DENTAL POSITION TRACKING SYSTEM FOR A TOOTHBRUSH
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Abstract
The dental position tracking system includes a toothbrush (30) which has a system (20) for determining the orientation of the toothbrush in the mouth of a user relative to the earth, based on measured stored information. Information is stored in the toothbrush concerning target ranges of expected measured toothbrush orientations for each of a plurality of dental zones (22). A processor (24) compares the measured toothbrush orientation information with the target orientation ranges, following conversion of both the target orientation information and the measured toothbrush orientation information to the same coordinate system. The processor then determines which if any of the target ranges matches, within a selected tolerance thereof, with the toothbrush orientation information. Any difference between the target range and the measured toothbrush orientation information is then used to partially adjust the target information range, in order to compensate for a change of position of the user'"'"'s head.
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Citations
51 Claims
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1-31. -31. (canceled)
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32. A dental zone tracking system for a toothbrush which compensates for head movement during brushing, comprising:
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a toothbrush which includes a system (20) for determining the orientation of the toothbrush during brushing by a user; stored target information (22) for toothbrush orientation for each of a plurality of selected dental zones; a processing system (24) for comparing the toothbrush orientation information with the target orientation information, once the toothbrush orientation information and the target orientation information are both in the same coordinate system and for determining which, if any, target information matches, within a selected tolerance, the toothbrush orientation information; a compensation system (24) which produces adjusted target information for the dental zones based on differences between the toothbrush orientation information and previous target information, wherein the compensation system includes using a pre-selected initial dental zone being brushed to determine an initial head orientation information and wherein the head orientation information is updated by determining the difference between the toothbrush orientation information and the target range orientation information at time intervals; and a feedback system (28) responsive to the processing system for communicating brushing information to the user concerning brushing in the selected dental zones. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44)
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45. A method of dental zone tracking for a toothbrush which compensates for head movement during brushing of teeth by the toothbrush, comprising the steps of:
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determining an initial head orientation information using a pre-selected initial dental zone being brushed; determining (20) the orientation of the toothbrush within a user'"'"'s mouth during brushing by a user; storing target information (22) for toothbrush orientation for each of a plurality of selected dental zones; comparing (24) the toothbrush orientation information with the target orientation information, once the toothbrush orientation information and the target orientation information are both in the same coordinate system and determining which, if any, target information matches, within a selected tolerance, the toothbrush orientation information, including using the determined initial head orientation information and updating the head orientation information by determining the difference between the toothbrush orientation information and the target range information at time intervals; adjusting (24) target information for the dental zones based on differences between the toothbrush orientation information and previous target information; and providing feedback (28) information to the user concerning brushing in the selected dental zones. - View Dependent Claims (46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51)
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Specification