KR20210108175A - A smart toothbrush and a system of smart toothbrush - Google Patents

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a smart toothbrush system that detects an intraoral region where bristles are currently located through a smart toothbrush. The smart toothbrush system may include a driving part for vibrating the bristles provided in the smart toothbrush, a sensing part for detecting a frequency for vibration, and a processor for detecting the intraoral region where the bristles are currently located based on a change in the frequency. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the intraoral region may include at least one of a tongue region, a gum region, and a tooth region.

Description

A smart toothbrush and a system of smart toothbrush

The present disclosure relates to a smart toothbrush and a smart toothbrush system.

In general, a toothbrush is configured to include a brushing part provided with a handle part and bristles, and mainly performs a function of removing foreign substances between teeth and gums by a physical friction method.

However, since it is difficult to cope with various bacteria surviving in the oral cavity only by removing foreign substances through physical friction, brushing is usually performed using a toothbrush and toothpaste together, and recently, many bacteria remain on the toothbrush after brushing. As the research result of 'Toothbrush' has been highlighted, the need for a toothbrush that can effectively brush teeth has increased, and various related technologies have been developed.

In response to this, smart toothbrushes for effective tooth brushing have been recently developed using vibration. The smart toothbrush can be connected to an electronic device such as a smartphone to guide teeth brushing methods or provide feedback on the results of brushing teeth.

However, in the case of a conventional vibrating toothbrush, since the vibration is output with the same intensity without distinguishing between the gum and the tooth region, a strong stimulus is applied to the relatively weak gum region, resulting in user inconvenience.

In addition, despite differences in oral structure and solidity of gums and teeth for each individual, conventional vibrating toothbrushes output vibrations with the same intensity to everyone, so that product satisfaction is different for each user. In particular, in the case of a person with gum disease, the vibration of the bristles needs to be controlled more precisely. Therefore, it is necessary to provide different types of vibration for each individual.

An object of the present disclosure is to provide a smart toothbrush capable of recognizing a part of the oral cavity currently being brushed.

An object of the present disclosure is to provide a smart toothbrush capable of more accurately recognizing a part of the oral cavity that is currently being brushed in consideration of the strength of the part in the oral cavity that is different for each individual.

An object of the present disclosure is to provide a smart toothbrush that adjusts a brushing mode according to the oral characteristics of each user.

An object of the present disclosure is to provide a smart toothbrush that controls a brushing mode according to a user's preference.

An object of the present disclosure is to provide a smart toothbrush in which a user can more easily change a vibration type while operating in a brushing mode.

A smart toothbrush according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a driving unit for vibrating the bristles provided in the smart toothbrush, a sensing unit for sensing a frequency for vibration, and a processor for detecting a region in the oral cavity where the bristles are currently located based on a change in frequency may include.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the intraoral region may include at least one of a tongue region, a gum region, and a tooth region.

The processor may detect an intraoral area according to an attenuation amount of a frequency sensed through the sensing unit.

The processor may determine a vibration type according to a region in the oral cavity where the bristles are currently located, and may differently control at least one of a frequency, a vibration pattern, an amplitude, and a vibration intensity of the bristles according to the vibration type.

The processor may acquire user information and detect an intraoral area according to the acquired user information.

The processor may acquire user information through the reference collection mode.

When the reference collection mode is started, the processor may acquire user information by controlling the driving unit to vibrate the bristles at a preset frequency and then detecting the peak frequency in each of the intraoral areas.

When the processor fails to obtain user information, the processor may detect an intraoral region using a preset detection frequency.

The processor may acquire user information by performing an operation of detecting a peak frequency in each intraoral area a reference number of times while the bristles vibrate at a preset frequency.

The processor may obtain user information, and correct a detection frequency for detecting an intraoral area according to the acquired user information.

The sensing unit may further sense acceleration and angular velocity of the smart toothbrush, and the processor may recognize a brushing motion based on the acceleration, angular velocity, and frequency of the smart toothbrush.

The processor may acquire a brushing speed of the smart toothbrush, and the processor may provide a brushing guide according to the acquired brushing speed.

The processor may determine a vibration type according to the brushing motion, and may differently control at least one of a frequency, a vibration pattern, an amplitude, and a vibration intensity of the bristles according to the vibration type.

The processor may acquire a duration of the brushing motion, and provide a brushing guide according to the acquired duration of the brushing motion.

The processor may acquire a duration only when the smart toothbrush operates in a guided brushing motion in each tooth area, and may provide a brushing guide according to the acquired duration.

The sensing unit may further include a pressure sensor for detecting a grip force, and the processor may determine a vibration type according to the grip force, and may differently control at least one of a frequency, a vibration pattern, an amplitude, and a vibration intensity of the bristles according to the vibration type.

The sensing unit may include a piezo sensor that detects a grip force.

The sensing unit may include a plurality of switches for sensing the grip force.

The processor may receive the user feedback information and correct the vibration type based on the user information and the user feedback information.

The smart toothbrush according to an embodiment of the present disclosure has the advantage of recognizing the area in the oral cavity where the bristles are currently located by using the attenuation amount of the frequency. More specifically, by using the attenuation amount of the frequency, there is an advantage in that it is possible to distinguish whether the region in the oral cavity where the bristles are currently located is a tooth region, a gum region, or a tongue region.

The smart toothbrush according to an embodiment of the present disclosure has the advantage of more accurately detecting a region in the oral cavity using user information acquired through the reference collection mode.

The smart toothbrush according to an embodiment of the present disclosure has the advantage of increasing the efficiency of brushing by providing various vibration patterns according to the parts of the oral cavity.

The smart toothbrush according to an embodiment of the present disclosure has the advantage that the user can more easily change the vibration type during brushing by utilizing the grip force that the user grips the smart toothbrush.

The smart toothbrush according to an embodiment of the present disclosure can recognize the tooth area currently brushing by using the user's brushing motion when the intraoral area is recognized as the tooth area, and thus can provide an appropriate vibration type to the tooth area. There is an advantage.

The smart toothbrush according to an embodiment of the present disclosure has an advantage in that it can provide a brushing guide that can improve a user's brushing habit by using the usage time and brushing motion.

The smart toothbrush according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may provide a user-customized vibration type by correcting the vibration type through user feedback.

1 is a block diagram of a smart toothbrush system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
2 is a control block diagram of a smart toothbrush according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
3 is a detailed block diagram of a smart toothbrush sensing unit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
4 is a control block diagram of an external device interlocked with a smart toothbrush according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
5 is a diagram schematically illustrating an actual configuration of a smart toothbrush according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
6 is an exemplary view for explaining a method of calculating a roll value, a pitch value, and a yaw value by a smart toothbrush according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
7 is an exemplary view illustrating an intraoral area detectable by a smart toothbrush according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
8 is an exemplary view showing a vibration frequency according to a region in the oral cavity where the bristles are currently located according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
9 is a flowchart illustrating a method for controlling a smart toothbrush according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
10 is a flowchart illustrating a process in which a smart toothbrush performs a reference collection mode according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
11 is a flowchart illustrating a method in which a smart toothbrush provides a brushing mode according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
12 is an exemplary view illustrating a method for controlling bristles according to a vibration type of a smart toothbrush according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
13 is a diagram illustrating an example of a vibration pattern that may be provided for each vibration type.
14 is an exemplary diagram illustrating a method for a smart toothbrush to adjust the amplitude of bristles according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
15 is an exemplary view schematically illustrating a grip force sensing method of a smart toothbrush according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
16 is an exemplary view illustrating a tooth region in which a brushing motion may appear differently according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
17 is an exemplary view illustrating a brushing motion of the smart toothbrush according to an embodiment of the present disclosure when the tooth area is the front tooth area.
18 is an exemplary view illustrating a brushing motion of a smart toothbrush according to an embodiment of the present disclosure when a tooth area is an inner tooth area or an outer tooth area.
19 is an exemplary view illustrating a brushing motion of the smart toothbrush according to an embodiment of the present disclosure when the tooth area is a chewing area.
20 is an exemplary diagram illustrating a method of providing a toothbrushing guide by a smart toothbrush and an external device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Hereinafter, embodiments related to the present disclosure will be described in more detail with reference to the drawings. The suffixes "module" and "part" for the components used in the following description are given or mixed in consideration of only the ease of writing the specification, and do not have a meaning or role distinct from each other by themselves.

1 is a block diagram of a smart toothbrush system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

A smart toothbrush system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include a smart toothbrush 100 and an external device 200 .

The smart toothbrush 100 may be a toothbrush having a wireless communication module. The smart toothbrush 100 may transmit and receive signals to and from the external device 200 .

The external device 200 may be linked with the smart toothbrush 100 . The external device 200 may wirelessly communicate with the smart toothbrush 100 and guide tooth brushing using information received from the smart toothbrush 100 . In addition, the external device 200 may obtain and store user information received from the smart toothbrush 100 , and may correct a vibration type through the stored user information.

The user information may mean values sensed through the sensing unit 110 when a specific user brushes teeth. For example, the user information may include a peak frequency in the user's tooth region, a peak frequency in the gum region, and a peak frequency in the tongue region. User information may be different for each user. This will be described later.

The smart toothbrush 100 may operate in a reference collection mode, a brushing mode, and the like.

The reference collection mode may be a mode in which the smart toothbrush 100 acquires user information. The reference collection mode may be performed according to the guidance of the external device 200 when the smart toothbrush 100 is used for the first time, or may be performed together with the brushing mode when the smart toothbrush 100 operates in the brushing mode.

The brushing mode may be a mode in which vibrations are provided to each part of the user's oral cavity so that the user's oral cavity is clean. The smart toothbrush 100 may provide different vibration types depending on the area in the oral cavity when operating in the brushing mode.

In the brushing mode, the smart toothbrush 100 may provide different vibration types according to the detected intraoral area.

At least one of a frequency, a vibration pattern, and an amplitude of the bristles may be different depending on the vibration type. The vibration type will be described in detail later with reference to FIGS. 12 to 14 .

The external device 200 may provide a brushing guide when the smart toothbrush 100 is in the brushing mode.

The external device 200 may be implemented in various forms, such as a mobile terminal and a mirror display. The external device 200 may communicate with the smart toothbrush 100 and may include any electronic device capable of receiving information about a brushing mode from the smart toothbrush 100 .

For example, the mobile terminal may include a portable electronic device such as a smart phone or a tablet PC.

A mirror display can function like a mirror and output information to the mirror at the same time. It is composed of an upper polarizer, a liquid crystal display panel, a polarizer, and a backlight. have.

However, the mobile terminal and the mirror display are merely examples for convenience of description, and the external device 200 may be implemented in the form of various electronic devices.

The smart toothbrush 100 and the external device 200 may be wirelessly connected to transmit/receive information to and from each other.

2 is a control block diagram of a smart toothbrush according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

The smart toothbrush 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include at least some or all of the sensing unit 110 , the communication unit 130 , the driving unit 150 , the power supply unit 170 , and the processor 190 . In addition, the smart toothbrush 100 may further include other components in addition to the components shown in FIG. 2 .

The sensing unit 110 may acquire sensing data. Here, the sensed data may mean a sensed value obtained by any one of a pressure sensor, a vibration sensor, an acceleration sensor, and a gyro sensor, or a combination of data measured by a pressure sensor, a vibration sensor, an acceleration sensor, and a gyro sensor. have.

For example, the sensed data includes the vibration frequency of the bristles provided in the smart toothbrush 100 detected through the vibration sensor, the angular velocity of the smart toothbrush 100 detected through the gyro sensor, and the user detected through the pressure sensor of the smart toothbrush. It may include a voltage, etc. generated when gripping (100), but this is only an example.

The communication unit 130 may perform short-range wireless communication with the communication unit 210 of the external device 200 to be described later. For example, the short-range wireless communication standard may be a low-power Bluetooth standard, but this is only an example.

The communication unit 130 may transmit the sensing data of the sensing unit 110 to the external device 200 .

The driving unit 150 may output a vibration signal. The driving unit 150 may include a motor. For example, the driving unit 150 may drive the vibration module to vibrate the bristles 103 (refer to FIG. 15 ) to be described later.

The power supply unit 170 may supply power to the components of the smart toothbrush 100 .

The processor 190 may control the overall operation of the smart toothbrush 100 .

The processor 190 controls the communication unit 130 to transmit the sensed data to the external device 200 so that the external device 200 obtains user information based on the sensed data and corrects the vibration type according to the user information. can be controlled In addition, the processor 190 controls the communication unit 130 to transmit the sensed data to the external device 200, so that the external device 200 acquires the sensing data and the duration of the brushing motion, and receives the sensing data and the duration. It can be controlled to provide a brushing guide based on the.

Alternatively, the processor 190 may directly obtain user information based on the sensed data and correct the vibration type according to the user information. In this case, the processor 190 may transmit the acquired user information and the corrected vibration type to the external device 200 .

In addition, the processor 190 may obtain the sensing data and the duration of the brushing motion, and provide a brushing guide based on the sensing data and the duration of the brushing motion.

A detailed operation of the processor 190 will be described later.

3 is a detailed block diagram of a smart toothbrush sensing unit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

The sensing unit 110 of the smart toothbrush 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include at least one sensing unit. The sensing unit includes at least some or all of the pressure sensor 111 , the gyro sensor 113 , the acceleration sensor 114 , and the vibration sensor 115 . Also, the sensing unit 110 may further include a sensing unit for sensing other sensing values in addition to the sensing units illustrated in FIG. 3 .

The sensing unit 110 may acquire sensing data.

The pressure sensor 111 may acquire the grip force of the user who grips the main body 101 of the smart toothbrush 100 . Specifically, the pressure sensor 111 may acquire the user's grip force based on a voltage sensed when the body 101 of the smart toothbrush 100 is gripped by the user. For example, the pressure sensor 111 may be a piezo sensor.

The pressure sensor 111 may be provided in the body 101 of the smart toothbrush 100 . There may be one or a plurality of pressure sensors 111 provided in the body 101 .

The gyro sensor 113 may acquire the angular velocity of the smart toothbrush 100 .

The acceleration sensor 114 may acquire the moving direction or acceleration of the smart toothbrush 100 .

The processor 190 uses the sensed value of the gyro sensor 113 and the sensed value of the acceleration sensor 114 to the x-axis (or roll axis), y-axis (or pitch axis), z-axis ( Alternatively, the rotation angle of the yaw axis) may be obtained.

The vibration sensor 115 is a sensor for detecting the vibration frequency of the bristles 103 provided in the smart toothbrush 100, and can detect the vibration frequency of the bristles 103 using at least one of an acceleration sensor and a gyro sensor. have. The vibration sensor 115 may detect the vibration frequency of the bristles 103 using the gyro sensor 113 and the acceleration sensor 114 described above, or may include a separate acceleration sensor and a gyro sensor.

The sensing unit 110 may further include other components in addition to the components shown in FIG. 3 .

4 is a control block diagram of an external device interlocked with a smart toothbrush according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

The external device 200 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes at least some or all of the display 210 , the communication unit 230 , the memory 250 , the sound output unit 270 , and the controller 290 . In addition, the external device 200 may further include other components in addition to the components shown in FIG. 4 .

The display 210 may display various information related to the smart toothbrush 100 , such as state information of the smart toothbrush 100 , brushing state information, and brushing guide information.

The display 210 may be implemented in the form of a touch screen or in the form of a mirror display.

The communication unit 230 may perform short-range wireless communication with the communication unit 130 of the smart toothbrush 100 . As the short-range wireless communication standard, the low-power Bluetooth standard may be used.

The memory 250 may store sensing data and the like received from the smart toothbrush 100 . The memory 250 may store user information for each user. The memory 250 may store the vibration frequency, vibration pattern, amplitude, vibration intensity, and the like of the bristles for each vibration type.

The sound output unit 270 may output a brushing guide or the like by voice. The sound output unit 270 may be audio.

The controller 290 may control the overall configuration of the external device 200 .

For example, the controller 290 obtains user information based on the sensed data received from the smart toothbrush 100 , and corrects the vibration type according to the user information, information on the type of vibration corrected by the smart toothbrush 100 . can be sent.

In addition, the controller 290 may correct the stored vibration type based on the user information received from the smart toothbrush 100 , and transmit information on the corrected vibration type to the smart toothbrush 100 .

In addition, the controller 290 may measure the duration of the brushing motion made in the smart toothbrush 100 .

The brushing motion may mean a movement of the smart toothbrush 100 . For example, the brushing motion may include a movement of the smart toothbrush 100 up and down, a movement of the smart toothbrush 100 left and right, a movement of the smart toothbrush 100 standing up and wiping the inside of the front teeth, etc. .

The controller 290 may provide a brushing guide based on the measured duration of the brushing motion. The controller 290 may provide the brushing guide by displaying it through the display 210 , or may provide it by outputting it as a voice through the sound output unit 270 .

Next, a method for calculating a roll value, a pitch value, and a yaw value by a smart toothbrush according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6 .

5 is a diagram schematically illustrating an actual configuration of a smart toothbrush according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 6 is an exemplary view for explaining a method of calculating a roll value, a pitch value, and a yaw value by a smart toothbrush according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 5 , the smart toothbrush 100 may include a body 101 and bristles 103 . The sensing unit 110 may be provided in the body 101 .

The position of the sensing unit 110 shown in the drawing is merely exemplary. For example, according to an embodiment, the pressure sensor 111 may be located on the side surface of the main body 101 .

The main body 101 may include the communication unit 130 , the driving unit 150 , the power supply unit 170 , and the processor 190 described in FIG. 2 .

The processor 190 may obtain sensing data sensed by the gyro sensor 113 and the acceleration sensor 114 , and the processor 190 may calculate a roll value, a pitch value, and a yaw value through the sensing data.

Before describing the roll value, pitch value, and yaw value, the x-axis, y-axis, and z-axis are first described. For convenience of explanation, only the positive (+) axis is shown in the present specification for the coordinate system.

In this specification, the x-axis is an axis that coincides with the direction from the main body 101 of the smart toothbrush 100 toward the bristles 103, and the z-axis is perpendicular to the x-axis while penetrating the body 101 of the smart toothbrush 100. axis, and it is assumed that the y-axis means an axis perpendicular to the x-axis and the z-axis. However, since this is only an example of a coordinate system that can describe the movement direction of the smart toothbrush 100, it is not limited thereto.

Referring to FIG. 6 , roll means rotation about the x-axis, pitch means rotation about the y-axis, and yaw means rotation about the z-axis.

With respect to the x-axis (roll axis), the roll value becomes 0 degrees when the bristles 103 point toward the sky. The roll value may be obtained according to the angle at which the bristles 103 are rotated based on 0 degrees. For example, when the bristles 103 rotate counterclockwise about the x-axis (roll axis) to face the floor, the roll value becomes 180 degrees.

The pitch value is 0 degrees when the smart toothbrush 100 faces inward, and 180 degrees when the smart toothbrush 100 faces outward with respect to the y-axis (pitch axis). In this case, the inner side may mean a positive direction of the z-axis, and the outer side may mean a negative direction of the z-axis.

The yaw value is also 0 degrees when the smart toothbrush 100 faces the floor, and 180 degrees when the smart toothbrush 100 faces the sky based on the z-axis (yaw axis). At this time, pointing the smart toothbrush 100 to the floor may mean pointing in the negative direction of the y-axis, and pointing to the sky may mean pointing in the positive direction of the y-axis.

The roll value, pitch value, and yaw value are only examples, and the values may vary depending on the reference setting.

The processor 190 combines the calculated roll value, pitch value, and yaw value of the smart toothbrush 100 with the acceleration information of the smart toothbrush 100 sensed through the acceleration sensor 114 to increase the speed of the smart toothbrush 100. Brushing motion can be recognized.

A method for the smart toothbrush 100 to obtain a brushing motion according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described later with reference to FIGS. 16 to 19 .

On the other hand, in the case of the conventional vibrating toothbrush, since only the roll value, the pitch value, and the yaw value could be calculated, there was a limitation in that it was not possible to distinguish whether the current position of the vibrating toothbrush was the gum region or the tooth region. Accordingly, since the vibrating toothbrush only outputs vibration with the same intensity regardless of the current position, a strong stimulus is applied to a relatively weak gum region, resulting in user inconvenience. In particular, in the case of a person with periodontal disease, the vibration of the bristles in the gum region needs to be more precisely controlled so that the vibration is weaker than the vibration in the tooth region. Therefore, it is necessary to recognize a part in the oral cavity and provide a different vibration type according to the recognized part.

The smart toothbrush 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may detect a frequency for vibration of the bristles 103 and detect a portion in the oral cavity where the bristles 103 are currently located based on the change in frequency. In more detail, according to the attenuation amount of the frequency with respect to the vibration of the bristles 103, it is possible to detect a region in the oral cavity where the bristles 103 are currently located.

In this case, the intraoral region may include at least one of a tongue region, a gum region, and a tooth region.

Next, the smart toothbrush 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure with reference to FIGS. 7 to 8 detects a frequency for vibration of the bristles 103, and based on the change in frequency, the bristles 103 are currently located Describes a method for detecting a region in the oral cavity.

7 is an exemplary view showing an intraoral area detectable by a smart toothbrush according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, and FIG. 8 is an exemplary view showing a vibration frequency according to an intraoral area where the bristles are currently located according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. This is an example drawing.

7 , the intraoral region may include at least one of a tongue region 1350 , a gum region 1330 , and a tooth region 1300 . That is, the smart toothbrush 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is based on a change in the vibration frequency of the bristles 103 whether the region where the bristles 103 is currently located is the tongue region 1350, or the gum region 1330. It is possible to distinguish whether it is cognition or the tooth region 1300 .

Specifically, referring to FIG. 8 , in FIG. 8 , the horizontal axis represents the vibration frequency, and the vertical axis represents the magnitude of the vibration frequency.

The processor 190 may acquire a peak frequency having the largest magnitude of the vibration frequency through the sensing unit 110 , and may detect a portion in the oral cavity where the bristles 103 are currently located through the peak frequency.

8A is an exemplary diagram illustrating a reference frequency of a smart toothbrush according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

The reference frequency of the smart toothbrush 100 is the vibration of the bristles 103 sensed through the sensing unit 110 when the user grips the smart toothbrush 100 without the bristles 103 coming into contact with the oral cavity. It can mean frequency.

That is, FIG. 8A shows the vibration frequency sensed through the sensing unit 110 when the user grips the smart toothbrush 100 without the bristles 103 coming into contact with the oral cavity. In this case, the peak frequency having the largest amplitude of the vibration frequency may be a value in the range of about 250 to 260 hz. That is, the reference frequency may be a value in the range of about 250 to 260 hz. This is only an example, and the reference frequency of the smart toothbrush 100 may be a default value or may be set by a user.

On the other hand, when the bristles 103 of the smart toothbrush 100 are in contact with the tongue region 1350, the vibration frequency and the magnitude of the vibration frequency of the bristles 103 sensed through the sensing unit 110 are similar to those in the oral cavity. It can be reduced compared to when there is no contact.

That is, as shown in Fig. 8b, when the bristles 103 of the smart toothbrush 100 are in contact with the tongue region 1350, the vibration frequency sensed through the sensing unit 110 may be reduced compared to Fig. 8a. . In this case, the peak frequency having the largest amplitude of the vibration frequency may be a first value, and the first value may be a value smaller than the reference frequency. This is only an example, and the first value may be a set value, or may be an average peak frequency value in the tongue region obtained through a plurality of users.

In addition, when the bristles 103 of the smart toothbrush 100 are in contact with the gum region 1330 , the vibration frequency and the magnitude of the vibration frequency of the bristles 103 sensed through the sensing unit 110 are determined by the tongue region 1350 . ) can be reduced compared to when in contact with This is because the gum region 1330 is harder than the tongue region 1350 .

That is, as shown in FIG. 8c , when the bristles 103 of the smart toothbrush 100 are in contact with the gum region 1330 , the vibration frequency sensed through the sensing unit 110 may be reduced compared to FIG. 8b . . In this case, the peak frequency having the largest amplitude of the vibration frequency may be a second value smaller than the first value. This is only an example, and the second value may be a set value, or an average peak frequency value in the gum region obtained through a plurality of users.

In addition, when the bristles 103 of the smart toothbrush 100 are in contact with the tooth part 1300 , the vibration frequency and the magnitude of the vibration frequency of the bristles 103 sensed through the sensing unit 110 are determined by the gum region 1330 . ) can be reduced compared to when in contact with This is because the tooth portion 1300 is harder than the gum portion 1330 .

That is, as shown in FIG. 8D , when the bristles 103 of the smart toothbrush 100 are in contact with the tooth part 1300 , the vibration frequency sensed through the sensing unit 110 may be reduced compared to FIG. 8C . . In this case, the peak frequency having the largest amplitude of the vibration frequency may be a third value smaller than the second value. This is only an example, and the third value may be a set value, or may be an average peak frequency value in a tooth area obtained through a plurality of users.

According to this embodiment, the processor 190 may detect a portion in the oral cavity where the bristles 103 are currently located based on a change in the vibration frequency of the bristles 103 sensed through the sensing unit 110 . In more detail, the processor 190 detects the degree to which the vibration frequency of the bristles 103 sensed through the sensing unit 110 is attenuated compared to the reference frequency, and detects the area in the oral cavity where the bristles 103 are currently located. can do.

That is, the processor 190 may detect whether the area in the oral cavity where the bristles 103 is currently located is a tooth, a gum, or a tongue according to the attenuation amount of the frequency sensed by the sensing unit 110 . This will be described in detail with reference to Table 1 below.

In addition, the smart toothbrush 100 according to the present disclosure can additionally acquire the position of the bristles 103 by using the roll value, the pitch value, and the yaw value of the smart toothbrush 100 in addition to the above-described intraoral site detection method.

On the other hand, the above-described peak frequency may vary depending on the user according to the difference in the strength of different oral structures and parts of the oral cavity for each individual, and the force of pressing the toothbrush when brushing teeth.

That is, the peak frequency for each part in the oral cavity may vary depending on the user. Accordingly, the processor 190 may obtain user information and correct a detection frequency for detecting an intraoral region according to the acquired user information. This will be described in detail with reference to the examples in Table 1 below.

first value second value third value first user 100 80 60 second user 95 75 55

The processor 190 may obtain a peak frequency in each of the intraoral regions, which may be as shown in Table 1 above. Referring to the example of Table 1, for the first user, the first value that is the peak frequency of the tongue region may be 100 Hz, and for the second user, the first value that is the peak frequency of the tongue region may be 95 Hz. Also, the second value that is the peak frequency of the gum region of the first user may be 80 hz, and the second value that is the peak frequency of the gum region of the second user may be 75 hz. In addition, the third value that is the peak frequency of the tooth part of the first user may be 60hz, and the third value that is the peak frequency of the tooth part of the second user may be 55hz. This is only an example, and the peak frequency may vary depending on the position even within the gum region of the same user. In this case, the processor 190 adjusts the frequency attenuation amount for detecting the tongue region of the first user to 150 hz (or 150 hz ± 5%). (range including the error of ), and corrects the frequency attenuation amount for detecting the gum region of the first user to 170hz (or a range including an error of 170hz ± 5%), and detects the tooth part of the first user It is possible to correct the frequency attenuation amount to 190hz (or a range including an error of 190hz ± 5%). Similarly, the processor 190 corrects the frequency attenuation amount for detecting the tongue area of the second user to 155hz (or a range including an error of 155hz ± 5%), and the frequency attenuation amount for detecting the gum area of the first user to 175hz (or a range containing an error of 175hz ± 5%), and the frequency attenuation amount for detecting the first user's teeth can be corrected to 195hz (or a range containing an error of 195hz ± 5%) have.

Therefore, when the reference frequency is 250 hz, the processor 190 recognizes that the currently located intraoral area is the tongue if the frequency attenuation is 150 hz, and if the frequency attenuation is 170 hz, the currently located intraoral area is the gum area. And, if the frequency attenuation amount is 190hz, it can be recognized that the part in the oral cavity currently located is the tooth part.

In the case of the second user, the processor 190 recognizes that the frequency attenuation is 155 hz when the reference frequency is 250 hz and the currently located intraoral area is the tongue, and if the frequency attenuation is 175hz, the currently located intraoral area is the gum It is recognized as a part, and if the frequency attenuation is 195hz, it can be recognized that the part in the oral cavity currently located is a tooth part.

Accordingly, the smart toothbrush 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may acquire user information through the reference collection mode, and more accurately detect an intraoral area according to the acquired user information. In addition, the processor 190 may provide at least one or more of a frequency, a vibration pattern, and an amplitude of the bristles 103 differently according to an intraoral region.

Next, a method of controlling the smart toothbrush 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described.

9 is a flowchart illustrating a method for controlling a smart toothbrush according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

The smart toothbrush 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may implement a reference collection mode (S710). The processor 190 may acquire a peak frequency for each part in the oral cavity by performing a reference collection mode.

In addition, when the reference collection mode is performed, the processor 190 may acquire not only the peak frequency for each intraoral area, but also different oral structures for each user, the strength of the intraoral area, brushing pressure, brushing order, specific habits, and the like.

The processor 190 may execute the reference collection mode when the smart toothbrush 100 is used for the first time, and may execute when there is a user's command to initiate the reference collection mode. As an embodiment, the processor 190 may start the reference collection mode when the power ON signal of the smart toothbrush 100 is first received.

The process of implementing the reference collection mode will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 10 .

10 is a flowchart illustrating a process in which a smart toothbrush performs a reference collection mode according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

First, the processor 190 may set a reference number of times (n) for performing reference collection (S711). The reference number n may be set by a user, and may be a default value preset in the device.

The smart toothbrush 100 obtains user information (S713). In particular, in the reference collection mode, the processor 190 may acquire a peak frequency in a tooth region, a peak frequency in a gum region, and a peak frequency in a tongue region of a specific user as user information.

When the smart toothbrush 100 obtains user information, the reference number n is subtracted once and stores the user information (S715).

The processor 190 controls the communication unit 130 to transmit the sensed data to the external device 200 , so that the external device 200 acquires user information based on the sensed data, and stores the user information in the memory 250 . can be controlled to do so.

The processor 190 may determine whether the reference number n is 0 (S717), and if the reference number n is not 0, step S713 may be performed again. That is, the processor 190 may perform the operation as described in steps S713 and S715 until the reference number of times n reaches zero. That is, the smart toothbrush 100 may acquire user information as many times as the reference number of times.

When the smart toothbrush 100 acquires user information as many times as the reference number, it may correct the detection frequency for detecting an intraoral part according to the acquired user information (S719).

The detection frequency may mean an average frequency of a peak frequency set to detect a region in the oral cavity. For example, the detection frequency may include a peak frequency in a tooth region, a peak frequency in a gum region, and a peak frequency in a tongue region.

For example, if the reference number is 5, the smart toothbrush 100 acquires user information while the user brushes teeth 5 times. In this case, the average peak frequency of the user's tongue region may be 100 hz, the average peak frequency of the gum region may be 80 hz, and the average peak frequency of the tooth region may be 55 hz. Accordingly, the smart toothbrush 100 may correct the tongue area detection frequency to 100hz, the gum area detection frequency to 80hz, and the tooth area detection frequency to 55hz based on user information after brushing 5 times.

Through this embodiment, the smart toothbrush 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure compensates for a specific user's intraoral site detection frequency, thereby enabling more accurate detection of an intraoral area thereafter. That is, the smart toothbrush 100 recognizes different oral structures for each user, the hardness of the oral cavity, brushing pressure, brushing order, specific habits, and the like to more accurately detect the oral cavity.

Returning to FIG. 9 again, when the reference collection mode ends, the smart toothbrush 100 may perform a brushing mode (S730).

According to an embodiment, S730 and S710 may be performed simultaneously.

The brushing mode will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 11 .

11 is a flowchart illustrating a method in which a smart toothbrush provides a brushing mode according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

When the processor 190 receives the brushing mode start signal, the processor 190 may start the brushing mode ( S731 ). For example, upon receiving the power ON signal, the processor 190 may recognize a brushing mode start signal and start the brushing mode.

The processor 190 may determine whether user information has been obtained (S733).

For example, when user information is pre-stored in the smart toothbrush 100 or the external device 200, the processor 190 may determine that the user information is acquired, and the smart toothbrush 100 or the external device 200 If there is no user information stored in the , it may be determined that the user information has not been obtained.

When it is determined that the user information has not been obtained, the processor 190 may detect an intraoral region using a preset detection frequency (S735). The preset detection frequency means an average peak frequency value in an intraoral region obtained by a plurality of users, and may be stored in the memory 250 .

According to an embodiment, the processor 190 may perform the reference collection mode described in step S710 while detecting an intraoral region using a preset detection frequency. That is, the reference collection mode ( S710 ) and the brushing mode ( S730 ) may be performed simultaneously.

When user information is obtained, the processor 190 may detect an intraoral area according to the obtained user information (S737).

That is, the portion in the oral cavity where the bristles 103 is currently located may be detected by using the detected frequency corrected according to the acquired peak frequency for each intraoral region of the user. This has been described in detail with reference to FIGS. 8A to 8D and Table 1, and a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

In addition, the processor 190 may change the vibration type according to the portion of the oral cavity detected that the bristles 103 are currently located (S739).

The vibration type may mean a type of vibration that is preset to vibrate differently depending on the part of the oral cavity. At least one of the frequency, vibration pattern, amplitude, and vibration intensity of the bristles 103 may be set differently according to the vibration type. For example, the first vibration type may be a type suitable for brushing teeth by controlling the frequency or intensity of vibration to be large, and the second vibration type may have a lower frequency or intensity of vibration than the first vibration type to reduce the frequency of vibration or the intensity of vibration to the gum area. It may mean a type suitable for brushing teeth.

That is, that the processor 190 changes the vibration type according to the region in the oral cavity where the bristles 103 are currently located, as the region in the oral cavity detected as the current position of the bristles 103 changes, the processor 190 may mean that the bristles 103 control at least one of a frequency, a vibration pattern, an amplitude, and a vibration intensity of the bristles 103 differently.

For example, the processor 190 may change the vibration type to the first vibration type when the region in the oral cavity where the bristles 103 is currently located is recognized as the tooth region, and the processor 190 may change the vibration type to the first vibration type in the oral cavity where the bristles 103 are currently located. When the region is recognized as the gum region, the vibration type may be changed to a second vibration type having a lower frequency or intensity than the first vibration type in order to weakly control the vibration.

As another example, when the portion in the oral cavity where the bristles 103 is currently located is recognized as the tongue portion, the processor 190 may change to a third vibration type having a large amplitude so that the user can easily wipe the tongue portion. The amplitude will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 14 .

Next, with reference to FIGS. 12 to 14 , the smart toothbrush 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure differently controls at least one of the frequency, vibration pattern, amplitude, and vibration intensity of the bristles 103 according to the vibration type. explain how.

12 is an exemplary view illustrating a method for controlling bristles according to a vibration type of a smart toothbrush according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

12, the basic frequency of the first vibration type (eg, for teeth) is 250hz, the basic frequency of the second vibration type (eg, for gum) is 200hz, the third vibration type (eg, The basic frequency of the tongue) may be set to 150hz. At this time, the fundamental frequency of the second vibration type is smaller than the fundamental frequency of the first vibration type, which may mean that the number of vibrations of the bristles 103 of the second vibration type is controlled less than that of the first vibration type. In addition, the fundamental frequency of the second vibration type is smaller than the first vibration type and larger than the third vibration type, which is that the number of vibrations of the bristles 103 of the second vibration type is less than the first vibration type and more than the third vibration type It can mean controlled.

The vibration pattern may mean that the processor 190 controls the vibration intensity of the bristles 103 to change from strong to weak, from weak to strong, or to control the intensity to be constantly repeated. This will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 13 .

Amplitude may mean a width at which the bristles 103 vibrate. For example, in FIG. 12 , the amplitude B1 of the first vibration type (eg, for teeth) may be an intermediate amplitude (eg, 2 mm), and the amplitude B2 of the second vibration type (eg, for gums) is It may be a small amplitude (eg, 1 mm), and the amplitude B3 of the third vibration type (eg, for tongue) may be a large amplitude (eg, 3 mm). The above-described amplitude value is merely an example, which will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 14 .

Vibration intensity may mean a vibration intensity of the bristles 103 . As shown in FIG. 12, the vibration intensity of the first vibration type (eg, for teeth) is strong, and the vibration strength of the second vibration type (eg, for gum) is medium strength, and the third vibration type ( For example, the vibration intensity of the tongue) may be set to a weak intensity.

In the control of the vibration intensity, when the processor 190 increases the vibration signal output value (eg, voltage) from the driving unit 150 , the bristles 103 can be controlled to vibrate strongly, and the output value of the vibration signal is small. If the bristles 103 can be controlled to vibrate weakly. According to an embodiment, when the vibration intensity is largely controlled, the frequency may also be controlled to increase together, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

13 is a diagram illustrating an example of a vibration pattern that may be provided for each vibration type.

The processor 190 may control the vibration pattern A1 of the bristles 103 as a pattern in which the intensity of vibration is constantly repeated as shown in FIG. 13A . This may mean repeating the control of the vibration intensity of the bristles 103 to a strong intensity and a weak intensity over time at a certain period.

In addition, the processor 190 may control the vibration pattern A2 of the bristles 103 as a pattern in which the vibration intensity changes from strong to weak, as shown in FIG. 13B . This may mean controlling the vibration intensity of the bristles 103 from a strong intensity to a weak intensity over time.

In addition, the processor 190 may control the vibration pattern A3 of the bristles 103 as a pattern in which the vibration intensity changes from weak to strong, as shown in FIG. 13C . This may mean controlling the vibration intensity of the bristles 103 from a weak intensity to a strong intensity over time.

According to this embodiment, the smart toothbrush 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure has the advantage of increasing the efficiency of brushing by providing various vibration patterns according to the region of the oral cavity.

Such a vibration pattern may be directly set by a user. In this case, there is an advantage that a vibration pattern suitable for the brushing style desired by the user can be provided.

14 is an exemplary diagram illustrating a method for a smart toothbrush to adjust the amplitude of bristles according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. For convenience of explanation, only the positive (+) axis is shown in the coordinate system.

The bristles 103 of the smart toothbrush 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may vibrate in the vertical direction about the x-axis. The vertical direction with respect to the x-axis may mean a positive direction and a negative direction of the y-axis in FIG. 14A .

14B and 14C are views of the smart toothbrush 100 in the positive direction of the x-axis. As described above, since the bristles 103 vibrate in the vertical direction about the x-axis, the amplitude in FIG. 14b may mean B1, which is the width at which the bristles 103 vibrate. Also, in FIG. 14C , the amplitude may mean B3, which is the width at which the bristles 103 vibrate. In this case, B3 may be greater than B1.

That is, the processor 190 may control the amplitude of the bristles 103 differently. In this case, controlling the amplitude differently may mean controlling the width and length of the reciprocating motion that the bristles 103 repeat.

In addition, the processor 190 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may control the amplitude differently according to the portion of the oral cavity where the bristles 103 are currently located. That is, the processor 190 controls the mid-amplitude (B1) when the area in the oral cavity where the bristles 103 is currently located is a tooth, controls it with a small amplitude (B2) when it is a gum area, and controls a large-amplitude (B3) when it is a tongue area. ) can be controlled.

According to this embodiment, the smart toothbrush 100 has the advantage that by controlling the amplitude differently depending on the part of the oral cavity that is currently located, the range that the bristles 103 touch the part of the oral cavity can be adjusted differently for each part when the bristles 103 reciprocate once. There is this.

On the other hand, each setting value according to the above-described vibration type is merely an example for convenience of description, and the vibration type may be set differently depending on the location in the same oral cavity. The smart toothbrush 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may store various vibration types, and may correct the vibration types according to user feedback as will be described later.

On the other hand, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the smart toothbrush 100 may correct the vibration type according to the grip force sensed through the pressure sensor 111 when performing the brushing mode. Specifically, the processor 190 determines the vibration type according to the detected part while performing the brushing mode, and corrects the vibration type by adjusting the frequency in the vibration type according to the grip force detected through the pressure sensor 111 . can do. On the other hand, when correcting the vibration type, the vibration pattern, amplitude, or vibration intensity, not the frequency, may be adjusted. Alternatively, when correcting the vibration type, at least two or more of a frequency, a vibration pattern, an amplitude, and a vibration intensity may be adjusted together.

Next, a method of correcting the vibration type according to the grip force sensed by the smart toothbrush 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIG. 15 .

15 is an exemplary view schematically illustrating a grip force sensing method of a smart toothbrush according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

The body 101 of the smart toothbrush 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include a pressure sensor 111 . The pressure sensor 111 may be located at a portion gripped by the user.

According to the first embodiment, the pressure sensor 111 may be implemented as a plurality of piezo sensors.

The piezo sensor may refer to a sensor capable of detecting a pressure change by attaching a plurality of sensors having different voltage emission ranges according to the displacement width. That is, the smart toothbrush 100 emits a first voltage (eg, a voltage of 3 [V]) when the user grips the smart toothbrush 100 and a first displacement (eg, 1 mm displacement) occurs. A first piezo sensor and a second piezo sensor that emits a voltage of 3 [V] when a second displacement greater than the first displacement (eg, 2 mm displacement) occurs by the user gripping the smart toothbrush 100, the user may include a third piezo sensor that emits a voltage of 3 [V] when a third displacement (eg, 3 mm displacement) occurs by gripping the smart toothbrush 100 .

At this time, when the user lightly grips the smart toothbrush 100 and a displacement less than the second displacement occurs, only the first piezo sensor may operate to emit the weakest voltage. On the other hand, when the user grips the smart toothbrush 100 hard and a displacement greater than or equal to the third displacement occurs, the first piezoelectric sensor, the second piezoelectric sensor, and the third piezoelectric sensor all operate to emit the strongest voltage.

The processor 190 detects a weak grip force when only the first piezo sensor operates, detects a medium grip force when the first piezo sensor and the second piezo sensor operate simultaneously, and the first piezo sensor, the second piezo sensor, and the second piezo sensor. If all 3 piezo sensors operate at the same time, it can be detected with a strong grip force.

According to the second embodiment, the pressure sensor 111 may be implemented as a plurality of switches having a plurality of springs having different elastic forces. For example, the pressure sensor 111 may include a first switch having a first elastic force, a second switch having a second elastic force greater than the first elastic force, and a third switch having a third elastic force greater than the second elastic force. have. In this case, the processor 190 may sense a weak grip force when only the first switch is touched, a medium grip force when the second switch is touched, and sense a strong grip force when the third switch is touched.

According to the third embodiment, the pressure sensor 111 may be implemented as a plurality of switches having springs having the same elastic force. For example, the pressure sensor 111 may include three first switches having a first elastic force. At this time, the processor 190 detects a weak grip force when one of the first switches contacts, detects a medium grip force when two of the first switches contacts, and uses a strong grip force when three of the first switches touch. can detect

That is, the pressure sensor 111 may sense the strength of the grip force that the user grips the smart toothbrush 100 in the same manner as in the first to third embodiments.

In the smart toothbrush 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a method of correcting the vibration type according to the grip force sensed through the pressure sensor 111 may be various.

For example, the processor 190 corrects the vibration strength of the bristles 103 to the first vibration strength when detecting the pharmaceutical grip force, and sets the vibration strength to the second vibration strength stronger than the first vibration strength when detecting an intermediate grip force , and when a strong grip force is detected, the vibration intensity may be corrected to a third vibration intensity greater than the second vibration intensity. Accordingly, the user may hold the smart toothbrush 100 more strongly as the brushing intensity is desired, and the user may hold the smart toothbrush 100 slightly weakly as the brushing intensity is weaker.

This is only an example, and the smart toothbrush 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may control the operation of the smart toothbrush 100 in various ways according to the grip force sensed through the pressure sensor 111 .

That is, the smart toothbrush 100 has an advantage that the user can more easily change the vibration type during brushing by utilizing the grip force that the user grips the smart toothbrush.

And, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the smart toothbrush 100 may change the vibration type according to the brushing motion acquired by the smart toothbrush 100 when performing the brushing mode.

The smart toothbrush 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure detects the acceleration, angular velocity, and frequency of the smart toothbrush 100 through the sensing unit 110 , and based on this, recognizes a brushing motion, and recognizes the recognized brushing motion. Vibration type can be corrected according to

Next, a method of recognizing a brushing motion by the smart toothbrush 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure and a method of providing a vibration type according to the brushing motion will be described with reference to FIGS. 16 to 19 .

16 is an exemplary view illustrating a tooth region in which a brushing motion may appear differently according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

The tooth region may be divided into a plurality. For example, the tooth area may be divided into 5 areas according to recommended brushing motions. This is only an example, and the tooth area may be further subdivided according to the recommended movement.

Recommended brushing motions include moving the smart toothbrush 100 up and down, moving the smart toothbrush 100 left and right, sweeping the smart toothbrush 100 from inside to outside, and moving the smart toothbrush 100 to the outside. It can vary depending on each part of the oral cavity, such as the movement of sweeping from the side to the inside.

The tooth area may be divided into a first tooth area 1510 , a second tooth area 1530 , a third tooth area 1550 , and a fourth tooth area 1570 as shown in FIG. 16 , and the first tooth area 1510 . ) is the front tooth area, the second tooth area 1530 is the inner tooth area, the third tooth area 1550 is the outer tooth area, and the fourth tooth area 1570 may be the chewing area, but this is an example Since it is only an enemy, it is not limited thereto,

17 is an exemplary view illustrating a brushing motion of the smart toothbrush according to an embodiment of the present disclosure when the tooth area is the front tooth area.

As shown in FIG. 17A , when the movement of the smart toothbrush 100 detected through the sensing unit 110 is performed only in the y-axis, the processor 190 of the smart toothbrush 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure performs the tooth brushing motion. It can be recognized that it is a motion of wiping up and down. That is, when only the y value of the acceleration sensor 114 changes, the processor 190 may recognize that the brushing motion of the smart toothbrush 100 is a motion of wiping teeth from top to bottom or from bottom to top.

In this case, the processor 190 may change the vibration type so that the amplitude is largely controlled. That is, the processor 190 may determine a vibration type such that the amplitude of the bristles 103 is largely controlled from among the vibration types, and control the driving unit 150 to perform the determined vibration type.

Therefore, when the user wipes the front surface 1510 of the teeth up and down as shown in FIG. 17B , the processor 190 may control the bristles 103 according to the vibration type set to a large amplitude.

18 is an exemplary view illustrating a brushing motion of a smart toothbrush according to an embodiment of the present disclosure when a tooth area is an inner tooth area or an outer tooth area.

As shown in FIG. 18A , in the processor 190 of the smart toothbrush 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the movement of the smart toothbrush 100 detected through the sensing unit 110 is made only in the y-axis and the z-axis, and the x-axis rotation is performed. When this is detected, that is, when only a part of the roll value (x-axis rotation) is changed and there is a change in the y-axis and z-axis acceleration values, the brushing motion is a tooth sweeping motion or a tooth sweeping motion. motion can be recognized.

At this time, the processor 190 may change the vibration type to a vibration type in which the vibration pattern is controlled so that strength and weakness are repeated. That is, the processor 190 may determine a vibration type in which the vibration pattern of the bristles 103 is controlled so that strength and weakness are repeated among vibration types, and may control the driving unit 150 to perform the determined vibration type.

Accordingly, when the user sweeps up the inner tooth area 1530 as shown in FIG. 18B or sweeps up the outer tooth area 1550 as shown in FIG. 18C , the processor 190 is configured as a vibration pattern in which strength and weakness are repeated according to the vibration type The bristles 103 can be controlled.

19 is an exemplary view illustrating a brushing motion of the smart toothbrush according to an embodiment of the present disclosure when the tooth area is a chewing area.

As shown in FIG. 19A , the processor 190 of the smart toothbrush 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure performs the movement of the smart toothbrush 100 detected through the sensing unit 110 only on the x-axis, that is, the processor 190 ), when there is a change only in the x-axis acceleration value, it can be recognized that the brushing motion is a motion of wiping the bristles 103 left and right. At this time, wiping left and right, with the smart toothbrush 100 as an axis, may mean that the movement of the smart toothbrush 100 moves parallel to the axis.

For example, as shown in FIG. 19B , when the user wipes the chewing area 1570 , the movement of the smart toothbrush 100 may be performed only in the x-axis. In this case, the processor 190 may recognize that only the x-coordinate value of the smart toothbrush 100 changes through the sensing unit 110 , and recognize that the brushing motion is a motion of wiping the chewing area 1570 .

In this case, the processor 190 may determine a vibration type in which the fundamental frequency or the vibration intensity is largely controlled in order to increase the vibration intensity. That is, the processor 190 may determine a vibration type in which the basic frequency of the bristles 103 is large or the vibration intensity is strongly controlled from among the vibration types, and may control the driving unit 150 to perform the determined vibration type.

Through this embodiment, the smart toothbrush 100 can recognize the tooth area currently brushing by using the user's brushing motion when the intraoral area is recognized as the tooth area, and accordingly, it is possible to provide an appropriate vibration type to the tooth area. there is an advantage

Again, FIG. 11 will be described.

The processor 190 may provide a brushing guide while performing the brushing mode ( S741 ). At this time, the processor 190 controls the communication unit 130 to transmit the sensed data to the external device 200, so that the external device 200 acquires the sensing data and the duration of the brushing motion, and receives the sensing data and the duration. It can be controlled to provide a brushing guide based on the.

Next, a method for providing a brushing guide by the smart toothbrush 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIG. 20 .

20 is an exemplary diagram illustrating a method of providing a toothbrushing guide by a smart toothbrush and an external device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

The processor 190 may control the communication unit 130 to transmit a brushing start signal to the external device 200 when brushing is started. In addition, the processor 190 may control the communication unit 130 to transmit sensing data related to the brushing operation to the external device 200 . The sensing data related to the brushing action may refer to all sensing values acquired by the sensing unit 110 of the smart toothbrush 100 . The sensed data related to the brushing action may include acquired user information, an intraoral area where the bristles 103 are currently located, a brushing motion, a brushing duration, and the like.

The external device 200 may provide a brushing guide based on the received brushing start signal and sensing data related to the brushing operation. That is, the external device 200 may provide a brushing guide so that the user can brush teeth with an appropriate brushing motion and duration in each oral region by utilizing the sensing data related to the brushing action.

The external device 200 may provide a brushing guide through the display 210 and the sound output unit 270 .

As shown in FIG. 20A , the display 210 may display a tooth area currently being brushed to be distinguished from a tooth area not currently being brushed, and the sound output unit 270 may provide a brushing motion guide by voice. .

In addition, when a certain period of time has elapsed from the start of brushing or the user completes the guided operation, the external device 200 distinguishes the area of teeth that has not yet been brushed from the area that has not been brushed through the display 210 as shown in FIG. 20B . It is displayed to be possible, and the sound output unit 270 may provide the brushing guide by voice.

The processor 190 detects the acceleration, angular velocity, and frequency of the smart toothbrush 100 through the sensing unit 110 while performing the brushing mode, and acquires a brushing motion based on this, and selects a brushing motion recommended by the user. A brushing guide may be provided to brush teeth.

Also, the processor 190 may further acquire a duration of the brushing motion, and provide a brushing guide according to the acquired duration of the brushing motion. In addition, the processor 190 may provide a brushing guide so that the user brushes with a recommended brushing motion and duration. For example, when the recommended brushing time according to the brushing motion is previously stored in the memory 250 of the external device 200, the processor 190 determines that the duration according to the brushing motion is longer than the recommended brushing time. When it is short or long, the external device 200 may control the communication unit 130 to provide a brushing guide. That is, when the recommended brushing time is the first time in the first brushing motion, when the recommended brushing time is the second time in the second brushing motion, if the user brushes with the first brushing motion for less than the first time or longer than the first time The processor 190 may control the communication unit 130 to provide a brushing guide informing that the duration of the first brushing motion is short or long through the external device 200 .

In addition, the processor 190 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure acquires the duration only when the guided brushing motion is operated in each tooth area according to the brushing motion detected through the sensing unit 110, and the acquired duration We can provide a brushing guide according to For example, if the brushing motion guided in the front tooth area 1510 is a movement of moving the smart toothbrush 100 up and down, the processor 190 obtains the duration only when the brushing motion corresponding to this is performed. can That is, when the user does not brush teeth in the guided brushing motion, the processor 190 may acquire the duration only when the user brushes teeth in the guided brushing motion without including it in the duration. Through this, the smart toothbrush 100 can minimize the case of erroneously determining that the brushing of the corresponding area has ended by considering only the brushing time even though the user has not properly brushed the specific area.

In addition, at this time, the processor 190 may provide a brushing guide for evaluating the user's brushing operation as a score by comparing the acquired duration with the total brushing time at which the brushing mode starts and ends.

Through this embodiment, the smart toothbrush 100 has an advantage in that the brushing guide effect can be enhanced because the user can easily understand the degree to which the user's brushing motion coincides with the guided brushing motion.

In addition, the processor 190 provides a brushing guide guiding to adjust the brushing speed when the brushing speed is out of a preset reference speed range according to the brushing speed of the smart toothbrush 100 detected through the sensing unit 110. can For example, the processor 190 may provide a brushing guide when the brushing speed of the smart toothbrush 100 detected through the acceleration sensor 114 is faster or slower than the reference speed. That is, when the reference speed is the first speed (eg, 3 round trips in 10 seconds), the user moves to a second speed faster than the first speed (eg, 4 round trips in 10 seconds) or the first speed When brushing teeth at a slower third speed (eg, two round trips for 10 seconds), the processor 190 may control the communication unit 130 so that the external device 200 provides a brushing guide.

In addition, the processor 190 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure additionally acquires the tooth area currently being brushed by using the roll value, the pitch value, and the yaw value sensed through the sensing unit 110 , and the acquired current tooth area A brushing guide may be provided to perform the recommended brushing motion.

According to this embodiment, the smart toothbrush 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure has an advantage in that it can provide a brushing guide that can improve a user's brushing habit by using the usage time and brushing motion.

Again, returning to FIG. 11 , when the processor 190 receives the brushing mode end signal, it ends the brushing mode ( S743 ). For example, the processor 190 may recognize as a brushing mode end signal and end the brushing mode when receiving a signal for elapsed one-time brushing time set or receiving a user's power OFF command signal.

Returning again to FIG. 9 , when the brushing mode ends, the processor 190 may receive user feedback ( S750 ).

If user feedback is not received, the smart toothbrush 100 may provide a vibration type set according to an intraoral area.

When the user feedback is received, the processor 190 corrects the vibration type according to the user feedback (S770).

Vibration type correction may mean correcting any one of a basic frequency, a vibration pattern, an amplitude, and a vibration intensity among vibration types each determined according to an intraoral area in the brushing mode. For example, when the processor 190 receives user feedback for controlling the amplitude of the vibration type in the tongue region to be larger, the processor 190 determines the amplitude of the vibration type provided when the intraoral region is detected as the tongue region. It can be corrected larger.

Also, there may be various methods for the processor 190 to receive user feedback.

For example, the processor 190 may receive user feedback from the smart toothbrush 100 itself, and may receive the user feedback through the external device 200 .

That is, as described above, the processor 190 can detect the user's grip force only during the brushing mode operation to correct the vibration type, and also detect the user's grip force and receive user feedback even after the brushing mode ends. have.

Also, the processor 190 may receive user feedback through the external device 200 . For example, when receiving the vibration intensity correction command, the external device 200 corrects the vibration intensity of the vibration type stored in the memory 250 and transmits information on the corrected vibration type to the smart toothbrush 100 . The communication unit 230 may be controlled. That is, the processor 190 may receive and provide the corrected vibration type through the external device 200 .

Through this embodiment, the smart toothbrush 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may provide a user-customized vibration type by correcting the vibration type through user feedback.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the above-described method may be implemented as processor-readable code on a medium in which a program is recorded. Examples of the processor-readable medium include ROM, RAM, CD-ROM, magnetic tape, floppy disk, optical data storage, and the like.

The smart toothbrush and external device described as described above are not limited to the configuration and method of the above-described embodiments, but all or some of the embodiments are selectively combined so that various modifications can be made. may be configured.

The above description is merely illustrative of the technical spirit of the present disclosure, and various modifications and variations will be possible without departing from the essential characteristics of the present disclosure by those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present disclosure belongs.

Accordingly, the embodiments disclosed in the present disclosure are for explanation rather than limiting the technical spirit of the present disclosure, and the scope of the technical spirit of the present disclosure is not limited by these embodiments.

The protection scope of the present disclosure should be construed by the following claims, and all technical ideas within the scope equivalent thereto should be construed as being included in the scope of the present disclosure.

Claims (19)

In the smart toothbrush,
a driving unit for vibrating the bristles provided in the smart toothbrush;
a sensing unit for sensing a frequency for the vibration; and
On the basis of the change in the frequency, comprising a processor for detecting the internal position of the oral cavity in which the bristles are currently located
smart toothbrush. According to claim 1,
The oral region includes at least one of a tongue region, a gum region, and a tooth region.
smart toothbrush. According to claim 1,
the processor
Detecting the area in the oral cavity according to the attenuation amount of the frequency sensed through the sensing unit
smart toothbrush. According to claim 1,
the processor
Determining the vibration type according to the area in the oral cavity where the bristles are currently located,
Controlling at least one or more of the frequency, vibration pattern, amplitude, and vibration intensity of the bristles differently according to the vibration type
smart toothbrush. According to claim 1,
The processor acquires user information, and detects the intraoral region according to the acquired user information
smart toothbrush. 6. The method of claim 5,
the processor
Acquiring the user information through the reference collection mode
smart toothbrush. 7. The method of claim 6,
the processor
When the reference collection mode is started, the user information is obtained by controlling the driving unit to vibrate the bristles at a preset frequency and then detecting the peak frequency in each part of the oral cavity.
smart toothbrush. 8. The method of claim 7,
the processor
When the user information is not obtained, the intraoral area is detected using a preset detection frequency.
smart toothbrush. 8. The method of claim 7,
The processor obtains the user information by performing an operation of detecting a peak frequency in each part of the oral cavity a reference number of times while the bristles vibrate at the preset frequency
smart toothbrush. 5. The method of claim 4,
The processor obtains user information, and corrects the detection frequency for detecting the intraoral region according to the acquired user information
smart toothbrush. According to claim 1,
The sensing unit further senses the acceleration and angular velocity of the smart toothbrush,
The processor recognizes brushing motion based on the acceleration, angular velocity and frequency of the smart toothbrush
smart toothbrush. 12. The method of claim 11,
The processor obtains the brushing speed of the smart toothbrush, and provides a brushing guide according to the obtained brushing speed
smart toothbrush. 12. The method of claim 11,
The processor determines a vibration type according to the brushing motion,
Controlling at least one or more of the frequency, vibration pattern, amplitude, and vibration intensity of the bristles differently according to the vibration type
smart toothbrush. 12. The method of claim 11,
The processor obtains the duration of the brushing motion, and provides a brushing guide according to the acquired duration of the brushing motion.
smart toothbrush. 15. The method of claim 14,
The processor acquires a duration only when the smart toothbrush operates in a guided brushing motion in each tooth area, and provides a brushing guide according to the acquired duration.
smart toothbrush. According to claim 1,
The sensing unit further comprises a pressure sensor for detecting the grip force,
The processor determines a vibration type according to the grip force, and differently controls at least one of a frequency, a vibration pattern, an amplitude, and a vibration intensity of the bristles according to the vibration type
smart toothbrush. 17. The method of claim 16,
The sensing unit includes a piezo sensor for detecting the grip force
smart toothbrush. 17. The method of claim 16,
The sensing unit includes a plurality of switches for sensing the grip force
smart toothbrush. 6. The method of claim 5,
The processor receives user feedback information, and corrects the vibration type based on the user information and the user feedback information
smart toothbrush.

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