JP7789407B2 - Physical abnormality detection device, physical abnormality detection method, and bathroom abnormality management system - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a physical abnormality detection device and method for detecting physical abnormalities, as well as a bathroom abnormality management system for reducing the risk of death for bathers while bathing.

Humans can develop physical abnormalities due to changes in the environment, such as temperature. While physical abnormalities can develop gradually, they can also occur suddenly, such as when taking a bath in winter. When physical abnormalities occur suddenly, people may not be able to call for help and may die.

For example, when taking a bath, some bathing facilities have emergency call buttons. However, if a person suddenly experiences a heart attack, they often lose consciousness without being able to press the button due to the pain. In this case, they may drink water from the bathtub, which can lead to drowning.

In response to this, technologies have been developed in the past for equipment equipped with the function of detecting abnormalities in the body while bathing and alerting the outside. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses technology for a bath water heater in which a human detection sensor attached to the bath remote control in the bathroom detects abnormalities in the bather and performs processes such as alerting the kitchen remote control or reporting to the outside.

To summarize the technology of Patent Document 1, as shown in Figure 7, the bath water heater 900 comprises a water heater main body 91, a kitchen remote control 92, a bath remote control 93, and a control unit 94 that communicates information among them. The bath remote control 93 is equipped with a human detection sensor 95. The human detection sensor 95 detects the position, posture, and falls of a bather 96. Specifically, it detects the bather's 96's speed of movement in the vertical direction, detects when there is no movement for a certain period of time, and measures the bather's pulse rate, blood pressure, etc. using a sensor worn on the wrist or the like to detect abnormalities.
When these abnormalities are detected, the control unit 94 can issue an alarm to the kitchen remote control 92. It is also possible to automatically notify acquaintances, doctors, the fire department, security companies, etc. via an external communication circuit. Furthermore, it is also possible to install a water level sensor and drain the water from the bathtub if the water level does not change for a certain period of time.

Another technology for detecting physical abnormalities in bathers is disclosed in Patent Document 2. The technology in Patent Document 2 uses a sensor that utilizes the microwave Doppler effect to detect physical abnormalities from the R-wave interval calculated from the bather's pulse information and body movement information. If an abnormality is detected, an alarm is sounded.

Another technology, as shown in Patent Document 3, is a bathroom sensor system equipped with a vital sign detection unit that detects pulse rate and respiratory rate non-contact. This bathroom sensor system stores the bather's normal vital sign information while bathing as reference vital sign information, and determines that an abnormality has occurred if there is a significant change from this reference vital sign information. This technology also alerts outside parties, such as family members living separately, and drains the water from the bathtub if an abnormality is detected.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-133040 Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-224299 Japanese Patent Publication No. 2023-82546

However, the technology in Patent Document 1 has the problem that it is unable to accurately detect whether an abnormality is present based solely on information about the bather's body movements and water level, resulting in frequent false positives. Furthermore, even if information such as pulse rate is also used, contact with the human body is undesirable as it places a significant burden on the bather.

To prevent false detection, the technology of Patent Document 2 measures pulse using the microwave Doppler effect and also measures body movement, thereby reducing false detection.
However, in the technology of Patent Document 2, the measurement of body movement is merely a supplementary measurement to determine the reason for fluctuations in pulse rate, and it is difficult to say that it is a sufficient means for preventing false detection. For example, if a person moves their body in pain when their pulse rate increases due to a heart attack or the like, there is a possibility that the increase in pulse rate may be mistakenly detected as being due to normal body movement rather than physical or mental stress, and the pulse rate may be determined to be normal.

Furthermore, the technology of Patent Document 3 uses pulse rate and respiratory rate as indicators for determining abnormality detection, and issues a warning that a high-risk condition exists when these values fluctuate significantly compared to normal conditions.
However, to determine a normal state, the pulse rate and other data from a specified number of days in the past are averaged or calculated as the median. Therefore, if the bather's condition is such that their pulse rate or breathing rate gradually increases, the increased state will be mistakenly recognized as being within the normal range. In other words, this technology can only detect sudden abnormal values.
Furthermore, there is a possibility of false detection if the pulse rate or breathing rate suddenly increases, for example, when moving the body.

The present invention was made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and its purpose is to provide a physical abnormality detection device, a physical abnormality detection method, and a bathroom abnormality management system that can accurately detect physical abnormalities when they occur and reduce false positives.

The means adopted by the present inventors to solve the above problems will be described below.
The physical abnormality detection device of the present invention is a physical abnormality detection device for detecting physical abnormalities, and is equipped with a measurement unit that measures biometric information including three indicators: breathing, pulse, and body movement; a judgment unit that determines a normal range based on the biometric information measured by the measurement unit and determines whether the biometric information has deviated from the normal range; and a command unit that issues a command to perform a predetermined action when the judgment unit determines that the biometric information has deviated from the normal range.The judgment unit associates the three indicators of breathing, pulse, and body movement calculated from the biometric information and defines a range that does not exceed a predetermined amount of variation as the normal range, and the normal range is updated according to the values of the three indicators measured daily by the measurement unit .

In the present invention, when detecting abnormalities using a sensor, normality is not judged based on a predetermined absolute threshold value, but rather the measurement unit measures biometric information including three indicators: respiration, pulse, and body movement, determines a normal range based on that biometric information, and judges it to be abnormal when it deviates from that normal range.
Respiration, pulse, and body movement differ from person to person, and by defining a relatively normal range according to the characteristics of the user of the present invention, abnormalities can be detected appropriately without falsely detecting or overlooking abnormalities depending on the user. Furthermore, because the data measured by the measurement unit includes three indices: respiration, pulse, and body movement, normal ranges can be defined by relating each of the three indices, and abnormalities can be detected appropriately without false detection.
In the present invention, the normal range is defined as a range that does not exceed a predetermined amount of variation based on the state of respiration, pulse, and body movement during daily use. Standard values for respiration, pulse, and body movement vary from person to person, and determining whether something is normal or abnormal based on absolute values does not take into account individual differences and may result in false detection. In the present invention, these three indicators are associated with the user's characteristics, physical condition, symptoms, environment, etc., and a range that does not exceed a predetermined amount of variation is defined as the normal range (which is updated based on the three indicators obtained with each daily use), allowing for appropriate detection of abnormalities according to the user's characteristics, etc.

As a means adopted by the present invention to solve the above-mentioned problems, the measuring unit can be configured to measure respiration, pulse, and body movement in a non-contact manner using electromagnetic waves emitted from the same location.

By measuring biological information using a non-contact method that utilizes the reflection of electromagnetic waves, the physical and mental burden on the user can be reduced.

As another means adopted by the present invention to solve the above-mentioned problems, a physical abnormality detection method having the following configuration can be adopted as a method for detecting physical abnormalities.
This configuration includes a measurement step of measuring biometric information including three indicators of respiration, pulse, and body movement; a judgment step of determining a normal range based on the biometric information measured by the measurement step and judging whether the biometric information has deviated from the normal range; and a command issuance step of issuing a command to perform a predetermined action when it is determined by the judgment step that the biometric information has deviated from the normal range.The judgment step associates the three indicators of respiration, pulse, and body movement calculated from the biometric information and defines a range that does not exceed a predetermined amount of variation as the normal range, and the normal range is updated according to the values of the three indicators measured daily by the measurement step .

In this method, regardless of the device configuration, a normal range is defined in the measurement step based on biological information including three indicators: respiration, pulse, and body movement, and any deviation from this normal range is determined to be abnormal. Respiration, pulse, and body movement differ from person to person, and by relating them to the characteristics, physical condition, symptoms, environment, etc. of the user of the present invention and defining a range that does not exceed a predetermined amount of variation (updated based on the three indicators obtained with each daily use) , abnormalities can be detected appropriately without falsely detecting or overlooking abnormalities depending on the user.

Furthermore, the measuring step may be configured to measure respiration, pulse, and body movement in a non-contact manner using electromagnetic waves emitted from the same location.

This method can reduce the physical and mental burden on the user by measuring biological information in a non-contact manner that utilizes the reflection of electromagnetic waves, regardless of the configuration of the device.

As another means adopted by the present invention to solve the above-mentioned problems, the above-mentioned physical abnormality detection device can be used in a bathroom to provide a bathroom abnormality management system.
In this configuration, the bathroom abnormality management system is designed to reduce the risk of death for bathers while bathing, and is equipped with the aforementioned physical abnormality detection device and a discharge pump for discharging hot and cold water from the bathtub to the outside.The measurement unit of the physical abnormality detection device is placed on either the ceiling, floor, or wall of the bathroom, and when the judgment unit determines that the normal range has been exceeded, the command unit issues a command to operate the discharge pump.

In the above configuration, if the physical abnormality detection device detects that an abnormality has occurred in the bather's body while bathing, the hot water in the bathtub can be drained using the drainage pump, thereby preventing the bather from drowning.
Furthermore, by placing the measuring unit of the physical abnormality detection device on either the ceiling, floor or wall of the bathroom, it is possible to reliably measure the bather's biological information no matter where they are in the bathroom.

In the above configuration, an alarm means for emitting a predetermined alarm sound is provided inside or outside the bathroom, and an alarm stop means for stopping the alarm device is provided inside the bathroom, and the command unit can be configured to issue a command so that the alarm means issues an alarm when the judgment unit first determines that the normal range has been exceeded.
In this configuration, the alarm can be stopped by operating the alarm stop means during the alarm, and if the alarm stop means is not operated within a predetermined time during the alarm, the command unit issues a command to operate the discharge pump.

With the above configuration, an alarm is issued immediately when an abnormal condition is first detected, allowing bathers to receive prompt medical assistance. Furthermore, even if the first alarm is a false alarm due to a false detection, the bather can stop the alarm by operating the alarm stop means, preventing bathers from becoming accustomed to false alarms due to frequent alarms.
On the other hand, if the first alarm is not stopped and no rescue is performed within a specified time, the bather can be prevented from drowning by draining the hot water from the bathtub using the drain pump.

Furthermore, the above configuration may further include a notification means for notifying a predetermined notification destination using a predetermined communication means, and when the command unit issues a command to cause the alarm means to issue an alarm, if the alarm stop means is not operated within a predetermined time during the alarm, the command unit may issue a command to operate the discharge pump and also issue a command to cause the notification means to notify the notification destination.

With this configuration, if there is no one around the bather who can provide assistance (for example, if the bather lives alone), the hot water in the bathtub is drained and a pre-determined contact point (for example, a security company) is notified, allowing for prompt assistance.

This invention includes a measurement unit that measures biological information including three indicators: respiration, pulse, and body movement; a judgment unit that defines a normal range based on the biological information measured by the measurement unit and determines whether the biological information has deviated from the normal range; and a command unit that issues a command to perform a predetermined action when the judgment unit determines that the biological information has deviated from the normal range. This makes it possible to accurately detect abnormalities in the body when they occur and reduce false positives.

1 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of a physical abnormality detection device and a bathroom abnormality management system of the present invention. 1 is a flowchart showing the steps of a physical abnormality detection method according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing normal ranges in the physical abnormality detection device of the present invention. 10A and 10B are explanatory diagrams illustrating a case where an abnormal state is determined in the physical abnormality detection device of the present invention. An explanatory diagram showing the procedures for issuing alarms, reporting, and draining water in a bathroom abnormality management system using the physical abnormality detection device of the present invention. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing a modified example of the present invention. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a conventional example.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS.
It should be noted that each drawing is drawn in a schematic manner for the purpose of explanation, and some dimensions and shapes are shown exaggerated or simplified.
FIG. 1 shows the configuration of a physical abnormality detection device 100 and a bathroom abnormality management system 1000 that uses the same.
The physical abnormality detection device 100 in the embodiment of FIG. 1 is a device including a measurement unit 1, a determination unit 2, and a command unit 3.
The bathroom abnormality management system 1000 is a system that uses this physical abnormality detection device 100, and is equipped with a bathtub 1002 installed in a bathroom 1001, a pipe P installed on the side wall near the bottom of the bathtub 1002, a discharge pump 1003 installed on the pipe P, an alarm means 1004 that issues an alarm when the physical abnormality detection device 100 detects an abnormality, an alarm stop means 1005 that is installed near the bathtub 1002 and can manually stop the alarm of the alarm means 1004, and a reporting means 1006 that reports to the outside if the alarm stop means 1005 is not operated within a predetermined time when an alarm is issued.

The measurement unit 1 in the physical abnormality detection device 100 can simultaneously measure biological information including three indices of breathing, pulse, and body movement of the bathing user U. The biological information is not limited to these three indices, and may also be measured as data including, for example, the user U's body temperature, voice, etc.
The measurement unit 1 is, for example, a microwave Doppler sensor that uses electromagnetic waves in the 24 GHz band, and can be installed in the ceiling of the bathroom 1001. By placing it on the backside, the user U can bathe naturally without being aware of the presence of the measurement unit 1. The measurement unit 1 can also be installed on the backside of a wall or floor other than the ceiling, or it can be placed on the front side so that it is exposed inside the bathroom 1001.

The measurement unit 1 measures biometric information each time the user U uses the device each day and transmits the measured biometric information to the determination unit 2. The determination unit 2 determines, as a normal range, a range of the biometric information measured by the measurement unit 1 that does not meet a predetermined fluctuation amount or fluctuation rate (e.g., a time differential value). In other words, the normal range is a range of fluctuation that is assumed to be normal and does not cause any abnormalities in the user U's body.
The biological information used to define the normal range includes at least the three indicators mentioned above: respiration, pulse rate, and body movement.

The measurement unit 1 irradiates microwaves onto the user U and receives the reflected microwaves. The moving speed of the object can be calculated from the phase difference between the transmitted signal and the returned signal. The change in this speed over time can be obtained as a waveform signal, which contains a mixture of subtle, high-frequency components such as pulse, relatively large, low-frequency components such as breathing, and even larger, extremely low-frequency components such as body movement. These are separated using FFT and filters to calculate three indices: breathing, pulse, and body movement.

In this way, the three indices of respiration, pulse, and body movement are calculated from a single piece of data measured by the measurement unit 1, and the normal range can be defined by associating each of the three indices. That is, the normal range is defined by associating the three indices, rather than by using respiration, pulse, or body movement alone or in combination.
The normal range can also be determined for each user based on the biometric information recorded for each user.

When the judgment unit 2 determines that the biological information measured by the measurement unit 1 deviates from the normal range, the command unit 3 issues a command. The command issued by the command unit 3 is used by various linked systems to maintain the life of the user U. For example, the command unit 3 can issue a command to the alarm means 1004 in the bathroom abnormality management system 1000 to issue an alarm. In addition, the command unit 3 can also issue a command to the notification means 1006 to issue a notification.

In the bathroom abnormality management system 1000 of the present invention, when the judgment unit 2 detects an abnormality, the command unit 3 issues a command to the alarm means 1004 to issue an alarm. At this time, if the user U determines that there is no problem with him/herself, he/she can operate the alarm stop means 1005 to stop the alarm.
At this time, if the user U experiences any physical abnormality and the alarm stop means 1005 is not pressed for a predetermined time, the judgment unit 2 issues a command to the command unit 3 to have the notification means 1006 notify the outside using a predetermined communication means. At the same time, the discharge pump 1003 can be operated to drain the hot water in the bathtub 1002 through the pipe P.

For draining the hot water from the bathtub 1002, a pipe P is provided on the side wall near the bottom of the bathtub 1002. If the pipe P is located on the bottom surface, the pipe P may be blocked by the body of the user U, hindering drainage. Therefore, it is advisable to provide the pipe P on the side wall near the bottom so that all the hot water can be drained and the body will not hinder drainage.
The diameter of the pipe P can be selected from a predetermined standard, but it is advisable to use a pipe as thick as possible in order to increase the drainage speed.

Next, the method by which the physical abnormality detection device 100 of the present invention detects a physical abnormality and the operation of the bathroom abnormality management system 1000 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 2 and FIGS.
First, in S1 (measurement step) in Figure 2, biological information such as breathing, pulse, and body movement of the bathing user U is measured. Measurements are performed at predetermined sampling times, and the waveforms of breathing, pulse, and body movement are extracted from the resulting waveform data to obtain three indices.

The recorded biometric information is processed in S2: Determination Step. In S2: Determination Step, a range of the biometric information measured in S1: Measurement Step that does not meet a predetermined amount of variation or rate of variation (e.g., time derivative) is defined as the normal range. More specifically, for the biometric information obtained at each predetermined sampling, upper and lower limits are calculated based on a predetermined range from the average and median values of the measured values, their derivatives, etc., and the normal range is defined. In the example of Figure 3, the moving average of the pulse rate is calculated, and a predetermined numerical range is set as the upper and lower limits of this average value to define the normal range. Although not shown in Figure 3, normal ranges are similarly defined for data such as respiration and body movement in addition to pulse rate using moving averages, etc.

In defining these normal ranges, the normal ranges are defined by relating each of the three indices of respiration, pulse rate, and body movement.
For example, even when a person is at rest, there are slight body movements. If the pulse and breathing are normal and there is slight body movement from the data obtained each time the device is used, it is recorded as a state of rest. In this way, the normal range is determined by relating the three indicators from daily data.

If it is determined in the S2: judgment step that the measured biological information is outside the normal range, a command is issued in the S3: command issuing step. More specifically, as shown in Fig. 4, even if there is body movement, if the pulse value exceeds the upper limit of the normal range and similarly the respiration value exceeds the upper limit of the normal range, it is determined in the S2: judgment step that an abnormal state exists, and the process proceeds to the S3: command issuing step.
Furthermore, even if the pulse and breathing are normal, if there is almost no body movement, the person may be dozing off, and this is judged to be a dangerous condition.

At this time, in order to prevent erroneous detection, even if an abnormal state is determined, the process proceeds to S3: command issuing step after confirming that the state continues for a predetermined time.
When transitioning to S3: command issuing step, the time to transition to S3: command issuing step when it is determined that the respiration or pulse rate is lower than the normal range can be shorter than the time to transition to S3: command issuing step when it is determined that the respiration or pulse rate is higher than the normal range and the magnitude of body movement is lower than the normal range.

A state in which breathing or pulse rate is lower than the normal range indicates that life-sustaining functions are extremely impaired or there is a risk of sudden death due to a heart attack or other cause. Therefore, a command must be issued sooner than when breathing or pulse rate values exceed the normal range and the magnitude of body movement is lower than the normal range (a state in which the person is exhausted due to heat stroke).
Furthermore, even if there is no body movement and the breathing and pulse rates are high, if they do not reach the upper limit of the normal range, the S2: judgment step will determine that they are within the normal range and will not proceed to the S3: command issuance step.

In the S3: command issuing step, commands can be issued to sound an alarm, send a report to the outside, drain the hot water from the bathtub, etc. Which of these systems the command should be issued to is determined in the S2: decision step, and in the S3: command issuing step, the command is issued to the appropriate system based on that determination.
By using the above-described physical abnormality detection method, any physical abnormality in the user U can be detected.

Next, we will explain how the bathroom abnormality management system 1000 operates based on the command issued in S3: Command Issuance Step. For example, the risk of death of the bathing user U can be reduced based on the flowchart shown in Figure 5.
5, in step S4: issuing an alarm, alarm means 1004 issues an alarm based on the command issued in step S3: issuing a command. This alarm can be set to issue a buzzer sound in the building such as a residence in which bathroom 1001 is installed.

At this time, if user U is conscious and able to get out of the bathtub 1002 on their own, or if a housemate is able to provide rescue, they can stop the alarm by operating the alarm stop means 1005. Also, even if an alarm is issued due to an incorrect judgment in S2: Judgment step, user U can stop the alarm by operating the alarm stop means 1005 at their own discretion. If the alarm is stopped by operating the alarm stop means 1005, the process returns to S1: Measurement step, and measurement is resumed according to the flowchart in Figure 2.

In the S4: alarm issuing step, if the alarm stop means 1005 is not operated for a predetermined time, it is determined that the user U was unable to get out of the bathtub 1002 on their own and that the person living with them was unable to rescue them within the predetermined time, and the process proceeds to the S5: reporting step. In the S5: reporting step, a pre-contracted security company, family members living separately, a medical institution, etc. are notified by communication means such as telephone or SNS.
At the same time as the S5: notification step, the process also proceeds to the S6: drain step, in which the drain pump 1003 is operated to forcibly drain the hot water from the bathtub 1002.

As described above, the physical abnormality detection device 100 and bathroom abnormality management system 1000 of the present invention can use three indicators - breathing, pulse rate, and body movement - to define a normal range according to the individual characteristics of user U, thereby accurately detecting any abnormalities in user U's body and reducing false positives.

"Variation 1"
The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and other embodiments may be adopted. For example, as shown in Fig. 6, in a physical abnormality detection device 101 and a bathroom abnormality management system 1001 using the same, the measurement unit 1 may be embedded in the wall of the bathtub 1002 as in the embodiment shown in Fig. 1.

In this modification, by embedding the measuring unit 1 in the wall of the bathtub 1002 closer to the user U, it is possible to measure biological information with a high SN ratio (signal-to-noise ratio).
Furthermore, compared to a contact-type sensor that is attached to the inside of the bathtub 1002 and comes into contact with the body of the user U, the measurement unit 1 is a microwave Doppler sensor embedded in the wall of the bathtub 1002, so the user U is not made aware of the presence of the measurement unit 1. Therefore, the user U is not forced to bear any physical or mental burden.

In this modification, when the alarm means 1004 issues the first alarm, the drain pump 1003 is simultaneously operated to immediately drain the hot water from the bathtub 1002. This significantly reduces the risk of the user U drowning.
However, if the detection is false and the user U operates the alarm stop means 1005, the drain pump 1003 is stopped and a water heater (not shown) is operated to replenish the lost hot water.

As described above, even with the physical abnormality detection device 101 in this modified example, if an abnormality occurs in the user U's body, the abnormality can be accurately detected and false detections can be reduced.

100, 101 Physical abnormality detection device 1 Measurement unit 2 Judgment unit 3 Command unit U User
1000,1001 Bathroom abnormality management system
1001 Bathroom
1002 bathtub
1003 Discharge Pump
1004 Alarm means
1005 Alarm stop means
1006 Reporting means P Piping

Claims (3)

A bathroom abnormality management system for reducing the risk of death of bathers while bathing,
a measurement unit that measures biological information including three indicators of respiration, pulse, and body movement;
a determination unit that determines a normal range based on the biological information measured by the measurement unit and determines whether the biological information deviates from the normal range;
a command unit that issues a command to perform a predetermined operation when the determination unit determines that the normal range has been exceeded; and
Equipped with
a physical abnormality detection device configured such that the determination unit associates three indexes of respiration, pulse, and body movement calculated from the biological information and defines a range that does not exceed a predetermined amount of variation as a normal range, and the normal range is updated according to the values of the three indexes measured daily by the measurement unit;
A discharge pump for discharging hot water from the bathtub to the outside;
Equipped with
the measuring unit of the physical abnormality detection device is disposed on one of the ceiling, floor, and wall of the bathroom;
A bathroom abnormality management system characterized in that when the judgment unit determines that the normal range has been exceeded, the command unit issues a command to operate the discharge pump. An alarm means for emitting a predetermined alarm sound is provided inside or outside the bathroom, and an alarm stop means for stopping the alarm means is provided inside the bathroom,
The command unit issues a command to the alarm means to issue a warning when the determination unit first determines that the normal range has been exceeded,
The alarm can be stopped by operating the alarm stop means during the alarm.
The bathroom abnormality management system of claim 1 , characterized in that the command unit issues a command to operate the discharge pump when the alarm stop means is not operated within a predetermined time during the alarm. The device further includes a reporting means for reporting to a predetermined reporting destination using a predetermined communication means,
When the command unit issues a command to cause the alarm means to issue an alarm,
When the alarm stop means is not operated within a predetermined time during the alarm, the command unit issues a command to operate the discharge pump, and
3. The bathroom abnormality management system according to claim 2 , wherein the command unit issues a command so that the reporting means reports to a reporting destination.