Smart Toothbrush Inertial Tracking Spatiotemporal Mapping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current toothbrush monitoring systems lack accuracy in tracking the journey and efficiency of toothbrushing technique, as they fail to provide comprehensive data on the temporal order and path taken during brushing, leading to potential neglect of certain mouth areas and ineffective oral hygiene.
Innovation Solution
A smart toothbrush system with position and movement sensors that generates a user-specific statistical model during a coaching phase, allowing for accurate monitoring of toothbrushing technique at home by comparing movement information during free brushing with the model, providing feedback on the journey and efficiency of brushing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If magnetic fields and magnetometers are used to determine precise positions of the toothbrush, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity and ease of operation worsen due to extensive hardware and need for dental surgery facilities
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex magnetic field-based positioning systems with inertial measurement units (IMUs) consisting of accelerometers and gyroscopes. This substitution eliminates the need for extensive magnetic field hardware and external positioning infrastructure, allowing the toothbrush to autonomously track its own movement through inertial sensing while maintaining sufficient positioning accuracy for home use.
Solution Approach 2:
The toothbrush system performs self-tracking using onboard sensors without requiring external positioning infrastructure. The IMU sensors mounted on the toothbrush independently measure its own acceleration and orientation, enabling the device to determine its position and movement patterns autonomously during brushing sessions at home.
2Measurement precision
If magnetic fields and magnetometers are used to determine precise positions of the toothbrush, then measurement precision is improved, but ease of operation worsens due to need for dental surgery facilities
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex magnetic field-based positioning systems with inertial measurement units (IMUs) consisting of accelerometers and gyroscopes. This substitution eliminates the need for extensive magnetic field hardware and external positioning infrastructure, allowing the toothbrush to autonomously track its own movement through inertial sensing while maintaining sufficient positioning accuracy for home use.
Solution Approach 2:
The toothbrush system performs self-tracking using onboard sensors without requiring external positioning infrastructure. The IMU sensors mounted on the toothbrush independently measure its own acceleration and orientation, enabling the device to determine its position and movement patterns autonomously during brushing sessions at home.
3Device complexity
If existing toothbrush monitoring devices treat regions of the mouth in isolation, then device complexity is reduced, but loss of information increases by ignoring temporal order and brushing path
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary integration of acceleration data to obtain velocity and position information before analysis. By accumulating and processing the complete temporal sequence of sensor readings during the brushing session, the system reconstructs the actual journey path taken by the toothbrush, preserving information about the order and sequence of brushed regions rather than treating them as isolated snapshots.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent adds the temporal dimension to mouth region monitoring by tracking the sequence and timing of brush movements. Instead of merely identifying which regions are brushed, the system records when each region is visited and in what order, creating a temporal map of the brushing journey that reveals patterns about brushing efficiency and completeness.
Data Source
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AI summary
A smart toothbrush comprising: a toothbrush body, comprising a head for brushing and a handle; a sensor for detecting the position of the toothbrush in the mouth at various points during a toothbrushing session; a timer for recording the time at which each detected position occurs; and a computing module with a memory, the computing module configured to: record the detected position at various points during a toothbrushing session; record the time at which each detected position was detected; and produce a map of the journey taken by the toothbrush during the toothbrushing session using the recorded position and time information.