Toothbrush Scrubbing Detection via Gravity Compensation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing power toothbrushes face challenges in accurately detecting scrubbing motion due to excessive rotation, which leads to false feedback and increased computational burden, making it difficult to provide effective user feedback for improved cleaning techniques.
Innovation Solution
A method for detecting scrubbing motion using an inertial measurement unit within the toothbrush, monitoring motion data along specific axes, rejecting excessive rotation, and providing feedback through haptic, visual, or audio cues, while employing gravity compensation to minimize computational resources.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If gravity compensation using DCM matrix operations is implemented to eliminate false scrubbing detection, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity and computational burden increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the essential components needed for gravity compensation, implementing a simplified algorithm that processes only the necessary accelerometer and gyroscope data combinations to achieve orientation correction without requiring full DCM matrix operations, thereby reducing computational burden while maintaining detection accuracy
Solution Approach 2:
The gravity compensation algorithm is segmented into discrete, manageable calculation steps that can be executed efficiently on resource-constrained devices, breaking down the complex orientation calculation into sequential operations that reduce overall computational complexity
2Measurement precision
If comprehensive motion monitoring along multiple axes is implemented to detect scrubbing motion, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The motion monitoring function is segmented into specific axis monitoring tasks, with each axis processed independently according to its relevance for scrubbing detection, allowing the system to focus computational resources on the most informative motion components while simplifying overall processing complexity
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 allows for accurate detection of scrubbing motion, reducing false feedback and enhancing user awareness of their brushing technique, leading to improved cleaning efficacy and oral health without increasing the device's computational or manufacturing costs.
Implementation Method 1
an inertial measurement unit located within the personal hygiene device
Implementation Method 2
The gravity compensation function is intended to solve the problem of interpreting data which are not the result of scrubbing, i.e., false scrubbing, as scrubbing by using the inertial sensors to calculate the orientation of the PTB in the Earth's gravitational field
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and devices for detecting scrubbing motion during use of a personal hygiene device are provided wherein false scrubbing feedback is eliminated. A method (500) may include receiving (502) motion information data of the personal hygiene device from an inertial measurement unit located within the personal hygiene device, monitoring (504) scrubbing motion data of the personal hygiene device along a first axis, monitoring (506) rotation motion data of the personal hygiene device for excessive rotation around a second axis and a third axis of the personal hygiene device, rejecting (508) a scrubbing detection when excessive rotation is detected, and providing (510) a user operating the personal hygiene device with scrubbing feedback in response to a determination that the motion information data are within predefined parameters of a targeted motion of the personal hygiene device, wherein false scrubbing feedback is eliminated from the scrubbing feedback.