SLEEP MANAGEMENT SYSTEM, CONTROL METHOD, CONTROL PROGRAM, AND STORAGE MEDIUM

Abstract

The sleep management system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure comprises a first determining unit capable of determining a user's awakening timing, and an awakening unit capable of communicating the awakening timing to the user on the basis of the result of the determining by the first determining unit. A second determining unit is capable of determining the awakening timing on the basis of a second indicator when the determination of the awakening timing on the basis of a first indicator is hindered in the sleep management system.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a sleep management system that manages a user's sleep, a sleep management method, a control program, and a storage medium. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for detecting a sleep state. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-161432 Summary of the Invention

[0004] A sleep management system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes a judgment unit capable of determining a user's wake-up timing, and an awakening unit capable of notifying the user of the wake-up timing based on a judgment result of the judgment unit, and the judgment unit is capable of determining the wake-up timing based on a second indicator when an error occurs in determining the wake-up timing based on a first indicator.

[0005] Furthermore, a sleep management method according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a sleep management method in a sleep management system equipped with a judgment unit, and includes a first judgment step in which the judgment unit judges a user's wake-up timing based on a first indicator, and a second judgment step in which, when an obstacle occurs in the judgment of the wake-up timing based on the first indicator, the judgment unit judges the user's wake-up timing based on a second indicator.

[0006] Each step of the sleep management method according to each aspect of the present disclosure may be realized by a computer. In this case, the control program of the sleep management system that realizes the sleep management method by causing the computer to operate as each part (software element) of the sleep management system, and the computer-readable recording medium on which it is recorded, also fall within the scope of the present disclosure. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a configuration of a sleep management system according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the appearance of a device in the sleep management system of FIG. 1. [Diagram 3] 2 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation flow of a NAP function performed in the sleep management system of FIG. 1. [Figure 4] 10 is a flowchart showing another example of the operation flow of the NAP function performed in the sleep management system of FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 13 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a sleep management system according to another embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 13 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a sleep management system according to another embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0008] There is a demand for determining a user's sleep state and improving the reliability of sleep management. According to one aspect of the present disclosure, it is possible to improve the reliability of sleep management.

[0009] [Embodiment 1] <Overview of the Sleep Management System 100> An overview of the sleep management system 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described below. Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the sleep management system 100 according to an embodiment.

[0010] As shown in FIG. 1, sleep management system 100 includes device 1 (first device), terminal device 2, and server device 3 (second device). Device 1, terminal device 2, and server device 3 may each be separate devices. Sleep management system 100 has a sleep management function that manages a user's sleep (nap) by encouraging the user to fall asleep and waking up the user who has fallen asleep at an appropriate timing. The sleep management function implemented in sleep management system 100 may also be referred to as a NAP function. In this specification, "sleep" may mean a short nap or a long sleep that is usually performed at night.

[0011] An overview of sleep management performed in the sleep management system 100 will be described below. First, when the operation of the NAP function is started by a user operation, the device 1 acquires first information related to the physiological state of the user and transmits it to the server device 3. The server device 3 generates a first index based on the first information, and determines the user's awakening timing based on whether the user's sleep state determined based on the first index satisfies a preset first criterion. When the determined awakening timing arrives, the device 1 notifies the user of the awakening timing, thereby encouraging the user to awaken.

[0012] As described above, the user can fall asleep and be awakened at an appropriate time. Therefore, by using the sleep management system 100, the user can have a satisfying sleep even if the sleep time is short.

[0013] The first index is an index used to determine whether the user is in a sleeping state. For example, the first index may be biological information of the user. Also, for example, the first index may be information related to the blood flow of the user. More specifically, the first index is information indicating the blood flow rate of the user or waveform data of the pulse wave of the user. Also, the first information is information used to generate the first index. When the first index is waveform data of the pulse wave of the user, the first information is, for example, a value of a sensor signal reflecting the physiological state of the user. More specifically, the first information may be a sensor signal value corresponding to the intensity of scattered light that is generated when light irradiated to the user is scattered by the blood vessels and blood cells of the user. The first information is acquired multiple times by the device 1, and the blood flow rate of the user is calculated as the first index.

[0014] The first criterion is a criterion used to specify the user's awakening timing. The sleep management system 100 may determine (estimate) the user's awakening timing by determining whether the user's sleep state determined based on the first index matches the first criterion. For example, the sleep management system 100 may determine the timing at which the user's sleep state matches the first criterion as the user's awakening timing. The first criterion may be a criterion based on the user's biological information. Also, for example, the first criterion may be a criterion related to the user's sleep state. As an example, the first criterion may indicate a sleep stage, specifically, stages 2 to 3 of non-REM sleep.

[0015] Furthermore, the sleep management system 100 has a recovery function that attempts to resolve a fatal error when the device 1 experiences such an error. A fatal error is an error that indicates a state in which the device 1 is unable to normally acquire or transmit the first information. Details of fatal errors will be described later. When a fatal error occurs in the device 1, the server device 3 is unable to receive the first information and is unable to determine the sleep stage based on the first index. Therefore, when a fatal error occurs in the device 1, in other words, when a problem occurs in determining the sleep state based on the first index in the sleep management system 100, the server device 3 is unable to determine the user's awakening timing.

[0016] When an error such as the above occurs, the sleep management system 100 can determine the user's awakening timing based on a second index different from the first index, and notify the user of the awakening timing. The server device 3 determines whether the user is awake or not based on a third index, for example, information indicating the degree of the user's movement (acceleration), and if the user is awake, notifies the user to prompt the user to restart the device 1. This allows the user to recognize that an error has occurred in the device 1. Furthermore, the error can be resolved by restarting the device 1 through a user operation.

[0017] Furthermore, if the result of the above-mentioned determination is that the user has already fallen asleep, the server device 3 determines the user's awakening timing based on the second index. Furthermore, the device 1 can notify the user of the determined awakening timing. The second index is an index used to determine the user's awakening timing. The second index may be, for example, a criterion based on non-biometric information. The second index may be, for example, a criterion related to sleep time. The sleep management system 100 may specify the time from when the user falls asleep to when the awakening timing is notified, i.e., the user's sleep time, based on the second index.

[0018] As described above, when a fatal error occurs in the device 1, if the user is awake, the sleep management system 100 can attempt to recover from the error by urging the user to restart the device 1. Furthermore, if the user has already fallen asleep, the system urges the user to wake up at a timing determined based on the level of the user's movement, so that the system can urge the user to wake up at an appropriate timing even when a determination cannot be made based on the waveform data of the user's pulse wave.

[0019] Hereinafter, a case will be described in which the sleep management system 100 acquires information related to the physiological state of the user as the first information, and generates information indicating the blood flow rate of the user as the first index based on the acquired information. In addition, in the following description, a case will be described in which the sleep management system 100 uses the elapsed time since the NAP function was turned on as the second index. In addition, a configuration will be described in which an index related to the user's movement is used as the third index. The index related to the user's movement is, for example, an index indicating the degree of the user's movement, and specifically, acceleration based on the user's movement. However, the first information, the first index, the second index, and the third index are not limited to those described above.

[0020] For example, the first index may be data including various variables calculated based on blood flow. Specifically, the first index may include data regarding at least one of the user's blood flow, heart rate, heartbeat interval, cardiac output, blood flow wave height, and coefficient of variation of vasomotion.

[0021] Blood flow is the amount of blood flowing through a blood vessel per unit time. Heart rate is the number of times the heart beats per unit time. Heart beat interval is the time between heart beats. Cardiac output is the amount of blood pumped out with one heart beat. Blood flow pulse height is the difference between the maximum and minimum values ​​of blood flow during one heart beat. Vasomotion is the spontaneous rhythmic contraction and expansion of blood vessels. The coefficient of variation of vasomotion is a value that indicates the variability of blood flow fluctuations caused by vasomotion.

[0022] <Device 1> FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the external appearance of the device 1. The configuration of the device 1 will be described below with reference to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2. As described above, the device 1 acquires first information from the user's body and transmits the information to the server device 3 via the terminal device 2. Furthermore, the device 1 performs an operation to wake up the user and notifies the user of various events based on the information received from the server device 3 via the terminal device 2. Furthermore, the device 1 is connected to the terminal device 2 so as to be able to communicate with the device 1.

[0023] The device 1 is worn on the user's body to obtain first information from the user's body. As an example, as shown in FIG. 2, the device 1 may be an integrated wireless earphone-shaped device that can be worn on the user's ear. The device 1 includes a wearing unit 10 that is worn on the user's body, and a neck-hanging unit 20 that can be located around the user's neck when the wearing unit 10 is worn on the user. However, the shape of the device 1 is not limited to that shown in FIG. 2. For example, the device 1 may be a device having a separate wireless earphone shape. In this case, the device 1 may include only the wearing unit 10.

[0024] The mounting unit 10 is a member that is mounted on the user's body. As an example, the mounting unit 10 may be inserted into the user's ear, particularly into the ear canal. The mounting unit 10 includes a first sensor 14, an awakening unit 15, a second sensor 16, and a notification unit 17A. As shown in FIG. 2, the device 1 may include two mounting units 10. However, the number of mounting units 10 is not limited to this, and for example, only one mounting unit 10 may be provided. Also, as shown in FIG. 2, the first sensor 14 and the second sensor 16 may be provided on only one of the mounting units 10. Alternatively, the first sensor 14 and the second sensor 16 may be provided on both mounting units 10. Also, as shown in FIG. 2, the awakening unit 15 and the notification unit 17A may be the same output device, such as a speaker capable of outputting sound.

[0025] The neck hanging part 20 is connected to the wearing part 10. As an example, when the wearing part 10 is inserted in the user's ear, the neck hanging part 20 is located around the user's neck. The neck hanging part 20 includes a control part 11, an input part 12, a storage part 18, and a communication part 19. The neck hanging part 20 may include a volume button for adjusting the volume, and a rechargeable battery. In addition, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the neck hanging part 20 may include an alarm part 17B.

[0026] In the device 1, the mounting unit 10 may have all the configurations of the device 1. In this case, the device 1 may not have the neck hanging unit 20. In addition, when the device 1 has two mounting units 10, the two mounting units 10 may be wired to each other via the neck hanging unit 20 or directly. In this case, the time lag between the sounds reproduced in each of the two mounting units 10 can be reduced. In addition, when the two mounting units 10 are connected via the neck hanging unit 20, the mounting unit 10 can be made smaller by providing the control unit 11, the input unit 12, etc. in the neck hanging unit 20 as described above.

[0027] On the other hand, the device 1 may not include the neck hanging unit 20, and the two wearing units 10 may be wirelessly connected to each other. In this case, the device 1 does not come into contact with the user's body at any position other than the position where the wearing unit 10 is worn, so that the possibility of the device 1 coming off the user's body can be reduced.

[0028] The control unit 11 executes various processes in the device 1. As shown in Fig. 1, the control unit 11 includes a timer control unit 111, a sensor control unit 112, a first acquisition unit 113 (acquisition unit), a recovery control unit 114, an awakening control unit 115 (determination unit), a second acquisition unit 116, and a notification control unit 117. Details of each process in the control unit 11 will be described later. When the control unit 11 acquires from the input unit 12 a signal indicating that an operation to instruct the end of the operation of the NAP function has been accepted, the control unit 11 ends the operation and processing of each unit related to the NAP function in the device 1.

[0029] The input unit 12 accepts an instruction operation by a user. For example, the input unit 12 may be a button capable of accepting an operation instructing the start and end of the NAP function. When the input unit 12 accepts an operation by a user, it outputs a signal corresponding to the operation to the control unit 11. For example, when the input unit 12 accepts an operation instructing the start of the operation of the NAP function, it outputs a signal indicating that the operation has been accepted to the timer control unit 111. Furthermore, when the input unit 12 accepts an operation instructing the end of the operation of the NAP function, it outputs a signal indicating that the operation has been accepted to the control unit 11. Furthermore, the input unit 12 may further include a button capable of accepting an input instructing the switching on and off of the power supply of the device 1.

[0030] The timer 13 operates under the control of the timer control unit 111, and measures the elapsed time from when the operation of the NAP function is started. In other words, the timer 13 measures the elapsed time from when the sleep management system 100 starts determining the timing of awakening based on the first index.

[0031] The first sensor 14 includes an irradiating unit and a light receiving unit, both of which are not shown. The first sensor 14 is a sensor that generates an electric signal having an intensity according to the light received by the light receiving unit. The irradiating unit is a light emitting element that can irradiate light of a desired wavelength and intensity according to the control of the sensor control unit 112. The irradiating unit may be a laser diode that can emit laser light. The wavelength of the laser light emitted from the irradiating unit may be, for example, 700 to 900 nm. The light irradiated to the user by the irradiating unit is scattered by blood cells that move with the blood flow and blood vessels that carry the blood, generating scattered light.

[0032] The light receiving unit is a light receiving element capable of receiving scattered light (light signal) generated as a result of irradiating the user with laser light and outputting an electrical signal corresponding to the scattered light. The light receiving unit may be a photodiode that generates an electrical signal with an intensity corresponding to the received light. The light receiving unit outputs the generated electrical signal to the first acquisition unit 113. The light receiving unit may generate an electrical signal each time it receives scattered light. In the case of the device 1 having a shape that can be worn in the user's ear canal, the irradiation unit may be disposed at a position where it can emit laser light toward the user's auricle (i.e., toward the capillaries of the auricle). In addition, the light receiving unit may be disposed at a position where it can receive scattered light from the capillaries that have received the laser light.

[0033] The awakening unit 15 operates under the control of the awakening control unit 115 to prompt the user to awaken. As an example, the awakening unit 15 may be an output unit such as a speaker that can output a desired sound under the control of the awakening control unit 115.

[0034] The second sensor 16 is a sensor capable of generating a signal corresponding to the degree of the user's movement. For example, the second sensor 16 may be an acceleration sensor that operates under the control of the sensor control unit 112 and can generate a signal with an intensity corresponding to a change in the user's posture. The second sensor 16 outputs the generated signal to the second acquisition unit 116.

[0035] The notification unit 17 operates under the control of the notification control unit 117 to provide various notifications to the user. As shown in FIG. 2, the device 1 may include, as the notification unit 17, a notification unit 17A in the mounting unit 10 and a notification unit 17B in the neck hanging unit 20. The notification unit 17A is an acoustic output unit such as a speaker capable of outputting sound. The notification unit 17B may be an optical output unit such as an LED (Light Emitting Diode) capable of switching the color of light or the light pattern according to the control of the notification control unit 117. The notification unit 17A and the awakening unit 15 may be the same speaker. The device 1 can make the user recognize the information to be notified by making the user listen to the sound output from the notification unit 17A or visually see the light pattern of the notification unit 17B. The notification unit 17 is not limited to the above-mentioned configuration. For example, the notification unit 17 may be a display device such as a display provided in the neck hanging unit 20 and capable of displaying the desired notification content.

[0036] The storage unit 18 stores various types of information used in the device 1. The storage unit 18 also stores identification information (device ID) for identifying the device 1. The communication unit 19 is a communication module for the device 1 to communicate with the terminal device 2. As an example, the communication unit 19 may be a module capable of short-range wireless communication such as Bluetooth (registered trademark).

[0037] The timer control unit 111 controls the operation of the timer 13. Specifically, when the timer control unit 111 receives a signal from the input unit 12 instructing the start of the operation of the NAP function, the timer control unit 111 starts measuring the elapsed time by the timer 13. Furthermore, when the timer control unit 111 receives information indicating that the operation of the NAP function has ended from the awakening control unit 115 or the notification control unit 117, the timer control unit 111 ends the measurement by the timer 13. Furthermore, when the timer control unit 111 starts the operation of the timer 13, the timer control unit 111 outputs information indicating that the measurement by the timer 13 has started to the sensor control unit 112.

[0038] The sensor control unit 112 controls the operations of the first sensor 14 and the second sensor 16. Specifically, when the sensor control unit 112 acquires information indicating that measurement by the timer 13 has started from the timer control unit 111, the sensor control unit 112 starts the operation of the first sensor 14. Furthermore, when the sensor control unit 112 acquires error information indicating that a fatal error has occurred from the recovery control unit 114, the sensor control unit 112 stops the operation of the first sensor 14 and starts the operation of the second sensor 16. Furthermore, when the operation of the NAP function ends, the sensor control unit 112 stops the operation of the first sensor 14 or the second sensor 16.

[0039] The first acquisition unit 113 acquires first information for generating a first index. Specifically, the first acquisition unit 113 acquires a sensor signal from the first sensor 14. The sensor signal indicates, for example, a value reflecting a physiological state related to the user's blood flow, and corresponds to the above-mentioned first information. The first acquisition unit 113 transmits the sensor signal value together with a device ID to the server device 3 via the communication units 19, 21, and 32.

[0040] If a fatal error occurs in device 1 while the NAP function is operating, recovery control unit 114 acquires information indicating the occurrence of the error and performs control to recover from the error. If a fatal error occurs in each unit of device 1, it outputs information indicating the occurrence of the error to recovery control unit 114.

[0041] A fatal error is an error that, due to the occurrence of the error, prevents the device 1 from normally acquiring or transmitting the first information. There are errors that can occur in the device 1, which are fatal if they occur once, and errors that are tolerable if they occur up to several times. Specifically, a fatal error is an error that, if it occurs even once, prevents the device 1 from normally acquiring or transmitting the first information. Alternatively, the occurrence of a fatal error may mean a case in which a minor error that occurs multiple times and prevents normal measurement or transmission of blood flow occurs at a predetermined rate or more within a predetermined time period, exceeding the allowable number of times, or a case in which the minor error occurs continuously.

[0042] As an example, the fatal error is a calculation timeout error in the first acquisition unit 113. The calculation timeout error is an error that occurs when the first acquisition unit 113 performs some calculation on the first information. For example, the calculation timeout error is an error indicating a state in which the first acquisition unit 113 does not complete the calculation process on the first information within a predetermined time. The predetermined time is, for example, a time from when the first acquisition unit 113 acquires a signal from the first sensor 14 once to when it acquires the signal again in a normal state. The above-mentioned error occurs, for example, when a signal is not output to the first acquisition unit 113 due to a malfunction of the first sensor 14 or poor contact between the first sensor 14 and the control unit 11. In this case, the first acquisition unit 113 cannot calculate the first information at a predetermined interval. When a situation occurs in which the first acquisition unit 113 cannot calculate the first information at a predetermined interval, the first acquisition unit 113 recognizes that a calculation timeout error has occurred and outputs information indicating that a calculation timeout error has occurred to the recovery control unit 114.

[0043] Alternatively, the fatal error is a transmission busy error. A transmission busy error is an error indicating a state in which the first information cannot be normally output from the first acquisition unit 113 to the communication unit 19. A transmission busy error occurs, for example, when UART communication between the first acquisition unit 113 and the communication unit 19 is in a busy state.

[0044] When a calculation timeout error or a transmission busy error occurs as described above, the first acquisition unit 113 outputs information indicating that a calculation timeout error or a transmission busy error has occurred to the recovery control unit 114. When the recovery control unit 114 acquires the information indicating that a calculation timeout error or a transmission busy error has occurred, the recovery control unit 114 specifies the number of times that the error has occurred within a predetermined time. When a calculation timeout error or a transmission busy error has occurred more times than is allowable within the predetermined time, the recovery control unit 114 determines that a fatal error has occurred in the device 1.

[0045] The fatal error may also be a device status error. A device status error refers to an error that causes the device 1 to malfunction and become unable to operate normally due to some reason. The some reason may be, for example, a poor contact, external noise, or static electricity.

[0046] The recovery control unit 114 monitors the state within the device 1 while the device 1 is operating. When a device status error occurs, each unit within the device 1 outputs information indicating the occurrence of the device status error to the recovery control unit 114. This allows the recovery control unit 114 to recognize that a device status error has occurred within the device 1. When a device status error occurs even once, the recovery control unit 114 determines that a fatal error has occurred in the device 1.

[0047] When it is determined that a fatal error has occurred in the device 1, the recovery control unit 114 outputs error information indicating that a fatal error has occurred to the sensor control unit 112. In addition, the recovery control unit 114 may transmit the error information together with the device ID to the server device 3 via the terminal device 2.

[0048] Furthermore, when the device 1 or the NAP function is restarted (rebooted) after a fatal error occurs, the recovery control unit 114 determines whether or not the fatal error has been recovered from, and outputs the result of the determination to the notification control unit 117. Furthermore, when the fatal error has been recovered from, in other words, when the sleep management system 100 has returned to normal and the first determination unit 313 (described below) has returned to a state in which it can normally determine the user's awakening timing, the recovery control unit 114 outputs the result of the determination to each unit of the device 1. This causes the normal operation of the NAP function in the sleep management system 100 to be restarted.

[0049] The awakening control unit 115 controls the operation of the awakening unit 15 and can notify the user of an appropriate awakening timing. Specifically, the awakening control unit 115 receives information indicating the awakening timing of the user from the server device 3 via the terminal device 2. When the awakening control unit 115 receives the information, it acquires information indicating the elapsed time since the operation of the NAP function started from the timer 13. When the elapsed time acquired from the timer 13 reaches the awakening timing determined by the second determination unit 315, the awakening control unit 115 operates the awakening unit 15 to notify the user of the awakening timing. That is, the awakening control unit 115 awakens the user at a timing determined based on the elapsed time measured by the timer 13. As described above, the awakening control unit 115 can be regarded as a determination unit that determines whether the second indicator has reached the awakening timing to be notified to the user. In addition, the awakening control unit 115 may output information indicating that the awakening unit 15 has been operated, in other words, information indicating that the operation of the NAP function has been completed, to each unit of the control unit 11 after operating the awakening unit 15. Furthermore, the awakening control unit 115 may be provided in the server device 3. In this case, the awakening control unit 115 receives information indicating the elapsed time since the NAP function was turned on or the timing when the NAP function was turned on from the device 1 via the communication unit 32. When the elapsed time since the NAP function was turned on reaches the awakening timing, the awakening control unit 115 transmits information indicating that the elapsed time as a second index has reached the awakening timing to the device 1 via the communication unit 32. Upon receiving the information, the control unit 11 of the device 1 controls the awakening unit 15 to notify the user of the awakening timing.

[0050] The second acquisition unit 116 acquires a signal indicating the degree of the user's body movement from the second sensor 16. Upon acquiring the signal, the second acquisition unit 116 calculates information indicating the degree of the user's movement based on the signal. The second acquisition unit 116 transmits the calculated information together with the device ID to the server device 3 via the terminal device 2.

[0051] The notification control unit 117 operates the notification unit 17 to provide various notifications to the user. The notification to the user may be a voice guide or a notification sound by the notification unit 17A, or may be a notification by a change in the way the notification unit 17B lights up. The notification to the user may also be provided by other methods.

[0052] When the notification control unit 117 receives information from the server device 3 via the terminal device 2 indicating a determination result that the user is awake, i.e., the user is not in a sleeping state, it operates the notification unit 17 to notify that a fatal error has occurred in the device 1. The notification may also include a notification prompting an operation to restore the sleep management system 100 so that the first determination unit 313 can make a determination. Specifically, the operation is an operation to restart the device 1 or the NAP function, and may be, for example, an operation of pressing and holding the input unit 12.

[0053] Furthermore, when the notification control unit 117 receives information indicating a determination result that the user is in a sleeping state from the server device 3 via the terminal device 2, the notification control unit 117 does not immediately notify the user. In this case, the notification control unit 117 operates the notification unit 17 after acquiring information indicating that the awakening unit 15 has been operated from the awakening control unit 115, and notifies the user of the occurrence of a fatal error in the device 1. That is, after the awakening unit 15 notifies the user of the awakening timing, the notification control unit 117 notifies the user that an error has occurred.

[0054] Furthermore, when the operation of the device 1 or the NAP function is restarted after the occurrence of a fatal error, the notification control unit 117 acquires information indicating the determination result as to whether or not the error has been recovered and the device 1 has returned to a normal operating state from the recovery control unit 114, and notifies the user of the determination result. Specifically, when the device 1 has recovered from the fatal error by being restarted, the notification control unit 117 operates the notification unit 17 to notify the user that the operation of the device 1 has returned to normal.

[0055] On the other hand, if the device 1 does not recover from the fatal error even after rebooting, the notification control unit 117 operates the notification unit 17 to notify the user that the operation of the device 1 has not recovered to normal. In addition, at this time, the notification control unit 117 may issue a notification urging the user to reboot the device 1 again.

[0056] <Terminal device 2> The terminal device 2 relays transmission and reception of various information between the device 1 and the server device 3. As an example, the terminal device 2 may be a device such as a smartphone carried by a user. The terminal device 2 is connected to the device 1 and the server device 3 so as to be able to communicate with them. As shown in FIG. 1, the terminal device 2 includes a communication unit 21, a control unit 22, and a storage unit 23.

[0057] The communication unit 21 is a communication module for the terminal device 2 to communicate with the device 1 and the server device 3. For example, the device 1 and the terminal device 2 may be connected by short-range wireless communication such as Bluetooth (registered trademark). Also, for example, the terminal device 2 and the server device 3 may be connected by long-range wireless communication.

[0058] When the control unit 22 receives various information from the device 1 via the communication unit 21, the control unit 22 transmits the information to the server device 3. Furthermore, when the control unit 22 receives various information from the server device 3, the control unit 22 transmits the information to the device 1. The storage unit 23 stores various programs for operating the terminal device 2.

[0059] <Server device 3> The server device 3 determines a preferred awakening timing for the user based on the information about the user acquired by the device 1. Furthermore, when a fatal error occurs in the device 1, the server device 3 determines whether the user is asleep or not. As an example, the server device 3 may be a cloud server. As shown in FIG. 1, the server device 3 includes a control unit 31, a communication unit 32, and a storage unit 33, and is connected to the terminal device 2 so as to be able to communicate with the terminal device 2.

[0060] The control unit 31 controls the operation of each unit of the server device 3 and performs various processes. As shown in Fig. 1, the control unit 31 includes a generation unit 311, a first sleep determination unit 312, a first determination unit 313 (determination unit), a second sleep determination unit 314 (sleep determination unit), and a second determination unit 315 (determination unit). The communication unit 32 is a communication module for the server device 3 to communicate with the terminal device 2.

[0061] The storage unit 33 stores information for performing various processes in the server device 3. As shown in Fig. 1, the storage unit 33 stores a sleep history DB 331 (sleep history database). The sleep history database 331 is a database in which the device ID of the device 1 and history data of the sleep time of a user who uses the device 1 are associated and stored for each device 1. The storage unit 33 may also record the occurrence history of errors that have occurred in the device 1.

[0062] The generation unit 311 generates a first index used in the judgment by the first sleep judgment unit 312 based on the first information. Specifically, the generation unit 311 receives the first information from the device 1 via the terminal apparatus 2. The generation unit 311 generates information indicating the user's blood flow rate as the first index based on the information, and outputs the information to the first sleep judgment unit 312. The generation unit 311 may also generate waveform data of the user's pulse wave, that is, pattern data indicating a fluctuation pattern of the user's blood flow rate over time, and use the data as the first index.

[0063] When the first sleep determination section 312 acquires the first index from the generation section 311, the first sleep determination section 312 determines (estimates) the sleep stage of the user based on the data. In addition, the first sleep determination section 312 outputs information indicating the sleep stage of the user to the first determination section 313.

[0064] The sleep stage is an index indicating the depth of a user's sleep. For example, the sleep stage may indicate whether the user is awake or asleep. The sleep stage may also be classified in more detail. For example, the sleep stage may include a state in which the user is in light sleep such as rapid eye movement sleep (REM sleep) or a state in which the user is in deep sleep such as non-REM sleep. The non-REM sleep stage may also be further classified according to the depth of sleep. For example, the non-REM sleep stages may be classified into stage 1, stage 2, stage 3, and stage 4 in order of lightness of sleep.

[0065] Specifically, the first sleep determination unit 312 may have a neural network capable of determining the sleep stage from information indicating the user's blood flow rate. In this case, the neural network may be a trained neural network that has been trained in advance using information indicating the user's blood flow rate measured based on the first sensor 14 as input data used for learning, and the user's sleep stage at the time the information measured based on an electroencephalograph or the like was generated as teacher data. The neural network of the first sleep determination unit 312 uses information indicating the user's blood flow rate acquired from the generation unit 311 as input data, and determines the user's current sleep stage from the input data.

[0066] However, the information used by the neural network of the first sleep determination unit 312 is not limited to information indicating the blood flow rate of the user. For example, the neural network may be capable of determining the sleep stage of the user based on waveform data indicating the user's pulse wave. In this case, the neural network may learn using the waveform data indicating the user's pulse wave as input data used for learning, and the sleep stage of the user at the time the waveform data was acquired as teacher data.

[0067] When the first determination unit 313 acquires information indicating the sleep stage of the user from the first sleep determination unit 312, the first determination unit 313 determines the awakening timing of the user based on whether the sleep stage satisfies a first criterion. In other words, the first determination unit 313 can determine the awakening timing of the user based on the first criterion. The first criterion may be a criterion indicating a range of sleep stages suitable for waking the user. As a specific example, the first criterion may be a criterion indicating a range of non-REM sleep stages 2 to 3. In this case, the first determination unit 313 determines the timing at which the user's sleep stage becomes a relatively shallow stage such as non-REM sleep stages 2 to 3 as the awakening timing of the user. The first determination unit 313 transmits information indicating the determined awakening timing of the user to the device 1 via the terminal device 2. In addition, the first determination unit 313 may further measure the sleep time until the awakening timing of the user. In this case, the sleep time may be the time from when the user falls asleep to when the awakening timing, or the time from when the user stops moving to when the awakening timing. The sleeping time measured by the first determination section 313 can be recorded in, for example, the storage section 33, which will be described later.

[0068] The second sleep determination unit 314 can determine whether the user is in a sleeping state based on a third index different from the first index. Specifically, the second sleep determination unit 314 receives information indicating the degree of the user's movement from the device 1 via the terminal device 2. When the second sleep determination unit 314 receives the information, it determines whether the user is in a sleeping state based on the information. The determination may be performed using an algorithm similar to that of the actigraph (AW2 method, Cole method, etc.). When the second sleep determination unit 314 determines that the user is awake, it transmits the result of the determination to the device 1 via the terminal device 2. As a result, the notification control unit 117 of the device 1 notifies the user based on the result of the determination, so that the user can recognize the occurrence of a fatal error in the device 1. On the other hand, when the second sleep determination unit 314 determines that the user has already fallen asleep and is in a sleeping state, it outputs the result of the determination to the second determination unit 315.

[0069] The second determination unit 315 can determine the user's awakening timing based on a second index different from the first index. Specifically, when the second determination unit 315 acquires information indicating a determination result that the user is in a sleeping state from the second sleep determination unit 314, the second determination unit 315 refers to the storage unit 33. The second determination unit 315 determines (determines) the timing at which the elapsed time from the start of the NAP function as the second index reaches any of the elapsed times included in the sleep history stored in the storage unit 33 as the user's awakening timing. For example, the second determination unit 315 refers to the sleep history database 331 and identifies the sleeping time included in the sleep history of the user who uses the device 1 identified by the device ID received by the server device 3. The second determination unit 315 may determine the timing at which the second index (elapsed time) reaches the user's previous sleeping time identified based on the sleep history as the user's awakening timing. Alternatively, the second determination unit 315 may determine the timing when the second index (elapsed time) reaches a statistical value of the identified user's past sleep time history as the awakening timing of the user. The user's past sleep time history may be, for example, all of the user's sleep time history up to the previous time. The statistical value of the user's past sleep time is a time determined based on the user's past sleep time stored in the sleep history database 331, and may be, for example, an average value or a median value of the user's past sleep time. In addition, if the sleep history database 331 does not contain the user's sleep time history, the second determination unit 315 may determine the user's awakening timing as a timing within a range of 15 minutes or more and 30 minutes or less from the start of the operation of the timer 13. That is, the elapsed time used as a criterion for determination in the second determination unit 315 may be information related to sleep time. Specifically, the elapsed time may be any one of (1) a time within a range of 15 minutes or more and 30 minutes or less, (2) the user's previous sleep time, or (3) the statistical value of the user's past sleep time. Further, the second determination unit 315 may determine, as the awakening timing of the user, the timing obtained by adding a time that is considered to have elapsed until the user falls asleep, for example, five minutes, to the above-mentioned time.The second determination unit 315 transmits information indicating the determined awakening timing of the user to the device 1 via the terminal device 2.

[0070] <An example of the process flow during normal operation> Fig. 3 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of the operation (sleep management method) of the NAP function performed in sleep management system 100. The example shown in Fig. 3 shows the process and operation (normal operation) performed when no fatal error occurs in device 1. Hereinafter, an example of the flow of the normal operation of the NAP function performed in sleep management system 100 will be described with reference to Fig. 3.

[0071] First, the control unit 11 receives an input instruction to start the operation of the NAP function from the user via the input unit 12. When the timer control unit 111 receives the instruction, it controls the timer 13 to start measuring the elapsed time from the start of the NAP function (S1). In addition, the timer control unit 111 outputs information indicating that the timer 13 has started measuring the time to the sensor control unit 112.

[0072] When the sensor control unit 112 acquires information indicating that the timer 13 has started measuring time, it starts the operation of the first sensor 14 (S2). Specifically, the sensor control unit 112 starts emitting laser light from the emitting unit of the first sensor 14. As a result, scattered light generated by reflection of the light irradiated to the user enters the light receiving unit. The light receiving unit generates a signal with an intensity corresponding to the scattered light, and outputs the signal to the first acquisition unit 113. Furthermore, the sensor control unit 112 outputs information indicating that the operation of the first sensor 14 has started to the recovery control unit 114.

[0073] When the recovery control unit 114 acquires information indicating that operation of the first sensor 14 has begun, it begins monitoring whether or not a fatal error has occurred in the device 1, in other words, detecting the occurrence of a fatal error (S3).

[0074] When the operation of the first sensor 14 starts in step S2, a signal having an intensity corresponding to the physiological state of the user is input to the first acquisition unit 113. The first acquisition unit 113 acquires the signal as first information (S4). The first acquisition unit 113 transmits the first information together with the device ID to the server device 3 via the terminal device 2.

[0075] The generation unit 311 of the server apparatus 3 receives information indicating the first information from the device 1 via the terminal apparatus 2. The generation unit 311 generates information indicating the user's blood flow amount as a first index based on the received information (S5), and outputs the information to the first sleep determination unit 312.

[0076] When the first sleep determination section 312 acquires the first index, the first sleep determination section 312 determines the sleep stage of the user based on the first index (S6). The first sleep determination section 312 outputs information indicating the determined sleep stage of the user to the first determination section 313.

[0077] When the first determination unit 313 obtains the result of the determination by the first sleep determination unit 312, i.e., the information indicating the sleep stage of the user, it determines whether or not the obtained sleep stage of the user meets the first criterion, i.e., whether or not the sleep stage is suitable for the user to be awakened (S7). The first determination unit 313 repeats the determination until it is determined that the sleep stage of the user is suitable for the user to be awakened. In other words, if the sleep stage of the user is not suitable for the user to be awakened (NO in S7), the process in the sleep management system 100 returns to S5, and the processes from S5 to S7 are repeated. However, the process of S5 performed after S7 uses the first information newly received from the device 1.

[0078] If the user's sleep stage is suitable for the user to wake up (YES in S7), the first determination unit 313 determines the timing at which the determination was made as a result of the determination of the user's appropriate awakening timing. In other words, the first determination unit 313 determines the user's awakening timing based on the first index (S8: first determination step). The first determination unit 313 identifies the device 1 to which the information is to be sent based on the device ID, and transmits information indicating the determined awakening timing of the user to the device 1 via the terminal device 2.

[0079] When the awakening control unit 115 of the device 1 receives information indicating the awakening timing of the user determined by the first determination unit 313, it operates the awakening unit 15 to inform the user of the awakening timing (S9). That is, the awakening unit 15 informs the user of the awakening timing based on the determination result of the user's sleep stage by the first determination unit 313. Specifically, the awakening control unit 115 outputs a sound such as an alarm from the speaker serving as the awakening unit 15. This encourages the user to awaken at an appropriate timing. After operating the awakening unit 15, the awakening control unit 115 outputs information indicating that the user has been informed of the awakening timing to each unit of the control unit 11, for example, the timer control unit 111 and the sensor control unit 112.

[0080] Upon receiving the information, the sensor control unit 112 ends the operation of the first sensor 14. Furthermore, upon receiving the information, the timer control unit 111 stops the measurement of the elapsed time by the timer 13 (S10). This completes the operation of the NAP function in the sleep management system 100.

[0081] <An example of the process when an error occurs> Fig. 4 is a flowchart showing another example of the flow of operations of the NAP function performed in the sleep management system 100. The example shown in Fig. 4 shows the processing and operations performed when a fatal error occurs in the device 1. Hereinafter, an example of the flow of operations when an error occurs in the NAP function performed in the sleep management system 100 will be described with reference to Fig. 4.

[0082] First, during normal operation of the above-mentioned NAP function, the recovery control unit 114 repeatedly judges whether or not a fatal error has occurred in the device 1 (S11). In other words, the recovery control unit 114 monitors the occurrence of a fatal error in the device 1. When a fatal error occurs in the device 1 (YES in S11), in other words, when an error occurs in the process of judgment performed by the first judgment unit 313, the recovery control unit 114 starts control for recovering from the error. For example, when information indicating that an error has occurred in which acquisition of a signal from the first sensor 14 is not performed normally is acquired from the first acquisition unit 113, the recovery control unit 114 starts control for recovering from the error.

[0083] Specifically, the recovery control unit 114 outputs information indicating that a fatal error has occurred to the sensor control unit 112. When the sensor control unit 112 acquires the information, it stops the operation of the first sensor 14 (S12) and starts the operation of the second sensor 16 (S13). As a result, the second acquisition unit 116 starts acquiring a signal output from the second sensor 16 (S14). When the second acquisition unit 116 acquires the signal, it calculates an index related to the user's movement, for example, acceleration indicating the degree of the user's movement, based on the signal (S15) and acquires it as a third index. The second acquisition unit 116 transmits the calculated information indicating the degree of the user's movement together with the device ID to the server device 3 via the terminal device 2.

[0084] Upon receiving the information indicating the degree of the user's movement, the second sleep determination section 314 of the server device 3 determines whether or not the user is in a sleeping state based on the information (S16).

[0085] In S16, when it is determined that the user is in a sleeping state (YES in S16), the second sleep determination unit 314 outputs information indicating the result of the determination to the second determination unit 315. When the second determination unit 315 acquires the information, it refers to the storage unit 33 and determines the user's awakening timing based on the second index (S17: second determination step). Specifically, the second determination unit 315 refers to the sleep history database 331 based on the device ID and identifies the history of the sleep time of the user who uses the device 1 identified by the device ID. The second determination unit 315 may determine the timing at which the second index (elapsed time) reaches the previous sleep time of the user as a determination result indicating the awakening timing of the user. Alternatively, the second determination unit 315 may determine the timing at which the second index (elapsed time) reaches the statistical value of the history of the user's sleep time up to the previous time as a determination result indicating the awakening timing of the user. In addition, if there is no history of the user's sleep time in the sleep history database 331, the second judgment unit 315 may determine that the user's awakening timing is the timing when the second indicator reaches a time within the range of 15 minutes or more and 30 minutes or less.

[0086] The second determination unit 315 identifies the destination device 1 based on the device ID, and transmits information indicating the determined awakening timing of the user to the device 1 via the terminal device 2. When the awakening control unit 115 of the device 1 receives the information, it obtains the elapsed time from the start of operation of the NAP function from the timer 13, and waits until the awakening timing indicated in the information arrives. In other words, the awakening control unit 115 determines whether the elapsed time indicated by the timer 13 has reached the awakening timing (S18). When the elapsed time indicated by the timer 13 has reached the awakening timing (YES in S18), the awakening control unit 115 operates the awakening unit 15 (S19) and notifies the user of the awakening timing. This encourages the user to wake up at an appropriate time.

[0087] Furthermore, the awakening control unit 115 outputs information indicating that the awakening unit 15 has been operated to each unit of the control unit 11. Upon acquiring the information, the notification control unit 117 operates the notification unit 17 to notify the user that an error has occurred in the device 1 (S20).

[0088] On the other hand, if it is determined that the user is in an awake state (NO in S16), the second sleep determination section 314 transmits information indicating the result of the determination to the device 1 via the terminal device 2. Upon receiving the information, the notification control section 117 of the device 1 controls the notification section 17 to notify the user of information that a fatal error has occurred in the device 1 (S21). The notification also includes a notification urging the user to perform an operation to restore the sleep management system 100 so that the first determination section 313 can make a determination based on the first index, that is, to perform an operation to restart (reboot) the device 1.

[0089] After S21, the recovery control unit 114 judges whether the device 1 has been restarted (S22). If the result is NO in S22, the recovery control unit 114 repeats the process of S22. If the device 1 has been restarted after the above-mentioned notification (YES in S22), the recovery control unit 114 judges whether the fatal error detected in S11 has been recovered (S23). If the fatal error has been recovered by restarting the device 1 (YES in S23), the recovery control unit 114 judges that the sleep management system 100 has returned to normal and that the first determination unit 313 has become in a state in which it can normally perform a determination, and outputs the result of the judgment to each unit of the control unit 11. As a result, the sleep management system 100 starts the normal operation of the NAP function again (S24). Specifically, the operation after S1 shown in FIG. 3 is started. Therefore, the first determination unit 313 can start judging the user's awakening timing based on the first index.

[0090] If the result in S23 is NO, that is, if the error is not resolved even after rebooting the device 1, the sleep management system 100 repeats the operations from S21 onwards.

[0091] <Effects of Sleep Management System 100> As described above, sleep management system 100 includes first determination unit 313 capable of determining the awakening timing of the user, and awakening unit 15 capable of notifying the user of the awakening timing based on the determination result of first determination unit 313. Sleep management system 100 also includes second determination unit 315 capable of determining the awakening timing of the user based on the second index when a problem occurs in the determination of the awakening timing by first determination unit 313 based on the first index (when a fatal error occurs).

[0092] According to the above configuration, even if an error occurs in device 1 and a determination based on the first index is impeded, the user can be notified of the awakening timing at a timing that is estimated to be preferable.

[0093] Furthermore, the second index used by the second determination section 315 may be the time elapsed since the determination of the awakening timing based on the first index was started, that is, the time elapsed since the NAP function was turned on and measurement by the timer 13 was started. With this configuration, the sleep management system 100 can determine the awakening timing of the user based on the elapsed time even if a problem occurs in the determination by the first determination section 313.

[0094] Furthermore, the sleep management system 100 may include a second sleep determination unit 314. When the first determination unit 313 fails to make a determination based on the first index, the second sleep determination unit 314 may determine whether or not the user is in a sleeping state based on a third index different from the first index.

[0095] According to the above configuration, when a problem occurs in determining the timing of awakening based on the first indicator, the sleep management system 100 can determine whether the user is in a sleeping state based on the third indicator, and determine the timing of the user's awakening based on the third indicator.

[0096] The third index may be an index related to the user's movement. In this way, when the sleep management system 100 is unable to perform sleep determination based on the first index, it can perform sleep determination based on an index related to the user's movement (e.g., acceleration).

[0097] Furthermore, the sleep management system 100 may include a notification unit 17, which may notify the user that a problem has occurred when the second sleep determination unit 314 determines that the user is not asleep. According to the above configuration, the notification unit 17 does not notify the user while the user is asleep. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the notification unit 17 from disturbing the user's sleep.

[0098] Furthermore, the notification unit 17 may notify the user of the occurrence of a problem after the awakening unit 15 notifies the user of the awakening timing. According to the above configuration, the notification unit 17 does not notify the user while the user is asleep, but can notify the user after the awakening timing is notified to the user, that is, at a timing when the user is considered to be awake. Therefore, the occurrence of an error can be notified without disturbing the user's sleep.

[0099] The notification that an error has occurred may include a notification prompting the user to perform an operation to restore sleep management system 100 so that first determination unit 313 can perform a determination. According to the above configuration, when the user is not asleep or after the user has been prompted to wake up, the user can be prompted to perform an operation for restoration, and the system can be restored without disturbing the user's sleep.

[0100] In addition, when the sleep management system 100 returns to normal so that the first judgment unit 313 is in a state where it can make a judgment, the notification unit 17 may notify that fact, and the first judgment unit 313 may start judging whether or not the user is in a sleeping state.

[0101] According to the above configuration, when the sleep management system 100 is restored by a user operation so that the first judgment unit 313 is in a state where it can make a judgment, the user can be made aware of this and then a sleep judgment can be made.

[0102] In addition, the sleep management system 100 may be provided with a timer 13 that measures the elapsed time since the judgment based on the first indicator was started, and the awakening unit 15 may awaken the user at a timing determined based on the elapsed time measured by the timer 13.

[0103] According to the above configuration, even if a judgment based on the first indicator is not made, the user can be notified of the awakening timing at the timing calculated based on the timing when the judgment is started, i.e., the timing when sleep management is started.

[0104] The sleep management system 100 may also include a first acquisition unit 113 that acquires first information (e.g., blood flow rate) for generating a first index, and a generation unit 311 that generates the first index based on the first information.

[0105] According to the above configuration, the sleep management system 100 can determine the sleep state of the user based on the first index generated using the first information acquired by the first acquisition section 113.

[0106] The first acquisition unit 113 may acquire information on blood flow in the user's body, and the first sleep determination unit 312 may use the information on blood flow or information (pulse wave) generated from the information as the first index. According to the above configuration, the first determination unit 313 can determine the awakening timing based on the information on the user's blood flow or information generated from the information.

[0107] Furthermore, the sleep management system 100 may include a device 1 that includes a first acquisition unit 113 and is worn on the user's body, and a server device 3 that includes a first sleep determination unit 312 and is separate from the device. According to the above configuration, the device 1 that is worn on the user's body and the server device 3 that includes the first sleep determination unit 312 are realized as separate devices, making it possible to miniaturize the device.

[0108] In addition, the second determination unit 315 may determine the timing of awakening based on whether the second indicator reaches any of the following times: (1) a time in the range of 15 minutes or more and 30 minutes or less, (2) the user's previous sleep time, or (3) a statistical value of the user's past sleep time.

[0109] Generally, 15 to 30 minutes is considered to be a suitable time for a nap. According to the above configuration, it is possible to prompt the user to wake up at a timing suitable for the user based on the user's sleep history. Even if there is no user's sleep history, it is possible to notify the user of the timing to wake up after at least a time generally considered to be suitable for a nap has passed.

[0110] In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which the criteria used by the second determination unit 315 for the above determination are based on the past sleep time data of the user using the device 1. However, the determination made by the second determination unit 315 may also take into account the past sleep time data of other users using other devices 1.

[0111] <Modification> A lower limit, for example, 2 minutes, may be set for the awakening timing determined by the first determination unit 313. This prevents the user from being informed of the awakening timing at the time of the sleep even if the user falls asleep and immediately enters a sleep stage that may be determined as the awakening timing. This reduces the possibility that the user's nap time will be excessively short.

[0112] Furthermore, in the sleep management system 100, content information such as music that encourages the user to fall asleep may be stored in the storage unit 23 of the terminal device 2. In this case, after the operation of the NAP function is started in the sleep management system 100, the device 1 may receive the content information from the terminal device 2, and the notification control unit 117 may control the notification unit 17A to output the content information.

[0113] The server device 3 may also manage the number of errors that have occurred in the device 1. Specifically, when the number of errors that have occurred in a certain device 1 is equal to or exceeds a preset allowable number, the server device 3 transmits information to the device 1 via the terminal device 2, prompting the device 1 to repair or replace the device 1. When the device 1 receives the information, the notification control unit 117 may control the notification unit 17 to notify the user of the information.

[0114] Furthermore, in the sleep management system 100, an upper limit may be set on the number of times the device 1 is restarted in one operation of the NAP function. In this case, when a fatal error occurs in the device 1, the recovery control unit 114 may identify the number of times the device 1 has been restarted. When the number of times exceeds a preset upper limit, the recovery control unit 114 outputs information to the effect that recovery from the error could not be achieved to the notification control unit 117. When the notification control unit 117 acquires the information, it controls the notification unit 17 to notify the user of the information.

[0115] The information used by the second determination unit 315 for the determination is not limited to the above. For example, the sleep history database 331 may store identification information indicating the user and the user's past wake-up time or its statistical value in association with each other. In this case, the second determination unit 315 may determine, as the user's awakening timing, the timing at which the time specified based on the second index reaches the user's past wake-up time or its statistical value.

[0116] The second sleep judgment unit 314 and the second judgment unit 315 may also operate when the first judgment unit 313 can normally perform the judgment. That is, even when no error occurs in the device 1, the device 1 may transmit information indicating the third index acquired from the second sensor 16 to the server device 3. In this case, the second sleep judgment unit 314 may judge whether the user is asleep or not based on the third index, and the second judgment unit 315 may judge the awakening timing of the user based on the result of the judgment. Furthermore, the storage unit 33 may store information in which the awakening timing of the user judged by the first judgment unit 313 (first awakening timing) and the awakening timing of the user judged by the second judgment unit 315 (second awakening timing) are associated with each other. When a fatal error occurs in the device 1, the second judgment unit 315 may refer to the storage unit 33 and judge how many minutes after the second sleep judgment unit 314 judges that the user has fallen asleep, the awakening timing should be determined based on the above-mentioned correspondence. That is, the second determination section 315 may correct the currently determined second awakening timing based on the relationship between the first awakening timing and the second awakening timing that has already been recorded.

[0117] As described above, the determination by the first determination section 313 and the determination by the second determination section 315 may be performed simultaneously. In this case, in the sleep management system 100, the user may be notified of the awakening timing based on at least one of the determination result by the first determination section 313 and the determination result by the second determination section 315.

[0118] Furthermore, when an error occurs in the device 1 and the second sleep determination unit 314 determines that the user is not asleep, the notification control unit 117 may notify the user of the occurrence of the error after notifying the user of the timing to wake up. If an error is notified before the user falls asleep and the user performs an operation to restore the device 1, the user may not be able to sleep sufficiently. As described above, by notifying the user of the occurrence of the error after urging the user to wake up, the risk of the user's sleep time being shortened can be reduced.

[0119] [Embodiment 2] Other embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below. For convenience of explanation, the same reference numerals will be given to components having the same functions as those described in the above embodiment, and the description thereof will not be repeated.

[0120] Fig. 5 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a sleep management system 100A according to another embodiment. As shown in Fig. 5, the sleep management system 100A may be configured to include a device 1A and a server device 3A, but not a terminal device 2. In this case, a communication unit 19A of the device 1A is communicatively connected to a communication unit 32A of the server device 3A. In other words, in the sleep management system 100A, the device 1A and the server device 3A can directly communicate with each other.

[0121] [Embodiment 3] Other embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below. For convenience of explanation, the same reference numerals will be given to components having the same functions as those described in the above embodiment, and the description thereof will not be repeated.

[0122] FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a sleep management system 100B according to another embodiment. As shown in FIG. 6, the sleep management system 100B may include a device 1B and a terminal device 2B, and may not include a server device 3. As shown in FIG. 6, the terminal device 2B may include each unit included in the server device 3 described in the first embodiment. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 6, the terminal device 2B includes a control unit 22B and a storage unit 23B. The control unit 22B includes a generation unit 311, a first sleep determination unit 312, a first determination unit 313, a second sleep determination unit 314, and a second determination unit 315. The storage unit 23B stores a sleep history database 331.

[0123] In the sleep management system 100B, the terminal device 2B may perform the processes performed by the server device 3 described in embodiment 1, such as determining the user's sleep stage based on each piece of information acquired by the device 1 and determining the awakening timing.

[0124] [Embodiment 4] Other embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below. For convenience of explanation, the same reference numerals will be given to components having the same functions as those described in the above embodiment, and the description thereof will not be repeated.

[0125] In the above-described embodiments, the sleep management systems 100, 100A, and 100B are configured by two or more devices, but the configuration of the sleep management systems 100, 100A, and 100B is not limited to this, and may be configured by only one device. For example, the sleep management systems 100, 100A, and 100B may be configured to include only the device 1. In this case, the device 1 is provided with each configuration of the server device 3, and each process related to the NAP function can be completed by the device 1 alone.

[0126] [Software implementation example] The functions of the sleep management systems 100, 100A, 100B (hereinafter referred to as the "system") can be realized by a control program for causing a computer to function as the system, and a control program for causing a computer to function as each control block of the system (in particular, each part included in the control units 11, 22, 22B, 31).

[0127] In this case, the system includes a computer having at least one control device (e.g., a processor) and at least one storage device (e.g., a memory) as hardware for executing the control program. The control device and storage device execute the control program to realize each function described in each of the above embodiments.

[0128] The control program may be non-transitory and may be recorded in one or more computer-readable recording media. The recording media may or may not be included in the device. In the latter case, the control program may be provided to the device via any wired or wireless transmission medium.

[0129] In addition, some or all of the functions of each of the control blocks can be realized by a logic circuit. For example, an integrated circuit in which a logic circuit that functions as each of the control blocks is formed is also included in the scope of the present disclosure. In addition, the functions of each of the control blocks can be realized by, for example, a quantum computer.

[0130] The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims. Embodiments obtained by appropriately combining the technical means disclosed in different embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present disclosure. [Explanation of symbols]

[0131] 1, 1A, 1B Device (first device) 3. 3A Server device (second device) 13. Timer 15 Awakening Department 100, 100A, 100B Sleep Management Systems 113 1st Acquisition Department (Acquisition Department) 115 Awakening control unit (judgment unit) 311 Generation part 313 First judgment section (judgment section) 314 Second sleep determination section (sleep determination section) 315 Second judgment section (judgment section)

Claims

1. A determination unit capable of determining a wake-up timing based on a first index related to a physiological state of a user; an awakening unit capable of informing the user of the awakening timing based on a determination result of the determination unit; A sleep determination unit capable of determining whether the user is in a sleeping state, when the determination unit is unable to make a determination based on the first indicator, the sleep determination unit determines whether or not the user is in a sleeping state based on a third indicator obtained from the user that is different from the first indicator; the determination unit is capable of determining a wake-up timing based on a second index based on non-biological information when a problem occurs in determining the wake-up timing based on a first index related to a physiological state of the user; the third indicator is an indicator related to acceleration indicating a degree of the user's movement, and a notification unit that notifies the user that a problem has occurred in determining a wake-up timing based on a first index related to a physiological state of the user when the sleep determination unit determines that the user is not in a sleeping state. Sleep management system.

2. the second indicator is an elapsed time since a predetermined function was started, The predetermined function is a function of determining a wake-up timing based on the first indicator. The sleep management system of claim 1 .

3. The notification unit notifies the user that the problem has occurred after the awakening unit notifies the user of the awakening timing. The sleep management system according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The notification of the occurrence of the problem includes a notification prompting the user to perform an operation to restore the sleep management system so that the determination unit can perform the determination. The sleep management system according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. When the sleep management system is restored so that the determination unit can perform the determination, the notification unit notifies the user of the restoration. the determination unit starts determining the awakening timing of the user based on the first indicator. The sleep management system according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. a timer for measuring an elapsed time from when the determination based on the first indicator is started; The awakening unit awakens the user at a timing determined based on the elapsed time measured by the timer. The sleep management system according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. an acquisition unit that acquires first information related to a physiological state of the user for generating the first index; A generating unit that generates the first indicator based on the first information. The sleep management system according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. The acquisition unit acquires information regarding blood flow in the body of the user, The determination unit uses information related to the blood flow or information generated from the information as the first index. The sleep management system of claim 7.

9. A first device including the acquisition unit and attached to the body of the user; A second device including the determination unit and separate from the first device. A sleep management system according to claim 7 or 8.

10. The second indicator is (1) A period of time ranging from 15 minutes to 30 minutes, (2) the user's previous sleep duration, or (3) statistics of the user's past sleep duration; The awakening timing is determined based on whether or not any of the following times has been reached: A sleep management system according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

11. A control method for a sleep management system including a determination unit, a first determination step in which the determination unit determines a wake-up timing of the user based on a first index related to a physiological state; and when a determination based on the first indicator cannot be made in the first determination step, determining whether or not the user is in a sleeping state based on a third indicator obtained from the user, the third indicator being different from the first indicator; In the first determination step, when a problem occurs in determining the awakening timing based on a first index related to the physiological state of the user, determining the awakening timing based on a second index based on non-biological information; the third indicator is an indicator related to acceleration indicating a degree of the user's movement, The method further includes a step of notifying the user that a problem has occurred in determining a wake-up timing based on a first index related to a physiological state of the user when the user is determined not to be in a sleeping state in the step of making the determination. Control methods.

12. A control program for causing a computer to execute each step of the control method according to claim 11.

13. A computer-readable recording medium having the control program according to claim 12 recorded thereon.

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