Patent ID: 8758022
Filing Date: 2014-06-24
Classification: A46B,G09B

Abstract:
1. An instructional hygiene method for a user performing tooth-brushing of teeth in the user's own mouth, the method comprising: activating a switch of an instructional toothbrush, the toothbrush comprising: a memory device configured to store therein instructions for instructing the user to move the toothbrush in a particular manner with respect to the user's own mouth and further configured to store therein one or more threshold values corresponding to a quality of tooth-brushing activity; a speaker for outputting the instructions; a controller configured to retrieve instructions stored in the memory device for reproduction over the speaker; one or more sensors configured to measure the quality of tooth-brushing activity by the user within the user's own mouth including measuring a tooth brushing frequency and a movement of a body portion of the toothbrush; and a wireless communication device operatively coupled to the memory device; receiving, using the wireless communication device, additional instructions from a remote computing device and storing said additional instructions in the memory device; measuring the quality of tooth-brushing activity by the user within the user's own mouth, wherein said quality is based, at least in part, on a tooth-brushing frequency, a movement of the instructional toothbrush relative to the user's own mouth, a location of at least a portion of the instructional toothbrush with respect to the user's own mouth, or combinations thereof; transmitting, using the wireless communication device, the quality of tooth-brushing activity to the remote computing device; outputting through the speaker first audible instructions including one or more instructions retrieved from the memory device; storing one or more variables in the memory device, wherein each variable is associated with at least one of the one or more threshold values corresponding to the quality of tooth-brushing activity; determining, based on whether the one or more variables stored in the memory device meets the one or more associated threshold values, whether an instruction is needed to correct one or more incorrect brushing behaviors of the user; wherein, if it is determined that at least one of the variables stored in the memory device does not meet at least one of the threshold values, selecting second audible instructions from the memory device based at least partly on the measurements obtained by the one or more sensors, the variable stored in the memory and the one or more associated threshold values, the second audible instructions comprising correction instructions for correcting the user's tooth-brushing activity within the user's own mouth, wherein the second audible instructions are selected to correct one or more incorrect brushing behaviors of the user including moving the toothbrush too quickly, moving the toothbrush too slowly, applying too much pressure, applying too little pressure, moving the toothbrush in an incorrect pattern, or combinations thereof; and outputting the second audible instructions to the user through the speaker.