Excretion management system

Abstract

To provide an excretion management system notifying a user of an excretion transition state.SOLUTION: An excretion management system 10 includes: a history information acquisition part (acquisition device 100) acquiring excretion history information including at least an excretion timing of a user; a transition state detection part (control part 270) detecting an excretion transition state of the user on the basis of the excretion history information; and a notification part (touch panel part 210) notifying the transition state.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an excretion management system.

Background Art

[0002] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a toilet device that determines the progress state of a user's excretion behavior based on the excretion state in the user's excretion behavior and communicates the determination result to the outside via communication means.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In recent years, from the perspective of reducing the burden on caregivers, it has been required that caregivers can easily grasp the transition situation of the user's excretion.

[0005] An object of the present disclosure is to provide an excretion management system capable of notifying the transition situation of the user's excretion.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] An excretion management system according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes a history information acquisition unit that acquires excretion history information including at least the excretion timing of a user, a transition situation detection unit that detects the transition situation of the user's excretion based on the excretion history information, and a notification unit that notifies the transition situation.

Effects of the Invention

[0007] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide an excretion management system capable of notifying the transition situation of the user's excretion.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0008]

Figure 1

Figure 2

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Figure 9

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments of the excretion management system according to the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that each of the embodiments described below shows a preferred specific example of the present disclosure. Therefore, the numerical values, shapes, materials, components, arrangements and connection forms of the components shown in the following embodiments are merely examples and are not intended to limit the present disclosure. In addition, among the components in the following embodiments, the components not described in the independent claims are described as optional components.

[0010] Note that the accompanying drawings and the following description are provided to enable those skilled in the art to fully understand the present disclosure, and are not intended to limit the subject matter described in the claims.

[0011] Also, each figure is a schematic diagram and is not necessarily drawn precisely. Also, in each figure, the same reference numerals are given to substantially the same configurations, and duplicate explanations may be omitted or simplified.

[0012] [Embodiment] (Excretion management system) The excretion management system according to the embodiment is for managing information related to the excretion of a user. Excretion includes defecation and urination, and in this excretion management system, information on at least one of defecation and urination is managed.

[0013] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an excretion management system 10 according to the embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the excretion management system 10 includes an acquisition device 100, an information notification device 200, and a server device 300.

[0014] The acquisition device 100 is an example of a history information acquisition unit that acquires excretion history information related to the excretion of a user. Here, the excretion history information includes the excretion timing of the user, the excretion amount per excretion, the time required per excretion, the properties of the excrement, and the like.

[0015] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the schematic configuration of the acquisition device 100 according to the embodiment. As shown in FIG. 2, the acquisition device 100 is built into the toilet seat 2 of the toilet 1. The acquisition device 100 includes a use detection unit 110, an excretion detection unit 120, and a control unit 130.

[0016] The usage detection unit 110 is a sensor that detects the use of the toilet by the user. For example, it is a seating sensor that detects when the user sits on the toilet seat 2 and outputs the detection signal to the control unit 130. Other usage detection units 110 include, for example, a human presence sensor that detects when the user enters the toilet cubicle of the toilet 1. Furthermore, as another usage detection unit 110, it is also possible to adopt a local cleaning device. In this case, the use of the toilet by the user can be detected based on the presence or absence of an operation signal for the local cleaning device.

[0017] The excretion detection unit 120 is a sensor that detects the excretion of the user performed in the toilet 1. For example, the excretion detection unit 120 includes an illumination unit 121 that illuminates the inside of the toilet bowl of the toilet 1 and a camera 122 that captures an image of the excrement inside the toilet bowl illuminated by the illumination unit 121. The camera 122 outputs the captured image to the control unit 130. Examples of the camera 122 include a visible light camera, an infrared camera, etc.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 1, the control unit 130 includes a communication unit 131, a storage unit 132, and a control unit 133. The communication unit 131 is a communication module that performs wired and / or wireless communication. The control unit 133 includes a CPU, a ROM, and a RAM, and the CPU expands and executes the program in the ROM to control each part of the toilet 1 and the acquisition device 100. The control unit 133 recognizes that the toilet 1 has been used based on the detection signal from the usage detection unit 110. The control unit 133 performs well-known image analysis processing on the image from the camera 122 to detect the user's excretion and excretion timing. Thereby, the control unit 133 acquires the user's excretion history information and stores it in the storage unit 132. Also, the control unit 133 reads out the excretion history information from the storage unit 132 and controls the communication unit 131 to output it to the server device 300. Furthermore, the control unit 133 outputs the detection signal detected by the usage detection unit 110 to the server device 300 by controlling the communication unit 131.

[0019] In the detection of the user's excretion, as excretion history information, the excretion amount per excretion (weight or volume of excrement), the time required per excretion, and the properties of the excrement (color, hardness, etc.) are detected.

[0020] For example, the control unit 133 can obtain the area of the brown region in the image by well-known image analysis processing and detect the presence and amount of feces based on that area. The control unit 133 can obtain the area of the yellow region in the image by well-known image analysis processing and detect the presence and amount of urine based on that area. The control unit 133 can also determine whether it is bloody stool from the presence or absence of a red region in the image by well-known image analysis processing. The color of the excrement may be indicated by a binary classification of whether it contains red or not. Also, the color of the excrement may be indicated by the main color of the excrement (e.g., black, green, gray, dark yellow, light yellow, etc.). If the color of the excrement can be detected in detail, the symptoms of the disease can be grasped and used for diagnosis and the like.

[0021] Furthermore, the control unit 133 can recognize the hardness of the feces from the boundary shape (contour shape of the feces) between the toilet bowl and the feces in the image of the feces at the bottom of the toilet bowl. For example, when the contour shape is a round and lumpy shape similar to clearly defined rabbit feces characteristic of constipation, the control unit 133 estimates it as hard feces. On the other hand, when the contour shape is blurred or not clear, the control unit 133 estimates it as soft feces.

[0022] Also, even if it is not an image of the excrement that has fallen to the bottom of the toilet bowl, it may be estimated based on an image of the excrement during its fall. For example, when the excrement is falling while scattering in the air or has a narrow width, the control unit 133 estimates it as soft feces containing a lot of moisture. On the other hand, in the case of excrement with a wide width and a relatively short length, the control unit 133 estimates it as hard feces. When making the estimation, instead of the entire image, using a cut-out image that cuts out the range through which the falling excrement passes in a horizontally long shape can suppress false detection due to the reflection of the excrement after falling. The hardness of the feces may be indicated by a binary classification of whether it is hard or soft, or may be classified more finely, for example, by determining it according to the Bristol scale 7 classification.

[0023] Regarding the urine excretion amount (urination amount), it may also be estimated based on the image of urine during falling. The control unit 133 detects the width and the number of urine streams during falling in the cut-out image from the color information and the contour information, and estimates the urine flow rate at the moment when the image is taken. The urine flow rate may be estimated in two steps of more or less, or may be estimated in more steps. Further, it may be estimated with a quantitative value (ml / sec). In this case, the excretion amount per excretion may be estimated by integrating the quantitative value with respect to the time from the start to the end of urine. Alternatively, the image may be taken at a relatively high frequency (interval of about 10 msec to 5 sec), and the excretion amount per excretion may be estimated from the cumulative sum of the estimated flow rate of each image × the imaging interval.

[0024] Furthermore, it is also possible to use machine learning for these estimations. In this case, a large number of images including the presence or absence of excretion, the excretion amount per excretion, and the properties of the excreted matter are input into the machine learning in advance to create a pre-trained model. The control unit 133 obtains the estimation result by inputting the image captured by the camera 122 into the pre-trained model. The learning model may be created for each estimation item, or one learning model may be created by grouping a plurality of items.

[0025] Furthermore, when the control unit 133 estimates the presence or absence and properties of excrement, not only the images obtained by the camera 122 but also the detection results of the usage detection unit 110 may be used. For example, the local cleaning water discharged from the nozzle (not shown) of the local cleaning device is likely to be misdetected because its appearance is similar to that of urine. Therefore, while the local cleaning device is in use, false detection can be prevented by not determining the presence or absence of urine. Also, some cleaning tools such as a washcloth used for cleaning the toilet are likely to be misdetected because their color and the like are similar to those of feces. However, by using the detection results of the seating sensor, it can be determined that the images taken in the non-seated state are not feces, and false detection can be prevented. Furthermore, even feces such as watery diarrhea feces are similar to urine with a dark color, so it is easy to misjudge between urine and feces. If solid matter or floating matter is contained in the diarrhea feces, it can be determined as feces from the image. However, since there are rare cases where there is no solid matter, if it is possible to determine solid matter-free diarrhea feces as feces, urine is also likely to be determined as feces. Therefore, by using the detection results of the seating sensor, it can be determined as urine in the non-seated state, and false detection of urine as feces is suppressed. Thereby, the estimation accuracy can be improved.

[0026] Also, even if excrement is not directly detected, for example, sensors may be provided for the "large" and "small" of the flushing operation unit of the toilet 1. For example, based on the detection signal when large flushing is performed, the excretion timing of feces can be detected, and based on the detection signal when small flushing is performed, the excretion timing of urine can be detected.

[0027] In addition, in this embodiment, the case where the acquisition device 100 is built into the toilet seat 2 of the toilet 1 is illustrated. However, at least a part of the acquisition device 100 may be detachable from the toilet seat 2.

[0028] FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a modified example of the acquisition device according to the embodiment. FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing a modified example of the acquisition device according to the embodiment. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, in the acquisition device 100A according to the modified example, the use detection unit 110a and the excretion detection unit 120a are integrated and detachable from the toilet seat 2. The control unit 130a is built in a control panel 140a having functions such as an operation unit and a display unit. The control unit 130a is communicably connected to the use detection unit 110a and the excretion detection unit 120a by wire or wirelessly.

[0029] Further, the acquisition device 100 may have a personal authentication unit for identifying the user. For example, the acquisition device 100 may include a camera for photographing the user, and may identify the user by performing face authentication using the camera. The camera may be provided integrally with the acquisition device 100, or may be communicably connected. The camera may be disposed inside the toilet cubicle or outside the cubicle. The image taken for authentication may be deleted without being saved after authentication. The image taken by this personal authentication camera may be used for other purposes. For example, it is possible to estimate the presence or absence of the accompaniment of a care staff included in the image. Further, based on the face of the user included in the image, it is possible to estimate age, gender, stress level, urgency of excretion, etc. Based on the state of the user included in the image, it is possible to estimate walking posture, walking speed, independence level, height, weight, etc. By notifying these estimated information to the care staff, the care staff can utilize it for care judgment for the user. Further, the care staff can also estimate the health state of the user or use it as a judgment material for improvement proposals by comparing and analyzing the estimated information and the excretion history information.

[0030] The personal authentication unit may be a biometric authentication device that performs fingerprint, palmprint, or iris authentication. In this case, the biometric authentication device may be installed in the operation unit of Toilet 1, inside or outside the individual toilet compartment. Further, an RFID tag may be provided on an item (such as a card, nameplate, wristband, etc.) carried by the user, and a reading device that reads the RFID tag may be used as the personal authentication unit. An authentication device that performs authentication by communicating with a terminal (such as a mobile phone, wearable terminal, etc.) owned by the user may also be used as the personal authentication unit. An input device into which a password assigned to the individual user is input may also be used as the personal authentication unit.

[0031] The information notification device 200 shown in FIG. 1 is a terminal device that is communicably connected to the acquisition device 100 and the server device 300. The information notification device 200 includes a touch panel unit 210, a sound output unit 220, a sound input unit 230, a storage unit 240, an imaging unit 250, a communication unit 260, and a control unit 270. The touch panel unit 210 is a touch panel having a liquid crystal or organic EL panel. The sound output unit 220 is a speaker. The sound input unit 230 is a microphone. The storage unit 240 is a storage device such as a hard disk drive or SSD (Solid State Drive). The imaging unit 250 is a camera. The communication unit 260 is a wired and / or wireless communication module. The control unit 270 includes a CPU, a ROM, and a RAM, and the CPU expands and executes a program in the ROM to control each part of the information notification device 200.

[0032] Examples of the information notification device 200 include smartphones, tablet terminals, wearable terminals (such as smartwatches, smart glasses, etc.), notebook PCs, portable game machines, and the like. The information notification device 200 may be a terminal owned by the user himself / herself, or may be a terminal owned by a caregiver who takes care of the user.

[0033] Other information other than the user's excretion history information may be input to the information notification device 200. The other information is output to the server device 300 via the communication unit 260.

[0034] Other information includes, for example, user attribute information, vital information, life information, other excretion information, drug information, and care information. Attribute information is information indicating the attributes of the user and includes age, gender, degree of care required, dementia symptoms, past medical history, and the like. Vital information is information indicating the vital signs of the user and includes height, weight, body temperature, blood pressure, pulse, heart rate, SpO2 (arterial oxygen saturation), and the like. Life information is information related to the user's life activities and includes sleep (time, depth, body movement), diet (content, amount), exercise (content, activity level), and the like. Thus, the information notification device 200 is an example of a life activity acquisition unit that acquires the user's life activities.

[0035] Other excretion information is information related to the user's excretion that could not be detected by the acquisition device 100 and includes excretion timing, excretion amount per excretion, time required per excretion, properties of excreta, and the like. That is, other excretion information is information related to excretion not performed at Toilet 1 due to going out or the like. In order to detect the user's incontinence, an odor sensor or a conductivity sensor may be provided near the user's bed, and other excretion information caused by incontinence may be acquired based on the detection result.

[0036] Drug information is information about the drugs the user is taking and includes the types of drugs taken and the dosage. Care information is information related to the care of the user and includes care content (toilet induction assistance, diaper change, abdominal rubbing, etc.). These pieces of information may be manually input into the information notification device 200, or may be detected by various sensors and transmitted to the information notification device 200. Also, when the information notification device 200 is a wearable terminal device, it is also possible to detect at least one of the aforementioned information using the sensors provided in the wearable terminal device. Note that other information may be input from an input device different from the information notification device 200. In any case, other information is associated with the user's ID in the server device and collectively managed together with the excretion history information.

[0037] In addition, in this embodiment, the case where the acquisition device 100 detects the excretion history information of the user is exemplified. However, the excretion history information of the user may be acquired by manually inputting it to the information notification device 200.

[0038] The control unit 270 of the information notification device 200 detects the transition situation of the user's excretion based on the excretion history information of the user acquired from the server device 300. That is, the control unit 270 is an example of a transition situation detection unit. The control unit 270 controls at least one of the touch panel unit 210 and the sound output unit 220 to notify the transition situation. That is, the touch panel unit 210 and the sound output unit 220 are examples of notification units. The detection and notification of the transition situation will be described later.

[0039] The server device 300 is a server device that can communicate with the acquisition device 100 and the information notification device 200. For example, the server device 300 can communicate with the acquisition device 100 and the information notification device 200 via the Internet or a local area network. The server device 300 associates and stores the ID of each user, the excretion history information, and other information. When the other excretion information is included in the other information, the server device 300 updates the excretion history information by arranging the other excretion information and the excretion history information acquired from the acquisition device 100 in time series and summarizing them. The server device 300 executes this update process for each user ID.

[0040] (Detection and Notification of Transition Situation) Next, the detection and notification of the transition situation will be described. In this embodiment, the case where the detection and notification of the transition situation are executed by the information notification device 200 is exemplified. However, the detection of the transition situation may be executed by another device (for example, the server device 300), and the notification of the transition situation may be executed by the information notification device 200.

[0041] FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the flow of detection and notification of the transition situation according to the embodiment.

[0042] As shown in FIG. 5, in step S101, when the user ID is input to the touch panel unit 210, the control unit 270 of the information notification device 200 controls the communication unit 260 to acquire the excretion history information associated with the ID from the server device 300. Thus, it can be said that the control unit 270 is an example of a history information acquisition unit.

[0043] In step S102, the control unit 270 detects the transition situation of the user's excretion based on the acquired excretion history information. Specifically, the control unit 270 detects the transition situation per a first predetermined period based on the excretion history information.

[0044] Here, the transition situation includes transitions of a plurality of items, and the transitions of each item are obtained individually. Hereinafter, an example of each item will be described.

[0045] The transition situation includes the transition of the number of excretions per a first predetermined period. The number of excretions can be obtained from the excretion timing of each excretion included in the excretion history information. Specifically, the number of excretions is obtained based on the frequency of the excretion timing included within the first predetermined period.

[0046] In addition, the transition situation includes the transition of the total amount of excretion per a first predetermined period. The total amount of excretion can be obtained from the excretion timing and the amount of excretion of each excretion included in the excretion history information. Specifically, the total amount of excretion is obtained by integrating the amount of excretion for each excretion timing included within the first predetermined period.

[0047] In addition, the transition situation includes the transition of the amount of excretion per one excretion. The amount of excretion can be obtained from the excretion timing and the amount of excretion of each excretion included in the excretion history information.

[0048] In addition, the transition situation includes the transition of the time required per one excretion. The time required can be obtained from the excretion timing and the time required for each excretion included in the excretion history information.

[0049] In addition, it may include trends regarding other excretion history information. For example, the trend situation may include the trend of excretion timing. Additionally, the trend situation may include the trend of the appearance rate of a specific stool property per a first predetermined period. The appearance rate may be the number of appearances of a specific stool property in the first predetermined period, or may be the ratio of the number of appearances of a specific stool property to the number of appearances of all stool properties in the first predetermined period.

[0050] The first predetermined period may be set in advance, such as one week, one month, etc., or may be a period that can be arbitrarily adjusted by operating the touch panel unit 210. For example, it can be adjusted in units of time, days, weeks, months, or years.

[0051] The control unit 270 classifies the first predetermined period into the most recent aggregation period and a comparison period in the past relative to the aggregation period. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing the first predetermined period, the aggregation period, and the comparison period according to the embodiment. As shown in FIG. 6, the aggregation period does not overlap with the comparison period and is a period shorter than the comparison period.

[0052] The control unit 270 determines the increase or decrease of the item by comparing the average value in the aggregation period of each item with the average value in the comparison period. Specifically, when the average value in the aggregation period is increased by a predetermined first threshold or more compared to the average value in the comparison period, the control unit 270 determines that the item is increasing. On the other hand, when the average value in the aggregation period is decreased by a predetermined first threshold or less compared to the average value in the comparison period, the control unit 270 determines that the item is decreasing. If the control unit 270 does not fall under the determination of increase or decrease, it determines "maintained" because the fluctuation is minor.

[0053] Note that the determination of increase or decrease is not limited to this. As another determination method, the control unit 270 obtains the average value (X) during the aggregation period, and also obtains the average value (m) and the standard deviation (σ) during the comparison period. When X > m + the second threshold value × σ, the control unit 270 determines that the item is increasing. On the other hand, when X < m - the second threshold value × σ, the control unit 270 determines that the item is decreasing. The first threshold value and the second threshold value can be obtained in advance from various experiments, simulations, and empirical rules.

[0054] In step S103 shown in FIG. 5, the control unit 270 controls the touch panel unit 210 to display the transition situation, thereby notifying. FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of notification on the touch panel unit 210 according to the embodiment. As shown in FIG. 7, on the touch panel unit 210, the determination results of each item are displayed as the transition situation. Thereby, the user or the caregiver can recognize the transition situation of the user's excretion. In the present embodiment, the case where "increase", "decrease", and "maintenance" determined by comparing the aggregation period with the comparison period are notified is exemplified. However, the values of each item may be displayed. In this case, the values may be arranged in time series and displayed in a table or a graph.

[0055] FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing another example of notification on the touch panel unit 210 according to the embodiment. In FIG. 8, the notifications for a plurality of users are displayed in a list. Here, for the user determined to be "increasing" or "decreasing", the content is notified and a warning mark M1 is also notified. When the warning mark M1 is touched, the details of the notification are displayed in a graph.

[0056] FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram showing another example of notification on the touch panel unit 210 according to the embodiment. FIG. 9 shows an example of notification when the above-mentioned warning mark M1 is touched. In FIG. 9, the threshold value for issuing a warning is indicated by a broken line. Thus, since the transition situation of Mr. C is shown in a graph, the caregiver can easily grasp the change.

[0057] (Effects, etc.) As described above, according to the present embodiment, based on the acquired excretion history information, the transition situation of the user's excretion is detected and notified, so that the user, the caregiver, etc. can easily grasp the transition situation. Thus, according to the present disclosure, an excretion management system 10 capable of notifying the transition of the user's excretion can be provided. The caregiver or the nurse can detect the physical condition change, disease, excretion trouble, etc. of the elderly person at an early stage based on the notified content and can suppress the aggravation.

[0058] As the transition situation, the transition of the excretion frequency per first predetermined period is detected and notified, so that the user, the caregiver, etc. can easily grasp the transition of the excretion frequency per first predetermined period of the user.

[0059] As the transition situation, the transition of the total amount of excretion per first predetermined period is detected and notified, so that the user, the caregiver, etc. can easily grasp the transition of the total amount of excretion per first predetermined period of the user.

[0060] As the transition situation, the transition of the excretion amount per excretion is detected and notified, so that the user, the caregiver, etc. can easily grasp the transition of the excretion amount per excretion of the user.

[0061] As the transition situation, the transition of the time required per excretion is detected and notified, so that the user, the caregiver, etc. can easily grasp the transition of the time required per excretion of the user.

[0062] As the transition situation, the transition of the excretion timing is detected and notified, so that the user, the caregiver, etc. can easily grasp the transition of the excretion timing.

[0063] As the transition situation, the transition of the appearance ratio of a specific stool property per first predetermined period is detected and notified, so that the user, the caregiver, etc. can easily grasp the transition of the appearance ratio of a specific stool property per first predetermined period.

[0064] Since the acquisition device 100 that detects the user's excretion and acquires the excretion timing of the excretion is used as the history information acquisition unit, it is possible to automatically acquire the excretion timing. As a result, compared with the case of manual input, the labor of the user or the caregiver can be reduced. Furthermore, although the caregiver can grasp the excretion status of the elderly who require accompaniment to Toilet 1, it is difficult to grasp the excretion status of independent persons who do not require accompaniment. However, by using the acquisition device 100, it becomes possible to grasp the transition of the excretion status even for the elderly who do not require accompaniment.

[0065] [Modification Example] The following describes each modification example of the above embodiment. In the following description, the same parts as those in the above embodiment or other modification examples may be denoted by the same reference numerals and the description thereof may be omitted.

[0066] (Modification Example 1) In Modification Example 1, the case of using machine learning when making judgments of "increase", "decrease", and "maintenance" for each item will be described. The control unit 270 of the information notification device 200 detects the transition status of each item using a learning model obtained by machine learning using excretion history information.

[0067] For example, in each item of the excretion history information, the data from a predetermined period before the time when an increase (or decrease) occurred is regarded as "increase (or decrease)", and the data for a predetermined period during the period without an increase (decrease) is regarded as "maintenance" and is used for machine learning to generate a learning model. Then, the control unit 270 inputs the excretion history information for the first predetermined period to the learning model to detect the transition status for the first predetermined period.

[0068] As another machine learning method, a learning model is generated in advance by machine learning using only the excretion history information without an increase or decrease. Then, the control unit 270 inputs the excretion history information for the first predetermined period to the learning model to detect the transition status for the first predetermined period.

[0069] In this way, since the control unit 270 detects the transition situation using the learning model obtained by machine learning with the excretion history information, more accurate detection becomes possible.

[0070] (Modification Example 2) In Modification Example 2, when the usage detection unit 110 detects the use of Toilet 1 by the user and the excretion detection unit 120 does not detect the user's excretion, the touch panel unit 210 and the sound output unit 220 of the information notification device 200 notify the unexcreted information.

[0071] Generally, a person goes to Toilet 1 when having a urinary or bowel movement urge. However, even if a person uses Toilet 1 but there is no excretion, it is presumed that some abnormality has occurred. Examples of such abnormalities include physical changes and diseases such as constipation, oliguria, anuria, and abnormal behavior due to dementia. If the abnormality can be notified early, the caregiver can detect and intervene early, and it is possible to prevent the progression of the symptoms.

[0072] Therefore, the control unit 270 of the information notification device 200 in Modification Example 2 collates the detection signal detected by the usage detection unit 110 with the excretion history information, and determines whether there was excretion at the detection timing of the detection signal. If there was no excretion, the control unit 270 controls the touch panel unit 210 and the sound output unit 220 to notify the unexcreted information. The unexcreted information is information indicating that the user did not excrete even though the user used Toilet 1. By grasping the notification of the unexcreted information, the caregiver can take appropriate measures. The notification of the unexcreted information may be performed each time the unexcreted information is acquired, or may be performed when it is accumulated a predetermined number of times within a predetermined period (for example, 5 times a week). If there is a change in the frequency of the unexcreted information, the change may be notified. Specifically, the notification may be performed when the number of times per week increases or decreases by 3 or more times compared to the previous week.

[0073] Furthermore, when there are a predetermined number of or more pieces of undischarged information within a second predetermined period, the control unit 270 may control the touch panel unit 210 and the sound output unit 220 to notify of an abnormality. Thereby, it is possible to suppress notifications caused by misdetection of undischarged information.

[0074] The second predetermined period may be set in advance, such as one week or one month, or may be a period that can be arbitrarily adjusted by operating the touch panel unit 210. For example, it can be adjusted in units of time, days, weeks, months, or years.

[0075] Here, in the toilet cubicle, there are cases where a cleaner enters the room to replenish supplies (toilet paper, diapers, etc.) and perform cleaning, or where a dementia patient simply wanders in and enters the room. Even in such cases, in order to suppress detection that the user has entered toilet 1, in this modified example, the seating sensor provided on the toilet seat 2 is used as the detection unit 110.

[0076] In addition, when a personal authentication unit is installed near toilet 1 or in the toilet cubicle, undischarged information or an abnormality may be notified only when the age of the user acquired by the personal authentication unit corresponds to an elderly person. Thereby, it is possible to exclude undischarged information detected when a staff member uses toilet 1.

[0077] (Modified Example 3) In modified example 3, the case of estimating the cause of the transition situation of excretion will be described. The control unit 270 of the information notification device 200 estimates the cause of the transition situation of excretion based on the excretion history information, and controls the touch panel unit 210 to notify the estimation result. That is, the control unit 270 is an example of a cause estimation unit. At this time, the control unit 270 may also specify the cause of the transition situation based on the daily activities acquired by the information notification device 200.

[0078] The control unit 270 estimates which living behavior causes the change in the excretion transition situation by temporally collating the excretion history information and the living behavior. For example, when there is a change in urination, the control unit 270 compares the change in water intake with the change in urine volume or urination frequency. If the water intake decreases and the urination decreases, or if the water intake increases and the urination decreases, it notifies that the urination may have increased or decreased due to the increase or decrease in water intake. On the other hand, if the water intake decreases and the urination increases, or if the water intake increases and the urination decreases, the control unit 270 notifies that the change in water intake may not be the cause. Thereby, the caregiver can make a more appropriate coping judgment.

[0079] Also, the control unit 270 compares the changes in activity level and urination. If the activity level increases and the urination decreases, or if the activity level decreases and the urination increases, it notifies that the urination may have increased or decreased due to the increase or decrease in the sweating amount due to exercise. On the other hand, when the activity level decreases and the urination decreases, or when the activity level increases and the urination increases, the control unit 270 notifies that the increase or decrease in the activity level may not be the cause.

[0080] Similarly, when there is a change in the defecation amount, the control unit 270 may analyze the correlation between the food intake amount and the defecation amount and notify the possibility that the change in the food intake amount is the cause.

[0081] Also, when the excretion frequency decreases and the sleep time increases, the control unit 270 notifies the possibility that the excretion frequency has decreased due to the increase in sleep time, or the possibility that the sleep time has increased because the person can sleep well due to the decrease in the excretion frequency. On the other hand, when the excretion frequency increases and the sleep time decreases, the control unit 270 notifies the possibility that the excretion frequency has increased due to the decrease in sleep time, that is, the increase in activity time, or the possibility that the time available for sleeping has decreased due to the increase in the excretion frequency.

[0082] Further, even if there is no variation in the sleep time per day, when the number of nocturnal excretions increases, resulting in a decrease in the nocturnal sleep time and an increase in the daytime sleep time, the control unit 270 may notify the possibility that such changes in the sleep time zones have occurred due to nocturia. By doing so, it becomes easier for the user or caregiver to understand the situation of excretion and sleep in relation to each other.

[0083] (Modification Example 4) In Modification Example 4, the case of estimating the risk of the user's disease based on the excretion history information will be described. The control unit 270 of the information notification device 200 estimates the risk of the user's disease based on the excretion history information, and controls the touch panel unit 210 to notify the estimation result. That is, the control unit 270 is an example of a disease risk estimation unit. Diseases include frequent urination, nocturia, oliguria, anuria, dehydration, constipation, and the like.

[0084] Specifically, based on the excretion history information, when there are more than a predetermined number of urinations in a day, the control unit 270 estimates that it is "frequent urination" and causes the touch panel unit 210 to notify. The predetermined number for estimating frequent urination is, for example, 8 times, but for the elderly, it may be 10 times. Also, the predetermined number for estimating early-stage frequent urination may be 7 times. This predetermined number may be arbitrarily changeable.

[0085] Based on the excretion history information, when there are more than a predetermined number of urinations during bedtime, the control unit 270 estimates that it is "nocturia" and causes the touch panel unit 210 to notify. The predetermined number for estimating nocturia is, for example, 1 time, but for the elderly, it may be 2 times. This predetermined number may be arbitrarily changeable.

[0086] Based on the excretion history information, when the daily urine output is below a predetermined amount, or when the number of daily urinations is below a predetermined number, the control unit 270 estimates it as "oliguria" and causes the touch panel unit 210 to notify. The predetermined amount is, for example, 400 ml, and the predetermined number is 3 times. It may be notified which condition of urine output and number of urinations is satisfied. This predetermined amount and predetermined number may be arbitrarily changeable.

[0087] When the amount of urine excreted in a day is equal to or less than a predetermined amount based on the excretion history information, the control unit 270 estimates the amount as "anuria" and notifies the user through the touch panel unit 210. The predetermined amount is, for example, 100 ml. This predetermined amount may be changeable as desired.

[0088] Based on the excretion history information, when the number of urinations in a day is less than a predetermined number (e.g., 2 times) or is less than the average number of urinations in a day in the past by a predetermined number (e.g., 4 times), the control unit 270 estimates the condition as "dehydration" and notifies the user through the touch panel unit 210. This predetermined number can be changed arbitrarily.

[0089] If urination has not occurred for a long period of time (for example, 12 hours), the control unit 270 may also notify this fact via the touch panel unit 210 based on the excretion history information.

[0090] Here, both the total amount of urine voided per day and the amount voided per time may be notified. Even if the patient has the same frequent urination, it is possible to infer the cause of the disease from information such as whether only a small amount is voided each time, whether a large amount is voided each time, or whether there is a mixture of a large amount and a small amount, leading to appropriate measures.

[0091] The control unit 270 may infer that the subject is “constipated” based on the excretion history information when the number of times or the amount of stool excretion is small, or when the stool is hard, and may notify this via the touch panel unit 210.

[0092] Furthermore, when multiple of the above conditions are satisfied, the control unit 270 may notify multiple disease risks.

[0093] The control unit 270 may estimate the disease risk based on the properties of the excrement contained in the excretion history information. Furthermore, the control unit 270 may estimate the disease risk by taking into account daily activities.

[0094] [others] Although the embodiments have been described above, the present disclosure is not limited to the above embodiments. In addition, the present disclosure also includes forms obtained by applying various modifications that can be conceived by those skilled in the art to each embodiment, or forms realized by arbitrarily combining the components and functions in each embodiment without departing from the gist of the present disclosure.

[0095] For example, in the above embodiments and the like, the case where the control unit 270 of the information notification device 200 is an example of the cause estimation unit has been illustrated, but the server device 300 may also be used as an example of the cause estimation unit. Similarly, the server device 300 may also be used as an example of the disease risk estimation unit. Further, the estimation of the cause of the transition situation of excretion or the estimation of the disease risk may be performed using a machine learning model.

[0096] [Appendix] Based on the description of the above embodiments and the like, the following technologies are disclosed.

[0097] (Technology 1) A history information acquisition unit that acquires excretion history information including at least the excretion timing of the user, A transition situation detection unit that detects the transition situation of the user's excretion based on the excretion history information, And a notification unit that notifies the transition situation, An excretion management system.

[0098] (Technology 2) The transition situation detection unit detects, as the transition situation, the transition of the number of excretions per first predetermined period, The excretion management system according to Technology 1.

[0099] (Technology 3) The excretion history information includes the excretion amount per excretion, The transition situation detection unit detects, as the transition situation, the transition of the total amount of excretion per first predetermined period, The excretion management system according to Technology 1 or 2.

[0100] (Technology 4) The excretion history information includes the excretion volume per excretion. The transition situation detection unit detects the transition of the excretion volume as the transition situation. The excretion management system according to any one of Technologies 1 to 3.

[0101] (Technology 5) The excretion history information includes the time required per excretion. The transition situation detection unit detects the transition of the required time as the transition situation. The excretion management system according to any one of Technologies 1 to 4.

[0102] (Technology 6) The transition situation detection unit detects the transition situation by using a learning model obtained by machine learning using the excretion history information. The excretion management system according to any one of Technologies 1 to 5.

[0103] (Technology 7) The history information acquisition unit includes a use detection unit that detects the use of the toilet by the user and an excretion detection unit that detects the excretion of the user. When the use detection unit detects the use of the toilet by the user and the excretion detection unit does not detect the excretion of the user, the notification unit notifies unexcreted information. The excretion management system according to any one of Technologies 1 to 6.

[0104] (Technology 8) The use detection unit is a seating sensor for the toilet. The excretion management system according to Technology 7.

[0105] (Technology 9) When the unexcreted information occurs a predetermined number of times or more within a second predetermined period, the notification unit notifies an abnormality. The excretion management system according to Technology 7 or 8.

[0106] (Technology 10) It is provided with a cause estimation unit that estimates the cause of the transition situation based on the excretion history information. The notification unit notifies the cause of the transition situation. The excretion management system according to any one of Technologies 1 to 9.

[0107] (Technology 11) It is provided with a life behavior acquisition unit that acquires the life behavior of the user. The cause estimation unit estimates the cause of the transition situation based on the excretion history information and the life behavior. The excretion management system according to Technology 10.

[0108] (Technology 12) It is provided with a disease risk estimation unit that estimates the risk of the user's disease based on the excretion history information. The notification unit notifies the risk of the user's disease. The excretion management system according to any one of Technologies 1 to 11.

[0109] (Technology 13) The history information acquisition unit detects the excretion of the user and acquires the excretion timing of the excretion. The excretion management system according to any one of Technologies 1 to 12.

Industrial Applicability

[0110] This disclosure is applicable to an excretion management system that can manage the excretion information of a user.

Explanation of Signs

[0111] 1 Toilet 2 Toilet seat 10 Excretion management system 100, 100A Acquisition device 110, 110a Usage detection unit 120, 120a Excretion detection unit 121 Lighting unit 122 Camera 130, 130a Control unit 131 Communication unit 132 Memory unit 133 Control unit 140a Control panel 200 Information notification device 210 Touch panel unit 220 Sound output unit 230 Sound input unit 240 Memory unit 250 Imaging unit 260 Communication unit 270 Control unit 300 Server device M1 Warning mark

Claims

1. A history information acquisition unit that acquires excretion history information including at least the excretion timing of the user; A transition situation detection unit that detects the transition situation of the user's excretion based on the excretion history information; And a notification unit that notifies the transition situation. An excretion management system.

2. The transition situation detection unit detects, as the transition situation, the transition of the number of excretions per first predetermined period. The excretion management system according to claim 1.

3. The excretion history information includes the excretion amount per excretion, The transition situation detection unit detects, as the transition situation, the transition of the total amount of excretion per first predetermined period. The excretion management system according to claim 1.

4. The excretion history information includes the excretion amount per excretion, The transition situation detection unit detects, as the transition situation, the transition of the excretion amount. The excretion management system according to claim 1.

5. The excretion history information includes the time required per excretion, The transition situation detection unit detects, as the transition situation, the transition of the time required. The excretion management system according to claim 1.

6. The transition situation detection unit detects the transition situation by using a learning model obtained by machine learning using the excretion history information. The excretion management system according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. The history information acquisition unit includes a use detection unit that detects the use of the toilet by the user and an excretion detection unit that detects the excretion of the user. When the usage detection unit detects the use of the toilet by the user and the excretion detection unit does not detect the excretion of the user, the notification unit notifies unexcreted information. The excretion management system according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

8. The usage detection unit is a seating sensor for the toilet. The excretion management system according to claim 7.

9. When the unexcreted information occurs a predetermined number of times or more within a second predetermined period, the notification unit notifies an abnormality. The excretion management system according to claim 7.

10. Comprising a cause estimation unit that estimates the cause of the transition situation based on the excretion history information. The notification unit notifies the cause of the transition situation. The excretion management system according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

11. Comprising a life behavior acquisition unit that acquires the life behavior of the user. The cause estimation unit estimates the cause of the transition situation based on the excretion history information and the life behavior. The excretion management system according to claim 10.

12. Comprising a disease risk estimation unit that estimates the risk of the user's disease based on the excretion history information. The notification unit notifies the risk of the user's disease. The excretion management system according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

13. The history information acquisition unit detects the excretion of the user and acquires the excretion timing of the excretion. The excretion management system according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

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