Ion generator and sleep suppression method

Abstract

This invention provides a technology that can suppress worker drowsiness and improve work efficiency. An ion generator discharges air containing ions into the work space (S3) based on the worker's state (S2).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to an ion generating device and a method for suppressing drowsiness. Prior Technology

[0002] Previously, various technologies for preventing drowsy driving have been proposed. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a drowsy driving alarm device. The drowsy driving alarm device estimates the driver's alertness based on the time the driver closes their eyes. Furthermore, the drowsy driving alarm device determines whether the driver is in a state where they could potentially drowsy based on the vehicle's condition. The drowsy driving alarm device outputs an alarm based on the inferred alertness and the determined vehicle condition. Knowledge of technical documents Patent documents

[0003] Patent document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 08-290726. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention

[0005] Not limited to driving vehicles, drowsiness can easily be induced during simple or light work in factories, offices, and other similar environments, leading to a decrease in work efficiency. Even with the drowsiness alarm device described in Patent Document 1, although the worker's drowsiness may temporarily decrease due to the alarm output, the likelihood of drowsiness recurring over time is high. Furthermore, even if drowsiness temporarily decreases, work efficiency will still decline if the worker is not actively engaged in their work.

[0006] The present invention was made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and its object is to provide a technology that can suppress worker drowsiness and improve work efficiency. Technical solutions for solving technical problems

[0007] The ion generating device of the present invention discharges air containing ions into the work space according to the state of the operator in the work space.

[0008] Furthermore, the sleepiness suppression method of the present invention uses the above-described ion generating device to suppress the worker's sleepiness. Beneficial effects

[0009] The ion generating device and drowsiness suppression method according to the present invention can suppress the drowsiness of the operator and improve work efficiency. Simple Explanation of the Diagram

[0010] Figure 1 is a block diagram showing the schematic configuration of the ion generating apparatus according to an embodiment. Figure 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of ion release control information. Figure 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the ion generating apparatus. Figure 4 is an operation flowchart illustrating an example of the operation of the ion generating device in the embodiment. Figure 5 is a graph showing the distribution of sleepiness levels obtained through the experiment. Figure 6A is a graph showing the evaluation results of positive emotions and driving responses obtained through the experiment for groups A and B. Figure 6B is a table showing the evaluation values ​​and ratios of positive emotions and driving responses obtained in groups A and B during the experiment. Implementation

[0011] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Furthermore, identical or equivalent parts will be labeled with the same reference numerals in the drawings, and will not be described repeatedly.

[0012] In this embodiment, the ion generating device is installed in the work space, and air containing ions is discharged into the work space according to the status of the operator performing the work. The configuration of the ion generating device in this embodiment will be described in detail below.

[0013] (constitute) Figure 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the ion generating device 1 according to the embodiment. As shown in Figure 1, the ion generating device 1 includes: an operation unit 11, a camera 12, a notification unit 13, a storage unit 14, an air supply unit 15, an ion generating unit 16, a louver 17, a detection unit 18, and a control unit 19.

[0014] The operation unit 11 includes operation buttons such as a power button. The operation unit 11 outputs an operation signal to the control unit 19, which indicates that the operation button has been operated.

[0015] The camera 12 outputs video data obtained from capturing images of the subject to the control unit 19. Furthermore, the camera 12 only needs to be configured to capture at least the upper body, including the worker's head. The camera 12 can be externally mounted to the ion generator 1 or integrated into the ion generator 1.

[0016] The notification unit 13 includes a speaker 13a and a display 13b. The speaker 13a outputs sound under the control of the control unit 19. The display 13b is, for example, installed in the ion generator 1 at a position that can be visually identified by the operator. The display 13b displays images under the control of the control unit 19.

[0017] The storage unit 14 includes non-volatile storage media such as flash memory and hard disks. The storage unit 14 stores ion release control information used for ion generation processing or information notified from the notification unit 13.

[0018] Figure 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of ion release control information. As shown in Figure 2, the ion release control information correlates multiple levels of drowsiness with multiple ion release rates. The drowsiness level is an indicator of the degree of drowsiness experienced by the operator. The ion release rate is an indicator of the amount of ions released per unit time. In this embodiment, a smaller drowsiness level value indicates a weaker state of drowsiness, i.e., a more alert state. Furthermore, a smaller ion release rate value indicates a lower amount of ions released per unit time.

[0019] Returning to Figure 1, Figure 3 will be used to explain the air supply unit 15, the ion generating unit 16, and the louvers 17. Figure 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the ion generating device 1. As shown in Figure 3, the ion generating device 1 has a housing C and a pipe D disposed within the housing C. The pipe D connects an opening D1 formed on the face of the housing C in the negative X-axis direction and an opening D2 formed on the face of the housing C in the positive X-axis direction. Hereinafter, the opening D1 side of the pipe D will sometimes be referred to as the upstream side, and the opening D2 side as the downstream side.

[0020] An air supply unit 15 is positioned near the opening D1. The air supply unit 15 includes a fan and a motor (both omitted from the diagram). Under the control of the control unit 19, the air supply unit 15 drives the motor to rotate the fan, thereby drawing in external air from the opening D1 of the ion generator 1 to generate an airflow. The motor rotates at a speed (RPM) corresponding to the ion release rate indicated by the control unit 19. The lower the ion release rate, the lower the motor speed and the smaller the airflow. In this embodiment, the motor speed is 0 (RPM) relative to the ion release rate "0", in which case the motor is stopped.

[0021] An ion generator 16 is located downstream of the air supply unit 15. The ion generator 16 generates ions i (positive and negative ions) through corona discharge, for example. The generated ions i are released into the inner side of the pipe D. More specifically, the ion generator 16 includes a pair of discharge electrodes and a voltage generating circuit (both omitted from the diagram), the pair of discharge electrodes being arranged at a certain distance apart. The discharge electrodes include, for example, brush-shaped electrodes formed by bundling multiple conductors. Under the control of the control unit 19, the voltage generating circuit applies a predetermined negative voltage to one discharge electrode and a predetermined positive voltage to the other discharge electrode. Negative ions are generated near the tip of the discharge electrode to which the predetermined negative voltage is applied, and positive ions are generated near the tip of the discharge electrode to which the predetermined positive voltage is applied. The greater the air supply volume from the upstream side, the greater the amount of ions i (positive and negative ions) released per unit time to the outside of the pipe D. Furthermore, the shape of the discharge electrodes is not limited to a brush shape; it can also be needle-shaped, rod-shaped, or planar.

[0022] In this embodiment, the positive ion is a cluster ion formed by multiple water molecules clustering around a hydrogen ion (H+), denoted by H+(H2O)m (where m is any integer greater than or equal to 0). Similarly, the negative ion is a cluster ion formed by multiple water molecules clustering around an oxygen ion (O2-), denoted by O2-(H2O)n (where n is any integer greater than or equal to 0). When these positive and negative ions are released into the air, they surround airborne mold and viruses, causing a chemical reaction on their surfaces. At this time, hydroxide free radicals (·OH) are generated as active species, and through the action of these hydroxide free radicals, mold, viruses, etc., are removed.

[0023] The louver 17 is located at the opening D2, which is the outlet for the airflow containing ions. In Figure 3, the operator (not shown) is positioned on the positive X-axis side of the ion generator 1, i.e., in the direction from which the airflow containing ions is blown out. The louver 17 has multiple blades that can adjust the direction in which the airflow is blown outward, i.e., the wind direction. The wind direction of the multiple blades is controlled by the control unit 19.

[0024] Referring back to Figure 1, the detection unit 18 includes, for example, a human body sensor using infrared light. For instance, in the housing C of the ion generator 1 shown in Figure 3, the detection unit 18 is disposed on the surface on the side of the opening D2. The detection unit 18 detects infrared light within a predetermined detection range, detects the position (direction) of the operator, and outputs the detection results to the control unit 19.

[0025] The control unit 19 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and memory (ROM (Read Only Memory) and RAM (Random Access Memory)). The control unit 19 functions as the acquisition unit 191, the ion generation control unit 192, and the wind direction switching unit 193 by executing the control program stored in the ROM by the CPU.

[0026] The acquisition unit 191 sequentially acquires video data input from the camera 12, and based on the video data, determines information indicating the operator's level of sleepiness at regular intervals as operator information indicating the operator's state.

[0027] As a method for determining the sleepiness level of the operator, sample facial image data prepared in advance for each sleepiness level 0-3 (Figure 2) can be used as learning teacher data, and a learning completion program that outputs any one of the sleepiness levels 0-3 from the input facial image data can be used to determine the sleepiness level. The sample facial image data can also include facial image data of the operator and facial image data of other people.

[0028] Furthermore, the learning completion program can be stored in the storage unit 14 of the ion generator 1 or in an external device. For example, if the learning completion program is stored on an external server, the ion generator 1 has a communication interface for communicating with the external server. The acquisition unit 191 sends the acquired camera data to the external server via the communication interface at regular intervals and obtains information indicating the level of sleepiness from the external server.

[0029] The ion generation control unit 192 determines the ion release rate corresponding to the drowsiness level determined by the acquisition unit 191 from the ion release control information stored in the storage unit 14. Furthermore, the ion generation control unit 192 generates ions from the ion generation unit 16 and controls the air supply unit 15 based on the determined ion release rate, controlling the amount of ions released per unit time from the pipe P (Fig. 3) to the outside. In this embodiment, the ion generation control unit 192 controls the amount of ions released per unit time by adjusting the air volume (airflow) delivered downstream from the air supply unit 15. Specifically, the ion generation control unit 192 sends a signal to the motor in the air supply unit 15 indicating a predetermined rotational speed corresponding to each ion release rate. That is, the higher the ion release rate, the higher the rotational speed signal is sent to the air supply unit 15, resulting in a larger airflow.

[0030] The airflow switching unit 193 changes the orientation of the louvers 17 based on the detection results output from the detection unit 18. That is, it changes the orientation of the louvers 17 so as to blow air containing ions in the direction indicated by the detection results towards the operator.

[0031] (action) Next, the operation of the ion generating device 1 will be explained using FIG4. FIG4 is a diagram showing an example of the operation of the ion generating device 1 in this embodiment. Hereinafter, the operation of the ion generating device 1 will be explained with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3.

[0032] When the power supply to the ion generator 1 is turned on through the operation unit 11 (step S1: Yes), the ion release rate is determined and the direction relative to the operator of the ion generator 1 is detected (step S2).

[0033] Specifically, the ion generator 1 starts the camera 12 to record in the acquisition unit 191, acquires video data from the camera 12, and stores it in memory. The acquisition unit 191 uses a predetermined learning completion program to determine the degree of drowsiness of the operator in the video data acquired from the camera 12. Then, in the ion generation control unit 192, the ion release control information (Fig. 2) stored in the storage unit 14 is used to determine the ion release rate corresponding to the determined degree of drowsiness. In addition, the ion generator 1 detects the direction of the operator by detecting infrared light within a predetermined detection range through the detection unit 18.

[0034] Ion generator 1 releases ion-containing air in the direction of the operator based on the determined ion release rate and the detected direction of the operator (step S3). Specifically, ions are generated in ion generator 16 by ion generation control unit 192. In addition, ion generation control unit 192 rotates the motor of air supply unit 15 at a predetermined speed corresponding to the ion release rate, generating airflow in duct P. Airflow direction switching unit 193 changes the orientation of the louvers 17 based on the detection result indicating the direction of the operator in detection unit 18. As a result, ion-containing air is blown in the direction of the operator through the air supply unit 15.

[0035] Ion generator 1 continues the process of step S3 until a certain period of time has elapsed (step S4: No). Then, after a certain period of time (step S4: Yes), ion generator 1 performs a power-off operation via operation unit 11 until (step S5: No), and repeats the processes of steps S2 to S4. That is, ion generator 1 determines the ion release rate corresponding to the operator's level of drowsiness at regular intervals, and releases air containing ions at a rate corresponding to the ion release rate per unit time until the power is disconnected.

[0036] When the ion generator 1 disconnects the power supply via the operation unit 11 (step S5: Yes), the operation of each part stops (step S6).

[0037] (Example of using ion generator 1) The workspace for installing the ion generator 1 can be indoors or in a mobile space such as a vehicle. Furthermore, the work can be light tasks such as mobile operations in a factory or monitoring work, or driving operations in a vehicle. For example, when the ion generator 1 is installed in a vehicle, it releases ion-containing air to the driver at an ion release rate corresponding to the driver's (operator's) level of drowsiness. By releasing ion-containing air, it is expected to suppress driver drowsiness and improve the driver's driving operability.

[0038] The following explains the experimental results that verified that the release of ion-containing air helps to suppress drowsiness.

[0039] (Experimental Methods) In the experiment, using actual vehicles, the driving experience of drivers was examined to determine whether there was a difference in drowsiness levels between driving with only airflow (hereinafter, airflow only) and driving with air containing a specified amount of ions (hereinafter, ionized). More specifically, brainwaves were measured in both group A (driving with ionized air) and group B (driving with only airflow), and the degree of drowsiness was evaluated based on the measurement results. There were 13 participants in each group in this experiment, and both groups drove on the same route. Furthermore, an ion generator capable of switching between airflow only and ionized air was used in the experiment. The ion generator was, for example, a small ion generator that could be installed in a cup holder in the vehicle. The small ion generator was powered by an external power source, such as a battery built into the device, a portable battery, or a hook mounted on the vehicle. In the determination of sleepiness level, a sensory module recorder (made by Litter Software Co., Ltd.) was used. Based on the output value of the EEG meter installed on the subject's head, the sensory module recorder outputs a value indicating the sleepiness level.

[0040] Figure 5 is a graph showing the distribution of drowsiness levels in groups A and B obtained through the experiment. In Figure 5, the higher the value of the drowsiness level, the stronger the drowsiness. As shown in Figure 5, group A had a lower drowsiness level compared to group B. Furthermore, a t-test was performed on groups A and B to calculate the p-value, and the result showed that the p-value related to drowsiness level was 0.059. Therefore, compared to group B (driving with only airflow), group A (driving with ions) showed a significantly stronger tendency to believe that releasing air containing a specified amount of ions could easily suppress driver drowsiness.

[0041] In addition, Figure 6A is a graph showing the evaluation results of positive emotions and driving responses of Group A and Group B obtained in the experiment, and Figure 6B is a table showing the evaluation values ​​and ratios of positive emotions and driving responses of Group A and Group B obtained in the experiment.

[0042] The evaluation values ​​of Group A and Group B in Figure 6B are calculated based on the frequency analysis of the brainwaves of each driver during driving. The evaluation values ​​of each driver's positive emotions and driving response are calculated, and the average evaluation values ​​of positive emotions and driving response of Group A and Group B are calculated.

[0043] The rating for positive emotions indicates the driver's level of positivity towards road conditions (congestion, curves, interruptions, etc.); a higher rating indicates a more positive state. Additionally, the rating for driving responsiveness indicates the ability to react promptly to road conditions; a higher rating indicates a faster response.

[0044] As shown in Figures 6A and 6B, Group A exceeded Group B in both positive emotion and driving response ratings. Specifically, as shown in Figure 6B, Group A's positive emotion rating was approximately 1.14 times that of Group B, and Group A's driving response rating was approximately 1.27 times that of Group B. The brainwaves obtained in the experiment were correlated with drowsiness and arousal. Therefore, it can be concluded that the drivers in Group A increased their driving enthusiasm and responsiveness by releasing air containing ions.

[0045] The embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments and can be implemented in various ways without departing from its spirit. Furthermore, various inventions can be formed by appropriately combining the multiple constituent elements disclosed in the above embodiments. For example, several constituent elements may be deleted from all the constituent elements shown in the embodiments. Furthermore, constituent parts across different embodiments may be appropriately combined. For ease of understanding, the drawings are schematically shown with each constituent part as the main focus, and the thickness, length, number, spacing, etc. of each constituent element shown in the drawings differ from the actual values ​​for the convenience of drawing creation. In addition, the speed, material, shape, size, etc. of each constituent element shown in the above embodiments are examples and are not particularly limited, and various changes can be made without substantially departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0046] (Modified Example) (1) In the ion generating device 1, the method for adjusting the amount of ions released per unit time according to the level of drowsiness is not limited to adjusting the airflow generated by the air supply unit 15. For example, the voltage level applied to the discharge electrodes from the voltage circuit of the ion generating unit 16 can be adjusted by the ion generating control unit 192 to change the amount of ions released by the ion generating unit 16. Alternatively, a certain amount of airflow can be intermittently generated from the air supply unit 15 by the ion generating control unit 192 to achieve the amount of ions released per unit time corresponding to the level of drowsiness. Alternatively, the amount of ions released per unit time from the ion generating unit 16 can be varied by changing the distance between the pair of discharge electrodes in the ion generating unit 16.

[0047] (2) The degree of drowsiness of the worker can also be determined as follows. For example, in the ion generating device 1, a physical quantity representing at least one change in the worker's facial expression, the worker's movements, and the worker's biological information can be acquired, and the degree of drowsiness can be determined based on the acquired physical quantity. Changes in the worker's facial expression may include, for example, changes in the number of blinks or the size of the pupils. Changes in the worker's movements may include changes in the position or angle of the worker's head, and changes in the position of the worker's hands, etc. In addition, the worker's biological state may include at least one of the worker's brain waves, heart rate, and pulse, etc.

[0048] (3) Operator information can also be other than the operator's level of drowsiness. For example, in the case of a packing operation where items are loaded onto boxes, the number of packing operations per unit time can be used as operator information. Furthermore, for example, in the case of driving as a task, the presence or absence of contact with the steering wheel, the duration of contact, and the contact state of objects contacted by the operator for the task can be used as operator information. In short, operator information can be any physical quantity that represents at least one of the operator's physical state during the task and the state of the task being performed. For example, in the case of driving as a task, the ion generator 1 can increase the amount of ions released per unit time when the driver (operator) is not in contact with the handle for a certain period of time. That is, the ion generator 1 can also increase the amount of ions released per unit time when the operator's working state does not meet the specified conditions.

[0049] (4) Operator information can be obtained from an external device located outside the ion generator 1. In this case, the ion generator 1 has a communication function for communicating with the external device via wired or wireless means. The external device may also be a server device connected to the Internet. Furthermore, when the ion generator 1 is mounted in a vehicle, the external device may be a computer device such as an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) installed in the vehicle.

[0050] (5) In the ion generating device 1, when the operator's drowsiness decreases or the operator holds the handle or the operator's state changes to an awake state, the amount of ions released per unit time can be reduced or the release of ions can be stopped.

[0051] (6) In the ion generating device 1, when the ion release rate changes according to the operator's level of drowsiness, the notification unit 13 can also notify the operator of information indicating the change in ion release rate. For example, if the operator's level of drowsiness increases and the ion release rate increases, the operator can recognize their drowsy state by being notified of the changed ion release rate. Furthermore, in the ion generating device 1, when the ion release rate changes, the notification unit 13 can also notify the operator of information indicating their level of drowsiness or their state of movement.

[0052] (7) The ion generator 1 can also be assembled into an air conditioner or air purifier located in the work space.

[0053] (8) Ion generating device 1 discharges air containing positive and negative ions to the outside according to the operator's condition, but it can also use known methods (corona discharge, Lenard effect, or photoelectric effect, etc.) to generate negative ions and discharge air containing negative ions to the outside. Industrial availability

[0054] This invention can be used in factories, offices, or vehicles, etc.

[0055] 1: Ion Generator 12: Camera 13: Notification Department 15: Air Supply Department 16: Ion Generating Section 17: Venetian blinds 18: Testing Department 191: Acquisition Department 192: Ion Generation Control Unit 193: Wind Direction Switching Section

Claims

1. An ion generating device, which discharges air containing ions into the work space according to the state of the operator in the work space, wherein, The ion generating device includes: an ion generating unit for generating the ions; an acquisition unit for acquiring worker information related to at least one of the worker's drowsiness and the worker's work status, as the worker's state; and an ion generating control unit for controlling the release amount of ions generated by the ion generating unit per unit time based on the worker information, the worker information including the contact status with an object for the worker to perform work, and the ion generating control unit increasing the release amount of ions per unit time when the contact status does not meet predetermined conditions.

2. An ion generating device, which discharges air containing ions into the work space according to the state of the operator in the work space, wherein, The ion generating device includes: an ion generating unit for generating the ions; an acquisition unit for acquiring worker information related to at least one of the worker's sleepiness and work status, based on the worker's state; an ion generating control unit for controlling the release amount of ions generated by the ion generating unit per unit time based on the worker information; and an air supply unit for generating an airflow that sends the ions generated by the ion generating unit to the outside. The ion generating device further includes: louvers capable of changing the direction of the air containing the ions; a detection unit for detecting the worker's direction relative to the device; and an airflow direction switching unit for changing the airflow direction of the louvers based on the direction of the worker detected by the detection unit.

3. The ion generating apparatus according to claim 2, wherein, The ion generation control unit controls the amount of ions released per unit time by controlling the airflow of the air supply unit when releasing the ions.

4. An ion generating device, which discharges air containing ions into the work space according to the state of the operator in the work space, wherein, The ion generating device includes: an ion generating unit for generating the ions; an acquisition unit for acquiring worker information related to at least one of the worker's sleepiness and the worker's work status, based on the worker's state; an ion generating control unit for controlling the release rate of the ions generated by the ion generating unit per unit time based on the worker information; and a notification unit that, when the ion generating control unit changes the release rate of the ions per unit time, causes the notification unit to notify information indicating the change in the worker's state based on the worker information and the change in the release rate of the ions per unit time.

5. A method for suppressing sleepiness, wherein, The drowsiness suppression method uses the ion generating device described in any one of claims 1 to 4 to suppress the worker's drowsiness.

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