JP2013070946A - Eating utensil - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a means readily and accurately detecting an eating movement without invading the privacy of a subject.SOLUTION: This eating utensil 1 having one end part 1a held by the fingers of a user and having the other end part 1b put in the mouth of the user in time of eating includes: a first electrode 2 provided in the one end part of the eating utensil; a second electrode 3 provided in the other end part of the eating utensil in a state that the second electrode 3 is electrically insulated from the first electrode; a resistance measurement part 4 incorporated in the eating utensil, and measuring the electric resistance between the first and second electrodes; and an eating movement detection part 5 incorporated in the eating utensil, and deciding that the eating movement of the user has occurred when the measurement value of the resistance measurement part is a predetermined reference value or below to output an eating movement detection signal. The reference value is predetermined based on the electric resistance value measured by the resistance measurement part when an electrical closed circuit is formed by the eating utensil and the body of the user according to the eating movement of the user.

Description

  The present invention relates to eating tools such as chopsticks and spoons used to put food into the mouth during eating.

In recent years, orphans and children have become a problem.
For example, a child who eats alone while sitting at an empty table when the parents are absent or because the parents are sleeping because their parents are working together or because of their irregular lifestyle The rate is increasing. In this case, if the parents leave the child, the child's diet becomes irregular and unbalanced eating may occur, which may hinder the health of the child.

  In addition, elderly people who live alone tend to have irregular lifestyles or fall into a lifestyle pattern in which they do not eat a sufficient amount of food due to the trouble of preparing meals and the inconvenience of eating alone. And in the case of elderly people, especially if they do not eat enough, their nutritional status can deteriorate rapidly, and their physical strength and resistance to illness can also decline, causing serious health problems.

  So, as a starting point to solve this problem of eating alone, a method has been proposed to detect when a meal has been consumed and how long it has been consumed so that the eating habits can be properly established. Has been.

  For example, a method of detecting how much side dishes have been eaten by taking a picture of a lunch on a dining table with a stereo camera, processing the obtained moving image, and using a camera (for example, see Non-Patent Document 1) A method (for example, refer to Patent Document 1) of detecting the mastication function by photographing the movement of the mouth at the time of feeding and performing image processing on the obtained moving image is known.

However, these methods have a problem in that the privacy of the subject is infringed because the subject is photographed by the camera during the meal. In addition, the subject may be too conscious of taking a picture with a camera and may interfere with daily life.
Furthermore, in a room where lighting is insufficient and the lighting conditions change greatly throughout the day, a clear image may not be obtained, and accurate detection is not always guaranteed. In addition, since the installation location of the camera is fixed, there is a possibility that detection cannot be performed if the position of the table or the position of the subject changes.

JP 2004-033494 A

Satoshi Niino, Hirotoshi Amemiya, Hirohide Haga, Shigeo Kaneda, “Proposal of a mastication frequency guidance system using moving image processing”, IPSJ, 72nd National Conference Proceedings 3ZL-7, published in March 2010

  Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a means that can easily and accurately detect a feeding operation without infringing on the subject's privacy and without disturbing the subject's daily life. is there.

  In order to solve the above-described problem, the first invention is an eating tool in which one end is gripped by a user's finger and the other end is placed in the mouth of the user when eating. The first electrode is provided in the portion, the second electrode is provided in the other end portion, and is electrically insulated from the first electrode, and the electric power between the first electrode and the second electrode is provided. When the resistance measurement unit for measuring resistance and the measured value of the resistance measurement unit are equal to or less than a predetermined reference value, it is determined that the user's eating operation has occurred, and the eating operation detection signal is A feeding operation detection unit for outputting, and the reference value is an electrical resistance measured by the resistance measurement unit when an electrical closed circuit is formed by the eating tool and the user's body. The eating tool is characterized in that it is predetermined based on the value. One in which the.

In the configuration of the first invention, it is preferable that the feeding operation detection unit includes a transmission unit that transmits the eating operation detection signal to the outside. Moreover, it is preferable that the said eating operation | movement detection part has a memory which records the output of the said eating operation detection signal with the time.
Preferably, the eating tool has one of a pair of chopsticks, a spoon, or a fork.

  In order to solve the above problems, the second invention is a pair of chopsticks formed of an insulator, the first electrode provided at the tip of one of the pair of chopsticks, A second electrode provided at the tip of the other chopstick of the pair of chopsticks, a high-frequency signal transmission unit built in the one chopstick and transmitting a high-frequency electric signal through the first electrode, A high-frequency signal receiving unit that is built in the other chopstick and receives the high-frequency electric signal through the second electrode, and an intensity of the high-frequency electric signal that is built in the other chopstick and received by the high-frequency signal receiving unit is: A feeding operation detection unit that determines that a feeding operation by a user of the chopsticks has occurred and outputs a feeding operation detection signal when the reference value is equal to or greater than a predetermined reference value, the reference value The food is the first electrode and the second electrode It is obtained by constituting a pair of chopsticks, wherein said one in which the high-frequency signal receiving unit is predetermined based on the intensity of the high frequency electric signal received when sandwiched.

  In order to solve the above problems, the third invention is a pair of chopsticks formed of an insulator, the first electrode provided at the tip of one of the pair of chopsticks, A second electrode provided at a rear end of the one chopstick, a resistance measurement unit built in the one chopstick, and measuring an electrical resistance between the first electrode and the second electrode; When the measured value of the resistance measurement unit is equal to or less than a predetermined reference value, it is determined that the user's eating operation has occurred, and the eating operation detection unit that outputs a eating operation detection signal; and A third electrode provided at the tip of the other chopstick of the pair of chopsticks, and a fourth electrode provided at the rear end of the other chopstick and electrically connected to the third electrode The reference value is determined by the user of the chopsticks holding the food with the pair of chopsticks, the one chopstick, When an electrical closed circuit is formed by a person's finger, the other chopsticks, and the food, it is determined in advance based on an electrical resistance value measured by the resistance measurement unit. Is a pair of chopsticks.

  In the configurations of the second and third inventions, the feeding operation detection unit preferably includes a transmission unit that transmits the feeding operation detection signal to the outside, and the feeding operation detection unit includes: It is preferable to have a memory that records the generation of the eating operation detection signal together with the time.

In the first invention, a pair of electrodes is provided at both ends of the eating utensil used at the time of eating, and the eating utensil further includes a resistance measuring unit for measuring electrical resistance between the pair of electrodes, and a resistance measuring unit. And a feeding operation detection unit that outputs a feeding operation detection signal based on the measured value of the above.
In this case, the electrical resistance between the pair of electrodes is almost infinite if only one end of the eating tool is gripped by the user's finger, but the user grips one end of the eating tool with the finger. When the other end is included in the mouth, an electrical closed circuit is formed between the eating utensil and the user's body (mouth, head, torso, arm, and hand). The electrical resistance is measured. Such an electrical closed circuit is considered to be formed when the user puts food into the mouth using the eating tool of the present invention.

  Thus, when the reference value is determined in advance based on the electrical resistance value of the electrical closed circuit and the measured value of the resistance measurement unit is equal to or lower than the reference value, it is determined that the eating operation by the user has occurred. The eating operation detection signal is output from the eating operation detection unit.

In the second invention, an electrode is provided at each tip portion of the pair of chopsticks, and the high-frequency electric signal transmitted from the electrode of one of the pair of chopsticks is the electrode of the other chopstick of the pair of chopsticks. Received at. The other chopstick further incorporates a eating operation detection unit that outputs a eating operation detection signal based on the intensity of the received signal.
In this case, when nothing is gripped by a pair of chopsticks and the pair of electrodes are spaced apart from each other, the intensity of the signal received by the other chopstick is relatively small. However, when food is grabbed by a pair of chopsticks and food is sandwiched between a pair of electrodes, the food is conductive, so what is the strength of the signal received by the other chopstick? Will be larger than if it is not grabbed. And it is considered that it is customary for the user to grab food with a pair of chopsticks and then carry the food to the mouth.

  Thus, when food is sandwiched between a pair of electrodes, the reference value is determined in advance based on the strength of the signal received by the other chopstick, and when the received signal strength is below the reference value, the feeding operation A feeding operation detection signal is output from the detection unit.

In the third invention, electrodes are provided at both ends of the pair of chopsticks, and one of the pair of chopsticks includes a resistance measuring unit that measures an electrical resistance between the pair of electrodes at both ends, and a resistance measuring unit. And a feeding operation detection unit that outputs a feeding operation detection signal based on the measured value of the pair of chopsticks, and a pair of electrodes at both ends of the other chopstick of the pair of chopsticks are electrically connected.
In this case, when the pair of chopsticks is not used, or when the rear ends of the pair of chopsticks are gripped by the user's fingers, nothing is gripped by the pair of chopsticks, and the electrodes at the tips of the pair of chopsticks When the electrodes are arranged at intervals, no current flows between these electrodes, and the measured value by the resistance measuring unit is almost infinite. However, when a user grabs food using a pair of chopsticks and food is sandwiched between the electrodes at the tip of the pair of chopsticks, the user uses the chopsticks, the fingers of the user, the other chopsticks, and the food. A closed circuit is formed, and at the same time, a current flows through the closed circuit, and the electrical resistance value of the closed circuit is measured by the resistance measuring unit. And it is considered that it is customary for the user to grab food with a pair of chopsticks and then carry the food to the mouth.

  Thus, the reference value is determined in advance based on the electrical resistance value of the electrical closed circuit, and when the measured value of the resistance measurement unit becomes equal to or less than the reference value, the eating operation detection signal is output from the eating operation detection unit. The

According to the present invention, it is possible to easily and reliably detect a feeding operation simply by using a pair of eating tools such as a pair of chopsticks. In addition, when monitoring the eating behavior, the subject (the user of the eating tool) can eat as usual without worrying about being photographed with the camera. , Privacy is not infringed, and daily life is not disturbed. Furthermore, it is not necessary to fix the position of the table or the position where the subject sits every time.
Also, in the Japanese eating habits, since the correspondence between a pair of chopsticks and the user of the pair of chopsticks is usually fixed, the eating tool is one of the pair of chopsticks in the first invention. In this case, and when a pair of chopsticks is used as in the second and third inventions, it is not necessary to specify the subject (the user of the chopsticks) each time when monitoring the eating behavior.

It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the eating tool by 1st Example of this invention. It is a figure which shows the state by which the eating operation | movement was made | formed using the eating tool by 1st Example of this invention. It is a figure which shows an example of the circuit structure of the eating tool by 1st Example of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of a pair of chopsticks by 2nd Example of this invention. It is a figure which shows the state in which the food was grasped using a pair of chopsticks shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows an example of a circuit structure of a pair of chopsticks by 2nd Example of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of a pair of chopsticks by 3rd Example of this invention. It is a figure which shows the state where the food was grasped using a pair of chopsticks shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows an example of the circuit structure of a pair of chopsticks by 3rd Example of this invention. It is a figure which shows the structure of a pair of chopsticks by another Example of this invention.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
(First embodiment)
FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view showing the configuration of an eating tool according to a first embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 1, in the eating tool 1 according to the present invention, at the time of eating, one end 1 a is grasped by a user's finger and the other end 1 b is placed in the user's mouth. ing.
The eating tool 1 has, for example, one of a pair of chopsticks, a spoon, or a fork.

A first electrode 2 is provided at one end 1 a of the eating tool 1, and a second electrode 3 is provided at the other end 1 b in a state of being electrically insulated from the first electrode 2.
In addition, the eating tool 1 incorporates a resistance measurement unit 4 that measures the electrical resistance between the first electrode 2 and the second electrode 3.

  Furthermore, when the measured value of the resistance measuring unit 4 is equal to or less than a predetermined reference value, the eating tool 1 determines that the user's eating operation has occurred and outputs a feeding operation detection signal. A feeding operation detection unit 5 is built in.

The reference value is determined as follows. That is, when the eating tool 1 is not used, or when the one end 1a of the eating tool 1 is only gripped by the user's fingers, the electrical resistance value between the first and second electrodes 2 and 3 is The current is almost infinite, and no current flows between the first and second electrodes 2 and 3.
However, as shown in FIG. 2, when the user grasps one end 1a of the eating tool 1 with fingers and includes the other end 1b in the mouth, the eating tool 1 and the user's body (mouth, An electrical closed circuit is formed by the head, torso, arms and hands). At the same time, a current flows through the closed circuit, and the resistance measurement unit 4 measures the electrical resistance of the closed circuit.

Such an electrical closed circuit is considered to be formed when the user puts food into the mouth using the eating tool of the present invention.
In this way, the average value of the electrical resistance of the electrical closed circuit is obtained in advance by experiments, and the obtained average value is used as the reference value. In this experiment, it was confirmed that the electric resistance value was almost constant although there was some variation depending on the person.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a circuit configuration of the eating tool 1. In FIG. 3, the resistance measuring unit 4 includes a battery 6 and an ammeter 7 connected in series between the first and second electrodes 2 and 3. In addition, the feeding operation detection unit 5 compares the current-voltage conversion circuit 5a that converts the current value measured by the ammeter 7 into a voltage value, and compares the output value of the current-voltage conversion circuit 5a with a reference voltage for comparison. And a Schmitt circuit (comparison circuit) 5b for outputting the result. In FIG. 3, R indicates the electrical resistance of an electrical closed circuit formed by the eating tool 1 and the user's body (mouth, head, torso, arm and hand).
In this circuit configuration, the current value is measured instead of the resistance value, and the Schmitt circuit (comparison circuit) 5b detects the feeding operation detection signal (when the output value of the current-voltage conversion circuit 5a is equal to or higher than the reference voltage). high electrical signal).

Preferably, the eating operation detection unit 5 includes a transmission unit that transmits the eating operation detection signal to the outside, and the eating operation detection signal output from the eating operation detection unit 5 is, for example, wireless or infrared Is transmitted to the external receiver 8. And the receiver 8 records that the eating operation detection signal was output with the time.
Alternatively, the eating operation detection unit 5 has a memory that records the output of the eating operation detection signal together with the time, and the data recorded in the memory is read after the monitoring of the eating operation is completed. .

According to this embodiment, the eating operation can be easily and reliably detected only by using the eating tool. In addition, when monitoring the eating behavior, the subject (the user of the eating tool) can eat as usual without worrying about being photographed with the camera. , Privacy is not infringed, and daily life is not disturbed. In addition, since monitoring is performed using an eating tool, it is not necessary to fix the position of the table or the position of the subject every time.
Also, in the Japanese eating habits, since the correspondence between a pair of chopsticks and the user of the pair of chopsticks is usually fixed, if the eating tool is one of the pair of chopsticks, When monitoring eating behavior, it is not necessary to identify the subject (user of chopsticks) each time.

(Second embodiment)
FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a pair of chopsticks according to the second embodiment of the present invention.
Referring to FIG. 4, the pair of chopsticks 10 and 11 according to the present invention are both made of an insulator. The first electrode 12 is provided at the tip 10a of one chopstick 10 of the pair of chopsticks 10, 11, and the second electrode 11a is provided at the tip 11a of the other chopstick 11 of the pair of chopsticks 10, 11. An electrode 13 is provided.

In addition, one chopstick 10 has a built-in high-frequency signal transmitter 14 that transmits a high-frequency electrical signal through the first electrode 12, and the other chopstick 11 has a second electrode 13 through the high-frequency signal transmitter 14. A high-frequency signal receiving unit 15 for receiving the high-frequency electric signal is incorporated.
The high frequency electrical signal transmitted from the high frequency signal transmitter 14 preferably has a frequency of about 10 KHz, for example.

  The other chopstick 11 further determines that a feeding operation by the chopstick user has occurred when the strength of the high-frequency electrical signal received by the high-frequency signal receiving unit 15 is equal to or greater than a predetermined reference value. Thus, a feeding operation detection unit 16 that outputs a feeding signal is incorporated.

  The reference value is determined as follows. That is, when nothing is gripped by the pair of chopsticks 10 and 11 and the first and second electrodes 12 and 13 are spaced apart from each other, the strength of the high-frequency electrical signal received by the high-frequency signal receiving unit 15 Is relatively small. However, as shown in FIG. 5, when the food 18 is gripped by the pair of chopsticks 10 and 11 and the food 18 is sandwiched between the first and second electrodes 12 and 13, the food 18 is usually Since it contains moisture and salt and has conductivity, the strength of the high-frequency electrical signal received by the high-frequency signal receiving unit 15 is greater than when nothing is held by the pair of chopsticks 10 and 11.

Then, when the user grasps the food 18 with the pair of chopsticks 10 and 11, it is usually considered that the user then carries the food 18 to the mouth.
Thus, the intensity of the high-frequency electrical signal received by the high-frequency signal receiving unit 15 when various foods are sandwiched between the first and second electrodes 12 and 13 is measured in advance by experiments, and the measured values thereof are measured. Is obtained, and the obtained average value is used as a reference value.

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of a circuit configuration of the pair of chopsticks 10 and 11. In FIG. 6, the high-frequency signal receiving unit 15 includes a filter unit 15a for discriminating a high-frequency electric signal from the high-frequency signal transmitting unit 14, and a rectifying unit 15b provided in the lower stage of the filter unit 15a. The feeding operation detection unit 16 compares the output value of the current-voltage conversion circuit 16a and the reference voltage with the current-voltage conversion circuit 16a that converts the current output from the rectification unit 15b into a voltage, and compares the result. The Schmitt circuit (comparison circuit) 16b for output is included. In FIG. 3, R indicates the electrical resistance of the food 18 grasped by the pair of chopsticks 10 and 11.
In this circuit configuration, the Schmitt circuit (comparison circuit) 16b outputs a feeding operation detection signal (high electric signal) when the output value of the current-voltage conversion circuit 16a is equal to or higher than the reference voltage.

The feeding operation detection unit 16 preferably has a transmission unit that transmits a feeding operation detection signal to the outside, and the feeding operation detection signal output from the feeding operation detection unit 16 is wireless or infrared, etc. Is transmitted to the external receiver 17. And the receiver 17 records that the eating operation | movement detection signal was output with the time.
Alternatively, the eating operation detection unit 16 has a memory that records the output of the eating operation detection signal together with the time, and the data recorded in the memory is read after the monitoring of the eating activity is completed. .

According to this embodiment, a feeding operation is detected using a pair of chopsticks, but in a Japanese diet, the correspondence between a pair of chopsticks and a user of the pair of chopsticks is usually fixed. Therefore, it is not necessary to specify the subject (user of chopsticks) each time when monitoring the eating behavior. Moreover, the eating operation can be easily and reliably detected by using only a pair of chopsticks.
Furthermore, it is not necessary to fix the position of the table or the sitting position of the subject every time when monitoring the eating behavior, and the subject (the user of the chopsticks) has anxiety that the photograph is taken with the camera. The subject can eat as usual, so that the subject is not infringed on privacy and does not interfere with daily life.

(Third embodiment)
FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a pair of chopsticks according to the third embodiment of the present invention.
Referring to FIG. 7, the pair of chopsticks 20 and 21 according to the present invention are both formed of an insulator. The first electrode 22 is provided at the tip 20a of the pair of chopsticks 20 and 21, and the second electrode 23 is provided at the rear end 20b. In addition, a third electrode 24 is provided at the tip 21a of the other chopstick 21 of the pair of chopsticks 20 and 21, and a fourth electrode 25 is provided at the other end 21b. The third and fourth electrodes 24 and 25 are electrically connected by a conducting wire 33.

In addition, one chopstick 20 includes a resistance measurement unit 26 that measures the electrical resistance between the first and second electrodes 22 and 23.
When the measured value of the resistance measuring unit 26 is equal to or less than a predetermined reference value, the chopsticks 20 determine that the user's eating operation has occurred and output a eating operation detection signal. A feeding operation detection unit 27 is built in.

The reference value is determined as follows. That is, when the pair of chopsticks 20 and 21 is not used, or the rear end portions 20b and 21b of the pair of chopsticks 20 and 21 are simply gripped by the user's fingers, nothing is gripped by the pair of chopsticks 20 and 21. When the first and third electrodes 22 and 24 are spaced apart from each other, no current flows between the first and second electrodes 22 and 23, and the measured value by the resistance measuring unit 26 is almost equal. It is infinite.
However, as shown in FIG. 8, when the user grasps the food 20 using the pair of chopsticks 20 and 21 and the food 29 is sandwiched between the first and third electrodes 22 and 24, The chopsticks 20, the user's fingers 30, the other chopsticks 21 and the food 29 form an electrical closed circuit. At the same time, a current flows through the closed circuit, and the resistance measurement unit 26 measures the electrical resistance of the closed circuit. Is done.

Then, when the user grasps the food 29 with the pair of chopsticks 20 and 21, it is considered that the user usually carries the food 29 to the mouth.
Thus, the average value of the electrical resistance is obtained in advance through experiments, and the obtained average value is used as the reference value.

FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of a circuit configuration of the pair of chopsticks 20 and 21. Referring to FIG. 9, the resistance measurement unit 26 includes, for example, a battery 31 and an ammeter 32 that are connected in series between the first and second electrodes 22 and 23. In addition, the feeding operation detection unit 27 compares, for example, a current-voltage conversion circuit 27a that converts a current value measured by the ammeter 32 into a voltage value, and an output value of the current-voltage conversion circuit 27a and a reference voltage. And a Schmitt circuit (comparison circuit) 27b for outputting a comparison result. In FIG. 3, R1 and R2 are the resistance of the food 29 gripped by the tip portions of the pair of chopsticks 20 and 21, and the finger 30 of the user who grips the rear end portions of the pair of chopsticks 20 and 21, respectively. Shows resistance.
In this circuit configuration, the current value is measured instead of the resistance value, and the Schmitt circuit (comparison circuit) 27b detects the feeding operation detection signal (when the output value of the current-voltage conversion circuit 27a is equal to or higher than the reference voltage). high electrical signal).

Preferably, the feeding operation detection unit 27 includes a transmission unit that transmits a feeding operation detection signal to the outside, and the feeding operation detection signal output from the feeding operation detection unit 27 is wireless or infrared, etc. Is transmitted to the external receiver 28. And the receiver 28 records that the eating operation detection signal was output with the time.
Alternatively, the feeding motion detection unit 27 has a memory that records the output of the feeding motion detection signal together with the time, and the data recorded in the memory is read after the monitoring of the feeding behavior is completed. .
In this embodiment, the same effect as in the second embodiment can be obtained.

(Experiment)
Next, an experiment for examining the effect of the present invention was performed. The experiment was performed using the eating tool according to Example 1 and the pair of chopsticks according to Example 3. In addition, as the eating tool by Example 1, the thing of the shape of one chopstick of a pair of chopsticks was used.
Then, each of the two subjects (A, B) had a meal using one chopstick according to Example 1 and a pair of chopsticks according to Example 3, and the eating operation was performed during the meal. The number of times the detection signal was output was counted. The meal was taken with a camera.

  After the meal is finished, based on the video recorded in the camera, the number of times each subject actually performed the feeding operation was counted, and this was set as the correct number of answers. The eating tool according to the first example and the third example Compared with the number of eating actions detected by each of a pair of chopsticks. The results are shown in Table 1.

From Table 1, it was found that the first example had less detection error than the third example. This is probably because chopsticks were not simply used to grab food and carry it to the mouth during meals.
However, even in the third example, a certain number of correct answers were obtained, and the detection accuracy was not necessarily poor. This is thought to be because the action of grabbing food using chopsticks often leads directly to eating.
Further, in the first embodiment, the detection error is small, and from this, it is understood that the feeding operation can be detected with considerably high accuracy by detecting the resistance value change when the eating tool directly touches the mouth. It was.

  If you can detect eating behavior more accurately, by examining the number, frequency, interval, etc. of eating behavior, how you have eaten, how concentrated you are, what is the sign of fast eating? It seems that it becomes possible to estimate the meal situation more precisely such as not being seen.

(Another example)
The embodiment shown in FIG. 10 has a configuration in which when a user grabs food with a pair of chopsticks and puts it in his mouth, it can be detected as a feeding operation. In FIG. 10, the pair of chopsticks 40 and 41 are both formed of an insulator. The first electrode 42 is provided at the tip 40a of the pair of chopsticks 40, 41, and the second electrode 43 is provided at the rear end 40b. In addition, a third electrode 44 is provided at the tip 41a of the other chopstick 41 of the pair of chopsticks 40, 41, and a fourth electrode 45 is provided at the other end 41b.

  One chopstick 40 includes a battery 46 and a first ammeter 47, and is connected in series between the first and second electrodes 42 and 43, and the other chopstick 41 has a second current. A total 48 is built in and connected between the third and fourth electrodes 44 and 45.

  When the measured value of the resistance measuring unit 26 is equal to or less than a predetermined reference value, the chopsticks 20 determine that the user's eating operation has occurred and output a eating operation detection signal. A feeding operation detection unit 27 is built in.

  Thus, when the user grasps food using a pair of chopsticks 40 and 41 and puts it in his mouth, one chopstick 40, the user's finger (resistor R1), the other chopstick 41 and food (resistor R2). ) To form a first electric closed circuit, and at the same time, a second electric circuit is formed by one chopstick 40 and the user's body (mouth, head, torso, arm and hand) (resistor R3). Is formed.

  In this case, if the difference between the current value measured by the first ammeter 47 and the current value measured by the second ammeter 48 is taken, the current value flowing through the second electrical circuit is obtained. Thus, by using the difference between the current values, the feeding operation can be detected as in the first embodiment.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Feeding tool 1a One end part 1b The other end part 2 The 1st electrode 3 The 2nd electrode 4 Resistance measurement part 5 Feeding operation | movement detection part 5a Current-voltage conversion circuit 5b Schmidt circuit (comparison circuit)
6 Battery 7 Ammeter 8 Receiver 10 One chopstick 10a Tip 11 The other chopstick 11a Tip 12 First electrode 13 Second electrode 14 High-frequency signal transmitter 15 High-frequency signal receiver 15a Filter 15b Rectifier 16 Eating motion detection unit 16a Current-voltage conversion circuit 16b Schmitt circuit (comparison circuit)
17 Receiver 18 Food 20 One chopstick 20a Front end 20b Rear end 21 The other chopstick 21a Front end 21b Rear end 22 First electrode 23 Second electrode 24 Third electrode 25 Fourth electrode 26 Resistance measurement Unit 27 feeding operation detection unit 27a current-voltage conversion circuit 27b Schmitt circuit (comparison circuit)
28 Receiver 29 Food 30 Finger 31 Battery 32 Ammeter 33 Conductor

Claims (8)

At the time of eating, one end is gripped by the user's fingers and the other end is an eating tool that is put into the user's mouth,
The one end is provided with a first electrode, and the other end is provided with a second electrode electrically insulated from the first electrode, and between the first electrode and the second electrode. A resistance measurement unit that measures the electrical resistance of the user, and when the measured value of the resistance measurement unit is equal to or less than a predetermined reference value, it is determined that the user's eating operation has occurred, and the eating operation detection A feeding operation detector that outputs a signal, and
The reference value is determined in advance based on an electrical resistance value measured by the resistance measuring unit when an electrical closed circuit is formed by the eating tool and the user's body. Characteristic feeding tool.   The eating tool according to claim 1, wherein the eating operation detection unit includes a transmission unit that transmits the eating operation detection signal to the outside.   The eating tool according to claim 1, wherein the eating operation detection unit includes a memory that records the output of the eating operation detection signal together with the time.   The eating tool according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the eating tool has one of a pair of chopsticks, a spoon, or a fork. A pair of chopsticks formed of an insulator,
A first electrode provided at a tip of one of the pair of chopsticks;
A second electrode provided at the tip of the other chopstick of the pair of chopsticks;
A high-frequency signal transmission unit built in the one chopsticks for transmitting a high-frequency electrical signal through the first electrode;
A high-frequency signal receiving unit built in the other chopsticks and receiving the high-frequency electrical signal through the second electrode;
When the intensity of the high-frequency electrical signal built in the other chopstick and received by the high-frequency signal receiving unit is equal to or higher than a predetermined reference value, it is determined that the eating operation by the user of the chopstick has occurred. And a feeding motion detection unit that outputs a feeding motion detection signal,
The reference value is determined in advance based on the strength of the high-frequency electrical signal received by the high-frequency signal receiving unit when food is sandwiched between the first electrode and the second electrode. A pair of chopsticks characterized by A pair of chopsticks formed of an insulator,
A first electrode provided at a tip of one of the pair of chopsticks;
A second electrode provided at the rear end of the one chopstick,
A resistance measuring unit built in the one chopstick and measuring an electrical resistance between the first electrode and the second electrode;
When the measurement value of the resistance measurement unit is equal to or less than a predetermined reference value, it is determined that the user's eating operation has occurred, and a eating operation detection unit that outputs a eating operation detection signal;
A third electrode provided at the tip of the other chopstick of the pair of chopsticks;
A fourth electrode provided at a rear end of the other chopstick and electrically connected to the third electrode;
The reference value is obtained by the user of the chopsticks holding the food with the pair of chopsticks, and an electrical closed circuit is formed by the one chopstick, the user's finger, the other chopstick, and the food. In this case, the pair of chopsticks is predetermined based on an electrical resistance value measured by the resistance measuring unit.   The pair of chopsticks according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the eating operation detection unit includes a transmission unit that transmits the eating operation detection signal to the outside.   8. The pair according to claim 5, wherein the eating operation detection unit includes a memory that records the generation of the eating operation detection signal together with the time. Chopsticks.

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