Monitoring system and method for monitoring care recipients in the monitoring system

Abstract

The system notifies family members and the attending physician of changes in the game performance achieved by the person receiving care via a data terminal, allowing the family and the attending physician to share information about the person receiving care's condition, and also to share this information with care support staff at the facility, thereby facilitating the provision of the best possible care. [Solution] In a monitoring system that supports the monitoring of a person receiving care, the first server device 4 manages the history of scores obtained by an intelligent game application installed on a first data terminal 10-1 etc. operated by a person receiving care at a care facility 100, and works in conjunction with a second data terminal 2-1 etc. operated by a caregiver to dynamically grasp the state of cognitive decline of the person receiving care, and is characterized by a configuration that supports a service that provides thorough monitoring of the person receiving care by creating a program to improve the symptoms of the person receiving care.

Description

Technical Field

[0005]

[0001] The present invention relates to a monitoring system for remotely monitoring a care recipient by communicating between a second data terminal operated by a monitor who manages the progress of the acquired results by executing a game application installed on a first data terminal operated by the care recipient, and a care recipient monitoring method in the monitoring system.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, there are operating special nursing homes (special care) for the elderly (care recipients) who require constant care, nursing care elderly health facilities (geriatric care) for the elderly who aim to return home after finishing treatment in the hospital, and nursing care and recuperative medical facilities for the elderly who aim to return home after finishing treatment in the hospital.

[0003] On the other hand, care recipients who require care are not limited to the above-mentioned elderly, and there are also those who need to be monitored in a place (facility) away from the caregiver.

[0004] For example, there are cases where a staff member of a health center regularly visits the above-mentioned distant place to check on a care recipient suffering from a mental illness.

[0005] Caregivers such as family members and relatives can reduce the care burden on the family by admitting the care recipient to the selected facility while determining the health status of the care recipient and paying the monthly living expenses and care fees. Here, the admitted care recipient may experience an event in which the intellectual function deteriorates due to the living pattern in the facility. In addition, there are facilities that accept care recipients who have developed psychosomatic disorders (including mental illnesses such as depression) without targeting the above-mentioned elderly and quickly return the care recipients to a normal life.

[0006] In such care facilities, there is a growing desire to actively utilize psychological game applications that support the restoration of the physical and mental state of those receiving care, thereby helping to return their mental and physical condition to a normal rhythm.

[0007] For this reason, some care facilities are actively incorporating routines where care recipients install applications on data terminals they use and play games, in order to cope with cases where the cognitive function of the care recipient has significantly declined. In the following patent document, document 1 discloses a golf game system for preventing the need for long-term care that determines the state of brain function in a person receiving care.

[0008] Specifically, the disclosure states that "to provide a golf game system for elderly care prevention that acquires the player's brainwave information and can change the game environment according to the player's brainwave pattern to improve motivation for exercise and exercise effectiveness, the system comprises a ball 10 and a club 20 used in the golf game, an acceleration sensor 30 attached to the club 20 to measure the club's movement during the swing, a brainwave sensor 40 attached to the player to measure the player's brainwaves, a game computer 100 that receives signals from the acceleration sensor 30 and generates video linked to the club's movement, a monitor 50, and a network 60. The computer 100 includes multiple game environment elements that can be changed in response to the player's brainwave pattern information, calculates brainwave pattern information from the brainwave signals transmitted from the player's brainwave sensor 40, compares the calculated brainwave pattern information with reference brainwave pattern information, maintains or changes the game environment elements based on the comparison result, and outputs them." [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0009] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2018-201769 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0010] However, even when evaluating game performance at intervals that did not cause fluctuations in the care recipient's intellectual activity, it was not possible to quantitatively analyze whether their current brain function, such as cognitive ability, was declining gradually or dramatically.

[0011] Furthermore, it was pointed out that there is no system in place to share the care recipient's gaming performance with their family or attending physician, making it impossible to provide comprehensive support for the care recipient by incorporating the opinions of specialists.

[0012] On the other hand, while facilities caring for patients who have developed depression or mental illness due to stress or harassment in social activities can monitor their symptoms, there is no practical system in place to objectively quantify their actual symptoms. Therefore, there is a need for the development of a system that supports the recovery of those receiving care by utilizing applications that improve psychological factors.

[0013] This invention has been made in view of the above problems, and aims to provide a monitoring system and a method for monitoring a person receiving care that can be freely developed to enable the family and attending physician to share information about the care recipient's symptoms and work together with care support staff at the facility to smoothly provide the best possible living support. This is achieved by notifying family members and attending physicians of changes in game performance obtained by playing a game installed on a data terminal, which is difficult to determine solely from the living situation at the facility.

[0014] Furthermore, in facilities that accept and care for people with physical and mental disabilities, the aim is to provide a monitoring system and a method for monitoring people with disabilities that can be freely deployed in cooperation with care support staff at the facility. This system allows care recipients to install and run game applications that are expected to improve their physical and mental condition, thereby helping them regain a cheerful expression and recover to a state of mind and body filled with smiles. [Means for solving the problem]

[0015] To solve the above problems, the monitoring system according to the present invention has the following configuration.

[0016] A monitoring system that supports monitoring a person receiving care by communicating with a first data terminal operated by the person receiving care, a plurality of second data terminals operated by a person watching over the person receiving care, a third data terminal operated by a medical professional capable of examining the person receiving care, and a server device that shares care information between the second data terminals and the third data terminals, wherein the first data terminal includes download means for downloading a desired game application from a game server, and recording means for recording the score obtained by the person receiving care when the desired game application is launched, and the server device includes acquisition means for acquiring the score recorded in the recording means, determination means for individually AI-evaluating variations in the score fluctuations acquired by the acquisition means to determine the need for specific medical support for the person receiving care, and notification means for notifying the second data terminal and the third data terminal associated with the person receiving care of the score history and a message urging medical support when the determination means determines that the person receiving care needs the specific medical support. [Effects of the Invention]

[0017] According to the present invention, by installing an intelligent game application on a data terminal operated by the person receiving care, and running the desired game application as needed, information regarding the score obtained can be shared among caregivers at the facility, the person requesting care, and medical professionals, enabling the smooth deployment of a service that provides the best possible life support to the person receiving care at the optimal timing. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0018] The drawings illustrate specific embodiments of the present invention, including not only essential components of the invention but also optional and preferred embodiments. [Figure 1]Schematic block diagram for explaining the configuration of the monitoring system showing this embodiment. [Figure 2] Block diagram for explaining the configuration of the first server device shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 3] (a) is a block diagram for explaining the configuration of the first data terminal shown in FIG. 1, and (b) is a diagram for explaining the program developed in the RAM shown in (a). [Figure 4] Block diagram for explaining the configuration of the second server device shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 5] (a) is a block diagram for explaining the configuration of the second data terminal shown in FIG. 1, and (b) is a diagram for explaining the program developed in the RAM shown in (a). [Figure 6] Flowchart for explaining an example of data processing of the first data terminal in the monitoring system showing this embodiment. [Figure 7] Flowchart for explaining an example of data processing of the first data terminal in the monitoring system showing this embodiment. [Figure 8] Flowchart for explaining an example of data processing of the first server device in the monitoring system showing this embodiment. [Figure 9] Flowchart for explaining an example of data processing of the first server device in the monitoring system showing this embodiment. [Figure 10] Flowchart for explaining an example of data processing of the second server device in the monitoring system showing this embodiment.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0019] Hereinafter, the monitoring system according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0020] 〔First Embodiment〕 Figure 1 is a schematic block diagram illustrating the configuration of the monitoring system shown in this embodiment. This system is an example of a monitoring system that supports the monitoring of a person receiving care by communicating with a first data terminal 10-1 to 10-N operated by the person receiving care, a plurality of second data terminals 2-1 to 2-N operated by a person monitoring the person receiving care, a third data terminal 6-1 to 6-N operated by a medical professional capable of examining the person receiving care, and a server device that shares care information between the second data terminals 2-1 to 2-N and the third data terminals 6-1 to 6-N.

[0021] In Figure 1, 100 is a nursing care facility, where a first data terminal 10-1 to 10-N operated by multiple care recipients is connected to a network 21, and each care recipient is configured to download and launch a desired intelligent game application from a group of intelligent game applications downloaded by the first server device 4 from a game server 110.

[0022] 2-1 to 2-N are second data terminals, operated by relatives or family members who have placed the care recipient in the facility. They are configured to retrieve care report information stored in the first server device 4, scores for each care recipient obtained through the intelligent game application, and vital signs information.

[0023] 5 is a second server device located in the medical office, which is shared with network 21 and communicates with third data terminals 6-1 to 6-N operated by specialists providing medical services, to request necessary medical services from the person receiving care.

[0024] Furthermore, the second server device 5 periodically retrieves score information obtained by the care recipients running the intellectual game application from the first server device 4, stores it linked to each care recipient's ID, and performs a process to evaluate each care recipient's intellectual activity level.

[0025] In particular, the second server device 5 determines a threshold (which will be set for each intellectual application) to determine whether each care recipient's intellectual activity level is beginning to decline, maintaining a declined state, or progressing further, and evaluates whether the score obtained by each care recipient performing the desired intellectual application, obtained from the first server device 4, falls into one of three categories: 10-15% (medical consultation initiation level), 16-25% (medical service consultation level), or above (hospitalization level) compared to the previous value.

[0026] Furthermore, the second server device 5 provides a service that periodically notifies the second data terminals 2-1 to 2-N of the current intellectual activity level of each person receiving care, as evaluated by the device, by activating an API that links with the SNS application.

[0027] Furthermore, the second server device 5 communicates with each care recipient evaluated by the second data terminals 2-1 to 2-N and the third data terminals 6-1 to 6-N operated by the doctor to lead a meeting to discuss care plans and provide the best possible medical services to the care recipients.

[0028] Furthermore, the game server 110 is equipped with game databases 110-1 to 110-N that store a group of downloadable intelligent game applications categorized by attribute.

[0029] Furthermore, the desired game application is configured to include a playback mode, allowing the game to be resumed from the favorites screen.

[0030] Figure 2 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of the first server device 4 shown in Figure 1. In Figure 2, 41 is the communication unit, which communicates data bidirectionally with the second data terminals 2-1 to 2-N, the first data terminals 10-1 to 10-N, the third data terminals 6-1 to 6-N, and the second server device 5 via the network 21 using a predetermined protocol. 43 is the CPU, which starts applications stored in the external memory 48 and comprehensively controls each device connected to the internal bus 42.

[0031] 45 is the keyboard, used to input letters and numbers, or to control icons displayed on the screen, which is shown on display 47.

[0032] 44 is the database unit, which comprises database 44A and database 44B. Database 44A stores and manages information about the health status of residents in nursing care facilities, particularly vital signs, linked to an ID assigned to each resident.

[0033] Meanwhile, database 44B stores and associates the data terminal ID operated by the person receiving care with the intelligent game application downloaded from the game server 110, and also stores and manages the date and time the intelligent game application was started by the person receiving care, the play time from game startup to logout, and the score obtained.

[0034] 46 is RAM, and the acquisition unit 46-1, judgment unit 46-2, and notification unit 46-3 are deployed as applications launched by the CPU 43. The acquisition unit 46-1 executes the process of acquiring the score obtained by the care recipient through the intelligent application launched by the care recipient, which is recorded in the database 44B, which functions as a recording means.

[0035] Furthermore, the determination unit 46-2 works in conjunction with the AI ​​support unit 49 to individually evaluate the variations in the score fluctuations acquired by the acquisition unit 46-1 using AI, and executes a process to determine the need for specific medical support for the person receiving care.

[0036] Furthermore, the determination unit 46-2, in cooperation with the AI ​​support unit 49, performs a process to switch the threshold for determining whether medical support is possible when individually AI-evaluating the variations in the score fluctuations acquired by the acquisition means according to the attributes of the desired game application.

[0037] If the determination unit 46-2 determines that the person receiving care needs specific medical support, the notification unit 46-3 executes a process to notify the second data terminals 2-1 to 2-N and the third data terminals 6-1 to 6-N, which function as the third data terminals 6-1 to 6-N associated with the person receiving care, of the score history and a message urging medical support via the second server device 5.

[0038] Figure 3 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of the first data terminals 10-1 to 10-N shown in Figure 1.

[0039] In Figure 3(a), the CPU 301 loads the program stored in ROM 302 and the control program stored in external memory (not shown) into RAM 303 to comprehensively control each device.

[0040] Unit 304 is the communications unit, which communicates data bidirectionally with the first server device 4 and the second server device 5 connected to the network 21 using a predetermined protocol.

[0041] In the RAM 303 shown in Figure 3(b), 303-1 is the login unit, which executes the process of logging in using the account set for the first server device 4.

[0042] 303-2 is the download section, in which the first server device 4 downloads a desired intelligent game application selected from a group of intelligent game applications downloaded from the game server 110 via the network 21 to external memory and stores it in a rewritable format.

[0043] 303-3 is the UI control unit, which comprehensively controls the display state of text, images, and icons shown on the screen of display 311. The UI control unit 303-3 comprehensively controls the display of content based on the downloaded intelligent game application. Here, the content includes characters, images, videos, text, etc., that are displayed with high visual impact as required by various intelligent game applications.

[0044] Furthermore, intelligent game applications shall include competitive Go and Shogi games, and action-based sports games (baseball, bowling, soccer, badminton, volleyball, etc.).

[0045] 303-4 is the score upload unit, which uploads the score obtained from the intelligent game application launched on the first data terminal 10-1 to 10-N operated by the person receiving care, the date and time the score was obtained, the play time from game launch to logout, etc., to the first server device 4, linking them to the person receiving care's ID. 310 is the keyboard, which inputs necessary information or touch actions on the screen of the application launched on the first data terminal 10-1 to 10-N operated by the person receiving care.

[0046] 303-5 is the API unit, which works in conjunction with the installed first SNS application (SNS1) and second SNS application (SNS2) to perform bidirectional data transfer of messages, images, audio, and video to the first SNS application (SNS1) 303-5-1 and the second SNS application (SNS2) 303-5-2 installed on the second data terminals 2-1 to 2-N. Whether a wired interface or a wireless interface (WIFI) is used in this process depends on the network environment.

[0047] Therefore, SNS applications are not limited to communication speed environments such as 4G or 5G.

[0048] In addition, in the first data terminals 10-1 to 10-N, the download unit 303-2 shall perform the process of downloading a game application selected from a desired group of game applications that have game attributes that stimulate the intellectual activity of the person receiving care.

[0049] Furthermore, in the first data terminals 10-1 to 10-N, the desired game application launched employs a game that detects when the care recipient's finger touches the screen in accordance with the movement speed of objects displayed on the screen, and awards a score accordingly.

[0050] Furthermore, the desired game application employs a gameplay model where players earn points by adapting their memory actions to numerical objects, kanji objects, and colored geometric objects displayed on the screen.

[0051] Furthermore, the desired game application employs a game in which the user earns points by adapting to memory actions on number objects, kanji objects, and colored shape objects displayed on the screen of display 311.

[0052] Figure 4 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of the second server device 5 shown in Figure 1. In Figure 4, 430 is the CPU, which is connected to the network 21 and coordinates data processing based on the care support program with the first server device 4.

[0053] The RAM460 contains an analysis unit 410 and a creation unit 420, which function as programs. These units acquire score information, defined in chronological order, obtained from intelligent game applications launched by each person receiving care, which are transferred from the first server device 4, and perform data analysis processing. At that time, the analysis unit 410 performs processing to analyze the score information in relation to the person receiving care's vital information (blood pressure, pulse rate, activity level (steps), etc.) at the time the score information was acquired. This allows for a comprehensive evaluation of the person receiving care's intellectual activity from a medical perspective that cannot be diagnosed by simple brain activity alone.

[0054] Furthermore, the creation unit 420 takes into account the analysis results from the analysis unit 410 and the lifestyle improvement advice obtained from the third data terminals 6-1 to 6-N operated by each specialist physician to create a lifestyle improvement program that the person receiving care should implement.

[0055] Furthermore, the second server device 5 will provide a service to the first server device 4 by periodically distributing the lifestyle improvement programs created by the creation unit 420.

[0056] Figure 5 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of the second data terminals 2-1 to 2-N shown in Figure 1. Components identical to those in Figure 3 are given the same reference numerals and their descriptions are omitted.

[0057] In Figure 5, 303-4-1 is a score receiving unit that receives the score obtained by the person receiving care when they run an intelligent game application installed on one of the first data terminals 10-1 to 10-N, operated by the person receiving care on any of the first data terminals 10-1 to 10-N, and displays the score on the SNS screen.

[0058] 303-5-1 is the API section, which executes the process of API communication with the first SNS (SNS1) 303-5-1 and the second SNS (SNS2) 303-5-2.

[0059] Here, when the first SNS (SNS1) 303-5-1 receives a score obtained from an intelligent game application from one of the first data terminals 10-1 to 10-N operated by the person receiving care, it displays a dynamic indicator on the display 311 along with the user icon registered therein, and if the score is higher than the previous score, it also displays an avatar.

[0060] On the other hand, if the score is the same as the previous score, the metric will be displayed normally along with the avatar.

[0061] Furthermore, if the score is lower than the previous value, the indicator will be displayed as an alert along with the avatar.

[0062] This allows those requesting care for a person receiving care to see changes in the care recipient's intellectual level on a social media screen used as a communication tool, and by responding to messages from the care recipient, they can send encouraging and supportive messages as needed, and as caregivers, share information about any decline in the care recipient's intellectual level that the care recipient may not be aware of.

[0063] [Example of data processing for the first data terminal 10-1 to 10-N] Figures 6 and 7 are flowcharts illustrating an example of data processing for the first data terminals 10-1 to 10-N in the monitoring system shown in this embodiment. (1) to (15) indicate each step, and each step is realized by the CPU 301 loading a control program stored in external memory into the RAM 303 and executing it.

[0064] First, the CPU 301 determines whether the person being cared for was able to log in to the first server device 4 with the account registered by the person being cared for (1). If it determines that the person has logged in successfully, it determines whether the person being cared for has given an instruction to download the desired intelligent game application to the terminal (2). If the CPU 301 determines that the person being cared for has not given an instruction to download, it waits for the desired intelligent game application to be downloaded from the list of intelligent game applications presented by the first server device 4 (13). Next, when the CPU 301 determines that the desired intelligent game application has been downloaded from the list of intelligent game applications presented by the first server device 4, it registers the downloaded desired intelligent game application in the terminal's memory (not shown) (14) and returns to step (3).

[0065] On the other hand, in step (2), if the CPU 301 determines that the care recipient's instruction is to download a desired intelligent game application, the CPU 301 determines whether or not an instruction has been given to launch one of the registered intelligent game applications displayed on the display 311 (3).

[0066] This encourages the person receiving care to bravely take on the intellectual game application that has been launched.

[0067] The CPU 301 then determines whether a predetermined amount of time has elapsed since the start of the game (4), and if it determines that a predetermined amount of time has elapsed, it displays a message on the display 311 advising the end of the game in order to reduce the visual burden (15), and returns to step (4).

[0068] On the other hand, in step (4), if the CPU 301 determines that a predetermined amount of time has not elapsed, it determines whether or not the person being cared for has instructed the person to log out of the game (5).

[0069] If the CPU 301 determines that the person being cared for has not instructed the person to log out of the game, it returns to step (4). If the CPU 301 determines that the person being cared for has instructed the person to log out of the game, the CPU 301 uploads the score obtained from playing this game to the first server device 4 (6).

[0070] Next, the CPU 301 determines whether the display 311 is issuing a command to launch the SNS that the person receiving care has registered on the terminal (7).

[0071] If the CPU 301 determines that the person being cared for has received a command to launch the SNS registered on the terminal, it displays the latest game score acquired, which is stored in the terminal's memory, on the SNS screen (8).

[0072] Next, the CPU 301 determines whether or not an SNS response has been sent from the person selected by the person being cared for (9). If the CPU 301 determines that no SNS response has been sent from the person selected by the person being cared for, it returns to step (8). If the CPU 301 determines that an SNS response has been sent from the person selected by the person being cared for, it displays an SNS reception alert on the display 311 (10).

[0073] Next, the CPU 301 activates the communication unit 304 to connect to the other party's terminal and perform SNS communication with the connected party (11).

[0074] Next, the CPU 301 determines whether or not a logout command has been given to the display 311 by the person receiving care to end SNS communication (12).

[0075] Here, if the CPU 301 determines that the person being cared for has not given a logout command to the display 311 to end SNS communication, it returns to step (11). If the CPU 301 determines that the person being cared for has given a logout command to the display 311 to end SNS communication, it terminates this process.

[0076] This allows family members or others responsible for caring for the person receiving care to remotely confirm whether the person has played an intellectual game and to check the latest score achieved in that game, as well as to use intellectual games as a topic of conversation with the person receiving care.

[0077] [Example of data processing for the first server device 4] Figures 8 and 9 are flowcharts illustrating an example of data processing for the first server device 4 in the monitoring system shown in this embodiment. (21) to (35) indicate the respective steps, each of which is achieved by the CPU 43 loading a control program stored in the external memory 48 into the RAM 46 and executing it.

[0078] First, the CPU 43 determines whether or not it has received a score obtained by the person receiving care from one of the first data terminals 10-1 to 10-N operated by the person receiving care via the network 21, in which the person receiving care has challenged an intellectual game application (21).

[0079] Here, if the CPU 43 determines that it has received a score from one of the first data terminals 10-1 to 10-N operated by the person being cared for, obtained by the person being cared for while challenging an intellectual game application, it registers the received score in the database 44B, linked to the person being cared for's identification information (user ID) (22).

[0080] Next, the CPU 43 determines whether the current score is lower than the previous score (previous value) obtained by the same person receiving care, as registered in the database 44B (23).

[0081] If the CPU 43 determines that the current score is lower than the previous score (previous value), it considers the score of the intellectual game application being played on the terminal operated by the person being cared for to have decreased by chance, and sends a second message to the terminal to encourage the person being cared for (for example, "Maybe there's a chance for bonus points next time?") (24).

[0082] On the other hand, even if the change in the current score is within an acceptable range compared to the previous score (previous value), a first message is sent to the terminal operated by the person receiving care to encourage them to maintain their score in the intellectual game application they are playing (for example, "You're doing great! Keep it up and get a high score!") (35), and the process proceeds to step (25). It is also possible to control the timing of sending and displaying the first and second messages so that they pop up on the startup screen the next time the person receiving care launches the same intellectual game application.

[0083] Next, the CPU 43 determines from one of the second data terminals 2-1 to 2-N whether it has received a request for consultation from the caregiver of the person receiving care who lives in the care facility 100, expressing concern about cognitive decline, based on the changes in the score obtained by the person receiving care (25).

[0084] Here, if the CPU 43 determines that it has received a request for consultation from the caregiver of the person receiving care due to concerns about cognitive decline, it transfers the history of the person receiving care's scores stored in the database 44B to the second server device 5 (26). At this time, it is assumed that the history of the person receiving care's scores is accompanied by identification information to identify the person receiving care.

[0085] Next, the CPU 43 determines whether it has received a notification from the second server device 5 regarding the need for medical advice (27). If it determines that it has not received a notification that medical advice is needed, it terminates this process.

[0086] Meanwhile, in step (27), if the CPU 43 determines that medical advice is needed, it sends an alert regarding the person being cared for to one of the second data terminals 2-1 to 2-N operated by the caregiver (28).

[0087] Next, the CPU 43 mediates a medical consultation meeting between the caregiver and the specialist, and when it determines that the meeting has ended (29), it proposes an improvement program to improve intellectual activity to one of the first data terminals 10-1 to 10-N operated by the person receiving care (30).

[0088] In this case, the improvement program should include suggestions for modifying the installed intellectual game application (reducing the difficulty level).

[0089] Next, the CPU 43 determines whether it has received an instruction from the person receiving care to approve the improvement program (31). If the CPU 43 determines that it has not received an instruction from the person receiving care to approve the improvement program, it returns to step (30) and repeats the process of proposing other improvement programs.

[0090] Meanwhile, in step (31), if the CPU 43 determines that the person being cared for has approved the improvement program, it proposes an intellectual game application for the person being cared for to try a new challenge (32).

[0091] Next, after the CPU 43 has observed the score obtained by the person receiving care for the intelligent game application proposed by the first server device 4 for a predetermined period of time (33), the CPU 43 determines whether the score has increased with the intelligent game application newly proposed in step (32) (34).

[0092] If CPU43 determines that the score has not improved due to the newly proposed intelligent game application, it returns to step (33).

[0093] On the other hand, CPU43 terminates this process if it determines that the score from the newly proposed intelligent game application has improved.

[0094] This allows for accurate detection of when a care recipient's score in an intellectual game application declines, enabling effective collaboration with caregivers to provide appropriate support for the care recipient.

[0095] [Example of data processing by the second server device 5] Figure 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of data processing for the second server device 5 in the monitoring system shown in this embodiment. (41) to (51) indicate the steps, and each step is realized by the CPU 430 loading a control program stored in external memory into the RAM 460 and executing it.

[0096] First, the CPU 430 determines whether it has received an analysis request regarding score information from the first server device 4 via the network 21 (41). If the CPU 430 activates the analysis unit 410 and determines that it has received an analysis request regarding score information from the first server device 4, it performs the analysis process of the received score and intellectual activity (42).

[0097] Next, the CPU 430 determines whether the latest score obtained by the person receiving care represents a decrease of 10-15% compared to the score obtained in the previous or the time before that (43). If the CPU 430 determines that the score has decreased by 10-15%, it activates the creation unit 420 to create an exercise program for the person receiving care to perform appropriate exercise (44), notifies the first server device 4 (51), and terminates the process.

[0098] On the other hand, in step (43), if the CPU 430 determines that the latest score obtained by the person receiving care does not represent a decrease of 10-15% compared to the score obtained in the previous or the one before that, the CPU 430 determines whether the latest score obtained by the person receiving care represents a decrease of 16-25% compared to the score obtained in the previous or the one before that (45). If the CPU 430 determines that the latest score obtained by the person receiving care represents a decrease of 16-25% compared to the score obtained in the previous or the one before that, it creates an improvement program to improve the person receiving care's daily routine (46) and proceeds to step (51).

[0099] Here, the improvement program includes creating meal plans for the person receiving care to increase their intake of oily fish, which are rich in DHA and other substances that are highly effective in activating the brain, in order to improve their lifestyle rhythm.

[0100] On the other hand, in step (45), if the CPU 430 determines that the most recent score obtained by the person receiving care does not represent a decrease of 16-25% compared to the score obtained in the previous or the one before that, the CPU 430 further determines whether the most recent score obtained by the person receiving care represents a decrease of 30% or more compared to the score obtained in the previous or the one before that (47).

[0101] Here, if CPU430 determines that the latest score obtained by the person receiving care has decreased by 30% compared to the score obtained the previous or the score obtained before that, it will inquire with one of the third data terminals 6-1 to 6-N operated by a specialist physician connected to the second server device 5 about the possibility of providing medical treatment to a medical institution, receive the decision (48), and proceed to step (51).

[0102] On the other hand, if step (47) determines that the most recent score obtained by the person receiving care does not represent a decrease of 30% or more compared to the score obtained in the previous or the one before that, then CPU 430 determines in steps (44), (46), and (48) whether the observation period has expired since the improvement program was implemented (49). If CPU 430 determines that the observation period has expired, it determines whether the intellectual activity level of the person receiving care has improved (50). If it determines that the intellectual activity level of the person receiving care has improved, it terminates this process.

[0103] On the other hand, if it is determined in step (50) that the intellectual activity level of the person receiving care has not improved, the process proceeds to step (51), and the first server device 4 is notified of this, and the process ends.

[0104] This allows care recipients to simply play intellectual game applications at their preferred time for entertainment, independent of any mandatory daily activities. By providing timely notifications to monitor whether the care recipient's cognitive abilities are declining, and by gradually assessing the degree of decline in their certified cognitive level, it becomes possible to provide a comprehensive intellectual activity support service in collaboration with the care recipient, caregiver, and medical specialist.

[0105] Furthermore, in step (48), it is possible to configure the system to include services such as transferring the person receiving care to a specialized rehabilitation system or referring them to a medical institution for treatment.

[0106] Furthermore, by transmitting vital information measured from the person receiving care using blood pressure monitors, scales, etc., installed in the care facility 100 to the second server device 5, the system may be configured to take into account the health status of the person receiving care and to analyze the process of cognitive decline in a more comprehensive and in-depth manner.

[0107] [Effects of the First Embodiment] According to this embodiment, an intelligent game application is installed on the second data terminals 2-1 to 2-N operated by the person receiving care, and information regarding the score obtained by running the intelligent game application, which is launched as needed, is shared among the care support staff at the facility, the care requester, and medical professionals. This allows for the flexible deployment of a service that enables the smooth provision of the best possible life support to the person receiving care at the optimal timing.

[0108] [Second Embodiment] In the first embodiment, the monitoring system was constructed as a distributed system to reduce the burden on each server device and the burden that should be entrusted to specialists. The first server device 4 and the second server device 5 cooperate and share information with medical professionals to flexibly deploy a service that enables the smooth provision of the best possible life support to the person receiving care at the optimal timing. However, the system may also be constructed using a single server device instead of the first server device 4 and the second server device 5.

[0109] [Effects of the second embodiment] According to this embodiment, by introducing an AI method that allows the second server device 5 in the monitoring system to perform cognitive judgment processing without the need for medical personnel to intervene, the system costs associated with medical consultations can be reduced.

[0110] Furthermore, by reducing system costs, the burden of data update processing on nursing care facilities that implement this system can be lessened, and it will be possible to improve the treatment of care recipients by adapting to the latest program conditions that the AI ​​is learning.

[0111] [Third Embodiment] In the above embodiment, a system was described assuming that the target recipient of care is an elderly person. However, there are also facilities established with the expectation of improving psychosomatic disorders and mental illnesses. Therefore, in the system shown in the above embodiment, the attributes of the desired application to be applied can also be configured as being linked to psychosomatic elements. Specifically, the attributes of the desired game application may include sports play, action type, thinking type, and psychological improvement type, which are linked to the physical elements of the person receiving care.

[0112] Specifically, a psychological improvement game application has the following characteristics, and the system stores and manages the degree of improvement as a numerical score.

[0113] For each of the following actions, a score is assigned in advance, for example on a 10-point scale: (1) an action to find hope, (2) an action to activate behavior, (3) an action to control emotions, (4) an action to attempt to solve a problem, (5) an action to become aware of negative cognitions, and (6) an action to fight against negative cognitions. The score changes based on the care recipient's game performance are then captured.

[0114] Examples of psychologically stimulating game applications include those that support mindfulness and meditation, those that provide meditation and relaxing music to promote relaxation, and those that offer beautiful graphics and gameplay to encourage mental relaxation.

[0115] Furthermore, the psychological improvement parameters included in the desired game application are identified as the wisdom parameter, positive parameter, active parameter, realistic perception parameter, and novel thinking parameter, depending on the scenario.

[0116] Therefore, game creators need to design the game's orientation considering the attributes of the person receiving care (age, medical history, current symptoms, and symptom severity). In doing so, game creators can create new types of game applications under the supervision of medical specialists and integrate them into this system.

[0117] This means that the present invention can be applied not only to intellectual game applications that assess the cognitive decline of the elderly, but also to game applications developed for care recipients, including those with psychosomatic disorders and mental illnesses.

[0118] [Effects of the third embodiment] According to this embodiment, a person with a physical or mental disability who requires care and lives in a facility can, in the course of their daily routine, operate a data terminal to communicate and, simply by running a desired game application that can quantify their psychological state downloaded from a game server, share the score they have earned with their family (caregivers) or their attending physician.

[0119] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the desired game application capable of quantifying psychological state can be selected from those supervised by the attending physician or from a group of the latest applications expected to improve symptoms, allowing for the provision of the optimal application even if the care recipient's interests and preferences change. [Industrial applicability]

[0120] The above embodiment proposes a system that utilizes social networking services (SNS). However, when introducing communication tools developed in the future, it is desirable that data transfer within the system be linked to a predetermined encrypted and confidential processing, taking into consideration the privacy and security of the person receiving care.

[0121] The disclosure relating to the present invention described above can be summarized to at least the following:

[0122] (1) A monitoring system that supports monitoring of a person receiving care by communicating with a first data terminal operated by the person receiving care, a plurality of second data terminals operated by a person watching over the person receiving care, a third data terminal operated by a medical professional capable of examining the person receiving care, and a server device that shares care information between the second data terminals and the third data terminals, wherein the first data terminal includes download means for downloading a desired game application from a game server, and recording means for recording the score obtained by the person receiving care when the desired game application is launched, and the server device includes acquisition means for obtaining the score recorded in the recording means, determination means for individually AI-evaluating variations in the score fluctuations obtained by the acquisition means to determine the need for specific medical support for the person receiving care, and notification means for notifying the second data terminal and the third data terminal associated with the person receiving care of the score history and a message urging medical support when the determination means determines that the person receiving care needs the specific medical support.

[0123] (2) The determination means is characterized in that, when it individually AI evaluates the variations in the score fluctuations acquired by the acquisition means according to the attributes of the desired game application, it switches a threshold for determining whether or not medical assistance is available.

[0124] (3) The attributes of the desired game application are characterized by including sports play, action type, thinking type, and psychological improvement type, which are linked to the physical elements of the person receiving care.

[0125] (4) The psychological improvement type included in the attributes of the desired game application is characterized in that the scenario of the desired game application is identified by the wisdom parameter, the positive parameter, the active parameter, the realistic perception parameter, and the new thinking parameter.

[0126] (5) The desired game application is characterized by having a playback mode that allows the game to be resumed from the favorites screen.

[0127] (6) The download means is characterized by downloading a game application selected from a group of desired game applications that have game attributes that stimulate the intellectual activity of the person being cared for.

[0128] (7) The first data terminal is characterized in that the desired game application is a game that detects when the care recipient's finger touches the screen in accordance with the speed at which an object is moving on the screen and earns a score.

[0129] (8) The first data terminal is characterized in that the desired game application is a game in which a score is earned by adapting to memory actions on number objects, kanji objects, and colored graphic objects displayed on the screen.

[0130] (9) The third data terminal is characterized by comprising means for creating a life improvement program that supports the intellectual activity level of the person receiving care.

[0131] (10) A method for monitoring a person receiving care in a monitoring system that supports monitoring a person receiving care by communicating with a first data terminal operated by the person receiving care, a plurality of second data terminals operated by a person watching over the person receiving care, a third data terminal operated by a medical professional capable of examining the person receiving care, and a server device that shares care information between the second data terminals and the third data terminals, the first data terminal comprising: a download step of downloading a desired game application from a game server; a recording step of recording the score obtained by the person receiving care in a recording means when the desired game application is launched; the server device comprising: an acquisition step of obtaining the score recorded in the recording means; a determination step of individually AI-evaluating the variations in the score fluctuations obtained in the acquisition step to determine the need for specific medical support for the person receiving care; and, if the determination step determines that the person receiving care needs the specific medical support, a notification step of notifying the second data terminal and the third data terminal associated with the person receiving care of the score history and a message urging medical support. [Explanation of symbols]

[0132] 2-1~2-N Second data terminal 6-1~6-N Third data terminal 10-1 to 10-N First data terminal 4. First Server Device 5. Second Server Device 110 Game Servers

Claims

1. A first data terminal operated by the person receiving care, and a plurality of second data terminals operated by the person watching over the person receiving care, A monitoring system that supports monitoring the person being cared for by communicating between a third data terminal operated by a medical professional capable of examining the person being cared for and a server device that shares care information between the second data terminal and the third data terminal, The first data terminal is, A download method for downloading the desired game application from the game server, A recording means for recording the score obtained by the person being cared for when the desired game application is launched, The server device is An acquisition means for acquiring the score recorded in the recording means, A determination means that individually evaluates the variations in the score fluctuations acquired by the acquisition means using AI to determine the need for specific medical support for the person receiving care, If the determination means determines that the person receiving care requires the specific medical support, the notification means notifies the second data terminal and the third data terminal associated with the person receiving care of the score history and a message urging medical support, A monitoring system characterized by having the following features.

2. The monitoring system according to claim 1, characterized in that the determination means switches a threshold for determining whether medical support is appropriate when individually AI-evaluating the variations in the score fluctuations acquired by the acquisition means according to the attributes of the desired game application.

3. The monitoring system according to claim 1, characterized in that the attributes of the desired game application include sports play, action type, thinking type, and psychological improvement type, which are linked to the physical elements of the person being cared for.

4. The monitoring system according to claim 3, characterized in that the psychological improvement type included in the attributes of the desired game application is identified by the wisdom parameter, the positive parameter, the active parameter, the realistic perception parameter, and the new thinking parameter, thereby identifying the scenario of the desired game application.

5. The monitoring system according to claim 1, characterized in that the desired game application includes a playback mode and allows the game to be resumed from the favorites screen.

6. The monitoring system according to claim 1, characterized in that the download means downloads a game application selected from a desired group of game applications that have game attributes that stimulate the intellectual activity of the person being cared for.

7. The first data terminal is, The monitoring system according to claim 1, characterized in that the desired game application is a game that detects when the care recipient's finger touches the screen in accordance with the movement speed of an object displayed on the screen and earns a score.

8. The first data terminal is, The monitoring system according to claim 1, characterized in that the desired game application is a game in which a score is earned by adapting to memory actions on number objects, kanji objects, and colored shape objects displayed on the screen.

9. The third data terminal is, The monitoring system according to claim 1, characterized in that it includes means for creating a life improvement program that supports the intellectual activity level of the person receiving care.

10. A first data terminal operated by the person receiving care, and a plurality of second data terminals operated by the person watching over the person receiving care, A method for monitoring a person receiving care in a monitoring system that supports monitoring a person receiving care by communicating between a third data terminal operated by a medical professional capable of examining the person receiving care and a server device that shares care information between the second data terminal and the third data terminal, The first data terminal is, The download step involves downloading the desired game application from the game server, A recording step in which the score obtained by the person being cared for when the desired game application is launched is recorded in a recording means, The server device is An acquisition step of acquiring the score recorded in the recording means, The acquisition step includes an AI-based evaluation of the variations in the score obtained in the acquisition step to determine the need for specific medical support for the person receiving care, If the determination step determines that the person receiving care requires the specific medical support, the notification step involves notifying the second data terminal and the third data terminal associated with the person receiving care of the score history and a message urging medical support. A method for monitoring a person receiving care in a monitoring system characterized by comprising the following features.

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