Support apparatus, support method, and support program

Abstract

To properly determine whether or not an operator needs to take a rest.SOLUTION: A support apparatus according to the present invention has an acquiring unit for acquiring biological data of an operator to acquire a value of index indicating pressure of the operator based on a change amount of the index value, a determination unit for determining whether or not the operator needs to take a rest, and an output unit for outputting a determination result. The determination unit determines, based on the change amount of the index value, that the operator needs to take a rest if the pressure of the operator tends to be increased.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a support device, a support method, and a support program.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for estimating, as performance, the ability of an operator to handle a task of the operator before the operator starts the task.

Prior Art Document

Patent Document

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, in the technique described in Patent Document 1, since the performance of the operator is estimated based on the heartbeat information acquired before the operator starts the task, there is a problem that it is impossible to determine whether or not the operator in the middle of work needs to take a break.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a support device, a support method, and a support program capable of supporting an operator to appropriately take a break.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] One aspect of the present invention for solving the above problems includes a processor and a memory, an acquisition unit that acquires biometric data of an operator and acquires a value of an index representing the pressure of the operator based on the acquired biometric data, a determination unit that determines whether or not the operator needs a break based on a change amount of the value of the index, and an output unit that outputs a result of the determination.

Effects of the Invention

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to support an operator in obtaining appropriate breaks. Configurations, effects, and the like other than those described above will be clarified by the description of the following embodiments.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0008]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The following description and drawings are examples for explaining the present invention, and for the sake of clarity of explanation, appropriate omissions and simplifications have been made. The present invention can be implemented in various other forms. Unless otherwise particularly limited, each component may be singular or plural. The positions, sizes, shapes, ranges, etc. of the respective components shown in the drawings may not represent the actual positions, sizes, shapes, ranges, etc. in order to facilitate understanding of the invention. For this reason, the present invention is not necessarily limited to the positions, sizes, shapes, ranges, etc. disclosed in the drawings. In the following description, various types of information may be described using expressions such as "table", "list", "queue", etc. However, the various types of information may also be represented by data structures other than these. In order to indicate that it does not depend on the data structure, "XX table", "XX list", etc. may be referred to as "XX information". When explaining identification information, expressions such as "identification information", "identifier", "name", "ID", "number", etc. are used, but these can be replaced with each other. When there are a plurality of components having the same or similar functions, they may be described by attaching different subscripts to the same reference numeral. However, when it is not necessary to distinguish these plurality of components, the subscript may be omitted in the description. Also, in the following description, there may be cases where the processing performed by executing a program is described. However, the program is executed by a processor (for example, a CPU or a GPU), and in order to perform the defined processing while appropriately using a storage resource (for example, a memory) and / or an interface device (for example, a communication port), etc., the subject of the processing may be the processor. Similarly, the subject of the processing performed by executing the program may be a controller, a device, a system, a computer, or a node having a processor. The subject of the processing performed by executing the program may be an arithmetic unit, and may include a dedicated circuit (for example, an FPGA or an ASIC) that performs a specific processing. The program may be installed from a program source into a device such as a computer. The program source may be, for example, a program distribution server or a storage medium readable by a computer. When the program source is a program distribution server, the program distribution server includes a processor and a storage resource for storing the program to be distributed, and the processor of the program distribution server may distribute the program to be distributed to other computers. Also, in the following description, two or more programs may be realized as one program, or one program may be realized as two or more programs.

[0010] <Device Configuration> FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a rest acquisition support device 10 according to the present embodiment. The rest acquisition support device 10 (support device) is an information processing device that supports a worker who is performing a predetermined task to take a rest at an appropriate timing, thereby assisting the worker in acquiring a rest. The predetermined task is, for example, desk work using a personal computer (hereinafter referred to as "worker PC"). The worker PC corresponds to an information processing device related to the worker. In the present embodiment, the case where the predetermined task is desk work will be described as an example, but it is not limited thereto, and other work (for example, work at a factory or a construction site, etc.), or learning, etc., as long as it relates to human activities may be used.

[0011] As shown in FIG. 1, the rest acquisition support device 10 includes functions of a heartbeat index acquisition unit 101, a work status acquisition unit 102, a reference heartbeat index acquisition unit 103, a reference heartbeat index difference calculation unit 104, a heartbeat index differentiation calculation unit 105, a rest necessity calculation unit 106, a rest acquisition necessity determination unit 107, and an output unit 108. Each function provided in the rest acquisition support device 10 may be built into the worker PC. For example, a predetermined application (software program) installed in the worker PC may execute the processing of each function provided in the rest acquisition support device 10. Alternatively, the rest acquisition support device 10 and the worker PC may be communicably connected by a wired or wireless network such as a LAN (Local Area Network), a WAN (Wide Area Network), the Internet, or a dedicated line.

[0012] The heart rate index acquisition unit 101 acquires heart rate information (biological data) from a heart rate monitor 20 that measures the heart rate of an operator every predetermined time (for example, 1 second), and calculates a value of a heart rate index representing the pressure of the operator based on the acquired heart rate information. The heart rate monitor 20 may be attached to a part of the operator such as the arm or chest, or may acquire heart rate information based on an imaging image (for example, a moving image) obtained by imaging the face of the operator with a camera. The heart rate information is, for example, an RRI (R-R Interval) that is a heart rate or time-series data of heart rate fluctuations. The heart rate index is an LF (Low Frequency) that is a low-frequency component of the heart rate and represents the activity of the sympathetic nerve, an HF (Hi Frequency) that is a high-frequency component of the heart rate and represents the activity of the parasympathetic nerve, or a ratio LF / HF of LF to HF. The heart rate index acquisition unit 101 writes the acquired value of the heart rate index in a heart rate index history table 300 described later in association with the current time.

[0013] The working status acquisition unit 102 acquires the working status of the worker. The working status includes, for example, "working" or "on break", etc. The working status acquisition unit 102 determines that the worker is "working" when, for example, the input device (such as a mouse, keyboard, or touch panel, etc.) of the worker's PC is receiving input or when input is made for a predetermined ratio or more of the time within a predetermined time, and determines that the worker is "on break" when the state where the input device of the worker's PC is not receiving input continues for a predetermined time or more. Alternatively, the working status acquisition unit 102 may acquire a captured image from a camera that captures the worker, and determine whether the worker is "working" or "on break" based on the acquired captured image. The camera may be built into the worker's PC. For example, when the camera is built into the worker's PC, the working status acquisition unit 102 determines that the worker is "working" when the captured image includes the face image of the worker or when the face image is included for a predetermined ratio or more of the time within a predetermined time, and determines that the worker is "on break" when the state where the captured image does not include the face image of the worker continues for a predetermined time or more. Alternatively, the working status acquisition unit 102 may analyze the captured image and determine that the worker is "working" when the line of sight of the worker is directed towards the worker's PC or when the line of sight of the worker is directed towards the worker's PC for a predetermined ratio or more of the time within a predetermined time, and determine that the worker is "on break" when the state where the line of sight of the worker is not directed towards the worker's PC continues for a predetermined time or more. That is, the working status acquisition unit 102 determines that the working status of the worker is "working" when a predetermined device acquires a predetermined signal (data of a predetermined type) at a predetermined frequency or time or more, and determines that the worker is "on break" otherwise. Note that for the recognition of the above captured image, for example, pattern matching using a pre-prepared face image of the worker may be performed, or determination may be made using a learned model based on machine learning or the like.

[0014] The reference heart rate index acquisition unit 103 (acquisition unit) calculates a reference heart rate index (a value of the reference heart rate index) serving as a criterion for obtaining a break based on the working status of the operator and the history of the values of the heart rate index stored in the heart rate index history table 300. For example, when the working status of the operator is "working", the reference heart rate index acquisition unit 103 uses the value of the heart rate index at the start of the previous break, the value of the heart rate index at the end of the previous break, the statistical value of the heart rate index in the previous break (for example, the average value, the maximum value, or the median value, etc.), or the value of the heart rate index at the start of work as the reference heart rate index. Also, when the working status of the operator is "on break", the reference heart rate index acquisition unit 103 uses the value of the heart rate index at the start of the previous work, the value of the heart rate index at the end of the previous work, the statistical value of the heart rate index in the previous work (for example, the average value, the maximum value, or the median value, etc.), or the value of the heart rate index at the start of the break as the reference heart rate index.

[0015] The reference heart rate index difference calculation unit 104 calculates a reference heart rate index difference, which is the difference between the reference heart rate index and the current value of the heart rate index (the value obtained by subtracting the reference heart rate index from the current value of the heart rate index).

[0016] The heart rate index differentiation calculation unit 105 calculates the amount of change (time change rate) of the value of the heart rate index per predetermined time. Specifically, the heart rate index differentiation calculation unit 105 calculates a heart rate index differentiation (the amount of change per predetermined time), which is the difference between the current value of the heart rate index and the value of the heart rate index at a predetermined time ago (for example, 1 second ago) (the value obtained by subtracting the value of the heart rate index at a predetermined time ago from the current value of the heart rate index).

[0017] The break necessity calculation unit 106 calculates a break necessity (the amount of change of the index value) based on the reference heart rate index difference and the heart rate index differentiation. Specifically, the break necessity calculation unit 106 normalizes the reference heart rate index difference and the heart rate index differentiation, and sets the larger value of the normalized reference heart rate index difference or the normalized heart rate index differentiation as the break necessity.

[0018] The break acquisition necessity determination unit 107 (determination unit) determines whether a worker needs to take a break based on the break necessity level and a predetermined threshold value α. Specifically, when the break necessity level is greater than the threshold value α, the break acquisition necessity determination unit 107 determines that the worker needs to take a break, and when the break necessity level is less than or equal to the threshold value α, the break acquisition necessity determination unit 107 determines that the worker does not need to take a break.

[0019] The output unit 108 outputs the result of the determination by the break acquisition necessity determination unit 107. Specifically, when it is determined that the worker needs to take a break while the worker is working, the output unit 108 outputs information prompting the worker to take a break to the worker's PC, and when it is determined that the worker does not need to take a break while the worker is on break, the output unit 108 outputs information prompting the end of the break to the worker's PC.

[0020] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware included in the break acquisition support device 10. The break acquisition support device 10 includes a processing device 11 (processor) such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a main storage device 12 such as a RAM (Random Access Memory) or a ROM (Read Only Memory) in which programs and data are expanded, an auxiliary storage device 13 including an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), an SSD (Solid State Drive), or a flash memory, an input device 14 such as a keyboard or a touch panel, an output device 15 such as a monitor or a display, and a communication device 16 such as a network interface card for communicating with other information processing devices.

[0021] Each function of the break acquisition support device 10 described above is realized by the processing device 11 reading and executing each program for realizing each function stored in the main storage device 12 or the auxiliary storage device 13. Each program may be recorded in advance on an external storage medium or may be introduced when necessary via a predetermined communication network. Also, each program can be recorded and distributed on a portable or fixed recording medium, for example. Next, the processing performed by the break acquisition support device 10 will be described.

[0022] <Overview of the Process> FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining the overview of the process performed by the rest acquisition support device 10. The rest acquisition support device 10 regards the value of the heartbeat index as the magnitude of the pressure (stress, mental pressure, or psychological burden) given to the worker, and determines the necessity of rest acquisition based on the time-series change of the value of the heartbeat index. Here, it is considered that there is a correlation between the pressure of the worker and the performance (high level of work ability) of the worker. For example, the higher the pressure of the worker, the lower the performance, and the lower the pressure, the higher the performance.

[0023] The illustrated graph G1 represents the timing P1 at which the rest acquisition support device 10 prompts the worker who is working to take a rest. The vertical axis is the value of the heartbeat index, and the horizontal axis is time. For example, even if the current pressure of the worker is low, if the pressure is increasing (showing an increasing trend), it is considered that the pressure will become high during the continuation of work and the performance will decrease. When the performance decreases, the work efficiency also decreases, and a longer rest is required to increase the performance once it has decreased. Therefore, by having the worker start a rest before the performance decreases, it is possible to maintain a high-performance state with a shorter rest. As a result, the overall work efficiency of the worker can be improved. Therefore, the rest acquisition support device 10 prevents the pressure of the worker from rising too much by prompting the worker to take a rest at the timing P1 when an increase in the value of the heartbeat index is detected.

[0024] The graph G2 shown represents the timing P2 at which the rest acquisition support device 10 prompts a worker on break to end the break. The vertical axis represents the value of the heart rate index, and the horizontal axis represents time. For example, if the break is ended at the timing when the pressure begins to drop due to the break, the pressure may not be sufficiently reduced, and the pressure may rise immediately after resuming work. Therefore, the rest acquisition support device 10 prevents the worker's pressure from rising immediately after resuming work by prompting the worker to end the break at the timing P2 when the value of the heart rate index has sufficiently dropped. As a result, the worker can obtain a sufficient break to recover performance, thereby improving the overall work efficiency of the worker.

[0025] <Rest acquisition support process> Figure 4 is a processing flowchart for explaining the details of the rest acquisition support process performed by the rest acquisition support device 10. The process shown in this figure is repeatedly executed (for example, every 1 second) from before the worker starts work (for example, when the worker boots up the worker PC) until the worker ends work (for example, when the worker shuts down the worker PC).

[0026] First, the heart rate index acquisition unit 101 acquires heart rate information from the heart rate monitor 20 and calculates the value of the heart rate index based on the acquired heart rate information (S101). The heart rate index acquisition unit 101 writes the calculated value of the heart rate index in association with the current time into the heart rate index history table 300.

[0027] (Heart rate index history table) FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the heart rate index history table 300. The heart rate index history table 300 is a database that stores the time-series changes in the values of the operator's heart rate index. In this figure, the case where the heart rate index is LF is illustrated. The heart rate index history table 300 has data items including the time 301 when the time is set, the current heart rate index 302 to which the value of the heart rate index acquired at time 301 is set, the reference heart rate index 303, the reference heart rate index difference 304, the heart rate index differential 305, the rest necessity 306, and the rest acquisition necessity 307. Note that the heart rate index history table 300 may include a data item of the operator's working status ("working" or "resting").

[0028] Subsequently, the working status acquisition unit 102 acquires the working status of the operator and determines whether the working status of the operator has changed from "working" to "resting" or from "resting" to "working" (S102). Note that the working status acquisition unit 102 records the time-series history of the operator's working status. If the working status has not changed (S102: No), the process proceeds to the process of S104.

[0029] When the working status of the operator has changed (S102: Yes), the reference heart rate index acquisition unit 103 refers to the working status of the operator and the heart rate index history table 300 to acquire the reference heart rate index (S103). Specifically, when the working status of the operator is "working", the reference heart rate index acquisition unit 103 uses, as the reference heart rate index, the value of the heart rate index at the start of the previous rest, the value of the heart rate index at the end of the previous rest, the statistical value of the heart rate index in the previous rest, or the value of the heart rate index at the start of work. Also, when the working status of the operator is "resting", the reference heart rate index acquisition unit 103 uses, as the reference heart rate index, the value of the heart rate index at the start of the previous work, the value of the heart rate index at the end of the previous work, the statistical value of the heart rate index in the previous work, or the value of the heart rate index at the start of rest. The reference heart rate index acquisition unit 103 refers to the time-series history of the operator's working status to specify the time of the previous rest or the previous work. The reference heart rate index acquisition unit 103 writes the acquired reference heart rate index to the reference heart rate index 303 in the heart rate index history table 300.

[0030] Subsequently, the reference heart rate index difference calculation unit 104 calculates a reference heart rate index difference, which is the difference between the reference heart rate index and the current heart rate index value (S104). The reference heart rate index difference calculation unit 104 writes the calculated reference heart rate index difference to the reference heart rate index difference 304 in the heart rate index history table 300.

[0031] Subsequently, the heart rate index differential calculation unit 105 calculates a heart rate index differential, which is the difference between the current heart rate index value and the heart rate index value a predetermined time ago (e.g., 1 second ago) (S105). The heart rate index differential calculation unit 105 writes the calculated heart rate index differential to the heart rate index differential 305 in the heart rate index history table 300.

[0032] Subsequently, the rest necessity calculation unit 106 calculates the rest necessity according to the following formula (1) based on the reference heart rate index difference and the heart rate index differential (S106), and writes the calculated rest necessity to the rest necessity 306 in the heart rate index history table 300.

[0033] Rest necessity = max(norm(reference heart rate index difference), norm(heart rate index differential)) ···(1)

[0034] Here, norm is normalization, which is represented by the following formula (2).

[0035] norm(x) = (x - average value) / standard deviation

[0036] Here, the average value is the average value of x, and the standard deviation is the standard deviation of x. The average value and the standard deviation are values in a sufficiently long period that can be fully normalized, and may be, for example, values in all periods during which the heart rate index value is calculated (the period from when the operator starts working to when the work ends).

[0037] That is, the rest necessity calculation unit 106 sets the maximum value among the values obtained by standardizing the reference heart rate index difference or the value obtained by standardizing the heart rate index differential as the rest necessity. In the present embodiment, the rest necessity calculation unit 106 calculates the rest necessity based on the reference heart rate index difference and the heart rate index differential. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the rest necessity may be calculated based on either the reference heart rate index difference or the heart rate index differential alone.

[0038] Subsequently, the rest acquisition necessity determination unit 107 determines whether rest acquisition is necessary based on the rest necessity and the threshold value α (S107), and writes the determined rest acquisition necessity to the rest acquisition necessity 307 in the heart rate index history table 300. Specifically, when the rest necessity is greater than the threshold value α (for example, 0.3), the rest acquisition necessity determination unit 107 determines that rest acquisition is "TRUE (necessary)", and when the rest necessity is equal to or less than the threshold value α, the rest acquisition necessity determination unit 107 determines that rest acquisition is "FALSE (unnecessary)". In the data example shown in FIG. 5, the rest acquisition necessity is "FALSE" until the time "16:48:31", and the rest acquisition necessity becomes "TRUE" from the time "16:48:32".

[0039] The output unit 108 causes the worker PC to display a screen prompting the worker to acquire rest or end rest according to the determined rest acquisition necessity and the working status of the worker (S108). For example, when the worker is "working", when the rest acquisition necessity becomes "TRUE" (at the time "16:48:32" in the data example shown in FIG. 5), the output unit 108 causes the worker PC to display a rest instruction display screen 500 prompting the worker to acquire rest.

[0040] (Rest instruction display screen) FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a rest instruction display screen 500. The rest instruction display screen 500 includes a region 510 for displaying a rest instruction "Please take a break", a region 520 for displaying the working status "Working" of the operator, a region 530 for displaying a graph representing the time-series change of the reference heart rate index difference, and a region 540 for displaying a graph representing the time-series change of the heart rate index derivative. The vertical axis of the graph representing the time-series change of the reference heart rate index difference is the reference heart rate index difference, and the horizontal axis is time. Also, the vertical axis of the graph representing the time-series change of the heart rate index derivative is the heart rate index derivative, and the horizontal axis is time.

[0041] In the example shown in FIG. 6, since the value of the standardized heart rate index derivative is greater than the threshold α and the pressure is increasing, an alert prompting a break is output.

[0042] On the other hand, when the worker is "on break", if the rest acquisition necessity determination unit 107 determines that the rest acquisition necessity is "FALSE", the rest end instruction display screen prompting the worker to end the break is displayed on the worker's PC. Alternatively, when the worker is "on break", if the rest acquisition necessity determination unit 107 determines that the rest acquisition necessity is "FALSE", the rest instruction display screen 500 may be hidden.

[0043] Note that the rest acquisition necessity determination unit 107 is not limited to the timing when the rest acquisition necessity changes (from "FALSE" to "TRUE" or from "TRUE" to "FALSE"), and may display the rest instruction display screen or the rest end instruction display screen on the worker's PC when the changed rest acquisition necessity continues for a predetermined time or more. For example, when the worker is "working", if the rest acquisition necessity is in the "TRUE" state for a predetermined time or more, the rest instruction display screen may be displayed on the worker's PC by the rest acquisition necessity determination unit 107. On the other hand, when the worker is "on break", if the rest acquisition necessity is in the "FALSE" state for a predetermined time or more, the rest end instruction screen may be displayed on the worker's PC by the rest acquisition necessity determination unit 107.

[0044] In addition, in this embodiment, the break acquisition necessity determination unit 107 displays a break instruction display screen or a break end instruction display screen on the worker's worker PC. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and information prompting the start of a break or information prompting the end of a break may be output to the worker PC or the worker's mobile terminal (for example, a smartphone or a tablet terminal, etc.) by mail, message, or voice.

[0045] In addition, in the above-described flow, the reference heart rate index acquisition unit 103 acquires the reference heart rate index when the working status of the worker changes. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, the reference heart rate index may be acquired every time the value of the heart rate index is calculated.

[0046] As described above, the break acquisition support device 10 of this embodiment includes a heart rate index acquisition unit 101 that acquires the heart rate information (biological data) of the worker and acquires the value of the heart rate index representing the pressure of the worker based on the acquired heart rate information, a break acquisition necessity determination unit 107 that determines whether or not the worker needs a break based on the change amount of the value of the heart rate index, and an output unit 108 that outputs the result of the determination.

[0047] That is, according to the break acquisition support device 10 of this embodiment, since the change amount of the value of the heart rate index representing the pressure is captured, for example, it is possible to determine the change in pressure such as whether the pressure of the worker is increasing (increasing tendency) or decreasing (decreasing tendency). As a result, it is possible to determine the necessity of acquiring a break according to the change in the pressure of the worker, so it is possible to appropriately determine whether or not the worker needs to acquire a break. Therefore, it is possible to support the worker in appropriately acquiring a break.

[0048] In addition, the break acquisition support device 10 of this embodiment determines that the worker needs a break when the pressure of the worker is increasing based on the change amount of the value of the heart rate index.

[0049] For example, even if the current pressure of the operator is low, if the pressure is on an increasing trend, it is considered that the operator's pressure will increase and performance will decline. Therefore, the timing when the operator's pressure starts to increase is considered to be an appropriate timing for taking a break before the operator's performance declines. Thus, it is possible to appropriately determine the timing for the operator to take a break.

[0050] In addition, the break acquisition support device 10 of the present embodiment uses the difference between the value of the reference heart rate index (reference heart rate index) and the current value of the heart rate index (reference heart rate index difference), or the amount of change in the value of the heart rate index per predetermined time (heart rate index derivative) as the amount of change in the value of the heart rate index, and determines whether the operator needs a break based on the amount of change in the value of the heart rate index.

[0051] That is, since the break acquisition support device 10 of the present embodiment uses the reference heart rate index difference or the heart rate index derivative as the amount of change in the value of the heart rate index, the fluctuation of the operator's pressure can be quantified. Thereby, since the fluctuation of the operator's pressure (for example, whether it is on an increasing trend or a decreasing trend) can be grasped more accurately, it is possible to more appropriately determine whether a break is required.

[0052] In addition, the break acquisition support device 10 of the present embodiment standardizes the reference heart rate index difference and the heart rate index derivative, and uses the larger value of the standardized reference heart rate index difference or the standardized heart rate index derivative as the amount of change in the value of the heart rate index, and determines whether the operator needs a break based on the amount of change in the value of the heart rate index.

[0053] That is, the break acquisition support device 10 of the present embodiment adjusts the scale by standardizing the reference heart rate index difference and the heart rate index derivative, making the reference heart rate index difference and the heart rate index derivative comparable. Furthermore, since the value representing the larger fluctuation among the reference heart rate index difference and the heart rate index derivative can be used as the amount of change in the heart rate index, both the quantitative change (for example, a large but gentle change) and the rapid change in a short time of the heart rate index can be considered, and the fluctuation of the operator's pressure can be grasped more precisely.

[0054] Further, when the amount of change in the value of the heart rate index is greater than a predetermined threshold α, the rest acquisition support device 10 of the present embodiment determines that the operator needs a rest, and when the amount of change in the value of the heart rate index is equal to or less than the threshold α, it determines that the operator does not need a rest.

[0055] That is, when the pressure tends to increase, the rest acquisition support device 10 of the present embodiment determines that the operator needs a rest. Thereby, it is possible to prompt the operator to take a rest before the performance of the operator decreases, so that it is possible to support appropriate rest acquisition to improve the work efficiency of the operator.

[0056] The reference heart rate index serving as a reference is the value of the heart rate index before work or at the start of work when the operator is working, and is the value of the heart rate index before rest or at the start of rest when the operator is resting.

[0057] Thereby, when the operator is working, the operator can be made to start a rest when the pressure tends to increase, and when the operator is resting, the operator can be made to end the rest when the pressure has sufficiently decreased. That is, it is possible to support appropriate rest acquisition to improve the work efficiency of the operator.

[0058] Further, when a predetermined device has acquired a predetermined signal for a predetermined frequency or time or more, the rest acquisition support device 10 of the present embodiment determines that the operator is working.

[0059] Thereby, it is possible to accurately identify whether or not the operator is working, so that it is possible to more appropriately determine whether rest is required.

[0060] Further, when the rest acquisition support device 10 of the present embodiment determines that the operator needs a rest while the operator is working, it outputs information prompting the rest to the information processing device related to the operator, and when the operator is resting and it is determined that the operator does not need a rest, it outputs information prompting the end of the rest to the information processing device related to the operator.

[0061] Accordingly, it is possible to prompt the worker to start a break at an appropriate timing when a break is needed, and to prompt the worker to end the break at an appropriate timing when the break is no longer needed, so that the worker can take a break with better work efficiency.

[0062] In addition, the break acquisition support device 10 of the present embodiment calculates the value of the heart rate index based on the heart rate information regarding the heart rate measured from the worker.

[0063] Accordingly, since it is possible to obtain the value of the index representing the pressure of the worker with higher accuracy, it is possible to more appropriately determine whether or not the worker needs to take a break.

[0064] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be implemented using any components within the scope not departing from the gist thereof. The above-described embodiments and modifications are merely examples, and the present invention is not limited to these contents as long as the features of the invention are not impaired. Also, although various embodiments and modifications have been described above, the present invention is not limited to these contents. Other aspects conceivable within the scope of the technical idea of the present invention are also included in the scope of the present invention.

[0065] For example, a part of the hardware provided in each device of the present embodiment may be provided in another device.

[0066] Also, each program of the break acquisition support device 10 may be provided in another device, or a certain program may be composed of a plurality of programs, or a plurality of programs may be integrated into one program.

[0067] Also, in the above-described embodiment, heart rate information is described as an example of biological data. However, the biological data is not limited thereto, and for example, as long as it can obtain the value of an index representing the pressure of the worker, such as skin potential, pupil diameter, pulse, or blood pressure, etc., it may be used.

Description of Reference Numerals

[0068] 10 Rest Obtaining Support Device 11 Processor, 12 Main Memory Device, 13 Auxiliary Memory Device, 14 Input Device, 15 Output Device, 16 Communication Device, 101 Heart Rate Index Acquisition Unit, 102 Work Status Acquisition Unit 102 Reference Heart Rate Index Acquisition Unit, 104 Reference Heart Rate Index Difference Calculation Unit, 105 Heart Rate Index Differentiation Calculation Unit, 106 Rest Necessity Calculation Unit, 107 Rest Obtaining Necessity Determination Unit, 108 Output Unit, 300 Heart Rate Index History Table

Claims

1. A support device having a processor and a memory, an acquisition unit configured to acquire biometric data of an operator and to acquire a value of an index representing the pressure of the operator based on the acquired biometric data, a determination unit configured to determine whether the operator needs a break based on a change amount of the value of the index, and an output unit configured to output a result of the determination.

2. The determination unit according to claim 1, wherein when the pressure of the operator is in an increasing trend based on the change amount of the value of the index, the determination unit determines that the operator needs a break. The support device according to claim 1.

3. The determination unit according to claim 1, wherein the determination unit uses, as the change amount of the value of the index, a difference between a reference value of the index and a current value of the index, or a change amount of the value of the index per a predetermined time, and determines whether the operator needs a break based on the change amount of the value of the index. The support device according to claim 1.

4. The determination unit according to claim 3, wherein the determination unit normalizes the difference and the change amount per the predetermined time, uses, as the change amount of the value of the index, the larger one of the normalized difference and the normalized change amount per the predetermined time, and determines whether the operator needs a break based on the change amount of the value of the index. The support device according to claim 3.

5. The determination unit according to claim 4, wherein when the change amount of the value of the index is larger than a predetermined threshold value, the determination unit determines that the operator needs a break, and when the change amount of the value of the index is equal to or less than the threshold value, the determination unit determines that the operator does not need a break. The support device according to claim 4.

6. The reference value of the index is, when the operator is working, the value of the index before work or at the start of work, and when the operator is taking a break, the value of the index before the break or at the start of the break. The support device according to claim 3.

7. The determination unit according to claim 6, wherein when a predetermined device has acquired a predetermined signal for a predetermined frequency or time or more, the determination unit determines that the operator is working. The support device according to claim 6.

8. When it is determined that the operator needs a break while the operator is working, the output unit outputs information prompting a break to an information processing device related to the operator, and when it is determined that the operator does not need a break while the operator is taking a break, the output unit outputs information prompting the end of the break to an information processing device related to the operator. The support device according to claim 1.

9. The acquisition unit calculates the value of the index based on heartbeat information regarding the heartbeat measured from the operator. The support device according to claim 1.

10. An information processing apparatus performs an acquisition process of acquiring biometric data of an operator and acquiring a value of an index representing the pressure of the operator based on the acquired biometric data, a determination process of determining whether the operator needs a break based on a change amount of the value of the index, and an output process of outputting the result of the determination. Support method.

11. An information processing apparatus performs an acquisition process of acquiring biometric data of an operator and acquiring a value of an index representing the pressure of the operator based on the acquired biometric data, a determination process of determining whether the operator needs a break based on a change amount of the value of the index, and an output process of outputting the result of the determination. Support program.

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