Dining utensil, dining monitoring system, and dining monitoring method

Abstract

The eating utensil for eating of the present invention has: a first sensor and a second sensor, the first sensor detects a change in electrostatic capacity in a given manner, the second sensor detects a change in electrostatic capacity in a manner different from the given manner when a water droplet is attached; a determination section that determines the state of the eating utensil based on the detection results of the first sensor and the second sensor; and an output section that outputs the determination result of the determination section to the outside.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This manual discloses eating utensils, a diet monitoring system, and a diet monitoring method. Background Technology

[0002] Previously, techniques have been proposed to monitor whether a person is eating based on the detection results of sensors on eating utensils. For example, Patent Document 1 describes a method that includes an accelerometer that detects the acceleration of the eating utensils and a touch sensor that detects contact with the front end of the eating utensils based on changes in electrostatic capacitance, and determines whether a person is eating based on the detection results of the accelerometer and the touch sensor.

[0003] Existing technical documents

[0004] Patent documents

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2020-137927 Summary of the Invention

[0006] The problem that the invention aims to solve

[0007] As described in Patent Document 1 above, some touch sensors detect changes in electrostatic capacitance by means of changes in electrostatic capacitance when water droplets are applied. Additionally, when users or dishwashers wash tableware, accelerometers sometimes detect the acceleration of the tableware. Therefore, it is possible to misdetect the action of washing tableware as the action of eating.

[0008] The main purpose of this disclosure is to detect the condition of tableware with higher precision.

[0009] Methods for solving problems

[0010] The following means are employed in this disclosure to achieve the aforementioned principal objectives.

[0011] The tableware disclosed herein is tableware used for eating, and its main purpose is to have the following features:

[0012] A first sensor and a second sensor, wherein the first sensor detects changes in electrostatic capacitance in a given manner, and the second sensor detects changes in electrostatic capacitance in a manner different from the given manner when water droplets adhere;

[0013] The determination unit determines the state of the eating utensils based on the detection results of the first sensor and the second sensor; and

[0014] The output unit outputs the determination result of the determination unit to the outside.

[0015] The dining utensils disclosed herein can be used to detect the state of the dining utensils with higher precision. Attached Figure Description

[0016] Figure 1 This is a schematic structural diagram showing the structure of a residence 1 equipped with a monitoring system 10.

[0017] Figure 2 This is a schematic block diagram showing the structure of the monitoring system 10.

[0018] Figure 3 This is a schematic structural diagram showing the structure of chopsticks 3 and the food sensor 31.

[0019] Figure 4 This is a flowchart illustrating an example of a treatment method used in dietary decisions.

[0020] Figure 5 This is an explanatory diagram illustrating the relationship between the presence or absence of the detection object and the sensor, and the judgment result.

[0021] Figure 6 This is a flowchart illustrating an example of a living condition monitoring process.

[0022] Figure 7 This is an illustrative diagram representing an example of living conditions. Detailed Implementation

[0023] Next, the manner in which this disclosure is carried out will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Figure 1 This is a schematic structural diagram showing the structure of a residence 1 equipped with a monitoring system 10. Figure 2 This is a schematic block diagram showing the structure of the monitoring system 10.

[0024] Residence 1 is, for example, the residence of an elderly person living alone or someone under care or surveillance, and may include a kitchen, table 2, bed 4, and bathroom 6. Figure 1 In the example of residence 1, a single-room type apartment is shown, but it is not limited to this; it can also be divided into a living room, dining room, kitchen, or it can be a detached house, etc. Furthermore, as the object, it can be anything that needs to be monitored by S (see reference...). Figure 2 Anyone who can monitor a person's living conditions is acceptable, and this is not limited to the elderly. It can also include students living alone, people in convalescence, etc.

[0025] The surveillance system 10 is a system for monitoring the living conditions of the monitored person. It is equipped with a surveillance device 20 and various sensors 30 for detecting the actions of the monitored person, and is configured to communicate with the management server 40.

[0026] The monitoring device 20 includes a control unit 22 for controlling the operation of the monitoring device 20, a storage unit 24 for storing various information, a communication unit 26 for communicating with the outside world, a display unit 28 for displaying various information, and a speaker 29 for outputting sound.

[0027] The control unit 22 is configured as a CPU-centric microprocessor, and includes ROM for storing various control programs, RAM for use as an operating area, and input / output ports (not shown). Various sensor detection signals from the sensors 30 and information transmitted from the management server 40 via the communication unit 26 are input to the control unit 22. Furthermore, the control unit 22 outputs display signals for displaying various information from the management server 40 on the display unit 28, sound signals for sound output from the speaker 29, and various information for transmission from the communication unit 26 to external systems. The storage unit 24, for example, is configured with an HDD, and as described later, stores various information related to the monitored situation. The communication unit 26 can transmit various information from the control unit 22 to the management server 40 via a network 8 such as the Internet.

[0028] The monitoring system 10 includes various sensors 30, such as a food sensor 31, a sleep sensor 37, a human body sensor 38, and an excretion sensor 39. The food sensor 31 is installed on eating utensils such as chopsticks 3, spoons, and forks to detect whether the subject is eating. The sleep sensor 37 is a thin-film sensor installed under the mattress of the bed 4, which detects whether the subject is asleep based on their pulse, breathing, etc., and if so, whether they are in light or deep sleep. Furthermore, when the sleep sensor 37 detects sleep, it sends a detection signal that can distinguish between light and deep sleep. The human body sensor 38 is installed in the toilet 6 to detect the subject within the toilet 6 non-contactly. The excretion sensor 39 is installed on the toilet 6's flushing lever, flushing switch, etc., to detect the cleaning operation after excretion and to determine whether the cleaning operation is a large or small cleaning operation. Furthermore, when the excretion sensor 39 detects a cleaning operation, it sends a detection signal that can distinguish between a large and small cleaning operation. Various sensors 30 can send detection results (detection signals) to the monitoring device 20 via short-range wireless communication such as ZigBee (registered trademark), Bluetooth (registered trademark), and wireless LAN.

[0029] Figure 3This is a schematic structural diagram showing the structure of chopsticks 3 and the food sensor 31. The chopsticks 3 are a pair of rod-shaped members that taper towards the front end from the rear end, each having a front end portion 3a that contacts the food and a handle portion 3b for gripping. The food sensor 31 is disposed on the handle portion 3b of one of the two chopsticks 3.

[0030] The diet sensor 31 includes a control unit 32, a first sensor 33a and a second sensor 33b, a communication unit 34, a battery 35, and a charging unit 36. The control unit 32 is configured as a microprocessor centered on a CPU, and in addition to the CPU, it also includes ROM, RAM, etc.

[0031] The first sensor 33a and the second sensor 33b are electrostatic capacitance sensors that detect changes in electrostatic capacitance. The first sensor 33a operates on a self-capacitance basis, detecting objects such as hands or fingers when they approach an electromagnetic field generated by one electrode, by utilizing the increase in the electrostatic capacitance of the electrode itself. In the self-capacitance basis, when a water droplet adheres to chopsticks 3, the electrostatic capacitance also increases, and it is detected. Therefore, the first sensor 33a detects water droplet adhesion indiscriminately, regardless of whether it is a hand or finger. On the other hand, the second sensor 33b operates on a mutual capacitance basis, detecting objects such as hands or fingers when they approach an electromagnetic field generated between two electrodes, by utilizing the decrease in electrostatic capacitance between the electrodes due to partial obstruction of the electromagnetic field. In the mutual capacitance basis, when a water droplet adheres to chopsticks 3, the electrostatic capacitance increases but does not decrease, therefore the water droplet is not detected. Therefore, the second sensor 33b detects hands or fingers differently from water droplet adhesion.

[0032] The communication unit 34 transmits the detection information (detection signal) output from the control unit 32 to the monitoring device 20 via short-range wireless communication. The battery 35 supplies power to various parts of the food sensor 31, including the control unit 32, the first sensor 33a, the second sensor 33b, and the communication unit 34. For example, when the chopsticks 3 are placed on a wireless charger (not shown) installed in the kitchen, table 2, etc., the charging unit 36 ​​performs charging control by using power transmitted from the wireless charger to charge the battery 35.

[0033] The management server 40 includes a control unit 42, a storage unit 44, and a communication unit 46. The control unit 42 is configured as a CPU-centric microprocessor, and in addition to the CPU, it also includes ROM, RAM, etc. The storage unit 44 is configured as, for example, an HDD, and receives and stores information sent from the monitoring device 20 for a certain period. The communication unit 46 is connected to the communication unit 26 of one or more monitoring devices 20 via the network 8, and exchanges information with the communication unit 26 of the monitoring devices 20. Furthermore, the monitor S can access the management server 40 via the network 8 from their own mobile terminal P, personal computer, etc.

[0034] The following is a description of the operation of the diet sensor 31 and the monitoring device 20. Figure 4 This is a flowchart illustrating an example of a dietary determination process. This process is performed by the control unit 32 of the dietary sensor 31.

[0035] In the process of determining whether food is being consumed, the control unit 32 first determines whether the first sensor 33a has detected a change in electrostatic capacitance (S100). If it determines that no change has been detected, the process ends. On the other hand, if the control unit 32 determines that the first sensor 33a has detected a change in electrostatic capacitance, it then determines whether the second sensor 33b has detected a change in electrostatic capacitance (S110). If the control unit 32 determines that the second sensor 33b has detected a change in electrostatic capacitance, it determines that food is being consumed (S120), sends a detection signal to the monitoring device 20 (S130), and ends the process. On the other hand, if the control unit 32 determines in S110 that the second sensor 33b has not detected a change in electrostatic capacitance, it determines that the food is not being consumed but is being cleaned with chopsticks 3 (S140), and ends the process without sending a detection signal.

[0036] Figure 5 This is an explanatory diagram illustrating the relationship between the detection object, the presence or absence of sensor detection, and the determination result. For example, if chopsticks 3 are wet during washing, the detection object becomes the water, so the first sensor 33a (self-sensing method) detects it, but the second sensor 33b (mutual induction method) does not. In this case, it is determined to be washing in S140. On the other hand, if the holding part 3b of chopsticks 3 is held by hand during eating, both the first sensor 33a (self-sensing method) and the second sensor 33b (mutual induction method) detect it. In this case, it is determined to be eating in S120. Thus, based on the combination of the presence or absence of detection by the first sensor 33a and the second sensor 33b, it is possible to prevent the presence of water during washing from being mistakenly identified as the user's hand, thus enabling high-precision determination of eating. Furthermore, since the eating sensor 31 does not use an accelerometer to determine eating, it will not mistakenly detect the acceleration during washing of chopsticks 3 as eating action.

[0037] Next, the operation of the monitoring device 20 will be explained. Figure 6 This is a flowchart illustrating an example of a living condition monitoring process. This process is performed by the control unit 22 of the monitoring device 20.

[0038] In the monitoring and processing of living conditions, the control unit 22 first confirms the detection signals sent from various sensors 30 (S200) and determines whether a detection signal from the diet sensor 31 has been received (S210). If the control unit 22 determines that a detection signal from the diet sensor 31 has been received, it records the eating action in accordance with the current date and time information (S220) and proceeds to S230. That is, the control unit 22 stores the information indicating that the person is eating along with the date and time information in the storage unit 24. Conversely, if the control unit 22 determines that no detection signal has been received from the diet sensor 31, it skips S220 and proceeds to S230.

[0039] Next, the control unit 22 determines whether a detection signal has been received from the sleep sensor 37 (S230). If the control unit 22 determines that a detection signal has been received from the sleep sensor 37, it establishes a corresponding record of the sleep state with the current date and time information (S240) and proceeds to S250. It should be noted that the sleep sensor 37 sends the detection signal in a manner that can distinguish between deep sleep and light sleep, thus recording the sleep state including whether it is deep sleep or light sleep. Furthermore, if the control unit 22 determines that no detection signal has been received from the sleep sensor 37, it skips S240 and proceeds to S250.

[0040] Next, the control unit 22 determines whether a detection signal has been received from the human body sensor 38 or the excretion sensor 39 (S250). When the control unit 22 determines that a detection signal has been received from the human body sensor 38 or the excretion sensor 39, it records the excretion action in accordance with the current date and time information (S260) and proceeds to S270. For example, if the control unit 22 receives a detection signal from the human body sensor 38 when it has not determined that it is excreting, it records that excretion has begun and determines that the subject is excreting. Conversely, if the control unit 22 receives a detection signal from the excretion sensor 39 when it has determined that it is excreting, or if it no longer receives a detection signal from the human body sensor 38, it records that excretion has ended. It should be noted that the excretion sensor 39 sends a detection signal in a manner that can distinguish between a full cleaning operation and a light cleaning operation, and therefore stores the excretion action, including whether it is defecation or urination. In addition, when the control unit 22 determines that no detection signal has been received from either the human body sensor 38 or the excretion sensor 39, it skips S260 and proceeds to S270.

[0041] Then, the control unit 22 determines whether it is a scheduled time for sending recorded content (S270). The sending time can be set to, for example, a timer at given intervals, or a timer where recording has occurred in any of S220, S240, or S260. If the control unit 22 determines it is a scheduled time, it sends the recorded content to the management server 40 (S280) and ends the life status monitoring process. Conversely, if the control unit 22 determines it is not a scheduled time, it skips S280 and ends the life status monitoring process. Based on the sent recorded content, the control unit 42 of the management server 40 registers the subject's life status in the storage unit 44. Figure 7 This is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a person's living conditions. As shown, the living conditions of the monitored individual, such as eating, excretion, and sleep patterns, are recorded in chronological order. It should be noted that the monitor S can access the management server 40 via network 8 from a mobile terminal P or similar device to confirm the living conditions recorded in the storage unit 44. In other words, by visualizing the living conditions to the monitor S, the monitor S can easily grasp the living conditions of the monitored individual within the monitoring system 10.

[0042] Here, the correspondence between the constituent elements of this embodiment and the constituent elements of this disclosure is clarified. In this embodiment, the chopsticks 3 correspond to eating utensils, the first sensor 33a corresponds to the first sensor, the second sensor 33b corresponds to the second sensor, the control unit 32 corresponds to the determination unit, and the communication unit 34 corresponds to the output unit. Furthermore, the storage unit 24 of the monitoring device 20 and the storage unit 44 of the management server 40 correspond to storage units. In addition, in this embodiment, an example of the food monitoring method of this disclosure is clarified by describing the operation of the monitoring system 10.

[0043] As explained above, the food sensor 31 includes a first sensor 33a and a second sensor 33b, which exhibit different changes in electrostatic capacitance when water droplets adhere to them. Based on the detection results from the first sensor 33a and the second sensor 33b, it determines whether food is being consumed and outputs the determination result externally. Therefore, the state of the chopsticks 3 can be detected with higher accuracy. Furthermore, it prevents the washing of the chopsticks 3 from being mistaken for eating, thus enabling more accurate detection of eating actions.

[0044] Furthermore, the food sensor 31 determines that the user is eating if both the first sensor 33a (self-capacitance type) and the second sensor 33b (mutual capacitance type) detect a change in electrostatic capacitance. Conversely, even if the first sensor 33a detects a change in electrostatic capacitance, if the second sensor 33b does not detect a change in electrostatic capacitance, the food sensor 31 determines that the user is cleaning. Therefore, it is possible to detect whether the user is eating or cleaning with higher accuracy through simple processing. Additionally, the food sensor 31 sends a determination result when it determines that the user is eating, and does not send a determination result when it determines that the user is not eating, thus allowing it to appropriately output whether the user is eating and record the eating action accordingly.

[0045] Furthermore, when the first sensor 33a and the second sensor 33b are located on the front end portion 3a of the chopsticks 3, it is possible that the first sensor 33a detects moisture while the second sensor 33b does not, potentially leading to a false determination that the food is being cleaned. In this embodiment, since the first sensor 33a and the second sensor 33b are located on the handle portion 3b of the chopsticks 3, this possibility of false determination can be appropriately prevented. That is, it is possible to prevent the food from being falsely determined to be being cleaned while it is being cleaned.

[0046] In addition to recording eating actions based on the detection results (judgment results) of the eating sensor 31, the management server 40 also records living conditions including sleep status based on the sleep sensor 37 and excretion actions based on the human body sensor 38 and the excretion sensor 39. Therefore, the monitor S can easily grasp the living conditions of the subject by accessing the management server 40.

[0047] It should be noted that this disclosure is not limited to any of the above-described embodiments. It goes without saying that anything within the technical scope of this disclosure can be implemented in various ways.

[0048] In the above embodiment, the first sensor 33a is configured as a self-capacitance electrostatic capacitive sensor, and the second sensor 33b is configured as a mutual capacitance electrostatic capacitive sensor, but it is not limited to this. The first sensor 33a and the second sensor 33b can simply differ in the way the electrostatic capacitance changes when water droplets adhere. Then, the control unit 32 determines the state of the eating utensils based on the difference in the degree of change in electrostatic capacitance detected by the first sensor 33a and the second sensor 33b.

[0049] In this embodiment, the structures of the first sensor 33a and the second sensor 33b, including the diet sensor 31, are disposed on the holding portion 3b. However, this is not a limitation; some structures may also be disposed on the front end portion 3a, the middle portion between the front end portion 3a and the holding portion 3b, or the rear end portion further back than the holding portion 3b. However, in order to properly detect changes in electrostatic capacitance, it is preferable that the first sensor 33a and the second sensor 33b are disposed on the holding portion 3b.

[0050] In this embodiment, the food sensor 31 sends (outputs) a detection signal when it determines that the utensil is in food during the food detection process, and does not send a detection signal when it determines that the utensil is being cleaned. However, it is not limited to this; it may also send a detection signal when it determines that the utensil is being cleaned. In this case, the food sensor 31 can send a detection signal in a manner that can distinguish whether the utensil is in food or being cleaned. Alternatively, the food sensor 31 may simply be a sensor that determines the state of the eating utensils by simply determining whether they are in food or being cleaned.

[0051] In one embodiment, the food sensor 31 sends a detection signal when it determines that the person is eating during the food detection process, but it is not limited to this. For example, when it is determined that the person is eating, this information may be stored together with date and time information in the storage unit within the food sensor 31, and then sent at a later time, such as when the chopsticks 3 are placed on the wireless charger.

[0052] In one implementation, the diet sensor 31 determines whether the person is eating, but is not limited to this. For example, the diet sensor 31 may also send the detection results of the first sensor 33a and the second sensor 33b to the monitoring device 20, which will then determine whether the person is eating.

[0053] In this embodiment, the monitoring system 10 includes multiple sensors as sensors 30. However, each sensor is merely an example, and the type and processing of each sensor are not limited to the content of this embodiment. For example, the sleep sensor 37 detects whether it is light sleep or deep sleep, but it is sufficient to at least detect whether one is asleep. In addition, a human body sensor 38 and an excretion sensor are used to detect excretion, but it is also possible to use only one of these sensors to detect the presence or absence of excretion. Furthermore, the excretion sensor 39 detects whether it is a major cleaning operation or a minor cleaning operation, but it is sufficient to at least detect the cleaning operation (the presence or absence of excretion).

[0054] Furthermore, the monitoring system 10 is not limited to a monitoring system equipped with sensors other than the diet sensor 31, as long as it has at least the diet sensor 31 to monitor whether the person is eating. Additionally, information related to the person's living conditions, such as eating (detection signals), is transmitted from the diet sensor 31 to the management server 40 via the monitoring device 20, but is not limited to this. For example, it can be transmitted directly from the diet sensor 31 to the management server 40, or it can be stored in the storage unit 24 of the monitoring device 20 and transmitted to the management server 40 as needed. Furthermore, information related to the person's living conditions can also be directly transmitted to the monitor S's mobile terminal P, and the person's living conditions can be visualized through the application software on the mobile terminal P.

[0055] In the dietary monitoring system and method disclosed herein, the state of the dietary utensils can be detected with higher precision, similar to the aforementioned dietary utensils. Various methods of using dietary utensils can be employed in these dietary monitoring systems and methods, and additional structures and steps can be added to implement the various functions of the dietary utensils.

[0056] Industrial applicability

[0057] This disclosure is applicable to the field of monitoring the living conditions of a person being monitored, such as their diet.

[0058] Symbol Explanation

[0059] 1: Dwelling; 2: Table; 3: Chopsticks; 3a: Front end; 3b: Holding part; 4: Bed; 6: Toilet; 8: Internet; 10: Surveillance system; 20: Surveillance device; 22: Control unit; 24: Storage unit; 26: Communication unit; 28: Display unit; 29: Speaker; 30: Sensor; 31: Diet sensor; 32: Control unit; 33a: First sensor; 33b: Second sensor; 34: Communication unit; 35: Battery; 36: Charging unit; 37: Sleep sensor; 38: Human body sensor; 39: Excretion sensor; 40: Management server; 42: Control unit; 44: Storage unit; 46: Communication unit; P: Mobile terminal; S: Monitor.

Claims

1. A type of eating utensil, used for eating, comprising: The first sensor is a self-capacitance electrostatic capacitive sensor, which detects objects including hands and fingers by utilizing the increase in the electrostatic capacitance of the electrodes themselves. When water droplets adhere to the eating utensils, the electrostatic capacitance also increases, thus enabling detection. The second sensor is a mutual capacitance electrostatic capacitive sensor, which detects objects by utilizing the decrease in the electrostatic capacitance between the electrodes when hands or fingers approach the electromagnetic field generated between the two electrodes. When water droplets adhere to the eating utensils, the electrostatic capacitance increases but does not decrease, thus preventing the detection of water droplets. The determination unit determines the state of the eating utensils based on the detection results of the first sensor and the second sensor; as well as The output unit outputs the determination result of the determination unit to the outside.

2. The eating utensils according to claim 1, wherein, The determination unit determines whether a person is eating using the eating utensils based on the detection results of the first sensor and the second sensor.

3. The eating utensils according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The determination unit determines that the person is in the process of eating if both the first sensor and the second sensor detect a change in electrostatic capacitance, and determines that the person is not in the process of eating but is in the process of cleaning the eating utensils if the first sensor detects a change in electrostatic capacitance and the second sensor does not detect a change in electrostatic capacitance.

4. The eating utensils according to claim 2, wherein, The output unit outputs the determination result to the outside when the determination unit determines that the person is eating, and does not output the determination result to the outside when the determination unit determines that the person is not eating.

5. The eating utensils according to claim 3, wherein, The output unit outputs the determination result to the outside when the determination unit determines that the person is eating, and does not output the determination result to the outside when the determination unit determines that the person is not eating.

6. The eating utensils according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The first sensor and the second sensor are disposed in the handle portion of the eating utensils that are held by hand.

7. A dietary surveillance system for monitoring whether a subject is in a dietary state, comprising: A first sensor and a second sensor are disposed on a food utensil used for eating. The first sensor is a self-capacitance electrostatic capacitance sensor, which detects objects including hands and fingers by utilizing the increase in the electrostatic capacitance of the electrodes themselves. When water droplets adhere to the food utensil, the electrostatic capacitance also increases, and the sensor is detected. The second sensor is a mutual capacitance electrostatic capacitance sensor, which detects objects by utilizing the decrease in the electrostatic capacitance between the electrodes when hands or fingers approach the electromagnetic field generated between the two electrodes. When water droplets adhere to the food utensil, the electrostatic capacitance increases but does not decrease, and the water droplets are not detected. The determination unit determines the state of the eating utensils based on the detection results of the first sensor and the second sensor; as well as The storage unit stores the determination results of the determination unit.

8. A dietary surveillance method for monitoring whether a subject is in a dietary state, comprising: (a) A step of obtaining the detection results detected by the first sensor and the second sensor, wherein the first sensor and the second sensor are disposed on a food utensil for eating, the first sensor is a self-capacitance electrostatic capacitance sensor, which detects the detection object including the hand and fingers by utilizing the increase of the electrostatic capacitance of the electrodes themselves, and detects the water droplet when it is attached to the food utensil, as the electrostatic capacitance also increases; the second sensor is a mutual capacitance electrostatic capacitance sensor, which detects the detection object by utilizing the decrease of the electrostatic capacitance between the electrodes when the hand or fingers are close to the electromagnetic field generated between the two electrodes, and detects the water droplet when it is attached to the food utensil, as the electrostatic capacitance increases but does not decrease, and therefore does not detect the water droplet. (b) A step of determining the state of the eating utensils based on the detection results obtained in step (a). (c) The step of storing the determination result determined in step (b) into the storage unit.

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