JP2008301931A - Apparatus for rest management - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To manage a rest state of a driver including the quality of the rest and to provide the driver with easy-to-rest environment. <P>SOLUTION: This apparatus for rest management acquires bio-information of a subject in non-contact with the subject, evaluates the sleeping state of the subject based on the acquired bio-information, and records the evaluation result. This apparatus further controls nap environment based on the evaluation result. The bio-information is acquired by detecting the heart rate and the respiration rate of the subject using a radar. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention is used in a system for managing the operation of commercial vehicles. In particular, it relates to driver rest management.

  Regarding the operation management of commercial vehicles such as trucks and buses, management by tachographs has been widely used. In recent years, real-time operation management is becoming widespread due to the spread of GPS and mobile terminals.

  For example, in the tachograph, the vehicle speed or the engine rotation speed corresponding to the time is recorded, and it is possible to know at what time and how many kilometers the vehicle traveled and stopped. In addition, with the spread of GPS and mobile terminals, the current position and moving speed of the vehicle are displayed on the display panel of the management center in real time.

JP-A-6-70898 JP-A-7-143972 Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 5-44624 Chen KM, Huang Y, Zhang J, et al: Microwave life-detection systems for searching human sub- narquater rubble or behind bar. IEEE Trans Biomed Eng 2000; 47: 105-14. Matsui T, Hagisawa K, Ishizuka T, et al: A novel method to prevent secondary exposure of medical and rescue personnel to toxic materials under biochemical hazard conditions using microwave radar and infrared thermography. IEEE Trans Biomed Eng 2004; 51: 2184-8.

  In conventional operation management, the driving state, stopping state, current position, etc. of the vehicle are mainly subject to management, and whether or not the driver is taking an appropriate rest is the ratio of the driving time and the stopping time I had no choice but to judge.

  For example, if it is recorded that there is only a short stoppage state after a long running state and the driving state is recorded again, it is determined that the driver's rest is insufficient. In addition, if there are many stoppages recorded for an appropriate time between short-time driving conditions, or if a long-time stopping condition is recorded after a long-time driving condition, the driver will rest. Is deemed appropriate. This determination is based on the premise that “if the vehicle is stopped, the driver is always resting”.

  However, there are actually situations where it is difficult to sleep because it is difficult to sleep, and even when the vehicle is stopped, it is possible to arrange slips and check baggage and not rest. It was difficult to manage the resting state. In other words, it was difficult to accurately manage the quality of rest.

  The present invention has been made under such a background, and is capable of managing the resting state of the driver including the quality of the rest and providing an environment in which the driver can easily rest. An object of the present invention is to provide a rest state management apparatus capable of

  The present invention provides a means for acquiring the subject's biological information without contact with the subject, a means for evaluating the sleep state of the subject based on the biological information acquired by the means for acquiring, and an evaluation result of the means for evaluating And a rest state management device. For example, the subject is a vehicle driver. This allows the driver's rest quality to be assessed and recorded.

  Furthermore, a means for controlling the nap environment based on the evaluation result of the means for evaluating can be provided. According to this, a nap environment where the driver can take good sleep can be positively provided.

  For example, the means for obtaining comprises means for detecting the heart rate and respiratory rate of the subject using a radar (for example, see Non-Patent Document 1 or 2).

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, while being able to manage a driver | operator's rest state also including the quality of a rest, the environment where a driver | operator can rest easily can be provided.

  An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram showing a state in which the rest state management apparatus of this embodiment is mounted on a vehicle. FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing a rest evaluation procedure. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a map for determining the sleep level. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the operation management record. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a nap environment control procedure.

  In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the radar 5 that acquires the biological information of the subject without contact with the subject, and the sleep state that evaluates the sleep state of the subject based on the biological information acquired by the radar 5. It is a rest state management apparatus provided with the evaluation part 1 and the recording part 2 which records the evaluation result of this sleep state evaluation part 1. FIG. For example, the subject is a vehicle driver. This allows the driver's rest quality to be assessed and recorded.

  Furthermore, the nap environment control unit 3 that controls the nap environment based on the evaluation result of the sleep state evaluation unit 1 may be provided. According to this, a nap environment where the driver can take good sleep can be positively provided.

  The radar 5 includes an antenna unit and an analysis unit (not shown), and can detect a heart rate and a respiratory rate of a driver who is a subject by non-contact using a microwave. At the same time, the presence or absence of the driver in the nap room can also be detected.

  This technology has already been put into practical use in the field of survivor exploration devices for finding survivors from rubble when a disaster such as an earthquake occurs. For example, a microwave of 1215 MHz (70 mW) is transmitted and received from the antenna unit, The reflected wave from the stationary object around the antenna part automatically cancels out, and only the reflected wave modulated by the movement of the thorax accompanying the movement of the subject's heart and breathing receives the subject's heart rate and respiratory rate. Is detected (see, for example, Non-Patent Document 1 or 2).

  Thus, if a subject's heart rate and respiration rate can be detected, a sleep degree (sleep depth) of a test subject can be evaluated based on such information. As this evaluation method, an existing method can be used. A technique using a heart rate is disclosed in, for example, Patent Document 1 or 2. Further, the method using the respiration rate will be described briefly. For example, when the person is in a deep sleep state, the respiration is deep and slow. Therefore, when such a state is detected, it is determined that the person is in the deep sleep state.

  Next, a rest evaluation procedure will be described with reference to FIG. The biological information of the subject is acquired using the radar 5 (S1), analyzed (S2), and evaluated (S3). For this analysis (S2) and evaluation (S3), for example, a map as shown in FIG. 3 is used.

  In the example of FIG. 3, the horizontal axis represents sleep time, the vertical axis represents sleep degree, and the evaluation values are classified into five levels of levels 1 to 5 by combinations thereof. For example, if the sleep level is low even if the sleep time is long, it cannot be said to be a good rest and is evaluated as level 1 or level 2. In particular, in the case of level 1, it is evaluated as “poor sleep”. And, as the sleep time is longer and the sleep degree is higher, the level value is higher and the maximum is level 5.

  Such an evaluation result is recorded in the recording unit 2 (S4). At this time, if the evaluation value is level 1 (bad sleep) (S5), and the level 1 state continues for a predetermined time or longer (S6), the administrator determines whether safe operation is possible thereafter. It is useful to check directly with the driver. Therefore, only when the evaluation value is level 1 (sleep failure), the data transmission unit 4 performs data transmission (S7) and notifies the manager to that effect.

  Here, the predetermined time in step S6 is, for example, one hour. For example, when taking a nap for a very short time after lunch or the like, there is no problem even if the sleep degree is low, so a predetermined time is provided in order to exclude it from data transmission targets.

  The administrator knows that the driver's rest level is low by examining the data transmitted from the data transmitter 1, and directly confirms the physical condition and rest status to the driver by contacting the driver wirelessly. Can give instructions.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the recording content of the recording unit 2 includes date, vehicle identification information (vehicle ID), driver identification information (driver ID), time, engine speed, rest time, and rest evaluation. The fact that the vehicle is stopped can be seen from the fact that the engine rotation speed is “0 rpm”. At that time, it is displayed whether the driver is using the nap room or not, and the nap room is used. If it is, the evaluation value of the resting state at that time is displayed. In the example of FIG. 4, it can be seen that the driver takes a shallow nap of level 1 in the nap room from 12:30 to 13:00. Further, it can be seen that a level 3 nap is taken in the nap room from 22:00 to 24:00. Although not shown in FIG. 4, the driver still takes a nap at levels 3 to 5 until morning.

  Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 5, when the sleep state evaluation unit 1 detects a level 1 sleep failure state (S10), the nap environment control unit 3 checks the temperature of the nap room and is not a comfortable sleep temperature. (S11) By controlling the air conditioner 6, the sleep temperature is maintained (S12). Further, when the nap room illumination 7 remains ON (S13), it is turned off (S14) so as not to disturb the driver's sleep.

  Note that the nap environment control procedure shown in FIG. 5 is a very simple example. For example, an existing nap environment providing technique as disclosed in Patent Document 3 can be used.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to manage the resting state of the driver including the quality of resting, and to provide an environment in which the driver can easily rest, so that it can be used for safe operation of commercial vehicles.

The whole block diagram which shows the state which mounted the rest state management apparatus of a present Example on board. The flowchart which shows a rest evaluation procedure. The figure which shows an example of the map for determining a sleep level. The figure which shows an example of an operation management record. The flowchart which shows a nap environment control procedure.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Sleep state evaluation part 2 Recording part 3 Nap environment control part 4 Data transmission part 5 Radar 6 Air conditioning 7 Illumination

Claims (3)

Means for obtaining biological information of the subject in a non-contact manner with the subject;
Means for evaluating the sleep state of the subject based on the biological information acquired by the acquiring means;
A rest state management device comprising: means for recording an evaluation result of the means for evaluating.   The rest state management apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising means for controlling a nap environment based on an evaluation result of the means for evaluating.   The rest state management apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the acquiring unit includes a unit that detects a heart rate and a respiration rate of the subject using a radar.

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