JP7679083B2 - Air mat control device and air mat control method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an air mat control device and an air mat control method.

When a patient or a person requiring care lies on a hospital bed or nursing bed for a long period of time, a technology is known in which an air mattress is placed on the bed to distribute the pressure on the patient or person requiring care and prevent the development of bedsores (pressure sores).

In recent years, a technology has been known in which hospital staff or care staff input the height and weight information of the user into an air mattress control device, and the control device adjusts the air pressure of the air mattress according to the height and weight information (see, for example, Patent Document 1). There is also a technology known in which a dedicated component such as a pressure sensor is provided in the air mattress to grasp physical information such as the weight of the user (see, for example, Patent Document 2).

JP 2003-290297 A JP 2004-271368 A

However, the technology described in Patent Document 1 requires on-site staff to manually input height and weight information directly into the control device, which may be time-consuming in hectic medical and nursing care settings. Furthermore, the need for manual on-site input may lead to mistakes such as input errors and patient mix-ups. Furthermore, the technology described in Patent Document 2 requires the installation of a dedicated sensor for each piece of required information, which creates problems in terms of the size, cost, and expandability of the device.

The present invention was made in consideration of the above circumstances, and aims to provide an air mat control device and an air mat control method that can accurately, quickly, and effortlessly control the state of an air mat to suit the user without the need for a dedicated sensor.

The air mat control device controls the state of the air mat that holds the user. The acquisition unit acquires user information from an external medium for controlling the state of the air mat in accordance with the user.
The control unit controls the state of the air mattress using the user information acquired by the acquisition unit.

The air mat control method controls the state of an air mat that holds a user. The acquisition step acquires user information from an external medium to control the state of the air mat according to the user. The control step controls the state of the air mat using the user information acquired in the acquisition step.

The air mat control device of the present invention controls the state of the air mat using user information acquired by the acquisition unit from an external medium. This allows the state of the air mat to be appropriately controlled to suit the user, accurately, quickly, and effortlessly.

1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an air mat system to which an air mat control device according to a first embodiment is applied. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of an air mat control device. 11 is a diagram showing an example of information stored in a storage of the air mat control device. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the procedure of a setting process executed by the air mat control device according to the first embodiment. 10 is a flowchart showing the procedure of a setting process executed by an air mat control device according to a second embodiment. 13 is a schematic diagram of an air mat system to which an air mat control device according to a third embodiment is applied. FIG. FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram of an air mat system to which an air mat control device according to a fourth embodiment is applied. A figure showing an example of information stored in the storage of the air mat control device according to the fifth embodiment.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the attached drawings. Note that in the description of the drawings, the same elements are given the same reference numerals, and duplicate descriptions will be omitted. Also, the dimensional ratios in the drawings have been exaggerated for the convenience of explanation, and may differ from the actual ratios.

First Embodiment
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an air mat system to which an air mat control device according to a first embodiment is applied.

The air mat system shown in Figure 1 is used, for example, in hospitals and nursing homes.

As shown in FIG. 1, the air mat system is composed of an air mat 100, an air mat control device 200, and an external medium 300. The air mat 100 and the air mat control device 200 are connected to each other via a connection tube T1. The connection tube T1 has a plurality of air blowing tubes capable of independently transporting air, and wiring capable of transmitting electrical signals. The air mat control device 200 supplies air to the air mat 100 via the connection tube T1, and transmits and receives electrical signals between the air mat 100 and sensors and the like provided on the air mat 100. The external medium 300 is a medium external to the air mat control device 200, such as a name tag or tag attached to the user. The air mat control device 200 acquires user information from the external medium 300 held by the user, and controls the state of the air mat 100 according to the user based on the acquired user information. Each component will be described in detail below.

<Air Mattress 100>
The air mat 100 is placed on a bed mattress 110, for example, and is configured by arranging a plurality of bag-shaped air cells 120 extending in the short direction of the bed mattress 110 in the longitudinal direction of the bed mattress 110. The air mat 100 has a plurality of independent air supply systems. A different air blowing tube is connected to each air supply system, and air is supplied to each air supply system independently. Each air cell 120 is connected to one of the plurality of air supply systems, and the internal pressure is controlled for each air supply system. Each air cell 120 may be divided into a plurality of groups, and each air cell 120 in each group may be in communication with each other.

For example, in the example shown in FIG. 1, the air mat 100 has three air supply systems. The air cells 120 are divided into three groups in the order in which they are arranged, and the air cells 120 in each group are connected to each other. Each group is connected to three air supply systems. By periodically changing the internal pressure settings of the three air supply systems, the air cells 120 connected to each air supply system can be periodically expanded and contracted to cause the air mat 100 to vibrate. This allows the air cells 120 in contact with the user to be periodically changed, preventing stuffiness and pressure caused by the same air cells 120 contacting the user continuously for a long period of time, thereby suppressing the occurrence of bedsores. Note that the type, shape, number, arrangement, etc. of the air cells 120 are not limited to the example shown in FIG. 1, and the air cells 120 may be used in any manner. In addition, the number of air supply systems and the connection method of the air cells 120 are not limited to the above example. For example, air cells may be provided on the sides of the air mat 100 to periodically inflate and deflate, encouraging the user to turn over and change position.

The air mat 100 may further include various sensors, such as an internal pressure sensor that detects the internal pressure of each air cell 120, and an angle sensor that detects the inclination of the air mat 100 when the user is raised up. The air mat 100 may also include various components that can be controlled according to the user's condition, the usage environment, etc., such as a temperature adjustment means, an air blowing means, a display means, and a sound generating means.

<Air mat control device 200>
The air mat control device 200 acquires user information from the external medium 300, and controls the state of the air mat 100 using the acquired user information. The air mat control device 200 can supply air to the air mat 100 through a plurality of air supply systems, and can control the internal pressure of the air cells 120 connected to each air supply system. The air mat control device 200 also receives signals transmitted from various sensors provided in the air mat 100 to determine the state of the air mat 100 and the user, and controls the state of the air mat 100 according to the determination result. For example, the air mat control device 200 can determine the state of the user's back raised based on information from an angle sensor of the air mat 100, and when it is determined that the user is raising his/her back, it can increase the internal pressure of the air cells 120 to prevent the user's waist from hitting the bottom. The air mat control device 200 will be described in detail below.

Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the air mat control device.

As shown in FIG. 2, the air mat control device 200 includes a CPU 210, a ROM 220, a RAM 230, a storage 240, a display operation unit 250, an acquisition unit 260, an air supply unit 270, and a communication unit 280, which are interconnected via a bus 290 for exchanging signals.

The CPU 210 controls the above-mentioned components and performs various arithmetic processing according to the programs recorded in the ROM 220 and the storage 240. By executing the programs, the CPU 210 functions as a control unit, a reference unit, a reception unit, and an authentication unit.

ROM 220 stores various programs and data.

RAM 230 serves as a working area to temporarily store programs and data.

Storage 240 stores various programs, including the operating system, and various data. Storage 240 also stores the user's identification information, physical information, biometric information, air mattress setting information, etc., in mutually associated relation.

The display operation unit 250 is, for example, a touch panel type liquid crystal display and various operation buttons, and is used to display various information and perform various inputs.

The acquisition unit 260 has an input device such as an RFID tag reader, a barcode reader, or a camera capable of reading two-dimensional barcodes, and acquires user information by recognizing an RFID tag, a barcode, a two-dimensional barcode, or the like provided on an external medium 300 such as a user's tag. The acquisition unit 260 may also acquire user information by communicating with an external recording medium such as a portable memory held by the user, a smartphone, or a wearable device worn by the user, via various communication interfaces provided in the communication unit 280. Alternatively, the acquisition unit 260 may acquire the patient's name as user information by photographing the name printed on the user's tag with a camera and performing image processing such as character recognition on the captured image. The acquisition unit 260 may also identify the user by photographing the user's face with a camera, analyzing the captured face image, and matching it with a database registered in advance, and acquire information about the identified user as user information. The acquisition unit 260 may also acquire the user's voice via a microphone, or may acquire biometric information such as the user's fingerprint, vein, or iris via various biometric information acquisition devices. The acquisition unit 260 can identify the user by matching the acquired various biometric information with a pre-registered database, and acquire information about the identified user as user information.

The air supply unit 270 has a pump that supplies air, a distributor that distributes air to each air supply system, and a valve that adjusts the supply amount. The air supply unit 270 supplies air so that each air cell 120 of the air mat 100 has a predetermined internal pressure based on various settings stored in the RAM 230 or the storage 240, internal pressure information from the internal pressure sensor of the air mat 100, instructions from the CPU 210, etc.

The communication unit 280 is a wired or wireless communication interface for communicating with external devices such as the air mat 100, the user's smartphone, a wearable device, or a server on a network. As the communication interface, various standards such as USB, RS232C, Ethernet (registered trademark), Wi-Fi, or Bluetooth (registered trademark) are used.

<External medium 300>
The external medium 300 is, for example, a user's tag provided with an RFID tag, a barcode, a two-dimensional barcode, or the like, or a portable memory, smartphone, wearable device, or the like owned by the user. Identification information for identifying the user is recorded in the external medium 300. In addition, the external medium 300 may record information such as physical information of the user, such as height and weight, biometric information indicating the user's condition and chronic illnesses, and setting information of the air mattress 100 optimized for the user.

Each component of the air mat system may include components other than those described above, or may not include some of the components described above.

<Information stored in storage 240>
FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of information stored in the storage of the air mat control device.

As shown in FIG. 3, the storage 240 of the air mattress control device 200 stores information such as the user's identification information, name, height, weight, condition, internal pressure settings, and inflation/deflation cycle settings, all of which are associated with one another.

Identification information is information for identifying a user, and is unique within the system and is expressed using, for example, alphanumeric characters or symbols. For example, the identification information may be a patient ID assigned to each patient in a hospital's patient management system.

The name is the user's name, etc., and is used as information to identify the user in the same way as the identification information described above. In addition, for example, the name may be displayed on the display operation unit 250 of the air mattress control device 200 and confirmed by the user, and may be used to detect errors such as incorrect attachment of a patient tag or incorrect registration of information. In addition to the name, information on the user's age, date of birth, face and voice, etc. may also be recorded, and the air mattress control device 200 can use each of these pieces of information to identify and authenticate the user.

Height and weight are physical information of the user, and are used to optimally control the state of the air mat 100 to suit the user. For example, the air mat control device 200 may calculate the optimal internal pressure of the air mat 100 according to the user's weight, and control the internal pressure of the air mat 100. Alternatively, the air mat control device 200 may determine the user's body type based on the user's weight and height, and control the internal pressure and internal pressure fluctuations of the air mat 100 according to the body type. Note that information such as BMI (Body Mass Index), body fat percentage, bone mass, muscle mass, etc. may be stored as physical information, and the air mat control device 200 can appropriately control the state of the air mat 100 based on each piece of information.

The condition is bioinformation indicating information on the user's symptoms, chronic illnesses, etc., and is used to optimally control the condition of the air mat 100 according to the user. For example, in the example of FIG. 3, it is shown that "Mr. B" and "Mr. D" have symptoms of contracture. When contracture occurs, the user's body bends and the area in contact with the air mat 100 becomes smaller, and the pressure increases. This causes the air mat 100 to sink excessively, bottoming out, and making it easier for bedsores to occur. To prevent this, when there is a symptom of contracture, the internal pressure of the air mat 100 can be set higher than normal to stabilize the user's posture and prevent pressure concentration. Also, it is shown that "Mr. E" is in a state where "rest" is required. When rest is required, the amount of movement of the user can be reduced and rest can be maintained by setting the expansion/contraction cycle to a longer period or setting the degree of fluctuation in the internal pressure to a smaller value. As bioinformation, for example, information on body temperature, blood pressure, heart rate, etc. may be stored, and each can be used to optimally control the condition of the air mat 100. For example, the air mat control device 200 may control the temperature adjustment means and air blowing means of the air mat 100 based on information about the user's body temperature to adjust the surface temperature of the air mat 100 and the user's perceived temperature, allowing the user to feel comfortable.

The internal pressure setting and the inflation/deflation cycle setting are setting information of the air mat 100, and optimal setting values for each user are stored in advance. The internal pressure setting is the setting value of the internal pressure of the air cell 120. In the example of FIG. 3, values of 14 to 22 mmHg are registered as the internal pressure setting. A plurality of values of the internal pressure setting may be set so that the internal pressure can be set for each air supply system. The inflation/deflation cycle setting indicates a time period when the air cell 120 connected to each air supply system is periodically inflated and deflated. In the example of FIG. 3, a value of 5 minutes is registered as the inflation/deflation cycle setting. As the setting information of the air mat 100, the degree of fluctuation of the internal pressure of the air cell 120 according to the back-raising state of the user may be stored. In addition, as the setting information of the air mat 100, information for managing the internal pressure in each mode set according to the state of the user, such as a back-raising mode corresponding to the back-raising state and a contracture mode corresponding to the contracture state, may be registered. Furthermore, as the setting information of the air mat 100, a function of the air mat 100 corresponding to the type of bed on which the air mat 100 is installed may be set. For example, in the case of a bed having a back-raising function, the internal pressure of the air cell 120 may be controlled in accordance with the back-raised state. Also, in the case of a bed having a leg-raising function, the internal pressure of the air cell 120 may be controlled in accordance with the leg-raised state.

The above information described as being stored in the storage 240 may also be recorded in the external medium 300. The air mat control device 200 may control the air mat 100 using the above information obtained from the external medium 300.

<Outline of the setting process executed by the air mat control device 200>
Fig. 4 is a flow chart showing the procedure of the setting process executed by the air mat control device according to the first embodiment. The process of the air mat control device 200 shown in Fig. 4 is stored as a program in the storage 240 of the air mat control device 200, and is executed by the CPU 210 controlling each unit. The process shown in Fig. 4 is a setting process that is executed when a user uses the air mat 100, etc.

First, the air mat control device 200 acquires user information from the external medium 300 (step S101). Specifically, the acquisition unit 260 of the air mat control device 200 acquires the user information by reading or receiving information from the external medium 300, such as a user's tag.

Next, the air mat control device 200 determines whether user information has been acquired by the acquisition unit 260 (step S102).

If user information has not been acquired (step S102: NO), the air mat control device 200 repeats the process of step S101 until user information is acquired.

If the user information has been acquired (step S102: YES), the air mat control device 200 uses the acquired user information to calculate the settings of the air mat 100 according to the user (step S103). Specifically, the air mat control device 200 uses the user information to calculate the settings of the air mat 100, such as the internal pressure of the air cells 120 of the air mat 100 and the cycle of inflation and contraction of the air cells 120.

For example, when the air mat control device 200 acquires the user's physical information or biometric information as user information, the air mat control device 200 calculates appropriate settings for the air mat 100 according to the user based on the acquired physical information or biometric information. Alternatively, when the air mat control device 200 acquires setting information for the air mat 100 as user information, the air mat control device 200 can use the acquired setting information as it is as the setting for the air mat 100. Also, when the air mat control device 200 acquires the user's identification information as user information, the air mat control device 200 refers to the storage 240 as a reference unit and acquires the user's physical information, biometric information, setting information for the air mat 100, etc. associated with the identification information. The air mat control device 200 calculates appropriate settings for the air mat 100 based on the information acquired from the storage 240.

Next, the air mat control device 200 controls the state of the air mat 100 based on the settings calculated in the processing of step S103 (step S104). Specifically, the air mat control device 200 controls the state of the air mat 100 by controlling the air supply unit 270 etc. based on settings such as the internal pressure of the air cells 120 of the air mat 100 and the cycle of expansion and contraction of the air cells 120.

As described above, according to the air mat control device 200 of the first embodiment, the state of the air mat 100 is controlled using the user information acquired by the acquisition unit 260 from the external medium 300. This allows the state of the air mat 100 to be appropriately controlled to suit the user, accurately, quickly, and effortlessly.

The user information also includes at least one of the user's physical information, biometric information, identification information, and setting information for the air mat 100. This allows the state of the air mat 100 to be controlled in response to various types of information recorded on the external medium 300.

When identification information is acquired by the acquisition unit 260, the air mat control device 200 acquires at least one of the physical information, biometric information, and setting information associated with the identification information in the storage unit, and controls the state of the air mat 100 based on the acquired information. As a result, even if only identification information is recorded on the external medium 300, various information such as physical information, biometric information, and setting information can be associated with the identification information and stored in the storage unit, thereby making it possible to appropriately control the air mat 100 based on the various information.

The acquisition unit 260 of the air mat control device 200 has at least one of an RFID tag reader, a barcode reader, and a camera, and acquires user information from at least one of an RFID tag, a barcode, and a two-dimensional barcode. Therefore, the configuration adopted for the acquisition unit 260 can be appropriately selected depending on the environment in which the air mat system is applied, and user information can be acquired from an appropriate external medium 300.

The acquisition unit 260 of the air mat control device 200 also has a communication interface for communicating with an external recording medium, and acquires user information by communicating with the recording medium. This allows user information to be acquired from various devices, such as the user's smartphone or wearable device, and allows the system to be flexibly expanded to increase convenience.

The air mat control device 200 also controls the state of the air mat 100 by changing settings related to the internal pressure and expansion/contraction cycle of the air cells 120, the degree of internal pressure fluctuation according to the user's back-raising state, and functions corresponding to the type of bed to be installed. This allows the state of the air mat 100 to be controlled more appropriately to suit the user, taking into account detailed conditions such as the user's characteristics and state, and the usage environment.

Second Embodiment
Next, an air mat system according to a second embodiment will be described.

In the above first embodiment, an example has been described in which the air mat control device 200 controls the air mat 100 by directly using the user information acquired from the external medium 300. However, the air mat control device 200 may check whether the acquired user information or the information acquired or calculated based on the user information is appropriate. Below, an example of checking whether the information acquired by the air mat control device 200 is appropriate will be described.

The configuration of the air mat system of the second embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment, so its description will be omitted. Below, the processing of the air mat system of the second embodiment will be described.

Figure 5 is a flow chart showing the procedure of the setting process executed by the air mat control device according to the second embodiment. Note that the process of the air mat control device 200 shown in Figure 5 is stored as a program in the storage 240 of the air mat control device 200, and is executed by the CPU 210 controlling each part.

The processing in steps S201 to S203 in FIG. 5 is similar to the processing in steps S101 to S103 in FIG. 4, so a description thereof will be omitted.

The air mat control device 200 of the second embodiment checks whether the user information acquired in the process of step S202 and the various information acquired or calculated setting information acquired in the process of step S203 are appropriate (step S204). Specifically, the air mat control device 200 displays the various acquired or calculated information on the display operation unit 250 together with an "OK" button or the like, and accepts a confirmation operation from a user such as a user or staff member.

If there are no problems with the confirmation results (step S205: YES), the air mat control device 200 proceeds to processing in step S208.

If there is a problem with the confirmation results (step S205: NO), the air mat control device 200 displays the confirmation results and accepts input for correction of various information (step S206). Specifically, the air mat control device 200 displays a screen for inputting correction information on the display operation unit 250 and accepts input of corrections from the user. Note that cases where there is a problem with the confirmation results include cases where user information cannot be acquired, cases where various information associated with the acquired user information has not been properly registered in the storage 240, cases where the user judges that the acquired user information or calculated setting information, etc. is inappropriate and the air mat control device 200 accepts input to that effect, etc.

For example, if the weight information preregistered in the storage 240 is old and different from the user's current weight, the user can correct the weight information by inputting the user's current weight into the display operation unit 250. In addition, if it is determined that the user information displayed on the display operation unit 250 is different from that of the actual user and that another person's user information is being displayed, the air mattress control device 200 may display a message urging the user to check for incorrect placement of a patient tag, etc.

Then, the air mat control device 200 registers the contents of the modifications received in the processing of step S206 in the storage 240 (step S207), and proceeds to the processing of step S208. The processing of step S208 is similar to the processing of step S104 in FIG. 4, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted. When the processing of step S208 is completed, the air mat control device 200 ends the setting processing, and continues to control the air mat 100 based on the settings.

As described above, according to the air mat control device 200 of the second embodiment, if the information associated with the acquired identification information cannot be acquired from the storage 240, or if the information acquired from the storage 240 is determined to be inappropriate, the input of at least one of the physical information, the biometric information, and the setting information is accepted. This allows the air mat control device 200 to more appropriately control the state of the air mat 100 based on the appropriately corrected user information.

In the confirmation process of step S204, the air mat control device 200 may authenticate whether the user identified by the user information matches the actual user. For example, the air mat control device 200 may request input of information such as the user's date of birth and a preset password on the display operation unit 250, and match the input information with information registered in advance in the storage 240 to authenticate the user. This makes it possible to prevent the state of the air mat 100 from being controlled based on incorrect user information in cases such as when the system is set up with the wrong user.

Third Embodiment
Next, an air mat system according to a third embodiment will be described.

In the first and second embodiments, the air mat control device 200 main body has been described as acquiring user information from the external medium 300, but this is not limited to the above. For example, information may be acquired from the external medium 300 in an external terminal configured separately from the air mat control device 200 main body.

Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of an air mat system to which the air mat control device according to the third embodiment is applied. Note that the same reference numbers are used for configurations similar to those of the air mat systems of the first and second embodiments, and descriptions thereof will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 6, the air mat system has an air mat 100, an air mat control device 200, an external medium 300, and an external terminal 400. The air mat control device 200 has a configuration basically similar to that of the air mat control device 200 shown in FIG. 1, and differs only in the configuration of the acquisition unit 260. The external terminal 400 is an information terminal provided separately from the air mat control device 200, and communicates with the air mat control device 200 via the communication unit 280. As the communication interface, various wired or wireless standards are used, such as USB, RS232C, Ethernet (registered trademark), Wi-Fi, or Bluetooth (registered trademark).

The external terminal 400 has input devices such as an RFID tag reader, a barcode reader, a camera capable of reading two-dimensional barcodes, and various communication interfaces, which were described as being provided in the air mattress control device 200 in the first and second embodiments. The external terminal 400 acquires user information by recognizing the RFID tag, barcode, two-dimensional barcode, etc. provided on the external medium 300, and by communicating with other devices via the communication interfaces.

The process steps executed by the air mat control device 200 in the third embodiment are similar to those in the first and second embodiments, and the air mat control device 200 acquires user information from the external terminal 400 as an acquisition unit in the process of step S101 in FIG. 4 and step S201 in FIG. 5.

As described above, in the third embodiment, the external terminal 400 acquires user information from the external medium 300, and the air mat control device 200 acquires the user information from the external terminal 400. This allows the user information to be acquired from the external medium 300 without being affected by the installation location of the air mat control device 200 or the position of the external medium 300, improving the convenience of the system.

Fourth Embodiment
Next, an air mat system according to a fourth embodiment will be described.

In the first to third embodiments, an example was described in which information such as the user's identification information, name, height, weight, condition, internal pressure setting, and inflation/deflation cycle setting is stored in the storage 240 of the air mat control device 200, but this is not limited to the above. For example, the above information may be stored in a device such as a server connected to the air mat control device 200 via a network.

Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of an air mat system to which the air mat control device according to the fourth embodiment is applied. Note that the same reference numbers are used for configurations similar to those of the air mat systems according to the first to third embodiments, and descriptions thereof will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 7, the air mat system has an air mat 100, an air mat control device 200, an external medium 310, and a server 500. The air mat control device 200 has a configuration basically similar to that of the air mat control device 200 shown in FIG. 1, and differs only in the configuration of the storage 240. The external medium 310 is a wearable device such as a smart watch worn by the user. The air mat control device 200 may obtain user information, for example, from an RFID tag mounted on the external medium 310 or a barcode or two-dimensional barcode displayed on the display unit of the external medium 310, or may obtain user information by communicating with the external medium 310 via a wired or wireless network. The server 500 is, for example, a server that manages patient information in a hospital, and can be connected to the air mat control device 200 via a wired or wireless network.

The server 500 stores in an internal memory the information such as the user's identification information, name, height, weight, condition, internal pressure setting, and inflation/deflation cycle setting that was described as being stored in the storage 240 of the air mattress control device 200 in the first to third embodiments.

The processing procedure executed by the air mat control device 200 of the fourth embodiment is basically the same as that of the first to third embodiments. In the processing of step S103 in FIG. 4 and step S203 in FIG. 5, the air mat control device 200 uses the identification information as a reference unit to obtain various information associated with the identification information from the server 500. The air mat control device 200 controls the state of the air mat 100 based on the information obtained from the server 500.

In this way, the air mat control device 200 references the memory unit of the server 500 using the identification information and obtains information associated with the identification information from the server 500. As a result, if a server in a hospital is connected as the server 500, for example, existing electronic medical record information for managing patient information can be used as the above information for controlling the state of the air mat 100, making it possible to make effective use of existing equipment and information assets.

Fifth Embodiment
Next, an air mat system according to a fifth embodiment will be described.

In the first to fourth embodiments, an example has been described in which the state of the air mat 100 is controlled by acquiring physical information, biometric information, identification information, setting information, etc., for each individual user as user information. However, instead of information for each individual user, users may be classified into groups with similar physical information, biometric information, and air mat 100 settings, and the state of the air mat 100 may be controlled for each group.

Figure 8 is a diagram showing an example of information stored in the storage of the air mat control device of the fifth embodiment. Note that the configuration of the air mat system of the fifth embodiment is similar to that of the first to fourth embodiments, so a description thereof will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 8, the storage 240 of the air mat control device 200 stores information such as the group ID, the internal pressure setting and inflation/deflation cycle setting of the air mat 100, and the mode setting, which are associated with each other. The mode setting is an item for setting an operation mode such as normal mode, contracture mode, or rest mode depending on the user's condition.

The group ID is an identifier for classifying multiple users who have similar settings for the air mattress 100 into multiple groups, and is set commonly to multiple users. The group ID can be set to a value with fewer digits than the identification information for identifying individual users, for example.

A group ID for a group into which users who own the external medium are classified is set on external medium 300 or external medium 310 (hereinafter collectively referred to as "external medium 300"). For example, if an RFID tag used as a patient tag in an existing patient management system is used as external medium 300, the group ID can be set in an empty area separate from the area in which the user's personal identification information, etc. is stored.

The air mat control device 200 acquires a group ID as user information from the external medium 300, and acquires information on the internal pressure setting and the inflation/deflation setting associated with the acquired group ID from the storage 240. The air mat control device 200 controls the air mat 100 based on the internal pressure setting and the inflation/deflation setting acquired from the storage 240.

In this way, by setting a group ID and controlling the state of the air mat 100 for each group, the state of the air mat 100 can be appropriately controlled even in cases where the format of the identification information of individual users varies and it is difficult to identify users, for example, when patient tags used in existing patient management systems are reused in this system. In addition, because a value with fewer digits than the individual user's identification information can be set as the group ID, the amount of information stored in storage 240 can be kept small, thereby conserving memory resources.

In the above embodiment, an example was described in which the setting information of the air mat 100 is associated with the group ID and stored in the storage 240, but this is not limiting. Body information and biological information may be associated with the group ID, and the state of the air mat 100 may be controlled based on each piece of information.

In addition, in each of the above embodiments, an example has been described in which the air supply unit 270 is provided integrally as part of the air mat control device 200, but the hardware configuration of the air mat system is not limited to this. For example, the air mat control device 200 and the air supply device may be provided as separate devices and wirelessly connected to each other. That is, the external terminal 400 in FIG. 6 described in the third embodiment may be used as the air mat control device 200, and communicate with the air supply unit 270 provided as a separate device to control the state of the air mat 100.

Although each of the above embodiments has been described as an independent embodiment, each embodiment may be implemented in combination with each other. For example, the third to fifth embodiments may be combined so that the external terminal 400 obtains a group ID from the external medium 300, obtains setting information associated with the group ID from the server 500, and controls the state of the air mattress 100.

In addition, each processing unit in the above-mentioned flowchart is divided according to the main processing content in order to make it easier to understand the processing of the air mat control device 200. The method of classifying the processing steps and their names do not limit the present invention. The processing performed by the air mat control device 200 can also be divided into more processing steps. Also, one processing step may perform even more processes.

The means and methods for carrying out various processes in the air mat system according to the above-described embodiment can be realized by either a dedicated hardware circuit or a programmed computer. The above-mentioned programs may be provided, for example, by a computer-readable recording medium such as a flexible disk or a CD-ROM, or may be provided online via a network such as the Internet. In this case, the programs recorded on the computer-readable recording medium are usually transferred to and stored in a storage unit such as a hard disk. The above-mentioned programs may also be provided as standalone application software, or may be incorporated into the software of the air mat system as one of its functions.

100 air mats,
110 Bed mattresses,
120 Air Cell,
T1 connecting tube,
200 Air mat control device,
210 CPU,
220 ROM,
230 RAM,
240 storage,
250 display operation section,
260 Acquisition Department,
270 air supply unit,
280 Communications Department,
290 Bus,
300, 310 external media,
400 External terminal,
500 servers.

Claims (3)

An air mat control device that controls a state of an air mat that holds a user,
an acquisition unit that acquires setting information of the air mat from an external medium for controlling a state of the air mat according to the user;
A control unit that controls a state of the air mattress using the setting information acquired by the acquisition unit;
having
The acquisition unit has at least one of an RFID tag reader, a barcode reader, and a camera, and acquires the setting information by reading information from at least one of an RFID tag, a barcode, and a two-dimensional barcode associated with the user . The air mat control device of claim 1, wherein the control unit controls the state of the air mat by changing settings related to at least one of the internal pressure of the air cell of the air mat, the period of expansion and contraction of the air cell, and the degree of fluctuation of the internal pressure of the air cell according to the user's back-raised state. 1. An air mat control method for controlling a state of an air mat that holds a user, comprising:
an acquisition step of acquiring setting information of the air mat from an external medium for controlling a state of the air mat according to the user;
a control step of controlling a state of the air mattress using the setting information acquired in the acquisition step;
having
An air mattress control method in which, in the acquisition step, the setting information is acquired by reading information from at least one of an RFID tag, a barcode, and a two-dimensional barcode associated with the user using at least one of an RFID tag reader, a barcode reader, and a camera.