Electric toothbrush and its universal base

Abstract

An electric toothbrush in combination with a universal base for receiving and wirelessly charging the toothbrush, the base coupled to the electric toothbrush for wireless communication therebetween. The base comprises a magnetic element for forming a magnetic connection with the electric toothbrush when the electric toothbrush is received by the base for charging. The base includes a charging component for inductively charging the electric toothbrush, a Bluetooth component for communicating usage data received from the toothbrush during a brushing session, an analysis component for instantaneously processing usage data received from the toothbrush, a timer clock component for displaying either a count-up or count-down of brushing sessions during the brushing session and a time before and after the brushing session, and a multi-function light emitting component for instantaneously communicating at least one element of the usage data during the brushing session.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an electric toothbrush that provides oral care analysis and monitoring capabilities in combination with a universal base that is structured and configured to receive the toothbrush for wireless charging and couple for wireless communication therebetween. [Background technology]

[0002] Inductive coupling power transfer methods and systems are well known in the art, particularly in the field of inductively charging powering handheld tools and personal devices such as, for example, electric toothbrushes, etc. For example, commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 10,218,212, incorporated herein by reference, discloses a wireless charging device.

[0003] In the field of oral care, it is generally known that monitoring, recording, and classifying the use of electric toothbrushes can be desirable for certain applications. For example, the position / location of the toothbrush in a user's mouth relative to the teeth while brushing can be determined by calculating the posture of the toothbrush based on data from a three-axis accelerometer and a geomagnetic sensor. This is described in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2010 / 0145654(A1), the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0004] Commonly assigned U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2019 / 0278786, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, describes a system for classifying the use of handheld consumer devices, including toothbrushes. The disclosed system comprises a movable handheld device including a sensor unit for determining at least one usage data at successive instants of time and an analysis unit. The sensor unit may be configured to provide a sequence of usage data that is consecutive in time during a usage session.

[0005] The analysis unit may be configured to classify usage of the device with respect to at least one set of usage classes relating to different usage characteristics and to assemble a temporally consecutive sequence of input tuples of usage data relating to a predetermined period of a usage session, each of the input tuples having at least one element representing usage data at a respective moment in time. The analysis unit may be configured to input the sequence of input tuples to at least one artificial neural network configured to output at least one output tuple comprising a number of elements according to the number of usage classes, each element of the output tuple representing a prediction that usage of the consumer device at a given moment in time relates to a respective usage class.

[0006] A "usage class" is an output class of an Artificial Neural Network (ANN) and is defined by the designer of the ANN. In the context of this disclosure, a usage class is related to the use of an electric toothbrush and distinguishes different usage characteristics. The use of an electric toothbrush is essentially determined by a temporal sequence of usage data, which may include at least one of the following operational data: directional data, force data, electrostatic data related to the toothbrush's environment, temperature data, audio data, image data and / or video data, air pressure data, pH data, and others.

[0007] The classification may be performed with respect to a target space including a target surface, and the device may be configured to process the target surface. The artificial neural network may be configured to output a sequence of output tuples, in particular a sequence of output tuples having the same length as the sequence of input tuples. A single usage class answer may be determined for each predefined time period based on the sequence of output tuples, in particular by applying an argmax function to each output tuple, for example by applying a majority and / or maximum criterion.

[0008] It has now been discovered that "live" classifications (i.e., classifications of usage and related data while the toothbrush is in use) can be communicated to a user via a universal charging unit that includes components for analyzing and communicating usage data during a toothbrushing session, separate from the charging components. Such analysis and communication facilitates a holistic and comprehensive understanding by the user of the usage data information during a completed toothbrushing session.

[0009] Accordingly, the present disclosure relates to a universal base for an electric toothbrush, the base being structured and configured to couple to an electric toothbrush for inductively charging the toothbrush when the toothbrush is inductively coupled to the base, and for wireless communication between the base and the toothbrush during a brushing session. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0010] [Patent Document 1] U.S. Patent No. 10218212 [Patent Document 2] US Patent Application Publication No. 2010 / 0145654(A1) [Patent Document 3] US Patent Application Publication No. 2019 / 0278786 Summary of the Invention [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] The universal base for an electric toothbrush is structured and configured to couple with the electric toothbrush during and after a brushing session for wireless communication therebetween. The base has a body including a top surface, a bottom surface opposite the top surface, and a side extending between the top surface and the bottom surface. The base includes a charging component for inductively charging the electric toothbrush when the electric toothbrush is placed on the top surface of the universal base, a Bluetooth component for communicating (receiving and transmitting) usage data from the electric toothbrush during and after the brushing session, an analysis component configured to instantaneously process usage data received from the electric toothbrush during the brushing session, a timer clock component including a timer clock display for (a) either counting up or counting down the brushing session during the brushing session, and (b) displaying the time before and after the brushing session, and a multi-function light-emitting component for communicating, including instantaneously communicating, at least one element of the usage data during the brushing session. In one embodiment, the universal base may include a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) component for communicating usage data between the universal base and at least one of a smart device application, another universal base, and a cloud. Transmission (sending and receiving) of usage data may occur at, for example, 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz. The WLAN may also allow for updating the device, for example, for safety and functionality reasons.

[0012] As used herein, the term "instantaneous processing" refers to processing data as it comes in during a tooth brushing session, including buffering and / or OS delays, if any, that may occur during conventional industry standard processing. Instantaneous processing may not be synonymous with what is known as "real-time" processing. Similarly, the term "instantaneous communicating" refers to communicating processed data as it comes in during a tooth brushing session. As used herein, the term "usage data" includes at least one data point / element calculated from transmitted raw data.

[0013] At least one element of the usage data may be selected from the group consisting of battery charge state, pressure applied by a user during a brushing session, position or orientation of the toothbrush relative to the user's teeth, portion of the teeth being brushed, progress of the brushing session (including an estimate of the completed portion of a pre-designated tooth surface), and any combination thereof. In one embodiment, the base may include an audio component including a speaker for communicating information and / or usage data to the user. The disclosures of commonly assigned U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 276972 (U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2019 / 0254794(A1)), U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 276993 (U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2019 / 0254795(A1)), U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 277024 (U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2019 / 0254796(A1)), and U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 276947 (U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2019 / 0278786(A1)), each filed on February 15, 2019, are incorporated herein by reference.

[0014] The light-emitting components may be structured and configured to be visible during a tooth brushing session and invisible before and after the tooth brushing session. As used herein, "invisible" refers to the quality of the light-emitting components that are not easily noticed by the naked human eye under most typical ambient light conditions, such as those commonly found in bathrooms. The light-emitting components may also be configured to be visible before and after a tooth brushing session, for example, for purposes of changing light color.

[0015] In one embodiment, the light-emitting component may be structured and configured to emit light selected from the group consisting of an ambient light and a night light before and after a tooth brushing session. The light-emitting component may be further structured and configured to emit light having different personalized colors and different personalized brightnesses. For example, the light-emitting component may be structured and configured to emit at least one of a first personalized color and a first personalized brightness selected by a first user. In one embodiment, the light-emitting component may be structured and configured to emit light having at least one of a second personalized color and a second personalized brightness selected by a second user, the first personalized color being different from the second personalized color and the first personalized brightness being different from the second personalized brightness. In one embodiment, the light-emitting component may be structured and configured to include multiple segments, each segment configured to communicate usage data regarding the brushing of different portions of the user's teeth.

[0016] In one embodiment, the light-emitting component may include a plurality of light-emitting segments, e.g., six curved light-emitting segments, each of which is configured to communicate usage data related to brushing each of at least six portions of teeth. The six portions of teeth may be selected to include a portion including the maxillary (upper) left posterior dentition, a portion including the maxillary right posterior dentition, a portion including the maxillary anterior dentition, a portion including the mandibular (lower) left posterior dentition, a portion including the mandibular right posterior dentition, and a portion including the mandibular anterior dentition. In another embodiment (not shown), the plurality of curved light-emitting segments of the multi-function light-emitting component may include four curved segments, or any other suitable number of light-emitting segments, e.g., eight segments. The light-emitting component may be structured and configured to communicate usage data related to brushing each of the buccal, lingual, occlusal, and incisal surfaces of the maxillary and mandibular teeth. The terms "teeth" and "dentition" are used interchangeably herein.

[0017] The body of the base may be structured and configured to have a substantially circular or round shape, with the top surface having a first (outer) diameter of about 45 mm to about 90 mm, more specifically about 60 mm to about 75 mm, and even more specifically about 65 mm to about 70 mm, with each of the top and bottom surfaces being circular and the side surface being annular. The base may have a height of about 20 mm to about 40 mm, measured from the lowest point of the bottom surface to the highest point of the top surface, with the highest point being located at the geometric center of the top surface. The highest point of the top surface is a part of the central portion of the top surface having a shape of a slightly convex, generally smooth protrusion having a shape of a spherical convex curve with a radius of about 15 mm to about 35 mm, more specifically about 20 mm to about 30 mm, and a planar diameter of about 10 mm to about 35 mm, more specifically about 15 mm to about 25 mm.

[0018] The base has a height of about 20 mm to about 40 mm, measured from the lowest point on the bottom surface to the highest point on the top surface, which may advantageously be located at or adjacent to the geometric center of the top surface. The central portion may have a slightly convex, generally smooth protrusion shape having a spherical convex curvature shape with a radius of about 15 mm to about 35 mm and a plan view diameter of about 10 mm to about 35 mm. In another embodiment, the spherical convex curvature has a radius of about 20 mm to about 30 mm and a plan view diameter of about 15 mm to about 25 mm. In yet another embodiment, the central portion may have a generally parabolic shape. The convex, smooth protrusion of the central portion may have a height of about 0.5 mm to about 3 mm, more specifically about 1 mm to about 2 mm, and even more specifically about 1.5 mm.

[0019] The multi-function light-emitting component may be disposed on the top surface adjacent its periphery. The light-emitting component may comprise a plurality of curved sections, some of which are positioned substantially equidistant from the periphery and interdigitated to form a circle concentric with the first diameter and having a second diameter of about 35 mm to about 75 mm, more specifically about 45 mm to about 65 mm, and even more specifically about 50 mm to about 60 mm. The timer clock component may be configured to display information on a side surface.

[0020] In one embodiment, the side surface is disposed at an included angle of about 90 degrees relative to the top surface. In another embodiment, the side surface is disposed at an included angle of less than about 90 degrees relative to the bottom surface, such as an angle of about 80 degrees to about 90 degrees, or an angle of about 70 degrees to about 80 degrees, or an angle of about 60 degrees to 70 degrees, or an angle of 50 degrees to 60 degrees, or an angle of about 40 degrees to 50 degrees, or an angle of 30 degrees to about 40 degrees. As used herein, the term "an angle of about X degrees" includes angles of (X±2) degrees.

[0021] In yet another embodiment, the first portion of the side is disposed at an included angle of about 90 degrees relative to the bottom surface, and the second portion of the side is disposed at an included angle of less than about 90 degrees relative to the bottom surface (e.g., at the angles shown above). In such an embodiment, the geometric center of the first portion of the side may be configured to be approximately opposite the geometric center of the second portion of the side. The timer clock component 190 may then be configured to display information on the second (angled) portion of the side.

[0022] Each of the top and side surfaces may be advantageously structured and configured to be substantially smooth and free of recesses, edges, corners, etc. that are susceptible to the accumulation of undesirable dentifrice residue, fluids, and waste elements. As used herein, the term "smooth" refers to the quality of a surface having an essentially uniform and regular appearance or consistency, free of perceptible sharp protrusions, recesses, corners, bends, lumps, edges, indentations, etc. that are susceptible to the accumulation of dentifrice residue and other waste products resulting from brushing teeth.

[0023] The base comprises a magnetic element structured and configured to form a magnetic connection with the electric toothbrush when the toothbrush is received by the base for inductive charging of its rechargeable battery. Commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 1,025,093 (B2), the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, describes a personal care product system including a stand with a coupled magnet. U.S. Pat. No. 9,143,041, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, describes a magnetic circuit for a non-contact charging device. An electric toothbrush or a handle for an electric toothbrush having a maximum equivalent diameter dmax can be placed in a vertical position on the top surface of the base, and a magnetic connection between the magnetic element of the base and the magnetic element of the handle of the toothbrush is established, thereby facilitating an inductive coupling between the transmitter coil of the base and the receiver coil of the toothbrush, and thus wireless charging of the battery placed in the handle can be performed.

[0024] As used herein, the term "equivalent diameter" refers to the maximum cross-sectional dimension of the toothbrush measured at any cross section substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal (axial) extension of the toothbrush. The maximum equivalent diameter dmax is the maximum equivalent diameter of the toothbrush found at any location along the longitudinal extension of the toothbrush. In one embodiment, the first diameter is at least 1.5 times larger than the maximum equivalent diameter dmax. In another embodiment, the first diameter is at least 2 times larger than the maximum equivalent diameter dmax.

[0025] In one embodiment of the base, the analysis component is configured to classify the usage data with respect to at least one set of at least two usage classes associated with different usage characteristics. The analysis component may be configured to assemble a time-contiguous sequence of input tuples of usage data for a period of a tooth brushing session. Each of the input tuples may include at least one element for inputting the sequence of input tuples to at least one artificial neural network configured to output at least one output tuple representing the usage data at a respective moment and including a number of elements according to the number of usage classes. Each element of the output tuple may represent a predicted value for the usage of the consumer device at a given moment associated with a respective usage class. The analysis component may be configured to determine a single usage class answer for the period based on the sequence of output tuples. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0026] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a universal base of the present disclosure according to one embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic front view of the base shown in FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a schematic rear view of the base shown in FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the base shown in FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a schematic top view of the base shown in FIG. 1 with the light-emitting section visible. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a schematic top view of the base shown in FIG. 1, with the light-emitting sections not visible. [Figure 7] FIG. 13 is a schematic perspective view of a universal base of the present disclosure according to another embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a schematic side view of the base shown in FIG. 7. [Figure 9] FIG. 8 is a schematic top view of the base shown in FIG. 7. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0027] The universal base (or simply "base") 100 is structured and configured to perform at least two primary functions: (1) inductively charging a rechargeable battery of the toothbrush when the toothbrush is placed on the base and thus inductively coupled with the transmitter (charging) coil of the base, and (2) wirelessly communicating with the toothbrush and other devices, such as, for example, a smartphone, tablet, and the cloud, and / or another (second) universal base. Wireless communication may advantageously occur during a toothbrushing session when the toothbrush is detached from the base 100. The base 100 may include a timer clock component 190, including a timer clock display 195 (FIGS. 1 and 2) for displaying (a) either a count-up or count-down of toothbrushing sessions during a toothbrushing session, and (b) the time before and after a toothbrushing session. The base may be configured to be powered by a suitable cable from a power outlet via a conventional interface 102 (FIGS. 3 and 4).

[0028] An embodiment of the base 100 is shown in Figures 1-6. The base 100 has a body 101 including a top surface 110, a bottom surface 120 opposite the top surface 110, and a side surface 130 extending between the top surface 110 and the bottom surface 120. In an embodiment, the light-emitting component 200 may include a plurality of light-emitting sections, for example, six curved light-emitting sections 210. In the embodiment shown in Figures 1-6, the body of the base 100 is substantially circular, and the top surface 110 has a first diameter D1. In the illustrated embodiment, each of the top surface 110 and the bottom surface 120 is substantially circular, and the side surface 130 is annular. The first diameter D1 may be about 45 mm to about 90 mm, more specifically, about 60 mm to about 75 mm, and even more specifically, about 65 mm to about 70 mm.

[0029] In one embodiment, the first diameter D1 of the top surface 110 is at least 1.5 times larger than the maximum equivalent diameter dmax of the toothbrush 155 inductively coupled to the base 100. In another embodiment, the first diameter D1 is at least 2 times larger than the maximum equivalent diameter dmax of the toothbrush.

[0030] The base 100 has a height H1 of about 20 mm to about 40 mm, measured from the lowest point of the bottom surface 120 to the highest point of the top surface 110, which may advantageously be located at or adjacent to the geometric center 151 of the top surface 110. The highest point of the top surface 110 is part of a central portion 105 of the top surface 110. The central portion 105 may have the shape of a slightly convex, generally smooth protrusion having a shape of a spherical convex curvature with a radius Rc of about 15 mm to about 35 mm and a planar diameter D3 of about 10 mm to about 35 mm. In a further embodiment, the spherical convex curvature has a radius of about 20 mm to about 30 mm and a planar diameter of about 15 mm to about 25 mm. In yet another embodiment, the central portion 105 may have a generally parabolic shape. The convex smooth protrusion of central portion 105 may have a height H2 of about 0.5 mm to about 3 mm, more specifically, about 1 mm to about 2 mm, and even more specifically, height H2 is about 1.5 mm.

[0031] In the embodiment of FIGS. 1-6, the side 130 is disposed at an included angle A of about 90 degrees (FIG. 4) with respect to the bottom surface 120. As used herein, the term "angle of about 90 degrees" includes any angle between 85 degrees and 95 degrees. In another embodiment (FIGS. 7-9), at least a portion of the side 130 may be disposed at an included angle A of less than about 90 degrees, for example, angle A may be about 80 degrees, or about 75 degrees, or about 70 degrees, or about 65 degrees, or about 60 degrees, or about 55 degrees, or about 50 degrees, or about 45 degrees, or about 40 degrees, or about 35 degrees with respect to the bottom surface 120. In such an embodiment, the timer clock component 190 may be configured to display information on an angled portion of the side 130, which may be easier for a user to read.

[0032] In either embodiment, the top surface 110 may be structured and configured to be substantially smooth and free of recesses, edges, and corners that are susceptible to the accumulation of residual dentifrice. As used herein, the term "smooth" refers to the quality of a surface having a uniform and regular appearance or consistency, without perceptible sharp protrusions, recesses, corners, lumps, edges, indentations, etc. that are susceptible to the accumulation of residual dentifrice.

[0033] The charging component 150 for inductively charging the electric toothbrush 155 disposed on the top surface 120 of the base may have any suitable design known in the art of inductive charging. The charging component 150 may be disposed adjacent to the central portion 105 of the top surface 110 of the base. The base 100 may advantageously comprise a magnetic element 140 (FIG. 6) structured and configured to form a magnetic connection with the electric toothbrush 155 when the toothbrush 155 is received by the base 100 for inductive charging of the rechargeable battery of FIGS. 1 and 2. The electric toothbrush 155 or a handle for an electric toothbrush having a maximum equivalent diameter dmax may be disposed in a vertical position on the top surface 110 of the base 100, and a magnetic connection between the magnetic element 140 of the base and the magnetic element of the toothbrush handle is established, thereby facilitating an inductive coupling between the transmitter coil of the base 100 and the receiver coil of the toothbrush 155, thus enabling wireless charging of the battery disposed in the toothbrush handle.

[0034] The base 100 further comprises a Bluetooth component 160 (FIG. 3) for transmitting and receiving usage data from the electric toothbrush 155 during a brushing session, an analysis component 180 configured to instantaneously process usage data received from the electric toothbrush 155 during a brushing session, and a multi-function light-emitting component 200 for instantaneously communicating at least one element of the usage data during a brushing session. In one embodiment, the base 100 includes a WLAN (Wi-Fi) component 170 for communicating usage data between the base 100 and at least one of a smart device application, such as, for example, a smartphone and tablet, another universal base, and one used on the cloud. The WLAN component 170 may have any suitable design known in the art. The analysis component 180 configured to instantaneously process usage data received from the electric toothbrush 155 during a brushing session may have any suitable design known in the art.

[0035] A timer clock component 190 (FIGS. 1 and 2) including a timer clock display 195 may be structured and configured to function as a timer and display a count-up or count-down of a brushing session during a brushing session. Additionally, the timer clock component 190 may be configured to display the time before or after a brushing session.

[0036] A multi-function light-emitting component 200 for instantaneously communicating at least one piece of usage data during a tooth brushing session may be advantageously disposed on the top surface 110 of the base 100. The multi-function light-emitting component 200 may be configured to communicate usage data during a tooth brushing session regarding at least one usage characteristic selected from the group consisting of a battery charge state, pressure applied by a user during a tooth brushing session, a position or orientation of the toothbrush relative to the user's teeth, a portion of the teeth being brushed, a progress of the tooth brushing session including an estimate of a completed portion of a pre-designated tooth surface, and any combination thereof.

[0037] The multi-function light-emitting component 200 disposed on the top surface 110 includes a plurality of curved light-emitting sections 210 positioned adjacent to and substantially equidistant from the periphery of the top surface 110. The plurality of curved sections 210 combine with one another to form a circle having a second diameter D2 concentric with a first diameter D1. The second diameter D2 may be between about 35 mm and about 75 mm, or between about 45 mm and about 65 mm, or between about 50 mm and about 60 mm. The timer clock component 190 may be configured to display information via indicia 195 on the annular side surface 130.

[0038] In one embodiment, the six light-emitting segments 210 are configured to communicate usage data reflecting the brushing of the maxillary (upper) and mandibular (lower) teeth during a brushing event. As best shown in FIG. 5, the six light-emitting segments 210 are divided into two sections, each consisting of three light-emitting segments 210 equidistant from each other, and the two sections are separated from each other by two relatively small light "buttons" 220 (shown as round, by way of example) located on either side of the top surface 110. In the illustrated embodiment, the three "upper" curved light-emitting segments 210 (210a, 210b, and 210c) represent three corresponding portions of the maxillary dentition (upper teeth), while the three "lower" curved light-emitting segments 210 (210x, 210y, and 210z) represent three corresponding portions of the mandibular dentition (lower teeth).

[0039] Stated differently, the light-emitting component 200, in the embodiment of Fig. 5, includes six light-emitting segments 210a, 210b, 210c, 210x, 210y, 210z, each configured to communicate usage data related to brushing of at least a portion of the teeth, including: (1) a portion including the maxillary (upper) left posterior dentition, (2) a portion including the maxillary (upper) right posterior dentition, (3) a portion including the maxillary (upper) anterior dentition, (4) a portion including the mandibular (lower) left posterior dentition, (5) a portion including the mandibular (lower) right posterior dentition, and (6) a portion including the mandibular (lower) anterior dentition. The light-emitting component 200 may be structured and configured to communicate usage data related to brushing of the buccal, lingual, and occlusal surfaces of the posterior dentition and the buccal, lingual, and incisal surfaces of the anterior dentition.

[0040] In another embodiment (not shown), the multiple curved light-emitting sections of the multi-function light-emitting component 200 may include four curved sections, or any other suitable number of light-emitting sections (e.g., eight).

[0041] The manner in which the usage data is communicated may be selected to include characteristics such as changes in light color, geometry, brightness, frequency (if the light is pulsating), and any combination thereof. For example, a segment 210 exhibiting a red or yellow color may indicate that brushing of a particular portion of the dentition (represented by a given light-emitting segment) is not complete, while a green color may indicate that brushing of the portion of the dentition is complete. As another example, a pulsating light may indicate excessive pressure applied during brushing, while a steady light may indicate a baseline pressure. Alternatively or additionally, excessive pressure may be indicated by a steady (e.g., red) light. The multi-function light-emitting component 200 may also be configured to provide an indication that a brushing session has exceeded a time threshold or a coverage threshold.

[0042] In one embodiment, the base 100 may be equipped with audio components, including a speaker 199 (shown diagrammatically in FIG. 1) for communicating information and / or usage data to the user. This information may include greetings, instructions, and warnings (e.g., "Excessive Pressure!", etc.). It is contemplated that the speaker 199, either mono or stereo, may be configured to play music, news, weather, and other announcements, as is known in the art.

[0043] The light-emitting component 200 may be structured and configured to be visible during a tooth brushing session (FIG. 5) and invisible before and after a tooth brushing session (FIG. 6). This may be achieved by applying a suitable substance (lacquer) to the surface of the light-emitting component 200, as is known in the art. In one embodiment, the light-emitting component may be structured and configured to emit light selected from the group consisting of ambient light and night light before and after a tooth brushing session.

[0044] The light-emitting component 200 may further be structured and configured to emit light having at least one of a first personalized color and a first personalized brightness selected by a first user. In one embodiment, the light-emitting component 200 may be structured and configured to emit light having at least one of a second personalized color and a second personalized brightness selected by a second user, the first personalized color being different from the second personalized color and the first personalized brightness being different from the second personalized brightness. The light-emitting component 200 may be structured and configured to include multiple light-emitting segments, each light-emitting segment configured to communicate usage data related to brushing various portions of a particular user's teeth.

[0045] In one embodiment, the base 100 may include a WLAN (Wi-Fi) component 170 (FIG. 3) for communicating usage data between the base 100 and at least one of a smart device application and a cloud. The base 100 may further include a transmitter or transceiver for transmitting data to an analyzer, which may be realized as a remote processing device, such as a cloud computer. The transmitter or transceiver may have a WLAN communication capability, such as Wi-Fi. The base 100 may be configured to establish a wired or wireless communication link with the electric toothbrush 155, for example based on Bluetooth™ or Bluetooth™ LE. When the electric toothbrush 155 is placed on the base 100, wired communication may be established. The electric toothbrush 155 may then not need to have its own transmitter or transceiver for transmitting sensor (or other data) since it is processed by the base 100 including the analysis component 180.

[0046] In one embodiment of the base 100, the analysis component 180 is configured to classify the usage data with respect to at least one set of at least two usage classes associated with different usage characteristics. The analysis component 180 may be configured to assemble a time-contiguous sequence of input tuples of usage data for a period of a tooth brushing session. Each of the input tuples may include at least one element for inputting the sequence of input tuples to at least one artificial neural network configured to output at least one output tuple representing the usage data at a respective moment and including a number of elements according to the number of usage classes. Each element of the output tuple may represent a predicted value for the usage of the consumer device at a given moment associated with a respective usage class. The analysis component 180 may be configured to determine a single usage class answer for the period based on the sequence of output tuples.

[0047] Dimensions and values ​​disclosed herein should not be understood as being strictly limited to the exact numerical values ​​recited. Instead, unless otherwise indicated, each such dimension is intended to mean both the recited value and a functionally equivalent range surrounding that value. For example, a dimension disclosed as "40 mm" is intended to mean "about 40 mm."

[0048] All documents cited herein, including any cross-referenced or related patents or patent applications, and any patent applications or patents to which this application claims priority or benefit, are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety, unless expressly stated to the contrary. The citation of any document shall not be deemed to be prior art to any invention disclosed or claimed herein, or to teach, suggest or disclose such invention, either alone or in combination with any other reference(s). Furthermore, to the extent that any meaning or definition of a term in this document conflicts with any meaning or definition of the same term in a document incorporated by reference, the meaning or definition assigned to that term in this document shall govern.

[0049] While particular embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated and described, it would be obvious to those skilled in the art that various other changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is therefore intended to cover in the appended claims all such changes and modifications that are within the scope of this invention.

Claims

1. an electric toothbrush (155) in combination with a universal base (100), the base being structured and configured to receive the toothbrush (155) for wirelessly charging the toothbrush and to couple with the toothbrush for wireless communication between the base and the toothbrush; The base (100) has a top surface (110), a bottom surface (120) opposite the top surface (110), and a side surface (130) extending between the top surface (110) and the bottom surface (120); The base is a magnetic element (140) for forming a magnetic connection with the electric toothbrush (155) when the toothbrush (155) is received by the base (100) for charging; a charging component (150) for inductively charging the electric toothbrush (155) when the toothbrush (155) is received by the base (100) for charging; a Bluetooth component (160) for receiving usage data from said toothbrush (155) during a brushing session; an analytical component (180) configured to process the usage data received from the toothbrush (155) instantaneously during the tooth brushing session; a timer clock component (190) including a timer clock display (195) disposed on a side of the base for displaying (a) either a count-up or count-down of the tooth brushing session during the tooth brushing session, and (b) a time before and after the tooth brushing session; a multi-function light-emitting component (200) disposed on said top surface (110) for instantaneously communicating at least one element of said usage data during said tooth brushing session; the light-emitting component (200) preferably includes a plurality of light-emitting segments (210) that communicate the usage data related to brushing various portions of the teeth of a user, the light-emitting segment (210) being visible during the tooth brushing session and invisible before and after the tooth brushing session; An electric toothbrush (155) in combination with a universal base (100), wherein the light-emitting component (200) includes at least six sections (210a, 210b, 210c, 210x, 210y, 210z) that communicate the usage data regarding tooth brushing in at least six portions of the teeth, the sections including a portion including the upper left posterior dentition, a portion including the upper right posterior dentition, a portion including the upper anterior dentition, a portion including the lower left posterior dentition, a portion including the lower right posterior dentition, and a portion including the lower anterior dentition.

2. 2. The electric toothbrush in combination with a universal base of claim 1, wherein the at least one element of the received usage data is selected from the group consisting of a battery charge state, pressure applied by a user during the brushing session, a position or orientation of the toothbrush relative to the user's teeth, the portion of the teeth being brushed, the progress of the brushing session, an indication that the brushing session is complete, an indication that the brushing session has exceeded a time threshold or a coverage threshold, and any combination thereof.

3. The electric toothbrush in combination with the universal base of any one of claims 1 to 2, wherein the light-emitting component (200) emits a light selected from the group consisting of an ambient light and a night light before and after the tooth brushing session.

4. 2. The electric toothbrush in combination with the universal base of claim 1, wherein the light-emitting component (200) emits light having at least one of a first personalized color and a first personalized brightness selected by a first user.

5. 5. An electric toothbrush combined with a universal base as described in claim 4, wherein the light-emitting component (200) emits light having at least one of a second personalized color and a second personalized brightness selected by a second user, and the first personalized color is different from the second personalized color and / or the first personalized brightness is different from the second personalized brightness.

6. 2. The electric toothbrush in combination with the universal base of claim 1, wherein the light-emitting component (200) communicates the usage data regarding brushing of each of the buccal, lingual, occlusal, and incisal surfaces of the maxillary teeth and the mandibular teeth.

7. The electric toothbrush in combination with the universal base of claim 1 , wherein the base (100) includes an audio component including a speaker (199).

8. 2. The electric toothbrush in combination with the universal base of claim 1, wherein the base (100) comprises a Wireless Local-Area Network (WLAN) component (170) for communicating the usage data between the base and at least one of a smart device application, another universal base, and a cloud.

9. The body (101) of the base (100) has a substantially circular shape, each of the top surface (110) and the bottom surface (120) is substantially circular, the side surface (130) is annular, and the top surface has an outer periphery (P) with a first diameter (D1) of about 45 mm to about 90 mm, and the multi-function light-emitting component (200) preferably includes at least four curved sections, the multi-function light-emitting component (200) includes a plurality of curved sections (210) disposed on the top surface (110) adjacent to the outer periphery (P) of the top surface (110) and positioned substantially equidistant from the outer periphery P, the plurality of curved sections (210) combined with each other to form a circle having a second diameter (D2) of about 35 mm to about 75 mm, the second diameter (D2) being equal to the first diameter (D1).

2. The electric toothbrush in combination with the universal base of claim 1, wherein the top surface (110) is preferably substantially smooth and free of sharp protrusions, recesses, edges and corners that are susceptible to accumulation of residual dentifrice and waste products resulting from brushing the teeth, and the multiple curved sections (210) of the multi-function light-emitting component (200) are configured to communicate the usage data regarding brushing of multiple portions of the teeth selected from the group consisting of a portion including the left posterior dentition of the maxilla, a portion including the right posterior dentition of the maxilla, a portion including the anterior dentition of the maxilla, a portion including the left posterior dentition of the mandible, a portion including the right posterior dentition of the mandible, a portion including the anterior dentition of the mandible, a portion of the buccal, lingual and occlusal surfaces of the posterior dentition, and a portion of the buccal, lingual and incisal surfaces of the anterior dentition.

10. 10. The electric toothbrush in combination with the universal base of claim 9, wherein the first diameter (D1) is between about 60 mm and about 75 mm.

11. 10. The electric toothbrush in combination with the universal base of claim 9, wherein the second diameter (D2) is between about 45 mm and about 65 mm.

12. 10. The electric toothbrush in combination with the universal base of claim 9, wherein the electric toothbrush (155) has a maximum equivalent diameter (dmax) and is structured and configured to be positioned in a vertical orientation on the top surface (110) of the base (100) and inductively coupled thereto, and wherein the first diameter (D1) is at least two times greater than the maximum equivalent diameter (dmax) of the toothbrush (155).

13. 10. The electric toothbrush in combination with the universal base of claim 9, wherein the base (100) has a height (H1) of about 20 mm to about 40 mm, measured from the lowest point of the bottom surface (110) to the highest point of the top surface (120), the highest point being located at or adjacent to the geometric center (151) of the top surface (110), the highest point being part of a central portion (105) of the top surface (110), the central portion (105) having the shape of a convex smooth protrusion having a convex curvature with a radius (Rc) of about 15 mm to about 35 mm and a plan view diameter (D3) of about 10 mm to about 35 mm, preferably the convex smooth protrusion of the central portion (105) having a generally parabolic shape, and the convex smooth protrusion of the central portion (105) having a height (H2) of about 0.5 mm to about 3 mm.

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