The present disclosure relates to a biological information collection system and a wearable device.
With the development of medical care, the average life expectancy is increasing year by year. In such a longevity society, it is preferable to detect some kind of defect and take preventive measures before getting sick. To deal with such a problem, there is a demand for a mechanism capable of easily measuring the health condition of each person.
For example, JP 2019-97757 A (Patent Document 1) discloses a biological information measuring device that can easily measure fluctuations in the blood pressure of a subject based on an image signal obtained by imaging a predetermined part of the subject.
Patent Document 1: JP 2019-97757 A
According to the biological information measuring device disclosed in Patent Document 1 described above, fluctuations in the blood pressure of a subject can be measured in a non-contact manner as long as imaging is possible. However, it is difficult to realize an environment in which imaging is always possible in daily life.
It is an object of the present disclosure to provide a solution that enables continuous collection of biological information in daily life.
According to an aspect of the present disclosure, a biological information collection system for collecting biological information of a user is provided. The biological information collection system includes: a sensing device that is electrically connected to a member with which the user comes into contact and senses biological information of the user; a wearable device that is placed in contact with a part of the user and stores the biological information sensed by the sensing device; and a data server that collects the biological information stored in the wearable device.
The wearable device may acquire biological information from the sensing device by using a part of the user's body as a conductor.
The sensing device may be placed in public transportation.
The wearable device may be mounted as a part of shoes.
The data server may provide a report showing an amount of exercise or health condition of each user based on the collected biological information.
According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a wearable device worn by a user and used for collecting biological information of the user is provided. The wearable device includes a conductive member placed so as to be in contact with a part of the user and a controller electrically connected to the conductive member. The controller includes a memory for storing the biological information of the user and a communication unit for transmitting the biological information stored in the memory to an outside. The wearable device is mounted as a part of shoes.
According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a solution that enables continuous collection of biological information in daily life.
An embodiment according to the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the diagrams. In addition, the same or corresponding portions in the diagrams are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will not be repeated.
<A. Biological information collection system 1>
First, a biological information collection system 1 according to the present embodiment will be described. The biological information collection system 1 collects the biological information of a user. More specifically, the biological information collection system 1 collects biological information emitted from the user and provides various services based on the collected biological information.
In this specification, “biological information” is a term including various kinds of information generated by the activity of the user. More specifically, “biological information” can include information regarding the activity of the user (for example, the number of steps, walking distance, time traveled, time at rest, and calories burned) as well as various kinds of physiological and anatomical information generated by the user (living body) (for example, blood pressure, pulse rate, heart rate, and respiratory rate).
In the biological information collection system 1, biological information is collected through a wearable device worn by the user. In the present embodiment, as an example of the wearable device, shoes having necessary functions (hereinafter, also referred to as “smart shoes”) are mentioned. That is, a smart shoe in which a wearable device is mounted as a part of the shoe will be described as an example. In addition, the “wearable device” according to the present invention is not limited to shoes, but includes any device that the user can wear.
In addition, in the biological information collection system 1, a form is naturally assumed in which the wearable device is combined with another device instead of collecting biological information only by the wearable device.
Smart shoes 100 worn by the user 2 are used to collect biological information from the user 2. Typically, the smart shoes 100 have a function of directly or indirectly collecting biological information and a function of transmitting the collected biological information.
In the biological information collection system 1, a device for sensing the biological information of the user 2 may be prepared in a facility or device that the user 2 uses on a daily basis. For example, in the vehicle interior 4 of public transportation, such as a bus or a train, a sensing device 8 for sensing the biological information of the user 2 through a hanging strap 6 may be provided. For example, by placing a conductive material on the surface of the hanging strap 6, the sensing device 8 can sense the pulse rate, the heart rate, and the like of the user 2 ((1) biological information collection). Thus, the sensing device 8 is electrically connected to a member (for example, the hanging strap 6), with which the user 2 comes into contact, to sense the biological information of the user 2.
The biological information (sensing result) sensed by the sensing device 8 may be transmitted to the smart shoes 100 worn by the user 2. Alternatively, the sensing device 8 may acquire identification information from the smart shoes 100 worn by the user 2 and transmit the sensing result and the identification information to the data server 200.
In the biological information collection system 1, the smart shoes 100, which are a wearable device, can also sense the biological information of the user 2. For example, the smart shoes 100 can sense the number of steps, walking distance, time traveled, time at rest, and calories burned of the user 2. The result obtained by the sensing of the smart shoes 100 (sensing result) may be temporarily stored in the smart shoes 100, or may be transmitted from the smart shoes 100 to the data server 200 each time.
After the user 2 returns to his or her home and takes off the smart shoes 100, various kinds of information stored in the smart shoes 100 may be transmitted to the data server 200. At this time, the smart shoes 100 may be charged ((3) information transmission and charging). Typically, the smart shoes 100 transmit the stored biological information and the like to the data server 200 through an access point 12 connected to the network 10.
As described above, the smart shoes 100, which are an example of the wearable device, are placed in contact with a part of the user 2 (for example, the feet of the user 2) and stores the biological information sensed by the sensing device.
Details of various services provided by the data server 200 based on the biological information collected for each user will be described later.
<B. Configuration Example of Smart Shoes 100>
Next, a configuration example of the smart shoes 100 used in the biological information collection system 1 according to the present embodiment will be described. The smart shoes 100 are an example of a wearable device, and are worn by a user and used to collect biological information of the user.
Referring to
Electric power is supplied from a battery 130 to the controller 120. A power receiving coil 140 is electrically connected to the battery 130.
After the user 2 returns home and takes off the smart shoes 100, the smart shoes 100 are placed at a station 180 at home. The station 180 has a power supply coil 184 at a position that can face the power receiving coil 140. Electric power is supplied from a power supply controller 182 to the power supply coil 184.
Electric power is supplied from the power supply controller 182 to the battery 130 through electromagnetic coupling between the power supply coil 184 and the power receiving coil 140. By the electric power supplied in this manner, the battery 130 is charged.
Wireless communication may be performed by using the electromagnetic coupling between the power supply coil 184 and the power receiving coil 140.
Referring to
The processor 121 may be, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or an MPU (Micro Processing Unit), and realizes various functions provided by the smart shoes 100 by reading and executing a program or the like stored in the memory 122.
The memory 122 has a non-volatile storage region and a volatile storage region. A system program 1221, user data 1222, a digital certificate 1223, and the like are stored in the non-volatile storage region. The system program 1221 includes computer-readable instructions for realizing the functions of the smart shoes 100. The user data 1222 includes biological information acquired by an arbitrary method. The digital certificate 1223 includes identification information for identifying the smart shoes 100. Thus, the memory 122 may store the biological information of the user 2.
The gyro sensor 123 senses the posture, moving speed, and the like of the smart shoes 100 based on the acceleration or the like generated in the smart shoes 100. The GPS module 124 acquires the position information of the smart shoes 100.
In addition, in
The human body communication interface 125 is electrically connected to the conductive member 110, and transmits and receives electrical signals through the conductive member 110 by using a part of the body of the user 2 as a conductor (medium).
The wireless communication unit 126 transmits and receives a wireless signal to and from the access point 12
(
The battery 130 includes a battery cell 132 and a charge and discharge control circuit 134. The battery cell 132 is a device for storing electric power, and it is preferable to use a flexible material. The charge and discharge control circuit 134 controls charging and discharging of the battery cell 132. Specifically, the charge and discharge control circuit 134 charges the battery cell 132 with a part or entirety of the electric power supplied from the power receiving coil 140, and supplies electric power discharged from the battery cell 132 to the controller 120.
<C. Configuration Example of Data Server 200>
Next, a configuration example of the data server 200 configuring the biological information collection system 1 according to the present embodiment will be described. Typically, the data server 200 is realized by using one or more general-purpose computers.
The processor 202 may be, for example, a CPU or a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit). A plurality of processors 202 may be arranged, or the processor 202 having a plurality of cores may be adopted.
The main memory 204 is a volatile storage device, such as a DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory) or an SRAM (Static Random Access Memory). The storage 210 is a non-volatile storage device, such as a hard disk or an SSD (Solid State Drive), and stores various programs or various kinds of data to be executed by the processor 202. Among the programs stored in the storage 210, a designated program code is loaded to the main memory 204, and the processor 202 sequentially executes computer-readable instructions included in the program code loaded to the main memory 204 to realize various functions described later.
Typically, a collection program 212 for collecting biological information of each user, an analysis program 214 for analyzing the collected biological information, a service providing program 216 for providing various services based on the analysis result, and collected biological information 218 are stored in the storage 210.
The input unit 206 receives an input operation of the user. The display 208 displays the processing result of the processor 202 and the like.
The communication interface 222 is in charge of data exchange with the smart shoes 100. The communication interface 222 may include, for example, an Ethernet (registered trademark) port for communication over the Internet.
The entirety or part of the data server 200 may be realized by using a hard-wired circuit such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) in which a circuit corresponding to computer-readable instructions is provided. Alternatively, the entirety or part of the data server 200 may be realized by using a circuit corresponding to computer-readable instructions on an FPGA (field-programmable gate array). In addition, the entirety or part of the data server 200 may be realized by appropriately combining the processor 202, a main memory, an ASIC, an FPGA, and the like.
The data server 200 may further include a component for reading the stored program and the like from the non-transitory medium that stores the collection program 212, the analysis program 214, and the service providing program 216 that are computer-readable instructions. The medium may be, for example, an optical medium, such as a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc), or a semiconductor medium, such as a USB memory.
The collection program 212, the analysis program 214, and the service providing program 216 may not only be installed on the data server 200 through the medium, but also be provided from a distribution server on the network.
<D. Collection of Biological Information>
In the biological information collection system 1 according to the present embodiment, it is possible to collect biological information in daily life without making the user aware of it. Some of such biological information collection forms will be described.
(d1: Traveling by Public Transportation)
A configuration example in which the biological information of the user 2 is collected while traveling by public transportation, such as a bus or a train, will be described.
The sensing device 8 transmits and receives necessary information to and from the smart shoes 100 and senses the biological information of the user 2. For example, the pulse rate, the heart rate, and the like of the user 2 are sensed based on the electrocardiographic waveform of the user 2. In addition, the sensing device 8 may sense the body composition ratio of the user 2 as biological information based on the electrical resistance generated by the user 2.
Then, the sensing device 8 senses the biological information of the user 2 based on the electrical signal or the like acquired from the user 2 (sequence SQ4). The sensing device 8 transmits the sensed biological information (sensing result) to the smart shoes 100 (sequence SQ6). The smart shoes 100 store the transmitted biological information of the user 2.
Finally, the session between the smart shoes 100 and the sensing device 8 is disconnected (sequence SQ8).
The biological information sensed from the user 2 by the above sequence is stored in the smart shoes 100 worn by the user 2. As will be described later, the smart shoes 100 transmit the stored biological information to the data server 200 by using an arbitrary method.
In addition, although the configuration example of transmitting the biological information (sensing result) sensed by the sensing device 8 to the smart shoes 100 has been described in
As described above, the smart shoes 100, which are an example of the wearable device, acquires biological information from the sensing device 8 by using a part of the body of the user 2 as a conductor.
The biological information of the user 2 can be collected while traveling by public transportation such as a bus or a train as described above. Therefore, it is possible to efficiently collect biological information without making the user 2 aware of it and without taking time for sensing.
(d2: Sensing of Biological Information Through an Object that the User 2 Touches on a Daily Basis)
In the configuration example shown in
For example, a conductive material may be placed on the entirety or part of a steering wheel of a vehicle so that the biological information is collected while the user 2 is driving the vehicle. Alternatively, the biological information of the user 2 may be collected through a doorknob.
In this manner, by making it possible to collect biological information through an object that the user 2 touches in daily life, it is possible to efficiently collect the biological information without making the user 2 aware of it and without taking time for sensing.
(d3: Smart Shoes 100)
In the configuration example shown in
Any sensing device can be placed on the smart shoes 100. Since the smart shoes 100 are worn by the user 2, it is possible to collect arbitrary information regarding the user 2 according to the placed sensing device.
In addition, for example, by placing a piezoelectric sensor or the like, it is possible to collect the force generated when the user 2 walks.
As described above, since the smart shoes 100 are in contact with the user 2, various kinds of biological information can be collected from the user 2. By adopting such a configuration, it is possible to efficiently collect biological information without making the user 2 aware of it and without taking time for sensing.
<E. Transmission of Biological Information>
Next, a configuration example for transmitting biological information stored in the smart shoes 100 to the data server 200 will be described.
Finally, the session between the smart shoes 100 and the data server 200 is disconnected (sequence SQ16).
By the above sequences, the biological information sensed from the user 2 stored in the smart shoes 100 is transmitted to the data server 200.
<F. Examples of Utilization of Biological Information>
Next, an example of utilizing the biological information of the user 2 collected by the data server 200 will be described.
(f1: Health Management/Medical Institution)
As one of utilization examples, a service of health management for each user and cooperation with a medical institution based on biological information of each user collected in the data server 200 will be described.
The data server 200 may provide a report showing the amount of exercise or health condition of each user based on the collected biological information.
In addition, the life report 310 can include arbitrary information generated based on the biological information of the user 2 collected by the data server 200.
In addition, the destination to which the data server 200 provides the life report 310 can be arbitrarily set by the user 2. As a method of providing the life report 310, e-mail may be used or a Web-based method may be used. In addition, the life report 310 of the user 2 may be provided to other users (for example, when the user 2 is elderly, the child of the user 2) related to the user 2. By providing the life report 310 to other users, the health condition of the user 2 can be checked remotely.
In addition, the life report 310 including a game-like element may be provided.
By providing the life report 310 including such a game-like element, it is possible to motivate the user to walk more.
Referring to
The attention message 324 is output by applying arbitrary criteria to the biological information collected in the data server 200. For example, for the attention message 324 for the heart rate shown in
In addition, the information included in the health management report 320 may be any information as long as the information is obtained from the biological information of the user 2 collected by the data server 200. In addition, the health management report 320 including a plurality of types of biological information may be adopted.
By providing such a health management report 320 to the medical institution 400 (or the attending physician in the medical institution 400) registered in advance by the user 2, it is possible to manage and monitor the health condition of the user 2 from the expert's point of view.
(f2: Insurance Company)
As another example of utilization, a service for providing an insurance company with the health condition of each user based on biological information of each user collected in the data server 200 will be described.
For example, when the user 2 applies for some kind of insurance, from the perspective of the insurance company to which the insurance is undertaken, it is rational to determine whether or not to accept the insurance application, an insurance premium, and the like based on the health condition of the user 2 who has applied for the insurance.
As a typical procedure, when the user 2 applies for insurance using a terminal device 550, the identification information of the user 2 is also input ((1) application and identification information). The identification information is information for identifying the biological information of the user 2 collected in the data server 200.
When the insurance company 500 receives the insurance application and the identification information from the user 2, the insurance company 500 transmits the received identification information to the data server 200 and makes a request for the biological information of the user 2 ((2) request). In response to the request from the insurance company 500, the data server 200 provides the biological information corresponding to the designated identification information to the insurance company 500 as a report ((3) report).
The insurance company 500 determines whether or not to accept the insurance application from the user 2 and the insurance premium when accepting the insurance application based on the report provided by the data server 200 ((4) examination).
Then, the insurance company 500 notifies the user 2 of whether or not the applied insurance can be accepted and the insurance premium (when the applied insurance can be accepted) ((5) whether or not the insurance can be accepted and insurance premium).
In this manner, by using the biological information of the user 2 in response to the insurance application from the user 2, it is possible to reasonably determine whether or not to accept the applied insurance and the insurance premium.
<G. Additional Functions>
Next, an example of the additional functions of the smart shoes 100 will be described. As described above, the smart shoes 100 transmit and receive electrical signals by using a part of the body of the user 2 wearing the smart shoes 100 as a conductor (medium). For example, an electronic key may be realized by using such transmission and reception of electrical signals (human body communication).
The doorknob 602 has a built-in communication circuit for performing authentication communication with the smart shoes 100. When the authentication communication between the doorknob 602 and the smart shoes 100 is successful, the doorknob 602 is unlocked. In this manner, the smart shoes 100 can also be used as an electronic key.
In addition, when the smart shoes 100 are used as an electronic key, a certificate may be built in in advance to unlock the home key. For example, a certificate that allows you to enter a room reserved at the time of booking, such as a hotel, may be stored in the smart shoes 100.
In this manner, the smart shoes 100 can communicate with any object touched by the user 2 wearing the smart shoes 100, and it is possible to provide various functions and services by such communication.
<H. Other Forms>
In the above description, the smart shoes 100 having a configuration in which the conductive member 110, the controller 120, the battery 130, and the power receiving coil 140 are integrated with the shoes have been exemplified. However, the invention is not limited thereto, and the smart shoes 100 may be realized in any form. For example, an insole to be put into the shoe may be made to have a function and a configuration required for the smart shoes 100. By adopting such a mounting form as an insole, even when there are a plurality of shoes, the function of the biological information collection system according to the present embodiment can be realized by exchanging the insoles.
In addition, when the same user has a plurality of shoes, the identification information indicating the user may be held in common among the plurality of shoes. By sharing the identification information assigned to a specific user, the biological information of the user can be collected in the data server 200 regardless of which shoes the same user wears, so that a consistent service can be provided to the user.
<I. Advantages>
In the biological information collection system 1 according to the present embodiment, the biological information of the user is collected in daily life without the user being aware of it in particular. Various services can be provided based on the biological information collected in the data server.
In the biological information collection system 1 according to the present embodiment, since the biological information of the user is continuously collected in daily life, it is possible to provide various reports suitable for the health management of the user, and it can be easily realized to provide various reports to the medical institution where there is an attending physician or the like.
It should be considered that the embodiment disclosed is an example in all points and not restrictive. The scope of the invention is defined by the claims rather than the above description, and is intended to include all modifications within the scope and meaning equivalent to the claims.
1 BIOLOGICAL INFORMATION COLLECTION SYSTEM
2 USER
4 VEHICLE INTERIOR
6 HANGING STRAP
8 SENSING DEVICE
10 NETWORK
12 ACCESS POINT
20 FOOT
100 SMART SHOES
110 CONDUCTIVE MEMBER
120 CONTROLLER
121, 202 PROCESSOR
122 MEMORY
123 GYRO SENSOR
124 GPS MODULE
125 HUMAN BODY COMMUNICATION INTERFACE
126 WIRELESS COMMUNICATION UNIT
130 BATTERY
132 BATTERY CELL
134 CHARGE AND DISCHARGE CONTROL CIRCUIT
140 POWER RECEIVING COIL
180 STATION
182 POWER SUPPLY CONTROLLER
184 POWER SUPPLY COIL
200 DATA SERVER
204 MAIN MEMORY
206 INPUT UNIT
208 DISPLAY
210 STORAGE
212 COLLECTION PROGRAM
214 ANALYSIS PROGRAM
216 SERVICE PROVIDING PROGRAM
218 BIOLOGICAL INFORMATION
220 INTERNAL BUS
222 COMMUNICATION INTERFACE
300 MOBILE TERMINAL
310 LIFE REPORT
312, 322 GRAPH
314 ADVICE
316 MAP GRAPHICS
320 HEALTH MANAGEMENT REPORT
324 ATTENTION MESSAGE
326 CONTACT INFORMATION
400 MEDICAL INSTITUTION
500 INSURANCE COMPANY
550 TERMINAL DEVICE
600 DOOR
602 DOOR KNOB
1221 SYSTEM PROGRAM
1222 USER DATA
1223 DIGITAL CERTIFICATE
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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2019-139861 | Jul 2019 | JP | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/JP2020/028857 | 7/28/2020 | WO |