Oral cleaning device, oral cleaning system, oral cleaning method, and oral cleaning program

Abstract

To provide oral cavity washing equipment with a camera capable of inhibiting water droplets from adhering to the camera for imaging the oral cavity.SOLUTION: Oral cavity washing equipment 10 includes a camera 106 for imaging the oral cavity and a nozzle 105 for injecting a water flow in the oral cavity. The oral cavity washing equipment 10 includes a water flow injection control part for controlling injection processing for the water flow injected from the nozzle 105. The oral cavity washing equipment 10 further includes a switch state determination part 114 for determining the state of a switch 104 for giving an instruction on whether or not the water flow is to be injected from the outside, and a camera protection mechanism control part for controlling a camera protection mechanism for protecting the camera 106 against water droplets. The water flow injection control part injects the water flow when the switch state determination part 114 determines that the state of the switch 104 is a state for injecting the water flow, and when the camera protection mechanism is effective.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an oral cleaning device, an oral cleaning system, an oral cleaning method, and an oral cleaning program. [Background technology]

[0002] There has been proposed an oral cleaning device that includes a camera for photographing the oral cavity, determines the position in the oral cavity that needs to be cleaned based on the image photographed by the camera, and cleans the oral cavity by spraying a water flow onto the position that needs to be cleaned. Patent Document 1 discloses a visible oral irrigator that includes a camera as an intraoral imaging system. The visible oral irrigator disclosed in Patent Document 1 observes the area that needs to be cleaned and the magnitude of the flow rate when the fluid (water flow) is sprayed from the water outlet of the visible oral irrigator in real time via the camera, and realizes a visualization operation of the area to be cleaned. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Special Publication No. 2020-531062 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] For example, when cleaning the oral cavity by jetting a water flow like the visible oral irrigator disclosed in Patent Document 1, splashes (droplets) of the water flow hitting the tooth surface or gums are reflected. Therefore, when jetting water while photographing the oral cavity with a camera, the splashes (droplets) of the water flow hitting the tooth surface or gums may adhere to the camera because the target position of the water flow is close to the camera, making it difficult to obtain an accurate image.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the problems inherent in the conventional techniques, and an object of the present disclosure is to provide an oral cleaning device with a camera that is capable of suppressing adhesion of water droplets to a camera for photographing the inside of the oral cavity. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] An oral cleansing device according to an aspect of the present disclosure is an oral cleansing device comprising a camera for photographing the inside of the oral cavity and a nozzle for spraying a water flow into the oral cavity, and comprising a water flow spray control unit for controlling the spraying process of the water flow sprayed from the nozzle, a switch state determination unit for determining the state of a switch for externally instructing whether or not to spray the water flow, and a camera protection mechanism control unit for controlling a camera protection mechanism for protecting the camera from water droplets, and the water flow spray control unit sprays the water flow when the switch state determination unit determines that the state of the switch is such that a water flow is sprayed and the camera protection mechanism is effective.

[0007] An oral cleansing device according to another aspect of the present disclosure is an oral cleansing device comprising a camera for photographing the inside of the oral cavity and a nozzle for spraying a water flow into the oral cavity, and comprising a water flow spray control unit for controlling the spraying process of the water flow sprayed from the nozzle, a camera protection mechanism control unit for controlling a camera protection mechanism for protecting the camera from water droplets, an image analysis unit for analyzing images taken by the camera, and a position determination unit for determining whether or not the nozzle is in a predetermined position based on information analyzed by the image analysis unit, and the water flow spray control unit sprays the water flow when the position determination unit determines that the nozzle is in the predetermined position and the camera protection mechanism is effective.

[0008] An oral cleansing system according to another aspect of the present disclosure is an oral cleansing system comprising an oral cleansing device having a camera for photographing the inside of the oral cavity and a nozzle for spraying a water flow into the oral cavity, and a display device capable of communicating with the oral cleansing device, wherein the display device acquires images of the inside of the oral cavity captured by the camera from the oral cleansing device and displays the acquired images on a display unit of the display device, and the oral cleansing device comprises a water flow ejection control unit for controlling the ejection process of the water flow ejected from the nozzle, a switch state determination unit for determining the state of a switch for externally instructing whether or not to eject the water flow, and a camera protection mechanism control unit for controlling a camera protection mechanism for protecting the camera from water droplets, and the water flow ejection control unit ejects the water flow when the switch state determination unit determines that the state of the switch is such that the water flow is ejected and the camera protection mechanism is effective.

[0009] Another aspect of the present disclosure is an oral cavity cleansing method executed by a computer, which disables a camera protection mechanism for protecting a camera that photographs the inside of the oral cavity from water droplets, turns on the camera's photography process, determines the state of a switch for externally instructing whether or not to spray a water stream into the oral cavity, and if it is determined that the switch state is such that a water stream is to be sprayed, enables the camera protection mechanism and sprays a water stream into the oral cavity from a nozzle.

[0010] An oral cleansing program according to another aspect of the present disclosure causes a computer to execute a process of disabling a camera protection mechanism for protecting a camera photographing the inside of the oral cavity from water droplets, turning on the camera's photographing process, determining the state of a switch for externally instructing whether or not to spray a water stream into the oral cavity, and, if it is determined that the switch state is such that a water stream is to be sprayed, enabling the camera protection mechanism and spraying a water stream into the oral cavity from a nozzle. Effect of the Invention

[0011] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide an oral cleaning device with a camera that can prevent water droplets from adhering to a camera for photographing the inside of the oral cavity. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram showing an oral cleaning system according to the present embodiment. [Figure 2A] 1 is a schematic diagram for explaining the state of the oral cleaning device when photographing the inside of the oral cavity via a camera in the oral cleaning system according to this embodiment. FIG. [Figure 2B] A schematic diagram for explaining the state of the oral cleaning device when a water flow is sprayed through a nozzle in the oral cleaning system of this embodiment. [Diagram 3] 1 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of an oral cleaning device and a user terminal according to a first embodiment. FIG. [Figure 4] 4 is a flowchart showing an example of a process of the oral cleaning device according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of an oral cleaning device according to a second embodiment. [Figure 6A] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an example of an image of the intraoral cavity captured by a camera. [Figure 6B] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an example of an image of the intraoral cavity captured by a camera. [Figure 7] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of a process of an oral cleaning device according to a second embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of an oral cleaning device according to a third embodiment. [Figure 9] 13 is a flowchart showing an example of a process of an oral cleaning device according to a third embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0013] Hereinafter, the embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, more detailed description than necessary may be omitted. For example, detailed description of already well-known matters or duplicate description of substantially the same configuration may be omitted. Note that the accompanying drawings and the following description are provided to enable those skilled in the art to fully understand the present disclosure, and are not intended to limit the subject matter described in the claims.

[0014] (Schematic configuration of oral cleaning system 1) The oral cavity cleaning system 1 according to the present embodiment is a system in which the user adjusts the position of a nozzle based on an image of the oral cavity taken by the camera in an oral cavity cleaning device 10 equipped with a camera, and the nozzle sprays a water flow to an appropriate position in the oral cavity to clean the oral cavity. The oral cavity cleaning system 1 will be described below with reference to several specific embodiments.

[0015] (First embodiment) FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an oral cleaning system 1 according to a first embodiment. The oral cleaning system 1 includes an oral cleaning device 10 and a user terminal 20. The oral cleaning system 1 is configured in such a manner that the oral cleaning device 10 and the user terminal 20 can communicate with each other via a network 30. The form of connection that enables communication between the oral cleaning device 10 and the user terminal 20 is not limited to via the network 30, and the oral cleaning device 10 and the user terminal 20 may be directly connected by a cable to enable communication. Alternatively, the oral cleaning device 10 and the user terminal 20 may be configured to be able to communicate with each other via short-range wireless communication.

[0016] The oral cavity cleansing device 10 includes a controller 100, a hose 101, a switch 104, a nozzle 105, a camera 106, and a camera cover 107. When a user presses the switch 104, a water flow is sprayed from the nozzle 105, and a predetermined location in the oral cavity is cleaned by the water pressure of the sprayed water flow.

[0017] The switch 104 is, for example, a push button switch, and while the user is pressing the switch 104 with his / her hand, the water flow is sprayed from the nozzle 105, and the spray of the water flow stops when the user releases the switch 104. Note that in this embodiment, the configuration of the switch 104 is not limited to a push button type, and it may be configured using a switch that can fix the on / off state of the water flow spray process, such as a slide type or toggle type switch.

[0018] Water that is the source of the water flow sprayed from nozzle 105 is stored in advance in a water tank (not shown), and is sprayed from oral cavity cleaning device 10 through nozzle 105 via hose 101 connected to the water tank.

[0019] Both the nozzle 105 and the camera 106 are provided at the tip of the oral cleaning device 10. The camera 106 is used to confirm (estimate) the position in the oral cavity that the water stream sprayed from the nozzle 105 will hit. In addition, the distance (positional relationship) between the tip of the nozzle 105 and the camera 106 is assumed to be constant. Therefore, even if the nozzle 105 is moved (the direction of the tip of the nozzle 105 is changed), the camera 106 can confirm the position in the oral cavity that the water stream sprayed from the nozzle 105 will hit.

[0020] An image of the inside of the oral cavity captured by the camera 106 is sent from the oral cavity cleaning device 10 to the user terminal 20 via the network 30. The user terminal 20 displays the image of the inside of the oral cavity sent from the oral cavity cleaning device 10 on the display unit 21. While viewing the image of the inside of the oral cavity displayed on the display unit 21 of the user terminal 20, the user adjusts the position of the nozzle 105 and the direction of the tip of the nozzle 105 so that the water jet sprayed from the nozzle 105 hits an appropriate position in the oral cavity.

[0021] Camera cover 107 is a protection mechanism that covers camera 106 so that the reflected water flow (spray) does not hit camera 106 when the water flow is sprayed from nozzle 105 into the oral cavity. In the first embodiment, a control mechanism is provided at the base of camera cover 107, and camera cover 107 is operated by this control mechanism to change the position of camera cover 107 to a state in which camera cover 106 is covered or a state in which camera cover 106 is not covered. In the first embodiment, the state in which camera cover 107 covers camera 106 is defined as a state in which camera cover 107 is valid, and the state in which camera cover 107 does not cover camera 106 is defined as a state in which camera cover 107 is invalid. Also, camera cover 107 corresponds to a camera protection mechanism.

[0022] Next, cleaning of the oral cavity by the oral cleaning device 10 will be described with reference to FIG. 2A and FIG. 2B. FIG. 2A is a schematic diagram for explaining the state of the oral cleaning device 10 in a mode in which the camera 106 photographs the oral cavity (hereinafter, referred to as a photographing mode). As shown in FIG. 2A, the camera 106 acquires an image for controlling the position of the nozzle 105 so that the water stream ejected from the nozzle 105 appropriately hits a predetermined position between the tooth 80 and the gums 81 (gums). The acquired image is transmitted to the user terminal 20 and displayed on the display unit 21 of the user terminal 20. The user checks the screen displayed on the display unit 21 of the user terminal 20 and determines whether the position of the nozzle 105 is appropriate or not. If the user determines that the position of the nozzle 105 is not appropriate, the user adjusts the position of the oral cleaning device 10 to adjust the position of the nozzle 105 or the direction of the tip of the nozzle 105, thereby adjusting the position where the water stream ejected from the nozzle 105 is estimated to hit.

[0023] 2B is a schematic diagram for explaining a mode in which a water flow is sprayed from nozzle 105 to a predetermined position in the oral cavity (hereinafter referred to as cleaning mode). The cleaning mode is turned on and off by pressing switch 104. That is, when switch 104 is pressed, the cleaning mode is turned on. On the other hand, when switch 104 is not pressed, the cleaning mode is turned off. As described above, if switch 104 is a fixed switch that can fix the on and off state of the cleaning mode, the on and off state of the cleaning mode is determined according to the state indicated by switch 104.

[0024] 2B shows an example in which a water flow is jetted from nozzle 105 between teeth 80 and gums 81, and the water flow (water droplets) is reflected by teeth 80 and / or gums 81. Note that in the cleaning mode of FIG. 2B, an example is shown in which camera cover 107 protects camera 106 so that the water flow (sprays) reflected when the water flow is jetted from nozzle 105 does not hit camera 106. That is, in the first embodiment, camera cover 107 is a mechanism for preventing water droplets from adhering to the lens of camera 106, etc. Note that camera cover 107 corresponds to a camera protection mechanism.

[0025] (Functional configuration of the oral cleaning device 10) Next, the functions of the oral cleaning device 10 and the controller 100 will be described with reference to the functional block diagram shown in FIG.

[0026] The controller 100 includes a control unit 110, a storage unit 120, a communication IF 130, a switch IF 140, a nozzle IF 150, a camera IF 160, and a cover IF 170. The controller 100 may be configured as a general-purpose microcomputer including a CPU (control unit 110), a memory (storage unit 120), and an input / output unit (communication IF 130, switch IF 140, nozzle IF 150, camera IF 160, and cover IF 170). In this case, a computer program for functioning as the oral cleaning device 10 may be installed in the microcomputer. By executing the computer program, the microcomputer functions as a plurality of information processing circuits included in the oral cleaning device 10. Note that, in this embodiment, an example is shown in which a plurality of information processing circuits included in the oral cleaning device 10 are realized by software, but it is of course possible to configure the information processing circuit by preparing dedicated hardware for executing each of the information processes shown below. In addition, a plurality of information processing circuits may be configured by individual hardware.

[0027] The control unit 110 operates based on a program (not shown) stored in the storage unit 120, and executes each function of the switch state determination unit 114, the ejection control unit 115, the photography control unit 116, and the protection mechanism control unit 117. The programs are not limited to being stored in the storage unit 120, and may be stored in, for example, a ROM (not shown) in the controller 100. Details of the switch state determination unit 114, the ejection control unit 115, the photography control unit 116, and the protection mechanism control unit 117 will be described later.

[0028] The storage unit 120 acquires and stores intraoral images captured by the camera 106 via the camera IF 160. The storage unit 120 may also store programs for the functions executed by the control unit 110, as described above. The images and programs stored in the storage unit 120 may be configured as areas physically or logically separated within one storage device. Alternatively, the storage units 120 for each data may be provided in multiple physically different storage devices.

[0029] The communication IF 130 is an interface for communicating with the user terminal 20 via a wired and / or wireless network.

[0030] The switch IF 140 obtains information on whether the switch 104 is pressed by the user from the switch 104, and sends the information to the control unit 110. As described above, the switch 104 is pressed by the user, and the cleaning mode is turned on or off depending on whether the switch 104 is pressed. The switch IF 140 also obtains the state (whether the switch is pressed) of the power switch (not shown) of the oral cleaning device 10, and sends the state to the control unit 110.

[0031] Nozzle IF 150 is an interface for giving an instruction to turn on / off the water stream spraying process to nozzle 105, which sprays a water stream for cleaning the inside of the oral cavity. When a water stream spray instruction is given from control unit 110 to nozzle 105 via nozzle IF 150, water is sprayed from nozzle 105 via hose 101 from the water tank.

[0032] Camera IF 160 is an interface for acquiring image data captured by camera 106 and sending it to control unit 110. Camera IF 160 also sends to camera 106 from control unit 110 a shooting processing instruction related to the start or end of shooting.

[0033] Cover IF 170 is an interface for instructing to turn camera cover 107 on and off in response to an instruction from control unit 110. When control unit 110 instructs to turn camera cover 107 on via cover IF 170, camera cover 107 is closed (covers camera 106) to protect camera 106 from water droplets. On the other hand, when control unit 110 instructs to turn camera cover 107 off via cover IF 170, camera cover 107 is opened (does not cover camera 106) to allow camera 106 to capture an image of the inside of the oral cavity.

[0034] Next, each function of the control unit 110 will be described in detail.

[0035] The switch state determination unit 114 determines the state of the switch 104 pressed by the user. That is, the switch state determination unit 114 determines whether the switch 104 is pressed or not, and thereby acquires an external operation instruction regarding whether or not to put the oral cleaning device 10 into the cleaning mode.

[0036] The jetting control unit 115 controls the on / off of the jetting process of the water stream jetted from the nozzle 105. In the first embodiment, when the switch 104 is pressed, the shooting mode by the camera 106 is off, and the camera cover 107 is enabled (the camera cover 107 covers the camera 106), the jetting control unit 115 jets the water stream. That is, in this case, the cleaning mode is turned on. Also, in the first embodiment, when the switch 104 is not pressed, the jetting control unit 115 ends the jetting of the water stream. That is, in this case, the cleaning mode is turned off. The jetting control unit 115 corresponds to a water stream jetting control unit.

[0037] The photography control unit 116 controls the on / off of the photography process of the camera 106 that photographs the inside of the oral cavity. Also, the photography control unit 116 acquires images photographed by the camera 106 and stores them in the storage unit 120. In the first embodiment, the photography control unit 116 sends an instruction to the camera 106 to start photography after powering on. That is, in this case, the photography mode is turned on. Also, in the first embodiment, the photography control unit 116 sends an instruction to the camera 106 to end photography when the switch 104 that sprays a water flow from the nozzle 105 is turned on. That is, in this case, the photography mode is turned off.

[0038] The protection mechanism control unit 117 controls the on / off (enabled, disabled) of the camera cover 107. In the first embodiment, the protection mechanism control unit 117 is turned off (disabled) after the power is turned on. That is, in this case, the camera cover 107 is in an open state (a state in which the camera cover 107 does not cover the camera 106). Also, when the switch 104 for spraying a water flow from the nozzle 105 is turned on, the camera cover 107 is turned on (enabled). That is, in this case, the camera cover 107 is in a closed state (a state in which the camera cover 107 covers the camera 106), preventing water droplets from adhering to the camera 106. The protection mechanism control unit 117 corresponds to a camera protection mechanism control unit.

[0039] (Functional configuration of user terminal 20) Next, the functions of the user terminal 20 will be described with reference to the functional block diagram shown in FIG. 3. The user terminal 20 is, for example, configured as a smartphone equipped with a general computer 200, and is usually operated by a user who operates the oral cleaning device 10. The user terminal 20 may be configured as a mobile device such as a tablet or a notebook computer. As shown in FIG. 3, the computer 200 of the user terminal 20 includes a control unit 210, a storage unit 220, a communication IF 230, an input / output IF 240, and the like. The user terminal 20 corresponds to a display device.

[0040] The user terminal 20 displays the image sent from the oral cleaning device 10 via the communication IF 230 on the display unit 21 via the input / output IF 240. The user terminal 20 may also include a means for outputting sound via the input / output IF 240. The user terminal 20 may also operate based on a program (not shown) stored in the storage unit 220 and execute a predetermined application. In this case, for example, the user may input or select a predetermined mode via a touch panel or the like for the function of the oral cleaning device 10 displayed on the display unit 21. For example, the oral cleaning device 10 may be configured to be able to select the strength of the water flow (water pressure) or the like as a mode.

[0041] (Outline of processing flow of oral cavity cleaning device 10) Next, the process related to oral cleaning in the oral cleaning device 10 (oral cleaning method) will be described based on the flowchart in Fig. 4. The series of operations of the oral cleaning device 10 shown in the flowchart in Fig. 4 starts when the oral cleaning device 10 is started, and ends when the power is turned off. In addition to when the power is turned off, the process in the flowchart shown in Fig. 4 also ends when an interrupt is issued to end the process. In the following description of the flowchart, the same content as that described above in the description of the oral cleaning device 10 will be omitted or simplified.

[0042] In step S401, the protection mechanism control unit 117 turns off the camera cover 107 of the intraoral cleaning device 10. That is, by opening the camera cover 107, the intraoral cleaning device 10 becomes in a state in which the camera 106 can capture an image of the inside of the oral cavity.

[0043] In step S402, the imaging control unit 116 turns on the imaging process of the camera 106 and starts imaging the inside of the oral cavity.

[0044] In step S403, the control unit 110 determines whether the power switch of the oral cleaning device 10 has been pressed (whether it is off). In step S403, if the control unit 110 determines that the power switch of the oral cleaning device 10 is off (step S403: YES), the control unit 110 proceeds to step S411. On the other hand, in step S403, if the control unit 110 determines that the power switch of the oral cleaning device 10 is not off (step S403: NO), the control unit 110 proceeds to step S404.

[0045] In step S404, the switch state determination unit 114 determines whether or not the switch 104 for the water stream ejection process has been pressed. If the switch state determination unit 114 determines in step S404 that the switch 104 for the water stream ejection process has been pressed (step S404: YES), the process proceeds to step S405. On the other hand, if the switch state determination unit 114 determines in step S404 that the switch 104 for the water stream ejection process has not been pressed (step S404: NO), the process returns to step S403 and repeats the process from step S403.

[0046] In step S405, the imaging control unit 116 turns off the imaging process of the camera 106, and ends imaging of the intraoral cavity.

[0047] In step S406, the protection mechanism control unit 117 turns on the camera cover 107 of the intra-oral cleaning device 10. That is, by closing the camera cover 107, the camera cover 107 covers the camera 106 and prevents water droplets from adhering to the camera 106.

[0048] In step S407, the ejection control unit 115 starts the process of ejecting the water flow from the nozzle 105. That is, by starting the process of ejecting the water flow from the nozzle 105, the cleaning mode is turned on and cleaning of the inside of the oral cavity is started.

[0049] In step S408, the switch state determination unit 114 determines whether the switch 104 related to the water stream ejection process has been turned off. In step S408, if the switch state determination unit 114 determines that the switch 104 related to the water stream ejection process has been turned off (step S408: YES), the process proceeds to step S409. On the other hand, in step S408, if the switch state determination unit 114 determines that the switch 104 related to the water stream ejection process has not been turned off (step S408: NO), the process of step S408 is repeated. That is, the cleaning mode continues and the oral cavity is cleaned until the switch 104 is turned off.

[0050] In step S409, the jet control unit 115 ends the jetting process of the water flow. That is, by ending the jetting process of the water flow from the nozzle 105, the cleaning mode is turned off.

[0051] In step S410, the control unit 110 determines whether the power switch of the oral cleaning device 10 has been pressed (whether it is off). In step S410, if the control unit 110 determines that the power switch of the oral cleaning device 10 is off (step S410: YES), the control unit 110 ends the process related to oral cleaning in the oral cleaning device 10. On the other hand, in step S410, if the control unit 110 determines that the power switch of the oral cleaning device 10 is not off (step S410: NO), the control unit 110 returns to step S401. That is, in this case, the process from step S401 is repeated.

[0052] In step S411, the imaging control unit 116 turns off the imaging process of the camera 106, and ends imaging of the intraoral cavity.

[0053] In step S412, the protection mechanism control unit 117 turns on the camera cover 107 of the oral cleaning device 10. That is, the protection mechanism control unit 117 closes the camera cover 107, and then ends the process related to oral cleaning in the oral cleaning device 10.

[0054] The oral cavity cleaning device 10 according to the first embodiment sprays a water flow when the switch state determination unit 114 determines that the state of the switch 104 is a state for spraying a water flow and the camera cover 107 is effective. This makes it possible to prevent water droplets from adhering to the camera 106 for photographing the oral cavity, to obtain an accurate image of the oral cavity, and to properly clean the oral cavity.

[0055] In addition, in the oral cleaning device 10 according to the first embodiment, the camera cover 107 is effective as a camera protection mechanism while the water flow is being sprayed from the nozzle 105. As a result, the camera cover 107 covers the camera 106 when the water flow is being sprayed, and it is possible to prevent water droplets from adhering to the camera 106.

[0056] Moreover, the oral cavity cleaning device 10 according to the first embodiment includes an image capture control unit 116 that controls the on / off of the image capture process of the camera 106. The ejection control unit 115 ejects the water flow when the switch state determination unit 114 determines that the state of the switch 104 is a state for ejecting the water flow, the image capture process of the camera 106 is in an off state, and the camera cover 107 is active. As a result, when the water flow is ejected from the water flow ejection control unit, the camera 106 is in an off state. Therefore, the size of the image data captured by the camera 106 can be reduced. Furthermore, by turning off the camera 106 when there is no need to capture an image, it is possible to prevent unnecessary power consumption and provide an oral cavity cleaning device 10 that is power-saving.

[0057] Note that the jetting control unit 115 is not limited to a configuration in which it jets a water stream when it is determined that the state of the switch 104 is a state in which a water stream is to be jetted, the photographing process of the camera 106 is in an off state, and the camera cover 107 is in an active state. For example, even if the photographing process of the camera 106 is in an on state, the jetting control unit 115 may be configured to jet a water stream when it is determined that the state of the switch 104 is a state in which a water stream is to be jetted, and the camera cover 107 is in an active state.

[0058] Second Embodiment As described above, one specific embodiment has been described, but the above-mentioned embodiment is merely an example and does not limit the embodiments. For example, in the above-mentioned embodiment, an example has been given in which the oral cavity is cleaned when the switch 104 related to the water flow ejection process is pressed. Here, further, a configuration different from that of the first embodiment will be described for the oral cavity cleaning system 1 according to the second embodiment in which the timing of cleaning the oral cavity is adjusted based on an image acquired by the camera 106 in the oral cavity cleaning device 10.

[0059] Fig. 5 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of the oral cleaning device 10 according to the second embodiment. As shown in Fig. 5, the control unit 110 of the oral cleaning device 10 according to the second embodiment further includes an image analysis unit 118 and a position determination unit 119 in addition to the components of the oral cleaning device 10 according to the first embodiment.

[0060] The image analysis unit 118 analyzes the image captured by the camera 106 and recognizes the teeth 80 and the gums 81. Specifically, the image analysis unit 118 recognizes the regions of the teeth 80 and the gums 81 in the image based on color information (color difference) of the acquired image. Note that the recognition of the regions of the teeth 80 and the gums 81 in the image analysis unit 118 is not limited to being based on the color information of the image, and may be configured to recognize the regions of the teeth 80 and the gums 81 by, for example, pattern matching of an image of the oral cavity.

[0061] The position determination unit 119 determines whether or not the nozzle 105 is at a predetermined position based on the information analyzed by the image analysis unit 118. More specifically, the position determination unit 119 determines the position where the water jetted from the nozzle 105 hits based on the information on the region of the tooth 80 analyzed by the image analysis unit 118 and the information on the region of the gums 81. Specifically, the position determination unit 119 determines whether or not the position between the tooth 80 and the gums 81 is included within a predetermined range (for example, a range of about 50 pixels) from the center of the image captured by the camera 106.

[0062] With reference to the schematic diagrams shown in Fig. 6A and Fig. 6B, a process of determining whether or not the space between the tooth 80 and the gums 81 is included within a predetermined range in the position determination unit 119 will be described. A circle 119a shown in Fig. 6A and Fig. 6B indicates a predetermined range from the center of the image captured by the camera 106. The distance (positional relationship) between the camera 106 and the nozzle 105 is adjusted in advance so that the circle 119a overlaps with a position where the water jetted from the nozzle 105 hits. The dashed lines 119b and 119c shown in Fig. 6A and Fig. 6B are auxiliary lines for indicating that the circle 119a is within a predetermined range from the center of the image captured by the camera 106.

[0063] 6A, the space between tooth 80 and gums 81 is not within a predetermined range from the center of the image captured by camera 106. Therefore, in the example shown in FIG. 6A, position determination unit 119 determines that the position between tooth 80 and gums 81 is not included within a predetermined range from the center of the image captured by camera 106.

[0064] 6B, the space between tooth 80 and gums 81 is within a predetermined range from the center of the image captured by camera 106. Therefore, in the example shown in FIG. 6B, position determination unit 119 determines that the position between tooth 80 and gums 81 is included within a predetermined range from the center of the image captured by camera 106.

[0065] In the second embodiment, the position determination unit 119 determines whether the location where the water jet from the nozzle 105 hits is between the tooth 80 and the gums 81, but is not limited thereto. For example, it is possible to set the location where the water jet from the nozzle 105 hits other than between the tooth 80 and the gums 81. For example, the tooth 80 or the gums 81 itself can be set as the location where the water jet from the nozzle 105 hits. In this case, the position determination unit 119 determines whether only the tooth 80 or the gums 81 is included within a predetermined range from the center in the image captured by the camera 106. For example, when the position determination unit 119 determines whether only the tooth 80 is included within a predetermined range from the center in the image captured by the camera 106, the example shown in FIG. 6A is determined to be included in the predetermined position. In this case, the position determination unit 119 determines that the example shown in FIG. 6B is not included in the predetermined position.

[0066] The position at which the water jetted from the nozzle 105 hits, which is determined by the position determination unit 119, can be set in advance by the user, and the set information is stored in the storage unit 120, for example.

[0067] The oral cleaning device 10 in the second embodiment turns on the cleaning mode when the position determination unit 119 determines that the water jet from the nozzle 105 hits a predetermined position in the oral cavity. This allows the oral cleaning device 10 in the second embodiment to reliably clean predetermined locations of the teeth 80 and gums 81.

[0068] Next, the process (oral cleaning method) related to oral cleaning by the oral cleaning device 10 in the second embodiment will be described based on the flowchart in Fig. 7. The series of operations of the oral cleaning device 10 shown in the flowchart in Fig. 7 is started when the oral cleaning device 10 is started, and ends when the power is turned off. In addition to being turned off, the process in the flowchart shown in Fig. 7 also ends when an interrupt is issued to end the process. In the following description of the flowchart, the same content as that described in the description of the oral cleaning device 10 will be omitted or simplified.

[0069] In step S701, the protection mechanism control unit 117 turns off the camera cover 107 of the intraoral cleaning device 10. That is, by opening the camera cover 107, the intraoral cleaning device 10 becomes in a state in which the camera 106 can capture an image of the inside of the oral cavity.

[0070] In step S702, the imaging control unit 116 turns on the imaging process of the camera 106 and starts imaging the inside of the oral cavity.

[0071] In step S703, the control unit 110 determines whether the power switch of the oral cleaning device 10 has been pressed (whether it is off). In step S703, if the control unit 110 determines that the power switch of the oral cleaning device 10 is off (step S703: YES), the control unit 110 proceeds to step S713. On the other hand, in step S703, if the control unit 110 determines that the power switch of the oral cleaning device 10 is not off (step S703: NO), the control unit 110 proceeds to step S704.

[0072] In step S704, the image analysis unit 118 analyzes the image captured by the camera 106 and recognizes the regions of the teeth 80 and the gums 81. Specifically, the image analysis unit 118 recognizes the regions of the teeth 80 and the gums 81 in the image based on color information (color difference) of the acquired image.

[0073] In step S705, the position determination unit 119 determines the position where the water jetted from the nozzle 105 hits based on the information on the region of the tooth 80 analyzed by the image analysis unit 118 and the information on the region of the gums 81. That is, in step S705, the position determination unit 119 determines whether the position of the nozzle 105 is at a predetermined position. Specifically, the position determination unit 119 determines whether the position between the tooth 80 and the gums 81 is included within a predetermined range (for example, a range of about 50 pixels) from the center of the image captured by the camera 106. In step S705, if the position determination unit 119 determines that the position of the nozzle 105 is at the predetermined position (step S705: YES), the process proceeds to step S706. On the other hand, in step S705, if the position determination unit 119 determines that the position of the nozzle 105 is not at the predetermined position (step S705: NO), the process returns to step S703 and repeats the process from step S703.

[0074] In step S706, the switch state determination unit 114 determines whether or not the switch 104 for the water stream spraying process has been pressed. If the switch state determination unit 114 determines in step S706 that the switch 104 for the water stream spraying process has been pressed (step S706: YES), the process proceeds to step S707. On the other hand, if the switch state determination unit 114 determines in step S706 that the switch 104 for the water stream spraying process has not been pressed (step S706: NO), the process returns to step S703 and repeats the process from step S703.

[0075] In step S707, the imaging control unit 116 turns off the imaging process of the camera 106, and ends imaging of the intraoral cavity.

[0076] In step S708, the protection mechanism control unit 117 turns on the camera cover 107 of the intra-oral cleaning device 10. That is, by closing the camera cover 107, the camera cover 107 covers the camera 106 and prevents water droplets from adhering to the camera 106.

[0077] In step S709, the ejection control unit 115 starts the process of ejecting the water flow. That is, the process of ejecting the water flow from the nozzle 105 starts, so that the cleaning mode is turned on and cleaning of the inside of the oral cavity is started.

[0078] In step S710, the switch state determination unit 114 determines whether the switch 104 related to the water stream ejection process has been turned off. In step S710, if the switch state determination unit 114 determines that the switch 104 related to the water stream ejection process has been turned off (step S710: YES), the process proceeds to step S711. On the other hand, in step S710, if the switch state determination unit 114 determines that the switch 104 related to the water stream ejection process has not been turned off (step S710: NO), the process of step S710 is repeated. That is, the cleaning mode continues and the oral cavity is cleaned until the switch 104 is turned off.

[0079] In step S711, the jetting control unit 115 ends the jetting process of the water flow. That is, by ending the jetting process of the water flow from the nozzle 105, the cleaning mode is turned off.

[0080] In step S712, the control unit 110 determines whether the power switch of the oral cleaning device 10 has been pressed (whether it is off). In step S712, if the control unit 110 determines that the power switch of the oral cleaning device 10 is off (step S712: YES), the control unit 110 ends the processing related to oral cleaning in the oral cleaning device 10. On the other hand, in step S712, if the control unit 110 determines that the power switch of the oral cleaning device 10 is not off (step S712: NO), the control unit 110 returns to step S701. That is, in this case, the processing from step S701 is repeated.

[0081] In step S713, the imaging control unit 116 turns off the imaging process of the camera 106, and ends imaging of the intraoral cavity.

[0082] In step S714, the protection mechanism control unit 117 turns on the camera cover 107 of the oral cleaning device 10. That is, the protection mechanism control unit 117 closes the camera cover 107, and then ends the process related to oral cleaning in the oral cleaning device 10.

[0083] As described above, the oral cleaning device 10 in the second embodiment turns on the cleaning mode when the position determination unit 119 determines that the water jet from the nozzle 105 hits a predetermined position in the oral cavity. This allows the oral cleaning device 10 in the second embodiment to reliably clean predetermined locations of the teeth 80 and gums 81.

[0084] In addition, the position determination unit 119 may be configured to notify the determination result when it is determined that the water stream ejected from the nozzle 105 hits a predetermined position in the oral cavity. For example, when the position determination unit 119 determines that the water stream ejected from the nozzle 105 hits a predetermined position in the oral cavity, the user terminal 20 may display the determination result on the display unit 21 via the input / output IF 240 based on the determination result. Alternatively, the user terminal 20 may be configured to output a voice or a sound effect indicating that the water stream ejected from the nozzle 105 hits a predetermined position in the oral cavity via the input / output IF 240. This allows the user to recognize whether the position of the nozzle 105 is appropriate or not by notifying the determination result as well as the image of the oral cavity displayed on the display unit 21 of the user terminal 20, and thus enables efficient cleaning of the oral cavity.

[0085] (Third embodiment) Next, the third embodiment will be described. In the following description, when the same reference numerals as those in the first and / or second embodiment are used, they indicate the same configuration as those in the first and / or second embodiment, and the preceding description will be referred to unless otherwise specified. Here, the oral cleaning system 1 according to the third embodiment, which automatically starts the water jetting process based on the position of the nozzle 105, will be described with respect to the configuration different from that of the first and / or second embodiment.

[0086] Fig. 8 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of the oral cleaning device 10 in the third embodiment. As shown in Fig. 8, the control unit 110 of the oral cleaning device 10 in the third embodiment does not include the switch state determination unit 114 provided in the control unit 110 in the first and second embodiments. That is, the cleaning mode of the oral cleaning device 10 in the third embodiment is automatically switched on and off, not based on the switch 104.

[0087] More specifically, based on information on the region of the teeth 80 and information on the region of the gums 81 analyzed by the image analysis unit 118, the position determination unit 119 determines whether the position of the water stream sprayed from the nozzle 105 is a predetermined position. In the oral cleaning device 10 of the third embodiment, when the position determination unit 119 determines that the position of the water stream sprayed from the nozzle 105 is a predetermined position, the cleaning mode is turned on, and the water stream is sprayed into the oral cavity based on an instruction from the spray control unit 115.

[0088] Next, the process (oral cleaning method) related to oral cleaning by the oral cleaning device 10 in the third embodiment will be described based on the flowchart in Fig. 9. The series of operations of the oral cleaning device 10 shown in the flowchart in Fig. 9 is started when the oral cleaning device 10 is started, and ends when the power is turned off. In addition to being turned off, the process in the flowchart shown in Fig. 9 can also end due to an interrupt to end the process. In the following description of the flowchart, the same contents as those described in the description of the oral cleaning device 10 will be omitted or simplified.

[0089] In step S901, the protection mechanism control unit 117 turns off the camera cover 107 of the intraoral cleaning device 10. That is, by opening the camera cover 107, the intraoral cleaning device 10 becomes in a state in which the camera 106 can capture an image of the inside of the oral cavity.

[0090] In step S902, the imaging control unit 116 turns on the imaging process of the camera 106 and starts imaging the inside of the oral cavity.

[0091] In step S903, the control unit 110 determines whether the power switch of the oral cleaning device 10 has been pressed (whether it is off). In step S903, if the control unit 110 determines that the power switch of the oral cleaning device 10 is off (step S903: YES), the control unit 110 proceeds to step S912. On the other hand, in step S903, if the control unit 110 determines that the power switch of the oral cleaning device 10 is not off (step S903: NO), the control unit 110 proceeds to step S904.

[0092] In step S904, the image analysis unit 118 analyzes the image captured by the camera 106 and recognizes the regions of the teeth 80 and the gums 81. Specifically, the image analysis unit 118 recognizes the regions of the teeth 80 and the gums 81 in the image based on color information (color difference) of the acquired image.

[0093] In step S905, the position determination unit 119 determines the position where the water jetted from the nozzle 105 hits based on the information on the region of the tooth 80 analyzed by the image analysis unit 118 and the information on the region of the gums 81. That is, in step S905, the position determination unit 119 determines whether the position of the nozzle 105 is at a predetermined position. Specifically, the position determination unit 119 determines whether the position between the tooth 80 and the gums 81 is included within a predetermined range from the center of the image captured by the camera 106. In step S905, if the position determination unit 119 determines that the position of the nozzle 105 is at the predetermined position (step S905: YES), the process proceeds to step S906. On the other hand, in step S905, if the position determination unit 119 determines that the position of the nozzle 105 is not at the predetermined position (step S905: NO), the process returns to step S903 and repeats the process from step S903. That is, if it is determined in step S905 that the nozzle 105 is in a predetermined position, the process proceeds to step S906 without determining the switch 104 in step S706 in the second embodiment, and the shooting process of the camera 106 is turned off, which is different from the second embodiment.

[0094] In step S906, the imaging control unit 116 turns off the imaging process of the camera 106, and ends imaging of the intraoral cavity.

[0095] In step S907, the protection mechanism control unit 117 turns on the camera cover 107 of the intra-oral cleaning device 10. That is, by closing the camera cover 107, the camera cover 107 covers the camera 106 and prevents water droplets from adhering to the camera 106.

[0096] In step S908, the ejection control unit 115 starts the process of ejecting the water flow. That is, the process of ejecting the water flow from the nozzle 105 starts, so that the cleaning mode is turned on and cleaning of the inside of the oral cavity is started.

[0097] In step S909, the ejection control unit 115 determines whether a predetermined time has elapsed in the cleaning mode. The predetermined time in the cleaning mode is, for example, 10 seconds. The predetermined time can be set in advance by the user, and the set predetermined time is, for example, stored in the storage unit 120. In step S909, if the ejection control unit 115 determines that the predetermined time has elapsed in the cleaning mode (step S909: YES), the process proceeds to step S910. On the other hand, in step S909, if the ejection control unit 115 determines that the predetermined time has not elapsed in the cleaning mode (step S909: NO), the process returns to step S909 and repeats the determination process of step S909. In addition, the process in step S909 is performed by the ejection control unit 115 in the example shown, but the embodiment is not limited to this, and may be performed by a separate determination unit (not shown), the control unit 110, or another functional unit included in the control unit 110.

[0098] In step S910, the jetting control unit 115 ends the jetting process of the water flow. That is, by ending the jetting process of the water flow from the nozzle 105, the cleaning mode is turned off.

[0099] In step S911, the control unit 110 determines whether the power switch of the oral cleaning device 10 has been pressed (whether it is off). In step S911, if the control unit 110 determines that the power switch of the oral cleaning device 10 is off (step S911: YES), the control unit 110 ends the process related to oral cleaning in the oral cleaning device 10. On the other hand, in step S911, if the control unit 110 determines that the power switch of the oral cleaning device 10 is not off (step S911: NO), the control unit 110 returns to step S901. That is, in this case, the process from step S901 is repeated.

[0100] In step S912, the imaging control unit 116 turns off the imaging process of the camera 106, and ends imaging of the intraoral cavity.

[0101] In step S913, the protection mechanism control unit 117 turns on the camera cover 107 of the oral cleaning device 10. That is, the protection mechanism control unit 117 closes the camera cover 107, and then ends the process related to oral cleaning in the oral cleaning device 10.

[0102] As described above, the oral cleaning device 10 according to the third embodiment can automatically implement the cleaning mode without operating the switch 104 when the position determination unit 119 determines that the nozzle 105 is at a predetermined position. This makes it possible to implement the cleaning mode accurately when the nozzle 105 is at a predetermined position. In other words, since the user does not need to turn on and off the switch 104, it is possible to prevent the oral cleaning device 10 from shifting in position when the switch 104 is turned on and off, and it is possible to implement the cleaning mode more accurately.

[0103] (Other embodiments) Although the present embodiment has been described above, the embodiment is not limited to these, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the gist of the embodiment. It is also possible to combine a part or all of the various embodiments to form a new embodiment. In other words, since the above-mentioned embodiment is intended to illustrate the technology in this disclosure, various modifications, substitutions, additions, omissions, etc. can be made within the scope of the claims or their equivalents.

[0104] In the above embodiment, a configuration has been shown in which camera cover 107 is provided as a camera protection mechanism and protection mechanism control unit 117 controls turning camera cover 107 on and off, but the configuration of the camera protection mechanism is not limited to this. For example, protection mechanism control unit 117 may be configured to protect camera 106 from water droplets by retracting camera 106 during cleaning mode. Specifically, for example, protection mechanism control unit 117 may be configured to move the orientation of camera 106 in a direction that prevents water droplets from hitting it.

[0105] Furthermore, camera cover 107 may have a water-repellent coating or a hydrophilic coating on the surface. In addition to the above-mentioned coating, for example, the material of camera cover 107 itself may be processed to have a surface microstructure or the like. This can reduce the movement of water droplets adhering to the surface of camera cover 107 from the surface of camera cover 107 to the lens portion of camera 106 due to the operation of disabling camera cover 107.

[0106] In the second and third embodiments described above, the position determination unit 119 determines the position where the water jet from the nozzle 105 hits based on the area of ​​the tooth 80 and the area of ​​the gums 81 recognized by the image analysis unit 118, but the embodiment is not limited to this. For example, the camera 106 may be further provided with an infrared light source (not shown), or two cameras 106 may be provided, so that the image analysis unit 118 can measure the distance from the nozzle 105 to a predetermined position in the oral cavity. For example, the distance from the nozzle 105 to the predetermined position in the oral cavity may be measured using various commonly known distance measurement systems such as a TOF (Time Of Flight) type, a pattern irradiation type, and a stereo type based on irradiation from an infrared light source. In this case, the position determination unit 119 can determine whether or not the nozzle 105 is at a predetermined position based on the distance from the nozzle 105 to the predetermined position in the oral cavity in addition to the jetting position of the water jet in the image captured by the camera 106. In this case, the distance from the nozzle 105 to the predetermined position in the oral cavity is preferably between 3 mm and 5 mm, for example. Furthermore, in the above-mentioned distance measuring system, by measuring the distances from the camera 106 to a plurality of positions in the oral cavity, it becomes possible to calculate the angle from the nozzle 105 to a predetermined position in the oral cavity. In this case, the position determining unit 119 becomes able to determine whether or not the nozzle 105 is at a predetermined position based on the angle from the nozzle 105 to the predetermined position in the oral cavity. In this case, it is also preferable that the angle from the nozzle 105 to the predetermined position in the oral cavity is, for example, 45 degrees.

[0107] In the above embodiment, when the position determination unit 119 determines that the water jet from the nozzle 105 hits a predetermined position in the oral cavity, the determination result is notified from the user terminal 20. However, the means for notifying the determination result is not limited to this. For example, the oral cleaning device 10 may be configured to include a means for emitting light (emission), emitting sound, and / or vibrating, and to convey the determination result to the user by these means. This allows the user to recognize whether the position of the nozzle 105 is appropriate from the oral cleaning device 10 without checking the determination result notified from the display unit 21 of the user terminal 20, and allows the oral cavity to be cleaned more efficiently.

[0108] In the above embodiment, an example was shown in which a water flow was sprayed from the nozzle 105 into the oral cavity by the spray control of the spray control unit 115 to clean the oral cavity, but the embodiment is not limited to this configuration. For example, a configuration (air blow configuration) in which air is sprayed from the nozzle 105 into the oral cavity by the spray control of the spray control unit 115 to clean the oral cavity by wind pressure may be used. In this case, for example, when the oral cavity cleaning device 10 sprays air into the oral cavity from the nozzle 105, it is possible to prevent liquid such as saliva in the oral cavity from scattering and adhering to the camera 106. Note that the oral cavity cleaning device 10 may be configured to spray a mixture of air and a small amount of water from the nozzle 105.

[0109] In addition, the scope of this embodiment includes a computer program (oral cleaning program) that causes a computer to execute the above-mentioned oral cleaning method and a computer-readable recording medium on which the program is recorded. Here, the type of computer-readable recording medium is arbitrary. In addition, the above-mentioned computer program is not limited to one recorded on the above-mentioned recording medium, and may be one transmitted via a telecommunication line, a wireless or wired communication line, a network such as the Internet, or the like.

[0110] The features of the oral cleaning device 10, the oral cleaning system 1, the oral cleaning method, and the oral cleaning program according to this embodiment will be described below.

[0111] (1) An oral cavity cleansing device 10 equipped with a camera 106 for photographing the inside of the oral cavity and a nozzle 105 for spraying a water flow into the oral cavity has the following configuration. (i) A water jetting control unit that controls the jetting process of the water jetted from the nozzle 105 is included. (ii) A switch state determination unit 114 is included that determines the state of a switch 104 for externally instructing whether or not to jet water. (iii) A camera protection mechanism control unit that controls a camera protection mechanism for protecting the camera 106 from water droplets is included. The water jet control unit jets a water jet when the switch state determination unit 114 determines that the state of the switch 104 is a state for jetting a water jet and the camera protection mechanism is enabled.

[0112] According to the present disclosure, the oral cavity cleaning device 10 sprays a water flow when the switch state determination unit 114 determines that the state of the switch 104 is a state for spraying a water flow and the camera cover 107 is effective. This makes it possible to prevent water droplets from adhering to the camera 106 for photographing the oral cavity, to obtain an accurate image of the oral cavity, and to properly clean the oral cavity.

[0113] (2) The oral cleaning device 10 further has the following configuration. (iv) It is preferable to further include an image capture control unit 116 that controls on / off of the image capture process of the camera 106. The water jet control unit jets a water jet when the switch state determination unit 114 determines that the state of the switch 104 is a state for jetting a water jet, the image capture process of the camera 106 is in an off state, and the camera protection mechanism is active.

[0114] According to the present disclosure, when a water flow is being sprayed from the water flow spray control unit, the camera 106 is turned off. This makes it possible to reduce the size of image data captured by the camera 106. Furthermore, by turning off the camera 106 when there is no need to capture images, it is possible to prevent unnecessary power consumption and provide a power-saving oral cleaning device 10.

[0115] (3) The oral cleaning device 10 further has the following configuration. (v) It is preferable to further include an image analysis unit 118 that analyzes the image captured by the camera 106. (vi) It is preferable to further include a position determination unit 119 that determines whether or not the nozzle 105 is in a predetermined position based on the information analyzed by the image analysis unit 118. The water stream ejection control unit ejects a water stream when the position determination unit 119 determines that the nozzle is in a predetermined position, the switch state determination unit determines that the switch state is a state for ejecting a water stream, and the camera protection mechanism is enabled.

[0116] According to the present disclosure, the oral cleaning device 10 turns on the cleaning mode when the position determination unit 119 determines that the water jet from the nozzle 105 hits a predetermined position in the oral cavity. This allows the oral cleaning device 10 in the second embodiment to clean predetermined locations of the teeth 80 and gums 81 more reliably.

[0117] (4) Another embodiment of the oral cavity cleansing device 10 equipped with a camera 106 for photographing the inside of the oral cavity and a nozzle 105 for spraying a water flow into the oral cavity has the following configuration. (i) A water jetting control unit that controls the jetting process of the water jetted from the nozzle 105 is included. (ii) A camera protection mechanism control unit that controls a camera protection mechanism for protecting the camera 106 from water droplets is included. (iii) An image analysis unit 118 that analyzes the image captured by the camera 106 is included. (iv) A position determination unit 119 that determines whether or not the nozzle 105 is at a predetermined position based on the information analyzed by the image analysis unit 118. The water jet control unit jets a water jet when the position determination unit 119 determines that the nozzle 105 is at a predetermined position and the camera protection mechanism is enabled.

[0118] According to the present disclosure, when the position determination unit 119 determines that the nozzle 105 is at a predetermined position, the oral cleaning device 10 can automatically execute the cleaning mode without operating the switch 104. This makes it possible to execute the cleaning mode accurately when the nozzle 105 is at a predetermined position. In other words, since the user does not need to turn on and off the switch 104, it is possible to prevent the oral cleaning device 10 from shifting in position when the switch 104 is turned on and off, and it is possible to execute the cleaning mode more accurately.

[0119] (5) The camera protection mechanism is preferably a camera cover 107 that protects the camera 106 from water droplets.

[0120] According to the present disclosure, in the oral cleaning device 10, the camera cover 107 is effective as a camera protection mechanism while the water flow is being sprayed from the nozzle 105. As a result, the camera cover 107 covers the camera 106 when the water flow is sprayed, and it is possible to prevent water droplets from adhering to the camera 106.

[0121] (6) An oral cleaning system 1 including an oral cleaning device 10 having a camera 106 for photographing the inside of the oral cavity and a nozzle 105 for spraying a water flow into the oral cavity, and a display device capable of communicating with the oral cleaning device 10, has the following features. (i) The display device in the oral cavity cleaning system 1 acquires an image of the intraoral cavity taken by the camera 106 from the oral cavity cleaning device 10, and displays the acquired image on the display unit 21 of the display device. (ii) The oral cleaning device 10 in the oral cleaning system 1 has the following configuration. (iii) A water jet control unit that controls the jetting process of the water jet jetted from the nozzle 105 is included. (iv) A switch state determination unit 114 is included that determines the state of a switch 104 for externally instructing whether or not to jet water. (v) A camera protection mechanism control unit that controls a camera protection mechanism for protecting the camera 106 from water droplets. (vi) The water jet control unit jets a water jet when the switch state determination unit 114 determines that the state of the switch 104 is a state for jetting a water jet and the camera protection mechanism is valid.

[0122] According to the present disclosure, the oral cavity cleaning system 1 sprays a water stream when the switch state determination unit 114 determines that the state of the switch 104 is a state for spraying a water stream and the camera cover 107 is effective. This makes it possible to prevent water droplets from adhering to the camera 106 for photographing the oral cavity, to obtain an accurate image of the oral cavity, and to properly clean the oral cavity. The oral cavity cleaning system 1 also includes a user terminal 20, which enables a user to check the image of the oral cavity photographed by the camera 106 and to direct the water stream sprayed from the nozzle 105 to an appropriate location within the oral cavity.

[0123] (7) An oral cleaning method executed by a computer includes the following processes. (i) A process for disabling a camera protection mechanism for protecting the camera 106 that photographs the inside of the oral cavity from water droplets is included. (ii) A process for turning on the image capture process of the camera 106 is included. (iii) The process includes a process for determining the state of a switch 104 for externally instructing whether or not to spray a water flow into the oral cavity. (iv) A process for activating a camera protection mechanism when it is determined that the state of the switch 104 is a state for jetting a water flow is included. (v) A process of spraying a water stream from the nozzle 105 into the oral cavity is included.

[0124] According to the present disclosure, the oral cavity cleaning method sprays a water flow when switch state determination unit 114 determines that switch 104 is in a state for spraying a water flow and camera cover 107 is active. This makes it possible to prevent water droplets from adhering to camera 106 for photographing the oral cavity, obtain an accurate image of the oral cavity, and properly clean the oral cavity.

[0125] (8) An oral cleaning program to be executed by a computer has the following processes. (i) A process for disabling a camera protection mechanism for protecting the camera 106 that photographs the inside of the oral cavity from water droplets is included. (ii) A process for turning on the image capture process of the camera 106 is included. (iii) The process includes a process for determining the state of a switch 104 for externally instructing whether or not to spray a water flow into the oral cavity. (iv) A process for activating a camera protection mechanism when it is determined that the state of the switch 104 is a state for jetting a water flow is included. (v) A process of spraying a water stream from the nozzle 105 into the oral cavity is included.

[0126] According to the present disclosure, the oral cavity cleaning program sprays a water flow when the switch state determination unit 114 determines that the state of the switch 104 is a state for spraying a water flow and the camera cover 107 is effective. This makes it possible to prevent water droplets from adhering to the camera 106 for photographing the oral cavity, to obtain an accurate image of the oral cavity, and to properly clean the oral cavity. [Industrial Applicability]

[0127] The present disclosure is applicable to a camera-equipped intraoral cleaning device 10 that can suppress adhesion of water droplets to a camera 106 for photographing the inside of the oral cavity. Specifically, the present disclosure is applicable to a jet washer with a camera, etc. [Explanation of symbols]

[0128] 1 Oral Cleansing System 10 Oral Cleansing Device 20 User terminal 21 Display section 30 Network 100 Controller 101 Hose 104 Switch 105 Nozzle 106 Camera 107 Camera Cover 110, 210 Control unit 114 Switch state determination unit 115 Injection control unit 116 Shooting control section 117 Protection mechanism control section 118 Image Analysis Unit 119 Position determination section 120, 220 storage section 130, 230 Communication IF 240 Input / Output Interface

Claims

1. An oral cleaning device comprising a camera for photographing the inside of the oral cavity and a nozzle for spraying a water flow into the oral cavity, A water jet control unit that controls the jetting process of the water jetted from the nozzle; a switch state determination unit that determines a state of a switch for externally instructing whether or not to eject the water stream; a camera protection mechanism control unit that controls a camera protection mechanism for protecting the camera from water droplets; The water flow injection control unit of this oral cleaning device sprays the water flow when the switch state determination unit determines that the state of the switch is a state for spraying the water flow and when the camera protection mechanism is enabled.

2. A photographing control unit that controls on / off of the photographing process of the camera is further provided. The oral cleaning device of claim 1, wherein the water flow injection control unit sprays the water flow when the switch state determination unit determines that the switch state is a state for spraying the water flow, the camera's photography process is off, and the camera protection mechanism is enabled.

3. an image analysis unit that analyzes an image captured by the camera; a position determination unit that determines whether the nozzle is in a predetermined position based on the information analyzed by the image analysis unit, The oral cleaning device of claim 1, wherein the water flow ejection control unit ejects the water flow when the position determination unit determines that the nozzle is in a predetermined position, the switch state determination unit determines that the state of the switch is in a state to eject the water flow, and the camera protection mechanism is effective.

4. An oral cleaning device comprising a camera for photographing the inside of the oral cavity and a nozzle for spraying a water flow into the oral cavity, A water jet control unit that controls the jetting process of the water jetted from the nozzle; a camera protection mechanism control unit that controls a camera protection mechanism for protecting the camera from water droplets; an image analysis unit that analyzes an image captured by the camera; a position determination unit that determines whether or not the nozzle is in a predetermined position based on the information analyzed by the image analysis unit, The water flow ejection control unit of this oral cleaning device ejects the water flow when the position determination unit determines that the nozzle is in a predetermined position and the camera protection mechanism is enabled.

5. The oral cleaning device according to claim 1 , wherein the camera protection mechanism is a camera cover that protects the camera from water droplets.

6. An oral cleaning system comprising: an oral cleaning device having a camera for photographing an oral cavity and a nozzle for spraying a water flow into the oral cavity; and a display device capable of communicating with the oral cleaning device, The display device acquires an image of the oral cavity taken by the camera from the oral cleaning device, and displays the acquired image on a display unit of the display device; The oral cavity cleaning device includes: A water jet control unit that controls the jetting process of the water jetted from the nozzle; a switch state determination unit that determines a state of a switch for externally instructing whether or not to eject the water stream; a camera protection mechanism control unit that controls a camera protection mechanism for protecting the camera from water droplets; The water flow injection control unit of this oral cleaning system injects the water flow when the switch state determination unit determines that the state of the switch is a state for ejecting the water flow and when the camera protection mechanism is enabled.

7. 1. A computer-implemented method for oral cleaning comprising: Disable the camera protection mechanism that protects the camera that takes pictures of the oral cavity from water droplets, Turn on the camera's photography process; Determining the state of a switch for externally instructing whether or not to spray a water flow into the oral cavity; When it is determined that the state of the switch is a state for jetting the water flow, the camera protection mechanism is enabled; The method for cleaning the oral cavity comprises spraying the water flow from a nozzle into the oral cavity.

8. Disable the camera protection mechanism that protects the camera that takes pictures of the oral cavity from water droplets, Turn on the camera's photography process; Determining the state of a switch for externally instructing whether or not to spray a water flow into the oral cavity; When it is determined that the state of the switch is a state for jetting the water flow, the camera protection mechanism is enabled; An oral cavity cleansing program for causing a computer to execute a process of spraying the water flow from a nozzle into the oral cavity.

Images