US20180092449A1

US20180092449A1 - Systems, devices, and methods for generating auditory alerts/indications using resonant sonic motor

Info

Publication number: US20180092449A1
Application number: US15/281,815
Authority: US
Inventors: Scott Straka; Daniel Bayeh; Jeffrey Kissinger
Original assignee: LOreal SA
Current assignee: LOreal SA
Priority date: 2016-09-30
Filing date: 2016-09-30
Publication date: 2018-04-05
Also published as: KR20190055115A; JP2019532710A; CN109788844A; EP3509458A1; WO2018064016A1

Abstract

A personal skincare appliance is provided that includes a brush head; a motor configured to cause angular rotation of the brush head; and a controller configured to control a drive frequency of the motor. The controller is configured to detect an event corresponding to a status or condition of the personal skincare appliance and to set the drive frequency of the motor to a predetermined frequency which causes an auditory tone to be emitted from the personal skincare appliance.

Description

BACKGROUND

Field

The present disclosure describes a personal care appliance for generating auditory alerts and/or indications using a sonic motor operating at a resonant frequency.

SUMMARY

In an embodiment, a personal skincare appliance is provided that includes a brush head; a motor configured to cause angular rotation of the brush head; and a controller configured to control a drive frequency of the motor, wherein the controller is configured to detect an event corresponding to a status or condition of the personal skincare appliance and to set the drive frequency of the motor to a predetermined frequency which causes an auditory tone to be emitted from the personal skincare appliance.
In an embodiment, the brush head is configured to be applied to a skin of the user, and the predetermined frequency is different than a frequency set by the drive controller for applying the brushhead against the skin of the user.
In an embodiment, the personal skincare appliance includes a brush head replacement timer, and the event is an amount of time remaining on the brush head replacement timer being below a predetermined threshold.
In an embodiment, the personal skincare appliance includes a battery configured to provide power to operate the personal skincare appliance, and the event is an estimated amount of power remaining in the battery being below a predetermined threshold.
In an embodiment, the personal skincare appliance includes a topical agent reservoir and a dispenser configured to dispense the topical agent, wherein the event is a detected amount of the topical agent in the reservoir being below a predetermined threshold.
In an embodiment, the personal skincare appliance includes a timer configured to start measuring a time from when the user starts applying the brush head to the skin of the user, and the event is a predetermined amount of time the brush head has been applied to the skin of the user.
In an embodiment, the personal skincare appliance includes a visual indicator, and the controller is configured to cause the visual indicator to emit a visual output in conjunction with the auditory tone.
In an embodiment, a method is implemented by a personal skincare appliance that includes a brush head, a motor configured to cause angular rotation of the brush head, and a controller configured to control a drive frequency of the motor. The method includes detecting, by the controller, an event corresponding to a status or condition of the personal skincare appliance; and setting, by the controller, the drive frequency of the motor to a predetermined frequency which causes an auditory tone to be emitted from the personal skincare appliance.
In an embodiment, a system is provided that includes afore-mentioned personal skincare appliance and a client device configured to communicate with the personal skincare appliance, wherein the client device receives an input from a user to select the auditory tone to be emitted from the personal skincare appliance upon the detection of the event.
In an embodiment, a plurality of different types of events are configured to be detected by the controller, and the client device receives an input from the user to select different auditory tones to be associated with each of the plurality of different types of events.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The patent or application file contains at least one drawing executed in color. Copies of this patent or application publication with colors drawings will be provided by the Office upon request and payment of the necessary fee. A more complete appreciation of the embodiments and many of the attendant advantages thereof will be readily obtained as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGS. 1A-1B show perspective drawings of an appliance having a brushhead;

FIGS. 1C-1D show perspective schematic diagrams of the appliance according to an example;

FIG. 2A-2D show perspective views of a brushhead attachment mechanism including a drive hub of the appliance, the inner brushhead portion, a top view of the brushhead portion, and a cross-section of the brushhead that is positioned on the drive hub and connected to a drive shaft according to an example;

FIG. 3A shows an brush oscillation graph showing multiple curves representing the amplitude of oscillation of the brushhead during normal use of the appliance;

FIG. 3B shows a graph comparing the frequency of the brushhead oscillation during normal use to the frequency range used to emit an auditory tone.

FIG. 4A shows a drawing of a backside of the appliance according to an example;

FIG. 4B shows a drawing of the backside of the appliance including an indicator according to an example;

FIG. 4C shows a drawing of the backside of the appliance including an image display according to an example;

FIG. 4D shows a drawing of the backside of the appliance including a text display according to an example;

FIG. 4E shows a 4-segment LED indicator that may be used on a frontside of the appliance;

FIG. 5A shows a system including the appliance in communication with a central device according to an example;

FIG. 5B shows different examples of the central device including a mobile device, a wearable electronic, a television or magic mirror, a personal computer, and a network router according to an example;

FIG. 5C is a diagram of a system of a personal care appliance in communication with a client device, the internet, and an external server according to one example;

FIG. 6 is flow diagram describing a method for emitting an auditory tone upon detection of an event a according to an example;

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present disclosure describes systems, methods, and related devices to operation of a personal care appliance which is configured to generate auditory alerts and/or indications using a sonic motor operating at a resonant frequency. The personal care appliance can be used to perform a routine for skin care of a user by applying a particular brushhead, oscillating at a particular oscillation to the user's skin for a particular duration.
The disclosed embodiments include a handheld personal care appliance or appliance having a motor assembly for oscillating a brushhead at an oscillation including a frequency and amplitude. The brushhead can have one or more sets of bristles for applying to a person's face or body. An exemplary brushhead for use with a personal care appliance is an exfoliating brushhead for treating a user's epidermis as described in U.S. Pat. No. 9,107,486 incorporated herein by reference.
In one embodiment, the motor assembly can produce motion at sonic frequencies. The amplitude can be described as a displacement or an angle according to an example. An exemplary device for providing oscillating sonic movement is the Clarisonic brush (Clarisonic, Redmond, Wash.) described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,320,691, incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, which describes an optimal frequency for providing oscillating sonic movement.
In one example, the motor assembly is configured to produce an oscillation frequency of less than 200 Hz. In one example, the motor assembly is configured to produce an oscillation frequency of greater than 10 Hz. The brushhead and the set of bristles can create a second order mechanical dynamic motion. The motor assembly can have an optimal oscillation frequency unique to each manufactured appliance and in concert with an attached brush or implement. Uses of brush encoder information
The disclosed embodiments include the optional use of a central device operating a software application having a set of software modules to promote optimum performance of the appliance. The central device can be in communication with the appliance in a number of ways, including wired, wireless, and through a set of contacts. An example of the central device can be a mobile device running the software application that is configured to be in communication with the appliance.
Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals designate identical or corresponding parts throughout the several views.

FIGS. 1A-B

FIGS. 1A-1B show perspective drawings of an appliance 100 according to an example. The appliance 100 includes a body 102 having a handle portion 104 and a head attachment portion 106. The head attachment portion 106 is configured to removably attach a head, such as brushhead 120, to the appliance 100.
The body 102 houses an operating structure of the appliance 100. As shown in a block diagram form in FIG. 1C, the operating structure in one embodiment includes a motor assembly 112, a power storage source 116, such as a rechargeable battery, and a controller 150. The controller 150 includes a drive control 152 and a communication part 154. In an aspect, the controller 150 can be controlled by on/off button 132 configured and arranged to selectively connect power from the power storage source 116 to the motor assembly 112. The power storage source 116 can be charged by power delivered by a cable connected to the appliance (not shown). In an alternative embodiment the power storage source 116 can be charged by any wireless means including by pLink charging system, inductive Qi charging system and AirFuel. A wireless charging status can be shown as an indicator on the appliance or on the central device.
In an example the communication part 154 can include circuitry and hardware for communication with a central device 620. In an example the communication part 154, or optionally the drive control 152, can include circuitry and hardware for communication with an alert part, an indicator, or a display 160 (See FIGS. 1D and 5B-C). The communication part 154 can include a CPU, a I/O interface, and a network controller such as BCM43342 Wi-Fi, Frequency Modulation, and Bluetooth combo chip from Broadcom, for interfacing with a network. The hardware can be designed for reduced size. For example, the CPU may be an APL0778 from Apple Inc., or may be other processor types that would be recognized by one of ordinary skill in the art. Alternatively, the CPU may be implemented on an FPGA, ASIC, PLD or using discrete logic circuits, as one of ordinary skill in the art would recognize. Further, the CPU may be implemented as multiple processors cooperatively working in parallel to perform the instructions of the inventive processes described above.
In some embodiments, the controller 150 incudes a programmed microcontroller or processor, which is configured to control the oscillation of the brushhead by delivery of power to the motor assembly 112. In an aspect, either the drive control 152 or the communication part 154 can include the CPU, memory and store a usage of each brushhead uniquely and by the type of brushhead according to an example.
The motor assembly 112 in some embodiments includes an electric drive motor 113 that drives an attached head, such as the brushhead 120, via a drive shaft or armature 114. When the brushhead 120 is mounted to the head attachment portion 106, the motor assembly 112 is configured to impart motion to the brushhead 120. The motor assembly 112 may be configured to oscillate the brushhead 120 at sonic frequencies, typically in the range of 80-300 Hz, oscillating the brushhead 120 back and forth within a range or amplitude of 3-20 degrees.
The motor assembly 112 may be configured to oscillate the brushhead 120 at a natural resonance or resonant frequency as determined by:
$2 π \cdot F = \sqrt{\frac{K}{J}},$
where K is a system spring rate, J is a oscillating inertia, and F is the resonant frequency in Hertz. Loading the bristles causes a change in the spring rate due to bristle bending and a change in system inertia by removing free bristle tips from an oscillating mass.
In some embodiments, as will be described in more detail below, the brushhead 120 is operated in loaded or unloaded conditions at frequencies from about 40 Hz to 300 Hz with a range of about 3-17 degrees. In other embodiments, the brushhead 120 is operated in a loaded condition at frequencies from about 40 Hz to 300 Hz, a range or amplitude of 8-12 degrees, and a duty cycle of about 38-44%.
One example of a motor assembly 112 that may be employed by the appliance 100 to oscillate the brushhead 120 is shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,786,626, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. However, it should be understood that this is merely an example of the structure and operation of one such appliance and that the structure, operation frequency and oscillation amplitude of such an appliance could be varied, depending in part on its intended application and/or characteristics of the brushhead 120, such as its inertial properties, etc.
In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the frequency ranges are selected so as to drive the brushhead 120 at near resonance. Thus, selected frequency ranges are dependent, in part, on the inertial properties of the brushhead 120.
It will be appreciated that driving the attached head at near resonance provides many benefits, including the ability to drive the attached head at suitable amplitudes in loaded conditions (e.g. when contacting the skin) while consuming the least amount of energy from the power storage source. For a more detailed discussion on the design parameters of the appliance, please see U.S. Pat. No. 7,786,626, incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

FIG. 1D

FIG. 1D shows a schematic diagram of an appliance 100″ similar to that of appliance 100′, further including an alert part, an indicator, or a display 160 according to an example (See FIGS. 4A-4E). The alert part can be configured to give an alert to the user based on the controller 150. The alert can be a sound, a visual alert, or a vibration or haptic feedback. In an aspect, the indicator and/or the display can be configured to communicate to the user, such as a routine on where and how to use the appliance 100″ according to an example. In an aspect, the display can be a touch display and configured to receive input from the user.

FIG. 2A

Next, parts of the brushhead are described in different examples. Referring now to FIG. 2A, an brushhead attachment mechanism can include an inner brushhead portion 210 interfacing with the drive hub 110, which oscillates through a selected angle or amplitude during operation of the appliance 100. The brushhead 120 optionally can include an outer brushhead portion 220, which remains stationary during operation of the appliance 100. In an embodiment shown in FIGS. 2A and 2C, a row(s) of bristle tufts are circular and move in an arcuate manner with an axis of rotation perpendicular to a surface of the skin. FIGS. 2A and 2C show an embodiment in which a set of rows 212 move and an optional set of rows 222 are fixed.
The inner brushhead portion 210 has an operative relationship with the drive hub 110 such that as the drive hub 110 oscillates through a selected angle, so does the inner brushhead portion 210. The outer brushhead portion 220 includes a central, cylindrically shaped opening. The central opening is sized and configured to surround the sides of the inner brushhead portion 210. When attached to the appliance 100, a rim, which extends around the top periphery of the central opening, is flush with or positioned slightly above the outwardly facing surface of the body 102.
In some embodiments, the inner brushhead portion 210 and the outer brushhead portion 220 together include a brushhead attachment mechanism configured to provide selective attachment of the brushhead 120 to the head attachment portion 106 of the appliance 100.
In the embodiment shown, the outer brushhead portion 220 is annular, with an outside diameter of approximately 1.975 inches, with a central opening. The outer brushhead portion 220 includes a base portion 224 with a rim around the top periphery thereof which includes a plurality of spaced finger grips 226, which helps the user in installation and removal of the brushhead 120. The outer brushhead portion 220 can further include a plurality of brushhead bristles 222 which extend upwardly from the base portion 224. There may be a gap or space between the bristles of the inner and outer brushhead portions, in the range of 0.050-0.125 inches, preferably 0.084 inches.
When attached to the appliance 100 by the brushhead attachment mechanism, the following occurs: (1) the inner brushhead portion 210 is operatively connected to the motor assembly 112, for example, via a drive hub 110, in a manner that provides oscillating motion thereto; and (2) the outer brushhead portion 220 fixedly secures the brushhead 120 to the head attachment portion 106 of the appliance 100.
Accordingly, the brushhead attachment mechanism in some embodiments provides a quick and easy technique for attaching and detaching the brushhead 120 to the appliance 100. It will be appreciated that the brushhead attachment mechanism also allows for other personal care heads to be attached to the appliance, and allows for a replacement brushhead 120 to be attached to the appliance 100, when desired. One brushhead attachment mechanism that may be practiced with embodiments of the present disclosure is set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 7,386,906, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
It will be appreciated that other brushhead attachment mechanisms can be employed to provide either tooled or tool-less techniques for selectively attaching the brushhead 120 to a personal care appliance, such as appliance 100, in a manner that (1) provides oscillating motion to the inner brushhead portion 210; and (2) maintains the connection between the inner brushhead portion 210 and the motor assembly 112. For example, in some embodiments, the inner brushhead portion 210 includes a coupling interface configured to cooperatingly connect to an oscillating drive shaft or armature, such as armature 114, of an associated motor assembly 112 in a manner that transmits oscillating motion to the inner brushhead portion 210.
The above-described examples of the brushhead 120 can be used to exfoliate skin of a user's epidermis. In that regard, the brushhead 120 is first attached to the appliance 100. Next, if desired, a skin softening agent, such as skin care formula, can be placed on the tips of bristles of a first group of tufts 212.

FIG. 2B

FIG. 2B shows the inner brushhead portion 210 in more detail in according to an example. The inner brushhead portion 210 has a generally circular configuration and is arranged to fit into the central opening of the outer brushhead portion 220.
The inner brushhead portion 210 includes a plurality of inner brushhead bristles 212 which extend upwardly from a base portion 214, with the bristles 212 arranged in a circular pattern covering the entire upper surface of the base portion 214.
The inner brushhead portion 210 in the embodiment shown includes two sets of depending legs on the outer periphery thereof. The first set of three legs 242-242, spaced at 120° intervals, each leg having a pair of snap portions 244 and 246, defined by a slot 247 which extends down the middle of each snap leg 242.
The two snap portions of each snap leg are configured and arranged to slightly flex toward each other during installation of the inner brushhead portion 210 on the drive hub 110, with the outside edges of the free tips of the snap portions 244, 246 having outward bulges 249-249 which snap back (with the snap portions) after they pass over a pointed portion of the drive hub 110, helping to tightly engage the drive hub 110 and retain the inner brushhead portion 210 on the drive hub 110.
The inner brushhead portion 210 further includes a second trio of spaced drive legs 256-256. The drive legs 256 alternate with snap legs 242 around the periphery of inner brushhead portion 210 and are also separated by 120° intervals.
The drive legs 256 taper slightly from their base to their free ends, which are rounded, designed to provide a close tolerance fit between them and the drive hub 110.
The brushhead structure and assembly is described in more detail in U.S. Pat. No. 7,386,906, which is owned by the assignee of the present application and is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

FIG. 2C

FIG. 2C shows a top view of the brushhead bristle arrangement according to an example. The plurality of inner brushhead bristles 212 with an outer-most row of bristles 212 a. During oscillation, the outer-most row of bristles 212 a will have a greater linear amplitude as compared to another row of bristles 212 b, approximately according to r·θ, where r is a radius from a center of the brushhead and θ is an angle of oscillation in radians.
The brushhead bristle arrangement shown and described herein, used in the appliance/brushhead disclosed in the above applications is effective for skin cleaning applications, particularly facial skin. The present brushhead bristle arrangement can also be used in other skin care applications, however, as discussed in the above applications, including acne and black head treatment, athlete's foot treatment, callused skin and psoriasis, razor bumps and related skin applications, wound cleansing and treatment of slow or non-healing wounds, scalp cleaning, chemical peel procedures and shaving cream applications. Preferred bristle configurations and arrangements will differ somewhat depending upon the particular application.

FIG. 2D

FIG. 2D shows a cross-section of a brushhead (e.g. of FIG. 2A) that is positioned on the drive hub 110 and connected to the drive shaft 114.

FIGS. 3A-3B

FIG. 3A is a brush oscillation graph 300 a showing multiple curves 311-316 representing the amplitude of oscillation as determined by the brush encoder, as a function of a force applied on the brushhead when in use at a certain frequency according to an example.
When the brushhead is not pressed against the user's skin with a force, the brushhead will oscillate at peak amplitude at an unloaded frequency 321 for curve 311.
When the brushhead is pressed against the user's skin with a force on curve 312, the brushhead can modify (e.g. reduce or increase) the amplitude of oscillation as well as shift the frequency of resonance according to an example as shown by 330 and 320. Additional curves 313-316 are shown which correspond to different levels of force applied by the user.
FIG. 3B shows a graph which illustrates the different in frequencies used for normal brushhead use when applied to the user's skin (370) and the frequency range used when auditory tones are to be generated (375) as will be illustrated in the below examples.

Motor Tone Generation

In the present application, the device shall drive the motor at frequencies other than the default drive frequency in order to generate audible tones which can be used for various purposes. For instance, the audible tones can be used to alert the user of a condition of the appliance that requires attention, such as brush head replacement. The audible tone can be used in conjunction with a visual alert such as an LED indicator on the appliance.

FIGS. 4A-D

FIGS. 4A-4D show drawings of alternate examples of a backside of the appliance 100. According to different embodiments, the appliance 100 can have one or more indicators and displays 160. FIG. 4A shows an embodiment of the backside of the appliance 100′ having no additional features. FIG. 4B shows an example of the backside of the appliance 100″ having at least one indicator 410. Each indicator 410 can have one or more LEDs or light emitting colors and shapes which can be configured to indicate triggering of the alarm. FIG. 4C shows an example of the backside of the appliance 100″ having a display 160. In one example, the display 160 can be a digital screen such as an LCD configured to play videos and tutorials and demonstrate a specific action to be taken. In another example the display 160 can be a fixed graphic 422 with an indicator 424 illuminating a different part of the fixed graphic 422.
FIG. 4D shows an embodiment of the backside of the appliance 100″ having the indicator or display as a text indicator indicating the specific action to be brought to the user's attention. Here, the indicator can be made of one or more seven-segment displays (SSD), or seven-segment indicators for displaying decimal numerals.
FIG. 4E shows an example of an indicator that may be used on a frontside of the appliance, where a 4 segment LED is used in a bezel 450 that surrounds the main power and operating buttons of the appliance. The four segments in the LED (1-4) may be programmed to illuminate at different instances in conjuction with the auditory tone.
A specific example of configuration of the frequency and timing for the motor and the LEDs is described below.

Brush Replacement Timer

In an example, the device may track motor run-time and notify the user when it is time to replace their brush head after 180 minutes of accumulated use. This time is variable depending on the type of brush being used.

Expired Brush Head State

In the example, when the brush replacement timer is greater than 180 minutes the user will be notified that the brush head has reached the expired state. Audible notification will consist of a sequence of descending tones generated by the motor at the start of a cleansing cycle. Visual notification may consist of the LEDs or display illuminating in a defined pattern during the replace brush head tone. Details of the expired brush head tone generation and LED behavior are given in Table 1—Replace Brush Tone.

Brush Timer Reset

The user shall be able to reset the brush replacement timer to zero at any time by pressing and holding the power button for 3 seconds. The brush timer reset shall be accompanied by a sequence of ascending tones generated by the motor. Details of the Brush Timer Reset tone behavior are given in section 4.1.7. Visual notification will consist of the LEDs illuminating in a defined pattern during the brush timer reset tone generation. Details of the brush timer reset tone generation and LED behavior are given in Table 2—Brush Timer Reset Tone

Replace Brush Tone

At the start of a cleansing cycle, if the replace brush timer has expired, the motor shall play the tone and generate the LED pattern described in Table 1—Replace Brush Tone before starting the cleansing cycle.

TABLE 1

Replace Brush Tone AND LED Pattern

	MOTOR	MOTOR		LED
STEP	FREQUENCY	DURATION	LED DISPLAY	DURATION

0	Off	50 ms	Off	50 ms
1	784 Hz	400 ms	Segment 2	100 ms
			Segment 3	100 ms
			Segment 4	100 ms
			Segment 1	100 ms
	Off	10 ms	Segment 1	10 ms
2	698 Hz	400 ms	Segment 1	100 ms
			Segment 4	100 ms
			Segment 3	100 ms
			Segment 2	100 ms
	Off	10 ms	Segment 2	10 ms
3	658 Hz	400 ms	Segment 2	100 ms
			Segment 3	100 ms
			Segment 4	100 ms
			Segment 1	100 ms
	Off	10 ms	Segment 1	10 ms
4	588 Hz	400 ms	Segment 1	100 ms
			Segment 4	100 ms
			Segment 3	100 ms
			Segment 2	100 ms
	Off	10 ms	Segment 2	10 ms
5	523 Hz	400 ms	Segment 2	100 ms
			Segment 3	100 ms
			Segment 4	100 ms
			Segment 1	100 ms
6	OFF	200 ms	OFF	250 ms

Brush Reset Tone

The device shall play the Brush Reset Tone and generate the LED pattern described in Table 2—Brush Timer Reset Tone when the user initiates a brush timer reset by holding the power button for 3 seconds.

TABLE 2

Brush Timer Reset Tone AND LED Pattern

	MOTOR	MOTOR		LED
STEP	FREQUENCY	DURATION	LED DISPLAY	DURATION

0	Off	50 ms	Off	50 ms
1	658 Hz	100 ms	Segment 1	100 ms
2	698 Hz	100 ms	Segment 2	100 ms
3	784 Hz	100 ms	Segment 3	100 ms
4	1049 Hz	100 ms	Segment 4	100 ms
5	Off	200 ms	Off	250 ms

FIGS. 5A-C

FIG. 5A shows a system 500 including the appliance 100 in communication with a central device 520 according to an example. In one example, the system 500 can include the appliance 100 in communication with the central device 520 with a wireless signal 510. The central device 520 can be configured to operate a software application or set of software to receive and send communications from and to the appliance 100.
FIG. 5B shows different examples of the central devices 520 including, a mobile device 522, a wearable electronic 524, a television or magic mirror 526, a network router 528, and a personal computer 529. The wireless signal 510 can be any appropriate signal such as an electromagnetic signal including WIFI, Bluetooth, near-field, or any other signal such as optical, and acoustic. Each client device, including the appliance, may communicate with each other through an internet connection via an 802.11 wireless connection to a wireless internet access point, or a physical connection to the internet access point, such as through an Ethernet interface. Each connected device is capable of performing wireless communication with other devices, such as through a Bluetooth connection or other wireless means as well.
FIG. 5C is a diagram representing an example of a system 550 used with a personal care appliance 100, according to one example. The system 550 includes at least the appliance and the peripheral device. Optionally, the system 550 may further include one or more external servers 542 which are implemented as part of a cloud-computing environment and in communication with the system 550 through the Internet. The one or more external servers 542 can store user data, products such as brushheads and formulations, protocols and routines, tutorials, as well as other 3rd party services according to an example.

FIG. 6

FIG. 6 is a flow diagram describing a method 600 a to cause the motor assembly to oscillate the brushhead at predetermined frequencies to cause an auditory tone to be outputted. The method 600 a includes steps of detecting an appliance status (610), controlling the motor assembly to oscillate the brushhead at a predetermined frequency based on the appliance status in order to generate an auditory tone (620), and (optionally) controlling display of an indicator in conjuction or subsequent to generating the auditory tone (630).
Examples of detecting an appliance status include detecting an amount of time of use of the brushhead, for example. Specific examples of this will be illustrated below. However, other appliance statuses or conditions can be detected. For instance, the user may be alerted when the remaining battery power is below a predetermined threshold. Additionally, if the appliance contains a mechanism for dispensing a topical agent to the user's skin from a cartridge or reservoir, then a volume of the remaining topical agent may be detected and the user may be alerted when the remaining volume is below a predetermined threshold. Moreover, the user may be alerted with the auditory tone when a push notification is received, such as an offer for products related to the appliance from a third party vendor.
Additionally, certain routines and regimens may be stored on the memory of the appliance or on an external device, and the user may be notified through the auditory tone when the user is supposed to make a change during the routine, such as when to move the appliance brush head to a different area of the face after a predetermined period of time is detected.
Furthermore, the memory used in conjunction with drive control 152 in FIGS. 1C and 1D can store multiple auditory tones, and the user can assign each of different auditory tones to different functions directly on a user interface of the device or from a user interface of the client device 520.
User Interface Features
The operating system of the client device can have a user interface that is configured to perform multiple functions. In an aspect, the client device can be in communication with a network and enable the user interface access to the Internet as well as Internet of Things (IOT). As can be appreciated, the network can be a public network, such as the Internet, or a private network such as an LAN or WAN network, or any combination thereof and can also include PSTN or ISDN sub-networks. The network can also be wired, such as an Ethernet network, or can be wireless such as a cellular network including EDGE, 3G and 4G wireless cellular systems. The wireless network can also be WiFi, Bluetooth, or any other wireless form of communication that is known. In an example, the network can access a server hosting media, protocols, products, personal accounts, stored usage data, and other data related to the appliance, the brushheads, and skin care. The user interface can be used to make a purchase of a brushhead, topical agent, or other pruducts related to the appliance based on the tracked usage.
Obviously, numerous modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described herein.

Claims

1. A personal skincare appliance comprising:

a brush head;

a motor configured to cause angular rotation of the brush head; and

a controller configured to control a drive frequency of the motor,

wherein the controller is configured to detect an event corresponding to a status or condition of the personal skincare appliance and to set the drive frequency of the motor to a predetermined frequency which causes an auditory tone to be emitted from the personal skincare appliance.

2. The personal skincare appliance according to claim 1, wherein the brush head is configured to be applied to a skin of the user, and the predetermined frequency is different than a frequency set by the drive controller for applying the brushhead against the skin of the user.

3. The personal skincare appliance according to claim 1, further comprising a brush head replacement timer, and the event is an amount of time remaining on the brush head replacement timer being below a predetermined threshold.

4. The personal skincare appliance according to claim 1, further comprising a battery configured to provide power to operate the personal skincare appliance, and the event is an estimated amount of power remaining in the battery being below a predetermined threshold.

5. The personal skincare appliance according to claim 1, further comprising a topical agent reservoir and a dispenser configured to dispense the topical agent, wherein the event is a detected amount of the topical agent in the reservoir being below a predetermined threshold.

6. The personal skincare appliance according to claim 1, further comprising a timer configured to start measuring a time from when the user starts applying the brush head to the skin of the user, and the event is a predetermined amount of time the brush head has been applied to the skin of the user.

7. The personal skincare appliance according to claim 1, further comprising a visual indicator, and the controller is configured to cause the visual indicator to emit a visual output in conjunction with the auditory tone.

8. A method, implemented by a personal skincare appliance that includes a brush head, a motor configured to cause angular rotation of the brush head, and a controller configured to control a drive frequency of the motor, the method comprising:

detecting, by the controller, an event corresponding to a status or condition of the personal skincare appliance; and

setting, by the controller, the drive frequency of the motor to a predetermined frequency which causes an auditory tone to be emitted from the personal skincare appliance.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the brush head is configured to be applied to a skin of the user, and the predetermined frequency is different than a frequency set by the drive controller for applying the brushhead against the skin of the user.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein the personal skincare appliance includes a brush head replacement timer, and the event is an amount of time remaining on the brush head replacement timer being below a predetermined threshold.

11. The method according to claim 8, wherein the personal skincare appliance includes a battery configured to provide power to operate the personal skincare appliance, and the event is an estimated amount of power remaining in the battery being below a predetermined threshold.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the personal skincare appliance includes a topical agent reservoir and a dispenser configured to dispense the topical agent, and the event is a detected amount of the topical agent in the reservoir being below a predetermined threshold.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the personal skincare appliance includes a timer configured to start measuring a time from when the user starts applying the brush head to the skin of the user, and the event is a predetermined amount of time the brush head has been applied to the skin of the user.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein the personal skincare appliance includes a visual indicator, and method includes causing the visual indicator to emit a visual output in conjunction with the auditory tone.

15. A system comprising:

the personal skincare appliance according to claim 1; and

a client device configured to communicate with the personal skincare appliance,

wherein the client device receives an input from a user to select the auditory tone to be emitted from the personal skincare appliance upon the detection of the event.

16. The system according to claim 15, wherein a plurality of different types of events are configured to be detected by the controller, and the client device receives an input from the user to select different auditory tones to be associated with each of the plurality of different types of events.