Monitoring system, monitoring method, and monitoring program

Abstract

To make it possible to eliminate troubles of carrying an apparatus which originates a signal of an object-of-monitoring person and of preserving electric power, and to monitor whether an object person is safe even in the event that the object person stops moving and acting.SOLUTION: A monitoring system includes an electric power supply unit that is mounted in footwear and supplies electric power, a detection unit including an origination block which originates a predetermined signal every time it is driven with electric power, and a monitoring unit that monitors on receipt of the predetermined signal whether a user is safe. The monitoring unit includes a signal acquisition block that acquires the predetermined signal, a first abnormality determination block that, when a period of time during which no predetermined signal is acquired has passed a first time, determines that a first abnormality has occurred, a first notification block that notifies a user of occurrence of the first abnormality, a second abnormality determination block that, after occurrence of the first abnormality has been notified, when the period of time during which no predetermined signal is acquired has passed a second time, determines that a second abnormality has occurred, and a second notification block that notifies a user of occurrence of a second abnormality.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a monitoring system, a monitoring method, and a monitoring program, and more particularly to a monitoring system, a monitoring method, and a monitoring program for monitoring the safety of a person who is alone in a working environment.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, when monitoring the safety of people in various facilities such as factories, warehouses, schools, hospitals, and buildings, a monitoring camera is installed on-site and the situation on-site is projected as an image onto a monitor at a remote location, and the monitor observes the image. Monitoring by monitoring cameras requires an increase in the number of installed monitoring cameras to reduce blind spots, which places a heavy burden on costs and labor for the monitor.

[0003] Therefore, a method has been proposed in which a wearable device is worn on each of the people to be monitored, and the safety of the person to be monitored is monitored based on information from the wearable device. Since the wearable device is multifunctional, it can monitor the person to be monitored based on detailed information such as the biometric information of the monitor. However, there is a problem that the battery of the wearable device is consumed quickly, and the wearable device cannot be used continuously for a long time. Furthermore, there is a problem that the wearable device cannot be used at all when the battery runs out.

[0004] Therefore, for example, the footwear disclosed in Patent Document 1 has been proposed. In the footwear disclosed in Patent Document 1, when pressure is applied to a piezoelectric element built into the heel during walking, power is generated to drive a built-in PHS module. A signal transmitted from the PHS module is transmitted to the monitor via a repeater, and the monitor can confirm the safety of the user of the footwear.

[0005] According to the footwear disclosed in Patent Document 1, the user of the footwear is relieved of the trouble of carrying a device such as a PHS module for transmitting a signal, and is relieved of the trouble of securing the power of the device. However, the footwear disclosed in Patent Document 1 does not consider at all the case where the user of the footwear stops moving or operating for a certain period of time due to poor physical condition or the like, and the power generation of the piezoelectric element built into the heel of the footwear stops and the signal from the PHS module is not transmitted.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0006]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0007] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a monitoring system, a monitoring method, and a monitoring program that eliminate the trouble of carrying and securing power for a device for transmitting a signal of a person to be monitored, and can monitor the safety of the person even when the person stops moving and operating.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0008] That is, a monitoring system according to a first aspect is a monitoring system that monitors the safety of a user wearing footwear, and includes a power supply unit that is mounted on the footwear and supplies power, and a detection unit that is driven by the power supplied by the power supply unit and transmits a predetermined signal each time it is driven, and a monitoring unit that monitors the safety of the user through reception of the predetermined signal. The monitoring unit includes a signal acquisition unit that acquires the predetermined signal, a first abnormality determination unit that determines that a first abnormality has occurred when a period without acquisition of the predetermined signal has elapsed for a first time, a first notification unit that notifies the user of the occurrence of the first abnormality when it is determined that the first abnormality has occurred, a second abnormality determination unit that determines that a second abnormality has occurred when a period without acquisition of the predetermined signal has elapsed for a second time after the occurrence of the first abnormality has been notified, and a second notification unit that notifies the occurrence of the second abnormality when it is determined that the second abnormality has occurred.

[0009] The monitoring method according to the second aspect is a monitoring method for monitoring the safety of a user wearing footwear in a monitoring system having a power supply unit that is attached to the footwear and supplies power, a detection unit that includes a transmission unit that is driven by the power from the power supply unit and transmits a predetermined signal each time it is driven, and a monitoring unit that monitors the safety of the user through reception of the predetermined signal. The monitoring unit executes a signal acquisition step of acquiring the predetermined signal, a first abnormality determination step of determining that a first abnormality has occurred when a period without acquisition of the predetermined signal has elapsed for a first time, a first notification step of notifying the user of the occurrence of the first abnormality when it is determined that the first abnormality has occurred, a second abnormality determination step of determining that a second abnormality has occurred when a period without acquisition of the predetermined signal has elapsed for a second time after the occurrence of the first abnormality has been notified, and a second notification step of notifying the occurrence of the second abnormality when it is determined that the second abnormality has occurred.

[0010] The monitoring program according to the third aspect is a monitoring program for monitoring the safety of a user wearing footwear in a monitoring system having a power supply unit that is attached to the footwear and supplies power, a detection unit that includes a transmission unit that is driven by the power from the power supply unit and transmits a predetermined signal each time it is driven, and a monitoring unit that monitors the safety of the user through reception of the predetermined signal. The monitoring unit is caused to realize a signal acquisition function of acquiring the predetermined signal, a first abnormality determination function of determining that a first abnormality has occurred when a period without acquisition of the predetermined signal has elapsed for a first time, a first notification function of notifying the user of the occurrence of the first abnormality when it is determined that the first abnormality has occurred, a second abnormality determination function of determining that a second abnormality has occurred when a period without acquisition of the predetermined signal has elapsed for a second time after the occurrence of the first abnormality has been notified, and a second notification function of notifying the occurrence of the second abnormality when it is determined that the second abnormality has occurred.

Advantages of the Invention

[0011] The monitoring system and the like according to the present invention are monitoring systems that monitor the safety of a user wearing footwear, and include a power supply unit that is attached to the footwear and supplies power, and a detection unit that is driven by the power supplied by the power supply unit and transmits a predetermined signal each time it is driven, and a monitoring unit that monitors the safety of the user through the reception of the predetermined signal. The monitoring unit includes a signal acquisition unit that acquires the predetermined signal, a first abnormality determination unit that determines that a first abnormality has occurred when a period without acquisition of the predetermined signal has elapsed for a first time, a first notification unit that notifies the user of the occurrence of the first abnormality when it is determined that the first abnormality has occurred, a second abnormality determination unit that determines that a second abnormality has occurred when a period without acquisition of the predetermined signal has elapsed for a second time after the occurrence of the first abnormality has been notified, and a second notification unit that notifies the occurrence of the second abnormality when it is determined that the second abnormality has occurred. Therefore, it eliminates the trouble of carrying and ensuring power for the device for transmitting the signal of the person to be monitored, and can monitor the safety of the person even when the person has stopped moving and operating.

Brief Description of Drawings

[0012]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] (Overview of the monitoring system 10) With reference to FIGS. 1 to 6, a monitoring system 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described. First, with reference to FIG. 1, an overview of the monitoring system 10 of the present embodiment will be described. The monitoring system 10 is a system that monitors the safety of a user wearing the footwear 30, and includes a detection unit 11 and a monitoring unit 12. The footwear 30 is provided with the detection unit 11 and is worn by a person (hereinafter referred to as a user) who is the object of monitoring by the monitoring system 10. The user mainly works alone, is in a situation where there are no other people around, and works in a state where it is difficult to be noticed by other people. The monitoring system 10 is mainly used for monitoring the physical condition, health, safety, etc. of a user who is alone.

[0014] A predetermined signal transmitted from the detection unit 11 is acquired by a signal acquisition unit 16 (described later) of the monitoring unit 12 via the repeater 13. Note that the predetermined signal may reach the monitoring unit 12 directly from the detection unit 11 without passing through the repeater 13 and be acquired by the signal acquisition unit 16. When the area of the monitoring target area to be monitored by the monitoring system 10 exceeds the range in which one repeater 13 can receive a predetermined signal (hereinafter referred to as the receivable range), a plurality of repeaters 13 are installed in the monitoring target area so as to cover the monitoring target area with a plurality of receivable ranges. In this case, the plurality of repeaters 13 are installed in the monitoring target area at a predetermined interval. When a dead zone where a predetermined signal does not reach the monitoring target area occurs, a repeater 13 is installed in the dead zone so as to eliminate the dead zone.

[0015] The communication between the detection unit 11 and the repeater 13 uses BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) (registered trademark). BLE is one of the extended specifications of the short-range wireless communication technology Bluetooth and enables communication with extremely low power consumption. BLE uses radio waves in the 2.4 GHz band (ISM band). Note that the communication between the detection unit 11 and the repeater 13 is not limited to BLE, and other communication methods, such as wireless LANs like Wi-Fi (Wireless Fidelity: registered trademark), may also be used. The monitoring unit 12 and the repeater 13 are connected by wire or wirelessly via the information communication network 25 to enable two-way information data communication. The information communication network 25 refers to an information communication line network including the Internet and local area networks (LANs) and enables two-way data communication. When the information data communication between the monitoring unit 12 and the repeater 13 is wireless, a wireless LAN such as Wi-Fi is used. The predetermined signal is radiated from the emitter 34 of the detection unit 11 by wireless communication and extracted by an antenna provided in the monitoring unit 12 or the repeater 13.

[0016] (Regarding the configuration of the detection unit 11) The configuration of the detection unit 11 will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 to 4. The detection unit 11 is attached to the footwear 30 and includes a power supply unit 14 that supplies power, and a transmission unit 15 that is driven by the power from the power supply unit 14 and transmits a predetermined signal each time it is driven. The detection unit 11 also includes an emitter 34 that serves as an antenna for emitting the predetermined signal. The detection unit 11 may be attached to both the left and right feet of the footwear 30, or may be attached to either the left or right foot. The footwear 30 can be ankle boots where the ankles are visible, or even taller boots. Examples of the footwear 30 include various types of shoes such as safety shoes, sneakers, boots, training shoes, and business shoes. Also, the footwear 30 can be sandals. A sandal is a type of footwear that does not cover the entire foot and is fastened to the foot with strings, bands, etc., and there are various shapes and materials. Examples of types of sandals include beach sandals, sports sandals, rubber sandals, and thongs.

[0017] As shown in FIG. 2, the detection unit 11 includes a power supply unit 14, a transmission unit 15, and a transmitter 34. As shown in FIG. 3, the power supply unit 14, the transmission unit 15, and the transmitter 34 are, for example, housed inside the insole 32 of the footwear 30. Also, the power supply unit 14, the transmission unit 15, and the transmitter 34 may be inserted into the boundary portion between the insole 32 and the sole 31, or may be built into the sole 31. Note that the transmitter 34 may use the body of the user wearing the footwear 30 as a body antenna instead of the transmitter 34. The power supply unit 14 is provided at the heel portion 29 of the footwear 30. The power supply unit 14 may be built into the insole 32 located at the heel portion 29, or may be inserted into the boundary portion between the insole 32 located at the heel portion 29 and the sole 31. As shown in FIG. 3, the transmission unit 15 may be built into the insole 32 located under the user's arch. Since the insole 32 under the arch is a place where it is difficult for the impact during walking, etc. to be transmitted, the impact applied to the transmission unit 15 can be mitigated.

[0018] The power supply unit 14 includes a piezoelectric element 33, and supplies the power generated by the pressure applied to the piezoelectric element 33 to the transmission unit 15. The piezoelectric element 33 generates electricity by receiving the pressure applied to the heel portion 29 when the user walks. Also, the user may apply pressure to the piezoelectric element 33 by hitting the heel portion 29 of the footwear 30 against the ground without walking, to generate electricity in the piezoelectric element 33.

[0019] As shown in Fig. 4, the negative electrode of the piezoelectric element 33 is connected to the ground 35 provided on the footwear 30, and the positive electrode of the piezoelectric element 33 is connected to the power supply terminal (not shown) of the transmitter 15. The ground 35 is disposed on the sole 31 of the shoe. This is because when the sole 31 contacts the ground, static electricity is discharged to the ground. The output terminal (not shown) of the transmitter 15 is connected to the emitter 34, and the predetermined signal generated by the transmitter 15 is emitted by the emitter 34.

[0020] The transmitter 15 is driven by the power from the power supply unit 14 and transmits a predetermined signal each time it is driven. The transmitter 15 is a wireless chip or an oscillation chip that wirelessly transmits radio waves of a predetermined frequency, etc. The transmitter 15 is driven by the power generated by the piezoelectric element 33 to transmit a predetermined signal, and when the piezoelectric element 33 does not generate power, it is not driven and the predetermined signal is not transmitted. The transmitter 15 transmits a predetermined signal by an operation performed by the user on the detection unit 11. The operation performed by the user on the detection unit 11 refers to applying an impact to the heel portion 29 of the footwear 30 by moving such as walking or hitting the heel of the footwear 30 against the ground. The transmitter 15 may be integrated with the piezoelectric element 33 and formed on a flexible circuit board. Further, including the emitter 34, the piezoelectric element 33, the transmitter 15, and the emitter 34 may be integrated and formed on a flexible circuit board.

[0021] (Regarding the hardware configuration of the monitoring unit 12) Next, with reference to Fig. 5, the hardware configuration of the monitoring unit 12 will be described. Fig. 5 is a diagram for explaining an example of the hardware configuration of the monitoring unit 12 of the monitoring system 10. The monitoring unit 12 monitors the safety of the user through receiving a predetermined signal. A plurality of different frequencies may be prepared for the predetermined signal, and different users may be assigned to each of the plurality of frequencies. Thereby, the monitoring unit 12 can monitor the safety of a plurality of users assigned to each of the plurality of frequencies. When the monitoring system 10 monitors the safety of a plurality of users using a plurality of footwear 30, predetermined signals of different frequencies are assigned to each of the plurality of footwear 30. Therefore, the transmission unit 15 of the footwear 30 transmits a predetermined signal of the frequency assigned to the footwear 30. The monitoring unit 12 identifies the user wearing the footwear 30 based on the frequency of the predetermined signal acquired by the signal acquisition unit 16. The monitoring unit 12 is an information processing device used by a monitor who monitors users, which is a so-called computer, and includes, for example, a personal computer (hereinafter referred to as PC), a notebook PC, a tablet PC, a smartphone, and the like. The monitoring unit 12 may be prepared by installing a monitoring program described later in a commercially available general-purpose information processing device, or may be an information processing device dedicatedly prepared for the monitoring system 10.

[0022] The monitoring unit 12 includes a communication interface 12a, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 12b, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 12c, a storage unit 12d, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 12e, and an input / output interface 12f. The monitoring unit 12 includes an input device 12g and an output device 12h as external devices. The input device 12g is a peripheral device that inputs information to the monitoring unit 12, and is, for example, a keyboard, a mouse, a scanner, and the like. The output device 12h is a peripheral device that outputs information of the monitoring unit 12, and is, for example, a monitor 12i, a speaker 12j, and a printer.

[0023] The communication interface 12a has a function of transmitting and receiving data between the monitoring unit 12 and other devices such as a repeater 13 via an information communication network 25 for the data handled by the monitoring unit 12. The communication interface 12a transmits and receives data with other devices using a communication standard such as a wireless LAN or a wired LAN such as Wi-Fi.

[0024] The storage unit 12d is mainly used as a storage area for temporarily holding the acquired data. The storage unit 12d is composed of, for example, a hard disk drive, a solid state drive, and a flash memory. In addition, the storage unit 12d stores the OS required for the operation of the monitoring unit 12, the monitoring program described later, various other applications, and various data used by the applications.

[0025] The monitoring unit 12 stores the monitoring program in the ROM 12b or the storage unit 12d, and loads the monitoring program into the main memory composed of the RAM 12c or the like. The CPU 12e accesses the main memory that has loaded the monitoring program and executes the monitoring program.

[0026] (Regarding the functional configuration of the monitoring unit 12) With reference to FIG. 6, the functional configuration of the monitoring unit 12 according to the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining an example of the functional configuration of the monitoring unit 12 of the monitoring system 10.

[0027] By executing the monitoring program described later, the monitoring unit 12 provides the CPU 12e with functional units such as a signal acquisition unit 16, a work information acquisition unit 17, a temperature information acquisition unit 18, a work content reception unit 19, a temperature adjustment reception unit 20, a first abnormality determination unit 21, a first notification unit 22, a second abnormality determination unit 23, and a second notification unit 24.

[0028] The signal acquisition unit 16 acquires a predetermined signal. The predetermined signal is generated by the transmitter 15 of the detection unit 11 attached to the footwear 30 and emitted as a wireless signal by the emitter 34. When the monitoring system 10 monitors the safety of a plurality of users using a plurality of predetermined signals with different frequencies, the signal acquisition unit 16 recognizes the frequency of the predetermined signal and identifies the user to whom the frequency is assigned. The signal acquisition unit 16 acquires the predetermined signal emitted from the detection unit 11 directly or via the repeater 13.

[0029] The work information acquisition unit 17 acquires the work content of the user to be monitored. The work content of the user is input by a user of the monitoring unit 12 such as a monitor to an input unit (not shown) of the work content displayed on the monitor 12i of the monitoring unit 12. The work information acquisition unit 17 acquires the work content input to the input unit of the work content. The work content is the content of the work performed by the user to be monitored by the monitoring system 10. For example, in a manufacturing factory related to machinery, there are processing, assembly, joining, painting, inspection, testing, machine operator, packing, picking, etc. The work content varies depending on the location where the monitoring system 10 is used. The location where the monitoring system 10 is used is not particularly limited, and various locations are assumed. For example, in addition to a manufacturing factory related to machinery, there are a computer server room, a design and drafting room using CAD, a warehouse, a manufacturing factory related to metal and steel, a manufacturing factory of electronic components and electronic devices, a manufacturing factory related to chemistry, a manufacturing factory related to food, a manufacturing factory related to construction and housing, and a manufacturing factory related to pharmaceuticals, etc.

[0030] The temperature information acquisition unit 18 acquires the temperature of the work environment of the user to be monitored. The temperature of the work environment of the user is input by a user of the monitoring unit 12 such as a monitor to an input unit (not shown) of the temperature of the work environment of the user displayed on the monitor 12i of the monitoring unit 12. The temperature information acquisition unit 18 acquires the temperature of the work environment input to the input unit of the temperature of the work environment of the user. Further, the repeater 13 may be provided with a temperature measurement function, and the temperature information acquisition unit 18 may acquire the temperature around the repeater 13 measured by the repeater 13 as the temperature of the work environment of the user.

[0031] The work content reception unit 19 receives the length of the first hour corresponding to the work content of the user. A table (chart) defining the correspondence between the user's work content and the first time is prepared in advance, and the work content reception unit 19 refers to this table and receives the length of the first time corresponding to the user's work content acquired by the work information acquisition unit 17. For each of the plurality of work contents, the first time is predetermined, and for example, a table used in a manufacturing factory related to machinery is shown in Table 1 below. For example, when the work content acquired by the work information acquisition unit 17 is inspection, the work content reception unit 19 refers to Table 1 and receives the length of the first time as 70 seconds. Since a time suitable for the user's work content is set as the first time, the safety of the user can be managed quickly and appropriately according to the user's work content.

[0032]

Table 1

[0033] The temperature adjustment reception unit 20 receives the length of the first time corresponding to the temperature of the user's work environment. A conversion equation defining the correspondence between the temperature of the user's work environment and the first time is prepared in advance, and the temperature adjustment reception unit 20 refers to this conversion equation and receives the length of the first time corresponding to the temperature of the user's work environment to be monitored acquired by the temperature information acquisition unit 18. The conversion equation represents the relationship between the temperature T (°C) of the user's work environment and the first time A (seconds), and is represented by, for example, the following formula (1). For example, when the temperature of the user's work environment acquired by the temperature information acquisition unit 18 is 30°C, the first time is set to 60 seconds, and when it is 40°C, the first time is set to 30 seconds. Note that the first time may be set corresponding to the humidity, discomfort index, or perceived temperature of the user's work environment instead of being set corresponding to the temperature of the user's work environment. In this case, conversion equations defining the correspondence between the humidity, discomfort index, or perceived temperature of the work environment and the first time are prepared in advance, respectively. Since the first time is set to be suitable for the temperature, humidity, discomfort index, or perceived temperature of the user's working environment, for example, considering cases where the user's physical condition, mood, or work efficiency deteriorates due to the temperature, humidity, discomfort index, or perceived temperature of the working environment, such as heat stroke, hypothermia, frostbite, and dehydration symptoms, the first time suitable for the temperature, humidity, discomfort index, or perceived temperature of the working environment can be set.

[0034]

Number

[0035] The first abnormality determination unit 21 determines that the first abnormality has occurred when a period without obtaining a predetermined signal has elapsed for the first time. The first time refers to the time when the predetermined signal from the detection unit 11 has stopped. The first abnormality determination unit 21 determines that the first abnormality has occurred when the time when the predetermined signal from the detection unit 11 has stopped exceeds the first time. The fact that the predetermined signal from the detection unit 11 stops means that the movement of the user's foot wearing the footwear 30 has stopped. When the time when the predetermined signal stops exceeds the preset first time, the first abnormality determination unit 21 determines that the first abnormality has occurred. The first abnormality refers to a state in which the predetermined signal from the user to be monitored has stopped exceeding the first time, and means that the first notification unit 22 is in a state of notifying the user of the occurrence of the first abnormality. If the predetermined signal of the user is acquired before the second time elapses after the notification of the first abnormality, the state of the first abnormality is released. When the state of the first abnormality continues for the second time, it shifts to the second abnormality.

[0036] The first notification unit 22 notifies the user of the occurrence of the first abnormality when it is determined that the first abnormality has occurred. The first notification unit 22 notifies the user himself / herself of the occurrence of the first abnormality by the alarm of the alarm speaker (not shown) provided in the repeater 13 and the lighting or flashing of the warning light (not shown) when it is determined by the first abnormality determination unit 21 that the first abnormality has occurred. Note that the alarm speaker and warning light only need to be able to notify the user of the first abnormality, and do not necessarily have to be provided in the repeater 13. The alarm speaker only needs to be installed at a position where the user can hear the alarm issued by this alarm speaker, and the warning light only needs to be installed at a position where the user can visually recognize the lighting or flashing of the warning light.

[0037] After notifying the occurrence of the first abnormality, the second abnormality determination unit 23 determines that the second abnormality has occurred when a period without acquiring a predetermined signal has elapsed for a second time. After notifying the user of the occurrence of the first abnormality, the second abnormality determination unit 23 determines that the second abnormality has occurred when a period without acquiring a predetermined signal from the user exceeds the second time. The second time is a predetermined time set in advance, and is set by a monitoring program described later or a monitor who monitors the safety of the user, etc. Before using the monitoring system 10, the user is instructed to immediately transmit a predetermined signal from the detection unit 11 of the footwear 30 when knowing that the first abnormality has occurred.

[0038] For example, when the user receives a notification that the first abnormality has occurred, in order to let the monitor know that the user is safe, the user is pre-instructed to step on the heel of the footwear 30 before the second time elapses. The first abnormality determined by the monitoring system 10 is cancelled and returns to the normal state when a predetermined signal from the user is acquired before the second time elapses. Therefore, the monitoring system 10 can cancel the first abnormality by a simple operation of the user stepping on the heel of the footwear 30. Also, even when the first abnormality occurs when the user is concentrating on work and does not change posture, when the user is working while sitting, or when the user is working with a stretched back, etc., the first abnormality can be cancelled by a simple operation of the user.

[0039] Also, for example, when the user wants to inform the monitor that an abnormality has occurred, such as when an abnormality occurs to the user himself / herself and he / she wants the monitor to come to help, if the user does not step on the heel of the footwear 30 for a while after receiving the notification that the first abnormality has occurred, the user is pre-instructed about the fact that the monitor will be notified that a second abnormality has occurred on the user's body after the second hour has elapsed since receiving the notification that the first abnormality has occurred. The first abnormality determined by the monitoring system 10 shifts to the second abnormality when a predetermined signal from the user has not been acquired even after the second hour has elapsed, and notifies the monitor that a second abnormality has occurred on the user's body. Therefore, according to the monitoring system 10, the user can notify the monitor of the occurrence of the second abnormality by a simple agreement not to step on the heel of the footwear 30 even after the second hour has elapsed after receiving the notification of the occurrence of the first abnormality.

[0040] Therefore, assuming that the user who has received the above guidance is in a situation where he / she cannot cancel the notification of the occurrence of the first abnormality before the second hour has elapsed after receiving the notification of the occurrence of the first abnormality, the monitoring system 10 notifies the monitor of the occurrence of the second abnormality of the user. Therefore, the monitoring system 10 can notify the monitor of the occurrence of the second abnormality with certainty.

[0041] The second hour is set to, for example, 30 seconds. If the user does not transmit a predetermined signal from the detection unit 11 within 30 seconds after knowing that the first abnormality has been notified, the second abnormality determination unit 23 determines that the second abnormality has occurred. The second abnormality refers to a state in which a predetermined signal has not been acquired from the user even after the second hour has elapsed after notifying the user of the occurrence of the first abnormality, which means that the user is not safe and there may be a serious situation on the user's body.

[0042] The first notification unit 22 stops notifying the user of the occurrence of the first abnormality when a predetermined signal is acquired before the second hour has elapsed after notifying the user of the occurrence of the first abnormality. After notifying the user of the occurrence of the first abnormality and before the lapse of the second time from the user for a predetermined signal is acquired by the monitoring unit 12, if the first abnormality is canceled assuming that there is no abnormality in the user.

[0043] When it is determined that the second abnormality has occurred, the second notification unit 24 notifies the occurrence of the second abnormality. The second notification unit 24 notifies the monitor who monitors the user via the monitoring unit 12 that the second abnormality has occurred to the user. The method of notifying the monitor via the monitoring unit 12 may display that the second abnormality has occurred on the monitor 12i of the monitoring unit 12, or may notify the occurrence of the second abnormality by voice from the speaker 12j of the monitoring unit 12. Furthermore, the second notification unit 24 may notify the occurrence of the second abnormality from the repeater 13. The second notification unit 24 uses the alarm speaker and warning lamp provided in the repeater 13 to notify the people around the repeater 13 that the second abnormality has occurred to the user. In addition, the second notification unit 24 may notify the user that the second abnormality has occurred using the alarm speaker and warning lamp used when notifying the occurrence of the first abnormality.

[0044] After the monitoring system 10 notifies the user of the occurrence of the first abnormality, if no predetermined signal is acquired from the user even after the lapse of the second time, the second abnormality is notified. Since it is presumed that an abnormality has occurred to the user and the user is not aware of the occurrence of the first abnormality or is in a situation where a predetermined signal cannot be transmitted from the detection unit 11 even if the user is aware of the occurrence of the first abnormality, the monitoring system 10 notifies the monitor of the user that the second abnormality has occurred to the user. Thereby, the monitoring system 10 can surely monitor the safety of the user.

[0045] (Regarding the monitoring method and monitoring program) Referring to FIG. 7, a monitoring program according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described together with a monitoring method. FIG. 7 is a flowchart of the monitoring program according to an embodiment of the present invention. The monitoring method is executed by the CPU 12e of the monitoring unit 12 based on the monitoring program.

[0046] The monitoring program includes a signal acquisition step S16, a work information acquisition step S17, a work content reception step S19, a first abnormality determination step S21, a first notification step S22, a second abnormality determination step S23, and a second notification step S24.

[0047] The monitoring program causes the CPU 12e of the monitoring unit 12 to realize various functions such as a signal acquisition function, a work information acquisition function, a work content reception function, a first abnormality determination function, a first notification function, a second abnormality determination function, and a second notification function. These functions are executed in the order shown in the flowchart of FIG. 7, but the order can be appropriately changed. Since each function overlaps with the description of the various functional units of the monitoring unit 12 described above, the detailed description thereof is omitted.

[0048] The signal acquisition function acquires a predetermined signal (S16: signal acquisition step).

[0049] The work information acquisition function acquires the work content of the user to be monitored (S17: work information acquisition step).

[0050] The work content reception function receives the length of the first time corresponding to the work content of the user (S19: work content reception step).

[0051] The first abnormality determination function determines that a first abnormality has occurred when a period without acquisition of the predetermined signal has elapsed for the first time (S21: first abnormality determination step).

[0052] The first notification function notifies the user of the occurrence of the first abnormality when it is determined that the first abnormality has occurred (S22: first notification step).

[0053] The second abnormality determination function determines that a second abnormality has occurred when a period without acquisition of a predetermined signal has elapsed after notification of the occurrence of the first abnormality (S23: second abnormality determination step).

[0054] The second notification function notifies of the occurrence of the second abnormality when it is determined that the second abnormality has occurred (S24: second notification step).

[0055] (Other embodiments of the monitoring program) Next, with reference to FIG. 8, another embodiment of the monitoring program shown in FIG. 7 will be described together with the monitoring method. The monitoring method is executed by the CPU 12e of the monitoring unit 12 based on the monitoring program shown in FIG. 8. FIG. 8 is a flowchart according to another embodiment of the monitoring program according to the present embodiment.

[0056] The monitoring program shown in FIG. 8 differs from the monitoring program shown in FIG. 7 in that the first time is set in consideration of the temperature of the user's working environment. That is, the monitoring program shown in FIG. 8 adds a temperature information acquisition step S18 and a temperature adjustment reception step S20 to the monitoring program shown in FIG. 7, and includes a signal acquisition step S16, a work information acquisition step S17, a temperature information acquisition step S18, a work content reception step S19, a temperature adjustment reception step S20, a first abnormality determination step S21, a first notification step S22, a second abnormality determination step S23, and a second notification step S24. These functions are executed in the order shown in the flowchart of FIG. 8, but the order can be changed appropriately and executed.

[0057] The monitoring program shown in FIG. 8 causes the CPU 12e of the monitoring unit 12 to realize various functions such as a signal acquisition function, a work information acquisition function, a temperature information acquisition function, a work content reception function, a temperature adjustment reception function, a first abnormality determination function, a first notification function, a second abnormality determination function, and a second notification function. These functions are executed in the order shown in the flowchart of FIG. 8, but the order can be changed as appropriate. Hereinafter, regarding the monitoring program shown in FIG. 8, the parts different from the monitoring program shown in FIG. 7 will be described, and since they overlap with the description of the monitoring program in FIG. 7, they will be omitted.

[0058] The temperature information acquisition function acquires the temperature of the working environment of the user to be monitored (S18: temperature information acquisition step).

[0059] The temperature adjustment reception function receives the length of the first time corresponding to the temperature of the user's working environment (S20: temperature adjustment reception step).

[0060] According to the above-described embodiment, since the first time is set to a time suitable for the user's work content, the safety of the user can be managed quickly and appropriately according to the user's work content.

[0061] Also, according to the above-described embodiment, since the first time is set to a time suitable for the temperature, humidity, discomfort index, or perceived temperature of the user's working environment, considering the case where the user's physical condition deteriorates due to the influence of the working environment, the first time suitable for the working environment can be set.

[0062] Also, according to the above-described embodiment, when the monitoring system 10 notifies a user who has been instructed to operate the detection unit 11 of the footwear 30 to transmit a predetermined signal when a first abnormality is notified in advance, after notifying the occurrence of the first abnormality, if a predetermined signal is not acquired from the user even after the second time has elapsed, it is determined that a second abnormality has occurred. Therefore, it is possible to surely notify the monitor that there may be some abnormality in the user's situation.

[0063] Also, according to the above-described embodiment, the first abnormality can be canceled by a simple operation of the detection unit 11 of the footwear 30. The simple operation of the detection unit 11 of the footwear 30 means hitting the heel of the footwear 30 against the ground. By hitting the heel of the footwear 30 against the ground, pressure is applied to the piezoelectric element 33 to generate electricity, and a predetermined signal is transmitted from the transmission unit 15 by the electric power generated by the power generation.

[0064] Also, according to the above-described embodiment, since the transmission unit 15 is driven by the electric power generated by the piezoelectric element 33, there is no worry that a predetermined signal cannot be transmitted due to a shortage of power supply.

[0065] Also, according to the above-described embodiment, since the detection unit 11 is built into the footwear 30, such as being built into the insole 32 of the footwear 30, the user does not have the trouble of carrying a device for transmitting a predetermined signal.

[0066] Note that the present invention is not limited to the monitoring system 10, the monitoring method, and the monitoring program according to the above-described embodiment, and can be implemented by various other modification examples or application examples without departing from the gist of the present invention described in the claims.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0067] 10 Monitoring system 11 Detection unit 12 Monitoring unit 12a Communication interface 12b ROM (Read Only Memory) 12c RAM (Random Access Memory) 12d Recording unit 12e CPU (Central Processing Unit) 12f Input / output interface 12g Input device 12h Output device 12i Monitor 12j Speaker 13 Repeater 14 Power supply unit 15 Transmitter 16 Signal acquisition unit 17 Work information acquisition unit 18 Temperature information acquisition unit 19 Work content reception unit 20 Temperature adjustment reception unit 21 First abnormality determination unit 22 First notification unit 23 Second abnormality determination unit 24 Second notification unit 25 Information communication network 28 Foot 29 Heel part 30 Footwear 31 Shoe sole 32 Insole 33 Piezoelectric element 34 Emitter

Claims

1. A monitoring system for monitoring the safety of a user wearing footwear, comprising: a power supply unit that is attached to the footwear and supplies power; and a detection unit that is driven by the power from the power supply unit and transmits a predetermined signal each time it is driven; a monitoring unit that monitors the safety of the user through reception of the predetermined signal; wherein the monitoring unit comprises a signal acquisition unit that acquires the predetermined signal; a first abnormality determination unit that determines that a first abnormality has occurred when a first period of time has elapsed without acquisition of the predetermined signal; a first notification unit that, when it is determined that the first abnormality has occurred, notifies the user of the occurrence of the first abnormality; a second abnormality determination unit that determines that a second abnormality has occurred when a second period of time has elapsed without acquisition of the predetermined signal after notification of the occurrence of the first abnormality; a second notification unit that, when it is determined that the second abnormality has occurred, notifies of the occurrence of the second abnormality; and is characterized by comprising the above.

2. The monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the first notification unit stops notifying the user of the occurrence of the first abnormality when the predetermined signal is acquired before the second period of time elapses after notifying the user of the occurrence of the first abnormality.

3. The monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the power supply unit includes a piezoelectric element, and power generated by pressure applied to the piezoelectric element is supplied to the transmission unit.

4. The monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined signal transmitted from the detection unit is acquired by the signal acquisition unit of the monitoring unit via a repeater.

5. The monitoring system according to claim 3, wherein the power supply unit is provided at the heel portion of the footwear.

6. The monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the monitoring unit comprises a work content reception unit that receives the length of the first period of time corresponding to the work content of the user.

7. The monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the monitoring unit comprises a temperature adjustment reception unit that receives the length of the first period of time corresponding to the temperature of the work environment of the user.

8. The monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of different frequencies are provided for the predetermined signal, and each of the plurality of predetermined signals is assigned to a different user.

9. A detection unit that is attached to footwear and supplies power, and that is driven by the power from the power supply unit and transmits a predetermined signal each time it is driven; A monitoring method for monitoring the safety of a user wearing the footwear in a monitoring system having a monitoring unit that monitors the safety of the user through reception of the predetermined signal, wherein the monitoring unit, performs a signal acquisition step of acquiring the predetermined signal, a first abnormality determination step of determining that a first abnormality has occurred when a period without acquisition of the predetermined signal has elapsed for a first time, a first notification step of notifying the user of the occurrence of the first abnormality when it is determined that the first abnormality has occurred, a second abnormality determination step of determining that a second abnormality has occurred when a period without acquisition of the predetermined signal has elapsed for a second time after notification of the occurrence of the first abnormality, and a second notification step of notifying the occurrence of the second abnormality when it is determined that the second abnormality has occurred. The monitoring method is characterized by executing the above steps.

10. A detection unit that is attached to the footwear and includes a power supply unit that supplies power, and a transmission unit that transmits a predetermined signal each time it is driven by the power supplied by the power supply unit, A monitoring program for monitoring the safety of a user wearing the footwear in a monitoring system having a monitoring unit that monitors the safety of the user through reception of the predetermined signal, wherein the monitoring unit is caused to, realize a signal acquisition function of acquiring the predetermined signal, a first abnormality determination function of determining that a first abnormality has occurred when a period without acquisition of the predetermined signal has elapsed for a first time, a first notification function of notifying the user of the occurrence of the first abnormality when it is determined that the first abnormality has occurred, a second abnormality determination function of determining that a second abnormality has occurred when a period without acquisition of the predetermined signal has elapsed for a second time after notification of the occurrence of the first abnormality, and a second notification function of notifying the occurrence of the second abnormality when it is determined that the second abnormality has occurred. The monitoring program is characterized by realizing the above functions.

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