JP2569727B2 - Environmental comfort evaluation device - Google Patents

Description

Description: TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to an apparatus for evaluating the comfort of a measurement environment based on the skin potential level of a living body.

[Prior Art] Conventionally, the feeling of a living body in a thermal environment has been reported, the brain waves and electrocardiograms of the living body have been measured, and the physical parameters of the living body have been measured. A thermal environment comfort evaluation apparatus for evaluating whether a thermal environment in a factory or the like is a comfortable thermal environment or an uncomfortable thermal environment has been proposed. Here, the unpleasant thermal environment refers to a thermal environment that causes discomfort to the living body among the temperature environments, lowers work efficiency, or impairs health.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, how much the thermal environment is a comfortable thermal environment or an unpleasant thermal environment is affected by the physical condition and individual differences of human beings. There was a problem that it was difficult to evaluate

In addition, measurement of human brain waves, electrocardiograms, etc. requires experience to determine whether the thermal environment is a comfortable thermal environment, and it is difficult to evaluate the comfort of the thermal environment based on human brain waves, etc. There was a problem that was.

An object of the present invention is to provide an environment comfort evaluation device that can easily evaluate the comfort of a measurement environment.

Means for Solving the Problems The environmental comfort evaluation device of the present invention includes a living body electrode for measuring the skin potential level of a living body, and reduces the skin potential level from the awakening level to the threshold level in the measurement environment. A decrease degree detecting means for detecting the degree, a decrease degree determining means for determining a decrease degree from the awakening level of the skin potential level in the reference environment to the threshold level, and a skin potential level in the measurement environment detected by the decrease degree detecting means. A degree of decrease comparing means for comparing the degree of decrease with the degree of decrease in the skin potential level in the reference environment determined by the degree of decrease determining means; and a comfort for evaluating the comfort of the measurement environment based on the comparison result by the degree of decrease comparing means. A configuration including an evaluation unit was adopted.

[Operations and Effects of the Invention] The environmental comfort evaluation device of the present invention has the following operations and effects by the above configuration.

In the measurement environment, the degree of decrease in the skin potential level measured from the arousal level to the threshold level measured by the living body electrode is detected by a decrease degree detection unit. Then, the degree of decrease from the awakening level of the skin potential level to the threshold level in the measurement environment detected by the decrease degree detecting means and the degree of decrease from the awakening level of the skin potential level to the threshold level in the reference environment determined by the decrease degree determining means, Can easily evaluate the comfort of the measurement environment.

For example, the degree of decrease from the awakening level of the skin potential level to the threshold level in the measurement environment detected by the degree of decrease detection means is the degree of decrease from the awakening level of the skin potential level to the threshold level in the reference environment determined by the degree of decrease determination means. If it is more moderate, it can be evaluated that the measurement environment is unpleasant.

Further, the degree of decrease in the skin potential level from the awakening level to the threshold level in the measurement environment detected by the decrease degree detecting means is the degree of decrease from the awakening level of the skin potential level to the threshold level in the reference environment determined by the decrease degree determining means. When the conditions are substantially the same, it can be evaluated that the measurement environment is comfortable.

[Embodiment] An environment comfort evaluation apparatus of the present invention will be described based on an embodiment shown in the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a thermal environment comfort evaluation apparatus employing one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 shows a display device.

Reference numeral 1 denotes an apparatus for evaluating the comfort of a thermal environment, for example, in the interior of a car, in a house, or in a factory.

The thermal environment comfort evaluation device 1 includes a living body electrode 2 for measuring a skin potential level (Skin Electric Potential Level) of a subject, a detection circuit 4 for detecting a skin potential level measured by the living body electrode 2, A comparison circuit 5 for comparing a reference value and a measured value, and an evaluation device 6 as evaluation means for evaluating the comfort of the measurement environment based on a comparison result by the comparison circuit 5 are provided.

The biological electrode 2 includes a first electrode 21 made of silver, silver chloride, or the like.
And a second electrode 22, and are connected to the detection circuit 4 via the amplifier 3 by lead wires 23 and 24. These first electrode 21 and second electrode 22 are formed of a rubber band, an adhesive tape,
It is attached to the palm or wrist by a suction cup or the like.

The amplifier 3 amplifies a weak skin potential level measured by the living body electrode 2 to a voltage that can be detected by the detection circuit 4.

The detection circuit 4 includes a skin potential level detection circuit 41, a time measurement timing circuit 42, a time measurement circuit 43, and a storage circuit 44.

The skin potential level detection circuit 41 detects a reference environment (comfortable living environment: for example, an environmental temperature of 25 ° C.,
Arousal level at 50%) (skin potential level in awake state)
Detect V ₀ . Further, the skin potential level detection circuit 41 detects the arousal level (the awake state skin potential level) in a measurement environment (for example, an environmental temperature of 30 ° C., an environmental humidity of 50%, an environmental temperature of 20 ° C., and an environmental humidity of 50%) for the subject. v Find ₀ . Further, the skin potential level detection circuit 41 detects the skin potential levels V and v of the subject in a comfortable living environment and a measurement environment.

The skin potential level detecting circuit 41, a comfortable living threshold level from arousal level V ₀ in the environment (a certain threshold: for example, 70 percent of skin potential level of arousal level V ₀₎ for detecting the degree of decrease of up to V _70. Further, the skin potential level detection circuit 41
The degree of decrease from the arousal level v ₀ in the measurement environment to a threshold level (a certain threshold: for example, a skin potential level 70% of the arousal level v ₀ ) v ₇₀ is detected.

The time measurement timing circuit 42 is a skin potential level detection circuit.
When 41 detects the arousal levels V ₀ and v ₀ , it transmits a measurement start signal to the time measurement circuit 43. The time measurement timing circuit 42 terminates the measurement when the skin potential level detection circuit 41 detects that the skin potential levels V and v have dropped from the arousal level V ₀ and v ₀ to the threshold levels V ₇₀ and v _70. Signal time measurement circuit 43
Send to

Storage circuit 44, a third view of the skin potential as shown in the graph of levels decreased degree to represent the relationship between the elapsed time, comfortable living skin potential level V threshold level from arousal level V ₀ in the environment
Decrease time required to decrease to V ₇₀ (degree of decrease) T ₂₅
Is stored. The storage circuit 44, as shown in the graph of FIG. 3, decreases the time (degree of decrease) taken to skin potential level v in the measurement environment to change from wakefulness level v ₀ to the threshold level v ₇₀ stores T I do. In this embodiment,
The skin potential level detection circuit 41, the time measurement timing circuit 42, the time measurement circuit 43, and the storage circuit 44 that constitute the detection circuit 4
Thus, the decrease degree determining means and the decrease degree detecting means of the present invention are configured.

The comparison circuit 5 determines the decrease time T ₂₅ in a comfortable living environment.
And the fall time T in the measurement environment, and as shown in the graph of FIG. 4 showing the relationship between the environmental temperature and the skin potential level fall time ratio, the skin potential level fall time ratio (T / T ₂₅ ) It is a means for comparing the degree of decrease to be calculated.

The evaluation device 6 is a lamp 61, 62, 63 that allows the subject or the like to visually recognize “slightly uncomfortable”, “no change”, “slightly comfortable”, etc., based on the drop time ratio output from the comparison circuit 5,
The comfort of the thermal environment in the measurement environment is evaluated by turning on one lamp.

Lamp 61, when the drop time ratio greatly exceeds 1.0 (when the measurement environment is a little uncomfortable for the subject)
Lights up.

The lamp 62 is turned on when the decrease time ratio is around 1.0 (when the measurement environment is a comfortable environment for the subject).

The lamp 63 is turned on when the decrease time ratio is smaller than 1.0 (when the measurement environment is a little comfortable environment for the subject).

The operation of the thermal environment comfort evaluation apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings.

After wearing the first electrode 21 and the second electrode 22 of the living body electrode 2 on a subject in a comfortable living environment (for example, room A at room temperature 25 ° C. and humidity 50%), the subject is rested.

The weak skin potential level measured by the first electrode 21 and the second electrode 22 of the living body electrode 2 is amplified by the amplifier 3. The arousal level V ₀ amplified by the skin potential level detection circuit 41
Is stored, the time measurement timing circuit 42 transmits a measurement start signal to the time measurement circuit 43. And the time measurement circuit
When the measurement start signal is inputted, the measurement of the skin potential level drop time is started immediately.

When the subject is at rest, the skin potential level gradually decreases. Skin potential level V is arousal level V ₀
That dropped from to the threshold level V ₇₀ detects the skin potential level detection circuit 41, the time measurement timing circuit 42 transmits a measurement completion signal to the time measuring circuit 43.

Time measuring circuit 43 inputs the measurement completion signal, immediately ends the measurement, stores the T ₂₅ in the memory circuit 44.

Next, in a measurement environment (for example, room B at room temperature 30 ° C. and humidity 50%), the first electrode 21 and the second electrode 22
After putting on the subject, rest the subject. Then, detection is performed in the detection circuit 4 as described above, and finally the skin potential level v is changed from the arousal level v ₀ to the threshold level v
Decrease time T in the measurement environment required to decrease to ₇₀
Is stored in the storage circuit 44.

After that, the decrease time in a comfortable environment by the comparison circuit 5
By comparing T ₂₅ with the drop time T in the measurement environment, a skin potential level drop time ratio (T / T ₂₅ ) is calculated, and based on the drop time ratio output from the comparison circuit 5, the lamp of the evaluation device 6 is used. Only one of 61, 62, and 63 is turned on to determine whether the measurement environment is slightly uncomfortable, comfortable, or slightly comfortable for the subject.

Therefore, from the graph of FIG. 4, the thermal environment in the measurement environment (for example, room B at room temperature 30 ° C. and humidity 50%) is
It can be determined that the subject is "slightly uncomfortable".

In addition, in the conventional apparatus, how much the thermal environment is a comfortable thermal environment or an unpleasant thermal environment is affected by the physical condition of a person and individual differences. However, there is a problem that it is difficult to evaluate according to individual differences, or it is difficult to measure such as human brain waves, electrocardiograms, etc., and experience is required for judgment. By evaluating the comfort of the thermal environment using the skin potential level (biological signal) of the living body, the comfort of the thermal environment can be easily and quantitatively evaluated according to the individual condition of the human condition. .

Further, in the graph of FIG. 4, the comfort can be evaluated stepwise by finely dividing the skin potential level decrease time ratio (T / T ₂₅ ) according to the environmental temperature. Further, it is possible to always set the room to a comfortable living environment by linking the thermal environment comfort evaluation device and the air conditioner.

[Other Embodiments] In the present embodiment, the environmental comfort evaluation device of the present invention is adopted as a thermal environment comfort evaluation device such as temperature and humidity. The present invention may be employed in a device for evaluating comfort in an environment such as light, or may be employed in a device for evaluating comfort in an environment such as temperature, humidity, wind speed, light, sound, and vibration.

Among them, the sound environment comfort evaluation device compares the reference value of the skin potential level in a comfortable sound environment (for example, noise volume of 45 hon or less) with the measured value of the skin potential level in the measurement environment. To evaluate the comfort of the measurement environment.

In the present embodiment, the environmental condition of the measurement environment was evaluated based on the comparison result of the skin potential level of the comfortable environment and the skin potential level of the measurement environment, but the relative comfort was evaluated for a plurality of different environments other than the comfortable environment. It may be evaluated whether the environment is uncomfortable or uncomfortable. Further, the environmental comfort evaluation device of the present invention can evaluate the comfort of the measurement environment at any time by using the measurement value of the previous measurement environment as the reference value of the reference environment.

In the present embodiment, the environmental condition of the measurement environment was evaluated based on a comparison result between the skin potential level decrease time in the comfortable environment as the reference environment and the skin potential level decrease time in the measurement environment. The environmental state of the measurement environment may be evaluated based on a comparison result between the change amount of the level per unit time and the change amount of the skin potential level of the measurement environment per unit time.

In the present embodiment, the reference value of the skin potential level of the living body is measured by the living body electrode. However, the reference value of the skin potential level of the living body may be set in advance by input means such as a setting device.

In this embodiment, an evaluation device using a lamp is used as the evaluation means, but a display, a buzzer,
Evaluation means such as chimes and synthesized voices may be employed.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a thermal environment comfort evaluation apparatus employed in one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is an evaluation relating to a thermal environment comfort evaluation apparatus employed in one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of the apparatus, FIG. 3 is a graph showing the relationship between the degree of decrease in skin potential level and the elapsed time according to the thermal environment comfort evaluation apparatus employed in one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. It is a graph which shows the relationship between the environmental temperature concerning the comfort evaluation apparatus of the thermal environment adopted in one Example, and skin potential level fall time ratio. In the figure, 1 ... A thermal environment comfort evaluation device, 2 ... Biological electrodes, 4
... Detection circuit (decrease degree detection means, decrease degree determination means), 5... Comparison circuit (decrease degree comparison means), 6.
Evaluation device (comfort evaluation means), 41: skin potential level detection circuit, 42: time measurement timing circuit, 43: time measurement circuit, 44: storage circuit

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] (A) a living body electrode for measuring a skin potential level of a living body, and a fall degree detecting means for detecting a fall degree of the skin potential level from an awakening level to a threshold level in a measurement environment; ) A decrease degree determining means for determining a decrease degree of the skin potential level from the awakening level to the threshold level in the reference environment; and (c) a decrease degree of the skin potential level and the decrease degree in the measurement environment detected by the decrease degree detecting means. (D) a comfort evaluation means for evaluating the comfort of the measurement environment based on a comparison result by the decrease degree comparing means with a decrease degree of the skin potential level in the reference environment determined by the determining means; Environment comfort evaluation device equipped with.