Electric hygiene device with imaging capability

• US 10,456,934 B2
• Filed: 02/24/2019
• Issued: 10/29/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: May Patents Ltd.
• Original Assignee: May Patents Ltd.
• Inventors: Binder, Yehuda
• Primary Examiner(s): Hsu, Amy R
• Application Number:
  US16/283,786
• Publication Number:
  US 20190184586A1
• Time in Patent Office: 247 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A45D 26/00 Hair-singeing apparatus; Apparatus for removing superfluous hair, e.g. tweezers removing hair using electrosurgical instruments A61B18/04, A61B18/18
• CPC Class Codes: B26B 19/00 Clippers or shavers operating with a plurality of cutting edges, e.g. hair clippers, dry shavers
• CPC Class Codes: B26B 19/3806 Accessories
• CPC Class Codes: B26B 19/382 Built-in accessories
• CPC Class Codes: B26B 19/3853 Housing or handle
• CPC Class Codes: B26B 19/3873 Electric features; Charging; Computing devices
• CPC Class Codes: B26B 19/388 Sensors; Control
• CPC Class Codes: B26B 19/46 providing for illuminating the area to be shaved or clipped
• CPC Class Codes: B26B 19/48 Accessory implements for carrying out a function other than cutting hair, e.g. attachable appliances for manicuring massage means per se A61H7/00 - A61H23/00
• CPC Class Codes: B26B 21/405 Electric features; Charging; Computing devices
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 37/00 Panoramic or wide-screen photography; Photographing extended surfaces, e.g. for surveying; Photographing internal surfaces, e.g. of pipe
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/548 the power on the line being DC arrangements for feeding power H04L12/10; extracting feeding power from signals H04L25/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/10 Current supply arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/14 Two-way operation using the same type of signal, i.e. duplex
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/194 Transmission of image signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/239 using two 2D image sensors having a relative position equal to or related to the interocular distance H04N13/243 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/11 for generating image signals from visible and infrared light wavelengths
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/45 for generating image signals from two or more image sensors being of different type or operating in different modes, e.g. with a CMOS sensor for moving images in combination with a charge-coupled device [CCD] for still images
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/50 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/51 : Housings
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/55 : Optical parts specially adapted for electronic image sensors; Mounting thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/57 : Mechanical or electrical details of cameras or camera modules specially adapted for being embedded in other devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/63 : by using electronic viewfinders
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/633 : for displaying additional information relating to control or operation of the camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/65 : Control of camera operation in relation to power supply
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/661 : Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/69 : Control of means for changing angle of the field of view, e.g. optical zoom objectives or electronic zooming
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/698 : for achieving an enlarged field of view, e.g. panoramic image capture
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/41 : Extracting pixel data from a plurality of image sensors simultaneously picking up an image, e.g. for increasing the field of view by combining the outputs of a plurality of sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/709 : Circuitry for control of the power supply
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/75 : Circuitry for providing, modifying or processing image signals from the pixel array
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/262 : Studio circuits, e.g. for mixing, switching-over, change of character of image, other special effects ; Cameras specially adapted for the electronic generation of special effects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/30 : Transforming light or analogous information into electric information scanning details H04N3/00; cameras or camera modules comprising electronic image sensors, or control thereof H04N23/00; circuitry of solid-state image sensors [SSIS] or control thereof H04N25/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/015 : High-definition television systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/185 : from a mobile camera, e.g. for remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 : WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

System and method for improving the shaving experience by providing improved visibility of the skin shaving area. A digital camera is integrated with the electric shaver for close image capturing of shaving area, and displaying it on a display unit. The display unit can be integral part of the electric shaver casing, or housed in a separated device which receives the image via a communication channel. The communication channel can be wireless (using radio, audio or light) or wired, such as dedicated cabling or using powerline communication. A light source is used to better illuminate the shaving area. Video compression and digital image processing techniques are used for providing for improved shaving results. The wired communication medium can simultaneously be used also for carrying power from the electric shaver assembly to the display unit, or from the display unit to the electric shaver.

Claims

1. A system comprising a portable device and an oral hygiene device that communicate over a Wireless Personal Area Network (WPAN),

the oral hygiene device comprising:

a toothbrush adapted for teeth brushing;

a motion actuator for moving at least part of a brushing mechanism;

a sensor mechanically coupled to the toothbrush for generating an output in response to a physical phenomenon;

software and a processor for executing the software, the processor is coupled to the sensor for receiving the output;

a battery for powering the sensor, the motion actuator, the sensor, and the processor;

an first WPAN antenna for coupling to the WPAN using Radio-Frequency (RF) waves; and

a first WPAN transceiver coupled between the first antenna and the sensor for transmitting a first data that is responsive to the sensor output over the WPAN;

an handheld casing housing the rechargeable battery, the toothbrush, the motion actuator, the first WPAN antenna, the first WPAN transceiver, the sensor, the memory, and the processor,

the portable device comprising;

a second WPAN antenna for coupling to the WPAN using Radio-Frequency (RF) waves;

a second WPAN transceiver coupled to the second antenna for receiving the first data from the oral hygiene device over the WPAN;

a display component having a screen for displaying data, the display component is coupled to the second WPAN transceiver for displaying information in response to the received first data; and

a portable enclosure housing the second WPAN antenna, the second WPAN transceiver, and the display component.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the motion actuator comprises, or consists of, an electric motor.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the sensor is a semiconductor-based sensor.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the WPAN uses license-free industrial, scientific and medical (ISM) radio frequency band that consists of, or comprises, 902-928 MHz, 2.4-2.484 GHz, or 5,725-5.875 GHz.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the WPAN is using, is according to, or is compatible with, Bluetooth that is based on, is according to, or is compatible with, IEEE 802.15.1.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises a digital camera for capturing an image, wherein the first data comprises the captured image, and wherein the portable device is operative to display the captured image on the screen of the display component.

7. The system according to claim 6, wherein the display component is operative for freezing or zooming the captured image on the screen of the display component.

8. The system according to claim 6, wherein the oral hygiene device or the portable device further comprises an image processor for processing the captured image.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein the image processor is operative to identify an element in the captured image.

10. The system according to claim 9, further operative to display, by the display component, the captured image where the identified element is marked.

11. The system according to claim 1, wherein the display component is configured to visualize a mouth cavity, teeth, or gums.

12. The system according to claim 1, wherein the screen is a flat screen that uses, or is based on, Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) or Thin-Film Transistor (TFT), or Field Emission Display (FED).

13. The system according to claim 1, wherein the portable devices consists of, or comprises, a cellular telephone that is further operative for a cellular communication.

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein the cellular communication that is based on, using, or is compatible with, Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM), General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), 2.5 Generation (2.5G), Third Generation (3G), Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution (EDGE), Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications (DECT), iDEN (Integrated Digital enhanced Network), or Code Division Multiple Access (DCMA).

15. The system according to claim 13, wherein the battery consists of, or comprises, a rechargeable battery.

16. The system according to claim 1, further comprising in the casing a light source powered by the battery for providing an illumination.

17. The system according to claim 16, wherein the light source is operative for providing a non-visible illumination.

18. The system according to claim 17, wherein the non-visible spectrum is in an infrared or ultraviolet spectrum.

19. The system according to claim 16, wherein the light source is mounted for illumination of at least part of the teeth surface.

20. The system according to claim 16, wherein the light source consists of, or comprises, a LED (Light Emitting Diode).

21. The system according to claim 1, wherein the sensor consists of, or comprises, a digital camera for capturing an image of the teeth surface or of a mouth cavity.

22. The system according to claim 21, wherein the digital camera comprises an optical lens for focusing received light mechanically oriented to focus the image of at least part of the teeth surface.

23. The system according to claim 22, wherein the sensor comprises, or consists of, a photosensitive image sensor array disposed approximately at an image focal point plane of the optical lens for capturing the image.

24. The system according to claim 23, wherein the image sensor comprises, is using, or is based on, Charge-Coupled Devices (CCD) or Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor (CMOS).

25. The system according to claim 23, wherein the image sensor is operative to capture images in a non-visible spectrum.

26. The system according to claim 25, wherein the non-visible spectrum is in an infrared or ultraviolet spectrum.

27. The system according to claim 21, wherein the digital camera is a video digital camera that produces a digital data video, and wherein the first data comprises the digital data video in a digital video format.

28. The system according to claim 27, further comprising in the casing a video compressor coupled to the video digital camera for compressing the digital data video.

29. The system according to claim 28, wherein the compression is based on intraframe compression or is a lossy compression.

30. The system according to claim 28, wherein the compression is based on interframe compression or is a non-lossy compression.

31. The system according to claim 1, wherein the oral hygiene device further comprising a visual indicator coupled to the processor for indicating a status of the system.

32. The system according to claim 31, wherein the visual indicator is adapted to indicate a powering of at least part of the system.

33. The system according to claim 31, wherein the visual indicator is adapted to indicate a proper operation of at least part of the system.

34. The system according to claim 31, wherein the visual indicator is adapted to indicate a communication status of at least part of the system.

35. The system according to claim 34, wherein the visual indicator is adapted to indicate the communication status between the devices.

36. The system according to claim 31, wherein the visual indicator consists of, or comprises, a semiconductor component.

37. The system according to claim 36, wherein the visual indicator consists of, or comprises, a Light Emitting Diode (LED).

38. The system according to claim 31, wherein the sensor is mechanically coupled to the motion actuator for generating an output in response to the motion actuator operation.