Systems and methods for providing device usage data

• US 10,298,471 B2
• Filed: 07/21/2016
• Issued: 05/21/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Gillette Company LLC (The Procter & Gamble Company)
• Original Assignee: The Gillette Company LLC (The Procter & Gamble Company)
• Inventors: Bauer, Matthew Stephen, Kodandapani, Pawan Sudarshan, McDowell, Jeffrey Dean, Borges, Eric Viveros, Briggs, Gordon Allen
• Primary Examiner(s): Dennison, Jerry B
• Application Number:
  US15/215,641
• Publication Number:
  US 20170099199A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,034 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 15/0006 with a controlling brush technique device, e.g. stroke movement measuring device
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 15/0008 with means for controlling duration, e.g. time of brushing
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 15/001 with means indicating the remaining useful life of brush
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/221 Control arrangements therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B26B 21/4056 Sensors or controlling means
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 3/04 using counting means or digital clocks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2823 Reporting information sensed by appliance or service execution status of appliance services in a home automation network device-related reporting H04L43/065; arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom H04Q9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/065 related to network devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

Included are embodiments of a system for monitoring device usage. The system may include a handheld device for performing an action, where the handheld device includes an engagement sensor and a computer that includes a processor and a memory component. The memory component stores logic that causes the computer to determine a minimum device engagement time of the handheld device. In some embodiments, the logic causes the computer to receive output data from the engagement sensor, where the output data includes an actual device engagement time, determine if the actual device engagement time is at least as long as the minimum device engagement time, and in response to determining that the actual device engagement time is at least as long as the minimum device engagement time, determine the action taken by the handheld device.

Claims

1. A system for monitoring device usage, comprising:

a handheld device for performing an action, wherein the handheld device comprises

a handle portion;

a sensing system;

a transmitting system; and

a cartridge connection component;

wherein the sensing system comprises an engagement sensor to detect any of a position, an angle, and a movement of the handheld device; and

wherein the transmitting system comprises a transmitter; and

a computer that comprises a processor and a memory component, wherein the memory component stores logic that, when executed by the processor causes the computer to perform at least the following;

determine a minimum device engagement time of the handheld device, wherein the minimum device engagement time relates to a shortest duration of time the engagement sensor can be triggered to count for a pass of the handheld device in an active state;

receive output data from the engagement sensor based on a triggering of the engagement sensor during the action;

determine an actual device engagement time based on the output data;

determine if the actual device engagement time is at least as long as the minimum device engagement time;

in response to determining that the actual device engagement time is at least as long as the minimum device engagement time, determine the action taken by the handheld device; and

provide data related to the action taken by the handheld device for display.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer is integral to the handheld device, wherein the computer utilizes the transmitter to communicate data related to a total number of engagements to a remote computing device based on the triggering of the engagement sensor during the action.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the handheld device comprises a local computing device, and wherein the computer is a remote computing device that communicates with the local computing device.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the action includes an actual number of passes with the handheld device and wherein the memory component further stores logic that causes the computer to perform at least the following:

provide an option for a user to identify a predicted total number of passes from activation of the handheld device to deactivation of the handheld device;

compare the predicted total number of passes with a total number of passes; and

provide a result of the comparison for display.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the handheld device communicatively connects to the computer in response to at least one of the following:

receiving a signal from the engagement sensor indicating that the handheld device is activated, receiving actuation of a user option on the handheld device, and in response to determining deactivation of the handheld device.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the handheld device comprises at least one of the following:

a razor and a toothbrush.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the action taken by the handheld device comprises at least one of the following:

a total time from activation of the handheld device to deactivation of the handheld device;

an average length of the actual device engagement time;

a temperature of water that contacts the handheld device;

a duration of time between consecutive actual device engagements;

an engagement count;

a speed of the handheld device;

an acceleration of the handheld device;

a distance traveled by the handheld device;

an angle of the handheld device relative to a user;

an angle of a first portion of the handheld device relative to a second portion of the handheld device;

an angular rotation of the first portion of the handheld device relative to the second portion of the handheld device; and

a force against a surface.

8. A method for monitoring device usage, comprising:

receiving stroke data related to an actual stroke of a razor device across a length of skin, wherein the stroke data includes an actual duration of the actual stroke of the razor device across the length of skin, wherein the razor device comprises a handle portion and a sensing system, and wherein the stroke data is generated by an engagement sensor of the sensing system of the razor device;

determining that the actual duration is at least as long as a minimum duration, wherein the minimum duration relates to a minimum razor engagement time required for counting a single stroke of the razor device across the length of skin;

in response to determining that the actual duration is at least as long as the minimum duration, determine an action taken by the razor device from the stroke data; and

provide data related to the action taken by the razor device for display.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising providing at least a portion of the data to a server.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

receiving tuning instructions from a remote computing device; and

altering at least one setting of the razor device, based on the tuning instructions.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising communicatively connecting to a computer in response to at least one of the following:

receiving a signal from the razor device, indicating that the razor device is activated, receiving actuation of a user option on the razor device, and in response to determining deactivation of the razor device.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising determining at least one of the following:

a total time from activation of the razor device to deactivation of the razor device, an average length of the actual duration;

a temperature of water that contacts the razor device;

a duration of time between consecutive actual device engagements;

an engagement count, a speed of the razor device, an acceleration of the razor device;

a distance traveled by the razor device, an angle of the razor device relative to a user;

an angle of a first portion of the razor device relative to a second portion of the razor device; and

an angular rotation of the first portion of the razor device relative to the second portion of the razor device, and a force against a surface.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising receiving data from an assisting device to determine data related to the action, wherein the assisting device comprises at least one of the following:

a shave prep container;

a tooth paste container;

a replacement razor;

a replacement toothbrush head;

a razor device container; and

a toothbrush container.

14. The method of claim 8, further comprising determining at least one of the following and, in response to determining at least one of the following, adjusting the minimum razor engagement time accordingly:

a gender of a user, a past user preference, and an identity of the user.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium for monitoring device usage that stores logic that, when executed by a computing device, performs at least the following:

determine a minimum device engagement time of a handheld device, wherein the minimum device engagement time relates to a duration for a single pass of the handheld device in an active state, wherein the handheld device comprises a handle portion, a sensing system, a transmitting system, and wherein the sensing system comprises an engagement sensor for determining when the handheld device is engaged;

receive output data from the engagement sensor of a handheld device, wherein the output data relates to actual device engagement time;

determine if the actual device engagement time is at least as long as the minimum device engagement time;

in response to determining that the actual device engagement time is at least as long as the minimum device engagement time, determine an action taken by the handheld device; and

provide data related to the action for display.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein determining the action comprises determining that the handheld device engages with a user wherein the logic further causes the computing device to perform at least the following:

provide an option for the user to identify a predicted total number of engagements from activation of the handheld device to deactivation of the handheld device;

compare the predicted total number of engagements with a total number of engagements; and

provide a result of the comparison for display.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the logic further causes the computing device to communicatively connect to a local computing device that is integral to the handheld device in response to at least one of the following:

the local computing device receiving a signal from the engagement sensor indicating that the handheld device is activated, the handheld device receiving an actuation of a user option on the handheld device, and in response to a determination of deactivation of the handheld device.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the handheld device comprises at least one of the following:

a razor and a toothbrush.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the logic further causes the computing device to determine at least one of the following:

a total time from activation of the handheld device to deactivation of the handheld device, an average length of the actual device engagement time, a temperature of water that contacts the handheld device;

a duration of time between consecutive actual device engagements, an engagement count, a speed of the handheld device, an acceleration of the handheld device, a distance traveled by the handheld device, an angle of the handheld device relative to a user, an angle of a first portion of the handheld device relative to a second portion of the handheld device, an angular rotation of the first portion of the handheld device relative to the second portion of the handheld device, and a force against a surface.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the logic further causes the computing device to determine at least one of the following and, in response to determining at least one of the following, adjusting the minimum device engagement time accordingly:

a gender of a user, a past user preference, and an identity of the user.