Physical activity recommendation systems, physical activity recommendation programs, and physical activity recommendation methods

Abstract

The present invention relates to a physical activity recommendation system, a physical activity recommendation program, and a physical activity recommendation method that can recommend physical activity to counteract prolonged sitting time. [Solution] The physical activity recommendation system according to the present invention is a physical activity recommendation system that recommends physical activity to a user, and comprises a lifestyle information acquisition unit, a sedentary time zone identification unit, and a physical activity recommendation notification unit. The lifestyle information acquisition unit acquires the user's lifestyle schedule and the activity intensity for each lifestyle scene in the lifestyle schedule. The sedentary time zone identification unit identifies the sedentary time zone, which is the time period during which the user is engaging in sedentary activities, based on the activity intensity for each lifestyle scene. The physical activity recommendation notification unit notifies the user of the recommendation to engage in physical activity during the time included in the sedentary time zone, according to the sedentary time zone.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a physical activity recommendation system, a physical activity recommendation program, and a physical activity recommendation method for recommending physical activities to a user.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, it has been known that the longer the time spent in sedentary behavior (hereinafter referred to as sedentary time) continues, the more it causes an increase in obesity, deterioration of cardiovascular metabolism, decrease in physical strength, decrease in social behavior, and decrease in sleep time, which has an adverse effect on a person's health. In contrast, technologies have been developed to detect a user's sedentary behavior and prompt an interruption of the sedentary behavior when the sedentary time continues. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a warning output device that detects sitting by a mobile terminal and issues a warning when continuous working time due to sitting occurs.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Here, in the technology as described in Patent Document 1, in order to warn of the continuation of sedentary time, it is necessary to carry a mobile terminal that detects sitting. However, there are many cases where a mobile terminal is not carried while performing sedentary behavior, and it is not easy to constantly monitor sedentary time and issue a warning. On the other hand, a user's life schedule is often fixed to a certain extent, and the present inventors have studied the identification of sedentary time from the life schedule and the recommendation of physical activities for the continuation of sedentary time.

[0005] The present invention relates to a physical activity recommendation system, a physical activity recommendation program, and a physical activity recommendation method capable of recommending physical activities for the continuation of sedentary time. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A physical activity recommendation system according to one embodiment of the present invention is a physical activity recommendation system that recommends physical activity to a user, and comprises a lifestyle information acquisition unit, a sedentary time period identification unit, and a physical activity recommendation notification unit. The lifestyle information acquisition unit acquires the user's lifestyle schedule and the activity intensity for each lifestyle scene in the lifestyle schedule. The aforementioned sitting time-specific unit identifies the sitting time period, which is the time period during which the user is engaging in sitting activities, based on the activity intensity for each of the aforementioned daily life situations. The physical activity recommendation notification unit provides the user with a notification recommending physical activity during the time included in the sedentary period, according to the sedentary period.

[0007] A physical activity recommendation program according to one embodiment of the invention is a physical activity recommendation program that recommends physical activity for a user, and the information processing device is: The steps include obtaining the user's daily schedule and the activity intensity for each activity in the daily schedule, The steps include identifying the sedentary period, which is the time of day when the user is engaging in sedentary activities, based on the activity intensity for each of the aforementioned daily life situations, The steps include: providing the user with a notification recommending physical activity during the time included in the sedentary period, according to the sedentary period; Make it run.

[0008] A physical activity recommendation method according to one embodiment of the present invention is a physical activity recommendation method for recommending a user's physical activity, wherein the physical activity recommendation system is The user's daily schedule and the activity intensity for each stage of the daily schedule are obtained. Based on the activity intensity for each of the above-mentioned daily life situations, the sedentary period, which is the time of day when the user is engaging in sedentary activities, is identified. Depending on the sedentary period, the system will notify the user to recommend physical activity during the time included in that sedentary period. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to recommend physical activity to counteract prolonged sitting. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] This is a block diagram showing the configuration of a physical activity promotion system according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is an example of a user's daily schedule acquired by the lifestyle information acquisition unit of the above-mentioned physical activity promotion system. [Figure 3] The above is an example of the choices for various life situations presented by the Life Information Acquisition Department. [Figure 4] This is an example of the options for the content of daily life scenarios presented by the above-mentioned Life Information Acquisition Department. [Figure 5] This is an example of a sitting time period identified by the sitting time period identification unit of the above-mentioned physical activity promotion system. [Figure 6] This is an example of the sitting time calculated by the sitting time calculation unit of the above-mentioned physical activity promotion system. [Figure 7] This is an example of a screen displayed to the user in response to a physical activity recommendation notification from the physical activity recommendation notification unit of the above-mentioned physical activity promotion system. [Figure 8] The above screen shows an example of the options for the duration of the activity presented to the user by the physical activity recognition unit. [Figure 9] The above screen shows an example of a timer presented to the user by the physical activity recognition unit. [Figure 10] A flowchart showing the operation of the above-mentioned physical activity promotion system. [Figure 11] This is a block diagram showing the configuration of a physical activity promotion system according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12] A flowchart showing the operation of the above-mentioned physical activity promotion system. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. However, the configurations, numerical values, processing flows, functional elements, etc. described in the following embodiments are merely examples, and modifications and changes thereof are freely available and are not intended to limit the technical scope of the present invention to the following description. In this specification, a "system" shall include one or more information processing apparatuses. For example, a single information processing apparatus can also constitute a system, and when a plurality of information processing apparatuses cooperate to perform functions such as a web server, these information processing apparatuses can also constitute a system. Further, as described in the following embodiments, a "system" may include an information processing apparatus that functions as a web server and one or more terminal apparatuses.

[0012] Note that physical activities according to the present invention are defined as follows. "Sedentary behavior"... An activity with an exercise intensity of 1.5 METs or less performed in a sitting, semi-reclining or lying position "Light physical activity"... An activity of 1.6 - 2.9 METs (such as indoor walking, washing, dishwashing, stretching, etc.) "Moderate physical activity"... An activity of 3.0 - 5.9 METs (such as fast walking, cycling, stair walking, bathtub cleaning, etc.) "Vigorous physical activity"... An activity of 6.0 METs or more (such as jogging, cycling, running, etc.)

[0013] (First Embodiment) A physical activity promotion system according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described. The physical activity promotion system according to this embodiment is a system that promotes a user's physical activity by suppressing physical activities with a low activity intensity such as sedentary behavior. The physical activity promotion system according to this embodiment also functions as a "sedentary time estimation system", a "physical activity recommendation system", and a "system for interrupting physical activity time zones with low intensity or less".

[0014] [Configuration of a physical activity promotion system] The configuration of the physical activity promotion system according to this embodiment will now be described. As shown in Figure 1, the physical activity promotion system 1 according to this embodiment includes a lifestyle information acquisition unit 11, a sedentary time identification unit 12, a sedentary time calculation unit 13, a sedentary time presentation unit 14, a physical activity recommendation notification unit 15, a physical activity plan creation unit 16, a physical activity implementation recognition unit 17, a physical activity recording unit 18, and a physical activity presentation unit 19. These configurations are functional configurations realized through the cooperation of the hardware and software of the information processing device, and the software is typically a smartphone application.

[0015] The lifestyle information acquisition unit 11 acquires the user's lifestyle schedule. The lifestyle schedule is a daily schedule of various aspects of life, such as sleep, commuting, work, meals, and bathing. Figure 1 shows an example of a lifestyle schedule. The lifestyle schedule may differ depending on lifestyle patterns such as workdays and holidays, and the lifestyle information acquisition unit 11 can acquire a lifestyle schedule for each lifestyle pattern.

[0016] The lifestyle information acquisition unit 11 can present the user with a selection of lifestyle scenarios and acquire the activity intensity of the lifestyle scenarios selected by the user. Figure 2 shows an example of a lifestyle schedule input screen. After the user selects each lifestyle scenario by tapping a button or the like, they can input their lifestyle schedule into the lifestyle information acquisition unit 11 by entering the start and end times of that scenario, and the lifestyle information acquisition unit 11 acquires the entered lifestyle schedule.

[0017] Furthermore, the lifestyle information acquisition unit 11 acquires the activity intensity for each lifestyle situation in the lifestyle schedule. This activity intensity is classified using the physical activity criteria described above, as shown in Figure 3, as "Intensity 1: Sitting," "Intensity 2: Low Intensity," and "Intensity 3: Moderate to High Intensity." "Sitting" refers to sitting activities, "Low Intensity" refers to low-intensity activities, and "Moderate to High Intensity" refers to moderate-intensity or high-intensity activities.

[0018] When a user selects a lifestyle activity, the lifestyle information acquisition unit 11 can acquire the activity intensity pre-set for that activity as the activity intensity for the selected activity. Since lifestyle activities such as eating, bathing, and sleeping have specific activity intensities, their activity intensities are pre-set. When the user selects a lifestyle activity, the pre-set activity intensities are automatically entered, and the lifestyle information acquisition unit 11 acquires the activity intensity. In the example in Figure 3, activity intensities of "intensity 2" are pre-set for getting ready, "intensity 1" for eating, and "intensity 3" for exercise and sports.

[0019] Furthermore, when a user selects a lifestyle situation, the lifestyle information acquisition unit 11 can present the user with options for the content of that lifestyle situation and acquire the activity intensity set for the content selected by the user as the activity intensity of the selected lifestyle situation. Since the activity intensity differs depending on the content of lifestyle situations such as work, commuting, and free time, the activity intensity of the content selected by the user is used for the lifestyle situation.

[0020] Specifically, when a user selects a lifestyle scenario, options for that scenario are displayed. For example, if a user selects "work," the content and set activity intensity are displayed, as shown in Figure 4, and the user can select the one that applies to them. The lifestyle information acquisition unit 11 can acquire the activity intensity of the content selected by the user. If the content of "work" changes depending on the time of day, the user can select the content for each time period. Similarly, for lifestyle scenarios other than "work," such as "commuting," "housework," and "free time," options for content are displayed, and the lifestyle information acquisition unit 11 can acquire the activity intensity of the selected content. In this way, the lifestyle information acquisition unit 11 acquires the activity intensity selected by the user.

[0021] The method of acquiring activity intensity by the lifestyle information acquisition unit 11 is not limited to the above; activity intensity may be predetermined for all lifestyle situations, or the user may select the content for all lifestyle situations. The lifestyle information acquisition unit 11 supplies the acquired lifestyle schedule and activity intensity to the seated time zone identification unit 12.

[0022] The sedentary time zone identification unit 12 identifies the user's "seated time zone" based on the activity intensity for each lifestyle activity acquired by the lifestyle information acquisition unit 11. The sedentary time zone is the period in the user's lifestyle schedule when they are engaging in sedentary activities, and it corresponds to the lifestyle activity activities with an intensity of 1, excluding "sleep," "eating," and "personal care (getting ready)." Figure 5 shows an example of a sedentary time zone identified by the sedentary time zone identification unit 12, with the sedentary time zone indicated by a shaded area. In the example in Figure 5, part of "commuting," "work," and "free time" correspond to the sedentary time zone. The sedentary time zone identification unit 12 supplies the identified sedentary time zone to the sedentary time calculation unit 13, the physical activity recommendation notification unit 15, and the physical activity presentation unit 19.

[0023] The sitting time calculation unit 13 calculates sitting time by accumulating the time corresponding to sitting time periods. Sitting time is the time a user spends sitting within a specific period, and is typically the total time a user spends sitting in a day. The sitting time calculation unit 13 calculates sitting time by accumulating the time corresponding to the sitting time periods (shaded area in Figure 5) identified by the sitting time period identification unit 12. Figure 6 shows an example of daily sitting time calculated by the sitting time calculation unit 13, with sitting time indicated by the shaded area. In the example in Figure 6, the total of daily activities excluding "sleep," "eating," and "personal care" is 14.0 hours, and 77% of that, or 10.8 hours, corresponds to sitting time.

[0024] The sitting time calculation unit 13 can calculate sitting time for each lifestyle pattern if the lifestyle information acquisition unit 11 has acquired lifestyle schedules for each lifestyle pattern, such as workdays and holidays. The sitting time calculation unit 13 supplies the calculated sitting time to the sitting time presentation unit 14 and the physical activity recommendation notification unit 15.

[0025] The sitting time display unit 14 displays the sitting time calculated by the sitting time calculation unit 13 to the user. The sitting time display unit 14 can generate and display a graph as shown in Figure 6. The sitting time display unit 14 may also display the sitting time to the user in text or voice. If the lifestyle information acquisition unit 11 has acquired lifestyle schedules for each lifestyle pattern, such as workdays and holidays, the sitting time display unit 14 can display the sitting time for each lifestyle pattern to the user.

[0026] The physical activity recommendation notification unit 15 sends a "physical activity recommendation notification" to the user at times included in the sedentary period, depending on the sedentary period. The physical activity recommendation notification is a notification that encourages the user to engage in physical activity, such as "Please engage in physical activity."

[0027] The physical activity recommendation notification unit 15 can issue physical activity recommendation notifications according to the duration of sedentary time. Specifically, the physical activity recommendation notification unit 15 can issue physical activity recommendation notifications at regular intervals when sedentary time continues for a predetermined period of time or longer. The regular interval is, for example, one hour. The physical activity recommendation notification may be, for example, "You have been sitting for one hour continuously. Please engage in physical activity."

[0028] Furthermore, the physical activity recommendation notification unit 15 can also issue physical activity recommendation notifications at regular intervals within the sedentary period. For example, if the sedentary period is from 7:00 AM to 12:00 PM and from 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM on weekdays, the physical activity recommendation notification unit 15 can issue physical activity recommendation notifications on the hour (8:00 AM, 9:00 AM, 10:00 AM, etc.) within those periods. The physical activity recommendation notification can be something like, "It's 9:00 AM. Please engage in physical activity."

[0029] The physical activity recommendation notification unit 15 can also provide physical activity recommendation notifications based on the amount of time spent sitting, in addition to the amount of time spent sitting. Specifically, the physical activity recommendation notification unit 15 can increase the frequency of physical activity recommendation notifications during sitting periods if the daily sitting time is longer than a predetermined time, and decrease the frequency of such notifications if the daily sitting time is shorter than a predetermined time.

[0030] Furthermore, the physical activity recommendation notification unit 15 can also provide physical activity recommendation notifications according to user-defined conditions. The physical activity recommendation notification unit 15 can provide physical activity recommendation notifications at user-defined intervals if the sedentary period continues for a predetermined time or longer. The physical activity recommendation notification unit 15 can also provide physical activity recommendation notifications at regular intervals or at user-defined intervals if the sedentary period continues for a time or longer.

[0031] Furthermore, the physical activity recommendation notification unit 15 may present the user with times included in the sedentary period as candidate times for the physical activity recommendation notification. For example, if the sedentary period is from 7:00 AM to 12:00 PM and from 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM on weekdays, the physical activity recommendation notification unit 15 can present the user with times between 7:00 AM to 12:00 PM and from 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM as candidate times for the physical activity recommendation notification. The user may specify one of the presented candidate times, or they may specify a different time. The physical activity recommendation notification unit 15 can then issue a physical activity recommendation notification at the time specified by the user.

[0032] In addition to the above, the physical activity recommendation notification unit 15 should also be capable of notifying the user of physical activity recommendations based on the sitting time period identified by the sitting time period identification unit 12. When the physical activity recommendation notification unit 15 notifies the user of a physical activity recommendation, it notifies the physical activity performance recognition unit 17 of this fact. When the physical activity recommendation notification unit 15 notifies the user of a physical activity recommendation, a screen like the one shown in Figure 7 is displayed to the user along with the notification.

[0033] The physical activity planning unit 16 creates a physical activity promotion plan that promotes "mild physical activity" and presents it to the user. Mild physical activity is physical activity that reduces the negative effects of sitting for extended periods, such as marching in place, squats, heel raises, marching in place while sitting in a chair, knee flexion and extension while sitting in a chair, and heel raises while sitting in a chair, and is of intensity 2 or higher that does not significantly hinder sedentary activities such as work.

[0034] A physical activity promotion plan must include at least a target number of light physical activity sessions per day, and may also include a target time. The target number of sessions is the target number of light physical activity sessions per day, and the target time is the target total time spent on light physical activity per day. For example, a light physical activity promotion plan might be "Target number of sessions: 7, Target time: 35 minutes."

[0035] The physical activity planning unit 16 can create a physical activity promotion plan according to the amount of time spent sitting. For example, it can create a plan such as, "If the daily sitting time is less than 5 hours, the target number of sessions is 3; if the sitting time is 5 hours or more but less than 10 hours, the target number of sessions is 5; if the sitting time is 10 hours or more, the target number of sessions is 7, with a target duration of 5 minutes per session."

[0036] Furthermore, the physical activity planning unit 16 may include "continuous activity" in the physical activity promotion plan. Continuous activity is walking by the user for a predetermined number of steps or more. The predetermined number of steps is, for example, 100 steps. The physical activity promotion plan may include a target number of continuous activities per day. The physical activity planning unit 16 may use a predetermined number as the target number of continuous activities, or it may determine the target number according to the sitting time, similar to light physical activity.

[0037] The physical activity plan creation unit 16 creates a physical activity promotion plan as described above and presents it to the user. In Figure 7, column 101 presents the physical activity promotion plan for the day, column 102 shows the achievement status of light physical activity for the day, and column 103 shows the achievement status of continuous activity for the time. The physical activity plan creation unit 16 supplies the created physical activity promotion plan to the physical activity recording unit 18 and the physical activity presentation unit 19.

[0038] The physical activity recognition unit 17 recognizes the performance of light physical activity based on the user's input indicating the performance of light physical activity. When the physical activity recommendation notification unit 15 issues a notification recommending physical activity, the physical activity recognition unit 17 can display an operation unit for inputting instructions to perform light physical activity in conjunction with that notification. Specifically, as shown in Figure 7, the physical activity recognition unit 17 can display a physical activity start button 104 as an operation unit.

[0039] When a user receives a notification recommending physical activity and intends to perform light physical activity, they press (tap or click, etc.) the physical activity start button 104. The physical activity recognition unit 17 then presents a list of possible durations for the physical activity. Specifically, as shown in Figure 8, the physical activity recognition unit 17 can display a time selection button 105 that indicates the possible durations of the activity instead of the physical activity start button 104.

[0040] The user presses a time selection button 105 to indicate the duration of the light physical activity they wish to perform. The physical activity recognition unit 17 then acquires the duration selected by the user. To prevent accidental operation, it is preferable that the physical activity start button 104 be disabled for a certain period of time (e.g., 30 minutes) after being pressed once.

[0041] Next, as shown in Figure 8, the physical activity recognition unit 17 displays a timer 106 that measures the duration of the activity selected by the user. This allows the user to perform light physical activity for the duration they have set, while referring to the timer 106. Once the timer 106 has finished measuring the time, the physical activity recognition unit 17 considers that the user has performed light physical activity and recognizes that the activity has been completed. When the physical activity recognition unit 17 recognizes that the user has performed light physical activity, it notifies the physical activity recording unit 18 of this fact.

[0042] The physical activity recording unit 18 records the details of the physical activities performed by the user during the sedentary period. When the physical activity recognition unit 17 recognizes that the user has performed light physical activity, the physical activity recording unit 18 records the time and duration of the light physical activity. The time of the activity is the time when the user made an input indicating that they were performing physical activity, specifically the time when the user pressed the time selection button 105. The duration of the activity is the duration selected by the user, specifically the time indicated on the time selection button 105 pressed by the user (the time measured by the timer 106).

[0043] Furthermore, the physical activity recording unit 18 can also record the results of continuous activity. When the physical activity recording unit 18 obtains the number of steps measured from a smartphone pedometer application or the like, it records the number of steps and the measurement time. The physical activity recording unit 18 supplies the recorded physical activity details to the physical activity display unit 19.

[0044] The physical activity display unit 19 displays to the user the details of the physical activity recorded by the physical activity recording unit 18 (hereinafter referred to as "physical activity details"). Column 107 in Figure 7 shows light physical activity per unit time. The unit time is, for example, 1 hour. Each section 108 represents a unit time, and the physical activity display unit 19 places a mark as shown in the figure if one instance of light physical activity is performed in each section 108. Furthermore, the physical activity display unit 19 places a different mark as shown in the figure if two instances of light physical activity are performed in each section 108. Column 109 in Figure 7 shows continuous movement per unit time. The unit time is, for example, 1 hour. Each section 110 represents a unit time, and the physical activity display unit 19 places a mark as shown in the figure if 100 steps or more are recorded in each section 110.

[0045] The method of presenting physical activity content by the physical activity presentation unit 19 is not limited to those described above; any method that allows the user to understand their own physical activity content is acceptable. The physical activity presentation unit 19 can also present physical activity content and sitting time to the user together by changing the color of sections 108 and 110 corresponding to sitting time.

[0046] [Operation of the physical activity promotion system] The operation of the physical activity promotion system 1 according to this embodiment will be described.

[0047] As shown in Figure 10, first the lifestyle information acquisition unit 11 acquires the user's lifestyle schedule and activity intensity for each lifestyle situation (St11). Next, the sitting time identification unit 12 identifies the sitting time periods in the user's lifestyle schedule (see Figure 5) based on the user's lifestyle schedule and activity intensity for each lifestyle situation (St12). Subsequently, the sitting time calculation unit 13 calculates the sitting time (see Figure 6) by accumulating the time corresponding to the sitting time periods (St13).

[0048] Next, the sitting time presentation unit 14 presents the user with the sitting time calculated by the sitting time calculation unit 13 (St14). Subsequently, the physical activity recommendation notification unit 15 sends a physical activity recommendation notification to the user at a time included in the sitting time (St15). At this time, the physical activity plan creation unit 16 can present the user with a physical activity promotion plan that encourages the user to perform light physical activity, which has been created according to the sitting time (St16) (Figure 7, column 101).

[0049] Furthermore, when the physical activity recognition unit 17 receives a physical activity recommendation notification from the physical activity recommendation notification unit 15, it displays an operation unit for operation input (Figure 7, physical activity start button 104) along with the notification, and recognizes the user's performance of light physical activity based on the operation input to this operation unit (St17). The physical activity recognition unit 17 can assist the user in performing light physical activity by displaying a timer 106 that measures the duration of the activity selected by the user.

[0050] Next, the physical activity recording unit 18 records the content of physical activities performed by the user during the sedentary period, specifically the time and duration of light physical activities (St18). The physical activity recording unit 18 can also record the results of continuous activities. Subsequently, the physical activity presentation unit 19 presents the content of physical activities recorded by the physical activity recording unit 18 to the user (St19). At this time, the physical activity presentation unit 19 can also present the content of physical activities and the sedentary period to the user together.

[0051] Of the steps described above, the step of calculating sedentary time (St13) from the step of obtaining the user's lifestyle schedule and activity intensity (St11) only needs to be performed when the physical activity promotion system 1 is started or when the lifestyle pattern changes. The steps of issuing a physical activity recommendation notification (St15) to presenting the content of physical activity to the user (St19) are performed repeatedly, and preferably every day.

[0052] [Effects of the physical activity promotion system] As described above, the physical activity promotion system 1 displays the user's sitting time, allowing the user to be aware of their own sitting time. Furthermore, a notification recommending physical activity is issued during periods included in the sitting time, enabling the user to prevent sitting from exceeding a predetermined time by following this notification. In this process, the user can refer to the physical activity promotion plan to confirm the physical activity required for them. Additionally, the user's physical activity is recorded and presented to them, allowing the user to understand their own physical activity level.

[0053] (Second embodiment) A physical activity promotion system according to a second embodiment of the present invention will now be described. The physical activity promotion system according to this embodiment is a system that enhances the user's physical activity by suppressing low-intensity physical activities such as sitting. The physical activity promotion system according to this embodiment also functions as a "sitting time estimation system," a "physical activity recommendation system," and a "low-intensity or lower physical activity time interruption system."

[0054] The second embodiment modifies the first embodiment by changing the target of suppression, "sitting behavior (intensity 1)," to "sitting behavior (intensity 1) and low-intensity physical activity (intensity 2)." Accordingly, the "sitting time period" in the first embodiment is changed to the "low-intensity or lower activity time period," and the "sitting time" is changed to the "low-intensity or lower activity time." In the second embodiment, matters common to the first embodiment are omitted from the description.

[0055] [Configuration of a physical activity promotion system] The configuration of the physical activity promotion system according to this embodiment will now be described. As shown in Figure 11, the physical activity promotion system 2 according to this embodiment includes a lifestyle information acquisition unit 21, a low-intensity or lower activity time zone identification unit 22, a low-intensity or lower activity time calculation unit 23, a low-intensity or lower activity time presentation unit 24, a physical activity recommendation notification unit 25, a physical activity plan creation unit 26, a physical activity implementation recognition unit 27, a physical activity recording unit 28, and a physical activity presentation unit 29. These configurations are functional configurations realized through the cooperation of the hardware and software of the information processing device, and the software is typically a smartphone application.

[0056] The lifestyle information acquisition unit 21 acquires the user's lifestyle schedule and the activity intensity for each stage of the lifestyle schedule. Similar to the lifestyle information acquisition unit 11 in the first embodiment, the lifestyle information acquisition unit 21 can acquire the user's lifestyle schedule (see Figure 2) and the activity intensity for each stage of the lifestyle schedule.

[0057] The Low-Intensity Activity Time Zone Identification Unit 22 identifies the user's "low-intensity activity time zone" based on the activity intensity for each lifestyle situation acquired by the Lifestyle Information Acquisition Unit 21. The low-intensity activity time zone is the time period in the user's lifestyle schedule when the user is engaging in low-intensity activities, i.e., sedentary activities or low-intensity activities, and corresponds to lifestyle situations of intensity 1 and intensity 2, excluding "sleep," "eating," and "personal care (getting ready)." The Low-Intensity Activity Time Zone Identification Unit 22 supplies the identified low-intensity activity time zone to the Low-Intensity Activity Time Calculation Unit 23, the Physical Activity Recommendation Notification Unit 25, and the Physical Activity Presentation Unit 29.

[0058] The low-intensity activity time calculation unit 23 calculates "low-intensity activity time" by accumulating the time that falls within the low-intensity activity time period. Low-intensity activity time is the time during which a user is sitting or engaging in low-intensity activities within a specific period, and is typically the total time during which a user is sitting or engaging in low-intensity activities per day. The low-intensity activity time calculation unit 23 calculates low-intensity activity time by accumulating the time that falls within the low-intensity activity time period identified by the low-intensity activity time period identification unit 22.

[0059] The low-intensity activity time calculation unit 23 can calculate low-intensity activity time for each lifestyle pattern if the lifestyle information acquisition unit 21 has acquired lifestyle schedules for each lifestyle pattern, such as workdays and holidays. The low-intensity activity time calculation unit 23 supplies the calculated low-intensity activity time to the low-intensity activity time presentation unit 24 and the physical activity recommendation notification unit 25.

[0060] The low-intensity activity time presentation unit 24 presents the low-intensity activity time calculated by the low-intensity activity time calculation unit 23 to the user. The low-intensity activity time presentation unit 24 can present the low-intensity activity time to the user using graphs, text, audio, etc., as shown in Figure 6. If the lifestyle information acquisition unit 21 has acquired lifestyle schedules for each lifestyle pattern, such as workdays and holidays, the low-intensity activity time presentation unit 24 can present the low-intensity activity time for each lifestyle pattern to the user.

[0061] The physical activity recommendation notification unit 25 sends a "physical activity recommendation notification" to the user at times included in the low-intensity or lower activity period, depending on the low-intensity or lower activity period. The physical activity recommendation notification is a notification that recommends the user to engage in physical activity, such as "Please engage in physical activity."

[0062] The physical activity recommendation notification unit 25 can issue physical activity recommendation notifications according to the duration of low-intensity or lower activity periods. Specifically, the physical activity recommendation notification unit 25 can issue physical activity recommendation notifications at regular intervals when low-intensity or lower activity periods continue for a predetermined time or longer. The regular interval is, for example, one hour, and the physical activity recommendation notification can be, for example, "You have been sitting or engaging in low-intensity activity for one hour straight. Please engage in physical activity."

[0063] Furthermore, the physical activity recommendation notification unit 25, similar to the physical activity recommendation notification unit 15 in the first embodiment, can also provide physical activity recommendation notifications at regular intervals within the low-intensity activity time period, and can also provide physical activity recommendation notifications according to the low-intensity activity time or user-set conditions, in addition to the low-intensity activity time period. Moreover, the physical activity recommendation notification unit 25 can present the user with times within the low-intensity activity time period as candidate times for physical activity recommendation notifications, and provide physical activity recommendation notifications at times specified by the user.

[0064] In addition to the above, the physical activity recommendation notification unit 25 only needs to be capable of notifying the user of physical activity recommendations according to the low-intensity or lower activity time slots identified by the low-intensity or lower activity time slot identification unit 22. When the physical activity recommendation notification unit 25 notifies the user of physical activity recommendations, it notifies the physical activity implementation recognition unit 27 of this fact. When the physical activity recommendation notification unit 25 notifies the user of physical activity recommendations and the user approves the notification, a screen like the one shown in Figure 7 is presented to the user.

[0065] The physical activity plan creation unit 26 creates a physical activity promotion plan that promotes "light physical activity" and presents it to the user. The physical activity promotion plan includes at least a target number of light physical activities per day, and may also include a target time. The target number is the target number of light physical activities performed per day, and the target time is the target total time of light physical activities performed per day.

[0066] The physical activity planning unit 26 can create a physical activity promotion plan according to the duration of low-intensity or lower-intensity activities. For example, it can create a plan such as, "If the daily duration of low-intensity or lower-intensity activities is less than 5 hours, the target number of sessions is 3; if the duration is 5 hours or more but less than 10 hours, the target number of sessions is 5; if the duration is 10 hours or more, the target number of sessions is 7, with a target duration of 5 minutes per session."

[0067] Furthermore, the physical activity planning unit 26 may include "continuous activity" in the physical activity promotion plan. Continuous activity is walking by the user for a predetermined number of steps or more. The predetermined number of steps is, for example, 100 steps. The physical activity promotion plan may include a target number of continuous activities per day. The physical activity planning unit 26 may use a predetermined number as the target number of continuous activities, or it may determine the target number according to the duration of low-intensity or lower activity, similar to light physical activity.

[0068] The physical activity plan creation unit 26 creates a physical activity promotion plan as described above and presents it to the user as shown in column 101 in Figure 7. The physical activity plan creation unit 26 supplies the created physical activity promotion plan to the physical activity recording unit 28 and the physical activity presentation unit 29.

[0069] The physical activity recognition unit 27 recognizes the performance of light physical activity based on the user's input indicating the performance of light physical activity. Similar to the physical activity recognition unit 27 in the first embodiment, the physical activity recognition unit 27 recognizes the performance of light physical activity when the physical activity start button 104 and the time selection button 105 (see Figure 7) are pressed.

[0070] The physical activity recording unit 28 records the content of physical activities performed by the user during low-intensity or lower activity periods. When the physical activity recognition unit 27 recognizes that the user has performed light physical activity, the physical activity recording unit 28 records the time and duration of the light physical activity, similar to the physical activity recording unit 18 in the first embodiment. The physical activity recording unit 28 can also record the results of continuous activity. The physical activity recording unit 28 supplies the recorded physical activity content to the physical activity presentation unit 29.

[0071] The physical activity display unit 29 displays the physical activity recorded by the physical activity recording unit 28 to the user. The physical activity display unit 29 can show light physical activity per unit time, as shown in column 107 of Figure 7, and can also show continuous movement per unit time, as shown in column 109 of Figure 7. The method of displaying physical activity by the physical activity display unit 29 is not limited to those described above; any method that allows the user to understand their own physical activity is acceptable. The physical activity display unit 29 can also display physical activity content and low-intensity activity time periods together to the user by changing the color of sections 108 and 110 that correspond to low-intensity or lower activity time periods.

[0072] [Operation of the physical activity promotion system] The operation of the physical activity promotion system 2 according to this embodiment will be described.

[0073] As shown in Figure 12, first the lifestyle information acquisition unit 21 acquires the user's lifestyle schedule and activity intensity for each lifestyle situation (St21). Next, the low-intensity or lower activity time period identification unit 22 identifies the low-intensity or lower activity time period in the user's lifestyle schedule based on the user's lifestyle schedule and activity intensity for each lifestyle situation (St22). Subsequently, the low-intensity or lower activity time calculation unit 23 calculates the low-intensity or lower activity time by accumulating the time corresponding to the low-intensity or lower activity time period (St23).

[0074] Next, the low-intensity activity time presentation unit 24 presents the low-intensity activity time calculated by the low-intensity activity time calculation unit 23 to the user (St24). Subsequently, the physical activity recommendation notification unit 25 sends a physical activity recommendation notification to the user at a time included in the low-intensity activity time (St25). At this time, the physical activity plan creation unit 26 can present the user with a physical activity promotion plan that encourages the implementation of light physical activity, which has been created according to the low-intensity activity time (St26) (Figure 7, column 101).

[0075] Furthermore, when the physical activity recognition unit 27 receives a physical activity recommendation notification from the physical activity recommendation notification unit 25, it displays an operation unit for operation input (Figure 7, physical activity start button 104) along with the notification, and can recognize the user performing light physical activity (St27) by receiving operation input on this operation unit. The physical activity recognition unit 27 can also assist the user in performing light physical activity by displaying a timer 106 that measures the duration of the activity selected by the user.

[0076] Next, the physical activity recording unit 28 records the content of the physical activity performed by the user during the low-intensity or lower activity period, i.e., the time and duration of the light physical activity (St28). The physical activity recording unit 28 can also record the results of continuous activity. Subsequently, the physical activity presentation unit 29 presents the content of the physical activity recorded by the physical activity recording unit 28 to the user (St29). At this time, the physical activity presentation unit 29 can also present the user with both the content of the physical activity and the low-intensity or lower activity period.

[0077] Of the steps described above, the steps from acquiring the user's lifestyle schedule and activity intensity (St21) to calculating the time spent on low-intensity or lower activities (St23) only need to be performed when the user starts using the physical activity promotion system 2 or when their lifestyle changes. The steps from issuing a physical activity recommendation notification (St25) to presenting the user with information about physical activities (St29) should be performed repeatedly, preferably every day.

[0078] [Effects of the physical activity promotion system] As described above, the Physical Activity Promotion System 2 displays the user's low-intensity or lower activity time, allowing the user to understand their own low-intensity or lower activity time. Furthermore, a notification recommending physical activity is issued during times included in the low-intensity or lower activity period. By following this notification, the user can prevent the low-intensity or lower activity period from continuing for longer than a predetermined time. In this process, the user can refer to the Physical Activity Promotion Plan to confirm the physical activity required for them. Additionally, the user's physical activity details are recorded and presented to the user, allowing the user to understand their own physical activity level.

[0079] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. Furthermore, preferred examples of the program provision program and program provision method are the same as those described above regarding the program provision system.

[0080] Furthermore, the present invention may be applied to a system composed of multiple devices or to a single device. Moreover, the present invention is also applicable when an information processing program that realizes the functions of the embodiment is supplied to a system or device and executed by a built-in processor. Therefore, the technical scope of the present invention includes programs installed on a computer to realize the functions of the present invention on a computer, the medium on which the program is stored, the WWW (World Wide Web) server that allows the program to be downloaded, and the processor that executes the program. In particular, at least a non-transitory computer-readable medium containing a program that causes a computer to execute the processing steps included in the above-described embodiment is included in the technical scope of the present invention. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0081] 1, 2… Physical activity promotion system 11, 21…Lifestyle Information Acquisition Department 12...Specific section for determining sitting time 13...Sitting time calculation section 14...Sedentary time display section 15, 25... Physical Activity Recommendation Notice Section 16, 26... Physical Activity Planning Department 17, 27... Physical Activity Recognition Department 18, 28... Physical Activity Record Department 19, 29…Physical activity presentation department 22...Specific time zones for low-intensity or less activity 23…Low intensity activity time calculation section 24…Low intensity activity time presentation section

Claims

1. A physical activity recommendation system that recommends physical activity for users, A lifestyle information acquisition unit that acquires the user's lifestyle schedule and the activity intensity for each lifestyle scene in the lifestyle schedule, A sitting time identification unit identifies the sitting time period, which is the time period during which the user is engaging in sedentary activities, based on the activity intensity for each of the aforementioned daily life situations. A physical activity recommendation notification unit that notifies the user of the recommendation to engage in physical activity during the time included in the sedentary period, according to the sedentary period, A physical activity recommendation system equipped with the following features.

2. The aforementioned physical activity recommendation notification unit provides the notification according to the duration of the sitting period. The physical activity recommendation system according to claim 1.

3. The aforementioned physical activity recommendation notification unit will issue the notification at regular intervals if the sitting period continues for a predetermined time or longer. The physical activity recommendation system according to claim 2.

4. The physical activity recommendation notification unit provides the notification according to the user's settings. The physical activity recommendation system according to claim 1.

5. The physical activity recommendation notification unit will issue the notification at intervals set by the user if the sitting period continues for a predetermined time or longer. The physical activity recommendation system according to claim 4.

6. The physical activity recommendation notification unit presents the user with time slots included in the sedentary period as candidate notification times, and issues the notification at the time specified by the user. The physical activity recommendation system according to claim 4.

7. A physical activity recommendation program that recommends physical activity for a user, and which is configured on an information processing device, The steps include obtaining the user's daily schedule and the activity intensity for each activity in the daily schedule, The steps include identifying the sedentary period, which is the time of day when the user is engaging in sedentary activities, based on the activity intensity for each of the aforementioned daily life situations, The steps include: providing the user with a notification recommending physical activity during the time included in the sedentary period, according to the sedentary period; A program that encourages physical activity.

8. A method for recommending physical activity to a user, wherein the physical activity recommendation system is The user's daily schedule and the activity intensity for each stage of the daily schedule are obtained. Based on the activity intensity for each of the above-mentioned daily life situations, the sedentary period, which is the time of day when the user is engaging in sedentary activities, is identified. Depending on the sedentary time, the system will notify the user to recommend physical activity during the time included in the sedentary period. Recommended methods for physical activity.

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