PERSONAL HYGIENE SYSTEM

• US 20110275424A1
• Filed: 05/07/2010
• Published: 11/10/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Braun GmbH (The Procter & Gamble Company)
• Original Assignee: Braun GmbH (The Procter & Gamble Company)
• Inventors: Reick, Hansjörg, Vetter, Ingo, Schmid, Michael
• Application Number:
  US12/775,862
• Publication Number:
  US 20110275424A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/1
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 15/0002 Arrangements for enhancing monitoring or controlling the brushing process
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 15/0006 with a controlling brush technique device, e.g. stroke movement measuring device
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 15/0012 with a pressure controlling device
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 15/0016 with enhancing means
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 2200/1066 Toothbrush for cleaning the teeth or dentures A61C17/16 takes precedence; bristles arrangements for toothbrushes A46B9/04
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/221 Control arrangements therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 2204/005 using chip tag or any electronic identification mean, e.g. RFID
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2009/2457 Display screens, e.g. monitors, video displays

Abstract

A personal hygiene system is provided herein. One embodiment comprises a personal hygiene device, such as for example an electric toothbrush, having wireless communication circuitry in combination with a computer readable medium containing processor executable instructions for causing a multimedia device that was previously unassociated with the personal hygiene device to communicate with the personal hygiene device, to receive data from the personal hygiene device related to the use of the personal hygiene device and for causing the multimedia device to provide an output as a function of the data.

Claims

1. A personal hygiene system comprising:

a personal hygiene device having wireless communication circuitry; and

a computer readable medium containing processor executable instructions for causing a multimedia device that was previously unassociated with the personal hygiene device to communicate with the personal hygiene device, to receive data from the personal hygiene device related to the use of the personal hygiene device and for causing the multimedia device to provide an output as a function of the data.

2. The personal hygiene system of claim 1, wherein the personal hygiene device is an electric toothbrush.

3. The personal hygiene system of claim 2, further comprising an adaptor, wherein the computer readable medium for causing the multimedia device to display data is located in the adaptor.

4. The personal hygiene system of claim 3, wherein the adaptor is a game cartridge for a portable gaming device.

5. The personal hygiene system of claim 2, wherein the computer readable medium is located remotely from the multimedia device and the processor executable instructions are downloadable to the multimedia device via a wireless network.

6. The personal hygiene system of claim 2, wherein the computer readable medium is located on a transportable device and the processor executable instructions are downloadable to the multimedia device through an input on the multimedia device.

7. The personal hygiene system of claim 2, further comprising a motion detection device.

8. The personal hygiene system of claim 7, wherein the motion detection device is an accelerometer.

9. The personal hygiene system of claim 7, wherein the motion detection device comprises an infrared detector located on the toothbrush and at least two infrared emitters located remote from the toothbrush.

10. The personal hygiene system of claim 9, wherein the motion detector further comprises an accelerometer.

11. An oral care system comprising:

a toothbrush having wireless communication circuitry;

an adapter for interfacing between the toothbrush and a multimedia device; and

a processor readable medium containing processor executable instructions for causing the multimedia device to receive data transmitted from the toothbrush and to display an output as a function of that data.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the adaptor is a cartridge for a video game.

13. The system of claim 11 wherein the adapter contains a connector for connecting to a port on a multimedia device.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the processor executable instructions cause the multimedia device to display brushing information.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the brushing information comprises at least one of elapsed time, remaining time, brushing force, time of brushing and battery status.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the adapter comprises the processor readable medium.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the processor readable medium contains processor executable instructions for a game, wherein the data transmitted from the toothbrush is used to control one or more actions in the game.

18. A method of providing feedback related to the use of a toothbrush comprising:

providing a toothbrush having wireless communications capabilities for wirelessly communicating with a device which was previously unassociated with the toothbrush; and

providing a processor readable medium containing processor executable instructions to cause the previously unassociated device to wirelessly communicate with the toothbrush and to display data communicated from the toothbrush to the previously unassociated device.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein providing the processor readable medium comprises providing a cartridge configured to connect to an input of the previously unassociated device.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein providing the processor readable medium comprises providing the processor readable medium on a system remote from the previously unassociated device wherein the instructions are capable of being wirelessly downloaded to the previously unassociated device.