Bedding device

Abstract

To provide a bedding device capable of promoting comfortable awakening of a user.SOLUTION: A bedding device 1 comprises: a bedding body 10; a movement mechanism 20 configured to move the bedding body 10 in order to change the position of the bedding body 10 in a horizontal direction; and a control device 30 configured to control the movement mechanism 20 to change the position of the bedding body 10 when a change condition is satisfied.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a sleeping device, and more particularly to a portable sleeping device. [Background technology]

[0002] Techniques for moving bedding devices have already been developed, and the technique described in Patent Document 1 is one example. The mobile bed described in Patent Document 1 includes a bed frame and casters attached to the bed frame, and can be moved with a user on it. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-32156 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] It is conceivable that a user who is sleeping in bedding such as a bed can be encouraged to wake up comfortably by exposing the user to sunlight, for example, when the user wakes up. One way to address this issue is to permanently place bedding in a position where it is exposed to sunlight when waking up, but if the bedding is permanently placed in that position, there may be cases where the bedding gets in the way in situations other than waking up. Furthermore, it is conceivable to use the mobile bed described in Patent Document 1 and manually move the bedding to a position where it is exposed to sunlight before getting up, but this places a heavy burden on the worker who moves the bedding.

[0005] Therefore, the present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a bedding device that can encourage a user to wake up in a comfortable manner. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The above-mentioned object is achieved by the bedding device of the present invention by comprising a bedding body, a moving mechanism for moving the bedding body in order to change the position of the bedding body in the horizontal direction, and a control device for controlling the moving mechanism to change the position of the bedding body when a change condition is met.

[0007] In the bedding device of the present invention, when the change condition is met, the position of the bedding body can be changed to a brighter position, thereby encouraging the user to wake up in a comfortable manner.

[0008] The bedding body may be movable between a first position set in a room of the building and a second position that is brighter than the first position, and the control device may control the movement mechanism to move the bedding body from one of the first position and the second position to the other. With the above configuration, the bedding body can be moved to the second position which is brighter than the first position, thereby encouraging the user to wake up in a comfortable manner.

[0009] Furthermore, the control device may set a change condition that the current time becomes the movement start time, and when the change condition is met, control the movement mechanism to move the bedding main body from the first position to the second position. With the above configuration, the bedding body can be moved to the second position which is brighter than the first position when the current time reaches the movement start time.

[0010] Furthermore, the control device may determine the second location from two or more candidate locations that are brighter than the first location, based on information about the vicinity of the candidate location when the change condition is met. With the above configuration, the bedding body can be moved to the second position, which is more suitable for the user to wake up comfortably.

[0011] Furthermore, the control device may control the movement mechanism to move the bedding main body from the second position to the first position after the user wakes up. With the above configuration, the second position can be effectively used after the user wakes up.

[0012] The second location may also be set outdoors and located in an adjacent space adjacent to the room in a building. With the above configuration, the bedding body can be positioned in an adjacent outdoor space that is directly exposed to sunlight, which can further promote a comfortable awakening for the user.

[0013] The moving mechanism may also have a rail laid between the first position and the second position, a running device that runs on the rail, and an electric motor that drives the running device, and the control device may control the electric motor based on the presence or absence of foreign objects on the rail when moving the bedding body. With the above configuration, the safety of the user sleeping on the bedding body can be ensured while the bedding body is being moved.

[0014] The moving mechanism may further include a vibration reduction mechanism that reduces vibrations when the traveling device travels on the rails. With the above configuration, vibrations to a user sleeping on the main bedding body can be reduced while the main bedding body is moving.

[0015] Furthermore, the control device may restrict the movement of the bedding body by the movement mechanism when the movement restriction condition is met. With the above configuration, the movement of the bedding body 10 is restricted, thereby ensuring the safety of the user sleeping on the bedding body.

[0016] The control device may also receive an input operation from the user, and control the movement mechanism based on the input operation to move the bedding body to a position according to the input operation. With the above configuration, the horizontal position of the bedding body can be adjusted at the user's discretion. [Effects of the Invention]

[0017] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a bedding device that can encourage a user to wake up in a comfortable manner. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0018] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram showing a house in which a bedding device according to one embodiment of the present invention is installed (part 1). [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a house in which a bedding device according to one embodiment of the present invention is installed (part 2). [Figure 3] 2 is a cross-sectional view of the bedding device taken along line AA in FIG. 1. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a control device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of the function of a control device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a procedure of a position change flow according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing a house in which a bedding device according to a modified example of the present invention is installed. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a procedure of a position change flow according to a modified example of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0019] Hereinafter, one embodiment of the present invention (hereinafter referred to as the present embodiment) will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following embodiments, a "house" is used as an example of a building, but the present invention can be implemented in buildings other than houses, such as nursing homes, offices, stores, hospitals, schools, and other facilities, as well as buildings for various purposes, such as buildings within factories. In addition, in this specification, the concept of "device" includes a single device that performs a specific function by itself, as well as a combination of multiple devices that are distributed and exist independently but work together (in cooperation) to perform a specific function. Furthermore, since the basic information processing technologies (communication / transmission technologies, information acquisition technologies, information recording technologies, information processing technologies, information analysis technologies, etc.) required to realize the contents of this embodiment are well-known technologies, explanations thereof will be omitted. In addition, in this specification, the term "user" refers to a user of the bedding device of the present invention, more specifically, a person who sleeps on the bedding body described below.

[0020] <<Overview of the bedding device according to this embodiment>> First, an outline of a bedding device (hereinafter referred to as bedding device 1) according to one embodiment of the present invention (hereinafter referred to as this embodiment) will be described with reference to FIGS. As shown in Figure 1, the bedding device 1 comprises a bedding main body 10, a movement mechanism 20 (see Figure 3) that moves the bedding main body 10, and a control device 30 (see Figure 3) that controls the movement mechanism 20 to change the position of the bedding main body 10. As shown in FIG. 1, the bedding device 1 is installed in, for example, a room R of a house H, and the bedding body 10 corresponds to a bed or the like on which a user residing in the house H lies. "Room R" is, for example, a living space in house H that is used at least for sleeping, and in this embodiment, has a rectangular floor plan extending in the north-south direction. An outdoor adjacent space S is adjacent to the south side of room R via a window W1, and adjacent space S corresponds to, for example, a terrace (or a balcony if on the second floor or higher). There is no particular limitation on the type of window W1, but in this embodiment, it is a bay window whose bottom edge extends to the floor of room R, allowing the user to move between room R and adjacent space S via window W1. On the east side of room R, for example, a window W2 is provided, and window W2 is installed, for example, in the center of the north-south direction.

[0021] Before the user goes to sleep, the bedding main body 10 is located at a first position P1 set in a room R of the house H, for example, a position adjacent to the north wall of the room R, as shown in FIG. 1. The user sets a wake-up time, for example, by operating an input device 43 (see FIG. 3) included in the bedding device 1, which will be described later, and then lies down on the bedding main body 10 to go to sleep. Thereafter, as the wake-up time approaches, the bedding main body 10 carrying the sleeping user moves from the first position P1 to a second position P2 that is brighter than the first position P1, specifically, a position adjacent to a window W1 on the south side of the room R, and stops at the second position P2. Note that the "second position" is preferably a position closer to the specified window than the first position, and is particularly preferably a position that the user uses for purposes other than sleeping, such as a position that the user passes through when leaving the room R to enter an adjacent space S, as shown in FIG. 2. As a result, the user can be exposed to sunlight through the window W1 and wake up comfortably at the wake-up time. After the user wakes up, the bedding body 10 returns from the second position P2 to the first position P1, which is the position before going to sleep, as shown in Figure 2.

[0022] <<Configuration of the bedding device according to this embodiment>> Next, the configuration of the bedding device 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. In the following description, the horizontal direction in which the bedding body 10 moves (north-south direction in FIG. 1) is referred to as the first direction, and the direction perpendicular to the first direction (east-west direction in FIG. 1) is referred to as the second direction. The first direction corresponds to the direction in which a rail 21 (described later) extends (see FIG. 1), and the second direction corresponds to the direction connecting the head and feet of a user lying on the bedding body 10 (see FIG. 1).

[0023] As shown in FIG. 3, the bedding device 1 includes a bedding body 10, a movement mechanism 20, a control device 30, a foreign object sensor 41, an alarm device 42, and an input device 43.

[0024] As shown in FIG. 3, the bedding body 10 has a bed 11 and a fall prevention member 12 provided on the bed 11. The bed 11 is a flat rectangular platform that is long in the second direction in a plan view, and corresponds to a bed on which a user lies. The fall prevention members 12 are members provided to prevent a user lying on the bed 11 from falling off the bed 11, and are provided at both ends of the bed 11 in the first direction. The bedding body 10 configured in this manner is movable between a first position P1 set in a room R of a house H and a second position set in a room R of the house H that is brighter than the first position, as shown in FIG.

[0025] The movement mechanism 20 is a mechanism that moves the bedding main body 10 in order to change the position of the bedding main body 10 in the horizontal direction. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 3, the movement mechanism 20 has a plurality of (two) rails 21, a plurality of (four) traveling devices 22, an electric motor 23, and a plurality of (four) vibration reduction mechanisms 24. The two rails 21 are spaced apart in the second direction. Each rail 21 extends in the first direction and is laid between a first position and a second position. For example, a groove extending in the first direction is formed in the rail 21, and the shape (cross-sectional shape) of the groove is not particularly limited as long as it has a shape corresponding to the traveling device 22 described below. The traveling devices 22 are, for example, wheels that travel on rails and engage with grooves in the rails 21. In this embodiment, the traveling devices 22 are located below each of the four corners of the bed 11. In the following description, the two traveling devices 22 that are closer to the adjacent space S in the first direction are also referred to as "front wheels," and the two traveling devices 22 that are farther from the adjacent space S in the first direction are also referred to as "rear wheels."

[0026] The electric motor 23 includes, for example, a motor (such as a rotary motor) that drives the traveling device 22, and applies a rotational force to, for example, at least one of the front and rear wheels of the traveling device 22 via a drive shaft, gears, etc. The electric motor 23 also includes, for example, a rotary encoder. The control device 30, which will be described later, can determine the position of the bedding main body 10 in the first direction (including the first position P1 and the second position P2) by calculating the amount and direction of movement of the bedding main body 10 in the first direction based on the output signal from the rotary encoder. The vibration reduction mechanism 24 is a mechanism that reduces vibration when the traveling equipment 22 travels on the rails 21. The vibration reduction mechanism 24 is provided, for example, near each traveling equipment 22, and may be, for example, a known damper mechanism including a shock absorber or the like as a component.

[0027] The control device 30 is a device that, when a change condition described below is met, controls the movement mechanism 20 to change the position of the bedding main body 10. More specifically, the control device 30 is a device that controls the movement mechanism 20 to move the bedding main body 10 from one of the first position P1 and the second position P2 to the other.

[0028] The control device 30 is made up of a computer, for example, a personal computer (PC), etc. The control device 30 may be made up of a single computer, or may be made up of multiple computers distributed in parallel. As shown in FIG. 4, the computer that constitutes the control device 30 includes a processor 30a, a memory 30b, a storage 30c, and a communication interface 30d.

[0029] The processor 30a is composed of, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), an MPU (Micro-Processing Unit), an MCU (Micro Controller Unit), a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), a TPU (Tensor Processing Unit), or an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit). The memory 30b is configured by semiconductor memories such as a ROM (Read Only Memory) and a RAM (Random Access Memory).

[0030] The storage 30c is configured by, for example, a flash memory, a hard disc drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), a flexible disc (FD), a magneto-optical disc (MO disc), a compact disc (CD), a digital versatile disc (DVD), a secure digital card (SD card), or a universal serial bus memory (USB memory). The storage 30c may be built into the computer main body that configures the control device 30, or may be attached to the computer main body in an external format. The communication interface 30d is configured by, for example, a network interface card, a communication interface board, etc. The computer configuring the control device 30 can communicate with, for example, other devices in the house H via the communication interface 30d.

[0031] The computer constituting the control device 30 has installed therein, as software, a program for the operating system (OS) and a program for a position change process that changes the position of the bedding main body 10. When these programs are read and executed by the processor 30a, the computer constituting the control device 30 performs the functions of the control device 30, and specifically, executes a series of information processes related to the position change process.

[0032] As shown in FIG. 3, the foreign object sensor 41 detects foreign objects on the rails 21 when the bedding main body 10 is moved. A "foreign object" is an object (obstacle) that is not normally detected when traveling on the rails 21, and there are no particular restrictions on the size or shape of the foreign object. Any known sensor can be used as the foreign object sensor 41, regardless of the type, as long as it can detect foreign objects on the rails 21, and it may be, for example, an ultrasonic sensor. The foreign object sensor 41 is attached to the bedding main body 10, and in the example shown in FIG. 3, it is attached to the bottom side of the bed 11. However, the foreign object sensor is not limited to this, and may be attached anywhere on the bed 11 or to the fall prevention member 12, etc., as long as it can detect foreign objects on the rails 21.

[0033] The alarm device 42 is a device that notifies a user of the detection of a foreign object when the foreign object sensor 41 detects a foreign object on the rail 21. For example, the alarm device 42 may sound an alarm or turn on a lamp or the like when a foreign object is detected.

[0034] The input device 43 is a device (for example, a remote control) through which the user performs an input operation. By operating the input device 43, the user specifies, for example, a wake-up time and a second location, which will be described later.

[0035] <<Functions of the control device according to this embodiment>> Next, the configuration of the control device 30 according to this embodiment will be described again from a functional perspective. The control device 30 has a receiving unit 51, a setting unit 52, a determining unit 53, and an output unit 54, as shown in FIG. These functional units are realized by the cooperation of hardware devices included in the computer that constitutes the control device 30 and a program (that is, software) installed in the computer. Each functional unit will be described below.

[0036] <Reception> The reception unit 51 receives an input operation from the user. Specifically, the user operates the input device 43 to, for example, specify a wake-up time and a second location, and the reception unit 51 receives, from the input device 43, the specified information on the wake-up time and the specified information on the second location. Furthermore, when a change condition, which will be described later, is established, the receiving unit 51 receives information from the foreign object sensor 41 regarding the presence or absence of a foreign object on the rail 21.

[0037] <Settings section> Based on the wake-up time designation information received by the receiving unit 51, the setting unit 52 sets the movement start time at which the bedding body 10 starts moving from the first position to the second position. The "movement start time" is set before the wake-up time, specifically, it is set to a time obtained by subtracting the first period from the wake-up time. The "first period" is a period for encouraging the user to wake up comfortably, and may be, for example, about 10 to 30 minutes. In this embodiment, the setting unit 52 sets "the current time becomes the movement start time" as the "change condition."

[0038] The setting unit 52 may set the movement start time based on, for example, information about the wake-up time stored in advance in the storage 30c, instead of the specified information about the wake-up time received from the receiving unit 51. A case in which information about the wake-up time is stored in advance in the storage 30c may be, for example, when the user collectively specifies the wake-up time on a weekly or monthly basis.

[0039] Furthermore, the setting unit 52 sets the second location based on the designation information of the second location received by the receiving unit 51. Note that the setting unit 52 may set the second location based on, for example, information about the second location pre-stored in the storage 30c, instead of the designation information of the second location received by the receiving unit 51. Examples of cases in which information about the second location is pre-stored in the storage 30c include when the user collectively designates the second location on a weekly or monthly basis, and when the provider of the bedding device 1 pre-sets the second location according to the layout of the room R when installing the bedding device 1 in the room R.

[0040] <Judgment part> The determination unit 53 determines whether or not the aforementioned "change condition" is met, specifically, whether or not the current time has reached the movement start time. Furthermore, the determination unit 53 determines whether or not the movement restriction condition is met. The "movement restriction condition" is a condition that restricts the movement of the bedding main body 10, and when the determination unit 53 determines that the movement restriction condition is met, the movement of the bedding main body 10 is restricted by the output unit 54, which will be described later. On the other hand, when the determination unit 53 determines that the movement restriction condition is not met, the output unit 54 moves the bedding main body 10.

[0041] Examples of "movement restriction conditions" include the following: (1) There is a foreign object on rail 21. (2) After the bedding body 10 reaches the second position, the second period has not yet elapsed since the wake-up time. (3) There is a problem with the electric motor 23 and the foreign object sensor 41.

[0042] Regarding (1) above, even if the change condition is met, the determination unit 53 determines that the movement restriction condition is met if it determines that a foreign object is present on the rail 21 based on the information regarding the presence or absence of a foreign object received by the reception unit 51. Note that the determination unit 53 constantly determines whether the movement restriction condition is met based on the information regarding the presence or absence of a foreign object that is updated in accordance with the movement of the bedding body 10 while the bedding body 10 is moving from the first position to the second position.

[0043] Regarding (2) above, after the bedding body 10 reaches the second position, the judgment unit 53 judges whether the current time has passed the second period from the wake-up time, and if it determines that the current time has not yet passed the second period from the wake-up time, it judges that the movement restriction condition has been met. The "second period" is, for example, a period estimated based on actual data from when a typical user wakes up until when they actually get up. Regarding (3) above, the judgment unit 53 judges whether or not the value determined from the output signals output from the electric motor 23 and the foreign object sensor 41, etc., exceeds a threshold value corresponding to a malfunction, and if the threshold value is exceeded, it determines that there is a malfunction in the electric motor 23 and the foreign object sensor 41, etc., and that the movement restriction condition is met.

[0044] <Output section> When the change condition is met, the output unit 54 controls the movement mechanism 20 to move the bedding main body 10 from the first position to the second position. On the other hand, when the movement restriction condition is met, the output unit 54 restricts the movement of the bedding main body 10 by the movement mechanism 20. The output unit 54 controls the movement mechanism 20 by outputting a drive-related signal to the electric motor 23 of the movement mechanism 20.

[0045] More specifically, after the change condition is met, the output unit 54 controls the movement mechanism 20 when moving the bedding main body 10 based on the presence or absence of a foreign object on the rail 21. If there is no foreign object on the rail 21, the output unit 54 moves the bedding main body 10 from the first position toward the second position, and if there is a foreign object on the rail 21, the output unit 54 restricts the movement of the bedding main body 10 from the first position toward the second position. Furthermore, after the bedding main body 10 reaches the second position, the output unit 54 restricts the movement of the bedding main body 10 before the current time has passed a second period from the wake-up time. On the other hand, after the current time has passed a second period from the wake-up time, i.e., after the user wakes up, the output unit 54 controls the movement mechanism 20 to move the bedding main body 10 from the second position to the first position. Then, after the bedding main body 10 reaches the first position P1, the output unit 54 again restricts the movement of the bedding main body 10. Furthermore, the output unit 54 restricts the movement of the bedding body 10 when it is determined that there is a malfunction in the electric motor 23, the foreign object sensor 41, or the like.

[0046] <<Regarding the position change flow according to this embodiment>> Next, we will explain the position change flow using the above-mentioned bedding device 1. The position change flow proceeds according to the flow shown in Figure 6. Note that the position change flow shown in Figure 6 is merely an example, and new steps may be added within the scope of the present invention.

[0047] The position change flow is started, for example, when a user presses a button for starting to go to bed provided on the input device 43, which generates a signal in conjunction with the pressing of the button. At each step of the position change flow, the processor 30a of the computer constituting the control device 30 executes processing corresponding to each step. In the location change flow, first, the processor 30a requests the user to specify a wake-up time and a second location. The wake-up time may be specified by the user, for example, through a button provided on the input device 43. Furthermore, for example, when specifying the second location, one or more second locations may be stored in advance in the storage 30c, and a designation button may be assigned to each second location on the input device 43, and the user may designate the second location by pressing any of the designation buttons. As a result, the processor 30a receives the wake-up time designation information and the second position designation information from the input device 43 (S001). Next, the processor 30a sets the movement start time at which the movement of the bedding body 10 from the first position to the second position starts based on the wake-up time designation information, and sets the second position based on the second position designation information (S002).

[0048] Next, the processor 30a determines whether a change condition is met, specifically, whether the current time has reached the movement start time (S003), and if the change condition is met, receives information about the presence or absence of a foreign object from the foreign object sensor 41 (S004). Thereafter, the processor 30a determines whether a movement restriction condition is met (S005), and if the movement restriction condition is not met, moves the bedding main body 10 from the first position toward the second position (S006). On the other hand, if the movement restriction condition is met, the processor 30a restricts the movement of the bedding main body 10 and ends the position change flow.

[0049] When the bedding main body 10 reaches the second position (S007), the processor 30a stops the bedding main body 10 at the second position (S008). After that, the processor 30a controls the movement mechanism 20 to move the bedding main body 10 from the second position toward the first position (S010) after the current time has passed a second period from the wake-up time, i.e., after the user has woken up. In reality, since the user has not necessarily woken up even after the second period has passed from the wake-up time, in this embodiment, the passage of the second period from the wake-up time is considered to be the user's wake-up. Then, after the bedding body 10 reaches the first position P1, the processor 30a stops the bedding body 10 (S011).

[0050] The position change flow ends when the above series of processes are completed. The position change flow is repeatedly executed every time the user presses the button on the input device 43 for starting to go to bed.

[0051] <<Effectiveness of this embodiment>> As described above, the bedding device 1 can change the position of the bedding main body 10 to a brighter position when the change condition is met, thereby encouraging the user to wake up more comfortably. More specifically, the bedding device 1 can move the bedding main body 10 to a second position that is brighter than the first position, allowing more light (sunlight) to hit the user at the second position than at the first position. As a result, the user can be encouraged to wake up more comfortably. In particular, the bedding device 1 can move the bedding body 10 to the second position when the current time reaches the movement start time, that is, before the wake-up time when the user actually wakes up. This allows the user to be exposed to sufficient light until the wake-up time, thereby facilitating the user's comfortable awakening.

[0052] Furthermore, the bedding device 1 can effectively utilize the second position after the user wakes up. For example, even if the second position P2 is located adjacent to the window W1 in the room R as shown in Fig. 1, the bedding body 10 moves to the first position after waking up, allowing the user to easily move between the room R and the adjacent space S.

[0053] Furthermore, when moving the bedding main body 10, the bedding device 1 controls the motor 23 based on the presence or absence of a foreign object on the rail 21, thereby ensuring the safety of the user sleeping on the bedding main body 10. For example, if the bedding device 1 travels on the rail 21 where a foreign object is present, the user may fall off the bedding main body 10 due to the impact when the traveling device 22 comes into contact with the foreign object. In response to this, the bedding device 1 can restrict the movement of the bedding main body 10 if a foreign object is present on the rail 21, thereby ensuring the safety of the user sleeping on the bedding main body 10. Furthermore, restricting the movement of the bedding main body 10 can prevent problems such as breakdown of the bedding device 1 due to contact with a foreign object. Furthermore, the bedding device 1 restricts the start-up of the bedding main body 10 not only when there is a foreign object on the rail 21 but also when the movement restriction condition is met, thereby further ensuring the safety of the user sleeping on the bedding main body and further preventing malfunctions such as breakdowns of the bedding device 1.

[0054] Furthermore, the bedding device 1 has a vibration reduction mechanism 24 that reduces vibrations when the traveling equipment 22 travels on the rails 21, so that vibrations to the user sleeping on the bedding main body 10 can be reduced while the bedding main body 10 is moving, particularly excessive vibrations that do not contribute to the user's comfortable awakening.

[0055] <<Other embodiments>> While one embodiment of the bedding device of the present invention has been described above, the above embodiment is merely an example for facilitating understanding of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. In other words, the present invention may be modified or improved without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Furthermore, the present invention naturally includes equivalents thereof.

[0056] In the above embodiment, the user directly specifies the second position, but this is not limiting. For example, as shown in Fig. 7, the second position may be determined from two or more candidate positions (three candidate positions C1, C2, and C3 in Fig. 7) based on surrounding information obtained from environmental sensors 61 (described below) provided in each of the room R and the adjacent space S (three environmental sensors 61 in Fig. 7). Note that the "candidate positions" are positions that are brighter than the first position, and may be positions in either the room R or the adjacent space S.

[0057] A bedding device according to a modified example of the present invention (hereinafter referred to as bedding device 1A) will be described below with reference to Figure 7. The following description will focus on differences from the above embodiment, and will omit a description of points that overlap with the above embodiment.

[0058] 7, the user specifies two or more candidate positions from two or more candidate positions (three candidate positions C1, C2, and C3 in FIG. 7) preset in the storage 30c of the control device 30. Note that the candidate positions are not limited to the candidate positions preset in the storage 30c, and may be arbitrarily set by the user based on the layout of the room R, for example. In the example shown in FIG. 7, three candidate positions C1, C2, and C3 are lined up from the first position P1 toward the adjacent space S in the first direction. Specifically, candidate positions C2, C1, and C3 are lined up from the first position P1 toward the adjacent space S in this order. Candidate position C1 is a position corresponding to the second position P2 shown in FIG. 1. Candidate position C2 is located between the first position P1 and candidate position C2 in the first direction and is adjacent to the window W2 on the east side of room R in the second direction. Candidate position C3 is a position set outdoors and located in the adjacent space S.

[0059] The bedding device 1A also differs from the above-described embodiment in that the rail 21 extends from the room R to the adjacent space S. Specifically, the rail 21 is composed of two rail pieces 21a and 21b, which are laid so as to sandwich the dedicated rail of the window section W1 extending in the second direction from the first direction. More specifically, the rail piece 21a is laid in the room R, and the rail piece 21b is laid in the adjacent space S, and the rail pieces 21a and 21b are adjusted to be positioned on the same straight line parallel to the first direction. Furthermore, for example, the height of the bottom surface of the groove of the rail 21 (the surface that comes into contact with the lower end of the traveling device 22 (wheels)) is adjusted to be approximately the same height as the upper end of the dedicated rail of the window section W1 so that the bedding body 10 traveling on the rail 21 can climb over the dedicated rail of the window section W1. In addition, the bedding device 1A may have, for example, an opening / closing mechanism (not shown) that opens and closes the window of the window section W1, and the control device 30 of the bedding device 1A may control the opening / closing mechanism to open and close the window of the window section W1 depending on the position of the bedding main body 10 so that the bedding main body 10 can move from one side of the room R to the other side of the adjacent space S.

[0060] The bedding device 1A further includes a plurality of (three) environmental sensors 61, which are installed around each of the three candidate positions C1, C2, and C3. The environmental sensors 61 may be installed, for example, on the ceiling on the head side (east side in this modification) of the bedding main body 10. In this modification, the environmental sensors 61 corresponding to each of the candidate positions C1 and C2 in the room R are installed in the room R, and the environmental sensor 61 corresponding to the candidate position C3 in the adjacent space S is installed in the adjacent space S.

[0061] The environmental sensor 61 is a sensor that detects information about the surroundings of the candidate position, specifically, brightness, and may be, for example, an illuminance sensor that detects illuminance. As the illuminance sensor, any known illuminance sensor may be used, regardless of the type, etc., as long as it is a sensor that can convert illuminance into an electrical signal. Furthermore, the environmental sensor 61 may detect, in addition to illuminance, for example, temperature and humidity, and any known temperature and humidity sensor (particularly a non-contact sensor) may be used, regardless of the type, etc., as long as it is a sensor that can convert temperature and humidity into an electrical signal. The environmental sensor 61 may be configured, for example, by combining an illuminance sensor with at least one of a temperature sensor and an illuminance sensor.

[0062] Next, a position change flow using the above-mentioned bedding device 1A will be described. The position change flow proceeds along the flow shown in Fig. 8. Note that a description of points common to the above-mentioned embodiment will be omitted. In the position change flow, first, the processor 30a requests the user to specify a wake-up time and two or more candidate positions. The wake-up time may be specified by the user, for example, through a button provided on the input device 43. Also, for example, when specifying two or more candidate positions, the input device 43 may be assigned a designation button for each of the two or more candidate positions stored in the storage 30c, and the user may designate the two or more candidate positions by pressing two or more designation buttons. As a result, the processor 30a receives information specifying the wake-up time and information specifying two or more candidate locations from the input device 43 (S101). Note that the processor 30a may specify, for example, all candidate locations stored in the storage 30c (for example, the three candidate locations C1, C2, and C3 shown in FIG. 7) without requesting the user to specify two or more candidate locations.

[0063] Next, the processor 30a sets the movement start time at which the bedding body 10 starts moving from the first position P1 to the second position P2 based on the specified information for the wake-up time, and sets two or more candidate positions based on the specified information for two or more candidate positions (S102). In addition, the processor 30a may perform a process to exclude the outdoor candidate location from the two or more candidate locations when, for example, there is an outdoor candidate location (e.g., candidate location C3 in FIG. 7) among the two or more candidate locations and the current time falls within a specific period of the year (such as midsummer or midwinter). Next, the processor 30a determines whether the change condition is met, specifically, whether the current time has reached the movement start time (S103), and if the change condition is met, it accepts surrounding information from each environmental sensor 61 (S104).

[0064] Then, the processor 30a determines a second location from among two or more candidate locations based on the surrounding information of the candidate location when the change condition is met (S105). For example, when the candidate location corresponding to the environmental sensor 61 showing the highest illuminance in illuminance information as the surrounding information is an outdoor candidate location, the processor 30a may determine the outdoor candidate location as the second location. Furthermore, the processor 30a may further consider temperature information as surrounding information, and determine the candidate location showing the second highest illuminance as the second location if the temperature at the candidate location showing the highest illuminance is above or below a predetermined range. Using the example shown in FIG. 7, even if the processor 30a determines that the outdoor candidate location C3 is the candidate location showing the highest illuminance, the processor 30a may determine the candidate location C1 in, for example, room R showing the second highest illuminance as the second location if the temperature at candidate location C3 is below a predetermined range.

[0065] Thereafter, the processor 30a performs steps S106 to S113 in the same procedure as steps S004 to S011 in the above embodiment, and the position change flow ends when the series of processes ends.

[0066] As described above, the bedding device 1A determines the second position from two or more candidate positions that are brighter than the first position based on the surrounding information of the candidate position when the change condition is met, thereby making it possible to move the bedding body 10 to a second position that is more suitable for the user to wake up comfortably. 7, the bedding device 1A can determine, as the second position, a candidate position C3 that is set outdoors and is in the adjacent space S. This allows the bedding body 10 to be positioned in the outdoor adjacent space S where sunlight directly hits, thereby further promoting a comfortable awakening for the user.

[0067] In the above-described modified example, the bedding device 1A is configured to have two environmental sensors 61 installed in the room R as shown in Fig. 7, but this is not limiting, and for example, instead of the two environmental sensors 61, one environmental sensor 61 may be installed (built-in) in the bedding main body 10. As a result, as the bedding main body 10 moves, the environmental sensor 61 installed in the bedding main body 10 can acquire surrounding information at each of the candidate positions C1 and C2. This reduces the number of environmental sensors 61, allowing the bedding device 1 to have a simple configuration.

[0068] Furthermore, in the above-described modified example, a new movement restriction condition other than the above-described movement restriction conditions (1) to (3) may be added, in which the second position is not present among the two or more candidate positions. More specifically, if the second position is not present among the two or more candidate positions, that is, if there is no position brighter than the first position, the bedding device 1A may determine that the movement restriction condition is met, and may restrict the movement of the bedding main body 10, leaving the bedding main body 10 stopped at the first position.

[0069] Furthermore, in the above-described modified example, if it is raining, a process may be performed to prevent the bedding body 10 from being moved to the adjacent outdoor space S. More specifically, if there is an outdoor candidate location among two or more candidate locations, the processor 30a acquires weather information (specifically, weather forecast information provided by the Japan Meteorological Agency, etc.). Based on the acquired weather information, the processor 30a may determine whether the weather will be rainy when the change condition is met, and if it is determined that it will be rainy, may perform a process to exclude the outdoor candidate location from the two or more candidate locations.

[0070] In the above embodiment, the bedding device 1 moves the bedding main body 10 from the second position to the first position after the current time has passed a second period from the wake-up time. However, this is not limited to this, and for example, the bedding device may have a determination sensor that determines whether the user has woken up, and move the bedding main body 10 from the second position to the first position based on the determination information of the determination sensor. The "determination sensor" may be a known sensor, such as a vibration sensor that detects vibrations of the bedding body 10, a weight sensor that detects the weight of the bedding body 10 (user), a body temperature sensor that detects the body temperature of the user lying on the bedding body 10, and a sensor that detects the user's movement from the bedding body 10.

[0071] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the moving mechanism 20 has rails 21, but this is not limited to this. For example, the moving mechanism may be configured without rails and be composed of a traveling device that can travel in the room R and adjacent space S even without rails.

[0072] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, when the movement restriction condition is met on the path from the first position to the second position (outbound path) (for example, when there is a foreign object on the rail 21), the movement of the bedding main body 10 is restricted, whereas on the path from the second position to the first position (return path), it does not matter whether the movement restriction condition is met or not. However, without being limited to this, the control device may also restrict the movement of the bedding main body 10 on the path from the second position to the first position, for example, when the movement restriction condition is met. This can prevent damage to the bedding device 1 on the return journey.

[0073] In the above embodiment, the control device 30 receives the specification of the wake-up time and the specification of the second location as input operations from the user. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, the control device 30 may receive an instruction to move (adjust) the position of the bedding main body 10 as an input operation from the user, and control the movement mechanism 20 based on the input operation to move the bedding main body 10 to a position corresponding to the input operation. The "position corresponding to the input operation" may be, for example, any of the first position P1 and candidate positions C1, C2, and C3 shown in Fig. 7, or may be a position different from these positions. This allows the user to adjust the horizontal position of the bedding main body 10 at will. Also, the user can move the bedding main body 10 to any position in the horizontal direction within its movable range at will. If the input device 43 is a portable remote control or the like that can be easily operated by the user on the bedding main body 10, the user can easily perform the above input operations even while lying on the bedding main body 10 (while on the bedding main body 10).

[0074] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, "the current time becomes the movement start time" is given as an example of the "change condition," but this is not limiting. For example, "the illuminance detected by the environmental sensor 61 installed in the outdoor adjacent space S exceeds a reference value" may be set as the "change condition." The "reference" here refers to, for example, the lower limit of typical outdoor illuminance values ​​(e.g., 6:30 AM) just before the wake-up time (e.g., 7 AM), and corresponds to, for example, the illuminance value on a rainy day when the sunrise time is late. [Explanation of symbols]

[0075] 1,1A Bedding Device 10 Bedding 11 berths 12 Fall prevention components 20 Moving mechanism 21 Rail 21a, 21b Rail pieces 22 Running equipment 23 Electric motor 24 Vibration reduction mechanism 30 Control device 30a processor 30b memory 30c storage 30d Communication Interface 41 Foreign object sensor 42 Alarm equipment 43 Input Devices 51 Reception 52 Setting section 53 Judgment section 54 Output section 61 Environmental Sensor C1,C2,C3 candidate position H Housing P1 1st position P2 2nd position Room R S Adjacent space W1, W2 window

Claims

1. The bedding itself, a moving mechanism that moves the bedding body to change the position of the bedding body in the horizontal direction; A bedding device comprising: a control device that controls the movement mechanism to change the position of the bedding main body when a change condition is met.

2. The bedding body is movable between a first position set in a room of a building and a second position brighter than the first position, The bedding device according to claim 1 , wherein the control device controls the movement mechanism to move the bedding body from one of the first position and the second position to the other.

3. The bedding device of claim 2, wherein the control device sets the change condition as the current time becoming the movement start time, and when the change condition is met, controls the movement mechanism to move the bedding main body from the first position to the second position.

4. The bedding device according to claim 2, wherein the control device determines the second position from among two or more candidate positions that are brighter than the first position based on surrounding information of the candidate positions when the change condition is met.

5. The bedding device according to claim 2 , wherein the control device controls the movement mechanism to move the bedding main body from the second position to the first position after the user wakes up.

6. The bedding device according to claim 2 , wherein the second location is set outdoors and is a location in an adjacent space adjacent to the room in the building.

7. the movement mechanism includes a rail laid between the first position and the second position, a traveling device that travels on the rail, and an electric motor that drives the traveling device; The bedding device according to claim 2 , wherein the control device controls the electric motor based on the presence or absence of a foreign object on the rail when moving the bedding body.

8. The bedding device according to claim 7 , wherein the movement mechanism further includes a vibration reduction mechanism that reduces vibrations generated when the traveling device travels on the rail.

9. The bedding device according to claim 1 , wherein the control device restricts movement of the bedding body by the movement mechanism when a movement restriction condition is met.

10. The control device Accepts input operations from the user, The bedding device according to claim 1 , wherein the movement mechanism is controlled based on the input operation to move the bedding body to a position corresponding to the input operation.

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