Measurement device, control method, and control program

Abstract

Provided are a measurement device, a control method, and a control program with which it is possible to improve the availability of measurement of biological data. A measurement device according to one aspect of the present invention is provided with: a control unit (30) that performs measurement using a sensor that acquires biological data; and a non-volatile memory (14a). Furthermore, in the control unit (30), when a measurement instruction is received, measurement and data erasing of the non-volatile memory (14a) are started, and when the data erasing is completed, the biological data obtained by the measurement is written to the non-volatile memory (14a).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a measuring device, a control method and a control program. Background Art

[0002] In the past, there were health devices (such as blood pressure monitors) equipped with BLE (Bluetooth (registered trademark) Low Energy) communication functions. In this health device, the measurement data can be sent to, for example, an external device via BLE communication, and the measurement data of the health device can be acquired and managed by the external device. In this case, the health device saves the measurement data in, for example, a memory within the health device, and collects the saved data and sends it to the external device. In the case where the health device saves the measurement data, there is a case where the health device saves the measurement results after the measurement of the data is completed, and there is also a case where the data is measured while the data is saved sequentially when the capacity is large. In the case of saving large-capacity data, for example, a large-capacity and relatively cheap flash memory is sometimes used.

[0003] For example, the following blood pressure meter is known: the pulse wave detected by the blood pressure estimation unit and the blood pressure value calculated based on the pulse wave are stored in a storage unit in association with the measurement year, month, day and time, the stored data can be output to the outside from the output terminal, and the signal level of the pulse wave can be displayed by a timing curve graph (Patent Document 1).

[0004] Prior art literature

[0005] Patent Literature

[0006] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2007-098003 Summary of the invention

[0007] Problems to be solved by the invention

[0008] However, when using a flash memory, for example, when writing measurement data to the memory, it is necessary to erase the memory data. Furthermore, since many specifications perform erasure in concentrated units such as sectors, there is a problem that erasing the data takes time.

[0009] As a method of erasing memory data during data measurement, for example, there is a method in which, when a measurement start operation is performed, memory data is first erased, and data measurement is started after the erasure. However, in this case, if the size of the data to be erased is large, erasing takes time, and the start of data measurement is delayed.

[0010] In addition, as a method of erasing memory data, there is, for example, a method of erasing a memory area of ​​a measurement after the measurement of the data is completed. However, in this case, erasure at the start of the measurement is not necessary, but the erased area must always be ensured in the memory, and the number of data that can be stored is reduced. In addition, in the case of performing multiple measurements in succession due to a button operation error, etc., the second start is delayed due to the erasing process, and the usability is deteriorated. Therefore, there is room for further improvement in the method of erasing memory data or saving data measured by a health device or the like in a memory.

[0011] According to the blood pressure meter of Patent Document 1, it is clear what kind of pulse wave is detected by the blood pressure estimation unit and what characteristic point of the detected pulse wave is used to estimate the blood pressure value, so the subject can confirm whether the blood pressure value is estimated normally. However, Patent Document 1 does not describe the erasure of memory data when the measured biological information is stored in the memory and the storage in the memory.

[0012] The present invention has been made in view of such actual circumstances in one aspect, and an object of the present invention is to provide a measurement device, a control method, and a control program that can improve the usability of measurement of biological data.

[0013] Solutions for solving problems

[0014] The present invention adopts the following configuration in order to solve the above-mentioned problems. (1)

[0016] A measuring device comprising: a control unit for performing measurement using a sensor for acquiring biological data; and a memory.

[0017] In the control unit,

[0018] When receiving the instruction of the measurement, the measurement and the data erasure of the memory are started,

[0019] When the data erasure is completed, the biological data obtained in the measurement is written into the memory.

[0020] According to (1), by executing the measurement based on the biometric data in parallel with the data erasure of the memory, the measurement can be started without waiting for the completion of the data erasure. Therefore, the time from the indication of the measurement to the start of the measurement can be shortened, and the waiting time of the user can be reduced. As a result, a large volume of biometric data can be stored in the memory, and the deterioration of usability associated with the storage process of the large volume of biometric data can be suppressed. (2)

[0022] The measuring device according to (1), wherein

[0023] The memory is a flash memory.

[0024] According to (2), the waiting time required by the user until the data erasure of the flash memory is completed can be reduced. (3)

[0026] The measuring device according to (1) or (2), wherein

[0027] The biological data is pulse wave data.

[0028] As in (3), the biological data measured by the measuring device is preferably pulse wave data. It should be noted that the pulse wave may be a pressure pulse wave obtained by measuring changes in pressure applied to a blood vessel or a volume pulse wave obtained by measuring changes in the amount of blood in a blood vessel. (4)

[0030] The measuring device according to (3), wherein

[0031] The control unit outputs a blood pressure measurement result based on the pulse wave data.

[0032] According to (4), the blood pressure measurement result can be displayed on, for example, a display unit of the measurement device. (5)

[0034] The measuring device according to (3) or (4), wherein

[0035] The measuring device includes a cuff having: a belt-shaped body, which is worn in a manner surrounding a measured part and is configured to be able to change the compressive pressure on the measured part; and the sensor, which is arranged between the belt-shaped body and the measured part.

[0036] The measurement includes: a pressurization process to increase the compression pressure; and a decompression process to reduce the compression pressure after the pressurization process.

[0037] The measurement of pulse wave data initially includes a pressurization process, and the sensed data during this period is relatively unimportant. Therefore, even if the measurement is started while the memory is erased and the sensed data at the beginning of the measurement is omitted, the impact on the analysis, etc. is small. Therefore, as (5), it is preferable to use the pulse wave data measured by the cuff as the biological data measured by the measurement device. (6)

[0039] The measuring device according to (5), wherein

[0040] The control unit does not write the biological data obtained during the pressurization process into the memory, but writes the biological data obtained during the depressurization process into the memory.

[0041] According to (6), the memory is erased together with the pressurization process, so the waiting time of the user when the depressurization process starts can be reduced. (7)

[0043] The measuring device according to (5), wherein

[0044] The control unit does not write the vital data obtained in the pressurization process before the data erasure is completed into the memory, but writes the vital data obtained in the pressurization process after the data erasure is completed and the vital data obtained in the decompression process into the memory.

[0045] According to (7), the memory is erased together with the pressurization process, so the waiting time of the user when the decompression process starts can be reduced. In addition, the biological data obtained after the data erasure during the pressurization process is completed can also be written into the memory. (8)

[0047] The measuring device according to any one of (1) to (5), wherein

[0048] In the control unit,

[0049] buffering the biological data obtained in the measurement until the erasure of the data is completed,

[0050] When the data erasure is completed, the buffered biological data is written into the memory.

[0051] According to (8), by also buffering the biological data obtained before the data erasure is completed, the biological data can be written into the memory after the data erasure is completed. (9)

[0053] The measuring device according to any one of (1) to (8), wherein

[0054] The control unit transmits the biological data written in the memory to an information terminal.

[0055] According to (9), the biological data measured by the measuring device can be received in an information terminal such as a smartphone or a cloud server, and the received biological data can be analyzed by the information terminal. (10)

[0057] The measuring device according to (9), wherein:

[0058] The control unit includes:

[0059] a first processor that performs said determination; and

[0060] The second processor performs wireless communication with the information terminal,

[0061] The memory is connected to the second processor,

[0062] The first processor sends the biological data to the second processor and writes the biological data into the memory,

[0063] The second processor transmits the biological data written in the memory to the information terminal.

[0064] In a configuration in which measurements based on biological data are performed in parallel with erasing data in a memory, if one processor is intended to perform these processes, the processing load becomes large, and a delay in the measurement process or the like occurs. Therefore, as in (10), by providing a second processor that performs memory erasing, writing to the memory, and wireless communication separately from the first processor that performs the measurement, the processing load for erasing the memory to be erased or for writing pulse wave data to the memory or transmitting it to the information terminal can be distributed to the second processor, and the processing load of the first processor can be reduced. As a result, the delay in the measurement process or the like performed by the first processor can be suppressed. (11)

[0066] The measuring device according to (10), wherein

[0067] the first processor designating an address of a write destination in the memory to the second processor so that the second processor writes the biological data into the memory,

[0068] The first processor specifies the address of the read source in the memory to the second processor, and causes the second processor to read the biological data from the memory and transmit the biological data to the information terminal.

[0069] According to (11), the first processor specifies the address of the memory connected to the second processor, and instructs the second processor to write, read, and send the biological data. Therefore, it is not necessary to perform flow control through the interface between the first processor and the second processor (such as UART: Universal Asynchronous Receiver Transmitter, etc.), and the transmission speed of the biological data to the information terminal can be improved. In addition, the second processor only needs to write information to the specified address in the memory, read and send information from the specified address, so a simple structure can be adopted for the second processor. In addition, the first processor can flexibly write biological data to the memory, read biological data from the memory, and send the read biological data by instructing the second processor. However, since the first processor itself does not need to perform heavy processing such as writing, reading, and sending of biological data, the processing load of the first processor can be reduced as in the above (7). (12)

[0071] The measuring device according to (10) or (11), wherein

[0072] The first processor specifies an address of an erasure target in the memory to the second processor, so that the second processor erases the vital data from the memory.

[0073] According to (12), the first processor specifies the address of the memory connected to the second processor, and instructs the second processor to erase the object to be erased. Therefore, there is no need to perform flow control through the interface between the first processor and the second processor, which can increase the transmission speed of biological data to the information terminal. In addition, the second processor only needs to erase the erased object at the specified address in the memory, so a simple structure can be used for the second processor. In addition, the first processor can flexibly erase the erased object in the memory according to the instruction to the second processor. However, since the first processor itself does not need to perform heavy processing such as erasing the erased object, the processing load of the first processor can be reduced as in (7) above. (13)

[0075] The measuring device according to (11) or (12), wherein

[0076] The memory has an area allocated for the biological data,

[0077] The address of the write destination and the address of the read source are addresses in the area.

[0078] According to (13), by providing an area in the memory where no information other than vital data is written, interference between writing of vital data based on an instruction from the first processor to the second processor and writing of other information by the second processor can be suppressed. (14)

[0080] The measuring device according to any one of (10) to (13), wherein

[0081] The memory is inaccessible from the first processor.

[0082] According to (14), compared with a configuration in which the first processor and the second processor share one memory, access processing can be dispersed and accelerated. (15)

[0084] A control method is a control method for a measuring device, the measuring device comprising: a control unit for performing measurement using a sensor for acquiring biological data; and a memory, wherein:

[0085] In the control unit,

[0086] When receiving the instruction of the measurement, the measurement and the data erasure of the memory are started,

[0087] When the data erasure is completed, the biological data obtained in the measurement is written into the memory.

[0088] According to (15), by executing the measurement based on the biometric data in parallel with the data erasure of the memory, the measurement can be started without waiting for the completion of the data erasure. Therefore, the time from the indication of the measurement to the start of the measurement can be shortened, and the waiting time of the user can be reduced. As a result, a large volume of biometric data can be stored in the memory, and the deterioration of usability associated with the storage process of the large volume of biometric data can be suppressed. (16)

[0090] A control program is a control program for a measuring device, the measuring device comprising: a control unit that performs measurement using a sensor that acquires biological data; and a memory, the control program being configured to cause the control unit to execute the following processing:

[0091] When receiving the instruction of the measurement, starting the measurement and erasing the data in the memory; and

[0092] When the data erasure is completed, the biological data obtained in the measurement is written into the memory.

[0093] According to (16), by executing the measurement based on the biometric data in parallel with the data erasure of the memory, the measurement can be started without waiting for the completion of the data erasure. Therefore, the time from the indication of the measurement to the start of the measurement can be shortened, and the waiting time of the user can be reduced. As a result, a large volume of biometric data can be stored in the memory, and the deterioration of usability associated with the storage process of the large volume of biometric data can be suppressed.

[0094] Effects of the Invention

[0095] According to the present invention, a measurement device, a control method, and a control program that can improve the usability of biological data measurement can be provided. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0096] Figure 1 It is a diagram showing an information management system including a measuring device of the present invention and an information terminal that wirelessly communicates with the measuring device.

[0097] Figure 2 This is a diagram showing a sphygmomanometer as an example of a measurement device.

[0098] Figure 3 This is a diagram showing an example in which information terminals are connected to a network.

[0099] Figure 4 This is a block diagram showing the structure of a measuring device.

[0100] Figure 5 This is a block diagram showing the structure of an information terminal.

[0101] Figure 6 This is a sequence diagram showing the operations of the main MCU, communication IC, and nonvolatile memory in the measurement device.

[0102] Figure 7 This is a diagram showing an example of biological data measured by a measurement device.

[0103] Figure 8 This is a diagram showing an example of a first flow of pressure pulse wave data measured by a sphygmomanometer.

[0104] Fig. 9 This is a diagram showing an example of a second flow of pressure pulse wave data measured by a sphygmomanometer.

[0105] Fig.10 This is a diagram showing an example of a third flow of pressure pulse wave data measured by a sphygmomanometer.

[0106] Fig.11 This is a diagram showing an example of a fourth flow of pressure pulse wave data measured by a sphygmomanometer.

[0107] Fig.12 This is a diagram showing an example of a fifth flow of pressure pulse wave data measured by a sphygmomanometer. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0108] Hereinafter, an embodiment of one aspect of the present invention will be described based on the drawings.

[0109] §1 Application Examples

[0110] <Information Management System 100 to Which the Present Invention is Applied>

[0111] Figure 1 The present invention is an information management system 100 including a measuring device 1 of the present invention and an information terminal 5 that wirelessly communicates with the measuring device 1 .

[0112] The measuring device 1 includes a biological data measuring device for measuring biological data such as weight, body composition, blood pressure, pulse, heart rate, body temperature, blood sugar or blood oxygen saturation. The measuring device 1 includes a measuring sensor for measuring the measurement object quantity. The measurement object quantity of the measuring sensor includes biological data such as weight, body fat percentage, blood pressure value, pulse rate, heart rate, body temperature, blood sugar value or blood oxygen saturation corresponding to the measuring device 1. In addition, the measuring device 1 is a non-wearable measuring device. A non-wearable measuring device refers to a measuring device that is not wearable. A wearable measuring device refers to a measuring device (such as an activity meter) that is carried by being worn on the user's body. For example, the measuring device 1 (non-wearable measuring device) is a measuring device such as a weight scale, a body composition meter, a weight and body composition meter, a blood pressure meter, etc. that is used in a state set on the ground or on a table. The measuring device 1 sends the measured biological data to the information terminal 5 as the user's measured biological data through wireless communication.

[0113] The information terminal 5 stores the measured biological data received from the measuring device 1 in the data storage unit in the information terminal 5. In addition, the information terminal 5 can also wirelessly communicate with external devices other than the measuring device 1, and store the information obtained from the external device in the data storage unit in the information terminal 5. The information terminal 5 is an information processing device that analyzes various information obtained from the measuring device 1 and other external devices. The information terminal 5 is, for example, a terminal with a display such as a smartphone, a tablet terminal, a laptop computer, a desktop computer, a wearable terminal, etc. The information terminal 5 can also be set to obtain the measured biological data from a specific measuring device 1. The specific measuring device 1 that obtains the measured biological data can also be pre-registered in the data storage unit of the information terminal 5.

[0114] Figure 2: is a diagram showing a sphygmomanometer 1A as an example of a measuring device 1. The sphygmomanometer 1A is an example of a biological data measuring device, which measures the blood pressure (pressure pulse wave data) of a user and outputs the measurement result to the user. In addition, the sphygmomanometer 1A transmits the measurement result as the user's measured biological data to the information terminal 5 via wireless communication. For example, the sphygmomanometer 1A comprises: a main body 21; a cuff 22 that can be wrapped around a measured part of the user (for example, the upper arm); and an air tube 23 that connects the main body 21 and the cuff 22. The cuff 22 comprises: a belt-shaped body 22a that is worn around the upper arm and is configured to change the compression pressure on the upper arm; and a sensor 22b that is disposed between the belt-shaped body 22a and the upper arm. The measurement of the sphygmomanometer 1A includes: a pressurization process that increases the compression pressure; and a decompression process that reduces the compression pressure after the pressurization process. It should be noted that in Figure 2 In the example shown in FIG. 2 , the cuff 22 and the main body 21 are separate bodies, but the cuff 22 and the main body 21 may be integrated.

[0115] Figure 3 1 is a diagram showing an example of an information terminal 5 being connected to a network. Figure 3 As shown, the information terminal 5 can be connected to the cloud server 90 via a wide area network N such as the Internet. The information terminal 5 can also send the measured biometric data stored in the information terminal 5 to the cloud server 90 via the wide area network N, and manage the measured biometric data of the user in the form of a database in the cloud server 90. In addition, the information terminal 5 can also obtain the measured biometric data managed in the cloud server 90 via the wide area network N and use the obtained measured biometric data.

[0116] §2 Example of composition

[0117] <Configuration of Measurement Device 1>

[0118] Figure 41 is a block diagram showing the structure of the measuring device 1. The measuring device 1 includes: a display unit 11 that can display various information; an operation unit 12 that can be operated by the user; a measuring unit 13 that measures biological data, etc.; a communication IC (Integrated Circuit) 14 that communicates with external devices; a non-volatile memory 14a connected to the communication IC 14; and an antenna 14b for communication. In addition, the measuring device 1 includes: a RAM (Random Access Memory) 16 that temporarily stores information; a main MCU (Micro Controller Unit) 18 that controls the operation of the entire device; and a non-volatile memory 18a that is connected to the main MCU 18. The main MCU 18 is an example of the first processor of the present invention. The communication IC 14 is an example of the second processor of the present invention. The combination of the main MCU 18 and the communication IC 14 is an example of the control unit 30 of the present invention. The communication interface between the main MCU 18 and the communication IC 14 uses an interface such as UART.

[0119] The display unit 11 is composed of, for example, a liquid crystal display or an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display. The operation unit 12 is a user interface such as buttons or a touch panel that accepts user operations. The buttons include buttons physically provided on the measurement device 1 and virtual buttons displayed on the display unit 11.

[0120] The measurement unit 13 includes sensors for measuring biological data such as weight, body composition, blood pressure, pulse, heart rate, body temperature, blood sugar, and blood oxygen saturation. What is measured varies depending on the measurement target of the measurement device 1 .

[0121] The nonvolatile memory 14a is a recording medium that stores parameters and control programs required to realize a predetermined function, and the biological data measured by the measuring unit 13. The nonvolatile memory 14a is composed of, for example, a flash memory. The nonvolatile memory 14a is provided with a biological data area allocated for storing biological data. The biological data stored in the nonvolatile memory 14a is managed by the communication IC 14.

[0122] The communication IC 14 implements the specified functions by executing the control program. For example, the communication IC 14 can perform short-range wireless communication by executing the communication program stored in the non-volatile memory 14a. The communication IC 14, for example, communicates in accordance with the BLE (Bluetooth (registered trademark) Low Energy: Bluetooth Low Energy) standard. The communication IC 14 sends a notification signal for wireless communication to an unspecified number of external devices during a periodic period through broadcast communication. For example, the communication IC 14 includes the name and attribute information of the measuring device 1 in the notification signal and sends it. The BLE communication performed by the communication IC 14 is, for example, communication using a 2.4 GHz frequency.

[0123] In addition, the communication IC 14 can erase the erase object (e.g., biological data) written in the nonvolatile memory 14a by executing, for example, an erase program stored in the nonvolatile memory 18a. The communication IC 14 erases the biological data from the nonvolatile memory 14a according to the erase instruction signal sent from the main MCU 18 to the communication IC.

[0124] Furthermore, the communication IC 14 can manage the biological data by executing, for example, a management program stored in the nonvolatile memory 14 a . The biological data is the biological data of the user measured by the measurement unit 13 .

[0125] For example, the communication IC 14 performs a write process of writing the measured biological data into the non-volatile memory 14a. In addition, the communication IC 14 performs a read process of reading the biological data from the non-volatile memory 14a. The communication IC 14 writes the biological data into the non-volatile memory 14a according to the write instruction signal sent from the main MCU 18 to the communication IC, and reads the biological data from the non-volatile memory 14a according to the read instruction signal. The communication IC 14 performs a write process and a read process of the biological data on the biological data area of ​​the non-volatile memory 14a. No information other than the biological data written according to the write instruction signal from the main MCU 18 is written into the biological data area. The biological data area is a dedicated area that can be used by the main MCU 18 and is located in the area of ​​the non-volatile memory 14a.

[0126] The communication IC 14 performs a transmission process of transmitting the biological data read from the nonvolatile memory 14a to, for example, the information terminal 5 by wireless communication using the antenna 14b. The communication IC 14 performs the transmission process of the biological data in accordance with a transmission instruction signal transmitted from the main MCU 18 to the communication IC 14.

[0127] The RAM 16 is composed of a semiconductor device such as a DRAM (Dynamic RAM) or an SRAM (Static RAM), and temporarily stores information, and also operates as a work area of ​​the main MCU 18 .

[0128] The nonvolatile memory 18a is a recording medium that stores parameters and control programs required to realize a predetermined function, and address information of a biological data area in the nonvolatile memory 14a connected to the communication IC 14. The nonvolatile memory 18a is composed of, for example, an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory). It should be noted that in this example, the nonvolatile memory 14a is a structure independent of the communication IC 14, but, for example, the nonvolatile memory 14a may also be a module with the communication IC 14.

[0129] The main MCU 18 implements a predetermined function by executing a control program. For example, the main MCU 18 can perform measurement based on the biological data acquired by the measurement unit 13 by executing a measurement program stored in the nonvolatile memory 18 a.

[0130] In addition, the main MCU 18 can instruct the erasure of the biological data written in the non-volatile memory 14a by executing, for example, an erase instruction program stored in the non-volatile memory 18a. For example, the main MCU 18 sends an erase instruction signal to the communication IC 14 for specifying the address of the biological data area in the non-volatile memory 14a and erasing the erased object (for example, biological data) from the non-volatile memory 14a. For example, when receiving an instruction to measure data based on the pressing of the measurement button, the main MCU 18 starts measuring the biological data and starts instructing the communication IC 14 to erase the data in the non-volatile memory 14a.

[0131] The main MCU 18 buffers the biological data obtained in the measurement until the data in the communication IC 14 is completely erased. After the data in the communication IC 14 is completely erased, the main MCU 18 sends the pre-buffered biological data to the communication IC 14 and writes it to the non-volatile memory 14a. Measurement refers to the process of increasing the compression pressure on the measured part when the biological data of the measured object is, for example, pressure pulse wave data, and then calculating the measurement value (for example, blood pressure value) based on the obtained pressure pulse wave data while reducing the compression pressure. Data erasure refers to erasing a fixed data unit (a sector (for example, 4KB)), for example. Buffering refers to temporarily storing the biological data obtained in the measurement in a memory different from the non-volatile memory 14a. The different memory may refer to a volatile memory such as the RAM 16 in the main MCU 18, or a non-volatile memory such as the non-volatile memory 18a.

[0132] In addition, the main MCU 18 can perform management instructions on the measured biological data by executing, for example, a management instruction program stored in the non-volatile memory 18a. For example, the main MCU 18 specifies the address of the write destination in the biological data area of ​​the non-volatile memory 14a, and sends a write instruction signal to the communication IC 14 to write the biological data into the non-volatile memory 14a. The main MCU 18 sends the biological data measured by the measuring unit 13 and buffered in the RAM 16 to the communication IC 14 together with the write instruction signal. The main MCU 18 sends the biological data obtained by dividing the biological data into fixed time as time series data to the communication IC 14 in sequence. For example, the main MCU 18 sends the biological data to the communication IC at 18 bytes every 32 milliseconds (msec).

[0133] In addition, the main MCU 18 specifies the address of the read source in the biological data area of ​​the non-volatile memory 14a, and sends a read instruction signal for reading the biological data from the non-volatile memory 14a to the communication IC 14. It should be noted that the address designation for writing and reading can be, for example, the designation of the start address for writing and reading in the biological data area of ​​the non-volatile memory 14a and the designation of the size of the write information and the read information, or the designation of the start address and the end address for writing and reading.

[0134] In addition, the main MCU 18 can instruct the communication IC 14 to perform a transmission process by executing, for example, a transmission instruction program stored in the non-volatile memory 18a. For example, the main MCU 18 sends to the communication IC 14 a transmission instruction signal for periodically transmitting a notification signal for wireless communication (BLE communication) and a transmission instruction signal for transmitting the biological data read from the non-volatile memory 14a to an external device such as the information terminal 5.

[0135] When writing the measured biological data into the nonvolatile memory 14a, reading the biological data, and sending the biological data to an external device, the main MCU 18 only performs the process of sending an instruction signal including the address designation of the nonvolatile memory 14a to the communication IC 14. The process of writing the biological data into the nonvolatile memory 14a, the process of reading the biological data, and the process of sending the biological data to the external device are executed by the communication IC 14 that receives the instruction from the main MCU 18. That is, the main MCU 18 is configured to be able to indirectly access the nonvolatile memory 14a via the communication IC 14 but cannot directly access the nonvolatile memory 14a.

[0136] In addition, the main MCU 18 sends a signal indicating the start of saving the biological data to the non-volatile memory 14a to the communication IC 14 before the sensing of the biological data. In addition, the main MCU 18 sends a signal indicating the end of saving the biological data to the non-volatile memory 14a to the communication IC 14 after the sensing of the biological data. In addition, the main MCU 18 receives result information related to the writing of the biological data to the non-volatile memory 14a from the communication IC 14 after the sensing of the biological data is completed. The result information is sent in a response signal from the communication IC 14 to the main MCU 18 for the indication of the end of saving. The result information includes information indicating the number of biological data received by the communication IC 14 from the main MCU 18 and information indicating the number of failures of the biological data that the communication IC 14 failed to write to the non-volatile memory 14a. It should be noted that the result information may also be information indicating the number of successes of the biological data that was successfully written to the non-volatile memory 14a.

[0137] In addition, the main MCU 18 outputs the biological measurement results based on the measured biological data, such as the blood pressure measurement results based on the pressure pulse wave data, by executing, for example, the information output program stored in the non-volatile memory 18a. The main MCU 18 displays the blood pressure measurement results on, for example, the display unit 11 of the measurement device 1 in the form of a screen. In addition, the main MCU 18 can also output the blood pressure measurement results from the measurement device 1 in the form of voice, and can also send them to the information terminal 5 wirelessly.

[0138] <Configuration of Information Terminal 5>

[0139] Figure 5: is a block diagram showing the structure of the information terminal 5. The information terminal 5 includes: a display unit 51 that can display various information; an operation unit 52 that can be operated by the user; a GPS (Global Positioning System) sensor 53 for detecting a position; and a first wireless communication unit 54 and a second wireless communication unit 55 for communicating with external devices. In addition, the information terminal 5 includes a RAM 56 for temporarily storing information, a data storage unit 57 for storing information and programs, and a controller 58 for controlling the operation of the entire terminal.

[0140] The display unit 51 is composed of, for example, a liquid crystal display or an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display. The operation unit 52 is a user interface that accepts user operations such as buttons and a touch panel. The buttons include buttons physically provided on the information terminal 5 and virtual buttons displayed on the display unit 51. The GPS sensor 53 is a sensor for detecting the current position of the information terminal 5.

[0141] The first wireless communication unit 54 is a communication unit for cellular communication, for example, a circuit (module) that can communicate in accordance with standards such as 4G (fourth generation mobile communication technology), 5G (fifth generation mobile communication technology), LTE (Long Term Evolution: registered trademark), etc. In addition, the first wireless communication unit 54 is a communication unit for wireless LAN (Local Area Network) communication, for example, a circuit that can communicate in accordance with standards such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark). The second wireless communication unit 55 is a communication unit for short-range wireless communication, for example, a circuit (module) for communicating in accordance with the BLE standard.

[0142] The second wireless communication unit 55 acquires the biological data of the user measured by the measuring device 1, for example, by performing BLE communication with the communication IC 14 of the measuring device 1. The second wireless communication unit 55 receives the notification signal sent from the communication IC 14 of the measuring device 1 by scanning. The second wireless communication unit 55 identifies the measuring device 1 based on the received notification signal, and sends a connection request to the measuring device 1 when a communication connection is desired. It should be noted that in the measuring device 1, after sending the notification signal, the connection request is waited for within a prescribed time, and when the connection request is received within the prescribed time, the sending of the notification signal is stopped, and the one-to-one connection communication with the connection request party is switched.

[0143] The RAM 56 is composed of a semiconductor device such as a DRAM or an SRAM, and temporarily stores information, and operates as a work area of ​​the controller 58 .

[0144] The data storage unit 57 is a recording medium that stores parameters and control programs required to realize predetermined functions, and measured biological data acquired from the measurement device 1. The data storage unit 57 is composed of, for example, a hard disk drive (HDD) or a semiconductor storage device (SSD).

[0145] The controller 58 implements a predetermined function by executing a control program. It should be noted that, in the present embodiment, the data storage unit 57 is pre-installed with, for example, a management application software for an information terminal as a control program, and the controller 58 implements a predetermined function by executing the management application software. For example, the controller 58 controls the second wireless communication unit 55 in such a manner that when the management application software for the information terminal is started, the notification signal is received by scanning. The controller 58 controls the second wireless communication unit 55 in such a manner that, when receiving a notification signal from the measurement device 1, a connection request is sent to the measurement device 1, and the measurement biological data is acquired from the measurement device 1.

[0146] §3 Action Examples

[0147] <Operation Example of Measurement Device 1>

[0148] Next, refer to Figure 6 , an operation example of the measuring device 1 is described. Figure 6 This is a sequence diagram showing the operation of the main MCU 18, the communication IC 14, and the nonvolatile memory 14a in the measurement device 1. In this example, the measurement device 1 is set as the sphygmomanometer 1A, and the biological data measured by the sphygmomanometer 1A is set as the pressure pulse wave data.

[0149] It is assumed that the user attaches the cuff 22 of the blood pressure monitor 1A to the upper arm of the user and presses a switch to start measurement.

[0150] First, the main MCU 18 receives the pressing of the measurement start switch (step S11). Then, in response to the pressing of the measurement start switch, the main MCU 18 sends an erase instruction signal to the communication IC 14 to erase the data in the biological data area in the non-volatile memory 14a (step S12). The erase instruction signal includes the address of the non-volatile memory 14a where the data is to be erased and its data unit (as an example, a sector (4KB)). In addition, in response to the pressing of the measurement start switch, the main MCU 18 starts the measurement of the pressure pulse wave data by the sphygmomanometer 1A (step S13). The main MCU 18 first pressurizes the cuff 22 to sense the pressure pulse wave data, and buffers the sensed pressure pulse wave data in the RAM 16. It should be noted that the measurement of the sphygmomanometer 1A includes: a pressurization process to increase the compression pressure; and a decompression process to reduce the compression pressure after the pressurization process. The main MCU 18 measures the pressure pulse wave data in the order of the pressurization process and then the decompression process.

[0151] Next, the communication IC 14 performs a process of erasing the data of a sector in the indicated area in response to the erase instruction signal received in step S12 (step S14). The erasing process of a sector means, for example, when viewed from the communication IC 14 side, first the communication IC 14 sends an erase instruction of a sector to the non-volatile memory 14a, and receives a response indicating the content corresponding to the erase instruction (a response that a sector has been erased) from the non-volatile memory 14a. Next, the communication IC 14 sends a read request to read out an erased sector to the non-volatile memory 14a, and after receiving a response corresponding to the read request (a read data of a sector) from the non-volatile memory 14a, it ends through verification. Next, the communication IC 14 sends a response signal notifying that the erasing process has been completed to the main MCU 18 (step S15). The response signal of the erasure completion includes, for example, a result code indicating that the erasure process has been completed, the address of the erased data in the non-volatile memory 14a, and the data unit.

[0152] Next, when the main MCU 18 receives the response signal of the completion of the erasure in step S15, it sends a write instruction signal for writing the measured pressure pulse wave data into the biological data area of ​​the non-volatile memory 14a to the communication IC 14 (step S16). The write instruction signal includes the address of the non-volatile memory 14a to which the pressure pulse wave data is to be written and its data size, as well as the pressure pulse wave data to be written. The pressure pulse wave data is the pressure pulse wave data measured by the measuring unit 13, for example, divided into fixed time periods and sent. In addition, the pressure pulse wave data to be written is sent based on the pressure pulse wave data sensed during the pressurization process. That is, the pressure pulse wave data is sent sequentially starting from the above-mentioned step S13 based on the data buffered in the RAM 16.

[0153] However, as the pressure pulse wave data measured before the start of transmission to the communication IC 14, for example, the pressure pulse wave data that has not been completely buffered and has overflowed from the buffer area of ​​the RAM 16 is not written into the nonvolatile memory 14a but is discarded.

[0154] Next, in response to the write instruction signal received in step S16, the communication IC 14 performs a write process of writing the pressure pulse wave data sent from the main MCU 18 to the designated address in the biological data area of ​​the non-volatile memory 14a (step S17). The write process means, for example, when viewed from the communication IC 14 side, that the communication IC 14 first sends the write instruction of the pressure pulse wave data sent from the main MCU 18 to the non-volatile memory 14a, and receives a response indicating the content corresponding to the write instruction (a response that the pressure pulse wave data has been written) from the non-volatile memory 14a. Next, the communication IC 14 sends a read request to read the written pressure pulse wave data to the non-volatile memory 14a, and after receiving the response corresponding to the read request (the pressure pulse wave data that has been read) from the non-volatile memory 14a, the process ends through verification. Next, the communication IC 14 sends a response signal notifying that the write process of the pressure pulse wave data has been completed to the main MCU 18 (step S18). The write completion response signal includes, for example, a result code indicating that the write process is completed, the address of the written data in the nonvolatile memory 14 a , and the data size.

[0155] Next, when the main MCU 18 receives the response signal of writing completion in step S18, it sends a writing instruction signal for writing the next measured pressure pulse wave data into the biological data area of ​​the non-volatile memory 14a to the communication IC 14 (step S19). The next pressure pulse wave data refers to the next pressure pulse wave data among the pressure pulse wave data measured in the order of the pressurization process and the decompression process as described above. The other processing in step S19 is the same as the processing of the writing instruction in step S16.

[0156] Next, the communication IC 14 performs a write process of writing the next pressure pulse wave data sent from the main MCU 18 to the designated address in the biological data area of ​​the non-volatile memory 14a in response to the write instruction signal received in step S19 (step S20). The process in step S20 is the same as the write process in step S17 except that the pressure pulse wave data to be written is the next pressure pulse wave data. Next, the communication IC 14 sends a response signal notifying that the write process of the next pressure pulse wave data has been completed to the main MCU 18 (step S21).

[0157] Similarly, the processing of writing instructions, the processing of writing, and the response processing of writing completion are repeatedly performed between the main MCU 18, the communication IC 14, and the non-volatile memory 14a. In addition, during the period of repeatedly performing the processing of writing instructions, the processing of writing, and the response processing of writing completion, the main MCU 18 continues to measure the pressure pulse wave data, and performs the decompression process after the compression process is completed.

[0158] Next, the main MCU 18 compares the write data volume of the pressure pulse wave data for which a write instruction has been given and the area (one sector (4KB)) of the non-volatile memory 14a erased in step S14. When it is determined that the free area of ​​the non-volatile memory 14a is insufficient (nearly 4KB of data has been written), an erase instruction signal for erasing the next sector in the biological data area of ​​the non-volatile memory 14a is sent to the communication IC 14 (step S22).

[0159] Next, the communication IC 14 performs a process of erasing the data of the next sector in the indicated area in response to the erase instruction signal received in step S22 (step S23). The process in step S23 is the same as the process of erasing in step S14, except that the area to be erased is the next sector. Next, the communication IC 14 sends a response signal notifying that the erasing process has been completed to the main MCU 18 (step S24). At this time, for example, during the memory erasing process from step S22 to step S24, when the measurement of the pressure pulse wave data is changed from the measurement of the pressurization process to the measurement of the decompression process, the measurement of the decompression process is kept in a standby state until the memory erasing process is completed without starting.

[0160] Next, for example, as described in the above steps S19 to S21, the processing of write instructions, the processing of writes, and the response processing of write completion are repeatedly performed as in steps S25 to S27, steps S28 to S30, ... until the measurement of the pressure pulse wave data is completed.

[0161] When the measurement of the pressure pulse wave data during the decompression process is completed, the main MCU 18 ends the measurement (step S31 ).

[0162] It should be noted that in the measurement of the pressure pulse wave data described above, the memory is erased for each sector in the memory erasing process (e.g., steps S12, S14, S15, steps S22 to S24, etc.), but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, in the memory erasing process, the memory of the required size may be erased in the initial steps S12, S14, S15.

[0163] In the above-mentioned measurement of the pressure pulse wave data, the case where the sensing data of the pressurization process and the decompression process are buffered and stored in the non-volatile memory 14a is described, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the sensing data of the pressurization process may be discarded without buffering and storing in the non-volatile memory 14a. This will be described later. Fig.11 , Fig.12 is described in.

[0164] In addition, in the measurement of the pressure pulse wave data described above, the case where the sensing data is buffered and stored in the nonvolatile memory 14a is described, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, when the data can be written to the nonvolatile memory 14a, the sensing data may not be buffered but may be sequentially written to the nonvolatile memory 14a, or the sensing data may be always buffered and the buffered sensing data may be immediately read out from the buffer and written to the nonvolatile memory 14a.

[0165] In the measurement of the pressure pulse wave data, a save start process for starting the storage of the sensed data in the nonvolatile memory 14a may be performed before the erase instruction in step S12. In addition, a save end process for ending the storage of the sensed data in the nonvolatile memory 14a may be performed after the measurement process in step S31.

[0166] The sending process for sending the pressure pulse wave data written in the non-volatile memory 14a from the sphygmomanometer 1A to the external information terminal 5 is performed, for example, after the above-mentioned measurement of the pressure pulse wave data is completed. In this case, the main MCU 18 sends a sending instruction signal for sending the pressure pulse wave data to the communication IC. The sending instruction signal includes the address of the pressure pulse wave data to be sent in the non-volatile memory 14a and the designation of its size. Then, the communication IC 14 reads the pressure pulse wave data from the non-volatile memory 14a according to the sending instruction signal received from the main MCU 18, and sends the read pressure pulse wave data to the information terminal 5 through wireless communication. The communication IC 14 sends the result information related to the writing of the pressure pulse wave data to the information terminal 5 together with the pressure pulse wave data. The result information may include, for example, the number of pressure pulse wave data received by the communication IC 14 from the main MCU 18 and the number of failures of the pressure pulse wave data that failed to be written to the non-volatile memory 14a.

[0167] §4 Measurement data example

[0168] <Measurement Data of Measurement Device 1>

[0169] Figure 7 1 is a diagram showing an example of biological data measured by the measuring device 1. In this example, an example of pressure pulse wave data measured by the sphygmomanometer 1A is shown. Figure 7 As shown, the pressure pulse wave data 40 is measured as a continuous transmission wave 40a having a substantially fixed periodicity. The measured pressure pulse wave data 40 is sent from the main MCU 18 to the communication IC. The main MCU 18 divides the measured pressure pulse wave data 40 into fixed time periods and sends them to the communication IC 14 in sequence.

[0170] §5 Data measurement process

[0171] <Example of the First Flow of Measurement Data>

[0172] Figure 8 1A is a diagram showing an example of a first flow of pressure pulse wave data measured by the sphygmomanometer 1A. Figure 8As shown, in the example of the first flow, in the measured pressurization process 61 and decompression process 62, the sensor 22b of the cuff 22 acquires sensing data 63a, 63b, 63c, ..., 64a, 64b, 64c, .... In addition, when the control unit 30 starts the erasing process 65 of the biological data area of ​​the non-volatile memory 14a, the measurement of the pressurization process 61 is started.

[0173] Since the erasing process 65 is started, during the erasing process 65, the sensing data 63a, 63b, 63c, ... acquired in the pressurization process 61 are sequentially buffered in the buffer 16a of the RAM 16 by the control unit 30 until the erasing process 65 is completed. When the erasing process 65 of the nonvolatile memory 14a is completed, the buffered sensing data 63a, 63b, 63c, ... are sequentially written into the nonvolatile memory 14a by the control unit 30.

[0174] In the example of the first flow, the sensing data 63a, 63b, 63c, ... acquired in the pressurization process 61 in parallel with the erasing process 65 are all buffered without overflowing from the buffer 16a, and the buffered data are sequentially written to the nonvolatile memory 14a without being discarded. In addition, in the example of the first flow, the sensing data 64a, 64b, 64c, ... acquired in the decompression process 62 are also all sequentially written to the nonvolatile memory 14a without being discarded. The sensing data 64a, 64b, 64c, ... are immediately read out and written to the nonvolatile memory 14a when being buffered in the buffer 16a.

[0175] It should be noted that, in this example, the erasing process 65 of the non-volatile memory 14a is performed only once at the start of the pressurization process 61, but if, for example, there is insufficient free area in the non-volatile memory 14a after erasure, the erasing process 65 can also be performed in the middle of the decompression process 62.

[0176] <Example of the Second Flow of Measurement Data>

[0177] Fig. 9 1A is a diagram showing an example of a second flow of pressure pulse wave data measured by the sphygmomanometer 1A. The example of the second flow is an example of a case where the acquired sensing data is not completely entered into the buffer 16a of the RAM 16, and a part of the sensing data is discarded. Fig. 9As shown, in the example of the second flow, similarly to the example of the first flow, in the measured pressurization process 61 and decompression process 62, sensing data 63a, 63b, 63c, ..., 64a, 64b, 64c, ... are acquired by the sensor 22b of the cuff 22. In addition, similarly to the example of the first flow, when the erase process 65 of the nonvolatile memory 14a is started, the measurement of the pressurization process 61 is started, and the sensing data 63a, 63b, 63c, ... acquired in the pressurization process 61 are sequentially buffered in the buffer 16a.

[0178] However, in the example of the second process, the sensing data 63a, 63b, 63c, ... in the pressurization process 61 acquired in parallel with the erasing process 65 of the non-volatile memory 14a are not completely entered into the buffer 16a of the RAM 16, and a part of the sensing data 63d, 63e overflows from the buffer 16a and is not buffered. Therefore, the sensing data 63d, 63e acquired in the pressurization process 61 are not written into the non-volatile memory 14a and are discarded. It should be noted that the sensing data other than the sensing data 63d, 63e acquired in the pressurization process 61 are buffered in the buffer 16a without overflowing, and are sequentially written into the non-volatile memory 14a. In addition, the sensing data 64a, 64b, 64c, ... acquired in the decompression process 62 are buffered in the buffer 16a without overflowing, and are sequentially written into the non-volatile memory 14a, as in the example of the first process described above.

[0179] <Example of the Third Flow of Measurement Data>

[0180] Fig.10 1A is a diagram showing an example of a third flow of pressure pulse wave data measured by the sphygmomanometer 1A. The example of the third flow is an example of a case where sensing data is not acquired during the pressurization process of the measurement. Fig.10 As shown, in the example of the third flow, the sensor 22b acquires sensing data 64a, 64b, 64c, ... in the measured decompression process 62. When the pressurization process 61 starts, the erasing process 65 of erasing the biological data area of ​​the nonvolatile memory 14a starts.

[0181] It should be noted that, in the example of the third process, the erasing process 65 takes longer than in the examples of the first and second processes, and the erasing process 65 is performed in parallel with a portion of the initial period of the decompression process 62. Therefore, among the sensing data acquired in the decompression process 62, the sensing data acquired in parallel with the erasing process 65 is buffered in the buffer 16a until the erasing process 65 is completed. Therefore, in the example of the third process, as shown in FIG. Fig.10As shown, some sensing data 64a, 64b, 64c, and 64d are not immediately read from the buffer 16a, but are sequentially written into the nonvolatile memory 14a with a delay in the buffering period. It should be noted that the sensing data after 64e are immediately read and written into the nonvolatile memory 14a while being buffered in the buffer 16a.

[0182] As described above, when the measurement device 1 receives the instruction for measurement, it starts measuring the biological data and erasing the data in the nonvolatile memory 14a, buffers the biological data obtained in the measurement in, for example, the RAM 16 until the data in the nonvolatile memory 14a is completely erased, and writes the biological data buffered in the RAM 16 into the nonvolatile memory 14a when the data in the nonvolatile memory 14a is completely erased. According to this configuration, by executing the measurement based on the biological data in parallel with the erasing of the data in the nonvolatile memory 14a, the measurement can be started without waiting for the completion of the erasing of the data in the nonvolatile memory 14a. Therefore, the time from receiving the instruction for measurement to starting the measurement can be shortened, and the waiting time of the user can be shortened. As a result, a large volume of biological data can be stored in the nonvolatile memory 14a, and the deterioration of usability such as the need to secure an erased area for storing the large volume of biological data before the measurement of the biological data can be suppressed.

[0183] Furthermore, the measuring device 1 is a sphygmomanometer 1A, and includes: a pressurization process to increase the compression pressure of the cuff 22; and a decompression process to reduce the compression pressure of the cuff 22 after the pressurization process. In the measurement of pressure pulse wave data by the sphygmomanometer 1A, the pressurization process is performed first, and the sensed data during the pressurization process is less important than the sensed data during the decompression process performed later. Therefore, the measurement is started while the data of the non-volatile memory 14a is erased. Even if the first sensed data of the measurement is missed because the sensed data is not completely stored in the buffer, the sensed data missed is the sensed data of the pressurization process, so the influence on data analysis is small. Therefore, the measuring device 1 is suitable for the measurement of pressure pulse wave data by the sphygmomanometer 1A. However, depending on the measurement algorithm of the pressure pulse wave data, the sensed data during the pressurization process also becomes important. Therefore, in this case, it is also preferable to buffer and store the sensed data during the pressurization process as much as possible in the non-volatile memory 14a.

[0184] In addition, in the measurement device 1, the main MCU 18 sends the biological data to the communication IC 14 and writes the biological data to the non-volatile memory 14a, and the communication IC 14 sends the biological data written in the non-volatile memory 14a to the information terminal 5. In a configuration in which measurement based on the biological data is performed in parallel with erasing the data in the non-volatile memory 14a, if it is desired to perform these processes by one processor, the processing load will increase, and a delay in the measurement process will occur. Therefore, by providing the communication IC 14 that performs erasing of the non-volatile memory 14a, writing to the non-volatile memory, and wireless communication separately from the main MCU 18 that performs measurement, the processing load for erasing the data in the non-volatile memory 14a, writing the pressure pulse wave data to the non-volatile memory 14a, or transmitting to the information terminal 5 can be distributed to the communication IC 14, and the processing load of the main MCU 18 can be reduced. As a result, the delay in the measurement process performed by the main MCU 18 can be suppressed.

[0185] In addition, the main MCU 18 of the measurement device 1 specifies the address of the write destination in the biological data area of ​​the non-volatile memory 14a to the communication IC 14, so that the communication IC 14 writes the biological data to the non-volatile memory 14a, specifies the address of the read source in the biological data area of ​​the non-volatile memory 14a to the communication IC 14, so that the communication IC 14 reads the biological data from the non-volatile memory 14a, and causes the communication IC 14 to send the biological data read from the non-volatile memory 14a to an external device such as the information terminal 5 through wireless communication. According to this configuration, the main MCU 18 specifies the address of the non-volatile memory 14a connected to the communication IC 14 and instructs the communication IC 14 to erase data, write, read, and send biological data, so there is no need to perform flow control through the interface between the main MCU 18 and the communication IC 14, and the transmission speed of the biological data to the information terminal 5 can be improved. In addition, as long as the communication IC 14 can erase data at a designated address in the nonvolatile memory 14a, write information to a designated address in the nonvolatile memory 14a, and read and send information from a designated address in the nonvolatile memory 14a, a simple structure can be adopted for the communication IC 14. In addition, the main MCU 18 can flexibly erase data in the nonvolatile memory 14a, write biological data to the nonvolatile memory 14a, read biological data from the nonvolatile memory 14a, and send the read biological data by instructing the communication IC 14. However, since the main MCU 18 itself does not need to perform heavy-load processing such as erasing processing, writing processing, reading processing, and sending processing of biological data, the processing load of the main MCU 18 can be reduced as described above.

[0186] In addition, the measuring device 1 has a biological data area allocated for storing biological data in the non-volatile memory 14a. Moreover, the biological data stored in the biological data area is configured to be managed by the communication IC 14 and cannot be accessed from the main MCU 18. According to this configuration, information other than biological data is not written in the biological data area, so that interference between the writing of biological data based on the instruction from the main MCU 18 to the communication IC 14 and the writing of other information by the communication IC 14 can be suppressed. In addition, compared with a configuration in which the main MCU 18 and the communication IC 14 share a non-volatile memory, the access processing can be dispersed and accelerated.

[0187] §5 Variations

[0188] Above, the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail, but the above description is only an example of the present invention in all aspects. Various improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. For example, the following changes can be made. It should be noted that, below, the same reference numerals are used for the same components as the above-mentioned embodiments, and the description of the same points as the above-mentioned embodiments is appropriately omitted. The following modifications can be appropriately combined.

[0189] In the above embodiment, when the measured biological data is written to the non-volatile memory 14a and read from the non-volatile memory 14a, the main MCU 18 specifies the address of the write destination and the read source in the non-volatile memory 14a and sends the measured biological data to the communication IC 14, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the main MCU 18 may send the biological data to the communication IC 14 without specifying the address of the write destination and the read source of the biological data in the non-volatile memory 14a.

[0190] In the above embodiment, when the main MCU 18 sends the biological data to the communication IC 14 and writes the biological data into the non-volatile memory 14a, a response signal (delivery confirmation) indicating the completion of writing is received from the communication IC 14 each time the biological data is sent, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the main MCU 18 may send the biological data to the communication IC 14 in sequence without performing delivery confirmation (for example, in a streaming manner) and write the biological data thereto. Thus, the transmission speed of the biological data from the main MCU 18 to the communication IC 14 can be increased. In addition, the processing load of the main MCU 18 during sensing can be reduced.

[0191] In the above embodiment, the biological data is pulse wave data and the configuration of acquiring pressure pulse wave data as the pulse wave data has been described. However, the measurement device 1 may also adopt a configuration of measuring volume pulse wave data as the pulse wave data.

[0192] In the above embodiment, the nonvolatile memory 14a is described as the memory connected to the communication IC 14 (second processor), but the memory connected to the communication IC 14 (second processor) is not limited to the nonvolatile memory 14a, and may be a volatile memory or the like.

[0193] In the above embodiment, the pulse wave data is stored in the nonvolatile memory 14 a connected to the communication IC 14 . However, the storage destination of the pulse wave data is not limited to the nonvolatile memory 14 a , and may be, for example, the nonvolatile memory 18 a connected to the main MCU 18 .

[0194] In the above-mentioned measurement of the pressure pulse wave data, the case where the sensing data of the pressurization process and the decompression process are buffered and stored in the non-volatile memory 14a is described, but the present invention is not limited to this. Fig.11 , Fig.12 As shown, the control unit 30 may store the sensing data in the nonvolatile memory 14 a without performing the above-mentioned buffering.

[0195] Fig.11 1A is a diagram showing an example of a fourth flow of pressure pulse wave data measured by the sphygmomanometer 1A. Fig.11 As shown, in the example of the fourth flow, in the measured pressurization process 61 and decompression process 62, the sensor 22b of the cuff 22 acquires sensing data 63a, 63b, 63c, ..., 64a, 64b, 64c, .... In addition, when the control unit 30 starts the erasing process 65 of erasing the biological data area of ​​the non-volatile memory 14a, the measurement of the pressurization process 61 is started.

[0196] Since the erasing process 65 is started, the sensing data 63a, 63b, 63c, ... acquired in the pressurization process 61 are discarded by the control unit 30 during the erasing process 65. After the erasing process 65, the sensing data acquired in the pressurization process 61 are sequentially written into the nonvolatile memory 14a by the control unit 30.

[0197] That is, in the example of the fourth process, during the erasing process 65, the sensing data 63a, 63b, 63c, ... acquired during the pressurization process 61 are discarded, and after the erasing process 65, the sensing data acquired during the pressurization process 61 and the sensing data 64a, 64b, 64c, 64d acquired during the decompression process 62 are sequentially written into the non-volatile memory 14a without being discarded. In this way, the control unit 30 may also discard the sensing data 63a, 63b, 63c, ... acquired during the erasing process 65, and store the sensing data acquired after the erasing process 65 is completed in the non-volatile memory 14a. It should be noted that during Fig.11 In the example of FIG. 6 , the sensing data 63 a , 63 b , 63 c , . . . are acquired by the sensor 22 b during the erasing process 65 . However, the sensor 22 b may not be operated during the erasing process 65 .

[0198] Fig.12 1A is a diagram showing an example of a fifth flow of pressure pulse wave data measured by the sphygmomanometer 1A. Fig.12 As shown, in the example of the fifth flow, in the measured pressurization process 61 and decompression process 62, sensing data 63a, 63b, 63c, ..., 64a, 64b, 64c, ... are acquired by the sensor 22b of the cuff 22. In addition, when the erasing process 65 of erasing the biological data area of ​​the non-volatile memory 14a is started by the control unit 30, the measurement of the pressurization process 61 is started.

[0199] The sensing data 63a, 63b, 63c, ... acquired in the pressurization process 61 are discarded by the control unit 30. Moreover, the sensing data 64a, 64b, 64c, 64d acquired in the decompression process 62 are sequentially written into the non-volatile memory 14a by the control unit 30. In this way, the control unit 30 may also be configured to discard the sensing data 63a, 63b, 63c, ... acquired in the pressurization process 61, and store the sensing data 64a, 64b, 64c, 64d acquired in the decompression process 62 in the non-volatile memory 14a. It should be noted that in Fig.12 In the example, the sensing data 63a, 63b, 63c, ... are also acquired by the sensor 22b during the pressurization process 61, but the sensor 22b may not be operated during the pressurization process 61.

[0200] Various embodiments have been described above, but the present invention is certainly not limited to the examples described. It is obvious that those skilled in the art can think of various variations or modifications within the scope described in the claims, and it should be understood that these variations or modifications certainly also belong to the technical scope of the present invention. In addition, the various constituent elements in the above embodiments may be arbitrarily combined within the scope of the gist of the invention.

[0201] It should be noted that the present application is based on the Japanese patent application (Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-035939) filed on March 8, 2023, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0202] Description of Reference Numerals

[0203] 1: Measurement device;

[0204] 1A: Sphygmomanometer;

[0205] 5: Information terminal;

[0206] 13: Measurement unit;

[0207] 14: Communication IC (second processor);

[0208] 14a, 18a: non-volatile memory;

[0209] 16: RAM;

[0210] 18: Main MCU (first processor);

[0211] 22: Cuff;

[0212] 22a: ribbon;

[0213] 22b: sensor;

[0214] 30: Control department;

[0215] 40: pressure pulse wave data;

[0216] 100: Information management system.

Claims

1. A measuring device comprising: a control unit for performing measurement using a sensor for acquiring biological data; and a memory, In the control unit, When receiving the instruction of the measurement, the measurement and the data erasure of the memory are started, When the data erasure is completed, the biological data obtained in the measurement is written into the memory.

2. The measuring device according to claim 1, wherein The memory is a flash memory.

3. The measuring device according to claim 1, wherein The biological data is pulse wave data.

4. The measuring device according to claim 3, wherein: The control unit outputs a blood pressure measurement result based on the pulse wave data.

5. The measuring device according to claim 3, wherein: The measuring device includes a cuff having: a belt-shaped body, which is worn in a manner surrounding a measured part and is configured to be able to change the compression pressure on the measured part; and the sensor is arranged between the strip and the measured part, The measurement includes: a pressurization process to increase the compression pressure; and a decompression process to reduce the compression pressure after the pressurization process.

6. The measuring device according to claim 5, wherein: The control unit does not write the biological data obtained during the pressurization process into the memory, but writes the biological data obtained during the depressurization process into the memory.

7. The measuring device according to claim 5, wherein: The control unit does not write the vital data obtained in the pressurization process before the data erasure is completed into the memory, but writes the vital data obtained in the pressurization process after the data erasure is completed and the vital data obtained in the decompression process into the memory.

8. The measuring device according to claim 1, wherein In the control unit, buffering the biological data obtained in the measurement until the erasure of the data is completed, When the data erasure is completed, the buffered biological data is written into the memory.

9. The measuring device according to claim 1, wherein: The control unit transmits the biological data written in the memory to an information terminal.

10. The measuring device according to claim 9, wherein The control unit includes: a first processor that performs said determination; and The second processor performs wireless communication with the information terminal, The memory is connected to the second processor, The first processor sends the biological data to the second processor and writes the biological data into the memory, The second processor transmits the biological data written in the memory to the information terminal.

11. The measuring device according to claim 10, wherein: the first processor designating an address of a write destination in the memory to the second processor so that the second processor writes the biological data into the memory, The first processor specifies the address of the read source in the memory to the second processor, and causes the second processor to read the biological data from the memory and transmit the biological data to the information terminal.

12. The measuring device according to claim 10, wherein The first processor specifies an address of an erasure target in the memory to the second processor, so that the second processor erases the vital data from the memory.

13. The measuring device according to claim 11, wherein The memory has an area allocated for the biological data, The address of the write destination and the address of the read source are addresses in the area.

14. The measuring device according to claim 10, wherein: The memory is inaccessible from the first processor.

15. A control method, the control method being a control method of a measuring device, the measuring device comprising: a control unit that performs measurement using a sensor that acquires biological data; and a memory, wherein: In the control unit, When receiving the instruction of the measurement, the measurement and the data erasure of the memory are started, When the data erasure is completed, the biological data obtained in the measurement is written into the memory.

16. A control program, the control program being a control program for a measurement device, the measurement device comprising: a control unit that performs measurement using a sensor that acquires biological data; and a memory, wherein the control program is used to cause the control unit to execute the following processing: When receiving the instruction of the measurement, starting the measurement and erasing the data of the memory; as well as When the data erasure is completed, the biological data obtained in the measurement is written into the memory.

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