Connected dental device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9757065-B1
Application number	US-201615091771-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Apr 6, 2016
Priority date	Apr 6, 2016
Publication date	Sep 12, 2017
Grant date	Sep 12, 2017

Abstract

A system for providing a connected dental device is disclosed. In particular, the system may include integrating a network chip or transceiver into a dental device, such as a toothbrush, so as to enable the dental device to communicate with a user device and one or more accessory devices. Once the user device and one or more accessory devices are paired with the user device, the system may track information associated with the dental device and the user using the dental device. Based on the tracked information, the system may determine an action to be performed by the user using the dental device. Using the dental device, the system may transmit a notification to the user device to alert the user of the action that needs to be performed. The system may also transmit notifications providing status information for the dental device and the one or more accessory devices.

First claim

We claim:

1. A system, comprising:
a memory that stores instructions; and
a processor that executes the instructions to perform operations, the operations comprising:
communicatively pairing a dental device with a user device, wherein the pairing is facilitated via a wireless transceiver of the dental device;
communicatively pairing a first component of the dental device with the dental device by activating a communications tag of the first component of the dental device, wherein the communications tag is activated upon receiving a signal from the wireless transceiver of the dental device;
identifying, by utilizing the dental device, a first user associated with the dental device, wherein the first user is identified based on analyzing a first identifier of the first component of the dental device;
tracking, after identifying the first user and based on use of the dental device, information associated with the first user and the dental device;
generating, based on the information associated with the first user and the dental device, a first notification indicating an action to be performed with the dental device; and
transmitting the first notification to the user device.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the dental device comprises a toothbrush and the first component of the dental device comprises a toothbrush head, and wherein the operations further comprise identifying the first user from a communications tag of the toothbrush head that includes the first identifier.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the operations further comprise determining, based on the information associated with the first user and the dental device, that the action to be performed comprises replacing the toothbrush head of the dental device.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise obtaining, while the first user is using the dental device, sensor information from a sensor of the dental device.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the operations further comprise generating the first notification based on the sensor information obtained from the sensor of the dental device.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise obtaining media content from a camera of the dental device, wherein the media content is obtained while the first user is using the dental device.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the operations further comprise generating the first notification based on the media content obtained from the camera.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise determining a usage pattern associated with the use of the dental device by the first user, and wherein the operations further comprise determining that the action to be performed comprises adjusting a technique for using the dental device so as to adjust the usage pattern.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise generating a second notification providing a reminder for a dental appointment, and wherein the operations further comprise transmitting the second notification to the user device.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise displaying the first notification on a display of the dental device.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise transmitting, to a communication tag of a toothpaste dispenser, a signal to cause the toothpaste dispenser to dispense toothpaste.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise communicatively linking the dental device to a communications network including the user device by utilizing an internet protocol address of the dental device.

13. The system of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise determining that a power level of the dental device has fallen below a threshold value, and wherein the operations further comprise determining that the action to be performed comprises recharging the dental device so that the power level is increased over the threshold value.

14. A method, comprising:
communicatively pairing a dental device with a user device, wherein the pairing is facilitated via a wireless transceiver of the dental device;
communicatively pairing a first component of the dental device with the dental device by activating a communications tag of the first component of the dental device, wherein the communications tag is activated upon receiving a signal from the wireless transceiver of the dental device;
identifying, by utilizing the dental device, a first user associated with the dental device, wherein the first user is identified based on analyzing a first identifier of the first component of the dental device;
tracking, after identifying the first user and based on use of the dental device, information associated with the first user and the dental device;
determining, based on the information associated with the first user and the dental device, an action to be performed with the dental device;
generating a first notification indicating the action to be performed with the dental device, wherein the first notification is generated by utilizing instructions from a memory that are executed by a processor; and
transmitting the first notification to the user device.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising setting, based on the information associated with the first user and the dental device, a dental appointment for the first user, and further comprising transmitting, to the user device, dental appointment information corresponding to the dental appointment for display.

16. The method of claim 14 , further comprising identifying a second user associated with the dental device upon detecting that the first component has been replaced with a second component including a second identifier associated with the second user.

17. The method of claim 14 , further comprising tracking the information associated with the first user and the dental device over a period of time, and further comprising generating a report including the information associated with the first user and the dental device tracked over the period of time.

18. The method of claim 14 , further comprising obtaining media content from a camera of the dental device while the first user is using the dental device, and further comprising determining that the first user has a dental disease based on analyzing the media content.

19. The method of claim 14 , further comprising obtaining, while the first user is using the dental device, sensor information from a sensor of the dental device, and further comprising determining, based on the sensor information, if the first user utilized the dental device according to a prescribed regimen.

20. A computer-readable device comprising instructions, which when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:
communicatively pairing a dental device with a user device, wherein the pairing is facilitated via a wireless transceiver of the dental device;
communicatively pairing a first component of the dental device with the dental device by activating a communications tag of the first component of the dental device, wherein the communications tag is activated upon receiving a signal from the wireless transceiver of the dental device;
identifying, by utilizing the dental device, a first user associated with the dental device, wherein the first user is identified based on analyzing a first identifier of the first component of the dental device;
monitoring, after identifying the first user and while the first user is using the dental de

Assignees

• At & T Ip I Lp

Inventors

• Suri Krishnapraveen
• Hizon Perla

Classifications

• A61B5/486

  Biofeedback (using electroencephalography [EEG] A61B5/375) · CPC title

• A61C17/222

  Brush body details, e.g. the shape thereof or connection to handle · CPC title

• A61B5/6887

  mounted on external non-worn devices, e.g. non-medical devices · CPC title

• A61B5/0008

  Temperature signals · CPC title

• A61B1/00016

  using wireless means · CPC title