System and communication device

Abstract

To provide a system and a communication device allowing a user to easily pair an intended communication device with a measurement device.SOLUTION: An information analysis system 100 comprises a sphygmomanometer 10 including a first communication part 12 for communicating by a communication method allowing pairing, and a communication device 20 including a second communication part 22 for communicating by a communication method allowing pairing. The communication device 20 includes a radio wave shielding part 22A erected in a direction crossing a mounting surface 41, with it installed on the mounting surface 41, and disposed around a communication antenna 25A of the second communication part 22, where a length L1 between the mounting surface 41 and an end edge opposite to the mounting surface 41 side, of the radio wave shielding part 25A in a direction orthogonal to the mounting surface 41 is equal to or greater than a height L2 of the sphygmomanometer 10 installed on the mounting surface 41 in the same direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a system and a communication device. [Background technology]

[0002] The measuring device described in this specification includes a biological information measuring device that measures biological information such as body weight, body composition, blood pressure, pulse rate, heart rate, body temperature, blood glucose, or blood oxygen saturation, and an activity measuring device that measures activity such as the number of steps, walking distance, or calories burned. The measuring device includes a measurement sensor for measuring a measurement target amount. The measurement target amount of the measurement sensor includes biological information such as body weight, body fat percentage, blood pressure value, pulse rate, heart rate, body temperature, blood glucose value, or blood oxygen saturation, and activity such as the number of steps, running distance, or calories burned, depending on the measuring device. The measurement results of such measuring devices are recorded and analyzed by information terminals such as smartphones, tablet terminals, notebook computers, and desktop computers.

[0003] When recording and analyzing such measurement results, it is desirable that the information terminal automatically acquires the measurement results from the measuring device, rather than the user inputting the measurement results into the information terminal each time. Specifically, for example, a method of transferring the measurement results from the measuring device to the information terminal using short-range wireless communication such as Bluetooth (registered trademark) is conceivable.

[0004] Patent Document 1 describes a system in which a client device worn by a user and a master device are configured to be capable of wireless communication, and the user's biometric information is sent from the client device to the master device and then transmitted to a personal data management device via a satellite.

[0005] Patent Document 2 describes a system for wirelessly connecting a measurement module and a central processing unit in a patient monitoring system to transmit data. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] JP 2002-191566 A [Patent Document 2] Special Publication No. 2018-526121 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] In order to perform secure short-distance wireless communication between a measuring device and a device such as an information terminal, a process of pairing the measuring device and the device is required. Pairing refers to a process of sharing encrypted information used for short-distance wireless communication between the measuring device and the device. For example, when collecting biological information and activity amounts of many users to conduct clinical research, it is necessary to collect the measuring device loaned to each user, pair the measuring device with the device one by one, and transmit information from the measuring device to the device. However, when a device and multiple measuring devices are arranged in the same space, there is a possibility that unintended devices and measuring devices are paired, which reduces work efficiency. In addition, when multiple devices are prepared to improve this work efficiency, multiple devices and multiple measuring devices are arranged in the same space. In this case, for example, if the pairing work between the first device and the first measurement device and the pairing work between the second device and the second measurement device are performed in parallel, there is a possibility that pairing will be completed between the first device and the second measurement device, or between the second device and the first measurement device, which may reduce work efficiency despite the preparation of multiple devices.

[0008] The technology disclosed herein aims to provide a system that can easily communicate between an intended device and a measurement device, even in a space where the device and multiple measurement devices are present, and a communication device that can be used therein. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The technology of the present disclosure is described below. Note that, in parentheses, corresponding components in the following embodiments are shown, but the present invention is not limited to these.

[0010] (1) A system (information analysis system 100) including a measurement device (blood pressure monitor 10, activity meter 10Z) including a first short-range wireless communication unit (first communication unit 12) that communicates by a communication method that allows pairing, and a communication device (communication device 20) including a second short-range wireless communication unit (second communication unit 22) that communicates by a communication method that allows pairing, the communication device has a radio wave shielding section (radio wave shielding section 25A) that is erected in a direction intersecting with the placement surface (placement surface 41) in a state where the communication device is placed on the placement surface and that is arranged to surround an antenna (communication antenna 22A) of the second short-range wireless communication section, A system in which the distance (distance L1) between the edge of the radio wave shielding portion opposite the side of the placement surface in a direction perpendicular to the placement surface and the placement surface is greater than or equal to the height (height L2) of the measuring device placed on the placement surface in the above direction.

[0011] According to (1), the radio wave characteristics of the communication device can be made directional upward on the mounting surface by the radio wave shielding portion. Since the distance from the edge of the radio wave shielding portion to the mounting surface is equal to or greater than the height of the measuring device placed on the mounting surface, when the communication device and the measuring device are adjacently arranged on the mounting surface, the strength of the radio waves of the measuring device received by the communication device can be reduced. On the other hand, when the measuring device is located above the communication device, the strength of the radio waves of the measuring device received by the communication device can be increased. Therefore, even when multiple communication devices and multiple measuring devices are placed on the same mounting surface and each communication device performs a pairing operation with one of the multiple measuring devices in parallel, for example, by using the radio wave strength received by the communication device, only the measuring device arranged above each communication device can be identified as the pairing partner of the communication device. For example, a measurement device is placed on each communication device and paired with the measurement device, and when pairing is complete, another measurement device is placed on each communication device and paired with the measurement device, and by simply repeating this process, all measurement devices and communication devices can be efficiently paired. This allows information measured by multiple measurement devices to be safely and efficiently collected by the communication device, and can be used for clinical research, etc.

[0012] (2) The system according to (1), The system, wherein the antenna comprises a leaky coaxial cable.

[0013] According to (2), the radiation range of radio waves from the antenna can be further limited, thereby preventing pairing between a measuring device that is not positioned above a communication device and the communication device.

[0014] (3) The system according to (1) or (2), The communication device includes a processor (processor 21), When the processor receives a broadcast signal via the second short-range wireless communication unit, it performs pairing processing with one of the measurement devices that sent the broadcast signal, the measurement device having a short-range wireless communication radio wave strength equal to or greater than a threshold.

[0015] According to (3), it is possible to prevent pairing between a measuring device that is not located above a communication device and the communication device.

[0016] (4) The system according to (3), The processor acquires identification information of the measurement device to be paired with the measurement device, and if authentication information corresponding to the identification information can be acquired from a memory unit, shares encrypted information with the measurement device.

[0017] According to (4), by storing the identification information and authentication information of the measurement device in association with each other in advance in the storage unit, it is possible to complete pairing between the measurement device and the communication device while placing the measurement device above the communication device, without performing complicated operations (such as entering numbers or operating buttons) on the communication device. This makes it possible to efficiently perform pairing work between a large number of measurement devices and communication devices.

[0018] (5) A communication device (communication device 20) including a short-range wireless communication unit (second communication unit 22) that performs communication by a communication method that enables pairing, A processor (processor 21), the antenna (communication antenna 22A) of the short-range wireless communication unit has directivity in a direction perpendicular to the placement surface (placement surface 41) in a state in which the communication device is placed on the placement surface, When the processor receives a broadcast signal by the short-range wireless communication unit, the processor performs a pairing process with a device that is a source of the broadcast signal and whose radio wave intensity of the short-range wireless communication is equal to or greater than a threshold value, In this process, the processor acquires identification information of the device to be paired with the communication device, and if authentication information corresponding to the identification information can be acquired from a memory unit, shares encrypted information with the device.

[0019] According to (5), by previously storing the identification information and authentication information of the measurement device in association with each other in the storage unit, the measurement device can be simply placed above the communication device to complete pairing between the measurement device and the communication device without performing complicated operations on the communication device. This allows the pairing work between a large number of measurement devices and communication devices to be efficiently performed. In addition, the configuration of the communication device can be simplified to reduce costs.

[0020] (6) a short-distance wireless communication unit (second communication unit 22) for performing communication by a communication method that enables pairing; a radio wave shielding section (radio wave shielding section 25A) that is erected in a direction intersecting with a placement surface (placement surface 41) when the device is placed on the placement surface and that is disposed to surround an antenna (communication antenna 22A) of the short-range wireless communication section, A communication device, wherein a distance (distance L1) between the edge of the radio wave shielding portion opposite the placement surface in a direction perpendicular to the placement surface and the placement surface is 15 mm or more and 300 mm or less.

[0021] According to (6), the radio wave characteristic of the communication device can be made directional upward on the placement surface by the radio wave shielding part. The distance from the edge of the radio wave shielding part to the placement surface is 15 mm or more and 300 mm or less, which is equal to or greater than the height of the measurement device (activity meter, blood pressure monitor, etc.) when the measurement device is placed on the placement surface. Therefore, in a situation where the communication device and the measurement device are adjacently arranged on the placement surface, the strength of the radio wave of the measurement device received by the communication device can be reduced. On the other hand, in a situation where the measurement device is located above the communication device, the strength of the radio wave of the measurement device received by the communication device can be increased. Therefore, even in a situation where multiple communication devices and multiple measurement devices are placed on the same placement surface and each communication device performs a pairing operation with one of the multiple measurement devices in parallel, for example, by using the radio wave strength received by the communication device, only the measurement device placed above each communication device can be identified as the pairing partner of the communication device. This allows the communication device to safely and efficiently collect information measured by multiple measurement devices and to be useful for clinical research, etc. Effect of the Invention

[0022] According to the technology of the present disclosure, even in a space in which a device and a plurality of measuring devices exist, pairing of an intended device and a measuring device can be easily performed. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0023] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a schematic configuration of an information analysis system 100. As shown in FIG. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the sphygmomanometer 10 shown in FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the communication device 20 shown in FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a perspective view that illustrates an example of the external appearance of the sphygmomanometer 10 illustrated in FIG. 1 and an example of the external appearance of an activity meter that is one of the measuring devices. [Diagram 5]FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view illustrating an example of the external appearance of the communication device 20 illustrated in FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a side view showing a state in which upper arm blood pressure monitor 10X, wrist blood pressure monitor 10Y, activity meter 10Z, and communication device 20 are placed on a placement surface 41. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a sequence chart showing a process procedure for pairing the sphygmomanometer A with the communication device 20 when the sphygmomanometer A and the sphygmomanometer B exist as the sphygmomanometer 10. In the process shown in FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the communication device 20 illustrating a modified example of the communication antenna 22A mounted on the communication device 20. As shown in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0024] (System Overview of the Technology of the Present Disclosure) The system of the disclosed technique includes a measuring device including a first short-range wireless communication unit that communicates by a communication method that allows pairing, and a communication device including a second short-range wireless communication unit that communicates by a communication method that allows pairing. When the communication device is placed on a mounting surface, the communication device has a radio wave shielding section that is erected in a direction intersecting the mounting surface and that is arranged to surround the antenna of the second short-range wireless communication section, and the distance between the mounting surface and the edge of the radio wave shielding section on the opposite side to the mounting surface in a direction perpendicular to the mounting surface is equal to or greater than the height of the measuring device placed on the mounting surface in the direction perpendicular to the mounting surface. With this configuration, the radio wave characteristics of the communication device can be made directional toward the top of the mounting surface by the radio wave shielding section. Since the distance from the edge of the radio wave shielding section to the mounting surface is equal to or greater than the height of the measuring device placed on the mounting surface, when the communication device and the measuring device are adjacently arranged on the mounting surface, the strength of the radio wave of the measuring device received by the communication device can be reduced. On the other hand, when the measuring device is located above the communication device, the strength of the radio wave of the measuring device received by the communication device can be increased. Therefore, even in a situation where multiple communication devices and multiple measurement devices are placed on the same placement surface and each communication device performs a pairing operation with one of the multiple measurement devices in parallel, for example, by using the radio wave intensity received by the communication device, only the measurement device placed above each communication device can be identified as the pairing partner of that communication device. For example, by simply repeating the operation of placing a measurement device on each communication device and pairing with that measurement device, and when the pairing is completed, placing another measurement device on each communication device and pairing with that measurement device, all measurement devices and communication devices can be efficiently paired. As a result, information measured by multiple measurement devices can be safely and efficiently collected by the communication device and used for clinical research, etc.

[0025] An information analysis system 100 as one embodiment of the system will be described below.

[0026] (System Configuration) Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a schematic configuration of an information analysis system 100. The information analysis system 100 includes a blood pressure monitor 10 as an example of a measurement device, a communication device 20, and a personal computer (PC) 30 as an example of an information terminal, and is a system for analyzing measurement data of the blood pressure monitor 10, etc., by the PC 30. In the example of Fig. 1, the information analysis system 100 is configured by a plurality of (five as an example) blood pressure monitors 10, a plurality of (two as an example) communication devices 20, and the same number of PCs 30 as the total number of communication devices 20. The blood pressure monitor 10 measures blood pressure information non-invasively.

[0027] The sphygmomanometer 10 and the communication device 20 are configured to be able to communicate with each other via short-distance wireless communication. The short-distance wireless communication method is a method that allows secure communication by performing pairing (sharing encryption information for encrypting communication), and for example, Bluetooth (registered trademark) (hereinafter, referred to as BLE) can be adopted. The PC 30 and the communication device 20 are wired and connected to each other via a cable such as a Universal Serial Bus (USB) cable, and are configured to be able to communicate with each other. The PC 30 and the communication device 20 may be configured to be connected wirelessly.

[0028] The information analysis system 100 is used, for example, in clinical research. A researcher who conducts clinical research lends a blood pressure monitor 10 to each of multiple collaborators, and has each collaborator periodically measure blood pressure information. After a certain period of time has passed, the researcher collects the blood pressure monitor 10 from each collaborator, and performs an operation of importing the measurement data stored in the collected blood pressure monitor 10 into the PC 30 via the communication device 20. The PC 30 is connected to a network such as the Internet or an intranet, and the measurement data imported into the PC 30 is, for example, uploaded to a server (not shown) and managed. Note that the PC 30 is not essential to the information analysis system 100. For example, if the communication device 20 has a function of uploading measurement data to a server, it is also possible to configure the communication device 20 to be directly connected to the network. In addition, although one communication device 20 is connected to one PC 30 in the configuration, a configuration in which multiple communication devices 20 are connected to one PC 30 is also possible. In addition, although the communication device 20 is multiple, it may be one.

[0029] In order to import the measurement data of the sphygmomanometer 10 into the PC 30, pairing is required between the sphygmomanometer 10 and any one of the communication devices 20. The pairing operation will be described later.

[0030] (Blood Pressure Monitor) Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the sphygmomanometer 10 shown in Fig. 1. The sphygmomanometer 10 includes a processor 11, a first communication unit 12, a storage unit 13, an operation unit 14, a display unit 15, and a sensor unit 16.

[0031] The sensor unit 16 includes a pressure sensor disposed in the cuff of the blood pressure monitor 10 as a measurement sensor, and this pressure sensor detects a pulse wave from the user's blood vessel under an appropriate cuff pressure. The blood pressure monitor 10 can calculate blood pressure information including the systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, and pulse rate based on the pulse wave detected by the sensor unit 16.

[0032] The first communication unit 12 is a communication interface (here, a BLE chip) for performing short-range wireless communication, and includes a communication antenna and various circuits.

[0033] The storage unit 13 includes a work memory such as a RAM (Random Access Memory) and a non-transitory storage medium such as a flash memory. Various types of information such as measured blood pressure information are stored in this storage medium.

[0034] The operation unit 14 is an input means such as a button or a touch panel that accepts input from the user, and accepts various operations from the user, such as turning the power on / off, starting the measurement of blood pressure information, and selecting an item. The operation unit 14 includes a measurement start button 14A for instructing the start of measurement of blood pressure information, and a communication button 14B for activating the first communication unit 12 (enabling short-range wireless communication). The measurement start button 14A and the communication button 14B may be hardware buttons, or may be software buttons displayed on the display unit 15 equipped with a touch panel.

[0035] The display unit 15 is configured with a display such as an organic EL (electro-luminescence) display or a liquid crystal display, and displays measured blood pressure information and the like.

[0036] The processor 11 controls each part of the sphygmomanometer 10. When the processor 11 detects pressing of a measurement start button 14A included in the operation unit 14, the processor 11 accepts an instruction to start measurement, inflates the cuff, and calculates blood pressure information based on the pulse wave detected by the sensor unit 16 under an appropriate cuff pressure. The processor 11 then causes the display unit 15 to display the calculated blood pressure information. The processor 11 controls each component of the sphygmomanometer 10 to execute processing according to a user's operation performed via the operation unit 14.

[0037] When the processor 11 detects a short press of the communication button 14B included in the operation unit 14, it activates the first communication unit 12. When a communication connection is established with a device with which pairing has been completed, the processor 11 controls the first communication unit 12 to transmit the measurement data stored in the storage unit 13 to that device. When the processor 11 detects an operation in which the communication button 14B is continuously pressed for a predetermined time (a so-called long press operation), it transitions the operation mode of the sphygmomanometer 10 to a pairing mode. The pairing mode is a mode in which a device with which pairing will be performed is detected and pairing is performed with that device.

[0038] In FIG. 1, a blood pressure monitor 10 is illustrated as an example of the measuring device, but the blood pressure monitor 10 can be replaced with a weight scale, a body composition monitor, a pulse monitor, a heart rate monitor, a thermometer, a blood glucose meter, a pulse oximeter, an activity monitor, or the like. In any of these measuring devices, the sensor unit 16 includes various measuring sensors (pressure sensor, pulse wave sensor, blood glucose sensor, photoelectric sensor, temperature sensor, acceleration sensor, or the like) for measuring the physical quantity of the measurement target. When the measuring device is a biological information measuring device, the processor 11, upon detecting the pressing of the measurement start button 14A included in the operation unit 14, operates the measuring sensors (pressure sensor, pulse wave sensor, blood glucose sensor, photoelectric sensor, temperature sensor, or the like) included in the sensor unit 16 to measure biological information. When the measuring device is an activity amount measuring device, when the activity amount measuring device is moved, information corresponding to the movement is output from the measuring sensors (acceleration sensor, angular velocity sensor, or the like) included in the sensor unit 16.

[0039] (Communication Equipment) Fig. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the communication device 20 shown in Fig. 1. The communication device 20 includes a processor 21, a second communication unit 22, and a third communication unit .

[0040] The second communication unit 22 is a communication interface for performing short-range wireless communication with the sphygmomanometer 10, and includes a communication antenna (a communication antenna 22A described below) and various circuits.

[0041] The third communication unit 23 is a communication interface for performing wired communication with the PC 30.

[0042] The processor 21 controls each part of the communication device 20. The processor 21 is a CPU (Central Processing Unit) which is a general-purpose processor that executes software (programs) and performs various functions, a programmable logic device (PLD) which is a processor whose circuit configuration can be changed after manufacture such as an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), or a dedicated electric circuit which is a processor having a circuit configuration designed exclusively for executing specific processing such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit). The processor 21 may be composed of one processor, or may be composed of a combination of two or more processors of the same type or different types (for example, a plurality of FPGAs, or a combination of a CPU and an FPGA). More specifically, the hardware structure of the processor 21 is an electric circuit (circuitry) which combines circuit elements such as semiconductor elements.

[0043] (External configuration of blood pressure monitor) A blood pressure monitor 10 used in the information analysis system 100 shown in FIG. 1 is a type of blood pressure monitor in which the user wraps and fastens a cuff around a part to be measured, and so-called arm-in type blood pressure monitors are excluded.

[0044] 4 is a perspective view showing an example of the appearance of the blood pressure monitor 10 shown in FIG. 1 and an example of the appearance of an activity meter, which is one of the measuring devices. In FIG. 4, an upper arm type blood pressure monitor 10X and a wrist type blood pressure monitor 10Y are shown as the blood pressure monitor 10. The upper arm type blood pressure monitor 10X includes a main body 17 including a display unit 15, an operation unit 14, and a processor 11 (not shown), a cuff 19 wrapped around the upper arm and fixed, and an air tube 18 connecting the main body 17 and the cuff 19. In the following, a state in which the main body 17 is placed on a flat placement surface so that information displayed on the display unit 15 can be confirmed from above the placement surface is defined as a standard placement state of the upper arm type blood pressure monitor 10X.

[0045] The wrist-type blood pressure monitor 10Y includes a main body 17 including a display unit 15, an operation unit 14, and a processor 11 (not shown), and a cuff 19 that is wrapped around and fixed to the wrist. In the following, a state in which the main body 17 and the cuff 19 are placed on a flat support surface so that information displayed on the display unit 15 can be confirmed from above the support surface is defined as a standard mounting state of the wrist-type blood pressure monitor 10Y.

[0046] Fig. 4 shows activity meter 10Z. Activity meter 10Z has only a portion corresponding to main body 17 of blood pressure monitor 10, and has a rectangular parallelepiped outer shape. In the following, a state in which activity meter 10Z is placed on a flat placing surface so that information displayed on display unit 15 can be confirmed from above the placing surface is referred to as a standard placing state of activity meter 10Z.

[0047] (External configuration of communication device) Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing a schematic example of the appearance of the communication device 20 shown in Fig. 1. The communication device 20 includes a main body 20M having a rectangular parallelepiped shape and a cable 20C connected to the main body 20M, and is used by placing the main body 20M on a placement surface 41 (flat surface) which is the surface of a desk 40. The main body 20M has a rectangular parallelepiped shape, but is not limited thereto and may have other shapes. For example, the main body 20M may be cylindrical.

[0048] The main body portion 20M comprises a main body portion 24 having a recess 25 on the surface opposite to the surface facing the support surface 41 (hereinafter referred to as the bottom surface) when placed on the support surface 41, and a flat lid portion 26 covering the recess 25 of the main body portion 24, and the lid portion 26 is fixed to the top surface of the main body portion 24.

[0049] The main body 24 includes the processor 21, the second communication unit 22, and the third communication unit 23 shown in Fig. 3. The recess 25 is provided with a communication antenna 22A included in the second communication unit 22. The communication antenna 22A is configured with a dipole antenna, a monopole antenna, an inverted F antenna, a loop antenna, a Yagi antenna, or the like. It is preferable that the communication antenna 22A is configured such that, when the main body 24 is placed on the placement surface 41 as shown in Fig. 5, the radio wave intensity in a direction perpendicular to the placement surface 41 and away from the placement surface 41 is greater than the radio wave intensity in other directions (i.e., the communication antenna 22A has directivity toward the upper side of the placement surface 41).

[0050] The recess 25 is provided with a radio wave shielding portion 25A that is erected in a direction intersecting the placement surface 41 (orthogonal in the example of FIG. 5) and that is disposed surrounding the communication antenna 22A. A rectangular plate-shaped radio wave shielding portion 25B is provided on the bottom surface of the recess 25, and the communication antenna 22A is disposed on the radio wave shielding portion 25B. The radio wave shielding portion 25A is shaped like a rectangular frame that rises vertically from the periphery of the radio wave shielding portion 25B. The radio wave shielding portion 25A and the radio wave shielding portion 25B are each made of a shielding member that can shield radio waves emitted from the communication antenna 22A. The shielding member is made of a material that absorbs or reflects radio waves, or that absorbs and reflects radio waves.

[0051] 6 is a side view showing a state in which upper arm blood pressure monitor 10X, wrist blood pressure monitor 10Y, activity meter 10Z, and communication device 20 are placed on a placement surface 41. The area indicated by the dashed dotted line in the figure shows the radio wave characteristics of communication device 20, which has directivity toward the upper side of placement surface 41 as shown in the figure.

[0052] 6 shows a distance L1 between the upper end edge (the end edge opposite to the placing surface 41) of the radio wave shielding portion 25A of the communication device 20 in a direction perpendicular to the placing surface 41 and the placing surface 41. Also, in FIG. 6, a height L2 of the main body 17 of the upper arm type blood pressure monitor 10X in the standard placing state (the distance between the placing surface 41 and the part of the main body 17 farthest from the placing surface 41 in the direction perpendicular to the placing surface 41), a height L3 of the wrist type blood pressure monitor 10Y in the standard placing state (the distance between the placing surface 41 and the part farthest from the placing surface 41 in the direction perpendicular to the placing surface 41), and a height L4 of the activity meter 10Z in the standard placing state (the distance between the placing surface 41 and the part farthest from the placing surface 41 in the direction perpendicular to the placing surface 41). The magnitude relationship between the heights L2, L3, and L4 is L2>L3>L4. The distance L1 in the communication device 20 is equal to or greater than the height L2 of the upper arm blood pressure monitor 10X, which is the tallest of the measuring devices in the standard placement state. Of the heights L2, L3, and L4, the maximum height L2 is approximately 300 mm at most. Of the heights L2, L3, and L4, the minimum height L4 is approximately 15 mm at most. Therefore, if an activity meter or a blood pressure monitor is assumed as the measuring device used in the information analysis system 100, the distance L1 may be set in the range of 15 mm to 300 mm.

[0053] The antennas of the first communication units 12 of the upper arm blood pressure monitor 10X, the wrist blood pressure monitor 10Y, and the activity monitor 10Z are omnidirectional. Since the distance L1 is equal to or greater than the height L2, even if a measurement device (upper arm blood pressure monitor 10X, the wrist blood pressure monitor 10Y, or the activity monitor 10Z) is placed near the communication device 20 on the placement surface 41, the component of the radio waves radiated from the measurement device in the direction along the placement surface 41 is blocked by the radio wave shielding portion 25B. Therefore, the intensity of the radio waves radiated from the measurement device placed nearby and received by the communication device 20 can be weakened. On the other hand, when the measurement device is placed on the cover portion 26, the intensity of the radio waves radiated from the measurement device and received by the communication device 20 can be increased.

[0054] (Method of pairing a measuring device and a communication device) Next, a description will be given of a pairing method between the sphygmomanometer 10 and the communication device 20. Fig. 7 is a sequence chart showing a processing procedure for pairing the sphygmomanometer A with a specific communication device 20 when the sphygmomanometer A and the sphygmomanometer B exist as the sphygmomanometer 10.

[0055] When a researcher turns on a specific communication device 20, the processor 21 of that communication device 20 starts scanning by the second communication unit 22. Scanning refers to the second communication unit 22 going into a receiving state and acquiring information on surrounding devices.

[0056] The researcher turns on the power of each of blood pressure monitors A and B placed on the placement surface 41, and then presses and holds down the communication button 14B included in the operation unit 14 of each blood pressure monitor to transition each blood pressure monitor to a pairing mode (steps S1 and S21). After that, the researcher places the blood pressure monitor A on the cover 26 of the specific communication device 20.

[0057] When the processors 11 of the sphygmomanometers A and B transition to the pairing mode, they activate the first communication unit 12 and start advertising by the first communication unit 12 (steps S2 and S22). Advertising refers to broadcasting a packet including various information. Hereinafter, a signal transmitted by advertising is referred to as a broadcast signal. This various information includes identification information of the sphygmomanometer 10 (e.g., unique address information of the first communication unit 12, etc.). In the information analysis system 100, the identification information of the sphygmomanometer 10 and authentication information (e.g., a six-digit number, etc.) required for mutual authentication between the sphygmomanometer 10 and another device are associated with each other and pre-stored in a storage unit of a server or the like connected to a network.

[0058] When the processor 21 of the communication device 20 receives the broadcast signal transmitted from the sphygmomanometer A and the broadcast signal transmitted from the sphygmomanometer B (step S12), it determines, as the connection partner, one of the sphygmomanometers A and B, whose radio wave strength of the broadcast signal is equal to or greater than the threshold (step S13). Here, since the sphygmomanometer A is placed on the communication device 20, the radio wave strength of the broadcast signal of the sphygmomanometer A is equal to or greater than the threshold, and the radio wave strength of the broadcast signal of the sphygmomanometer B is less than the threshold. Therefore, the sphygmomanometer A is determined as the connection partner. Note that in step S13, it is preferable to determine, as the connection partner, the device whose radio wave strength of the broadcast signal is equal to or greater than the threshold and is at its maximum.

[0059] Next, the processor 21 of the communication device 20 establishes a communication connection with the sphygmomanometer A (step S14). Then, the processor 21 accesses the server via the PC 30 and searches for authentication information corresponding to the identification information included in the broadcast signal received from the sphygmomanometer A in step S12. Then, if the authentication information exists in the server, the processor 21 acquires the authentication information from the server (step S15) and completes mutual authentication with the sphygmomanometer A by using the acquired authentication information. Then, the processor 21 shares encrypted information for performing encrypted communication by short-range wireless communication with the sphygmomanometer A (step S16). Sharing of encrypted information means that the processor 11 of the sphygmomanometer A generates encrypted information, stores the encrypted information in the storage unit 13 and transmits the encrypted information to the communication device 20, and the processor 21 of the communication device 20 stores the encrypted information. Note that the processor 21 may generate encrypted information, store the encrypted information, and transmit the encrypted information to the sphygmomanometer A, and the sphygmomanometer A may store the encrypted information in the storage unit 13, thereby sharing the encrypted information.

[0060] The processor 21 then disconnects the communication connection with the sphygmomanometer A (step S17). After that, secure communication using encrypted information is possible between the communication device 20 and the sphygmomanometer A. Next, the researcher places the sphygmomanometer A on the placement surface 41, and places the sphygmomanometer B instead on the specific communication device 20. As a result, the processes from step S14 to step S17 are performed between the communication device 20 and the sphygmomanometer B.

[0061] In this way, a researcher can easily complete pairing of a blood pressure monitor 10 with the communication device 20 by simply placing the blood pressure monitor 10 to be paired on the communication device 20. Even in a situation where blood pressure monitor A is placed on the communication device 20 and blood pressure monitor B is placed on the placement surface 41, the effect of the radio wave shielding part 25A prevents the communication device 20 from determining blood pressure monitor B as the connection destination. Only the blood pressure monitor 10 placed on the communication device 20 can be paired with the communication device 20, so that the task of pairing each of the multiple blood pressure monitors 10 with the communication device 20 can be efficiently performed.

[0062] 1, when there are multiple communication devices 20, a situation may occur in which a blood pressure monitor A in the pairing mode is placed on one communication device 20 and a blood pressure monitor B in the pairing mode is placed on another communication device 20. Even in this case, if the communication devices 20 are placed at a certain distance from each other, it is possible to prevent the radio wave intensity of the blood pressure monitor B from exceeding the threshold in the communication device 20 on which the blood pressure monitor A is placed.

[0063] FIG. 8 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the communication device 20 showing a modified example of the communication antenna 22A mounted on the communication device 20. The communication antenna 22A shown in FIG. 8 is configured by arranging a leaky coaxial cable in a ring shape on the radio wave shielding portion 25B. The leaky coaxial cable radiates radio waves only in the vicinity of its axis. Therefore, as shown by the dashed line in FIG. 8, the radiation range of the radio waves of the communication antenna 22A can be limited to, for example, the inside of the recess 25 and its vicinity. As a result, the reception strength of radio waves from measurement devices other than the measurement device placed on the communication device 20 can be significantly reduced. Therefore, the pairing partner of the communication device 20 can be easily limited to the measurement device placed on the communication device 20, and the pairing operation can be performed efficiently. [Explanation of symbols]

[0064] 10. Blood Pressure Monitor 10X Upper Arm Sphygmomanometer 10Y Wrist Sphygmomanometer 10Z activity meter 11 Processors 12 First Communications Department 13 Storage section 14 Control section 14A Measurement start button 14B Communication button 15 Display 16 Sensor section 17,20M Main body part 18 Air tube 19 Cuff 20. Communications Equipment 20C Cable 21 Processors 22 Second Communications Department 22A Communication Antenna 23 Third Communications Department 24 Main body 25 Recess 25A,25B Radio wave shielding part 26 Lid 30 Personal Computers 40 desks 41 Placement surface 100 Information Analysis System L1 distance L2, L3, L4 height

Claims

1. A system comprising: a measuring device including a first short-range wireless communication unit that performs communication using a pairing-enabled communication method; and a communication device including a second short-range wireless communication unit that performs communication using a pairing-enabled communication method, The communication device, when mounted on the mounting surface, has a radio wave shielding section that is erected in a direction intersecting the mounting surface and arranged to surround the antenna of the second short-range wireless communication unit. A system in which the distance between the edge of the radio wave shielding portion opposite to the mounting surface in a direction perpendicular to the mounting surface and the mounting surface is greater than or equal to the height of the measuring device mounted on the mounting surface in that direction.

2. The system according to claim 1, The aforementioned antenna is a system comprising a leaky coaxial cable.

3. The system according to claim 1 or 2, The aforementioned communication device includes a processor, The system includes a processor that, upon receiving a broadcast signal by the second short-range wireless communication unit, performs a pairing process with the measuring device that is the source of the broadcast signal and whose short-range wireless communication signal strength is equal to or greater than a threshold.

4. The system according to claim 3, The system includes a processor that acquires identification information of the measuring device to be paired, and, if it can acquire authentication information corresponding to the identification information from the storage unit, shares encrypted information with the measuring device.

5. A communication device including a short-range wireless communication unit that performs communication using a pairing-enabled communication method, Equipped with a processor, The antenna of the short-range wireless communication unit has directivity in a direction perpendicular to the mounting surface when the communication device is mounted on the mounting surface. When the processor receives a broadcast signal via the short-range wireless communication unit, it performs a pairing process with the device that is the source of the broadcast signal and whose short-range wireless communication signal strength is above a threshold. In the process, the processor obtains identification information of the device to be paired, and if it can obtain authentication information corresponding to the identification information from the storage unit, it shares encrypted information with the device; this is a communication device.

6. A communication device having a short-range wireless communication unit that performs communication using a pairing-enabled communication method, In a state where it is placed on the mounting surface, it is equipped with a radio wave shielding part that is erected in a direction intersecting the aforementioned mounting surface and arranged to surround the antenna of the short-range wireless communication unit, The antenna has directivity in a direction perpendicular to the mounting surface when the communication device is mounted on the mounting surface.

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