Measuring instrument, measuring system, information processing method, and program

Abstract

To provide a measuring system or the like capable of improving usability of a measuring instrument.SOLUTION: According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a measuring instrument used for measurement related to a motion of a human body, the measuring instrument including an elastic portion that is deformed by a force applied from the human body, a measurement unit that measures a physical quantity related to deformation of the elastic portion and generates measurement data indicating a measurement result, and a transmission unit that transmits the generated measurement data to an external device, in which the elastic portion includes a spherical, ellipsoidal, or toroidal main body having an internal space, and the measurement unit and the transmission unit are stored in the internal space.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a measuring instrument, a measuring system, an information processing method, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a technology in which the first surface of the first gripping portion that comes into contact with the second gripping portion is curved, and the second surface of the second gripping portion that comes into contact with this is flat, so that the curved surface and the flat surface always come into contact at some point in response to applied pressure, and the pressure generated at that contact point is detected as grip force by a sheet-like pressure sensor. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-345794 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In order to encourage people to use a measuring device that measures human body movement, such as the technology in Patent Document 1, it is also important that the measuring device feels comfortable to use when exercising.

[0005] In view of the above circumstances, the present invention provides a measurement system and the like that can improve the ease of use of a measuring instrument. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a measuring instrument used for measuring human body movement, comprising: an elastic part that deforms due to a force applied by the human body; a measuring part that measures a physical quantity related to the deformation of the elastic part and generates measurement data indicating the measurement results; and a transmitting part that transmits the generated measurement data to an external device, wherein the elastic part has a spherical, ellipsoidal, or toroidal body having an internal space, and the measuring part and transmitting part are stored in the internal space.

[0007] According to this embodiment, exercise-related measurements can be easily performed. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of a motion measurement system 1. FIG. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of a server device 30. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of a user terminal 20. [Figure 4] 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of a ball-type measuring instrument 10. FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is an activity diagram illustrating an example of a measurement process. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of stored exercise amount data. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of an exercise amount screen. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing another example of the exercise amount screen. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing another example of the exercise amount screen. [Figure 10] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating examples of other shapes of the elastic portion. [Figure 11] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a state in which the elastic portion 11 is gripped by hand. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a condition setting screen. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Various features shown in the following embodiments can be combined with each other.

[0010] Incidentally, the program for realizing the software appearing in one embodiment may be provided as a non-transitory computer-readable medium, or may be provided so that it can be downloaded from an external server, or may be provided so that the program is started on an external computer and its functions are realized on a client terminal (so-called cloud computing).

[0011] Furthermore, various information processing according to an embodiment may realize input and output corresponding to the input. Here, the form of information referenced in such information processing (hereinafter referred to as reference information) is not limited as long as an output is obtained as a result of the input. The reference information may be, for example, rule-based information such as a database, a lookup table, or a predetermined function (including a decision formula such as a regression formula constructed using a statistical method), a trained model that has previously trained the correlation between input and output, or a large-scale language model that can output a desired result by inputting a prompt.

[0012] In one embodiment, a "unit" may include, for example, a combination of hardware resources implemented by a circuit in the broad sense and software information processing that can be specifically realized by these hardware resources. In one embodiment, various information is handled, and this information is represented, for example, by physical values ​​of signal values ​​representing voltage and current, high and low signal values ​​as a binary bit set consisting of 0 or 1, or quantum superposition (so-called quantum bits), and communication and calculations can be performed on a circuit in the broad sense.

[0013] Furthermore, a circuit in the broad sense is a circuit realized by at least an appropriate combination of a circuit, circuitry, processor, memory, etc. The processor may be a general-purpose processor or a dedicated circuit. That is, it includes an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a programmable logic device (e.g., a simple programmable logic device (SPLD), a complex programmable logic device (CPLD), and a field programmable gate array (FPGA)), etc.

[0014] <Embodiment> 1. System Configuration The system configuration according to the embodiment will be described below. Fig. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of motion measurement system 1. Fig. 1 shows an overview of each device included in motion measurement system 1 and the users who use those devices. Each overview will be explained as needed with reference to other figures.

[0015] The motion measurement system 1 is an information processing system that provides a motion measurement service that measures motion performed by a user's human body 3, and executes information processing and the like related to motion measurement. Motions to be measured include, for example, motions performed using the limbs of the human body 3, specifically, motions such as clenching the hands, bending the elbows, closing the arms, stepping forward with the feet, and bending the knees. Motions such as pushing the head or waist with the hands are also included. Motions such as swinging or rotating a ball-shaped measuring device 10 (described later) using the hands or feet are also included. The following describes the case where measurement of hand clenching motion is performed.

[0016] The exercise measurement system 1 includes a communication line 2, a ball-shaped measuring device 10, a user terminal 20, and a server device 30. The communication line 2 is not particularly limited, but may be configured, for example, by the Internet. The communication line 2 may also include a local area network, a mobile communication network, a VPN (Virtual Private Network), etc. The communication line 2 mediates the exchange of data between devices connected to the communication line. In the example of FIG. 1, the server device 30 is connected to the communication line 2 by wire, and the user terminal 20 is connected wirelessly. The connection of each device to the communication line 2 may be wired or wireless.

[0017] Ball-shaped measuring instrument 10 is an instrument used to measure the movement of human body 3, and in the example of Figure 1, it has a spherical shape like a ball. Ball-shaped measuring instrument 10 has enough elasticity to be deformed by the force applied by human body 3. Ball-shaped measuring instrument 10 has a measurement function to measure physical quantities that indicate the degree of deformation, etc., and a communication function, and transmits measurement data indicating the measurement results to user terminal 20.

[0018] The user terminal 20 is a terminal for users of the exercise measurement service, such as a smartphone or tablet terminal. The user terminal 20 performs information processing such as displaying the usage screen for the exercise measurement service and accepting operations by the service user. The user terminal 20 also measures exercise based on the measurement data transmitted from the ball-shaped measuring device 10 and transmits the measurement results to the server device 30.

[0019] The server device 30 is an information processing device that executes information processing for providing an exercise measurement service. The server device 30 stores a measurement result DB1, and stores and records measurement results transmitted from the user terminal 20 in the measurement result DB1. The user terminal 20 displays the measurement results thus recorded in the server device 30. The server device 30 also executes a display process for displaying images on the user terminal 20 and an authentication process for authenticating the user who uses the user terminal 20.

[0020] The server device 30 performs processes such as generating and transmitting an HTML (Hyper Text Markup Language) file as display processing, and causes the user terminal 20 to display a web page showing a system screen using a browser function. Note that the user terminal 20 may install an application program for using the exercise measurement system 1, and the server device 30 may perform processes such as generating and transmitting display data in the application as display processing. The server device 30 controls the display of the user terminal 20 by performing these display processes.

[0021] Server device 30 also stores authentication information (such as a user ID and password) for authenticating users who use exercise measurement system 1, and authenticates users who input the authentication information. By authenticating users, server device 30 can restrict access to data and assign identification information to data input by users to make the data identifiable.

[0022] 2. Hardware Configuration The hardware configuration according to the first embodiment will be described below. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of server device 30. Server device 30 includes a control unit 31, a storage unit 32, a communication unit 33, and a bus 34. Bus 34 electrically connects the various units included in server device 30.

[0023] (control unit 31) The control unit 31 has at least one processor. The at least one processor may be configured by, for example, a central processing unit (CPU), a micro processing unit (MPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), one or more integrated circuits, one or more discrete circuits, or a combination thereof (not shown).

[0024] The control unit 31 is a computer that realizes various functions related to the motion measurement system 1 by reading out predetermined programs stored in the storage unit 32. In other words, information processing by software stored in the storage unit 32 is specifically realized by the control unit 31, which is an example of hardware, and can be executed as each functional unit included in the control unit 31. Note that the control unit 31 is not limited to being single, and may be implemented with multiple control units 31 for each function. A combination of these may also be used.

[0025] (Storage unit 32) The memory unit 32 stores various pieces of information defined above. This can be implemented, for example, as a storage device such as a solid state drive (SSD) or a hard disk drive (HDD) that stores various programs and the like related to the motion measurement system 1 executed by the control unit 31, or as a memory such as a random access memory (RAM) that stores temporarily required information (arguments, arrays, etc.) related to the program calculations. The memory unit 32 stores various programs, variables, etc. related to the motion measurement system 1 executed by the control unit 31.

[0026] (Communications Department 33) The communication unit 33 is configured by a communication module. The communication module may be a wireless communication module conforming to standards such as IEEE802.33a / b / g / n / ac / ax, LTE, 5G, or 6G, or may be a wired communication module conforming to standards such as IEEE802.3. The communication unit 33 is configured to be able to transmit various electrical signals from the server device 30 to external components. The communication unit 33 is also configured to be able to receive various electrical signals from the external components to the server device 30. More preferably, the communication unit 33 has a network communication function, which allows various information to be communicated between the server device 30 and external devices via the communication line 2.

[0027] 3 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the user terminal 20. The user terminal 20 includes a control unit 21, a storage unit 22, a communication unit 23, an input unit 24, an output unit 25, and a bus 26. The bus 26 electrically connects the various units included in the user terminal 20. The control unit 21, the storage unit 22, and the communication unit 23 are similar hardware to the control unit 31, the storage unit 32, and the communication unit 33 shown in FIG. 2, although their specifications and models may differ. In particular, the communication unit 23 is configured to be capable of short-range wireless communication such as Bluetooth (registered trademark) or WiFi.

[0028] (Input unit 24) The input unit 24 has input accepting means such as keys, buttons, a touch screen, a mouse, etc., and accepts input from the user. The input unit 24 may also have sound collecting means such as a microphone, and have the function of collecting voice from the user and accepting input of the collected voice.

[0029] (Output section 25) The output unit 25 has a display means such as a display and a sound emitting means such as a speaker, and outputs visual information, auditory information, etc. For example, the output unit 25 displays visual information generated in a manner that is visible to the user, such as a screen, an image, an icon, or text, on the display surface of the display. The output unit 25 also outputs audible sound such as voice or synthesized sound from the speaker.

[0030] 4 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the ball-shaped measuring instrument 10. The ball-shaped measuring instrument 10 includes an elastic unit 11, a measuring unit 12, a control unit 13, a communication unit 14, a memory unit 15, a power supply unit 16, a connector unit 17, and an output unit 18.

[0031] The elastic part 11 is an object having enough elasticity to be deformed by a force applied by the human body 3, and in the example of FIG. 4 is a hollow sphere. The elastic part 11 is made of rubber, resin, or the like (both natural and synthetic). The elastic part 11 has a main body 111 and a plurality of protrusions 112. The main body 111 is a hollow sphere, and a plurality of protrusions 112 are provided on the outer circumferential surface. Each of the protrusions 112 has a rounded cone shape and is configured to stimulate the human body 3 that touches the elastic part 11. The hollow internal space 113 of the elastic part 11 houses all the parts other than the elastic part 11.

[0032] The measuring unit 12 has a sensor that measures a physical quantity related to the deformation of the elastic unit 11. The measuring unit 12 has one or more sensors selected from the group consisting of a pressure sensor, a strain gauge, an acceleration sensor, an angular velocity sensor, a capacitance sensor, and a displacement sensor. The measuring unit 12 has a plurality of element units 121, and can measure physical quantities at a plurality of positions using these element units 121. The measuring unit 12 also has a clock unit (not shown) that can add the measurement time to the measurement data. The clock unit may be included in the control unit 13, which will be described next.

[0033] The control unit 13 may have different specifications, model, etc. from the control unit 31, but is the same hardware and includes one or more processors. The communication unit 14 is capable of short-range wireless communication such as Bluetooth (registered trademark) or WiFi, and is configured to be able to communicate with the communication unit 23. The memory unit 15 is a memory module that can store measurement data. The memory unit 15 may be a built-in module, or may be a slot for inserting and removing a storage medium such as a memory card. The measurement data stored in the memory unit 15 can be wirelessly transmitted to an external device via the communication unit 14.

[0034] The power supply unit 16 has, for example, a battery and supplies power to each unit. The power supply unit 16 has a switch for turning the power on and off. The connector unit 17 has a terminal for connecting to an external device (for example, the user terminal 20) or a power source via a cable. The connector unit 17 is arranged so as to be located in an opening provided in a part of the main body unit 111. A cover is provided on this opening to prevent dust and the like from entering. The power supply unit 16 is charged by power supplied via the connector unit 17. The measurement data stored in the memory unit 15 can also be transmitted via a wire to an external device via the connector unit 17.

[0035] The output unit 18 is configured to be able to output one or more of visual information, audible sound, vibration, etc. The output unit 18 includes, for example, an LED (Light Emitting Diode) and outputs light as visual information. The output unit 18 also includes a speaker and outputs an audible sound such as a clicking sound. The output unit 18 also includes a vibrator and outputs vibration.

[0036] 3. Information Processing Information processing according to the embodiment will be described below. In the following description, the ball-shaped measuring device 10, the user terminal 20, and the server device 30 are described as the main entities performing each information process, but this information processing is executed by at least one processor included in the exercise measurement system 1, i.e., the processor included in the control units 13, 21, and 31 of each device. The exercise measurement system 1 executes a measurement process to measure the exercise performed by the user.

[0037] FIG. 5 is an activity diagram showing an example of the measurement process. The measurement process is initiated when the user operates the power switch of the ball-shaped measuring instrument 10. First, when the power is turned on, the power supply unit 16 supplies power to each unit (activity A11). When the user grips the ball-shaped measuring instrument 10 with power supply started, the elastic unit 11 deforms and the measuring unit 12 begins measurement (activity A12). Note that A11 and A12 are not information processes performed by the processor of the control unit 13 of the ball-shaped measuring instrument 10, but FIG. 5 also shows the operation of each unit other than information processing.

[0038] Here, in the motion measurement system 1, it is possible to set a left-hand mode indicating a state in which motion is performed with the left hand, and a right-hand mode indicating a state in which motion is performed with the right hand. The left-hand mode and the right-hand mode are set when a physical quantity associated with each mode is measured. In the motion measurement system 1, a threshold value of the physical quantity for setting these modes (hereinafter referred to as a "setting threshold value") and a time for setting (hereinafter referred to as a "setting time") are defined.

[0039] The setting threshold is set to a value smaller than the force with which a woman or child grips the elastic part 11, so that anyone can set the left or right mode. The setting time is set to a fixed length of time, such as several seconds, so that the mode is not set by mistake due to a momentary force applied, for example, when the ball-shaped measuring device 10 is dropped.

[0040] For example, when an operation such as a so-called long press is performed and a physical quantity equal to or greater than a set threshold is continuously measured for a set time or longer, the control unit 13 sets a state in which a right-hand exercise is performed (hereinafter referred to as a "right-hand mode"), and when an operation such as a so-called double tap or triple tap is performed and a physical quantity equal to or greater than a set threshold is measured N times (N is a natural number) within a set time, the control unit 13 sets a state in which a left-hand exercise is performed (hereinafter referred to as a "left-hand mode").

[0041] The operation for setting the left-right mode is not limited to this, and for example, the right-hand mode may be set by pressing N times, and the left-hand mode by a long press, in the opposite manner. The setting operation may also be any other operation that can distinguish the characteristics of a physical quantity measurable by the sensor provided in the measurement unit 12. For example, the setting operation may be an operation of pressing a specific protrusion 112 (measured by a specific element unit 121), an operation of quickly moving the entire ball-shaped measuring instrument 10 (measured by an acceleration sensor), or an operation of rotating the elastic unit 11 in a specific direction (measured by an angular velocity sensor).

[0042] When the user performs a setting operation for the left-right mode, the control unit 13 determines whether the setting operation for the left-right mode has been performed (activity A21). If the control unit 13 determines that the right-hand mode has been set, it controls the output unit 18 to light the LED in a manner indicating the right-hand mode (activity A22). The manner indicating the right-hand mode is, for example, a manner in which the LED flashes M times (M is a natural number). Next, the control unit 13 measures the movement of grasping and deforming the elastic unit 11 as a movement made with the right hand. Specifically, the control unit 13 generates data as measurement data for the right hand by adding mode information indicating the right-hand mode to the measurement data output by the measurement unit 12 (activity A23).

[0043] When the control unit 13 determines that the left-hand mode is set, it controls the output unit 18 to light the LED in a manner indicating the left-hand mode (activity A24). The manner indicating the left-hand mode is, for example, a manner in which the LED flashes L times (L is a natural number different from M). Next, the control unit 13 measures the movement of grasping and deforming the elastic unit 11 as a movement of the left hand. Specifically, the control unit 13 generates data as left-hand measurement data by adding mode information indicating the left-hand mode to the measurement data output by the measurement unit 12 (activity A25).

[0044] Here, the operation of user terminal 20 will be described. When the user inputs authentication information (user ID, password, etc.), user terminal 20 transmits the authentication information to server device 30 and performs the process of logging in to motion measurement system 1 (activity A41). After logging in to motion measurement system 1, user terminal 20 enters a state of waiting for communication with ball-shaped measuring device 10 (activity A42). After generating measurement data, control unit 13 of ball-shaped measuring device 10 determines whether communication with user terminal 20 is possible (activity A31).

[0045] The control unit 13 transmits a beacon via the communication unit 14, for example, for a certain period of time. When the logged-in user terminal 20 receives the beacon, it transmits request data requesting measurement data to the ball-shaped measuring instrument 10. When the request data is transmitted, the control unit 13 determines that communication with the user terminal 20 is possible (YES), and transmits the measurement data to the user terminal 20. If the request data is not transmitted, the control unit 13 determines that communication with the user terminal 20 is not possible (NO), stores the generated measurement data in the memory unit 15 (activity A32), and turns off the power (activity A33).

[0046] If the control unit 13 determines that communication is possible (YES), it transmits the generated measurement data to the user terminal 20. At this time, if there is measurement data stored in the storage unit 15 (data indicating measurement results prior to the current measurement), the control unit 13 also reads out the stored measurement data and transmits it to the user terminal 20. The user terminal 20 acquires the transmitted measurement data (activity A43).

[0047] Here, the user terminal 20 may instruct the ball-shaped measuring instrument 10 to delete the acquired measurement data from the storage unit 15, and the control unit 13 of the ball-shaped measuring instrument 10 may delete the instructed measurement data from the storage unit 15. This allows measurement data that is no longer needed to be deleted, making effective use of the storage capacity of the storage unit 15.

[0048] Next, the user terminal 20 measures the amount of exercise for each hand (activity A44). The user terminal 20 determines whether the exercise is for the left hand or the right hand based on mode information included in the acquired measurement data. The user terminal 20 then measures, for example, the number of times the elastic part 11 is gripped, the length of time the gripping is performed, and the gripping speed as the amount of exercise for each hand. Next, the user terminal 20 generates exercise amount data indicating the measured amount of exercise for each hand (activity A45) and transmits the generated exercise amount data to the server device 30. The server device 30 stores the transmitted exercise amount data in the measurement result DB1 (activity A46).

[0049] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of stored exercise amount data. In the measurement result DB1 shown in FIG. 6, left exercise amount data and right exercise amount data are stored in association with a user ID. The left and right exercise amount data each include measurement data, the number of times of exercise, time, speed, and date. In this way, the measurement result DB1 stores exercise amount data indicating the measured exercise amount in association with a user ID. Note that the exercise amount data shown in FIG. 6 is an example, and data indicating an exercise amount other than the number of times, time, and speed (for example, the strength of the force deforming the elastic part 11 or the acceleration of the deformation) may also be stored.

[0050] Next, the user terminal 20 accepts an operation to display the amount of exercise performed by the user (activity A51). The user terminal 20 then transmits request data indicating a display request for an exercise amount screen and the user ID to the server device 30. The server device 30 reads out the exercise amount data stored in the measurement result DB1 in association with the user ID indicated in the transmitted request data (activity A52). The server device 30 then generates an exercise amount screen showing the read-out amount of exercise (activity A53) and displays the generated exercise amount screen on the user terminal 20 (activity A54).

[0051] Fig. 7 is a diagram showing an example of an exercise amount screen. The exercise amount screen G1 shown in Fig. 7 displays a date display field C11, a left hand exercise amount display field C12, a right hand exercise amount display field C13, a left hand exercise amount display field C14, a right hand exercise amount display field C15, a right hand exercise amount display field C16, a previous day screen display button B11, a next day screen display button B12, a weekly exercise amount screen display button B13, and a monthly exercise amount screen display button B14.

[0052] In display field C12 and display field C13, the number of times of exercise, the exercise time, and the exercise speed are displayed for each of the left and right hands. The number of times of exercise is, for example, the number of times the elastic part 11 was gripped. The exercise time is the length of time the elastic part 11 is gripped. The exercise speed is the average speed at which the elastic part 11 is gripped. In the example of FIG. 7, the value obtained by dividing the number of times of exercise by the exercise time is displayed as the exercise speed. By displaying this information indicating the amount of exercise, the user can know the amount of exercise they have done and its tendency.

[0053] In display fields C14 and C15, graphs showing the change over time in the strength with which the elastic part 11 is gripped are displayed for each of the left and right hands. In the example of Fig. 7, the graphs show that the right hand has stronger strength than the left hand and that the time required for one exercise is shorter. By displaying these graphs, the user can know the trends in their left and right exercises.

[0054] When the display button B11 is pressed, the amount of exercise for the previous day is displayed, when the display button B12 is pressed, the amount of exercise for the next day is displayed, and when the display button B13 is pressed, a screen showing the amount of exercise for each week is displayed.

[0055] Fig. 8 is a diagram showing another example of the exercise amount screen. The exercise amount screen G2 shown in Fig. 8 displays a period display field C21, a weekly exercise amount display field C22 for the left hand, a weekly exercise amount display field C23 for the right hand, a button B21 for displaying the previous week's screen, a button B22 for displaying the next week's screen, a button B23 for displaying the daily exercise amount screen, and a button B24 for displaying the monthly exercise amount screen. The display field C21 displays the dates included in the week in which the displayed exercise was performed.

[0056] Display columns C22 and C23 display the number of exercises performed for each day of the week for the left and right hands. Display column C22 displays an exercise amount time display button B25 and a speed display button B26, which, when operated, display the exercise amount time and exercise amount speed for each day of the week for the left hand. Display column C23 displays an exercise amount time display button B27 and a speed display button B28, which, when operated, display the exercise amount time and exercise amount speed for each day of the week for the right hand.

[0057] When display button B21 is operated, the amount of exercise for the previous week is displayed, and when display button B22 is operated, the amount of exercise for the next week is displayed. When display button B23 is operated, a screen showing the amount of exercise for each day as shown in Fig. 7 is displayed. When display button B24 or display button B14 shown in Fig. 7 is operated, a screen showing the amount of exercise for each month is displayed.

[0058] Fig. 9 is a diagram showing another example of the exercise amount screen. The exercise amount screen G3 shown in Fig. 9 displays a period display field C31, a month's exercise amount display field C32 for the left hand, a month's exercise amount display field C33 for the right hand, a previous month's screen display button B31, a next month's screen display button B32, a daily exercise amount screen display button B33, and a weekly exercise amount screen display button B34. The month in which the displayed exercise was performed is displayed in display field C31.

[0059] Display columns C32 and C33 display the number of exercises for each date in a month for each hand. Display column C32 displays an exercise amount time display button B35 and a speed display button B36, and operating each displays the exercise amount time and exercise amount speed for each date in a month for the left hand. Display column C33 displays an exercise amount time display button B37 and a speed display button B38, and operating each displays the exercise amount time and exercise amount speed for each date in a month for the right hand.

[0060] When the display button B31 is operated, the amount of exercise for the previous month is displayed, and when the display button B32 is operated, the amount of exercise for the next month is displayed. When the display button B33 is operated, a screen showing the amount of exercise for each day, as shown in Fig. 7, is displayed. When the display button B34 is operated, a screen showing the amount of exercise for each week, as shown in Fig. 8, is displayed.

[0061] As described above, ball-shaped measuring instrument 10 is an example of a measuring instrument used to measure the movement of human body 3. Ball-shaped measuring instrument 10 includes elastic part 11, measuring part 12, control part 13, and communication part 14. Elastic part 11 deforms due to a force applied from human body 3. Measuring part 12 measures a physical quantity related to the deformation of elastic part 11 and generates measurement data indicating the measurement results. Measuring part 12 measures, for example, the pressure applied to elastic part 11 as the physical quantity related to the deformation of elastic part 11.

[0062] The control unit 13 and the communication unit 14 function as an example of a transmission unit that transmits the generated measurement data to an external device. The control unit 13 and the communication unit 14 (an example of a transmission unit) transmit the measurement data to, for example, a user terminal 20 as the external device. In the example of FIG. 1 etc., the elastic unit 11 has a spherical main body 111 having an internal space 113. The elastic unit 11 also has a plurality of protrusions 112 on the surface of the main body 111. These plurality of protrusions 112 come into contact with the human body 3 during exercise, allowing the ball-shaped measuring device 10 to stimulate the human body 3 during exercise.

[0063] Each unit, such as the measurement unit 12 (an example of a measurement unit), the control unit 13, and the communication unit 14 (an example of a transmission unit), is stored in the internal space 113. This allows the user to exercise without directly touching each unit (hereinafter referred to as "internal parts") stored in the internal space 113. Furthermore, the spherical shape including the protrusions 112 does not have any unnecessary parts, such as a string or rod-shaped handle, and there is no need to worry about the orientation or grip position when holding the device in the hand, which makes the measuring device more comfortable to use than a configuration that requires consideration of these factors.

[0064] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 5, part of the measurement process is performed by the user terminal 20, which is an external device, so the measuring instrument can be made smaller than when the ball-shaped measuring instrument 10 is equipped with all of the components required for measurement process. In particular, when a display means is provided in the ball-shaped measuring instrument 10, a certain size is required to improve visibility, which tends to make the measuring instrument larger, and the display surface needs to be exposed to the outside, which makes the display more susceptible to damage. In contrast, the ball-shaped measuring instrument 10 displays the measurement results on an external display means, which makes it easier to make the measuring instrument smaller and less susceptible to damage.

[0065] Ball-shaped measuring device 10 (an example of a measuring device) further includes memory unit 15 that stores measurement data. As described in A31 of FIG. 5, when control unit 13 and communication unit 14 (an example of a transmission unit) are able to communicate with an external device (e.g., user terminal 20), they read the measurement data from memory unit 15 and transmit it to the external device. In this manner, even when the user does not have an external device at hand, exercise can be temporarily recorded, and measurement processing can be performed later by the external device.

[0066] In the above example, the exercise used to measure the ball-shaped measuring device 10 is the exercise of gripping the elastic part 11 with the left or right hand. In this case, the device is configured to be able to distinguish between a feature value indicated by a physical quantity measured when the elastic part 11 is gripped with the left hand and a feature value indicated by a physical quantity measured when the elastic part 11 is gripped with the right hand. The feature value here is, for example, a change in the physical quantity over time.

[0067] 5, if the physical quantities indicated by the measurement data include a feature quantity such as a double tap or triple tap, in which a physical quantity equal to or greater than a set threshold appears N times (N is a natural number) within a set time, it indicates that an operation to select left-hand mode has been performed, and therefore the measurement data indicates a result measured when elastic part 11 was gripped with the left hand. Also, if the physical quantities indicated by the measurement data include a feature quantity of a long press, in which a physical quantity equal to or greater than a set threshold continues for a set time or longer, it indicates that an operation to select right-hand mode has been performed, and therefore the measurement data indicates a result measured when elastic part 11 was gripped with the right hand.

[0068] According to this aspect, the external device can distinguish between left and right movements and measure them. Furthermore, by performing an operation associated with the left-hand mode or the right-hand mode, such as the long press operation and the N-time operation within a certain period of time, the user can intentionally select left and right movements as the measurement target.

[0069] The motion measurement system 1 is an example of a measurement system that measures the motion of a human body 3. The motion measurement system 1 includes a ball-shaped measuring device 10 (an example of a measuring device) and a user terminal 20 (an example of an external device). The user terminal 20 includes a receiving unit that receives measurement data transmitted by the ball-shaped measuring device 10, and a display unit that displays the motion measurement results represented by the received measurement data on a display means (display) of the user terminal 20. In the user terminal 20, the communication unit 23 shown in FIG. 3 is an example of a receiving unit, and the output unit 25 is an example of a display unit.

[0070] The user terminal 20 displays the exercise measurement results on the display means of the terminal, for example, using an exercise amount screen such as those shown in Figures 7, 8, and 9. This makes it easier to view the exercise measurement results by using an external device such as a smartphone that has a display means with higher performance than a display panel provided on the ball-shaped measuring device 10.

[0071] <Modification: Elastic portion> The shape of the elastic portion 11 is not limited to the shape shown in FIG. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of another shape of the elastic part. The elastic part 11a shown in FIG. 10(a) has an ellipsoidal main body 111a. An ellipsoid is a solid body obtained by rotating an ellipse around its major axis. There are two types of ellipsoids: an oblate ellipsoid whose equatorial radius is longer than its polar radius, and an oblong ellipsoid whose equatorial radius is shorter than its polar radius. The main body 111a has a prolate ellipsoidal shape. The main body 111a has a plurality of protrusions 112a.

[0072] The elastic part 11b shown in Fig. 10(b) has a torus-shaped main body 111b. A torus is a solid formed by a circle rotating around another circle, a so-called doughnut-shaped solid. The main body 111b has a plurality of protrusions 112b. Both the elastic part 11a and the elastic part 11b have enough elasticity to be deformed by a force applied from the human body 3, and internal components such as the measuring part 12 are stored in the internal space.

[0073] Although each elastic portion has multiple protrusions, it may also have a smooth surface without multiple protrusions. The shape of the protrusions was a rounded cone, but they may also have a pointed tip or a polygonal pyramid. Instead of protrusions, they may have a rib-like protruding portion, a groove-like recessed portion, or a wavy undulation. In either case, the absence of unnecessary attachments that require attention to how or where to hold the measuring device improves the user's comfort compared to configurations that require attention to these factors.

[0074] <Modification: Feature Amount for Left-Right Discrimination> As described in Fig. 4, the measurement unit 12 measures the physical quantities at a plurality of positions on the elastic part 11. Specifically, the measurement unit 12 uses each of the plurality of element units 121 shown in Fig. 4 to measure the physical quantity at each position. In this case, the feature quantity for distinguishing between left and right movements may be the magnitude of the physical quantity at each of the plurality of positions. Below, a case will be described in which the movement performed by the user is the movement of gripping the elastic part 11 with the left hand or the right hand.

[0075] Fig. 11 is a diagram showing a state in which the elastic portion 11 is gripped by a hand. In Fig. 11(a), the elastic portion 11 is gripped by the left hand, and in Fig. 11(b), the elastic portion 11 is gripped by the right hand. Fig. 11(a) shows the thumb L1, index finger L2, middle finger L3, ring finger L4, and little finger L5 of the left hand, and Fig. 11(b) shows the thumb R1, index finger R2, middle finger R3, ring finger R4, and little finger R5 of the right hand. The measuring unit 12 measures a physical quantity based on the force applied by each finger, and therefore, a larger physical quantity is measured at a position where each finger overlaps the elastic portion 11 than at other positions.

[0076] Among the physical quantities representing the pushing force of the fingers, the physical quantity of the four fingers from the index finger to the little finger is measured in an area the width of four fingers aligned in the direction of the arrow A1, as shown in Figures 11(a) and 11(b). In Figures 11(a) and 11(b), the area the width of four fingers is shown to be at the bottom for both left and right hands. In this case, the arrow A1 represents the left-right direction, and when the elastic part 11 is held with the left hand, the index finger L2 is on the right side and the little finger L5 is on the left side. When the elastic part 11 is held with the right hand, the index finger R2 is on the left side and the little finger R5 is on the right side.

[0077] Since the thumb is located closer to the index finger than the little finger, in the case of a left hand, the thumb is located to the right of the center of the area four fingers wide, and in the case of a right hand, the thumb is located to the left of the center of the area four fingers wide. In this way, when the area four fingers wide indicated by the measurement data is considered to be downward, user terminal 20 determines that the movement is of the left hand if the position of the thumb is to the right of the center of the area, and determines that the movement is of the right hand if the position of the thumb is to the left of the center of the area.

[0078] Note that the above-mentioned discrimination method is one example, and other methods may be used, for example, since the shapes of the areas where physical quantities are not measured differ between the left and right hands, so the user terminal 20 may discriminate between left and right movements based on the characteristics of the shapes of those areas. Whichever discrimination method is used, there is no need to perform special operations such as the long press or double tap described above, and the user can distinguish between left and right movements without intending to do so.

[0079] <Variation: Left-Right Tendency> In the example of Fig. 11, left and right movements are determined based on physical quantities measured at multiple positions, but the method of determining left and right movements is not limited to this. For example, if a user can grip with their right hand stronger than with their left hand, left and right can be determined based solely on the grip strength. In this case, the user terminal 20 (an example of an external device) may further include, for example, a learning unit that learns the physical quantities indicated by the received measurement data for the left hand and the right hand, respectively.

[0080] The user terminal 20 stores, for example, an AI module, and inputs measurement data measuring the left hand movement and measurement data measuring the right hand movement, causing the AI ​​module to perform machine learning that outputs correct answer data indicating whether the movement indicated by the input measurement data is a left or right movement. For example, when a user performs the movement shown in Fig. 7, physical quantities (e.g., pressure, strain, acceleration, displacement, etc.) are measured that indicate that the right hand deforms the elastic part 11 with a stronger force than the left hand.

[0081] In this case, the AI ​​module generates a learning model that determines, for example, that a measurement value close to the average value of physical quantities measured in left-hand movements (left-hand average value) represents left-hand movements, and that a measurement value close to the average value of physical quantities measured in right-hand movements (right-hand average value) represents right-hand movements. Then, based on the learned physical quantities, user terminal 20 (an example of a display unit) displays the measurement results of left-hand movements and right-hand movements on the display means of the terminal in a distinguishable manner.

[0082] For example, even when the user terminal 20 acquires measurement data indicating results measured without performing the setting operation for the left-hand mode and right-hand mode described above, the measurement data can be input to an AI module equipped with the learning model, and the measurement results can be distinguished as left or right based on the output left / right discrimination result, and displayed on the exercise amount screen shown in FIG. 6, etc. Note that the above learning is not limited to being performed using an AI module. For example, learning may be performed by executing an algorithm that generates a discriminant for left or right from the left-hand average value, the right-hand average value, and their variances.

[0083] Furthermore, the motion to be measured is not limited to motion that deforms the elastic part 11, but may also be motion that swings or rotates the elastic part 11, and in these cases, acceleration, angular velocity, or the like is measured as a physical quantity. Even in these cases, if there is a difference in the amount of motion measured on the left and right, the learning unit can learn the difference, thereby making it possible to distinguish between left and right motion. Furthermore, the learning unit and the display unit may be provided in the server device 30. In either case, it is possible to distinguish between left and right motion without the user intending to do so.

[0084] <Modification: Sensitivity of movement count> When the user terminal 20 counts the number of times of exercise as the amount of exercise, the ease of counting, i.e., the sensitivity of the counting, may be adjustable. In this case, the user terminal 20 (an example of a display unit) displays, on the display means of the terminal itself, the number of times that the physical quantity indicated by the received measurement data satisfies a predetermined condition (hereinafter referred to as the "counting condition") as the number of times of exercise. The counting condition is a condition for determining the sensitivity of the counting.

[0085] Specifically, for example, when the magnitude of the physical quantity is equal to or greater than a predetermined count threshold, the user terminal 20 determines that the count condition is met and counts the number of times of exercise. Note that the user terminal 20 may also determine that the count condition is met and count the number of times of exercise when the time during which the physical quantity is equal to or greater than the count threshold exceeds a predetermined count time. In either case, the number of times of exercise can be counted only when the exercise is performed with an intensity that satisfies the count condition.

[0086] The user terminal 20 (an example of an external device) may further include a change unit that changes the count conditions through a user operation. In this case, the user terminal 20 displays a condition setting screen on the display means for accepting an operation to change the count conditions.

[0087] FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of a condition setting screen. The condition setting screen G4 shown in FIG. 12 displays the character string "Please set the counting conditions," an input field C41 for setting values ​​for the left hand, an input field C42 for setting values ​​for the right hand, and a confirm button B41. Each input field allows input of the type of counting condition and the value to be used as the counting condition. In the example of FIG. 12, "force magnitude + time" has been input as the type of counting condition. Here, "time" refers to the "length of time for which force is applied."

[0088] 12 represent conditions that are met when the time during which the physical quantity is equal to or greater than the count threshold is equal to or greater than the count time. For the left hand, "Th1" is input as the threshold for "force magnitude" in "condition value 1," and "Th2" is input as the threshold for "time" in "condition value 2." For the right hand, thresholds "Th3" and "Th4" are similarly input. When the enter button B41 is operated, the user terminal 20 counts the number of times of exercise if the input count condition is met, and displays the counted number of times of exercise on the exercise amount screen shown in FIG. 7, etc.

[0089] The user terminal 20 may also exclude physical quantities that are not counted as the number of exercises from the exercise time. In addition to the above, other conditions may be input, such as the speed at which force is applied, the area of ​​the part to which force is applied, the total magnitude of force applied at each position, or a combination thereof. The type of condition must be one that can be determined based on the physical quantities measured by the sensor in the measurement unit 12. Different counting conditions may be set for the left hand and the right hand. This allows the sensitivity of the exercise count to be adjusted to increase the number of exercises, thereby increasing motivation to exercise, or to decrease the number of exercises, thereby increasing the effectiveness of training.

[0090] <Modification: Count Notification> When a count condition is set, it is desirable to know whether the count condition is satisfied by the exercise performed by the user. Therefore, the ball-shaped measuring device 10 (an example of a measuring device) may further include a notification unit that notifies the user that the measured physical quantity satisfies the count condition.

[0091] The ball-shaped measuring instrument 10 (an example of a notification unit) communicates with the user terminal 20, for example, to acquire the counting conditions in advance and store them in the storage unit 15. When the physical quantity measured by the measurement unit 12 satisfies the counting conditions, the ball-shaped measuring instrument 10 notifies the user that the counting conditions have been satisfied by outputting visual information or the like from the output unit 18.

[0092] Ball-shaped measuring device 10 may notify the user that the counting condition has been met by, for example, lighting an LED. Alternatively, ball-shaped measuring device 10 may notify the user that the counting condition has been met by outputting a synthesized sound from a speaker or by vibrating a vibrator. This configuration enhances the feeling that the number of exercises is being counted compared to when no notification is given.

[0093] <Example of variation: Variation of composition> 1 and the like (overall configuration, hardware configuration, functional configuration, etc.) are merely examples, and other configurations may be used as long as they are not inconvenient for implementation. For example, the server device 30 may be distributed across two or more devices, or may be provided in the form of SaaS (Software as a Service) or a cloud computing system.

[0094] Furthermore, the information processing executed by the server device 30 may be executed collectively by the user terminal 20, or part of the information processing executed by the user terminal 20 may be executed by the server device 30. Alternatively, the ball-shaped measuring device 10 may directly transmit measurement data to the server device 30, and the server device 30 may measure the exercise represented by the received measurement data and display the measurement results on the user terminal 20. In this case, the server device 30 is an example of an external device. In short, as long as the necessary information processing is executed in the entire exercise measurement system 1, the devices that execute this information processing may have any configuration.

[0095] The output destination of information or data (hereinafter referred to as "information, etc.") may be another device, a display, a memory unit (including an internal memory unit and an external memory unit), an email address, an account of another system, etc. Acquisition of information, etc. includes not only acquisition of information, etc. transmitted from another device, but also acquisition of information, etc. generated by one's own device.

[0096] The above-described embodiments are information processing devices such as server device 30, user terminal 20, and information processing systems such as server device 30, user terminal 20, and exercise measurement system 1 including user terminal 20, but may also be information processing methods. The information processing method includes the same steps as those executed by the information processing system. Specifically, the information processing method includes a step in which an external device (e.g., user terminal 20) acquires a physical quantity from a measuring device (e.g., ball-shaped measuring device 10), and a step in which the external device displays the measurement results of the exercise represented by the acquired physical quantity.

[0097] Furthermore, the above-described embodiments may be implemented as a program. The program causes a computer to execute the same steps as those executed by an information processing system. Specifically, the program causes a computer controlling an external device (e.g., user terminal 20) to acquire physical quantities from a measuring device (e.g., ball-shaped measuring device 10) and display the results of motion measurement represented by the acquired physical quantities.

[0098] <Additional Notes> Furthermore, it may be provided in the following aspects.

[0099] (1) A measuring instrument used to measure the movement of a human body, comprising: an elastic part that deforms due to a force applied by the human body; a measuring part that measures a physical quantity related to the deformation of the elastic part and generates measurement data indicating the measurement results; and a transmitting part that transmits the generated measurement data to an external device, wherein the elastic part has a spherical, ellipsoidal, or toroidal body having an internal space, and the measuring part and the transmitting part are stored in the internal space.

[0100] According to this aspect, the measuring device can be made more comfortable to use.

[0101] (2) The measuring instrument according to (1) above, wherein the elastic portion has a plurality of protrusions on the surface of the main body.

[0102] According to this embodiment, the human body can be stimulated during exercise.

[0103] (3) The measuring instrument according to (1) or (2) above, further comprising a memory unit for storing the measurement data, wherein the transmitting unit reads out the measurement data from the memory unit and transmits it when communication with the external device becomes possible.

[0104] According to this embodiment, exercise can be recorded even when no external device is present.

[0105] (4) In the measuring instrument described in any one of (1) to (3) above, the movement is a movement of gripping the elastic part with the left hand or the right hand, and the measuring instrument is configured to be able to distinguish between a feature value indicated by the physical quantity measured when the elastic part is gripped with the left hand and a feature value indicated by the physical quantity measured when the elastic part is gripped with the right hand.

[0106] According to this embodiment, it is possible to distinguish and measure left and right movements.

[0107] (5) The measuring instrument according to (4) above, wherein the feature is a change over time in the physical quantity.

[0108] According to this aspect, the user can intentionally select left and right movements as the measurement target.

[0109] (6) In the measuring instrument described in (4) or (5) above, the physical quantity is measured at each of a plurality of positions of the elastic part, and the characteristic quantity is the magnitude of the physical quantity at each of the plurality of positions.

[0110] According to this aspect, the user can distinguish between left and right movements without intending to do so.

[0111] (7) A measurement system comprising a measuring instrument according to any one of (1) to (6) above and the external device, wherein the external device comprises a receiving unit that receives the measurement data transmitted by the measuring instrument and a display unit that displays the measurement results of the exercise represented by the received measurement data.

[0112] According to this aspect, the measurement results regarding exercise can be easily viewed.

[0113] (8) In the measurement system described in (7) above, the movement is a movement of grasping the elastic part with the left hand or the right hand, the external device further includes a learning unit that learns the physical quantities indicated by the received measurement data for the left hand and the right hand, respectively, and the display unit displays the measurement results of the movement with the left hand and the measurement results of the movement with the right hand in a distinguishable manner based on the learned physical quantities.

[0114] According to this aspect, the user can distinguish between left and right movements without intending to do so.

[0115] (9) In the measurement system described in (7) or (8) above, the display unit displays the number of times that the physical quantity indicated by the received measurement data satisfies a predetermined condition as the number of times the exercise has been performed, and the external device further includes a change unit that changes the predetermined condition through user operation.

[0116] According to this embodiment, the sensitivity of counting the number of exercises can be adjusted.

[0117] (10) In the measurement system described in (9) above, the measuring instrument further includes a notification unit that notifies that the measured physical quantity satisfies the condition.

[0118] According to this aspect, it is possible to enhance the feeling that the number of exercises is being measured.

[0119] (11) An information processing method comprising the steps of: an external device acquiring the physical quantity from a measuring instrument described in any one of (1) to (6) above; and the external device displaying the measurement results of the exercise represented by the acquired physical quantity.

[0120] According to this embodiment, exercise-related measurements can be easily performed.

[0121] (12) A program for causing a computer controlling an external device to execute the steps of acquiring the physical quantity from a measuring instrument described in any one of (1) to (6) above, and displaying the measurement results of the movement represented by the acquired physical quantity.

[0122] According to this embodiment, exercise-related measurements can be easily performed. Of course, this is not the case. Furthermore, the above-described embodiments and modifications may be combined in any desired manner.

[0123] Finally, while various embodiments of the present invention have been described, these are presented by way of example only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. The novel embodiments may be embodied in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. The embodiments and their modifications are intended to be included within the scope and spirit of the invention, as well as within the scope of the inventions and their equivalents as defined in the appended claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0124] 1: Movement measurement system 10: Ball-shaped measuring instrument 11: Elastic part 12: Measuring part 13: Control section 14: Communications Department 15: Storage section 16: Power supply section 17: Connector part 18: Output section 20: User terminal 21: Control unit 30: Server device 31: Control unit 111: Main body 112: Protrusion 113: Interior space 121: Element section

Claims

1. A measuring instrument, an elastic portion that deforms due to a force applied from the human body; a measurement unit that measures a physical quantity related to the deformation of the elastic portion and generates measurement data that indicates the measurement result; a transmitting unit that transmits the generated measurement data to an external device; Equipped with the elastic portion has a body that is a sphere, an ellipsoid, or a torus having an internal space, The measurement unit and the transmission unit are stored in the internal space. A measuring instrument used to measure the movement of the human body.

2. 2. The measuring instrument according to claim 1, The elastic portion has a plurality of protrusions on the surface of the main body. Measuring instrument.

3. 2. The measuring instrument according to claim 1, further comprising a storage unit that stores the measurement data; the transmitting unit reads the measurement data from the storage unit and transmits the measurement data when communication with the external device becomes possible. Measuring instrument.

4. 2. The measuring instrument according to claim 1, the exercise is an exercise of gripping the elastic portion with the left hand or the right hand, The device is configured to be able to distinguish between a feature value indicated by the physical quantity measured when the elastic portion is gripped with the left hand and a feature value indicated by the physical quantity measured when the elastic portion is gripped with the right hand. Measuring instrument.

5. 5. The measuring instrument according to claim 4, the feature amount is a time change of the physical amount, Measuring instrument.

6. 5. The measuring instrument according to claim 4, the physical quantity is measured at a plurality of positions in the elastic portion, the feature amount is a magnitude of the physical amount at each of the plurality of positions; Measuring instrument.

7. 1. A measurement system comprising: A measuring instrument according to any one of claims 1 to 6 and the external device, The external device is a receiving unit that receives the measurement data transmitted by the measuring instrument; a display unit that displays the exercise measurement results represented by the received measurement data, Measurement system.

8. 8. The measurement system according to claim 7, the exercise is an exercise of gripping the elastic portion with the left hand or the right hand, The external device is a learning unit configured to learn the physical quantity indicated by the received measurement data for each of the left hand and the right hand; the display unit displays the measurement result of the left hand movement and the measurement result of the right hand movement in a distinguishable manner based on the learned physical quantity. Measurement system.

9. 8. The measurement system according to claim 7, the display unit displays the number of times that the physical quantity indicated by the received measurement data satisfies a predetermined condition as the number of times of the exercise; The external device is Further, a change unit that changes the predetermined condition in response to a user operation is provided. Measurement system.

10. 10. The measurement system according to claim 9, The measuring instrument is further comprising a notification unit that notifies that the measured physical quantity satisfies the condition. Measurement system.

11. An information processing method, comprising: An external device acquires the physical quantity from the measuring instrument according to any one of claims 1 to 6; a step of causing the external device to display a measurement result of the motion represented by the acquired physical quantity; An information processing method comprising:

12. A program, The computer that controls the external device acquiring the physical quantity from a measuring instrument according to any one of claims 1 to 6; a step of displaying the measurement results of the motion represented by the acquired physical quantities; A program to execute.

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