JP3892232B2 - Biological monitoring system - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a biological monitoring system using an optical biological measurement method. To In particular, based on the output signal indicating the state of the living body measured using the optical biological measurement method, for example, the physical state of the driver or the passenger during the driving of the vehicle is detected, and the result of the detection is used to make a doze. A biological monitoring system that can control the environment so as to wake up and awaken, or perform processing such as reporting to an external organization To Related.
[0002]
[Prior art]
For example, a technique described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-149894 is known as a conventional technique for monitoring the state of a living body using an optical biometric method and controlling various devices around the living body based on the result. It has been known.
[0003]
In this prior art, at least one light irradiating means provided on the head and disposed on the biological skin, and the light irradiating means irradiates the biological skin to collect light passing through the biological skin. And at least one condensing means arranged on the living body skin, measuring the intensity of light passing through the living body condensed by the condensing means, and monitoring the state of the living body based on the measurement result, The device in the vicinity of is controlled.
[0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
In the prior art described above, the optical fiber constituting the light irradiating means and the light condensing means must be arranged on the skin of the head. The attached helmet must be worn, and the body is restrained, which is problematic for the person being monitored.
[0005]
In addition, the above-described conventional technology is not sufficiently disclosed, for example, regarding the control of detecting the physical condition of the driver or passengers while driving the vehicle and controlling the environment. There is a need for further improvement in terms of ensuring safety for the driver and safety for other vehicles.
[0006]
The object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, eliminate the sense of restraint on the monitored person even during work, and measure the state of the monitored person. Biological monitoring that can improve the safety of other devices by the device being operated System It is to provide.
[0007]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
According to the present invention, an object of the present invention is to provide an optical waveguide for irradiating a part of a passenger's body with light and receiving light from the passenger's body in a living body monitoring system for monitoring the physical state of the passenger of the moving body. A member, a detector for detecting light that has passed through a part of the occupant's body, and light emitted to the occupant from the optical waveguide member; and a signal generated from the living body by processing a signal from the detector A signal processing unit that performs signal processing, and a stimulation device that provides stimulation to a passenger based on a signal from the signal processing unit Alternatively, a control unit that controls the moving body based on a signal from the signal processing unit And provided inside the moving body The signal processing unit 1) separates the signal into a heartbeat or pulse wave signal and a brain activity / respiration signal by signal processing, and 2) stimulates the occupant to control the occupant's brain activity. Activated and separated into brain activity and breathing signals by evaluating the difference from resting signals Is achieved.
[0008]
By providing the above-described means, the present invention can monitor biological information such as a driver of a moving body, a passenger's pulse, respiration, and brain activity to determine physical information of the driver and the passenger. It is possible to perform warnings to drivers and passengers, environmental control, moving body control, external notifications and alarms as necessary, so that not only driver and passenger safety but also movement Safety of the body can also be ensured.
[0009]
Also, the purpose is In a living body monitoring system that monitors the physical condition of a passenger of a moving object, a light irradiator that moves in accordance with the movement of the passenger and irradiates a part of the passenger's body with a light beam, and one of the passenger's body A light collector that collects the light beam that has passed through the unit, a detector that converts the light beam from the light collector into an electrical system and detects it, and processes a signal from the detector to a living body. A signal processing unit that performs signal processing of the signal caused, a stimulator that notifies a passenger based on a signal from the signal processing unit, or a control unit that controls the moving body based on a signal from the signal processing unit The signal processing unit 1) separates the signal into a heartbeat or pulse wave signal and a brain activity / respiration signal by signal processing, and 2) stimulates the occupant. To activate the occupant's brain activity and Separating the signals of the respiratory and brain activity by evaluating the difference between the No. Is achieved.
[0010]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, the biological monitoring system according to the present invention will be described. Of Embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The embodiment of the present invention described below detects the state of the body by performing living body monitoring of a driver or a passenger of a vehicle that is a moving object, and issues a warning for dozing according to the detection result. This is an example applied to a system that enables processing such as controlling the environment to wake up or notifying an external organization.
[0011]
FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining the operating principle of the optical biometric device used in the present invention. Before describing the embodiment of the present invention, the operational principle of the optical biometric device shown in FIG. 1 will be described first. In FIG. 1, 1-1, 1-2 are light sources, 2-1, 2-2 are optical fibers, 3 is an optical directional coupler, 4-1, 4-2 are light source driving devices, 5 is an optical fiber for irradiation, 6 is a person to be monitored, 7 is a condensing optical fiber, 8 is a photodetector, 9-1 and 9-2 are phase detectors, and 10-1 and 10-2 are A / D converters.
[0012]
The optical biometric apparatus shown in FIG. 1 can measure the oxidation and reduction hemoglobin concentration change in the living body accompanying the activity of the brain function, the state of the pulse due to the blood flow, and the state of respiration using light. It is. In the example shown in FIG. 1, by using two wavelengths of light to irradiate, it is possible to independently measure changes in oxyhemoglobin concentration and deoxyhemoglobin concentration, and this change on the time axis. By examining along, it is possible to measure the pulse rate per unit time, its magnitude, the respiratory rate per unit time, and its magnitude. FIG. 1 shows that two types of wavelengths are used and one light irradiation position and one light detection position are set. However, the number of wavelengths used is increased, and a plurality of light irradiation positions and light detection positions are provided. By setting the location, the measurement accuracy can be improved, and the concentration of substances other than oxidized and reduced hemoglobin can be measured.
[0013]
In FIG. 1, light having a specific wavelength is emitted from light sources 1-1 and 1-2 and is incident on optical fibers 2-1 and 2-2, respectively. The wavelength from the light source 1-1 is, for example, λ1, and the wavelength from the light source 1-2 is λ2. These wavelengths are selected from the range of 400 nm to 2400 nm. In particular, when measuring hemodynamics in a living body, it is desirable to select from a range of 700 nm to 1100 nm in order to increase accuracy. This is because the light in this wavelength band has high light transmissivity inside the living body with blood flow. Light having a wavelength longer than this is unfavorably absorbed by moisture, and light having a wavelength shorter than this is inconvenient because the absorption of hemoglobin blood itself is increased.
[0014]
The light sources 1-1 and 1-2 are intensity-modulated at different frequencies f1 and f2 by light source drive circuits 4-1 and 4-2, respectively. The frequency signals from the drive circuits 4-1 and 4-2 are input as reference frequency signals to the phase detectors 9-1 and 9-2, respectively. This is because the oxidized and reduced hemoglobin concentration values are extracted separately from the wavelength where the oxidized and reduced hemoglobin concentration change values are mixed.
[0015]
The optical fibers 2-1 and 2-2 are connected to the optical directional coupler 3, and light from the light sources 1-1 and 1-2 is mixed and incident on the irradiation optical fiber 5. Light is irradiated from the face of the person 6 to be monitored from the irradiation optical fiber 5, and the living body passing light is condensed by the condensing optical fiber 7. Thereby, the difference in color due to the difference in the concentration of oxidized and reduced hemoglobin flowing in the blood is measured. The arteries have high oxygen saturation (the proportion of oxyhemoglobin in the total hemoglobin), but the veins have lower oxygen saturation than the arteries.
[0016]
The distance between the irradiation optical fiber 5 and the condensing optical fiber 7 may be a distance of 10 mm to 50 mm depending on the measurement position. The light passing through the living body collected by the condensing optical fiber 7 is incident on the photodetector 8, and the light passing through the living body at each condensing position is photoelectrically converted and amplified. The photodetector 8 can be configured using a photomultiplier tube or an avalanche photodiode. The output signal from the photodetector 8 is divided into two and then input to the phase detectors 9-1 and 9-2. The signals input to the phase detectors 9-1 and 9-2 are mixed with the irradiated biological light of two wavelengths, and each phase detector 9-1 and 9-2 has a drive circuit 4 respectively. Since the reference frequency is input from -1 and 4-2, the phase detector 9-1 receives the intensity of light passing through the living body from the light source 1-1, and the phase detector 9-2 receives the light from the light source 1-2. The intensity of the light passing through the living body can be separated and detected.
[0017]
The biological light intensity signals detected by the phase detectors 9-1 and 9-2 are input to the A / D converters 10-1 and 10-2, converted into digital signals, and then taken into the arithmetic unit 11. It is. The computing device 11 computes the sum of oxyhemoglobin concentration, deoxyhemoglobin concentration, and oxyhemoglobin concentration representing the blood volume and deoxyhemoglobin concentration as biological information from the time-series signal of the two-wavelength transmitted light intensity. Further, the arithmetic unit 11 examines the above change along the time axis, and calculates the pulse rate per unit time, the magnitude thereof, the respiration rate per unit time, and the magnitude thereof as biological information.
[0018]
FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating frequency characteristics of a signal after Fourier transform is performed on the example of the signal measured by the optical biometric apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1. In the illustrated example, the head of the infant is measured during sleep (rest). It is an example of a signal. This will be described below.
[0019]
As shown in FIG. 2, the measurement signal includes a heart rate (or pulse wave), brain activity, and respiration frequency region signals. As can be understood from FIG. 2, the heart rate (or pulse wave) is different from the brain activity and the respiration frequency, so that it can be separated by a simple filter without taking special measures. is there. However, with regard to brain activity and respiration, the frequency bands are close, and it is difficult for some subjects to separate. In this case, by activating the brain activity by applying a special stimulus, for example, giving light to the eyes, listening to a specific sound, etc., and evaluating the difference from the signal at rest as shown in FIG. It becomes possible to separate the component of brain activity and the component of respiration.
[0020]
By further executing signal processing on the biological information as described above calculated by the arithmetic device 11, the physical condition of the monitored person, for example, a precursor of a neurological seizure, loss of consciousness, arousal, drowsiness, sleep, pleasant discomfort, It can identify states such as panic, drunkenness, and drunkness.
[0021]
The embodiment of the present invention controls various devices in a vehicle when an abnormality occurs in the physical state of the driver or the like based on various information obtained by the biological monitoring method as described above, and the driver In addition to ensuring the safety of passengers, it is also possible to achieve safety for other vehicles in the vicinity.
[0022]
FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a living body monitoring system according to an embodiment of the present invention installed and used in a vehicle, which will be described below. In FIG. 3, 201 is a vehicle, 202 is a driver, 203 is a passenger, 204 is a detector, 205 is a light source, 206 is a control device, 207 is various sensors, 208 is a signal processing unit, 209 is a vehicle body control device, 210 Is a stimulation control device, 211 is a communication device, 212 is a monitor, 213 speaker, and 214 is an air conditioner.
[0023]
In FIG. 3, a detector 204, a light source 205, a control device 206, and optical fibers indicated by solid lines and dotted lines constitute the optical biological measurement apparatus shown in FIG. In the example shown in the figure, the optical fiber for irradiation and the optical fiber for condensing indicated by the solid line and the dotted line from the optical biological measuring device extend to the forehead, back and steering wheel of the driver 202 of the vehicle 201, It extends to the passenger's forehead, back, neck, occipital region, and temporal region and is mounted at each position. Note that the irradiation optical fiber and the condensing optical fiber extending to the forehead, back, neck, and head do not need to be mounted at a plurality of positions at the same time, and any one of them may be used. In this case, the optical fiber is incorporated in the backrest and the headrest, so that it is possible to prevent the person to be monitored from feeling that the optical fiber is worn from the back, neck or back of the head to the temporal region. In this case as well, the body condition can be detected in the same manner as when the body is worn on the forehead. The fiber attached to the hand that holds the steering wheel is used in combination with a pressure sensor, a body electrical conductivity measuring device (generally called a lie detector), etc. It is effective for detecting as a highly accurate information on the body condition. In addition, the optical fiber going to the head can be used in combination with the detection of an electroencephalogram to increase the accuracy of determination of the state of the living body. The mounting state of the irradiation optical fiber and the condensing optical fiber on the forehead will be described later.
[0024]
The system according to the embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 3 includes various sensors for detecting the state of the environment inside the vehicle 201, for example, temperature, humidity, carbon dioxide concentration, etc., in addition to the optical biometric device as described above. 207 and the oxygenated hemoglobin concentration and the reduced hemoglobin concentration representing the oxygenated hemoglobin concentration, the reduced hemoglobin concentration, and the blood volume calculated and output by the calculation device 11 described with reference to FIG. 1 from the control device 206 that constitutes a part of the optical biological measuring device. Sum, pulse rate per unit time, magnitude, respiration rate per unit time, information on the magnitude and time change and information from sensor 207 are received, and driver 202 and passenger 203 are monitored persons. Identifies the physical condition of a person, such as signs of neurological seizures, loss of consciousness, arousal, sleepiness, sleep, pleasant discomfort, panic, drunkenness, drunkness, etc. Based on the processing unit 208 and a signal indicating the physical state issued by the signal processing unit 208, an alarm is issued to the driver 202 of the vehicle 201, or the indoor environment is changed to encourage the driver 202 to wake up. When the physical state of the stimulator 210 that controls the monitor 212, the speaker 213, the air conditioner 214, etc., and the driver 202 is determined to be so bad that the driving cannot be continued or a dangerous state, A vehicle body control device 209 for moving the vehicle 201 to the roadside and stopping it, and communication for notifying other vehicles running in the vicinity of the occurrence of such a situation or reporting to a hospital, police, etc. A device 211 is provided.
[0025]
In addition, regarding the processing operation that the signal processing unit 208 identifies a physical state such as a precursor of neurological seizure, loss of consciousness, arousal, sleepiness, sleep, pleasant discomfort, panic, drunkenness, drunkenness based on biological information, Since the details are disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-149894 shown in the column of the prior art, the description thereof is omitted here.
[0026]
In the above description, the internal speaker 213 of the device controlled by the stimulation apparatus 210 may be a speaker such as a radio. The stimulator 210 emits an alarm sound from the speaker 213 when the driver 202 feels drowsy or feels uncomfortable, or increases the volume when the driver 202 is a radio speaker. Then, arousal is promoted or the air conditioner 214 is controlled to perform control such as creating a comfortable indoor environment. Although not shown, as a method for promoting the driver's awakening, a sprayer capable of spraying a small amount of water on a part of the driver 202's face is provided, and water is sprayed under the control of the stimulator 210. A device for applying electrical stimulation to a part of the body of the driver 202 is provided, and a device for applying vibration to the seat is provided by the control from the stimulation device 210, and the seat is controlled by the control from the stimulation device 210. It is also possible to use a method of making it vibrate. Further, the driver 202 may be awakened by flashing light or blowing strong wind from the air conditioner 214.
[0027]
In addition, the vehicle body control device 209 makes the vehicle 201 safe on the roadside when the information on the physical state of the driver 202 or the like from the signal processing unit 208 indicates a sign of neurological seizure, loss of consciousness, sleep, panic, etc. The communication device 211 controls the vehicle state such as the driver 202 from the signal processing unit 208 when the vehicle body control device 209 controls the vehicle 201 as described above. If the information indicates an emergency condition such as a precursor of a neurological seizure or loss of consciousness, the situation is reported to other vehicles that are driving nearby, and reports are made to hospitals, police, etc.
[0028]
FIG. 4 is a flowchart for explaining the processing operation in the embodiment of the present invention as described above. This will be described below. Here, the description will be made assuming that the physical state of the driver 202 is monitored.
[0029]
(1) First, the optical biological measurement apparatus described with reference to FIG. 1 measures the state of the living body of the driver 202 and outputs various biological information from the control apparatus 206 (step 301).
[0030]
(2) The signal processing unit 208 grasps the driver's physical state based on various biological information received from the control device 206, and as a result, determines whether or not the physical state is in a good state. If this determination is in a good state, the processing returns to step 301 and is repeated. Note that the measurement processing in step 301 is executed at regular intervals (steps 302 and 303).
[0031]
(3) If it is determined in step 303 that the physical condition of the driver 202 is not good, that is, if it is determined that the driver is in various physical states that are not awake, the signal processing unit 208 gives an alarm by stimulating the driver's arousal as explained above through the stimulator 210 (step 304).
[0032]
(4) Add the “1” to the counter that is set to “0” in the initial state of counting the number of times of alarming, and the process of step 301 until the counter value becomes a predetermined value “n” Return to and continue processing. The value obtained by adding “1” to the counter is the number of repetitions that the driver 202 does not enter the awake state even when the driver 202 is stimulated, and is determined in advance by the type of the physical state of the driver 202. For example, when the driver is in a physical state indicating a precursor of a neurological seizure, n = 1, and when the driver is in a physical state indicating that the driver is drowsy, n = 5 etc. Determined. Note that the value of n can be changed according to the magnitude of the stimulus given to the driver 202, and the magnitude of the stimulus can be increased each time the number of stimuli is repeated. Further, when n is actually set, it may be set not only as the number of times but also as time (step 305).
[0033]
(5) If the result that the driver's physical condition did not change to the awake state even if the driver 202 is given n times of stimulation in step 305 is obtained, the signal processing unit 208 switches the communication device 211 to And instructing the vehicle body control device 209 to stop the vehicle safely. Reporting to the outside is made to the hospital, the manager of the guidance system, other vehicles running in the vicinity, pedestrians, and the like. The notification made to other vehicles, pedestrians, and the like traveling in the vicinity may be, for example, a hazard lamp, a warning sound, or the like (steps 306 and 307).
[0034]
In the above description, it has been described that the physical condition of the driver 202 is monitored. However, the physical condition of the passenger 203 can be similarly monitored and processed. However, in this case, it is important to notify the driver 202 of an abnormality in the physical condition of the passenger 203 when the passenger 203 is an infant or the like, and it may only issue a warning by voice or the like. However, in the case of a moving body without a driver, for example, when only a passenger such as an infant is left unattended, notification to the outside is indispensable.
[0035]
FIG. 5 is a flowchart for explaining another processing operation according to an embodiment of the present invention, which will be described below. Here, the description will be made assuming that the physical state of the driver 202 is monitored.
[0036]
In the processing in this example, first, a stimulus is given to the driver 202 by the processing in steps 401 to 403, and after reacting to the stimulus, the photobiological measuring device described with reference to FIG. It measures the state of the living body. The process of giving a stimulus to the driver 202 is performed via the stimulator 210 according to an instruction from the signal processing unit 208. The stimulus in this case may be, for example, flashing light, light vibration, or the like. The processes in steps 404 to 409 after the biological information is obtained in the process of step 403 are performed in the same manner as the processes in steps 302 to 307 described with reference to the flow of FIG.
[0037]
FIG. 6 is a flowchart for explaining still another processing operation according to an embodiment of the present invention. This will be described below. The process in this example may monitor either the driver 202 or the passenger 203.
[0038]
As in the case described in the flow shown in FIG. 4, in the processing in steps 501 to 503, the optical biological measurement apparatus described in FIG. 1 measures the biological state of the driver 202 or the passenger 203, and a signal processing unit 208 determines the physical condition of the driver 202 or the passenger 203. Based on the physical condition determined in step 504, the signal processing unit 208 changes the setting of the air conditioner 214, changes the installation status of chairs, mirrors, etc., starts music played in the room, and the radio reception frequency Change the indoor environment such as changing the room. The process in this example is effective as a process when the driver 202 or the passenger 203 feels uncomfortable, or feels light sleepiness.
[0039]
FIG. 7 is a flowchart for explaining still another processing operation according to the embodiment of the present invention. This will be described below. In addition, although the example of the processing up to the above has been described as an example in the case where the vehicle is in an operating state, the example described here is to determine the physical state of the driver before the driver 202 starts driving the vehicle. This is an example in which it is possible to monitor and determine whether or not the vehicle can be operated.
[0040]
In the process of FIG. 7, when the driver 202 is seated on the seat, the process of steps 601 to 603 is the same as that described in the flow shown in FIG. The optical biometric apparatus measures the state of the living body of the driver 202, and the signal processing unit 208 determines the physical state of the driver 202. If it is determined in step 603 whether or not the driver's physical condition is an awake state, if the driver is in an awake state, the signal processing unit 208 permits the start of the vehicle in step 604. Further, when the determination in step 603 shows that the driver is not in an awake state, for example, if the driver is in a drunk or drunk state, the signal processing unit 208 gives a warning to that effect in steps 605 and 606. And the vehicle cannot be started.
[0041]
FIGS. 8 and 9 are diagrams for explaining the configuration of the head mount formed in the shape of glasses used for mounting the irradiation optical fiber and the condensing optical fiber described in FIG. 1 on the forehead. 8 and 9, 71 is a fiber holder, 72 is a head mount body, 73 is a support hole, 74 is a belt, 75 is a connector, and 81 is a glasstron.
[0042]
In the head mount of the example shown in FIG. 8A, the head mount main body 72 is curled in a semicircular shape along a forehead in a thin headband shape by wrapping a thin resin strip with a spring property or a thin steel strip with a spring property. A long support hole 73 is provided in a portion located on the front side of the forehead, and a stretchable belt 74 such as rubber is coupled to the connecting tool 75 at both ends of the head mount main body 72. Configured. In the head mount of this example, the fiber holder 71 that holds the irradiation optical fiber and the condensing optical fiber holds both the irradiation optical fiber 5 and the condensing optical fiber 7, as shown in FIG. 8B. The two cylindrical support members are connected by being separated by a predetermined distance. A hole is made in the part where the end face of the fiber of the cylindrical support member is located, and the light from the end face of the fiber is emitted toward the forehead, and the light from the forehead can enter the end face of the fiber Has been. The fiber holder 71 is held so that the end face of the fiber faces the forehead when the head mount is mounted in the support hole 73 of the head mount main body 72.
[0043]
Drivers and passengers who use the head mount are used by mounting the head mount configured as described above so that the fiber holder is positioned on the forehead portion so as to form a headband. Since the fiber holder 71 is supported by the head mount main body so as to be movable in the longitudinal direction of the support hole 71, the measurement site can be moved by moving the fiber holder 71 in the longitudinal direction of the support hole. Since the embodiment of the present invention is for monitoring the state of the body of the driver and passenger of the vehicle, in particular, in the case of the driver, the fiber holder can be measured at a position that does not interfere with driving. Should be set.
[0044]
Although the example shown in the figure does not show how to clean the irradiation optical fiber 5 and the condensing optical fiber 7, these fibers are attached to the head mount main body 72 or passed through the inside of the user's back surface. It should be pulled out.
[0045]
In the example shown in FIG. 8C, the fiber holder 71 is configured independently so as to hold the irradiation optical fiber 5 and the condensing optical fiber 7. Also in this case, each fiber holder 71 is used by being attached to the support hole 73 of the head mount body 72. In the case of this example, the distance between the irradiation optical fiber 5 and the condensing optical fiber 7 can be adjusted so that the distance can be measured most effectively. Also in this case, the manner of cleaning the irradiation optical fiber 5 and the condensing optical fiber 7 may be the same as described above.
[0046]
In the example described above, the irradiation optical fiber 5 and the condensing optical fiber 7 are attached to the fiber holder 71 so as to be guided straight from the fiber holder 71. As shown in FIG. The fiber holder 71 may be formed in an arc shape so that the irradiation optical fiber 5 and the condensing optical fiber 7 are bent 90 degrees inside the fiber 71 and then drawn out to the outside. In this case, it becomes easy to clean the irradiation optical fiber 5 and the condensing optical fiber 7.
[0047]
The head mount of the example shown in FIG. 9 is an example of a head mount configured by combining Glasstron 81, which is a glasses-type display device, and the head mount shown in FIG. The head mount shown in FIG. 9 is combined with a glasstron or glasses 81 used as a display device for a game machine or the like, so even when a passenger such as a child enjoys a game in the vehicle, the head mount is uncomfortable. Can be used to monitor body condition without giving. The head mount of the example shown in FIG. 9 can be used in the same manner as the head mount shown in FIG. 8 by removing the glasstron or the glasses 81 when using a normal display device or not using glasses. .
[0048]
Although the example of the head mount has been described with reference to FIGS. 8 and 9, the head mount can be configured differently from the various described examples. For example, the whole can be configured to be held on the head only by the force of the spring by molding a resin having a spring property or a steel strip having a spring property with resin. Moreover, it can also be set as a structure which attaches to a headrest and is mounted | worn naturally when a driver | operator sits down.
[0049]
FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining the principle of another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a living body monitoring system according to another embodiment of the present invention installed and used in a vehicle. This will be described below. 10 and 11, 901 is a light irradiator, 902 is a lens, 903 and 905 are polarizing plates, 904 is a camera, 906 is a memory, 907 is an image processing apparatus, and 1001 and 1002 are scanning circuits.
[0050]
In the above-described embodiment of the present invention, the irradiation optical fiber 5 and the condensing optical fiber 7 are mounted on the head mount, and the end surfaces of the irradiation optical fiber 5 and the condensing optical fiber 7 are close to or in contact with the forehead of the user. However, even if the head mount can be mounted lightly and without a sense of incongruity, a certain amount of incongruity will be felt in actual use. Further, the fiber must be laid on the ceiling or the like in the passenger compartment, and a lot of man-hours are required for the installation. Another embodiment of the present invention makes it possible to measure the state of a living body without contact.
[0051]
First, the principle of another embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.
[0052]
In another embodiment of the present invention, a light irradiator provided on a ceiling or the like of a passenger compartment emits irradiation light as a light beam so as to scan a forehead of a driver or the like, and collects light from the forehead. The living body is monitored by detecting using a condenser or using a camera or the like as a photodetector.
[0053]
As shown in FIG. 10, the light from the light irradiator 901 irradiates a forehead of a driver or the like as a light beam through a lens 902 and a polarizing plate 903. At that time, the light beam does not irradiate only one point, but irradiates by scanning in the horizontal direction of the forehead as shown in the figure. On the other hand, a camera 904 as a light detector captures an image from the driver's forehead to the face through the polarizing plate 905. The polarizing plate 903 provided in the light irradiator 901 and the polarizing plate 905 provided in the camera 904 are necessary for the camera 904 to obtain an image without surface reflection due to polarized light different from that of the light source.
[0054]
An image from the camera 904 is temporarily stored in a memory, information on a specific area is input to the control device 206 described with reference to FIG. 3 and used for measurement of a biological state, and all image information is stored in the image processing device 907. Entered. The image processing device 907 detects the movement of a driver or the like as a subject and controls the direction of the beam of the light irradiator 901 as a light source so that the light beam comes to the correct position or the light beam is in the eye. The body movement is corrected such that the orientation of the camera 904 is controlled so that the measurement region of the biological state input to the control device 206 is correct. In the above, the position of the passenger's eyes is extracted, and when the light beam and the position of the eyes reach within a predetermined distance, control is performed to stop the irradiation of the light beam from the light irradiator. It may be.
[0055]
Next, a specific configuration of another embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. As can be seen from FIG. 11, the light irradiator 901 and the camera 904 as a light detector are attached to the ceiling of the vehicle interior. The scanning circuits 1001 and 1002 connected to these control the scanning of the light beam from the light irradiator 901 and control the orientation of the camera 904, and need not be provided as independent units. The light irradiation circuit 902 and the camera 904 may be provided inside. In addition, the memory 906 and the image processing apparatus 907 are illustrated as being installed on the ceiling for convenience of illustration, but these may be described elsewhere, and the memory 906 may be image processing. It may be provided inside the device 907.
[0056]
Although not shown in FIG. 11, as described with reference to FIG. 3, the control device 206, various sensors 207, the signal processing unit 208, the vehicle body control device 209, the stimulation device 210, the communication device 211, the monitor 212, and the speaker 213. The air conditioner 214 is provided, the state of the living body is measured by the control device 206, and the same processing as described with reference to FIGS. 4 to 7 is performed.
[0057]
The above-described embodiment of the present invention has been described as monitoring the physical condition of a driver or passenger of a vehicle such as an automobile, but the present invention is not limited to drivers or passengers of all moving means such as airplanes and trains. It can also be applied to monitor the physical condition, and gives warnings while judging the feelings that hinder driving such as sleepiness, fatigue, irritability, redout, blackout, etc. be able to.
[0058]
According to the above-described embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to determine the physical information of the driver and the passenger by monitoring the biological information such as the driver, the passenger's pulse, respiration, and brain activity of the moving body. Therefore, if necessary, warnings for drivers and passengers, environmental control, mobile control, external reporting and warnings can be performed, not only for driver and passenger safety, but also for mobiles. Can be secured.
[0059]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to measure the state of the monitored person without any sense of restraint on the monitored person even during the operation of the moving body, and the safety for the monitored person. It is possible to improve the safety of other devices by the device being operated.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining the operating principle of an optical biological measurement apparatus used in the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating frequency characteristics of a signal after Fourier transform is performed on an example of a signal measured by the optical biological measurement apparatus illustrated in FIG.
FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a living body monitoring system according to an embodiment of the present invention installed and used in a vehicle.
FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating a processing operation according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating another processing operation according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating still another processing operation according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating still another processing operation according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 8 is a diagram (No. 1) for explaining the configuration of a head mount used for mounting an irradiation optical fiber and a condensing optical fiber on a forehead.
FIG. 9 is a diagram (No. 2) for explaining the configuration of the head mount used for mounting the irradiation optical fiber and the condensing optical fiber on the forehead.
FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating the principle of another embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a living body monitoring system according to another embodiment of the present invention installed and used in a vehicle.
[Explanation of symbols]
1-1, 1-2 Light source
2-1, 2-2 Optical fiber
3 Optical directional coupler
4-1, 4-2 Light source driving device
5 Optical fiber for irradiation
6 monitored person
7 Optical fiber for condensing
8 Photodetector
9-1, 9-2 Phase detector
10-1, 10-2 A / D converter
201 Vehicle
202 Driver
203 Passenger
204 detector
205 light source
206 Control device
207 Various sensors
208 Signal processor
209 Car body control device
210 Stimulus control device
211 Communication device
212 monitor
213 speaker
214 air conditioner
71 Fiber holder
72 Head Mount Body
73 Support hole
74 belts
75 couplings
81 Glasstron or glasses
901 Light irradiator
902 lens
903, 905 Polarizing plate
904 camera
906 memory
907 image processing apparatus
1001, 1002 Scanning circuit

Claims (9)

In a biological monitoring system for monitoring the physical condition of a passenger of a moving object,
An optical waveguide member that irradiates a part of the body of the passenger and receives light from the body of the passenger;
A detector for detecting light that has passed through a part of the occupant's body when the light applied to the occupant from the optical waveguide member;
A signal processing unit that processes a signal from the detector and performs signal processing of a signal caused by a living body;
A stimulating device that gives a stimulus to a passenger based on a signal from the signal processing unit or a control unit that controls the moving body based on a signal from the signal processing unit is provided inside the moving body ,
The signal processing unit 1) separates the signal into a heartbeat or pulse wave signal and a brain activity / respiration signal by signal processing, and 2) stimulates the occupant to activate the occupant's brain activity. The biological monitoring system is characterized in that it is separated into signals of brain activity and respiration by evaluating the difference from the signal at rest .   The living body monitoring system according to claim 1, further comprising wireless communication means for reporting a signal from the signal processing unit to the outside. The control unit, as a signal speed control command of from the signal processing unit, a biological monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the benzalkonium to control the speed of the moving body. The living body monitoring system according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit controls an environment of temperature and humidity in the moving body based on a signal from the signal processing unit. In a biological monitoring system for monitoring the physical condition of a passenger of a moving object,
A light illuminator that moves in accordance with the movement of the passenger and irradiates a part of the passenger's body with a light beam;
A light concentrator for collecting the light beam that has passed through a part of the passenger's body;
A detector that converts a light beam from the light concentrator into an electrical system for detection;
A signal processing unit that processes a signal from the detector and performs signal processing of a signal caused by a living body;
A stimulating device for notifying a passenger based on a signal from the signal processing unit or a control unit for controlling the moving body based on a signal from the signal processing unit is provided inside the moving body ,
The signal processing unit 1) separates the signal into a heartbeat or pulse wave signal and a brain activity / respiration signal by signal processing, and 2) stimulates the occupant to activate the occupant's brain activity. The biological monitoring system is characterized in that it is separated into signals of brain activity and respiration by evaluating the difference from the signal at rest .   The light irradiator is controlled to extract the position of the passenger's eyes and stop the irradiation of the light beam when the light beam and the position of the eyes reach within a predetermined distance. The living body monitoring system according to claim 5. In a biological monitoring system for monitoring the physical condition of a passenger of a moving object,
Along with the movement of the occupant, it also moves to scan a part of the occupant's body and irradiates a part of the occupant's body with a light beam. A light irradiator having a first polarizing plate that aligns the polarization direction;
A camera as a detector that detects light through a second polarizing plate that transmits light of a specific polarization direction of a light beam that has passed through a part of a passenger's body;
A signal processing unit that processes a signal from the camera as the detector and performs signal processing of a signal caused by a living body;
A stimulating device for notifying a passenger based on a signal from the signal processing unit or a control unit for controlling the moving body based on a signal from the signal processing unit is provided inside the moving body ,
The signal processing unit 1) separates the signal into a heartbeat or pulse wave signal and a brain activity / respiration signal by signal processing, and 2) stimulates the occupant to activate the occupant's brain activity. The biological monitoring system is characterized in that it is separated into signals of brain activity and respiration by evaluating the difference from the signal at rest .   The biological monitoring system according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the signal indicating physical information obtained from the signal detected by the detector is an oxygenated hemoglobin concentration and a reduced hemoglobin concentration in blood. . The biological monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the signal processing unit separates a heartbeat or pulse wave signal and a brain activity / respiration signal by performing Fourier transform on the signal.

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