Brushing apparatus for physical anomaly detection
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorIlse M. Breedvelt-Schouten
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A brushing apparatus includes a head and a handle extending out from the head. The head includes a plurality of bristles. A camera may be secured to the head of the brushing apparatus adjacent to the plurality of bristles. The system may further include a processor and a memory in communication with the processor. The memory contains instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to receive an image from the camera as bristles of the plurality of bristles are engaged with a body. Further instructions cause the processor to detect an atypical contour of the image that indicates a physical anomaly. Further instructions cause the processor to generate a notification in response to detecting the atypical contour that indicates the physical anomaly.
Claims19
A system comprising:
- a brushing apparatus with a head and a handle extending out from the head, wherein the head includes a plurality of bristles, wherein each bristle of the plurality of bristles defines a longitudinal length and is configured to be resistant to bending and compressing more than a nominal amount when the brushing apparatus is engaged with a body;
- a camera secured to the head of the brushing apparatus adjacent to the plurality of bristles, wherein the camera is configured to define a depth of field having a length that is around the longitudinal length of bristles of the plurality of bristles, wherein the system is configured to make this depth of field static during engagement of the brushing apparatus as a result of each bristle of the plurality of bristles being resistant to bending and compressing;
- a processor embedded in the brushing apparatus;
- and
- a memory embedded in the brushing apparatus and in communication with the processor, the memory containing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
- receive an image from the camera as bristles of the plurality of bristles are engaged with the body;
- detect an atypical contour of the image that indicates a physical anomaly by comparing the image to a plurality of images that all correspond to the depth of field;
- and
- generate a notification in response to detecting the atypical contour that indicates the physical anomaly.
A method comprising:
- engaging a body by bristles of a plurality of bristles that extend from a head of a brushing apparatus and are each configured to be resistant to bending and compressing more than a nominal amount when the brushing apparatus engages the body;
- capturing, by a camera of the head that is adjacent to the bristles in response to the bristles engaging the body, an image of the body, wherein the camera is configured to define a depth of field having a length that is around the longitudinal length of bristles of the plurality of bristles, wherein the system is configured to make this depth of field static during operation of the brushing apparatus as a result of each bristle of the plurality of bristles being resistant to bending and compressing;
- detecting, by a processor embedded in the brushing apparatus, an atypical contour of the image that indicates a physical anomaly by comparing the image to a plurality of images that all correspond to the depth of field;
- and
- generating, by the processor, a notification in response to detecting the atypical contour that indicates the physical anomaly.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.