Method and apparatus for sensing and/or tracking a state of an electronic toothbrush or an operation of the electric toothbrush

Abstract

A method and apparatus for sensing and/or tracking the state of an electronic toothbrush or an operation of the electric toothbrush, the apparatus including a sensor configured to sense a vibration sound generated from the electric toothbrush; and a controller configured to compare a vibration frequency from the sensed vibration sound and a reference frequency and determine the load state and/or the operation of the electric toothbrush.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An apparatus for sensing and/or tracking the state of an electronic toothbrush or an operation of the electric toothbrush, the apparatus comprising:
 a sensor configured to sense a vibration sound generated from the electric toothbrush; and   a controller configured to compare a vibration frequency from the sensed vibration sound and a reference frequency and determine the load state and/or the operation of the electric toothbrush.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the sensor is a three-axis motion sensor configured to sense the state and/or the operation of the electric toothbrush thereby sensing operation of the electric toothbrush or tracking a movement of the electric toothbrush. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the three-axis motion sensor is accommodated in a body of the electric toothbrush. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the three-axis motion sensor is attachable to the body of the electric toothbrush. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , the apparatus further comprising a feedback unit to inform a user the determined load state. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the load state of the electric toothbrush is any one of an appropriate-load state and an over-load state of the electric toothbrush. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the load state of the toothbrush further comprises a no-load state of the electric tooth brush. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the sensor configures to sense an amplitude signal generated from the electric toothbrush, and   the controller further compares a vibration amplitude and a reference amplitude for determining the load state of an electric tooth brush.   
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the sensor is a microphone. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the microphone is a microphone of a smartphone. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the controller determines a load state of the electric toothbrush based upon the vibration frequency change from the sensed signal. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , the apparatus further comprising a feedback part to inform a user the determined load state. 
     
     
         13 . An apparatus for determining usage state of an electric tooth brush, the apparatus comprising:
 a micro-phone for detecting a vibration sound of the electric toothbrush;   a controller for comparing a vibration frequency from the detected sound and a reference frequency and determining a load state of the electric toothbrush; and   a feedback unit for feedback a state information of the electric toothbrush based upon the determining result,   wherein the load state of comprises an appropriate-load state and an over-load state of the electric toothbrush.   
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the apparatus further comprising:
 determining a load state of the electric toothbrush is a no-load state of the electric toothbrush.   
     
     
         15 . A method of determining a usage state of an electric toothbrush, the method comprising:
 detecting a sound of the electric toothbrush using a micro-phone;   comparing a vibration frequency from the detected sound and a reference frequency and determining a load state of the electric toothbrush; and   determining usage state of the electric toothbrush based upon the compared result,   wherein the usage state of the tooth brush is any one of an appropriate-load state and an over-load state of the electric toothbrush.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the method further comprising:
 determining a no-load state of the electric toothbrush.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , the method further comprising:
 determining an effective toothbrushing time based upon the usage state of the electric toothbrush.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15 , the effective toothbrushing time is used for information of premium service of the insurance companies. 
     
     
         19 . A computer program product for an apparatus configured to sensing and/or tracking the state of an electronic toothbrush or an operation of the electric toothbrush, comprising: a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising code executable by one or more processors for: detecting a sound of the electric tooth brush using a micro-phone; comparing a vibration frequency from the detected sound and a reference frequency and determining a load state of the electric tooth brush; and determining usage state of the electric tooth brush based upon the compared result, wherein the usage state of the tooth brush is any one of an appropriate-load state and an over-load state of the electric toothbrush. 
     
     
         20 . The computer program product of  claim 19 , wherein the usage state of the electric toothbrush is a no-load state of the electronic toothbrush.