Koninklijke Philips Corporation N.v.

Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

Koninklijkle Philips N.v.

Ari Lumbantobing

Kevin Arnold Miller

Meindert Lambertus Norg

Wolter F Benning

Aditha May Adams

Joel Bernard Jacobs

Christopher Bramley Fruhauf

Paul A Bosveld

Henric Jentz

Pieter Johannes Bax

Joseph Park

Joseph Juseop Park

A HMD includes a pair of temple arms having spring steel that wraps around the head to provide long axis compression. The spring steel arms produce a compressive force along the long axis of the head that counters the gravitational force of a weight positioned at the forehead. The weight is supported by the long axis compression, rather than resting on the nose, ears or the top of the head. The front to back, long axis compressive force frees the head from all but the smallest amount of paraphernalia and allows for the weight to be worn in a way that is comfortable and non-intrusive. The spring steel temple arms are over bent inward well beyond the smallest size head and is used with a spine material that limits how far the temple arms can bend inward. An interface layer is also attached to provide comfort to the head.

Head worn device having temple arms to provide long axis compression

The system periodically measures the battery voltage of the toothbrush and the current in a stator portion of the motor for the appliance. The amplitude of movement of the toothbrush workpiece is determined from the measured stator current. A circuit/control program changes the duty cycle or pulse width of the drive signal from the motor if the battery voltage drops below a first threshold value and a circuit or control program changes the drive frequency of the appliance if the amplitude of the workpiece movement falls below a first threshold value. A circuit/control program terminates the operation of the toothbrush if the voltage drops below a second threshold value or if the amplitude drops below a second threshold value, both of which are less than the respective first thresholds.

System and method for maintaining performance of battery-operated toothbrushes

An adaptive system for a personal care appliance, such as a power toothbrush, having a workpiece which is driven through an amplitude of motion by a drive mechanism which includes a stator member includes a circuit () for measuring average electrical current through the stator member and stored information () in the personal care appliance which relates the average current values through the stator during operation of the device to corresponding amplitude of motion of the workpiece. A processor () utilizing a stored program adjusts the operating frequency to produce a stator current value which correlates to the desired amplitude of motion of the workpiece.

Adaptive drive system using current values for a personal care appliance

The adapting system for a resonant drive appliance includes a circuit for measuring the back EMF induced in the stator coil of the motor following turn-off of the appliance. The frequency of the back EMF signal is determined from the zero crossings of the EMF signal. The determined frequency is then compared with a running average of previous frequency determinations, and the drive frequency of the appliance is adjusted if the difference between the compared frequencies is greater than a threshold value, e.g. 1 Hz.

System for adapting the resonant operation of a personal care appliance during the lifetime thereof

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Issaquah, WA, United States of America

Ari Lumbantobing