WO2007086305A1

WO2007086305A1 - Body composition meter

Info

Publication number: WO2007086305A1
Application number: PCT/JP2007/050712
Authority: WO
Inventors: Nobuo Kubo; Yukiko Mitsunami; Feilang Tseng
Original assignee: Omron Healthcare Co., Ltd.
Priority date: 2006-01-26
Filing date: 2007-01-18
Publication date: 2007-08-02
Also published as: JP2007195744A

Abstract

A body composition meter is provided with a holding unit having a plurality of electrodes in contact with a hand of an examinee at measurement of his or her body composition, a camera for picking-up an image of the examinee, a shutter button of the camera provided at the holding unit, a memory unit for storing the image picked-up by the camera, and a display unit. The body composition meter is provided with this structure in which an appearance of the examinee for the body composition can be easily recorded.

Description

Body composition meter

Technical field

[0001] The present invention relates to a body composition meter for measuring body composition.

Background art

[0002] Body composition meters that estimate body composition such as body fat percentage and muscle mass by measuring bioelectrical impedance are known. Some body composition analyzers have a function of displaying changes in numerical values such as body weight and body fat in a graph to support dieting (see Patent Document 1).

[0003] Those who diet are not only changes in body composition such as body weight and body fat percentage, but also changes in appearance (eg body shape, flesh of face, neck 'arm' waist 'leg thickness, etc.) It is common to be interested in However, when recording the appearance in a general household, it is very complicated to measure various parts of the body with a measure, or to repeatedly take pictures at the same location and the same posture (Patent Document 2). reference). In addition, in such a method, it is troublesome to associate the appearance record with the body composition data measured by the body composition meter. Patent Document 1: JP 2001-190514 A

Patent Document 2: Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2000-37369

Disclosure of the invention

Problems to be solved by the invention

[0004] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a body composition meter capable of easily recording the appearance of a person who performs body composition measurement. Means to solve a problem

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention employs the following configuration.

[0006] The body composition meter according to the present invention includes a holding unit provided with a plurality of electrodes that come into contact with a user's hand during body composition measurement, a camera for photographing the user, and the holding unit. Is In addition, the camera includes a shutter button of the camera, a storage unit that stores an image captured by the camera, and a display unit.

[0007] According to this configuration, the user can operate the shutter button of the camera while holding the holding unit in order to measure the body composition. Therefore, the user can easily and simultaneously perform measurement of body composition and photographing / recording with a camera by himself / herself. In addition, it is easy to capture and record (fixed-point observation) of the appearance at almost the same posture and the same angle by simply taking a picture together with the body composition measurement. By browsing the images stored in the storage unit, the user can confirm changes in appearance, which can be useful for body shape management and improve motivation to continue dieting.

[0008] Here, it is preferable that at least one of the plurality of electrodes also serves as the shutter button. According to this configuration, the operation for measuring the body composition (contacting the electrode with a hand or finger) is the same as the operation for shooting the camera (pressing the shutter button). improves. This configuration is particularly advantageous in the case of a body composition meter having a small electrode (for example, a body composition meter of the type in which only the fingertip of the palm is applied to the electrode).

[0009] It is also preferable that the shutter button is provided at a position where a user's fingertip is to be placed during body composition measurement. This configuration also improves operability. If the holding part is held in accordance with the shutter button, the holding part automatically becomes a suitable way to measure body composition, so the shutter button also serves as a guide for holding the holding part (electrode). Therefore, the effect of reducing measurement errors is also born.

[0010] It is also preferable that the camera is provided at a position where an image including a face of a user taking a body composition measurement posture can be taken. According to this configuration, the operability is further improved because the angle is automatically suitable for photographing simply by taking the body composition measurement posture.

[0011] It is also preferable to include posture determination means for determining whether or not the user has a body composition measurement posture based on an image photographed by the camera. Furthermore, the body composition measurement process is started when it is determined that the user has taken the body composition measurement posture, or a warning is output when it is determined that the user has taken the body composition measurement posture. Thus, it is also preferable to execute various processes based on the determination result. According to this configuration, measurement errors can be reduced. [0012] It is also preferable to provide a user specifying means for specifying the user based on an image photographed by the camera. With this configuration, it is possible to eliminate operation mistakes such as erroneously selecting another person's registration information.

[0013] A past image stored in the storage unit or comparison data generated from the image and a current image captured by the camera are displayed on the display unit in a comparable manner. Is also preferable. According to this configuration, the past appearance and the current appearance can be visually compared, and the results of the diet can be easily confirmed.

[0014] It is also preferable that photographing and body composition measurement are performed when the shutter button is operated. According to this configuration, the correspondence between the photographed image (appearance) and the body composition measurement result is easy and reliable.

[0015] It is also preferable that the image and a body composition measurement result obtained when the image is captured are displayed on the display unit. According to this configuration, it is possible to easily confirm the results of dieting with a force S that does not compare the appearance and the body composition measurement results. The invention's effect

[0016] According to the present invention, the appearance of a person who performs body composition measurement can be easily recorded.

Brief Description of Drawings

[0017] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the appearance of a body composition meter.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of the body composition analyzer of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a process flow of the body composition analyzer.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a display example of a captured image.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing another display example of a captured image.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example in which a body composition meter function is mounted on a camera-equipped mobile phone.

Explanation of symbols

[0018] 1 body

2 Holding part

3 Cable

10L, 10R, 11L, 11R Foot electrodes

12 Weight measurement unit 13 Holding section storage section

20L, 20R grip

21 Display

22 Operation unit

23 Camera

23S Shutter button

24L, 24R, 25L, 25R Hand electrode

26 Control unit

27 Impedance measurement section

28 Memory

29 Power supply

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0020] <Configuration of body composition meter>

FIG. 1 shows the external appearance of a body composition meter according to an embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment

An example of a weight / body composition meter configured integrally with a weight scale will be described.

This body composition meter is roughly composed of a main body 1 and a holding unit (display operation unit) 2. The main body 1 and the holding part 2 are connected by a cable 3 and can transmit and receive signals. The main body 1 and the holding unit 2 may be connected by wireless communication. When not in use, the holding part 2 and the cable 3 are stored in the holding part storage part 13 of the main body 1.

[0022] On the upper surface of the main body 1, four foot electrodes 10L, 10R, 11L, and 11R are provided. The electrodes 10L and 10R are electrodes for applying a current to the left and right soles, and the electrodes 11L and 11R are electrodes for detecting the voltage of the left and right sole forces. The main unit 1 has a built-in weight measuring unit 12.

The holding unit 2 is provided with left and right grips 20L and 20R, a display unit 21, an operation unit 22, a camera 23, and the like. The display unit 21 is a part that displays measurement results and guidance, and displays an image input from the camera 23. The display unit 21 includes, for example, a liquid crystal display camera. The operation unit 22 includes a user selection switch, a display switching switch, and the like. The camera 23 is provided for photographing a user (body composition measurer) of the body composition meter, and is configured by, for example, a CCD camera camera.

[0024] The grips 20L and 20R are provided with electrodes 24L and 24R for applying a current to the palm, and electrodes 25L and 25R for detecting a voltage of the palm force, respectively. The grip 20R is provided with a shutter button 23S of the camera 23.

[0025] The body composition meter of the present embodiment has a body composition measurement posture as follows: "stand with your back and knees extended, your elbows and wrists extended, and your arms raised horizontally (arms and body about 90 °). Require a posture with “holding part 2 so that part 21 faces”. Therefore, the shutter button 23S is arranged at the proximal end portion of the right drip 20R, which is the position where the user's fingertip (tip of the right hand index finger) should be placed when measuring the body composition. The camera 23 is arranged in the same direction as the display unit 21 so that an image including the face of the user taking the body composition measurement posture can be taken. By arranging the shutter button 23S and the camera 23 in this way, the body composition measurement posture and the photographing posture become the same, and the operability can be improved. If you hold the holding part 2 in accordance with the shutter button 23S, it will automatically become a suitable way to measure body composition, so the shutter button 23S will also serve as a guide for holding the holding part 2. This also has the effect of reducing measurement errors.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of the body composition meter. As shown in FIG. 2, the holding unit 2 includes a control unit 26, an impedance measurement unit 27, a storage unit 28, a power source 29, and the like. The control unit 26 is a means for controlling each component of the body composition meter and performing calculations such as body composition estimation processing and image processing, and is configured with a CPU and a memory for executing a program, for example. The impedance measuring unit 27 is a means for measuring the impedance in the body based on the applied current and the detected voltage. Specific functions and processing of the control unit 26 and the impedance measurement unit 27 will be described later.

[0027] The storage unit 28 includes a storage medium such as a nonvolatile memory. In the storage unit 28, measurement results (measurement values) of body weight and body composition, images taken with the camera 23, date and time of measurement and shooting, personal information (age, height, sex), etc., are classified by user (registered). Stored by number). In the body composition analyzer of this embodiment, a plurality of (for example, four) users can be registered, and the operation unit 2 The user can be selected by specifying the registration number with the user selection switch in 2.

[0028] <Operation of body composition meter>

The operation of the body composition analyzer will be described along the flowchart of FIG. The flow chart in FIG. 3 shows the standard processing flow when measuring the body weight and body composition and photographing the appearance with the body composition meter.

[0029] When the user turns on the power of the body composition meter, the control unit 26 executes calibration processing of the weight scale (S10). After calibration is completed, the user can select. When the user designates a registration number with the user selection switch, the control unit 26 reads data associated with the designated registration number from the storage unit 28 (SI 1).

[0030] As shown in FIG. 4, the control unit 26 displays an image input from the camera 23 on the display unit 21 (S12). The user corrects the posture and adjusts the position of the holding unit 2 while viewing the image on the display unit 21. In order to facilitate the adjustment, a guideline for alignment or the like may be displayed on the display unit 21. The image taken by the camera 23 preferably includes at least the user's face, and preferably includes the upper body as shown in FIG. Further, as shown in FIG. 5, it is possible to make it possible to photograph almost the whole body.

[0031] When the user is stationary, the weight measurement unit 12 measures the weight (S13). This measured value is input to the control unit 26.

When the weight measurement is completed, the control unit 26 displays a shootable mark on the display unit 21 (S 14). This display may take any form as long as it can notify the user that preparation for photographing (preparation for body composition measurement) has been completed. For example, it may be blinking a lamp or displaying a message.

[0033] When the user presses the shutter button 23S, an image for recording is taken by the camera 23 (S15), and impedance measurement is performed by the impedance measuring unit 27 (S16). It should be noted that impedance measurement may be performed prior to imaging, or both processes may be performed simultaneously. That is, both processes need only be performed at substantially the same time.

[0034] Upon receiving the measurement result from the impedance measurement unit 27, the control unit 26 receives the impedance, the weight measured in S13, and the height, age, and gender of the user read from the storage unit 28. Based on which data body composition is estimated (SI 7). The body composition may be estimated using a known method. As the body composition, for example, body fat percentage, body fat mass, muscle percentage, muscle mass, and the like can be calculated. In addition, based on these calculation results, it is also possible to generate guideline information useful for health management and dieting such as basal metabolism, obesity, and body age.

[0035] Next, the control unit 26 stores the measurement result of the body weight and the body composition, and the recording image in the storage unit 28 together with the date and time when the measurement and photographing were performed (S18), and these pieces of information. It is displayed on the display unit 21 (S19). By viewing this display, the user can confirm the diet results while comparing the appearance with the body composition measurement results.

[0036] At this time, the control unit 26 may read an image (past image) taken in the past from the storage unit 28, and display the past image and the current image taken this time in a comparable manner. For example, a mode in which both images are displayed in a superimposed manner, displayed side by side, or displayed in a switched manner is conceivable. To make it easier to compare and distinguish between past images and current images, the shooting date and time are displayed on the image, the past image is displayed in gray or semi-transparently, and the outline of a person in the past image is extracted or emphasized. It is also preferable to generate comparison data. If the past appearance and the current appearance can be compared in this way, it will be easier to confirm the results of the diet.

[0037] According to the configuration described above, the user can operate the shutter button of the camera while holding the holding unit in order to measure the body composition. Therefore, the user can easily and simultaneously perform measurement of body composition and photographing with a camera at the same time. In addition, it is easy to shoot and record the appearance (fixed-point observation) of the appearance with almost the same posture at the same angle only by taking a picture together with the body composition measurement. By browsing the images stored in the storage unit, the user can confirm changes in appearance, which can be used for body shape management and improve motivation to continue dieting.

[0038] The above embodiment is merely an example of the present invention. The scope of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the technical idea. Hereinafter, preferable modifications will be described.

[Modification 1]

Figure 6 shows an example of a body composition meter function implemented on a camera-equipped mobile phone. In Figure 6, The same reference numerals are used for the parts corresponding to the body composition meter in FIG.

[0040] This mobile phone has four electrodes 24L, 24R, 25L, and 25R on the side surface of the main body. Of these, the electrode 24R also serves as the shutter button 23S of the camera 23! /.

[0041] When measuring the body composition, as shown in FIG. 6, the electrodes 24L and 25L are held with the left index finger and thumb, and the electrodes 24R and 25R are held with the right index finger and thumb. The image input by the camera 23 is displayed on the display unit 21. When the correct posture is taken, the electrode 24R is pushed in, and a recording image is taken and the body composition is measured. Since this body composition meter cannot measure the body weight, the body weight is registered in advance together with the height and age.

[0042] Even with such a configuration, the same operational effects as those of the above-described embodiment can be obtained.

Since the electrode also functions as a shutter button, the action for body composition measurement (sticking your hand or finger to the electrode) and the action for camera shooting (pressing the shutter button) are the same. Therefore, the operability is further improved.

[0043] Since only one electrode is used as a shutter button, it may function as a shutter button when a plurality of electrodes are pressed simultaneously. In the body composition analyzer of the type shown in FIG. 1, it is also preferable that the electrode has a shutter button function. In addition to the camera-equipped mobile phone, any device having a camera and a display unit can similarly implement the function of the body composition analyzer.

[0044] (Modification 2)

In this example, the control unit 26 determines the quality of the user's posture based on the captured image. The posture is determined by, for example, (1) assuming that the face is detected from the photographed image and that the body composition measurement posture is taken when the position and size of the face satisfy predetermined conditions. Any method may be used, such as assuming that the body composition measurement posture is taken when the similarity between the image and the past image is a predetermined value or more. When comparing captured images with past images, pay attention to features such as the contours of people.

[0045] The posture determination process is executed after S12 in FIG. 3 and the like. If the posture is determined to be good, the process proceeds to the weight measurement process in S13. If you output a warning such as “Please take action,” you can reduce measurement errors.

[Modification 3] In this example, the control unit 26 identifies the user individually based on the captured image. Individual identification may be performed using a known face recognition (face authentication) method. Specifically, facial feature quantities are registered in advance in the storage unit 28 together with height, age, and the like. Then, the control unit 26 extracts a feature amount from the face included in the photographed image, and compares the extracted value with the value of the feature amount of each registered user to determine whether or not the user is a registered user. In addition, the registered user is judged.

[0047] For example, the personal identification process is executed after S12 in FIG. 3 and the user selected by the user selection switch (the user manually selected by the user) and the usage specified from the captured image. Judge whether the user is the same person and move to the weight measurement process of S13 only when the person is the same person.

[0048] Alternatively, in S11 of FIG. 3, instead of designation by the user selection switch, the control unit 26 executes personal identification processing, and the registration information to be read from the storage unit 28 based on the result of the personal identification processing You can select it automatically.

[0049] By performing the process, it is possible to eliminate an operation error such as erroneously selecting registration information of another person.

Claims

The scope of the claims

[1] a holding part provided with a plurality of electrodes that come into contact with a user's hand or finger during body composition measurement;

A camera for photographing the user;

A shutter button of the camera provided in the holding unit;

A storage unit for storing images taken by the camera;

A body composition meter comprising: a display unit;

[2] The body composition meter according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of electrodes also serves as the shutter button.

[3] The body composition meter according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the shutter button is provided at a position where a user's fingertip is to be placed during body composition measurement.

4. The body composition meter according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the camera is provided at a position where an image including a face of a user taking a body composition measurement posture can be taken.

[5] The body composition meter according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising posture determination means for determining whether or not the user has a body composition measurement posture based on an image photographed by the camera. .

6. The body composition meter according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising: a user specifying unit that specifies the user based on an image photographed by the camera.

[7] The past image stored in the storage unit or comparison data generated from the image and the current image captured by the camera are displayed on the display unit in a comparable manner. Item 1. Body composition monitor according to item 1 or 2.

[8] The body composition meter according to claim 1 or 2, wherein photographing and body composition measurement are executed when the shutter button is operated.

[9] The body composition meter according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the image and a body composition measurement result obtained when the image is taken are displayed on the display section.