Meal amount measuring apparatus, meal amount measuring system, meal amount measuring method, and meal amount measuring program

Abstract

To provide a meal amount measuring apparatus, a meal amount measuring system, a meal amount measuring method, and a meal amount measuring program capable of accurately measuring meal amount taken by a measuring target person.SOLUTION: A meal amount measuring system 10 includes a tray 14 with a plurality of scales 12 for measuring weight for each of a plurality of foods provided as one meal serving. Weight data measured by the plurality of scales 12 is transmitted to an information processing unit 16. The information processing unit 16 determines a meal intake state of a measuring target person according to weight changes of the plurality foods from the start to the end of the meal.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a food amount measuring device, a food amount measuring system, a food amount measuring method, and a food amount measuring program. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, it has become important to understand the amount of nutritional intake from food, for example to prevent frailty in the elderly. For this reason, in nursing homes, for example, caregivers visually check and record the amount of food eaten by elderly people. This requires time and effort to record the amount of food eaten, and there are also issues with accuracy due to recording errors.

[0003] It is also known that eating vegetables before consuming proteins such as meat and fish can suppress the rise in blood sugar levels. Therefore, by consuming foods in the appropriate order, weight loss or anti-aging effects for beauty or diet purposes can be achieved.

[0004] As a method for measuring food intake, Patent Document 1 describes a device for measuring the eating speed of a subject ingesting food. Patent Document 2 describes measuring food intake by comparing pre-meal and post-meal images of a meal consisting of tableware and food composed of one or more ingredients placed on the tableware. Patent Document 3 describes attaching a bracelet-type acceleration sensor to a user's arm, monitoring the movement of the user's lower arm accompanying the user's eating behavior, and analyzing the details of the eating behavior. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 3719521 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-204105 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2011-107768 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, in Patent Document 1, the amount of food eaten is measured using a single scale, so although the total amount of food eaten can be determined, it is difficult to measure the amount of food eaten for each food. Also, when measuring the amount of food eaten using images, as in Patent Document 2, it is difficult to accurately determine changes in the amount of food eaten. Also, when determining the user's movement using an acceleration sensor, as in Patent Document 3, there is a large error in the amount of food that can be measured.

[0007] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a food amount measuring device, a food amount measuring system, a food amount measuring method, and a food amount measuring program that can accurately measure the amount of food ingested by a subject. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] One embodiment of the food intake measuring device of the present invention comprises a plurality of weight measuring means for measuring the weight of each of a plurality of foods provided as a single meal, and a determination means for determining the intake state of the foods by the person having eaten based on the change in weight of the plurality of foods from the start to the end of the meal.

[0009] According to this configuration, the change in weight ingested by the subject for each serving of food can be measured, so that the amount of food ingested by the subject can be accurately measured.

[0010] In the above-described food amount measuring device, the determining means may determine the intake state of each food item based on the results of time-series weight measurements by the weight measuring means. With this configuration, the dietary state of the subject can be easily grasped.

[0011] In the above-described food amount measuring device, the determining means may evaluate the eating speed based on the intake speed for each food item calculated based on the measurement results of the weight measuring means and an ideal intake speed for each food item according to the person who has eaten the meal. With this configuration, it can be easily determined for each food item whether the person is eating at an appropriate speed.

[0012] In the food intake measuring device, the determining means may determine the food intake pattern of the person who ate the meal based on the intake state of each food item for each predetermined period obtained by dividing the meal period into a plurality of periods. With this configuration, it can be easily determined whether food is being ingested appropriately.

[0013] In the above-described food amount measuring device, the determining means may determine the eating ability of the person who has eaten for each food based on the intake state of each food. With this configuration, the eating ability can be easily determined.

[0014] In the above-mentioned food amount measuring device, the determining means may notify the intake state of each food during the meal period. With this configuration, the timing at which food is ingested can be easily recognized.

[0015] The above-mentioned food amount measuring device may further comprise a food registration means for registering the type of food whose weight is to be measured for each of the plurality of weight measuring means. With this configuration, the weight of each food can be easily measured.

[0016] In the above-mentioned food amount measuring device, the plurality of weight measuring means may measure the weight of each of the dishes on which the food is placed. With this configuration, the weight of each of the foods can be easily measured.

[0017] The food amount measuring device may further include a scale combination registration means for registering a plurality of the weight measuring means as a set for measuring the weight of one of the dishes. With this configuration, by registering a plurality of weight measuring means as a set, it is possible to measure the weight of even large dishes that cannot be placed on a single weight measuring means.

[0018] The food amount measuring device may further include a designation means for designating the weight measuring means to be paired, and the scale combination registration means may register the plurality of weight measuring means designated via the designation means as the pair. With this configuration, for example, when a dish is too large to fit on a single weight measuring means, the plurality of weight measuring means to be paired can be automatically and easily registered.

[0019] In the above-described food amount measuring device, the scale combination registration means may register the plurality of weight measuring means as the set based on the placement state of the tableware relative to the plurality of weight measuring means. With this configuration, the plurality of weight measuring means to be set as one set can be automatically registered.

[0020] In the above-described food amount measuring device, a sensor may be provided around the weight measuring means, and the scale combination registration means may register the plurality of weight measuring means as the set based on the detection state of the sensor. With this configuration, the plurality of weight measuring means can be automatically registered as one set.

[0021] One aspect of the food intake measurement system of the present invention comprises a plurality of weight measuring devices that measure the weight of each of a plurality of foods provided as a single meal, and an information processing device that determines the intake state of the food by the person who has eaten based on the change in weight of the plurality of foods from the start to the end of the meal.

[0022] A method for measuring food intake according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a first step in which a plurality of weight measuring means measure the weight of each of a plurality of foods provided as a single meal, and a second step in which a determining means determines the intake state of the food by the person who has eaten based on the change in weight of the plurality of foods from the start to the end of the meal.

[0023] One aspect of the food intake measurement program of the present invention causes a computer to function as a control means that controls multiple weight measurement means to measure the weight of each of multiple foods provided as a single meal, and a determination means that determines the food intake status of a person who has eaten based on the change in weight of the multiple foods from the start to the end of the meal. [Effects of the Invention]

[0024] According to the present invention, the amount of food ingested by a subject can be accurately measured. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0025] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of the food amount measurement system of this embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of the food amount measurement system of this embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the flow of the meal amount determination process of this embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a graph showing the change in food intake over time in this embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a graph showing the change in food intake over time in this embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a graph showing the time change and distance between the ideal eating speed and the actually measured eating speed. [Figure 7] Figure 7 shows the intake of each food by the subject when the dietary period is divided into multiple periods, where (A) shows the intake of each food in the first half of the dietary period, (B) shows the intake of each food in the middle of the dietary period, and (C) shows the intake of each food in the second half of the dietary period. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a graph used to explain the eating capacity for each food. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram showing a case where the weight of one piece of tableware is measured using a plurality of scales according to this embodiment. [Figure 10]Figure 10 is an explanatory diagram for registering multiple scales as a set in this embodiment, where (A) is a registration image for grouping multiple scales into one set, and (B) is a schematic diagram of a tray equipped with a designation switch for specifying multiple scales to be grouped together. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram for registering multiple scales as a set in this embodiment, where (A) is a schematic diagram of registration by image recognition, and (B) is a graph showing the case where multiple scales detect weight changes at the same time. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram of a scale equipped with the sensor of this embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram of a food amount measuring system according to another embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0026] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the embodiment described below shows an example of how the present invention can be implemented, and the present invention is not limited to the specific configuration described below. When implementing the present invention, a specific configuration corresponding to the embodiment may be appropriately adopted.

[0027] Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of a food amount measuring system 10 according to this embodiment, and Fig. 2 is a functional block diagram of the food amount measuring system 10. The food amount measuring system 10 is used, for example, in elderly care facilities.

[0028] The food amount measuring system 10 includes a tray 14 on which a plurality of scales 12 serving as weight measuring means are provided, and an information processing device 16.

[0029] The plurality of scales 12 measure the weight of each of the plurality of foods provided as one meal. In the example of Fig. 1, six scales 12-1 to 12-6 are provided on the tray 14, but the number of scales 12 is not limited to two as long as it is two or more.

[0030] A tray 14 is provided for each subject (hereinafter referred to as "subject") whose food intake is to be measured, and one meal's worth is placed on the tray 14. Specifically, in this embodiment, a dish 18 is placed on each scale 12, and one type of food is served on each dish 18. For example, the dish 18 placed on scale 12-4 contains rice, the dish 18 placed on scale 12-5 contains meat, and the dish 18 placed on scale 12-6 contains vegetables. In this way, the multiple scales 12 measure the weight of each dish 18 on which food is placed. Note that no dish 18 is placed on scales 12-1, 12-2, or 12-3. In this way, it is not necessary for dish 18 to be placed on all scales 12; there may be a scale 12 on which no dish 18 is placed.

[0031] The top surface of the tray 14 is flat, and the positions of the scales 12 are marked on it so that the positions of the scales 12 can be easily identified. The marked positions of the scales 12 are, for example, rectangular marks as shown in Fig. 1, or marks indicating the center positions of the scales 12. By providing such marks on the surface of the tray 14, the user is encouraged to return the dishes 18 that have been picked up for eating to the same position on the scale 12.

[0032] As shown in FIG. 2, each of the plurality of scales 12 includes a load cell 20, an amplifier circuit 22, and an AD converter 24.

[0033] The load cell 20 measures the weight of the tableware 18 (food) placed on the scale 12 and outputs the result as a measurement signal.

[0034] The amplifier circuit 22 amplifies the measurement signal output by the load cell 20 .

[0035] The AD converter 24 converts the measurement signal amplified by the amplifier circuit 22 from an analog signal to a digital signal (hereinafter referred to as "weight data").

[0036] The tray 14 also includes a control unit 26 and a data transmission / reception unit 28, along with a plurality of scales 12.

[0037] The control unit 26 controls the on / off of each scale 12, and also adds identification information corresponding to each scale 12 and measurement time information indicating the measurement time to the weight data output from each scale 12.

[0038] The data transmitter / receiver 28 transmits and receives data via wire or wirelessly (Bluetooth, WiFi (registered trademark), etc.) to and from the information processing device 16. Specifically, the data transmitter / receiver 28 receives an on signal or off signal for the scale 12 from the information processing device 16 and transmits weight data to the information processing device 16.

[0039] The information processing device 16 is a laptop personal computer (Personal Computer), desktop personal computer, tablet mobile processing terminal, or the like, on which an application for executing the food amount determination process described below (hereinafter referred to as the "food amount determination app") is installed. The operator of the information processing device 16 executes the food amount determination process by starting the food amount determination app. The operator may be the same person as the person eating the meal, or may be a different person (for example, a caregiver or facility manager).

[0040] The information processing device 16 includes a calculation unit 30, a storage unit 32, and a data transmission / reception unit .

[0041] The calculation unit 30 is, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or the like, and executes various calculations such as meal amount determination processing.

[0042] The memory unit 32 is, for example, a non-volatile memory such as a flash memory or an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), and stores various data such as weight data transmitted from the tray 14, as well as programs (meal amount determination apps) used for processing by the calculation unit 30.

[0043] The data transmitter / receiver 34 transmits and receives data to and from the tray 14 via wire or wirelessly.

[0044] The calculation unit 30 of this embodiment includes a scale control unit 40, a food registration unit 42, a scale combination registration unit 44, and an intake state determination unit 46.

[0045] The scale control unit 40 generates on and off signals to control the operation of the scales 12 provided on the tray 14 in response to operations on the meal amount determination app. These on and off signals are sent from the data transmission / reception unit 34 to the tray 14, causing the multiple scales 12 to start or stop measuring weight. Note that the multiple scales 12 may be controlled so that scales 12 on which no tableware 18 is placed are not turned on.

[0046] The food registration unit 42 registers the type of food to be weighed for each of the multiple scales 12. Food registration is performed, for example, via a food amount determination app when creating a menu.

[0047] In this embodiment, one dish 18 is placed on each scale 12, and one type of food is served on each dish 18. Therefore, the dish 18 on which the registered food is served is placed on the scale 12. Note that food may be registered by food category, such as cooked rice, meat, and vegetables, or by the names of specific ingredients, such as rice, beef, pork, cabbage, cucumber, and tomato, or by the name of a dish.

[0048] The relationship between the scale 12 and the food registered by the food registration unit 42 is compiled into a database and stored in the storage unit 32. This database may be stored in a server capable of transmitting and receiving data to and from the information processing device 16.

[0049] The scale combination registration unit 44 registers multiple scales 12 that are grouped together to measure the weight of one piece of tableware 18. A large piece of tableware 18 may not be able to be placed on a single scale 12. Therefore, by registering multiple scales 12 as a group, the group of multiple scales 12 functions as a single scale 12. As a result, the sum of the weights measured by the group of multiple scales 12 is regarded as the weight of one piece of tableware 18. The registration of combinations of scales 12 will be described in detail below.

[0050] As an example, the combination of scales 12 is automatically cancelled after each meal. Therefore, in order to combine multiple scales 12 to function as a single scale 12, registration is required for each meal.

[0051] The intake state determination unit 46 determines the food intake state of the person (subject) who has eaten based on the weight changes of multiple foods from the start to the end of the meal. Note that the intake state determination unit 46 of this embodiment determines the food intake state based on the time-series weight measurement results using the scale 12.

[0052] 3 is a flowchart showing the flow of the food amount determination process. The food amount determination process is started when the food amount determination app is launched in the information processing device 16 and the operator performs an operation to start the food amount determination process.

[0053] First, in step S100, the plurality of scales 12 measure the weight of the tableware 18 placed on each scale at predetermined time intervals (for example, every 30 seconds), and transmit the weight data to the information processing device 16 via the control unit .

[0054] In the next step S102, each time the information processing device 16 receives weight data from the tray 14, the intake state determination unit 46 calculates the difference from the previously received weight data as a weight change. The calculated difference data is stored in chronological order together with the weight data in the memory unit 32. The weight data and difference data for each scale 12 may be displayed in real time on the monitor of the information processing device 16.

[0055] In the next step S104, the intake state determination unit 46 determines whether the meal has ended, and if the determination is affirmative, the process returns to step 100, where weight measurement by the scale 12 continues. On the other hand, if the determination is negative, the process proceeds to step 106. The end of the meal is determined, for example, by whether an input operation indicating the end of the meal has been performed on the information processing device 16 via the meal amount determination app. However, the end of the meal may be determined after a preset time has elapsed (for example, one hour) since the start of the meal, or when the food intake amount described below reaches 100%.

[0056] In the next step S106, the intake state determination unit 46 determines the food intake state of the subject based on the time-series weight data and difference data stored in the information processing device 16.

[0057] In the next step S108, the determination result of the food intake state is displayed on the monitor of the information processing device 16. The determination result may also be stored in the storage unit 32 or printed on a paper medium by a printing device.

[0058] Next, we will explain the food intake state determination performed in step S106. Note that, although in Fig. 3 the food intake state determination is performed after the meal has ended, this is not limiting, and the intake state determination may be performed in real time while the subject is eating, based on the weight changes of multiple foods from the start to the end of the meal.

[0059] FIG. 4 is an example of a graph showing the change over time in food intake based on weight data. In the example of FIG. 4, cooked rice, meat, and vegetables are registered on three scales 12, and the change over time in their intake is shown. A food intake of 0% indicates that the food in question has not been consumed, and a food intake of 100% indicates that the entire food in question has been consumed. Note that in the example of FIG. 4, the weight of the tableware 18 has been subtracted from the weight data.

[0060] Furthermore, by registering the nutrients for each food in a database, the amount of nutrients for each food ingested may be calculated. Assuming that the amount of nutrients ingested for each food is proportional to the dietary intake, the amount of nutrients at the time of ingestion can be measured.

[0061] 5 shows a case where the food intake is not 100% at the end of the meal, and the difference between the measured food intake and 100% is determined as the amount of food left over. The amount of food left over may be determined for each food item or as the total amount of multiple foods.

[0062] In this way, the intake state determination section 46 can determine the measurement subject's eating state based on the dietary intake amount for each food. Below, the scoring of eating style, eating style determination, and eating function determination as dietary states will be explained.

[0063] <Scoring eating habits> The intake state determination unit 46 evaluates the eating speed based on the eating speed for each food calculated based on the measurement results of the scale 12 (hereinafter referred to as the "measured eating speed") and the ideal eating speed for each food for the subject (hereinafter referred to as the "ideal eating speed"), in other words, determines the appropriateness of the eating speed. The measured eating speed is calculated by differentially calculating the weight measured by the scale 12 for each sampling or over a certain period of time.

[0064] An ideal eating speed for each food is set for each subject. For example, the ideal eating speed may be set based on the physical condition of the subject. The ideal eating speed for a subject with a high blood glucose level indicates a veggie-first eating style, in which vegetables are eaten first. On the other hand, the ideal eating speed for a subject with a normal blood glucose level indicates a balanced eating style, in which rice, meat, and vegetables are eaten alternately, a so-called triangular eating style. Furthermore, without being limited to this, the ideal eating speed may be set based on the subject's physical condition other than the blood glucose level, or may be set based on the subject's age, gender, etc., or may be calculated from the average of the subject's meals taken multiple times.

[0065] Eating speed is evaluated by calculating the distance between the measured eating speed and the ideal eating speed, and then scoring the correlation between the eating speed for each food item. Figure 6 is an example of a graph showing the time change and distance between the ideal eating speed (dashed line) and the measured eating speed (solid line). As shown in Figure 6, eating speed is shown as a broken line or curve. For example, if the measured eating speed and the ideal eating speed are the same, the distance between the measured eating speed and the ideal eating speed is used as a score so that the distance (difference) is 0. Therefore, the greater the difference between the measured eating speed and the ideal eating speed, the higher the score.

[0066] In this way, the eating speed is evaluated by, for example, scoring the intake amount of each food for each elapsed time from the start of the meal, and determining the timing and amount of each food that the subject ingested. Furthermore, scoring also makes it easy to determine (evaluate) whether the eating speed is appropriate. The time elapsed from the start of the meal may be divided into three periods, for example, from the start to the end of the meal, and may be designated as the first half, middle, and second half.

[0067] <Eating style judgement> The intake state determining section 46 determines the food intake pattern of the subject based on the intake state of each food item for each of the predetermined periods obtained by dividing the eating period into a plurality of periods.

[0068] FIG. 7 shows the intake of each food by the subject when the meal period is divided into three periods: the first half, the middle, and the second half. FIG. 7(A) shows the intake of each food in the first half of the meal period. FIG. 7(B) shows the intake of each food in the middle of the meal period. FIG. 7(C) shows the intake of each food in the second half of the meal period. Note that dividing the meal period into three periods is just one example; the meal period may also be divided into two periods, the first half and the second half, or into four or more periods.

[0069] As shown in Figure 7, if the intake in the first half is vegetables > meat > rice, and the intake of vegetables is lower than other foods in the middle and latter half, the subject is determined to be eating vegetables first (vegetables first). Also, for example, if the eating period is divided into multiple periods and the food intake for each period is compared, and the intake in each period is vegetables ≒ rice ≒ meat, the subject is determined to be eating a well-balanced diet, or what is known as a triangular diet.

[0070] In this way, the intake state determination unit 46 determines the intake pattern of each food by the subject by comparing the intake state of each food for each of the divided meal periods. Note that intake patterns include, for example, patterns related to the order of food intake (such as the above-mentioned veggie first), patterns related to the timing of food intake (such as the amount of intake in the middle of a meal period being greater than in other periods), and patterns related to the balance of intake for each food (such as the above-mentioned triangular eating pattern). This allows the intake state determination unit 46 to easily determine whether the subject is ingesting food appropriately.

[0071] <Eating function assessment> The intake state determination unit 46 determines the subject's eating ability for each food based on the intake state of each food. The eating ability refers to, for example, the functions of chewing and swallowing.

[0072] The eating function assessment evaluates the subject's eating ability (chewing and swallowing functions) based on the state of being able to ingest certain foods (soft foods) but not other foods (hard foods, elastic foods).As an example, the eating function assessment evaluates the subject's eating ability based on the state of food intake over a shorter time interval than the eating style assessment described above.

[0073] The assessment of eating ability will be described in detail with reference to Figure 8. The slope of the food intake amount for each food item shown in Figure 8 corresponds to the time the subject holds the dish 18 in their hand and the amount of food they ingest at one time. In other words, the steeper the slope, the more food they ingest at one time and the shorter the time it takes them to return the picked-up dish 18 to the tray 14. This indicates that their eating ability for the ingested food is good.

[0074] On the other hand, a small slope indicates that the amount of food eaten at one time is small and that it takes a long time for the person to return the picked-up dish 18 to the tray 14, which is an indication of resistance to the food eaten and a decline in eating ability for that food. In the example of FIG. 8, the slope (slope A) is large for cooked rice, so the eating ability for cooked rice is good, but the slope (slope B) is small for meat, so it is determined that the eating ability for meat is declining. As an example, a standard slope (hereinafter referred to as "standard slope") may be set for each food, and eating ability may be determined by comparing the standard slope with the measured slope.

[0075] Alternatively, eating ability may be assessed based on the time interval between ingesting one food and ingesting another. In the example of Figure 8, the time interval D between ingesting meat and ingesting vegetables is longer than the time interval C between ingesting cooked rice and ingesting meat. This is thought to be because it takes longer to chew and swallow meat. In other words, it is determined that the ability to eat meat is impaired.

[0076] The intake state determination unit 46 may determine the subject's eating ability based on the intake state of multiple meals, rather than determining the subject's eating ability based on the intake state of a single meal. For example, the subject's eating ability may be determined by comparing the intake state of the past (several months ago) with the most recent intake state.

[0077] In this way, if a long time passes before a particular food is finished or if a particular food is left uneaten, it is assumed that the subject has problems with chewing and swallowing. By assessing eating function, it is possible to detect malnutrition problems in elderly people caused by an inability to eat properly. Furthermore, it is possible to provide the necessary functional training to restore chewing and swallowing function before the decline becomes serious.

[0078] <Monitor display of intake status> The intake state determination unit 46 of this embodiment notifies the intake state of each food during a meal period from the start to the end of the meal. This makes it easy to recognize the timing at which food is ingested. The intake state determination unit 46 of this embodiment notifies the user by displaying a graph on the monitor of the information processing device 16, for example, as shown in Figures 6 to 8, but is not limited to this and may also notify the user by audio.

[0079] While Fig. 6 shows an example in which the ideal eating speed and the actual eating speed are displayed in a line graph for comparison, they may also be displayed as curves instead of lines. By using a line graph or curve graph as in Fig. 6, it becomes easy to recognize the difference between the subject's eating pattern and the ideal eating pattern. Furthermore, by showing the dietary intake of each food item for each predetermined period as a bar graph as in Fig. 7, it becomes easy to recognize the difference in dietary intake of each food item over different periods.

[0080] 6 to 8 may be displayed on the monitor in real time while the subject is eating, or may be displayed after the subject has finished eating. Also, the graphs shown in Fig. 6 to 8 may be displayed on the monitor simultaneously.

[0081] Furthermore, as a mode of notification, an alarm may be issued as an abnormality if the degree of deviation between the ideal eating speed and the actual eating speed exceeds a predetermined value (predetermined score), if only a specific food is ingested at once, if no food is ingested for a certain period of time, or if a large amount of food is lost in a short period of time. For example, if a large amount of food is lost, it is possible that the subject has spilled food from the dish 18 or has ingested a large amount of food in a short period of time for some reason. In such cases, it is possible that something is wrong with the subject, and therefore an alarm is issued by audio or visual means from the information processing device 16 for detecting abnormalities.

[0082] Next, the combination registration for combining a plurality of scales 12 into one scale 12 will be described.

[0083] Figure 9 shows an example of measuring the weight of one large dish 18 using multiple scales 12. In the example of Figure 9, scales 12-2, 12-3, 12-5, and 12-6 measure the weight of one dish 18. For this reason, scales 12-2, 12-3, 12-5, and 12-6 are registered by the scale combination registration unit 44 so that they function as one scale 12. Note that Figure 9 is just one example, and other combinations of multiple scales 12 may be registered, but the multiple scales 12 registered as a combination must be adjacent to each other.

[0084] Next, a specific example of a combination registration method will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0085] FIG. 10(A) is a registered image 50 for grouping a plurality of scales 12 into one group.

[0086] The registered image 50 is displayed on the monitor of the information processing device 16 by starting the food intake measurement app on the information processing device 16 and performing a predetermined operation. The operator manually specifies a scale image 52 (52-1 to 52-6) that resembles a scale 12 included in the registered image 50. The scale combination registration unit 44 then registers the multiple scales 12 corresponding to the specified scale images 52 so that they function as a single scale 12. Note that the hatched scale images 52-2, 52-3, 52-5, and 52-6 in Fig. 10(A) correspond to the scales 12 specified as a set.

[0087] FIG. 10(B) is a schematic diagram of a tray 14 provided with a designation switch 56 for designating a plurality of scales 12 to be grouped together.

[0088] 10(B), three types of designation switches 56 are provided for each scale 12 so that three combinations can be made simultaneously. That is, the scale combination registration unit 44 registers multiple scales 12 for which the designation switches 56 with the same number have been pressed so that they function as a single scale 12.

[0089] As described above, the food amount measurement system 10 of this embodiment is provided with a designation means (registered image 50 or designation switch 56) that allows the operator to designate multiple scales 12 to be grouped together, and the scale combination registration unit 44 registers the multiple scales 12 designated via the designation means as a group. This allows multiple scales 12 to be grouped together manually and easily.

[0090] The scale combination registration unit 44 may also register multiple scales 12 as a group based on the placement of tableware 18 on the multiple scales 12. This allows multiple scales 12 to be automatically registered as a group.

[0091] Fig. 11(A) is a schematic diagram of registration by image recognition. In Fig. 11(A), with tableware 18 placed on the scale 12, an operator takes an image of the tray 14 with the camera 60, and the image data is sent from the camera 60 to the information processing device 16.

[0092] 11(A), one dish 18 is placed on each of the scales 12-2, 12-3, 12-5, and 12-6, and one dish 18 is placed on each of the scales 12-1 and 12-4. The information processing device 16 performs image recognition of the placement of the dishes 18, and the scale combination registration unit 44 registers the scales 12-2, 12-3, 12-5, and 12-6 as one set.

[0093] 11(B) is a graph showing a case where multiple scales 12 detect weight changes at the same time. In FIG. 11(B), scales 12-2, 12-3, 12-5, and 12-6 detect weight at the same time A, and the weight change ends at the same time B.

[0094] Based on this change in weight, the information processing device 16 determines that one piece of tableware 18 has been placed on the scales 12-2, 12-3, 12-5, and 12-6, and the scale combination registration unit 44 registers the scales 12-2, 12-3, 12-5, and 12-6 as one set.

[0095] Furthermore, in the food amount measurement system 10, sensors 64 may be provided around the scales 12, and the scale combination registration section 44 may register a plurality of scales 12 as a set based on the detection state of the sensors 64.

[0096] Fig. 12 is a schematic diagram of a scale 12 provided with a sensor 64 that detects when a cover tray 62 is placed on it. As shown in Fig. 12, the sensor 64 is provided around the scale 12, and the sensor 64 and the scale 12 are associated with each other. A cover tray 62B is placed on top of the multiple scales 12, and tableware 18 is placed on this cover tray 62B.

[0097] The sensors 64 in this embodiment are contact switches, and the sensors 64 around the scales 12 on which the cover tray 62 is placed are pressed by the cover tray 62. This pressing causes the sensors 64 to detect that the cover tray 62 has been placed, and the multiple scales 12 corresponding to the pressed sensors 64 are registered as one group. Note that the sensors 64 may be non-contact sensors instead of contact sensors.

[0098] Although a plurality of combination registration methods have been described above, the present invention is not limited to this, and a registration method may be one in which the above-mentioned plurality of methods are combined.

[0099] For example, the operator may specify the plurality of scales 12 to be paired using the registered image 50 while checking an image of the tray 14 captured by the camera 60 on the monitor of the information processing device 16. Alternatively, the operator may specify the plurality of scales 12 to be paired using the registered image 50 while checking the graph shown in Figure 11(B) on the monitor of the information processing device 16. Alternatively, the operator may specify the plurality of scales 12 to be paired using the registered image 50 while checking the placement state of the cover tray 62 shown in Figure 12.

[0100] As described above, food amount measuring system 10 of this embodiment includes a tray 14 equipped with multiple scales 12 that measure the weight of each of the multiple foods provided as one meal. Weight data measured by the multiple scales 12 is transmitted to information processing device 16, which then determines the food intake status of the subject based on the change in weight of the multiple foods from the start to the end of the meal.

[0101] As a result, the food intake measurement system 10 of this embodiment can measure the change in weight ingested by the subject for each piece of food provided in one meal, thereby accurately measuring the amount of food ingested by the subject.

[0102] Although the present invention has been described above using the above-mentioned embodiment, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the scope described in the above-mentioned embodiment. Various changes or improvements can be made to the above-mentioned embodiment without departing from the gist of the invention, and such changes or improvements are also included in the technical scope of the present invention.

[0103] In the above embodiment, a configuration in which multiple scales 12 are provided on the tray 14 has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, as shown in Fig. 13, the multiple scales 12 do not have to be provided on the tray 14 and their positions do not have to be fixed. In this configuration, a control unit 26 and a data transmission / reception unit 28 are provided for each scale 12, and each scale 12 transmits data to and from the information processing device 16.

[0104] Alternatively, the tray 14 equipped with multiple scales 12 may be equipped with a calculation unit 30 and a memory unit 32, and the functions of the information processing device 16 may be performed by the tray 14. In this case, the tray 14 may also be provided with a monitor and operation means such as a touch panel display, and the weight data and the food intake state determination results may be transmitted to a server. [Explanation of symbols]

[0105] 10. Food quantity determination system (food quantity determination device) 12 Scales (weight measurement means) 18 Tableware 40 Scale control unit (control means) 42 Food registration unit (food registration means) 44 Scale combination registration unit (scale combination registration means) 46 Intake state determination unit (determination means) 50 Registration image (designation method) 56 Designation switch (designation means) 62 sensors

Claims

1. a plurality of weight measuring means for measuring the weight of each of the plurality of foods provided as a single meal; a determining means for determining the intake state of the food by the person who has eaten based on the change in weight of the plurality of foods from the start to the end of the meal; A food intake measuring device comprising:

2. 2. The food amount measuring device according to claim 1, wherein said determining means determines the intake state of each food item based on the results of time-series weight measurements by said weight measuring means.

3. 3. The food amount determining device according to claim 2, wherein the determining means evaluates the eating speed based on the intake speed of each food item calculated based on the measurement results of the weight measuring means and an ideal intake speed for each food item.

4. 5. The food amount determination device according to claim 2, wherein the determination means determines the food intake pattern of the person who has eaten based on the intake state of each food item for each predetermined period obtained by dividing the eating period into a plurality of periods.

5. 5. The food amount determination device according to claim 2, wherein the determination means determines the eating ability of the person who has eaten for each food based on the intake state of each food.

6. 6. The food amount determining device according to claim 2, wherein the determining means notifies the user of the intake state of each of the foods during a meal period.

7. 7. The food amount measuring device according to claim 1, further comprising a food registration means for registering the type of food whose weight is to be measured for each of the plurality of weight measuring means.

8. 8. The meal amount measuring device according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of weight measuring means measure the weight of each of the dishes on which the food is placed.

9. 9. The meal amount measuring device according to claim 8, further comprising: a scale combination registration means for registering a plurality of said weight measuring means as a set for measuring the weight of one of said tableware.

10. a designation means for designating the weight measuring means to be paired, 10. The meal amount measuring means according to claim 9, wherein the scale combination registering means registers the plurality of weight measuring means designated via the designating means as the set.

11. 11. The food amount measuring device according to claim 9, wherein the scale combination registering means registers the plurality of weight measuring means as the set based on the placement of the tableware relative to the plurality of weight measuring means.

12. a sensor is provided around the weight measuring means; 12. The meal amount measuring device according to claim 10, wherein the scale combination registering means registers a plurality of the weight measuring means as the set based on the detection state of the sensor.

13. a plurality of weight measuring devices for measuring the weight of each of the plurality of foods provided as a single meal; an information processing device that determines the intake state of the food by the person who has eaten based on a change in weight of the plurality of foods from the start to the end of the meal; A food intake measurement system comprising:

14. a first step in which a plurality of weight measuring means measure weights of a plurality of foods provided as a single meal; a second step in which a determining means determines the intake state of the food by the person who has eaten based on the change in weight of the plurality of foods from the start to the end of the meal; A method for measuring food intake.

15. Computer, a control means for controlling the weight measuring means to measure the weight of each of the plurality of foods provided as a single meal; a determining means for determining the intake state of the food by the person who has eaten based on the change in weight of the plurality of foods from the start to the end of the meal; A food measurement program that works by:

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