Stress factor estimation device, stress factor estimation method, and program

Abstract

This stress factor estimation device 1X primarily comprises a chronic stress acquisition means 16X, a difference acquisition means 17X and a stress factor estimation means 18X. The chronic stress acquisition means 16X acquires a first chronic stress value of a subject during a first period, and a second chronic stress value of the subject in a second period. The difference acquisition means 17X acquires difference information indicating the difference between the first chronic stress value and the second chronic stress value, and the difference between events that occurred during the first period and the second period. The stress factor estimation means 18X estimates the stress factors relating to the subject's chronic stress on the basis of the difference information.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the technical fields of a stress factor estimation device, a stress factor estimation method, and a storage medium that perform processing related to estimation of a stress factor. [Background technology]

[0002] There are known devices or systems that determine the stress state of a subject based on data measured from the subject. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a portable stress measurement device that determines the subject's temporary stress level for each day based on the subject's examination data. Patent Document 2 discloses a stress estimation method that estimates chronic stress based on schedule information. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2007-275287 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2018-011721 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Generally, some short-term stress becomes chronic, so identifying the stress factors that lead to chronic stress is an important element for preventing and improving chronic stress. However, Patent Documents 1 and 2 do not disclose a specific method for identifying the factors of chronic stress.

[0005] In view of the above-mentioned problems, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a stress factor estimation device, a stress factor estimation method, and a storage medium that are capable of accurately estimating stress factors. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] One aspect of the stress factor estimation device includes: A chronic stress acquisition means for acquiring a first chronic stress value of a subject in a first period and a second chronic stress value of the subject in a second period; A difference between the first chronic stress value and the second chronic stress value, and or The second period Either of events that occurred in A code indicating the type and whether the event occurred in the first period or the second period A difference acquisition means for acquiring difference information representing a stress factor estimation means for estimating a stress factor related to chronic stress of the subject based on the difference information; The stress factor estimation device has the following features.

[0007] One aspect of the stress factor estimation method includes: The computer Obtaining a first chronic stress value for a first time period of a subject and a second chronic stress value for the subject for a second time period; A difference between the first chronic stress value and the second chronic stress value, and or The second period Either of events that occurred in A code indicating the type and whether the event occurred in the first period or the second period and obtain difference information representing estimating a stress factor related to chronic stress of the subject based on the difference information; The present invention relates to a method for estimating a stress factor. Note that the term "computer" includes any electronic device (or a processor included in an electronic device), and may be configured from a plurality of electronic devices.

[0008] One aspect of the program is Obtaining a first chronic stress value for a first time period of a subject and a second chronic stress value for the subject for a second time period; A difference between the first chronic stress value and the second chronic stress value, and or The second period Either of events that occurred in A code indicating the type and whether the event occurred in the first period or the second period and obtain difference information representing The program causes a computer to execute a process of estimating stress factors related to chronic stress of the subject based on the difference information. Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to accurately estimate a subject's stress factors. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 shows a schematic configuration of a stress management system according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] 2 illustrates an example of a hardware configuration of a stress factor estimation device common to each embodiment. [Diagram 3] 2 is an example of a functional block of the stress factor estimating device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] 11A and 11B are diagrams illustrating a specific example of generation of difference information. [Diagram 5] 4 is an example of a flowchart executed by the stress factor estimating device in the first embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 11 is an example of a functional block diagram of the stress factor estimating device related to high stress event notification processing in the second embodiment. [Figure 7] 13 is an example of a flowchart illustrating a procedure of a high stress event notification process in the second embodiment. [Figure 8] 13 shows a schematic configuration of a stress management system according to a third embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 13 is a block diagram of a stress factor estimating device according to a fourth embodiment. [Figure 10] 13 is an example of a flowchart executed by the stress factor estimating device in the fourth embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] Hereinafter, embodiments of a stress factor estimating device, a stress factor estimating method, and a storage medium will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0012] First Embodiment (1) System Configuration 1 shows a schematic configuration of a stress management system 100 according to a first embodiment. The stress management system 100 manages information related to the stress of a subject. Here, the "subject" may be an athlete or employee whose stress state is managed by an organization, or may be an individual user.

[0013] The stress management system 100 mainly includes a stress factor estimation device 1, an input device 2, an output device 3, a storage device 4, and a sensor 5.

[0014] The stress factor estimation device 1 estimates the stress factors of a subject and presents the estimation results. The stress factor estimation device 1 performs data communication with the input device 2, output device 3, and sensor 5 via a communication network or by direct wireless or wired communication. For example, the stress factor estimation device 1 receives an input signal "S1" supplied from the input device 2, a sensor signal "S3" supplied from the sensor 5, and various information stored in the storage device 4.

[0015] In this embodiment, the stress factor estimation device 1 estimates the stress state of the subject (specifically, a stress value indicating the degree of stress) using information obtained by observing (measuring) the subject and based on the sensor signal S3 (also referred to as "observation information"). The stress factor estimation device 1 estimates the stress factor based on the estimated stress value and event information related to events that occurred during the target period for which stress is estimated. The stress factor estimation device 1 generates an output control signal "S2" based on the estimation result of the subject's stress factor, and supplies the generated output control signal S2 to the output device 3. Note that in this embodiment, the stress factor estimation device 1 calculates a short-term stress value indicating the degree of short-term stress, which is stress in a relatively short period of time (several minutes to several days), and a chronic stress value indicating the degree of chronic stress, which is stress from a long-term (chronic) perspective longer than the short-term stress (for example, several days to a week or month). Hereinafter, the period during which the subject's condition is reflected in the chronic stress value when estimating the chronic stress value (i.e., the above-mentioned period of several days to a week or month) will also be referred to as the "stress reflection period".

[0016] The input device 2 is an interface that accepts external input (manual input) of information about each subject. The user who inputs information using the input device 2 may be the subject himself / herself, or may be a person who manages or supervises the subject's activities. The input device 2 may be, for example, various external input interfaces such as a touch panel, a button, a keyboard, a mouse, or a voice input device. The input device 2 supplies an input signal S1 generated based on a user's input to the stress factor estimation device 1. The output device 3 displays and / or outputs predetermined information as sound based on an output control signal S2 supplied from the stress factor estimation device 1. The output device 3 includes, for example, an output device such as a display, a virtual (augmented) reality terminal, or a projector, and a sound output device such as a speaker.

[0017] The sensor 5 measures the subject's biological signals and the like, and supplies the measured biological signals and the like to the stress factor estimation device 1 as a sensor signal S3. In this case, the sensor signal S3 may be any biological signal (including vital information) of the subject, such as the subject's heart rate, brain waves, pulse waves, sweat rate, hormone secretion amount, cerebral blood flow, blood pressure, body temperature, electromyography, respiratory rate, acceleration, etc. The sensor 5 may also be a device that analyzes blood collected from the subject and outputs a sensor signal S3 indicating the analysis result. The sensor 5 may also be a wearable terminal worn by the subject, a camera that photographs the subject, a microphone that generates an audio signal of the subject's speech, or a terminal such as a personal computer or smartphone operated by the subject. For example, the above-mentioned wearable terminal includes a GNSS (global navigation satellite system) receiver, an acceleration sensor, and any other sensor that detects biological signals, and outputs the output signals of each of these sensors as the sensor signal S3. The sensor 5 may also supply information corresponding to the amount of operation of a personal computer, smartphone, or the like to the stress factor estimation device 1 as the sensor signal S3. The sensor 5 may also output a sensor signal S3 representing biological data (including the sleeping time) from the subject while the subject is sleeping.

[0018] The storage device 4 is a memory that stores various information necessary for estimating a stress state, etc. The storage device 4 may be an external storage device such as a hard disk connected to or built into the stress factor estimating device 1, or may be a storage medium such as a flash memory. The storage device 4 may also be a server device that performs data communication with the stress factor estimating device 1. The storage device 4 may also be composed of multiple devices.

[0019] The storage device 4 includes an observation information storage unit 40 , an event information storage unit 41 , a difference information storage unit 42 , and a stress factor information storage unit 43 .

[0020] The observation information storage unit 40 stores observation information, which is objective information on the subject based on the sensor signal S3. Here, the sensor signal S3 itself may be treated as the observation information, or a feature amount calculated based on the sensor signal S3 (including an index representing facial expression, emotion, etc. analyzed from image or voice data) may be treated as the observation information. The observation information may also include questionnaire information based on the input signal S1 or a diagnosis result of personality, etc. based on the information. The observation information is stored in the observation information storage unit 40, for example, in association with identification information (subject ID) of the subject to be observed and information on the date and time of observation, etc.

[0021] The event information storage unit 41 stores event information related to the subject. The event information includes, for example, at least information related to the content of the event and the date and time (time period) when the event is held. The event information storage unit 41 may be configured with a system that manages the schedule of the subject, and may store schedule information of the subject acquired from the system as event information.

[0022] The difference information storage unit 42 stores the difference information calculated by the stress factor estimation device 1. The difference information is information relating to the difference values ​​of chronic stress values ​​with different stress reflection periods and the difference between events in these stress reflection periods, and is information used to estimate stress factors. The details of the difference information will be described later. The difference information is stored in the difference information storage unit 42, for example, linked to the identification information of the subject.

[0023] The stressor information storage unit 43 stores stressor information indicating the stressor (specifically, chronic stress factors) of the subject estimated by the stressor estimation device 1. The stressor is identified, for example, by the type of event, the time period of the event, people who also participated in the event, the location of the event, or a combination of these. The stressor information is stored in the stressor information storage unit 43, for example, linked to the identification information of the subject.

[0024] The configuration of the stress management system 100 shown in FIG. 1 is an example, and various modifications may be made to the configuration. For example, the input device 2 and the output device 3 may be configured as one unit. In this case, the input device 2 and the output device 3 may be configured as a tablet terminal that is integrated with or separate from the stress factor estimation device 1. The input device 2 and the sensor 5 may also be configured as one unit. The stress factor estimation device 1 may be configured as a plurality of devices. In this case, the plurality of devices that configure the stress factor estimation device 1 transmit and receive information required to execute pre-assigned processing between these plurality of devices. In this case, the stress factor estimation device 1 functions as an information processing system.

[0025] (2) Hardware configuration of the stress factor estimation device 2 shows a hardware configuration of the stress factor estimation device 1. The stress factor estimation device 1 includes, as hardware, a processor 11, a memory 12, and an interface 13. The processor 11, the memory 12, and the interface 13 are connected via a data bus 90.

[0026] The processor 11 executes a program stored in the memory 12 to function as a controller (arithmetic unit) that performs overall control of the stress factor estimation device 1. The processor 11 is, for example, a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), or a TPU (Tensor Processing Unit). The processor 11 may be composed of multiple processors. The processor 11 is an example of a computer.

[0027] The memory 12 is composed of various types of volatile and non-volatile memories such as a RAM (Random Access Memory), a ROM (Read Only Memory), and a flash memory. The memory 12 also stores programs for executing the processes executed by the stress factor estimating device 1. Note that part of the information stored in the memory 12 may be stored in one or more external storage devices capable of communicating with the stress factor estimating device 1, or may be stored in a storage medium that is detachable from the stress factor estimating device 1.

[0028] The interface 13 is an interface for electrically connecting the stress factor estimation device 1 to other devices. These interfaces may be wireless interfaces such as a network adapter for wirelessly transmitting and receiving data to and from other devices, or may be hardware interfaces for connecting to other devices via cables or the like.

[0029] The hardware configuration of the stress factor estimation device 1 is not limited to the configuration shown in Fig. 2. For example, the stress factor estimation device 1 may include at least one of an input device 2 or an output device 3. The stress factor estimation device 1 may be connected to or built into a sound output device such as a speaker.

[0030] (3) Stress factor estimation processing Next, a description will be given of the stress factor estimation process executed by the stress factor estimation device 1. In summary, the stress factor estimation device 1 generates difference information representing the difference between chronic stress values ​​with different stress reflection periods and the difference between events, and estimates stress factors based on this difference information. In this way, the stress factor estimation device 1 estimates the stress factors of the subject with high accuracy and presents the estimation results.

[0031] (3-1) Functional Blocks Fig. 3 is an example of functional blocks of the stress factor estimation device 1. The processor 11 of the stress factor estimation device 1 functionally has an observation information acquisition section 14, a short-term stress estimation section 15, a chronic stress estimation section 16, a difference acquisition section 17, a stress factor estimation section 18, and a notification section 19. Note that in Fig. 3, blocks where data is exchanged are connected by solid lines, but the combination of blocks where data is exchanged is not limited to Fig. 3. The same applies to other functional block diagrams described later.

[0032] The observation information acquisition unit 14 acquires the subject's observation information based on the sensor signal S3, and stores the acquired observation information in the observation information storage unit 40. In this case, as described above, the observation information acquisition unit 14 may acquire the sensor signal S3 as the observation information, or may acquire a feature amount (including an index representing a facial expression, emotion, etc. analyzed from image or voice data) calculated based on the sensor signal S3 as the observation information. The observation information acquisition unit 14 may acquire questionnaire information based on the input signal S1 or a diagnosis result of personality, etc. based on the information as the observation information. Similarly, the observation information acquisition unit 14 may acquire the subject's attributes (e.g., age, sex, race, occupation, etc.) as the observation information based on the input signal S1 or the sensor signal S3. In this case, the subject's attributes, etc. are used as input information for the short-term stress estimation unit 15 or the chronic stress estimation unit 16.

[0033] The short-term stress estimation unit 15 estimates the short-term stress value of the subject. In this case, the short-term stress estimation unit 15 extracts observation information having a correlation with the short-term stress value from the observation information storage unit 40, and estimates the short-term stress value from the extracted observation information. In this case, the short-term stress estimation unit 15 estimates the short-term stress value from, for example, acceleration, biological data, other observation information (including facial expression information, etc.), and the like. In this case, the short-term stress estimation unit 15 may estimate the short-term stress value using an estimation model that estimates the short-term stress value. Here, the above-mentioned estimation model is, for example, a model that has been trained in advance to output the short-term stress value of the subject when the observation information of the subject is input, and parameters for configuring the model are stored in advance in the storage device 4 or the like. The short-term stress estimation unit 15 supplies the estimation result to the difference acquisition unit 17.

[0034] The chronic stress estimation unit 16 estimates the chronic stress value of the subject. In this case, the chronic stress estimation unit 16 extracts, from the observation information storage unit 40, observation information within a stress reflection period that is correlated with the chronic stress value, and estimates the chronic stress value from the extracted observation information. In this case, the chronic stress estimation unit 16 may estimate the chronic stress value from the observation information based on an arbitrary method. Also, the chronic stress estimation unit 16 may estimate the chronic stress value from observation information based on the answer result of a questionnaire for estimating chronic stress (i.e., subjectively measured information). Note that, as a questionnaire for estimating a chronic stress value, there is a PSS (Perceived Stress Scale) questionnaire, etc. Also, the chronic stress estimation unit 16 may estimate the chronic stress value using an estimation model for estimating a chronic stress value. The chronic stress estimation unit 16 supplies the estimation result to the stress factor estimation unit 18.

[0035] The short-term stress estimation section 15 and the chronic stress estimation section 16 may calculate the stress value at a predetermined time interval, or may calculate the stress value required for estimating the stress factor all at once when the timing for estimating the stress factor arrives. Furthermore, the short-term stress estimation section 15 and the chronic stress estimation section 16 may store the stress estimation result in the storage device 4 or the like, instead of supplying the stress estimation result to the difference acquisition section 17. In this case, the difference acquisition section 17 acquires the stress value required for calculating the difference information from the storage device 4.

[0036] The difference acquisition unit 17 generates difference information representing the difference between two chronic stress values ​​having different stress reflection periods and the difference between events during the stress reflection period, based on the stress estimation results by the short-term stress estimation unit 15 and the chronic stress estimation unit 16 and the event information of the subject extracted from the event information storage unit 41. In this case, for example, the difference acquisition unit 17 generates difference information in which the events that are the difference are limited to events in which the short-term stress value is equal to or greater than a threshold, based on the stress estimation result by the short-term stress estimation unit 15. The difference acquisition unit 17 generates a plurality of pieces of difference information by sliding the stress reflection period. The method of generating difference information will be described later in detail. The difference acquisition unit 17 stores the generated difference information in the difference information storage unit 42. Note that the difference acquisition unit 17 may generate necessary (for example, a predetermined number of) pieces of difference information when notified by the stress factor estimation unit 18 to estimate a stress factor, or may generate difference information at predetermined time intervals (for example, at each timing when the chronic stress estimation unit 16 calculates a chronic stress value).

[0037] The stress factor estimation unit 18 estimates a stress factor related to the chronic stress of the subject based on the multiple pieces of difference information calculated by the difference acquisition unit 17. In this case, the stress factor estimation unit 18 estimates the stress factor (type of event, location, participants, and / or time period, etc.) using any statistical method such as correlation analysis, partial correlation analysis, principal component analysis, etc. Then, the stress factor estimation unit 18 supplies stress factor information indicating the estimated stress factor to the notification unit 19, and stores the stress factor information in the stress factor information storage unit 43 in association with the identification information of the subject.

[0038] The notification unit 19 controls the output device 3 to output information related to the stress factor estimated by the stress factor estimation unit 18. In this case, the notification unit 19 generates an output control signal S2 for displaying or outputting the information related to the stress factor as sound, and supplies the output control signal S2 to the output device 3 via the interface 13. In this case, the notification unit 19 causes the output device 3 to output information for notifying the user of, for example, the type, location, participants and / or time period of the event that is a stress factor.

[0039] Generally, if some short-term stress that leads to an increase in chronic stress is not resolved and accumulates, the chronic stress worsens. Taking the above into consideration, the stress factor estimation device 1 estimates stress factors that are likely to become chronic stress and notifies the user of the estimation result. This allows the user to recognize trends in the types, time periods, and locations of events that cause stress that is particularly likely to become chronic, and encourages the user to take appropriate measures.

[0040] Each of the components of the observation information acquisition unit 14, the short-term stress estimation unit 15, the chronic stress estimation unit 16, the difference acquisition unit 17, the stress factor estimation unit 18, and the notification unit 19 described in FIG. 3 can be realized, for example, by the processor 11 executing a program. Also, the necessary programs may be recorded in any non-volatile storage medium and installed as necessary to realize each component. At least a part of these components may be realized by any combination of hardware, firmware, and software, without being limited to being realized by software by a program. Also, at least a part of these components may be realized by using a programmable integrated circuit, such as a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) or a microcontroller. In this case, the integrated circuit may be used to realize a program composed of each of the above components. Also, at least a part of each component may be configured by an application specific standard produce (ASSP), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or a quantum processor (quantum computer control chip). In this way, each component may be realized by various hardware. The above is the same in other embodiments described later. Furthermore, each of these components may be realized by the cooperation of multiple computers, for example, using cloud computing technology.

[0041] (3-2) Generating differential information FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a specific example of generation of difference information by the difference acquisition unit 17. 0117 " and the chronic stress value on the following day, January 18th, "CS 0118" and an equation equivalent to the differential information described below. A specific example of generating differential information based on differences is shown. Here, the period from January 8th to January 16th is a period in which the stress reflection periods overlap (also called the "common period"), and January 7th and January 17th are periods in which the stress reflection periods do not overlap (also called the "difference period"). Note that the schedule of the subject during the common period is not shown in Figure 4 because it is not related to the generation of differential information.

[0042] In the example of Figure 4, when calculating the chronic stress value for a certain target day, the chronic stress estimation unit 16 sets the stress reflection period to the period from the day before the target day to 10 days before the target day, and calculates the chronic stress value for the target day based on the observation information during the stress reflection period.The chronic stress estimation unit 16 then calculates the chronic stress value for each day while shifting the target day by one day.Specifically, the chronic stress estimation unit 16 calculates the chronic stress value CS on January 17th. 0117 Calculated based on the observational information during the stress reflection period from January 7 to January 16, and the chronic stress value CS on January 18 was calculated. 0118 is calculated based on observational information from the stress reflection period from January 8th to January 17th.

[0043] Then, the difference acquisition section 17 generates difference information for each pair of chronic stress values ​​whose stress reflection periods are shifted by one day. In the example of FIG. 4, the difference acquisition section 17 generates difference information for each pair of chronic stress values ​​CS 0117 , C.S. 0118 Difference information is generated for.

[0044] And chronic stress score CS 0117 , C.S. 0118 When generating difference information for the chronic stress value CS 0117 , C.S. 0118The difference acquisition unit 17 acquires event information related to events in each of the stress reflection periods from the event information storage unit 41. The difference acquisition unit 17 then identifies events (also called "high stress events") that caused the subject's short-term stress value to be equal to or greater than a threshold among events that occurred in non-overlapping difference periods in these stress reflection periods. The above-mentioned threshold (also called "event determination threshold") is stored in advance in the storage device 4, for example. In the example of FIG. 4, the difference acquisition unit 17 recognizes events A, B, and C, which are events on January 7 and January 17 that are non-overlapping difference periods, as high stress events, and which cause the short-term stress value to be equal to or greater than the event determination threshold during the time period in which the event occurred. Events A to C include various events such as "monthly report," "client visit," and "internal meeting."

[0045] Here, the short-term stress value for each event used to determine whether it is a high-stress event may be any representative value (statistical value) such as the average, median, maximum value, etc. of the short-term stress value during the execution period of the target event, or it may be the short-term stress value at the end of the target event.

[0046] Then, the difference acquisition unit 17 calculates the chronic stress value CS 0117 , C.S. 0118 The difference between "ΔCS 0118 " (=CS 0118 -CS 0117 ) is considered to have arisen due to a high stress event in the difference period. Here, if the increase in chronic stress value due to a certain event x is "F(x)", the difference ΔCS 0118 is expressed as the following equation (1).

[0047] ΔCS 0118 ≒ + F(Event C) - F(Event A) - F(Event B) (1)

[0048] In equation (1), the difference ΔCS 0118 The chronic stress value CS from which the difference is subtracted in the calculation 0118 The sign of event C, which exists only during the stress reflection period of ΔCS0118 The chronic stress value CS to be subtracted in the calculation 0117 The signs of Event A and Event B, which exist only during the stress reflection period, are negative (-).

[0049] Formula (1) expresses the relationship between the difference in chronic stress value and the high stress event that is the difference, and is information that is preferably used to estimate the stress factor. For example, ΔCS 0118 is a positive value, then event C can be considered to be an event that has a higher correlation with the chronic stress value than events A and B.

[0050] Then, the difference acquisition unit 17 calculates the chronic stress value CS 0117 , C.S. 0118 As the difference information corresponding to the difference in the chronic stress value, information is generated that represents the relationship between the difference in the chronic stress value and the high stress event that is the difference (Equation (1) in the example of FIG. 4). Specifically, the difference information is the difference in the chronic stress value ΔCS 0118 and a combination of the event types and signs constituting each term on the right side of formula (1).

[0051] If terms of the same type of event with different signs exist on the right side of formula (1), the difference acquisition unit 17 may simplify the formula by integrating these terms. For example, if "+F(event A)" and "-F(event A)" exist, they are offset, and if "+2F(event A)" and "-F(event A)" exist, "+F(event A)" is left as the integrated term.

[0052] Furthermore, the difference acquisition section 17 preferably includes information representing the short-term stress value corresponding to each high stress event in the difference information. In this case, the type, sign (plus or minus) and short-term stress value of each high stress event are used by the stress factor estimation section 18 to estimate the stress factor. The information representing the short-term stress value may be information representing the short-term stress value itself, or may be information representing the level of the short-term stress value.

[0053] As described above, the difference acquisition unit 17 generates difference information corresponding to the difference in chronic stress values ​​for stress reflection periods shifted by one day and the difference in events during these periods. This allows the difference acquisition unit 17 to suitably generate difference information required for estimating stress factors. In the example of FIG. 4, the chronic stress value CS 0117 , C.S. 0118 The pair is an example of a pair of a "first chronic stress value" and a "second chronic stress value", and the chronic stress value CS 0117 Stress reflection period (January 7th to January 16th) and chronic stress score CS 0118 The stress reflection period (January 8th to January 17th) is an example of the "first period" and the "second period."

[0054] (3-3) Estimation of stress factors Next, we will explain the method of estimating a stress factor by the stress factor estimation unit 18. The stress factor estimation unit 18 estimates the type, location, participants and / or time period of an event that is a stress factor for the subject, based on multiple pieces of difference information about the subject.

[0055] For example, based on the relationship between the difference in the chronic stress value indicated by each difference information and the high stress event, the correlation (correlation coefficient or partial correlation coefficient) between each high stress event and the chronic stress value is calculated using any correlation analysis (partial correlation analysis) method. Here, preferably, the stress factor estimation unit 18 may calculate the above-mentioned correlation using the short-term stress value of the high stress event. Then, the stress factor estimation unit 18 considers that the higher the calculated correlation is, the more likely the high stress event is to be a stress factor, and identifies high stress events whose correlation is a predetermined value or more. Then, the stress factor estimation unit 18 counts the type, place, participants and / or time period of each identified high stress event, and estimates the stress factor based on the counting result. For example, the stress factor estimation unit 18 identifies, as stress factors, the type, place, participants and / or time period of an event that occupies a predetermined percentage or more of the high stress events whose correlation is a predetermined value or more. In addition to the examples described above, the stress factor estimation unit 18 may identify events that contribute to an increase in the chronic stress value based on any multivariate analysis method or any machine learning method (e.g., cluster analysis, principal component analysis, vector quantization, self-organizing map, etc.).

[0056] (3-4) Processing flow Fig. 5 is an example of a flowchart executed by the stress factor estimation device 1 in the first embodiment. The stress factor estimation device 1 repeatedly executes, for example, the process of the flowchart shown in Fig. 5. In Fig. 5, as an example, the stress factor estimation device 1 calculates a short-term stress value, a chronic stress value, and difference information at predetermined time intervals set to individual time lengths for each, and when it is time to estimate a stress factor, estimates the stress factor and outputs the estimation result.

[0057] First, the stress factor estimating device 1 acquires observed information (step S11). In this case, the stress factor estimating device 1 acquires the observed information based on the sensor signal S3 supplied from the sensor 5, and stores the acquired observed information in the observed information storage unit 40.

[0058] Next, the stress factor estimation device 1 estimates the short-term stress value and the chronic stress value based on the observation information stored in the observation information storage unit 40 (step S12). In this case, the stress factor estimation device 1 estimates the short-term stress value at a first time interval (e.g., an interval of several minutes) and estimates the chronic stress value at a second time interval (e.g., an interval of one day) that is longer than the first time interval. The stress factor estimation device 1 stores these estimation results in the storage device 4 or the like.

[0059] Then, the stress factor estimating device 1 generates difference information based on the short-term stress value, the chronic stress value, and the event information (step S13). In this case, the stress factor estimating device 1 generates the difference information at the same second time interval as the estimation of the chronic stress value in step S12, for example, and stores the generated difference information in the difference information storage unit 42. In this case, the stress factor estimating device 1 generates difference information corresponding to the difference between the latest estimated chronic stress value and the chronic stress value calculated immediately before that, for example, every time it estimates a chronic stress value.

[0060] Next, the stress factor estimation device 1 determines whether it is time to estimate a stress factor (step S14). The stress factor estimation device 1 determines that it is time to estimate a stress factor, for example, when it detects an instruction to execute stress factor estimation based on the input signal S1 supplied from the input device 2, or when a predetermined time has passed since the previous timing to estimate a stress factor.

[0061] If the stress factor estimation device 1 determines that it is time to estimate a stress factor (step S14; Yes), it estimates a stress factor related to the chronic stress of the subject based on the difference information of the subject generated in step S13 (step S15). Then, the stress factor estimation device 1 outputs the stress factor estimation result in step S15 (step S16). In this case, for example, the stress factor estimation device 1 supplies an output control signal S2 to the output device 3 to cause the output device 3 to display or output by voice the type, location, participants, time period, etc. of the specific event estimated as a stress factor.

[0062] The stress factor estimation device 1 may execute at least one of the processes in step S12 and step S13 all at once after determining in step S14 that it is time to estimate a stress factor.

[0063] (4) Variations Next, modified examples of the above-described embodiment will be described. The following modified examples may be applied to the above-described embodiment in any combination.

[0064] (Variation 1) The difference acquiring section 17 may generate difference information for a pair of chronic stress values ​​with stress reflection periods shifted by two or more days, instead of generating difference information for a pair of chronic stress values ​​with stress reflection periods shifted by one day.

[0065] For example, when generating difference information based on a pair of chronic stress values ​​with stress reflection periods shifted by X (X is an integer of 2 or more) days, the difference acquisition unit 17 acquires event information corresponding to the difference period of these stress reflection periods and identifies high stress events in that difference period based on the short-term stress values. Then, the difference acquisition unit 17 generates difference information relating to the difference between the chronic stress values ​​and the difference between the high stress events.

[0066] In this way, the difference acquisition unit 17 can also generate difference information for pairs of chronic stress values ​​whose stress reflection periods are shifted by two or more days. The stress factor estimation unit 18 can estimate a stress factor based on the difference information generated in this way, thereby making it possible to estimate a combination of multiple factors as a stress aggravation factor.

[0067] In this modification, the above-mentioned X days may be longer than the stress reflection period of the chronic stress value. In this case, the stress reflection periods corresponding to the pair of chronic stress values ​​are periods that do not overlap with each other.

[0068] (Variation 2) In determining whether an event is a high stress event, the difference acquisition section 17 may calculate the increase in short-term stress value from the start to the end of the event, and determine that an event is a high stress event if the calculated increase is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold. This also enables the difference acquisition section 17 to accurately identify, as a high stress event, an event in which the subject's short-term stress value increased as a result of participation in the event.

[0069] (Variation 3) The difference acquisition section 17 may identify an event in which the reduction in short-term stress value from the start time to the end time of the target event is equal to or greater than a predetermined value as an event that is effective in relieving stress (also called a "stress relief event").

[0070] In this case, for example, the difference acquiring unit 17 extracts, from among the events belonging to the difference period, an event in which the amount of reduction in the short-term stress value is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold as a stress relief event, and then generates difference information indicating the type, code, etc. of the stress relief event.

[0071] The stress factor estimation unit 18 then estimates a stress relief factor as the stress factor. In this case, the stress factor estimation unit 18 calculates the correlation between the chronic stress value and each stress relief event, and tally up the type, place, participants and / or time period, etc. of the stress relief event where the correlation is negative and the absolute value is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. The stress factor estimation unit 18 then estimates the type, place, participants and / or time period, etc. that will be the stress relief factor based on the tallying result. The notification unit 19 then controls the output device 3 to output information regarding the stress relief factor estimated by the stress factor estimation unit 18.

[0072] Thus, according to this modification, the stress factor estimation device 1 can appropriately estimate stress relief factors and notify the user of the estimation result. Note that, in addition to the processing according to this modification, the stress factor estimation device 1 may also estimate stress increase factors based on the above-mentioned embodiment and perform control to output both the stress increase factors and the stress relief factors.

[0073] <Second embodiment> In addition to the stress factor estimation process described in the first embodiment, the stress management system 100 according to the second embodiment performs a high stress event notification process that detects the occurrence of a high stress event based on the estimated stress factor and notifies the user to relieve stress based on the detection result. This high stress event notification process encourages the user to relieve stress when an event that is likely to become chronic stress occurs, and effectively prevents the stress from becoming chronic. In the second embodiment, the same components as those in the first embodiment are appropriately designated by the same reference numerals, and their description will be omitted.

[0074] Fig. 6 is an example of a functional block diagram relating to high stress event notification processing of the stress factor estimation device 1A according to the second embodiment. The stress factor estimation device 1A in the second embodiment has the hardware configuration shown in Fig. 2, and the processor 11 of the stress factor estimation device 1A has a functional block relating to high stress event notification processing shown in Fig. 6 in addition to the functional block relating to the stress factor estimation processing shown in Fig. 3. As shown in Fig. 6, the processor 11 has a short-term stress estimation unit 15A, a high stress event determination unit 20, and a notification unit 19A for the high stress event notification processing. Here, it is assumed that the stress factor information of the subject has already been stored in the stress factor information storage unit 43 by the stress factor estimation processing described in the first embodiment.

[0075] The short-term stress estimation unit 15A estimates the short-term stress level of the subject observed by the sensor 5, based on the sensor signal S3 supplied from the sensor 5. In this case, the short-term stress estimation unit 15A estimates the current short-term stress level of the subject from the sensor signal S3 by performing processing equivalent to that of the observation information acquisition unit 14 and the short-term stress estimation unit 15 in the first embodiment.

[0076] The high stress event determination unit 20 performs a high stress event determination based on the event information of the subject stored in the event information storage unit 41 and the stress factor information of the subject stored in the stress factor information storage unit 43. In this case, for example, the high stress event determination unit 20 determines that a high stress event has occurred when a currently occurring event specified based on the above-mentioned event information and the current date and time is an event corresponding to a stress factor indicated by the stress factor information of the subject and the corresponding short-term stress value is equal to or greater than the event determination threshold. In this case, the event determination threshold is the same as the event determination threshold used when determining a high stress event from the short-term stress value in the first embodiment, and is stored in advance in the storage device 4 or the like. In addition, the "event corresponding to a stress factor" refers to an event corresponding to the type, location, participants and / or time period of the event indicated by the stress factor information. The high stress event determination unit 20 supplies the high stress event determination result to the notification unit 19A.

[0077] The notification unit 19A controls the output of information relating to the result of the high stress event determination made by the high stress event determination unit 20 via the output device 3. In this case, for example, when the high stress event determination unit 20 determines that a high stress event has occurred, the notification unit 19A causes the output device 3 to output information indicating that a high stress event has occurred and information encouraging stress relief via an output control signal S2.

[0078] By performing such high stress event notification processing, the stress factor estimation device 1A can accurately detect the occurrence of a high stress event that is likely to lead to chronic stress, and can appropriately encourage the user to relieve stress so that the chronic stress value does not increase due to the occurrence of the high stress event.

[0079] 7 is an example of a flowchart showing a procedure of a high stress event notification process in the second embodiment. The stress factor estimating device 1A repeatedly executes the process of the flowchart shown in FIG.

[0080] First, the stress factor estimation device 1A estimates the short-term stress value of the subject based on the sensor signal S3 supplied from the sensor 5 (step S21).

[0081] Next, the stress factor estimation device 1A determines whether or not an event corresponding to a stress factor indicated by the stress factor information of the subject stored in the stress factor information storage unit 43 has been detected (step S22). If the stress factor estimation device 1A detects an event corresponding to the above-mentioned stress factor (step S22; Yes), it determines whether or not the short-term stress value calculated in step S21 is equal to or greater than the stress judgment threshold (step S23). In this case, the stress factor estimation device 1A may adopt any short-term stress value estimated during the event corresponding to the stress factor as the short-term stress value to be compared with the stress judgment threshold, or may adopt an average value or other representative value (statistical value) of multiple short-term stress values ​​estimated during the event.

[0082] Then, when an event corresponding to a stress factor is detected (step S22; Yes) and the short-term stress value is equal to or greater than the stress judgment threshold (step S23; Yes), the stress factor estimation device 1A causes the output device 3 to output information encouraging stress relief (step S24). In this way, when the stress factor estimation device 1A detects the occurrence of an event that is likely to lead to chronic stress, it can encourage the subject to relieve stress and suitably prevent the stress from becoming chronic.

[0083] On the other hand, if no event corresponding to a stress factor is detected (step S22; No), or if the short-term stress value is less than the stress judgment threshold (step S22; No), the stress factor estimating device 1 returns the process to step S21.

[0084] <Third embodiment> 8 shows a schematic configuration of a stress management system 100B in the third embodiment. The stress management system 100B in the third embodiment is a server-client model system, in which a stress factor estimating device 1B functioning as a server device performs the processing of the stress factor estimating device 1 in the first embodiment or the stress factor estimating device 1A in the second embodiment. Hereinafter, the same components as those in the first or second embodiment are appropriately designated by the same reference numerals, and their description will be omitted.

[0085] 8, the stress management system 100B mainly includes a stress factor estimating device 1B functioning as a server, a storage device 4, and a terminal device 8 functioning as a client. The stress factor estimating device 1B and the terminal device 8 perform data communication via a network 7.

[0086] The terminal device 8 is a terminal used by a user who is a subject, and has an input function, a display function, and a communication function, and functions as the input device 2 and the output device 3 shown in FIG. 1. The terminal device 8 may be, for example, a personal computer, a tablet terminal such as a smartphone, or a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant). The terminal device 8 is electrically connected to a sensor 5 such as a wearable sensor worn by a user, and transmits a biological signal of the subject output by the sensor 5 (i.e., information corresponding to the sensor signal S3 in FIG. 1) to the stress factor estimation device 1B. The terminal device 8 also transmits information generated by an external input (information corresponding to the input signal S1 in FIG. 1) to the stress factor estimation device 1B.

[0087] The stress factor estimation device 1B has the same hardware configuration as the stress factor estimation device 1 shown in Fig. 2, and the processor 11 of the stress factor estimation device 1B has the functional blocks shown in Fig. 3. The stress factor estimation device 1B receives information corresponding to the input signal S1 and the sensor signal S3 in Fig. 1 from the terminal device 8 via the network 7, and executes a stress factor estimation process (and a high stress event notification process). In response to a display request from the terminal device 8, the stress factor estimation device 1B transmits an output signal for outputting a stress estimation result to the terminal device 8 via the network 7.

[0088] According to the third embodiment, the stress factors of a subject are estimated based on the subject's biological signals, etc. received from a terminal device 8 used by the subject, and the subject can be appropriately notified of the estimation result and the occurrence of a high-stress event by the terminal device 8.

[0089] <Fourth embodiment> 9 is a block diagram of a stress factor estimating device 1X in the third embodiment. The stress factor estimating device 1X mainly includes a chronic stress acquiring means 16X, a difference acquiring means 17X, and a stress factor estimating means 18X. Note that the stress factor estimating device 1X may be composed of multiple devices.

[0090] The chronic stress acquisition means 16X acquires a first chronic stress value for a first period of the subject and a second chronic stress value for a second period of the subject. In this case, the chronic stress acquisition means 16X may acquire the first chronic stress value and the second chronic stress value by calculating them from a biological signal of the subject or may acquire the first chronic stress value and the second chronic stress value stored in a storage device or calculated by another device. The chronic stress acquisition means 16X may be, for example, the chronic stress estimation unit 16 in the first embodiment (including modified examples, the same applies below) to the third embodiment.

[0091] The difference acquiring means 17X acquires difference information representing the difference between the first chronic stress value and the second chronic stress value and the difference between the events occurring in the first period and the second period. The difference acquiring means 17X may be, for example, the difference acquiring section 17 in the first to third embodiments.

[0092] The stress factor estimation means 18X estimates a stress factor related to chronic stress of the subject based on the difference information. The stress factor estimation means 18X can be, for example, the stress factor estimation unit 18 in the first to third embodiments.

[0093] 10 is an example of a flowchart executed by the stress factor estimation device 1X in the fourth embodiment. First, the chronic stress acquisition means 16X acquires a first chronic stress value in a first period of the subject and a second chronic stress value in a second period of the subject (step S31). Next, the difference acquisition means 17X acquires difference information indicating the difference between the first chronic stress value and the second chronic stress value and the difference in events occurring in the first period and the second period (step S32). Then, the stress factor estimation means 18X estimates a stress factor related to the chronic stress of the subject based on the difference information (step S33).

[0094] According to the fourth embodiment, the stress factor estimation device 1X can suitably estimate the stress factor of a subject.

[0095] In each of the above-described embodiments, the program can be stored using various types of non-transitory computer readable media and can be supplied to a computer, such as a processor. The non-transitory computer readable medium includes various types of tangible storage media. Examples of the non-transitory computer readable medium include magnetic storage media (e.g., flexible disks, magnetic tapes, hard disk drives), magneto-optical storage media (e.g., magneto-optical disks), CD-ROM (Read Only Memory), CD-R, CD-R / W, and semiconductor memory (e.g., mask ROM, PROM (Programmable ROM), EPROM (Erasable PROM), flash ROM, and RAM (Random Access Memory)). The program may also be supplied to the computer by various types of transitory computer readable media. Examples of the transitory computer readable medium include electric signals, optical signals, and electromagnetic waves. The transitory computer readable medium can supply the program to the computer via a wired communication path such as an electric wire and an optical fiber, or a wireless communication path.

[0096] In addition, some or all of the above embodiments may be described as, but are not limited to, the following supplementary notes.

[0097] [Appendix 1] A chronic stress acquisition means for acquiring a first chronic stress value of a subject in a first period and a second chronic stress value of the subject in a second period; a difference acquiring means for acquiring difference information representing a difference between the first chronic stress value and the second chronic stress value and a difference between events occurring in the first period and the second period; a stress factor estimation means for estimating a stress factor related to chronic stress of the subject based on the difference information; A stress factor estimation device having the above structure. [Appendix 2] The apparatus further includes a short-term stress acquisition means for acquiring a short-term stress value of the subject, The stress factor estimation device according to claim 1, wherein the difference acquisition means generates the difference information representing, as the difference, an event that occurred in a period that does not overlap the first period and the second period and in which the short-term stress value or an increase in the short-term stress value is equal to or greater than a threshold value. [Appendix 3] 3. The stress factor estimation device according to claim 1, wherein the stress factor estimation means estimates, as the stress factor, at least a stress increasing factor that increases the chronic stress value of the subject. [Appendix 4] The stress factor estimation device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the stress factor estimation means estimates, as the stress factor, at least a stress relief factor that reduces a chronic stress value of the subject. [Appendix 5] The stress factor estimation device according to claim 4, wherein the difference acquisition means generates the difference information representing, as the difference, an event that occurred in a period that does not overlap the first period and the second period and in which the subject's short-term stress value decreased by more than a threshold value. [Appendix 6] The stress factor estimation device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the stress factor estimation means estimates, as the stress factor, at least one of the type of the event, the location where the event is held, the people who participated in the event, and the time period when the event is held. [Appendix 7] 7. The stress factor estimation device according to claim 1, further comprising a notification means for controlling an output device to output information about the stress factor estimated by the stress factor estimation means. [Appendix 8] an event determination means for determining whether or not an event corresponding to the stress factor estimated by the stress factor estimation means has occurred; The stress factor estimating device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, further comprising: a notification means for causing an output device to output information based on a result of the determination by the event determination means. [Appendix 9] The stress factor estimation device according to claim 8, wherein the notification means causes the output device to output information encouraging stress relief when an event corresponding to the stress factor occurs and when the short-term stress value of the subject or an increase in the short-term stress value during the event becomes equal to or exceeds a threshold value. [Appendix 10] The computer Obtaining a first chronic stress value for a first time period of a subject and a second chronic stress value for the subject for a second time period; obtaining difference information representing a difference between the first chronic stress value and the second chronic stress value and a difference between events occurring in the first period and the second period; estimating a stress factor related to chronic stress of the subject based on the difference information; Methods for estimating stress factors. [Appendix 11] Obtaining a first chronic stress value for a first time period of a subject and a second chronic stress value for the subject for a second time period; obtaining difference information representing a difference between the first chronic stress value and the second chronic stress value and a difference between events occurring in the first period and the second period; A storage medium storing a program that causes a computer to execute a process of estimating stress factors related to the subject's chronic stress based on the difference information.

[0098] Although the present invention has been described above with reference to the embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments. Various modifications that can be understood by a person skilled in the art can be made to the configuration and details of the present invention within the scope of the present invention. In other words, the present invention naturally includes various modifications and corrections that a person skilled in the art could make in accordance with the entire disclosure, including the claims, and the technical ideas. In addition, the disclosures of the above cited patent documents and the like are incorporated herein by reference. [Explanation of symbols]

[0099] 1, 1A, 1B, 1X Stress factor estimation device 2 Input Devices 3 Output Device 4 Storage device 5 Sensors 8 Terminal Equipment 100, 100B Stress Management System

Claims

1. a chronic stress acquisition means for acquiring a first chronic stress value of a subject in a first period and a second chronic stress value of the subject in a second period; a difference acquiring means for acquiring difference information representing a difference between the first chronic stress value and the second chronic stress value, a type of an event which occurred only in either the first period or the second period, and a code which indicates whether the event occurred in the first period or the second period; a stress factor estimation means for estimating a stress factor related to chronic stress of the subject based on the difference information; A stress factor estimation device having the above structure.

2. The apparatus further includes a short-term stress acquisition means for acquiring a short-term stress value of the subject, The stress factor estimation device of claim 1, wherein the difference acquisition means generates the difference information representing the type and the sign of an event that occurs in a period that does not overlap the first period and the second period and in which the short-term stress value or an increase in the short-term stress value is equal to or greater than a threshold value.

3. The stress factor estimation device according to claim 1 , wherein the stress factor estimation means estimates, as the stress factor, at least a stress increasing factor that increases the chronic stress value of the subject.

4. The stress factor estimation device according to claim 1 , wherein the stress factor estimation means estimates, as the stress factor, at least a stress relief factor that reduces the chronic stress value of the subject.

5. The stress factor estimation device of claim 4, wherein the difference acquisition means acquires events that occurred in a period that does not overlap between the first period and the second period from event information about the subject, identifies among the events an event in which the subject's short-term stress value decreased by more than a threshold value, and generates the difference information representing the type and sign of the identified event.

6. The stress factor estimation device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the stress factor estimation means estimates, as the stress factor, at least any one of a type of the event, a location where the event is held, people who have participated in the event, and a time period during which the event is held.

7. 7. The stress factor estimation device according to claim 1, further comprising a notification means for controlling an output device to output information about the stress factor estimated by the stress factor estimation means.

8. an event determination means for determining whether or not an event corresponding to the stress factor estimated by the stress factor estimation means has occurred; 8. The stress factor estimating device according to claim 1, further comprising: a notification unit that causes an output device to output information based on a result of the determination by the event determination unit.

9. The stress factor estimation device of claim 8, wherein the notification means causes the output device to output information encouraging stress relief when an event corresponding to the stress factor occurs and when the short-term stress value of the subject or an increase in the short-term stress value during the event exceeds a threshold value.

10. The computer Obtaining a first chronic stress value for a first time period of a subject and a second chronic stress value for the subject for a second time period; acquiring difference information representing a difference between the first chronic stress value and the second chronic stress value, a type of an event that occurred only in either the first period or the second period, and a code indicating whether the event occurred in the first period or the second period; estimating a stress factor related to chronic stress of the subject based on the difference information; Methods for estimating stress factors.

11. Obtaining a first chronic stress value for a first time period of a subject and a second chronic stress value for the subject for a second time period; acquiring difference information representing a difference between the first chronic stress value and the second chronic stress value, a type of an event that occurred only in either the first period or the second period, and a code indicating whether the event occurred in the first period or the second period; A program that causes a computer to execute a process of estimating stress factors related to the subject's chronic stress based on the difference information.

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