US 12,251,280 B2
System for determining a brushing angle of an oral care device
Taylor Bevis, Bothell, WA (US)
Assigned to KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS N.V., Eindhoven (NL)
Appl. No. 17/619,840
Filed by KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS N.V., Eindhoven (NL)
PCT Filed Jun. 19, 2020, PCT No. PCT/EP2020/067074
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Dec. 16, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/254561, PCT Pub. Date Dec. 24, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/864,587, filed on Jun. 21, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0304785 A1, Sep. 29, 2022
Int. Cl. A61C 17/22 (2006.01); A46B 15/00 (2006.01); A61C 17/34 (2006.01)
CPC A61C 17/221 (2013.01) [A46B 15/0006 (2013.01); A46B 15/0012 (2013.01); A61C 17/3481 (2013.01); A46B 2200/1066 (2013.01)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for determining a brushing angle of an oral care device, the method comprising the steps of:
generating, by a controller of the oral care device, a drive signal to move a drive train and produce a motion of a bristle field of the oral care device;
measuring, via a sensor, force applied by a user to the bristle field of the oral care device; and
determining, by the controller of the oral care device, a brushing angle of the bristle field relative to a surface of the user's oral cavity based at least in part on the generated drive signal and the measured force to the bristle field at least by applying characteristics of the measured force and characteristics of the generated drive signal via a transfer function;
wherein the characteristics of the measured force include an amplitude, frequency. and/or phase of the measured force, and the characteristics of the generated drive signal include an amplitude, frequency, and/or phase of the generated drive signal.