JP7829859B2 - Childcare information processing system, program, and childcare information processing method - Google Patents

Description

This invention relates to a childcare information processing system, a program, and a childcare information processing method.

Various technologies have been developed to date for monitoring breast milk intake. One such technology is the one described in Patent Document 1. Patent Document 1 describes monitoring breast milk intake by measuring the mother's weight before and after breastfeeding using a breastfeeding cushion (see Claim 1, Paragraph 0031, and Figure 3 of Patent Document 1, etc.).

Special table 2018-512199 publication

The typical behavioral cycle of a caregiver during breastfeeding is as follows:
First, after breastfeeding the infant according to a predetermined schedule, the change in the infant's weight before and after breastfeeding is measured using a weight scale, as described in Patent Document 1, and this is estimated to be the amount of milk consumed.
Next, check whether the amount of milk given is sufficient or excessive compared to the target amount.
If a deficiency occurs afterward, supplemental feedings of breast milk or formula are given to make up for the shortfall in the target amount.

However, before caregivers could determine whether additional feeding was necessary, they had to weigh the baby using a weight scale and self-calculate whether the baby's weight was too much or too little. This meant they couldn't easily obtain the information needed to decide on post-feeding actions. Furthermore, accurate weight measurement using a weight scale was often difficult due to various circumstances.

Further investigation by the inventors revealed a technical relationship between tongue pressure information, milk volume, and feeding time. Based on this finding, further intensive research led to the discovery that it is possible to calculate the estimated milk volume for one feeding session based on the feeding time and related information showing the relationship between the infant's tongue pressure information, milk volume, and feeding time, and to calculate the adjusted milk volume, which is the difference between the target milk volume for one feeding session and the estimated milk volume for one feeding session. This led to the completion of the present invention.
With the above invention, users (caregivers) can easily obtain information (the adjusted amount of breastfeeding mentioned above) to determine whether additional breastfeeding is necessary and how much to add, simply by inputting the breastfeeding time, thereby reducing the burden of childcare, including breastfeeding.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the following childcare information processing system, program, and childcare information processing method are provided.

1. A breastfeeding time acquisition unit that acquires the duration of one breastfeeding session from the user's terminal device based on user input,
A milk feeding amount estimation unit calculates an estimated amount of milk for one feeding based on the duration of one feeding session and related information showing the relationship between the infant's tongue pressure, milk amount, and feeding time, which has been prepared in advance.
An adjusted milk supply calculation unit calculates an adjusted milk supply that shows the difference obtained by subtracting the estimated milk supply for one feeding from the target milk supply for one feeding,
A breastfeeding assistance information display unit that displays information indicating the adjusted breastfeeding amount on the user's terminal device,
A childcare information processing system equipped with the following features.
2. The childcare information processing system described in 1.
A childcare information processing system in which the information indicating the adjusted amount of milk is at least one of the amount of liquid milk, the amount of powdered milk, and the value converted to feeding time.
3. A childcare information processing system as described in 1. or 2.,
The system comprises the user's terminal device and a server.
The server is a childcare information processing system having the milk feeding amount estimation unit and the adjusted milk feeding amount calculation unit.
4. A childcare information processing system described in any one of 1. to 3.
An account registration section that links and registers caregiver account identification information and infant/toddler identification information,
A childcare information processing system comprising: an infant information management unit that registers infant information linked to infant identification information based on input from a user logged in with the aforementioned childcare provider account identification information.
5. The childcare information processing system described in 4.
A childcare information processing system that includes the aforementioned infant information, including tongue pressure information measured by a tongue pressure measuring device.
6.5. The childcare information processing system described above,
The tongue pressure measuring device,
Gloves made of insulating silicone rubber to be worn on the hands of the person taking the measurements,
The glove comprises a pressure sensor for measuring tongue pressure, provided in the fingertip area on the outer surface of the glove.
Childcare information processing system.
7. A childcare information processing system described in any one of 4. to 6.
A childcare information processing system in which the infant information includes one or more selected from the group consisting of age in months, sex, weight, height, sleep information, excretion information, diet information, vaccination information, birth information, medical visit history, medical history, and prescription information.
8. The childcare information processing system described in 7.
A childcare information processing system comprising an event notification unit that displays notification information on the user's terminal device to prompt the user to input one or more pieces of information included in the infant information, based on a predetermined event schedule.
9. A childcare information processing system as described in 7. or 8.
A childcare information processing system comprising an infant information display unit that converts one or more pieces of information contained in the infant information into a predetermined graph and displays it on the user's terminal device.
10. A program to enable a computer to function as a childcare information processing system as described in any one of items 1 through 9.
11. A process for obtaining the duration of one breastfeeding session,
A milk intake estimation step calculates the estimated amount of milk for one feeding based on the duration of one feeding session and related information showing the relationship between the infant's tongue pressure, milk intake, and feeding time, which has been prepared in advance.
A process for calculating the adjusted milk supply, which is the difference obtained by subtracting the estimated milk supply for one feeding from the target milk supply for one feeding,
A breastfeeding support information display step that displays information indicating the adjusted amount of breast milk,
A method for processing childcare information, comprising the following features.

According to the present invention, a childcare information processing system, programming, and detailed information on childcare information processing are provided, enabling users to smoothly obtain information necessary for additional breastfeeding after the initial feeding, thereby reducing the burden of childcare.

This diagram illustrates the overall structure of the childcare information processing system of this embodiment. This is an example of a functional block diagram of the childcare information processing system of this embodiment. This is a sequence diagram showing an example of the processing flow of the childcare information processing system of this embodiment. This figure schematically shows an example of a screen displayed by the childcare information processing system of this embodiment. This is a schematic top view showing an example of the configuration of a tongue pressure measurement device. This is an example of a functional block diagram of the childcare information processing system of this embodiment. This figure shows an example of the hardware configuration of the device according to this embodiment.

<Overview>
An overview of an example of the childcare information processing system 10 of this embodiment will be described.
As shown in Figure 1, the childcare information processing system 10 includes a server 1 and a terminal device 2.
Server 1 is a server prepared for the childcare information processing service of this embodiment and is managed by the provider of the said service.
Terminal device 2 is a device used by each user of the service, and examples include smartphones, tablet devices, smartwatches, mobile phones, and personal computers. Terminal device 2 and server 1 can communicate with each other via a communication network 3 such as the internet. Terminal device 2 may also have a program (application) specifically for the service installed.

In this service, users (caregivers) may register as service administrators. In this case, the service will register caregivers and the infants and toddlers they care for as a linked group. A single caregiver account may be linked to one or more infant/toddler accounts.

Furthermore, this service allows users (caregivers) to register breastfeeding times. Based on the registered breastfeeding times, an estimated amount of milk is calculated, and an adjusted amount is calculated, which represents the difference between the target amount and the estimated amount. This adjusted amount is then displayed to the caregiver. This allows caregivers to easily obtain information (the adjusted amount mentioned above) to determine whether or not additional breastfeeding is necessary and how much to add after a feeding, thereby reducing the burden of childcare, including breastfeeding.
If the above adjusted feeding amount is a positive value, it can be determined that additional feeding is necessary, and preparation for the insufficient feeding can be started immediately. On the other hand, if the adjusted feeding amount is a negative value, it can be determined that additional feeding is not necessary, and if necessary, the next feeding time (feeding amount) may be adjusted to be shorter. The adjusted feeding amount may be displayed on the user's terminal device as at least one of the following: the liquid volume of liquid formula, the powder volume of powdered formula, or the value converted to feeding time.

Furthermore, this service can record, display, and notify information about infants and toddlers receiving childcare, such as biological information including gender, age in months, weight, height, and body temperature; life cycle information including sleep information, excretion information, and dietary information; vaccination and health checkup information including vaccination information and regular checkups; and health status information such as birth information, medical visit history, medical history, and prescription information.
Infants and toddlers include infants from birth to under one year of age, and toddlers from one year of age until a specified age requiring childcare. This service can continue to assist with childcare management even after breastfeeding is no longer required.

Furthermore, if necessary, this service may record and display information from the maternal and child health handbook and medication record book, as well as information from certificates such as medical cards, health insurance cards, and child medical certificates.

<Example of function configuration>
An example of the functional configuration of the childcare information processing system 10 will be described below.
As shown in the functional block diagram of Figure 2, the childcare information processing system 10 includes a breastfeeding time acquisition unit 11, a breastfeeding amount estimation unit 12, an adjusted breastfeeding amount calculation unit 13, a breastfeeding support information display unit 14, and a storage unit 15.
Each functional unit is implemented within either Server 1 or Terminal Device 2. There are no particular restrictions on whether each functional unit is implemented within Server 1 (e.g., a cloud server) or Terminal Device 2; any configuration can be adopted in this embodiment.

The childcare information processing system 10, through these functional units,
- Processing to obtain breastfeeding time,
・Calculation of milk intake
- Processing to calculate adjusted milk feeding amount,
- Breastfeeding assistance information display processing,
This will be achieved. Details are explained below.

The breastfeeding time acquisition process acquires the breastfeeding time for one session from the user's terminal device 2 based on the user's (caregiver's) input. The breastfeeding volume estimation process calculates the estimated breastfeeding volume for one session based on the breastfeeding time and related information showing the relationship between the infant's tongue pressure and the amount of breastfeeding time, which has been prepared in advance. The adjusted breastfeeding volume calculation process calculates the adjusted breastfeeding volume, which is the difference between the target breastfeeding volume for one session and the estimated breastfeeding volume for one session. The breastfeeding support information display process displays information indicating the adjusted breastfeeding volume on the user's terminal device.

Next, the above processing flow will be explained using the sequence diagram in Figure 3. Note that the processing flow shown is merely an example and is not limited to this.

First, the user operates their terminal device 2 to input information, including the duration of one feeding session, and sends it to the server 1 (S101). The user can then input information on the input screen of the terminal device 2. Any method can be used for user input; for example, physical input using a touch sensor or keyboard, or voice input using a microphone, can be used.

The information that can be entered should include at least one feeding time, but is not limited to this.
The user can optionally input additional biometric information such as age in months, weight, height, and body temperature as infant information and send it to Server 1. The user may also send to Server 1, along with the duration of one feeding session, the infant's tongue pressure information measured using the tongue pressure measurement device described later, as infant information. This processing may be performed if the user is a guest rather than an administrator, as described later.

Next, the breastfeeding time acquisition unit 11 of server 1 acquires information, including the duration of one breastfeeding session, transmitted from terminal device 2. If the acquired information meets predetermined conditions, the breastfeeding amount acquisition unit 11 sends the information to the breastfeeding amount estimation unit 12. If the predetermined conditions are not met, the sequence shown in Figure 3 may be terminated, or a notification requesting input from terminal device 2 may be sent. If necessary, the reason for not meeting the predetermined conditions may also be included in the notification. The predetermined conditions can be standard pass/fail criteria, but may also include, for example, whether predetermined required items have been entered for breastfeeding time and other additional information, or whether the format of the input information is correct.

Next, the breastfeeding volume estimation unit 12 of server 1 calculates the estimated breastfeeding volume for one feeding session based on the information sent from the breastfeeding time acquisition unit 11, which includes the duration of one feeding session, and related information, such as the relationship between the infant's tongue pressure information, breastfeeding volume, and breastfeeding time, which is pre-registered in the storage unit 15 (S102). The breastfeeding volume estimation unit 12 may acquire infant information, such as biological information, included in the information sent from the breastfeeding time acquisition unit 11, along with the duration of one feeding session, or it may acquire pre-registered infant information, such as the infant's information, from the storage unit 15.

Here, we will explain the above-mentioned relationship between infant tongue pressure information and breastfeeding information (amount of breast milk and duration of breastfeeding).

In one preliminary experiment conducted by the inventor, a tongue pressure measurement device equipped with an artificial nipple containing multiple pressure sensors was used to investigate tongue pressure as one indicator of an infant's sucking ability. The results showed that the maximum value of the infant's tongue pressure, and the period from one maximum value to the next in the tongue pressure fluctuation wave (a generally periodic wave) when tongue pressure is plotted on the vertical axis and time on the horizontal axis (or the frequency of the tongue pressure fluctuation wave), correlated with the actual amount of breast milk consumed. This suggests that infants adjust the amount of breast milk they produce by adjusting the maximum value of their tongue pressure, and also adjust the amount of breast milk they produce by shortening the period of the tongue pressure fluctuation wave (increasing the frequency) to increase the number of sucks per unit time. Furthermore, this relationship was observed over a predetermined period, from a few days to several months, in infants.
Therefore, a technical correspondence was found between the force information and/or tongue movement time information included in the tongue pressure information and the amount of breast milk and breastfeeding time included in the breastfeeding information.

The pre-registered related information may include, but is not limited to, a first correspondence table or a first predetermined function that shows the relationship between measurement results regarding the tongue pressure of an infant and the measurement results regarding the amount and duration of breast milk intake of such infant. This first correspondence table may include a set of measurement results for multiple infants. The first predetermined function is calculated using such a set of measurement results. The set of measurement results may be a group of information for individuals with different biological information such as sex, age in months, weight, and height, or it may be a group of information for the same individual for a predetermined period. This may include, for example, information indicating the time of feeding based on feeding interval information obtained from breastfeeding information.
While it is preferable that the measurement results regarding the tongue pressure information of infants include information about the infant themselves who is the subject of the estimation of estimated milk intake, information from other individuals can also be used. In particular, information from other individuals whose one or more biometric characteristics are similar to those of the infant being estimated can be used.

The numerical values of each measurement result included in the above related information may be registered individually in the storage unit 15, but are not limited to this. All measurement results may be registered as total information weighted according to predetermined conditions, such as averaging the total number of results, or as class-specific information weighted according to predetermined conditions for each class of various biological attributes.

Furthermore, the various biological attribute classes mentioned above include sex, age in months, weight, height, etc., which are included in the biological information described above. Examples of biological attribute classes include, for example, in the case of sex, classes for male and female; for weight, classes divided into 500g intervals within a range of approximately 3 to 20 kg; and for height, classes divided into 10cm intervals within a range of approximately 50 to 100 cm. Infant tongue pressure information may also be used for biological attribute classes. For classifying tongue pressure information, for example, the range of the maximum tongue pressure or the pattern of tongue pressure distribution may be used.

Let's return to the explanation of the milk feeding amount estimation unit 12. The milk feeding amount estimation unit 12 selects a breastfeeding time that is the same as or closest to the duration of one feeding from the first comparison table as described above, and can determine the amount of breast milk corresponding to the selected breastfeeding time as the estimated amount of milk for one feeding.
Alternatively, the milk feeding amount estimation unit 12 may use the first predetermined function described above, introduce the duration of one feeding session into the first predetermined function, and calculate the estimated milk feeding amount for one session.
In the first comparison table and the first predetermined function, initial conditions may be set for the infant tongue pressure information. For example, the above-mentioned total information or class-specific information may be used as initial conditions for the infant tongue pressure information and breast milk volume in the first comparison table and the first predetermined function.

When class-specific information is used as an initial condition, the breastfeeding amount estimation unit 12 selects the class of biological attributes to which the predetermined biological information of the infant whose breastfeeding amount is to be estimated belongs. From the first comparison table containing class-specific information for the selected class, the unit can determine the amount of breast milk corresponding to the selected breastfeeding time as the estimated amount for one feeding, as described above. For example, if the infant's age in months is obtained from the terminal device 2 or storage unit 15 as the biological information of the infant whose breastfeeding amount is to be estimated, the unit can select the age class to which that age belongs and utilize the first comparison table containing class-specific information for that age class. Alternatively, matrix information belonging to classes of multiple biological attributes such as age and weight may be used as class-specific information.

Furthermore, as an initial condition, if class-specific information of tongue pressure is to be utilized, the class of tongue pressure information to which the measurement results belong is selected using the measurement results obtained using a tongue pressure measurement device as described later.
The conditions for belonging to a class can be set, such as being within a numerical range or the pattern similarity satisfying predetermined conditions. Furthermore, even when using the first predetermined function instead of the first comparison table, class-specific information can be used as the initial condition.

Next, when the breastfeeding amount calculation unit 13 of server 1 calculates the estimated breastfeeding amount for one feeding session by the breastfeeding amount estimation unit 12, it subtracts this estimated breastfeeding amount from a pre-registered target breastfeeding amount for one feeding session, and calculates the adjusted breastfeeding amount, which is the difference between the two (S103).

The target amount of milk per feeding can be calculated based on a predetermined feeding schedule, such as by dividing the target daily amount by the number of feedings per day. The target daily amount and number of feedings should be predetermined according to the infant's age and weight. The target daily amount may also be derived from historical statistical data showing the relationship between growth curves and milk intake.

Furthermore, the user can register at least one piece of information in the storage unit 15, including the target amount of milk per feeding/per day and the feeding schedule, as well as biometric information of the infant, through the operation of the user's terminal device 2. The registered information can then be modified or deleted.

As an example of a specific target feeding amount per session, a second comparison table may be prepared showing the target feeding amount per session, the infant's age in months, and/or weight. When using this second comparison table, the adjusted feeding amount calculation unit 13 may obtain the infant's age in months and/or weight from the biological information sent from the adjusted feeding amount calculation unit 13, or from the storage unit 15 using pre-registered biological information of the infant. Based on this second comparison table, the feeding amount estimation unit 12 can select a target feeding amount per session corresponding to the registered infant's age in months and weight.

Subsequently, the breastfeeding support information display unit 14 of server 1 transmits information, including the estimated amount of breast milk for one feeding calculated by the breastfeeding amount estimation unit 12, to the terminal device 2 (S104). The transmitted information is displayed on the screen of terminal device 2, making it available for user confirmation.

The breastfeeding support information display unit 14 displays to the user the estimated amount of milk to be given in one feeding, whether it is insufficient or excessive. The information displayed to the user indicating the adjusted amount of milk may be values converted by the breastfeeding support information display unit 14 into liquid milk volume (cc), powdered milk powder volume (g), and the caregiver's feeding time (min). Furthermore, at least one or more of these may be displayed.

Figure 4 schematically shows an example of a screen displayed on the terminal device 2.
The screen in Figure 4 displays the amount of liquid milk that is lacking, but is not limited to this. In addition to the amount of liquid milk, supplementary information that complements this may also be displayed.

Here, an example of the tongue pressure measurement device described above will be explained using Figure 5.
Figure 5 is a schematic top view showing an example of the configuration of the tongue pressure measuring device 100.
As shown in Figure 5, the tongue pressure measuring device 100 includes a glove 120, a pressure sensor 110, and a stretchable wiring 130.

The measurer (e.g., a caregiver) places the hand 200, equipped with the tongue pressure measuring device 100, into the subject's oral cavity. When the subject performs tongue movements, the pressure sensor 110 inside the oral cavity detects a sensor signal indicating information about the pressure of the tongue movement and transmits it externally via the expandable wiring 130.

The glove 120 is not particularly limited as long as it has a structure that can be attached to the hand 200 of the person taking the measurement.
The glove 120 only needs to have at least one finger portion 123, and may have any number of finger portions 123 from two to five. The glove 120 in Figure 1 has two finger portions 123: finger portion 123a (thumb portion) and finger portion 123e (little finger portion).
A pressure sensor 110 is installed in the fingertip area of the finger portion 123. With the finger portion 123 inserted into the subject's oral cavity together with the measurer's finger 203, the subject's tongue movement is measured by the pressure sensor 110.
The pressure sensor 110 may be installed on one or more of the multiple finger parts (thumb, pointing, middle finger, ring finger, little finger).

The glove 120 is preferably made of insulating silicone rubber. This improves flexibility and elasticity, resulting in a better fit to the user's hand 200. Furthermore, it prevents bioelectric currents generated in the user's hand 200 from entering the elastic wiring 130 installed in the glove 120.

A more specific example of the tongue pressure measuring device 100 may include a glove 120 made of insulating silicone rubber for attachment to the user's hand 200, and a pressure sensor 110 for measuring tongue pressure, provided on the fingertip area of the outer surface of the glove 120.

The lower limit of the tear strength of the glove 120 is, for example, 25 N/mm or more, preferably 28 N/mm or more, more preferably 30 N/mm or more, even more preferably 33 N/mm or more, and even more preferably 34 N/mm or more. This improves durability during repeated use. It also allows for the creation of a device that is resistant to tearing even when thin. This improves the design flexibility of the glove 120. Furthermore, the glove 120 can be sewn together with thread.
On the other hand, the upper limit of the tear strength of the glove 120 is not particularly limited, but may be set to, for example, 80 N/mm or less, or 70 N/mm or less. This allows for a balance of the various properties of the glove 120.

The pressure sensor 110 converts the force received by the pressure-receiving surface from an external force into an electrical signal.
The pressure sensor 110 only needs to include at least one component whose electrical properties change due to an external force. For example, a sensor utilizing the pressure resistance effect, a sensor utilizing the piezoelectric effect, or a sensor utilizing capacitance can be used.
As the pressure sensor 110, commercially available pressure sensors such as strain gauge type, pressure-sensitive conductive rubber type, capacitance type, film deposition type, resistance wire type, and mechanical type may be used.
The pressure sensor 110 includes a force sensor made by a micro-electromechanical system such as a MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanical Systems), and any sensor capable of detecting the force received by the pressure-receiving surface from an external force is acceptable.

The pressure sensor 110 only needs to have a pressure-receiving surface; for example, it may be configured as a chip, but is not limited to this.

The pressure sensor 110 may have a pressure-resistive element having a pressure-resistance effect, a piezoelectric element having a piezoelectric effect, or a capacitive film. Among these, the pressure-resistive element may contain an elastomer or plastic, and preferably a silicone rubber.

A specific example of the pressure sensor 110 may be made of a pressure-sensitive conductive silicone rubber, which is one of the pressure-sensitive resistive materials, and preferably a conductive silicone rubber containing a conductive filler and silicone rubber. When both the pressure sensor 110 and the stretchable wiring 130 are made of conductive silicone rubber, the volume resistivity of the conductive silicone rubber of the pressure sensor 110 should be higher than the volume resistivity of the conductive silicone rubber of the stretchable wiring 130.

As a specific example, the conductive silicone rubber constituting the pressure sensor 110 may contain a conductive carbon material as a conductive filler. In this case, the conductive silicone rubber constituting the stretchable wiring 130 may also contain metal powder such as silver powder.

The expandable wiring 130 is electrically connected to the pressure sensor 110, allowing electrical signals from the pressure sensor 110 to be transmitted externally.

The stretchable wiring 130 may be made of conductive silicone rubber.
Since the stretchable wiring 130 and the glove 120 are made of the same type of elastomer, silicone rubber, the adhesion between the stretchable wiring 130 and the glove 120 at the points where they are in direct contact can be improved.

Furthermore, the stretchable wiring 130 may be composed of a printed material of conductive paste containing a conductive filler and silicone rubber. Depending on the printing method, the design flexibility of the wiring design of the stretchable wiring 130 can be improved.
However, the method for forming the stretchable wiring 130 is not limited to a printing method using paste, and other general printing methods using conductive paint may also be used.

The tongue pressure measuring device 100 may have a cover portion (not shown) that covers at least a portion of the surface of the expandable wiring 130. This further enhances the mechanical strength of the expandable wiring 130.

The tongue pressure measuring device 100 may be a device that acquires, analyzes, stores, communicates, and/or displays information (electrical signals) acquired by the pressure sensor 110.

An example of a tongue pressure measurement device 100 acquires tongue pressure information related to the subject's tongue movement, such as sensor signals from a pressure sensor 110, and can communicate this tongue movement information externally using a communication interface. For example, the tongue pressure measurement device 100 can transmit tongue movement information to the user's terminal device 2.

This tongue pressure measuring device 100 can analyze tongue pressure information using its own processor, but it may also transmit this tongue pressure information to a server for analysis.

The tongue pressure information includes at least one or more of the tongue pressure, tongue pressure distribution, and their changes over time. The tongue pressure information includes information for each single measurement point on the subject's tongue. The tongue pressure information may also include the value at a predetermined time, the maximum value, the minimum value, the average value over a predetermined period, the time corresponding to predetermined values such as the maximum and minimum values, and/or waveform data showing their changes over time.
The tongue pressure distribution information may include information from multiple measurement points and may be a calculated value derived from tongue pressure information, such as the sum of tongue pressures within a predetermined area, using an appropriate formula.

Another example of the functional configuration of the childcare information processing system 10 will be described.
As shown in the functional block diagram of Figure 6, the childcare information processing system 10 comprises a storage unit 15, an account registration unit 16, and an infant information management unit 17. Furthermore, the childcare information processing system 10 may also include an infant information display unit 18 and/or an event notification unit 19.
Each functional unit is implemented within either Server 1 or Terminal Device 2. There are no particular restrictions on which device, Server 1 or Terminal Device 2, the functional unit is implemented within; any configuration can be adopted in this embodiment.

The childcare information processing system 10, through these functional units,
- Account registration process,
- Infant and toddler information management and processing,
This will be achieved. Details are explained below.

The account registration process is as follows:
- Create a new childcare provider (administrator) account and register.
- Create a new account for childcare recipients (infants and toddlers) and register.
- Register by linking the caregiver account and the childcare recipient account.
This is the process that performs the following action.

In the account registration process, the user who will become the administrator first creates their own caregiver account (administrator account) and becomes the administrator. Then, the administrator creates infant/toddler accounts (accepted childcare accounts) and links the created infant/toddler accounts to their own caregiver account. The account registration process is implemented by the account registration unit 16. The account registration unit 16 is implemented, for example, within server 1.

Examples of registration information required to create a childcare provider account include email address, password for logging in, name (nickname), phone number, and date of birth.
Examples of registration information required to create an infant account include name (nickname), date of birth, and birth information.
Please note that the registration information used to create an account does not necessarily have to include some of the information exemplified here, nor does it have to include information not exemplified here.

The account registration unit 16 of server 1 acquires registration information transmitted from terminal device 2. If the acquired registration information meets the predetermined registration conditions, the account registration unit 16 issues new childcare provider account identification information and registers it in the storage unit 15. The account registration unit 16 then notifies terminal device 2 that the creation of the childcare provider account is complete.

The administrator operates their terminal device 2 to enter login information (caregiver account identification information, email address, password, etc.) to log in to server 1 and sends it to server 1. Server 1 performs authentication based on the received login information. If authentication is successful, server 1 sends the post-login screen to the administrator's terminal device 2. The administrator's terminal device 2 then displays the post-login screen on its display.
The administrator accesses the screen for creating an infant account from the login screen. The administrator then enters the registration information for creating the infant account and sends it to server 1.
The account registration unit 16 of server 1 acquires registration information transmitted from the administrator's terminal device 2. If the acquired registration information meets the predetermined registration conditions, the account registration unit 16 issues new infant/toddler account identification information and registers it in the storage unit 15, linked to the caregiver account identification information. The account registration unit 16 then notifies the administrator's terminal device 2 that the creation of the infant/toddler account is complete.

Infant and toddler information management processing is the process of registering information about infants and toddlers.
In the infant information management process, the administrator (a user logged in with the caregiver account identification information) registers the infant information. This infant information is registered and linked to the infant identification information corresponding to the caregiver account identification information.

The infant information management unit 17 of server 1 acquires infant information transmitted from the administrator's terminal device 2. The infant information management unit 17 then links the acquired infant information to the infant identification information and registers it in the storage unit 20. Finally, the infant information management unit 17 notifies the administrator's terminal device 2 that the registration of the destination candidate is complete.

Specifically, the administrator operates their terminal device 2 to enter login information (caregiver account identification information, email address, password, etc.) to log in to server 1 and sends it to server 1. Server 1 performs authentication based on the received login information. If authentication is successful, server 1 sends the post-login screen to the administrator's terminal device 2. The administrator's terminal device 2 then displays the post-login screen on its display.
The administrator accesses the screen for registering infant information from the login screen. The administrator then enters the infant information and sends it to Server 1.

The infant information may include tongue pressure information measured by the tongue pressure measuring device 100 described above.
The administrator (user) periodically measures the tongue pressure information of the infants and toddlers being cared for and sends the measurement results to the server 1. The infant information management unit 17 acquires the transmitted tongue pressure information measurement results and, if the predetermined registration conditions are met, registers them in the storage unit 15 (for example, overwrites them).

Infant and toddler information may include the above-mentioned biological information, life cycle information, vaccination and health checkup information, and health status information, and specifically, it may include one or more selected from the group consisting of age in months, sex, weight, height, sleep information, excretion information, diet information, vaccination information, birth information, medical visit history, medical history, and prescription information.
The infant information management unit 17 receives this infant information from administrators (users), etc., and registers it in the storage unit 15 if the prescribed registration conditions are met.
The term "lunar age" refers to the number of days since birth, but the unit is not limited to days, weeks, months, or years.
Sleep information may include, for example, information such as the time of sleep onset, the time of sleep end, the total duration of sleep, and the state of sleep.
Excretion information may include information such as the time of urination and defecation, the total number of times, and the condition of these activities.
Dietary information may include information such as the amount of breast milk or formula consumed, feeding times, and the total number of feedings.

Furthermore, the infant information management unit 17 registers, updates, deletes, and modifies infant information stored in the storage unit 15 in response to input from the user's terminal device 2.

The infant information display unit 18 displays one or more pieces of information included in the infant information on the user's terminal device 2. Such information may be displayed in a predetermined graph format. Examples of predetermined graphs include, for infant information including age in months and weight or height, a growth curve graph with weight or height on the vertical axis and age in months (weeks, months, years) on the horizontal axis.

Furthermore, in another configuration, the infant information display unit 18 displays medical-related information such as the maternal and child health handbook, medication record book, insurance card, and medical certificate on the user's terminal device 2 in response to requests from the terminal device 2. The infant information display unit 18 may acquire medical-related information pre-registered in the storage unit 15, or it may acquire medical-related information from another server via a two-dimensional barcode or the like.

The event notification unit 19 displays notification information on the user's terminal device 2 to prompt the user to input one or more pieces of information included in the infant information, based on a predetermined event schedule. For example, based on the vaccination schedule, the event notification unit 19 sends notification information to the user's terminal device 2 prompting them to input the type and date/time of the next vaccination. The event schedule is not limited to vaccination schedules; the administrator (user) can arbitrarily set the date/time and the input information to be reminded.

<Example Hardware Configuration>
Each functional component of the childcare information processing system 10 may be implemented by hardware (e.g., hardwired electronic circuits) or by a combination of hardware and software (e.g., a combination of electronic circuits and programs that control them). Those skilled in the art will understand that there are various modifications to the implementation method and apparatus.
The following will further explain, using Figure 7, how the childcare information processing system 10 implements each functional component through a combination of hardware and software.

Figure 7 is a block diagram illustrating the hardware configurations of server 1 and terminal device 2.
As shown in Figure 7, the server 1 and terminal device 2 each have a processor 1A, memory 2A, input/output interface 3A, peripheral circuitry 4A, bus 5A, and communication interface 6A. The peripheral circuitry 4A includes various modules. Note that each device does not necessarily have peripheral circuitry 4A.

Furthermore, Server 1 and Terminal Device 2 may be composed of multiple physically and/or logically separate devices. In this case, each device may have the above-described hardware configuration. Alternatively, Server 1 and Terminal Device 2 may be composed of a single physically and logically separate device.

Bus 5A is a data transmission path for sending and receiving data. The processor 1A, memory 2A, peripheral circuits 4A, input/output interface 3A, and communication interface 6A send and receive data to each other via bus 5A. However, the method of connecting the processor 1A and other components to each other is not limited to bus connection.

Processor 1A is a computing device (computer), such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit).
Processor 1A can issue commands to each module and perform calculations based on the results of those calculations.

Memory 2A refers to memory such as RAM (Random Access Memory) or ROM (Read Only Memory).

The input/output interface 3A includes interfaces for acquiring information from input devices, external devices, external servers, external sensors, etc., and interfaces for outputting information to output devices, external devices, external servers, etc. Input devices such as keyboards, mice, and microphones, display devices such as CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) displays and LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), and touch panels integrating input and display devices are connected to the input/output interface 3A. Output devices such as displays, speakers, printers, and mailers are also connected to the input/output interface 3A.

The communication interface 6A is an interface that connects both the server 1 and the terminal device 2 to a network such as the Internet, enabling them to communicate with external devices via the network. For example, the server 1 may be connected to the terminal device 2 via the network, or it may be connected to other servers.
Peripheral circuit 4A may include, for example, storage. The storage is a storage device such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), SSD (Solid State Drive), or memory card. The storage stores program modules that realize the functions of each of the above-mentioned processing units of the childcare information processing system 10 (such as the breastfeeding time acquisition unit 11, breastfeeding amount estimation unit 12, adjusted breastfeeding amount calculation unit 13, and breastfeeding support information display unit 14). The processor 1A realizes the functions of each processing unit corresponding to each of these program modules by executing them.
Here, when the processor 1A executes each of the above program modules, it may either read these program modules into memory 2A before executing them, or it may execute them without reading them into memory 2A.
Furthermore, program modules may include programs pre-installed on storage units such as hard disks (from the time the device is shipped), as well as program modules downloaded from storage media such as CDs (Compact Discs) or from servers on the Internet.

The hardware configuration of Server 1 and Terminal Device 2 is not limited to the configuration shown in Figure 7. For example, each program module may be stored in memory 2A. In this case, Server 1 does not need to have storage. Also, for example, Terminal Device 2 in Figure 7 may implement some or all of the functions of Server 1. In this case, Terminal Device 2 is configured to include a memory or storage device for storing program modules of each function of the childcare information processing system 10 described above (such as the breastfeeding time acquisition unit 11, breastfeeding amount estimation unit 12, adjusted breastfeeding amount calculation unit 13, and breastfeeding assistance information display unit 14), a processor for executing the program modules, and a communication interface for communicating with external devices (for example, other servers other than Server 1, or external sensors such as a tongue pressure measurement device).

The embodiments of the present invention have been described above, but these are merely examples, and various other configurations can be adopted. Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above; modifications, improvements, etc., within the scope of achieving the objectives of the present invention are included.

1A Processor 2A Memory 3A Input/Output Interface 4A Peripheral Circuit 5A Bus 6A Communication Interface 1 Server 2 Terminal Device 3 Communication Network 10 Childcare Information Processing System 11 Breastfeeding Time Acquisition Unit 12 Breastfeeding Amount Estimation Unit 13 Adjusted Breastfeeding Amount Calculation Unit 14 Breastfeeding Support Information Display Unit 15 Storage Unit 16 Account Registration Unit 17 Infant Information Management Unit 18 Infant Information Display Unit 19 Event Notification Unit 100 Tongue Pressure Measurement Device 110 Pressure Sensor 120 Glove 130 Stretchable Wiring 200 Hand 123 Fingers 203 Fingers

Claims (11)

A breastfeeding time acquisition unit that acquires the duration of one breastfeeding session from the user's terminal device based on user input,
A milk feeding amount estimation unit calculates an estimated amount of milk for one feeding based on the duration of one feeding session and related information showing the relationship between the infant's tongue pressure information, milk amount, and feeding time, which has been prepared in advance.
An adjusted milk supply calculation unit calculates an adjusted milk supply that shows the difference obtained by subtracting the estimated milk supply for one feeding from the target milk supply for one feeding,
A breastfeeding assistance information display unit that displays information indicating the adjusted breastfeeding amount on the user's terminal device,
A childcare information processing system equipped with the following features. A childcare information processing system according to claim 1,
A childcare information processing system in which the information indicating the adjusted amount of milk is at least one of the amount of liquid milk, the amount of powdered milk, and the value converted to feeding time. A childcare information processing system according to claim 1,
The system comprises the user's terminal device and a server.
The server is a childcare information processing system having the milk feeding amount estimation unit and the adjusted milk feeding amount calculation unit. A childcare information processing system according to claim 1,
An account registration section that links and registers caregiver account identification information and infant/toddler identification information,
A childcare information processing system comprising: an infant information management unit that registers infant information linked to infant identification information based on input from a user logged in with the aforementioned childcare provider account identification information. A childcare information processing system according to claim 4,
A childcare information processing system that includes the aforementioned infant information, including tongue pressure information measured by a tongue pressure measuring device. A childcare information processing system according to claim 5,
The tongue pressure measuring device,
Gloves made of insulating silicone rubber to be worn on the hands of the person taking the measurements,
The glove comprises a pressure sensor for measuring tongue pressure, provided in the fingertip area on the outer surface of the glove.
Childcare information processing system. A childcare information processing system according to claim 4,
A childcare information processing system in which the infant information includes one or more selected from the group consisting of age in months, sex, weight, height, sleep information, excretion information, diet information, vaccination information, birth information, medical visit history, medical history, and prescription information. A childcare information processing system according to claim 7,
A childcare information processing system comprising an event notification unit that displays notification information on the user's terminal device to prompt the user to input one or more pieces of information included in the infant information, based on a predetermined event schedule. A childcare information processing system according to claim 7,
A childcare information processing system comprising an infant information display unit that converts one or more pieces of information contained in the infant information into a predetermined graph and displays it on the user's terminal device. A program for causing a computer to function as a childcare information processing system according to any one of claims 1 to 9. The process of obtaining the duration of one breastfeeding session,
A milk intake estimation step calculates the estimated amount of milk for one feeding based on the duration of one feeding session and related information showing the relationship between the infant's tongue pressure, milk intake, and feeding time, which has been prepared in advance.
A process for calculating the adjusted milk supply, which is the difference obtained by subtracting the estimated milk supply for one feeding from the target milk supply for one feeding,
A breastfeeding support information display step that displays information indicating the adjusted amount of breast milk,
A method for processing childcare information, comprising the following features.