JP2001005561A - Information processor incidental to clothes and body - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an information processor suitably mounted to the body and extendable and strong and incidental to clothes or the body. SOLUTION: This information processor is provided with nodes 2-1 to 2-5 including plural button type functioning blocks 4 including a device for realizing a required function in a computer system and a bus 3 constituted for a flexible cable for connecting the plural functioning blocks as a passage for supplying a power and for transmitting a signal.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus which can be incorporated into clothes or ornaments and attached to the body.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventional information processing apparatuses of this type include:
A jacket that can play music.When operating a keyboard composed of fabric, signals are transmitted to a computer in the pocket via a bus made of conductive fibers and sound is output. A sewn-in wearable computer, a computer and a sensor built into the shoe, a wearable computer built into the shoe that plays music according to the input captured by the sensor, a computer with a cigarette case attached to the waist, voice A wearable computer and a computer chip that perform input and output with an input and an in-eye display.
Computers and the like are known which are housed in a stainless steel case of 0 mm or more to form a ring, and are configured by a single chip capable of exchanging programs and data when the ring is brought into contact with an interface device.

[0003]

However, the wearable computer has a problem in that it is difficult to wash clothes because the signal bus is sewn into the clothes, and when the washing is performed, the bus deteriorates. is there. Further, since the wearable computer is built in the shoe, the wearable computer is exposed to a severe environment such as dust, mud, rain, and impact, and is not suitable for storing a precise computer or a sensor. Although the wearable computer was a cigarette case, the case was attached to the waist and hindered the movement, and it was obvious that the computer was attached, and the clothes were sometimes unnatural. Further, the computer is robust and highly mobile, but has a problem in that it is poorly expandable in function because it is constituted by a single chip.

[0004] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems of the conventional information processing apparatus.
An object of the present invention is to provide a clothing or body-attached information processing device which is suitable for attaching to clothes or a body, has excellent expandability, and is relatively robust. Another object is to provide a clothes or body-attached information processing device that can be worn with a natural feeling without impairing fashionability.

[0005]

According to the present invention, there is provided a clothing or body-attached information processing apparatus comprising: a plurality of button-type function blocks including devices for realizing required functions in a computer system; And a bus configured by a flexible cable which supplies power and serves as a signal transmission path. As a result, a plurality of substantially button-shaped functional blocks are arranged in a flexible cable, so that the cable can be applied to various clothes and ornaments to function as a computer system.

[0006] In the clothes or body-attached information processing apparatus according to the present invention, the cable is provided with a connection portion for detachably locking the function block and connecting to the bus. Thereby, various functional blocks can be attached and detached to extend or change the function, which is convenient.

[0007] In the clothes or body-attached information processing apparatus according to the present invention, the functional block is characterized in that the appearance portion having the modified appearance is detachably connected. As a result, it is possible to select a decoration according to the preference, and it is possible to wear it with a natural feeling without impairing fashionability.

[0008]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description will be omitted. FIG. 1 shows a configuration of an information processing apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. In this information processing device 1, a plurality of button-type nodes 2-1 to 2-5 are connected to connection ends 5-1 to 5-5 of a bus 3 configured by a flexible cable (such as a flat flexible cable). A plurality of blocks are provided detachably.

The nodes 2-1 to 2-5 have the same mechanical structure, and correspond to the connection terminals 5-1 to 5-5 of the bus 3 composed of cables as shown in FIG. A plurality of functional blocks 4 are detachably locked and mounted. Each functional block 4 incorporates a device 4 composed of an electronic circuit chip or the like from a CPU and an X for realizing required functions in a computer system according to each application, and has a button shape as its shape.

A specific example of the functional block 4 is shown in FIG. FIG. 3A is a functional block including, for example, a memory. The functional block includes, for example, identification information (ID information) of a user including the information processing apparatus, and information for identifying an individual such as a name, an address, and a telephone number. Further, a function of encrypting them is stored. FIG. 3B is a functional block composed of, for example, a memory, and includes chart information such as blood type, body temperature, blood pressure value, pulse rate, and disease history in normal times, and abnormal values of respective data and simplified values based thereon. A diagnostic function is stored. FIG. 3C is a functional block diagram of a battery, and FIG. 3D is a functional block diagram of an antenna.
FIG. 3E is a functional block of a microphone and voice recognition, and FIG. 3F is a functional block of a communication device that enables infrared communication. In addition, there are various functional blocks such as a functional block of electronic money / point having a balance and an application range of electronic money, a calculation function and an authentication function, and a database function block having a database and performing a search. The user can select necessary functional blocks and connect them to the connection unit 5 to configure one information processing device.

The functional block 4 has a button shape. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, an upper portion is opened like a crown, and an appearance portion 6 having an aesthetically modified appearance (corresponding to a normal button or the like) ) Is removable. The cross section of the node 2 is as shown in FIGS. 4 (a) and 4 (b). The functional block 4 is mounted on the connecting portion 5 connected to the bus 3 and engaged therewith. Bus 3 via connection 5
Connected to. Further, the appearance part 6 is fitted on the function block 4 by the mechanical coupling part 6A, and the connection part 5, the function block 4 and the appearance part 6 are integrated. This integrated configuration can be called a CIB (Chip in Button). The function block 4 realizes any of the functions of a processor, a memory, an input / output unit, an interface unit, a battery, and the like, and the appearance unit 6 functions to realize an appearance (aesthetic decoration) according to the design of clothes and the like. And these are freely interchangeable.

The information processing apparatus shown in FIG. 1 can be considered as a functional block as shown in FIG. That is,
The functional blocks 4-1 to 4-N are connected to the bus 3 via the connection units 5-1 to 5-N, and the bus 3 transmits and receives signals between the functional blocks 4-1 to 4-N. And serves as a loosely coupled bus to which power is supplied. The loosely-coupled bus means that the bus is not as highly coherent as the bus in the IC chip, for example.

Here, a case where the information processing apparatus 1 is used for monitoring a patient will be described. In such a case, for example, the function block 4-2 in FIG.
The control unit includes an AM, and the functions of the antenna, ID, medical chart, battery, microphone, and infrared communication shown in FIG. 3 are incorporated as functional blocks 4-1 and 4-3 to 4-N.

As shown in FIG. 6, the information processing device 1 is mounted on a long base 7 made of a flexible material and fixed to the placket unit 8 by using the placket 1 of the garment 9.
0 is inserted into the hole 10A. In the hole 10 </ b> A of the clothes 9, a hole is formed at a position corresponding to the appearance part 6 so as to project the appearance part 6 as a button. It can be used as ordinary clothes.

The above-mentioned clothes are put on the patient 20 as shown in FIG. 7, and the vital measurement unit 21 is put on the wrist of the patient 20. The vital measurement unit 21 is equipped with sensors and functional blocks for measuring the body temperature, blood pressure (systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure), pulse rate, respiratory rate, etc., and transmits the measured data and the information processing device 1. There are provided functional blocks of the infrared communication unit for receiving the measurement request from, and these functional blocks are similarly mounted on the bus. Various data related to the patient 20 is collected by the vital measurement unit 21 and is temporarily stored or processed by being transferred to the information processing device 1 of the placket insertion unit 8. Further, the information is sent from the information processing apparatus 1 to an external unit 22 composed of a personal computer, a workstation, or the like, and is subjected to advanced processing and managed as necessary.

Therefore, the C provided in the functional block 4-1 of the information processing apparatus 1 at a predetermined time or every predetermined time.
A measurement request is sent from the PU to the vital measurement unit 21 via the functional block 4-N having an infrared communication function. In response to this, measurement of body temperature or the like is performed in the vital measurement unit 21, and data of the measurement result is provided to the function block 4-1 having the function of infrared communication from the function block 4-1 via the infrared communication unit. CP
Sent to U.

As soon as the CPU receives the above data, or when it receives data several times, or when it receives the data and detects an abnormal value by comparing the data with the data in the function block of the medical chart, the CPU executes the function block 4-1 of the antenna. To the external unit 22 via the
The measurement data is transmitted together with the D information. The transmitted data is stored in the function block of the chart.

Upon receiving the data, the external unit 22 lists and displays the ID information such as the name and the body temperature, etc., and generates an alarm when it is sent as an abnormal value. If necessary, it requests the information processing apparatus to transmit the chart information. This request is given to the CPU of the function block 4-2 by tracing the transmission path of the measurement data sent from the information processing apparatus 1 in reverse. The CPU
The data is taken out from the functional block of the medical chart, and the ID is sent to the external unit 22 via the functional block 4-1 of the antenna.
Is transmitted together with the ID information obtained from the functional block.

The external unit 22 is placed, for example, under a doctor or a nurse to monitor the condition of a patient and to retrieve and store chart information when necessary. Further, the external unit 22 may be a relay device to a computer or the like provided at a place where a doctor works, instead of the computer as described above. It is connected to a computer or the like, data is transmitted to a personal computer, biological information is measured in accordance with an instruction from the personal computer, or it can be transmitted by e-mail or the like. Of course, the external unit 22 does not correspond to one information processing device 1, but may correspond to a plurality of information processing devices.

In the above embodiment, the information processing apparatus 1
Is used as an example in medical treatment, but is not limited to this.For example, it can be used for ticketing for trains and buses in transportation, facilities for leisure, and ticketing for play equipment, and used for access control in home automation. You can also.

Further, the present invention can be used for extracting and entry of customer information when a hotelman performs a service for a customer, referring to a manual when various maintenance technicians perform maintenance, and entry of check contents (manual of the manual). Adoption of functional block with database). In this case, a function block of a microphone is used as information input means, and a function block of a voice recognition device is provided. In addition, an in-eye display can be used as the information output means.

In the above-described first embodiment, an example in which the clothes 9 are inserted into the placket 10 as shown in FIG. 6 has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and as shown in FIGS. Can also be configured. First, the first embodiment shown in FIG. 8 is an example of a configuration in which the information processing device 1 is incorporated in a belt 30 used with clothing. In this configuration example, the surfaces of the functional blocks 4-1 to 4-N, that is, the exterior part 6 are exposed on the front surface (or the back surface) of the belt 30, and the bus 3 is embedded inside the belt 30. According to this configuration example, the information processing apparatus 1 can be naturally incorporated into a part of normal clothes, and can be easily removed by replacing the belt 30 with a normal belt.

The third embodiment shown in FIG. 9 is a configuration example in which the information processing device 1 is incorporated in a watch hand 40. In this configuration example, the bus 3 is provided inside the band 40 so that the surfaces of the functional blocks 4-1 to 4 -N, that is, the exterior part 6 are exposed on the surface of the band 40. According to this configuration example, an appropriate decoration can be applied to the exterior unit 6 or a jewel can be used to naturally incorporate the appearance into the information processing apparatus 1. In addition, it is easy to retrieve and enter desired information by using a watch, which is a long-wearing item.

The fourth embodiment shown in FIG. 10 is a configuration example in which the information processing apparatus 1 is incorporated in a necklace 50. In this configuration example, the functional blocks 4-1 to 4-N are located between the decorative balls 51 of the necklace 50, and the bus 3 is provided on a string connecting the decorative balls 51. According to this configuration example, an appropriate decoration can be applied to the exterior portion 6 or a jewel can be used to make the exterior portion 6 like a decorative ball, and can be naturally incorporated into the information processing device 1. In addition, it is easy to take out and enter desired information by wearing it without discomfort.

The fifth embodiment shown in FIG. 11 is an example of a configuration in which the information processing device 1 is incorporated in an armband 60. In this configuration example, the functional blocks 4-1 to 4-1 are provided on the surface of the armband 60.
The surface of 4-N, that is, the outer appearance portion 6 is exposed,
The bus 3 is provided in the armband 60. According to this configuration example, the information processing apparatus 1 can be taken in naturally simply by wearing the armband 60, and it is easy to take out and enter desired information by wearing it without discomfort.

The sixth embodiment shown in FIG. 12 is a configuration example in which the information processing apparatus 1 is incorporated in a broach 70. In this configuration example, the bus 3 is provided in the broach 70 so that the surfaces of the functional blocks 4-1 to 4 -N, that is, the appearance portion 6 are exposed on the surface of the broach 70. According to this configuration example, the information processing apparatus 1 can be naturally taken in only by attaching the broach 70, and it is easy to take out and enter desired information by attaching the information processing apparatus 1 without discomfort.

[0027]

As described above, according to the clothing or body-attached information processing apparatus of the present invention, a plurality of button-type functional blocks including devices for realizing required functions in a computer system, and a plurality of button-type functional blocks are provided. A bus composed of a flexible cable that connects the functional blocks, supplies power, and serves as a signal transmission path is provided, so that the flexible cable has a plurality of button-type functional blocks. It has a side-by-side configuration, and can be applied to various clothes and decorative articles to function as a computer system, which is convenient.

Further, according to the clothes or body-attached information processing apparatus of the present invention, since the cable is provided with a connection portion for detachably locking the function block and connecting to the bus, various types of connection are provided. A function block can be attached or detached to extend or change the function, which is convenient.

Further, according to the clothing or body-attached information processing apparatus of the present invention, the functional block detachably connects the appearance portion having the modified appearance, so that the modification can be selected according to the preference. It becomes possible and it is possible to wear it with a natural feeling without impairing fashionability.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of a clothing or body-attached information processing apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a main part of the first embodiment of the clothing or body-attached information processing apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing various aspects relating to a main part of the first embodiment of the clothes or body-attached information processing apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing various aspects relating to a main part of the embodiment of the clothing or body-attached information processing apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a functional block diagram of an embodiment of the clothing or body-attached information processing apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a view for explaining a use form according to the first embodiment of the clothing or body-attached information processing apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a view for explaining the operation of the first embodiment of the clothes or body-attached information processing apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the clothing or body-attached information processing apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a third embodiment of a clothing or body-attached information processing apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a clothing or body-attached information processing apparatus according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a fifth embodiment of a clothing or body-attached information processing apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a clothes or body-attached information processing apparatus according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 information processing device 2-1 to 2-5
Node 3 Bus 4, 4-1 to 4
-N Function block 5, 5-1 to 5-N Connection 6 Exterior

Claims (9)

[Claims] 1. A plurality of button-type function blocks including a device for realizing a required function in a computer system, and a flexible connection that connects the plurality of function blocks to supply power and serve as a signal transmission path. And a bus constituted by a cable having: a clothing or body-attached information processing apparatus. 2. The clothing or body-attached information according to claim 1, wherein the cable is provided with a connecting portion that detachably locks the functional block and connects to the bus. Processing equipment. 3. The clothing or body-attached information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the functional block detachably couples an external part having a modified external appearance. 4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the external part constitutes a button of clothing, and the bus is inserted into a placket of the clothing. 5. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the exterior portion is a plurality of decorations provided on a belt attached to the clothes, and the bus connects the plurality of decorations.
The clothing or body-attached information processing device according to item 1. 6. The garment or body accessory according to claim 3, wherein the exterior portion is a plurality of decorations provided on a watch band, and the bus connects the plurality of decorations. Type information processing device. 7. The clothing or body-attached information processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the exterior part is a plurality of decorative balls of a necklace, and a bus connects the plurality of decorative balls. 8. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said functional block and said bus are built in an armband. 9. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the functional block and the bus are incorporated in a broach.