Abstract: A system for classifying the usage of a handheld consumer device having a sensor and an analyzer. The sensor determines usage data at successive time instants and provides a temporally successive sequence of usage data during a usage session. The analyzer classifies the usage of the device with respect to at least one set usage classes and assembles a temporally successive sequence of input tuples of usage data relating to a predetermined time period of the usage session, each of the input tuples having at least one element representing the usage data at the respective time instant and for inputting the sequence of input tuples into at least one artificial neural network arranged to output at least one output tuple comprising a number of elements in accordance with the number of usage classes, each element of the output tuple representing a prediction value that the usage of the consumer device at the given time instant relates to a respective usage class.

Abstract: A system for classifying the usage of a handheld consumer device having a sensor and an analyzer. The sensor determines usage data at successive time instants and provides a temporally successive sequence of usage data during a usage session. The analyzer classifies the usage of the device with respect to at least one set usage classes and assembles a temporally successive sequence of input tuples of usage data relating to a predetermined time period of the usage session, each of the input tuples having at least one element representing the usage data at the respective time instant and for inputting the sequence of input tuples into at least one artificial neural network arranged to output at least one output tuple comprising a number of elements in accordance with the number of usage classes, each element of the output tuple representing a prediction value that the usage of the consumer device at the given time instant relates to a respective usage class.

Abstract: A system and method for operating a personal grooming/household appliance, including: providing a personal grooming/household appliance including at least one physical sensor taken from a group consisting of: an orientation sensor, an acceleration sensor, an inertial sensor, a global positioning sensor, a pressure sensor, and a load sensor, audio sensor, humidity sensor, and a temperature sensor; providing a camera associated with the personal grooming/household appliance; classifying data received from the physical sensor and from the camera using at least one trained machine learning classifier to generate an augmented classification; and providing user feedback information based upon the augmented classification or modifying operation of the grooming/household appliance based upon the augmented classification.

Abstract: A system and method for treating a surface of a user’s body part, including: obtaining target surface condition information from a user’s body part surface using one or more condition sensors taken from a group consisting of: an optical sensor and a bio-sensor; classifying the target surface condition information using a machine learning classifier to determine an initial target surface condition classification; obtaining treatment progress information using a combination of motion sensor data and surface condition information from the one or more condition sensors; and classifying the treatment progress information using a machine learning classifier to determine a progress classification for treating the initial target surface condition classification.

Abstract: A system and method for operating a personal grooming/household appliance, including: providing a personal grooming/household appliance including at least one physical sensor taken from a group consisting of: an orientation sensor, an acceleration sensor, an inertial sensor, a global positioning sensor, a pressure sensor, and a load sensor, audio sensor, humidity sensor, and a temperature sensor; providing a camera associated with the personal grooming/household appliance; classifying data received from the physical sensor and from the camera using at least one trained machine learning classifier to generate an augmented classification; and providing user feedback information based upon the augmented classification or modifying operation of the grooming/household appliance based upon the augmented classification.

Abstract: A method for operating a dental appliance by providing a dental appliance including at least one motion sensor that provides motion data, the motion sensor is one of an orientation sensor, an acceleration sensor, and an inertial sensor. Further, providing at least one camera associated with the dental appliance that provides image data, and segmenting the image data received from the camera to segment a surface condition using a first machine learning neural network to generate a surface condition segmentation. Then classifying the motion data received from the motion sensor and the image data received from the camera to classify motion and position of the dental appliance with respect to a surface of a user's anatomy, using a second machine learning neural network classifier to generate a surface position comprising at least one of a relational motion classification or a relational position classification.

Abstract: A system and method for operating a household cleaning appliance, including: providing a household cleaning appliance including, a powered and electronically controlled cleaning implement, and at least one physical sensor taken from a group consisting of: an orientation sensor, an acceleration sensor, an inertial sensor, a global positioning sensor, a pressure sensor, a load sensor, audio sensor, humidity sensor, and a temperature sensor; providing a camera associated with the household cleaning appliance; deriving an augmented classification using one or more classifiers classifying the physical sensor data and the image data; and modifying operation of the cleaning implement based upon the augmented classification.

Abstract: A system and method for operating a personal grooming/household appliance, including: providing a personal grooming/household appliance including at least one physical sensor taken from a group consisting of: an orientation sensor, an acceleration sensor, an inertial sensor, a global positioning sensor, a pressure sensor, and a load sensor, audio sensor, humidity sensor, and a temperature sensor; providing a camera associated with the personal grooming/household appliance; classifying data received from the physical sensor and from the camera using at least one trained machine learning classifier to generate an augmented classification; and providing user feedback information based upon the augmented classification or modifying operation of the grooming/household appliance based upon the augmented classification.

Abstract: A system and method for treating a surface of a user's body part, including: obtaining target surface condition information from a user's body part surface using one or more condition sensors taken from a group consisting of: an optical sensor and a bio-sensor; classifying the target surface condition information using a machine learning classifier to determine an initial target surface condition classification; obtaining treatment progress information using a combination of motion sensor data and surface condition information from the one or more condition sensors; and classifying the treatment progress information using a machine learning classifier to determine a progress classification for treating the initial target surface condition classification.

Abstract: A system and method for operating a personal grooming/household appliance, including: providing a personal grooming appliance including at least one motion sensor taken from a group consisting of: an orientation sensor, an acceleration sensor, and an inertial sensor; providing a camera associated with the personal grooming appliance; classifying data received from the motion sensor and from the camera using at least one trained machine learning classifier to generate an augmented classification; and providing user feedback information based upon the augmented classification, wherein the augmented classification pertains to a combination of a first state pertaining to a position of the grooming appliance with respect to a user's body part and also pertains to a second state that is different than the first state.

Abstract: A system and method for operating a household cleaning appliance, including: providing a household cleaning appliance including, a powered and electronically controlled cleaning implement, and at least one physical sensor taken from a group consisting of: an orientation sensor, an acceleration sensor, an inertial sensor, a global positioning sensor, a pressure sensor, a load sensor, audio sensor, humidity sensor, and a temperature sensor; providing a camera associated with the household cleaning appliance; deriving an augmented classification using one or more classifiers classifying the physical sensor data and the image data; and modifying operation of the cleaning implement based upon the augmented classification.

Abstract: A system and method for operating a personal grooming/household appliance, including: providing a personal grooming/household appliance including at least one physical sensor taken from a group consisting of: an orientation sensor, an acceleration sensor, an inertial sensor, a global positioning sensor, a pressure sensor, and a load sensor, audio sensor, humidity sensor, and a temperature sensor; providing a camera associated with the personal grooming/household appliance; classifying data received from the physical sensor and from the camera using at least one trained machine learning classifier to generate an augmented classification; and providing user feedback information based upon the augmented classification or modifying operation of the grooming/household appliance based upon the augmented classification.

Abstract: A system for classifying the usage of a handheld consumer device having a sensor and an analyzer. The sensor determines usage data at successive time instants and provides a temporally successive sequence of usage data during a usage session. The analyzer classifies the usage of the device with respect to at least one set usage classes and assembles a temporally successive sequence of input tuples of usage data relating to a predetermined time period of the usage session, each of the input tuples having at least one element representing the usage data at the respective time instant and for inputting the sequence of input tuples into at least one artificial neural network arranged to output at least one output tuple comprising a number of elements in accordance with the number of usage classes, each element of the output tuple representing a prediction value that the usage of the consumer device at the given time instant relates to a respective usage class.

Abstract: An apparatus for performing a localization of a movable treatment device having at least one inertial sensor and configured to treat the target surface. The apparatus has a motion pattern classification device configured to discriminate between two or more motion classes contained in a set of motion classes, and an interface for providing, from the inertial sensor to the motion pattern classification device, inertial sensor data representing a movement of the movable treatment device. The motion pattern classification device has a neural network configured to receive and classify inertial sensor data with respect to the motion classes associated with one or more different zones relating to the target surface so that the classification of inertial sensor data indicates an estimation of the location of the movable treatment device with respect to the one or more zones of the target surface.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for performing a localization of a movable treatment device having an inertial sensor and configured to treat a target surface. A motion pattern recognition device discriminates between two or more motion patterns contained in a set of motion patterns. An interface provides at least one inertial sensor data from the inertial sensor to the motion pattern recognition device. At least one inertial sensor data represents a movement of the movable treatment device. A neural network is configured to receive the at least one inertial sensor data and to map the at least one inertial sensor data to at least one motion pattern contained in the set of motion patterns associated with one or more different zones of the target surface so that the mapping of the at least one inertial sensor data with the at least one motion pattern indicates an estimation of the location of the device with respect to at least one zone of the target surface.

Abstract: An apparatus for classifying the motion of a movable treatment device having at least one inertial sensor, a motion pattern classification device configured to discriminate between two or more motion classes contained in a set of motion classes of the movable treatment device, and an interface for providing inertial sensor data from the inertial sensor to the motion pattern classification device. The inertial sensor data represents a movement of the movable treatment device, wherein the motion pattern classification device comprises at least one neural network configured to receive and classify the inertial sensor data with respect to the motion classes contained, each associated with at least one class member selected based on the motion of the movable treatment device.

Abstract: An oral-care implement including a filament comprising an external material and at least a first internal material. The filament includes an elongated flexible body having a length, a longitudinal axis, and a longitudinal outer surface comprising the external material, the elongated body terminating with a tip having a tip surface comprising the external material, wherein the tip surface has therein a plurality of craters distributed throughout the tip surface in a predetermined pattern, each of the craters having a surface edge of a predetermined size and a predetermined shape, walls extending longitudinally from the surface edge and comprising the external material, and a bottom comprising the at least first internal material and situated at a depth from the surface edge, the surface edge being formed by the walls and the tip surface.

Abstract: An oral-care implement including a filament comprising an external material and at least a first internal material. The filament includes an elongated flexible body having a length, a longitudinal axis, and a longitudinal outer surface comprising the external material, the elongated body terminating with a tip having a tip surface comprising the external material, wherein the tip surface has therein a plurality of craters distributed throughout the tip surface in a predetermined pattern, each of the craters having a surface edge of a predetermined size and a predetermined shape, walls extending longitudinally from the surface edge and comprising the external material, and a bottom comprising the at least first internal material and situated at a depth from the surface edge, the surface edge being formed by the walls and the tip surface.

Abstract: A filament for use in a brush implement comprises an external material and at least a first internal material. The filament includes an elongated flexible body having a length, a longitudinal axis, and a longitudinal outer surface comprising the external material, the elongated body terminating with a tip having a tip surface comprising the external material, wherein the tip surface has therein a plurality of craters distributed throughout the tip surface in a predetermined pattern, each of the craters having a surface edge of a predetermined size and a predetermined shape, walls extending longitudinally from the surface edge and comprising the external material, and a bottom comprising the at least first internal material and situated at a depth from the surface edge, the surface edge being formed by the walls and the tip surface.

Abstract: A process for making a filament for use in a brush implement comprises providing a composite filament comprising an external material and at least one internal material, wherein the tip surface comprises the internal material surrounded by the external material, the internal material having longitudinal shrinkage characteristics that differ from those of the external material; and causing the internal material to shrink inside the external material, whereby the internal material comprising the tip surface sinks relative to the external material comprising the tip surface so that at least one crater is formed at the tip surface of the filament, the at least one crater comprising a bottom formed by the internal material and walls formed by the external material, the at least one crater having a surface edge of a predetermined size and a predetermined shape.