Food and drink monitoring device consisting of multiple connectable weight measurement modules

Abstract

We provide a food and drink monitoring device that can accurately and easily record the eating and drinking process of diners in chronological order as multidimensional data such as food and drink weight, temperature, and surrounding environmental information. [Solution] Food and beverage monitoring device B is composed of a weight measurement module 1 that weighs food and beverages, a media module 2 such as a camera, a surrounding environment measurement module 3, and a control computer 4 that manages these components. Each module is equipped with a timekeeping function such as an RTC, and data acquired by each module is saved as time-series data in a standardized format. It also has a temperature correction function using an infrared camera and thermocouple reference point. This device can also be used in groups with multiple weight measurement modules and various information acquisition devices, making it possible to apply it to simultaneous observation of multiple items and multi-dimensional data analysis.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This invention relates to a monitoring device that acquires, records, and manages the eating and drinking situations of people and animals, with the amount of food and drink as basic information, as well as peripheral information such as the eating and drinking entity and the environment, along with time data. [Background technology]

[0002] The act of eating for humans and animals is directly linked to life, and learning about the eating and drinking process, including what, when, and how to eat, is significant for health, medical, and psychological research.

[0003] On the other hand, collecting information related to the eating and drinking process has been done in various ways, such as recording with video or photographs or keeping a diary, but only a part of the multifaceted information can be obtained. In particular, collecting information on weight, which is difficult to confirm through video, together with time data and other information related to the eating and drinking situation (the actions of the person eating or drinking, the environment such as the ambient temperature, the temperature of the food and drink, etc.), in a unified manner is essential for advancing research in human science and life sciences.

[0004] The first piece of information needed regarding the eating and drinking process is information about the food and drink (food, beverages, etc.). Information on the weight, temperature, taste, flavor, and ingredients of the food and drink is required, but when using commercially available products, the taste, flavor, and ingredients are controlled by the manufacturer's quality control. However, the weight and temperature of the food and drink when actually eating and drinking vary from person to person, so individual data must be collected. It is possible to measure the weight before eating and then again after eating and drinking and calculate the actual weight of the food and drink from the difference, but this does not provide detailed data on the eating and drinking process. Some people eat quickly, while others eat slowly, and the time sequence patterns of these eating patterns are thought to be diverse. Collecting this data will advance new research.

[0005] From the perspective of health promotion and nutritional management, nutritional status is improved through dietary assessment using a diary method for recording meals. However, the task of recording meals places a great burden on users, making it difficult to continue. While meal items and menus can be recorded simply by taking photos with a camera, the amount of food eaten (weight) must be measured and recorded on a scale. Many users use kitchen scales at home, which do not have data storage or communication functions, making recording time consuming. A device that can easily digitize the contents and amount of food eaten at each meal is necessary to promote the health of the nation.

[0006] Many weighing devices, such as scales and kitchen scales, are designed to measure static weight with an emphasis on reproducibility and are not designed to measure changes in weight as time-series data. A few exceptions include electronic balances for research and development, which have the option to output continuous time-series data externally. However, these devices are relatively expensive and require complicated procedures, such as connecting to a computer, before converting the data into digital form. Furthermore, many scales and electronic balances do not have a standalone time-keeping function and do not provide accurate timekeeping, making it difficult to synchronize the time when integrating data with other time-series data for analysis. What is needed is a device that can easily measure dynamically changing weights, such as those of food and drink while being eaten, and store the data as time-series data.

[0007] Temperature is also an important piece of information in the eating and drinking process. Warm rice tastes different from cold food, and when ice cream warms up it melts, ruining the product's unique ice cream character. Obtaining temperature data on the temperature of food and drink at the time of consumption is important information. In market research and sensory evaluation, food and drink temperatures are sometimes maintained at a constant level, but in reality, the temperature is often adjusted and checked before serving, making it difficult to measure the temperature at the time of consumption, and this is rarely done.

[0008] The second piece of information needed is information about the subject eating or drinking. The subject can be a human or animal that eats food or drink. Information about how the subject eats or drinks is essential from a research perspective. For example, some people eat small amounts multiple times with short intervals (small eaters), while others eat large amounts in a few short intervals (speed eaters). Furthermore, in the case of set meals or sets that provide multiple foods or drinks, information about what is eaten and in what order is also necessary. Regarding mastication, there are devices that can measure the number of chews, but this does not tell us what is placed in the mouth or how much of it is in it. A method that uses a camera has been proposed as a way to determine the order in which food or drink is eaten, but it does not provide weight information. There are also methods that estimate weight from video footage, but because information on the volume and density of food or drink is inaccurate, there is a large margin of error and the accuracy is not sufficient for research data.

[0009] The third piece of information needed is information about the eating environment. The eating environment affects a diner's preferences and desires. For example, eating ice cream in a hot room will have a different effect on their desire to eat or drink than eating it in a cold room. Data about the surrounding environment, such as whether the person is eating in a noisy place, is also important. Information about the surrounding environment can now be obtained using environmental sensors such as cameras, microphones, temperature sensors, humidity sensors, and illuminance sensors. However, there has been no easy way to simultaneously obtain information about the environment around a diner while they are eating or drinking. While these sensors are easy to use individually, when trying to combine and analyze them with other eating and drinking data, complex processing is required to integrate the data due to differences in file formats, lack of time data, or different formats even if time data is available.

[0010] This device, which can simultaneously and centrally obtain information related to the three food and beverage processes described above, makes it possible to conduct large-scale surveys accurately and easily, while minimizing pre-processing for data analysis.

[0011] Prior art for analyzing eating patterns includes Patent Document 1, Patent Document 2, Patent Document 3, Patent Document 4, Patent Document 5, Patent Document 6, Patent Document 7, and Non-Patent Document 1 and Non-Patent Document 2.

[0012] In Patent Documents 1, 2, 3, and 4, food quantities are calculated by analyzing video and image information acquired by a camera or scanner. These methods of estimating food quantities from video and images have two general issues. First, estimating food quantities from video and images involves a large margin of error, making the accuracy insufficient for research purposes. Second, because there is no standard size, the actual amount eaten (weight) cannot be estimated; instead, the estimation is based on a ratio. For example, when analyzing the consumption of a 500g steak, leaving 50% (50% remaining rate) provides different amounts of information than leaving 250g (250g already eaten). Weight information obtained in grams is more appropriate for understanding the actual situation and is highly useful as information because it provides high accuracy for calculating nutrition and calories.

[0013] In Patent Documents 3 and 4, food and drink items are classified based on pre-registered information to estimate food amounts, which makes it possible to improve the accuracy of food weights for school lunches and experimental purposes where registered information can be used. However, when used to record daily eating habits, pre-registration is difficult and impractical because home-cooked foods are included.

[0014] On the other hand, Patent Document 5 uses a weight sensor to measure the amount of food consumed, which provides high accuracy, but does not allow for centralized acquisition and management of information about the person eating and drinking and environmental information while eating and drinking. While it does have a mechanism for detecting biological information, its primary purpose is to identify individuals, and it is not intended to digitize the eating and drinking behavior. It also does not have a function for measuring food temperature. Because the system focuses on changes in the weight of food and drink, it needs to be combined with other devices to supplement various information while eating and drinking, but integrating data from multiple devices is not a simple operation.

[0015] The data operations in Patent Documents 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 are based on the premise of network connection and server usage. However, they cannot be used when eating or drinking underground or in places outside the network usage range, so there are limitations to the situations in which they can be used.

[0016] The devices in Patent Document 6 and Non-Patent Document 1 are capable of monitoring the state of mastication, while the devices in Patent Document 7 and Non-Patent Document 2 are capable of monitoring the state of swallowing. When eating and drinking, chewing and swallowing are important pieces of information about the eating and drinking process, but information about what and how much is being placed in the oral cavity and being chewed or swallowed relies on user input or a camera, which is cumbersome for the user and can lead to inaccurate data. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0017] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2025-58664 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2024-134676 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-185123 [Patent Document 4] Special Publication No. 2024-519405 [Patent Document 5] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2025-14742 [Patent Document 6] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2020-58609 [Patent Document 7] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2013-17694 [Non-patent literature]

[0018] [Non-Patent Document 1] Chewing meter "bitescan" (https: / / jp.sharp / business / bitescan / , verified June 12, 2025) [Non-patent document 2] GOKURI NECKBAND NB4HC (https: / / www.gokuri.com / products, confirmed June 12, 2025) Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0019] Collecting and studying multidimensional eating and drinking state data to understand eating and drinking processes and states is also meaningful for health, medical, and psychological research. However, prior art uses video and images to measure the amount of food eaten, which results in insufficient accuracy. Even if accuracy can be ensured using weight sensors, it is not possible to simultaneously obtain information about the eater, the food, and surrounding information at the time of eating and drinking. Devices for measuring specific subjects have been developed, but they are not sufficient to grasp eating and drinking conditions, such as only chewing or only swallowing. For nutritional management purposes, diary methods in which eaters record their own data are used, but complexity and data reliability are issues.

[0020] When analyzing multidimensional eating and drinking status data, it is necessary to at least identify the eater and food and link them to accurate time data. However, although methods and devices for acquiring each type of data have been proposed, the data format has not been standardized, so complex preprocessing is required to integrate the data. Depending on the device, accurate time data may not be obtained.

[0021] It is rare to eat only a single food in daily life, and meals are often a combination of food and drink, or a main dish and side dish, such as a set meal. A device that can obtain detailed data for each food is required.

[0022] Furthermore, eating and drinking takes place in a variety of places, and is not always possible with a network environment. By using a device that can measure even in places without a network environment and storing data, it becomes possible to collect data on diverse and natural eating and drinking situations.

[0023] Such simple collection of multifaceted and integrated data is essential for advancing research in human sciences and life sciences.

[0024] The purpose of this invention is to solve the above technical problems and automatically obtain time-series data on the amount of food and drink consumed, the temperature at the time of consumption, and the state of the surrounding environment simply by the eater naturally eating the food and drink placed on the device.

[0025] Another object of the present invention is to provide a device that automatically acquires, records, and manages information such as the eating and drinking process and chewing state of a person eating and drinking by mounting a weight sensor and a camera in a housing that can be combined and separated into blocks.

[0026] This device was developed in consideration of the problems mentioned above. Food or drinks are placed on the weight measuring section of the device, and the person eats and drinks naturally on the device. This automatically saves information related to eating and drinking, such as the amount eaten, the speed, and the intervals between meals. By using this information and separately prepared software, it becomes possible to grasp the person's eating and drinking habits as data. [Means for solving the problem]

[0027] This invention relates to a food and beverage monitoring device that can record and manage multiple information related to the eating and drinking process of food and beverages in a chronological and accurate manner. That is, the food and beverage monitoring device of this invention is configured with a weight measurement module for placing food and beverages and measuring their weight, an ambient environment measurement module for measuring the ambient environment (temperature, humidity, illuminance, etc.) during eating, a media module equipped with a camera, microphone, speaker, display, etc., and a control computer for integrating and controlling these modules and external devices.

[0028] The weight measurement modules can be used individually or in groups, and the data acquired by each module is managed in a chronological order. Each weight measurement module is also equipped with a real-time clock (RTC) function, allowing accurate time information to be added to measurement data and recorded even when not connected to a network. The surrounding environment measurement module is also equipped with various environmental sensors and a GPS function, allowing environmental data and location information to be recorded along with time information.

[0029] The media module is equipped with a camera, an infrared camera, and a microphone, and records the video, image, and audio data captured by these devices along with time information. Information can also be presented to the user via a display or speaker. Each camera can also be equipped with a means of displaying the capture range, such as a laser pointer, allowing the capture range to be visually confirmed.

[0030] Furthermore, a temperature sensor such as a thermocouple is placed at a reference point on the weight measurement module, and by including this reference point within the shooting range of the infrared camera, temperature correction can be performed by combining the reference temperature data from the thermocouple with the image data from the infrared camera.

[0031] The control computer has wired or wireless communication functions with each module and external devices, an NTP server function for time synchronization, and an integrated management and storage function for received data. Furthermore, each module has a mechanism for positioning and connecting the housings of each other, allowing multiple modules to be easily and reliably connected, enabling simultaneous observation of multiple items and integrated operation.

[0032] This configuration allows information such as changes in the weight of food and drink during consumption, the surrounding environment, the temperature of food and drink, and user behavior to be recorded and managed in a multifaceted and accurate chronological order, enabling highly reliable and convenient data collection for health management, research, and other purposes. [Effects of the Invention]

[0033] This device allows researchers in market research and study surveys involving tasting to accurately confirm whether subjects are actually eating and drinking under the specified eating and drinking conditions. By checking during the survey, researchers can correct subjects who are eating or drinking incorrectly by providing appropriate instructions, thereby obtaining appropriate data. Furthermore, by checking after the survey, researchers can flag inappropriate responses in the data and perform appropriate statistical analysis. In home use tests where it is difficult for researchers to be present, the subjects themselves control the eating and drinking conditions, but by using this device, researchers can check whether they are complying with instructions and confirm eating and drinking conditions such as the temperature and amount of sample food.

[0034] In addition, because it will be possible to easily collect a wide variety of data related to the eating and drinking process, it will be possible to clarify the actual state of the eating and drinking process and, by integrating and analyzing it with other data, to easily collect large amounts of data that demonstrate the relationship between the eating and drinking process and trends in different diseases or differences in food preferences.

[0035] In addition, for nutritional management purposes, recording the eating and drinking process allows users to understand their own eating and drinking habits and use this information to improve their eating habits in the future. Self-filled food records are commonly used for nutritional management, but this alternative method allows for simple and accurate data recording, making it possible to provide appropriate nutritional guidance.

[0036] In preference surveys of pets and other animals, preference is often measured by which one they chose first or which one they ate more of, but by using this device, which can measure time data and the amount of food eaten, the survey can be conducted with high accuracy. Furthermore, the survey is conducted with the cooperation of the owner, and even owners who are unfamiliar with the device can conduct it easily and without mistakes because multiple sensors are centrally managed. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0037] [Figure 1] Configuration diagram of food and drink monitoring device A (weight measurement module used alone) [Figure 2] Block diagram of inputs and outputs between modules of food and drink monitoring device A [Figure 3] Configuration diagram of food and drink monitoring device B (using multiple weight measurement modules) [Figure 4] Diagram of food and drink monitoring device C (hanging weight measurement module) DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0038] An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. [Example]

[0039] Figure 1 is a diagram of the configuration of food and drink monitoring device A when the weight measurement module is used alone. Food and drink monitoring device A is equipped with weight measurement module 1 and media module 2 fixed with a stay or the like, and surrounding environment measurement module 3 is placed near 1. 1, 2, and 3 are connected to control computer 4 via wired or wireless connections.

[0040] 1 is used to visually confirm the shooting positions of the camera 21 and the infrared camera 22. The infrared camera 22 can acquire temperature correction data by including a temperature reference point 12 in the image.

[0041] The block diagram in Figure 2 shows the input / output relationships between the modules of the food and drink monitoring device A. The weight measurement module 1 is composed of a weight sensor 11, thermocouple 12, memory device 13, control microcomputer 14, RTC module 15, and communication unit 16, and even a single weight measurement module 1 can store weight measurement data and time data in the memory device 13. Multiple weight sensors 11 can be used depending on the measurement range and load distribution. The stored data is sent and received via the communication unit 16 in response to a request from the control computer 4. When the communication unit 16 connects to the control computer 4, the time information of the RTC module 15 is synchronized via an NTP server program.

[0042] The media module 2 is composed of a camera 21, infrared camera 22, microphone 23, storage device 24, control microcomputer 25, RTC module 26, speaker 27, display 28, and communication unit 29. It acquires time data from the RTC module 26, and the camera 21 and infrared camera 22 acquire video data, while the microphone 23 acquires audio data, all of which are stored in the storage device 24 together with the time data. The stored data is sent and received from the communication unit 29 in response to a request from the control computer 4. When the communication unit 29 is connected to the control computer 4, the time information of the RTC module 26 is synchronized by an NTP server program.

[0043] The surrounding environment measurement module 3 is composed of an environmental sensor 31, a storage device 32, a control microcomputer 33, an RTC module 34, a GPS 35, and a communication unit 36, and acquires time data from the RTC module 34 and stores each sensor data from the environmental sensor 31 and GPS 35 together with the time data in the storage device 32. The stored data is sent and received from the communication unit 36 ​​in response to a request from the control computer 4. When the communication unit 36 ​​connects to the control computer 4, the time information of the RTC module 34 is synchronized by an NTP server program.

[0044] The control computer 4 is composed of an input unit 41, a communication unit 42, an output unit 43, a control unit 44, and a recording unit 45. The input unit 41 is connected to input devices such as a keyboard and a mouse, and receives input instructions necessary for control and transmits the input signals to the control unit 44.

[0045] The communication unit 42 connects to each module and external device via a wired connection using a USB cable or an Ethernet cable, or wireless connection using Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, and sends and receives control signals and data according to control signals from the control unit 44. By connecting various commercially available measuring instruments as external devices, other information can be synchronized. Possible external devices include electroencephalographs, chewing sensors, swallowing sensors, vital sign measuring devices, and medical-grade continuous glucose monitors (CGM).

[0046] The output unit 43 outputs characters, images, and sounds to a display device such as a liquid crystal monitor in accordance with a control signal from the control unit 44 .

[0047] The control unit 44 uses a CPU, ROM, RAM, etc. to perform various controls and calculations, transmits control signals to each unit, and starts, operates, and monitors various programs.

[0048] The recording unit 45 is configured with a storage device such as an SSD or HDD, and performs data reading and writing in accordance with control signals from the control unit 44 .

[0049] FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram of a food and drink monitoring device B that uses multiple weight measurement modules 1 to simultaneously measure multiple items.

[0050] When eating multiple foods at the same time, such as a set meal, a weight measurement module 1 is provided for each food. Figure 3 shows a configuration for four foods, with rice, miso soup, a main dish, and a side dish being weighed in combination, so a weight measurement module 1 is provided for each food. Each module is connected by a positioning and connecting mechanism 101 and is not easily separated.

[0051] By connecting the communication units 16, 29, and 36 provided in each module to one another, the group ID is shared, and the group ID is stored in the measurement data, facilitating processing during analysis.

[0052] Figure 4 is a diagram of the eating and drinking monitoring device C, which has a weight sensor attached to it so that it measures the weight in the direction in which the weight measurement module 1 is hung. The eating and drinking monitoring device C is a device that monitors how a dog drinks water using a hanging water dispenser for dogs. It is expected that the dog may place its front paws on the weight measurement module 1, preventing accurate data from being obtained. In such cases, device C, which has a water dispenser hung from above, is used.

[0053] If there is any operational inconvenience, it is possible to change the position of the weight sensor of the weight measurement module 1 or to convert the direction of the load to various directions using a pulley, spring, link mechanism, etc. [Industrial Applicability]

[0054] This invention can be applied to the food and beverage industry, the restaurant industry, health and medical equipment, household products, kitchenware and furniture, and other industrial fields where time-series recording of weight changes is useful, such as healthcare equipment that utilizes IoT (Internet of Things) technology, waste management and inventory management. [Explanation of symbols]

[0055] A...Food and drink monitoring device A (weight measurement module used alone) B...Food and drink monitoring device B (uses multiple weight measurement modules) C...Food and drink monitoring device C (hanging type weight measurement module) 1...Weight measurement module 2. Media module 3...Surrounding environment measurement module 4...Control computer 12…Temperature reference point 101... Positioning and coupling mechanism 21...Camera 22...Infrared camera 201...Laser pointer

Claims

1. A food and drink monitoring device that comprises a weight measurement module on which food and drink are placed and its weight is measured; an ambient environment measurement module equipped with environmental sensors for temperature, humidity, illuminance, etc. that measure the ambient environment during eating and drinking; a media module equipped with a camera, microphone, speaker, and display; and a control computer that controls each of these modules and external devices in an integrated manner, wherein the weight measurement module can be used alone or in groups of multiple modules, and the data obtained by each module can be managed in an integrated manner in chronological order.

2. 2. The food and drink monitoring device according to claim 1, wherein the weight measurement module has a real-time clock (RTC) function, and is capable of recording measurement data with accurate time information even when not connected to a network.

3. 3. The food and drink monitoring device according to claim 1, wherein the surrounding environment measurement module is equipped with an environmental sensor and a GPS function, and is capable of recording each sensor data with time information attached thereto.

4. A food and drink monitoring device as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the media module is equipped with a camera, an infrared camera, and a microphone, and is capable of recording video, image, and audio data along with time information, and presenting information via a display or speaker.

5. 5. The food and drink monitoring device according to claim 1, wherein the media module has a laser pointer for each camera and a display means for visually indicating the photographable range.

6. A food and beverage monitoring device as described in claim 4, in which a thermocouple is installed at a reference point on the weight measurement module, and the reference point is within the shooting range of the infrared camera, so that the reference temperature data from the thermocouple and the image data from the infrared camera are recorded along with time information, making it possible to correct the temperature of the infrared image.

7. A food and drink monitoring device as described in any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the control computer has wired or wireless communication functions with each module and external devices, an NTP server function for time synchronization, and an integrated management and storage function for received data.

8. 8. The eating and drinking monitoring device according to claim 1, wherein each of the modules has a mechanism for positioning and connecting the housings of the other modules.

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