Notification device

Abstract

To understand the status of workers while they are working. [Solution] The notification device 200 includes a storage unit 210 that stores first information associated with a first range of activity level and a second range of heart rate when a worker is in a certain state during work; an acquisition unit 221 that acquires the worker's activity level per unit time and the worker's heart rate per unit time during work; and a notification control unit 222 that notifies second information regarding a certain state when the acquired activity level is within the first range and the acquired heart rate is within the second range.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a notification device that notifies the state of an operator performing a task.

Background Art

[0002] Techniques for notifying the state of an operator are known. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for notifying fatigue based on the maximum heart rate when an operator is asleep.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, with the technique of Patent Document 1, even if the fatigue level during sleep can be grasped, it is impossible to grasp the state of the operator during work. In order to appropriately manage the work of the operator, a technique for grasping the state of the operator during work has been demanded.

[0005] Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of these points, and an object thereof is to grasp the state of an operator during work.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] In an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a notification device including: a storage unit that stores first information in which a first range of an activity amount and a second range of a heart rate when an operator during work is in a certain state are associated; an acquisition unit that acquires the activity amount per unit time of the operator during work and the heart rate per unit time of the operator during work; and a notification control unit that notifies second information regarding the certain state when the acquired activity amount is within the first range and the acquired heart rate is within the second range.

[0007] The acquisition unit acquires the activity level per unit time and the heart rate per unit time during the work at predetermined intervals, and the notification control unit may notify the second information if the acquired activity level is within the first range and the acquired heart rate is within the second range for a period of time equal to or greater than the determination time for determining that the first state is in effect.

[0008] The notification control unit may notify the second information if the amount of activity acquired during the work within a predetermined period longer than the unit time is within the first range, and the time during which the heart rate acquired within the predetermined period was within the second range is equal to or greater than the determination time.

[0009] The storage unit stores first information relating the first range and second range for each of the multiple states in which the worker is performing the work, and the notification control unit may notify the second information relating to the state if the acquired activity amount is within the first range corresponding to one of the multiple states and the acquired heart rate was within the second range corresponding to that state for a period of time equal to or greater than the determination time.

[0010] The first range is a range greater than or equal to a first predetermined value for determining that the worker is in a high-activity state performing a physically demanding task, and the second range is a range greater than or equal to a second predetermined value for determining that the worker is in a high-load state with a high workload. The notification control unit may notify the second information regarding the first state, which is a high-activity state and a high-load state, if the acquired activity level is within the first range and the acquired heart rate has been within the second range for a period equal to or greater than the determination time.

[0011] The storage unit stores the first information associated with a third range of heart rate when the load on the worker is a moderate load state, which is lower than the high load state, and the third range is a range in which the upper limit is lower than the lower limit of the second range, and the notification control unit may notify the second information relating to the second state, which is a high activity state and a moderate load state, if the acquired activity amount is within the first range and the acquired heart rate is within the third range.

[0012] The storage unit stores the first information associated with a fourth range of activity levels when the worker is in a low-activity state performing work with a lower activity level than the high-activity state, wherein the fourth range is a range in which the upper limit is lower than the lower limit of the first range, and the notification control unit may notify the second information relating to the third state, which is the low-activity state and the moderate-load state, if the acquired activity level is within the fourth range and the acquired heart rate is within the third range.

[0013] The memory unit stores the first information associated with a fifth range of activity level when the worker is in an inactive state and not moving, and a sixth range of heart rate when the load on the worker is lower than the load in the medium-load state, wherein the fifth range is a range where the upper limit is lower than the upper limit of the fourth range and the lower limit is lower than the lower limit of the fourth range, and the sixth range is a range where the upper limit is lower than the lower limit of the third range, and the notification control unit may notify the second information regarding the fourth state, which is an inactive state and a low-load state, if the acquired activity level is within the fifth range and the acquired heart rate is within the sixth range.

[0014] The storage unit stores, in association with a seventh range of activity levels when the worker is in a low-activity state performing low-intensity work, and an eighth range of heart rate when the load on the worker is in an extremely low-load state, wherein the seventh range has an upper limit higher than the upper limit of the fourth range and a lower limit lower than the lower limit of the first range, and the eighth range has an upper limit lower than the lower limit of the third range. The notification control unit may notify the second information regarding the fifth state, which is the low-activity state and the extremely low-load state, if the acquired activity level is within the seventh range and the acquired heart rate is within the eighth range.

[0015] The activity level may be expressed as the ratio of the energy consumed per unit time by the worker in one state to the energy consumed per unit time by the worker in a resting state. [Effects of the Invention]

[0016] According to the present invention, the effect is that the worker's condition during work can be understood. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0017] [Figure 1] This is a diagram illustrating the overview of the notification system. [Figure 2] This graph plots the acquired activity level and heart rate. [Figure 3] This is a diagram illustrating the configuration of the notification device. [Figure 4] This diagram illustrates the ranges represented by activity levels and heart rates. [Figure 5] This is a schematic diagram of the display screen shown on the administrator's terminal. [Figure 6] This flowchart shows an example of the process for reporting the second piece of information. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0018] <First Embodiment> [Overview of Notification System S] FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining the outline of the notification system S. The notification system S is a system that notifies an administrator 110 who manages the worker 100 of the status of the worker 100. The notification system S includes a smartwatch 101, an administrator terminal 111, and a notification device 200.

[0019] The worker 100 is a driver who drives a vehicle V (truck) that transports the article N. The worker 100 performs a loading and unloading operation of loading and unloading the article N onto the vehicle V. The worker 100 wears the smartwatch 101 on the arm.

[0020] The smartwatch 101 detects the biometric information of the worker 100 ((1) in FIG. 1). The smartwatch 101 detects the activity amount of the worker 100 during work as biometric information. The activity amount of the worker 100 is represented by the ratio of the energy consumption of the worker 100 in a certain state to the energy consumption of the worker 100 at rest. The energy consumption of the worker 100 increases when the worker 100 is performing work with a high physical load. The movement of the worker 100 performing work with a high physical load becomes large. When the movement of the worker 100 becomes large, the acceleration applied to the smartwatch 101 becomes large.

[0021] Using this, the smartwatch 101 detects the energy consumption based on the acceleration. The smartwatch 101 has an acceleration sensor capable of measuring the acceleration in three directions, and specifies the energy consumption per unit time of the worker 100 during work based on the acceleration in each direction. The unit time is 10 minutes, but is not limited thereto. The smartwatch 101 specifies a larger energy consumption as the magnitude of the vector obtained by synthesizing the three accelerations is larger. The smartwatch 101 specifies the ratio of the specified energy consumption to the energy consumption of the worker 100 at rest as the activity amount. It is assumed that the energy consumption of the worker 100 at rest is stored in the smartwatch 101 in advance.

[0022] The smartwatch 101 detects heart rate as biometric information. The smartwatch 101 has an optical heart rate sensor and detects the heart rate per unit time of worker 100 during work based on the change in reflected light when green light is shone on the worker 100's skin. However, the smartwatch 101 may detect heart rate by other methods.

[0023] The smartwatch 101 detects activity level and heart rate at predetermined detection intervals. The detection interval is, for example, 1 minute. The smartwatch 101 detects activity level and heart rate at the same time every minute. The smartwatch 101 detects activity level and heart rate per unit time that is longer than the detection interval. The unit time is, for example, 10 minutes. The smartwatch 101 detects activity level and heart rate per unit time based on 10 activity level statistics and 10 heart rate statistics detected during the 10 minutes. The statistics are at least one of the mean, median, and mode. In this embodiment, the smartwatch 101 uses the average of the 10 activity level statistics and the average of the heart rate statistics detected during the 10 minutes as the activity level and heart rate per unit time.

[0024] The smartwatch 101 has a wireless communication module and is communicatively connected to the notification device 200. The smartwatch 101 transmits biometric information, including the detected activity level and heart rate per unit time, to the notification device 200.

[0025] The notification device 200 is a server managed by the administrator 110. The notification device 200 stores biometric information of the worker 100 during work, the tasks that the worker 100 is scheduled to perform during work, and the details of the tasks that the worker 100 actually performed during work.

[0026] The notification device 200 acquires biometric information indicating activity level and heart rate from the smartwatch 101 (Figure 1(2)). Figure 2 is a plot of the acquired activity level and heart rate. In Figure 2, the horizontal axis represents time T, the left vertical axis represents heart rate (HR), and the right vertical axis represents activity level (METs). In Figure 2, the average heart rate of worker 100 during work is plotted as a circle, and the average activity level over 10 minutes is plotted as a square.

[0027] As mentioned above, the higher the activity level, the more physically demanding the work performed by worker 100. The activity level in period A was 8, which is higher than the activity level in periods other than period A, suggesting that worker 100 was continuously performing physically demanding work during period A. The heart rate during period A, when worker 100 was performing physically demanding work, was higher than the heart rate at time T other than period A. The increased heart rate during period A is thought to be due to excessive strain on worker 100's body as a result of performing physically demanding work. In period A, when worker 100's activity level and heart rate were high, it is considered that worker 100 was in an overwork state, where excessive strain was placed on worker 100 performing physically demanding work.

[0028] In this way, it is possible to identify whether worker 100 was in an overwork state during work based on worker 100's activity level and heart rate. Therefore, the notification device 200 identifies worker 100's overwork state during work based on the activity level and heart rate acquired from the smartwatch 101 (Figure 1 (3)). For example, the notification device 200 identifies worker 100 as being in an overwork state if worker 100's activity level is within the range of activity level for an overwork state and worker 100's heart rate is within the range of heart rate for an overwork state.

[0029] The notification device 200 notifies the second information regarding the identified overwork condition (Figure 1 (4)). The notification device 200 notifies the second information by displaying images and text related to the identified overwork condition as second information on the administrator terminal 111. The administrator terminal 111 is the terminal of administrator 110. By viewing the images and text related to the overwork condition, which are the second information displayed on the administrator terminal 111, administrator 110 can understand that worker 100 was in an overwork condition during work. As a result, administrator 110 can more easily adjust the workload of worker 100 and manage their health, thereby enabling appropriate management of worker 100's work. The following describes the specific configuration of the notification device 200.

[0030] [Configuration of the notification device 200] Figure 3 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of the notification device 200. The notification device 200 has a storage unit 210 and a control unit 220. The storage unit 210 is a storage medium including ROM (Read Only Memory), RAM (Random Access Memory), and hard disk.

[0031] The memory unit 210 stores first information for identifying the state of the worker 100. For example, the memory unit 210 stores first information that associates a range of activity level with a range of heart rate corresponding to one of the worker 100's multiple states.

[0032] Each of the multiple states is the first state, second state, third state, fourth state, and fifth state. The first state is a high-activity state in which worker 100 is performing a physically demanding task, and the load on worker 100 is high. In other words, the first state is a state in which worker 100, who is performing a physically demanding task, is under excessive load. The second state is a moderate-load state in which worker 100 is in a high-activity state, and the load on worker 100 is lower than in the high-load state. The second state is a state in which worker 100, in a high-activity state, is under moderate physical load.

[0033] The third state is a low-activity and moderate-load state in which worker 100 is performing work that is less active than work that would result in a high-activity state. The third state is a state in which worker 100 is not feeling well due to fever, sleep disturbance, chronic fatigue, etc. The fourth state is a low-load state in which worker 100 is inactive and not moving, and the load on worker 100 is low. In other words, the fourth state is a state in which worker 100 is inactive due to fever, sleep disturbance, chronic fatigue, etc., but has a high heart rate. The fifth state is an extremely low-load state in which worker 100 is in a low-activity state and the load on worker 100 is even lower than low load. In other words, the fifth state is a state in which worker 100's level of alertness is low during work, for example, a state close to dozing off, or a state showing a tendency toward decreased alertness as worker 100 is about to doze off.

[0034] The memory unit 210 stores first information that indicates a region represented by the range of activity level and heart rate when the worker 100 is in a certain state during work. Figure 4 is a diagram illustrating the region represented by the range of activity level and heart rate. In Figure 4, the horizontal axis represents the activity level in METs, and the vertical axis represents the heart rate in HR. As shown in Figure 4, the first information indicates multiple regions.

[0035] The first region 301 is the region where worker 100 is in a first state, which is a high-activity and high-load state. The first region 301 is the region where the activity level is in the first range H1 and the heart rate is in the second range H2. The first range H1 is the range of activity level when worker 100 is in a high-activity state. The first range H1 is the range where the activity level is greater than or equal to a first predetermined value and less than or equal to a predetermined upper limit. The first predetermined value is a value used to determine that worker 100 is performing work that involves a high activity level and a high physical load. Work that involves a high physical load is, for example, cargo handling work such as loading and unloading heavy loads. The specific value of the first predetermined value is 6, but it is not limited to this. The predetermined upper limit can be determined according to the activity level when worker 100 performs cargo handling work, for example it is 9, but it is not limited to this.

[0036] The second heart rate range H2 is the heart rate range when worker 100 is under high-load conditions, where a high physical load is being placed on the worker. The second heart rate range H2 is the range above the second predetermined value. The second predetermined value is the value used to determine that a high-load condition exists. The second predetermined value is determined according to the worker 100's maximum heart rate, for example, 60% of the maximum heart rate (183), and the specific value is 110, but it is not limited to this and can be determined according to the maximum heart rate of the worker 100 managed by the manager 110.

[0037] The second region 302 is the region where worker 100 is in a second state, which is both highly active and under moderate load. The activity level range in the second region 302 is represented by the first range H1. The reason the activity level range in the second region 302 is represented by the first range H1 is that the activity level in the second state is approximately the same as that in the first state. The heart rate range in the second region 302 is represented by the third range H3. Since the heart rate when worker 100 is under moderate load is lower than the heart rate when worker 100 is under high load, the upper limit of the third range H3 is lower than the lower limit (110) of the second range H2 under high load. In this embodiment, the third range H3 is the heart rate range of 85 or more and less than 110.

[0038] The third region 303 is the region where worker 100 is in a third state, which is both low-activity and moderate-load. The activity level range in the third region 303 is represented by the fourth range H4. The activity level when worker 100 is in a low-activity state is lower than the activity level when worker 100 is in a high-activity state. Therefore, the upper limit of the fourth range H4 is lower than the lower limit (6) of the first range H1, which represents the activity level in the high-activity state. In this embodiment, the fourth range H4 is the range where the activity level is between 1.5 and 2.5. The heart rate range in the third region 303 is represented by the third range H3, which represents the heart rate in a moderate-load state. The reason why the heart rate range in the third region 303 is represented by the third range H3 is that when worker 100 is not in good physical condition due to fever, poor sleep, chronic fatigue, etc., even if worker 100 is in a low-activity state, their heart rate will be as high as in a moderate-load state.

[0039] The fourth region 304 is the region where worker 100 is in an inactive and low-load state. The activity level range in the fourth region 304 is represented by the fifth region H5. The activity level of worker 100 when inactive is lower than the activity level when worker 100 is in a low-activity state. Therefore, the upper limit of the fifth region H5 is lower than the upper limit (2) of the fourth region H4 in the low-activity state, and the lower limit of the fifth region H5 is lower than the lower limit (1.5) of the fourth region H4. In this embodiment, the fifth region H5 is the range where the activity level is 1 or more and less than 2.

[0040] The heart rate range in the fourth region 304 is represented by the sixth region H6. When worker 100 is not feeling well, their inactive heart rate is lower than their high-load heart rate. Therefore, the upper limit of the sixth region H6 is lower than the lower limit (85) of the third region H3, which represents the high-load heart rate. Also, when worker 100 is not feeling well, their inactive heart rate is higher than their inactive heart rate when they are in good health. Therefore, the lower limit of the sixth region H6 is higher than the upper limit (68) of the inactive heart rate range when they are in good health. In this embodiment, the sixth region H6 is the range where the heart rate is higher than 68 and less than 80.

[0041] Domain 5 305 is the domain where worker 100 is in a low-activity state and the load on worker 100 is even lower than that of a low-load state (extremely low-load state). The range of activity levels in Domain 5 305 is represented by Domain 7 H7. Low-activity work is work that places less physical stress on the worker than high-stress work. Examples of low-activity work include, but are not limited to, driving and inspecting vehicles V, loading and unloading light cargo, and desk work.

[0042] When worker 100 is performing low-activity tasks, the activity level is lower than when performing physically demanding tasks. Therefore, the upper limit of the seventh range H7 is lower than the lower limit (6) of the first range H1 for high-activity tasks. Also, the upper limit of the seventh range H7 is higher than the upper limit (2) of the fourth range H4 for low-activity tasks. This is because when worker 100 is performing low-activity tasks such as driving a vehicle V or desk work, worker 100 may move their arms significantly, causing the acceleration related to the smartwatch 101 to be greater than when performing low-activity tasks. Note that the activity level in a low-activity state may be similar to the activity level at rest, so the lower limit of the seventh range H7 is the activity level at rest (1). In this embodiment, the seventh range H7 is the range of activity levels from 1 to 3.

[0043] The heart rate range in the fifth region 305 is represented by the eighth range H8. The heart rate of worker 100 when under very low load is lower than the heart rate of worker 100 when active, or the heart rate of worker 100 in an inactive state when not feeling well. Therefore, the upper limit of the eighth range H8 is lower than the lower limit (68) of the sixth range H6, which represents the heart rate under low load. The lower limit of the eighth range H8 is the lowest value among the heart rates measured for worker 100 in an inactive state. In this embodiment, the eighth range H8 is the heart rate range of 60 or more and less than 68.

[0044] The memory unit 210 stores the program to be executed by the control unit 220. The control unit 220 is a computing resource that includes a processor, such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The control unit 220 realizes the functions of the acquisition unit 221 and the notification control unit 222 by executing the program stored in the memory unit 210.

[0045] The acquisition unit 221 acquires the activity level and heart rate of the worker 100 during work. The acquisition unit 221 acquires the activity level and heart rate detected by the smartwatch 101 at predetermined intervals. The predetermined interval is, for example, 10 minutes, the same as a unit of time, but is not limited to this.

[0046] The notification control unit 222 identifies the worker's state based on the activity level and heart rate. If the acquired activity level and heart rate are included in any of the multiple areas stored in the memory unit 210, the notification control unit 222 identifies the worker's state as corresponding to one of the areas containing the activity level and heart rate. For example, if the acquired activity level is within a first range H1 and the acquired heart rate is within a second range H2, the notification control unit 222 identifies the worker 100 as being in a first state corresponding to the first area 301.

[0047] The notification control unit 222 may determine the worker's state based on the time the acquired activity level and heart rate were included in a particular region. For example, the notification control unit 222 determines that the worker's state corresponds to the region in which the activity level and heart rate were included when the time the acquired activity level and heart rate were included in a particular region is equal to or greater than the determination time corresponding to that region. The determination time is the time required to determine that the worker 100 is in a particular state, and is set for each of the multiple regions.

[0048] The notification control unit 222 may identify the worker 100's status based on the activity level and heart rate acquired during a predetermined period of the worker 100's work. The work period is the period from the work start time when the worker 100 begins work to the work end time when the worker 100 ends work. The notification control unit 222 divides the work period into multiple periods. For example, the notification control unit 222 divides the work period into multiple periods by dividing the work period into predetermined time intervals from the work start time. Specifically, the notification control unit 222 divides the work period (10 hours) into 10 periods by dividing it into predetermined time intervals (for example, every hour) from the work start time (for example, 7:00).

[0049] The notification control unit 222 identifies the worker 100's state based on the cumulative value of the time during which the activity level and heart rate acquired in one of the 10 periods of the work period fell within a particular range. The notification control unit 222 identifies that the worker 100 was in the state corresponding to a particular range if the product of the number of times the activity level and heart rate acquired in one of the 10 periods fell within a particular range and the unit time is equal to or greater than the determination time corresponding to that range. In this way, the notification control unit 222 can identify the worker 100's state in each of the multiple periods into which the work period is divided.

[0050] The notification control unit 222 determines that worker 100, who has been in the first state, has entered an overwork state if the activity level is within the first range H1 and the heart rate is within the second range H2 for a period of time equal to or greater than the first determination time corresponding to the first region 301. The first determination time is the time for which it is determined that the first state is continuing. The first determination time is, for example, 40 minutes, but is not limited to this.

[0051] The notification control unit 222 determines that the worker 100 is in the second state corresponding to the second region 302 if the time during which the activity level and heart rate were within the second region 302 is equal to or greater than the second determination time corresponding to the second region 302. The second determination time is the time during which the second state is determined to be continuing. The second determination time is longer than the first determination time, for example, 60 minutes, but is not limited to this. In this way, the notification control unit 222 can appropriately identify the second state, which tends to last longer than the overwork state.

[0052] The notification control unit 222 identifies worker 100 as being in the third state corresponding to the third region 303 if the time during which the activity level and heart rate were within the third region 303 is equal to or greater than the third determination time corresponding to the third region 303. Similarly, the notification control unit 222 identifies worker 100 as being in the fourth state corresponding to the fourth region 304 if the time during which the activity level and heart rate were within the fourth region 304 is equal to or greater than the fourth determination time corresponding to the fourth region 304. Specifically, if the notification control unit 222 identifies worker 100 as being in the third or fourth state, it identifies worker 100 as being unwell. The third determination time and the fourth determination time may be the same or different. The third determination time and the fourth determination time may be determined appropriately through experiments, etc., for example, 30 minutes, but not limited to this. The third determination time and the fourth determination time may also be changeable.

[0053] The notification control unit 222 identifies worker 100 as being in the fifth state corresponding to the fifth region 305 if the time during which the activity level and heart rate were within the fifth region 305 is equal to or greater than the fifth determination time corresponding to the fifth region 305. The fifth determination time is shorter than the first determination time, for example, 5 minutes. If the notification control unit 222 identifies worker 100 as being in the fifth state, it identifies worker 100 as being in a low-alert state. In this way, the notification control unit 222 can appropriately identify the fifth state, which lasts for a shorter period than other states, making it easier to identify low-alert states, such as a state similar to or on the verge of falling asleep while driving.

[0054] The notification control unit 222 may identify the work that worker 100 was performing in a particular state. In this case, the acquisition unit 221 acquires biometric information indicating activity level and heart rate, associating it with the time when the activity level and heart rate were detected. The acquisition unit 221 also acquires operation management information from the operation management device 120, associating the work that worker 100 is scheduled to perform with the time at which that work is scheduled to be performed. The operation management device 120 is a server that stores operation management information. The administrator 110 inputs the work that worker 100 is scheduled to perform and the time at which that work is scheduled to be performed into the operation management device 120 via the administrator terminal 111. The operation management device 120 stores the operation management information input from the administrator 110.

[0055] The notification control unit 222 refers to the operation management information acquired by the acquisition unit 221 and identifies the work corresponding to the time when the acquired activity level and heart rate were detected. Specifically, the notification control unit 222 identifies the work that worker 100 was performing at the time when the activity level and heart rate used to identify the worker's condition were detected. For example, the notification control unit 222 identifies that the work that worker 100 was performing at the time when the activity level and heart rate used to identify that worker 100 was in an overwork state was cargo handling work.

[0056] The notification control unit 222 notifies second information regarding the identified state. The second information is an image or text indicating that the worker 100 was in the identified state. If the notification control unit 222 identifies that the worker 100 is in the first state (overwork state), it notifies an image or text indicating that the worker was in the overwork state as second information. If the notification control unit 222 identifies not only the overwork state but also at least one of the second state, third state (poor physical condition), fourth state (poor physical condition), and fifth state (low alertness state), it notifies an image or text indicating that the worker was in the identified state as second information. Furthermore, if the notification control unit 222 identifies multiple states, it notifies second information showing an image or text indicating that the worker was in each of the identified states. When the worker 100 finishes work, the notification control unit 222 notifies the administrator 110 of the second information by displaying an image or text indicating that the worker was in the identified state as second information on the administrator terminal 111. Administrator 110 can understand the status of worker 100 during work by checking the second information, which consists of images and text, displayed on administrator terminal 111.

[0057] The notification control unit 222 may associate the work being performed in a given state with the second piece of information relating to that state and provide notification accordingly. For example, the notification device 200 displays an image or text on the administrator terminal 111 indicating that the work being performed in the overwork state was cargo handling work. This allows the administrator 110 to understand what kind of work the worker 100 was performing when they entered an overwork state.

[0058] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the display screen 400 shown on the administrator terminal 111. The display screen 400 is a display screen that shows secondary information regarding the identified state. The display screen 400 displays images and text as secondary information indicating that the worker 100 was in the identified state. The name field 401 displays the name of the worker 100. This allows the administrator 110, who manages multiple workers 100, to know which worker 100's information they are viewing.

[0059] The overall evaluation column 402 displays the worker's condition during cargo handling and driving. In Figure 5, the overall evaluation column 402 shows that the worker was overworked during cargo handling and under-conscious during driving. The manager 110 can understand the worker's condition during work by checking the worker's condition displayed in the overall evaluation column 402.

[0060] The supplementary information column 403 displays the cargo handling time, the driving time of vehicle V, and the time worker 100 was in a state of one. In Figure 5, the supplementary information column 403 shows that the cargo handling time was 3 hours, and that the normal cargo handling time is 2 hours. It also shows that 40 minutes of the cargo handling time was spent in an overwork state, and 2 hours and 20 minutes was spent in a high-load state. This allows the manager 110 to understand the detailed state of worker 100 who performed the cargo handling work.

[0061] Furthermore, the supplementary information column 403 displays the driving time during which worker 100 drove vehicle V. Figure 5 shows that the driving time in the supplementary information column 403 was 7 hours. If worker 100 enters a low-alert state while driving, the supplementary information column 403 displays the duration of the low-alert state. In this way, by displaying worker 100's state during work and the duration of that state on the administrator terminal 111, the administrator 110 can understand how long and in what state worker 100 was in during work.

[0062] [Process for reporting second information] Figure 6 is a flowchart showing an example of the process for notifying the second piece of information. The process for notifying the second piece of information is executed when worker 100 finishes their work.

[0063] When the worker 100 finishes their work, the acquisition unit 221 acquires the activity level and heart rate per unit time during the work (step S1). Specifically, the acquisition unit 221 acquires the activity level and heart rate per unit time at predetermined intervals during the worker 100's work and stores the acquired activity level and heart rate in the storage unit 210. When the worker 100 finishes their work, the acquisition unit 221 acquires the activity level and heart rate stored in the storage unit 210.

[0064] The notification control unit 222 identifies the region containing the acquired activity level and heart rate (step S2). Specifically, the notification control unit 222 identifies which of the multiple regions shown in Figure 4 the acquired activity level and heart rate fall into. For example, the notification control unit 222 identifies that if the acquired activity level is within the first range H1 and the acquired heart rate is within the second range H2, it falls into the first region 301.

[0065] The notification control unit 222 determines whether the time spent within a specific region containing the acquired activity level and heart rate is equal to or greater than the determination time (step S3). Specifically, the notification control unit 222 determines whether the time represented by the product of the number of times the acquired activity level and heart rate were within a specific region and the unit time during a predetermined period (1 hour) of the worker 100's work is equal to or greater than the determination time corresponding to that region. For example, the notification control unit 222 determines whether the product of the number of times the acquired activity level and heart rate were within the first region 301 (4 times) and the unit time (10 minutes) (40 minutes) during one of the periods into which the work period is divided is equal to or greater than the first determination time (40 minutes) corresponding to the first region 301.

[0066] If the time spent in the area is longer than the determination time (Yes in step S3), the notification control unit 222 identifies the state corresponding to the area containing activity level and heart rate (step S4). For example, the notification control unit 222 identifies the overwork state corresponding to the first area 301 containing activity level and heart rate as the state of worker 100. If the time spent in the area is less than the determination time (No in step S3), the notification control unit 222 proceeds to step S5.

[0067] The notification control unit 222 determines whether or not it has determined all the regions indicated in the first information (step S5). Specifically, the notification control unit 222 determines whether or not it has determined whether the duration for which the acquired activity level and heart rate were within the region is equal to or greater than the determination time for all the regions indicated in the first information. If there are regions that have not been determined (No in step S5), the notification control unit 222 repeats steps S3 to S5 until all regions have been determined.

[0068] If the notification control unit 222 determines all areas (Yes in step S5), it notifies the administrator 110 of the second information regarding the identified state (step S6). For example, the notification control unit 222 notifies the administrator 110 of the second information by displaying an image or text related to the overwork state on the administrator terminal 111.

[0069] (Variation 1) In this embodiment, the notification control unit 222 identified the state of worker 100 in each of the multiple periods into which the work period was divided. However, the notification control unit 222 may also identify the state of worker 100 throughout the entire work period. In this case, the notification control unit 222 identifies that worker 100 was in the state corresponding to a certain region during work if the product of the number of times the activity level and heart rate acquired during the work period were included in a certain region and the unit time is equal to or greater than the determination time corresponding to that region. As a result, the notification control unit 222 can identify that worker 100 was in an overwork state throughout the entire work period, even if worker 100 was not in an overwork state in any single period.

[0070] (Modification 2) The notification control unit 222 may set each judgment time. For example, the notification control unit 222 sets the judgment time corresponding to a given area based on statistics of the amount of time during which the activity level and heart rate in each of several past periods fell within that area. The statistics can be the mean, median, or mode. Specifically, when worker 100 starts work, the notification control unit 222 sets the judgment time based on the average value of the amount of time during which the activity level and heart rate in each of several periods acquired from the day before the start of work to a predetermined number of days prior to that day fell within that area. To give a specific example, if the latest activity level and heart rate are acquired on September 18, the notification control unit 222 sets the judgment time to 40 minutes, which is the average value of the amount of time during which the activity level and heart rate in a given period acquired over 7 days from September 11 to September 17 fell within that area (e.g., 30 minutes) plus a predetermined value (e.g., 10 minutes).

[0071] (Variation 3) Worker 100 is not limited to drivers. For example, worker 100 could be a picker who picks up items N in a warehouse, a delivery person who delivers packages on foot, or a worker who provides care or cleaning services.

[0072] [Effects of notification device 200] As explained, the notification device 200 notifies second information regarding a state if the worker 100's activity level per unit time during work falls within the first range H1 of activity levels when the worker 100 is in a state, and the worker 100's heart rate per unit time during work falls within the second range H2 of heart rate when the worker is in a state. By checking the notified second information, the manager 110 can understand the worker 100's state during work.

[0073] Although the present invention has been described above using embodiments, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the scope described in the above embodiments, and various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of its gist. For example, all or part of the apparatus can be configured by functionally or physically distributing and integrating in any unit. Furthermore, new embodiments resulting from any combination of multiple embodiments are also included in the embodiments of the present invention. The effects of the new embodiments resulting from the combinations are combined with the effects of the original embodiments. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0074] S Notification System 101 Smartwatch 111 Administrator terminal 120 Traffic control device 200 notification devices 210 Storage section 220 Control Unit 221 Acquisition Department 222 Notification Control Unit

Claims

1. A storage unit that stores first information relating a first range of activity level and a second range of heart rate when a worker is in a certain state during work, An acquisition unit that acquires the amount of activity per unit time during the worker's work and the worker's heart rate per unit time during the work. A notification control unit that notifies second information relating to the first state when the acquired activity amount is within the first range and the acquired heart rate is within the second range, A notification device having [a certain feature].

2. The acquisition unit acquires the activity level per unit time and the heart rate per unit time during the work at predetermined intervals. The notification control unit notifies the second information if the time during which the acquired activity amount was within the first range and the acquired heart rate was within the second range is equal to or greater than the determination time for determining that the state is one. The notification device according to claim 1.

3. The notification control unit notifies the second information if the amount of activity acquired during the work within a predetermined period longer than the unit time is within the first range, and the time during which the heart rate acquired within the predetermined period was within the second range is equal to or greater than the determination time. The notification device according to claim 2.

4. The storage unit stores the first information, which associates the first range and the second range for each of the multiple states in which the worker is performing the work. The notification control unit notifies the second information relating to the state if the acquired activity amount is within the first range corresponding to one of the plurality of states, and the time during which the acquired heart rate was within the second range corresponding to that state is equal to or greater than the determination time. The notification device according to claim 2.

5. The first range is a range greater than or equal to a first predetermined value for determining that the worker is in a high-activity state performing a physically demanding task. The second range is a range greater than or equal to a second predetermined value for determining that the load on the worker is high, The notification control unit notifies the second information relating to the first state, which is a high-activity state and a high-load state, if the acquired activity level is within the first range and the acquired heart rate is within the second range for a period of time equal to or greater than the determination time. The notification device according to claim 2.

6. The memory unit stores the first information associated with a third range of heart rate when the load on the worker is a moderate load state, which is lower than the high load state. The third range is a range in which the upper limit is lower than the lower limit of the second range. The notification control unit notifies the second information relating to the second state, which is a high-activity state and a moderate-load state, when the acquired activity level is within the first range and the acquired heart rate is within the third range. The notification device according to claim 5.

7. The memory unit stores the first information associated with a fourth range of activity levels when the worker is in a low-activity state, performing work with a lower activity level than the high-activity state. The fourth range is a range in which the upper limit is lower than the lower limit of the first range. The notification control unit notifies the second information relating to the third state, which is a low-activity state and a moderate-load state, when the acquired activity level is within the fourth range and the acquired heart rate is within the third range. The notification device according to claim 6.

8. The memory unit stores the first information which associates a fifth range of activity levels when the worker is in an inactive state and not moving, and a sixth range of heart rate when the load on the worker is lower than the load in the medium-load state. The fifth range is a range in which the upper limit is lower than the upper limit of the fourth range, and the lower limit is lower than the lower limit of the fourth range. The sixth range is a range in which the upper limit is lower than the lower limit of the third range. The notification control unit notifies the second information relating to the fourth state, which is the inactive state and low-load state, when the acquired activity level is within the fifth range and the acquired heart rate is within the sixth range. The notification device according to claim 7.

9. The memory unit stores, in association with a seventh range of activity levels when the worker is in a low-activity state performing low-intensity work, and an eighth range of heart rate when the load on the worker is in an extremely low-intensity state compared to the low-intensity state. The seventh range is a range in which the upper limit is higher than the upper limit of the fourth range and lower than the lower limit of the first range. The eighth range is a range in which the upper limit is lower than the lower limit of the third range. The notification control unit notifies the second information relating to the fifth state, which is a low-activity state and an extremely low-load state, when the acquired activity level is within the seventh range and the acquired heart rate is within the eighth range. The notification device according to claim 8.

10. The activity level is expressed as the ratio of the energy consumed per unit time by the worker in one state to the energy consumed per unit time by the worker in a resting state. The notification device according to claim 1.

Images