Sheet-type thermometer

Abstract

To solve problems that conventional thermometers require the user to actively measure their temperature by attaching them to a mask or inserting them into the ear and no thermometers are there that can automatically manage one's health, although thermometers that constantly measure daily body temperature have been introduced in response to the spread of COVID-19 and the aging society.SOLUTION: A sheet-type thermometer including a sheet-type temperature sensor part, a processing part that processes the measurement data measured by the temperature sensor part, and a communication part for communicating measurement data measured by the temperature sensor part, allows one to measure body temperature by using the pillow on which the head rests while sleeping, and manage one's health and physical condition without having to actively measure one's body temperature to store the data.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a sheet-shaped thermometer. [Background technology]

[0002] A thermometer is, in a broad sense, a thermometer for measuring the body temperature of animals, and in a narrow sense, a thermometer for measuring human body temperature. It can measure temperatures ranging from 32°C to 42°C. If the body temperature exceeds 42°C, there is a risk of death, and in that state there is no point in measuring the temperature accurately.

[0003] Conventional thermometers mainly measured body temperature by directly contacting the skin, but in recent years, in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19, facilities where the general public enters and exits have set up areas for temperature checks and conduct simple temperature checks on facility users. These types of thermometers include handheld devices that the person taking the temperature can hold, as well as systems that emit infrared rays to capture images and measure body temperature. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2022-163591 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2023-46489 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In response to the spread of COVID-19 infections and the aging society, thermometers that constantly measure daily body temperature have appeared. However, as described in Patent Documents 1 and 2, the thermometer requires active measurement by attaching it to a mask or inserting it into the ear canal, and there were no thermometers that could automatically manage health conditions. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problem, the invention of claim 1 is characterized by comprising a sheet-shaped temperature sensor unit, a communication unit that communicates measurement data of the temperature sensor unit, and a processing unit that processes the measurement data of the temperature sensor unit.

[0007] The invention of claim 2 is characterized in that it comprises a vibrating sheet-like vibration part.

[0008] The invention of claim 3 is characterized in that the temperature sensor unit and the vibration unit can be stored in a pillow. Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to the present invention, body temperature is measured using the pillow on which the head rests during daily sleep, and the data is stored, so that data is stored without the need for active measurement, making it possible to manage health and physical condition. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a method of using the sheet-shaped thermometer 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention, and shows how the measured body temperature (36.5° C.) is displayed on the electronic device 200. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a functional configuration block diagram of a sheet-shaped thermometer 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 3] 1 is a functional configuration block diagram of an electronic device 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 11 is a flow chart showing an example of processing when a user M performs initial settings required for using the sheet-shaped thermometer 100 according to the present embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of an initial setting screen displayed on the electronic device 200 according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of a process in which a user M uses the sheet-shaped thermometer 100 according to the present embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7]FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a screen display of data for multiple days displayed on the electronic device 200 according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a screen display of data for a single day displayed on the electronic device 200 according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of a process in which a user M uses the sheet-type thermometer 100 and the external thermometer 400 according to the present embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing how to use the sheet-type thermometer 100 and the external thermometer 400 according to the embodiment of the present invention, and shows how the measured body temperature (36.5° C.) is displayed on the electronic device 200. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The following embodiment is an example for explaining the present invention, and is not intended to limit the present invention to the embodiment. Furthermore, the present invention can be modified in various ways without departing from the gist of the invention. Furthermore, the same components in each drawing are denoted by the same reference numerals as much as possible, and duplicated explanations are omitted.

[0012] [1. Example of the sheet-shaped thermometer 100] The sheet-shaped thermometer 100, which is an example of the embodiment, is a device that is stored in a pillow 300 when used.

[0013] The sheet-shaped thermometer 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention is connected to and communicates with an electronic device 200 such as a smartphone via Bluetooth (registered trademark) or the like. In Fig. 1, the electronic device 200 is shown displaying a body temperature (36.5°C) measured by the sheet-shaped thermometer 100. As shown in the figure, an external thermometer 400 capable of measuring a more accurate body temperature may be connected to the UNIT connection section 190.

[0014] The sheet-shaped thermometer 100 according to the embodiment has, as its functional configuration, a processing unit 110, a memory unit 120, a sensor unit 130, a sound output unit 140, an operation unit 150, a communication unit 160, a vibration unit 170, a display unit 180, and a UNIT connection unit 190, as shown in FIG.

[0015] The processing unit 110 is configured with a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The processing unit 110 executes a program stored in the storage unit 120 to perform various processes for operating the sheet-shaped thermometer 100. For example, the processing unit 110 performs a process of vibrating the vibration unit 170 based on data received from the electronic device 200 via the communication unit 160.

[0016] Furthermore, the processing unit 110 performs a process of periodically transmitting various data acquired by the sensor unit 130 (the user's body temperature detected by the temperature sensor 131, and the sound detected by the sound sensor 132) to the electronic device 200 via the communication unit 160. This enables the electronic device 200 to display and detect the user's body temperature.

[0017] The storage unit 120 stores the programs executed by the processing unit 110 and necessary data. The storage unit 120 may include, but is not limited to, a RAM (Random Access Memory), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a flash memory, etc. Note that the storage unit 120 may be provided inside the processing unit 110, or a storage unit 220 in the electronic device 200 may be used.

[0018] The sensor unit 130 includes a temperature sensor 131, a sound sensor 132, etc., and detects various types of information. However, as long as the sensor unit 130 includes the temperature sensor 131, it does not have to include other sensors. Furthermore, the sensor unit 130 may include sensors other than those described above.

[0019] The temperature sensor 131 is in a sheet shape and can have any structure. It can be a contact type platinum resistance thermometer, thermistor, or the like processed into a sheet shape, or a non-contact type infrared sensing type processed into a sheet shape.

[0020] The sound sensor 132 includes a microphone and measures surrounding sounds.

[0021] The sound output unit 140 includes a small speaker and outputs sound as an alarm function, etc. The sheet-shaped thermometer 100 may have a function of announcing the user's body temperature detected by the temperature sensor 131 from the sound output unit 140 by sound.

[0022] The operation unit 150 is a user interface such as a push button switch, and receives operation input from a user. For example, when the user sets the sheet-shaped thermometer 100 to pair with the electronic device 200, the user turns on a pairing mode in the operation unit 150.

[0023] The communication unit 160 is a communication interface for transmitting and receiving data between the sheet-shaped thermometer 100 and the electronic device 200 by Bluetooth (registered trademark). However, the communication standard supported by the communication unit 160 is not limited to Bluetooth (registered trademark), and may be a wireless communication interface supporting a wireless LAN (Local Area Network) or the like, or may be connected by wire using a USB (Universal Serial Bus) cable or the like.

[0024] The vibration unit 170 vibrates based on data generated from a timer function and various control functions set in the electronic device 200 via the communication unit 160. The vibration may be the same structure as a massager or the like having a function of giving an appropriate vibration to the head that is in contact with the device. Considering that the vibration unit 170 will be stored in a pillow, it is preferable that the vibration unit 170 is in a sheet shape.

[0025] The display unit 180 is a display device such as a liquid crystal display, an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display, etc. It is used to display body temperature, etc., or to display the connection state with the electronic device 200, but may not be provided when the electronic device 200 is used.

[0026] The UNIT connection part 190 is a connector for connecting an external thermometer 400 (a thermometer unit that measures under the tongue) which is a sensor unit for measuring body temperature more accurately, and may be a round connector, a square connector, a plug, a jack, or any other shape. It does not have to be provided if the external thermometer 400 has a communication function. It is used when measuring an accurate body temperature, which is necessary for determining a woman's ovulation date, etc.

[0027] Moreover, electronic device 200 according to the embodiment includes, as functional components, a processing unit 210, a storage unit 220, a display unit 230, an output unit 240, an operation unit 250, and a communication unit 260, as shown in FIG.

[0028] The processing unit 210 is composed of a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The processing unit 210 executes a later-described attachment confirmation process and the like using a program stored in the storage unit 220. The processing unit 210 supports multi-thread processing and can execute multiple processes in parallel. Although details of the process of acquiring body temperature are omitted, the processing unit 210 periodically receives a detection value (user's body temperature) of the temperature sensor 131 from the sheet-type thermometer 100 and performs a process of displaying the detected value on the display unit 230 as necessary.

[0029] The storage unit 220 stores the programs executed by the processing unit 210 and necessary data. The storage unit 220 may include, but is not limited to, a RAM (Random Access Memory), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a flash memory, etc. Note that the storage unit 220 may be provided inside the processing unit 210.

[0030] The display unit 230 includes a display device such as a liquid crystal display or an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display.

[0031] The output unit 240 includes a speaker and outputs a voice announcement, etc. Note that the electronic device 200 may include, as the output unit 240, an LED (Light Emitting Diode) as a light emitting unit or a vibrator as a vibration unit, instead of or in addition to the speaker.

[0032] The operation unit 250 is a user interface such as a push button switch or a touch panel integrated with the display unit 230, and receives operation input from the user. The processing unit 210 can obtain what kind of operation input the user has performed based on the detection result of a tap operation on the touch panel or a pressed state of a switch.

[0033] The communication unit 260 is a communication interface for the electronic device 200 to communicate data with the sheet-shaped thermometer 100 or an external device (e.g., another smartphone, tablet, PC (Personal Computer), etc.) and to acquire information from the Internet. The communication unit 260 may be, for example, a wireless communication interface for communicating via Bluetooth (registered trademark) or wireless LAN, or may be connected in a wired manner via a Universal Serial Bus (USB) cable or the like. Furthermore, the electronic device 200 can acquire the body temperature acquired by the sheet-shaped thermometer 100 and the detection value by the sound sensor via the communication unit 260.

[0034] The external thermometer 400 is a thermometer capable of measuring a woman's basal body temperature more accurately, such as a sublingual thermometer, and may be prepared as an option. The external thermometer 400 is connected to the UNIT connection section 190 by wire or wirelessly using the communication section 160.

[0035] [2. Operation Example 1 of Sheet-Shaped Thermometer 100] Next, the registration operation of a new user M by the electronic device 200 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 4 and Fig. 5. Fig. 4 is a flow chart showing an example of a process when the user M performs initial settings required for using the sheet-shaped thermometer 100 according to this embodiment. Fig. 5 is a diagram showing an example of an initial settings screen displayed on the electronic device 200.

[0036] (Step S11) 5, for example, is displayed on the display unit 230 of the electronic device 200, and the electronic device 200 waits for input. The items shown in Fig. 5 are an example of initial setting items.

[0037] (Step S12) The user M inputs necessary data into the items of the input form, such as the account name 230a1, the gender and age 230a2, and the initial wake-up time 230a3, in the electronic device 200. The user M presses the registration button 230a4, and the electronic device 200 transmits the initial setting data to the sheet-type thermometer 100 via the communication unit 260.

[0038] (Step S13) The sheet-shaped thermometer 100 may or may not check whether there are any defects in the setting data. If the check is performed, if the data is incorrect, an error message is displayed and the process returns to step S12. If the data is correct, the process proceeds to step S14.

[0039] (Step S14) The sheet-shaped thermometer 100 registers the input initial setting data in the storage unit 120.

[0040] [3. Operation Example 2 of the Sheet-Shaped Thermometer 100] Next, an operation example of the sheet-type thermometer 100 using the electronic device 200 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 1, 7 to 9. Fig. 6 is a flowchart showing a process example in which a user M uses the sheet-type thermometer 100 according to this embodiment. Fig. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a screen display of data for multiple days displayed on the electronic device 200, and Fig. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a screen display of data for a single day displayed on the electronic device 200 according to this embodiment. Note that the screen shown as an example displayed on the display unit 230 may be displayed on the display unit 180 of the sheet-type thermometer 100.

[0041] (Step S21) 1, the sheet-shaped thermometer 100 is placed in the pillow 300, and the communication unit 160 of the sheet-shaped thermometer 100 is connected wirelessly or via a wire to the communication unit 260 of the electronic device 200. After that, the user M goes to sleep.

[0042] (Step S22) The time when the temperature sensor 131 detects the body temperature is determined to be the time when the user went to sleep, and the sleeping time is recorded in the memory unit 120 or the memory unit 220. Alternatively, the sleeping time may be recorded by the operation unit 150.

[0043] (Step S23) During sleep, the temperature sensor 131 records the body temperature as sleep body temperature data in the storage unit 120 or the storage unit 220 as needed. The timing of recording is not specified, but it is preferable to record the body temperature data about once every minute.

[0044] (Step S24) During sleep, the sound sensor 132 stores sounds such as talking in one's sleep, snoring, coughing, etc. as sound data during sleep in the storage unit 120 or the storage unit 220. The timing of recording is not specified, but it is preferable to record at the timing when the sound is generated.

[0045] (Step S25) When user M wakes up from a sleep state, the body temperature cannot be measured or the measured body temperature is below 32 degrees, so it is determined to be wake-up time and the storage of the sleep time is terminated in the storage unit 120 or 220. In addition, the wake-up time may be set and the processing unit 110 may be used to prompt the user to wake up by causing the vibration unit 170 to vibrate or by outputting a sound from the sound output unit 140 or 240.

[0046] (Step S26) As shown in Fig. 7, sleep data may be analyzed by displaying a graph for each date 230b3, such as average body temperature data 230b2 and sleep time data 203b1 every few days. Each data may be analyzed by AI to manage body temperature.

[0047] (Step S27) As shown in Figure 8, sleep data may be analyzed by plotting body temperature data 203c2 as a curve on a screen with body temperature horizontal axis 230c1 and time vertical axis 230c3 for a single day. Each data may be analyzed by AI to analyze the quality of sleep by checking REM sleep and non-REM sleep, or the data may be transferred to another terminal to alert users of changes in the physical condition of children or the elderly.

[0048] [4. Operation Example 3 of the Sheet-Shaped Thermometer 100] Next, an operation example of measuring a woman's basal body temperature with the sheet-type thermometer 100 using the electronic device 200 and external thermometer 400 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 9 and 10. Fig. 9 is a flowchart showing a processing example in which a user M uses the sheet-type thermometer 100 and external thermometer 400 according to this embodiment. Fig. 10 is a diagram showing a method of using the sheet-type thermometer 100 and external thermometer 400 according to the embodiment of the present invention, and shows a state in which a measured body temperature (36.5°C) is displayed on the electronic device 200. Note that the screen shown as an example displayed on the display unit 230 may be displayed on the display unit 180 of the sheet-type thermometer 100.

[0049] (Step S31) As in step S21, the sheet-shaped thermometer 100 is stored in the pillow 300, and the communication unit 160 of the sheet-shaped thermometer 100 is connected wirelessly or by wire to the communication unit 260 of the electronic device 200. Since it is assumed that the basal body temperature of a woman will be measured at a regular time, the temperature measurement time is set in advance in the memory unit 120 or memory unit 220 using the electronic device 200, etc. After that, the user M goes to sleep.

[0050] (Step S32) The time when the temperature sensor 131 detects the body temperature is determined to be the time when the user went to sleep, and the sleeping time is recorded in the memory unit 120 or the memory unit 220. Alternatively, the sleeping time may be recorded by the operation unit 150.

[0051] (Step S33) During sleep, the temperature sensor 131 records the body temperature as sleep body temperature data in the storage unit 120 or the storage unit 220 as needed. The timing of recording is not specified, but it is preferable to record the body temperature data about once every minute.

[0052] (Step S34) At the wake-up time set in step S31 and stored in the storage unit 120 or the storage unit 220, the processing unit 110 causes the vibration unit 170 to vibrate, waking up the user M from a sleeping state.

[0053] (Step S35) As shown in FIG. 10, the user M measures his / her body temperature more accurately using an external thermometer 400 connected to the UNIT connection section 190 or connected via the communication section 160.

[0054] (Step S36) The body temperature data measured in step S35 is recorded in the memory unit 120 or the memory unit 220, and the processing unit 110 analyzes it to inform the user M of the ovulation date, etc.

[0055] (Step S37) The difference between the body temperature data measured in step S33 and the body temperature data measured in step S35 may be calculated and recorded and stored as offset data OD in the memory unit 120 or the memory unit 220. By using the offset data OD, it is possible to correct the body temperature data measured by the sheet-like temperature sensor 131 to accurate data, so that accurate body temperature data can be predicted even when the external thermometer 400 is not used. [Explanation of symbols]

[0056] M User OD offset data 100 Sheet thermometer 101 Input Interface 102 System Bus 110 Processing section 120 Storage section 130 Sensor section 131 Temperature Sensor 132 Sound Sensor 140 Sound output section 150 Operation section 160 Communications Department 170 Vibration section 180 Display section 190 UNIT connection part 200 Electronic equipment 201 Input Interface 202 System Bus 210 Processing section 220 Storage section 230 Display section 240 Sound output section 250 Operation section 260 Communications Department 300 pillows 400 external thermometer

Claims

1. A sheet-like temperature sensor portion; A processing unit that processes measurement data measured by the temperature sensor unit; a communication unit that communicates measurement data measured by the temperature sensor unit; A sheet-shaped thermometer comprising:

2. A vibrating sheet-like vibration part; The sheet-shaped thermometer according to claim 1, further comprising:

3. The temperature sensor unit and the vibration unit can be stored in a pillow. The sheet-shaped thermometer according to claim 2,

4. The processing unit controls the vibration of the vibration unit based on measurement data measured by the temperature sensor unit or preset data. The sheet-shaped thermometer according to claim 2,

5. Equipped with a sound output unit, The sound output unit outputs sound based on measured measurement data or preset data. The sheet-shaped thermometer according to claim 1,

6. A connection part is provided, The connection part is capable of connecting to an external thermometer. The sheet-shaped thermometer according to claim 1,

7. correcting the body temperature data measured by the sheet-like temperature sensor unit using offset data which is a difference between the body temperature data measured by the external thermometer and the body temperature data measured by the sheet-like temperature sensor unit; 7. The sheet-shaped thermometer according to claim 6,

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