JP2002175581A - Life watching system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a life watching system which can accurately detect abnormality of an object living person and speedily and adequately protect or nurse the living person after detecting abnormality. SOLUTION: The life watching system is equipped with a sensor group 1 which measures the operation and state of the object living person 11, an abnormality decision means 2 which decides abnormality of the living person 11 according to the output signal of the sensor group 1, an automatic voice calling- out means 3 which automatically calls out to the living person 11 in voice when the abnormality decision means 2 decides that the living person 11 is abnormal, a voice gathering means 4 which gathers the voice of the living person 11, an answer decision means 5 which decides whether there is a voice answer to the automatic voice calling, and an automatic reporting means 6 which automatically reports that the living person 11 is abnormal to a previously set contact place 14 when it is decided that there is no voice answer.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a life watching system capable of accurately detecting an abnormality of a resident who is being watched over, and promptly and appropriately coping with the abnormality. .

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In general, elderly persons who are living alone, the sick, the physically handicapped, intellectually disabled persons, and the like who need watching or nursing guardianship (hereinafter referred to as "watching target").
In many cases, even if some abnormality occurs in the body or the house, it is often not possible to take an appropriate action such as coping with the abnormality or informing an external person of the abnormality. Therefore, various systems have been proposed that automatically detect an abnormality in the body of the person being watched over or the dwelling thereof, and report the abnormality to a predetermined person or organization.

[0003] For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 11-306473 discloses a method in which various sensors are provided in the residence of a person to be monitored, such as an elderly person living alone, and the output signals of the sensors are sent to a central control room via a public telephone line or the like. There is disclosed an abnormality detection system in which a central control room detects an abnormality of a monitored person. In this abnormality detection system, the central control room automatically sends an inquiry signal to the person to be monitored when an abnormality of the person to be monitored is detected, and performs monitoring based on data obtained as a result and output signals from sensors and the like. The details of the subject's abnormalities are understood.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. Hei 3-165000 discloses that after a predetermined room has been occupied, a certain period of time has elapsed and the entrant is urged to press a confirmation push button switch.
An abnormality confirmation system is disclosed in which if there is no push operation even after a predetermined time has elapsed, it is determined that an abnormality has occurred in the occupant and an abnormality report is issued. Further, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 9-305875 discloses a notification system that detects the presence or absence of a fall of an elderly person based on the output of a vibration sensor incorporated in a fall detection device worn by the elderly. It has been disclosed.

[0005]

However, the conventional systems disclosed in JP-A-11-306473, JP-A-3-1655000 or JP-A-9-305875, or other similar systems are disclosed. Although the system can detect an abnormality of a watching target person such as a solitary elderly person, an elderly person, and a monitoring target person, it does not have a specific means for protecting or rescuing the watching target person after detecting the abnormality. For this reason, there is a problem that it is not possible to quickly and appropriately cope with the abnormal situation of the watching target person.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-described conventional problems, and can accurately detect an abnormality of a watching target person, and quickly or appropriately protect or properly protect the watching target person after detecting the abnormality. The task to be solved is to provide a life monitoring system capable of nursing.

[0007]

Means for Solving the Problems The life watching system according to the first aspect of the present invention which has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems has the following features. Sensor group (1) for measuring the operation and / or state
(Ii) a plurality of sensors), (ii) abnormality determining means for determining an abnormality of a consumer based on the output (output signal) of the sensor group, and (iii) abnormality of the consumer by the abnormality determining means. When it is determined that there is (or on the basis of the result of the abnormality determination), an automatic voice calling means for automatically calling the resident, and (iv) collecting the voice of the resident and responding to the automatic voice calling And (v) an automatic notifying means for automatically notifying that a consumer has an abnormality at a preset destination when it is determined that there is no voice response. It is characterized by having.

[0008] The life watching system according to the second aspect of the present invention comprises: (i) a sensor group (one or a plurality of sensors) for measuring the movement and / or state of a consumer who is a target of watching (nursing guardianship); (Ii) abnormality determining means for determining an abnormality of the consumer based on the output (output signal) of the sensor group, and (iii) determining that the consumer has an abnormality by the abnormality determining means. Automatic voice call means for automatically calling the resident when the call is made (or based on the result of the abnormality determination); and (iv) collecting the voice of the resident and determining whether or not there is a voice response to the voice call. Determining means for determining whether or not it is necessary to automatically notify the consumer that there is an abnormality, and (v) setting in advance when the determining means determines that automatic notification is necessary. An automatic notifying means for automatically notifying that there is an abnormality to a consumer is provided to the notified report destination.

[0009] In a life watching system according to a third aspect of the present invention, in the life watching system according to the second aspect of the present invention, the determination means determines whether or not the contents of the voice response of the consumer need to be automatically notified. It is characterized in that it is determined whether or not it is necessary to make an automatic notification by collating with a response word group registered in two groups depending on the presence or absence.

[0010] A life monitoring system according to a fourth aspect of the present invention is the life monitoring system according to any one of the first to third aspects of the present invention, wherein the life monitoring system according to any one of the first to third aspects of the present invention uses the output of the sensor group to live. A living action determining means for determining an action is provided, and the automatic voice calling means selects one of a set of automatic calling words prepared in advance according to the determination result of the living action determining means and outputs a voice. It is characterized by calling.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a life watching system according to any one of the first to fourth aspects of the present invention, wherein the notification destination is a 24-hour system in which a clerk is present. (Ie, there is a usage contract with the consumer or its related parties) of the service center (open 24 hours), and when the service center receives the automatic notification, the clerk again (ie, the automatic In addition to the voice call, a voice call is made, the situation (or urgency) of the consumer is determined based on the content of the response of the consumer to the voice call, and service arrangements are made according to the situation. It is characterized by having. The present invention can also be applied to a case where the person to be watched over is a resident of an apartment complex for the elderly, such as a condominium with care. In this case, the service center may be any place where the staff is always on standby, such as a nurse center or a care center in the same building.

[0012] A life watching system according to a sixth aspect of the present invention is the life monitoring system according to any one of the first to fourth aspects of the present invention, wherein the report destination is an individual designated in advance. The automatic reporting means automatically reports to the portable terminal owned by the individual that the consumer has an abnormality.

[0013] A life watching system according to a seventh aspect of the present invention is the life monitoring system according to any one of the first to sixth aspects of the present invention, wherein the sensor group includes an image sensor; The image data is simultaneously transmitted to the report destination when an abnormality of a consumer is detected, thereby helping (ie, facilitating) understanding of the abnormal situation at the report destination.

According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a life watching system according to any one of the first to sixth aspects of the present invention, wherein the sensor group includes an image sensor. By transmitting the image data in response to the transmission request (transmission request) of the report destination, it is possible to help grasp the abnormal situation at the report destination.

A life watching system according to a ninth aspect of the present invention is the life watching system according to the seventh or eighth aspect of the present invention, which has a function of constantly accumulating image data acquired by the image sensor for a predetermined time. When the abnormality of the consumer is detected, the image data is retained (recorded) within a certain time range before and after the abnormality is detected, and when the image data is transmitted to the report destination, all or all of the retained image data is recorded. A portion corresponding to the transmission request is transmitted to a report destination to assist in understanding an abnormal situation at the report destination.

A life monitoring system according to a tenth aspect of the present invention is the life monitoring system according to any one of the first to ninth aspects of the invention, wherein a function of constantly collecting sounds and a function of collecting the sounds are provided. It has a function of accumulating sound data for a certain period of time, and transmits a sound data within a certain time range (ie, from a certain time before) at the time of detection of an abnormality to a report destination at the time of detecting an abnormality of a resident. It is characterized in that it is designed to help grasp the abnormal situation at the same time.

[0017]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Embodiments of the present invention will be specifically described below. Embodiment 1 FIG. FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of the life watching system according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the operation of the life watching system shown in FIG.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a group of sensors for measuring the operation and state of a resident 11 living in a predetermined living space (for example, a residence). The sensor group 1 includes an installation type sensor 1a (for example, an infrared human sensor and a door sensor) installed in a living space, and an image sensor 1b (for example, a video camera, a CCD camera, and a CMOS image sensor) installed in a living space. ), A built-in sensor 1c incorporated in a living tool (for example, an electric pot, a television), a wearable sensor 1d (for example, a vital sensor, an acceleration sensor, and a vibration sensor) worn on the consumer 11, water, gas,
It is composed of various sensors such as a utility sensor (not shown) for measuring the usage status of utilities such as electric power.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 2 denotes abnormality determining means for determining an abnormality of the consumer 11 based on output signals of the sensor group 1 (sensors 1a to 1d, etc.). The abnormality determination means 2 detects or determines the presence or absence or the content of the abnormality of the consumer 11 due to, for example, a fall or a long-term immobility of the consumer 11, an abnormality of vital data, or an abnormality of a use state of a living tool. Reference numeral 3 denotes an automatic voice calling unit that performs an automatic voice calling to the consumer 11 when the abnormality determining unit 2 determines that the consumer 11 has an abnormality. The automatic voice calling means 3 reproduces voice data recorded and held in advance, and plays the reproduced voice from a speaker 12 arranged in a space (living space) where the consumer 11 is located. . Reference numeral 4 denotes a voice response collection unit that collects a voice (voice response) of the consumer 11 through a microphone 13 installed in the living space or attached to the consumer 11.

Reference numeral 5 in FIG. 1 denotes a response judging means for judging the presence or absence of a voice response to the automatic voice call from the voice of the consumer 11 collected by the voice response collecting means 4. Instead of the voice response collection unit 4 and the response determination unit 5, one determination unit (not shown) that collects the voice of the consumer 11 and determines whether or not there is a voice response may be provided. Reference numeral 6 denotes an automatic notifying means for automatically notifying the preset destination 14 that the consumer 11 has an abnormality when the response judging means 5 judges that there is no voice response of the consumer 11. The automatic reporting means 6 includes a telephone (including a mobile phone and a PHS), the Internet, a dedicated line,
A communication system using an existing technology, such as a CATV line or wireless communication, may be used.

The operation of the life watching system shown in FIG. 1 will be described below with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 2, when the life watching system starts operation, first, an abnormality is determined by the abnormality determining means 2 (step S1). As a result of the abnormality judgment, the consumer 1
If there is no abnormality in Step 1, the flow returns to Step S1 (Step S
2). On the other hand, if there is an abnormality in the consumer 11, an automatic voice call is performed by the automatic voice call means 3 (step S3). Next, the voice response collecting means 4 and the response determination means 5 determine whether or not the consumer 11 has a voice response (step S4). If there is a voice response from the consumer 11, the process returns to step S1. On the other hand, if there is no voice response of the resident 11, the automatic
1 is automatically notified to the notification destination 14 that there is an abnormality (step S5).

In the life watching system according to the first embodiment, first, the presence or absence of abnormality of the resident 11 is detected or determined. If the abnormality of the resident 11 is detected, the voice of the resident 11 in response to the automatic voice call is further detected. The notification of the abnormality is made based on the presence or absence of a response. For this reason, the occurrence of a false report on the presence or absence or the content of the consumer 11 is prevented, or the false report rate is reduced.
As described above, since the occurrence of false alarms is prevented or reduced, even if the abnormality determination threshold of the abnormality determination unit 2 is set low,
There is almost no risk of misinformation. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the detection of the abnormality of the consumer 11 by setting the abnormality determination threshold sufficiently low.

Embodiment 2 FIG. Hereinafter, the life watching system according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. However, most of the components of the life monitoring system shown in FIG. 3 are the same as those of the life monitoring system according to the first embodiment shown in FIG. Are denoted by the same reference numerals as in the first embodiment, and description thereof is omitted.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the life watching system according to the second embodiment. FIG. 4 shows FIG.
It is a flowchart which shows operation | movement of the life watching system shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 3, the life watching system according to the second embodiment includes a notification necessity determining unit 7 in addition to the components of the life watching system shown in FIG.
The notification necessity determining means 7 determines that the consumer 11 has an abnormality in accordance with the content of the voice response when the consumer 11 responds to the voice call by the automatic voice prompting means 3. It is determined whether automatic notification is necessary. Then, when it is determined that the automatic notification is necessary by the notification necessity determination means 7, the automatic notification means 6
A notification is automatically sent to a preset destination 14 that the consumer 11 has an abnormality.

As described above, in the second embodiment, the resident 1
When there is one voice response, it is determined whether the automatic notification is necessary or not in accordance with the presence or absence of the voice response. This is because, even when the abnormality determining means 2 determines that the consumer 11 has an abnormality, it may not be necessary to report the abnormality depending on the content of the voice response of the consumer 11. Thus, for example, despite the fact that the consumer 11 responds to the voice call “OK”,
It is possible to avoid erroneous notification such as automatic notification when the consumer 11 has an abnormality.

The operation of the life watching system shown in FIG. 3 will be described below with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 4, when the life watching system starts operation, first, the abnormality determination unit 2 performs an abnormality determination (step S11). As a result of the abnormality determination, if there is no abnormality in the consumer 11, the process returns to step S11 (step S12). On the other hand, if there is an abnormality in the consumer 11, an automatic voice call is performed by the automatic voice call means 3 (step S13).

Next, the presence / absence of a voice response of the consumer 11 is determined by the voice response collection unit 4 and the response determination unit 5 (step S14). Here, if there is no voice response from the resident 11, there is a possibility that the resident 11 may be in a state in which even the voice response cannot be made. Is the report destination 14
(Step S17). On the other hand, Consumer 1
If there is a voice response of No. 1, the content of the response is collated with a preset set of response words (step S15),
Subsequently, it is determined whether or not it is necessary to automatically report that the consumer 11 has an abnormality (step S16). here,
If there is no need to make an automatic report, the process returns to step S11. If there is a need to make an automatic report, the automatic reporting means 6 automatically reports to the report destination 14 that there is an abnormality in the consumer 11 (step S17).

Incidentally, an algorithm for recognizing the voice response of the consumer 11 and interpreting the content is necessary for the determination of the necessity of the automatic notification in step S16, but a simple determination method (algorithm) is as follows. For example, there is the following. That is, various response words assumed to be issued by the resident 11 are registered in two response word groups, that is, a report required response word group and a report unnecessary response word group, according to the necessity of the automatic report. Keep it. Then, when there is a voice response from the consumer 11, the voice response is collated with a registered response word (hereinafter, referred to as a “registered word”).

As a result of the collation, when it is determined that the voice response matches any one of the registered words, it is determined whether or not it is necessary to report based on which response word group the registered word belongs to. . That is, if the registered word belongs to the report-necessary response word group, it is determined that it is necessary to report, and if it belongs to the report-unnecessary response word group, it is determined that there is no need to report. If the voice response does not correspond to any of the registered words, it is determined that it is necessary to report. This determination method has an advantage that the false alarm rate can be reduced without using an advanced voice recognition algorithm. In addition, by setting (registering) the registered word to the consumer 11, it is possible to cope with wording and dialects.

Table 1 shows an example of registered words which are divided into a message-necessary response word group and a message-unnecessary response word group. Table 1 Registered words used to determine the presence or absence of automatic notification

In the life watching system according to the second embodiment, the occurrence of a false report on the presence or absence or the contents of the consumer 11 is effectively prevented, or the false report rate is significantly reduced. Further, since the occurrence of false alarms is prevented or reduced, even if the abnormality determination threshold value of the abnormality determination means 2 is set low, there is almost no possibility that false alarms will occur. Omission of detection of abnormality can be prevented.

Embodiment 3 FIG. Hereinafter, referring to FIG.
A life watching system according to a third embodiment of the present invention will be described. However, most of the components of the life monitoring system shown in FIG. 5 are common to those of the life monitoring system according to the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1 or the second embodiment shown in FIG. In order to avoid this, common components are denoted by the same reference numerals as those in the first or second embodiment, and description thereof is omitted.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the life watching system according to the third embodiment. As illustrated in FIG. 5, the life watching system according to the third embodiment includes a living behavior determination unit 8 and address word data 15 in addition to the components of the life watching system illustrated in FIG. 1 or FIG. 3. I have. The living behavior determining means 8 determines (determines) what kind of behavior the consumer 11 is using, using output signals of the sensor group 1 (sensors 1a to 1d, etc.) for measuring the behavior and state of the consumer 11. ) And reflect the result of the determination in the abnormality determination criterion.

Further, the living behavior judging means 8 keeps the judgment result at all times, and when the abnormality judging means 2 detects that the consumer 11 has an abnormality, the consumer 11 It outputs to the automatic voice calling means 3 whether or not such an action has been performed. Then, the automatic voice calling means 3 selects one of the prepared calling word data 15 (automatic calling word group) in accordance with the mode of the action and makes a voice call to the consumer 11. The selection of the automatic calling word is performed randomly or in a predetermined order so that the same word is not used repeatedly. In this way, by making a call using various call words in accordance with the behavior or the scene of the consumer 11, the consumer 11 is "noisy".
It is possible to realize a call that does not make you feel.

Table 2 shows an example of a call word according to the behavior mode or scene of the consumer 11. Table 2 Calling words according to the behavior of consumers

Also in the life watching system according to the third embodiment, the occurrence of a false report on the presence or absence or the contents of the consumer 11 is prevented, and the false report rate is greatly reduced. Further, since the occurrence of false alarms is prevented or reduced, even if the abnormality determination threshold value of the abnormality determination means 2 is set low, there is almost no possibility that false alarms will occur. Omission of detection of abnormality can be prevented.

Embodiment 4 FIG. Hereinafter, the life watching system according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. However, most of the components of the life monitoring system shown in FIG. 6 are the same as those of the life monitoring system according to the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1 or the second embodiment shown in FIG. In order to avoid this, common components are denoted by the same reference numerals as those in the first or second embodiment, and description thereof is omitted.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a life watching system according to the fourth embodiment. FIG.
7 is a flowchart showing an operation of a service center or a person in charge of the service center which is a report destination of the life watching system shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 6, the life watching system according to the fourth embodiment includes a transmission / reception unit 9 (another communication unit) in addition to the components of the life watching system shown in FIG. 1 or FIG. The report destination 14 is the consumer 11
Alternatively, it is a 24-hour service center where a staff member is stationed and whose related parties have concluded a usage contract. In this service center, when the automatic notification that there is an abnormality in the consumer 11 is received, the waiting staff makes a voice call again, and the content of the response of the consumer 11 to the voice call causes the consumer 11 to respond. The situation (urgency) is determined, and a service is arranged according to the situation.

In the life watching system shown in FIG. 6, the voice call from the service center staff to the consumer 11 is as follows.
The transmission / reception means 9 according to the existing technology is used separately from the communication system for automatic voice call and voice response thereto (for emergency call). However, the voice call from the service center staff to the consumer 11 may be performed using the communication system for emergency notification.

The range of the voice call of the staff of the service center and the collection of the voice response to the voice call are to cover not only the space where the resident 11 is actually assumed but also the living space as large as possible. desirable. That is, even in a situation where the resident 11 is present without any abnormality outside the area where the sensor group 1 can detect, the voice call of the attendant can be heard by the resident 11 or the voice response of the resident 11 is transmitted to the service center. It is desirable to be transmitted to. In this life watching system, by incorporating the judgment of the service center staff, erroneous activation of service arrangement can be prevented, and service arrangement according to the situation can be made. Here, the service means the activation of an ambulance (request for dispatch),
Professionals (physicians, visiting nurses, helpers, etc.)
, Requesting help from nearby collaborators, and contacting family members.

The operation on the service center side in the life watching system according to the fourth embodiment will be described below with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 7, when the service center receives an automatic notification that the consumer 11 has an abnormality, that is, an abnormal signal (step S2).
1) The clerk makes a voice call to the consumer 11 (step S22). When the clerk receives the voice response of the consumer 11 (step S23), the clerk determines the abnormal situation or the urgency of the consumer 11 based on the voice response (step S24). If the abnormal situation cannot be determined from the voice response of the consumer 11, a further voice call is made, a further voice response of the consumer 11 is received, and the abnormal situation is accurately determined.

Here, if the attendant determines that there is no abnormality in the consumer 11, the monitoring abnormality detection mode of the consumer system is canceled (step S25), and an instruction is returned to the normal monitoring mode (end). . In this process, a service such as communication with the consumer 11 can be added.

On the other hand, if the attendant determines that there is an abnormality in the resident 11, the service arrangement according to the abnormal situation, for example, activation of an ambulance, contact to a professional, request for assistance to a nearby cooperator, Contact the family etc. (Step S26-
S29). In the life watching system according to the fourth embodiment, the abnormality of the resident 11 can be accurately detected, and the resident 11 can be quickly and appropriately protected or nursed after the abnormality is detected.

Embodiment 5 FIG. Hereinafter, referring to FIG.
A life watching system according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention will be described. However, most of the components of the life monitoring system shown in FIG. 8 are the same as those of the life monitoring system according to the third embodiment shown in FIG. Are denoted by the same reference numerals as in the third embodiment, and description thereof is omitted.

FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a life watching system according to the fifth embodiment. As shown in FIG. 8, in the life watching system according to the fifth embodiment,
The report destination 14 is an individual designated in advance,
The automatic notifying means 6 automatically notifies the portable terminal owned by the individual that the resident 11 has an abnormality. Such individuals include, for example, families, professions (visiting nurses, helpers, etc.), neighborhood collaborators, and the like. A plurality of report destinations 14 may be designated with priorities (report destinations 1 to N), and if one report destination 14 does not respond, a report may be made to the next report destination 14. Alternatively, a plurality of contacts 14 (report destinations 1 to N) may be reported simultaneously.

Here, as the portable terminal, a portable telephone, P
HS, pager (pager (registered trademark)), PD
A, a portable personal computer or the like can be used. The individual who has received such a report can take a confirming action, arrange an ambulance, or rush to the ambulance at his / her own discretion, and respond quickly and appropriately to the abnormalities of the consumer 11. In this life watching system, the individual is given the judgment to deal with the abnormality of the consumer 11,
Various countermeasures corresponding to the individual circumstances of each consumer 11 are possible. Further, since there is no service center, there is an advantage that the privacy of the consumer 11 is protected. Even in the life watching system according to the fifth embodiment, the abnormality of the resident 11 can be accurately detected, and the resident 11 can be quickly and appropriately protected or nursed after the abnormality is detected.

Embodiment 6 FIG. Hereinafter, a life watching system according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention will be described. However, the configuration of the life watching system according to the sixth embodiment is the same as that of the life watching system according to the fourth embodiment shown in FIG. Therefore, the function of the life watching system will be mainly described below with reference to FIG.

In this life monitoring system, the sensor group 1
The image of the consumer 11 is collected by effectively using the image sensor 1b, which is a component of the above. As the image sensor 1b,
For example, a CCD camera, a CMOS image sensor, or the like having pixels that can grasp the situation of the consumer 11 from an image is used. Here, the image sensor 1b is arranged so as to cover most of the activity range of the consumer 11. Normally, image processing is performed on the collected image data to calculate parameters reflecting the movement and state of a person, and these parameters are used for abnormality determination by the abnormality determination unit 2.

On the other hand, when the abnormality of the consumer 11 is detected, at the same time (immediately), the image data itself is transmitted to the report destination 14 (service center). In this way, the clerk of the report destination 14 sees this image, grasps the abnormal situation, for example, what has happened, what kind of situation it is now, etc., and takes prompt and appropriate response. Can be. In this life watching system, the response can be confirmed with an image while making a voice call to the consumer 11. Therefore, even when a clear voice response cannot be obtained from the resident 11, the image of the resident 1
It is possible to ascertain the situation or state of (1). In addition,
In the life monitoring system shown in FIG. 6, the report destination 14 is a service center. However, the same effect can be obtained even when the report destination 14 is an individual.

The operation of the consumer side system and the operation of the center side system or its staff in the life watching system according to the sixth embodiment will be described below with reference to the flowcharts shown in FIGS. 9 and 10. First, the operation of the consumer system will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 9, in this consumer side system, first, the abnormality determination unit 2 causes the image sensor 1 b
An abnormality determination is performed using (step S31). If there is no abnormality in the consumer 11 as a result of the abnormality determination, step S
It returns to 31 (step S32). On the other hand, if there is an abnormality in the consumer 11, the automatic voice calling is performed by the automatic voice calling means 3 (step S33).

Next, the presence / absence of a voice response of the consumer 11 is determined by the voice response collection unit 4 and the response determination unit 5 (step S34). Here, if there is no voice response from the consumer 11, the automatic reporting means 6 automatically reports to the reporting destination 14 (service center) that there is an abnormality in the consumer 11, and the image captured by the image sensor 1b is displayed. It is transmitted to the report destination 14 (service center) (step S37). On the other hand, if there is a voice response from the consumer 11, the response content is collated with a preset response word group (step S35), and then it is necessary to automatically report that the consumer 11 has an abnormality. It is determined whether or not there is (step S36).

Here, if there is no need to make an automatic report, the process returns to step S31. If it is necessary to make an automatic report, the automatic report means 6 informs the consumer 1 that there is an abnormality in the consumer 11.
4 and an image captured by the image sensor 1b is transmitted to the notification destination 14 (step S).
37). Note that the collation of the response content in step S35 or the determination of the necessity of the automatic notification in step S36 is performed using the same algorithm as in the fourth embodiment.

Next, the operation of the center system or its staff will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 10, in this center-side system,
Upon receiving the automatic notification that the resident 11 has an abnormality, that is, an abnormal signal and the image captured by the image sensor 1b (step S41), the clerk makes a voice call to the resident 11 (step S42). Then, an image check is performed (step S44). Then, if the attendant receives the voice response of the consumer 11 (step S4)
3) The clerk is based on the voice response and the image, and
(Step S4)
5). In addition, the attendant makes a further voice call as needed, receives a further voice response of the resident 11, and
Determine the abnormal situation accurately.

Here, if the attendant determines that there is no abnormality in the consumer 11, the monitoring abnormality detection mode of the consumer system is canceled (step S46). On the other hand, consumer 11
If the attendant determines that there is an abnormality, the operator arranges a service according to the abnormal situation, for example, activates an ambulance, contacts a professional, requests support from a nearby cooperator, contacts a family member, and the like ( Steps S47 to S50). Even in the life watching system according to the sixth embodiment, the abnormality of the resident 11 can be accurately detected, and after the abnormality is detected, the resident 11
Can be quickly and appropriately protected or nursing.

Embodiment 7 FIG. Hereinafter, a life watching system according to a seventh embodiment of the present invention will be described. However, the configuration of the life watching system according to the seventh embodiment is the same as that of the life watching system according to the fourth embodiment shown in FIG. Therefore, the function of the life watching system will be mainly described below with reference to FIG. In this life monitoring system, Embodiment 6
As in the case of (1), the image of the consumer 11 is collected by effectively using the image sensor 1b constituting the sensor group 1.

The function of the life watching system according to the seventh embodiment is similar to that of the life watching system according to the sixth embodiment, but the image data of the living 11 is simultaneously detected when the abnormality of the living 11 is detected. The difference is that, instead of sending (sending), the request is sent after receiving a request from the report destination 14 (service center). That is, the seventh embodiment
In the life monitoring system according to the above, a voice call is sent from the report destination 14 to the consumer 11, and if there is a normal response, the transmission of the image data is not requested, and there is no response, or there is a possibility that there is an abnormality depending on the content of the response. Only if it is estimated that
Requests transmission of image data.

By using such a method (procedure), the communication amount of image data can be reduced. In addition, since the image data is transmitted only when there is a high possibility that the consumer 11 has an abnormality (certainty), privacy of the consumer is protected. In the life watching system according to the seventh embodiment, the report destination 14 is a service center. However, the report destination 14 may be an individual. When the report destination 14 is an individual, the privacy of the resident 11 is not a significant problem, so the above privacy protection effect is not so advantageous, but the effect of reducing the image data communication amount is a great advantage.

The operation of the consumer side system and the operation of the center side system or its staff in the life watching system according to the seventh embodiment will be described below with reference to the flowcharts shown in FIGS. 11 and 12. First, FIG.
The operation of the consumer system will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 11, in this consumer-side system, first, the abnormality determination unit 2 performs an abnormality determination using the image sensor 1b (step S5).
1). As a result of the abnormality determination, if there is no abnormality in the consumer 11, the process returns to step S51 (step S52). On the other hand, if there is an abnormality in the consumer 11, an automatic voice call is performed by the automatic voice call means 3 (step S53).

Next, the presence or absence of the voice response of the consumer 11 is determined by the voice response collection means 4 and the response determination means 5 (step S54). Here, if there is no voice response from the consumer 11, the automatic reporting means 6 automatically reports to the reporting destination 14 (service center) that the consumer 11 is abnormal (step S57). On the other hand, if there is a voice response from the consumer 11, the response content is checked against a preset set of response words (step S55), and then it is necessary to automatically report that the consumer 11 has an abnormality. It is determined whether or not there is (step S56).

Here, if there is no need for automatic notification, the procedure returns to step S51. If automatic notification is necessary, the automatic notification means 6 notifies the consumer 11 that there is an abnormality to the notification destination 1.
4 is automatically notified (step S57). It should be noted that the response content is compared in step S55, or step S55.
The determination of the necessity of the automatic notification in 56 is performed using the same algorithm as in the case of the fourth embodiment.

After the automatic notification is made to the notification destination 14 in step S57, the consumer side system waits for a predetermined time because there is a possibility that the image transmission request is issued from the notification destination 14 (step S58). Then, it is determined whether there is an image transmission request of the report destination 14 (step S59). If there is no request, the process returns to step S58, and if there is a request, the image is transmitted to the report destination 14 (step S60).

Next, the operation of the center-side system will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 12, in this center-side system, upon receiving an automatic notification that the consumer 11 has an abnormality, that is, an abnormal signal (step S61), the clerk makes a voice call to the consumer 11 (step S62). ). Then, it is determined whether or not there is a voice response of the consumer 11 (step S63). If there is no voice response, the attendant requests the consumer system to transmit an image (step S64), and thereafter, the image is transmitted from the consumer system. Receive (Step S65). If there is a voice response from the consumer 11, steps S64 to S65 are skipped.

Thus, the attendant determines the abnormal situation or urgency of the consumer 11 based on the voice response or the image (step S66). Here, if the attendant determines that there is no abnormality in the consumer 11, the monitoring abnormality detection mode of the consumer side system is released (step S67). On the other hand, if the attendant determines that there is an abnormality in the resident 11, the service arrangement according to the abnormal situation, for example, activation of an ambulance, contacting a professional, requesting support to a nearby cooperator, requesting family members Communication is made (steps S68 to S71). Even in the life watching system according to the seventh embodiment, the abnormality of the resident 11 can be accurately detected, and the resident 11 can be quickly and appropriately protected or cared for after the abnormality is detected.

Embodiment 8 FIG. Hereinafter, a life watching system according to an eighth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. However, most of the components of the life monitoring system shown in FIG. 13 are common to the components of the life monitoring system according to the third embodiment shown in FIG. 5 or the fourth embodiment shown in FIG. In order to avoid the problem, the common components are described in Embodiment 3 or Embodiment 4.
The same reference numerals as in case (1) denote the same parts, and a description thereof will be omitted.

FIG. 13 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a life watching system according to the eighth embodiment. FIG.
FIG. 4 and FIG. 15 are flowcharts showing the operation of the consumer side system and the operation of the center side system (report destination) in the life watching system according to the eighth embodiment, respectively. As shown in FIG. 13, the life watching system according to the eighth embodiment includes an image / sound data storage unit 10 in addition to the components of the life watching system shown in FIG. 5 or FIG. The report destination 14 is the consumer 11
Alternatively, it is a 24-hour service center where a staff member is stationed and whose related parties have concluded a usage contract.

In this life monitoring system, the sensor group 1
The image of the consumer 11 is collected by effectively using the image sensor 1b, which is a component of the above. As the image sensor 1b,
For example, a CCD camera, a CMOS image sensor, or the like having pixels that can grasp the situation of the consumer 11 from an image is used. Here, the image sensor 1b is arranged so as to cover most of the activity range of the consumer 11. Then, in normal times, image processing is performed on the collected image data, and parameters reflecting the movement and state of the person are calculated. These parameters are used for abnormality determination by the abnormality determination unit 2.

The image / sound data accumulating means 10 always accumulates (holds) the image data acquired by the image sensor 1b for a certain period of time. Further, the microphone 13 for voice response is used (also used), and the voice of the consumer 11 is constantly collected and stored (held) for a certain period of time. That is, the image / sound data storage means 10 has a buffer (image recording device) for a fixed time for image data, and always stores (holds) the image data for the past fixed time. Further, it has a buffer for sound data for a fixed time, and always stores (holds) sound data for a fixed time in the past.

These buffers of the image / sound data storage means 10 constantly update the stored data by overwriting when the consumer 11 has no abnormality. When an abnormality is detected, the stored image data and sound data and the image data and sound data for a certain period of time after the abnormality is detected are transferred to another memory (recording means) and recorded (held). ). Even if the image data is recorded in the form of a moving image,
Alternatively, it may be recorded in the form of a still image sequence at short time intervals. Although the image data and the sound data may be separately recorded, the moving image and the sound may be collectively recorded using a recording method such as MPEG2.

Thus, the image / sound data storage means 10
Transmits the image data and the sound data recorded in the separate memory to the report destination 14 automatically or in response to a transmission request from the report destination 14 (service center) when the consumer 11 reports an abnormality. . 14 and 15 show a case where image data and sound data are transmitted in response to a transmission request from the report destination 14. In addition,
With respect to the image data transmission request, a time range before and after the abnormality detection may be designated. Thereby, it is possible to efficiently check the image data and the sound data as needed.

As described above, by storing the image data and the sound data not only after the abnormality is detected but also before the abnormality is detected, the state of the consumer 11 before and after the occurrence of the abnormality (for example, how to fall, sound to fall, scream, Posture immediately after falling down) can be accurately grasped. For this reason, it is easy to identify (determine) the cause and degree of the abnormality. Since the urgency of coping differs depending on the cause of the abnormality, appropriate service or response can be performed by identifying the cause of the abnormality. In this life watching system, the image / sound data storage means 10 is a constituent element of the consumer side system. However, if the communication means is secured, the image / sound data storage means 10 is physically It can be placed anywhere.
Further, in this life monitoring system, the report destination 14 is a service center. However, even when the report destination 14 is an individual, the same effect is of course obtained.

Hereinafter, the operation of the consumer side system and the operation of the center side system or its staff in the life watching system according to the eighth embodiment will be described with reference to the flowcharts shown in FIGS. 14 and 15. First, FIG.
The operation of the consumer system will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 14, in this consumer-side system, first, the abnormality determination unit 2 performs an abnormality determination using the image sensor 1b (step S8).
1). As a result of the abnormality determination, if there is no abnormality in the consumer 11, the process returns to step S81 (step S82). On the other hand, if there is an abnormality in the consumer 11, an automatic voice call is performed by the automatic voice call means 3 (step S83), and the image data and the sound data are stored in the image / sound data storage means 10.
Is recorded (stored) in the other memory (step S8)
7).

Next, the presence / absence of a voice response of the consumer 11 is determined by the voice response collection unit 4 and the response determination unit 5 (step S84). Here, if there is no voice response from the consumer 11, the automatic reporting means 6 automatically reports to the reporting destination 14 (service center) that the consumer 11 is abnormal (step S88). On the other hand, if there is a voice response from the consumer 11, the content of the response is collated with a preset response word group (step S85), and it is necessary to automatically report that the consumer 11 has an abnormality. It is determined whether or not there is (step S86).

Here, if there is no need to make an automatic report, the process returns to step S81. If it is necessary to make an automatic report, the automatic report means 6 informs the consumer 1 that there is an abnormality in the consumer 11.
4 is automatically notified (step S88). It should be noted that the response content is compared in step S85 or step S85.
The determination of the necessity of the automatic notification in 86 is performed using the same algorithm as in the fourth embodiment.

After the automatic notification is made to the report destination 14 in step S88, the consumer side system waits for a predetermined time because there is a possibility that the report destination 14 may request transmission of image data and sound data ( Step S89). And
It is determined whether there is a transmission request from the report destination 14 (step S90). If there is no request, the process returns to step S89. If there is a request, image data and sound data are transmitted to the report destination 14 (center-side system). (Step S91).

Next, the operation of the center-side system will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 15, in this center-side system, upon receiving an automatic notification that the consumer 11 has an abnormality, that is, an abnormal signal (step S101), the attendant makes a voice call to the consumer 11 (step S102). ). And consumer 1
In step S103, it is determined whether there is a voice response (step S103). If there is no voice response, the attendant requests the consumer side system to transmit image data and sound data (step S104).
Thereafter, image data and sound data are received from the consumer side system (step S105). If there is a voice response from the consumer 11, steps S104 to S105 are skipped.

Thus, the attendant determines the abnormal situation or urgency of the consumer 11 based on the voice response or the image data and the sound data (step S106). Here, when the attendant determines that there is no abnormality in the consumer 11, the monitoring abnormality detection mode of the consumer system is released (step S107). On the other hand, if the attendant determines that there is an abnormality in the resident 11, the service arrangement according to the abnormal situation, for example, activation of an ambulance, contacting a professional, requesting support to a nearby cooperator, requesting family members Contact is made (steps S108 to S111). Even with the life watching system according to the eighth embodiment, the abnormality of the resident 11 can be accurately detected, and the resident 11 can be quickly and appropriately protected or nursed after the abnormality is detected.

[0077]

In the life watching system according to the first aspect of the present invention, when an abnormality of a resident is detected, only when there is no voice response of the resident to the automatic voice call,
The notification destination is notified of the abnormality. Therefore, occurrence of a false report is prevented or a false report rate is reduced. For this reason, the abnormality determination threshold value of the abnormality determination means can be set low, and it is possible to prevent an omission in detecting an abnormality of a consumer. Therefore, it is possible to accurately detect the abnormality of the resident, and to quickly and appropriately protect or nurture the resident after the abnormality is detected.

In the life watching system according to the second aspect of the present invention, when an abnormality of a resident is detected, it is necessary to report the abnormality based on the presence and content of the resident's voice response to the automatic voice call. After determining whether or not there is
A report is made to the report destination. Therefore, the occurrence of false reports is effectively prevented, or the false report rate is significantly reduced. For this reason, the abnormality determination threshold value of the abnormality determination means can be set low, and it is possible to prevent an omission in detecting an abnormality of a consumer. Therefore, it is possible to accurately detect the abnormality of the resident, and to quickly and appropriately protect or nurture the resident after the abnormality is detected.

In the life watching system according to the third aspect of the present invention, the same effects as those of the life watching system according to the second aspect of the present invention can be obtained. further,
By comparing the contents of the consumer's voice response with the registered response words to determine whether or not automatic reporting is required, the voice recognition algorithm can be simplified and the error rate reduced. can do.

In the life watching system according to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the same effects as those of the life watching system according to any one of the first to third aspects of the present invention can be obtained. Furthermore, since one of the prepared automatic calling words is selected and the automatic voice calling is performed according to the living behavior of the resident, it is possible to perform an appropriate automatic calling according to the life scene. it can.
In addition, since the automatic calling words are diversified, it is possible to realize an automatic calling that does not make the consumer feel "noisy".

In the life watching system according to the fifth aspect of the present invention, the same effects as those of the life watching system according to any one of the first to fourth aspects of the present invention can be obtained. In addition, when the service center receives an abnormality report, the service center asks the staff to make another voice call, judges the situation of the consumer based on the contents of the response of the consumer, and arranges a service according to the situation. It is possible to prevent unnecessary service arrangements based on the judgment. Therefore, it is possible to accurately detect the abnormality of the resident, and to quickly and appropriately protect or care the resident after the abnormality is detected.

In the life watching system according to the sixth aspect of the present invention, the same effects as those of the life watching system according to any one of the first to fourth aspects of the present invention can be obtained. Further, the automatic reporting means automatically reports the abnormality of the resident to the portable terminal owned by the individual, so that the abnormality can be dealt with by the individual without using the center service. For this reason, it is possible to take appropriate measures corresponding to the individual circumstances of each consumer. Therefore, it is possible to accurately detect the abnormality of the resident, and to quickly and appropriately protect or care the resident after the abnormality is detected.

In the life watching system according to the seventh aspect of the present invention, the same effects as those of the life watching system according to any one of the first to sixth aspects of the present invention can be obtained. Further, at the time of the abnormality report, the image data is transmitted to the report destination at the same time, and it becomes easy to grasp the abnormal situation at the report destination, so that the resident can be protected or nursed more quickly and appropriately.

In the life watching system according to the eighth aspect of the present invention, the same effects as those of the life watching system according to any one of the first to sixth aspects of the present invention can be obtained. Furthermore, at the time of an error notification, image data is transmitted in response to the transmission request of the notification destination to help grasp the abnormal situation at the notification destination, so that privacy of consumers is protected and image communication volume is reduced. Reduced.

In the life watching system according to the ninth aspect of the present invention, the same effects as in the case of the life watching system according to the seventh or eighth aspect of the present invention can be obtained.
Furthermore, since the image data before and after the abnormality is detected is transmitted to the report destination to help grasp the abnormal situation at the report destination, the situation at the time of the abnormality occurrence (for example, the moment when a consumer falls) can be grasped. Or, the cause and the degree of the abnormality can be easily identified.

[0086] In the life watching system according to the tenth aspect of the present invention, the same effects as those of the life watching system according to any one of the first to ninth aspects of the present invention can be obtained. In addition, sound data before abnormality detection is transmitted to the report destination to help grasp the abnormal situation at the report destination, so it is easier to grasp the situation at the time of occurrence of the abnormality or to identify the cause and degree of the abnormality. Becomes

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a life watching system according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of the life watching system according to the first exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a life watching system according to a second embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of the life watching system according to the second exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a life watching system according to a third embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a life watching system according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an operation of a center system or a staff member of the life watching system according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a life watching system according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the operation of the consumer side system in the life watching system according to the sixth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing an operation of a center-side system or a staff member thereof in a life watching system according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing an operation of a consumer side system in the life watching system according to the seventh embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing an operation of a center system or a staff member in the life watching system according to the seventh embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 13 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a life watching system according to an eighth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing an operation of a consumer side system in the life watching system according to the eighth exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 15 is a flowchart showing the operation of the center-side system or its staff in the life watching system according to the eighth embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 sensor group, 1a installation type sensor, 1b image sensor, 1c built-in type sensor, 1d wearing type sensor,
2 Abnormality judgment means 3 Automatic voice calling means 4
Voice response collecting means, 5 response determining means, 6 automatic reporting means, 7 reporting necessary determining means, 8 living behavior determining means, 9 transmitting / receiving means, 10 image / sound data storing means, 11 consumers, 12 speakers, 13 microphone, 14 Report destination (service center), 15 Call word data.

Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Taizo Miyachi 2-3-2 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo Mitsui Electric Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Hidenao Kitani 2-3-2 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo Mitsubishi Electric Co., Ltd. In-company (72) Inventor Koki Asato 2-3-2 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo Mitsubishi Electric Corporation (72) Inventor Jun Takeda 2-3-2 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo Mitsubishi Electric Co., Ltd. In-house F-term (reference) 5C087 AA02 AA03 BB03 BB73 BB74 DD03 DD24 EE05 EE08 EE15 FF01 FF04 GG02 GG20 GG66 GG70 GG83 5K101 KK14 LL01 NN01 NN07 NN14 NN21

Claims (10)

[Claims] 1. A sensor group for measuring an operation and / or a state of a consumer who is a watching target, abnormality determining means for determining an abnormality of the consumer based on an output of the sensor group, and abnormality determining means. When it is determined that there is an abnormality in the resident, an automatic voice calling means for making an automatic voice call to the resident, and collecting the voice of the resident to determine whether there is a voice response to the automatic voice call Determination means for determining whether there is no voice response by the determination means, and an automatic notification means for automatically notifying that there is an abnormality to the resident at a preset notification destination. A featured life monitoring system. 2. A sensor group for measuring an operation and / or a state of a living person to be watched over, an abnormality determining means for determining an abnormality of the living person based on an output of the sensor group, and an abnormality determining means. When it is determined that there is an abnormality in the resident, an automatic voice calling means for automatically making a voice call to the resident, and collecting the voice of the resident and determining whether there is a voice response to the voice call According to the contents, the determining means for determining whether or not it is necessary to automatically report that there is an abnormality to the resident, and when the determining means determines that it is necessary to automatically report, it is set in advance. A life monitoring system comprising: an automatic notification unit for automatically notifying a notification destination that there is an abnormality in the consumer. 3. It is necessary for the determination means to perform automatic notification by comparing the content of the voice response of the resident with a response word group registered in two groups according to the necessity of automatic notification. 3. The life watching system according to claim 2, wherein it is determined whether or not there is. 4. A living activity determining means for determining the living behavior of the resident using an output of the sensor group, wherein the automatic voice calling means is prepared in advance in accordance with the determination result of the living activity determining means. The life watching system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a voice call is performed by selecting one of the set of automatic call words. 5. The service center according to claim 1, wherein the report destination is a 24-hour service center where a clerk is present, and when the service center receives the automatic report, the clerk makes a voice call again to the clerk. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the status of the resident is determined based on the content of the response of the resident to the call, and a service is arranged according to the circumstance. Life monitoring system described. 6. The method according to claim 6, wherein the report destination is an individual designated in advance, and the automatic report means automatically reports to the portable terminal owned by the individual that the resident has an abnormality. The life watching system according to any one of claims 1 to 4. 7. The sensor group includes an image sensor,
7. The method according to claim 1, wherein, at the time of detection of the abnormality of the resident, image data is simultaneously transmitted to the notification destination to assist in understanding an abnormal situation at the notification destination. Life monitoring system described in one. 8. The sensor group includes an image sensor,
The image data is transmitted in response to the transmission request of the report destination, so that it is possible to help grasp an abnormal situation at the report destination. Life monitoring system. 9. A function of constantly accumulating image data acquired by an image sensor for a fixed time, holding image data in a fixed time range before and after the abnormality detection at the time of detecting the abnormality of the consumer, When transmitting image data to the destination, all of the stored image data or a portion corresponding to the transmission request is transmitted to the report destination, so that it is possible to grasp the abnormal situation at the report destination. The life watching system according to claim 7 or 8, wherein: 10. A function of constantly collecting sound and a function of accumulating the collected sound data for a certain period of time. The life monitoring system according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the system is transmitted to the report destination to help grasp an abnormal situation at the report destination.