JP2017038911A - Ear-worn device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an ear-worn device capable of acquiring various kinds of pieces of information with a high degree of accuracy and capable of bringing about a relaxation effect.SOLUTION: An ear-worn device (1) comprises a holding part (a holding body 1a and a clip part 1b) for holding at least one in regard to each of an information acquisition part (a skin gas sensor 1c) for acquiring a wide variety of information and an output part for outputting various physical amounts.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

  The present invention relates to an ear-mounted device and a charging device for charging the ear-mounted device.

  In recent years, technologies related to wearable devices that measure a user's physical condition have been developed. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technique related to an input device that is equipped with an optical sensor and is attached to an external ear including an external auditory canal.

International Publication No. 2010/090175 (released on August 12, 2010)

  However, the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1 detects a change in the shape of the ear canal using an optical sensor, and does not detect a change in a wide region including a plurality of other parts in the ear. The input device disclosed in Patent Document 1 is designed to be large enough to include a single sensor called an optical sensor, and is designed assuming that it includes a plurality of sensors and actuators. Not a thing. For this reason, information on a user's specific physical condition can be obtained with high accuracy by detecting changes in multiple parts of the ear, or various types of information including physical condition information can be acquired by arranging multiple types of sensors. There was a problem that it was not possible. Moreover, since the input device of Patent Document 1 does not include an actuator such as a sound output unit or a vibration unit, there is a problem that the user cannot relax with the input device mounted.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and its object is to obtain specific information with high accuracy by realizing an ear-mounted device having a region where a plurality of sensors and actuators can be arranged. In addition, a plurality of types of information are acquired. Another object of the present invention is to realize an ear-mounted device that can provide a relaxation effect.

  In order to solve the above problems, an ear-mounted device according to an aspect of the present invention is an ear-mounted device that is worn on a user's ear, and outputs an information acquisition unit that acquires various types of information and various physical quantities. Each of the output units includes a holding unit that holds at least one, and the shape constituted by the information acquisition unit, the output unit, and the holding unit is at least a region from the user's auricle to the jewel Is partly covered along the user's ear ring.

  A charging device according to an aspect of the present invention is a charging device for charging an ear-mounted device that is worn on a user's ear, and receives various information transmitted from the ear-mounted device. A storage unit that stores the various types of information received by the reception unit, and a transmission unit that transmits the various types of information stored by the storage unit to an external communication device.

  According to one embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to provide an ear-mounted device that can acquire specific information with high accuracy and can acquire a plurality of types of information. In addition, an ear-mounted device that provides a relaxation effect can be provided.

It is the schematic showing the area | region on the opposite side of the area | region facing a user's ear in the ear mounting | wearing type apparatus which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is the schematic showing the area | region facing a user's ear in the said ear mounting | wearing apparatus. It is an external view which shows the state which the user mounted | worn with the said ear | edge wearing type apparatus. It is a schematic diagram which shows the basic structure of a user's ear. It is a schematic diagram which shows the site | part of a user's ear periphery suitable for the detection of skin gas. It is a schematic diagram which shows the streamline of an ikebana. It is the schematic which shows the modification of the shape of the holding | maintenance main-body part with which the said ear mounting | wearing type apparatus is provided. It is the schematic which shows the shape of the said holding | maintenance main-body part which imitated the streamline of the flower arrangement. It is an external view of the charging device which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is the schematic which shows the principal part of the said charging device. It is the figure which showed typically a mode that the transmission / reception of various information was performed between the said ear mounting | wearing apparatus, the said charging device, and a smart phone. It is a flowchart which shows the processing method of the various information in the said ear-wearing apparatus and the said charging device. It is the schematic which shows the principal part of the ear wearing type apparatus which concerns on Embodiment 2 of this invention. (A) is a flowchart which shows the memory | storage method of the image characteristic data to the memory with which the said ear mounting | wearing type apparatus is provided. (B) is a flowchart showing a position correction method performed by the ear-worn device after wearing. (A) is the schematic which shows an example of the holding | maintenance main-body part and clip part of the ear mounting | wearing type apparatus which concerns on Embodiment 4 of this invention. (B) is a schematic diagram which shows an example of a functional block which implement | achieves functions, such as a sensor hold | maintained by the said holding | maintenance main-body part. (C) is a schematic diagram showing an example of the ear-mounted device in a state where the sensor or the like is held. (A) is schematic which shows the other example of the holding | maintenance main-body part and clip part of the ear mounting | wearing type apparatus which concerns on Embodiment 5 of this invention. (B) is a schematic diagram which shows an example of a functional block which implement | achieves functions, such as a sensor with which the said ear wearing type apparatus is equipped. (C) is a schematic diagram showing an example of the ear-mounted device in a state where the sensors and the like are electrically connected. (D) is a schematic diagram showing a part of the user's ear that is covered by the holding main body of the ear-mounted device. (A) is the schematic which shows the modification of the ear mounting | wearing type apparatus which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. (B) is the schematic which shows the modification of the ear wearing type apparatus which concerns on Embodiment 2 of this invention.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail. In addition, about the structure in the following specific items (embodiment), when it is the same as the structure demonstrated by the other item, the description may be abbreviate | omitted. For convenience of explanation, members having the same functions as those shown in each item are given the same reference numerals, and the explanation thereof is omitted as appropriate.

Embodiment 1
An embodiment according to the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS.

<Outline of ear-mounted device 1>
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a region on the opposite side of a region facing an ear 110 of a user 100 in an ear-mounted device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an area facing the ear 110 of the user 100 in the ear-mounted device 1. FIG. 3 is an external view showing a state in which the user 100 wears the ear-mounted device 1. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the basic structure of the ear 110 of the user 100.

(Configuration of ear-mounted device 1)
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the ear-worn device 1 includes a holding main body 1a (holding unit), a clip unit 1b (holding unit), a skin gas sensor 1c (information acquisition unit), a small battery 1d, and body condition information. A communication unit 1e is provided. As shown in FIG. 3, the ear-worn device 1 is worn by the user 100 by hooking the clip portion 1 b on the left ear 110 of the user 100. And various body state information (various information) which shows body movements, such as a pulse wave of a user 100, mastication, blood pressure, skin color, and walking, is acquired by an information acquisition part (other than skin gas sensor 1c is not shown), and mentioned below. It transmits from the body state information communication part 1e to the charging device 10 (external device).

  The ear-mounted device 1 may have a structure in which the clip portion 1b is hooked on the right ear 110 of the user 100. Alternatively, a pair of ear-mounted devices 1 may be manufactured and mounted on the ears 110 on both sides of the user 100. In addition to the above, the body state information to be acquired by the ear-worn device 1 may include information indicating the body state of the user 100 such as blood oxygen, body temperature, and inclination. In addition, the ear-mounted device 1 may acquire information other than the body state information. For example, information such as room temperature, humidity or brightness in the room of the user 100, electromagnetic waves existing around the user, body condition information of a third party, earthquake information, and fire information may be acquired. In other words, “various information” acquired by the information acquisition unit of the ear-worn device 1 is information related to the environment in which the ear-worn device 1 is placed (for example, the above-described body state information, room temperature, humidity, brightness) Means information indicating electromagnetic waves or the like). Furthermore, the external device that is the transmission destination of the body state information may be, for example, a mobile terminal such as a smartphone and a tablet terminal, a personal computer, or the like in addition to the charging device 10.

  Moreover, about the body state information communication part 1e, the block which implement | achieves the function is shown in FIG. The block is shown in order to clarify that the ear-worn device 1 includes the body condition information communication unit 1e, and the shape, mounting (arrangement) position, and the like related to the body condition information communication unit 1e are illustrated. It does not indicate the physical configuration of That is, the body state information communication unit 1e is realized by mounting an IC chip or the like that performs the above-described function at an arbitrary position on the holding main body 1a or the clip unit 1b.

  The holding main body 1a holds various sensors (information acquisition unit) other than the skin gas sensor 1c, a photovoltaic panel (power generation element), and an LED light source (body state information communication unit 1e). Further, the shape of the holding body 1a is a thin plate, and when the holding body 1a is viewed from a direction substantially parallel to the thickness direction, the shape is substantially O-shaped. And the area of the area | region of the holding | maintenance main-body part 1a which opposes the site | part around the tragus of the user 100 is small compared with the area of another area | region (refer FIG. 3 and FIG. 4).

  A photovoltaic panel is provided in an area (hereinafter referred to as “front side area”) opposite to the area (hereinafter referred to as “back side area”) facing the user's 100 ear 110 in the holding main body 1a. And an LED light source (both not shown). Further, for example, a pulse wave sensor, a mastication sensor, a blood pressure sensor, a skin color sensor, a skin sensor, and an acceleration sensor (all information acquisition units) are mounted in the region on the back side of the holding main body 1a (all not shown). .

  The photovoltaic panel generates photovoltaic power by being irradiated with visible light from a charging device 10 described later. And the small battery 1d is charged by supplying the electric power obtained by photovoltaic power generation to the small battery 1d (refer FIG. 2) with which the clip part 1b was equipped. The photovoltaic panel is thin and lightweight, and has a long service life compared to conventional batteries, so that the ear-mounted device 1 can be further reduced in size and weight. Further, the user 100 does not need to charge the ear-worn device 1 frequently, and can use the ear-worn device 1 in a stable state for a long time. Furthermore, since the photovoltaic panel is mounted on the front side region of the holding main body 1a, that is, the region opposite to the region facing the user's 100 ear 110, the photovoltaic panel is compared with the case where the rear side region is mounted. This makes it easier to receive light. Therefore, the ear-mounted device 1 that can be charged efficiently in a short time can be provided.

  Note that the small battery 1d is not necessarily charged by the photovoltaic panel. For example, a photovoltaic panel may be mounted instead of the photovoltaic panel and charged by sunlight. Further, instead of the photovoltaic panel, for example, the small battery 1d may be charged using a power generation element that performs vibration power generation or thermoelectric power generation. Furthermore, a power generation element such as a photovoltaic panel may be mounted, for example, in a region on the back side of the holding main body 1a. In other words, the power generation element may be provided in any region of the holding portion (holding main body portion 1a and clip portion 1b).

  The body state information communication unit 1 e includes an LED light source (wireless communication unit, not shown) as a light source for performing optical wireless communication with the charging device (external device) 10. The LED light source transmits various body state information to the charging device 10 by optical wireless communication that emits infrared light toward the charging device 10. In addition, chargeable information indicating that the ear-worn device 1 is in a chargeable state and charging completion information indicating that charging of the ear-worn device 1 has been completed are also transmitted to the charging device 10. Details of the chargeable state will be described later. The body state information communication unit 1e may receive various information from the charging device 10 and other external devices.

  In general, optical wireless communication consumes less power than radio communication using radio waves, and is therefore energy saving and low cost. Optical wireless communication can transmit a large amount of information at one time and has a higher communication speed than wireless communication using radio waves. In that respect, since the ear-mounted device 1 performs optical wireless communication with the charging device 10, it is possible to realize the energy-saving and low-cost ear-mounted device 1. In addition, the ear-mounted device 1 can transmit a large amount of body condition information to the charging device 10 at a high speed at a time. Furthermore, since infrared light having high directivity and high information confidentiality compared to light in other wavelength ranges and safe for the human body is used for optical wireless communication, privacy and health of the user 100 It is possible to realize the ear-mounted device 1 in consideration of the above.

  Moreover, since the body state information detected by the various sensors is finally transmitted to the charging device 10, it is necessary to store all the body state information detected every moment in the ear-worn device 1. Absent. Therefore, since the capacity of a memory (not shown) provided in the ear-mounted device 1 can be small, an inexpensive memory can be used, and cost reduction can be realized.

  In addition, as a light source which performs optical wireless communication, you may use a laser light source other than an LED light source, for example. In addition to optical wireless communication, for example, Bluetooth (registered trademark), wireless communication using radio waves, or the like may be employed as a communication method by the body state information communication unit 1e (wireless communication unit).

  A pulse wave sensor detects the pulse wave of the user 100 by irradiating light, for example. The mastication sensor is composed of a strain sensor or an optical sensor, and detects the mastication of the user 100 by detecting the movement of the skin of the ear 110 with the strain sensor or the optical sensor. Note that the ear-mounted device 1 provided with a strain sensor or an optical sensor can be provided with a switch function. For example, when the movement of the skin of the ear 110 is detected by a strain sensor or an optical sensor, the detection result is controlled by the operation control unit (the operation of an information processing terminal such as a music player or a smartphone) provided in the ear-mounted device 1. Member (not shown). Then, when the operation control unit that has received the detection result transmits an operation command for operating the information processing terminal to the information processing terminal, the switch of the information processing terminal is turned on to operate the information processing terminal. be able to. At this time, if the information processing terminal is, for example, a portable music player, it is possible to hear the sound reproduced by the player from the speaker in the ear-mounted device 1. Further, as will be described later, since the ear-mounted device 1 can include a plurality of sensors, a plurality of strain sensors or a plurality of optical sensors can be arranged at different parts of the ear 110, or a plurality of sensors can be provided. The strain sensor and a plurality of optical sensors are used in combination and are arranged at different parts of the ear 110, respectively, so that the movement of the skin of the ear 110 can be detected with high accuracy. The operation control unit does not have to be included in the ear-mounted device 1, and for example, a specific server may include the operation control unit. The blood pressure sensor detects the blood pressure of the user 100 by irradiating light, for example. The skin color sensor detects a change in the skin color of the user 100, and for example, a micro camera can be used. The skin sensor is a pH sensor that detects the skin state of the user 100 and uses an ion selective field effect transistor. The acceleration sensor detects the body movement of the user 100.

  The various sensors may be arbitrarily mounted as long as they are within the region on the back side of the holding main body 1a. However, in general, since the ear part suitable for detecting human pulse waves and mastication is around the tragus, the pulse wave sensor and the mastication sensor are around the tragus of the user 100 as shown in FIG. It is preferable to mount so that it may oppose. Further, the sensor mounted on the holding main body 1a is not limited to the above. For example, a blood oxygen sensor that detects the blood oxygen level of the user 100 by irradiating infrared light, a body temperature sensor that detects the body temperature of the user 100 using a thermocouple or an optical sensor, and various speeds that detect the inclination of the user 100 You may mount a sensor etc. in the area | region on the back side of the holding | maintenance main-body part 1a.

  The skin gas sensor 1c detects skin gas released from the skin of the user 100, and is mounted on the back side of the clip portion 1b and in the vicinity of the tip (see FIG. 2). Generally, the area around the back side of the ear has poor air permeability and skin gas tends to accumulate. Therefore, in order to position the skin gas sensor 1c in the region around the back side of the ear 110 as shown in FIG. 5, the arrangement is made in the clip portion 1b of the skin gas sensor 1c as described above. The small battery 1d supplies power to each part of the ear-mounted device 1, and is mounted on the back side region of the clip part 1b (see FIG. 2). Note that the small battery 1d may be mounted on the front side region of the clip portion 1b.

(Appearance of ear-mounted device 1)
As described above, the outer appearance of the ear-mounted device 1 is configured by the substantially O-shaped holding main body portion 1a and the clip portion 1b. Such an appearance is effective in measuring a plurality of types of body condition information with high accuracy, and at the same time, the user 100 and those who see the ear-worn device 1 feel comfortable.

That is, as shown in FIG. 6, the appearance of the ear-worn device 1 is similar to the streamline of ikebana. Specifically, the area A ₁ of the holding body portion 1a corresponds to the "body" of the flower arrangement, the area A ₂ corresponds to the "true", the area A ₃ corresponds to the "secondary" (see FIG. 1). In general, ikebana streamlines have a relaxation effect because they make viewers feel the gentle beauty of nature. Therefore, the ear-worn device 1 is not only functionally superior, but also has a visual effect that has a good influence on the psychological aspect of the user 100 in its appearance.

  Note that the appearance of the ear-worn device 1 does not need to imitate the ikebana streamline. In other words, the shape of the holding portion including the holding main body portion 1a and the clip portion 1b only needs to cover at least a part of the region from the auricle portion of the user 100 to the jewel along the ear ring of the user 100.

(Shape of holding body 1a)
As described above, the holding main body portion 1a has a substantially O-shape when the holding main body portion 1a is viewed from a direction substantially parallel to the thickness direction. In other words, the holding main body 1a covers at least a part of the region from the auricle portion of the user 100 to the rosicle along the ear ring of the user 100, and has an opening region that opens corresponding to the ear canal of the user 100. It has a formed shape.

  By making the shape of the holding main body 1a as described above, almost all areas of the ear 110 of the user 100 other than the periphery of the opening of the ear canal can be covered with the holding main body 1a. Therefore, the shape of the holding body 1a is suitable for mounting a plurality of types of sensors or mounting sensors for acquiring specific information at a plurality of locations. Therefore, the ear-mounted device 1 can measure a plurality of types of information and highly accurate information.

  Moreover, the holding main-body part 1a can cover even the tragus of the user 100 by making the shape of the holding main-body part 1a as mentioned above. In general, the region around the tragus is suitable as a site for detecting human pulse waves and mastication. Therefore, a user's pulse wave and mastication can be detected with high accuracy by mounting the pulse wave sensor and the mastication sensor in a region facing the region around the tragus of the user 100 in the holding main body 1a.

  In addition, since the holding main body 1a has an opening region that opens corresponding to the external ear canal of the user 100, the wearing of the ear-mounted device 1 does not hinder the user 100 from listening to surrounding sounds. . Therefore, for example, in a state where the ear-mounted device 1 is worn, a music output device such as a headphone or an earphone can be further worn and music can be enjoyed. In addition, since the user 100 can hear the surrounding sound in the same state as when the ear-worn device 1 is not worn, the user 100 can reduce discomfort during wearing and ensure the safety of the user 100 during wearing. Can do.

  Further, as described above, the area of the holding main body 1a facing the part around the tragus of the user 100 is smaller than the area of the other area. By making the shape of the holding main body 1a in this way, when an external device such as a sound output device is further mounted while the ear-worn device 1 is mounted, the cable of the external device is caught by the holding main body 1a. Can be reduced. Therefore, even when the ear-mounted device 1 is worn, the external device can be worn without a sense of incongruity.

  Note that the shape of the holding body 1a is not limited to the O-shape. For example, as shown in FIG. 7, when the holding main body 1a is viewed from a direction substantially parallel to the thickness direction of the holding main body 1a, the shape may be formed to be a substantially arc shape. By making the shape of the holding main body portion 1a into a substantially arc shape, the holding main body portion 1a can be manufactured with a smaller amount of material than in the case of a substantially O-shaped shape, and the weight of the ear-mounted device 1 can be reduced. In addition, cost reduction can be realized. From the viewpoint of reducing the weight and size of the ear-worn device 1, for example, as shown in FIG. 17A, the holding body 1a is shaped and sized so as to sandwich only a part of the ear ring of the ear 110. In this case, a body temperature sensor (using a thermocouple or a light sensor) or a pulse wave sensor (radiating light from an LED or the like) is provided on the holding main body 1a (on the front side). It is possible to detect the body temperature or pulse wave of the user 100 by holding it. Further, if the shape of the holding main body 1a is, for example, such that the region from the user's 100 jewel to the tragus through the earlobe is opened, the cable can be held even when an external device is further attached. The main body 1a is not caught. Therefore, the user 100 can further wear the external device without feeling uncomfortable while wearing the ear-worn device 1.

  Here, if the substantially arc-shaped holding body 1a is employed in the ear-mounted device 1, for example, it is preferable to employ the holding body 1a having a shape as shown in FIG. The holding main body portion 1a shown in FIG. 8 may have a streamline-shaped projection protruding from the region corresponding to the ear ring, and as a whole, the holding main body portion 1a has a shape closer to the streamline of the flower arrangement than the holding main body portion 1a shown in FIG. ing. By adopting the holding body portion 1a having such a shape, the user 100 allows the region B1 in the holding body portion 1a to correspond to the “body” of the flower arrangement, the region B2 to correspond to “true”, and the protrusion It can be recognized more strongly that the region B3 corresponding to “corresponds to“ sub ”. Therefore, the user 100 can obtain a more relaxation effect by viewing the holding main body 1a shown in FIG.

  Further, for example, when the holding main body portion 1a is viewed from a direction substantially parallel to the thickness direction of the holding main body portion 1a, the holding main body portion 1a may be shaped so as to have a substantially disk shape. That is, the shape which does not have the opening area | region opened corresponding to the external auditory canal of the user 100 may be sufficient. By making the shape of the holding body 1a into a substantially disk shape, the area where the sensor and the photovoltaic panel can be mounted is maximized. Therefore, it is possible to realize the ear-mounted device 1 that is optimal for energy saving and acquiring various types of information with high accuracy. In this case, for example, by providing an earphone-type sound output unit in the vicinity of the region corresponding to the external auditory canal of the user 100 in the holding main body 1a, the ear-mounted device 1 may have a function as a sound output device. it can.

  As described above, the variation of the shape of the holding main body 1a can be varied. In other words, the shape constituted by the various sensors (information acquisition unit) and the holding main body unit 1a (holding unit) at least part of the region from the user's 100 pinna to the rosary along the user's 100 ear ring. It is sufficient that the shape is covered. In other words, the holding main body 1a may have a shape that covers at least a part of the region from the auricle portion of the user 100 to the jewel along the ear ring of the user 100.

<Outline of charging device 10>
FIG. 9 is an external view of the charging device 10. FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating a main part of the charging device 10.

(Configuration of charging device 10)
As shown in FIG. 9, the charging device 10 has a bowl shape, and includes a case portion 10a and a lid portion 10b. However, the charging device 10 does not necessarily have a bowl shape, and may be configured only by the case portion 10a (for example, the outer shape of the case portion 10a may be arbitrarily changed according to the preference of the user 100). Good). The charging device 10 charges the ear-worn device 1 by irradiating the ear-worn device 1 housed in the case portion 10a with second visible light described later. As shown in FIG. 10, a first LED light source 10c (light source unit), a second LED light source 10d (light source unit), a receiving unit 10e, a transmitting unit 10f, a substrate 10g, and a device support unit 10h are accommodated in the case unit 10a. Has been. A storage unit (not shown) and a light source control unit (light source unit, not shown) are mounted on a surface (hereinafter referred to as “lower surface”) of the substrate 10g facing the bottom surface of the case unit 10a. ing. A battery (not shown) is disposed in a region between the substrate 10g and the bottom surface of the case portion 10a. The battery may be disposed outside the case portion 10a and connected to the case portion 10a through an outlet or the like. Hereinafter, for convenience of description, a direction from the lid 10b toward the bottom surface of the case 10a is defined as a downward direction, and an opposite direction is defined as an upward direction.

  The first LED light source 10c radiates the first visible light (first light) having a weaker radiation intensity than the second LED light source 10d to the ear-mounted device 1. By receiving the first visible light, the ear-mounted device 1 recognizes that the device is supported on a device support unit 10h described later, that is, a chargeable state. The second LED light source 10d radiates the second visible light (second light) having a stronger radiation intensity than the first LED light source 10c to the ear-mounted device 1. The ear-mounted device 1 is charged by generating the photovoltaic panel by receiving the second visible light. By adopting such a configuration, the charging device 10 can receive the second visible light by receiving the chargeable information by the irradiation of the first visible light to the ear wearing device 1. The device 1 can be charged. In addition, for example, if the first light is made to correspond to “firefly light” and the second light is made to correspond to “all light emission”, the charging device 10 excellent in visual effect given to the user 100 at the time of charging can be obtained. Can be provided. Further, regarding the combination of the first light and the second light, not only the combination of “firefly light” and “full power emission” but also the light emission intensity, wavelength, lighting cycle, and the like are appropriately set, so that the user 100 can have a preference. Can be adapted.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 10, the first LED light sources 10c are arranged in a total of 12 units at approximately four corners of the substrate 10g as one set. About the 2nd LED light source 10d, a total of 4 units | sets are arrange | positioned along the side surface of the board | substrate 10g between the sets of the 1st LED light source 10c in the board | substrate 10g. In addition, about the base number of each light source, and arrangement | positioning on the board | substrate 10g, it is not limited to the said case. For example, a plurality of only the first LED light sources 10c are arranged on the substrate 10g (the arrangement may be only the second LED light sources 10d), and the first LED light sources 10c emit both the first visible light and the second visible light. Good. Further, instead of the LED light source, for example, a laser light source may be employed as the light source of the light source unit. In other words, it is only necessary to recognize that the ear-worn device 1 is in a chargeable state and to have the number, arrangement, and type of light sources that are charged by the photovoltaic panel.

The receiving unit 10 e receives the body state information transmitted from the ear-worn device 1. The storage unit stores the body condition information received by the receiving unit 10e, various control programs, and the like. The storage unit is configured by a nonvolatile storage device such as a hard disk or a flash memory. The transmission unit 10 f transmits the body state information stored in the storage unit to the smartphone (external communication device) 50. As a transmission method, near field communication such as Bluetooth (registered trademark) is adopted. In addition, when using a tablet terminal, personal computer, etc. as an external communication device to which the body condition information is transmitted, existing wireless communication such as WiFi (registered trademark, wireless fidelity) communication, infrared communication, and sound wave is adopted. May be. The receiving unit 10e, the storage unit, and the transmitting unit 10f perform their functions as long as they are various information transmitted from the ear-worn device 1 other than the body state information.

  The first LED light source (light source unit) 10c, the second LED light source (light source unit) 10d, the receiving unit 10e, and the transmitting unit 10f are mounted on the upper surface of the substrate 10g. In addition, arrangement | positioning of a memory | storage part, a light source control part, and a battery is not limited to the said case, For example, at least any one of a memory | storage part, a light source control part, and a battery may be mounted on the upper surface of the board | substrate 10g.

  The device support section 10h supports the ear-mounted device 1 by placing the ear-mounted device 1 on the upper surface thereof. The device support 10h is made of cotton so that the ear-mounted device 1 can receive each visible light emitted from the first LED light source 10c and the second LED light source 10d. Moreover, the apparatus support part 10h is arrange | positioned above the 1st LED light source 10c and the 2nd LED light source 10d so that the inside of the case part 10a may be covered. The device support 10h is not limited to cotton, and may be any material that is translucent and made of a material having a strength that can withstand the gravity of the ear-mounted device 1. Further, as the device support 10h, for example, zirconia or crystal may be spread over the first LED light source 10c and the second LED light source 10d.

  The light source control unit controls lighting of the first LED light source 10c and the second LED light source 10d. Specifically, the state in which the ear-worn device 1 is not housed in the case unit 10a and the time from when the ear-worn device 1 is housed in the case unit 10a until the receiving unit 10e receives the chargeable information. In the meantime, the light source control unit controls the first LED light source 10c to blink the first visible light at a relatively small frequency. For example, the first LED light source 10c slowly and weakly turns on and off like “light emitted by fireflies”. On the other hand, the second LED light source 10d is controlled to be turned off by the light source control unit.

  Next, when the receiving unit 10e receives the chargeable information, the light source control unit turns off the first LED light source 10c, and turns it on so that the second LED light source 10d continuously emits the second visible light instead. Control. Then, when the charging of the ear-worn device 1 is completed and the receiving unit 10e receives the charging completion information, the light source control unit turns off the second LED light source 10d, and the first LED light source 10c again uses the first visible light. Make it blink.

  The lighting control of the first LED light source 10c by the light source control unit is not limited to the above case. For example, the first visible light does not blink as in the present embodiment, but may be continuously lit. Further, for example, all the light sources are turned off while the opening of the case portion 10a is closed by the lid portion 10b. And when the user 100 removes the cover part 10b, the pressure sensor provided on the contact part with the cover part 10b in the case part 10a detects the removal of the cover part 10b, and it is based on the detection information. The 1 LED light source 10c may be blinked. And when the user 100 puts the cover part 10b on the said opening part, you may make all the light sources into a light extinction state again.

  Further, for example, the pressure sensor may be provided on the upper surface of the device support unit 10h, and the blinking of the first LED light source 10c may be started when the ear-mounted device 1 is placed on the surface. Note that all light sources are turned off until the ear-mounted device 1 is placed on the upper surface of the device support 10h. When the ear-mounted device 1 and the device support 10h are separated by the user 100 holding the ear-mounted device 1 or the like, all the light sources may be turned off again. Thus, the power consumption of the charging device 10 can be further suppressed by providing a period in which the first LED light source 10c is turned off.

(Appearance of charging device 10)
Note that, as in this embodiment, the charging device 10 has a bowl-shaped outer shape, and the first visible light emitted from the first LED light source 10c blinks like “light emitted by fireflies”. The appearance has a visual effect that positively affects the psychological aspect of the user 100. That is, the user 100 who has seen the charging apparatus 10 can not only be healed by the outer shape and the soft and gentle light like the antiques, but can also feel comfort and obtain a relaxation effect. For example, this effect is further enhanced by adding a pattern to the surface of the charging device 10 in combination with refraction and reflection of the first visible light.

<Transmission / reception of various information among the ear-mounted device 1, the charging device 10, and the smartphone 50>
FIG. 11 is a diagram schematically illustrating a state in which various types of information are transmitted and received among the ear-mounted device 1, the charging device 10, and the smartphone 50. As shown in FIG. 11, the ear-mounted device 1 supported by the device support portion 10 h of the charging device 10 is charged by emitting infrared light from the LED light source when receiving the first visible light by the photovoltaic panel. The possible information is transmitted to the charging device 10 (optical wireless communication). In addition, when the second visible light is received by the photovoltaic panel, the ear-mounted device 1 starts charging and charges the body state information stored in the memory by emitting infrared light from the LED light source. Transmit to the apparatus 10 (optical wireless communication). That is, the photovoltaic panel has a function as a power generation element, and also has a function as a receiving unit (optical wireless communication light receiving unit) in optical wireless communication performed between the ear-mounted device 1 and the charging device 10. . As described above, the battery capacity of the ear-worn device 1 can be reduced by performing the charging of the device itself and the transmission of the body state information to the charging device 10 in parallel, and the ear-worn type of the small battery 1d. Mounting on the device 1 is realized.

  Next, the charging device 10 transmits the body state information stored in the storage unit to the smartphone 50 by a user operation of the smartphone 50. In addition, the smart phone 50 performs various data processing, such as calculation of a statistical value or an average value, based on the received physical condition information. And the secondary information regarding the physical condition after the said data processing is memorize | stored in the memory of the smart phone 50. FIG.

  The body state information may be transmitted directly from the ear-mounted device 1 to the smartphone 50. The secondary information may be transmitted to the charging device 10 and stored in the storage unit, and then transmitted from the charging device 10 to the ear-worn device 1 or directly from the smartphone 50 to the ear-worn device 1. May be sent. Furthermore, the ear-worn device 1 and the charging device 10 can be operated by the smartphone 50, and transmission / reception of body condition information or setting changes of various functions of the ear-worn device 1 and the charging device 10 are performed by a user operation of the smartphone 50. May be performed.

<Method for Processing Various Information in Ear-Worn Device 1 and Charging Device 10>
Next, a method for processing various types of information in the ear-mounted device 1 and the charging device 10 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing the processing method. As shown in FIG. 12, first, the skin gas sensor 1c and other various sensors provided in the ear-worn device 1 detect a plurality of body states of the user 100 and transmit them to the memory as body state information (step 100, Hereinafter, abbreviated as “S100”; body condition detection step).

  Next, after the ear-mounted device 1 is supported by the device support 10h of the charging device 10 for charging, the ear-mounted device 1 detects the reception of the first visible light by the photovoltaic panel (S101; First visible light detection step). The ear-mounted device 1 recognizes that the device is in a chargeable state, and transmits chargeable information to the receiving unit 10e of the charging device 10 by emitting infrared light from the LED light source (S102). Chargeable information transmission step).

  Next, the chargeable information received by the receiving unit 10e is transmitted to the light source control unit. Then, the light source controller receives the chargeable information, turns off the blinking first LED light source 10c, and turns on the second LED light source 10d so that the second LED light source 10d performs continuous lighting with the second visible light. (S103; second visible light lighting step). Then, when the photovoltaic panel receives the second visible light, the ear-mounted device 1 starts to be charged. Further, when the photovoltaic panel receives the second visible light, the ear-worn device 1 transmits the body state information stored in the memory to the receiving unit 10e of the charging device 10 (S104; charging / body state) Information transmission process). The physical condition information received by the receiving unit 10e is transmitted to the storage unit and stored in the storage unit (S105; storage step).

  Next, when the charging of the ear-worn device 1 is completed (Y in S106 (charging end determination step)), the ear-worn device 1 radiates infrared light from the LED light source to charge the charging completion information. 10 to the receiving unit 10e (S107; charging completion information transmitting step). On the other hand, when the charging of the ear-mounted device 1 has not been completed (N in S106), the ear-mounted device 1 determines again whether or not the charging of the own device has been completed.

  Next, the charging completion information received by the receiving unit 10e is transmitted to the light source control unit. Then, the light source control unit receives the charging completion information, thereby turning off the second LED light source 10d that has been continuously lit, and causing the first LED light source 10c to blink with the first visible light again. The blinking is controlled (S108; blinking state return step).

<Effect>
As described above, according to the present embodiment, the holding portion (holding main body portion 1a and clip portion 1b) has at least a part of the region from the user's 100 pinna to the jewel along the ear ring of the user 100. It has a shape to cover. Therefore, for example, the area of the holding unit facing the ear 110 of the user 100 is larger than the shape covering the periphery of the opening of the ear canal of the user 100. Therefore, for example, by mounting a plurality of types of sensors in the area, a plurality of types of information corresponding to the number of these sensors can be acquired. For example, specific information can be acquired with high accuracy by mounting sensors of the same type at a plurality of locations in the region. Therefore, the ear-mounted device 1 can transmit a plurality of types of information to the charging device 10 with high accuracy.

  Moreover, according to this embodiment, the charging device 10 can transmit the body state information transmitted from the device to the smartphone 50 once stored in the storage unit while charging the ear-mounted device 1. . For this reason, a battery with a small capacity can be used for the ear-worn device 1, which contributes to a reduction in size, weight, and cost of the ear-worn device 1. Furthermore, since the body state information can be stored in the storage unit, the memory capacity of the ear-worn device 1 can be reduced accordingly, which also contributes to the cost reduction of the ear-worn device 1.

[Embodiment 2]
Another embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 13 and 14. FIG. 13 is a schematic view showing a main part of the ear-worn device 2 according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 14A is a flowchart illustrating a method for storing the image feature data A in the memory included in the ear-worn device 2. FIG. 14B is a flowchart showing a position correction method performed by the ear-worn device 2 after being worn.

<Outline of ear-mounted device 2>
As shown in FIG. 13, the ear-mounted device 2 according to the present embodiment includes a small camera 2a (position specifying unit), an image feature extracting unit 2b (position specifying unit), a position correction determining unit 2c, and a reference position determining unit 2d. And the point which is further provided with the vibration part 200 (stimulation output part, drive part) differs from the ear mounting | wearing type apparatus 1 which concerns on Embodiment 1. FIG. For easy understanding of the drawings, the small camera 2a, the image feature extraction unit 2b, the position correction determination unit 2c, and the reference position determination unit 2d are schematically shown in FIG. 13 as blocks that realize these functions. ing. That is, the four blocks related to “small camera 2a”, “image feature extraction unit 2b”, “position correction determination unit 2c”, and “reference position determination unit 2d” in FIG. 13 are physically related to these four components. The configuration and arrangement are not shown.

  The small camera 2a captures the skin of the ear 110 corresponding to the mounting position of the ear-worn device 2, and is an area facing the ear 110 of the user 100 in the holding main body 1a, that is, the back side of the holding main body 1a. It is mounted in the area. Here, the wearing position refers to a relative position of the ear-worn device 2 with respect to the ear 110 of the user 100 at a certain time after the user 100 wears the ear-worn device 2. In addition, you may mount the small camera 2a in the area | region on the back side of the clip part 1b.

  The image feature extraction unit 2b extracts image feature data indicating the feature of the image based on the skin image of the ear 110 taken at a certain point in time, which is taken by the small camera 2a. As image feature data, for example, general image features indicating features in an image (such as “luminance”, “saturation”, “hue”, “contour” position or range in an image such as a spot or a small scratch) The amount may be used.

  The position correction determination unit 2c determines whether or not to move the ear-worn device 2 to the reference position based on the image feature data extracted by the image feature extraction unit 2b. The reference position determination unit 2d determines whether or not the ear-worn device 2 has moved to the reference position based on the image feature data extracted by the image feature extraction unit 2b. Here, the reference position refers to a relative position of the ear-mounted device 2 with respect to the ear 110 of the user 100, which is suitable for the user 100 to wear the ear-mounted device 2. In addition, image feature data (in the following description) extracted by the image feature extraction unit 2b from the image obtained by photographing the skin of the ear 110 corresponding to the user's favorite wearing position (reference position) with the small camera 2a. (Described as “image feature data A”) may be stored in advance in a memory (not shown) of the ear-worn device 2 or may be stored in a memory external to the ear-worn device 2. .

  Similar to the small camera 2a, the image feature extraction unit 2b, the position correction determination unit 2c, and the reference position determination unit 2d are also mounted in the area on the back side of the holding main body 1a (installed in the area on the back side of the clip unit 1b). May be good). Alternatively, the image feature extraction unit 2b, the position correction determination unit 2c, and the reference position determination unit 2d may be mounted in a front side region of the holding main body unit 1a or the clip unit 1b. However, in consideration of securing the area for arranging the photovoltaic panel, the appearance of the ear-mounted device 2, etc., the image feature extraction unit 2b, the position correction determination unit 2c, and the reference position determination unit are provided in the region on the back side of the holding main body unit 1a. It is more preferable to mount 2d.

  The vibration unit 200 vibrates (drives) so that the ear-worn device 2 moves to the reference position when the position correction determination unit 2c determines to move the ear-worn device 2 to the reference position. , Biometal 201, vibrating rod 202, and spring 203. In addition, when the reference position determination unit 2d determines that the ear-worn device 2 has moved to the reference position, the vibration unit 200 ends the vibration. Although the vibration part 200 is mounted in the area | region corresponding to the periphery of the pinna part of the user 100 in the outer peripheral part of the holding | maintenance main-body part 1a, you may mount in the area | region of the back side of the holding | maintenance main-body part 1a, for example. In other words, the vibration part 200 may be provided in any region of the holding part (holding main body part 1a and clip part 1b).

  The biometal 201 is a fiber-type actuator manufactured using a Ti—Ni-based shape memory alloy as a raw material. It self-heats by passing an electric current, shrinks with a strong force, and extends to its original length by stopping the electric current. Therefore, for example, by applying a pulse current to the biometal 201, the biometal 201 repeatedly contracts and expands.

  The biometal 201 is attached to the outer peripheral surface of the holding main body portion 1a and the portion facing the outer peripheral surface of the vibrating rod 202 so as to be inclined with respect to the normal direction of the outer peripheral surface of the holding main body portion 1a. In other words, the biometal 201 is attached to the holding main body 1a and the vibrating rod 202 in a state of being connected in a substantially mountain shape when viewed from a direction substantially parallel to the thickness direction of the holding main body 1a (FIG. 13). reference). By attaching the biometal 201 in this way, for example, the length of the biometal 201 to be used is increased as compared with the case where the biometal 201 is attached substantially parallel to the normal direction of the outer peripheral surface. Since the amount of contraction and extension of the biometal 201 increases as the length increases, the amplitude of the vibration rod 202 during vibration increases and strong vibration can be obtained. Therefore, the ear-worn device 2 can be reliably moved while suppressing power consumption. Note that the attachment of the biometal 201 as described above is merely an example, and for example, the inclination angle of the biometal 201 with respect to the normal direction can be arbitrarily changed. Alternatively, the biometal 201 may be attached so as to be substantially parallel to the normal direction.

  The vibrating bar 202 is a substantially arc shape when viewed from a direction substantially parallel to the thickness direction of the holding body 1a, and is a metal or resin bar. When the vibrating rod 202 vibrates in the substantially radial direction of the holding main body 1a, the ear-mounted device 2 also vibrates, and the ear-mounted device 2 moves to the reference position. By making the shape of the vibrating rod 202 into a substantially arc shape, for example, it can be manufactured with less material than a substantially O-shape that covers the entire outer peripheral portion of the holding main body 1a, and the ear-mounted device 2 can be reduced in weight and weight. Cost can be reduced.

  In addition, since the vibration bar 202 comes into contact with a part around the auricle portion of the user 100, the vibration of the vibration bar 202 is directly transmitted to the ear 110 of the user 100. Therefore, by appropriately changing the magnitude of the current flowing through the biometal 201 and the method of attaching the biometal 201, the vibration rod 202 is stimulated (biological stimulation) to improve the blood flow in the ear 110 and its surroundings. Vibration can be generated. The vibration of the ear 110 is improved by this vibration, and a relaxation effect is provided to the user 100. In this case, the vibration unit 200 has not only a function as a drive unit that moves the ear-worn device 2 to the reference position but also a function as a biostimulation unit that generates a biostimulation that provides a relaxation effect. Therefore, it is possible to provide the ear-mounted device 2 that can acquire a plurality of types of information with high accuracy while the user 100 feels comfortable while wearing the device.

  The spring 203 holds the vibrating rod 202 in a state in which the vibrating rod 202 can vibrate with respect to the holding main body 1a. Four springs 203 are attached at equal intervals to the outer peripheral surface of the holding main body 1a and the portion facing the outer peripheral surface of the vibrating rod 202 in substantially parallel to the normal direction of the outer peripheral surface of the holding main body 1a. The number of springs 203 can be arbitrarily changed.

  The arrangement of the vibration unit 200 is not limited to the above case, and may be mounted at a position corresponding to the periphery of the user's 100 earlobe, for example. Moreover, the shape of the vibrating rod 202 is not limited to a substantially arc shape. For example, the shape when viewed from a direction substantially parallel to the thickness direction of the holding main body 1a is a substantially O-shape. The shape which covers the whole outer peripheral surface may be sufficient. In other words, the shape constituted by the various sensors (information acquisition unit), the vibration unit 200 (output unit), and the holding main body unit 1a (holding unit) is at least one of the regions from the auricle portion of the user 100 to the jewel. It suffices if the part is covered with the user's 100 ear ring.

  Further, the ear-mounted device 2 may be moved to the reference position by a drive unit other than the vibration unit 200. For example, a plurality of small tires are mounted on the back side region of the holding main body 1a, and the plurality of small tires are rotated by a plurality of small motors similarly mounted on the back side region. May be moved to the reference position. Furthermore, in addition to the vibration part 200, for example, a later-described heating part (heat intensity), spraying part (generation of scent by perfume or the like), magnetism generation part (magnetism intensity) or part pressing part (pressure intensity) By using it as a stimulus output part, you may make it give the biological stimulus which brings at least any one of a relaxation effect and a therapeutic effect with respect to the user 100. FIG. Furthermore, you may use LED as a stimulus output part. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 17B, a plurality of LEDs are arranged over the entire area on the back side of the holding main body 1 a, and infrared light emitted from the plurality of LEDs is transmitted to the user 100. By irradiating the pineal body of the brain through the ear canal, an effect of preventing sleepiness of the user 100 without giving unpleasant stimulation to the user 100 is obtained. As a result, the ear-mounted device 1 can function as an accident prevention device for driving a vehicle, for example. In other words, the ear-worn device 1 only needs to include a stimulus output unit that provides the user with a biological stimulus that provides at least one of the sleepiness prevention effect, the relaxation effect, and the therapeutic effect as the output unit. .

<Position correction method in ear-mounted device 2>
In order to perform position correction, the image feature data A is stored in the memory of the ear-worn device 2 while the user 100 is wearing the ear-worn device 2 at the reference position. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 14 (a), the ear-worn device 2 is worn at a user's 100 preferred wearing position, and the skin of the ear 110 corresponding to that position is photographed by the small camera 2a. The obtained image data is transmitted to the image feature extraction unit 2b (S200; reference position photographing step). Then, the image feature extraction unit 2b extracts the image feature data A from the received image data (S201; reference position specifying step). The extracted image feature data A is transmitted to the memory and stored in the memory (S202; reference position storing step).

  Next, an actual position correction method will be described. As shown in FIG. 14B, first, image data relating to the skin of the ear 110 photographed by the small camera 2a is transmitted to the image feature extraction unit 2b at the wearing position of the ear-worn device 2 at a certain time. (S210; first mounting position photographing step). Next, the image feature extraction unit 2b extracts the image feature data B from the received image data, and transmits the image feature data B to the position correction determination unit 2c (S211; first mounting position specifying step). Here, “image feature data B” refers to image feature data extracted from image data photographed by the small camera 2a at the wearing position of the ear-worn device 2 at a certain point in time.

  Next, the position correction determination unit 2c that has received the image feature data B calls the image feature data A from the memory and compares the two. If the difference between the image feature amount indicated by the image feature data B and the image feature amount indicated by the image feature data A is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold, the position correction determination unit 2c The movement to the reference position is determined (Y in S212 (reference position movement determination step)). And the vibration part 200 which received the said determination result starts a vibration, and the ear mounting | wearing type apparatus 2 starts the movement to a reference | standard position (S213; reference | standard position movement process). On the other hand, when the difference between the image feature amounts indicated by the image feature data A and the image feature data B is larger than the threshold (N in S212), the position correction determination unit 2c extracts the image feature data again, and the image Based on the feature data, it is determined again whether or not the ear-worn device 2 is moved to the reference position.

  After S213, the small camera 2a captures the skin of the ear 110 again and transmits the acquired image data to the image feature extraction unit 2b (S214; second mounting position imaging step). The image feature extraction unit 2b extracts image feature data (hereinafter referred to as “image feature data B ′”) from the received image data, and transmits the image feature data B ′ to the reference position determination unit 2d (S215). Second mounting position specifying step). Then, the reference position determination unit 2d that has received the image feature data B ′ calls the image feature data A from the memory and compares the two. When the difference between the image feature amount indicated by the image feature data B ′ and the image feature amount indicated by the image feature data A is smaller than the threshold value, the reference position determination unit 2d determines that the ear-worn device 2 is at the reference position. It is determined that it has moved (Y in S216 (reference position determination step)). And the vibration part 200 which received the said determination result complete | finishes a vibration (S217; vibration completion process). On the other hand, in the determination step in S216, when the difference between the image feature amounts indicated by the image feature data A and the image feature data B ′ is larger than the threshold value (N in S216), the reference position determination unit 2d renews the image feature. Data is extracted, and it is determined again whether to end the movement of the ear-worn device 2 to the reference position based on the image feature data at that time.

<Effect>
As described above, according to the present embodiment, the vibration correction unit 200 is configured so that the position correction determination unit 2c is an ear-mounted type based on the mounting position specified by the position specifying unit (the small camera 2a and the image feature extracting unit 2b). When it is determined that the device 2 is moved to the reference position, the ear-mounted device 2 vibrates so as to move to the reference position. Therefore, since the position of the ear-mounted device 2 is appropriately corrected so that the mounting position comes to the reference position, the user 100 can wear the ear-mounted device 2 while maintaining a comfortable state.

[Embodiment 3]
<Installation of output unit to ear-mounted devices 1 and 2>
For example, the ear-worn devices 1 and 2 may further include an output unit (not shown) that outputs various physical quantities to the holding main body 1a. By providing the output unit, the ear-worn devices 1 and 2 can provide the user 100 with a function that is rich in variations and accurately matched to the physical condition of the user 100. Therefore, it is possible to acquire a plurality of types of information with high accuracy while giving the user 100 at least one of the relaxation effect and the therapeutic effect (at least one of the sleepiness prevention effect, the relaxation effect, and the therapeutic effect). Mold devices 1 and 2 can be realized. Examples of the output unit include a speaker (physical quantity; “sound”), an LED (physical quantity; “light”), a heating part (physical quantity; “heat”), a spraying part (physical quantity; “odor”), and a magnetism generating part (physical quantity). ; "Magnetic force") and part pressing part (physical quantity; "force").

  In addition, the shape comprised by various sensors (information acquisition part), an output part, and the holding | maintenance main-body part 1a (holding | maintenance part) makes at least one part of the area | region from the auricle part of the user 100 to a bead to the user's 100 ear ring. Any one of the above-described output units is mounted on the holding main body 1a so as to have a shape covering along.

  The speaker converts the content of the body state information into a voice and transmits it to the user, and may be constituted by a bone conduction speaker. The speaker converts information received from an external device (radio, smartphone, personal computer, etc.) by a receiving unit (not shown) provided in the ear-mounted devices 1 and 2 into sound and transmits the sound to the user 100. May be.

  Further, for example, by holding a microphone (various information; “voice”) as an information acquisition unit in the holding main body 1a of the ear-worn devices 1 and 2, and using a speaker and a microphone together, the ear-worn devices 1 and 2 are used. Can also function as a terminal for simultaneous interpretation. Specifically, the microphone collects the voice when the user utters and transmits the voice information to a specific server, which translates the user's utterance content into a desired language based on the voice information. . Then, the above-described receiving unit may receive the translated speech information transmitted from the server, and the speaker may convert the translated speech information into speech and transmit it to the user 100.

  For example, the microphone as the information acquisition unit is disposed inside the case unit 10a of the charging device 10 and the ear-mounted device 1 or 2 including the speaker and the charging device 10 are used together. You may comprise as a speech recognition device. Specifically, a user wearing the ear-mounted device 1 or 2 (referred to as “first user”) speaks to a microphone provided in the device. And the audio | voice information which concerns on the audio | voice collected with the said microphone is transmitted to a server, The said audio | voice information is transmitted to the speaker of the charging device 10 from the said server, and is output. The user who is different from the first user (referred to as “second user”) listens to the sound output to the speaker in this manner, so that the utterance content of the first user is transmitted to the second user. Further, if the content of the utterance of the second user is collected by a microphone provided in the charging device 10, the collected voice information is transmitted via the server and output to the speaker of the ear-mounted device 1 or 2, The content of the utterance of the second user is transmitted to the first user. In this manner, both the ear-mounted device 1 or 2 and the charging device 10 can be configured as a voice recognition device, and a call between the first user and the second user can be realized. Of course, in transmitting and receiving audio information between the ear-worn device 1 or 2 and the charging device 10, it is not essential to pass through a server, and between the ear-worn device 1 or 2 and the charging device 10. Audio may be sent and received directly.

  Further, the operation control of the ear-mounted device 1 or 2 or the charging device 10 or the setting of various functions provided in these devices may be performed by voice input of the user 100. Specifically, the user 100 speaks the desired operation / function content of the charging device 10 with respect to a microphone provided in the charging device 10. The charging device 10 transmits audio information related to the sound collected by the microphone to a light source control unit / function setting unit (a function setting unit is not shown) (may be via a server). Then, the light source control unit controls the lighting of the first LED light source 10c and the second LED light source 10d so that the user 100 desires lighting based on the received audio information. In addition, the function setting unit sets the function desired by the user 100 among the various functions provided in the charging device 10 based on the received audio information.

  In addition, the user 100 wearing the ear-worn device 1 or 2 speaks the desired operation / function contents with respect to the microphone provided in the device, and the voice information related to the voice collected by the microphone. Based on this, the operation of the drive unit / stimulation output unit of the ear-worn device 1 or 2 is controlled in a manner desired by the user 100, or the drive unit that performs the function desired by the user 100 is set to operate. Also good.

  Further, for example, the user 100 wearing the ear-worn device 1 or 2 can be configured to set the desired operation / function of the charging device 10 by speaking to a microphone provided in the device. Also good. Specifically, the ear-mounted device 1 or 2 transmits audio information related to the sound collected by the microphone to the charging device 10 (may pass through a server). The charging device 10 controls the lighting of the first LED light source 10c and the second LED light source 10d in a lighting mode desired by the user 100 based on the received audio information, for example, by the light source control unit, or the charging device by the function setting unit 10 is set so that a function desired by the user 100 is activated. On the other hand, when the user 100 speaks to the charging device 10 and transmits voice information related to the voice collected by the microphone of the charging device 10 to the ear-mounted device 1 or 2 worn by the user 100, Operation control and function setting of the apparatus may be performed.

  Moreover, you may perform operation control and function setting of the information processing terminal (music player, smart phone, etc.) which can be transmitted / received with at least any one of the ear-mounted type apparatus 1 or 2, and the charging apparatus 10 by a user's voice input. Specifically, for example, the user 100 speaks the contents of the operation / function of the device desired by the user 100 toward the ear-mounted device 1. And the audio | voice information which concerns on the audio | voice collected with the said microphone is transmitted to the information processing terminal from the ear mounting | wearing type apparatus 1 (you may pass through a server). Furthermore, the information processing terminal that has received the voice information from the ear-worn device 1 is controlled based on the voice information so as to have an operation mode desired by the user 100, or various functions of the information processing terminal are provided. Of these, settings are made so that the function desired by the user 100 is activated. Note that the above-described operation control / function setting may be performed for an information processing terminal capable of transmitting / receiving information to / from the ear-mounted device 2 and an information processing terminal capable of transmitting / receiving information to / from the charging device 10.

  The LED emits visible light or infrared light, and by mounting a plurality of LEDs that emit various kinds of light, it can have a function as a colorful illumination and a light therapy function. The warming part warms the ears 110 of the user 100 and is constituted by a heating wire or a Peltier element. The heating unit may control the heat generation according to the physical state of the user 100. The spray unit sprays the liquid (for example, perfume) stored in the liquid storage unit (not shown) provided in the ear-mounted devices 1 and 2 around the ear 110. The spray unit may be configured to control the spray amount and component composition of the liquid according to the body condition of the user 100.

  The magnetism generating unit generates a magnetic field around the ear 110 of the user 100 when a current flows. You may enable it to control the electric current value which flows into a magnetism generation part so that the magnitude | size of a magnetic field may change according to the user's 100 body state. The part pressing portion is disposed so as to face a part corresponding to the “point” in the human ear and the peripheral part thereof, and presses the part. You may enable it to control the magnitude | size of a pressing force according to the user's 100 physical condition. By pressing the portion corresponding to the “point” by the portion pressing portion, not only a therapeutic effect but also a relaxation effect, and a so-called “ear point effect” such as a diet effect can be obtained. The “ear acupoint effect” can also be obtained by an output unit other than the site pressing unit. For example, the “ear point effect” can also be obtained by utilizing vibration by the vibration unit 200, light irradiation by the LED, or heat conduction by the heating unit.

<Arrangement of Processing Unit on Charging Device 10>
For example, the charging device 10 may include a processing unit that calculates data related to the physical state desired by the user 100 based on the physical state information stored in the storage unit in the case unit 10a. As the processing unit, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit, not shown) can be used. Since the battery provided in the charging device 10 is larger than the small battery 1d provided in the ear-mounted devices 1 and 2, the charging device 10 has a complicated and large volume by further accommodating and arranging the processing unit. Can be processed.

  Examples of the data related to the physical condition include, for example, an average value for several months in specific physical condition information, a graph of data for several months of specific physical condition information, and a plurality of physical condition information. A list of illnesses that are likely to develop is assumed.

<Application to health support system for women>
The ear-mounted devices 1 and 2 and the charging device 10 can be used together with a smartphone 50 or a personal computer, for example, to construct a health support system for women.

  Specifically, the meal time of the user 100 is measured based on the mastication of the user (female) 100 detected by the mastication sensor. Further, the skin state of the user 100 is detected by a skin sensor, and the time change of the skin state is measured and analyzed. The meal time and skin condition measurement data are stored in the memories of the ear-worn devices 1 and 2. The measurement data stored in the memory may be transmitted to the charging device 10 or directly to the smartphone 50 or the like. Further, the collection and management of the measurement data and the data statistical process may be performed by the charging device 10 or the smartphone 50 or the like.

  By building such a health support system, it is possible to easily collect and manage mealtime and skin condition measurement data, even if the user is a woman who is not familiar with device operation, and whether or not he is dieting appropriately Easy to grasp. In addition, we provide a health support system that is even more familiar to female users by making the appearance of ear-mounted devices fashionable like jewelry by sprinkling zirconia or crystals and making the charging device into a jewelry box shape. it can.

[Embodiment 4]
The following will describe another embodiment of the present invention with reference to FIG. FIG. 15A is a schematic view showing a holding main body portion and a clip portion of the ear-worn device 3 according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 15B is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a functional block that realizes a function of a sensor or the like held by the holding main body or the like. FIG. 15C is a schematic diagram showing an example of the ear-mounted device 3 in a state where the sensor and the like are held.

<Outline of ear-mounted device 3>
In the ear-mounted device 3 according to this embodiment, the various sensors 3e (information acquisition unit), the small battery 1d, the various actuators 3f (output unit), and the various decorative components 3g include a holding main body unit illustrated in FIG. It differs from the ear-mounted devices 1 and 2 according to the first to third embodiments in that they are detachably mounted on 1a and the clip portion 1b.

  Note that the shapes of the substantially O-shaped holding main body 1a and the clip 1b shown in 15 (a) are merely examples. For example, the holding main body 1a covers the entire ear 110 of the user 100. It may have a substantially disk shape (not shown). In other words, the shape constituted by the various sensors 3e (information acquisition unit), the various actuators 3f (output unit), and the holding main body unit 1a (holding unit) is at least in the region from the auricle portion of the user 100 to the jewel. Any shape that covers a part of the user's 100 along the ear ring may be used.

  For example, the pulse wave sensor described in the first embodiment can be used as the various sensors 3e. In addition, as the various actuators 3f, for example, a vibration unit that generates a vibration having a massage effect, the speaker described in the third embodiment, and the like can be used. Furthermore, for example, an artificial diamond can be used as the various decorative parts 3g.

  Here, FIG. 15B schematically shows functional blocks that realize the functions of the various sensors 3e, the small battery 1d, the various actuators 3f, and the various decorative parts 3g, as in FIG. It is. In addition to the various sensors 3e shown in the present embodiment, for example, various parts having a communication function, a storage function, a calculation function, a control function, and the like are detachably mounted on the holding main body 1a and the clip 1b. May be.

  The ear-mounted device 3 is a device having the functions and appearance desired by the user 100 by arranging various sensors 3e and the like at positions as shown in FIG. It becomes. The type, arrangement, and number of the various sensors 3e shown in (c) of FIG. Arbitrary types and numbers of various sensors 3e and the like can be mounted at arbitrary positions on the clip portion 1b.

<Effect>
As described above, the ear-mounted device 3 according to the present embodiment can select and mount various types of sensors and actuators according to the preference of the user 100, the use of each ear-mounted device, and the like. . In other words, an ear-mounted device that can be freely customized by the user 100 can be realized.

[Embodiment 5]
Another embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIG.

  FIG. 16A is a schematic view showing a holding main body portion and a clip portion of the ear-mounted device 4 according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 16B is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a functional block that realizes functions of a sensor and the like provided in the ear-worn device 4. FIG. 16C is a schematic diagram showing an example of the ear-mounted device 4 in a state where the sensors and the like are electrically connected. FIG. 16D is a schematic diagram showing a portion of the user's ear that is covered by the holding main body portion of the ear-worn device 4.

<Outline of ear-mounted device 4>
The ear-mounted device 4 according to the present embodiment is different from the ear-mounted devices 1 to 3 according to the first to fourth embodiments in that a holding main body 4a is provided instead of the holding main body 1a. The ear-mounted device 4 according to the present embodiment is different from the ear-mounted devices 1 to 3 according to the first to fourth embodiments in that various sensors 3e, a small battery 1d, and various actuators 3f are connected to each other. . Furthermore, the ear-mounted device 4 according to the present embodiment is different in that the various sensors 3e, the small battery 1d, and the various actuators 3f are detachably mounted on the holding main body portion 4a and the clip portion 1b. 1. Different from the ear-mounted devices 1 and 2 according to 1-3.

  As shown in FIGS. 16A and 16D, the holding main body 4 a has a shape and a size that covers a part of the ear ring leg of the user 100. Note that the shape and size of the holding main body 4a shown in FIG. 16A is merely an example, and for example, covers a part of the tragus in addition to a part of the user's 100 ring leg. It may have a shape (not shown).

  Here, FIG. 16B schematically shows functional blocks that realize the functions of the various sensors 3e, the small battery 1d, the various actuators 3f, and the various decorative parts 3g. ).

  As shown in FIG. 16C, first, any one of the various sensors 3e, the small battery 1d, and the various actuators 3f is held by the holding main body 4a. Then, the other various sensors 3e selected by the user 100 are sequentially connected starting from the component held by the holding body 4a. Furthermore, the ear-mounted device 4 can be realized by attaching various decorative parts 3g that can be detachably attached to the various sensors 3e and the like at positions desired by the user 100. In FIG. 16C, a structure 4h composed of a plurality of various sensors 3e connected to each other has a substantially O-shaped shape.

  Note that the types, arrangements, and numbers of the various sensors 3e shown in FIG. 16C are merely examples, and the arbitrary types and numbers of the various sensors 3e are selected according to the preference of the user 100 and the ear-mounted device 4. They can be appropriately connected according to the purpose of use. In the present embodiment, the holding main body 4a holds only one component, but the holding main body 4a may be configured to hold a plurality of components.

  Furthermore, the shape and size of the structure 4h can be changed as appropriate according to the preference of the user 100, the use of the ear-worn device 4, and the like. That is, the shape of the structure 4h formed by connecting the various sensors 3e, the various actuators 3f, and the holding main body portion 4a is at least a part of the region from the auricle portion of the user 100 to the jewel along the ear ring of the user 100. What is necessary is just the shape which covers.

<Effect>
The effects of the ear-mounted device 4 according to the present embodiment are the same as those of the ear-mounted device 3 according to the fourth embodiment.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope shown in the claims, and embodiments obtained by appropriately combining technical means disclosed in different embodiments. Is also included in the technical scope of the present invention. The ear-mounted device according to the present invention is an ear-mounted device that is worn on the user's ear, and holds at least one of an information acquisition unit that acquires various information and an output unit that outputs various physical quantities. A holding unit is provided, and the holding unit can also be expressed as an ear-mounted device that has a shape covering at least the region from the user's auricle to the jewel along the user's ear ring.

  According to the present invention, the present invention can be used for, for example, a health care service, an entertainment service, an information providing service, and the like by making maximum use of the user's physical condition information obtained from the ear-worn device.

1, 2, 3, 4 Ear-mounted device 1a, 4a Holding body (holding part)
1b Clip part (holding part)
1c Skin gas sensor (information acquisition unit)
2a Small camera (position identification part)
2b Image feature extraction unit (position specifying unit)
2c Position correction determination unit 3e Various sensors (information acquisition unit)
3f Various actuators (output unit)
10 Charging device (external device)
10c 1st LED light source (light source part)
10d Second LED light source (light source unit)
10e receiving unit 10f transmitting unit 50 smartphone (external communication device)
100 user 110 ear 200 vibration unit (drive unit)

Claims (10)

An ear-mounted device worn on a user's ear,
About each of the information acquisition part which acquires various information, and the output part which outputs various physical quantities, it has a holding part holding at least one,
The shape constituted by the information acquisition unit, the output unit, and the holding unit is a shape that covers at least a part of the region from the user's auricle to the jewel along the user's ear ring. Ear-mounted device. The holding part is a shape that covers at least a part of the area from the user's auricle part to the jewel along the user's ear ring,
The ear-mounted device according to claim 1, wherein the information acquisition unit and the output unit are mounted on the holding unit.   The ear-worn device according to claim 2, wherein the holding portion is formed with an opening area corresponding to the user's ear canal. The information acquisition unit, the output unit, and the holding unit are connected to each other,
The shape obtained by connecting the information acquisition unit, the output unit, and the holding unit is a shape that covers at least a part of the region from the user's pinna to the jewel along the user's ear ring. The ear-mounted device according to claim 1.   The ear-worn device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the holding unit includes a wireless communication unit for performing wireless communication with an external device.   The ear wearing device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the holding portion includes a power generation element.   7. The stimulation output unit according to any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising: a stimulus output unit that provides a user with a biological stimulus that provides at least one of a sleepiness prevention effect, a relaxation effect, and a therapeutic effect. The ear-mounted device according to claim 1. A position specifying unit for specifying a mounting position of the user apparatus with respect to the user's ear;
A position correction determination unit that determines whether to move the device to a reference position suitable for the user to wear the device based on the mounting position specified by the position specifying unit;
The output unit further includes a drive unit that drives the apparatus to move to the reference position when the position correction determination unit determines to move the apparatus to the reference position. The ear-mounted device according to any one of claims 1 to 7. A charging device for charging an ear-mounted device worn on a user's ear,
A receiver for receiving various information transmitted from the ear-worn device;
A storage unit for storing the various types of information received by the reception unit;
A charging unit comprising: a transmission unit that transmits the various types of information stored in the storage unit to an external communication device. A light source that emits first light for recognizing that the ear-worn device including the power generation element is in a chargeable state and second light for charging;
The light source unit emits the second light when the receiving unit receives chargeable information indicating that the charging is possible from the ear-mounted device including the power generation element. The charging device according to claim 9.

Images