JP2007195744A - Body composition meter - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a body composition meter capable of recording the appearance of a person being measured easily. <P>SOLUTION: The body composition meter comprises a holding section having a plurality of electrodes which come into contact with the hands of a user when measuring the body composition, a camera for imaging the user, a shutter release of the camera, which is provided at the holding section, a memory section for storing the image captured by the camera, and a display section. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a body composition meter for measuring body composition.

  2. Description of the Related Art Body composition meters that estimate body composition such as body fat percentage and muscle mass by measuring bioelectrical impedance are known. Some types of body composition meters have a function of displaying changes in numerical values such as body weight and body fat in a graph in order to support dieting (see Patent Document 1).

Dieters are interested not only in changes in body composition such as weight and body fat percentage, but also in changes in appearance (eg body shape, flesh of the face, thickness of neck, arms, waist, legs, etc.) It is common to have. However, if the appearance is recorded in a general household, it is necessary to perform very complicated work such as measuring various parts of the body with a measure or repeatedly taking pictures at the same place and the same posture (see Patent Document 2). ). Further, in such a method, it is troublesome to associate the appearance record with the body composition data measured by the body composition meter.
JP 2001-190514 A JP 2000-37369 A

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a body composition meter capable of easily recording the appearance of a person who performs body composition measurement.

  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention employs the following configuration.

  The body composition meter according to the present invention is provided with a holding unit provided with a plurality of electrodes that contact the user's hand during body composition measurement, a camera for photographing the user, and the holding unit. A shutter button of the camera; a storage unit that stores an image captured by the camera; and a display unit.

  According to this configuration, the user can operate the shutter button of the camera while holding the holding unit in order to measure the body composition. Therefore, the user can perform the measurement of the body composition and the photographing / recording with the camera simultaneously and easily by himself / herself. In addition, it is easy to shoot and record (fixed-point observation) the appearance with almost the same posture and the same angle by simply taking a picture together with the body composition measurement. By browsing the image stored in the storage unit, the user can confirm the change in appearance, which can be useful for managing the body shape and improving the motivation for continuing the diet.

  Here, it is preferable that at least one of the plurality of electrodes also serves as the shutter button. According to this configuration, the operation for body composition measurement (contacting the hand or finger with the electrode) and the operation for camera shooting (pressing the shutter button) are the same, so the operability is further improved. To do. This configuration is particularly advantageous in the case of a body composition meter having a small electrode (for example, a body composition meter of the type in which only the fingertip is applied to the electrode, not the palm).

It is also preferable that the shutter button is provided at a position where the user's fingertip is to be placed when measuring the body composition. This configuration also improves operability. In addition, if you hold the holding part according to the shutter button, it will automatically become a suitable way to measure body composition, so the shutter button will also serve as a guide for how to hold the holding part (electrode). This also has the effect of reducing measurement errors.

  It is also preferable that the camera is provided at a position where an image including a user's face taking a body composition measurement posture can be taken. According to this configuration, an angle suitable for photographing is automatically obtained simply by taking the body composition measurement posture, so that the operability is further improved.

  It is also preferable to provide posture determination means for determining whether or not the user is taking a body composition measurement posture based on an image photographed by the camera. Furthermore, when it is determined that the user has taken the body composition measurement posture, the body composition measurement process is started, or when it is determined that the user has not taken the body composition measurement posture, a warning is output, etc. It is also preferable to execute various processes based on the determination result. According to this configuration, measurement errors can be reduced.

  It is also preferable to provide a user specifying means for specifying the user based on an image photographed by the camera. With this configuration, it is possible to eliminate operation mistakes such as erroneously selecting other person's registration information.

  It is also preferable that a past image stored in the storage unit or comparison data generated from the image and a current image captured by the camera are displayed on the display unit in a comparable manner. According to this configuration, the past appearance and the current appearance can be visually compared, and the diet results can be easily confirmed.

  It is also preferable that photographing and body composition measurement are performed when the shutter button is operated. According to this configuration, the captured image (appearance) can be easily and reliably associated with the body composition measurement result.

  It is also preferable that the image and the body composition measurement result obtained when the image is taken are displayed on the display unit. According to this structure, the result of a diet can be confirmed easily, contrasting an external appearance and a body composition measurement result.

  According to the present invention, the appearance of a person who performs body composition measurement can be easily recorded.

  Exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

<Configuration of body composition meter>
FIG. 1 shows the external appearance of a body composition meter according to an embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, a weight body composition meter configured integrally with a weight scale is illustrated.

  This body composition meter is roughly composed of a main body 1 and a holding unit (display operation unit) 2. The main body 1 and the holding unit 2 are connected by a cable 3 and can transmit and receive signals. The main body 1 and the holding unit 2 may be connected by wireless communication. When not in use, the holding unit 2 and the cable 3 are stored in the holding unit storage unit 13 of the main body 1.

  Four foot electrodes 10L, 10R, 11L, and 11R are provided on the upper surface of the main body 1. The electrodes 10L and 10R are electrodes for applying a current to the left and right soles, and the electrodes 11L and 11R are electrodes for detecting a voltage from the left and right soles. The main body 1 has a built-in weight measuring unit 12.

  The holding unit 2 is provided with left and right grips 20L and 20R, a display unit 21, an operation unit 22, a camera 23, and the like. The display unit 21 is a part that displays measurement results and guidance, and displays an image input from the camera 23, and is configured by, for example, a liquid crystal display. The operation unit 22 includes a user selection switch, a display changeover switch, and the like. The camera 23 is provided for photographing a user (body composition measurer) of the body composition meter, and is composed of, for example, a CCD camera.

  The grips 20L and 20R are provided with electrodes 24L and 24R for applying a current to the palm and electrodes 25L and 25R for detecting a voltage from the palm, respectively. The grip 20R is provided with a shutter button 23S of the camera 23.

  The body composition meter of the present embodiment has a body composition measurement posture as follows: “Stand with the back and knees extended, the elbows and wrists extended to raise the arms horizontally (arms and body about 90 °), and the display unit 21 is face The posture is required to hold the holding unit 2 so as to face. Therefore, the shutter button 23S is disposed at the proximal end portion of the right grip 20R, which is the position where the user's fingertip (the tip of the right index finger) is to be placed when measuring the body composition. The camera 23 is arranged in the same direction as the display unit 21 so that an image including the face of the user taking the body composition measurement posture can be taken. By arranging the shutter button 23S and the camera 23 in this way, the body composition measurement posture and the photographing posture become the same, and the operability can be improved. If the holding unit 2 is held in accordance with the shutter button 23S, the holding method is automatically suitable for the measurement of the body composition. Therefore, the shutter button 23S also serves as a guide for holding the holding unit 2. It also has the effect of reducing measurement errors.

  FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the body composition meter. As shown in FIG. 2, the holding unit 2 includes a control unit 26, an impedance measurement unit 27, a storage unit 28, a power source 29, and the like. The control unit 26 is a unit that controls each component of the body composition meter and performs calculations such as body composition estimation processing and image processing, and is configured by, for example, a CPU that executes a program and a memory. The impedance measuring unit 27 is a means for measuring the internal impedance based on the applied current and the detected voltage. Specific functions and processes of the control unit 26 and the impedance measurement unit 27 will be described later.

  The storage unit 28 includes a storage medium such as a nonvolatile memory. In the storage unit 28, measurement results (measurement values) of body weight and body composition, images taken by the camera 23, date and time of measurement and photography, personal information (age, height, sex), etc. are classified by user (registration number). It is stored in another). In the body composition meter of the present embodiment, a plurality of (for example, four) users can be registered, and the user can be selected by specifying a registration number with the user selection switch of the operation unit 22.

<Operation of body composition meter>
The operation of the body composition meter will be described along the flowchart of FIG. The flowchart in FIG. 3 shows a standard processing flow when measuring the body weight and body composition and photographing the appearance with the body composition meter.

  When the user turns on the power of the body composition meter, the control unit 26 executes calibration processing for the weight scale (S10). After calibration is completed, the user can select. When the user designates a registration number with the user selection switch, the control unit 26 reads data associated with the designated registration number from the storage unit 28 (S11).

As shown in FIG. 4, the control unit 26 displays an image input from the camera 23 on the display unit 21 (S12). While viewing the image on the display unit 21, the user corrects the posture and the position of the holding unit 2.
Adjust the orientation. In order to facilitate the adjustment, alignment guidelines or the like may be displayed on the display unit 21. The image captured by the camera 23 only needs to include at least the user's face, and preferably includes the upper body as shown in FIG. Further, as shown in FIG. 5, it is possible to make it possible to photograph almost the whole body.

  When the user is stationary, the weight measurement unit 12 measures the weight (S13). This measured value is input to the control unit 26.

  When the weight measurement is completed, the control unit 26 displays a shootable mark on the display unit 21 (S14). This display may take any form as long as it can notify the user that preparation for photographing (preparation for body composition measurement) has been completed. For example, a blinking lamp or a message display may be used.

  When the user presses the shutter button 23S, an image for recording is taken by the camera 23 (S15), and the impedance is measured by the impedance measuring unit 27 (S16). Note that impedance measurement may be performed prior to imaging, or both processes may be performed simultaneously. That is, both processes need only be performed at substantially the same time.

  Upon receiving the measurement result from the impedance measurement unit 27, the control unit 26 estimates the body composition based on the impedance, the weight measured in S13, and the user's height, age, sex, and the like read from the storage unit 28. (S17). The body composition may be estimated using a known method. As the body composition, for example, body fat percentage, body fat mass, muscle percentage, muscle mass, and the like can be calculated. Further, based on these calculation results, guide information useful for health management and dieting such as basal metabolic rate, obesity, and body age may be generated.

  Next, the control unit 26 stores the measurement result of the body weight and the body composition, and the recording image in the storage unit 28 together with the date and time when the measurement and photographing were performed (S18), and these pieces of information are stored in the display unit 21. It is displayed (S19). By viewing this display, the user can confirm the results of the diet while comparing the appearance and the body composition measurement result.

  At this time, the control unit 26 may read an image (past image) captured in the past from the storage unit 28 and display the past image and the current image captured this time in a manner that allows comparison. For example, a mode in which both images are displayed in a superimposed manner, displayed side by side, or displayed in a switched manner is conceivable. To make it easier to compare and distinguish between past images and current images, the shooting date and time are displayed on the image, the past image is displayed in gray or semi-transparently, and the outline of a person in the past image is extracted or emphasized. It is also preferable to generate comparison data. If the past appearance and the current appearance can be compared in this way, it is easy to confirm the results of the diet.

  According to the configuration described above, the user can operate the shutter button of the camera while holding the holding unit in order to measure the body composition. Therefore, the user can perform the measurement of the body composition and the photographing / recording with the camera simultaneously and easily by himself / herself. In addition, it is easy to shoot and record (fixed-point observation) the appearance with almost the same posture and the same angle by simply taking a picture together with the body composition measurement. By browsing the image stored in the storage unit, the user can confirm the change in appearance, which can be useful for managing the body shape and improving the motivation for continuing the diet.

  The above embodiment is merely an example of the present invention. The scope of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the technical idea. Hereinafter, preferable modifications will be described.

(Modification 1)
FIG. 6 shows an example in which the function of the body composition meter is mounted on a camera-equipped mobile phone. In FIG. 6, the same reference numerals are used for portions corresponding to the body composition meter of FIG.

  This mobile phone has four electrodes 24L, 24R, 25L, and 25R on the side surface of the main body. Of these, the electrode 24R also serves as the shutter button 23S of the camera 23.

  When the body composition is measured, as shown in FIG. 6, the electrodes 24L and 25L are held with the left index finger and thumb, and the electrodes 24R and 25R are held with the right index finger and thumb. An image input by the camera 23 is displayed on the display unit 21. When the electrode 24R is pushed in when the correct photographing posture is obtained, the recording image is photographed and the body composition is measured. Since this body composition meter cannot measure the body weight, the body weight is registered in advance together with the height and age.

  Even with such a configuration, the same effects as those of the above-described embodiment can be obtained. Moreover, since the electrode also serves as a shutter button, the operation for body composition measurement (contacting a hand or finger with the electrode) and the operation for camera shooting (pressing the shutter button) are the same. Usability is further improved.

  Instead of using only one electrode as a shutter button, it may function as a shutter button when a plurality of electrodes are pressed simultaneously. In the body composition analyzer of the type shown in FIG. 1, it is also preferable that the electrode has a shutter button function. In addition to the camera-equipped mobile phone, the body composition meter function can be implemented in the same manner as long as the device has a camera and a display unit.

(Modification 2)
In this example, the control unit 26 determines the quality of the user's posture based on the captured image. The posture is determined by, for example, (1) assuming that a body composition measurement posture is taken when a face is detected from a captured image and the position and size of the face satisfy predetermined conditions. Any method may be used such as assuming that the body composition measurement posture is taken when the similarity between the image and the past image is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. When comparing a captured image and a past image, attention may be paid to a feature amount such as a contour of a person.

  The posture determination process is executed after S12 in FIG. 3 and the like, and when the posture is determined to be good, the process proceeds to the weight measurement process of S13, and when the posture is determined to be bad, “take the measurement posture” If a warning such as “.” Is output, measurement errors can be reduced.

(Modification 3)
In this example, the control unit 26 identifies the user individually based on the captured image. For identification of an individual, a known face recognition (face authentication) method may be used. Specifically, the facial feature amount is registered in advance in the storage unit 28 together with the height and age. Then, the control unit 26 extracts a feature amount from the face included in the captured image, and compares the extracted value with the value of the feature amount of each registered user, thereby determining whether or not the user is a registered user. Further, it is determined which registered user it is.

  For example, after the individual specifying process is performed after S12 in FIG. 3 and the like, there are a user selected by the user selection switch (a user manually selected by the user) and a user specified from the captured image. It may be determined whether the person is the same person, and the process may proceed to the weight measurement process of S13 only when the person is the same person.

Alternatively, in S11 of FIG. 3, instead of designation by the user selection switch, the control unit 26 executes personal identification processing and automatically selects registration information to be read from the storage unit 28 based on the result of the personal identification processing. May be.

  By such processing, it is possible to eliminate operation mistakes such as erroneously selecting other person's registration information.

It is a figure which shows the external appearance of a body composition meter. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the body composition meter of FIG. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of a process of a body composition meter. It is a figure which shows the example of a display of the imaged image. It is a figure which shows the other example of a display of the image | photographed image. It is a figure which shows the example which mounted the function of the body composition meter in the mobile telephone with a camera.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Main body 2 Holding part 3 Cable 10L, 10R, 11L, 11R Foot electrode 12 Weight measuring part 13 Holding part accommodating part 20L, 20R Grip 21 Display part 22 Operation part 23 Camera 23S Shutter button 24L, 24R, 25L, 25R For hand Electrode 26 Control unit 27 Impedance measurement unit 28 Storage unit 29 Power supply

Claims (9)

A holding portion provided with a plurality of electrodes that come into contact with the user's hand or finger during body composition measurement;
A camera for photographing the user;
A shutter button of the camera provided in the holding unit;
A storage unit for storing images taken by the camera;
A display unit;
A body composition meter comprising:   The body composition meter according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of electrodes also serves as the shutter button.   The body composition meter according to claim 1, wherein the shutter button is provided at a position where a user's fingertip is to be placed during body composition measurement.   The body composition meter according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the camera is provided at a position where an image including a face of a user taking a body composition measurement posture can be taken.   5. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising posture determination means that determines whether or not the user is taking a body composition measurement posture based on an image photographed by the camera. Body composition meter.   The body composition meter according to claim 1, further comprising: a user specifying unit that specifies the user based on an image photographed by the camera.   A past image stored in the storage unit or comparison data generated from the image and a current image captured by the camera are displayed on the display unit in a comparable manner. The body composition monitor according to any one of claims 1 to 6.   The body composition meter according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein photographing and body composition measurement are executed when the shutter button is operated.   The body composition meter according to claim 1, wherein the image and a body composition measurement result obtained when the image is taken are displayed on the display unit.

Images