JP2002315738A - Body movement measuring apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To record the body movement by moving an apparatus without performing a special work even when one would like to take a sleep on a bed different from an ordinary case without obstructing a natural sleep. SOLUTION: A sensor part 11 provided with a body movement detecting sensor for detecting unrestrictedly the body movement generated by movement of a human body on a portable box body in which a base part 111, a flexible arm 112 stood upward from this top part and a sensor storing part 113 fitted on the top end of this are integrally provided and a body movement information storing and displaying part 12 provided with a storing part which is formed into a rectangular shape with such a size as being put in the palm as a personal portable information terminal and is for storing data obtained from the body movement detecting sensor and a displaying part 120 for displaying the information related to the body movement obtained based on the data, are provided.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a body movement measuring device for detecting and recording body movement caused by movement of a human body without restriction.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Various prior arts relating to this kind of body movement measuring device have been proposed. For example, Japanese Patent No. 2718303
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. H11-139,086 discloses a sleep state determination device that measures and evaluates body movements during sleep using a piezoelectric element provided in bedding as sensing means.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 10-5180 discloses an on-bed detection device and a detection method for fixing a body movement detection means on a ceiling above a bed for the purpose of detecting a human body of a bed person. .

Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 4-138135 discloses a sleep detection device by infrared detection that detects a human body movement without contact using a pyroelectric infrared sensor and detects sleep.

[0005] US Pat.
monitoring body movements usingactivity monitoring
apparatus "discloses a method of recording body movements with a wrist-mounted activity meter.

[0006]

The above prior arts are broadly classified into either fixing the device to a user's bedding, fixing the device in a house or building, or mounting a sensor on the body. . In the case of installing in bedding or a house, there are costs such as installation cost, and there is an inconvenience that a body movement cannot be recorded when the user wants to sleep on an unusual bed. In addition, when the sensor is worn on the body, there is a risk that natural sleep may be hindered by wearing the sensor.

[0007] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and does not hinder natural sleep. Even if it is desired to sleep on a bed that is not usual, it is possible to move the body without performing any special construction. It is an object of the present invention to provide a body motion measuring device capable of recording a motion.

[0008]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a body movement measuring apparatus comprising: a portable sensor unit having a body movement detection sensor; and a body movement detection sensor. And a portable body movement information storage and display unit provided with a display unit for displaying information on body movement obtained based on the data. .

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the body movement measuring device according to the first aspect, the sensor unit integrally includes a sensor accommodating unit accommodating the body movement detecting sensor and a base unit supporting the sensor accommodating unit. The body motion information storage / display unit is also integrally supported on the base.

[0010] The third aspect of the present invention is the first or second aspect.
In the body motion measuring device described above, the storage unit is detachably attached to the body motion information storage and display unit.

The invention described in claim 4 is the first or second invention.
The body motion measuring device described above is characterized in that the body motion information storage and display unit is detachably attached to the sensor unit.

[0012] The invention according to claim 5 is the invention according to claim 1 or 2.
In the body motion measuring device described above, the body motion information storage and display unit has a function of displaying a sleep state evaluation result.

The invention according to claim 6 is the invention according to claim 1 or 2.
The body movement measuring device described above has a function of controlling an external device.

The invention according to claim 7 is the first or second invention.
The body motion measurement device described above has a function of setting an alarm under a predetermined condition and activating the alarm in accordance with the setting.

The invention described in claim 8 is the first or second invention.
The body movement measuring device according to the above, further comprising a communication unit.

[0016]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS (First Embodiment) FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a body movement measuring device according to a first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. Circuit diagram, FIG.
FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a processing procedure of the microcomputer in FIG. 2, and FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram of a body motion information storage and display unit constituting the body motion measuring device in FIG.

The body movement measuring device 1 according to the first embodiment can be placed on a table or a bedside, and as shown in FIG. 1, a portable sensor unit 11 provided with a body movement detecting sensor. And a portable body motion information storage / display unit 12 provided with a storage unit and a display unit.

The sensor section 11 is portable like a stand, and has a base section 111 to which a power cord 111a is attached, a flexible arm 112 erected upward from above, and a human arm attached to this upper end. And a sensor accommodating section 113 accommodating a body movement detection sensor (for example, a pyroelectric infrared sensor or the like) for unrestrictedly detecting a body movement caused by the movement of the body. Further, a cradle portion 110 corresponding to a so-called cradle is formed integrally with the base portion 111. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 113a denotes a detection surface of the body movement detection sensor.
1b is a large button that can be used as an event input means by the user.

The body motion information storage and display unit 12 is formed in a rectangular shape large enough to fit in the palm of a hand, like a personal digital assistant (Personal Digital Assistance), and has a display unit 120 on one surface. Then, it is connected to the cradle part 110 of the base part 111 at an angle that is easy for a lying user to see. Here, the cradle is generally electrically connected to a personal digital assistant by simply mounting it, connecting to an external device such as a personal computer with a cable to synchronize data, charging the personal digital assistant, etc. In the first embodiment, the body motion information storage and display unit 12 is provided with the cradle unit 1 of the base unit 111.
10 are integrated.

In the sensor section 11, the sensor accommodating section 11
2, a microcomputer 11b for primary data processing is housed together with the body movement detection sensor 11a, and the microcomputer 11b is connected to the body movement detection sensor 11a and a connector 11c. It is connected. This connector 11c is connected to a connector 11d to which a cable passed through the flexible arm 112 is connected at one end, and the other end of the cable is provided at the cradle portion 110 of the base portion 111. Information storage and display unit 1
2 is connected to a connector 11e.

The microcomputer 11b performs initialization in step S1, checks a flag in step S2, compares the output of the sensor (body movement detection sensor 11a) in step S3, as shown in the example of FIG. When the count is incremented and a sampling request is made in step S4, a transmission data flag is created in step S5, and the process proceeds to step S6.
In step S7, data is transmitted, the added value / flag is initialized, and thereafter, the process returns to step S2.

Here, the sensor section may be composed of only a body movement detecting sensor. However, as in the present embodiment, a microcomputer 1 that performs primary processing of a signal from the body movement detecting sensor 11a is used.
By providing 1b, the load of communication between the sensor unit 11 and the body motion information storage / display unit 12 can be reduced by removing unnecessary noise and normalizing the data, and the like. Hardware can be simplified. In addition, the microcomputer 11
b incorporates a serial communication IC, and converts an output from the body movement detection sensor 11a into a general-purpose serial communication protocol. Thus, by simply replacing the input connector of the body movement information storage / display unit 12, the body movement information storage / display unit 12 can be replaced with a general-purpose data logger or PDA having a serial connector.

The body movement information storage and display section 12 is electrically
As shown in FIG. 4, a sensor control unit 121 that controls a sensor (body movement detection sensor) circuit, acquires data, and the like.
A communication driver 122 for performing external device control and data communication control; a storage unit 123 for database management (information) and storing programs; a display unit 124 for screen display and input support; And an MPU 126 connected to each of these units for executing each function program and calculating body movement data.

In the first embodiment, the sensor section 11 and the body motion information storage / display section 12 are integrated with the base section 111, so that portability, installation, and design are improved. Further, since the sensor housing portion 113 is connected to the base portion 111 by the flexible arm 112, the detection direction of the body motion detection sensor 11a can be easily adjusted to a desired direction according to the state of the bed.

(Second Embodiment) FIG. 5 shows a second embodiment according to the present invention.
It is a perspective view showing a body motion measuring device of an embodiment.

The body motion measuring device 2 of the second embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that a sensor unit 21 is provided instead of the sensor unit 11. The sensor unit 21 includes a cradle 21 to which the body movement information storage and display unit 12 is detachably mounted.
1 and a sensor housing 213 connected to the cradle 211 via a cable 212 and housing the circuit shown in FIG. 2 as in the first embodiment.
The power of the sensor housing 213 is supplied to the cradle 21.
1 and share a power source with the body motion information storage and display unit 12.

In the second embodiment, since the signal line and the power supply line are integrated by the cable 212, portability is improved. Further, since the sensor housing portion 213 is very small, it can be easily installed around the bed with clips or tapes.

(Third Embodiment) FIG. 6 shows a third embodiment according to the present invention.
It is a perspective view showing a part of body movement information storage display which constitutes a body movement measuring device of an embodiment.

The body movement measuring device of the third embodiment is provided with a body movement information storage / display section 32 as a difference from the first or second embodiment. The body movement information storage and display unit 32 is the same as that of the first or second embodiment except that a storage unit 323 such as an SD card, a compact flash, or a memory card is detachably provided instead of the storage unit 123 shown in FIG. The configuration is the same as that of the motion information storage and display unit.

The output of the body movement detection sensor 11a is converted into a simple numerical sequence having a time attribute by performing the primary processing shown in the example of FIG. In FIG. 3, the primary processing is performed in the sensor housing unit. However, the primary processing may be performed in the body motion information storage / display unit.

The data after the primary processing can be easily written in the RAM or the like of the computer, and similarly written and referred to in a removable storage such as an SD card, a compact flash (registered trademark) or a memory card. Can be.

The body movement information is recorded over a long period of time,
Since it is expected that the evaluation accuracy of sleep and health condition can be improved, there is a possibility that the information is repeatedly recorded every day for a long period of time. If the storage unit is removable, the recorded body motion data can be easily shared with others, and backup of the data and long-term body motion measurement can be performed by sequentially replacing a plurality of storage units. be able to.

(Fourth Embodiment) FIG. 7 shows a fourth embodiment according to the present invention.
FIG. 8 is a perspective view illustrating a body motion measuring device according to the embodiment, and FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a display example of a body motion information storage display unit included in the body motion measuring device of FIG.

As shown in FIG. 7, the body movement measuring device 4 of the fourth embodiment has a body movement information
The configuration is the same as that of the first embodiment except that the cradle unit 410 is detachably mounted and connected to the cradle unit 410.

In this configuration, while the user is lying on the bed, the user can use the body movement information storage and display unit 12 'as a hand to check the result of body movement recording, or carry the body movement information storage and display unit 12' to the outside to carry out other operations. You can confirm the results of body motion recording with the person. For example, it is possible to display a screen as shown in the example of FIG. 8 and compare data of two days.

As described above, the body movement information storage / display unit 12 'can be detached from the sensor unit 11 so that the body movement information storage / display unit 12' can easily carry the body movement recording result. It will be easier to ask the house for opinions.

(Fifth Embodiment) The body movement measuring device of the fifth embodiment calculates a parameter for evaluating a sleep state on the body movement information storage and display unit based on the measured body movement data and displays the result. The configuration is the same as that of any one of the first to fourth embodiments except that a processing function is added. That is, the body motion information storage and display unit of the fifth embodiment has a function for displaying the evaluation result of the sleep state.

For example, as shown in FIG. 9, sleep time (h), wake-up time (h), sleep time (h), total amount of detected body movement (count), Displaying the number of hours of body motion per hour (minutes / h), sleep efficiency (%), sleep latencies (minutes,%), etc., makes it easier for the user to understand his or her sleep situation, The body movement measuring device can be used in daily life for practical purposes.

(Sixth Embodiment) FIG. 10 is a circuit diagram of a sensor unit constituting a body movement measuring device according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 10, the body motion measuring apparatus according to the sixth embodiment has a connector 11f for connecting to an external device OE via a dedicated connector cable H1, and an external device (a separate power source can be used). The configuration is the same as that of the first embodiment except that a connector 11g for connecting a connector cable H2 having a connector H21 and an external power supply connector H22 is further connected to the microcomputer 11b. Note that the external device includes a lighting device and a stereo set.

In this configuration, power supply from the outside is taken into consideration, and a function for controlling an external device can be added to the sensor section only by changing the software inside the microcomputer 11b. Can be controlled.

(Seventh Embodiment) A body movement measuring apparatus according to a seventh embodiment has a processing function for setting an alarm on a body movement information storage and display section under predetermined conditions and activating the alarm in accordance with the setting. The configuration is the same as that of any one of the first to sixth embodiments except that is added.

For example, if an alarm can be set on the display screen shown in FIG. 11 (a), a specific condition such as a time when the body motion satisfies a preset condition (threshold or duration) or time. The fact that the timing has been reached can be conveyed to the user by an alarm, and a wake-up function based on body motion information and an abnormal state occurrence alarm function can be realized.

(Eighth Embodiment) FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a body motion measuring apparatus according to an eighth embodiment of the present invention.

The body movement measuring device 8 according to the eighth embodiment has the structure shown in FIG.
As shown in the figure, the body movement information storage and display unit 82 is provided with a wireless communication unit,
It has the same configuration as In FIG. 12, reference numeral 82a denotes an antenna of the communication unit.

For example, by providing a PHS or a mobile phone unit in the body movement information storage / display unit 82, data from a wide area can be automatically collected, or as shown in FIG.
By cooperating with specific body motion information storage / display units 82, a remote monitoring function can be realized. For example, various services such as monitoring the sleeping state of the user from a remote place and analyzing measurement data can be performed.

[0047]

As is apparent from the above description, according to the body movement measuring device of the first aspect of the present invention, a portable sensor unit provided with a body movement detection sensor and a body movement detection sensor are provided. And a portable body movement information storage and display unit provided with a storage unit for storing the data to be obtained and a display unit for displaying information on the body movement obtained based on the data. Even if it is desired to sleep on a bed that is different from usual, the body movement can be recorded by moving the body movement measuring device without performing any special construction.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, in the body motion measuring device according to the first aspect, the sensor unit integrally includes a sensor housing for housing the body motion detection sensor and a base for supporting the sensor housing. Since the body movement information storage and display unit is also integrally supported by the base, the movement of the body movement measurement device is simplified.
In addition, since each part is integrated, care becomes easy. It becomes easy to finely adjust the position of the body motion measurement device near the bed.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, in the body movement measuring device according to the first or second aspect, the storage unit is detachably attached to the body movement information storage and display unit. The motion data can be easily shared with others, and a long-term body motion measurement can be performed by backing up the data or sequentially replacing a plurality of storage units.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, in the body movement measuring device according to the first or second aspect, the body movement information storage and display unit is detachably attached to the sensor unit. Can be removed from the sensor unit, so that the user can use the body motion information storage and display unit as a hand while sitting on the bed to check the results of body motion recording, We can confirm each other.

According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, in the body movement measuring device according to the first or second aspect, the body movement information storage and display unit has a function of displaying a sleep state evaluation result. Can use the body motion measuring device for more practical purposes in everyday life.

According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, in the body movement measuring apparatus according to the first or second aspect, a function for controlling an external device is provided. It becomes possible to automatically control the external device of the stereo set, and it is possible to create an environment according to the sleep state of the user.

According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, the body movement measuring device according to the first or second aspect has a function of setting an alarm under predetermined conditions and activating the alarm in accordance with the setting. In addition, the user can be notified by an alarm that the body movement satisfies a preset condition or has reached a specific timing, and a wake-up function based on body movement information and an abnormal state occurrence alarm function can be realized.

According to the eighth aspect of the present invention, in the body movement measuring apparatus according to the first or second aspect, since the communication means is provided, the measured body movement data and the use state can be transmitted and received. Various services can be provided, such as monitoring the user's bedtime and analyzing measured data.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a body motion measuring device according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a circuit diagram of a sensor unit included in the body motion measuring device of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a processing procedure of the microcomputer in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram of a body motion information storage and display unit included in the body motion measurement device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a body motion measuring device according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a part of a body movement information storage and display unit included in a body movement measuring device according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a body motion measuring device according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

8 is a diagram illustrating a display example of a body motion information storage and display unit included in the body motion measuring device of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a display example of a body motion information storage and display unit included in a body motion measuring device according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a circuit diagram of a sensor unit included in a body motion measuring device according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a display example of a body motion information storage and display unit included in a body motion measuring device according to a seventh embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a body motion measuring device according to an eighth embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1,2,4,8 body movement measuring device 11,21 sensor unit 12,32,12 ', 82 body movement information storage and display unit

Claims (8)

[Claims] 1. A portable sensor unit provided with a body movement detection sensor, a storage unit for storing data obtained from the body movement detection sensor, and information on body movement obtained based on the data. And a portable body motion information storage and display unit provided with a display unit for performing the measurement. 2. The sensor section integrally includes a sensor accommodating section accommodating a body motion detection sensor and a base section supporting the sensor accommodating section, and a body motion information storage / display section is also integrally supported by the base section. The body motion measuring device according to claim 1, wherein: 3. The body movement measuring device according to claim 1, wherein the storage unit is detachably attached to the body movement information storage and display unit. 4. The body movement measuring device according to claim 1, wherein the body movement information storage and display unit is detachably attached to the sensor unit. 5. The body movement measuring device according to claim 1, wherein the body movement information storage / display unit has a function of displaying a result of evaluating the sleep state. 6. The body movement measuring device according to claim 1, further comprising a function for controlling an external device. 7. The body movement measuring apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a function of setting an alarm under predetermined conditions and activating the alarm in accordance with the setting. 8. The body movement measuring device according to claim 1, further comprising communication means.