JP2013011461A - Viscoelasticity measuring device, probe device, and viscoelasticity measuring support program - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To measure viscoelasticity of an object in an easy and simple manner.SOLUTION: A probe device 100 has a substantially cylindrical shape and can be attached to and detached from a portable terminal device 200. Inside a case 110 of the probe device 100, a depressing member 120 that can be depressed is provided. An output control section 261 outputs a depression request message requesting depression of the depressing member 120 of the probe device 100 when preparations for starting viscoelasticity measurement are made. When the output control section 261 receives a notification from a change point detection section 263, the output control section 261 outputs a release request message requesting release of the depressing member 120 of the probe device 100. After the output control section 261 outputs the depression request message or the release request message, a distance measurement section 262 measures a distance to an object to be measured at a measurement timing in a predetermined cycle continuously and determines displacement of the object to be measured on the basis of a change in the measured distance.

Description

  The present invention relates to a viscoelasticity measuring device, a probe device, and a viscoelasticity measurement support program.

  Conventionally, for example, viscoelasticity of skin, food, and the like is sometimes quantitatively measured. That is, for example, measurement of viscoelasticity of skin may be required from the viewpoint of health check or beauty, and measurement of viscoelasticity of food may be required as an index such as texture or freshness. In order to meet these requirements, generally, the skin or food that is the measurement object is pressed, and the displacement of the measurement object in the pressed portion is measured to measure viscoelasticity.

  Specifically, for example, by pressing the pressing member against the surface of the measurement object using power such as a motor, and measuring the displacement of the surface of the measurement object accompanying the pressing by the pressing member, the viscosity of the measurement object is measured. Elasticity is measured. In addition, it has been studied to vibrate a measurement object with a vibrator and measure the displacement of the surface of the measurement object due to the vibration using ultrasonic waves.

JP 2007-24606 A JP 2004-85548 A JP 2004-223265 A

  However, in the conventional viscoelasticity measurement described above, there is a problem that an apparatus used for measurement becomes relatively large and it is difficult for a general user to easily measure viscoelasticity. That is, a conventional viscoelasticity measuring device generally includes a power mechanism for pressing the surface of the measurement object, a measurement device for measuring the displacement of the surface of the measurement object, and the like. There is a tendency to be relatively large in terms of cost. For this reason, it is not realistic for a general user to introduce a conventional viscoelasticity measuring device into, for example, a home, and it is not possible to easily measure viscoelasticity of his skin, food, and the like.

  The disclosed technology has been made in view of such a point, and provides a viscoelasticity measurement device, a probe device, and a viscoelasticity measurement support program that can easily and easily measure viscoelasticity of an object. Objective.

  In one aspect, the viscoelasticity measurement device disclosed in the present application is a viscoelasticity measurement device including a probe device and an information processing device, and the probe device includes a housing that is detachably attached to the information processing device. A pressing member that is movable with respect to the housing and is pressed by a user; and an elastic member that has one end fixed to the pressing member and is displaced according to an elastic coefficient when the pressing member is pressed. A contact member that is fixed to the other end of the elastic member and has a tip that contacts the viscoelasticity measurement object and that presses the viscoelasticity measurement object by the tip as the elastic member is displaced. Then, the information processing apparatus starts viscoelasticity measurement with a measurement unit that measures a displacement around a portion pressed by the contact member of the viscoelasticity measurement object with the housing attached. A pressing request message for requesting pressing of the pressing member, and an output request for requesting opening of the pressing member when it is detected that the displacement of the elastic member has reached a predetermined value after the pressing request message is output. A control unit that outputs a message and outputs an end message to the effect that the viscoelasticity measurement has been completed when the change in displacement of the viscoelasticity measurement object measured by the measurement unit is within a predetermined range after the release request message is output And having.

  According to one aspect of the viscoelasticity measurement device, the probe device, and the viscoelasticity measurement support program disclosed in the present application, there is an effect that the viscoelasticity of the object can be easily and easily measured.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an external appearance of a viscoelasticity measuring apparatus according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an external appearance of the mobile terminal device according to the embodiment. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing an external appearance of the probe device according to the embodiment. FIG. 4 is a schematic view showing a cross section of the probe device according to the embodiment. FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of the mobile terminal device according to the embodiment. FIG. 6 is a functional block diagram illustrating functions of the processor according to the embodiment. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the operation of the mobile terminal device according to the embodiment. FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a viscoelasticity measurement operation according to an embodiment. FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of the displacement during the elasticity measurement. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of displacement during viscosity measurement. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a modification of the probe device according to the embodiment. FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating a hardware configuration example of a computer.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of a viscoelasticity measurement device, a probe device, and a viscoelasticity measurement support program disclosed in the present application will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In addition, this invention is not limited by this embodiment.

  FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an external appearance of a viscoelasticity measuring apparatus according to an embodiment. The viscoelasticity measuring device shown in FIG. 1 includes a probe device 100 and a mobile terminal device 200.

  The probe device 100 is a substantially cylindrical device that can be attached to and detached from the mobile terminal device 200. As will be described later, the probe device 100 is used by being attached to the camera portion of the mobile terminal device 200. In addition, a pressing member 120 is provided in the housing 110 of the probe device 100 so as to be pressed. The casing 110 and the pressing member 120 are both substantially cylindrical, and when the probe device 100 is attached to the camera portion of the mobile terminal device 200, the camera positioned on one bottom surface of the cylindrical shape and the other bottom surface. You can see the side.

  The mobile terminal device 200 is a device possessed by a general user such as a mobile phone. The mobile terminal device 200 includes a touch panel 210 that functions as a display unit and also functions as an input unit. In addition, the mobile terminal device 200 includes an operation key 220 that is pressed by the user during operation. Furthermore, as illustrated in FIG. 2, the mobile terminal device 200 includes a camera 230 on a surface opposite to the surface including the touch panel 210. The camera 230 has a so-called autofocus function that automatically adjusts the focal length by measuring the distance to the subject.

  When measuring viscoelasticity with the viscoelasticity measuring device shown in FIG. 1, the mobile terminal device 200 displays various guidance messages for the user on, for example, the touch panel 210 and appropriately operates the probe device 100. Then, when the user presses the pressing member 120 of the probe device 100 in accordance with the guidance message output from the mobile terminal device 200, the surface of the measurement object is pressed. When the measurement object is pressed, the camera 230 of the mobile terminal device 200 measures the distance to the surface of the measurement object through the tube hole of the probe device 100, and the displacement of the surface of the measurement object is obtained from the measurement result. Viscoelasticity is measured. A specific viscoelasticity measuring method will be described in detail later.

  FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing an appearance of the probe apparatus 100 according to the embodiment. As shown in FIG. 3, the probe device 100 includes a housing 110 and a pressing member 120, and the housing 110 has an upper surface portion 111, a first cylindrical portion 112, and a second cylindrical portion 113.

  The upper surface portion 111 is a bottom surface portion attached to the mobile terminal device 200, and a cylindrical hole opening 111a is formed at the center of the bottom surface. In the following, the bottom surface of the probe device 100 attached to the mobile terminal device 200 is referred to as “upper surface”. When the probe device 100 is attached to the mobile terminal device 200, the opening 111a and the camera 230 are attached so as to face each other. When the probe device 100 is mounted, the probe device 100 can be attached to the mobile terminal device 200 by applying an adhesive gel or the like on the upper surface, for example. Furthermore, a fitting portion that fits into the outer frame of the mobile terminal device 200 is provided on the upper surface portion 111, and the probe device 100 can be attached to the mobile terminal device 200 by this fitting portion.

  The first cylindrical portion 112 has a substantially cylindrical shape that connects the upper surface portion 111 and the second cylindrical portion 113. The first cylindrical portion 112 is formed with a notch portion 112a for a user to put a finger and press the pressing member 120. That is, the pressing member 120 is housed inside the first cylindrical portion 112, and the user can press the pressing member 120 by putting a finger into the first cylindrical portion 112 from the notch portion 112a. The pressing member 120 pressed at this time also has a substantially cylindrical shape. In other words, a cylindrical hole opening 120 a is formed at the center of the surface on the upper surface 111 side of the pressing member 120. When the user presses the pressing member 120, the user presses the periphery of the opening 120a.

  The second cylindrical portion 113 is a bottom surface portion in contact with the measurement object of viscoelasticity, and a cylindrical hole opening is formed at the center of the bottom surface as will be described later. Further, as will be described later, the second cylindrical portion 113 houses a contact member that contacts the surface of the measurement object, and when the pressing member 120 is pressed, the tip of the contact member is removed from the opening on the bottom surface. Make it protrude.

  FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a cross section taken along line XX of the probe apparatus 100 shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 4, the pressing member 120 is accommodated in the cutout portion 112 a of the first cylindrical portion 112, and the contact member 130 is accommodated in the cylindrical hole portion 113 a of the second cylindrical portion 113. . The pressing member 120 and the contact member 130 are connected by a coil spring 140. The casing 110, the pressing member 120, the contact member 130, and the coil spring 140 are formed with a cylindrical hole having a common central axis so that the bottom surface side can be seen from the upper surface of the probe device 100 through the cylindrical hole. It has become.

  Specifically, the pressing member 120 is a substantially cylindrical member in which an opening 120a is formed in the center of the upper surface 111 of the housing 110, and a thick portion 121 is formed in the vicinity of the opening 120a. ing. The abutting member 130 is a substantially cylindrical member having a cylindrical hole portion 130a whose central axis is a straight line connecting the centers of the opening 111a and the opening 120a, and a thick portion 131 is formed in the vicinity of the center. Yes. And the front-end | tip 132 of the contact member 130 protrudes from the opening part formed in the bottom face of the 2nd cylindrical part 113, when the pressing member 120 is pressed down.

  The coil spring 140 is a compression spring having a predetermined elastic coefficient. One end surface of the coil spring 140 is fixed to the thick portion 121 of the pressing member 120, and the other end surface of the coil spring 140 is fixed to the thick portion 131 of the contact member 130. The diameter of the coil spring 140 is equal to or smaller than the cylindrical inner diameter of the pressing member 120 and is equal to or larger than the cylindrical outer diameter of the contact member 130. Accordingly, a part of the coil spring 140 is accommodated in the cylindrical shape of the pressing member 120, and a part of the cylindrical shape of the contact member 130 is accommodated in the coil spring 140. When the pressing member 120 is pressed, the contact member 130 moves while the coil spring 140 is compressed, and the tip 132 protrudes from the opening formed on the bottom surface of the second cylindrical portion 113. At this time, the distal end 122 of the pressing member 120 and the thick portion 131 of the abutting member 130 slide on the inner surface of the tube hole 113a of the second cylindrical portion 113, and the distal end 132 protrudes vertically downward in FIG. Guide you to do.

  By the way, when the pressing member 120 is not pressed, the distance between the tip 122 of the pressing member 120 and the thick portion 131 of the contact member 130 is S. In other words, when the pressing member 120 is pressed, the coil spring 140 is compressed and the displacement of the coil spring 140 increases from 0 to S. When the displacement of the coil spring 140 becomes S, the tip 122 of the pressing member 120 comes into contact with the thick portion 131 of the contact member 130, and the displacement of the coil spring 140 does not increase beyond that. . Therefore, while the pressing member 120 is pressed and the displacement of the coil spring 140 increases from 0 to S, the elastic force of the coil spring 140 is equal to the elastic force of the measurement object that contacts the tip 132 of the contact member 130. It will be. In the present embodiment, the elasticity of the measurement object is measured using this balance of elastic forces.

  Next, the configuration of the mobile terminal device 200 according to the embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of the mobile terminal device 200 according to the embodiment. As shown in FIG. 5, the mobile terminal device 200 includes a touch panel 210, operation keys 220, a camera 230, a wireless unit 240, a speaker 250, a processor 260, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 270, and a RAM (Random Access Memory) 280. doing.

  The touch panel 210 includes, for example, a liquid crystal panel and displays various types of information, and also includes, for example, a capacitive sensor, and detects various types of input by detecting a user's contact. The operation key 220 is provided so that it can be pressed, and receives various inputs when pressed by the user. The camera 230 captures a subject in accordance with a user operation. At this time, the camera 230 measures the distance to the subject and automatically adjusts the focal length. The camera 230 can also measure the distance to the subject using the autofocus function without shooting the subject. Specifically, when the probe device 100 is attached, the camera 230 is a measurement target that comes into contact with the tip 132 of the contact member 130 through the opening 111a, the opening 120a, and the tube hole portion 130a of the probe device 100. Measure the distance to the object.

  The radio unit 240 transmits and receives radio signals via the antenna. For example, the radio unit 240 performs D / A (Digital / Analog) conversion on the transmission signal generated by the processor 260, further up-converts the radio signal to a radio frequency, and transmits the radio signal from the antenna. The speaker 250 outputs an audio signal according to the control of the processor 260. Specifically, the speaker 250 outputs an audio signal for notifying the user of the timing of pressing the pressing member 120 of the probe device 100 or the timing of stopping and releasing the pressing.

  The processor 260 performs overall control of each unit of the mobile terminal device 200. Specifically, for example, when a viscoelasticity measurement program using the probe device 100 is activated, the processor 260 controls each unit of the mobile terminal device 200 for viscoelasticity measurement. That is, the processor 260 controls the touch panel 210 or the speaker 250 to request the user to operate the probe device 100, or controls the camera 230 to measure the distance to the measurement object.

  ROM 270 and RAM 280 store various information used by processor 260. That is, the ROM 270 and the RAM 280 store, for example, a viscoelasticity measurement program, or store the distance to the measurement object measured by the processor 260.

  Next, functions executed by the processor 260 of the mobile terminal device 200 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 6 is a functional block diagram showing functions of the processor 260. The processor 260 operates as each function processing unit illustrated in FIG. 6 when the viscoelasticity measurement program according to the present embodiment is activated. That is, the processor 260 functions as an output control unit 261, a distance measurement unit 262, a change point detection unit 263, a change amount determination unit 264, and a viscoelasticity calculation unit 265.

  When the user activates the viscoelasticity measurement program by operating the touch panel 210 or the operation key 220 or the like, the output control unit 261 activates the viscoelasticity measurement program upon receiving this notification and outputs a message for the user. Specifically, the output control unit 261 outputs a start message indicating that the measurement of the viscoelasticity is started when receiving the activation notification of the viscoelasticity program. At this time, the output control unit 261 outputs a message requesting that the probe device 100 is attached to the camera 230 of the portable terminal device 200 and the tip 132 of the contact member 130 of the probe device 100 is brought into contact with the measurement object. . The output message is displayed on the touch panel 210 or output from the speaker 250 as voice.

  In addition, the output control unit 261 presses the pressing member 120 of the probe device 100 when it is determined that preparation for starting the viscoelasticity measurement is completed based on the distance to the measurement object measured by the distance measuring unit 262. A push request message requesting to be output is output. On the other hand, the output control unit 261 outputs a message indicating that an error has occurred when it is determined that preparation for starting viscoelasticity measurement is not complete.

  When the output control unit 261 receives a notification from the change point detection unit 263, the output control unit 261 outputs a release request message for requesting to release the pressing member 120 of the probe device 100. Thereafter, when receiving a notification from the change amount determination unit 264, the output control unit 261 outputs an end message indicating that the measurement of viscoelasticity is ended.

  The distance measurement unit 262 controls the camera 230 to measure the distance from the camera 230 to the measurement object that comes into contact with the tip 132 of the contact member 130 of the probe apparatus 100. After the press request message or the release request message is output from the output control unit 261, the distance measurement unit 262 continuously measures the distance to the measurement object at the measurement timing of a predetermined cycle, and the change in the measured distance The displacement of the measurement object is obtained from Then, the distance measurement unit 262 stores the obtained displacement of the measurement object in the RAM 280 or the like as measurement data corresponding to each measurement timing.

  The change point detection unit 263 monitors the displacement of the measurement object measured by the distance measurement unit 262 after outputting the press request message, and detects a change point at which the manner of variation of the displacement of the measurement object changes. Specifically, the change point detection unit 263 uses the change in the displacement of the measurement object from the previous measurement timing to the current measurement timing as the change in the displacement of the measurement object measured up to the previous measurement timing. The change point is detected by comparing with the average value of. Then, the change point detection unit 263 notifies the output control unit 261 that a change point has been detected.

  Here, as described above, the distance between the tip 122 of the pressing member 120 of the probe device 100 and the thick portion 131 of the contact member 130 is S. Therefore, until the displacement of the coil spring 140 reaches S after the pressing member 120 starts to be pressed, a part of the force by which the user presses the pressing member 120 is absorbed by the elastic force of the coil spring 140, and the measurement target An object is pressed by the tip 132 of the contact member 130. On the other hand, after the displacement of the coil spring 140 reaches S, the elastic force of the coil spring 140 is lost, so that the force by which the user depresses the depressing member 120 is directly transmitted to the tip 132 of the abutting member 130, and the measurement object is Pressed. From these facts, until the displacement of the coil spring 140 reaches S, the displacement of the measurement object due to the press increases relatively slowly, whereas after the displacement of the coil spring 140 reaches S, the displacement due to the press. The displacement of the measurement object increases relatively rapidly. Therefore, the changing point detection unit 263 detects the timing at which the displacement of the coil spring 140 reaches S by detecting the changing point at which the manner of variation of the displacement of the measurement object changes.

  After the output of the release request message, the change amount determination unit 264 monitors the displacement of the measurement object measured by the distance measurement unit 262, and determines whether or not the change amount of the displacement of the measurement object is less than a predetermined threshold. judge. Specifically, the change amount determination unit 264 determines whether or not the change amount of the displacement of the measurement object between the previous measurement timing and the current measurement timing is less than a predetermined threshold value. Then, when the amount of change in the displacement of the measurement object becomes less than a predetermined threshold, the change amount determination unit 264 notifies the output control unit 261 to that effect.

  Here, when the release request message is output and the user stops pressing the pressing member 120 and releases it, the displacement of the measurement object starts to return to zero due to the viscous force that causes the measurement object to return to its original shape. Then, in a state where the shape of the measurement object is almost restored, the displacement of the measurement object hardly fluctuates. Therefore, the change amount determination unit 264 detects the timing at which the shape of the measurement object returns to its original by detecting that the change amount of the displacement of the measurement object is less than a predetermined threshold.

The viscoelasticity calculation unit 265 acquires the measurement data of the displacement of the measurement object stored in the RAM 280 and calculates the elasticity and viscosity of the measurement object. Specifically, when the output control unit 261 is notified of the timing of the change point detected by the change point detection unit 263, the viscoelasticity calculation unit 265 acquires the displacement of the measurement object at the change point timing, The elastic coefficient Ks of the measurement object is calculated by the following equation (1).
Ks = Ka · (S / d) (1)

  In Equation (1), Ka is the elastic coefficient of the coil spring 140, S is the distance between the tip 122 and the thick portion 131 when the pressing member 120 is not pressed, and d is the object to be measured. Displacement. This equation (1) is obtained because the elastic force (Ka · S) of the coil spring 140 when the displacement of the coil spring 140 becomes S and the elastic force (Ks · d) of the measurement object are equal.

In addition, when the output control unit 261 notifies the viscoelasticity calculation unit 265 of the timing when the amount of change in the displacement of the measurement object becomes less than a predetermined threshold, the displacement of the measurement object until the timing is reached. The transition is acquired, and the viscosity coefficient σ of the measurement object is calculated by the following equation (2).
d = d ′ · α · e ^−σt (2)

  In equation (2), d ′ is the displacement of the measurement object at time 0, α is a predetermined proportional constant, e is the base of the natural logarithm, and t is the elapsed time. The viscoelasticity calculation unit 265 obtains the curve of the above equation (2) from the transition of the displacement of the measurement object while the pressing member 120 is released after the output request unit 261 outputs the release request message. Thus, the viscosity coefficient σ of the measurement object is calculated.

  Next, the operation of the mobile terminal device 200 configured as described above will be specifically described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG.

  First, when the user operates the touch panel 210 or the operation key 220 to select the start of the viscoelasticity measurement program, the processor 260 activates this application (step S101). Then, when the touch panel 210 or the speaker 250 is controlled by the output control unit 261 of the processor 260, the probe device 100 is attached to the camera 230, and a start message that prompts the user to prepare for viscoelasticity measurement is output (step S102). . Specifically, for example, a start message such as “Attach the probe so that the position of the hole matches the camera and place the probe on the object to be measured.” Is displayed on the touch panel 210, or audio is output from the speaker 250. .

  When a predetermined time for attaching the probe device 100 elapses after the start message is output, the camera 230 is controlled by the distance measurement unit 262, and the distance from the camera 230 to the measurement object that contacts the tip 132 of the contact member 130 is determined. It is measured (step S103). At this time, the speaker 250 or the like may be controlled by the output control unit 261 so that at least one timing of the start and end of the measurement is notified. That is, a beep sound or the like may be output at the measurement start timing or end timing.

  By the way, since the pressing member 120 has not been pressed yet, the tip 132 of the contact member 130 does not protrude from the bottom surface of the second cylindrical portion 113, and the distance from the camera 230 to the measurement object is determined by the probe device 100. Should be equal to the height of the cylinder to be formed. That is, for example, as shown in FIG. 8A, at time T0, which is the initial state, the distance from the camera 230 to the measurement object should be equal to the height X0 of the probe device 100. Therefore, the distance measuring unit 262 determines whether or not the measured distance matches the dimension from the top surface to the bottom surface of the probe device 100 (step S104).

  As a result, if they do not match (No in step S104), an error such as the user already pressing the pressing member 120 is considered. Therefore, the output control unit 261 outputs a remeasurement message for measuring the distance to the measurement object again in an appropriate state (step S106). That is, for example, a message such as “Do not touch the button of the probe” is displayed on the touch panel 210 or output from the speaker 250 as a sound. Then, the distance measurement unit 262 measures the distance from the camera 230 to the measurement object again (step S103).

  On the other hand, when the measured distance matches the dimension of the probe apparatus 100 (step S104 Yes), the output control unit 261 requests the pressing of the pressing member 120 because the viscoelasticity measurement is ready. A message is output (step S105). That is, for example, a message such as “Please slowly push down the button of the probe” is displayed on the touch panel 210 or voice output from the speaker 250.

After the pressing request message is output by the output control unit 261, the camera 230 is controlled by the distance measurement unit 262, and the distance from the camera 230 to the measurement object is continuously measured at a predetermined cycle. Then, the distance measurement unit 262 obtains the displacement of the measurement object based on the measured distance (step S107). That is, for example, as shown in FIG. 8B, it is assumed that the distance to the measurement object at time T1 when the pressing member 120 is being pressed is X1. At this time, the displacement d1 of the measurement object is obtained by the following equation (3).
d1 = X1-X0 (3)

  At time T1 shown in FIG. 8B, the tip 122 of the pressing member 120 is not in contact with the thick portion 131 of the contact member 130, and the elastic force of the coil spring 140 and the elastic force of the measurement object. Is balanced.

  The displacement of the measurement object measured by the distance measurement unit 262 is associated with each measurement timing and stored as measurement data in the RAM 280 or the like. Further, the displacement of the measurement object is monitored by the change point detection unit 263, and a change point at which the manner of variation of the displacement of the measurement object changes is detected (step S108). While the change point is not detected (No in step S108), the distance measurement unit 262 repeatedly measures the displacement of the measurement target.

  When the displacement of the measurement object starts to increase suddenly, the change point detection unit 263 detects the change point. Specifically, for example, the magnitude of the change in the displacement of the measurement object from the previous measurement timing to the current measurement timing, and the average value of the magnitude of the change in the displacement of the measurement object up to the previous measurement timing The change point is detected when the difference is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold. That is, for example, in the state at time T1 shown in FIG. 8B, the force by which the user presses the pressing member 120 is absorbed by the elastic force of the coil spring 140, and the increase in the displacement of the measurement object is relatively gradual. .

  On the other hand, for example, in the state at time T2 shown in FIG. 8C, the tip 122 of the pressing member 120 is in direct contact with the thick portion 131 of the contact member 130, and the user has a force to press the pressing member 120. It is not absorbed by the elastic force of the coil spring 140. Therefore, the user's force is directly transmitted to the contact member 130, and the tip 132 presses the measurement object. For this reason, the way of increasing the displacement of the measurement object after time T2 becomes sharper than the way of increasing the displacement of the measurement object near time T1. That is, for example, as shown in FIG. 9, the displacement of the measurement object increases gently until time T2, while the displacement of the measurement object increases rapidly after time T2.

  This indicates that the front end 122 of the pressing member 120 is in contact with the thick portion 131 of the abutting member 130 at time T2, and the displacement of the coil spring 140 is S. When the displacement of the coil spring 140 becomes S, it can be seen that the displacement of the measurement object is d2, and therefore the elastic coefficient of the measurement object can be obtained from the above-described equation (1). .

  When such a change point is detected by the change point detection unit 263 (Yes in step S108), the output control unit 261 is notified to that effect, and the output control unit 261 issues a release request message requesting the release of the pressing member 120. Is output (step S109). That is, for example, a message such as “please release your finger from the probe button” is displayed on the touch panel 210 or a voice is output from the speaker 250.

  After the output request message is output by the output control unit 261, the camera 230 is controlled by the distance measurement unit 262, and the distance from the camera 230 to the measurement object is continuously measured at a predetermined cycle. Then, the distance measuring unit 262 calculates the displacement of the measurement object based on the measured distance (step S110). In the measurement of the displacement of the measurement object here, the displacement is obtained from the distance to the measurement object, similarly to the measurement of the displacement while the pressing member 120 is pressed.

  The displacement of the measurement object measured by the distance measurement unit 262 is associated with each measurement timing and stored as measurement data in the RAM 280 or the like. In addition, the displacement of the measurement object is monitored by the change amount determination unit 264, and it is determined whether or not the change amount of the displacement of the measurement object is less than a predetermined threshold (step S111). While the amount of change in the displacement of the measurement object is not less than the predetermined threshold (No in step S111), the distance measurement unit 262 repeatedly measures the displacement of the measurement object.

  For example, when it is determined that the amount of change in the displacement of the measurement object between the previous measurement timing and the current measurement timing is less than a predetermined threshold (Yes in step S111), the fact is notified to the output control unit 261. Be notified. Here, after the pressing member 120 is released, the shape of the measurement object tries to return to the shape before being pressed by the tip 132 of the contact member 130 by the viscous force. That is, for example, as shown in FIG. 10, at time T3 when the user releases the pressing member 120, the displacement of the measurement object which is d3 decreases.

  At this time, immediately after the pressing member 120 is released, the displacement of the measurement object is rapidly reduced, and when the shape of the measurement object is almost restored, the displacement of the measurement object is hardly reduced. That is, in FIG. 10, the absolute value of the slope of the tangent of the curve decreases as time elapses from time T3. Finally, at time T4 when the shape of the measurement object returns to the original state, the displacement of the measurement object becomes zero and the change amount of the displacement of the measurement object also becomes zero. If the transition of the displacement of the measurement object from the time when the pressing member 120 is released until the shape of the measurement object returns to the original shape, the curve of Equation (2) described above is obtained by approximation, and the measurement object is obtained. It is possible to determine the viscosity coefficient.

  Therefore, when it is notified that the amount of change in the displacement of the measurement object has become less than a predetermined threshold, the output control unit 261 outputs an end message indicating that the viscoelasticity measurement has ended (step S112). Specifically, for example, an end message such as “Measurement has ended. Please move the probe away from the measurement target” is displayed on the touch panel 210 or a voice is output from the speaker 250.

  Also, the timing of the change point detected by the change point detection unit 263 by the output control unit 261, and the timing at which the change amount determination unit 264 determines that the change amount of the displacement of the measurement object has become less than a predetermined threshold value. Is notified to the viscoelasticity calculation unit 265. When these timings are notified, measurement data is acquired from the RAM 280 or the like by the viscoelasticity calculation unit 265, and the elastic coefficient and viscosity of the measurement object are determined from the timing notified from the output control unit 261 and the acquired measurement data. A coefficient is calculated (step S113).

  Specifically, the elastic coefficient of the measurement object is calculated by substituting the measurement data at the timing of the change point into Equation (1). Further, the curve of Expression (2) is obtained by approximation from the measurement data from when the release request message is output until the timing at which the amount of change in the displacement of the measurement object is determined to be less than the predetermined threshold. Then, the viscosity coefficient of the measurement object is calculated from the obtained curve. The calculated elastic coefficient and viscosity coefficient are displayed on the touch panel 210, for example. Further, for example, when the probe device 100 is used for skin viscoelasticity measurement, the process shown in FIG. 7 is performed in a state where the tip 132 of the contact member 130 of the probe device 100 is in contact with the skin. In this case, the skin age may be displayed on the touch panel 210 by converting the elastic coefficient and the viscosity coefficient into skin age using a predetermined calculation formula. Further, the history of the calculated elastic coefficient and viscosity coefficient may be stored in, for example, the ROM 270 and the time series change of these coefficients may be displayed on the touch panel 210 in a graph format.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, a user manually operates a probe device attached to a mobile terminal device according to a message from the mobile terminal device, and the mobile terminal device is a process in which a measurement object is pressed. Measure the displacement of the measurement object at. Then, considering the balance between the elastic force of the coil spring provided in the probe device and the elastic force of the measurement object, the elastic coefficient is calculated from the displacement of the measurement object. Moreover, according to this Embodiment, a portable terminal device measures the displacement of the measurement object in the process in which the pressure by a probe apparatus is lost and the shape of a measurement object returns. Then, the viscosity coefficient is calculated from the transition of the displacement of the measurement object. For this reason, for example, viscoelasticity can be measured by a mobile phone possessed by a user and a probe device having a simple structure. That is, the viscoelasticity of the object can be measured easily and easily.

In the above embodiment, when the change point is detected by the change point detection unit 263, the timing when the displacement of the coil spring 140 becomes S is detected. However, as is apparent from Equation (1), if the displacement of the coil spring 140 is measured, the elastic coefficient need not be obtained from the displacement of the measurement object at the timing of the change point. That is, if the displacement Sx of the coil spring 140 and the displacement d of the measurement object are obtained, the elastic coefficient Ks of the measurement object can be calculated by substituting each displacement into the following equation (4). .
Ks = Ka · (Sx / d) (4)

  Here, in order to measure the displacement of the coil spring 140, it is conceivable to configure the probe device 100 as shown in FIG. 11, for example. That is, as shown in FIG. 11, the transparent plate 125 is provided in the opening 120 a of the pressing member 120, and the transparent plate 135 is provided in the cylindrical hole portion 130 a of the contact member 130. The transparent plate 125 and the transparent plate 135 are respectively formed with opaque marks 125a and marks 135a at positions that do not overlap each other.

  When the pressing member 120 is pressed, the distance measuring unit 262 measures the distance from the camera 230 to the measurement object and measures the distances from the camera 230 to the mark 125a and the mark 135a. By measuring the distance to the mark 125a and the mark 135a, the displacement Sx of the coil spring 140 can be calculated from the difference between the measured distances. If the displacement Sx of the coil spring 140 is obtained, the elastic coefficient Ks of the measurement object is calculated by substituting it into the equation (4) together with the displacement d of the measurement object obtained at the same timing.

  In this case, when the displacement Sx of the coil spring 140 calculated by the distance measuring unit 262 exceeds a predetermined value, the output control unit 261 may output an opening request message. By doing so, an output request message is output from the output control unit 261 before the displacement of the coil spring 140 reaches S, and the time required for viscoelasticity measurement can be shortened.

  In the above embodiment, the distance to the measurement object is measured using the autofocus function of the camera 230 of the mobile terminal device 200. However, if the information processing apparatus has a sensor capable of measuring a distance, the probe apparatus 100 can be attached and the viscoelasticity of the measurement object can be measured as in the above-described embodiment.

  In this case, what is necessary is just to introduce the program which described the viscoelasticity measurement process of the portable terminal device 200 mentioned above in the language which a computer can execute to an information processor. Then, when the information processing apparatus executes the introduced program, it is possible to obtain the same effect as the one embodiment. Furthermore, the above-described viscoelasticity measurement processing similar to that of the above-described embodiment is realized by recording the above-described program on a computer-readable recording medium and causing the computer to read and execute the program recorded on the recording medium. May be.

  FIG. 12 is a block diagram illustrating a hardware configuration example of a computer 300 that realizes viscoelasticity measurement processing. As shown in FIG. 12, the computer 300 includes a CPU 310 that executes the above-described program, an input device 320 that includes a sensor that measures a distance to a measurement object, a ROM 330 that stores various data, an operation parameter, and the like. RAM 340 for storing. Furthermore, the computer 300 includes a reading device 350 that reads a program from a recording medium 400 that records a program for realizing viscoelasticity measurement processing, and an output device 360 such as a display. The computer 300 includes a network interface 370 that exchanges data with other computers via the network 500, and has a configuration in which each hardware is connected by a bus 380.

  The CPU 310 implements viscoelasticity measurement processing by reading a program recorded on the recording medium 400 via the reading device 350 and then executing the program. Examples of the recording medium 400 include an optical disk, a flexible disk, a CD-ROM, and a hard disk. Further, this program may be installed in the computer 300 via the network 500. At this time, the network 500 may be a wireless network or a wired network.

  Furthermore, the computer 300 transmits the elastic coefficient and the viscosity coefficient calculated by the viscoelasticity measurement process to the other server device from the network interface 370, and requests conversion from the elastic coefficient and the viscosity coefficient to the skin age. Also good. In this case, processed information returned from another server device is received by the network interface 370 and output by the output device 360.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100 Probe apparatus 110 Housing | casing 111 Upper surface part 111a Opening part 112 1st cylindrical part 112a Notch part 113 2nd cylindrical part 113a Cylindrical hole part 120 Push-down member 120a Opening part 121 Thick part 122 Tip 125, 135 Transparent board 125a, 135a Mark DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 130 Contact member 130a Tube hole part 131 Thick part 132 Tip 200 Mobile terminal device 210 Touch panel 220 Operation key 230 Camera 240 Wireless part 250 Speaker 260 Processor 261 Output control part 262 Distance measurement part 263 Change point detection part 264 Change amount determination part 265 Viscoelasticity calculation unit 270 ROM
280 RAM

Claims (12)

A viscoelasticity measuring device provided with a probe device and an information processing device,
The probe device includes:
A housing detachably attached to the information processing apparatus;
A pressing member provided to be movable with respect to the housing and pressed by a user;
One end is fixed to the pressing member, and an elastic member that is displaced according to an elastic coefficient when the pressing member is pressed;
An abutting member fixed to the other end of the elastic member, the tip abutting against the viscoelasticity measurement object, and pressing the viscoelasticity measurement object with the tip as the elastic member is displaced. ,
The information processing apparatus includes:
In a state where the housing is attached, a measurement unit that measures displacement around a portion pressed by the contact member of the viscoelasticity measurement object;
When a viscoelasticity measurement is started, a pressing request message for requesting pressing of the pressing member is output, and when it is detected that the displacement of the elastic member has reached a predetermined value after the pressing request message is output, the pressing member is released. An end message indicating that the viscoelasticity measurement is completed when the change amount of the displacement of the viscoelasticity measurement object measured by the measurement unit after the output of the release request message is within a predetermined range. A viscoelasticity measuring device characterized by comprising: A housing that is detachably attached to the information processing device;
A pressing member provided to be movable with respect to the housing and pressed by a user;
One end is fixed to the pressing member, and an elastic member that is displaced according to an elastic coefficient when the pressing member is pressed;
An abutting member fixed to the other end of the elastic member and having a tip abutting on the viscoelasticity measurement object and pressing the viscoelasticity measurement object with the tip as the elastic member is displaced;
A probe device comprising: The housing is
A cylindrical hole facing the information processing device is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape provided in the center,
The pressing member, the elastic member, and the contact member are
The probe device according to claim 2, wherein the probe device is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape provided with a cylindrical hole having a central axis common to a cylindrical hole provided in the casing, and is stored in the casing. The pressing member is
2. After the displacement of the elastic member reaches a predetermined value, a tip in a pressing direction is brought into direct contact with the contact member, and the contact member is pressed without displacing the elastic member. 2. The probe device according to 2. The pressing member is
A first transparent member partially including an opaque mark for distance measurement;
The contact member is
The probe apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising: a second transparent member to which an opaque mark is added at a position that does not overlap with the mark added to the first transparent member. When starting viscoelasticity measurement, a housing that is detachably attached to a computer, a pressing member that is movably provided with respect to the housing and is pressed by a user, and one end is fixed to the pressing member, An elastic member that is displaced according to an elastic coefficient when the pressing member is pressed, and is fixed to the other end of the elastic member, the tip abuts against a viscoelasticity measurement object, and with the displacement of the elastic member Outputting a pressing request message for requesting pressing of the pressing member of the probe device including a contact member pressing the viscoelasticity measurement object by the tip;
Continuously measuring the displacement around the portion pressed by the contact member of the viscoelasticity measurement object after the output of the pressing request message,
When it is detected that the displacement of the elastic member has reached a predetermined value, an opening request message for requesting opening of the pressing member is output,
Continuously measuring the displacement around the portion pressed by the contact member of the viscoelasticity measurement object after the output of the release request message,
Viscoelasticity measurement characterized by causing a computer to execute a process of outputting an end message indicating that viscoelasticity measurement has been completed when the measured change in displacement of the viscoelasticity measurement object falls within a predetermined range. Support program.   Based on the displacement of the viscoelasticity measurement object measured after the output of the pressing request message and the displacement of the viscoelasticity measurement object measured after the output of the release request message, the viscoelasticity of the viscoelasticity measurement object. The viscoelasticity measurement support program according to claim 6, further causing the computer to execute a process of calculating the above. The process of outputting the release request message includes:
Detecting a change point at which the manner of change in displacement of the viscoelasticity measurement object measured after the output of the press request message is changed;
The viscoelasticity measurement support program according to claim 6, further comprising: a process of outputting a release request message when a change point is detected. The process of outputting the release request message includes:
Processing for obtaining a displacement of the elastic member based on the distance to the pressing member and the distance to the contact member, and outputting an opening request message when it is detected that the obtained displacement has reached a predetermined value The viscoelasticity measurement support program according to claim 6, comprising: The process of outputting the press request message includes:
Measure the distance to the viscoelastic measurement object,
Determine whether the measured distance matches the dimensions of the housing;
The viscoelasticity measurement support program according to claim 6, further comprising: a process for outputting a press request message when the measured distance matches the size of the casing as a result of the determination. The process of outputting the press request message includes:
11. The viscoelasticity measurement support program according to claim 10, further comprising a process of outputting an error message when the measured distance does not match the size of the casing as a result of the determination. The process of outputting the end message includes:
The process according to claim 6, further comprising a process of outputting an end message when an amount of change in displacement of the viscoelasticity measurement object measured after outputting the release request message is less than a predetermined threshold. Viscoelasticity measurement support program.

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