Networked Shaving Appliance with Sensor Feedback

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current shaving razors with sensors fall short of providing users with comprehensive information needed for an improved shaving experience, lacking the necessary data to optimize technique and blade maintenance.

Innovation Solution

A networked shaving appliance system equipped with motion, orientation, and pressure sensors that generate shave event information, which is communicated to a computer network for processing with user profile data to provide personalized feedback on blade wear, shaving technique, and facial region-specific guidance.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of information

If sensors are added to provide shaving information, then information availability improves, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveshaving informationVSAvoiddevice complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a remote computing device as an intermediary that receives sensor data from the shaving device via a network connection. This intermediary handles the complex data processing, blade wear analysis, and generation of shaving recommendations, allowing the shaving device itself to remain relatively simple while still providing comprehensive information to the user through the remote device's display interface.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Measurement precision

If comprehensive sensor data collection is implemented, then shaving analysis accuracy improves, but data processing requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveshaving analysis accuracyVSAvoiddata processing requirements
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the heavy data processing functions from the shaving device and relocates them to a remote computing device. The shaving device collects comprehensive sensor data (motion, orientation, pressure, blade wear) and transmits it remotely, where the complex analysis, blade wear prediction algorithms, and personalized recommendation generation are performed, reducing the processing burden on the shaving device itself.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Ease of operation

If personalized feedback is provided, then user experience improves, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveuser experienceVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system automatically collects sensor data during shaving, processes it through blade wear analysis algorithms, and generates personalized shaving recommendations without requiring active user input or configuration. The remote computing device autonomously analyzes the data patterns, predicts blade wear, and provides tailored advice through the display interface, making the system easy to use while handling complexity internally.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentEP3513925B2Networked shaving appliance system
Publication Date: 2023.11.29 THE GILLETTE CO
  • EP3513925B2 patent drawingFigure 1~1A
  • EP3513925B2 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3513925B2 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A networked shaving appliance system includes: (a) a shaving appliance including a handle and a shaving head cartridge connected to the handle and motion, orientation, and/or pressure sensors associated with the handle and/or shaving head cartridge; (b) a sensor circuit connected to receive sensor signals and generate shave event information from the sensor signals; (c) a network circuit wirelessly connected with a computer network and communicating at least the shave event information to the computer network; and (d) a computerized tool operating, at least in part, on a computerized user device connected to the computer network. The computerized tool is configured to receive shave event data associated with a user of the computerized device from the computer network, receive user profile data from the user via a graphical user interface provided by the computerized tool, process the shave event data with the user profile data to generate user feedback information, and communicate the user feedback information to the user via the graphical user interface provided by the computerized tool.