JP2019188159A - Wet detection system of paper diaper - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a wet detection system of a paper diaper exerting no discomfort to a wearer of the paper diaper, removing a manager's trouble, and enabling a system to be constructed inexpensively.SOLUTION: A wet detection system of a paper diaper includes: paper diapers 11a-11c; IC tags 12a-12c arranged on the diapers 11a-11c respectively, including intrinsic information, receiving a radio wave from outside and transmitting the intrinsic information as a radio wave, and at least one of received and transmitted radio waves being shielded when an amount of peripheral liquid increases; a reading device 14 transmitting a radio wave RW1 to the paper diapers 11a-11c and receiving a radio wave RW2 transmitted from each of the IC tags 12a-12c, and transferring the intrinsic information of each of the IC tags 12a-12c; and a smart phone 15 notifying outside of wet information indicating whether each of the paper diapers 11a-11c is in a wet state or not based on whether the intrinsic information transferred from the reading device 14 can be received or not.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a paper diaper wetness detection system using the property of an IC tag in which radio waves are shielded by surrounding liquid.

  When replacing disposable diapers such as the elderly, persons with disabilities, newborns, and infants, the timing and frequency of defecation and urination cannot be predicted, so there are frequent checks as well as confirmation by visual inspection inside the diaper or the disposable diaper. Therefore, there is a heavy physical and mental burden for managers who exchange disposable diapers. In addition, for elderly people and persons with disabilities, the act of confirming the presence / absence of defecation and urination over and over is accompanied by a shame and therefore a great mental burden.

  In view of such a situation, conventionally, a technique for notifying an administrator of an appropriate replacement timing of a disposable diaper has been proposed. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technique in which an indicator portion that changes color by contact with excretory liquid is provided between the back sheet of a paper diaper and an absorber, and the color change is visible from the outside. However, even with a paper diaper to which this technology is applied, the discolored portion cannot be confirmed unless the clothing on the lower body is removed, so that all the mental burdens on the paper diaper wearer such as the elderly and the disabled are not eliminated.

  On the other hand, in Non-Patent Document 1, a tape-like sensor that is attached to the inner surface of an existing paper diaper, and a state in which the sensor is attached to the outer surface of the paper diaper in a state connected to the sensor, and is defecation or urinated (hereinafter referred to as diarrhea) The technology of the wetness detection system of the paper diaper which consists of a radio | wireless communication part which detects a wet state.) Is disclosed. The wireless communication unit includes a power source, an antenna, a circuit, and the like, and notifies a smartphone registered in advance when a wet state is detected. According to this technique, the administrator can know whether or not the paper diaper needs to be replaced without checking the inside of the paper diaper or removing the clothing on the lower body.

JP 2004-337384 A

Sanwa Co., Ltd., “Brand Introduction”, [online], [Search February 9, 2017], Internet <URL: http://sanwajp-group.com/brand.html>

  However, since the above-described wireless communication unit includes a strong housing that accommodates components such as a power source, there is a risk of giving a sense of foreign matter or discomfort to a diaper wearer who has turned over.

  In contrast, an IC tag and a sensor for detecting a wet state are provided in a paper diaper, and an IC tag reader is provided separately from the paper diaper, thereby detecting a wet state without giving a sense of foreign matter or discomfort to the wearer of the paper diaper. However, attaching a sensor to a disposable diaper, which is a daily commodity, is not preferable from the viewpoint of manufacturing cost and selling price.

  The present invention has been made in view of such conventional problems. One of the objects of the present invention is that a disposable diaper wearer can use it without feeling a foreign object or discomfort, and an administrator can appropriately use a disposable diaper without performing a shameful confirmation work for the disposable diaper wearer. It is an object of the present invention to provide a wetness detection system for disposable diapers that can grasp the replacement timing and can be manufactured at low cost.

Means for Solving the Problems and Effects of the Invention

  According to the wetting detection system for disposable diapers according to the first aspect of the present invention, a plurality of disposable diapers and unique information are received, radio waves from the outside are received and the unique information is transmitted as radio waves, and the surrounding liquid When the amount of the signal increases, at least one radio wave to be received or transmitted is shielded, a plurality of IC tags provided in each of the plurality of paper diapers, and a radio wave is transmitted to the IC tags of the plurality of paper diapers Receiving a radio wave transmitted from each of the plurality of IC tags and transferring a unique information of each of the plurality of IC tags, and a first communication unit of the reader Wet information indicating whether each of the plurality of paper diapers is in a wet state based on whether or not the second communication unit receives the unique information to be transferred, and whether or not the unique information is received by the second communication unit. Outside It may comprise an external device and a notification section that knowledge, and an association setting portion for performing correspondence between specific information and the disposable diaper wearer or a disposable diaper of each of the plurality of IC tags. According to the said structure, by putting a sheet-like IC tag in a paper diaper, an external appearance becomes a paper diaper itself, and it can be used with the same feeling as a general paper diaper. In addition, when the amount of the surrounding liquid increases, an IC tag that shields at least one of the received or transmitted radio waves is adopted, so that the radio diapers do not reach the reading device and the external device, and the paper diaper is in a wet state. Since the IC tag is a passive type without using components such as a sensor for detecting liquid, the product unit price can be reduced. Furthermore, since the external device notifies the wetness information in association with each of the plurality of paper diapers based on whether or not the unique information transmitted from the IC tag can be received, the administrator, for example, has many paper diaper wearers. The timing of changing the disposable diaper of a disposable diaper can be centrally managed by, for example, a smartphone at a nursing facility or the like where there is a diaper. Furthermore, by using an application corresponding to an example of the setting unit for correspondence, the administrator can associate the unique number of the IC tag with the person wearing the diaper with a simple operation.

  Further, according to the paper diaper wetness detection system according to the second aspect of the present invention, the notification unit of the external device can receive the association set by the association setting unit and the second communication unit. Based on the unique information of the IC tag that did not exist, it is possible to have a display unit that displays the wet diaper wearer or the paper diaper in a identifiable manner. According to the above configuration, the wet diaper wearer or the paper diaper is displayed based on the association set by the association setting unit and the unique information of the IC tag that could not be received by the second communication unit. Since it did it, the manager can identify easily the wearer of a paper diaper or a paper diaper in a wet state.

  Furthermore, according to the wetting detection system for disposable diapers according to the third aspect of the present invention, the unique information of each of the plurality of IC tags transferred from the reading device is transmitted to the external device via the Internet. it can. According to the above configuration, even if the reading device and the external device are located at a distance from each other, the administrator who owns the external device can receive notification.

  Furthermore, according to the paper diaper wetness detection system according to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the unique information of each of the plurality of IC tags is uploaded from the reading device, and the unique information is updated according to access. Cloud storage downloaded to an external device and connected to be communicable via the Internet can be provided.

  Furthermore, according to the paper diaper wetness detection system according to the fifth aspect of the present invention, the reader can periodically upload the unique information of each of the plurality of IC tags to the cloud storage. According to the said structure, the information regarding the wet state of a paper diaper can be read from anywhere by accessing cloud storage from a smart phone, a personal computer, etc., for example.

  Still further, according to the paper diaper wetness detection system according to the sixth aspect of the present invention, a plurality of the plurality of IC tags can be arranged in each of the plurality of paper diapers. According to the above configuration, the degree of wetness of the paper diaper and the wetted part can be determined from the position of the IC tag that has detected the wet state.

  Furthermore, according to the paper diaper wetness detection system according to the seventh aspect of the present invention, the plurality of IC tags extend in the opposite direction between the ventral side and the back side in a state where the plurality of paper diapers are spread. Can be configured to

It is a block diagram of the wetness detection system of the paper diaper which concerns on 1st Example to which this invention is applied. It is a functional block diagram of the wetness detection system of the paper diaper which concerns on the 1st Example to which this invention is applied. It is the schematic of the paper diaper to which this invention is applied. It is a block diagram which shows the expansion | deployment state of the paper diaper to which this invention is applied. It is AA 'sectional drawing in FIG. 4 of the paper diaper to which this invention is applied. It is explanatory drawing about arrangement | positioning of the IC tag in the paper diaper to which this invention is applied. It is explanatory drawing about the communicable range of the 1st electromagnetic wave and the 2nd electromagnetic wave in the paper diaper wetness detection system to which this invention is applied. It is explanatory drawing about the communicable range of the 1st electromagnetic wave and the 2nd electromagnetic wave in the paper diaper wetness detection system to which this invention is applied. It is explanatory drawing about the communicable range of the 1st electromagnetic wave and the 2nd electromagnetic wave in the paper diaper wetness detection system to which this invention is applied. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of operation | movement of an application. It is an image figure of the application which shows an initial screen. It is an image figure of the user interface which shows the state of a registrant's paper diaper. It is an image figure of the user interface which shows the notification state by push notification. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of operation | movement of the wet detection system of a paper diaper. It is a block diagram of the wetness detection system of the paper diaper which concerns on 2nd Example to which this invention is applied. It is a block diagram of the wetting detection system of the paper diaper which concerns on 3rd Example to which this invention is applied.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. However, the embodiment shown below exemplifies the wetness detection system for a paper diaper for embodying the technical idea of the present invention, and the present invention does not specify the wetness detection system for a paper diaper as follows. Further, the present specification by no means specifies the members shown in the claims to the members of the embodiments. In particular, the dimensions, materials, shapes, relative arrangements, and the like of the component parts described in the embodiments are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention unless otherwise specified, and are merely explanations. It is just an example. Note that the size, positional relationship, and the like of the members shown in each drawing may be exaggerated for clarity of explanation. Furthermore, in the following description, the same name and symbol indicate the same or the same members, and detailed description thereof will be omitted as appropriate. Furthermore, each element constituting the present invention may be configured such that a plurality of elements are constituted by the same member and the plurality of elements are shared by one member, and conversely, the function of one member is constituted by a plurality of members. It can also be realized by sharing.
(First Example)

Below, the case where the timing which changes the paper diaper of the three paper diaper wearers in the same sickroom is managed centrally using the wet detection system 1 of the paper diaper according to the first embodiment to which the present invention is applied is described as an example. To do. It should be noted that the number of paper diaper wearers that can be managed centrally using the paper diaper wetness detection system 1 is not limited to three, and may be three or more or three or less. The case of managing one person wearing a diaper will be described in detail in the third embodiment.
(Configuration of paper diaper wetness detection system 1)

  FIG. 1 shows a configuration diagram of a wetting detection system 1 for a disposable diaper according to a first embodiment to which the present invention is applied, and FIG. 2 shows a functional block diagram thereof.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a wetting detection system 1 for a disposable diaper according to a first embodiment to which the present invention is applied includes tape-type disposable diapers 11 a to 11 c each having IC tags 12 a to 12 c and a reading device. 14 and a smartphone 15 (corresponding to an example of “external device” in the claims. Details will be described later).

  The paper diapers 11a to 11c are QR codes (registered trademark) 111a to 111a corresponding to the unique numbers 13a to 13c of the IC tags 12a to 12c (corresponding to an example of "unique information" in claims. 111c (corresponding to examples of “correspondence setting unit” and “symbol” in the claims. Details will be described later) are printed on each of them, and the dedicated application 16 (“correspondence in claims”) It corresponds to an example of “setting unit” and “notification unit. Details will be described later.) By reading the QR codes 111a to 111c with the camera 151 of the smartphone 15, the unique numbers 13a to 13c are associated with the paper diaper. Can do.

  The reading device 14 includes an antenna unit 141 that transmits a first radio wave RW1 (details will be described later) and receives a second radio wave RW2 (details will be described later) transmitted from the IC tags 12a to 12c. This corresponds to an example of a “first communication unit” in the range, details will be described later, and a communication unit 142 that transmits a third radio wave RW3 (details will be described later) (“first communication in claims”). And the smartphone 15 corresponds to an example of the “second communication unit” in the claims. The communication unit 152 can receive radio waves from the communication unit 142. The communication range between the reader 14 and the IC tags 12a to 12c is such that it can cover the entire hospital room, the radius is about 2 to 6 m, the reader 14 and the smartphone. 15 The communicable range of in the range of spherical radius of about 15 m.

  The arrows shown in FIG. 1 schematically represent radio waves, and the solid-line arrows are transmitted from the reader 14 and received by the IC tags 12a to 12c, and are used as power sources for the IC tags 12a to 12c. The first radio wave RW1 to be used is shown, and the white arrow is transmitted from the IC tags 12a to 12c, received by the reader 14, and includes the information of the unique numbers 13a to 13c of the IC tags 12a to 12c. The radio wave RW2 is shown, and the broken line arrow is transmitted from the reading device 14, received by the smartphone 15, and includes information on the unique number received by the reading device 14 among the unique numbers 13a to 13c of the IC tags 12a to 12c. A third radio wave RW3 is shown. In the paper diaper wetness detection system 1 according to the first embodiment to which the present invention is applied, a paper diaper with a unique number not included in the third radio wave RW3 is determined as a paper diaper in a wet state.

  The smartphone 15 has a dedicated application 16 installed therein. When the application 16 detects a wet paper diaper, the smartphone 15 corresponds to an example of a speaker 153 of the smartphone 15 (“notification unit” in claims). And a touch panel type liquid crystal screen 154 (corresponding to an example of “notification part” and “display part” in the claims. Details will be described later.) To do.

In addition, the wetness detection system 1 of a paper diaper is not restricted to the said structure. For example, a paper diaper is not limited to a tape stop type, but may be a pants type, a flat type, or a pad type. Further, what corresponds to the association setting unit in the claims is not limited to the QR codes 111a to 111c, but may be a bar code, a password, or a unique number itself. Furthermore, the QR codes 111a to 111c may not be used when the smartphone 15 itself can be replaced by other means such as association by manual input.
(Paper diapers 11a-11c)

  FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a paper diaper 11a in the wetting detection system 1 for a paper diaper according to the first embodiment to which the present invention is applied, FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a developed state of the paper diaper, and FIG. As shown in FIG. In addition, since the structure of the paper diaper 11b and the paper diaper 11c is the same structure as the paper diaper 11a, description is abbreviate | omitted.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, the paper diaper 11a is a tape-type paper diaper, and mainly includes a surface material 112a, an intermediate material 113a, an absorbent material 114a, a waterproof material 115a, and an exterior material 116a. 3D gather 117a, elastic bodies 1181a, 1182a, and tape 119a. These members are bonded to each other to the extent that they do not peel off due to the movement of the wearer of the disposable diaper and are permeable to liquid. Specifically, they are joined by an adhesive such as a hot melt adhesive, and a solid, bead, curtain, summit, or spiral coating is used as a method for applying the adhesive. In particular, in the elastic bodies 1181a and 1182a, a comb gun, a spear wrap coating, or the like may be used instead of or together with these coating methods. Thereby, for example, skin troubles such as fogging and redness caused by rubbing wrinkles generated by peeling members against the wet skin after excretion can be prevented. Moreover, since it joins so that a liquid permeate | transmits, there is no possibility that an adhesive will inhibit absorption of a liquid. The joining of the members is not limited to joining with an adhesive, and may be joining by material welding such as heat sealing or ultrasonic sealing.

  The surface material 112a is made of, for example, a perforated or non-porous nonwoven fabric, a porous plastic sheet, or the like, and has a property of allowing liquid to permeate. In addition, the raw material fiber of the nonwoven fabric is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include olefins such as polyethylene and polypropylene, synthetic fibers such as polyesters and polyamides, recycled fibers such as rayon and cupra, natural fibers such as cotton, and the like. May be a mixed fiber, a composite fiber or the like in which two or more are used. Non-woven fabric processing methods include, for example, the spunlace method, the spunbond method, the thermal bond method, the melt blown method, the needle punch method, the air-through method, the point bond method, etc. It may be manufactured. For example, a spun lace method may be used if flexibility and drapeability are required, and a thermal bonding method may be used as appropriate if bulkiness and softness are required.

  The intermediate material 113a can be formed of, for example, the same material as the surface material 112a, and has a characteristic of drawing in the liquid of the surface material 112a and quickly feeding the liquid to the absorbent material and preventing the excrement from returning. Note that the intermediate material is not necessarily formed of the same material as the surface material, but when the same material is used, the surface material 112a and the intermediate material 113a have the same melting point. A heat seal or an ultrasonic seal can be suitably used for joining with 113a.

  The absorbent material 114a is formed by, for example, mixing and laminating a cotton-like pulp 1142a and a superabsorbent polymer 1143a and covering the absorbent paper 1141a. The superabsorbent polymer 1143a can quickly absorb a liquid of about 50 to 100 times its own weight. The absorbent paper 1141a prevents the laminated cotton pulp 1142a and the superabsorbent polymer 1143a from collapsing due to a load generated by the operation of the wearer of the paper diaper. Further, the absorbent material 114a includes two slits 1144a, and the liquid is diffused along the two slits 1144a, so that the liquid is efficiently dispersed by the two slits 1144a, and the liquid is quickly discharged. Can be absorbed.

  The waterproof material 115a is a waterproof sheet and prevents liquid from oozing out of the paper diaper 11a. Further, the waterproof material 115a includes an IC tag 12a on the surface of the absorbent material 114a (details will be described later).

  The exterior material 116a is a sheet that covers the outside of the paper diaper 11a, and the QR code 111a is printed on the outer surface of the abdomen.

  The three-dimensional gather 117a includes a gather sheet 1171a and an elastic body 1181a. For example, the gather sheet 1171a is made of a nonwoven fabric, and the elastic body 1181a is made of a stretchable material such as polyurethane elastic fiber. The three-dimensional gather 117a prevents urine and feces from leaking around the thigh (generally referred to as side leakage). Moreover, the elastic body 1182a is provided in the both edges of the waterproof material 115a. Thereby, since the paper diaper 11a fits around the thigh of the wearer of the paper diaper, the comfort is improved and the side leakage can be prevented as in the case of the three-dimensional gather 117a.

  Two tapes 119a are provided on the outer surface on the back side of the waterproof material 115a, and the paper diaper is attached to fit the lower abdomen of the wearer of the paper diaper, so that urine and feces leak from the back waist (general) Is called back leakage.) Further, the tape 119a can be used for rolling and fixing the paper diaper when the used paper diaper is discarded, and prevents urine and feces from leaking to the outside.

In addition, the paper diaper 11a is not limited to the said structure. For example, the material of the surface material 112a may be polypropylene, and the tape 119a may be one on each side. Further, the arrangement of the IC tag 12a is not limited to the surface of the waterproof material 115a on the absorbent material 114a side.
(IC tags 12a-12c)

  The IC tag 12a in the paper diaper wetness detection system 1 according to the first embodiment to which the present invention is applied will be described. Note that the configuration of the IC tag 12b and the IC tag 12c is the same as that of the IC tag 12a, and thus description thereof is omitted.

  The IC tag 12a is a passive IC tag that does not contain a battery, and includes an antenna unit 121a that receives the first radio wave RW1 transmitted from the antenna unit 141 of the reader 14, as shown in FIG. The first radio wave RW1 received by the antenna unit 121a is converted into electric power and supplied to the IC chip 122a. The IC chip 122a of the IC tag 12a has an internal memory for storing the unique number 13a. When the first radio wave RW1 is received, the IC chip 122a controls the antenna unit 121a to obtain information on the unique number 13a. The second radio wave RW2 including it is transmitted radially. The reading device 14 receives the second radio wave RW2, and the reading device 14 transmits the received information on the unique number as the third radio wave RW3.

  The IC tag 12a is disposed on the surface of the waterproof material 115a on the side of the absorbent material 114a, and urine or fecal liquid penetrates in the order of the surface material 112a, the intermediate material 113a, and the absorbent material 114a. Since the liquid has a characteristic that it is difficult to pass the first radio wave RW1 and the second radio wave RW2 which are radio waves, when the absorbing material 114a absorbs the liquid and becomes wet, the IC tag 12a has the antenna part 121a that the first radio wave Since RW1 cannot be received and power cannot be supplied to the IC chip 122a, the second radio wave RW2 cannot be transmitted, or the antenna unit 121a can receive the first radio wave RW1. However, since the second radio wave RW2 transmitted from the antenna unit 121a is shielded by the liquid, the second radio wave RW2 does not reach the reading device 14 (hereinafter referred to as a shielded state). In the paper diaper wetness detection system 1 according to the first embodiment to which the present invention is applied, this shielded state is used to determine that the paper diaper is wet.

  Specifically, in the wet diaper detection system 1, after receiving the third radio wave RW3 by the smartphone 15, the application 16 to be described later wets the wearer of the paper diaper corresponding to the unique number not included in the third radio wave RW3. Judge as a disposable paper diaper and notify the administrator. Instead of providing the application 16 with a wet state determination function, for example, the state of the paper diaper may be periodically updated to determine whether the administrator is in a wet state.

As described above, it is determined that the paper diaper is in a wet state by utilizing the property that the liquid does not easily transmit radio waves, so that there is no need to separately provide a sensor for detecting the amount of liquid, such as a humidity sensor, in the paper diaper. The manufacturing cost can be reduced. Further, since only the thin IC tag is provided on the paper diaper, there is no possibility of giving a foreign object feeling or discomfort to the paper diaper wearer.
(Unique numbers 13a to 13c)

The unique numbers 13a to 13c are different unique numbers and are stored in the internal memories of the IC chips 122a to 122c, respectively. As for the paper diaper used for carrying out the present invention, it is desirable that all manufactured paper diapers have IC tags having different unique numbers, but as described above, the unique numbers of all manufactured paper diapers are The present invention is not limited to different modes, and at least there is a paper diaper having a different unique number for the number of wearers of the paper diaper simultaneously managed by the wet detection system for paper diapers. In other words, if the same unique number is not used at the same time by lot management, it is not necessary to assign different unique numbers to all the disposable diapers manufactured. For example, when a 12-bit internal memory is used, 4096 different unique numbers can be assigned, but even in such a limited number, the sales form (location, region, time, etc.) is different. Thus, it is possible to avoid a situation in which disposable diapers having the same unique number are used at the same time.
(QR codes 111a-111c)

The QR codes 111a to 111c are printed on the abdomen side outer surfaces of the exterior materials 116a to 116c of the paper diapers 11a to 11c, respectively, and have information on the unique numbers of the IC tags included in the printed paper diapers. The administrator reads the QR codes 111a to 111c using the camera 151 in the paper diaper wearer registration mode (details will be described later) of the application 16 installed in the smartphone 15, and registers the name of the wearer of the paper diaper. Thus, it is possible to easily associate the unique numbers 13a to 13c of the IC tags 12a to 12c with the diaper wearer. Note that the printing locations of the QR codes 111a to 111c are not limited to the abdomen side outer surfaces of the exterior materials 116a to 116c.
(Disposition of IC tags 12a-12c in the disposable diapers 11a-11c)

  The arrangement of the IC tag 12a in the paper diaper 11a will be described with reference to FIGS. In addition, since arrangement | positioning of the IC tag 12b and the IC tag 12c in the paper diaper 11b and the paper diaper 11c is the same as the arrangement | positioning of the IC tag 12a in the paper diaper 11a, description is abbreviate | omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the IC tag 12a is disposed on the surface of the waterproof material 115a on the absorbent material 114a side. When the absorbent material 114a absorbs the liquid, the IC tag 12a is in a shielded state, that is, the wet diaper wetness detection system 1 It will be in the state which judges 11a as a wet state. The arrangement of the IC tag 12a is not limited to the above-described aspect.

  As another embodiment, a plurality of IC tags having different unique numbers may be provided in one paper diaper. For example, as shown in FIG. 6, five IC tags 12a-1 to 12a-5 can be arranged in a paper diaper. According to this, the wetness detection system 1 of the paper diaper can determine whether or not the wetness of the paper diaper is determined in addition to the determination of whether or not the wetted state. Specifically, the greater the amount of urine, the wider the wetted area of the paper diaper, and thus the number of shielded IC tags increases. Using this characteristic, for example, when the number of shielded IC tags is 2 or less, the application 16 determines that the amount of urine is small, and when the number of shielded IC tags is 3 or less, It can be determined whether the amount of urine is large or not. In addition, it can be determined that the back side is wet if the IC tag 12a-1 is in a shielded state, and the ventral side is wet if the IC tag 12a-5 is in a shielded state. That is, by arranging a plurality of IC tags on one paper diaper, the wet position in the paper diaper can be determined.

As described above, the paper diaper wetness detection system 1 according to the first embodiment to which the present invention is applied changes the detection contents of the paper diaper wetness detection system 1 by changing the arrangement and / or the number of IC tags. can do.
(Reader 14)

  The reading device 14 in the paper diaper wetness detection system 1 according to the first embodiment to which the present invention is applied will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 7 to 9.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 7 to 9, the reading device 14 includes an antenna unit 141, a communication unit 142, and a control unit 143 that controls them, and supplies power to the IC tags 12 a to 12 c. It plays a role of relaying the information of the unique numbers 13a to 13c transmitted from the IC tags 12a to 12c so that the smartphone 15 can receive, and transmits the first radio wave RW1 and the third radio wave RW3 and receives the second radio wave RW2. .

  As shown in FIG. 7, the reading device 14 is installed, for example, in the approximate center of a hospital room. In the reader 14 and the IC tags 12a to 12c, a spherical range having a radius of about 2 to 6 m is a communicable range, and the entire hospital room is a communicable range. The communicable range between the reading device 14 and the smartphone 15 is within a spherical range having a radius of about 15 m, and similarly, the entire area in the hospital room is the communicable range. In other words, when the administrator who has the smartphone 15 enters the room, the presence or absence of the wet state can be detected, and if it is wet, the application 16 notifies the user, so the administrator checks the inside of the disposable diaper. It is possible to know whether or not to change the disposable diaper without taking off the clothes on the lower body.

  In addition, the communicable range between the reader 14, the IC tags 12 a to 12 c, and the smartphone 15 is not limited to the above-described one, and the performance of each of the reader 14, the IC tags 12 a to 12 c and the smartphone 15, and the wetness of the paper diaper It varies depending on the environment in which the detection system 1 is used. Further, the installation location of the reader 14 is not limited to the above-described aspect.

  For example, when the communicable range between the reading device and the IC tag is narrow and within a spherical range with a radius of about 2 to 3 m, it can be dealt with by using one reading device for one paper diaper. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 8, the reading devices 14 a to 14 c are worn by the corresponding paper diapers 11 a to 11 c so that the IC tags 12 a to 12 c provided in the corresponding paper diapers 11 a to 11 c are within the communicable range. It is installed around the bed used by a person.

  Further, when the communicable range between the reading device and the IC tag is further narrow, as shown in FIG. 9, the antenna portions 141a to 141c of the reading devices 14a to 14c are configured in a sheet shape and are placed under the bed mattress. The narrowness of the communicable range can be covered by arranging so as to spread.

  As described above, by appropriately changing the arrangement and configuration of the reading apparatus, an inexpensive IC tag with a narrow communication range can be used in the present invention, so that the manufacturing cost and the selling price can be further suppressed.

Furthermore, information on the third radio wave RW3 from the reading device 14 to the smartphone 15, that is, information on the unique number received by the reading device 14 among the unique numbers 13a to 13c of the IC tags 12a to 12c is obtained using the Internet. Can also be sent. According to this, regardless of how far the reading device 14 and the smartphone 15 are located, the administrator who owns the smartphone 15 can be notified. Alternatively, information on the wet state of the disposable diapers 11a to 11c is periodically uploaded from the reading device 14, for example, and the information is updated on the cloud storage on the Internet, and the information is updated from the smartphone 15 or the personal computer to the cloud storage. By accessing, information regarding the wet state of the paper diapers 11a to 11c may be read from anywhere.
(Smartphone 15)

  The smartphone 15 is responsible for notifying the administrator of the wet state. As shown in FIG. 2, the smartphone 15 receives instructions from the camera 151, the communication unit 152, the speaker 153, the touch panel type liquid crystal screen 154, and the application 16. And a control unit 155 for controlling the above members, and has a photographing function, a wireless communication function, an audio reproduction function, and a moving image reproduction function.

  When the wet diaper wetness detection system 1 is used, the camera 151, the communication unit 152, the speaker 153, and the touch panel type liquid crystal screen 154 of the smartphone 15 are operated by the application 16, and when the wet state is detected, the smartphone 15 gets wet by the administrator. Notify the status.

Instead of the smartphone 15, a tablet terminal having the same function may be used. In addition, the wet state may be centrally managed by using a personal computer connected to the reading device 14 in place of the smartphone or tablet, or the wet state is notified by the nurse call in conjunction with the nurse call. May be. In this case, the information of the unique number received by the reading device 14 among the unique numbers 13a to 13c of the IC tags 12a to 12c is transmitted not by radio communication by radio waves but by wired communication by electric signals. Furthermore, wireless communication is not limited to Bluetooth (registered trademark) or Wi-Fi (registered trademark).
(Application 16)

  The application 16 in the paper diaper wetness detection system 1 according to the first embodiment to which the present invention is applied will be described based on an operation flowchart shown in FIG. 10 and image diagrams of user interface screens shown in FIGS.

  The application 16 is installed in the smartphone 15 and mainly performs association between the unique number and the diaper wearer, determination of the wet state, and notification of the wet state.

  First, when the application 16 is activated in step ST101, the application 16 displays an initial screen 161 as shown in FIG. 11 on the touch panel type liquid crystal screen 154 in step ST102.

  The initial screen 161 includes a disposable diaper wearer registration button 1611, a registrant management button 1612, a setting change button 1613, and a detection start / end button 1614. When the disposable diaper wearer registration button 1611 is tapped, the disposable diaper is tapped. When the registrant management button 1612 is tapped in the wearer registration mode, the registrant management mode is entered, and when the setting change button 1613 is tapped, the setting change mode is entered. Further, the detection start / end button 1614 alternately switches the start / end of detection of the wet state each time it is tapped.

  In step ST103, the application 16 confirms the tapped button, and executes an operation corresponding to the button in steps ST103-1 to ST103-4. If the button is not tapped, the process proceeds to step ST103-5 (do nothing). In other words, an input standby state is entered at step ST103 and step ST103-5.

The application 16 repeats until the steps ST102 and ST103 are completed. Below, the operation | movement in step ST103-1-step ST103-4 is explained in full detail.
(Step ST103-1: disposable diaper wearer registration mode)

  In step ST103-1, the application 16 executes a disposable diaper wearer registration mode. The paper diaper wearer registration mode is a mode for associating the unique number of the IC tag with the paper diaper wearer, and starts when the paper diaper wearer registration button 1611 on the initial screen 161 is tapped.

  In the paper diaper wearer registration mode, the application 16 first reads the QR code, and then guides the administrator to input the wearer name of the paper diaper on which the read QR code is printed. The application 16 stores the unique number obtained by reading the QR code and the inputted name of the diaper wearer as a set, and associates the unique number of the IC tag with the diaper wearer. Therefore, the administrator can associate the unique number of the IC tag with the diaper wearer with a simple operation.

The paper diaper wearer registration mode is not limited to the above-described mode. For example, the method for obtaining the unique number is not limited to reading the QR code, but when the barcode, password, or unique number itself is displayed on a paper diaper as corresponding to the “symbol” in the claims. The unique number may be acquired by reading or inputting these. In addition, the association between the unique number and the disposable diaper wearer is not limited to the association by the name of the disposable diaper wearer, and may be associated with a hospital room or bed number, a face photo of the disposable diaper wearer, or the like.
(Step ST103-2: Registrant management mode)

In step ST103-2, the application 16 executes the registrant management mode. The registrant management mode is a mode for confirming, correcting, and deleting registered contents of a paper diaper wearer (hereinafter referred to as a registrant) associated with a unique number in the paper diaper wearer registration mode. The operation starts when the registrant management button 1612 of 161 is tapped.
(Step ST103-3: Setting change mode)

In step ST103-3, the application 16 executes the setting change mode. The setting change mode is a mode for setting the notification method to the administrator, the character size in the application, the screen brightness, and the volume of the notification sound, and the setting change button 1613 on the initial screen 161 is tapped. Start with. The setting contents are not limited to the above contents. For example, when adopting the above-described aspect (see FIG. 6) in which a plurality of IC tags are provided on one paper diaper as a paper diaper aspect, One detection content may be set in this mode.
(Step ST103-4: Wet state detection start / end switching)

  In step ST103-4, the application 16 switches the start / end of detection of the wet state of the paper diaper alternately. When detecting the wet state of the disposable diaper, the application 16 displays a column of the registrant and the presence / absence of the wet state on the touch panel type liquid crystal screen 154 as shown in the user interface screen shown in FIG. For example, when the paper diaper becomes wet, the display of presence / absence of the wet state is switched from “No” to “Yes”, and a notification sound is reproduced from the speaker 153 to notify the administrator. In addition, for example, when a wet state is detected in a standby state in which the touch panel type liquid crystal screen 154 of the smartphone 15 is turned off, a notification to the administrator is given by a push notification as shown in FIG. 13 and a notification sound. Do.

In the example of the user interface screen of the application 16 described above, the arrangement, shape, display method, size, color scheme, pattern, and the like of each button can be changed as appropriate, and the notification method is not limited to the above method. In addition, when using a personal computer connected to the reader 14 in place of the smartphone 15, software having the same function as the application 16 is installed in the personal computer.
(Flow of operation of wetness detection system 1 for disposable diapers)

  An operation flow of the wetness detection system 1 according to the first embodiment to which the present invention is applied will be described based on an operation flowchart shown in FIG. Here, the administrator places importance on the flow of the operation of the entire system after the paper diaper in which the IC tag is incorporated is attached to the wearer of the paper diaper, and the flow of the operation executed by the application 16 of the smartphone 15 Refer to the item of the application 16 for details.

  First, in step ST201, the administrator activates the wet diaper detection system 1 and transmits / receives the first radio wave RW1 to the third radio wave RW3. The transmission / reception of each radio wave is as described above (see FIG. 1). Here, the activation of the paper diaper wetness detection system 1 is a state in which the wetness detection of the paper diaper can be started, including the setting of communication devices such as Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, and the startup of the application 16 in the smartphone 15. Means that.

  Next, in step ST202, the administrator reads the QR codes 111a to 111c of the paper diapers 11a to 11c in the paper diaper wearer registration mode of the application 16 of the smartphone 15, and the unique numbers 13a to 13c of the IC tags 12a to 12c Then, the association with the diaper wearer is associated and registered, and the detection start / end button 1614 is tapped to start detection of the wet state.

  Next, in step ST203, the application 16 of the smartphone 15 collates whether all the unique numbers 13a to 13c registered in step ST202 are included in the third radio wave RW3. Depending on the collation result, the step ST203 -1 to ST203-3 are executed. The application 16 repeats the steps from step ST203 to step ST203-3 until a wet state is detected.

  The reader 14 receives the second radio wave RW2 transmitted from the IC tags 12a to 12c, and transmits the unique numbers included in all the received second radio waves RW2 as the third radio wave RW3. When the third radio wave RW3 is received, the unique number included in the third radio wave RW3 is collated with the unique numbers 13a to 13c registered on the smartphone 15, and there is a unique number not included in the third radio wave RW3. For example, the second radio wave RW2 cannot be received from the IC tag corresponding to the unique number, and it can be determined that the paper diaper on which the IC tag is disposed is in a wet state. In the present embodiment, depending on how the disposable diaper is used and how the reader is installed, the reader 14 may not be able to receive the second radio wave RW2 from the IC tags 12a to 12c. Therefore, it is determined that the paper diaper is in a wet state when the IC tag cannot be received, for example, four times.

  As a result of the collation in step ST203, if both match, the process proceeds to step ST203-1. If the process proceeds to step ST203-1, the application 16 does nothing. In other words, the standby state for detecting the wet state is set in step ST203 and step ST203-1.

  If there is a unique number not included in the third radio wave RW3 as a result of the collation, the process proceeds to step ST203-2. When the process proceeds to step ST203-2, the application 16 increases the count of the counter allocated to the unique number not included in the third radio wave RW3 by one. This counter is 0 in the initial state, and when it reaches 4, the process proceeds to step ST203-3. When the process proceeds to step ST203-3, the administrator is notified. That is, in order to prevent malfunction, it is not regarded as a wet state until the counter reaches 3.

Since the administrator can specify the wearer of the paper diaper in a wet state by the notification, the administrator changes the paper diaper in step ST204. Thereafter, in step ST202, if the unique number of the new paper diaper is associated with the diaper wearer and registered, the wet state of the paper diaper can be detected again by this system.
(Second embodiment)
(Configuration of paper diaper wetness detection system 2)

  The second embodiment to which the present invention is applied has substantially the same configuration as the first embodiment, but the constituent elements corresponding to “reading device” and “external device” in the claims are different. Specifically, in the first embodiment, the reader 14 is included as a component corresponding to the “reader”, and the smartphone 15 is included as a component corresponding to the “external device”. In the second embodiment, the readers 24a to 24c with notification functions are provided as components corresponding to both the “reader” and the “external device”. Below, based on FIG. 15, the structure of the wetness detection system 2 of the paper diaper which concerns on a 2nd Example is demonstrated.

  As shown in FIG. 15, the wetting detection system 2 of the paper diaper according to the second embodiment to which the present invention is applied is a tape-fixed paper diaper 21a-21c provided with IC tags 22a-22c, respectively, and a notification function. Readers 24a to 24c.

  In addition, the reading devices with a notification function 24a to 24c include antenna units 241a to 241c that perform transmission of one type of radio wave and reception of radio waves transmitted by the IC tags 22a to 22c, and the IC tags 22a to 22c. The communicable range is in a spherical range with a radius of about 2 to 3 m.

The arrows shown in FIG. 15 schematically represent radio waves, and solid arrows are transmitted from the readers 24a to 24c with notification function and received by the corresponding IC tags 22a to 22c, respectively. The first radio wave RW1 used as a power source for the tags 22a to 22c, and the white arrows indicate the second radio waves RW2 that are transmitted from the IC tags 22a to 22c and received by the corresponding readers 24a to 24c with a notification function, respectively. ing. When the second radio waves RW2 from the corresponding IC tags 22a to 22c cannot be received, the reading devices with notification function 24a to 24c notify the administrator that the corresponding paper diaper is in a wet state. In the following, the reading devices with notification function 24a to 24c, which are the differences between the second embodiment and the first embodiment, will be described.
(Readers 24a-24c with notification function)

  The reading device 24a with a notification function in the wet diaper wetting detection system 2 according to the second embodiment to which the present invention is applied will be described. Note that the configuration of the notification function-added reading device 24b and the notification function-added reading device 24c is the same as that of the notification function-added reading device 24a, and thus the description thereof is omitted.

  The reading device with a notification function 24a includes an antenna unit 241a, a speaker 242a, and an LED lighting unit 243a, and plays a role of notifying an administrator when the paper diaper 21a becomes wet.

The reading device with a notification function 24a has a bed used by the wearer of the paper diaper 21a so that only the IC tag 22a provided on the corresponding paper diaper 21a falls within a communicable range (a spherical range having a radius of about 2 to 3 m). When the second radio wave RW2 from the IC tag 22a cannot be received, the notification sound is emitted from the speaker 242a, which corresponds to an example of the LED lighting unit 243a (“notification unit” in the claims). ), The manager is notified that the disposable diaper 21a is in a wet state. According to this, since the wetting detection system 2 of the paper diaper determines the wetting state depending on whether or not the readers 24a to 24c with the notification function can receive the second radio wave RW2 transmitted by the corresponding IC tag, The third radio wave RW3 in the wet diaper wetting detection system 1 is not required. In other words, since the components corresponding to the “unique information” and the “corresponding setting unit” in the claims are not required, the wetness detection system 2 of the paper diaper is configured so that the unique information of each IC tag and the wearer of the paper diaper or It can be used without the work of associating the paper diaper.
(Third embodiment)

  The third embodiment to which the present invention is applied is a case where the first embodiment is applied to the management of one diaper wearer, for example, when used for home care. Below, based on FIG. 16, the wetness detection system 3 of the paper diaper which concerns on a 3rd Example is demonstrated.

  As shown in FIG. 16, the wetting detection system 3 for the disposable diaper according to the third embodiment to which the present invention is applied is a tape-fixed type disposable diaper 31a to 31t each provided with an IC tag 32 (the diaper 31a wears the disposable diaper). ), A reading device 34, and a smartphone 35. For example, 20 paper diapers 31a to 31t are sold as one set, and each includes QR codes 311a to 311t corresponding to the unique numbers 33a to 33t of the IC tags 32a to 32t included therein.

  An application 36 is installed on the smartphone 35, and registration of the unique number 33a of the worn paper diaper 31a, determination of the wet state, and notification of the wet state are performed. The wet diaper detection system 1 according to the first embodiment stores a set of the unique number and the name of the input diaper wearer in the application 16, but the disposable diaper according to the third embodiment. Since the wetness detection system 3 is applied to the management of a single disposable diaper wearer, the name of the disposable diaper wearer need not necessarily be stored. Other aspects of the application 36, the method of associating the unique number with the disposable diaper wearer, the communicable range, the notification method, and the like are the same as those in the first embodiment, and thus description thereof is omitted.

  The arrows shown in FIG. 16 schematically represent radio waves, and the solid arrows are first radio waves that are transmitted from the reader 34, received by the IC tag 32a, and used as a power source for the IC tag 32a. The white arrow is transmitted from the IC tag 32a and received by the reader 34, and the second radio wave RW2 including the information of the unique number 33a of the IC tag 32a is indicated. The broken arrow is indicated by the reader 34 as the second radio wave. When RW2 is received, the third radio wave RW3 is transmitted from the reading device 34 and received by the smartphone 35, and includes information on the unique number 33a of the IC tag 32a. The paper diaper wetness detection system 3 according to the third embodiment to which the present invention is applied determines that the paper diaper worn by the paper diaper wearer is a wet paper diaper when the third radio wave RW3 cannot be received by the smartphone 15. .

  According to this, the wetness detection system 3 of the disposable diaper determines the wet state based on whether or not the smartphone 35 can receive the third radio wave RW3 including the information of the associated unique number 33a. Even if the other paper diapers 31b to 31t are within the communicable range, such as when the other paper diapers 31b to 31t are placed on the bed side where the wearer lies, the paper diaper 31a worn by the paper diaper wearer Only the wet state can be detected appropriately. Instead of the smartphone 35, a personal computer connected to the reading device 14 by wire may be used.

  As described above, the paper diaper wetness detection system according to the present embodiment can be manufactured at a low cost, while the paper diaper wearer can be used without receiving a foreign object feeling or discomfort. It is possible to grasp an appropriate replacement timing of the disposable diaper without performing a confirmation operation accompanied by shame for the disposable diaper wearer. In addition, the paper diaper wetness detection system according to the present embodiment flexibly adjusts the sensitivity, detection contents, arrangement / performance of each component, user interface, etc. so as to be suitable for the number of people to be centrally managed and the place / environment to be used. Can be changed.

  In addition, in the above-mentioned embodiment, although the paper diaper wearer who wears a paper diaper and the administrator who replaces a paper diaper are demonstrated as different persons, the same person may be sufficient. For example, a person with a lower-body paralysis disorder may use the paper diaper wetness detection system according to the present embodiment in order to know the wet state of his / her paper diaper. Moreover, the paper diaper which is one component of the present invention widely includes paper diapers in general, and is not concerned with, for example, the presence or absence of a material or a superabsorbent polymer.

  INDUSTRIAL APPLICATION This invention can be used for the use which confirms the wet state of a paper diaper of a single or several paper diaper wearer.

1, 2 and 3 ... Wetting detection systems 11a to 11c, 21a to 21c, 31a to 31t ... Paper diapers 111a to 111c, 311a to 311t ... QR code; 112a ... Surface material; 113a ... Intermediate material; 114a ... Absorbing material; 1141a ... absorbent paper; 1142 ... cotton pulp; 1143a ... super absorbent polymer; 1144a ... slit; 115a ... waterproofing material; 116a ... exterior material; 117a ... solid gathering; 1171a ... gather sheet; 1181a, 1182a ... elastic body; ... Tapes 12a to 12c, 12a-1 to 12a-5, 22a to 22c, 32a to 32t ... IC tags 121a to 121c ... antenna part; 122a to 122c ... IC chips 13a to 13c, 33a to 33t ... unique numbers 14, 14a -14c, 34... Readers 141, 141a 41c ... antenna part; 142 ... communication part; 143 ... control part 15, 35 ... smartphone 151 ... camera; 152 ... communication part; 153 ... speaker; 154 ... touch panel type liquid crystal screen; 155 ... control part 16, 36 ... application 161 ... Initial screen; 1611 ... Registered diaper wearer button; 1612 ... Registrant management button; 1613 ... Setting change button; 1614 ... Detection start / end button 24a-24c ... Reading device with notification function 241a-241c ... Antenna unit; 242a-242c 243a to 243c LED lighting unit RW1 first radio wave RW2 second radio wave RW3 third radio wave

Claims (7)

With multiple paper diapers,
The plurality of disposable diapers having specific information, receiving radio waves from the outside and transmitting the specific information as radio waves, and blocking at least one of the received or transmitted radio waves when the amount of surrounding liquid increases A plurality of IC tags provided in each of the
A first communication unit that transmits radio waves to the IC tags of the plurality of paper diapers and receives radio waves transmitted from each of the plurality of IC tags and transfers unique information of each of the plurality of IC tags. A reader having
Each of the plurality of paper diapers is in a wet state based on a second communication unit that receives unique information transferred from the first communication unit of the reading device and whether the second communication unit can receive the unique information. An external device having a notification unit for notifying the outside of wetness information indicating whether or not there is,
A correspondence setting unit for associating each unique information of the plurality of IC tags with a paper diaper wearer or a paper diaper;
Wet detection system for paper diapers. A wet detection system for disposable diapers according to claim 1,
The notification unit of the external device is a wet diaper wearer based on the association set by the association setting unit and the unique information of the IC tag that could not be received by the second communication unit. A wetness detection system for a paper diaper, comprising a display unit for displaying the paper diaper so as to be specified. A paper diaper wetting detection system according to claim 1 or 2,
The wetness detection system for disposable diapers, wherein the unique information of each of the plurality of IC tags transferred from the reading device is transmitted to the external device via the Internet. A wet detection system for disposable diapers according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
Each of the plurality of IC tags has a cloud storage connected to be communicable via the Internet, wherein the unique information of each of the plurality of IC tags is uploaded from the reading device, and the unique information is downloaded to the external device in response to access. Wet detection system for disposable diapers. A wetness detection system for disposable diapers according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
The paper diaper wetness detection system in which the reader periodically uploads unique information of each of the plurality of IC tags to the cloud storage. A wet detection system for disposable diapers according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
The wet detection system for a paper diaper, wherein a plurality of the IC tags are arranged in each of the paper diapers. The wet detection system for disposable diapers according to claim 6,
The wet detection system for paper diapers, wherein the plurality of IC tags extend in the opposite direction between the abdomen and the back with the plurality of paper diapers being unfolded.

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