Controller for generating control signals for oral care system

Abstract

The present invention relates to a controller 100 for generating a control signal for an oral care system 200, wherein the controller 100 is configured to receive directional data generated by the oral care system 200, wherein the directional data describes at least one angle 102 between the oral care system 200 and a target tissue surface 300 in an oral cavity 400, or an angle relative to a reference vector, e.g., a gravity vector. wherein the controller 100 is configured to compare the received directional data with at least one predetermined directional condition. The controller 100 is configured to generate a first control signal for triggering or adapting an oral care procedure performed by the oral care system 200 if the received directional data satisfies the predetermined directional condition.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a controller for generating a control signal for an oral care system, an element for / in an oral care system, an oral care system, a method for generating a control signal, and a computer program. [Background technology]

[0002] WO2019 / 137841A1 discloses an oral care device including a head portion with protrusions that engage interdental areas in the oral cavity. The oral care device also includes at least one sensor that acquires motion data of the oral care device, and a processor. The processor is configured to determine when the protrusions of the head portion engage interdental areas in the oral cavity; and determine a position of the head portion of the oral care device in the oral cavity based on motion data acquired by the at least one sensor as the protrusions move between the interdental areas. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0003] In the field of oral care, there are a number of devices and elements that allow the consumer to perform different oral care procedures, such as brushing or flossing procedures.

[0004] However, oral care systems with combined brushing and flossing modalities / functions that allow simultaneous brushing and flossing procedures present several problems. This is because flossing teeth while brushing in a semi-continuous motion along the dentition is complicated and inconvenient. In particular, the effectiveness of fluid flossing is limited when it occurs outside the interdental spaces. This is because the fluid flossing is likely to floss the occlusal surfaces, etc., rather than being directed to the intended area. This can lead to excessive spillage of the flossing fluid and undesirable dispensing of liquid in the oral cavity.

[0005] The inventors of the present invention have identified a need to overcome these shortcomings of currently existing oral care systems. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a controller is provided for generating control signals for an oral-care system.

[0007] The invention is defined by the independent claims. Further embodiments and advantages of the invention are incorporated in the dependent claims and herein.

[0008] Below, technical terms are used in their general sense. Where a particular term has a specific meaning, a definition of that term is given below where that term is used.

[0009] According to a first aspect of the present invention, a controller for generating a control signal for an oral care system is configured to receive directional data generated by the oral care system. The directional data describes at least one angle between the oral care system and a target surface in the oral cavity or an angle relative to a reference vector, such as a gravity vector. The controller is further configured to compare the received directional data with at least one predetermined directional condition. In that first aspect, the controller is configured to generate a first control signal for the oral care system if the received directional data meets or satisfies the predetermined directional condition.

[0010] The control signal can be configured to trigger or adapt an oral care procedure performed by the oral care system or to adapt settings of the oral care system.

[0011] The orientation data is based on measuring at least one angle of rotation about at least one axis of the oral care device and describes at least one resulting angle of (an element of) the oral care system relative to the gravity vector or between the oral care system and a target (tissue) surface in the oral cavity. In the simplest version, the angle relative to the gravity vector "in air" can be used as information to control the system.

[0012] It should be noted that the "target surface" can be a tissue target surface, but can of course also be used to target and cover the interdental space of a metal implant or a dental crown, i.e., non-biological materials. The term "target surface" should therefore be understood to include surfaces that may be biological and non-biological materials.

[0013] It should be noted that the feature "at least one angle of rotation about at least one axis of the oral care device relative to the surface of the oral cavity" is understood as the angle between a line r along one device axis and a target surface (plane) π, as described for example in https: / / www.superprof.co.uk / resources / academic / maths / analytical-geometry / distance / angle-between-line-and-plane.html, and the angle r' between r and its projection onto π.

[0014] In the context of the present invention, the term "controller" should be understood broadly to include any unit configured to perform the described functions. Accordingly, any processor and / or computing unit configured to perform such steps as described herein and in the following embodiments of the present invention is understood as such a controller.

[0015] The controller is configured to receive, process, and transmit signals related to the oral care system and / or its components. The controller can be located in any component of the oral care system. In particular, the controller can be located in and / or coupled to the handle and / or brush head and / or attachable module of the oral care system. In particular, the controller can be located in and / or coupled to any reattachable click-on unit / module for cleaning, processing, or sensing. Furthermore, the controller can be located in an accessory, such as a smartphone or tablet or another type of handheld device, which can be part of the oral care system and can be interconnected with other components of the oral care system. This will be described in more detail in connection with specific embodiments of the present invention.

[0016] Hereinafter, the "first control signal" will also be referred to as the "control signal", and other control signals will be referred to by different names.

[0017] As mentioned above, the controller is configured to receive, acquire, and / or read directional data generated by the oral care system. In other words, the oral care system is configured to generate directional data and transfer, transmit, and / or upload the generated directional data to the controller. The directional data can be generated by the oral care system using active and passive sensing devices, such as accelerometers, inertial measurement units, gyroscopes, or (mechanically) responsive materials. However, generation of directional data is not limited to the above-listed sensor examples.

[0018] For example, the controller can be located in the handle of the oral care system. In the above example, a brush head with a sensor can be attached to the handle of the oral care system. The controller can receive directional data generated by the sensor in the brush head or handle and adapt the oral care routine based on the received directional data.

[0019] Furthermore, the orientation data describes at least one angle between the oral care system or an element of the oral care system and a target surface in the oral cavity, or an angle relative to a reference vector, e.g., the gravity vector. At least one angle, in the context of the present invention, is to be understood as the orientation of the oral care system relative to the target tissue surface, e.g., measured in degrees. In particular, this angle can define an angle between an element of the oral care system and a target surface in the oral cavity. Furthermore, the orientation data can describe the change in the angle between the oral care system and the target surface over time. Furthermore, in its simplest configuration, the present invention can measure an angle relative to gravity. A sensor can be used by the oral care system of the present invention to measure this actual angle relative to the gravity vector.

[0020] As previously mentioned, the controller is configured to compare and / or correlate the received direction data with at least one predetermined direction condition. The comparison of the direction data with the predetermined direction condition can be performed by the controller continuously, at a given rate, and / or at predetermined times.

[0021] In the context of the present invention, a predetermined orientation condition can be understood as, for example, a specific value of a single angle, a range of values, a combination of angles relative to different spatial planes of the target surface (e.g., a combination of yaw, pitch, and roll angles measured relative to different coordinate axes / planes), and / or a change in the value of the predetermined orientation condition over time. It should also be noted that a value may not change over time. For example, in the case of occlusal brushing, the roll angle remains fairly constant for 5 to 20 seconds as the user brushes the occlusal surface of the dentition. For example, a predetermined orientation condition can be a single roll angle of 45° between the oral care system and the target tissue in the oral cavity. In a further example, the predetermined orientation condition can be a range of angles, e.g., from 40° to 50°. In such an example, the controller can, for example, compare the angle between the oral care system or its element and the target tissue surface in the oral cavity with a specific value of the predetermined orientation condition and / or a range of predetermined orientation conditions. The predetermined orientation condition can be stored, for example, in data storage of the oral care system accessed by the controller, or can also be stored remotely, for example, on a server of the oral care system accessed by the controller. Further examples and details of the predetermined directional conditions will become apparent from the embodiments described in more detail below.

[0022] Furthermore, the controller is configured to generate, output, and / or transmit a control signal for the oral care system when the received directional data satisfies, meets, and / or reaches a predetermined directional condition. A control signal, in the context of the present invention, should be understood as any type of signal that can be generated and transmitted / emitted by the controller to adapt the oral care device or the procedure performed by the oral care system. For example, when a predetermined directional condition is met, the controller transmits a control signal. This control signal is configured to enable or disable fluid delivery of the oral care system, as described in more detail below.

[0023] As will be apparent to those skilled in the art, adaptation of device settings is covered throughout the term "procedure" as used herein and hereinafter.

[0024] The controller is configured to compare the orientation data with predetermined orientation conditions, as described above. This comparison is described in more detail in the following examples. In this example, it is assumed that the orientation data describes a yaw angle between the brush head of the oral care system and a target tissue surface in the oral cavity of 30° at a first time point and 45° at a second time point. The controller compares the angle value at the first time point with the predetermined orientation conditions, which in this example are in the range of 40° to 50°. The comparison at the first time point determines that the predetermined orientation conditions are not met because the angle of 30° at the first time point is not within the range of 40° to 50°. Therefore, the oral care protocol is not applied. For example, if the conditions are not met, fluid delivery, such as flossing, is not activated or deactivated by the controller (although the system can enter a feedback or coaching mode, as described below). The comparison of the orientation data with the predetermined orientation conditions is repeated at a second time point. At a second time, a predetermined directional condition is met, and in response, the controller generates and sends a control signal to adapt an oral care procedure, e.g., fluid delivery, e.g., flossing, or activation of a continuous or pulsed fluid jet. A similar, but more detailed, embodiment is described with reference to FIG.

[0025] It should be noted that the present invention comprises an oral care system, and / or a corresponding method, including at least one element and a controller for determining the angle between the system and, for example, the teeth. In a non-limiting example of the invention, the system is configured to determine the orientation of the oral care system or its elements under the assumption that the user holds their head upright and the teeth are upright.

[0026] An advantage of providing a controller according to this first aspect of the present invention is that oral care procedures, such as flossing procedures, performed by an oral care system can be improved because the flossing procedure can be adapted to the actual orientation between the oral care system and a target tissue surface, such as an interdental space. This can improve procedures performed by oral care systems that receive and use the controller control signals described herein. A further advantage is that stress (pressure points) caused by fluid pressure on the gums during an oral care procedure can be reduced because the oral care procedure can be turned off when treating areas of the teeth close to the gums or the gums themselves. Furthermore, by determining the orientation of the oral care system relative to a target tissue surface, such as an occlusal tooth surface or gum line, brushing and flossing efficiency can be improved by making the fluid delivery operation more efficient and robust to various brushing angles. This can be achieved, for example, by spraying at a defined angle and / or adjusting the angle / deflection of a fluid discharge element (e.g., a nozzle) to optimize the spray direction based on the received directional data. Additionally, the oral care routine can be switched from one mode to another based on the orientation of the oral care system, for example, the mode of the oral care routine can be changed from interdental cleaning to pocket cleaning based on the actual orientation of the oral care system relative to the target surface.

[0027] According to embodiments, the at least one angle of the directional data is a roll angle, a pitch angle, a yaw angle, and / or a combination of at least two of the above angles between at least one element / component of the oral care system and a target tissue in the oral cavity, where the at least one element can be, for example, a brush head with an integrated nozzle or a nozzle alone.

[0028] An advantage of this embodiment is that the oral care procedure or device configuration can be tailored to the ideal or optimal orientation of the oral care system and target tissue surface, specifically based on the measured roll, pitch, or yaw angles (or combinations thereof) between, for example, the brush head, flossing head, and / or mouthpiece as exemplary elements of the oral care system of the present invention.

[0029] The at least one angle can be any angle configured to identify an orientation between target tissue surfaces. The roll, pitch, and yaw angles are explained in detail in the description of Figures 3-5 and their corresponding figures.

[0030] According to another embodiment, the control signal is configured to trigger the fluid delivery of the oral care system, for example, activation or deactivation of a flossing action.

[0031] As described above, the control signal is configured to trigger, initiate, and / or activate the fluid delivery, e.g., flossing operation, with predetermined or adapted parameter settings (e.g., fluid pressure, flow rate, flow rate profile, duty cycle, pulse rate, etc.) of the oral care system. In other words, the control signal is configured to adapt the oral care procedure performed by the oral care system through activating or deactivating the fluid delivery. For example, the controller generates the control signal when a predetermined directional condition is met, thereby activating or deactivating the fluid delivery of the oral care system while the predetermined directional condition is met.

[0032] An advantage of this embodiment is that the oral care regimen can be adapted to be more precise and / or more comfortable for the user of the oral care system, because the fluid delivery can be activated or deactivated based on control signals generated by the controller and executed by the oral care system.

[0033] According to another embodiment, the control signal is configured to trigger adaptation of at least one operating parameter of at least one actuator of the oral-care system, the actuator being selected from the group consisting of a fluidic actuator (such as a pump), a mechanical actuator, an electric actuator, an (electro)magnetic actuator, an ultrasonic actuator, and any other suitable actuator technology.

[0034] An advantage of this embodiment is that, based on the control signal, the operating parameters of the actuators can be adapted to improve the oral care procedure performed by the oral care system, whereby the adaptation of the operating parameters is specifically tailored to the current orientation of the oral care system, thereby further improving the oral care procedure performed by the oral care system.

[0035] As noted above, the control signal is configured to trigger, initiate, and / or initiate the adaptation, modification, and / or adjustment of at least one operational / operating parameter of at least one actuator of the oral-care system. An operational parameter of an actuator should be understood as describing the function and / or desired performance of the actuator. In an illustrative example, the operational parameter may be the revolutions per minute of an electric motor or any other suitable energy transfer technology, which in this example is the actuator of the oral-care system.

[0036] As will be apparent to those skilled in the art, the actuator of the oral care system may be any element configured to control the oral care sequence performed by the oral care system of the present invention. In particular, the actuator may be a mechanical actuator, such as an electric motor of the oral care system, a fluid actuator, such as a fluid pump, and / or a valve, such as a fluid valve in the floss head, handle, or base station of the oral care system, for controlling the flossing sequence of the oral care system. However, the actuator is not limited to the above examples, and therefore, any actuator used in an oral care system may be suitable without departing from the present invention.

[0037] According to another embodiment, the control signal is configured to trigger adaptation of a change in orientation and / or shape of a fluid discharge element of the oral care system or selective activation of a single nozzle from a plurality of fixed nozzles.

[0038] According to another embodiment, the control signal is configured to trigger an adaptation of the orientation and / or outlet shape or orifice (eg, nozzle diameter) of a fluid discharge element of the oral care system.

[0039] As is evident from this embodiment, this does not necessarily relate to circular openings, but also covers cross-shaped outlets. An advantage of this embodiment is that, based on the current orientation of the oral care system, the nozzle orientation and diameter can be adapted to improve the results of the flossing procedure performed by the oral care system.

[0040] In this case, the control signal is configured to trigger, initiate, and / or initiate adaptation and / or adjustment of the orientation and / or diameter of a nozzle of the oral care system. In other words, the oral care system has a nozzle, for example, a flossing nozzle. The oral care system can be configured to adapt the orientation and / or diameter of the nozzle based on orientation data of the oral care system. In particular, the oral care system can be configured to adapt the orientation and / or diameter of the nozzle when the orientation data meets a predetermined orientation condition.

[0041] In a non-limiting example, the nozzle can be configured to change its orientation and / or its diameter relative to the oral cavity. The nozzle can be configured to target interdental spaces by changing its orientation data based on the orientation of the oral care system relative to the target tissue surface. Furthermore, the nozzle can be configured to adapt the flossing procedure based on the orientation of the oral care system by changing the nozzle diameter, e.g., narrowing the diameter when targeting interdental spaces and widening the diameter when the nozzle is directed toward the gums, e.g., to reduce pressure on the tissue.

[0042] According to an embodiment, the controller is configured to generate a second control signal when the directional condition is not satisfied, and further configured to send the second control signal to the oral care system to output instructions to a user of the oral care system to satisfy the directional condition of the oral care system.

[0043] An advantage of this embodiment is that the oral care procedure can be further improved because the user can learn how to use the oral care system from the second control signal so that the direction of the oral care system during the oral care procedure can be improved. Thus, the user gets valuable feedback from the oral care system of the presented embodiment.

[0044] As described above, the controller is configured to generate, output, and / or transmit a second control signal when the directional condition is not met. Further, the controller is configured to transmit, forward, and / or share the second control signal with the oral care system to output and / or issue instructional instructions to a user of the oral care system to assist in meeting and / or achieving the desired directional condition of the oral care system. In other words, the oral care system may be configured to receive the second control signal from the controller based on directional data of the oral care system.

[0045] The term "not met" in the context of the present invention should be understood to mean that the comparison between the directional data of the oral care system and the predetermined directional condition is not consistent and / or is not (sufficiently) met.

[0046] For example, the predetermined orientation condition is that the angle between the oral care system, e.g., the brush head, and the target tissue is 45°. However, suppose a user of the oral care system only holds the oral care system at an angle of 30°. In this case, the controller outputs a second control signal, which causes the oral care system to instruct the user how to hold the oral care system to achieve the 45° angle. The output of instructions to the user can be achieved via an accessory device, e.g., a smartphone, and / or an assistant device, e.g., a display or a bathroom mirror. Both of these can be part of the oral care system and can be interconnected with other elements of the system, e.g., the controller, the handle, and / or the brush head that measure orientation data.

[0047] According to another embodiment, the controller is configured to additionally receive location or position data describing the position of an element of the oral care system, optionally in relation to a target tissue surface within the oral cavity. The controller is configured to compare the received position data with at least one predetermined position condition. The controller is further configured to generate a control signal for the oral care system if the received position data satisfies the predetermined position condition.

[0048] An advantage of this embodiment is that the position of the oral care system can be linked to the orientation of the oral care system, and oral care procedures can be further improved based on the combined data of the position and orientation of the oral care system.

[0049] The controller is configured to receive, generate, and / or download (e.g., download from a cloud-based database) position data describing the position of an element of the oral care system relative to a target tissue surface within the oral cavity. The controller is further configured to compare and / or correlate the received position data with at least one predetermined position condition. The controller is further configured to generate, output, and / or transmit control signals for the oral care system when the received position data meets the predetermined position condition. For example, the controller can be configured to receive position data from a high-resolution position measurement system.

[0050] The position data may be indicative of the relative position between an element or component of the oral care system and the target tissue surface. Further, as described in more detail below, the position of the target tissue surface can be determined by the oral care system. The controller can computationally compare the position data to predetermined position conditions.

[0051] For example, the position of the target tissue surface is expressed in three-dimensional coordinates. Thus, the predetermined position condition can be expressed as a desired position in three-dimensional coordinates. The controller is configured to compare the actual position of the element or oral care system with the desired position and generate a control signal when the actual position equals the desired position.

[0052] According to an embodiment, the controller is configured to detect an interdental space, a gum line, a gum pocket and / or a quadrant of a tooth based on the received position data, and further configured to generate the control signal based on said detection.

[0053] An advantage of this embodiment is that detection of important features of the oral care procedure, such as interdental spaces, allows the controller to control the oral care procedure in a manner that further improves the efficiency of the oral care procedure.

[0054] As described above, the controller is configured to, through calculations, identify and / or estimate the interdental space between at least two teeth, the gum line, the gum pocket, and / or the quadrant of the tooth based on the received position data.

[0055] In other words, the controller is configured to identify a target tissue surface in the received position data, which in this embodiment may be an interdental space, a gum line, and / or a gum pocket between at least two teeth. Further, the controller may be configured to identify a quadrant of the tooth based on the received position data.

[0056] Furthermore, the controller may be configured to detect target tissue surfaces, such as interdental spaces, gum lines, gum pockets, and / or tooth quadrants, based on the received position data with the aid of at least one sensing method or principle selected from the group consisting of: a machine learning approach combined with a centimeter-accurate intraoral positioning system, a sensor element included in the nozzle, automatic angle adjustment, an interdental locking mechanism having a fluid discharge tube with a movable jet outlet, dental impressions, dental images, movement tracking, and remote tracking devices. However, more than the above-listed sensing principles may be used to detect the above-listed target tissue surfaces without departing from the invention.

[0057] Furthermore, the controller can be configured to perform data analysis on the orientation data and / or position data. The data analysis can be used to make the generated data comparable to predetermined orientation and / or position conditions. Furthermore, the data analysis can be configured to identify features of the target tissue surface and / or the oral cavity with the help of statistical evaluation, for example, principal component analysis. Furthermore, the statistical data analysis can be morphological feature matching based on feature extraction from dental images.

[0058] According to an embodiment, the controller is configured to compare the received direction data and the received position data with a predetermined location-specific direction condition or direction-specific position, and further configured to generate the control signal if the position data and the direction data satisfy the predetermined location-specific direction condition or direction-specific position.

[0059] An advantage of this embodiment is that with the combination of orientation and position data, oral care procedures can be further improved, as position and angle are monitored simultaneously by the controller, and both data aspects can be used in combination to trigger an intra-oral procedure, for example, to trigger flossing at the appropriate position and angle, for example, when predetermined position-specific orientation conditions are met.

[0060] As described above, the controller is configured to compare and / or correlate the received orientation data and the received position data with predetermined location-specific orientation conditions or orientation-specific positions. In other words, the oral care system can be configured to evaluate the position and orientation, e.g., angle, of the oral care system relative to the target tissue location. The controller can then generate a control signal based on the evaluated position and orientation of the oral care system relative to the target tissue surface, based on the predetermined location-specific orientation being met, and the oral care procedure performed by the oral care system is triggered and / or adapted accordingly.

[0061] For example, the oral care system is positioned at the correct angle in the interdental space. Thus, a comparison by the controller between the current position and orientation of the oral care system and the predetermined location-specific orientation conditions results in the generation of a control signal by the controller. The controller sends the control signal to the oral care system, which results in an adaptation of the oral care procedure performed by the oral care system.

[0062] According to a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided an element for / of an oral care system, the element comprising a controller as described above and hereinafter, the element being embodied as part of a handle, a brush head, a flossing head, and / or a mouthpiece or head.

[0063] With the aid of a controller, the elements can be controlled based on the orientation of the elements relative to the target tissue surface, which can enable oral care procedures, such as interdental space flossing, that require the current and / or specific orientation of the elements.

[0064] The components of the oral care system include a controller for generating a control signal for controlling the oral care system. Furthermore, the controller can be interconnected with the components and with other components of the oral care system to control an actuator of the oral care system. The actuator may be located in the same component of the oral care system or in another component of the oral care system. For example, a controller of the present invention may be located in the handle and control an actuator located in the brush head. Furthermore, the components can be embodied as a mouthpiece that can be inserted into the oral cavity, thereby forming an independent oral care device that does not require manual manipulation for operation. The mouthpiece includes a controller and an actuator and can be controlled by the controller via a control signal.

[0065] In one example, the component of the oral care system is a handle, which has an electric motor. In this example, a controller is interconnected with the electric motor. The controller sends control signals that adapt operating parameters of the electric motor, such as the number of rotations of the motor per time unit.

[0066] A further aspect of the present invention is an oral-care system, comprising the above elements / oral-care system elements described above and hereinafter, further comprising a sensor unit for measuring directional data.

[0067] An advantage of this aspect is that the oral care routine of the oral care system can be improved with the help of elements combined with the sensor unit, which is achieved because the sensor unit can assess the orientation of the oral care system, as described above and hereinafter, and the controller can adapt the oral care routine based on the orientation of the oral care system to improve the oral care routine.

[0068] The oral care system may further include an attached handheld device, such as a smartphone, with the controller located within the handheld device. Furthermore, the oral care system may be interconnected with a cloud service, with the controller located in the cloud. As mentioned above, the sensor unit may be configured to measure, scan, and / or generate orientation data. In particular, the sensor unit may measure the orientation and / or position of the oral care system within the oral cavity.

[0069] As will be apparent to those skilled in the art and as previously explained, all details and embodiments described herein regarding the controller equally relate to corresponding embodiments of the oral care system of the present invention, as well as the methods of generating the control signals described below.

[0070] A further aspect of the present invention is a method for generating a control signal, the method comprising the steps of: receiving orientation data and / or position data generated by the oral-care system; the orientation data describing at least one angle between the oral care system and a target tissue surface within the oral cavity; - comparing the received direction data and / or position data with at least one predetermined direction condition or at least one predetermined position condition (or a combination thereof, if the direction data and the position data are related to each other); generating a control signal for the oral-care system if the received directional data satisfies a predetermined directional condition and / or a predetermined location-specific directional condition.

[0071] The control signal can be configured to trigger or adapt an oral care procedure performed by the oral care system or to adapt settings of the oral care system.

[0072] In a preferred embodiment, the step of generating a second control signal if the above condition is not met is included.

[0073] Such a method may be performed by a controller of the oral care system, as previously described, but may also be performed by, for example, a computer network structure, as will be described in more detail below.

[0074] As previously described, the method includes receiving, acquiring, and / or retrieving directional and / or positional data generated by the oral-care system. The method further includes comparing, contrasting, and / or correlating the received directional and / or positional data with at least one predetermined directional condition and / or at least one predetermined positional condition. The method includes generating, outputting, and / or transmitting a control signal for the oral-care system if the received directional data satisfies the predetermined directional condition and / or the predetermined position-specific directional condition.

[0075] The steps of the method can be performed and / or repeated continuously and / or at predetermined times. Additionally, the method can receive orientation and / or position data that describes and / or indicates the orientation and / or position between the oral-care system and the target tissue surface.

[0076] Furthermore, the method can be performed by a controller installed within the oral care system. Furthermore, the method can be performed by a cloud service and / or a computer network structure. For example, the oral care system can be interconnected with the computer network structure. The oral care system can generate directional data and upload the generated data to the computer network structure. The computer network structure can be configured to perform the steps of the method and to generate a control signal. The computer network structure can transmit the control signal to the oral care system. The oral care system can adapt its oral care routine based on the received control signal generated by the computer network structure.

[0077] The use of a computer network architecture and / or the cloud to implement this method has the advantage that such controller functionality does not need to be included in the components or parts of the oral care system that a user has at home. The controller functionality can be provided by the cloud. This can reduce the manufacturing costs of the components of the oral care system that a user has at home. Furthermore, certain future changes, such as improvements provided by a central cloud, can be easily centralized in the cloud and distributed to oral care systems using such embodiments of the present invention.

[0078] A practical advantage of this method is that the amount of flossing fluid can be reduced because flossing is triggered only when a predetermined directional condition is met, and flossing of unintended areas such as occlusal tooth surfaces or gums can be reduced.

[0079] According to an embodiment, the method includes triggering activation and / or deactivation of fluid delivery, e.g., flossing, of an oral care system.

[0080] For example, the method may be performed by a controller or computer network structure, as described above, that sends control signals to the oral care system to adapt the oral care regimen of the oral care system by activating or deactivating the fluid supply of the oral care system.

[0081] According to an embodiment, the method comprises: - detecting interdental spaces, occlusal surfaces, gum lines, gum pockets, and / or any other relevant intraoral features in the intraoral images; and generating a control signal for the oral care system based on the detection of the gum line, gum pockets and / or other relevant features of the oral cavity if the received directional data satisfies a predetermined directional condition.

[0082] In a preferred embodiment, the method also includes generating a second control signal if the condition is not satisfied.

[0083] As described above, the method may include detecting, identifying, and / or capturing interdental spaces, occlusal surfaces, gum lines, gum pockets, and / or other relevant features of the oral cavity in an image of the oral cavity. Further, the method may include generating, outputting, and / or transmitting control signals for an oral-care system based on said detection of gum lines, gum pockets, and / or any other relevant features of the oral cavity if the received directional data satisfies a predetermined directional condition.

[0084] The oral care system can be configured to access images of the oral cavity. Furthermore, the method can be performed by a cloud service to detect features in the generated images, such as the gum line, gum pockets, and / or any other relevant features of the oral cavity. Thus, this embodiment does not generate images of the oral cavity, but rather maps orientation and / or position data to a digitized jaw, i.e., 3D tooth image, and uses this mapping information to adapt the flossing characteristics of the oral care system.

[0085] Additionally, the cloud service may also receive actual orientation data, preferably location data, generated by the oral-care system. Based on the current orientation data and the detected features, the cloud service may generate a first control signal if a predetermined orientation condition is met and a second control signal if the condition is not met.

[0086] A further aspect of the invention is a computer program product which, when executed, instructs a processor unit to perform the method steps described above and below.

[0087] The computer program can be part of an already existing program and / or can be an independent program. Furthermore, the computer program can be executed on a processor unit located within the oral care system and / or can be executed on a computer network structure, such as a cloud service.

[0088] A further aspect of the present invention is a computer data storage device storing a computer program as described above. The computer data storage device may be a local data storage such as a hard disk, or a remote storage such as a web server.

[0089] A further aspect of the present invention is the use of a controller as described herein to generate at least one control signal for an oral-care system.

[0090] All disclosure as provided herein relating to any aspect of the invention applies equally to all other aspects of the invention. Examples and embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0091] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 illustrates elements of an oral care system according to a first exemplary embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 illustrates elements of an oral care system according to a second exemplary embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 illustrates an example of the roll angle of an element of an oral care system relative to a target tooth surface. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 illustrates an example of the pitch angle of an element of an oral care system relative to a target tooth surface. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 illustrates an example of the yaw angle of an element of an oral care system relative to a target tooth surface. [Figure 6] 1A-1C illustrate an example of an action / event in which an element of an oral care system releases fluid into an interdental space. [Figure 7] 1 illustrates an oral care system with an accessory device according to an exemplary embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 1 illustrates an oral care system according to an exemplary embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 1 illustrates an oral care system according to an exemplary embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 1 shows a flow diagram illustrating a method according to an exemplary embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 1 shows a flow diagram illustrating a method according to an exemplary embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 shows a diagram illustrating signal paths of control signals for adaptation of an oral-care system according to an exemplary embodiment. [Figure 13]FIG. 10 shows a diagram illustrating signal paths of control signals for user-directed adaptation of oral-care system processes in accordance with an exemplary embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 1 is a diagram defining the roll angle, pitch angle, and yaw angle used in this document. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0092] FIG. 1 shows a front view of elements of an oral care system 200, including a controller 100 configured to generate control signals for the oral care system 200. The controller 100 is configured to receive directional data generated by the oral care system 200. The directional data describes at least one angle 102 between the oral care system 200 and a target tissue surface 300 within an oral cavity 400. The controller 100 is configured to compare the received directional data with at least one predetermined directional condition. The controller 100 is further configured to generate a control signal for the oral care system 200 if the received directional data meets a particular predetermined directional condition. As can be seen in FIG. 1, the oral care system 200 is positioned above the target tissue surface 300, which in FIG. 1 is the occlusal surface of a tooth. The target tissue surface 300 is located within the oral cavity 400. The oral care system 200 is configured to generate directional data received by the controller 100, the directional data describing at least the angle 102. The directional data is explained in more detail in the description of FIGS. 3-5 and the corresponding figures. Furthermore, the oral care system 200 comprises a nozzle 210 from which a cleaning fluid, e.g., comprising liquid and / or gas / air, can be emitted towards the teeth. The controller 100 is configured to generate a control signal when a predetermined directional condition, e.g., a roll angle 102, is met, and in this embodiment, the flossing procedure is deactivated based on the control signal generated by the controller 100. The controller 100 is configured to generate a control signal that triggers adaptation of one or more operating parameters of at least one actuator of the oral care system 200. The actuator (not shown in detail here) is selected from the group consisting of a fluid actuator, a mechanical actuator, an electric actuator, a magnetic actuator, and an ultrasonic actuator.

[0093] In this embodiment, the orientation of a single angle, specifically the roll angle, is used as the criterion for turning the fluid jet on and off. If the roll angle 102 is approximately 0 degrees (or varies only within a small range, such as 0 ± 20 degrees relative to the vertical dashed axis), the jet is disabled. In its simplest form, the present invention can be used without additional position or location measurement techniques because the roll angle of the occlusal surface is very unique and distinguishable from other tooth surfaces and locations. This is the unique roll angle signature for identifying the occlusal surface and, consequently, disabling the flossing function of the device.

[0094] An advantage of this embodiment is that the oral care procedure, e.g., the flossing procedure, performed by the oral care system 200 can be improved because the flossing procedure can be adapted to the current orientation between the oral care system 200 and the target tissue surface 300, i.e., the flossing procedure on the occlusal surface is interrupted.

[0095] 2 shows a side view of another element of an oral care system 200, including a controller 100, in accordance with another exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The element of the oral care system 200 is configured to evaluate a position 110 of the oral care system 200 relative to a target tissue surface 300 within an oral cavity 400. The target tissue surface 300 is located between a first tooth 302 and a second tooth 304. In this embodiment, the target tissue surface 300 is an interdental space. The element of the oral care system 200 includes a nozzle 210. A control signal triggers flossing of the nozzle 210 only when a predetermined positional condition is met, e.g., when the nozzle 210 is located near, within, or adjacent to the target tissue surface 300, which in this embodiment is the interdental space between the first tooth 302 and the second tooth 304.

[0096] 3 shows an oral care system 200 in which the controller 100 (not shown in detail here) is located inside the brush head of the oral care system 200. The embodiment of FIG. 3 shows the roll angle 104 (= the angle of rotation about the long axis of the toothbrush handle) used to determine the orientation between the brush head of the oral care system 200 and the target tissue surface 300 within the oral cavity 400.

[0097] 4, for example, shows an oral care system 200 including a controller 100 (not shown in detail here) disposed within a brush head that is angled / tilted relative to a target tissue surface 300, i.e., a tooth surface. This effective tilt or resulting brushing angle can be determined based on a measured pitch angle 106 (= the rotation angle about the first minor axis of the oral care device that induces a lifting or tilting movement of the brush head relative to the tooth surface). The pitch angle 106 is an example of directional data as described herein.

[0098] 5 shows another view of an oral care system 200 with a controller 100 (details not shown) inside the brush head. Note that the controller is typically located in the handle. In this view, the brush head, as an exemplary embodiment of an element of the oral care system 200, is twisted on, along, or toward a target tissue surface 300. This can be described by a yaw angle 108 (= the angle of rotation about the second minor axis of the oral care device that induces an in-plane rotation or twisting motion of the brush head on the tooth surface).

[0099] FIG. 6 illustrates an example in which an element 202 of an oral care system 200 delivers fluid to an interdental space. In this embodiment, the element is a combined brushing and flossing head 202. The oral care system 200 and / or the element 202 can generate position data describing the relationship between the relative position 110 of the oral care system 200 and a target tissue surface 300. A controller 100, disposed within the combined brushing and flossing head 202 (or within any other element) and not shown in detail, can compare the measured position of the combined brushing and flossing head 202, illustratively represented by a 3D coordinate system 110, with predetermined position conditions. If the predetermined position conditions are met, the controller 100 generates a control signal, which triggers a flossing function of the oral care system 200 and / or the element 202. In this embodiment, the target tissue surface 300 is an interdental space. The oral care system 200 can evaluate the position of the interdental space. When the position 110 of the oral care system and / or element 202 fills the interdental space position, a control signal from the controller activates flossing. Additionally, when the element 202 is moved by the user through the oral cavity or along the target tissue such that the new position of the oral care system (200) no longer fills the new or subsequent interdental space position, a corresponding control signal can be generated by the controller to stop, i.e., deactivate, the combined brushing function of the oral care system and the flossing function of the floss head 202.

[0100] 7 illustrates an oral-care system 200 that includes a handheld computing device 250, such as a smartphone or tablet, as an element or component of the system. The controller can be part of the handheld computing device 250. Furthermore, the handheld computing device 250 can be connected to the oral-care system 200 via a wired or wireless connection. Furthermore, the handheld computing device 250 can be configured to indicate to a user of the oral-care system how to reach or meet predetermined directional and / or positional conditions, thereby improving cleaning results within the oral cavity 400.

[0101] In other words, the oral care system 200 includes a controller configured to generate a second control signal when a directional condition is not met, and the controller is configured to send the second control signal to the oral care system 200, and instructions are output or displayed to a user of the oral care system 200 to satisfy the directional condition of the oral care system.

[0102] FIG. 8 illustrates one embodiment of an oral care system 200. The oral care system 200 includes a handle 600 and a flossing brush head 602 with an integrated fluid discharge element 604, or the fluid discharge element 604 alone. The handle 600 includes a controller 100 for generating control signals, as described in detail above. The handle 600 of the oral care system includes at least one actuator 204 embodied as a mechanical and / or fluid actuator. For example, a mechanical actuator can actuate the brush head and change the orientation of the bristle field. The handle 600 further includes a sensor unit 260 configured to measure desired orientation and / or position data. The handle 600 further includes a fluid reservoir 262 fluidly connected to the nozzle of the head 602 and storing fluid for the fluid actuator. The flossing brush head 602 (which may also include an orientation and position sensor 603 on the fluid discharge element) is attached to the handle 602 of the oral care system 200.

[0103] FIG. 9 illustrates one embodiment of an oral care system 200 including a nozzle 210. The nozzle 210 can be configured to change its angular rotation 214 or geometric changes, such as the opening of the nozzle opening / diameter 208, using, for example, an actuator 216 based on a control signal from the controller 100. Changing the diameter 208 can be done to reduce contact stress on the gums when the flossing jet strikes them, because a larger diameter reduces the pressure of the flossing jet. Furthermore, the diameter 208 of the nozzle 210 can be narrowed to increase the pressure of the flossing fluid when the nozzle 210 is directed at a target tissue surface 300, such as a very narrow interdental space. Furthermore, the nozzle 210 of the oral care system 200 includes a bending actuator (216) configured to change its orientation 206 relative to the brush or target surface when a corresponding control signal from the controller 100 is generated. Changing the nozzle shape and / or orientation can be used to direct the nozzle 210 and cleaning fluid toward the target tissue surface 300. This can further improve the flossing procedure.

[0104] FIG. 10 shows a flow diagram of steps illustrating a method for generating a control signal. Such a method can be performed, for example, by the controller 100 of the oral care system, as previously described, but can also be performed, for example, by a computer network architecture, as previously described in more detail. The method comprises a step S1 for receiving directional and / or positional data generated by the oral care system. Receiving directional data generated by the oral care system has been previously described in detail. The method further comprises a step S2 for comparing the received directional and / or positional data with at least one predetermined directional condition and / or at least one predetermined positional condition (or a combination of both). The method further comprises a step S3 for generating a control signal for the oral care system 200 if the received directional data satisfies the predetermined directional condition and / or the predetermined position-specific directional condition.

[0105] FIG. 11 illustrates a further exemplary embodiment of the method of the present invention. For steps S1 to S3, reference is made to FIG. 10 and its description. Furthermore, the method includes step S4 of triggering activation and / or deactivation of a fluid supply, e.g., a flossing action, of an oral care system, such as system 200 of FIG. 10 . Furthermore, the method includes step S5 of detecting the gum line, gum pockets, and / or other relevant features of the oral cavity in the image of the oral cavity 400. The method includes step S6 of generating a control signal for the oral care system based on the detection of the interdental spaces, occlusal tooth surfaces, gum line, gum pockets, and / or any other relevant features of the oral cavity when the received directional data satisfies a predetermined directional condition.

[0106] FIG. 12 illustrates a signal path for adaptation of the oral care system and an exemplary decision-making process 1100 for triggering the controller 100 to generate control signals in accordance with the present invention. The signal path 1100 may begin in an inactive jetting mode 1102 of the oral care system. The controller determines 1106 whether a correct position-specific angle is detected. If a correct angle or position-specific angle is not detected, the orientation of the oral care system should be optimized 1104, for example, by entering an adaptation mode to adapt the nozzle angle or shape alone or in combination with the position. The angle or orientation adjustment may be performed by the user based on feedback / coaching (optical, acoustic, visual) received from the oral care system or from another device, such as a phone app (see also FIG. 13 ). However, if a correct position-specific angle is detected by the controller, a fluid jetting procedure of the oral care system can be initiated / activated, or the operating mode of the oral care system can be changed, or at least the operating parameters of the jetting procedure can be adjusted 1108. The jetting procedure performed by the oral care system can be stopped 1110 after a predetermined time or a predetermined number of jetting pulses. Such procedures can be implemented using the controller, oral care system and method of the present invention.

[0107] FIG. 13 illustrates another example of a signal path for adapting an oral care system, illustrating a decision-making process 1200 for coaching a user of the oral care system 200 to achieve better results. The signal path 1200 for coaching a user of the oral care system can begin with an inactive spraying sequence of the oral care system. The controller determines 1206 whether a correct angle or position-specific angle has been detected. If a correct position-specific angle is not detected, the orientation of the oral care system is optimized 1204 by alerting the user, for example, via a smartphone, and / or instructing the user how to adapt the holding position of the oral care system to meet predetermined orientation and / or positional conditions. If a correct position-specific angle is detected 1208, a flossing sequence can be configured as described above. The flossing sequence can be terminated after a predetermined time or a predetermined number of flossing pulses 1210, or no further control signals are generated. Such sequences can be implemented using the controller, oral care system, and method of the present invention.

[0108] Figure 14 defines the roll, pitch, and yaw angles used herein. Roll refers to the angle of rotation about the long axis of the toothbrush handle or brush head, while pitch and yaw refer to rotation about axes perpendicular to the axis of the roll angle.

[0109] It should be noted that the above-described embodiments are illustrative rather than limiting of the present invention, and that those skilled in the art can design many alternative embodiments without departing from the scope of the appended claims. In the claims, any reference signs placed between parentheses shall not be construed as limiting the scope of the present invention. The word "comprising" does not exclude the presence of elements or steps other than those listed in the claims. The present invention can be implemented by means of hardware comprising several distinct elements and / or by a suitably programmed processor. In a device claim enumerating several means, several of these means may be embodied by one and the same item of hardware. Means recited in mutually different dependent claims may be advantageously combined. Where an indefinite or definite article, e.g., "a," "an," or "the," is used when referring to a singular noun, it includes a plural of that noun, unless something else is clearly stated. It should be understood that the terms used are interchangeable and that, under appropriate circumstances, the embodiments of the present invention described herein can operate in other orders than those described or illustrated herein.

Claims

1. 1. A controller for generating control signals for an oral-care system, comprising: the controller receives directional data generated by a sensor included in the oral care system; the orientation data representing at least one angle between the oral care system and a target surface within the oral cavity or an angle relative to a reference vector; the controller comparing the received direction data with at least one predetermined direction condition; The controller generates a control signal for the oral care system when the received directional data satisfies a predetermined directional condition, the control signal activating or deactivating a fluid supply of the oral care system, adapting a direction of a fluid discharge element of the oral care system, or adapting operating parameters of the oral care system to reduce pressure on tissue within the oral cavity.

2. 2. The controller of claim 1, wherein at least one angle of the directional data is a roll angle, a pitch angle, a yaw angle, and / or a combination of at least two of the angles between the fluid discharge element of the oral care system and a target surface in the oral cavity or relative to a reference vector of the fluid discharge element of the oral care system.

3. 3. The controller of claim 1 or 2, wherein the controller adapts at least one operating parameter of at least one actuator of the oral care system selected from the group consisting of a fluid actuator, a mechanical actuator, an electric actuator, a magnetic actuator, an electromagnetic actuator, a triboelectric actuator, and an ultrasonic actuator.

4. The controller of claim 1 , wherein the controller varies the diameter of a fluid discharge element of the oral-care system or selectively activates a single nozzle from a plurality of fixed nozzles.

5. 5. The controller of claim 1, wherein if the directional condition is not satisfied, the controller sends an instruction control signal to the oral care system to output an instruction to a user of the oral care system to satisfy the directional condition of the oral care system.

6. the controller receiving position data representing the position of an element of the oral-care system; the controller comparing the received location data to at least one predetermined location condition; The controller of claim 1 , wherein the controller generates the control signal for the oral-care system if the received location data satisfies a predetermined location condition.

7. the controller detecting the target surface as an occlusal surface, an interdental space between at least two teeth, a gum line, a gum pocket, and / or a quadrant of a tooth based on the received position data; The controller of claim 6 , wherein the controller generates the control signal based on the detection.

8. 1. An element for an oral care system, comprising: A controller according to any one of claims 1 to 7, An element for an oral care system, wherein the element is embodied in or as part of a handle, a brush head, a flossing head, and / or a mouthpiece.

9. An oral care system comprising: An element according to claim 8; and a sensor unit for measuring the directional data.

10. 1. A method for generating a control signal, comprising: receiving directional data generated by a sensor included in the oral care system, the directional data representing at least one angle between the oral care system and a target tissue surface within the oral cavity or an angle relative to a reference vector; comparing the received direction data with at least one predetermined direction condition; and generating a control signal for the oral care system if the received directional data satisfies a predetermined directional condition, the control signal activating or deactivating a fluid supply of the oral care system, adapting a direction of a fluid discharge element of the oral care system, or adapting an operating parameter of the oral care system to reduce pressure on tissue within the oral cavity.

11. detecting the occlusal surface, the gum line, the gum pockets and / or any other relevant features of the oral cavity in the image of the oral cavity; 11. The method of claim 10, further comprising generating the control signal for the oral care system based on the detection of the gum line, gum pockets and / or other relevant features of the oral cavity if the received directional data satisfies a predetermined directional condition.

12. When executed, the controller of any one of claims 1 to 7 comprises: receiving directional data generated by a sensor included in the oral care system, the directional data representing at least one angle between the oral care system and a target tissue surface within the oral cavity or an angle relative to a reference vector; comparing the received direction data with at least one predetermined direction condition; If the received directional data satisfies a predetermined directional condition, generating a control signal for the oral care system, the control signal activating or deactivating a fluid supply of the oral care system, adapting a direction of a fluid discharge element of the oral care system, or adapting an operating parameter of the oral care system to reduce pressure on tissue in the oral cavity.

13. detecting the occlusal surface, the gum line, the gum pockets and / or any other relevant features of the oral cavity in the image of the oral cavity; and if the received directional data satisfies a predetermined directional condition, generating the control signal for the oral-care system based on the detection of the gum line, gingival pockets, and / or other relevant features of the oral cavity.

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