Sleep evaluation system

Abstract

A sleep evaluation system (1A) includes an information processing device (21) and a plurality of sensors (4). A first sensor (41) measures activity amount data (542) indicating the amount of activity of a subject (30). A second sensor (42) measures vital-signs data (543) indicating the vital signs of the subject (30). The information processing device (21) comprises: a determination unit (65) that uses behavior data (541) indicating the behavior of the subject (30) to determine L number of sleep events for which the sleep quality of the subject (30) is good; a calculation unit (66) that uses at least one of the activity amount data (542) and the vital-signs data (543) corresponding to each of the L number of sleep events to calculate a plurality of sleep parameters (544) for corresponding L number of sleep events; and an analysis unit (67) that uses the plurality of sleep parameters (544) corresponding respectively to the L number of sleep events to determine a value range for each of the plurality of sleep parameters (544) when the sleep quality of the subject (30) is good. L is an integer of 1 or more.

Description

Sleep evaluation system

[0001] The present invention relates to a sleep evaluation system.

[0002] For infants, quality sleep is essential for their healthy physical and mental development. However, in recent years, there has been an increase in infants and young children who have trouble falling asleep, not getting the appropriate amount of sleep, or not being able to sleep in a relaxed state.

[0003] To get good quality sleep, it is necessary to understand the current quality of sleep and improve it if necessary.

[0004] Various sensors and application programs have been developed as means for measuring sleep quality, and these sensors and application programs are intended to measure the quality of sleep of adults, for example.

[0005] Patent No. 7125223 Publication Special Publication No. 2020-523144

[0006] Infant sleep differs from adult sleep in terms of quantity, quality, and patterns. Furthermore, infant sleep patterns change as they grow. Therefore, new functions that can improve the quality of infant sleep are needed. The same can be said for children with developmental disorders.

[0007] The present invention provides a sleep evaluation system that can solve the above problems.

[0008] The present invention provides a sleep evaluation system including an information processing device and multiple sensors. The multiple sensors include at least one of a first sensor and a second sensor. The first sensor measures activity data indicating the activity amount of a subject. The second sensor measures vital data indicating the subject's vital signs. The information processing device includes a generation unit, a determination unit, a calculation unit, and an analysis unit. The generation unit generates behavior data indicating the subject's behavior in response to a user's operation on the information processing device. The determination unit uses the behavior data to determine L sleeps in which the subject's sleep quality is good. The calculation unit calculates multiple sleep parameters for each of the L sleeps using at least one of the activity data and the vital data corresponding to each of the L sleeps. The analysis unit uses the multiple sleep parameters for each of the L sleeps to determine a value range for each of the multiple sleep parameters in which the subject's sleep quality is good. L is an integer greater than or equal to 1.

[0009] The present invention provides an information processing device capable of acquiring data from multiple sensors. The multiple sensors include at least one of a first sensor and a second sensor. The first sensor measures activity amount data indicating an activity amount of a subject. The second sensor measures vital data indicating a vital sign of the subject. The information processing device includes a generation unit, a determination unit, a calculation unit, and an analysis unit. The generation unit generates behavior data indicating the behavior of the subject in response to a user's operation on the information processing device. The determination unit uses the behavior data to determine L sleep periods in which the subject has good quality sleep. The calculation unit calculates multiple sleep parameters for each of the L sleep periods using at least one of the activity amount data and the vital data corresponding to each of the L sleep periods. The analysis unit uses the multiple sleep parameters for each of the L sleep periods to determine a value range for each of the multiple sleep parameters in which the subject has good quality sleep. L is an integer greater than or equal to 1.

[0010] The present invention provides a sleep evaluation method for controlling an information processing device capable of acquiring data from multiple sensors. The multiple sensors include at least one of a first sensor and a second sensor. The first sensor measures activity amount data indicating a subject's activity amount. The second sensor measures vital data indicating the subject's vital signs. In the sleep evaluation method, a generation unit of the information processing device generates behavior data indicating the subject's behavior in response to a user's operation on the information processing device. In the sleep evaluation method, a determination unit of the information processing device uses the behavior data to determine L sleeps in which the subject has good quality. In the sleep evaluation method, a calculation unit of the information processing device calculates multiple sleep parameters for each of the L sleeps using at least one of the activity amount data and the vital data corresponding to each of the L sleeps. In the sleep evaluation method, an analysis unit of the information processing device uses the multiple sleep parameters for each of the L sleeps to determine a value range for each of the multiple sleep parameters in which the subject has good quality sleep. L is an integer greater than or equal to 1.

[0011] The present invention provides a program executed by a computer capable of acquiring data from multiple sensors. The multiple sensors include at least one of a first sensor and a second sensor. The first sensor measures activity data indicating the activity amount of a subject. The second sensor measures vital data indicating the subject's vital signs. The program causes the computer to execute a procedure to generate behavior data indicating the subject's behavior in response to a user's operation on the computer. The program causes the computer to execute a procedure to determine L sleep periods in which the subject has good quality sleep, using the behavior data. The program causes the computer to execute a procedure to calculate multiple sleep parameters for each of the L sleep periods, using at least one of the activity data and the vital data corresponding to each of the L sleep periods. The program causes the computer to execute a procedure to determine a value range for each of the multiple sleep parameters for which the subject has good quality sleep, using the multiple sleep parameters for each of the L sleep periods. L is an integer greater than or equal to 1.

[0012] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a sleep evaluation system that can solve the above problems.

[0013] FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of the configuration of a sleep evaluation system according to a first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the system configuration of an information processing device included in the sleep evaluation system according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of an information processing device included in the sleep evaluation system according to the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of behavior data used in the sleep evaluation system according to the first embodiment. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a result of an infant's sleep quality assessment using behavior data in the sleep evaluation system according to the first embodiment. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of sleep parameters used in the sleep evaluation system according to the first embodiment. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of sleep parameters for multiple days used in the sleep evaluation system according to the first embodiment. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of sleep parameters determined to have good sleep quality, which are accumulated in the sleep evaluation system according to the first embodiment. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a reference range table used in the sleep evaluation system according to the first embodiment. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of sleep parameters for a day for which sleep quality is assessed in the sleep evaluation system according to the first embodiment. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of notification of sleep evaluation information in the sleep evaluation system according to the first embodiment. FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing an example of the procedure of a reference range acquisition process executed in the sleep evaluation system according to the first embodiment. FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing an example of the procedure for a sleep parameter calculation process executed in the sleep evaluation system according to the first embodiment. FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing an example of the procedure for an evaluation and notification process executed in the sleep evaluation system according to the first embodiment. FIG. 15 is a block diagram showing an example of the system configuration of an information processing device included in the sleep evaluation system according to the second embodiment. FIG. 16 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of an information processing device included in the sleep evaluation system according to the second embodiment. FIG. 17 is a diagram showing (a) example sleep parameters for multiple days and (b) example relationships between sleep parameters and sleep quality, used in the sleep evaluation system according to the second embodiment. FIG. 18 is a diagram showing an example of a reference range for the total sleep time of infants and young children, used in the sleep evaluation system according to the second embodiment.FIG. 19 is a diagram showing a first example of a relative evaluation result of sleep quality in the sleep evaluation system according to the second embodiment. FIG. 20 is a diagram showing a second example of a relative evaluation result of sleep quality in the sleep evaluation system according to the second embodiment. FIG. 21 is a diagram showing an example of the priority order of sleep parameters in the sleep evaluation system according to the second embodiment. FIG. 22 is a diagram showing an example of a relative evaluation result of sleep quality using the priority order of sleep parameters in the sleep evaluation system according to the second embodiment. FIG. 23 is a diagram showing an example of notification of sleep evaluation information in the sleep evaluation system according to the first embodiment. FIG. 24 is a flowchart showing an example of the procedure of a relative evaluation process executed in the sleep evaluation system according to the second embodiment. FIG. 25 is a flowchart showing an example of the procedure of an evaluation and notification process executed in the sleep evaluation system according to the second embodiment. FIG. 26 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of the configuration of a sleep evaluation system according to a third embodiment.

[0014] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0015] First Embodiment First, the configuration of a sleep evaluation system according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 1. The sleep evaluation system 1A is a system for supporting a user 31 who is responsible for childcare or care for a subject 30. The sleep evaluation system 1A provides the user 31 with information for improving the quality of sleep of the subject 30, for example.

[0016] The subject 30 is an infant or a child with a developmental disorder. The subject 30 is wearing underwear or an absorbent article. The absorbent article is, for example, a disposable diaper or a cloth diaper.

[0017] The user 31 is a user who uses the sleep evaluation system 1A. The user 31 may be, for example, a family member of the subject 30 or a person engaged in childcare / caregiving at a childcare / support facility where the subject 30 is placed. Here, a case where there is one user 31 is illustrated, but there may be two or more users 31.

[0018] The following mainly illustrates a sleep evaluation system 1A in which a subject 30 is an infant and a user 31 is a caregiver, and the sleep evaluation system 1A provides the caregiver with information to improve the quality of the infant's sleep. The subject 30 who is an infant will also be referred to as an infant 30. The user 31 who is a caregiver will also be referred to as a caregiver 31. In the following description, by replacing the infant 30 with a child with a developmental disability and the caregiver 31 with a caregiver, the sleep evaluation system 1A can also be realized in which the caregiver is provided with information to improve the quality of the infant's sleep.

[0019] The configuration of the sleep evaluation system 1A will be described. The sleep evaluation system 1A includes, for example, an information processing device 21 and a plurality of sensors 4.

[0020] The information processing device 21 is an information processing device used by a childcare worker 31. The information processing device 21 may be realized as, for example, a portable information terminal, a tablet computer, a personal computer, or an embedded system built into an infant monitoring robot. The portable information terminal may be, for example, a smartphone, a mobile phone, or a personal digital assistant (PDA).

[0021] The information processing device 21 analyzes data related to the infant 30 and provides information indicating the quality of sleep of the infant 30 (hereinafter also referred to as sleep evaluation information). The information processing device 21 provides the sleep evaluation information to the childcare worker 31 by, for example, displaying it on a screen.

[0022] The multiple sensors 4 are sensors that measure the condition of the infant 30. The multiple sensors 4 include, for example, a communication unit for transmitting data (signals) including measurement results to the outside. The communication unit transmits the data including the measurement results to the information processing device 21, for example, in real time. As a communication method used by the communication unit, various short-range wireless communication methods such as Bluetooth (registered trademark) and wireless LAN can be used. Alternatively, the multiple sensors 4 may include a storage unit that can be read by the information processing device 21. The storage unit stores data indicating the measurement results. The data stored in the storage unit is transmitted via the communication unit, for example, by wireless communication, and read by the information processing device 21.

[0023] The plurality of sensors 4 includes, for example, an activity amount sensor 41 and a vital sensor 42 .

[0024] The activity sensor 41 is a sensor that measures (monitors) the activity of the infant 30 at predetermined time intervals. The activity sensor 41 can be either a non-contact type or a contact type. The non-contact type activity sensor 41 is, for example, a millimeter-wave radar. The non-contact type activity sensor 41 is installed, for example, at a position where the infant 30 can be observed. The position where the infant 30 can be observed can be, for example, a wall, a pillar, a ceiling, or furniture. Alternatively, the activity may be calculated from video image data generated by an imaging device 43 (described later). The contact type activity sensor 41 can be realized, for example, by an acceleration sensor, a gyro sensor, or a combination of an acceleration sensor and a gyro sensor. The contact type activity sensor 41 can be detachably attached, for example, to the inside of clothing worn by the infant 30 or to the outer surface of an absorbent article or underwear worn by the infant 30. The activity sensor 41 may be a belt-like sensor. The belt-shaped activity sensor 41 is attached, for example, by wrapping it around the arm or leg of the infant 30. Alternatively, the activity sensor 41 may be a sheet-shaped pressure sensor. The sheet-shaped activity sensor 41 detects these movements as changes in the pressure pattern received by the activity sensor 41. The sheet-shaped activity sensor 41 is placed so as to be placed under the body of the infant 30 when in bed. The body movements of the infant 30 include flopping of the arms and legs, rolling over, etc. The body movements of the infant 30 are expressed, for example, by the amount of activity of at least a portion of the infant 30's body. Alternatively, the body movements of the infant 30 may be expressed, for example, by the intensity of activity of at least a portion of the infant 30's body, or by the integrated value of the activity amount and activity intensity. The activity amount and activity intensity are determined, for example, based on accelerations measured in the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis directions. The X-axis is, for example, the vertical direction of the infant 30's body (i.e., the up-and-down direction when standing upright). The Y axis is the horizontal direction of the body of the infant 30 (i.e., the left-right direction when standing upright). The Z axis is the direction perpendicular to the X and Y axes (i.e., the front-back direction when standing upright). The amount of activity is the integrated value of instantaneous activity intensity over a certain period of time (e.g., 2 minutes).

[0025] The activity sensor 41 includes a communication unit that transmits data indicating the time series of body movements (e.g., activity levels) of the infant 30 to the information processing device 21. The activity sensor 41 transmits data indicating the time series of body movements within a unit period to the information processing device 21, for example, for each unit period. The unit period may be, for example, one second, ten seconds, or one minute. Alternatively, the activity sensor 41 may transmit data indicating a body movement to the information processing device 21 in real time in response to detecting a single activity. The activity sensor 41 includes a compact information processing device that detects the presence or absence of body movements from measured acceleration and the like and calculates the activity level. The data indicating body movements is also referred to as activity level data. The activity level data may include information on the time at which the corresponding body movements were measured. Furthermore, the body movement data is not limited to activity levels, but may also be raw data such as acceleration data used to calculate activity levels or pressure patterns measured by a sheet-like sensor used to calculate activity status.

[0026] The vital sensor 42 is a sensor that measures the vital signs of the infant 30 at predetermined time intervals. The vital signs include, for example, heart rate (including parameters calculated from the heart rate and heart rate variability), respiratory rate, and skin temperature. The skin temperature is, for example, the temperature of the extremities (e.g., hands and feet) of the infant 30. The vital sensor 42 is attached to the infant 30 in the same manner as the activity sensor 41. The vital sensor 42 is classified into a non-contact type sensor and a contact type sensor. The non-contact type vital sensor 42 is, for example, a millimeter-wave radar. The contact type vital sensor 42 is, for example, a wearable biosensor that measures the heart rate, respiratory rate, and skin temperature.

[0027] The vital sensor 42 includes a communication unit that transmits data indicating a time series of the heart rate, respiratory rate, and skin temperature to the information processing device 21. For example, the vital sensor 42 transmits data indicating a time series of the heart rate, respiratory rate, and skin temperature within one unit period to the information processing device 21 for each unit period. Alternatively, the vital sensor 42 may transmit data indicating the measured heart rate, respiratory rate, and / or skin temperature to the information processing device 21 in real time in response to measuring at least one of the heart rate, respiratory rate, and / or skin temperature. The data indicating the heart rate, respiratory rate, and / or skin temperature is also referred to as vital data. The vital data may include information on the time at which at least one of the corresponding heart rate, respiratory rate, and / or skin temperature was measured.

[0028] The activity amount sensor 41 and the vital sensor 42 may be realized as a single integrated device.

[0029] The plurality of sensors 4 may further include an imaging device 43 .

[0030] The imaging device 43 is a camera that generates video data of an image of the infant 30. The imaging device 43 is, for example, an RGB camera, a monochrome camera, or a spectral camera. The video data includes a plurality of images of the infant 30 taken in time series. Each of the plurality of images is, for example, an image including the entire body of the infant 30. Each of the plurality of images may also be an image including a part of the body of the infant 30. The video data includes information about the time (for example, date and time) when each of the plurality of images was generated.

[0031] The imaging device 43 is installed, for example, at a position where it can capture an image of the baby 30. The imaging device 43 is installed, for example, on a wall, a pillar, a ceiling, or a piece of furniture.

[0032] The imaging device 43 includes, for example, a communication unit for transmitting moving image data to the outside. The communication unit is capable of mutual communication with, for example, the information processing device 21. The communication unit transmits the moving image data to the information processing device 21. As a communication method used by the communication unit, for example, any short-range wireless communication method such as Bluetooth or wireless LAN is used.

[0033] The imaging device 43 may also include a storage unit (i.e., a storage medium) that can be read by the information processing device 21. The storage unit stores moving image data. The moving image data stored in the storage unit is read by the information processing device 21, for example, by wireless communication or wired communication via a cable connecting the information processing device 21 and the imaging device 43.

[0034] 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the system configuration of the information processing device 21. The information processing device 21 includes, for example, a CPU 51, a RAM 52, a touchscreen display 53, a storage device 54, a first communication unit 55, a second communication unit 56, a vibration unit 57, and a speaker 58.

[0035] The CPU 51 is a processor that controls the operations of various components within the information processing device 21 .

[0036] The RAM 52 is a volatile memory, such as a DRAM. The RAM 52 has storage areas allocated for the OS 521, application programs (such as a sleep evaluation program 522), and data used in processing by the CPU 51.

[0037] The touchscreen display 53 is an input / output device. The touchscreen display 53 includes, for example, a liquid crystal display (LCD) and a touch panel. The touchscreen display 53 displays, for example, an image based on a display signal generated by the CPU 51 on the LCD screen.

[0038] The touch panel is disposed on the upper surface of the LCD. The touch panel is a capacitance-type pointing device for inputting information on the LCD screen. The touch panel detects the contact position on the screen where the finger touches. The touch panel can send a signal indicating the detected contact position to each unit (e.g., the CPU 51) within the information processing device 21. The CPU 51, for example, can detect the movement of the finger based on the change in the detected contact position over time.

[0039] The screen of the touch screen display 53 displays information to be notified to the caregiver 31 and images including a graphical user interface (GUI) that prompts the caregiver 31 to input information. The caregiver 31 can input information about the behavior and sleep of the infant 30 into the information processing device 21 by operating the GUI using a touch panel, for example.

[0040] The storage device 54 is a storage device including a non-volatile memory. The storage device 54 is, for example, a solid state drive (SSD) or a hard disk drive (HDD). The storage device 54 stores a program (program product) and data for controlling the operation of the information processing device 21. The storage device 54 stores, for example, behavior data 541, activity amount data 542, vital data 543, sleep parameters 544, and a reference range table 545.

[0041] The behavior data 541 is data indicating the sleep-related behavior of the infant 30. The sleep-related behavior of the infant 30 includes the actions and states of the infant 30 upon waking, during the day, and at night. More specifically, the sleep-related behavior of the infant 30 includes, for example, the infant's waking-up behavior, mood upon waking, daytime behavior, daytime mood, behavior upon waking at night, and mood upon waking at night. Each of the sleep-related behaviors of the infant 30 is used as a criterion item for determining the quality of sleep of the infant 30. The behavior data 541 is generated (input) based on operations performed by the caregiver 31 on the information processing device 21. The operations performed by the caregiver 31 on the information processing device 21 are, for example, operations performed by the caregiver 31 on a touch panel using a GUI displayed on the LCD of the touch screen display 53.

[0042] The activity amount data 542 is data indicating the body movement (for example, the amount of activity) of the infant 30 acquired by the activity amount sensor 41 .

[0043] Vital data 543 is data indicating the vital signs of infant 30 acquired by vital sensor 42 .

[0044] The sleep parameters 544 are parameters for evaluating the quality of sleep of the infant 30. The sleep parameters 544 are calculated using at least one of the activity amount data 542 and the vital data 543, for example.

[0045] The reference range table 545 is information indicating the range of values ​​of the sleep parameters 544 when the quality of sleep of the infant 30 is good. The range of values ​​of the sleep parameters 544 when the quality of sleep of the infant 30 is good is also referred to as the reference range of the sleep parameters 544. A specific example of the reference range table 545 will be described later with reference to FIG. 9 .

[0046] The storage device 54 may further store moving image data. The moving image data is data that includes time-series images of the baby 30 that are generated by the imaging device 43.

[0047] The first communication unit 55 is a device configured to perform wired or wireless communication between the information processing device 21 and the outside. The first communication unit 55 performs communication with, for example, a server device (not shown). The first communication unit 55 includes a transmitting unit and a receiving unit.

[0048] The second communication unit 56 is a device configured to perform wired or wireless communication between the information processing device 21 and the outside. The second communication unit 56 performs communication with each of the activity amount sensor 41 and the vital sensor 42, for example. The second communication unit 56 may further perform communication with the imaging device 43. The second communication unit 56 includes a transmitting unit and a receiving unit.

[0049] The vibration unit 57 is an output device having a vibration mechanism. The vibration mechanism is realized, for example, as a motor with an eccentric weight attached to a rotation shaft. The vibration unit 57 vibrates the information processing device 21 based on, for example, a signal generated by the CPU 51. The signal generated by the CPU 51 may be a signal that specifies at least one of the vibration magnitude, vibration duration, and vibration pattern.

[0050] The speaker 58 is an output device that outputs, for example, sound based on an audio signal generated by the CPU 51.

[0051] Next, the program (program product) executed by the CPU 51 will be described.

[0052] The CPU 51 executes various programs loaded from the storage device 54 into the RAM 52. The programs executed by the CPU 51 include an operating system (OS) 521 and a sleep evaluation program 522.

[0053] The OS 521 is a program for controlling the basic operations of various components within the information processing device 21. The CPU 51 executing the OS 521 controls, for example, input / output, file management, memory management, and communication.

[0054] The sleep evaluation program 522 is a program for evaluating the quality of sleep of the infant 30. More specifically, the sleep evaluation program 522 is configured to cause the information processing device 21 to perform the following functions: generate behavior data 541, receive activity amount data 542 and vital data 543 from the sensor 4, and analyze the data to provide sleep evaluation information to the childcare worker 31. The sleep evaluation program 522 may also be configured to cause the information processing device 21 to perform the function of processing feedback data for the sleep evaluation information.

[0055] 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the CPU 51 that executes the sleep evaluation program 522. Note that hereinafter, the information processing device 21 centered around the CPU 51 configured to execute the sleep evaluation program 522 may also be referred to as the "CPU 51."

[0056] The CPU 51 of the information processing device 21 includes, for example, a notification processing unit 61, a generation processing unit 62, a reception processing unit 63, a storage processing unit 64, a determination unit 65, a sleep parameter calculation unit 66, an analysis unit 67, and an evaluation unit 68. The notification processing unit 61, the generation processing unit 62, the reception processing unit 63, the storage processing unit 64, the determination unit 65, the sleep parameter calculation unit 66, the analysis unit 67, and the evaluation unit 68 are functional components provided in the CPU 51 by, for example, executing a sleep evaluation program 522.

[0057] The notification processing unit 61 performs (A) a process for prompting the caregiver 31 to input information regarding the behavior of the infant 30 , and (B) a process for notifying the caregiver 31 of sleep evaluation information regarding the infant 30 .

[0058] (A) The process for having the caregiver 31 input information about the behavior of the infant 30 is, for example, a process for displaying an image including a GUI for inputting information about the behavior of the infant 30 (hereinafter, referred to as an information input image) on the touch screen display 53. The GUI for inputting information is, for example, a button for selecting the actual behavior of the infant 30 from candidate behaviors of the infant 30, or a text area for inputting text representing the behavior of the infant 30.

[0059] More specifically, the notification processor 61 generates, for example, a display signal for displaying an information input image. The notification processor 61 sends the generated display signal to the touchscreen display 53. The touchscreen display 53 displays the information input image on the screen based on the received display signal. The displayed information input image prompts the caregiver 31 to input information about the behavior of the infant 30. The caregiver 31 inputs information about the behavior of the infant 30 by operating the touch panel on the displayed information input image.

[0060] The notification processor 61 may further use at least one of the vibrator 57 and the speaker 58 to prompt the childcare worker 31 to input information.

[0061] Specifically, the notification processing unit 61 may send a signal requesting vibration to the vibration unit 57 when the information input image is displayed. The vibration unit 57 vibrates the information processing device 21 based on the received signal. By vibrating the information processing device 21, the childcare worker 31 can be prompted to check the information input image displayed on the screen. This vibration may have a specific vibration pattern. The childcare worker 31 can recognize that the information input image has been displayed when the information processing device 21 vibrates with the specific vibration pattern.

[0062] The notification processor 61 may also send an audio signal associated with the information input image to the speaker 58. The speaker 58 outputs a sound based on the received audio signal. This sound may be a specific message read aloud or an alarm sound. The sound can prompt the childcare worker 31 to check the information input image displayed on the screen.

[0063] (B) The process for notifying the caregiver 31 of the sleep evaluation information of the infant 30 is, for example, a process for displaying an image notifying the sleep evaluation information (hereinafter referred to as a notification image) on the touch screen display 53. The notification image may include a GUI for inputting an evaluation of the notified sleep evaluation information. The GUI for inputting an evaluation of the notified sleep evaluation information is, for example, a button for inputting whether the notified sleep evaluation information was appropriate or the degree of appropriateness.

[0064] Specifically, the notification processor 61 generates a display signal for displaying a notification image, for example. The notification processor 61 sends the generated display signal to the touchscreen display 53. The touchscreen display 53 displays the notification image on the screen based on the received display signal. The childcare worker 31 can obtain sleep evaluation information of the infant 30 by looking at the displayed notification image.

[0065] The notification processor 61 may further use at least one of the vibrator 57 and the speaker 58 to prompt the child care provider 31 to check the sleep evaluation information.

[0066] Specifically, the notification processing unit 61 sends a signal requesting vibration to the vibration unit 57 based on the received sleep evaluation information. The vibration unit 57 vibrates the information processing device 21 based on the received signal. By vibrating the information processing device 21, the child care person 31 can be prompted to check the notification image displayed on the screen. This vibration may have a specific vibration pattern. The child care person 31 can recognize that sleep evaluation information has been notified when the information processing device 21 vibrates with the specific vibration pattern.

[0067] The notification processor 61 also sends an audio signal based on the sleep evaluation information to the speaker 58. The speaker 58 outputs a sound based on the received audio signal. This sound may be a specific message read aloud or an alarm sound. The childcare worker 31 can recognize the sleep evaluation information from the sound. Alternatively, the sound can prompt the childcare worker 31 to check the notification image displayed on the screen.

[0068] The generation processing unit 62 generates data based on operations by the childcare provider 31. The data based on operations by the childcare provider 31 includes, for example, behavior data 541. The generation processing unit 62 generates the behavior data 541 based on, for example, operations by the childcare provider 31 on the touch screen display 53 on which an information input image is displayed. The generation processing unit 62 stores the generated behavior data 541 in the storage device 54 in association with a date (or date, time, and minute).

[0069] The data based on the operation by the childcare provider 31 may further include feedback data. The feedback data indicates an evaluation of the notified sleep evaluation information. More specifically, the feedback data indicates, for example, the result of the childcare provider 31's judgment on whether the notified information was appropriate. The generation processor 62 generates the feedback data based, for example, on the operation by the childcare provider 31 on the touch screen display 53 on which the notification image is displayed. The generation processor 62 may use the feedback data to update the reference range table 545 in cooperation with the analyzer 67.

[0070] The reception processing unit 63 receives data from each of the activity amount sensor 41 and the vital sensor 42 via the second communication unit 56. The data received via the second communication unit 56 is time-series activity amount data 542 and time-series vital data 543. The reception processing unit 63 sends the received data to the storage processing unit 64.

[0071] The storage processing unit 64 stores the data sent from the reception processing unit 63 in the storage device 54. The storage processing unit 64 associates, for example, the activity amount data 542 and the vital data 543 with the date, time, and minute, and stores them in the storage device 54. The associated date, time, and minute are the date, time, and minute when the corresponding data was measured, and are sent from each sensor together with the data. However, if the data is sent in real time, they may be added by the reception processing unit 63 when receiving the data.

[0072] The determination unit 65 determines the sleep quality of the infant 30 for each day using the behavior data 541 stored in the storage device 54. Specifically, the determination unit 65 calculates, for example, the number of determination criterion items that indicate good sleep quality among a plurality of determination criterion items included in the daily behavior data 541. Then, if the number of determination criterion items that indicate good sleep quality exceeds a threshold, the determination unit 65 determines that the sleep quality of the infant 30 for that day is good. A specific example of determining the sleep quality of the infant 30 using the behavior data 541 will be described later with reference to FIG. 5 .

[0073] For each sleep session of infant 30, sleep parameter calculation unit 66 calculates sleep parameters 544 corresponding to the sleep session using, for example, at least one of activity amount data 542 and vital data 543 stored in storage device 54. Sleep parameter calculation unit 66 may also calculate sleep parameters 544 using information input by childcare worker 31 (e.g., the start time of putting infant to sleep). Alternatively, sleep parameter calculation unit 66 may calculate sleep parameters 544 using moving image data generated by imaging device 43. The calculated sleep parameters 544 are stored in storage device 54.

[0074] Note that one sleep is, for example, a nighttime sleep. More specifically, one sleep is, for example, the longest sleep within a 24-hour period including the nighttime (for example, 24 hours from 12:00 noon on one day to 12:00 noon on the next day). One sleep may span multiple dates. Hereinafter, one sleep will be identified by the date on which the sleep began. For example, sleep from 8:00 p.m. on April 1st to 6:00 a.m. on April 2nd will be identified as sleep on April 1st. In other words, sleep on one day may span the next day.

[0075] Analysis unit 67 determines the range of values ​​(reference range) of each sleep parameter 544 when sleep quality is good, using the plurality of sleep parameters 544 on the days on which determination unit 65 determined that sleep quality was good. Analysis unit 67 sets the determined reference range of each sleep parameter 544 in, for example, reference range table 545. A specific example of determining the reference range of each sleep parameter 544 will be described later with reference to FIGS. 8 and 9 .

[0076] The evaluation unit 68 evaluates the quality of sleep of the infant 30 on a specific day using the reference range table 545. The evaluation unit 68 evaluates the quality of sleep of the infant 30, for example, on a daily basis. Alternatively, the evaluation unit 68 may evaluate the quality of sleep of the infant 30 on the most recent day in response to an operation on the information processing device 21 by the childcare worker 31 (more specifically, an operation requesting an evaluation of sleep quality).

[0077] Specifically, the evaluation unit 68 determines whether each of the sleep parameters 544 for a specific day is within the reference range set in the reference range table 545. The specific day is, for example, the day on which the sleep parameters 544 were most recently acquired (stored). For example, if all of the sleep parameters 544 for a specific day are within the corresponding reference ranges, the evaluation unit 68 determines that the quality of sleep of the infant 30 on that specific day is good. Alternatively, for example, if at least one of the sleep parameters 544 for a specific day is outside the corresponding reference range, the evaluation unit 68 determines that the quality of sleep of the infant 30 on that specific day is poor. Based on the determination result, the evaluation unit 68 generates sleep evaluation information indicating the quality of sleep of the infant 30 on that specific day. The evaluation unit 68 then sends the generated sleep evaluation information to the notification processing unit 61. A specific example of evaluating the quality of sleep of the infant 30 on a specific day will be described later with reference to FIG. 10 .

[0078] As described above, the notification processor 61 uses the sleep evaluation information received from the evaluator 68 to perform (B) a process for notifying the caregiver 31 of the sleep evaluation information of the infant 30. This allows the caregiver 31 to recognize the quality of the sleep of the infant 30 on a particular day. The caregiver 31 can then take measures to improve the quality of the sleep of the infant 30 as necessary. This allows the quality of the sleep of the infant 30 to be improved.

[0079] Here, the behavior data 541 generated based on the operation of the information processing device 21 by the childcare worker 31 will be described.

[0080] FIG. 4 shows an example of an outline of each of the multiple items included in the behavior data 541. The multiple items included in the behavior data 541 are items (criterion items) used as criteria for judging the quality of sleep of the infant 30. The criterion items indicate the sleep-related behavior of the infant 30. The criterion items include, for example, at least one of an item related to whether or not the infant woke up spontaneously, an item related to whether or not the infant woke up refreshed, an item related to whether or not the infant was in a good mood upon waking, an item related to whether or not the infant was in a good mood during the day, an item related to whether or not the infant was awake during the day, and an item related to the infant's behavior and mood upon waking up during the night. The value of each criterion item is set by the caregiver 31 based on an operation on the information processing device 21 (e.g., an operation on the touchscreen display 53). For example, the caregiver 31 performs an operation to set the value of each criterion item after the infant 30 has slept for the most recent day. The set value of each criterion item is used to judge the quality of sleep for that most recent day. More specifically, for example, to judge the quality of sleep of infant 30 on April 1st, criteria used include the infant's appearance and mood when waking up during the night on April 1st, whether the infant woke up spontaneously on April 2nd, whether the infant woke up refreshed, whether the infant was in a good mood when waking up, whether the infant was in a good mood during the day, and whether the infant was awake during the day.

[0081] Among the judgment criterion items corresponding to sleep on a certain day, the item regarding whether or not spontaneous wake-up occurred indicates whether or not the infant 30 woke up spontaneously on that day. If the infant 30 woke up spontaneously, for example, "Y" is set in the item regarding whether or not spontaneous wake-up occurred. If the infant 30 did not wake up spontaneously, for example, "N" is set in the item regarding whether or not spontaneous wake-up occurred. The quality of sleep of the infant 30 is better when "Y" is set in the item regarding whether or not spontaneous wake-up occurred than when "N" is set.

[0082] The item relating to whether the infant 30 woke up refreshed indicates whether the infant 30 woke up refreshed on the corresponding day. If the infant 30 woke up refreshed, for example, "Y" is set in the item relating to whether the infant 30 woke up refreshed. If it took the infant 30 a long time to wake up, for example, "N" is set in the item relating to whether the infant 30 woke up refreshed. The quality of sleep of the infant 30 is better when "Y" is set in the item relating to whether the infant 30 woke up refreshed than when "N" is set.

[0083] The item relating to whether the infant 30 was in a good mood when waking up indicates whether the infant 30 was in a good mood when waking up on the corresponding day. If the infant 30 was in a good mood when waking up, for example, "Y" is set in the item relating to whether the infant 30 was in a good mood when waking up. If the infant 30 was in a bad mood when waking up, for example, "N" is set in the item relating to whether the infant 30 was in a good mood when waking up. The quality of sleep of the infant 30 is better when "Y" is set in the item relating to whether the infant 30 was in a good mood when waking up than when "N" is set.

[0084] The item relating to whether the infant 30 was in a good mood during the day indicates whether the infant 30 was in a good mood during the day on the corresponding day. If the infant 30 was in a good mood during the day, for example, "Y" is set in the item relating to whether the infant 30 was in a good mood during the day. If the infant 30 was in a bad mood during the day, for example, "N" is set in the item relating to whether the infant 30 was in a good mood upon waking up. The quality of sleep of the infant 30 is better when "Y" is set in the item relating to whether the infant 30 was in a good mood upon waking up than when "N" is set.

[0085] The item relating to whether or not the infant 30 was awake during the day indicates whether or not the infant 30 was awake during the day on the corresponding day. If the infant 30 was awake during the day, for example, "Y" is set in the item relating to whether or not the infant 30 was awake during the day. If the infant 30 seemed sleepy during the day, for example, "N" is set in the item relating to whether or not the infant 30 was awake during the day. The quality of sleep of the infant 30 is better when "Y" is set in the item relating to whether or not the infant 30 was awake during the day than when "N" is set.

[0086] The items related to the infant's behavior and mood when waking up at night indicate the infant's behavior and mood when waking up at night on the corresponding day. If the infant 30 does not wake up at night, for example, "A" is set in the items related to the infant's behavior and mood when waking up at night. If the infant 30 wakes up without crying, for example, "B" is set in the items related to the infant's behavior and mood when waking up at night. If the infant 30 wakes up crying, for example, "C" is set in the items related to the infant's behavior and mood when waking up at night. The quality of the infant's sleep is better when "A" is set in the items related to the infant's behavior and mood when waking up at night than when "B" is set. Furthermore, the quality of the infant's sleep is better when "B" is set in the items related to the infant's behavior and mood when waking up at night than when "C" is set.

[0087] The caregiver 31 observes the behavior of the infant 30 and determines the value to be set for each criterion item in the behavior data 541. Based on their experience raising the infant 30, the caregiver 31 is likely to be able to determine a value for each criterion item that appropriately indicates the behavior, mood, appearance, etc. of the infant 30. Therefore, the behavior data 541 is useful as information for determining the quality of sleep of the infant 30. Note that the criterion items are not limited to the examples described above, and various sleep-related behaviors of the infant 30 can be used.

[0088] The determination unit 65 of the information processing device 21 determines the quality of sleep of the infant 30 for each day using the behavior data 541 for N days. N is, for example, an integer equal to or greater than 1. The determination unit 65 is activated, for example, automatically by the CPU 51 or in response to an instruction from an operator, in response to the accumulation of the behavior data 541 for N days in the storage device 54. Note that the determination unit 65 may be activated automatically after a predetermined period, such as one week, has elapsed since the previous activation.

[0089] 5 shows an example of a result of determination by the determination unit 65 of the quality of sleep of the infant 30 using the behavior data 541. Here, an example is shown in which the quality of sleep of the infant 30 is determined for each day using three days' worth of behavior data 541.

[0090] The determination unit 65 determines the sleep quality of the infant 30 for each day based on the first index. The first index indicates, for example, the number of judgment criterion items that indicate good sleep quality among all judgment criterion items in the corresponding daily behavior data 541. The number of judgment criterion items that indicate good sleep quality is, for example, the number of items that are set to either "Y" or "A."

[0091] Specifically, if the first index exceeds the threshold, the determination unit 65 determines that the quality of sleep on that day is good. If the first index is less than the threshold, the determination unit 65 determines that the quality of sleep on that day is poor. Furthermore, if the first index is equal to the threshold, the determination unit 65 determines that the quality of sleep on that day is average. The threshold is, for example, half of all the determination criterion items. Note that the threshold may be changed depending on the age (months) of the infant 30. Alternatively, the threshold may be set by the caregiver 31. In the example shown in FIG. 5 , the threshold is assumed to be 3 (i.e., half of all the six determination criterion items).

[0092] In the behavior data 541 for the first day (DAY 1), "N" is set in the item relating to whether or not the subject woke up spontaneously. "Y" is set in the item relating to whether or not the subject woke up refreshed. "Y" is set in the item relating to whether or not the subject was in a good mood when waking up. "Y" is set in the item relating to whether or not the subject was in a good mood during the day. "N" is set in the item relating to whether or not the subject was awake during the day. "C" is set in the item relating to the state and mood when waking up in the middle of the night.

[0093] Since the number of "Y"s and "A"s included in the behavior data 541 for DAY 1 is three, the determination unit 65 calculates the first index as 3. Then, since the first index is equal to the threshold value, the determination unit 65 determines that the quality of sleep on DAY 1 is normal.

[0094] In the behavior data 541 for the second day (DAY 2), "N" is set in the item relating to whether or not the subject woke up spontaneously. "N" is set in the item relating to whether or not the subject woke up refreshed. "N" is set in the item relating to whether or not the subject was in a good mood when waking up. "Y" is set in the item relating to whether or not the subject was in a good mood during the day. "N" is set in the item relating to whether or not the subject was awake during the day. "C" is set in the item relating to the state and mood when waking up in the middle of the night.

[0095] Because the number of “Y”s and “A”s included in the behavior data 541 for DAY 2 is 1, the determination unit 65 calculates the first index as 1. Then, because the first index is less than the threshold, the determination unit 65 determines that the quality of sleep on DAY 2 is poor.

[0096] In the behavior data 541 for the third day (DAY 3), "Y" is set in the item relating to whether or not the subject woke up spontaneously. "Y" is set in the item relating to whether or not the subject woke up refreshed. "Y" is set in the item relating to whether or not the subject was in a good mood when waking up. "Y" is set in the item relating to whether or not the subject was in a good mood during the day. "N" is set in the item relating to whether or not the subject was awake during the day. "A" is set in the item relating to the state and mood when waking up in the middle of the night.

[0097] Since the number of "Y"s and "A"s included in the behavior data 541 for DAY 3 is five, the determination unit 65 calculates the first index as 5. Then, since the first index exceeds the threshold, the determination unit 65 determines that the quality of sleep on DAY 3 is good.

[0098] In this way, the determination unit 65 can use the behavior data 541 to determine the quality of sleep of the infant 30 each day.

[0099] Next, a description will be given of the sleep parameters 544 calculated by the sleep parameter calculation unit 66. Fig. 6 shows an example of an outline of the sleep parameters 544.

[0100] The sleep parameters 544 are parameters for evaluating the quality of sleep of the infant 30. The sleep parameters 544 include, for example, the amount of activity per unit time, the average amount of activity when the infant 30 is active, the start time of putting the infant to sleep, the time of putting the infant to sleep, the time of falling asleep, the time of waking up, the time of awakening during sleep, the number of awakenings during sleep, the total sleep time, the heart rate, the heart rate variability, the respiratory rate per unit time, the extremity skin temperature, the deep sleep occupancy rate, the rapid eye movement (REM) sleep occupancy rate, and the sleep efficiency. Each sleep parameter is sent, for example, to the analysis unit 67 and used to generate or update the reference range table 545. Alternatively, each sleep parameter is sent, for example, to the evaluation unit 68, which determines whether the quality of sleep of the infant 30 is good or bad, and the result is sent to the notification processing unit 61, which notifies the result.

[0101] The activity amount per unit time is a value obtained by converting the activity amount from the time of falling asleep to the time of waking up into a value per unit time. The activity amount per unit time is calculated by the sleep parameter calculation unit 66, for example, based on the activity amount data 542 acquired by the activity amount sensor 41. The lower the activity amount per unit time, the better. Therefore, if the activity amount per unit time is smaller than a predetermined value, the evaluation unit 68 can determine that the quality of the sleep of the infant 30 is good. However, if the activity amount per unit time is zero, the evaluation unit 68 can determine that the quality of the sleep of the infant 30 is poor. The unit time is, for example, one hour.

[0102] The average activity amount when active is the average value of the activity amounts when body movement is detected between the time when the infant falls asleep and the time when the infant wakes up. In other words, the average activity amount when active is the average value of the non-zero activity amounts measured between the time when the infant falls asleep and the time when the infant wakes up. The average activity amount when active is calculated by the sleep parameter calculation unit 66, for example, based on the activity amount data 542 acquired by the activity sensor 41. The lower the average activity amount when active, the better. Therefore, if the average activity amount is smaller than a predetermined value, the evaluation unit 68 can determine that the quality of sleep of the infant 30 is good.

[0103] The put-to-sleep start time is the time when the caregiver 31 starts putting the infant 30 to sleep (for example, the time when the infant 30 gets into bed). The put-to-sleep start time is also referred to as the bedtime or the time of going to bed. The put-to-sleep start time is input, for example, by the caregiver 31 operating the information processing device 21. Alternatively, the put-to-sleep start time may be obtained, for example, by the CPU 51 analyzing video data acquired by the imaging device 43. The earlier the put-to-sleep start time, the better; therefore, if the put-to-sleep start time is earlier than a predetermined time, the evaluation unit 68 may determine that the quality of the infant 30's sleep is good.

[0104] The sleep time is the time from the start time of putting to sleep to the time of falling asleep. For example, the sleep time is calculated based on the start time of putting to sleep and the time of falling asleep after the start time of putting to sleep is input and the sleep parameter calculation unit 66 calculates the time of falling asleep. The shorter the sleep time, the better, and therefore the evaluation unit 68 can determine that the quality of sleep of the infant 30 is good if the time is shorter than a predetermined time.

[0105] The sleep onset time is the time at which the infant 30 falls asleep. The sleep onset time is calculated by the sleep parameter calculation unit 66, for example, based on the activity amount data 542 acquired by the activity amount sensor 41 or the vital data 543 acquired by the vital sensor 42. The sleep onset time is, for example, the first time after the start time of putting the infant 30 to sleep that the activity amount of the infant 30 becomes zero for a certain period of time (e.g., five minutes). Alternatively, the sleep onset time may be input based on an operation of the information processing device 21 by the caregiver 31. The earlier the sleep onset time, the better. Therefore, if the sleep onset time is earlier than a predetermined time, the evaluation unit 68 may determine that the quality of the infant 30's sleep is good.

[0106] The wake-up time is the time when the infant 30 wakes up. The wake-up time is, for example, the time when continuous, strong body movement (e.g., body movement with an activity intensity equal to or greater than a threshold and continuing for one hour or more) begins after the fall asleep time. The wake-up time is calculated by the sleep parameter calculation unit 66 based on, for example, the activity amount data 542 acquired by the activity amount sensor 41 or the vital data 543 acquired by the vital sensor 42. Alternatively, the wake-up time may be input based on an operation of the information processing device 21 by the childcare worker 31. The earlier the wake-up time, the better. Therefore, if the wake-up time is earlier than a predetermined time, the evaluation unit 68 may determine that the quality of the infant 30's sleep is good.

[0107] The awakening time is the time between the time of falling asleep and the time of waking up during which the amount of activity is at or above a threshold and does not continue for a specific period of time (e.g., one hour) or longer. The awakening time is calculated by the sleep parameter calculation unit 66 based on, for example, the activity amount data 542 acquired by the activity amount sensor 41 or the vital data 543 acquired by the vital sensor 42. The shorter the awakening time, the better. Therefore, if the awakening time is shorter than a predetermined time, the evaluation unit 68 can determine that the quality of sleep of the infant 30 is good.

[0108] The number of awakenings during sleep is the number of times that awakenings occur between the time of falling asleep and the time of waking up. The number of awakenings during sleep is calculated by the sleep parameter calculation unit 66 based on the number of awakenings during the time of falling asleep and the time of waking up. The fewer the number of awakenings during sleep, the better. Therefore, if the number of awakenings is less than a predetermined value, the evaluation unit 68 can determine that the quality of sleep of the infant 30 is good.

[0109] The total sleep time is the time from the time of falling asleep to the time of waking up, minus the time of waking up during sleep. For example, the total sleep time is calculated based on the time of falling asleep, the time of waking up, and the time of waking up during sleep, calculated by the sleep parameter calculation unit 66. Alternatively, the total sleep time may be input based on an operation of the information processing device 21 by the caregiver 31. If the total sleep time is within the range of the reference time for each month corresponding to the infant 30, the evaluation unit 68 may determine that the quality of the sleep of the infant 30 is good. Furthermore, the closer the total sleep time is to the range of the reference time for each month corresponding to the infant 30, the better the evaluation unit 68 may determine that the quality of the sleep of the infant 30 is good.

[0110] The heart rate is the heart rate during deep sleep (e.g., the mode of the heart rate three hours after falling asleep). The mode of the heart rate is calculated by the sleep parameter calculation unit 66 based on, for example, data corresponding to the deep sleep period among the vital data 543 acquired by the vital sensor 42 (more specifically, heart rate data measured by the heart rate sensor). The lower the mode of the heart rate, the better. Therefore, if the mode of the heart rate is smaller than a predetermined value, the evaluation unit 68 can determine that the quality of the sleep of the infant 30 is good. However, if the mode of the heart rate is 50 or less, the evaluation unit 68 can determine that the quality of the sleep of the infant 30 is poor.

[0111] The respiration rate per unit time is the respiration rate per unit time from the time of falling asleep to the time of waking up. The respiration rate per unit time is calculated by the sleep parameter calculation unit 66 based on, for example, vital data 543 acquired by the vital sensor 42 (more specifically, respiration rate data measured by the respiration rate sensor) corresponding to the time from the time of falling asleep to the time of waking up. A lower respiration rate per unit time is considered better, and therefore, if the respiration rate per unit time is smaller than a predetermined value, the evaluation unit 68 can determine that the quality of sleep of the infant 30 is good.

[0112] The distal skin temperature is the average skin temperature of the extremities, such as the hands and feet, from the time the infant falls asleep to the time the infant wakes up. The distal skin temperature is calculated by the sleep parameter calculation unit 66 based on, for example, vital data 543 acquired by the vital sensor 42 (more specifically, skin temperature data measured by the skin temperature sensor), data corresponding to the time from the time the infant falls asleep to the time the infant wakes up. The higher the distal skin temperature during sleep, the better; therefore, if the distal skin temperature is greater than a predetermined value, the evaluation unit 68 can determine that the quality of the infant's sleep is good.

[0113] The deep sleep occupancy rate is the ratio of deep sleep time to the time from fall asleep to wake-up time. The deep sleep time is calculated by the sleep parameter calculation unit 66 based on, for example, activity amount data 542 acquired by the activity amount sensor 41. The higher the deep sleep occupancy rate, the better. Therefore, if the deep sleep occupancy rate is greater than a predetermined value, the evaluation unit 68 can determine that the quality of sleep of the infant 30 is good.

[0114] The REM sleep occupancy rate is the ratio of REM sleep time to the time from fall asleep to wake-up time. The REM sleep time is calculated by the sleep parameter calculation unit 66 based on, for example, activity amount data 542 acquired by the activity amount sensor 41. The higher the REM sleep occupancy rate, the better. Therefore, if the REM sleep occupancy rate is greater than a predetermined value, the evaluation unit 68 can determine that the quality of the sleep of the infant 30 is good.

[0115] Sleep efficiency is the ratio of the time from the time of falling asleep to the time of waking up (i.e., total sleep time) to the time from the time of falling asleep to the time of waking up. For example, sleep efficiency is calculated based on the time of falling asleep, the time of waking up, and the total sleep time calculated by the sleep parameter calculation unit 66. If the sleep efficiency value is higher than a predetermined value, the evaluation unit 68 can determine that the quality of sleep of the infant 30 is good.

[0116] In this way, by using the sleep parameters 544, the sleep evaluation system 1A can evaluate the quality of sleep of the infant 30. The sleep parameters 544 are not limited to the examples described above, and various parameters that can evaluate the quality of sleep of the infant 30 can be used.

[0117] The sleep parameter calculation unit 66 of the information processing device 21 calculates the sleep parameters 544 when (1) analyzing the range of values ​​(reference range) of each sleep parameter 544 that is preferable for the infant 30, and (2) evaluating the quality of sleep of the infant 30 on a specific day. Below, we will explain each of (1) analyzing the range of values ​​(reference range) of each sleep parameter 544 that is preferable for the infant 30, and (2) evaluating the quality of sleep of the infant 30 on a specific day.

[0118] (1) When Analyzing the Range (Reference Range) of Values ​​of Each Sleep Parameter 544 Preferred for Infant 30 The sleep parameter calculation unit 66 calculates the sleep parameters 544 for a day on which the determination unit 65 determines that the sleep quality is good. Specifically, the sleep parameter calculation unit 66 reads, from the storage device 54, activity amount data 542 and vital data 543 corresponding to the sleep on the day on which the determination unit 65 determines that the sleep quality is good (DAY 3 in the example shown in FIG. 5 ). The activity amount data 542 and vital data 543 corresponding to the sleep on a certain day are the activity amount data 542 and vital data 543 for a period (e.g., 24 hours) that includes at least the duration of the sleep. The sleep parameter calculation unit 66 calculates the sleep parameters 544 using the read activity amount data 542 and vital data 543. The specific method for calculating each sleep parameter 544 is as described above with reference to FIG. 6 . 6 using at least one of activity amount data 542 and vital data 543. Sleep parameter calculation section 66 stores (accumulates) calculated sleep parameters 544 in storage device 54.

[0119] (2) When evaluating the quality of sleep of infant 30 on a specific day Sleep parameter calculation unit 66 reads activity amount data 542 and vital data 543 corresponding to sleep on a specific day from storage device 54. Sleep parameter calculation unit 66 then calculates sleep parameters 544 using the read activity amount data 542 and vital data 543. The specific method of calculating each sleep parameter 544 is as described above with reference to FIG. 6 . Note that sleep parameter calculation unit 66 may calculate two or more of the multiple sleep parameters 544 shown in FIG. 6 using at least one of activity amount data 542 and vital data 543. Sleep parameter calculation unit 66 sends the calculated sleep parameters 544 for the specific day to evaluation unit 68.

[0120] The sleep parameter calculation section 66 may calculate the sleep parameters 544 for each sleep session of the infant 30 in one day, for example. The calculated sleep parameters 544 are stored in the storage device 54, for example.

[0121] 7 shows an example of a plurality of sleep parameters 544 calculated for each of a plurality of days' sleep (i.e., a plurality of sleep sessions) stored in the storage device 54. Here, an example of a plurality of sleep parameters 544 calculated for each of the sleep sessions of the infant 30 on three different days is shown. The infant 30 is, for example, a nine-month-old infant.

[0122] For example, during sleep on DAY 1, the amount of activity per unit time is 22.4. The average amount of activity when active is 2.8. The total sleep time is 432 minutes. The time it takes to put the child to sleep (sleep latency) is 38 minutes. The time when putting the child to sleep begins (time of going to bed) is 11:38 PM. The wake-up time is 7:54 AM. The number of times the child awakened is 1. The most frequent heart rate is 93.

[0123] During sleep on DAY 2, the amount of activity per unit time is 25.6. The average amount of activity when active is 3.0. The total sleep time is 478 minutes. The time spent putting the child to sleep is 5 minutes. The time spent putting the child to sleep starts at 10:50 p.m. The time spent waking up is 7:06 a.m. The number of times the child woke up is 1. The most frequent heart rate is 96.

[0124] During sleep on DAY 3, the amount of activity per unit time is 22.0. The average amount of activity when active is 3.0. The total sleep time is 538 minutes. The time spent putting the child to sleep is 10 minutes. The time spent putting the child to sleep starts at 9:30 PM. The time spent waking up is 6:28 AM. The number of times the child woke up is 0. The most frequent heart rate is 105.

[0125] 8 and 9, an example of the operation of analyzer 67 will be described in which analyzes sleep parameters 544 for L days on which sleep quality is determined to be good and determines reference ranges for sleep parameters 544. L is an integer equal to or greater than 1.

[0126] For example, the analyzer 67 of the information processing device 21 uses the sleep parameters 544 for day L on which sleep quality was determined to be good to determine the reference range for each sleep parameter 544. A specific example will be described below in which the reference range for one of the sleep parameters 544 is determined. The sleep parameter 544 for which the reference range is to be determined is referred to as the target sleep parameter 544.

[0127] The analysis unit 67 reads out from the storage device 54 L values ​​of the target sleep parameter 544 corresponding to each of the L days (i.e., L sleeps) on which the sleep quality was determined to be good. The analysis unit 67 determines a reference range for the target sleep parameter 544 based on the L values ​​of the read target sleep parameter 544. For example, the analysis unit 67 determines the range from the minimum to the maximum of the L values ​​of the read target sleep parameter 544 as the reference range for the target sleep parameter 544. For another example, the analysis unit 67 may calculate the average of the L values ​​of the read target sleep parameter 544 and determine a specific range including the average as the reference range for the target sleep parameter 544. Alternatively, the analysis unit 67 may calculate the median of the L values ​​of the read target sleep parameter 544 and determine a specific range including the median as the reference range for the target sleep parameter 544. The specific range is, for example, a range of plus or minus X% around a specific value (e.g., the average or median). X% is a percentage that can be set arbitrarily, for example, 30% or 40%.

[0128] FIG. 8 shows an example of sleep parameters 544 for a day determined to have good sleep quality. Here, the example illustrates a case where the day determined to have good sleep quality is L days including DAY 3 and DAY x. The sleep parameters 544 for each of the L days are stored in the storage device 54 by the sleep parameter calculation unit 66. For example, the amount of activity per unit time is 22.0 on DAY 3 and 18.0 on DAY x. Furthermore, for example, the total sleep time is 538 minutes on DAY 3 and 482 minutes on DAY x.

[0129] FIG. 9 shows examples of reference ranges determined for each sleep parameter 544. For example, a range from 18.0 to 22.0 is set as the reference range for the amount of activity per unit time. This indicates that, for example, the analysis unit 67 has determined, based on L values ​​of the amount of activity per unit time corresponding to each of the L days including DAY 3 and DAY x shown in FIG. 8, a range from the minimum value (here, 18.0) to the maximum value (here, 22.0) of the L values ​​as the reference range for the amount of activity per unit time. Furthermore, for example, a range from 482 minutes to 538 minutes is set as the reference range for total sleep time. This indicates that, for example, the analysis unit 67 has determined, based on L values ​​of the total sleep time corresponding to each of the L days including DAY 3 and DAY x shown in FIG. 8, a range from the minimum value (here, 482 minutes) to the maximum value (here, 538 minutes) of the L values ​​as the reference range for total sleep time. The analysis unit 67 determines the corresponding reference ranges for each of the other sleep parameters 544 in the same manner.

[0130] In this way, the analyzer 67 can use the sleep parameters 544 on days when the quality of sleep was determined to be good to determine the reference range for each sleep parameter 544. The reference range determined for each sleep parameter 544 is stored in the storage device 54 as, for example, a reference range table 545.

[0131] Next, an example will be described in which the sleep quality of the infant 30 on a particular day is evaluated using the reference range table 545.

[0132] FIG. 10 shows an example of multiple sleep parameters 544 for a particular day for which sleep quality is assessed.

[0133] During sleep on a specific day (evaluation day) on which sleep quality is evaluated, the amount of activity per unit time is 18.5. The average amount of activity when active is 2.7. The total sleep time is 494 minutes. The time it takes to put the child to sleep (sleep latency) is 44 minutes. The time when putting the child to sleep begins (time of going to bed) is 11:14 PM. The time of wake-up is 7:28 AM. The number of times the child awakens is 0. The most frequent heart rate is 103.

[0134] The evaluation unit 68 evaluates the quality of sleep of the infant 30 on the evaluation day using the sleep parameters 544 of the evaluation day and the reference range table 545. Specifically, the evaluation unit 68 determines whether each value of the sleep parameters 544 is within the corresponding reference range in the reference range table 545. For example, when the reference range table 545 shown in FIG. 9 is used, the evaluation unit 68 determines that the activity amount per unit time of the evaluation day, 18.5, falls within the reference range of activity amount per unit time, which is 18.0 to 22.0. The evaluation unit 68 determines that the average activity amount when active on the evaluation day, 2.7, falls within the reference range of average activity amount when active, which is 2.0 to 3.0. The evaluation unit 68 determines that the total sleep time of the evaluation day, 494 minutes, falls within the reference range of total sleep time, which is 482 to 538 minutes. The evaluation unit 68 determines that the sleep time of 44 minutes on the evaluation day is outside the standard range of 10 to 24 minutes for sleep time. The evaluation unit 68 determines that the sleep start time of 11:14 p.m. on the evaluation day is outside the standard range of 9:30 p.m. to 10:14 p.m. for sleep start times. The evaluation unit 68 determines that the wake-up time of 7:28 a.m. on the evaluation day is within the standard range of 6:28 a.m. to 7:30 a.m. for wake-up times. The evaluation unit 68 determines that the number of awakenings during sleep on the evaluation day is 0 times within the standard range of 0 times for the number of awakenings during sleep. The evaluation unit 68 determines that the heart rate mode of 106 on the evaluation day is outside the standard range of 92 to 105 for heart rate modes.

[0135] For example, if all of the sleep parameters 544 for the evaluation DAY are within the corresponding reference ranges, the evaluation unit 68 determines that the quality of sleep of the infant 30 on the evaluation DAY is good. Furthermore, for example, if at least one of the sleep parameters 544 for the evaluation DAY is outside the corresponding reference range, the evaluation unit 68 determines that the quality of sleep of the infant 30 on the evaluation DAY is poor. When this evaluation method is applied to the sleep parameters 544 of the evaluation DAY shown in Fig. 10, the time to put the infant to sleep, the start time of putting the infant to sleep, and the most frequent heart rate are outside the corresponding reference ranges, and therefore the evaluation unit 68 determines that the quality of sleep of the infant 30 on the evaluation DAY is poor.

[0136] Alternatively, the evaluation unit 68 calculates an index (second index) indicating the sleep quality of the evaluation day using the multiple sleep parameters 544 of the evaluation day and the reference range table 545. For example, the evaluation unit 68 calculates the number of sleep parameters 544 determined to have good sleep quality among the multiple sleep parameters 544 of the evaluation day as the second index. If the second index is greater than a threshold, the evaluation unit 68 determines that the sleep quality of the infant 30 is good. If the second index is equal to the threshold, the evaluation unit 68 determines that the sleep quality of the infant 30 is average. If the second index is smaller than the threshold, the evaluation unit 68 determines that the sleep quality of the infant 30 is poor. The threshold is an integer that can be set arbitrarily, for example, half of all the sleep parameters 544 of the evaluation day. When this evaluation method using the second index is applied to the sleep parameters 544 of the evaluation day shown in FIG. 10 , the evaluation unit 68 calculates the second index as 5. The threshold value is set to 4, which is half of all sleep parameters 544 on the evaluation DAY. Therefore, because the second index for the evaluation DAY is greater than the threshold value, the evaluation unit 68 determines that the quality of sleep of the infant 30 on the evaluation DAY is good. The method for calculating the second index is not limited to the example described above, and any method may be used, such as calculating the ratio of the number of sleep parameters 544 determined to have good sleep quality to the total number of sleep parameters 544 on the evaluation DAY.

[0137] The evaluation unit 68 generates sleep evaluation information based on the results of evaluating the sleep quality of the infant 30 on the evaluation day. The sleep evaluation information includes, for example, information indicating that the sleep quality of the infant 30 on the evaluation day is good or information indicating that the sleep quality of the infant 30 on the evaluation day is poor. The sleep evaluation information may also include information indicating that the sleep quality of the infant 30 on the evaluation day is average. Furthermore, the sleep evaluation information may also include an index (e.g., a second index) indicating the sleep quality. The evaluation unit 68 sends the generated sleep evaluation information to the notification processing unit 61.

[0138] The notification processor 61 uses the sleep evaluation information received from the evaluation unit 68 to notify the caregiver 31 of the sleep quality of the infant 30. Alternatively, the notification processor 61 may notify the caregiver 31 of the sleep evaluation information for M days (M sleep sessions) including the evaluation day. The sleep evaluation information for each of the M days other than the evaluation day is, for example, sleep evaluation information for a day that has already been evaluated by the evaluation unit 68 before the sleep quality of the evaluation day is evaluated. The notification processor 61 uses the sleep evaluation information for the M days to display, for example, a graph showing the sleep quality for the M days on the screen of the touchscreen display 53. M is, for example, an integer greater than or equal to 2.

[0139] FIG. 11 shows an example of sleep evaluation information notification. Here, the sleep evaluation information for day M is notified using a graph of sleep quality indicators. More specifically, the degree of sleep quality can be visualized by, for example, plotting a bar graph showing the number of sleep parameters 544 within the reference range (i.e., the number of sleep parameters 544 determined to have good sleep quality). A larger bar indicates better sleep quality. The threshold shown in FIG. 11 is, for example, 4. The caregiver 31 recognizes days corresponding to bars with values ​​greater than the threshold as having good sleep quality. That is, the caregiver 31 recognizes that the sleep quality on DAY 3 and the evaluation DAY is good and the sleep quality on the other days is poor. This allows the caregiver 31 to recognize the transition of the infant's sleep quality on day M as well as the infant's sleep quality on the evaluation DAY. Specifically, the caregiver 31 can check, for example, whether the infant's sleep quality is improving day by day. This allows the caregiver 31 to take measures to improve the infant's sleep quality as needed. Therefore, the quality of sleep of the infant 30 can be improved.

[0140] Next, the procedure of the process executed in the information processing device 21 will be described with reference to the flowcharts of FIGS.

[0141] 12 is a flowchart showing an example of the procedure for a reference range acquisition process executed in the information processing device 21. The reference range acquisition process is a process for determining days with good sleep quality using behavior data 541 and acquiring reference ranges for sleep parameters 544 using sleep parameters 544 on days with good sleep quality. Here, an example is shown in which CPU 51 of information processing device 21 executes the reference range acquisition process in response to acquiring behavior data 541 for N days.

[0142] First, the CPU 51 sets a variable i to 1 (step S101). The variable i is used to identify one day out of N days. The variable i is set to any value from 1 to N.

[0143] The CPU 51 reads the behavior data 541 for the i-th day from the storage device 54 (step S102). The CPU 51 calculates an index (first index) indicating the quality of sleep on the i-th day using the read behavior data 541 for the i-th day (step S103). The first index is expressed, for example, as described above with reference to FIG. 5 , by the number of judgment criterion items indicating good sleep quality among all judgment criterion items in the behavior data 541 for the i-th day. The CPU 51 determines whether the calculated first index exceeds a threshold value (step S104). That is, the CPU 51 determines whether the quality of sleep on the i-th day was good.

[0144] If the calculated first index exceeds the threshold value (Yes in step S104), the CPU 51 executes a sleep parameter calculation process to calculate sleep parameters 544 for the i-th day (step S105), and then proceeds to step S106. Specific steps of the sleep parameter calculation process will be described later with reference to FIG. 13 .

[0145] If the calculated first index is equal to or smaller than the threshold value (No in step S104), the CPU 51 proceeds to step S106 without calculating the sleep parameters 544 for the i-th day, for example.

[0146] Next, the CPU 51 adds 1 to the variable i (step S106), and determines whether the variable i is equal to or less than N (step S107).

[0147] If the variable i is equal to or less than N (Yes in step S107), the CPU 51 proceeds to step S102. That is, the CPU 51 determines whether the quality of sleep on the new i-th day is good or not, and if the quality of sleep is good, proceeds to a process for calculating the sleep parameters 544 for the i-th day.

[0148] If the variable i exceeds N (No in step S107), sleep quality has been determined for all N days, and the CPU 51 acquires a reference range for the sleep parameter 544 based on the calculated sleep parameter 544 for the day on which sleep quality is good (step S108). For example, if the sleep parameter 544 is the amount of activity per unit time, the CPU 51 acquires the maximum and minimum values ​​of the amount of activity per unit time from the sleep parameter 544 for the day on which sleep quality is good. The CPU 51 acquires the range from the acquired minimum value to the acquired maximum value as the reference range for the amount of activity per unit time. The CPU 51 sets the acquired reference range in the reference range table 545 in the storage device 54 (step S109), and ends the reference range acquisition process.

[0149] Through the above-described reference range acquisition process, the CPU 51 can determine days with good sleep quality using the behavior data 541, and acquire the reference ranges of the sleep parameters 544 using the sleep parameters 544 on days with good sleep quality.

[0150] 13 is a flowchart showing an example of the steps of a sleep parameter calculation process executed in information processing device 21. The sleep parameter calculation process is a process of analyzing data acquired by sensor 4 and calculating sleep parameters 544 for a specific day.

[0151] The sleep parameter calculation process may correspond to step S105 of the reference range acquisition process described above with reference to Fig. 12. In this case, the specific day for which the sleep parameters 544 are calculated is a day with good quality sleep.

[0152] The sleep parameter calculation process may correspond to step S31 of the evaluation and notification process, which will be described later with reference to Fig. 14. In this case, the specific day for which the sleep parameters 544 are calculated is the day for which the quality of sleep is to be evaluated.

[0153] Specifically, the CPU 51 first reads from the storage device 54 the activity amount data 542 and vital data 543 for the day for which the sleep parameters 544 are to be calculated (step S21). The activity amount data 542 and vital data 543 for the day are the activity amount data 542 and vital data 543 for a period that includes at least the sleep time on the day. The CPU 51 calculates the sleep parameters 544 using the read activity amount data 542 and vital data 543 (step S22). The method for calculating each sleep parameter 544 is as described above with reference to FIG. 6. The CPU 51 then stores the calculated sleep parameters 544 in the storage device 54 (step S23) and terminates the sleep parameter calculation process. The calculated sleep parameters 544 are stored in the storage device 54, for example, in association with the corresponding date.

[0154] Through the sleep parameter calculation process described above, the CPU 51 can calculate the sleep parameters 544 for a particular day using the activity amount data 542 and the vital data 543 .

[0155] 14 is a flowchart showing an example of the procedure for the evaluation and notification process executed by the information processing device 21. The evaluation and notification process is a process for evaluating the sleep quality of the infant 30 on a specific day and notifying the childcare worker 31 of the sleep evaluation information. The specific day is a target day for evaluating the sleep quality of the infant 30, for example, the most recent day on which the activity amount data 542 and vital data 543 were acquired. The CPU 51 executes the evaluation and notification process, for example, at regular intervals. Alternatively, the CPU 51 may execute the evaluation and notification process in response to an operation by the childcare worker 31 on the information processing device 21 (more specifically, an operation requesting an evaluation of sleep quality).

[0156] First, the CPU 51 executes the sleep parameter calculation process to calculate the sleep parameters 544 for a specific day (step S31). The specific steps of the sleep parameter calculation process are as described above with reference to FIG.

[0157] Next, the CPU 51 calculates an index (second index) indicating the quality of sleep for that particular day using the reference range table 545 and the acquired sleep parameters 544 (step S32). The second index is represented, for example, by the number of sleep parameters 544 that fall within the reference ranges shown in the reference range table 545. The CPU 51 generates sleep evaluation information based on the calculated second index (step S33). The sleep evaluation information includes, for example, the second index. The sleep evaluation information may be information indicating the relative merits of sleep quality corresponding to the second index (e.g., sleep quality is good, average, poor, etc.). Alternatively, the sleep evaluation information may be information indicating the transition of the second index over a certain period (e.g., one week, one month, one year, etc.) that includes the particular day. The CPU 51 then notifies the childcare provider 31 of the generated sleep evaluation information (step S34), thereby completing the evaluation and notification process.

[0158] Through the above evaluation and notification process, the CPU 51 can notify the caregiver 31 of the sleep quality of the infant 30 on a specific day. Based on this notification, the caregiver 31 can recognize the sleep quality of the infant 30 and take measures to improve the sleep quality as necessary. This can improve the sleep quality of the infant 30.

[0159] Second Embodiment In the sleep evaluation system 1A according to the first embodiment, the information processing device 21 used by the childcare provider 31 evaluates the quality of sleep of the infant 30 using behavior data 541 based on input operations by the childcare provider 31 and data acquired by the sensor 4 (i.e., activity amount data 542 and vital sign data 543). In contrast, in the sleep evaluation system 1A according to the second embodiment, the data acquired by the sensor 4 is used to relatively evaluate the quality of sleep of the infant 30.

[0160] The configuration of the sleep evaluation system 1A according to the second embodiment is similar to that of the sleep evaluation system 1A according to the first embodiment. The second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in the processing procedure executed by the evaluation unit 68. The following mainly describes the differences from the first embodiment.

[0161] 15 is a block diagram showing an example of the system configuration of an information processing device 21 in a sleep evaluation system 1A according to the second embodiment. In the information processing device 21 according to the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, behavior data 541, activity amount data 542, vital data 543, sleep parameters 544, and reference range table 545 are stored in the storage device 54. In contrast, in the information processing device 21 according to the second embodiment, the activity amount data 542, vital data 543, sleep parameters 544, and relative evaluation table 546 are stored in the storage device 54. Other system configurations of the information processing device 21 according to the second embodiment are similar to those of the information processing device 21 according to the first embodiment.

[0162] FIG. 16 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of a CPU 51 that executes a sleep evaluation program 522 in the information processing apparatus 21 of the second embodiment.

[0163] The CPU 51 of the information processing device 21 includes, for example, a notification processing unit 61, a generation processing unit 62, a reception processing unit 63, a storage processing unit 64, a sleep parameter calculation unit 66, and an evaluation unit 68. The notification processing unit 61, the generation processing unit 62, the reception processing unit 63, the storage processing unit 64, the sleep parameter calculation unit 66, and the evaluation unit 68 are functional components that are provided in the CPU 51 by, for example, executing a sleep evaluation program 522. The notification processing unit 61, the generation processing unit 62, the reception processing unit 63, the storage processing unit 64, and the sleep parameter calculation unit 66 have, for example, the same functions as those in the first embodiment.

[0164] The evaluation unit 68 evaluates the quality of sleep on the multiple days using multiple sleep parameters 544 corresponding to each of the sleep on the multiple days (i.e., multiple sleep episodes). The multiple sleep parameters 544 corresponding to each of the sleep on the multiple days are, for example, sleep parameters 544 stored in the storage device 54. Specifically, the evaluation unit 68 determines which of all combinations of two sleep days (i.e., two sleep episodes) selected from the sleep on the multiple days has better sleep quality. The evaluation unit 68 relatively evaluates the quality of sleep on the multiple days by determining which of all combinations of two sleep days has better sleep quality. That is, the evaluation unit 68 obtains, from the multiple sleep parameters 544 of each of the multiple sleep episodes, multiple sleep parameters 544 (hereinafter, third sleep parameters 544) for an arbitrary sleep among the multiple sleep episodes (hereinafter, third sleep) and multiple sleep parameters 544 (hereinafter, fourth sleep parameters) for an arbitrary sleep among the multiple sleep episodes different from the third sleep (hereinafter, fourth sleep). The evaluation unit 68 compares each of the third plurality of sleep parameters 544 with each of the fourth plurality of sleep parameters 544 to obtain the number of sleep parameters indicating that the third sleep has better quality of the infant 30 than the fourth sleep (hereinafter referred to as the third number) and the number of sleep parameters indicating that the fourth sleep has better quality of the infant 30 than the third sleep (hereinafter referred to as the fourth number). The evaluation unit 68 performs a process to determine which of the third sleep and the fourth sleep has better quality based on the third number and the fourth number. The evaluation unit 68 performs this process to determine which of the two sleeps has better quality for all combinations of two sleeps selected from the multiple sleeps. The evaluation unit 68 may then rank the sleeps for multiple days based on the quality of the sleep. Note that specific examples of the sleep parameters 544 are as described above with reference to FIG. 6 .

[0165] A specific example in which the evaluation unit 68 relatively evaluates the quality of sleep over multiple days will be described with reference to FIGS. 17 to 19. FIG.

[0166] FIG. 17 shows (a) example sleep parameters 544 for multiple days and (b) example relationships between sleep parameters 544 and sleep quality.

[0167] 17(a) shows values ​​of a plurality of sleep parameters 544 corresponding to three days of sleep of an infant 30. The infant 30 is, for example, a nine-month-old infant. The three days of sleep are sleep on Day 1, Day 2, and Day 3.

[0168] 17(b) shows a method for evaluating the quality of sleep based on the values ​​of each sleep parameter 544 shown in FIG. 17(a). The evaluation unit 68 determines, for each sleep parameter 544, whether the quality of sleep on one day is better than the quality of sleep on another day, based on this evaluation method, for example.

[0169] The sleeping time of the infant 30 varies depending on the age (months), as shown in Reference 1 below.

[0170] Reference 1: Preschool Children's Sleep and Information and Communication Device Use Research Group, "Sleep Guidelines for Preschool Children," [online], [searched March 30, 2023], Internet <URL: <https: / / www.mhlw.go.jp / content / 000375711.pdf> Figure 18 shows an example of a reference range for the total sleep time of infants and young children 30.

[0171] The evaluation unit 68 uses a plurality of sleep parameters 544 corresponding to each of the three days of sleep of the infant 30 shown in Figure 17(a) to determine which day has better sleep quality for all combinations of two days of sleep selected from the three days of sleep. That is, the evaluation unit 68 determines which day has better sleep quality for each of the combinations of DAY 1 and DAY 2, the combination of DAY 2 and DAY 3, and the combination of DAY 1 and DAY 3. Here, the evaluation unit 68 determines which of the two days has better sleep quality using a method for evaluating the superiority or inferiority of sleep quality based on the values ​​of each sleep parameter 544 shown in Figure 17(b) and the reference times for the total sleep time of the infant 30 according to month age shown in Figure 18.

[0172] 19 shows an example of the relative evaluation results of the sleep quality of an infant 30 over three days. For each of the combinations of DAY 1 and DAY 2, DAY 2 and DAY 3, and DAY 1 and DAY 3, Fig. 19 shows sleep quality assessment results 71 for each sleep parameter 544 and sleep quality evaluation results 72 for the two days that make up each combination. The sleep quality assessment results 71 for each sleep parameter 544 are also referred to as parameter assessment results 71. The sleep quality evaluation results 72 for the two days that make up each combination are also simply referred to as evaluation results 72.

[0173] 19 shows the parameter determination results 71 for each of eight sleep parameters 544, including the amount of activity per unit time, the average amount of activity when active, the total sleep time, the time spent putting the person to sleep, the time of going to bed, the time of waking up, the number of times the person woke up during sleep, and the most frequent heart rate.

[0174] For example, the days on which the sleep quality was evaluated as better or the sleep quality was the same are shown as the evaluation results 72. The evaluation results 72 are determined based on, for example, the number of sleep parameters 544 on one day for which the sleep quality was determined to be better (i.e., the number on one day shown as the parameter evaluation results 71) and the number of sleep parameters 544 on the other day for which the sleep quality was determined to be better (i.e., the number on the other day shown as the parameter evaluation results 71).

[0175] A parameter determination result 71 and an evaluation result 72 for the combination of DAY 1 and DAY 2 (DAY 1 x DAY 2) will be specifically described.

[0176] The amount of activity per unit time on DAY 1 (22.4) is less than the amount of activity per unit time on DAY 2 (25.6). The lower the amount of activity per unit time, the better the quality of sleep. Therefore, the parameter determination result 71 of the amount of activity per unit time for the combination of DAY 1 and DAY 2 indicates DAY 1.

[0177] The average activity level (2.8) when active on DAY 1 is lower than the average activity level (3.0) when active on DAY 2. The lower the average activity level when active, the better the quality of sleep. Therefore, the parameter determination result 71 of the average activity level when active for the combination of DAY 1 and DAY 2 indicates DAY 1.

[0178] The total sleep time on DAY 1 (432 minutes) and the total sleep time on DAY 2 (478 minutes) are both within the reference range for total sleep time. As shown in Figure 18, when infant 30 is 9 months old, the reference range for total sleep time is 6 to 8 hours (i.e., 360 to 480 minutes). Therefore, the parameter determination result 71 of the total sleep time for the combination of DAY 1 and DAY 2 indicates that the sleep quality is the same.

[0179] The time taken to put the child to sleep on DAY 1 (38 minutes) is longer than the time taken to put the child to sleep on DAY 2 (5 minutes). The shorter the time taken to put the child to sleep, the better the quality of sleep. Therefore, the parameter determination result 71 for the time taken to put the child to sleep for the combination of DAY 1 and DAY 2 indicates DAY 2.

[0180] The start time of putting to sleep on DAY 1 (11:38 PM) is later than the start time of putting to sleep on DAY 2 (10:50 PM). The earlier the start time of putting to sleep, the better the quality of sleep. Therefore, the parameter determination result 71 of the start time of putting to sleep for the combination of DAY 1 and DAY 2 indicates DAY 2.

[0181] The wake-up time on DAY 1 (7:54) is later than the wake-up time on DAY 2 (7:06). The earlier the wake-up time, the better the quality of sleep. Therefore, the parameter determination result 71 for the wake-up time for the combination of DAY 1 and DAY 2 indicates DAY 2.

[0182] The number of awakenings on DAY 1 (1) is the same as the number of awakenings on DAY 2 (1). Therefore, the parameter determination result 71 of the number of awakenings on DAY 1 and DAY 2 indicates that the quality of sleep is the same.

[0183] The heart rate mode (93) on DAY 1 is lower than the heart rate mode (96) on DAY 2. The lower the heart rate mode, the better the quality of sleep. Therefore, the parameter determination result 71 of the heart rate mode for the combination of DAY 1 and DAY 2 indicates DAY 1.

[0184] According to the above eight parameter determination results 71, the number of sleep parameters 544 indicating better sleep quality on DAY 1 is 3, and the number of sleep parameters 544 indicating better sleep quality on DAY 2 is 3. Therefore, the sleep quality evaluation result 72 for the combination of DAY 1 and DAY 2 indicates that the sleep quality on DAY 1 and DAY 2 is the same.

[0185] Next, the parameter determination result 71 and the evaluation result 72 for the combination of DAY 2 and DAY 3 (DAY 2 x DAY 3) will be specifically explained.

[0186] The amount of activity per unit time on DAY 2 (25.6) is greater than the amount of activity per unit time on DAY 3 (22.0). The lower the amount of activity per unit time, the better the quality of sleep. Therefore, the parameter determination result 71 of the amount of activity per unit time for the combination of DAY 2 and DAY 3 indicates DAY 3.

[0187] The average activity amount (3.0) when active on DAY 2 is the same as the average activity amount (3.0) when active on DAY 3. Therefore, the parameter determination result 71 of the average activity amount when active for the combination of DAY 2 and DAY 3 indicates that the quality of sleep is the same.

[0188] The total sleep time on DAY 2 (478 minutes) is within the reference range for total sleep time. The total sleep time on DAY 3 (538 minutes) is outside the reference range for total sleep time. As shown in FIG. 18 , when infant 30 is 9 months old, the reference range for total sleep time is 6 to 8 hours (i.e., 360 to 480 minutes). Therefore, the parameter determination result 71 for total sleep time for the combination of DAY 2 and DAY 3 indicates DAY 2.

[0189] The time taken to put the child to sleep on DAY 2 (5 minutes) is shorter than the time taken to put the child to sleep on DAY 3 (10 minutes). The shorter the time taken to put the child to sleep, the better the quality of sleep. Therefore, the parameter determination result 71 for the time taken to put the child to sleep for the combination of DAY 2 and DAY 3 indicates DAY 2.

[0190] The start time of putting to sleep on DAY 2 (10:50 PM) is later than the start time of putting to sleep on DAY 3 (9:30 PM). The earlier the start time of putting to sleep, the better the quality of sleep. Therefore, the parameter determination result 71 of the start time of putting to sleep for the combination of DAY 2 and DAY 3 indicates DAY 3.

[0191] The wake-up time on DAY 2 (7:06) is later than the wake-up time on DAY 3 (6:28). The earlier the wake-up time, the better the quality of sleep. Therefore, the parameter determination result 71 for the wake-up time for the combination of DAY 2 and DAY 3 indicates DAY 3.

[0192] The number of awakenings on DAY 2 (1) is greater than the number of awakenings on DAY 3 (0). The quality of sleep is better the fewer the number of awakenings. Therefore, the parameter determination result 71 for the number of awakenings on DAY 2 and DAY 3 indicates DAY 3.

[0193] The heart rate mode (96) on DAY 2 is lower than the heart rate mode (105) on DAY 3. The lower the heart rate mode, the better the quality of sleep. Therefore, the parameter determination result 71 of the heart rate mode for the combination of DAY 2 and DAY 3 indicates DAY 2.

[0194] According to the above eight parameter determination results 71, the number of sleep parameters 544 indicating better sleep quality on DAY 2 is 3, and the number of sleep parameters 544 indicating better sleep quality on DAY 3 is 4. Therefore, the sleep quality evaluation result 72 for the combination of DAY 2 and DAY 3 indicates DAY 3.

[0195] Furthermore, an evaluation result 72 of the sleep quality for the combination of DAY 1 and DAY 3, evaluated using a similar method, shows that DAY 3 is the best.

[0196] Based on the evaluation results 72 for each of the above combinations of DAY 1 and DAY 2, DAY 2 and DAY 3, and DAY 1 and DAY 3, the evaluation unit 68 can determine, for example, that the quality of sleep on DAY 3 is better than the quality of sleep on either DAY 1 or DAY 2, and that the quality of sleep on DAY 1 and DAY 2 is the same.

[0197] The evaluation unit 68 adds evaluation results 72 for each of the combination of DAY 1 and DAY 2, the combination of DAY 2 and DAY 3, and the combination of DAY 1 and DAY 3 to the relative evaluation table 546. Specifically, the evaluation unit 68 adds, for example, information indicating that the quality of sleep on DAY 3 is better than the quality of sleep on either DAY 1 or DAY 2, and information indicating that the quality of sleep on DAY 1 and DAY 2 is the same to the relative evaluation table 546. The evaluation unit 68 may also add parameter determination results 71 for each of the combination of DAY 1 and DAY 2, the combination of DAY 2 and DAY 3, and the combination of DAY 1 and DAY 3 to the relative evaluation table 546.

[0198] In addition, the evaluation unit 68 may evaluate the sleep quality on a specific day (evaluation day) after obtaining evaluation results 72 of sleep quality for multiple days (e.g., evaluation results 72 for DAY 1, DAY 2, and DAY 3) using the accumulated sleep parameters 544.

[0199] FIG. 20 shows an example of a relative evaluation result of sleep quality between multiple days for which evaluation results 72 have been obtained and a specific day. The multiple days for which evaluation results 72 have been obtained are also referred to as comparison days. Here, the comparison days are assumed to be the three days of DAY 1, DAY 2, and DAY 3 described above. The sleep parameters 544 for DAY 1, DAY 2, and DAY 3 are as shown in FIG. 17( a). The sleep parameters 544 for the specific day are assumed to be the sleep parameters 544 for the evaluation day shown in FIG. 10.

[0200] In FIG. 20, the parameter determination results 71 and the evaluation results 72 for the combination of DAY 1 and DAY 2, the combination of DAY 2 and DAY 3, and the combination of DAY 1 and DAY 3 are obtained from the relative evaluation table 546, for example.

[0201] The evaluation unit 68 determines which day has better sleep quality for each of the combinations of DAY 1 and the evaluation DAY, the combination of DAY 2 and the evaluation DAY, and the combination of DAY 3 and the evaluation DAY. That is, the evaluation unit 68 determines which day has better sleep quality for each of the combinations of DAY 1 and the evaluation DAY, the combination of DAY 2 and the evaluation DAY, and the combination of DAY 3 and the evaluation DAY.

[0202] The parameter determination result 71 and the evaluation result 72 will be specifically described for the combination of DAY 1 and evaluation DAY (DAY 1 x evaluation DAY).

[0203] The amount of activity per unit time on DAY 1 (22.4) is greater than the amount of activity per unit time on the evaluation DAY (18.5). The lower the amount of activity per unit time, the better the quality of sleep. Therefore, the parameter determination result 71 of the amount of activity per unit time for the combination of DAY 1 and the evaluation DAY indicates the evaluation DAY.

[0204] The average activity level (2.8) when active on DAY 1 is higher than the average activity level (2.7) when active on the evaluation DAY. The lower the average activity level when active, the better the quality of sleep. Therefore, the parameter determination result 71 of the average activity level when active for the combination of DAY 1 and the evaluation DAY indicates the evaluation DAY.

[0205] The total sleep time on DAY 1 (432 minutes) is within the reference range for total sleep time. The total sleep time on the evaluation DAY (494 minutes) is outside the reference range for total sleep time. As shown in FIG. 18 , when infant 30 is 9 months old, the reference range for total sleep time is 6 to 8 hours (i.e., 360 to 480 minutes). Therefore, the parameter determination result 71 for total sleep time for the combination of DAY 1 and evaluation DAY indicates DAY 1.

[0206] The time taken to put the child to sleep on DAY 1 (38 minutes) is shorter than the time taken to put the child to sleep on the evaluation DAY (44 minutes). The shorter the time taken to put the child to sleep, the better the quality of sleep. Therefore, the parameter determination result 71 for the time taken to put the child to sleep for the combination of DAY 1 and the evaluation DAY indicates DAY 1.

[0207] The start time of putting to sleep on DAY 1 (11:38 PM) is later than the start time of putting to sleep on the evaluation DAY (11:14 PM). The earlier the start time of putting to sleep, the better the quality of sleep. Therefore, the parameter determination result 71 of the start time of putting to sleep for the combination of DAY 1 and the evaluation DAY indicates the evaluation DAY.

[0208] The wake-up time on DAY 1 (7:54) is later than the wake-up time on the evaluation DAY (7:28). The earlier the wake-up time, the better the quality of sleep. Therefore, the parameter determination result 71 of the wake-up time for the combination of DAY 1 and the evaluation DAY indicates the evaluation DAY.

[0209] The number of awakenings on DAY 1 (1) is greater than the number of awakenings on the evaluation DAY (0). The lower the number of awakenings, the better the quality of sleep. Therefore, the parameter determination result 71 of the number of awakenings for the combination of DAY 1 and the evaluation DAY indicates the evaluation DAY.

[0210] The heart rate mode (93) for DAY 1 is lower than the heart rate mode (106) for the evaluation DAY. The lower the heart rate mode, the better the quality of sleep. Therefore, the parameter determination result 71 for the heart rate mode for the combination of DAY 1 and the evaluation DAY indicates DAY 1.

[0211] According to the above eight parameter determination results 71, the number of sleep parameters 544 indicating better sleep quality on DAY 1 is 3, and the number of sleep parameters 544 indicating better sleep quality on the evaluation DAY is 5. Therefore, the evaluation result 72 of sleep quality for the combination of DAY 1 and the evaluation DAY indicates the evaluation DAY.

[0212] Furthermore, by evaluation using a similar method, the evaluation result 72 of the sleep quality for the combination of DAY 2 and the evaluation DAY indicates DAY 2. The evaluation result 72 of the sleep quality for the combination of DAY 3 and the evaluation DAY indicates DAY 3.

[0213] Based on the evaluation results 72 for the combinations of DAY 1 and evaluation DAY, DAY 2 and evaluation DAY, and DAY 3 and evaluation DAY, the evaluation unit 68 determines, for example, that the sleep quality on evaluation DAY is better than the sleep quality on DAY 1 (DAY 1 < evaluation DAY), or that the sleep quality on evaluation DAY is worse than the sleep quality on both DAY 2 and DAY 3 (evaluation DAY < DAY 2, DAY 3). The evaluation unit 68 may add the evaluation results 72 for the combinations of DAY 1 and evaluation DAY, DAY 2 and evaluation DAY, and DAY 3 and evaluation DAY to the relative evaluation table 546. Specifically, the evaluation unit 68 adds, to the relative evaluation table 546, for example, information indicating that the quality of sleep on the evaluation DAY is better than the quality of sleep on DAY 1 and information indicating that the quality of sleep on the evaluation DAY is worse than the quality of sleep on both DAY 2 and DAY 3. The evaluation unit 68 may also add, to the relative evaluation table 546, the parameter determination results 71 for each of the combinations of DAY 1 and the evaluation DAY, the combination of DAY 2 and the evaluation DAY, and the combination of DAY 3 and the evaluation DAY.

[0214] Note that the evaluation results 72 for the combinations of DAY 1 and the evaluation DAY, DAY 2 and the evaluation DAY, and DAY 3 and the evaluation DAY do not indicate whether the sleep quality of DAY 2 is better than that of DAY 3. In such a case, the evaluation unit 68 obtains, for example, information indicating that the sleep quality of DAY 3 is better than that of DAY 2 from the relative evaluation table 546 (i.e., the evaluation result 72 for DAY 2 × DAY 3 in FIG. 19 ). Using the obtained information, the evaluation unit 68 can determine that the sleep quality is better in the following order: DAY 3, DAY 2, the evaluation DAY, and DAY 1. In other words, the evaluation unit 68 can determine the order of superiority or inferiority of the sleep quality of a specific day (evaluation DAY) compared to a plurality of comparison DAYs (here, DAY 1, DAY 2, and DAY 3).

[0215] If the relative evaluation table 546 cannot determine the relative quality of sleep for a combination of two days, the evaluation unit 68 may determine that the sleep qualities of the two days are the same. Alternatively, the evaluation unit 68 may determine the relative quality of sleep for the two days according to the priority order of the sleep parameters 544.

[0216] 21 shows an example of the priority order of sleep parameters 544 when determining the quality of sleep. In the example shown in Fig. 21, the priority order is sleep efficiency, deep sleep occupancy rate, REM sleep occupancy rate, activity amount per unit time, average activity amount when active, etc. The priority order is lowest for the start time of putting the child to sleep (time of going to bed).

[0217] 22 shows an example of values ​​of a plurality of sleep parameters 544 for two days for determining the quality of sleep. Here, the plurality of sleep parameters 544 for Day 2 and the plurality of sleep parameters 544 for Day 3 are shown as examples.

[0218] Evaluator 68 identifies the sleep parameter 544 with the highest priority from among the sleep parameters 544 shown in Fig. 21 according to the priorities of the sleep parameters 544. Specifically, evaluator 68 identifies the activity amount per unit time with the fourth priority from the sleep parameters 544 shown in Fig. 22. This is because sleep efficiency, deep sleep occupancy, and REM sleep occupancy, which have higher priorities, are not included in the sleep parameters 544 shown in Fig. 22.

[0219] The evaluation unit 68 then compares the amount of activity per unit time on DAY 2 (25.6) with the amount of activity per unit time on DAY 3 (22.0). The lower the amount of activity per unit time, the better the quality of sleep. Therefore, the evaluation unit 68 determines that the quality of sleep on DAY 3 is better than the quality of sleep on DAY 2. Based on this determination, the evaluation unit 68 can determine that the sleep quality is better in the following order: DAY 3, DAY 2, the evaluation DAY, and DAY 1. In other words, the evaluation unit 68 can determine an order indicating the superiority or inferiority of sleep quality between a plurality of comparison DAYs (here, DAY 1, DAY 2, and DAY 3) and a specific day (evaluation DAY).

[0220] If the relative evaluation table 546 fails to determine the relative quality of sleep for a given two-day combination, the evaluation unit 68 may further use information (manually input information) generated based on operations performed by the childcare worker 31 on the information processing device 21. The manually input information may include, for example, at least one of whether or not the infant 30 takes a nap, the duration of the nap, whether or not the infant 30 is feeling unwell, whether or not the infant 30 has gone out on a routine basis, and whether or not the infant 30 has gone out on a non-routine basis. Examples of routine outings include walks and playing in the park. Examples of non-routine outings include special outings such as an event the infant 30 has never experienced before or a place the infant 30 has never visited before. The evaluation unit 68 uses the manually input information to select a portion of the sleep parameters 544 for the corresponding day or to correct the values ​​of the sleep parameters 544 for the corresponding day. Specific examples are described below.

[0221] For example, if the infant 30 takes a nap and the nap time has been acquired, the evaluation unit 68 adds the nap time to the total sleep time included in the sleep parameters 544 for the corresponding day. The evaluation unit 68 then uses the total sleep time including the nap time to determine the quality of sleep.

[0222] If the infant 30 is taking a nap and the nap time is not acquired, the evaluation unit 68 does not use the total sleep time included in the sleep parameters 544 for the corresponding day to determine the quality of sleep.

[0223] If the person is in poor physical condition, the evaluation unit 68 evaluates the quality of sleep on the corresponding day, but excludes it from comparison with other days.

[0224] If a person has gone out for a routine reason, the evaluation unit 68 evaluates the quality of sleep on the corresponding day by comparing it with other days on which the person has gone out for a routine reason. In other words, the evaluation unit 68 does not compare the quality of sleep on a day on which the person has gone out for a routine reason with the quality of sleep on a day on which the person has not gone out or on a day on which the person has gone out for an unusual reason.

[0225] When an unusual outing occurs, the evaluation unit 68 evaluates the sleep quality of the corresponding day by comparing it with other days on which an unusual outing occurred. In other words, the evaluation unit 68 does not compare the sleep quality of the day on which an unusual outing occurred with the sleep quality of days on which no outing occurred or days on which an ordinary outing occurred.

[0226] If the child did not go out (for example, if the child played indoors), the evaluation unit 68 evaluates the sleep quality of the corresponding day by comparing it with other days on which the child did not go out. In other words, the evaluation unit 68 does not compare the sleep quality of the days on which the child did not go out with the sleep quality of the days on which the child went out. In this way, the evaluation unit 68 may classify the multiple days on which the sleep quality is to be evaluated into categories related to going out and determine an order indicating the superiority or inferiority of the sleep quality within each category.

[0227] As a result, the evaluation unit 68 can determine an order of sleep quality between a plurality of comparison days (here, DAY 1, DAY 2, and DAY 3) and a specific day (evaluation day). The evaluation unit 68 calculates an index indicating the relative sleep quality of the evaluation day based on the determined order of sleep quality. Specifically, the evaluation unit 68 calculates the index of the evaluation day relatively, for example, by assigning an index of 0 to the day with the worst sleep quality in the determined order of sleep quality and an index of 3 to the day with the best sleep quality. In this case, for example, an index greater than or equal to 0 and less than 1 indicates poor sleep quality on the corresponding day. An index greater than or equal to 1 and less than 2 indicates average sleep quality on the corresponding day. An index greater than or equal to 2 and less than or equal to 3 indicates good sleep quality on the corresponding day. The evaluation unit 68 can similarly calculate an index indicating the sleep quality of each comparison day.

[0228] Next, the evaluation unit 68 sends the sleep evaluation information to the notification processing unit 61. The sleep evaluation information includes, for example, an index indicating the relative quality of sleep on the evaluation day. Alternatively, the sleep evaluation information may include an index indicating the quality of sleep on each of the evaluation day and the comparison day.

[0229] The notification processor 61 uses the sleep evaluation information received from the evaluation processor 68 to notify the childcare provider 31 of the sleep quality of at least a specific day (evaluation DAY). The notification processor 61 may also use the sleep evaluation information to notify the childcare provider 31 of the sleep quality of the evaluation DAY and the sleep quality of multiple days (comparison DAYS) compared to the evaluation DAY. Specifically, the notification processor 61 displays a graph or the like on the touchscreen display 53 indicating the order (relative relationship) of the sleep quality of the evaluation DAY and the comparison DAY. Alternatively, the notification processor 61 may notify the childcare provider 31 by displaying information indicating the relative quality of the sleep quality of the evaluation DAY and the comparison DAY (e.g., sleep quality is good, average, poor, etc.) on the touchscreen display 53, outputting audio from the speaker 58, or the like.

[0230] FIG. 23 shows an example of sleep evaluation information notification. Here, bar graphs display the sleep quality indices for the evaluation day and the comparison day. A bar graph with a larger index value indicates better sleep quality. As described above, for example, an index greater than or equal to 0 and less than 1 indicates poor sleep quality on the corresponding day. An index greater than or equal to 1 and less than 2 indicates average sleep quality on the corresponding day. An index greater than or equal to 2 and less than or equal to 3 indicates good sleep quality on the corresponding day. Therefore, the caregiver 31 recognizes, for example, that the sleep quality on Day 2 is poor, the sleep quality on Day 1 and the evaluation day is average, and the sleep quality on Day 3 is good. This allows the caregiver 31 to recognize the infant's sleep quality on the evaluation day in comparison with the comparison day, for example. The caregiver 31 can then take measures to improve the infant's sleep quality as necessary. This improves the infant's sleep quality.

[0231] 24 and 25, the procedure of the process executed by information processing device 21 will be described. Note that the sleep parameter calculation process of analyzing data acquired by sensor 4 and calculating sleep parameters 544 for a specific day is as described above in the first embodiment with reference to FIG.

[0232] 24 is a flowchart showing an example of the procedure for relative evaluation processing executed in information processing device 21. The relative evaluation processing is processing that uses multiple sleep parameters 544 corresponding to each of multiple days' sleep (i.e., multiple sleep sessions) to determine which of all combinations of two days' sleep selected from the multiple days' sleep has better sleep quality. Here, an example is shown in which CPU 51 of information processing device 21 executes the relative evaluation processing using calculated sleep parameters 544 for M days.

[0233] First, the CPU 51 sets a variable i to 1 (step S401). The variable i is used to identify one of M days. The variable i is set to any value from 1 to M.

[0234] The CPU 51 reads out a plurality of sleep parameters 544 for the i-th day from the storage device 54 (step S402). The CPU 51 sets a variable j to (i+1) (step S403). Then, the CPU 51 determines whether the variable j is equal to or less than M (step S404).

[0235] If the variable j is equal to or less than M (Yes in step S404), the CPU 51 reads the plurality of sleep parameters 544 for the jth day from the storage device 54 (step S405). The CPU 51 compares the plurality of sleep parameters 544 for the ith day with the plurality of sleep parameters 544 for the jth day (step S406). Specifically, the CPU 51 compares, for example, each of the plurality of sleep parameters 544 for the ith day with each of the plurality of sleep parameters 544 for the jth day to obtain the number of sleep parameters 544 indicating that the quality of the infant 30's sleep on the ith day is better than that on the jth day (hereinafter referred to as the first parameter number) and the number of sleep parameters 544 indicating that the quality of the infant 30's sleep on the jth day is better than that on the ith day (hereinafter referred to as the second parameter number).

[0236] Next, the CPU 51 determines whether the quality of sleep on the i-th day is better than the quality of sleep on the j-th day based on the result of comparing the plurality of sleep parameters 544 on the i-th day with the plurality of sleep parameters 544 on the j-th day (step S407). For example, if the number of first parameters is greater than the number of second parameters, the CPU 51 determines that the quality of sleep on the i-th day is better than the quality of sleep on the j-th day.

[0237] If the quality of sleep on the i-th day is better than the quality of sleep on the j-th day (Yes in step S407), the CPU 51 adds information indicating that the quality of sleep on the i-th day is better than the quality of sleep on the j-th day to the relative evaluation table 546 (step S408), and proceeds to step S412.

[0238] If the sleep quality on the i-th day is not better than the sleep quality on the j-th day (No in step S407), the CPU 51 determines whether the sleep quality on the j-th day is better than the sleep quality on the i-th day based on the result of comparing the plurality of sleep parameters 544 on the i-th day with the plurality of sleep parameters 544 on the j-th day (step S409). For example, if the number of second parameters is greater than the number of first parameters, the CPU 51 determines that the sleep quality on the j-th day is better than the sleep quality on the i-th day.

[0239] If the quality of sleep on the jth day is better than the quality of sleep on the ith day (Yes in step S409), the CPU 51 adds information indicating that the quality of sleep on the jth day is better than the quality of sleep on the ith day to the relative evaluation table 546 (step S410), and proceeds to step S412.

[0240] If the sleep quality on the jth day is not better than the sleep quality on the ith day (No in step S409), the CPU 51 adds information indicating that the sleep quality on the ith day is the same as the sleep quality on the jth day to the relative evaluation table 546 (step S411), and proceeds to step S412. In other words, if the sleep quality on the ith day is not better than the sleep quality on the jth day and is not better than the sleep quality on the ith day, this is the case where the sleep quality on the ith day is the same as the sleep quality on the jth day. In this case, for example, the number of first parameters is equal to the number of second parameters.

[0241] Next, the CPU 51 adds 1 to the variable j (step S412) and returns to step S404. That is, if the new variable j is equal to or less than M, the CPU 51 compares the sleep parameters 544 of the i-th day with the new sleep parameters 544 of the j-th day to perform a process of relatively evaluating the quality of sleep on the i-th day and the quality of sleep on the j-th day.

[0242] If the variable j is greater than M (No in step S404), the CPU 51 adds 1 to the variable i (step S413).The CPU 51 determines whether the variable i is equal to or less than (M-1) (step S414).

[0243] If the variable i is equal to or less than (M-1) (Yes in step S414), the CPU 51 returns to step S402. That is, if the new variable i is equal to or less than (M-1), the CPU 51 compares the new sleep parameters 544 for the i-th day with the sleep parameters 544 for the j-th day to perform a process of relatively evaluating the quality of sleep on the i-th day and the quality of sleep on the j-th day.

[0244] If the variable i is greater than (M-1) (No in step S414), the CPU 51 ends the relative evaluation process.

[0245] Through the above relative evaluation process, the CPU 51 can determine which day has better quality of sleep for all combinations of two days of sleep selected from M days of sleep. In other words, the CPU 51 can determine which of the two days has better quality of sleep or whether the quality of sleep is the same for each of all combinations of two days of sleep selected from M days of sleep.

[0246] 25 is a flowchart showing an example of the procedure for evaluation and notification processing executed by the information processing device 21. The evaluation and notification processing is processing for evaluating the quality of sleep of the infant 30 on a specific day and notifying the childcare worker 31 of sleep evaluation information. The specific day is a target day for evaluating the quality of sleep of the infant 30, for example, the most recent day on which activity amount data 542 and vital data 543 were acquired. The CPU 51 executes the evaluation and notification processing, for example, at regular intervals. Alternatively, the CPU 51 may execute the evaluation and notification processing in response to an operation on the information processing device 21 by the childcare worker 31.

[0247] Here, it is assumed that sleep parameters 544 for a specific day and sleep parameters 544 for M days other than the specific day are stored in storage device 54. It is also assumed that the quality of sleep on day M has already been evaluated by the relative evaluation process described above with reference to FIG.

[0248] First, the CPU 51 reads out a plurality of sleep parameters 544 for a specific day (step S501). The CPU 51 sets a variable k to 1 (step S502). The variable k is used to identify one of the M days. The variable k is set to any value from 1 to M.

[0249] Next, CPU 51 reads the relatively evaluated sleep parameters 544 for day k from storage device 54 (step S503). CPU 51 compares the sleep parameters 544 for the specific day with the sleep parameters 544 for day k (step S504). Specifically, CPU 51 compares, for example, each of the sleep parameters 544 for the specific day with each of the sleep parameters 544 for day k to obtain the number of sleep parameters 544 indicating that the quality of infant 30's sleep on the specific day is better than that on day k (hereinafter referred to as the third parameter number) and the number of sleep parameters 544 indicating that the quality of infant 30's sleep on day k is better than that on the specific day (hereinafter referred to as the fourth parameter number).

[0250] Next, the CPU 51 determines whether the sleep quality on the specific day is better than the sleep quality on the kth day based on the result of comparing the plurality of sleep parameters 544 on the specific day with the plurality of sleep parameters 544 on the kth day (step S505). For example, if the number of the third parameters is greater than the number of the fourth parameters, the CPU 51 determines that the sleep quality on the specific day is better than the sleep quality on the kth day.

[0251] If the quality of sleep on a particular day is better than the quality of sleep on the kth day (Yes in step S505), the CPU 51 adds information indicating that the quality of sleep on the particular day is better than the quality of sleep on the kth day to the relative evaluation table 546 (step S506), and proceeds to step S510.

[0252] If the sleep quality on the specific day is not better than the sleep quality on the kth day (No in step S505), the CPU 51 determines whether the sleep quality on the kth day is better than the sleep quality on the specific day based on the result of comparing the plurality of sleep parameters 544 on the specific day with the plurality of sleep parameters 544 on the kth day (step S507). For example, if the number of the fourth parameter is greater than the number of the third parameter, the CPU 51 determines that the sleep quality on the kth day is better than the sleep quality on the specific day.

[0253] If the quality of sleep on the kth day is better than the quality of sleep on the specific day (Yes in step S507), the CPU 51 adds information indicating that the quality of sleep on the kth day is better than the quality of sleep on the specific day to the relative evaluation table 546 (step S508), and proceeds to step S510.

[0254] If the sleep quality on the kth day is not better than the sleep quality on the specific day (No in step S507), the CPU 51 adds information indicating that the sleep quality on the specific day is the same as the sleep quality on the kth day to the relative evaluation table 546 (step S509), and proceeds to step S510. In other words, if the sleep quality on the specific day is not better than the sleep quality on the kth day and the sleep quality on the kth day is not better than the sleep quality on the specific day, this is the case where the sleep quality on the specific day is the same as the sleep quality on the kth day. In this case, for example, the third parameter number is equal to the fourth parameter number.

[0255] Next, the CPU 51 adds 1 to the variable k (step S510), and determines whether the variable k is equal to or less than M (step S511).

[0256] If the variable k is equal to or less than M (Yes in step S511), the CPU 51 returns to step S503. That is, the CPU 51 compares the sleep parameters 544 of the specific day with the sleep parameters 544 of the new kth day, and performs a process of relatively evaluating the quality of sleep on the specific day and the quality of sleep on the kth day.

[0257] If the variable k is greater than M (No in step S511), the process of determining whether the sleep quality of the specific day or the sleep quality of the Mth day is better has been completed. Therefore, the CPU 51 generates sleep evaluation information for the specific day based on the relative evaluation table 546 (step S512). The sleep evaluation information may include, for example, an index indicating the relative sleep quality of the specific day. The sleep evaluation information may also include information indicating the relative quality of sleep on the specific day (e.g., sleep quality is good, average, poor, etc.). Alternatively, the sleep evaluation information may also include information indicating the relationship between the quality of sleep on the specific day and at least one of the Mth days. The CPU 51 then notifies the childcare provider 31 of the sleep evaluation information (step S513) and terminates the evaluation and notification process. The CPU 51 may also notify the childcare provider 31 of the relationship between the quality of sleep on the specific day and at least one of the Mth days using a graph or other display.

[0258] Through the above evaluation and notification process, the CPU 51 can notify the caregiver 31 of the sleep quality of the infant 30 on a specific day. Based on this notification, the caregiver 31 can recognize the sleep quality of the infant 30 and take measures to improve the sleep quality as necessary. This can improve the sleep quality of the infant 30.

[0259] In the sleep evaluation system 1A according to the first and second embodiments, an information processing device 21 used by a childcare worker 31 evaluates the quality of sleep of an infant 30. In contrast, in the sleep evaluation system according to the third embodiment, a server device evaluates the quality of sleep of an infant 30.

[0260] In the sleep evaluation system according to the third embodiment, a server device has at least some of the functions of the information processing device 21 in the first or second embodiment. Specifically, the server device has a function to evaluate the quality of sleep of an infant 30 and generate sleep evaluation information. Differences from the first and second embodiments will be mainly described below.

[0261] 26 shows an example of the configuration of a sleep evaluation system 1B according to Embodiment 3. The sleep evaluation system 1B includes an information processing device 21, a plurality of sensors 4, a server device 25, and a network 26.

[0262] Each of the multiple sensors 4 is capable of communicating with the server device 25 via the network 26. Specifically, each of the multiple sensors 4 transmits, for example, data acquired by the sensor 4 (sensor data) to the server device 25 via the network 26. Note that the multiple sensors 4 may transmit the sensor data to the information processing device 21, and the information processing device 21 may transfer the sensor data to the server device 25. The sensor data includes activity amount data 542 generated by the activity amount sensor 41 and vital data 543 acquired by the vital sensor 42. The sensor data may further include moving image data generated by the imaging device 43.

[0263] Communication via the network 26 may be wired or wireless. The network 26 includes, for example, a wired local area network (wired LAN), a wireless local area network (wireless LAN), and a wide area network (WAN). The WAN includes, for example, a mobile phone network, a fixed telephone network, a satellite communication network, a leased line, an asynchronous transfer mode (ATM), and an Internet Protocol-Virtual Private Network (IP-VPN).

[0264] The server device 25 is an information processing device that analyzes data related to the infant 30 and provides information (sleep evaluation information) indicating the evaluation results of the sleep of the infant 30. The server device 25 is realized as, for example, a server computer.

[0265] For example, the server device 25 receives the sensor data from each of the plurality of sensors 4 via the network 26. Alternatively, the server device 25 may receive the sensor data from each of the plurality of sensors 4 via the information processing device 21 and the network 26.

[0266] The server device 25 is also capable of communicating with, for example, the information processing device 21 via the network 26. Specifically, the server device 25 receives, for example, behavior data 541 from the information processing device 21 via the network 26. The server device 25 also transmits sleep evaluation information to the information processing device 21 via the network 26. The server device 25 has a configuration similar to, for example, the information processing device 21 of the first embodiment described above with reference to FIG. 2 or the information processing device 21 of the second embodiment described above with reference to FIG. 15 in order to analyze the behavior data 541 and sensor data and provide sleep evaluation information.

[0267] The information processing device 21 transmits behavior data 541 to the server device 25 via the network 26. The configuration for generating the behavior data 541 is similar to the notification processing unit 61 and the generation processing unit 62 provided in the information processing device 21 of the first embodiment described above with reference to Fig. 3. The information processing device 21 transmits the behavior data 541 to the server device 25 via, for example, the first communication unit 55.

[0268] The information processing device 21 also receives sleep evaluation information from the server device 25 via the network 26. The information processing device 21 receives sleep support information from the server device 25, for example, via the first communication unit 55. The information processing device 21 notifies the received sleep evaluation information to the childcare person 31. The information processing device 21 has a configuration for receiving sleep evaluation information and notifying the childcare person 31. The configuration for notifying the childcare person 31 of the sleep evaluation information is similar to the notification processing unit 61 provided in the information processing device 21 of the first embodiment described above with reference to FIG. 3 or the notification processing unit 61 provided in the information processing device 21 of the second embodiment described above with reference to FIG. 16.

[0269] With the above configuration, in the sleep evaluation system 1B of the third embodiment, the server device 25 acquires behavior data 541 from the information processing device 21, acquires sensor data from the multiple sensors 4, and provides sleep evaluation information to the information processing device 21 using the acquired behavior data 541 and sensor data. Note that the server device 25 may have functions other than those of the information processing device 21 of the first or second embodiment, in addition to the function of providing sleep evaluation information. For example, the server device 25 may have a function of processing feedback based on operations performed on the information processing device 21 by the childcare worker 31.

[0270] The above-described embodiment of the present invention is merely an example, and specific aspects can be modified in various ways. The following supplementary notes are further provided regarding the above-described embodiment of the present invention. <1> A sleep evaluation system including an information processing device and a plurality of sensors, wherein the plurality of sensors include at least one of a first sensor and a second sensor, wherein the first sensor measures activity amount data indicating an activity amount of a subject, and the second sensor measures vital data indicating a vital sign of the subject, the information processing device including: a generation unit that generates behavior data indicating the behavior of the subject in response to a user's operation on the information processing device; a determination unit that uses the behavior data to determine L sleeps in which the subject has good quality; a calculation unit that calculates a plurality of sleep parameters for each of the L sleeps using at least one of the activity amount data and the vital data corresponding to each of the L sleeps; and an analysis unit that uses the plurality of sleep parameters for each of the L sleeps to determine a value range for each of the plurality of sleep parameters when the subject has good quality sleep, where L is an integer greater than or equal to 1. <2> The sleep evaluation system of <1>, wherein the calculation unit further calculates a plurality of sleep parameters for a specific sleep of the subject using at least one of the activity data and the vital data corresponding to the specific sleep, and the information processing device further comprises an evaluation unit that evaluates the quality of the specific sleep using the plurality of sleep parameters for the specific sleep and the ranges. <3> The sleep evaluation system of <2>, wherein the information processing device further comprises a notification processing unit that notifies the user of information indicating the evaluated quality of the specific sleep. <4> The sleep evaluation system of <1>, wherein the calculation unit further calculates a plurality of sleep parameters for each of M sleeps using at least one of the activity data and the vital data corresponding to each of the M sleeps, and the information processing device further comprises an evaluation unit that evaluates the quality of each of the M sleeps using the plurality of sleep parameters for each of the M sleeps and the ranges, where M is an integer greater than or equal to 2.<5> The sleep evaluation system according to <4>, wherein the information processing device further includes a notification processing unit that notifies the user of information indicating the quality of each of the M sleep evaluations. <6> The sleep evaluation system according to <5>, wherein the notification processing unit displays a graph indicating the quality of the M sleep evaluations on a screen of the information processing device. <7> The sleep evaluation system described in <1>, further comprising: an evaluation unit that determines whether the quality of the first sleep or the quality of the second sleep is better based on the first number and the second number; and an evaluation unit that determines whether the quality of the first sleep or the second sleep is better based on the first number and the second number. <8> The sleep evaluation system of <7>, wherein the evaluation unit determines that the first sleep is of better quality than the second sleep if the first number is greater than the second number, and determines that the second sleep is of better quality than the first sleep if the second number is greater than the first number. <9> The sleep evaluation system of <7> or <8>, wherein the information processing device further comprises a notification processing unit that, if it is determined that the first sleep is of better quality than the second sleep, notifies the user that the first sleep is of better quality than the second sleep, and if it is determined that the second sleep is of better quality than the first sleep.<10> The calculation unit further calculates a plurality of sleep parameters for each of the M sleeps using at least one of the activity amount data and the vital data corresponding to each of the M sleeps; the information processing device: obtains, from the plurality of sleep parameters for each of the M sleeps, a third plurality of sleep parameters for an arbitrary third sleep among the M sleeps and a fourth plurality of sleep parameters for an arbitrary fourth sleep among the M sleeps different from the third sleep; compares each of the third plurality of sleep parameters with each of the fourth plurality of sleep parameters to obtain a third number of sleep parameters indicating that the third sleep is of better quality than the fourth sleep of the subject and a fourth number of sleep parameters indicating that the fourth sleep is of better quality than the third sleep; and performs a process of determining which of the third sleep and the fourth sleep has better quality based on the third number and the fourth number for all combinations of two sleeps selected from the M sleeps; and further comprises an evaluation unit that determines an order of quality of the M sleeps based on results of the process for all combinations. The sleep evaluation system of <1>, wherein M is an integer equal to or greater than 2. <11> The sleep evaluation system of <10>, wherein the evaluation unit determines that the third sleep is of better quality than the fourth sleep if the third number is greater than the fourth number, and determines that the fourth sleep is of better quality than the third sleep if the fourth number is greater than the third number. <12> The sleep evaluation system of <10> or <11>, wherein the information processing device further includes a notification processing unit that notifies the user of the determined order of quality of the M sleeps. <13> The sleep evaluation system of any one of <1> to <12>, wherein the plurality of sleep parameters include at least one of the subject's sleep latency, sleep onset time, wake-up time, total sleep time, time spent awake onset, number of awakenings onset, activity amount per unit time, average activity amount during activity, deep sleep occupancy, REM sleep occupancy, sleep efficiency, heart rate, heart rate variability, respiratory rate per unit time, and peripheral skin temperature.<14> The sleep evaluation system according to any one of <1> to <13>, wherein the first sensor and the second sensor are an integrated sensor device. <15> A sleep evaluation system including an information processing device and a plurality of sensors, wherein the plurality of sensors include at least one of a first sensor and a second sensor, wherein the first sensor measures activity amount data indicating an activity amount of a subject, and the second sensor measures vital data indicating a vital sign of the subject, wherein the information processing device includes: a calculation unit that calculates a plurality of sleep parameters for each of M sleeps using at least one of the activity amount data and the vital data corresponding to each of the M sleeps; a first plurality of sleep parameters for a first sleep and a second plurality of sleep parameters for a second sleep from the plurality of sleep parameters for each of the M sleeps; a comparison of each of the first plurality of sleep parameters with each of the second plurality of sleep parameters to obtain a first number of sleep parameters indicating that the subject's sleep quality is better for the first sleep than for the second sleep and a second number of sleep parameters indicating that the subject's sleep quality is better for the second sleep than for the first sleep; and a process of determining which of the first sleep and the second sleep has better quality based on the first number and the second number for all combinations of two sleeps selected from the M sleeps; and an evaluation unit that determines an order of the quality of the M sleeps based on results of the process for all combinations, wherein M is an integer greater than or equal to 2. <16> The sleep evaluation system according to <15>, wherein the evaluation unit determines that the first sleep is of better quality than the second sleep if the first number is greater than the second number, and determines that the second sleep is of better quality than the first sleep if the second number is greater than the first number. <17> The sleep evaluation system according to <15> or <16>, wherein the information processing device further includes a notification processing unit that notifies a user of the sleep evaluation system of the determined order of the qualities of the M sleeps.<18> The sleep evaluation system of any one of <15> to <17>, wherein the plurality of sleep parameters include at least any of the subject's sleep latency, fall asleep time, wake-up time, total sleep time, awakening time during sleep, number of awakenings during sleep, activity amount per unit time, average activity amount during active periods, deep sleep occupancy rate, REM sleep occupancy rate, sleep efficiency, heart rate, heart rate variability, respiratory rate per unit time, and peripheral skin temperature. <19> The sleep evaluation system of any one of <15> to <18>, wherein the first sensor and the second sensor are an integrated sensor device. <20> The sleep evaluation system of any one of <1> to <19>, wherein the subject is an infant, and a user of the sleep evaluation system is a parent or guardian of the infant. <21> An information processing device capable of acquiring data from a plurality of sensors, wherein the plurality of sensors include at least one of a first sensor and a second sensor, wherein the first sensor measures activity amount data indicating an activity amount of a subject, and the second sensor measures vital data indicating a vital sign of the subject, the information processing device comprising: a generation unit that generates behavior data indicating the behavior of the subject in response to a user's operation on the information processing device; a determination unit that uses the behavior data to determine L sleeps of good quality for the subject; a calculation unit that calculates a plurality of sleep parameters for each of the L sleeps using at least one of the activity amount data and the vital data corresponding to each of the L sleeps; and an analysis unit that determines a value range for each of the plurality of sleep parameters when the quality of the subject's sleep is good, wherein L is an integer greater than or equal to 1.<22> A sleep evaluation method for controlling an information processing device capable of acquiring data from a plurality of sensors, wherein the plurality of sensors include at least one of a first sensor and a second sensor, wherein the first sensor measures activity amount data indicating an activity amount of a subject, and the second sensor measures vital data indicating a vital sign of the subject, wherein the sleep evaluation method comprises: a generation unit of the information processing device generates behavior data indicating the behavior of the subject in response to a user's operation on the information processing device; a determination unit of the information processing device uses the behavior data to determine L sleeps of good quality for the subject; a calculation unit of the information processing device calculates a plurality of sleep parameters for each of the L sleeps using at least one of the activity amount data and the vital data corresponding to each of the L sleeps; and an analysis unit of the information processing device uses the plurality of sleep parameters for each of the L sleeps to determine a value range for each of the plurality of sleep parameters when the quality of the subject's sleep is good, wherein L is an integer greater than or equal to 1. <23> A program executed by a computer capable of acquiring data from a plurality of sensors, wherein the plurality of sensors include at least one of a first sensor and a second sensor, wherein the first sensor measures activity data indicating an activity amount of a subject, and the second sensor measures vital data indicating a vital sign of the subject, the program instructs the computer to execute the following steps: generate behavior data indicating the behavior of the subject in response to a user's operation on the computer; determine L sleep periods of good quality of the subject using the behavior data; calculate a plurality of sleep parameters for each of the L sleep periods using at least one of the activity data and the vital data corresponding to each of the L sleep periods; and determine a value range for each of the plurality of sleep parameters when the quality of the subject's sleep is good, wherein L is an integer greater than or equal to 1.

[0271] DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1A Sleep evaluation system 21 Information processing device 30 Infant 31 Childcare worker 4 Sensor 41 Activity amount sensor 42 Vital sign sensor 43 Imaging device 51 CPU 52 RAM 53 Touch screen display 54 Storage device 55 First communication unit 56 Second communication unit 57 Vibration unit 58 Speaker 521 OS 522 Sleep evaluation program 541 Behavior data 542 Activity amount data 543 Vital sign data 544 Sleep parameters 545 Reference range table 546 Relative evaluation table 61 Notification processing unit 62 Generation processing unit 63 Reception processing unit 64 Storage processing unit 65 Determination unit 66 Sleep parameter calculation unit 67 Analysis unit 68 Evaluation unit 1B Sleep evaluation system 25 Server device 26 Network

Claims

1. A sleep evaluation system including an information processing device and a plurality of sensors, wherein the plurality of sensors include at least one of a first sensor and a second sensor, wherein the first sensor measures activity data indicating an activity amount of a subject, and the second sensor measures vital data indicating a vital sign of the subject, wherein the information processing device is equipped with: a generation unit that generates behavior data indicating the behavior of the subject in response to a user's operation on the information processing device; a determination unit that uses the behavior data to determine L sleeps of the subject having good quality; a calculation unit that calculates a plurality of sleep parameters for each of the L sleeps using at least one of the activity data and the vital data corresponding to each of the L sleeps; and an analysis unit that determines a value range of each of the plurality of sleep parameters when the subject's sleep quality is good, wherein L is an integer greater than or equal to 1.

2. The sleep evaluation system of claim 1, wherein the calculation unit further calculates multiple sleep parameters of the specific sleep using at least one of the activity data and the vital data corresponding to the specific sleep of the subject, and the information processing device further includes an evaluation unit that evaluates the quality of the specific sleep using the multiple sleep parameters of the specific sleep and the range.

3. The sleep evaluation system according to claim 2, wherein the information processing device further comprises a notification processing unit that notifies the user of information indicating the evaluated quality of the particular sleep.

4. The sleep evaluation system of claim 1, wherein the calculation unit further calculates a plurality of sleep parameters for each of the M sleep episodes using at least one of the activity data and the vital data corresponding to each of the M sleep episodes, and the information processing device further includes an evaluation unit that evaluates the quality of each of the M sleep episodes using the plurality of sleep parameters and the range for each of the M sleep episodes, and M is an integer greater than or equal to 2.

5. The sleep evaluation system according to claim 4, wherein the information processing device further comprises a notification processing unit that notifies the user of information indicating the quality of each of the M evaluated sleep sessions.

6. The sleep evaluation system according to claim 5, wherein the notification processing unit displays a graph showing the evaluated quality of the M sleep sessions on a screen of the information processing device.

7. The sleep evaluation system of claim 1, further comprising an evaluation unit that: calculates a first plurality of sleep parameters for the first sleep using at least one of the activity data of the subject's first sleep and the vital data of the first sleep; calculates a second plurality of sleep parameters for the second sleep using at least one of the activity data of the subject's second sleep and the vital data of the second sleep; and the information processing device compares each of the first plurality of sleep parameters with each of the second plurality of sleep parameters to obtain a first number of sleep parameters indicating that the first sleep is of better quality than the second sleep and a second number of sleep parameters indicating that the second sleep is of better quality than the first sleep.

8. The sleep evaluation system of claim 7, wherein the evaluation unit determines that the first sleep is of better quality than the second sleep when the first number is greater than the second number, and determines that the second sleep is of better quality than the first sleep when the second number is greater than the first number.

9. The sleep evaluation system of claim 7 or claim 8, further comprising a notification processing unit which, if it is determined that the first sleep is of better quality than the second sleep, notifies the user that the first sleep is of better quality than the second sleep, and, if it is determined that the second sleep is of better quality than the first sleep, notifies the user that the second sleep is of better quality than the first sleep.

10. The calculation unit further calculates a plurality of sleep parameters for each of the M sleeps using at least one of the activity data and the vital data corresponding to each of the M sleeps; the information processing device obtains a third plurality of sleep parameters for an arbitrary third sleep among the M sleeps and a fourth plurality of sleep parameters for an arbitrary fourth sleep different from the third sleep among the M sleeps from the plurality of sleep parameters for each of the M sleeps, and compares each of the third plurality of sleep parameters with each of the fourth plurality of sleep parameters to obtain a third number of sleep parameters indicating that the third sleep is of a better quality than the fourth sleep and a fourth number of sleep parameters indicating that the fourth sleep is of a better quality than the third sleep, and performs a process of determining which of the third sleep and the fourth sleep has better quality based on the third number and the fourth number for all combinations of two sleeps selected from the M sleeps; and further includes an evaluation unit that determines an order of the quality of the M sleeps based on the results of the process for all combinations. The sleep evaluation system according to claim 1 , wherein M is an integer equal to or greater than 2.

11. The sleep evaluation system of claim 10, wherein the evaluation unit determines that the third sleep is of better quality than the fourth sleep when the third number is greater than the fourth number, and determines that the fourth sleep is of better quality than the third sleep when the fourth number is greater than the third number.

12. The sleep evaluation system according to claim 10 or 11, wherein the information processing device further comprises a notification processing unit that notifies the user of the determined order of the quality of sleep for the M times.

13. A sleep evaluation system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the plurality of sleep parameters include at least any of the subject's sleep latency, sleep onset time, wake-up time, total sleep time, time spent awake during sleep, number of times awake during sleep, activity level per unit time, average activity level when active, deep sleep occupancy rate, REM sleep occupancy rate, sleep efficiency, heart rate, heart rate variability, respiratory rate per unit time, and peripheral skin temperature.

14. The sleep evaluation system according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the first sensor and the second sensor are an integrated sensor device.

15. A sleep evaluation system including an information processing device and a plurality of sensors, wherein the plurality of sensors include at least one of a first sensor and a second sensor, the first sensor measures activity amount data indicating an activity amount of a subject, and the second sensor measures vital data indicating a vital sign of the subject, the information processing device comprising: a calculation unit that calculates a plurality of sleep parameters for each of the M sleeps using at least one of the activity amount data and the vital data corresponding to each of the M sleeps; a first plurality of sleep parameters for a first sleep and a second plurality of sleep parameters for a second sleep from the plurality of sleep parameters of each of the M sleeps, and a comparison between each of the first plurality of sleep parameters and each of the second plurality of sleep parameters to obtain a first number of sleep parameters indicating that the first sleep has a better quality of sleep for the subject than the second sleep and a second number of sleep parameters indicating that the second sleep has a better quality of sleep for the subject than the first sleep, and a process of determining which of the first sleep and the second sleep has better quality based on the first number and the second number is performed for all combinations of two sleeps selected from the M sleeps; and an evaluation unit that determines an order of the quality of the M sleeps based on results of the process for all combinations, wherein M is an integer greater than or equal to 2.

16. The sleep evaluation system of claim 15, wherein the evaluation unit determines that the first sleep is of better quality than the second sleep when the first number is greater than the second number, and determines that the second sleep is of better quality than the first sleep when the second number is greater than the first number.

17. The sleep evaluation system according to claim 15 or 16, wherein the information processing device further comprises a notification processing unit that notifies a user of the sleep evaluation system of the determined order of the sleep qualities of the M times.

18. A sleep evaluation system as described in any one of claims 15 to 17, wherein the plurality of sleep parameters include at least any of the subject's sleep latency, sleep onset time, wake-up time, total sleep time, time spent awake during sleep, number of awakenings during sleep, activity level per unit time, average activity level when active, deep sleep occupancy rate, REM sleep occupancy rate, sleep efficiency, heart rate, heart rate variability, respiratory rate per unit time, and peripheral skin temperature.

19. The sleep evaluation system according to any one of claims 15 to 18, wherein the first sensor and the second sensor are an integrated sensor device.

20. The sleep evaluation system according to any one of claims 1 to 19, wherein the subject is an infant, and a user of the sleep evaluation system is a caregiver of the infant.

21. An information processing device capable of acquiring data from a plurality of sensors, the plurality of sensors including at least one of a first sensor and a second sensor, the first sensor measuring activity data indicating an activity amount of a subject, and the second sensor measuring vital data indicating a vital sign of the subject, the information processing device comprising: a generation unit generating behavior data indicating a behavior of the subject in response to a user's operation on the information processing device; a determination unit using the behavior data to determine L sleep episodes of the subject having good quality of sleep; a calculation unit calculating a plurality of sleep parameters for each of the L sleep episodes using at least one of the activity data and the vital data corresponding to each of the L sleep episodes; and an analysis unit using the plurality of sleep parameters for each of the L sleep episodes to determine a value range for each of the plurality of sleep parameters when the subject's sleep quality is good, wherein L is an integer greater than or equal to 1.

22. A sleep evaluation method for controlling an information processing device capable of acquiring data from a plurality of sensors, wherein the plurality of sensors include at least one of a first sensor and a second sensor, wherein the first sensor measures activity data indicating an activity amount of a subject, and the second sensor measures vital data indicating a vital sign of the subject, wherein the sleep evaluation method comprises: a generation unit of the information processing device generates behavior data indicating the behavior of the subject in response to a user's operation on the information processing device; a determination unit of the information processing device uses the behavior data to determine L sleeps of the subject having good quality; a calculation unit of the information processing device calculates a plurality of sleep parameters for each of the L sleeps using at least one of the activity data and the vital data corresponding to each of the L sleeps; and an analysis unit of the information processing device determines a value range of each of the plurality of sleep parameters when the quality of the subject's sleep is good, wherein L is an integer greater than or equal to 1.

23. A program executed by a computer capable of acquiring data from multiple sensors, wherein the multiple sensors include at least one of a first sensor and a second sensor, the first sensor measures activity data indicating an activity amount of a subject, and the second sensor measures vital data indicating a vital sign of the subject, and the program causes the computer to execute the following steps: generating behavior data indicating the behavior of the subject in response to a user's operation on the computer; determining L sleep episodes of good quality of the subject using the behavior data; calculating multiple sleep parameters for each of the L sleep episodes using at least one of the activity data and the vital data corresponding to each of the L sleep episodes; and determining a value range for each of the multiple sleep parameters when the subject's sleep quality is good, wherein L is an integer greater than or equal to 1.

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