Portable terminal device, stressful situation relief system, and program

Abstract

To provide a portable terminal device, a tense situation relief system, and a program that can smoothly and directly relieve elderly people, dementia patients, and others when they have fallen into tense situations.SOLUTION: A portable terminal device 10 can communicate with a biological information transmission device 20, which detects and transmits biological information of an object person when attached to the object person. The portable terminal device 10 includes: a screen display unit 11a configured to display a home screen containing buttons for executing functions to resolve problems of the object person; a situation determination unit 11b configured to determine whether the object person has fallen into a tense situation based on the biological information received from the biological information transmission device 20; and a guidance notification unit 11c configured to output guidance audio to notify the object person of the presence of the portable terminal device 10 based on the determination that the object person has fallen into a tense situation.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a mobile terminal device and an emergency situation relief system for rescuing elderly people, dementia patients, etc. from stressful situations, and a program for causing the mobile terminal device to execute the functions for the relief. [Background technology]

[0002] As the population ages, the number of dementia patients is on the rise. Elderly people and dementia patients may not know what to do when they find themselves in a tense situation. Conversely, dementia symptoms can cause them to not know what to do, which can lead to panic.

[0003] The following Patent Document 1 describes a monitoring system for monitoring children at a nursery school. This monitoring system includes a biometric information transmission device worn by the child and a monitor terminal device used by a monitor such as a nursery teacher. The biometric information transmission device is configured to detect the biometric information of the child. The biometric information transmission device analyzes the physical condition and emotions of the child based on the biometric information detected from the child, and if the analysis results indicate that the child is in an abnormal state, it notifies the monitor terminal device. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-093977 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In the above-mentioned monitoring system, although the monitors such as nursery teachers can detect abnormalities in the children, they cannot directly provide relief to the children who are in an abnormal situation.

[0006] In view of such problems, the present invention aims to provide a mobile terminal device, a system and program for relieving stressful situations that can smoothly and directly relieve elderly people, dementia patients, etc. from stressful situations when they find themselves in such situations. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] A first aspect of the present invention relates to a portable terminal device that is worn by a subject and can communicate with a biometric information transmission device that detects and transmits biometric information of the subject. The portable terminal device according to this aspect includes: a screen display unit that displays a home screen including buttons for executing functions to resolve a problem faced by the subject; a situation determination unit that determines whether the subject is in a stressful situation based on the biometric information received from the biometric information transmission device; and a guidance notification unit that outputs a guidance voice to notify the subject of the presence of the portable terminal device based on the determination that the subject is in a stressful situation.

[0008] According to the portable terminal device of this aspect, when a subject, such as an elderly person or a dementia patient, finds himself or herself in a tense situation, the subject is notified of the presence of a portable terminal device that can help rescue him or her from the situation. When an elderly person or a dementia patient finds himself or herself in a tense situation, he or she may forget about the presence of a portable terminal device that has a function that enables rescue. In contrast, according to the portable terminal device of this aspect, the presence of the portable terminal device is notified to the subject in such a situation. In response, the subject can refer to the portable terminal device, thereby smoothly and directly relieving the subject from the tense situation.

[0009] In the mobile terminal device of this aspect, the situation determination unit acquires the level of tension of the subject based on the biometric information, and the screen display unit can be configured to preferentially display a rescue-related screen related to rescue from a stressful situation instead of the home screen when the level of tension is higher than a predetermined threshold.

[0010] According to this configuration, when the subject is in a high level of stress, a rescue-related screen related to rescue from the stressful situation is preferentially displayed on the mobile terminal device directly without going through the home screen, thereby enabling the subject to be rescued smoothly and quickly from the stressful situation.

[0011] In this configuration, the relief-related screen may be configured to include a button for making a phone call to a supporter who has been registered in advance.

[0012] With this configuration, when the subject is in a high state of emergency, a button for directly calling a supporter without going through the home screen is displayed on the mobile terminal device, allowing the subject to smoothly and quickly call a supporter for help.

[0013] The guidance presentation unit may be configured to increase the volume of the guidance voice when the degree of urgency exceeds the threshold value compared to when the degree of urgency does not exceed the threshold value.

[0014] According to this configuration, when the target person is in a high level of tension, the guidance voice is output at a louder volume, so that the target person can smoothly become aware of the presence of the mobile terminal device even when the target person is forced into a high-tension situation. Therefore, the target person can smoothly escape from the tension situation using the mobile terminal device that he or she is carrying.

[0015] The mobile terminal device of this aspect includes a reference determination unit that determines whether the target person has referred to the mobile terminal device after the guidance voice is output, and the guidance notification unit can be configured to output the guidance voice again based on the fact that the reference determination unit has not determined that the target person has referred to the mobile terminal device within a predetermined time from the output of the guidance voice.

[0016] According to this configuration, if the target person does not notice the output of the guidance voice or is unable to properly understand the guidance voice due to an urgent situation, the guidance voice is output again, thereby making it possible to more reliably make the target person aware of the presence of the mobile terminal device.

[0017] In this case, the guidance presentation unit may be configured to increase the volume of the guidance voice to be output again from the volume of the guidance voice output previously.

[0018] With this configuration, the re-output guidance voice is output at a louder volume, so the target person can more reliably notice the presence of the mobile terminal device, and can therefore smoothly escape from the tense situation using the mobile terminal device that the target person is carrying.

[0019] A second aspect of the present invention relates to a system for relieving a stressful situation, which includes the mobile terminal device according to the first aspect and a biometric information transmitting device that is attached to a subject and detects and transmits biometric information of the subject.

[0020] According to the system for relieving a stressful situation according to this aspect, the same effects as those of the first aspect can be achieved.

[0021] A third aspect of the present invention relates to a program for causing a control unit of a mobile terminal device capable of communicating with a biometric information transmitting device that is worn by a subject and detects and transmits biometric information of the subject to execute predetermined functions. The program according to this aspect causes the control unit of the mobile terminal device to execute the following functions: a function for displaying a home screen including buttons for executing functions for resolving a problem faced by the subject, a function for determining whether the subject is in a stressful situation based on the biometric information received from the biometric information transmitting device, and a function for outputting a guidance voice that notifies the subject of the presence of the mobile terminal device based on the determination that the subject is in a stressful situation.

[0022] According to the program of this aspect, the same effects as those of the first aspect can be achieved. [Effects of the Invention]

[0023] As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a mobile terminal device, a system and a program for relieving a stressful situation that can smoothly and directly relieve elderly people, dementia patients, etc. from a stressful situation when they are in such a situation.

[0024] The effects and significance of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description of the embodiments, however, the embodiments shown below are merely examples of how the present invention can be implemented, and the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described below. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0025] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing a usage pattern of a mobile terminal device and a biological information transmitting device according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the circuit unit of the mobile terminal device and the biological information transmitting device according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the configuration of a home screen displayed on a display input unit of the mobile terminal device according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the configuration of a screen that is displayed when a predetermined button is operated on the home screen according to the embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a guidance voice output process according to the embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a circuit section of a mobile terminal device and a biological information transmitting device according to the first modification. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a guidance voice output process according to the first modification. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing a guidance voice output process according to the second modification. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of a relief-related screen according to the second modification. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing a guidance voice output process according to the third modification. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0026] In the following embodiment, a system for relieving a stressful situation is configured by a mobile terminal device 10 and a biological information transmitting device 20. The mobile terminal device 10 is, for example, a tablet terminal. However, the mobile terminal device 10 is not limited to this, and may be other types of mobile terminal devices such as a mobile phone or a laptop computer.

[0027] FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing how a mobile terminal device 10 and a biological information transmitting device 20 are used.

[0028] In the example of Fig. 1, a subject 1, such as an elderly person or a dementia patient, carries a mobile terminal device 10 in a bag 2. The mobile terminal device 10 is, for example, a tablet terminal. However, the mobile terminal device 10 is not limited to this, and may be other types of mobile terminal devices, such as a mobile phone or a laptop computer.

[0029] A biological information transmission device 20 is worn on the wrist of a subject 1. When worn by the subject, the biological information transmission device 20 has a function of detecting and transmitting biological information of the subject. The biological information transmission device 20 is, for example, a watch-type device such as a smart watch or a wristband-type activity monitor. The biological information transmission device 20 periodically detects biological information such as blood pressure, heart rate, and blood oxygen level.

[0030] The biometric information transmitting device 20 transmits the detected biometric information to the mobile terminal device 10 by short-range wireless communication such as Bluetooth (registered trademark). The mobile terminal device 10 and the biometric information transmitting device 20 are previously set up to transmit and receive biometric information by short-range wireless communication.

[0031] The mobile terminal device 10 can communicate with a mobile phone 50 carried by a supporter 4 via a public communication network 30 and base stations 41 and 42. The supporter 4 is, for example, a family member living with the subject 1. In the example of FIG. 1, the supporter 4 is staying at the home 3 of the subject 1. The mobile terminal device 10 and the mobile phone 50 each have the telephone number of the other party pre-registered. The mobile terminal device 10 has a function for making a call to the other party's telephone number. Instead of the mobile phone 50, a tablet terminal or a landline telephone may be used as the telephone of the supporter 4.

[0032] An application program (hereinafter referred to as "assistance app") for supporting elderly people or dementia patients who are the target persons 1 is installed in the mobile terminal device 10. This assistance app is downloaded to the mobile terminal device 10 from a server (not shown) connected to the public communication network 30.

[0033] The support app provides the subject 1 with a function to guide the subject 1 to, for example, his / her home or the nearest taxi stand. The support app also provides the subject 1 with a function to notify the subject 1 of the subject's schedule (for example, the date and time of hospital visits, the time to take medicine, etc.) entered by the supporter 4. The support app also provides the subject 1 with a training function for improving dementia. In addition, the support app provides the subject 1 with a function to find out information about contacts related to the subject 1, such as family members and hospital visits, that the supporter 4 has registered in advance.

[0034] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the circuitry of the mobile terminal device 10 and the biological information transmitting device 20. As shown in FIG.

[0035] The mobile terminal device 10 includes a control unit 11, a storage unit 12, a wireless communication unit 13, a display input unit 14, a short-range wireless communication unit 15, and a voice input / output unit 16.

[0036] The control unit 11 includes a processing circuit such as a CPU, and controls each unit according to a program stored in the storage unit 12. Here, the above-mentioned support application is stored in the storage unit 12 as this program. The storage unit 12 includes a ROM, a RAM, a flash memory, etc., and stores the program executed by the control unit 11. The storage unit 12 is also used as a work area when the control unit 11 executes the support application.

[0037] The wireless communication unit 13 is a wireless communication module for communicating with various devices via the public communication network 30 under the control of the control unit 11. The display input unit 14 includes a touch panel with a liquid crystal display, and displays a predetermined screen under the control of the control unit 11 and accepts input on the screen.

[0038] The short-range wireless communication unit 15 communicates with the short-range wireless communication unit 25 of the biometric information transmitting device 20 by a short-range wireless communication protocol such as Bluetooth (registered trademark) under the control of the control unit 11. The audio input / output unit 16 includes a microphone and a speaker. The audio input / output unit 16 outputs audio data acquired by the microphone to the control unit 11, and outputs a predetermined audio from the speaker under the control of the control unit 11.

[0039] The biological information transmitting device 20 includes a control unit 21, a storage unit 22, a biological information detecting unit 23, a display input unit 24, and a short-range wireless communication unit 25.

[0040] The control unit 21 includes a processing circuit such as a CPU, and controls each unit according to a program stored in the storage unit 22. The storage unit 22 includes a ROM, a RAM, a flash memory, etc., and stores the program executed by the control unit 21. The storage unit 22 is also used as a work area when the control unit 21 executes the program.

[0041] The biological information detection unit 23 targets the vicinity of the wrist of the subject 1 and periodically detects the blood pressure, heart rate, blood oxygen level, etc. of the subject 1. The biological information transmission device 20 detects this biological information using a configuration and method similar to that of, for example, a well-known smart watch or wristband-type activity monitor.

[0042] The display input unit 24 includes a touch panel with a liquid crystal display, and displays a predetermined screen under the control of the control unit 21 and accepts input on that screen. The short-range wireless communication unit 25 communicates with the short-range wireless communication unit 15 of the mobile terminal device 10 using a short-range wireless communication protocol such as Bluetooth (registered trademark) under the control of the control unit 21. The control unit 21 sequentially transmits the biometric information detected by the biometric information detection unit 23 at regular intervals to the mobile terminal device 10 via the short-range wireless communication unit 25.

[0043] In this embodiment, a program (assistance application) stored in the storage unit 12 of the mobile terminal device 10 provides the control unit 11 with the functions of a screen display unit 11a, a situation determination unit 11b, and a guidance notification unit 11c.

[0044] The screen display unit 11a displays a home screen including buttons for executing functions for resolving the troubles of the subject person 1 on the display input unit 14. The situation determination unit 11b determines whether or not the subject person 1 has fallen into a tense situation based on the biometric information received from the biometric information transmission device 20. The guidance notification unit 11c outputs a guidance voice from the audio input / output unit 16 to notify the subject person 1 of the presence of the mobile terminal device 10 based on the determination that the subject person 1 has fallen into a tense situation.

[0045] For example, the situation determination unit 11b calculates the average blood pressure, heart rate, and blood oxygen level of the subject 1 from the past reception history of the biological information. Then, the situation determination unit 11b determines whether the subject 1 has fallen into a tense situation based on whether any of the current blood pressure, heart rate, and blood oxygen level differs from the average value by a predetermined threshold ratio (for example, several tens of percent) or more. For example, in the case of heart rate, if the current heart rate increases by a ratio equal to or greater than the threshold ratio with respect to the average heart rate of the subject 1, it is determined that the subject 1 has fallen into a tense situation. The threshold ratio may be set so as to enable appropriate determination of whether the subject 1 has fallen into a tense situation, and different threshold ratios may be set for different types of biological information.

[0046] Furthermore, the biological information used to determine whether the subject 1 has fallen into a stressful situation is not limited to blood pressure, heart rate, and blood oxygen level. For example, the subject 1's body temperature and breathing frequency may be detected as biological information and used to determine whether the subject 1 has fallen into a stressful situation. Furthermore, if the biological information transmitting device 20 has a microphone, audio information based on the subject 1's voice may be acquired as biological information, and if the subject 1's voice is louder than a predetermined threshold volume, it may be determined that the subject 1 has fallen into a stressful situation.

[0047] The guidance notification unit 11c outputs, for example, a voice such as "Look at the tablet" or "There is a tablet" as a guidance voice to notify the target person 1 of the presence of the mobile terminal device 10. However, the guidance voice is not limited to this, and other guidance contents may be used as long as the guidance voice notifies the target person 1 of the presence of the mobile terminal device 10.

[0048] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the configuration of a home screen 100 displayed on the display / input unit 14 of the mobile terminal device 10. As shown in FIG.

[0049] In this embodiment, the home screen 100 can be customized for each user. The user can arbitrarily set the number and size of buttons to be arranged on the home screen 100. This setting is performed, for example, by the support person 4. The support person 4, for example, uses the mobile terminal device 10 to access a server that provides the program (assistance app) and customizes the home screen 100. Once the customization is complete, the program (assistance app) including the customized home screen is downloaded from the server to the mobile terminal device 10 and installed. As described above, the assistance app includes various functions for resolving the problems faced by elderly people and dementia patients.

[0050] 3, four buttons 101 to 104 and a button 105 for advancing to the next screen are included in the home screen 100. The home screen 100 is displayed in the entire display area of the display input unit .

[0051] Button 101 is a button for providing assistance to the subject person 1 in returning home. When button 101 is pressed, the current location of the subject person 1 is acquired, for example, by a GPS function built into the mobile terminal device 10. Based on the acquired current location and the location of the subject person's home that has been registered in advance in the mobile terminal device 10, a map showing the route to the subject person's home, a map showing the route to the nearest station, bus stop, or taxi stand, and the like are displayed.

[0052] Button 102 is a button for providing assistance to subject 1 in searching for desired information. When button 102 is pressed, for example, screen 110 as shown in FIG. 4 is displayed in the entire display area of display input unit 14. Screen 110 includes four buttons 111 to 114 for searching for an address, telephone number, homepage, and email address, respectively, and buttons 115 and 116 for scrolling back and forth through the screen. Information related to subject 1 is registered in advance in buttons 111 to 114, for example, by supporter 4.

[0053] For example, button 111 is registered with the home address of subject 1 and the address of the hospital that subject 1 visits, button 112 is registered with the home telephone number of subject 1, the telephone number of mobile phone 50 owned by supporter 4, and the main telephone number of the hospital that subject 1 visits. Also, button 113 is registered with the homepage of the hospital or nursing facility that subject 1 visits, and button 114 is registered with the email address of supporter 4, etc.

[0054] When the target person 1 operates one of the buttons 111 to 114, the information group registered in that button is displayed as a selection candidate. By operating one of these selection candidates, the target person 1 can execute a desired event corresponding to the selection candidate.

[0055] Returning to FIG. 3 , button 103 is a button for supporting subject 1 in understanding future schedules. Schedules such as the date and time of hospital visits and the time of day to take medicine are registered in button 103 by, for example, supporter 4. Button 104 is a button for subject 1 to pursue his or her hobbies (such as shogi or coloring) as part of dementia rehabilitation. When button 104 is operated, a screen including icons of a list of subject 1's hobbies that have been registered in advance by, for example, supporter 4, is displayed.

[0056] In this way, by executing the support app, the subject 1 can receive various types of support. The subject 1 carries the mobile terminal device 10 when going out, and when a troublesome event occurs, starts the mobile terminal device 10 and receives support from the support app. However, when the subject 1 is forced into a tense situation, it is often the case that the subject 1 does not realize that he or she is carrying the mobile terminal device 10 due to confusion. As a result, the subject 1 does not know what action to take in a tense situation, and it becomes difficult for the subject 1 to get out of the situation.

[0057] Therefore, in this embodiment, when the subject person 1 falls into a tense situation, the mobile terminal device 10 outputs a guidance voice that notifies the subject person 1 that the mobile terminal device 10 is present.

[0058] FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the guidance voice output process.

[0059] When the control unit 11 of the mobile terminal device 10 receives the biometric information transmitted periodically from the biometric information transmitting device 20 (S11: YES), the control unit 11 determines whether the subject 1 is in a tense situation or not (S12) by using the function of the situation determining unit 11b. The determination process of step S12 is as described above. If the subject 1 is not in a tense situation (S13: NO), the control unit 11 ends the process of FIG. 5 and waits for the arrival of the next biometric information in step S11.

[0060] On the other hand, if the target person 1 falls into a tense situation (S13: YES), the control unit 11 uses the function of the guidance notification unit 11c to output a guidance voice that notifies the target person 1 of the presence of the mobile terminal device 10 from the voice input / output unit 16 (S14). As a result, the control unit 11 ends the processing of FIG.

[0061] When the guidance voice is output in step S14, the control unit 11 may then suspend the processing of Figure 5 for a predetermined time (for example, several minutes) that the subject person 1 is expected to require to operate the mobile terminal device 10, and may resume the processing of Figure 5 after this time has elapsed.

[0062] Even when the subject person 1 finds himself or herself in a tense situation, the subject person 1 can realize that he or she is carrying the mobile terminal device 10 by the guidance voice output in step S14. In response to this, the subject person 1 simply takes out the mobile terminal device 10 from the bag 2 that he or she is carrying and starts up the mobile terminal device 10. As a result, the control unit 11 causes the display input unit 14 to display the home screen 100 shown in FIG. 3 . In response to the output of the guidance voice in step S14, the control unit 11 may cause the display input unit 14 to display the home screen 100 in advance.

[0063] The subject 1 can cause the mobile terminal device 10 to execute a desired support function for escaping from a tense situation via the home screen 100. This allows the subject 1 to smoothly escape from the tense situation in which he or she has found himself or herself.

[0064] <Effects of the embodiment> According to the embodiment, the following effects are achieved.

[0065] As shown in Figure 2, the mobile terminal device 10 includes a screen display unit 11a that displays a home screen 100 (see Figure 3) including buttons for executing functions to resolve the problems of the subject person 1, a situation determination unit 11b that determines whether the subject person 1 has fallen into a tense situation based on the biometric information received from the biometric information transmission device 20, and a guidance notification unit 11c that outputs a guidance voice to notify the subject person 1 of the presence of the mobile terminal device 10 based on the determination that the subject person 1 has fallen into a tense situation.

[0066] According to this configuration, when subject 1, such as an elderly person or a dementia patient, falls into a tense situation, subject 1 is notified of the presence of mobile terminal device 10 that can help rescue him / her from the situation. When elderly people, dementia patients, or the like fall into a tense situation, they may forget the presence of mobile terminal device 10 that has a function that enables rescue from the situation. In contrast, according to the mobile terminal device 10 of this embodiment, the presence of mobile terminal device 10 is notified to subject 1 in such a situation. In response, subject 1 refers to mobile terminal device 10, and subject 1 can be smoothly and directly rescued from the tense situation.

[0067] <Change example 1> In the first modification, if the target person 1 does not refer to the mobile terminal device 10 within a predetermined time after the output of the guidance voice, the guidance voice is output again.

[0068] FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the circuitry of the mobile terminal device 10 and the biological information transmitting device 20 according to the first modification.

[0069] 6, compared to the configuration in Fig. 2, the function of the reference determination unit 11d is added to the control unit 11. More specifically, the function of the reference determination unit 11d is added to the assistance app stored in the storage unit 12.

[0070] The reference determination unit 11d determines whether or not the subject person 1 references the mobile terminal device 10 after the guidance notification unit 11c outputs the guidance voice. This determination can be made by various methods.

[0071] For example, the reference determination unit 11d may determine whether the subject person 1 has referred to the mobile terminal device 10 based on whether the subject person 1 has touched any button on the home screen 100. Alternatively, in the case where the mobile terminal device 10 includes an illuminance sensor capable of detecting the brightness around the mobile terminal device 10, the reference determination unit 11d may determine whether the subject person 1 has referred to the mobile terminal device 10 based on whether the illuminance sensor detects a change in brightness that occurs when the mobile terminal device 10 is taken out of the bag 2.

[0072] Furthermore, if the mobile terminal device 10 is equipped with an acceleration sensor, the reference determination unit 11d may determine whether or not the subject person 1 has referenced the mobile terminal device 10 based on whether or not the acceleration sensor detects a change in acceleration that occurs when the mobile terminal device 10 is taken out of the bag 2. Alternatively, if the mobile terminal device 10 has a camera that captures an image of the face of a person facing the screen of the display input unit 14, the reference determination unit 11d may determine whether or not the subject person 1 has referenced the mobile terminal device 10 based on whether or not the face of the subject person 1, which has been registered in advance, is detected from an image captured by the camera.

[0073] FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a guidance voice output process according to the first modification.

[0074] The flowchart in Fig. 7 has additional steps S21 and S22 compared to the flowchart in Fig. 5. In step S21, the control unit 11 determines, by the function of the reference determination unit 11d, whether or not the target person 1 references the mobile terminal device 10 within a predetermined time (for example, several tens of seconds) from the output of the guidance voice. If the target person 1 references the mobile terminal device 10 within the predetermined time (S21: YES), the control unit 11 ends the processing in Fig. 7.

[0075] On the other hand, if the target person 1 does not refer to the mobile terminal device 10 within the predetermined time (S21: NO), the control unit 11 increases the volume of the guidance voice from the previous volume (S22) and outputs the guidance voice again (S14) by using the function of the guidance notification unit 11c. As a result, even if the target person 1 did not notice the output of the previous guidance voice, the output of the current guidance voice with a higher volume increases the possibility that the target person 1 will notice the presence of the mobile terminal device 10.

[0076] In this way, the control unit 11 repeatedly outputs the guidance voice (S14) while gradually increasing the volume (S22) until the target person 1 refers to the mobile terminal device 10 (S21: NO). This allows the target person 1 to more reliably notice the presence of the mobile terminal device 10 when he or she finds himself or herself in a tense situation, and enables the target person 1 to be more smoothly rescued from the tense situation.

[0077] 7, the processes of steps S22 and S14 are repeated until the determination of step S21 becomes YES, but an upper limit (for example, 3 to 5 times) may be set for the number of times the processes of steps S22 and S14 are repeated. Also, this upper limit may be set arbitrarily within a predetermined range by the user (for example, the supporter 4).

[0078] <Effects of Change Example 1> 6, the mobile terminal device 10 further includes a reference determination unit 11d that determines whether or not the target person 1 has referred to the mobile terminal device 10 after the output of the guidance voice. Then, as shown in FIG. 7, the guidance notification unit 11c outputs the guidance voice again (S14) based on the fact that the reference determination unit 11d has not determined that the target person 1 has referred to the mobile terminal device 10 within a predetermined time from the output of the guidance voice (S21: NO).

[0079] According to this configuration, if the target person 1 does not notice the output of the guidance voice or is unable to properly understand the guidance voice due to an urgent situation, the guidance voice is output again. Therefore, the guidance voice can make the target person 1 more reliably aware of the presence of the mobile terminal device 10.

[0080] As shown in FIG. 6, the guidance issuing unit 11c increases the volume of the guidance voice to be output again from the volume of the guidance voice output previously (S22).

[0081] According to this configuration, the guidance voice is output again at a louder volume, so that the target person 1 can more reliably notice the presence of the mobile terminal device 10. Therefore, the target person 1 can smoothly escape from a tense situation using the mobile terminal device 10 that he or she carries with him or her.

[0082] Note that step S22 may be omitted from the flowchart of Fig. 7. In this case, if the target person 1 does not refer to the mobile terminal device 10 within a predetermined time after the notification of the guidance voice, the guidance voice is output again, making it easier for the target person 1 to notice the guidance voice. However, in order to more reliably make the target person 1 notice the guidance voice, it is preferable to increase the volume of the guidance voice that is output again from the previous volume, as in the flowchart of Fig. 7.

[0083] <Change example 2> In the second modification, when the degree of tension of the subject 1 is higher than a predetermined threshold, a relief-related screen related to relief from a tense situation is preferentially displayed on the display input unit 14 instead of the home screen 100.

[0084] FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing a guidance voice output process according to the second modification.

[0085] The flowchart of Fig. 8 includes additional steps S31, S32, and S33 compared to the flowchart of Fig. 5. In step S31, the control unit 11 acquires the degree of tension of the subject 1 using the function of the situation determination unit 11b, and determines whether the acquired degree of tension is higher than a predetermined threshold (S32). If the degree of tension is higher than the threshold (S32: YES), the control unit 11 preferentially displays a rescue-related screen related to rescue from a stressful situation on the initial screen instead of the home screen 100 (S33).

[0086] Here, the degree of tension in step S31 may be obtained, for example, as a ratio of the current biological information to the average value of the above-mentioned biological information. For example, if the referenced biological information is a heart rate, the ratio of the current heart rate to the average heart rate may be obtained as the degree of tension. Alternatively, the ratio of the difference between the average value of the above-mentioned biological information and the current biological information to the average value may be obtained as the degree of tension. As long as the degree of tension of the subject 1 can be indicated, other calculation methods may be used to calculate the degree of tension using biological information.

[0087] The threshold value in step S32 may be set to the lower limit of a range of stress levels at which it is statistically determined that relief from a stressful situation should be prioritized over other support. A threshold value may be set for each type of biological information. When the stress levels of multiple types of biological information (heart rate, blood pressure, blood oxygen level, etc.) are referenced in the determination in step S32, the determination in step S32 may be YES if the stress level of at least one type exceeds the corresponding threshold value.

[0088] FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of the relief-related screen 120 displayed in step S33 of FIG.

[0089] In the example of FIG. 9, the relief-related screen 120 is configured as a screen for making a call to the supporter 4. The relief-related screen 120 includes a message 121 for guiding the user to make a call to the supporter 4, a button 122 for making a call to the supporter 4, and a button 123 for selecting not to make a call to the supporter 4. Here, the relief-related screen 120 is displayed superimposed on the home screen 100. The relief-related screen 120 may be displayed over the entire display area of the display input unit 14.

[0090] When the subject 1 operates the button 122, the control unit 11 executes a process of making a call to the mobile phone 50 of the supporter 4 who has been registered in advance. This allows the subject 1 to talk to the supporter over the phone and smoothly relieve the subject 1 from the tense situation. The phone number associated with the button 122 is registered in advance by the supporter 4 according to a predetermined registration screen. When the button 123 is operated, the relief-related screen 120 is closed and the home screen 100 is displayed.

[0091] It should be noted that the rescue-related screen 120 is not limited to the screen shown in Fig. 9. For example, the rescue-related screen 120 may include only a message that succinctly indicates the action that the subject 1 should take. However, when the level of tension is high, it is assumed that the subject 1 will find it difficult to take action on his / her own judgment, and therefore it is preferable that the subject 1 can quickly receive support from a rescuer. From this perspective, it may be preferable that a screen for making a phone call to the supporter 4 is displayed as the rescue-related screen 120, as shown in Fig. 9, so that the subject 1 can immediately call the supporter 4 without any judgment on his / her part.

[0092] <Effects of Change Example 2> As shown in FIG. 8, the situation determination unit 11b acquires the degree of tension of the subject 1 based on the biometric information (S31), and if the degree of tension is higher than a predetermined threshold (S32: YES), the screen display unit 11a preferentially displays a rescue-related screen 120 related to rescue from a stressful situation instead of the home screen 100 (S33).

[0093] According to this configuration, when the subject 1 is in a high state of tension, the relief-related screen 120 related to relief from the tension situation is preferentially displayed directly on the mobile terminal device 10 without going through the home screen 100. Therefore, the subject 1 can be smoothly and quickly relieved from the tension situation.

[0094] As shown in FIG. 9, the relief-related screen 120 preferably includes a button 122 for making a phone call to a supporter 4 who has been registered in advance.

[0095] According to this configuration, when the subject 1 is in a high level of urgency, a button 122 for directly calling the supporter 4 without going through the home screen 100 is displayed on the mobile terminal device 10. Therefore, the subject 1 can smoothly and quickly call the supporter 4 for help.

[0096] <Change example 3> FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing a guidance voice output process according to the third modification.

[0097] 10, step S34 is added compared to the flowchart of FIG. 8. In step S34, the control unit 11, by using the function of the guidance notification unit 11c, increases the volume of the guidance voice compared to when the degree of urgency does not exceed the threshold (S32: NO). Therefore, when the degree of urgency of the target person 1 exceeds the threshold, the guidance voice is output from the mobile terminal device 10 at a louder volume.

[0098] <Effects of Change Example 3> As shown in FIG. 10, the guidance issuing unit 11c increases the volume of the guidance voice when the degree of urgency exceeds the threshold (S32: YES) compared to when the degree of urgency does not exceed the threshold (S34).

[0099] According to this configuration, when the target person 1 is in a high level of tension, the guidance voice is output at a louder volume, so that even when the target person 1 is forced into a highly tense situation, the target person 1 can smoothly become aware of the presence of the mobile terminal device 10. Therefore, the target person 1 can smoothly escape from the tense situation using the mobile terminal device 10 that he or she carries with him or her.

[0100] <Other change examples> Although the embodiment and modified examples 1 to 3 of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment.

[0101] For example, in the process of Fig. 5, if it is determined that the subject 1 has fallen into a tense situation based on the currently received biometric information, the guidance voice is immediately output, but if it is continuously determined that the subject 1 has fallen into a tense situation in receiving the biometric information multiple times in succession (for example, the number of times the biometric information is received within about 10 seconds), the guidance voice may be output. This makes it possible to prevent the guidance voice from being output when it is determined that the subject 1 has fallen into a tense situation due to a sudden and temporary change in the biometric information.

[0102] Also, in the processing of Figure 8 (Modification 2) and Figure 10 (Modification 3), similar to the processing of Figure 7 (Modification 1), if the subject person 1 does not refer to the mobile terminal device 10 within a predetermined time after the guidance voice is output (S14), the guidance voice may be output again, and the volume of the guidance voice may be increased each time the guidance voice is output.

[0103] In the above-described embodiment and modifications 1 to 3, the functions of the screen display unit 11a, the situation section 11b, the guidance notification unit 11c, and the reference determination unit 11d are realized by a program (assistance app), but some or all of the functions may be realized by hardware configuration such as a logic circuit. Also, the mobile terminal device 10 is not limited to a configuration realized by downloading an assistance app to a general-purpose tablet terminal, and may be configured as a dedicated device for assisting elderly people, dementia patients, etc.

[0104] 1, subject 1 carries mobile terminal device 10 by storing it in bag 2, but the method by which subject 1 carries mobile terminal device 10 is not limited to this. Also, in the example of FIG. 1, supporter 4's mobile phone 50 is at home 3, but if supporter 4 is out, supporter 4 may of course take mobile phone 50 outside the home.

[0105] 9 may be made to a plurality of supporters 4. In this case, for example, the supporter-related screen 120 may include a plurality of combinations of the name of the supporter 4 and a button for making a call. Alternatively, the supporter-related screen 120 may be configured so that each time the subject 1 performs a sending operation, a supporter-related screen 120 including the name of one supporter and a button for making a call is sent in sequence. This allows the subject 1 to call other supporters 4 in sequence even if the supporter 4 he or she called does not answer the phone, and allows the subject 1 to more reliably receive support from the supporters 4 to escape from a tense situation.

[0106] In addition, the embodiments of the present invention can be modified in various ways as appropriate within the scope of the technical ideas set forth in the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0107] 1. Target audience 4 Supporters 10. Portable terminal device 11 Control section 11a Screen display section 11b Situation Judgment Section 11c Guidance notification section 11d Reference determination section 12 Storage section 20 Biometric information transmission device 100 Home Screen 101~104 buttons 120 Relief-related screen 122 button to make a call

Claims

1. A portable terminal device capable of communicating with a biometric information transmitting device that is worn by a subject and detects and transmits biometric information of the subject, a screen display unit that displays a home screen including buttons for executing functions for resolving the troubles of the subject; a situation determination unit that determines whether the subject is in a tense situation based on the biological information received from the biological information transmitting device; a guidance notification unit that outputs a guidance voice to notify the target person of the presence of the mobile terminal device based on a determination that the target person has fallen into a tense situation. A mobile terminal device characterized by:

2. 2. The mobile terminal device according to claim 1, the situation determination unit acquires a degree of urgency of the subject based on the biological information; when the degree of urgency is higher than a predetermined threshold, the screen display unit preferentially displays a rescue-related screen related to rescue from a stressful situation instead of the home screen. A mobile terminal device characterized by:

3. 3. The mobile terminal device according to claim 2, the relief-related screen includes a button for calling a pre-registered supporter; A mobile terminal device characterized by:

4. 3. The mobile terminal device according to claim 2, the guidance notifying unit increases the volume of the guidance voice when the degree of urgency exceeds the threshold value compared to when the degree of urgency does not exceed the threshold value. A mobile terminal device characterized by:

5. 2. The mobile terminal device according to claim 1, a reference determination unit that determines whether the target person references the mobile terminal device after the guidance voice is output, the guidance notifying unit outputs the guidance voice again based on the fact that the reference determining unit has not determined that the mobile terminal device has been referenced within a predetermined time from the output of the guidance voice. A mobile terminal device characterized by:

6. 6. The mobile terminal device according to claim 5, the guidance notification unit increases the volume of the guidance voice to be output again from the volume of the guidance voice output previously; A mobile terminal device characterized by:

7. A mobile terminal device according to any one of claims 1 to 6; a biological information transmitting device that is attached to a subject and detects and transmits biological information of the subject; A system for relieving a stressful situation.

8. A program for causing a control unit of a mobile terminal device capable of communicating with a biometric information transmitting device that is worn by a subject and detects and transmits biometric information of the subject, to execute a predetermined function, a function of displaying a home screen including a button for executing a function for resolving the problem of the subject; a function of determining whether the subject is in a tense situation based on the biological information received from the biological information transmitting device; and a function of outputting a guidance voice to notify the target person of the presence of the mobile terminal device based on a determination that the target person has fallen into a tense situation.

Images