Toothbrushing skill evaluation device, toothbrushing skill evaluation method, and toothbrushing skill evaluation program

Abstract

To correctly evaluate a tooth brushing skill.SOLUTION: Provided is a tooth brushing skill evaluation device, including: a sensor data acquisition part for acquiring sensor data of a tooth brushing action of a user while the user brushes teeth using a toothbrush; an action pattern extraction part for extracting a movement pattern included in the tooth brushing movement of the user from the acquired sensor data; a moving distance derivation part for deriving the moving distance of the toothbrush in the oral cavity of the user for each extracted movement pattern; and a skill evaluation part for evaluating the tooth brushing skill of the user on the basis of the moving distance of the toothbrush for each extracted movement pattern and a correction coefficient determined according to the movement pattern.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2A

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a toothbrushing skill evaluation device, a toothbrushing skill evaluation method, and a toothbrushing skill evaluation program.

Background Art

[0002] In the above technical field, Patent Document 1 discloses that the skill of a user's toothbrushing is evaluated based on the number of reciprocating motions per unit time (brushing frequency) from acceleration information obtained from an acceleration sensor attached to a toothbrush (paragraphs

[0101] etc. of the same document).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, it has been found that with the technique described in Patent Document 1 above, since the toothbrushing skill cannot be correctly evaluated by the number of reciprocating motions of the toothbrush.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] To achieve the above object, the toothbrushing skill evaluation device according to the present invention includes a sensor data acquisition unit that acquires sensor data of the user's toothbrushing operation while the user is brushing teeth using a toothbrush, an operation pattern extraction unit that extracts an operation pattern included in the user's toothbrushing operation from the acquired sensor data, a movement distance derivation unit that derives the movement distance of the toothbrush in the user's oral cavity for each of the extracted operation patterns, A skill evaluation unit evaluates the user's toothbrushing skills based on the distance the toothbrush moves for each extracted motion pattern and a correction coefficient determined according to the motion pattern. It is equipped with.

[0006] To achieve the above objective, the toothbrushing skill evaluation method according to the present invention is A sensor data acquisition step involves acquiring sensor data of the user's toothbrushing actions while the user is brushing their teeth using a toothbrush, A motion pattern extraction step is performed to extract motion patterns included in the user's toothbrushing motion from the acquired sensor data, For each of the extracted motion patterns, a distance deriving step is performed to derive the distance the toothbrush travels within the user's oral cavity, A skill evaluation step that evaluates the user's toothbrushing skills based on the distance the toothbrush moves for each extracted motion pattern and a correction coefficient determined according to the motion pattern, Includes.

[0007] To achieve the above objective, the toothbrushing skill evaluation program according to the present invention A sensor data acquisition step involves acquiring sensor data of the user's toothbrushing actions while the user is brushing their teeth using a toothbrush, A motion pattern extraction step is performed to extract motion patterns included in the user's toothbrushing motion from the acquired sensor data, For each of the extracted motion patterns, a distance deriving step is performed to derive the distance the toothbrush travels within the user's oral cavity, A skill evaluation step that evaluates the user's toothbrushing skills based on the distance the toothbrush moves for each extracted motion pattern and a correction coefficient determined according to the motion pattern, Have the computer execute it. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, toothbrushing skills can be accurately evaluated. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This figure illustrates the general operation of a toothbrushing skill evaluation device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2A] This is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of a toothbrushing skill evaluation device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2B] This figure illustrates an example of calculating the total travel distance using a toothbrushing skill evaluation device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] This figure illustrates an example of a correction coefficient table for a toothbrushing skill evaluation device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] This is a diagram illustrating the hardware configuration of a toothbrushing skill evaluation device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] This is a flowchart illustrating the processing procedure of a toothbrushing skill evaluation device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] This is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of a toothbrushing skill evaluation device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] This figure illustrates an example of a correction value table for a toothbrushing skill evaluation device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] This is a diagram illustrating the hardware configuration of a toothbrushing skill evaluation device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] This is a flowchart illustrating the processing procedure of a toothbrushing skill evaluation device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] Next, embodiments for implementing the present invention will be illustratively described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, the configurations, numerical values, processing flows, functional elements, etc. described in the following embodiments are merely examples, and modifications and changes thereof are free, and are not intended to limit the technical scope of the present invention to the following description.

[0011] [First Embodiment] Next, a toothbrushing skill evaluation device according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5. FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining an overview of the operation of the toothbrushing skill evaluation device 100 according to the present embodiment. The toothbrushing skill evaluation device 100 according to the present embodiment is a device that evaluates the toothbrushing skill of a user based on the operation pattern and movement distance of the toothbrush during toothbrushing.

[0012] As shown in FIG. 1, the user 110 performs toothbrushing using a toothbrush to which an acceleration sensor 120 is attached. The toothbrushing skill evaluation device 100 acquires sensor data 130 measured by the acceleration sensor 120 while the user 110 is performing toothbrushing using the toothbrush. The toothbrushing skill evaluation device 100 analyzes the acquired sensor data 130 to extract the operation pattern included in the user 110's toothbrushing operation. The sensor data 130 to be acquired is acceleration data and angular velocity data, but it is also possible to extract an operation pattern or the like from the acceleration data. Note that if the angular velocity data is also analyzed together, it becomes possible to perform more accurate operation analysis and operation pattern extraction.

[0013] As shown in the sensor data 130, the brushing operation of the user 110 includes various operation patterns (brushing methods). In the example shown in FIG. 1, it can be seen that the operation patterns include the scrubbing method 131, the horizontal brushing method 132, the vertical brushing method 133, the Fones method 134, the lingual side 135 (the back side of the teeth), and the rolling method 136. These operation patterns can be identified from the waveform characteristics, amplitudes, pitches, etc. of the X-axis component, Y-axis component, Z-axis component of the acceleration and the X-axis component, Y-axis component, Z-axis component of the angular velocity obtained from the sensor data 130. The operation patterns to be extracted include, as described above, the scrubbing method 131, the horizontal brushing method 132, the vertical brushing method 133, the Fones method 134, and the rolling method 136, etc.

[0014] Then, the toothbrushing skill evaluation device 100 analyzes the sensor data 130, extracts the operation patterns included in the brushing operation of the user 110 as described above, and derives the moving distance of the toothbrush for each extracted operation pattern. Here, the moving distance of the toothbrush is the distance derived from the sensor data obtained from the acceleration sensor 120 attached to the toothbrush, and this distance is the moving distance of the acceleration sensor 120. However, since the acceleration sensor 120 is attached to the toothbrush, the moving distance of the acceleration sensor 120 can be regarded as the same as the moving distance of the toothbrush (for example, the moving distance of the head of the toothbrush in the oral cavity).

[0015] The toothbrushing skill evaluation device 100 evaluates the user's toothbrushing skill based on the derived moving distance of the toothbrush. In the evaluation of the toothbrushing skill, the toothbrushing skill evaluation device 100 does not use the derived moving distance as it is, but evaluates the skill of the user 110 based on the corrected moving distance taking into account the knowledge according to the toothbrushing effect for each operation pattern.

[0016] The toothbrushing skill evaluation device 100 may, for example, transmit the evaluation results to a mobile device such as a smartphone or tablet held by the user 110. The toothbrushing skill evaluation device 100 acquires sensor data from the acceleration sensor 120 via wireless communication using short-range wireless technology. Alternatively, the acceleration sensor 120 may be temporarily stored, and the toothbrushing skill evaluation device 100 may retrieve the stored sensor data from the acceleration sensor 120 after the user 110 has finished brushing their teeth. Thus, the toothbrushing skill evaluation device 100 may acquire sensor data while the user 110 is brushing their teeth, or it may acquire sensor data after the user 110 has finished brushing their teeth.

[0017] Figure 2A is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of the toothbrushing skill evaluation device 100 according to this embodiment. The toothbrushing skill evaluation device 100 includes a sensor data acquisition unit 201, an operation pattern extraction unit 202, a travel distance derivation unit 203, a corrected travel distance calculation unit 204, a sum calculation unit 205, and a skill evaluation unit 206.

[0018] The sensor data acquisition unit 201 acquires sensor data 130 from an acceleration sensor 120 attached to a toothbrush while the user 110 is brushing their teeth with the toothbrush. The acceleration sensor 120 is a sensor that measures 3-axis acceleration (X-axis left / right), Y-axis (front / back), and Z-axis (up / down), as well as the angular velocity of these 3 axes (3-axis angular velocity). The sensor data acquisition unit 201 then acquires sensor data 130 of the 3-axis acceleration and 3-axis angular velocity while the user 110 is brushing their teeth. The time interval for sensor data acquisition by the sensor data acquisition unit 201 can be any time interval.

[0019] The acceleration sensor 120 is located near the handle of the toothbrush, but it may also be located on the head or other parts of the toothbrush. The sensor data acquisition unit 201 may acquire acceleration and angular velocity data, which constitute sensor data 130, from a wearable device such as a smartwatch worn on the user's body (e.g., wrist). The communication method between the sensor data acquisition unit 201 and the acceleration sensor 120 is short-range wireless communication or other wireless communication methods, but is not limited to these, and may also be wired communication.

[0020] The motion pattern extraction unit 202 extracts motion patterns included in the user's 110 toothbrushing actions from the acquired sensor data 130. Depending on the type of brushing (brushing method), the extracted motion patterns may be a combination of multiple motion patterns or a single motion pattern. Furthermore, since each brushing method has the following characteristics, the motion pattern extraction unit 202 analyzes the acquired sensor data 130 and extracts each motion pattern from the sensor data 130 that represents these characteristics. Here, brushing methods include, for example, the scrubbing method 131, the horizontal brushing method 132, the vertical brushing method 133, the Fones method 134, the rolling method 136, the Bass method, and lingual brushing (brushing the back of the teeth).

[0021] If the motion pattern extraction unit 202 finds any of the following features as a result of analyzing the sensor data 130, it associates each feature with one of the following brushing methods and extracts the corresponding brushing method as an motion pattern.

[0022] The scrub method 131 is a brushing technique in which the toothbrush is held perpendicular to the teeth and gums and the teeth are brushed by vibrating it back and forth in small movements. The toothbrush is moved 20 to 30 times for each tooth. This method is used to remove dirt from between teeth, but if the brush is too hard, it can cause gum recession.

[0023] In other words, the scrubbing method 131 is a brushing method in which the toothbrush handle makes small horizontal movements near the horizontal. In the scrubbing method 131, the orientation of the acceleration sensor 120 is near horizontal (Y-axis acceleration is near 0), and the largest change is observed in the Y-axis acceleration. The distance traveled (amplitude) obtained by double integrating the Y-axis acceleration is less than 10 mm (5 to less than 15 mm, preferably less than 10 mm). The pitch is approximately 2 to 6 Hz.

[0024] The horizontal brushing method 132 (horizontal method) is a brushing method that involves brushing multiple teeth with large strokes. In other words, the horizontal brushing method 132 is a brushing method in which the toothbrush handle makes large horizontal movements near the horizontal, and it shows similar sensor data 130 to the scrubbing method 131 except for the amplitude. The amplitude is 10 mm or more (5 to 15 mm or more, preferably 10 mm or more). The pitch is about 2 to 4 Hz.

[0025] Furthermore, the vertical brushing method 133 is a brushing method in which the toothbrush is moved in a direction perpendicular to the direction of toothbrush movement in the horizontal brushing method 132. Preferably, the toothbrush is held in the same way as in the horizontal brushing method 132, and the toothbrush is moved up and down, or the toothbrush is held vertically and moved up and down.

[0026] In other words, the vertical brushing method 133 is a brushing method in which the toothbrush handle moves up and down near vertical. In the vertical brushing method 133, the orientation of the acceleration sensor 120 is near horizontal (Y-axis acceleration is near 0), and the largest change is observed in the Y-axis acceleration. The amplitude is constrained by the vertical direction of the mouth (upper and lower jaw), so it is approximately 5 to 20 mm. The pitch is approximately 2 to 4 Hz.

[0027] The Fones Method 134 is a brushing technique that is easy for children, the elderly, and people who have difficulty brushing their teeth. It involves holding the brush perpendicular to the tooth surface and brushing the upper and lower teeth together in a circular motion. This brushing method effectively removes plaque from the tooth surface.

[0028] In other words, the Fones method 134 is a brushing method in which the toothbrush handle rotates with its axis fixed near horizontal. In the Fones method 134, the orientation of the acceleration sensor 120 is near horizontal (Y-axis acceleration is near 0), and both the X-axis acceleration and Y-axis acceleration change. If angular velocity can be measured, the Z-axis angular velocity changes significantly compared to other methods. The pitch is approximately 2-4 Hz.

[0029] The rolling method (136) is a brushing technique in which the toothbrush is moved in a rotating motion from the gums towards the teeth. While it was commonly seen in television commercials in the past, it has become less recommended recently because it has been shown to be unsuitable for preventing cavities.

[0030] The rolling method 136 is a brushing method in which the toothbrush handle rotates around its handle axis (Y-axis) near the horizontal. In the rolling method 136, the acceleration sensor 120 rotates around the Y-axis, causing large changes in the accelerations of the X and Z axes, while the change in the Y-axis acceleration is small. In the rolling method 136, if angular velocity can be measured, the Y-axis angular velocity changes more significantly compared to other methods. The pitch is approximately 1 to 4 Hz.

[0031] The Bass method is a brushing technique in which the toothbrush is placed at an angle (approximately 45 degrees) to the gum line and vibrated from side to side. It is considered to have a high gum massage effect, and it is recommended to hold the brush with about three fingers and vibrate it lightly from side to side without applying much pressure. If you grip the toothbrush tightly and vibrate it strongly from side to side, you will actually wear down your gums. Because the Bass method involves moving the toothbrush in a vibrating motion, the pitch is 3-6Hz and the stroke is 5mm or less. Since the toothbrush is lightly touching the gums at an angle, only a portion of the bristles can make contact, making it an inefficient method, and it takes a long time to achieve sufficient cleaning effect.

[0032] Lingual brushing (brushing on the back of the teeth) is a scrubbing method 131 in which the toothbrush handle is held at an angle (between scrubbing method 131 and vertical brushing method 133). In lingual brushing, the acceleration sensor 120 is positioned diagonally downward for the upper jaw and diagonally upward for the lower jaw. It can be distinguished from scrubbing method 131 by the difference in position (the DC component of the 3-axis acceleration: the direction of gravitational acceleration). In lingual brushing, the largest change is observed in the Y-axis acceleration. The distance traveled (amplitude) obtained by double integrating the Y-axis acceleration is approximately 5-20 mm. The pitch is approximately 2-6 Hz.

[0033] Here, the amplitude is the distance the toothbrush moves, obtained by double-integrating the acceleration. For example, in the Fones method 134, since the toothbrush is rotating, the amplitude can be determined from the accelerations in the X and Y axes, approximated as an ellipse, and the circumference can be used as the amplitude. In the rolling method 136, the rotation angle of the toothbrush can be determined, and the length of the arc of a sector with a radius equal to the length of the toothbrush bristles (approximately 12 mm) can be used as the amplitude.

[0034] The orientation of a toothbrush changes depending on the direction of each axis relative to gravity, and can be determined as follows: When the toothbrush handle is horizontal to the ground, the acceleration along the Y axis is 0. If the axis is kept fixed and rotated longitudinally, the value of the acceleration along the X axis changes (rolling method 136 motion).

[0035] Then, the motion pattern extraction unit 202 extracts, for example, the motion pattern of the scrubbing method 131 if the sensor data 130 obtained shows that the direction of toothbrush movement is linear (Y direction), the amplitude of the sensor data 130 is small (for example, less than 10 mm), and the posture of the toothbrush is horizontal.

[0036] Furthermore, the motion pattern extraction unit 202 extracts the motion pattern as a horizontal brushing method 132 (horizontal method) if the direction of toothbrush movement is linear (Y direction), the amplitude of the sensor data 130 is large (for example, 15 mm or more), and the posture of the toothbrush is horizontal.

[0037] Furthermore, the motion pattern extraction unit 202 extracts motion patterns for the vertical brushing method 133 when the direction of toothbrush movement is linear (Y direction) and the toothbrush is approximately vertical, or when the direction of toothbrush movement is linear (X direction) and the toothbrush is horizontal.

[0038] Furthermore, the motion pattern extraction unit 202 extracts the motion pattern as a Fones method 134 if it detects that the toothbrush movement is rotational, that is, that acceleration has XY components and angular velocity has a Z-axis component. Also, the motion pattern extraction unit 202 extracts the motion pattern as a rolling method 136 if it detects that the toothbrush movement is rotational, that is, that acceleration has XZ components and angular velocity has a Y-axis component.

[0039] As described above, the motion pattern extraction unit 202 analyzes the acquired sensor data 130 and extracts motion patterns included in the user 110's toothbrushing actions. Since the user 110 uses various brushing methods depending on the area being brushed, the motion pattern extraction unit 202 extracts multiple motion patterns included in a single toothbrushing action from the sensor data 130. However, if the user 110 brushes their teeth using only a single brushing method, the motion pattern extraction unit 202 will extract only one motion pattern.

[0040] The travel distance deriving unit 203 derives the travel distance of the toothbrush in the user's mouth for each extracted motion pattern. The travel distance is derived for each motion pattern included in a single toothbrushing session. The travel distance is derived from sensor data 130 acquired from the acceleration sensor 120. For example, if the travel speed of the toothbrush head in the mouth is 200 [mm / sec] and the toothbrushing time is 3 minutes, the standard value for the travel distance of the toothbrush head in a single toothbrushing session is 36 [m].

[0041] In other words, if the travel distance exceeds this baseline of 36 [m], it is considered that the teeth are being brushed effectively, and if it falls below this, it is considered that the teeth are not being brushed effectively (insufficiently). It should be noted that the toothbrush skill evaluation device 100 does not use the actual travel distance of the toothbrush head directly. Rather, as will be explained below, the toothbrush skill evaluation device 100 evaluates the user's (user's) toothbrushing skill using a corrected travel distance that reflects the effectiveness of each brushing method, by correcting the derived travel distance.

[0042] The corrected travel distance calculation unit 204 calculates a corrected travel distance for each extracted motion pattern, obtained by multiplying the travel distance by a correction coefficient. Here, the correction coefficient is a coefficient determined according to the brushing method. For example, consider a case where teeth are brushed using a brushing method that includes two motion patterns, the Fones method 134 and the rolling method 136, and the travel distance of the toothbrush head is the same in both motion patterns. As mentioned above, it can be seen that there is a difference in the degree to which plaque and tartar are removed depending on which brushing method is used. In other words, it can be seen that the brushing effect differs depending on the brushing method. Therefore, even if the travel distance of the toothbrush head is the same in different brushing methods, there will be a difference in the brushing effect.

[0043] Therefore, as described above, by extracting the motion patterns (brushing methods) included in the act of brushing teeth and correcting the distance the toothbrush head moves using a correction coefficient determined for each extracted motion pattern, it becomes possible to appropriately evaluate the distance moved while taking into account the effectiveness of brushing teeth. In other words, by introducing a correction coefficient, it becomes possible to determine the skill level of brushing teeth not only by the distance the toothbrush head moves, but also by a corrected distance that takes into account the effectiveness of brushing teeth, which depends on the motion patterns (brushing methods) included in the act of brushing teeth. As a result, it becomes possible to evaluate brushing teeth skills more appropriately compared to conventional methods of evaluating brushing teeth.

[0044] Specifically, the correction coefficient is determined by the brushing effect of each action pattern, as shown below. The left side represents the action pattern (brushing method), and the right side represents the correction coefficient. The correction coefficient may increase or decrease depending on factors such as brushing speed and brushing force, so it can be set within a certain range.

[0045] Bus method: 0.3 (0.1-0.6) Fones's method: 1.5 (1.0-2.0) Scrub method (st less than 5mm): 0.4 (0.1-0.6) Scrub method (st5~10mm): 0.8 (0.4-1.2) Horizontal polishing method (st10~20mm): 1.0 (0.6-1.5) Horizontal polishing method (st20~25mm): 0.8 (0.4-1.2) Horizontal polishing method (st25mm or more): 0.6 (0.2-1.0) Vertical brushing method: 1.0 (0.6-1.5) Rolling method: 0.3 (0.1-0.6)

[0046] As shown above, a high correction coefficient is assigned to motion patterns that have a high toothbrushing effect, and a low correction coefficient is assigned to motion patterns that have a low toothbrushing effect. In other words, motion patterns with a high correction coefficient are treated as having a greater travel distance than the actual toothbrush travel distance, and motion patterns with a low correction coefficient are treated as having a smaller travel distance than the actual toothbrush travel distance. By handling the travel distance in this way, it becomes possible to appropriately evaluate the user 110's toothbrushing skill. The corrected travel distance calculation unit 204 then corrects the travel distance using this correction coefficient.

[0047] The sum calculation unit 205 calculates the sum of the corrected travel distances calculated for each operation pattern. Here, an example of calculating the corrected travel distance and the sum of the corrected travel distances will be explained with reference to Figure 2B. In the example shown in the figure, there are a total of 14 extracted operation patterns (brushing methods), consisting of 2 elements of the Fones method 134, 8 elements of the horizontal brushing method 132, and 4 elements of the scrubbing method. The amplitude represents the distance the toothbrush moves in one operation. Here, in the Fones method 134, one rotation of the toothbrush is counted as one operation, while in the scrubbing method 131, horizontal brushing method 132, and vertical brushing method 133, a one-way movement of the toothbrush, rather than a back-and-forth movement, is counted as one operation.

[0048] Next, we derive the distance traveled for each motion pattern. The distance traveled for each motion pattern is derived by multiplying the amplitude [mm] by the number of times the motion pattern is performed. For example, in Fones method 134 of No. 1, the amplitude is 70 [mm] and the number of times is 100, so the distance traveled by the toothbrush is 70 [mm] × 100 = 7 [m]. Similarly, in the horizontal brushing method 132 of No. 2, the amplitude is 18 [mm] and the number of times is 120, so the distance traveled by the toothbrush is 18 [mm] × 120 = 2.16 [m], but here we round it to 2 [m].

[0049] Similarly, in scrub method 131 of No. 4, the amplitude is 8 [mm] and the number of strokes is 100, so the distance the toothbrush travels is 8 [mm] × 100 = 0.8 [m]. This calculation is repeated for all motion patterns from No. 1 to 14 to derive the distance the toothbrush travels for all motion patterns included in one toothbrushing session. The derivation results are shown in Figure 2B.

[0050] Next, the correction coefficient is determined for each extracted motion pattern (brushing method). As mentioned above, the correction coefficient is predetermined for each motion pattern, so one simply needs to select the appropriate correction coefficient. For example, in the case of No. 3, the horizontal polishing method 132, the amplitude (st) is 18 [mm], so the correction coefficient for the horizontal polishing method (st 10 to less than 20 mm), which is 1.0, is selected. Similarly, for example, in the case of No. 6, the Fones method 134, 1.5 is selected as the correction coefficient. This process is repeated for all extracted motion patterns to select the correction coefficient for each motion pattern. The selection results are shown in Figure 2B.

[0051] Next, the corrected travel distance is calculated. For each motion pattern, the corrected travel distance is obtained by multiplying the derived travel distance by the selected correction coefficient. For example, in the case of the Fones method 134 (No. 1), the travel distance is 7 [m] and the correction coefficient is 1.5, so the corrected travel distance is 7 [m] × 1.5 = 10.5 [m]. Also, for example, in the case of the horizontal polishing method 132 (No. 2), the travel distance is 2 [m] and the correction coefficient is 1, so the corrected travel distance is 2 [m] × 1 = 2 [m]. This calculation is repeated for all motion patterns, and finally, the sum of the calculated corrected travel distances is calculated.

[0052] Therefore, in the example shown in Figure 2B, the sum of the corrected travel distances is 10.5 + 2 + 2 + 0.64 + 0.64 + 10.5 + 2 + 2 + 2 + 2 + 0.64 + 0.64 + 2 + 2 = 39.56 [m].

[0053] The skill evaluation unit 206 evaluates the user 110's toothbrushing skills based on the toothbrush movement distance for each extracted motion pattern and a correction coefficient determined according to the motion pattern. More specifically, the skill evaluation unit 206 evaluates the user 110's toothbrushing skills based on the sum of the calculated corrected movement distances.

[0054] The skill evaluation unit 206 evaluates the user's toothbrushing skill by, for example, comparing the calculated sum with the standard value of 36 [m] for the toothbrush head's movement distance, as described above. In the example shown in Figure 2B, the corrected sum of movement distances is 39.56 [m], which is higher than the standard value of 36 [m]. Therefore, the skill evaluation unit 206 gives a high rating to the toothbrushing skill of user 110 in the example shown in Figure 2B. Conversely, if the corrected sum of movement distances is lower than the standard value of 36 [m], the skill evaluation unit 206 gives a low rating to the toothbrushing skill of user 110.

[0055] Furthermore, the toothbrushing skill evaluation device 100 may have a transmission unit in the skill evaluation unit 206 that transmits the evaluation results of the user 110's toothbrushing skills to, for example, a mobile terminal 140 such as a smartphone owned by the user 110. In addition, the transmission unit may transmit information such as suitable tools (toothbrush) for the user 110 along with the evaluation results, and suggest ways to improve the evaluation results to the user 110.

[0056] Next, with reference to Figure 3, an example of the correction coefficient table 301 of the toothbrushing skill evaluation device 100 will be described. The correction coefficient table 301 stores correction coefficients 312 associated with brushing methods 311. Brushing methods 311 are the motion patterns included in the toothbrushing actions of the user 110. For example, the scrubbing method 131 and the lateral brushing method 132, which involve moving the toothbrush in the Y-axis direction, are classified into five stages according to the length of the stroke in which the toothbrush is moved. In other words, even with the same motion, the toothbrushing effect differs depending on the distance the toothbrush is moved at one time (length of one-way movement), so this classification is made. The correction coefficient 312 is a correction value determined according to each motion pattern. The corrected movement distance calculation unit 204 then refers to the correction coefficient table 301 and selects an appropriate correction coefficient.

[0057] Referring to Figure 4, the hardware configuration of the toothbrushing skill evaluation device 100 will be described. The CPU (Central Processing Unit) 410 is a processor for arithmetic control and realizes the various functional configurations of the toothbrushing skill evaluation device 100 shown in Figure 2 by executing programs. The CPU 410 may have multiple processors and execute different programs, modules, tasks, threads, etc. in parallel. The ROM (Read Only Memory) 420 stores initial data, fixed data such as programs, and other programs. The network interface 430 communicates with other devices via the network. Note that the CPU 410 is not limited to one, and may have multiple CPUs, or may include a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) for image processing. Furthermore, it is desirable that the network interface 430 has a CPU independent of the CPU 410 and writes or reads transmitted and received data to or from the RAM (Random Access Memory) 440 area. It is also desirable to provide a DMAC (Direct Memory Access Controller) for transferring data between the RAM 440 and the storage 450 (not shown). Furthermore, the CPU 410 recognizes that data has been received or transferred to the RAM 440 and processes the data. The CPU 410 also prepares the processing results in the RAM 440 and leaves subsequent transmission or transfer to the network interface 430 or DMAC.

[0058] RAM440 is a random access memory used by the CPU410 as a temporary storage work area. RAM440 has a storage area reserved for storing the data necessary to realize this embodiment. Sensor data441 is data acquired from the acceleration sensor120. Motion pattern data442 is data about motion patterns included in toothbrushing motion extracted by analyzing the sensor data. Distance traveled data443 is data about the distance traveled by the toothbrush head for each extracted motion pattern. Correction coefficient data444 is data about coefficients used to correct the distance traveled, which are determined according to the extracted motion pattern.

[0059] The transmitted and received data 445 is data transmitted and received via the network interface 430. The RAM 440 also has an application execution area 446 for running various application modules.

[0060] The storage 450 stores the database, various parameters, and the following data or programs necessary for realizing this embodiment. The storage 450 stores the correction coefficient table 301. The correction coefficient table 301 is a table that manages the relationship between the brushing method 311 and the correction coefficient 312.

[0061] The storage 450 further stores a sensor data acquisition module 451, an action pattern extraction module 452, a travel distance derivation module 453, a corrected travel distance calculation module 454, a sum calculation module 455, and a skill evaluation module 456. The sensor data acquisition module 451 is a module that acquires sensor data from an acceleration sensor 120 attached to a toothbrush while the user 110 is brushing their teeth with the toothbrush. The action pattern extraction module 452 is a module that extracts action patterns included in the user 110's tooth brushing action from the acquired sensor data. The travel distance derivation module 453 is a module that derives the travel distance of the toothbrush in the user 110's oral cavity for each extracted action pattern. The corrected travel distance calculation module 454 is a module that calculates a corrected travel distance for each extracted action pattern, obtained by multiplying the travel distance by a correction coefficient. The sum calculation module 455 is a module that calculates the sum of the corrected travel distances calculated for each action pattern. The skill evaluation module 456 is a module that evaluates the user 110's toothbrushing skills based on the calculated sum of corrected travel distances. These modules 451 to 456 are read by the CPU 410 into the application execution area 446 of the RAM 440 and executed. The control program 457 is a program for controlling the entire toothbrushing skill evaluation device 100.

[0062] The input / output interface 460 interfaces with input / output devices for input / output data. The display unit 461 and the operation unit 462 are connected to the input / output interface 460. A storage medium 464 may also be connected to the input / output interface 460. Furthermore, a speaker 463 which is an audio output unit, a microphone (not shown) which is an audio input unit, or a GPS location determination unit may also be connected. Note that the RAM 440 and storage 450 shown in Figure 4 do not contain programs or data related to the general functions of the toothbrushing skill evaluation device 100 or other feasible functions.

[0063] Next, the processing procedure of the toothbrushing skill evaluation device 100 will be explained with reference to the flowchart shown in Figure 5. This flowchart is executed by the CPU 410 in Figure 4 using the RAM 440, and realizes the various functional configurations of the toothbrushing skill evaluation device 100 in Figure 2.

[0064] In step S501, the sensor data acquisition unit 201 acquires sensor data from the acceleration sensor 120 while the user 110 is brushing their teeth. In step S503, the motion pattern extraction unit 202 extracts motion patterns included in the user 110's tooth brushing motion from the acquired sensor data. In step S505, the travel distance derivation unit 203 derives the travel distance of the toothbrush in the user 110's oral cavity for each extracted motion pattern. In step S507, the tooth brushing skill evaluation device 100 determines a correction coefficient corresponding to the extracted motion pattern. In step S509, the tooth brushing skill evaluation device 100 determines whether a correction coefficient corresponding to all extracted motion patterns has been selected. If it is determined that no correction coefficient has been selected (NO in step S509), the tooth brushing skill evaluation device 100 returns to step S507. If it is determined that a correction coefficient has been selected (YES in step S509), the tooth brushing skill evaluation device 100 proceeds to the next step.

[0065] In step S511, the corrected travel distance calculation unit 204 calculates the corrected travel distance for all operation patterns by multiplying the derived travel distance by a correction coefficient determined according to the operation pattern. In step S513, the sum calculation unit 205 calculates the sum of the corrected travel distances calculated for each operation pattern. In step S515, the skill evaluation unit 206 evaluates the user's toothbrushing skill based on the calculated sum of corrected travel distances. The evaluation result of the toothbrushing skill may be transmitted to the mobile terminal 140 held by the user 110.

[0066] According to this embodiment, a correction coefficient is introduced according to the motion pattern to correct the distance the toothbrush moves and evaluate the user's brushing skills. This allows for a more accurate evaluation of brushing skills that reflects the effectiveness of brushing for each motion pattern. Furthermore, the evaluation results of brushing skills are sent to the user, allowing the user to objectively recognize their own brushing skills.

[0067] [Second Embodiment] Next, a toothbrushing skill evaluation device 600 according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 6 to 9. Figure 6 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of the toothbrushing skill evaluation device 600 according to this embodiment. The toothbrushing skill evaluation device 600 according to this embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that it has a counting unit, a toothbrushing score calculation unit, and a transmission unit. Other configurations and operations are the same as in the first embodiment, so the same components and operations are denoted by the same reference numerals and their detailed descriptions are omitted.

[0068] The toothbrushing skill evaluation device 600 further comprises a counting unit 601, a toothbrushing score calculation unit 602, and a transmission unit 603. The counting unit 601 counts the number of times the user 110 switched operation patterns from the acquired sensor data 130 as the number of switches.

[0069] If user 110 is consciously brushing their teeth in different areas of the mouth, at least 16 changes in brush position are required. Specifically, for the buccal teeth (front side), a total of 3 changes are needed (front, left and right sides); for the lingual teeth (back side), similarly, a total of 3 changes are needed (front, left and right sides); and for the occlusal surfaces, a total of 2 changes are needed for the left and right molar sides, for a total of 8 changes. Furthermore, this is repeated twice for the upper and lower teeth, so a total of 16 changes is the baseline. In addition, if user 110 has high brushing skills, they may change the angle of the toothbrush slightly even when brushing the same area, which will further increase the number of changes.

[0070] Thus, even when the angle of the toothbrush changes, it is counted as a change in the motion pattern. In the case of the Fones method 134, the upper and lower teeth are brushed simultaneously, so the number of changes may decrease. However, in the case of the Fones method 134, although the number of changes tends to decrease, the brushing effect is high, so a large value is set as the correction coefficient mentioned above. Therefore, in the Fones method 134, when the toothbrush movement distance and the number of changes are considered together, it is evaluated as a high level of brushing skill.

[0071] The toothbrushing score calculation unit 602 calculates the toothbrushing score by multiplying the sum of the corrected travel distances by a correction value determined according to the number of switching cycles counted. The number of switching cycles for the brushing method is based on 16 cycles for the entire dentition, and the correction value is determined based on the number of switching cycles.

[0072] For example, the relationship between the number of switching cycles and the correction value is: Less than 8 times: 0.5 8 to less than 14 times: 0.8 Less than 14-18 times: 1.0 18 times or more: 1.25 That's how it is.

[0073] The toothbrushing score calculation unit 602 selects a correction value based on the counted number of switching cycles and calculates the toothbrushing score. For example, in the example shown in Figure 2B, the number of switching cycles is 14, so the toothbrushing score calculation unit 602 uses 0.8 as the correction value to calculate the toothbrushing score. The toothbrushing score is 39.56 [m] × 0.8 = 31.65 [m].

[0074] The skill evaluation unit 206 then evaluates the user 110's toothbrushing skills based on the calculated toothbrushing score. The skill evaluation is performed, for example, by assessing how much or how little the user moved relative to a baseline distance of 36 [m]. To perform such an evaluation, the skill evaluation unit 206 may convert the calculated toothbrushing score into points.

[0075] In other words, the skill evaluation unit 206 converts the calculated toothbrushing score into points using a standard value of 36 [m] for the distance the toothbrush travels. The skill evaluation unit 206 calculates the toothbrushing score points = (31.65 [m] / 36 [m]) × 100 = 87.92 [points] by the following calculation. In this way, by converting the toothbrushing score into points using a standard value of 36 [m], the quality of the toothbrushing score can be easily evaluated by comparing it with the standard points (100 [points]).

[0076] The transmitting unit 603 transmits the evaluation results of the user 110's toothbrushing skills to, for example, a mobile terminal 140 such as a smartphone owned by the user 110. In other words, the transmitting unit 603 transmits the calculated toothbrushing score, or a toothbrushing score converted into points.

[0077] Furthermore, the transmitting unit 603 may transmit, along with the toothbrushing score, advice on brushing techniques, advice on toothbrush selection, and advice on toothpaste.

[0078] Advice regarding brushing may include, for example, "Try brushing with a slightly narrower width," "Be mindful of where you are brushing and try to brush the entire area," "Try focusing on brushing your back molars," or "You're brushing well," but it is not limited to these.

[0079] Furthermore, advice regarding toothbrush selection may include, for example, "a toothbrush with large, multi-bristle bristles is recommended," "if you are concerned about periodontal disease, a toothbrush with a wide, soft head is recommended," or "a toothbrush with a larger head can save time when you are busy," but it is not limited to these.

[0080] Furthermore, advice regarding toothpaste may include, for example, "If you are worried about cavities, use 1g or more of toothpaste with a high concentration of fluoride," "After applying toothpaste, brush the area where you are most concerned about cavities first," and "Applying toothpaste reduces splashing," but is not limited to these.

[0081] Next, with reference to Figure 7, an example of the correction value table 701 of the toothbrushing skill evaluation device 600 will be described. The correction value table 701 stores a correction value 712 associated with the number of switching operations 711. The number of switching operations 711 is the number of times the user 110 switched operation patterns, etc., while brushing their teeth. The correction value 712 is a value used to correct the sum of the corrected travel distances according to the number of switching operations. The toothbrushing score calculation unit 602 then refers to the correction value table 701 and selects a correction value according to the number of switching operations.

[0082] Referring to Figure 8, the hardware configuration of the toothbrushing skill evaluation device 600 will be described. RAM 840 is a random access memory used by the CPU 410 as a temporary storage work area. RAM 840 has a storage area reserved for storing the data necessary to realize this embodiment. Switch count data 841 is data that counts the number of times the user 110 switched operation patterns, etc., while brushing their teeth. Correction value data 842 is data of a value used to correct the corrected travel distance selected according to the counted number of switches.

[0083] The storage 850 stores the database, various parameters, and the following data or programs necessary for realizing this embodiment. The storage 850 stores the correction value table 701. The correction value table 701 is a table that manages the relationship between the number of switching operations 711 and the correction value 712.

[0084] The storage 850 further stores a count module 851, a toothbrushing score calculation module 852, and a transmission module 853. The count module 851 is a module that counts the number of times the user 110 switches operation patterns while brushing their teeth. The toothbrushing score calculation module 852 is a module that calculates the toothbrushing score by multiplying the sum of the corrected travel distances by a correction value. The transmission module 853 is a module that transmits the calculated toothbrushing score, etc., to a mobile terminal 140 or the like held by the user 110. These modules 851 to 853 are read by the CPU 410 into the application execution area 446 of the RAM 840 and executed.

[0085] Next, the processing procedure of the toothbrushing skill evaluation device 600 will be explained with reference to the flowchart shown in Figure 9. This flowchart is executed by the CPU 410 in Figure 8 using the RAM 840, and realizes the various functional configurations of the toothbrushing skill evaluation device 600 shown in Figure 6.

[0086] In step S901, the counting unit 601 counts the number of times the user 110 switches between action patterns while brushing their teeth. In step S903, the toothbrushing score calculation unit 602 calculates the toothbrushing score by multiplying the sum of the corrected travel distances by a correction value determined according to the number of switches. In step S905, the transmission unit 603 transmits the toothbrushing skill evaluation result to a mobile terminal 140 or the like held by the user 110.

[0087] According to this embodiment, the user's toothbrushing skills are evaluated by taking into account the number of times the device is switched, allowing for a more accurate evaluation. Furthermore, the number of times the device is switched can be used to estimate whether or not the user is conscious of the area they are brushing, so in addition to evaluating toothbrushing skills, appropriate advice can be given to the user.

[0088] Although the present invention has been described above with reference to embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above and can be modified as appropriate. Various modifications to the configuration and details of the present invention can be made that will be understood by those skilled in the art within the scope of the present invention. Furthermore, any system or apparatus that combines the separate features included in each embodiment in any way is also included in the scope of the present invention.

[0089] Furthermore, the present invention may be applied to a system composed of multiple devices or to a single device. Moreover, the present invention is also applicable when an information processing program that realizes the functions of the embodiment is supplied to a system or device and executed by a built-in processor. Therefore, the technical scope of the present invention includes programs installed on a computer to realize the functions of the present invention on a computer, the medium on which the program is stored, the WWW (World Wide Web) server that allows the program to be downloaded, and the processor that executes the program. In particular, at least a non-transitory computer-readable medium containing a program that causes a computer to execute the processing steps included in the above-described embodiment is included in the technical scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A sensor data acquisition unit acquires sensor data of the user's toothbrushing actions while the user is brushing their teeth with a toothbrush, An action pattern extraction unit extracts action patterns included in the user's toothbrushing actions from the acquired sensor data, For each of the extracted motion patterns, a movement distance calculation unit calculates the distance the toothbrush moves within the user's mouth. A skill evaluation unit evaluates the user's toothbrushing skills based on the distance the toothbrush moves for each extracted motion pattern and a correction coefficient determined according to the motion pattern. A corrected travel distance calculation unit calculates a corrected travel distance for each extracted operation pattern, which is obtained by multiplying the travel distance by the correction coefficient, A sum calculation unit that calculates the sum of the corrected travel distances calculated for each of the aforementioned operation patterns, Equipped with, The aforementioned skill evaluation unit is a toothbrushing skill evaluation device that evaluates the user's toothbrushing skills based on the calculated sum of the corrected travel distances.

2. A counting unit that counts the number of times the user switches the operation pattern from the acquired sensor data as the number of switches, A toothbrushing score calculation unit calculates a toothbrushing score by multiplying the sum of the corrected travel distances by a correction value determined according to the counted number of switching operations. Furthermore, The toothbrushing skill evaluation device according to claim 1, wherein the skill evaluation unit evaluates the user's toothbrushing skill based on the calculated toothbrushing score.

3. A sensor data acquisition step involves acquiring sensor data of the user's toothbrushing actions while the user is brushing their teeth using a toothbrush, A motion pattern extraction step is performed to extract motion patterns included in the user's toothbrushing motion from the acquired sensor data, For each of the extracted motion patterns, a distance deriving step is performed to derive the distance the toothbrush travels within the user's oral cavity, A skill evaluation step that evaluates the user's toothbrushing skills based on the distance the toothbrush moves for each extracted motion pattern and a correction coefficient determined according to the motion pattern, A corrected travel distance calculation step is performed to calculate a corrected travel distance for each extracted operation pattern, which is obtained by multiplying the travel distance by the correction coefficient, and which is the corrected travel distance obtained by correcting the travel distance. A sum calculation step which calculates the sum of the corrected travel distances calculated for each of the aforementioned operation patterns, Includes, The aforementioned skill evaluation step is a toothbrushing skill evaluation method that evaluates the user's toothbrushing skills based on the calculated sum of the corrected travel distances.

4. A sensor data acquisition step involves acquiring sensor data of the user's toothbrushing actions while the user is brushing their teeth using a toothbrush, from an acceleration sensor attached to the toothbrush. A motion pattern extraction step is performed to extract motion patterns included in the user's toothbrushing motion from the acquired sensor data, For each of the extracted motion patterns, a distance deriving step is performed to derive the distance the toothbrush travels within the user's oral cavity, A skill evaluation step that evaluates the user's toothbrushing skills based on the distance the toothbrush moves for each extracted motion pattern and a correction coefficient determined according to the motion pattern, A corrected travel distance calculation step is performed to calculate a corrected travel distance for each extracted operation pattern, which is obtained by multiplying the travel distance by the correction coefficient, and which is the corrected travel distance obtained by correcting the travel distance. A sum calculation step which calculates the sum of the corrected travel distances calculated for each of the aforementioned operation patterns, Have the computer run it, The aforementioned skill evaluation step is a toothbrushing skill evaluation program that evaluates the user's toothbrushing skills based on the calculated sum of the corrected travel distances.

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