Excrement judgment method, excrement judgment device, and computer program product

Abstract

The excrement judgment method includes the following steps: acquiring sensing data detected by a first gas sensor (1); acquiring image data captured by a camera (2); performing a first judgment of whether the gas concentration indicated by the sensing data is greater than a first reference concentration; performing a second judgment of whether an image indicating defecation is included in the image data by performing image processing on the image data; performing a third judgment of whether at least one of defecation and flatulence has occurred based on the judgment result of the first judgment and the judgment result of the second judgment; and outputting the judgment result of the third judgment.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to techniques for determining excrement excreted from the human body. Background Technology

[0002] In recent years, nursing facilities and other facilities have required the objective management of the excrement of those they care for. In response, Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for determining whether the excrement discharged in a urinal is feces, urine, or urine, based on a combination of a judgment result that the temperature data measured by a temperature measuring unit exceeds a temperature threshold and a judgment result that the odor data measured by an odor measuring unit exceeds an odor threshold.

[0003] There are individuals who do not produce sufficient odor when defecating or passing gas. Therefore, the technology in Patent Document 1, which utilizes temperature and odor data, has the problem that it cannot accurately determine whether at least one of defecation or gas has occurred in such individuals. Furthermore, Patent Document 1 does not mention any technology for detecting defecation accompanied by gas.

[0004] Existing technical documents

[0005] Patent documents

[0006] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Publication No. 2015-178764 Summary of the Invention

[0007] This disclosure is an invention made to solve this problem, and its purpose is to provide a technique that can accurately determine whether a person has defecated or farted even if the person does not produce sufficient odor during defecation or farting.

[0008] One aspect of this disclosure relates to an excrement judgment method and an excrement judgment device for judging excrement, comprising the following steps: acquiring sensing data detected by a gas sensor installed in a toilet; acquiring image data captured by a camera installed in the toilet such that it can capture the toilet bowl portion of the toilet; performing a first judgment to determine whether the gas concentration indicated by the sensing data is greater than a reference concentration; performing image processing on the image data to determine whether the image data contains an image representing defecation; performing a third judgment based on the judgment result of the first judgment and the judgment result of the second judgment to determine whether at least one of defecation and flatulence has occurred; and outputting the judgment result of the third judgment.

[0009] According to this disclosure, it is possible to accurately determine whether a person has defecated or passed gas even if the person does not produce sufficient odor during defecation or farting. Attached Figure Description

[0010] Figure 1 This is a diagram showing the structure of the excretion management system according to Embodiment 1 of this disclosure.

[0011] Figure 2 This is a diagram illustrating the configuration of the sensor assembly and the excrement determination device according to Embodiment 1 of this disclosure.

[0012] Figure 3 This is a flowchart of the excrement judgment and processing of Embodiment 1 of this disclosure.

[0013] Figure 4 This is a diagram showing the structure of the excretion management system according to Embodiment 2 of this disclosure.

[0014] Figure 5 This is a flowchart of the excrement judgment and processing of Embodiment 2 of this disclosure.

[0015] Figure 6 This is a block diagram illustrating the structure of the excretion management system according to Embodiment 3 of this disclosure.

[0016] Figure 7 This is a flowchart of the constipation judgment process of Embodiment 3 of this disclosure.

[0017] Figure 8 This is a flowchart of the medication status determination process in Embodiment 3 of this disclosure.

[0018] Figure 9 This is a flowchart of the excrement judgment and processing of a modified example of this disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0019] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Furthermore, the following embodiments are merely examples embodying the present disclosure and do not limit the technical scope of the present disclosure.

[0020] (The process of completing this disclosure)

[0021] Excretion history information, including the frequency and timing of urination, defecation, and flatulence, is crucial for understanding a person's health risks. This is especially important in nursing facilities that house many elderly individuals prone to constipation, where objective recording of excretion history is essential for administering appropriate laxatives or other medications. However, due to the large number of individuals in these facilities, assigning this recording task to caregivers would increase their workload and is therefore not feasible. Consequently, the inventors have researched a technology for automatically managing this excretion history information without manual intervention.

[0022] As prior art related to this technology, there is the aforementioned Patent Document 1. In Patent Document 1, if the temperature data indicating the temperature of the toilet bowl is greater than a temperature threshold, and if the first odor data measured by a hydrogen sulfide sensor or the second odor data measured by an ammonia sensor is greater than the odor threshold, it is determined that defecation has occurred; if both the first and second odor data are below the odor threshold, it is determined that urination has occurred. Furthermore, in Patent Document 1, if the temperature data is below the temperature threshold, and if either the first or second odor data is greater than the odor threshold, it is determined that flatulence has occurred.

[0023] However, some people who frequently take laxatives and antibiotics do not produce sufficient odor during bowel movements or flatulence. This is especially true for those who tend to take large amounts of such medications, increasing the likelihood of insufficient odor during bowel movements. Furthermore, some individuals may not produce sufficient odor during bowel movements or flatulence depending on their dietary intake. Therefore, Patent Document 1 presents the problem of not being able to accurately determine whether a bowel movement has occurred in such individuals.

[0024] Specifically, when the technology of Patent Document 1 is applied to this type of person, the temperature of the toilet bowl does not change during flatulence, and the measured data are the first and second odor data below the odor threshold, therefore it is not judged as flatulence. Furthermore, although the temperature of the toilet bowl changes during defecation, since the measured data are the first and second odor data below the odor threshold, it is not judged as defecation. Moreover, Patent Document 1 does not mention any technology for judging defecation accompanied by flatulence.

[0025] In response, the inventors have gained the following insight: even individuals who do not produce sufficient odor during defecation or flatulence may still generate odorless gas from their bodies. Furthermore, they have gained the insight that by combining the analysis results of image data capturing the internal condition of the toilet bowl with the analysis results of sensor data measured by the gas sensor, it is possible to accurately determine whether at least one of defecation or flatulence has occurred, even for individuals who do not produce sufficient odor during defecation or flatulence. Based on this insight, the following embodiments of the present disclosure were conceived.

[0026] One aspect of this disclosure relates to an excrement judgment method and an excrement judgment device for judging excrement, comprising the following steps: acquiring sensing data detected by a gas sensor installed in a toilet; acquiring image data captured by a camera installed in the toilet such that it can capture the toilet bowl portion of the toilet; performing a first judgment to determine whether the gas concentration indicated by the sensing data is greater than a reference concentration; performing image processing on the image data to determine whether the image data contains an image representing defecation; performing a third judgment based on the judgment result of the first judgment and the judgment result of the second judgment to determine whether at least one of defecation and flatulence has occurred; and outputting the judgment result of the third judgment.

[0027] According to this configuration, based on the results of a first determination that the gas concentration detected by the gas sensor is greater than a reference concentration and a second determination that the image data captured by the camera contains an image representing defecation, it is determined that at least one of defecation and flatulence has occurred. Therefore, even for people who do not produce sufficient odor when defecating or flatulently passing gas, it is possible to accurately determine that at least one of defecation and flatulence has occurred.

[0028] In the excrement judgment method, in the third judgment, it can also be judged that the defecation and the farting have occurred if the judgment result of the first judgment indicates that the gas concentration is greater than the reference concentration and the judgment result of the second judgment indicates that the image data contains an image representing the defecation.

[0029] According to this configuration, if the judgment result of the second judgment indicates that the image data contains an image representing defecation and the judgment result of the first judgment indicates that the gas concentration detected by the gas sensor is greater than the reference concentration, it is judged that defecation and flatulence have occurred. Therefore, it is possible to accurately determine that defecation accompanied by flatulence has occurred.

[0030] In the excrement judgment method, in the third judgment, it can also be judged that only farting has occurred if the judgment result of the first judgment indicates that the gas concentration is greater than the reference concentration and the judgment result of the second judgment indicates that the image data does not contain an image representing the defecation.

[0031] According to this configuration, if the judgment result of the first judgment indicates that the gas concentration detected by the gas sensor is greater than the reference concentration and the judgment result of the second judgment indicates that the image data does not contain an image representing defecation, it is judged that only farting has occurred. Therefore, it is possible to accurately determine that only farting has occurred.

[0032] In the excrement determination method, the gas sensor can also be a first gas sensor that is sensitive to hydrogen.

[0033] It is known that even people who do not produce odor when defecating or passing gas will excrete hydrogen from their bodies. In this configuration, since the gas sensor includes a first gas sensor that is sensitive to hydrogen, it is possible to accurately determine whether a person has defecated or passed gas, even if they do not produce odor when defecating or passing gas.

[0034] In the excrement determination method, the second determination can also be performed if the first determination is true.

[0035] According to this configuration, since the camera can be activated when the first determination is true, it is not necessary to keep the camera activated at all times, thus reducing power consumption.

[0036] In the excrement determination method, the gas sensor may also include a first gas sensor sensitive to hydrogen, a second gas sensor sensitive to ammonia, and a third gas sensor sensitive to hydrogen sulfide. If the determination result of the first determination indicates that the gas concentration detected by the first gas sensor is below the reference concentration, a fourth determination is also performed based on the ammonia concentration detected by the second gas sensor and the hydrogen sulfide concentration detected by the third gas sensor to determine whether defecation or urination has occurred.

[0037] According to this configuration, if the first gas sensor fails to detect a hydrogen concentration above a reference concentration, the system determines whether either defecation or urination has occurred based on the ammonia concentration detected by the second gas sensor and the hydrogen sulfide concentration detected by the third gas sensor. Therefore, it is possible to detect urination, which is difficult to detect using the first gas sensor.

[0038] In the excrement judgment method, if the judgment result of the first judgment indicates that the gas concentration detected by the gas sensor is below the reference concentration, a fourth judgment based on the image data may also be performed to determine whether defecation or urination has occurred.

[0039] According to this configuration, if the first gas sensor fails to detect hydrogen at a concentration above a reference level, it determines whether defecation or urination has occurred based on image data. Therefore, it is possible to detect urination, which is difficult to detect using the first gas sensor.

[0040] In the excrement determination method, the first determination, the second determination, and the third determination can also be performed when the seat sensor detects that the person excreting is sitting on the toilet.

[0041] According to this configuration, since the first, second, and third judgments are performed only when the user is sitting, the processing burden of the excrement judgment device is reduced.

[0042] In the excrement judgment method, when outputting the results, date and time information including the judgment result, the date and time of the excretion, and the gas concentration can be generated and stored in a memory. If the excretion history information stored in the memory indicates that the defecation interval is above a first threshold and that the farting occurs continuously within the defecation interval, it is also judged whether the rise in gas concentration shown in the excretion history information is above a second threshold. If the rise is judged to be above the second threshold, the person excreting is judged to be constipated, and the constipation judgment result is output.

[0043] When constipated, the intervals between bowel movements increase and the frequency of flatulence increases. Furthermore, the concentration of gas expelled through flatulence during constipation rises. According to this structure, constipation is determined when the interval between bowel movements is greater than or equal to a first threshold, and flatulence occurs continuously within that interval, and the rate of increase in gas concentration exceeds a second threshold. Therefore, constipation can be accurately diagnosed.

[0044] In the excrement judgment method, when outputting the results, date and time information including the judgment result, the date and time of the excretion behavior, and the excretion history information of the gas concentration can be generated and stored in the memory. The rise rate of the gas concentration can also be calculated based on the excretion history information stored in the memory. The medication status of the excreter is judged based on whether the rise rate is above a third threshold, and the judgment result of the medication status is also output.

[0045] The following insight has been obtained: if a person discontinues their prescription medication, the concentration of gas expelled from the body increases during at least one of defecation or flatulence. According to this structure, the rate of increase in gas concentration is calculated based on excretion history information, and the person's medication status is determined based on whether this rate of increase exceeds a third threshold. Therefore, it is possible to accurately determine whether a person is on medication.

[0046] Another aspect of this disclosure relates to an excrement judgment device for judging excrement, comprising: a sensor data acquisition unit for acquiring sensor data from a gas sensor installed in a toilet; an image data acquisition unit for acquiring image data from a camera installed in the toilet such that it can capture images of the toilet bowl portion of the toilet; an excrement judgment unit for performing a first judgment, a second judgment, and a third judgment, wherein the first judgment is used to determine whether the gas concentration indicated by the sensor data is greater than a reference concentration, the second judgment performs image processing on the image data to determine whether the image data contains an image representing defecation, and the third judgment, based on the judgment result of the first judgment and the judgment result of the second judgment, determines whether at least one of defecation and flatulence has occurred; and a judgment result output unit for outputting the judgment result of the third judgment.

[0047] Another aspect of this disclosure relates to an excrement judgment program that enables a computer to: acquire sensing data from a gas sensor installed in a toilet; acquire image data from a camera installed in the toilet bowl to capture images of the toilet bowl; perform a first judgment to determine whether the gas concentration indicated by the sensing data is greater than a reference concentration; perform image processing on the image data to determine whether the image data contains an image representing defecation; perform a third judgment based on the judgment results of the first and second judgments to determine whether at least one of defecation and flatulence has occurred; and output the judgment result of the third judgment.

[0048] Based on these components, the same effect as the above-mentioned method for judging excrement can be achieved.

[0049] This disclosure can also be implemented as a feces judgment program comprising the characteristic components of such a feces judgment method, which allows a computer to execute the program, or as a feces judgment device possessing the characteristic components. Furthermore, needless to say, such a computer program can be distributed via computer-readable non-transitory storage media such as CD-ROMs or communication networks such as the Internet.

[0050] Furthermore, the embodiments described below are all specific examples of this disclosure. The numerical values, shapes, constituent elements, steps, and order of steps shown in the following embodiments are examples and are not intended to limit this disclosure. In addition, in the constituent elements of the following embodiments, constituent elements not described in the independent claims representing the highest-level concept are described as arbitrary constituent elements. Furthermore, in all embodiments, the various contents may be combined.

[0051] (Implementation Method 1)

[0052] Figure 1 This is a diagram showing the structure of the excretion management system according to Embodiment 1 of this disclosure. Figure 2 This diagram illustrates the configuration of the sensor assembly 105 and the excrement determination device 3 according to Embodiment 1 of this disclosure. In the following description, excrement includes feces, urine, and flatulence.

[0053] Figure 1 The waste management system shown includes a first gas sensor 1, a camera 2, a waste detection device 3, a seating sensor 4, and a server 6. The first gas sensor 1 is installed inside the toilet 101 and is sensitive to hydrogen. Figure 2 Within the sensor assembly 105 shown. (As shown) Figure 2 As shown, the toilet 101 includes a bowl portion 101a and a rim portion 101b. The rim portion 101b is a component disposed at the upper end of the toilet 101 and defines an opening. The bowl portion 101a is a component disposed below the rim portion 101b and receives excrement and urine. A sensor assembly 105 is mounted on the rim portion 101b. A first gas sensor 1 detects the hydrogen concentration in the space inside the toilet 101. The first gas sensor 1 is connected to the excrement detection device 3 via wired or wireless means, and can communicate with it. The first gas sensor 1 sends sensing data indicating the detected hydrogen concentration to the excrement detection device 3. Furthermore, the placement of the first gas sensor 1 is not limited to inside the sensor assembly 105; it can also be located outside the sensor assembly 105. For example, the first gas sensor 1 can be installed on the wall surrounding the toilet 101, or anywhere inside the toilet space.

[0054] A drainage channel (not shown) is provided at the bottom of the toilet bowl 101a. Feces and urine discharged into the toilet bowl 101a are flushed away through the drainage channel. Furthermore, a toilet seat 102 is provided at the top of the toilet 101 for the user to sit on. The toilet seat 102 rotates up and down. The user sits on the toilet seat 102 while it is placed on the toilet 101. A water tank 103 is provided at the rear of the toilet 101 to store water for flushing feces and urine.

[0055] Alternatively, the first gas sensor 1 can send sensing data to the excrement determination device 3 indicating the hydrogen concentration detected during the period from the moment the person sits on the toilet seat 102 until the moment the person leaves the toilet seat 102. However, this is just one example; the first gas sensor 1 can also continuously send sensing data indicating the detected hydrogen concentration to the excrement determination device 3.

[0056] Camera 2 is installed in toilet 101 to capture images of the toilet bowl 101a. Here, camera 2 is housed within sensor assembly 105. Camera 2 is, for example, a high-sensitivity, wide-angle camera capable of capturing color images with R (red) components, G (green) components, and B (blue) components. In the field of object detection, cameras that illuminate objects using infrared and white LEDs are widely used. However, such conventional cameras struggle to detect objects, especially those with a high red component, making it difficult to distinguish between defecation and urination. Therefore, in this embodiment, a high-sensitivity, wide-angle camera is used as camera 2. Specifically, camera 2 is a high-sensitivity camera with a 1 / 4-inch CMOS sensor. Furthermore, camera 2 is a wide-angle camera with a horizontal viewing angle of 120 degrees and a vertical viewing angle of 45 degrees. These inch and viewing angle values ​​are merely examples; other values ​​may be used. Camera 2 is connected to the excrement detection device 3 via wired or wireless communication. Camera 2 captures images of the interior of the toilet bowl 101a at a predetermined frame rate and transmits the obtained image data. Here, camera 2 can transmit image data captured during the period from the moment the person sits on the toilet seat 102 until the person leaves the toilet seat 102 to the waste detection device 3. However, this is just an example; camera 2 can also continuously transmit the captured image data to the waste detection device 3.

[0057] A seating sensor 4 is disposed within the sensor assembly 105 to detect whether a person is sitting on the toilet seat 102. The seating sensor 4 includes an illuminance sensor that detects the illumination around the toilet bowl 101a and a distance sensor that detects the distance to objects around the toilet bowl 101a. If a person is sitting on the toilet seat 102, the opening is blocked by their buttocks, thus the area around the toilet bowl 101a becomes dark, and an object is present near the sensor assembly 105. Therefore, it is possible to detect whether a person is sitting on the toilet seat 102 using both the illuminance sensor and the distance sensor. Alternatively, the seating sensor 4 can be formed by a pressure sensor that detects the pressure of the person sitting on the toilet seat 102, instead of the illuminance sensor and the distance sensor. Furthermore, the seating sensor 4 can also be formed by either the illuminance sensor or the distance sensor.

[0058] The excrement detection device 3 is, for example, disposed on the side of the water tank 103. However, the placement of the excrement detection device 3 is not limited to the aforementioned location; it can be placed anywhere within the toilet. Furthermore, if the sensor assembly 105 and the excrement detection device 3 are wirelessly connected, the excrement detection device 3 does not need to be disposed within the toilet; it can be disposed in a location where wireless communication with the sensor assembly 105 is possible.

[0059] The excrement detection device 3 includes a processor 31, a memory 32, and a communication unit 33. The memory 32 is formed by a storage device capable of storing various types of information, such as RAM (Random Access Memory), SSD (Solid State Drive), or flash memory. The memory 32 stores sensing data transmitted by the first gas sensor 1.

[0060] The processor 31 is formed, for example, by a central processing unit (CPU) or an ASIC (application-specific integrated circuit). The processor 31 includes a sensor data acquisition unit 311, an image data acquisition unit 312, an excrement judgment unit 313, a judgment result output unit 314, and a seating judgment unit 315.

[0061] The sensor data acquisition unit 311 acquires sensor data representing the hydrogen concentration around the toilet 101 as detected by the first gas sensor 1. The sensor data acquisition unit 311 reads the sensor data stored in the memory 32.

[0062] The image data acquisition unit 312 acquires image data captured by the camera 2.

[0063] The excrement determination unit 313 determines whether the hydrogen concentration shown in the sensor data is greater than a first reference concentration (first determination). It is determined that the hydrogen concentration emitted during flatulence is higher than the hydrogen concentration released during defecation alone. Therefore, if the first reference concentration is set based on the detection result of the hydrogen concentration when the excretor only defecates, then if the hydrogen concentration detected by the first gas sensor 1 is above the first reference concentration, it can be determined that the excretor has defecate and at least passed gas. Therefore, the first reference concentration is a value preset based on the detection result of the hydrogen concentration when the excretor only defecates. However, this is just an example; the first reference concentration can also be a value preset based on the detection result of the hydrogen concentration when the excretor farts.

[0064] The excrement determination unit 313 performs image processing on the image data to determine whether the image data contains an image representing defecation (second determination). The details of image processing will be explained later. Based on the determination results of the first determination and the second determination, the excrement determination unit 313 determines that at least one of defecation and flatulence has occurred (third determination).

[0065] Here, in the third judgment, if the result of the first judgment indicates that the hydrogen concentration is greater than the first reference concentration and the result of the second judgment indicates that the image data contains an image of defecation, it is judged that both defecation and flatulence have occurred. Furthermore, in the third judgment, if the result of the first judgment indicates that the hydrogen concentration is greater than the first reference concentration and the result of the second judgment indicates that the image data does not contain an image of defecation, it is judged that only flatulence has occurred.

[0066] If the excrement determination unit 313 determines whether urination or defecation has occurred based on image data when the determination result of the first determination indicates that the hydrogen concentration detected by the first gas sensor 1 is below the first reference concentration (fourth determination).

[0067] The judgment result output unit 314 generates excretion history information including the judgment result of the third judgment or the judgment result of the fourth judgment, and sends the excretion history information to the server 6 via the communication unit 33, and stores the excretion history information in the memory 32. The excretion history information may include date and time information indicating the date and time of the excretion behavior (defecation, flatulence, urination, and defecation and flatulence). In addition, the excretion history information may include the identification information of the excreter. In addition, the excretion history information may include the hydrogen concentration detected by the first gas sensor 1. In addition, the excretion history information may include image data captured by the camera 2. For example, if the toilet 101 is configured in the single room of the care recipient, the care recipient can be identified according to the room number of the care recipient. In this case, the identification information of the excreter can be the identification information of the room where the excrement judgment device 3 is set.

[0068] The seating determination unit 315 determines whether the person excreting has sat on the toilet seat 102 based on the detection results of the seating sensor 4. For example, the seating determination unit 315 determines that the person excreting has sat down if the illuminance detected by the illuminance sensor of the seating sensor 4 is less than a predetermined reference illuminance and the distance of the object detected by the distance measuring sensor of the seating sensor 4 is less than a reference distance. However, this is just one example. The seating determination unit 315 can determine that the person excreting is sitting on the toilet seat 102 using the detection results of either the illuminance sensor or the distance measuring sensor, or it can determine that the person excreting is sitting on the toilet seat 102 if the pressure detected by the pressure sensor is above a reference pressure.

[0069] The communication unit 33 is formed by a communication circuit that connects the excrement detection device 3 to the network 5. The communication unit 33 sends excrement history information to the server 6. The excrement detection device 3 is connected to the server 6 via the network 5, which allows them to communicate with each other. The network 5 is, for example, the Internet.

[0070] Server 6 receives excrement history information sent by excrement judgment device 3. Server 6 includes a database for storing excrement history information.

[0071] For example, when creating monitoring data for a patient, caregivers utilize the database of server 6. Specifically, the terminal device used by the caregiver retrieves the patient's excretion history information and date / time information corresponding to the patient's identification information from server 6 to create monitoring data. For instance, the terminal device can create monitoring data based on the number of times the patient farts, defecates, urinates, and defecates and farts within a specified period. The specified period for creating the monitoring data can be one day, one week, or one month. Furthermore, for example, the terminal device can create monitoring data based on the time of farting, defecating, urinating, and the timing of defecation and farting within the specified period.

[0072] Next, the excrement determination process of the excrement determination device 3 of Embodiment 1 of this disclosure will be described. Figure 3 This is a flowchart of the excrement determination process according to Embodiment 1 of this disclosure. In step S101, the seating determination unit 315 determines whether the person excreting has sat on the toilet 101 based on the detection result of the seating sensor 4. If it is not determined that the person excreting has sat down (no in step S101), the process stands still in step S101. On the other hand, if it is determined that the person excreting has sat down (yes in step S101), the process proceeds to step S102.

[0073] In step S102, the sensor data acquisition unit 311 acquires sensor data representing the hydrogen concentration detected by the first gas sensor 1 from the first gas sensor 1. In step S103, the image data acquisition unit 312 acquires image data captured by the camera 2 from the camera 2.

[0074] In step S104, the excrement determination unit 313 determines whether the hydrogen concentration shown in the sensor data acquired in step S102 is above the first reference concentration (first determination). If it is determined that the hydrogen concentration is above the first reference concentration (yes in step S104), the process proceeds to step S105; if it is determined that the hydrogen concentration is below the first reference concentration (no in step S104), the process proceeds to step S109.

[0075] In step S105, the excrement determination unit 313 determines whether the image data acquired in step S103 contains an image of defecation (second determination).

[0076] Here, the excrement determination unit 313 determines whether the image data contains an image of defecation, for example, in the following manner. First, the excrement determination unit 313 calculates difference image data representing the difference between the image data acquired in step S103 and the base image data. Here, the base image data is image data generated by calibration performed when the sensor assembly 105 is placed on the toilet 101. The base image data is generated, for example, based on multiple color image data obtained by the camera 2 taking multiple shots of the toilet bowl 101a in a state where there is no defecation or urination. That is, the base image data is color image data of the toilet bowl 101a in a default state where there is no defecation or urination. Therefore, by taking the difference between the image data taken during defecation or urination and the base image data, image data representing defecation or urination can be extracted.

[0077] Next, the excrement determination unit 313 calculates the RGB ratios of the R, G, and B components contained in the calculated difference image data. Then, the excrement determination unit 313 calculates the distance between the calculated RGB ratio and a predetermined defecation reference ratio. Here, the RGB ratio is, for example, the ratio of the total brightness of the R component, the total brightness of the G component, and the total brightness of the B component in the difference image data. The defecation reference ratio is a typical defecation RGB ratio calculated by analyzing multiple image data containing various defecation images. The distance is, for example, Euclidean distance. Finally, if the calculated distance is below the reference distance, the excrement determination unit 313 determines that the image data captured by the camera 2 contains defecation.

[0078] In step S105, if it is determined that the image data contains a defecation image (yes in step S105), the excrement determination unit 313 determines that both defecation and farting have occurred (step S106).

[0079] On the other hand, in step S105, if it is determined that the image data does not contain images of defecation (no in step S105), the excrement determination unit 313 determines that only farting has occurred (step S107).

[0080] In step S109, the excrement determination unit 313 determines whether the image data contains a defecation image (4th determination). If it is determined that the image data contains a defecation image (yes in step S109), the excrement determination unit 313 determines that only defecation has occurred (step S110). Here, the details of the process for determining whether the image data contains a defecation image are the same as those in step S105.

[0081] On the other hand, if it is determined that the image data does not contain a defecation image (no in step S109), the excrement determination unit 313 determines whether the image data contains a urination image representing urination (fourth determination).

[0082] Here, the excrement determination unit 313 determines whether the image data contains a urination image, for example, in the following manner: First, the excrement determination unit 313 calculates the difference image data between the image data acquired in step S103 and the base image data. Next, the excrement determination unit 313 calculates the RGB ratio of the difference image data. Then, the excrement determination unit 313 calculates the distance between the calculated RGB ratio and a predetermined urination reference ratio. Here, the predetermined urination reference ratio is a typical urination RGB ratio calculated by analyzing multiple image data containing various urination images. Finally, if the calculated distance is less than the reference distance, the excrement determination unit 313 determines that the image data acquired in step S103 contains a urination image.

[0083] In step S111, if it is determined that the image data acquired in step S103 contains an image of urination (yes in step S111), the excrement determination unit 313 determines that only urination has occurred (step S112). On the other hand, if it is determined that the image data acquired in step S103 does not contain an image of urination (no in step S111), since no excretion has occurred, the process returns to step S101.

[0084] If steps S106, S107, S110, and S112 are completed, the process proceeds to step S108. In step S108, the judgment result output unit 314 sends discharge history information containing the judgment results of steps S105, S109, or S111 to the server 6 via the communication unit 33.

[0085] For example, if the judgment result is that farting occurred (step S107), the judgment result for farting, date and time information indicating the date and time of farting, hydrogen concentration at the time of judgment, and excretion history information corresponding to the identification information are generated. For example, if the judgment result is that both defecation and farting occurred (step S106), the judgment result for both defecation and farting occurred, date and time information indicating the date and time of defecation and farting occurred, hydrogen concentration at the time of judgment, and excretion history information corresponding to the identification information are generated. For example, if it is determined that only defecation occurred (step S110), the judgment result for defecation occurred, date and time information indicating the date and time of defecation occurred, hydrogen concentration at the time of judgment, and excretion history information corresponding to the identification information are generated. For example, if it is determined that only urination occurred (step S112), the judgment result for urination occurred, date and time information indicating the date and time of urination occurred, hydrogen concentration at the time of judgment, and excretion history information corresponding to the identification information are generated.

[0086] If step S108 ends, the process returns to step S101. The server 6 that received the excretion history information stores the excretion history information in the database.

[0087] As described above, according to this embodiment, when the judgment result of the second judgment indicates that the image data includes a defecation image and the judgment result of the first judgment indicates that the hydrogen concentration detected by the first gas sensor 1 is greater than the first reference concentration, it is determined that defecation and flatulence have occurred. Therefore, it is possible to accurately determine that defecation accompanied by flatulence has occurred.

[0088] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, if the judgment result of the first determination indicates that the hydrogen concentration detected by the first gas sensor 1 is greater than the first reference concentration and the judgment result of the second determination indicates that the image data does not contain a defecation image, it is determined that only farting has occurred. Therefore, it is possible to accurately determine that only farting has occurred.

[0089] Furthermore, in this configuration, the first gas sensor 1 is a gas sensor that is sensitive to hydrogen, so even if a person does not produce odor when defecating or farting, it is possible to accurately determine that at least one of defecating or farting has occurred.

[0090] Furthermore, if the first gas sensor 1 fails to detect hydrogen at a concentration above the first reference concentration, it determines whether urination has occurred based on image data. Therefore, it is possible to detect urination that is difficult for the first gas sensor 1 to detect.

[0091] (Implementation Method 2)

[0092] Figure 4This diagram illustrates the structure of the excretion management system according to Embodiment 2 of this disclosure. Embodiment 2 is characterized in that the excretion management system further includes a second gas sensor 7 and a third gas sensor 8. In Embodiment 2, the same reference numerals are used for the same components as in Embodiment 1, and descriptions are omitted. Furthermore, in... Figure 4 In the reference symbol, for a block that has a different function than that in embodiment 1, the symbol A is appended to the end of the reference symbol.

[0093] The second gas sensor 7 is a gas sensor sensitive to ammonia. The second gas sensor 7 sends sensing data to the excrement detection device 3A, indicating the ammonia concentration detected from the moment the person sits on the toilet seat 102 until the moment the person leaves the toilet seat 102. However, this is just an example; the second gas sensor 7 can also continuously send sensing data indicating the detected ammonia concentration to the excrement detection device 3A.

[0094] The third gas sensor 8 is a gas sensor sensitive to hydrogen sulfide. The third gas sensor 8 sends sensing data to the excrement detection device 3, indicating the concentration of hydrogen sulfide detected during the period from the moment the person sits on the toilet seat 102 until the moment the person leaves the toilet seat 102. However, this is just an example; the third gas sensor 8 could also continuously send sensing data indicating the detected hydrogen sulfide concentration to the excrement detection device 3.

[0095] The second gas sensor 7 and the third gas sensor 8 are respectively disposed within, for example, sensor assembly 105. The second gas sensor 7 and the third gas sensor 8 are respectively connected to the excrement detection device 3A in a wired or wireless manner, and can communicate with each other.

[0096] The sensor data acquisition unit 311A ​​acquires not only the sensing data of the first gas sensor 1, but also the sensing data representing the ammonia concentration around the toilet 101 detected by the second gas sensor 7, and the sensing data representing the hydrogen sulfide concentration around the toilet 101 detected by the third gas sensor 8.

[0097] The difference between the excrement determination unit 313A and Embodiment 1 lies in the fourth determination. That is, when the hydrogen concentration detected by the first gas sensor 1 is below the first reference concentration, the excrement determination unit 313A determines whether only urination has occurred (fourth determination) based on the ammonia concentration detected by the second gas sensor 7. Furthermore, when the hydrogen concentration detected by the first gas sensor 1 is below the first reference concentration, the excrement determination unit 313A determines whether only defecation has occurred based on the hydrogen sulfide concentration detected by the third gas sensor 8.

[0098] Next, the excrement determination process of the excrement determination device 3A of Embodiment 2 of this disclosure will be described. Figure 5 This is a flowchart of the excrement judgment process according to Embodiment 2 of this disclosure. Furthermore, in this flowchart, processes identical to those in Embodiment 1 are marked with the same symbols and their descriptions are omitted.

[0099] In step S102A, the sensor data acquisition unit 311A ​​acquires sensor data from the first gas sensor 1, the second gas sensor 7, and the third gas sensor 8 respectively.

[0100] In step S201, following step S104, the excrement determination unit 313A determines whether the hydrogen sulfide concentration detected by the third gas sensor 8 is above a third reference concentration. The third reference concentration is, for example, a value preset based on the detection results of hydrogen sulfide concentration when the excretor has only defecated.

[0101] If the hydrogen sulfide concentration is determined to be above the third reference concentration (yes in step S201), the excrement determination unit 313A determines that only defecation has occurred (step S202). On the other hand, if the hydrogen sulfide concentration is determined to be below the third reference concentration (no in step S201), the process proceeds to step S203.

[0102] In step S203, the excrement determination unit 313A determines whether the ammonia concentration detected by the second gas sensor 7 is above a second reference concentration. If the ammonia concentration is determined to be above the second reference concentration (yes in step S203), the excrement determination unit 313A determines that only urination has occurred (step S204). The second reference concentration is, for example, a value preset based on the detection result of the ammonia concentration when the excretor has only urinated. On the other hand, if the ammonia concentration is determined to be below the second reference concentration, since no excretion has occurred, the process returns to step S101. If steps S202 and S204 end, the process proceeds to step S108.

[0103] As described above, according to Embodiment 2, if the first gas sensor 1 fails to detect hydrogen at a concentration above a first reference concentration, it is determined whether urination has occurred based on the ammonia concentration detected by the second gas sensor 7 (for ammonia detection) and the hydrogen sulfide concentration detected by the third gas sensor 8 (for hydrogen sulfide detection). Therefore, urination that is difficult to detect using the first gas sensor 1 can be detected.

[0104] Furthermore, according to Embodiment 2, since the camera 2 is activated only when the first determination is affirmative (yes in step S104), power consumption can be reduced.

[0105] (Implementation Method 3)

[0106] Figure 6This is a block diagram illustrating the structure of the excretion management system according to Embodiment 3 of this disclosure. Embodiment 3 is based on Embodiment 1, and is characterized in that the processor 31 further includes a constipation determination unit 316 and a medication status determination unit 317. Furthermore, in Embodiment 3, the same reference numerals are used for the same components as in Embodiment 1, and descriptions are omitted.

[0107] The medication status judgment unit 317 reads the excretion history information from the memory 32 according to different excretors. If the excretion history information indicates that the excretor's defecation interval is above the first threshold and that the excretor has been passing gas continuously during the defecation interval, the unit judges whether the increase in hydrogen concentration shown in the excretion history information is above the second threshold. If the unit judges that the increase is above the second threshold, the unit judges that the patient is constipated.

[0108] The medication status determination unit 317 calculates the rate of increase in hydrogen concentration based on the excretion history information stored in the memory 32, and determines the patient's medication status based on whether the calculated rate of increase is above a third threshold. Medication status indicates whether the patient is appropriately taking prescribed medication. For example, it may be known that when the patient stops taking antibiotics or laxatives, the hydrogen concentration excreted from the body increases when at least one of defecation or flatulence occurs. Therefore, by monitoring the patient's hydrogen concentration, the patient's medication status can be determined.

[0109] Figure 7 This is a flowchart of the constipation judgment process according to Embodiment 3 of this disclosure. This flowchart can be executed periodically (e.g., daily, weekly, monthly), or it can be executed when the number of eligible excretion history information stored in the memory 32 since the last execution increases by a predetermined number. In step S301, the constipation judgment unit 316 retrieves excretion history information from the memory 32 according to different excretion individuals based on identification information. Here, the constipation judgment unit 316 can retrieve excretion history information from the present to a certain period in the past. The constipation judgment process for a specific excretion individual will be described below.

[0110] In step S302, the constipation determination unit 316 calculates the defecation interval for each individual based on the excretion history information. Here, the constipation determination unit 316 extracts excretion history information indicating that the excretion behavior is solely defecation and excretion history information indicating that the excretion behavior includes both defecation and flatulence from the read excretion history information. Furthermore, the constipation determination unit 316 calculates the defecation interval by applying the process of calculating the date and time difference between the dates and times of two excretion history pieces appearing before and after each other in the time series to all the extracted excretion history information. Based on this, time series data of the defecation interval is obtained.

[0111] In step S303, the constipation determination unit 316 calculates the average defecation interval as the average value of the defecation interval.

[0112] In step S304, the constipation determination unit 316 determines whether the average defecation interval is above the first threshold. If the average defecation interval is above the first threshold (yes in step S304), the constipation determination unit 316 determines whether flatulence occurs continuously (step S305).

[0113] For example, the constipation determination unit 316 extracts excretion history information where the only excretion behavior during each defecation interval is farting. Furthermore, the constipation determination unit 316 calculates the number of farts during each defecation interval based on the extracted excretion history information. Next, the constipation determination unit 316 extracts defecation intervals where the number of farts is a predetermined number (2 or more). If the number of extracted defecation intervals is a predetermined number or more, the constipation determination unit 316 determines that farting is continuous. On the other hand, if there are no defecation intervals where the number of farts is a predetermined number or more, or if the number of defecation intervals where the number of farts is a predetermined number or more, the constipation determination unit 316 determines that farting is not continuous.

[0114] If it is determined that flatulence is continuous (yes in step S305), the constipation determination unit 316 determines whether the increase in hydrogen concentration is above the second threshold (step S306). For example, the constipation determination unit 316 calculates the increase in hydrogen concentration based on the hydrogen concentration shown in the excretion history information from the current period to a certain past period read in step S301. If the calculated increase is above the second threshold, it is determined that the hydrogen concentration has increased above the second threshold. Details regarding the increase will be explained in the medication status determination process described later.

[0115] If the rise in hydrogen concentration is determined to be above the second threshold (yes in step S306), the constipation determination unit 316 determines that the person is constipated (step S307).

[0116] In step S308, the constipation determination unit 316 generates constipation notification information indicating that the person is constipated, and outputs the constipation notification information via the communication unit 33. In this case, the constipation determination unit 316 can send the constipation notification information to a terminal device held by, for example, the person's manager. The person's manager can be, for example, the person's caregiver or family member.

[0117] Next, the assessment of medication status will be explained. Figure 8 This is a flowchart of the medication status determination process according to Embodiment 3 of this disclosure. The flowchart can be executed periodically (e.g., daily, weekly, monthly), or when the number of eligible user excretion history information stored in memory 32 increases by a predetermined number since the last execution.

[0118] In step S401, excretion history information is retrieved from the memory 32 based on the identification information, according to different excretion individuals. Here, the constipation judgment unit 316 can retrieve excretion history information from the present to a certain period in the past. The following describes the medication status judgment process for a specific excretion individual.

[0119] In step S402, the medication status determination unit 317 determines whether the increase in hydrogen concentration is above the third threshold. Alternatively, the medication status determination unit 317 may calculate the increase by subtracting the hydrogen concentration from the earliest excretion history information from the latest excretion history information obtained in step S401.

[0120] Alternatively, the medication status determination unit 317 may calculate the rate of increase by subtracting the average hydrogen concentration shown in the excretion history information of the earliest second period from the average hydrogen concentration shown in the excretion history information of the latest first period. The first period is, for example, the period from the latest date and time to a certain period in the past (e.g., 1 week, 2 weeks, 1 month). The second period is the period from the earliest date and time to the present (e.g., 1 week, 2 weeks, or 1 month).

[0121] Alternatively, the medication status determination unit 317 calculates the increase in hydrogen concentration from the extracted excretion history information by subtracting the hydrogen concentration shown in the preceding excretion history information from the hydrogen concentration shown in the subsequent excretion history information in the time series. Furthermore, the medication status determination unit 317 can also calculate a cumulative value by applying the process of calculating this increase in hydrogen concentration to all excretion history information obtained in step S401, and accumulating the calculated multiple increase values, using the calculated cumulative value as the degree of increase. Additionally, if the increase value is negative when the hydrogen concentration shown in the subsequent excretion history information in the time series decreases compared to the hydrogen concentration shown in the preceding excretion history information, a negative value is taken.

[0122] If the rise in hydrogen concentration is determined to be above the third threshold (yes in step S402), the medication status determination unit 317 determines that the excretor's medication status is that they have not taken any medication (non-medication) (step S403).

[0123] In step S404, the medication status determination unit 317 generates medication status information indicating that the person excreting has not taken the medication, and outputs the generated medication status information. Here, the medication status determination unit 317 can send the generated medication status information to the terminal device held by the administrator of the corresponding person excreting through the communication unit 33. Accordingly, the administrator can recognize that the person excreting has not taken the medication and can take appropriate measures to urge the person to take the medication.

[0124] On the other hand, if the rate of increase in hydrogen concentration is determined to be below the third threshold (No in step S402), the medication status determination unit 317 determines that the eligible excretor's medication status is "taking medication" (step S405). In the case of medication being taken, since the medication is being taken without issue, no medication status information is generated, and the process ends. Alternatively, this is just one example. The medication status determination unit 317 may also generate medication status information indicating "taking medication" even when the medication status is "taking medication," and send it to the terminal device. Based on this, the manager of the eligible excretor can confirm that the excretor is taking medication.

[0125] As described above, according to this embodiment, constipation is determined based on excretion history information when the defecation interval is greater than or equal to a first threshold and flatulence occurs continuously within the defecation interval, and when the rate of increase in hydrogen concentration is greater than or equal to a second threshold. Therefore, constipation can be accurately determined.

[0126] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the rate of increase in hydrogen concentration is calculated based on excretion history information, and the patient's medication status is determined based on whether this rate of increase is above a third threshold. Therefore, it is possible to accurately determine whether the patient is taking medication.

[0127] The following variations may be adopted in this disclosure.

[0128] (1) The constipation determination unit 316 and the medication status determination unit 317 may also be installed in the server 6. In this case, the constipation determination unit 316 installed in the server 6 can determine whether there is constipation by using the excretion history information stored in the database of the server 6. In addition, the medication status determination unit 317 installed in the server 6 can determine the medication status by using the excretion history information stored in the database of the server 6.

[0129] (2) The medication status determination unit 317 determines the medication status based on hydrogen concentration, but this is just one example; the medication status can also be determined based on hydrogen sulfide concentration or ammonia concentration. The details of the medication status determination process based on hydrogen sulfide concentration or ammonia concentration are the same as those of the medication status determination process based on hydrogen concentration. Furthermore, the medication status determination unit 317 can determine the medication status of the excreting individual as non-medication if it determines the medication status based on hydrogen concentration, hydrogen sulfide concentration, and ammonia concentration respectively, and if the determination result of at least one of them is non-medication.

[0130] (3) The first threshold used by the constipation judgment unit 316 in judging the defecation interval can also be different for different excrement users. In this case, the manager can determine the appropriate value of the first threshold based on the past defecation interval of the eligible excrement user, and input the determined first threshold into the excrement judgment device 3 using the operating device (not shown) to set the first threshold. Alternatively, the constipation judgment unit 316 can also calculate the past defecation interval of the eligible excrement user over a certain period based on the excretion history information, and set the first threshold based on the calculated defecation interval.

[0131] (4) The second threshold used by the constipation judgment unit 316 in judging the rate of increase can also be different for different excrementers. In this case, the manager can determine the value of the second threshold based on the past tendency of hydrogen concentration increase (e.g., the rate of increase) of the eligible excrementer, and use the operating device (not shown) to input the determined second threshold into the excrement judgment device 3 to set the second threshold. Alternatively, the constipation judgment unit 316 can also calculate the rate of increase of hydrogen concentration of the eligible excrementer over a certain period of time based on excretion history information, and set the second threshold based on the calculated rate of increase. Alternatively, the second threshold can also be the first reference concentration.

[0132] (5) The third threshold used by the medication status determination unit 317 in determining the rate of increase in hydrogen concentration can also be different for different excrement users. In this case, the manager can determine the value of the third threshold based on the rate of increase in hydrogen concentration of the excrement user who is taking medication, and input the determined third threshold into the excrement determination device 3 using the operating device (not shown) to set the third threshold. Alternatively, the medication status determination unit 317 can also calculate the rate of increase in hydrogen concentration of the excrement user who is taking medication based on excretion history information, and set the third threshold based on the calculated rate of increase. This is also the case when hydrogen sulfide or ammonia is used instead of hydrogen in the medication status determination process.

[0133] (6) In Figure 3 and Figure 5 In the flowchart, steps S102 to S107 and steps S109 to S112 are executed, but this disclosure is not limited to this. Steps S102 to S107 and steps S109 to S112 can also be executed regardless of whether the person is seated. In this case, steps S102 to S107 and steps S109 to S112 can be executed according to a predetermined control cycle.

[0134] (7) In Figure 3 and Figure 5In the flowchart, if the determination process of whether the first hydrogen concentration is above the first reference concentration is affirmed (yes in step S104), the determination process of whether the image data contains a defecation image is performed (step S105), but this disclosure is not limited to this. For example, it is also possible to use Figure 9 The flowchart. Figure 9 This is a flowchart of a modified example of the excrement judgment process disclosed herein. A key feature of this flowchart is that image data judgment processing is performed before hydrogen concentration judgment processing. Furthermore, in this flowchart, [the process is described in the original text]. Figure 3 and Figure 5 The same treatment is accompanied by the same symbols and the explanation is omitted.

[0135] In step S501, following step S103, the excrement determination unit 313 determines whether the image data contains a defecation image. If it is determined that the image data contains a defecation image (yes in step S501), the excrement determination unit 313 determines whether the hydrogen concentration is above a first reference concentration (step S502). If it is determined that the hydrogen concentration is above the first reference concentration (yes in step S502), the excrement determination unit 313 determines that both defecation and flatulence have occurred (step S503). The first reference concentration set here is a value preset based on the detection result of the hydrogen concentration when the person defecates. On the other hand, if it is determined that the hydrogen concentration is below the first reference concentration (no in step S502), the excrement determination unit 313 determines that only defecation has occurred (step S506).

[0136] If it is determined in step S501 that the image data does not contain a defecation image (no in step S501), the excrement determination unit 313 determines whether the image data contains a urination image (step S504).

[0137] If the image data is determined to contain an image of urination (yes in step S504), the excrement determination unit 313 determines that only urination occurred (step S508). On the other hand, if the image data is determined not to contain an image of urination (no in step S504), the excrement determination unit 313 determines whether the hydrogen concentration is above the first reference concentration (step S505). If the hydrogen concentration is determined to be above the first reference concentration (yes in step S505), the excrement determination unit 313 determines that only flatulence occurred (step S507). On the other hand, if the hydrogen concentration is determined to be below the first reference concentration (no in step S505), the process returns to step S101.

[0138] (8) Implementation method 3 is based on implementation method 1, but it can also be based on implementation method 2.

[0139] Industrial availability

[0140] The technology disclosed herein can accurately determine whether a person has passed gas or defecate, and is therefore valuable as a technology for determining excrement.

Claims

1. A method for determining excrement, comprising a method for determining excrement using an excrement determining device, characterized in that... Includes the following steps: Acquire sensor data detected by gas sensors installed in the toilet; Acquire image data captured by a camera that is positioned on the toilet in a manner that enables it to capture the toilet bowl portion of the toilet in the restroom; A first determination is made to determine whether the gas concentration shown in the sensor data is greater than a reference concentration; A second determination is made by performing image processing on the image data to determine whether the image data contains an image representing defecation; Based on the results of the first and second determinations, a third determination is made to determine whether at least one of the defecation and flatulence has occurred; and, Output the judgment result of the third judgment.

2. The method for determining excrement according to claim 1, characterized in that, In the third determination, if the result of the first determination indicates that the gas concentration is greater than the reference concentration and the result of the second determination indicates that the image data contains an image representing the defecation, it is determined that the defecation and the farting have occurred.

3. The method for determining excrement according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, In the third determination, if the result of the first determination indicates that the gas concentration is greater than the reference concentration and the result of the second determination indicates that the image data does not contain an image representing the defecation, it is determined that only the farting occurred.

4. The method for determining excrement according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The gas sensor is a first gas sensor that is sensitive to hydrogen.

5. The method for determining excrement according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The second judgment is performed if the first judgment is true.

6. The method for determining excrement according to claim 5, characterized in that, The gas sensor includes a first gas sensor sensitive to hydrogen, a second gas sensor sensitive to ammonia, and a third gas sensor sensitive to hydrogen sulfide. If the result of the first determination indicates that the gas concentration detected by the first gas sensor is below the reference concentration, a fourth determination is also performed based on the ammonia concentration detected by the second gas sensor and the hydrogen sulfide concentration detected by the third gas sensor to determine whether defecation or urination has occurred.

7. The method for determining excrement according to claim 5, characterized in that, If the result of the first determination indicates that the gas concentration detected by the gas sensor is below the reference concentration, a fourth determination is also performed based on the image data to determine whether defecation or urination has occurred.

8. The method for determining excrement according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The first, second, and third determinations are performed when the seating sensor detects that the person excreting is seated on the toilet.

9. The method for determining excrement according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, When outputting the above, date and time information including the judgment result, the date and time of the excretion behavior, and the gas concentration are generated, and the excretion history information is stored in the memory. If the excretion history information stored in the memory indicates that the defecation interval is above a first threshold and that the farting occurs continuously within the defecation interval, it is further determined whether the increase in gas concentration shown in the excretion history information is above a second threshold. If the increase is determined to be above the second threshold, the person excreting is determined to be constipated. It also outputs the result of the constipation diagnosis.

10. The method for determining excrement according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, When performing the output, a judgment result including the third judgment, date and time information indicating the date and time of the excretion behavior, and excretion history information of the gas concentration are generated, and the excretion history information is stored in the memory. The rate of increase in gas concentration is calculated based on the excretion history information stored in the memory, and the patient's medication status is determined based on whether the rate of increase is above a third threshold. It also outputs the judgment result of the medication status.

11. An excrement detection device, used to detect excrement, characterized in that... include: The sensor data acquisition unit acquires sensor data from gas sensors installed in the toilet. An image data acquisition unit acquires image data from a camera, which is installed on the toilet in a manner that enables it to capture images of the toilet bowl portion of the toilet in the restroom. The excrement determination unit performs a first determination, a second determination, and a third determination. The first determination is used to determine whether the gas concentration shown in the sensor data is greater than a reference concentration. The second determination performs image processing on the image data to determine whether the image data contains an image representing defecation. The third determination, based on the determination results of the first determination and the second determination, determines whether at least one of defecation and flatulence has occurred. as well as, The judgment result output unit outputs the judgment result of the third judgment.

12. A computer program product, comprising an excrement judgment program, characterized in that, The excrement identification program enables the computer to perform the following functions: Data is acquired from gas sensors installed in the toilet. Image data is acquired from a camera that is positioned on the toilet in a manner that enables it to capture images of the toilet bowl within the toilet. Perform a first determination to determine whether the gas concentration shown in the sensor data is greater than a reference concentration; A second determination is made to perform image processing on the image data to determine whether the image data contains an image representing defecation; Execute a third judgment based on the judgment results of the first and second judgments to determine whether at least one of the defecation and flatulence has occurred; and, Output the judgment result of the third judgment.

Images