims does not indicate that a combination of these means cannot be used to advantage. A computer program can be stored or distributed on a suitable medium, such as an optical storage medium or a solid-state medium supplied together with or as part of other hardware, but can also be distributed in other forms, such as via the Internet or other wired or wireless communication systems. Any reference signs in the claims should not be interpreted as limiting the scope of the invention.

Claims

1. 1. A computer-implemented method for determining a position of a personal care device relative to a body part of a subject, comprising: receiving an indication of an intended treatment area of ​​a body part to be treated using the personal care device; receiving, from a first sensor associated with the personal care device, first sensor data associated with a position of the personal care device relative to the body part, acquired during a treatment session performed using the personal care device; predicting a sequence of positions of the personal care device relative to the body part based on first sensor data received from the first sensor; determining the dimensions of the intended treatment area based on the received indication; and modifying the predicted sequence of locations based on the determined dimensions of the intended treatment area.

2. 2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein modifying the predicted sequence of locations comprises rescaling the predicted sequence of locations based on the determined dimensions of the intended treatment area.

3. 3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein modifying the predicted sequence of locations comprises modifying the predicted sequence of locations based on a determination that the predicted sequence of locations includes one or more locations that are outside the intended treatment area, wherein the modified sequence of locations is within the intended treatment area.

4. 4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising projecting the sequence of modified positions onto a representation of the intended treatment area.

5. receiving, during a treatment session, second sensor data related to a treatment parameter associated with the personal care device from a second sensor associated with the personal care device; 5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising: generating feedback regarding the treatment session for provision to a receiving device based on first sensor data received from the first sensor and second sensor data received from the second sensor.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5 , further comprising providing the generated feedback for presentation to a user on a representation of the body part.

7. 7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the indication of the intended treatment area of ​​the body part comprises an indication of areas to be treated or areas not to be treated on a segmented representation of the body part displayed to the user.

8. the indication of an intended treatment area of ​​the body part comprises an image of an intended treatment style or pattern on the body part; 8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein determining dimensions of the intended treatment area comprises determining dimensions from the intended treatment style or pattern.

9. applying a weight to each predicted location in the sequence of predicted locations based on the predicted location's distance from the intended treatment area; The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the modification of the predicted sequence of positions is further based on the applied weights.

10. 1. A personal care device comprising: a first sensor that measures first sensor data related to a position of the personal care device relative to a body part to be treated; a processor, the processor comprising: receiving an indication of an intended treatment area of ​​a body part to be treated using the personal care device; receiving first sensor data from the first sensor during a treatment session performed using the personal care device; predicting a sequence of positions of the personal care device relative to the body part based on first sensor data received from the first sensor; determining the dimensions of the intended treatment area based on the received indication; The personal care device modifies the predicted sequence of positions based on the determined dimensions of the intended treatment area.

11. 11. The personal care device of claim 10, wherein the first sensor comprises a sensor selected from the group consisting of an inertial measurement unit (IMU), an accelerometer, a displacement sensor, and a proximity sensor.

12. a second sensor for measuring a treatment parameter associated with the personal care device; the processor: receiving second sensor data from the second sensor during the treatment session; 12. The personal care device of claim 10 or 11, wherein feedback related to the treatment session is generated for provision to a receiving device based on first sensor data received from the first sensor and second sensor data received from the second sensor.

13. 13. The personal care device of claim 10, wherein the processor modifies the predicted sequence of positions by rescaling the predicted sequence of positions, wherein the modified sequence of positions is within the intended treatment area.

14. 1. A system for determining a position of a personal care device relative to a body part of a subject, comprising: a personal care device; a first sensor associated with the personal care device, the first sensor generating first sensor data related to a position of the personal care device relative to the body part; a processor, the processor comprising: receiving an indication of an intended treatment area of ​​a body part to be treated using the personal care device; receiving first sensor data from the first sensor generated by the first sensor during a treatment session performed using the personal care device; predicting a sequence of positions of the personal care device relative to the body part based on the first sensor data received from the first sensor; determining the dimensions of the intended treatment area based on the received indication; The system modifies the predicted sequence of locations based on the determined dimensions of the intended treatment area.

15. A computer program which, when executed by a suitable computer or processor, causes said computer or processor to carry out the method according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

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