Tooth brushing pattern analyzing/modifying device, method and system for interactively modifying tooth brushing behavior

Abstract

Disclosed are a toothbrushing pattern analyzing/correcting device, a toothbrushing pattern analyzing/correcting method, a method and a system for interactively correcting toothbrushing behavior. The toothbrushing pattern analyzing/correcting device of the present invention includes: a body part formed in the same direction as a toothbrush surface; a sensing unit having a sensor with at least one or more axes for sensing a user's toothbrushing motion and a sensor with one or more axes for sensing two or more toothbrushing positions; and a controller for operating signals input from the sensing unit to classify a user's toothbrushing motion into at least two or more patterns and at least two or more toothbrushing parts. Further, the toothbrushing pattern analyzing/correcting method includes the steps of: detecting the start of a user's toothbrushing; displaying a guiding screen in response to the start of a user's toothbrushing; detecting a user's toothbrushing pattern; analyzing the user's detected toothbrushing pattern; and providing a toothbrushing correction screen with the intention of increasing compliance in accordance with the analyzed result. Accordingly, toothbrushing behavior correction compliance can be further enhanced with a method of interactively correcting a user's toothbrushing behavior through multimedia image substances in real time, and more systematic management and health consultation are possible by building a database of information of the user's toothbrushing behavior.

1 . A tooth_brushing pattern analyzing device, comprising:
 a tooth brush head;   a body part combined with the tooth brush head;   a sensing unit having a motion sensor with at least one or more axes to sense a user's tooth brushing motion and a position sensor with one or more axes to sense two or more tooth brushing positions; and   a controller to analyze signals input from the sensing unit to divide a user's tooth brushing motion into at least two or more patterns and at least two or more tooth brushing positions.   
   
   
       2 . The device as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising a transmission module to transmit the analyzed pattern data to receiver. 
   
   
       3 . The device as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the sensing unit comprising a three-axis accelerometer and a three-axis geometric sensor. 
   
   
       4 . (canceled) 
   
   
       5 . The device as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the motion sensor is two-axes accelerometer to output a tilt signal, the position sensor is two-axes accelerometer to output a tilt signal. 
   
   
       6 . The device as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising a timer to calculate a user's tooth brushing time. 
   
   
       7 . The device as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising a controller to store at least one of a user's past tooth brushing patterns, a tooth brushing behavior estimation score and a tooth brushing guide message. 
   
   
       8 . A tooth brushing pattern analyzing method, comprising:
 detecting a user's tooth brushing motion;   determining whether the user's tooth brushing motion is a correct tooth brushing motion;   comparing a user's motion amount with a target motion amount; and   informing the user of the arrival of the target amount when the effective motion amount reaches the target amount.   
   
   
       9 . The method as claimed in  claim 8 , further comprising giving the user a warning in a case where the user's tooth brushing motion is determined to be an incorrect tooth brushing pattern. 
   
   
       10 . A tooth brushing pattern analyzing and behavior correcting method, comprising:
 setting tooth brushing parts of teeth;   setting a correct tooth brushing pattern for each of the set tooth brushing parts and storing it;   sensing a user's tooth brushing pattern for each of the parts;   comparing the stored correct tooth brushing pattern with the user's tooth brushing pattern to determine the quality of the tooth brushing pattern; and   estimating tooth brushing behavior with at brushing part, a tooth brushing pattern and tooth brushing time as reference.   
   
   
       11 . The method as claimed in  claim 10 , further comprising giving the user a warning in a case where it is determined that the user's tooth brushing motion is not a correct tooth brushing motion. 
   
   
       12 . The method as claimed in  claim 10 , further comprising: counting a user's tooth brushing motion as an effective stroke if it is determined to be good; and checking whether the number of effective strokes reaches the predetermined number of target strokes. 
   
   
       13 . The method as claimed in  claim 12 , further comprising checking tooth brushing time in a case where the number of effective strokes reaches the predetermined number of target strokes. 
   
   
       14 . A tooth brushing pattern analyzing method, comprising:
 sensing a user's tooth brushing;   guiding the user to a first tooth brushing operation;   determining whether the first tooth brushing operation is completed; and   guiding the user to the next tooth brushing operation if the first tooth brushing operation is completed.   
   
   
       15 . A method for interactively correcting tooth brushing behavior, comprising:
 detecting the start of a user's tooth brushing   displaying a guiding screen in response to the user's tooth brushing;   detecting a user's tooth brushing pattern;   analyzing the user's detected tooth brushing pattern; and   providing a tooth brushing correction screen in accordance with the analyzed result.   
   
   
       16 . The method as claimed in  claim 15 , wherein the guiding screen is an image for guiding the user to a correct tooth brushing method. 
   
   
       17 . The method as claimed in  claim 15 , wherein the guiding screen is periodically renewed. 
   
   
       18 . The method as claimed in  claim 15 , wherein the detected tooth brushing pattern is any one or more of information on a direction of user's tooth brushing, tooth brushing stroke/elapsing time, toothbrush velocity, oral cavity condition, and combinations thereof. 
   
   
       19 . The method as claimed in  claim 15 , wherein the analyzed result of the tooth brushing pattern includes any one or more of estimations for user's good/bad tooth brushing pattern, tooth brushing score, compliance, progressive trend and oral cavity health condition. 
   
   
       20 . The method as claimed in  claim 15 , wherein the tooth brushing correction screen includes a warning about a user's tooth brushing method, correct tooth brushing method, and advice for medical treatment plan/schedule and oral cavity health prevention/management off-line. 
   
   
       21 . A system for interactively correcting tooth brushing behavior, comprising:
 a tooth brushing pattern analyzing/correcting device for detecting a user's tooth brushing pattern; and   a smart bath for providing a user with a guiding screen in communication with the tooth brushing pattern analyzing/correcting device, analyzing the user's received tooth brushing pattern, and providing a tooth brushing correction screen in accordance with the analyzed result.   
   
   
       22 . The system as claimed in  claim 21 , wherein the tooth brushing pattern analyzing/correcting device and the smart bath are communicated each other by wire or wireless to transmit detected tooth brushing pattern data. 
   
   
       23 . The system as claimed in  claim 21 , wherein the smart bath includes a smart mirror combined with a mirror to be used as a mirror for general use and also display the guiding screen and/or the tooth brushing correction screen in a display mode. 
   
   
       24 . The system as claimed in  claim 21 , wherein the smart bath further includes a toothbrush disinfector for keeping the tooth brushing pattern analyzing/correcting device therein, and detecting in-use and storing modes of the brushing pattern analyzing/correcting device to detect the presence of use of a user's tooth brushing pattern analyzing/correcting device for each identification code. 
   
   
       25 . The system as claimed in  claim 21 , wherein the smart bath further includes an oral cavity camera for photographing a user's oral cavity, and the oral cavity camera is kept in the toothbrush disinfector in a form identical with the tooth brushing pattern analyzing/correcting device. 
   
   
       26 - 28 . (canceled) 
   
   
       29 . A smart bath including a smart mirror to be used as a mirror for general use and also display the guiding screen and the tooth brushing correction screen in a display mode, wherein the smart bath provides a user with a guiding screen in communication with the tooth brushing pattern analyzing/correcting device, analyzes the user's received tooth brushing pattern, and provides a tooth brushing correction screen with the intention of increasing compliance in accordance with the analyzed result. 
   
   
       30 . (canceled)