Personal Care Device Imaging With Vibration-Synchronized Light
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Solution Overview
Problem
Personal care devices that vibrate during use, such as electric toothbrushes, suffer from image distortion and blur due to their cyclical movement, which existing image stabilization techniques designed for low-frequency devices are inadequate to address.
Innovation Solution
A personal care device with an image capture system that synchronizes pulsed illumination with the vibration cycle by identifying optimal periods of low motion, generating multiple illumination pulses during a single cycle to reduce blur and distortion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If image capture device is integrated with vibratory personal care device, then regular image acquisition capability is achieved, but image quality deteriorates due to vibration-induced blur and distortion
Solution Approach 1:
The illumination device emits light in periodic pulses synchronized with the vibration cycle of the personal care device. The control unit determines the vibration frequency and triggers illumination pulses at specific phases within each vibration cycle, creating a periodic illumination pattern that captures images at optimal moments when motion blur is minimized.
Solution Approach 2:
The control unit determines the vibration cycle characteristics and identifies optimal illumination timing in advance before image capture. By predicting the low-velocity portions of the vibration cycle based on the known vibration frequency and pattern, the system prepares and triggers illumination pulses at the precise moments when image quality will be maximized.
2Illumination intensity
If illumination is continuous during vibration, then adequate lighting is provided, but image blur and distortion increase due to device movement during exposure
Solution Approach 1:
The illumination device operates in periodic pulses rather than continuous illumination. The control unit synchronizes these pulses with the vibration cycle, emitting light only during specific phases when the device velocity is low. This periodic illumination provides sufficient lighting for image capture while minimizing the duration of exposure during high-motion periods.
Solution Approach 2:
The illumination timing is dynamically adjusted based on the real-time vibration characteristics of the personal care device. The control unit continuously monitors the vibration cycle and adapts the illumination pulse timing to match the changing motion patterns, ensuring optimal image capture conditions throughout the vibration cycle.
3Productivity
If image capture occurs during high-velocity portions of vibration cycle, then more images can be captured per unit time, but image quality deteriorates due to increased motion blur
Solution Approach 1:
The system captures images in periodic pulses synchronized with the vibration cycle, specifically targeting the low-velocity portions of each cycle. Although this approach captures fewer images per unit time compared to continuous capture, it ensures that each captured image has minimal motion blur, maintaining high image quality while still providing regular monitoring capability.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach enables high-quality image acquisition by minimizing blur and distortion, facilitating improved dental care decision-making and image-based diagnostics through synchronized illumination and image capture.
Implementation Method 1
an illumination device configured, in use, to generate a pulsed illumination for illuminating part of the user
Implementation Method 2
an image capture device adapted, in use, to capture images of one or more features of a user
Data Source
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AI summary
:Proposed are schemes, solutions, concepts, designs, methods and systems pertaining to aiding and/or improving image acquisition from a vibratory personal care device having an image capture device. Embodiments propose generating multiple pulses of illumination during a single vibration cycle of the personal care device. Through illuminating part of the user multiple times during a single vibration cycle of the personal care device, improved images (e.g. images exhibiting less blur and/or distortion) may be obtained. In this way, improved images may be obtained from a vibratory personal care device.