Health support device, health support system, and health support method

Abstract

To support health by providing useful information on eating according to the need of each person.SOLUTION: A health support device 2 includes an estimation unit 232, a mastication evaluation unit 233, and an information provision unit 239. The estimation unit 232 estimates a food menu on the basis of image data of food that a user eats. The mastication evaluation unit 233 acquires a mastication evaluation value representing the frequency of mastications, the mastication evaluation value corresponding to the menu estimated by the estimation unit 232. The information provision unit 239 provides information based on the mastication evaluation unit acquired by the mastication evaluation unit 233.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a health support device, a health support system, and a health support method.

Background Art

[0002] With the advent of an aging society, there is a demand for support to extend the healthy life span so that each individual can stay healthy for as long as possible. Diet has a great impact on maintaining health. Therefore, there is a device that provides advice on diet for maintaining health (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In addition to the dietary content, it is also important to keep the oral functions for eating in good condition to maintain health. When the oral functions decline, the chewing function deteriorates, leading to a tendency to eat soft foods, which may result in a decrease in appetite and malnutrition.

[0005] In view of the above circumstances, an object of the present invention is to provide a health support device, a health support system, and a health support method that can provide useful information regarding eating according to an individual and support health.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] One aspect of the present invention is a health support device including an estimation unit that estimates a menu of a meal based on image data of the user's meal, a chewing evaluation unit that acquires a chewing evaluation value corresponding to the menu estimated by the estimation unit and representing the number of chewing times, and an information providing unit that provides information based on the chewing evaluation value.

[0007] One aspect of the present invention is the health support device described above, wherein the chewing evaluation unit calculates a total chewing evaluation value, which represents the number of chews required to eat the meal, based on the estimated chewing evaluation value corresponding to the menu.

[0008] One aspect of the present invention is the health support device described above, further comprising: an acquisition unit that acquires food intake information indicating the classification or ingredients used in the menu estimated by the estimation unit; a determination unit that determines, based on the food intake information acquired by the acquisition unit, either or both of the nutrient sufficiency status against the dietary intake target and the sufficiency status of the food intake diversity score; and a meal evaluation unit that evaluates the meal using the chewing evaluation value and the sufficiency status.

[0009] One aspect of the present invention is the health support device described above, wherein the meal evaluation unit evaluates the user's meal using the chewing evaluation value and satisfaction status based on the image data and information about the user's biological characteristics.

[0010] One aspect of the present invention is the health support device described above, wherein the information relating to the living body includes one or more of the following: weight, appetite, height, body mass index, body fat, skeletal muscle mass, bone mass, and lean body mass.

[0011] One aspect of the present invention is the health support device described above, further comprising a receiving unit that receives the image data from a terminal device used by the user, wherein the information providing unit comprises a return unit that returns to the terminal device one or both of the total chewing evaluation value based on the image data received by the receiving unit and the evaluation result by the meal evaluation unit.

[0012] One aspect of the present invention is the health support device described above, further comprising a storage unit that stores history information for each user, showing the history of at least a portion of the image data, the total chewing evaluation value, the satisfaction status, and the evaluation results by the meal evaluation unit, and the information provision unit comprises an information output unit that outputs either or both of the user-specific information obtained from the history information and information concerning multiple users.

[0013] One aspect of the present invention is the health support device described above, wherein the user-specific information output by the information output unit includes at least one of the following: the image data, the number of times the image data has been received, information based on the total chewing evaluation value in time series, the satisfaction status in time series, and the evaluation result in time series.

[0014] One aspect of the present invention is the health support device described above, further comprising an advice selection unit that selects advice information based on information obtained from the user's history information, and an information output unit that outputs the advice information selected by the advice selection unit.

[0015] One aspect of the present invention is the health support device described above, wherein the advice selection unit selects advice information based on information obtained from the user's history information and information about the user's biological characteristics.

[0016] One aspect of the present invention is the health support device described above, wherein the information relating to the living organism used by the advice selection unit is either information on body weight or information on appetite, or both.

[0017] One aspect of the present invention is the health support device described above, wherein the chewing evaluation value and the total chewing evaluation value indicate which of a plurality of stages corresponding to the number of chewing cycles.

[0018] One aspect of the present invention is the health support device described above, wherein the chewing evaluation value corresponding to the menu is based on the number of chews measured for the menu, or on one or more of the following: the hardness of the ingredients included in the menu, the way the ingredients included in the menu are cut, and the cooking method of the menu.

[0019] One aspect of the present invention is a health support system including an estimation unit that estimates a menu of a meal based on image data of the user's meal, a chewing evaluation unit that obtains a chewing evaluation value corresponding to the menu estimated by the estimation unit and representing the number of chewing times, and an information providing unit that provides information based on the chewing evaluation value.

[0020] One aspect of the present invention is a health support method executed by a health support device, including an estimation step of estimating a menu of a meal based on image data of the user's meal, a chewing evaluation step of obtaining a chewing evaluation value corresponding to the menu estimated in the estimation step and representing the number of chewing times, and an information providing step of providing information based on the chewing evaluation value.

Advantages of the Invention

[0021] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide useful information regarding eating according to an individual and support health.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0022] [Figure 1] It is a diagram showing a configuration example of a health support system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] It is a diagram showing an example of chewing value information by menu according to the same embodiment. [Figure 3] It is a diagram showing an example of history information according to the same embodiment. [Figure 4] It is a diagram showing an example of advice selection information according to the same embodiment. [Figure 5] It is a diagram showing the operation of a health support system according to the same embodiment. [Figure 6] It is a diagram showing the operation of a health support system according to the same embodiment. [Figure 7] It is a diagram showing a screen displayed on a terminal device according to the same embodiment. [Figure 8] It is a diagram showing a screen displayed on the terminal device according to the embodiment.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0023] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a health support system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The health support system 1 shown in the figure includes a health support device 2, a terminal device 3, and a terminal device 4. The health support device 2, the terminal device 3, and the terminal device 4 are each connected to a network 9. The network 9 is a communication network including a public network such as the Internet, a private network such as an intranet, a LAN (Local Area Network), or a dedicated line. The health support device 2 and the terminal device 3, and the health support device 2 and the terminal device 4 transmit and receive data via the network 9. In the figure, one terminal device 3 and one terminal device 4 are shown, but the number of terminal devices 3 and the number of terminal devices 4 are arbitrary.

[0024] For example, a business operator providing a health support service owns the health support device 2. The user uses the terminal device 3, and the advice provider who gives advice to the user uses the terminal device 4. The user is, for example, a patient in a dental clinic, a hospital, a clinic, etc., a patient with oral function decline, a patient with oral function developmental disorder, an elderly person, a person concerned about the decline or development of oral function, a person who wants to prevent the decline of oral function, a person who wants to promote the development of oral function, etc., but is not limited thereto. Also, the advice provider is, for example, an organization that provides health guidance in a hospital including a dental clinic, an oral surgery, etc., a hospital or clinic other than dentistry, a local government, etc., but is not limited thereto. Hereinafter, the case where the user is a patient in a dental clinic and the advice provider is a dental clinic will be described as an example.

[0025] The user transmits meal image data, obtained by photographing the meal using terminal device 3, to health support device 2. Based on the meal image data, health support device 2 estimates the menu of the meal and obtains a chewing evaluation value corresponding to the estimated menu. The chewing evaluation value corresponding to the menu represents the number of chews required to eat the food on that menu. Based on the chewing evaluation value for each menu, health support device 2 calculates a total chewing evaluation value, which is the overall chewing evaluation value for one photographed meal. The total chewing evaluation value represents the number of chews required to eat the meal on the estimated menu. Furthermore, health support device 2 calculates the Food Variety Score (DVS) and the intake of various nutrients for the meal on the estimated menu, and calculates the degree of satisfaction with those targets.

[0026] Each time the health support device 2 receives meal image data from the terminal device 3, it provides feedback to the terminal device 3 with an evaluation of the meal based on factors such as chewing evaluation values, DVS sufficiency, and sufficiency of various nutrients. The total chewing evaluation value, which is one of the pieces of information based on the chewing evaluation value, may also be used in the meal evaluation. By providing feedback each time the user sends meal image data in this way, the user can be motivated to strive for meals with good evaluations. In addition, the feedback allows the user to enjoy the process of seeing what kind of evaluation they will receive in a game-like manner, which can encourage them to continue sending meal image data.

[0027] Health support device 2 stores historical information such as meal image data, total chewing evaluation value, DVS sufficiency status, sufficiency status of various nutrients, and meal evaluation for each user. Health support device 2 also stores biometric information such as each user's weight and appetite. Based on the information obtained from the historical information, health support device 2 acquires information that the dental clinic will use to provide advice to the user regarding eating, and transmits it to terminal device 4. The information provided to the dental clinic includes information based on the total chewing evaluation value over time, the sufficiency status of DVS over time, the sufficiency status of various nutrients over time, and weight and appetite over time. The information provided to the dental clinic also includes advice based on recent values ​​and time-series changes in the total chewing evaluation value, the sufficiency status of DVS over time, the sufficiency status of various nutrients, weight, and appetite. The dental clinic refers to the information received by terminal device 4 and provides explanations and advice to the user regarding oral function and eating. This allows users to receive advice from dental clinics on improving oral function and on balanced eating, which helps them maintain and improve their health. In addition, it can enhance the added value of dental clinics for users and encourage them to continue using the clinic regularly.

[0028] The configuration of each device will be explained. The health support device 2 is implemented by a computer device such as a server computer. The health support device 2 comprises a communication unit 21, a storage unit 22, and a processing unit 23. The communication unit 21 transmits and receives information via the network 9.

[0029] The memory unit 22 stores various types of information. The memory unit 22 stores menu-specific chewing value information, menu-specific classification information, nutrient information, user management information, history information, biological information, advice provider information, and advice selection information.

[0030] The menu-specific chewing value information shows the chewing evaluation value for each menu item. The menu-specific classification information shows the food classification to which the ingredients used in each menu item belong. The food classification indicates the classification of foods for calculating DVS. Food classifications include seafood, meat, eggs, milk, soy products, green and yellow vegetables, seaweed, potatoes, fruits, and oils and fats. Seafood, meat, eggs, milk, and soy products are classified into the protein group, green and yellow vegetables and seaweed into the vitamin and mineral group, and potatoes, fruits, and oils and fats into the energy group. The memory unit 22 may store menu-specific ingredient information in addition to or instead of menu-specific classification information. The menu-specific ingredient information shows the ingredients used in each menu item and their quantities. The nutrient information shows the nutrients contained in each menu item or each ingredient item and their quantities. Nutrients include energy, protein, lipids, carbohydrates, various vitamins, various minerals, dietary fiber, cholesterol, and salt.

[0031] User management information includes information such as the user's user ID, name, and the address of the user's terminal device 3. History information shows the user ID, meal image data for each meal, chewing evaluation values ​​for each menu item included in the meal, total chewing evaluation value, DVS sufficiency status, sufficiency status of various nutrients, and meal evaluation. Biological information shows information about the user's biological characteristics and includes information such as user ID, gender, date of birth, weight, appetite, height, body mass index (BMI), body fat, skeletal muscle mass, bone mass, and lean body mass. Age information can be obtained from the date of birth information. Age is also one of the pieces of information about the user's biological characteristics. The information on weight, appetite, height, BMI, body fat, skeletal muscle mass, bone mass, and lean body mass included in the biological information may be time-series information associated with the date and time information for which each piece of information was obtained. In this embodiment, biological information includes weight history information, which is time-series information on weight, and appetite history information, which is time-series information on appetite. Weight history information includes information that associates date and time with weight. Appetite history information includes data that links the date and time with the user's perceived appetite. Appetite information is indicated by multiple stages, such as "very hungry" to "no appetite." Advice provider information shows the advisor's ID and information such as the advisor's name and contact information. Advice providers include dental clinics, hospitals, medical offices, and organizations that provide health guidance in local governments, etc., that provide advice to users.

[0032] Advice selection information is information that associates the criteria for selecting advice with the advice given to the user when those criteria are met. The criteria for selecting advice can be derived from historical data or biometric data. The criteria may also include information about the date and time the advice is given.

[0033] The processing unit 23 includes a receiving unit 231, an estimation unit 232, a chewing evaluation unit 233, an acquisition unit 234, and the determination unit 235 includes a meal evaluation unit 236, an information update unit 237, an advice selection unit 238, and an information provision unit 239.

[0034] The receiving unit 231 receives meal image data from the terminal device 3. The receiving unit 231 also receives an information request from the terminal device 4. The estimation unit 232 estimates the meal menu based on the meal image data. Any prior art can be used to estimate the meal menu. The chewing evaluation unit 233 obtains the chewing evaluation value for each menu estimated by the estimation unit 232 from the menu-specific chewing value information. The chewing evaluation unit 233 calculates the total chewing evaluation value for the meal based on the chewing evaluation value of each menu item included in the meal. In this embodiment, the chewing evaluation value and the total chewing evaluation value indicate which of several stages corresponds to the number of chewing cycles.

[0035] The acquisition unit 234 acquires the food classification of the ingredients used in each menu estimated by the estimation unit 232 from the menu classification information and uses it as food intake information. Alternatively, the acquisition unit 234 may acquire the ingredients used in each menu estimated by the estimation unit 232 and their quantities from the menu ingredient information, and sum the quantities acquired for each ingredient to use as food intake information.

[0036] The determination unit 235 determines the DVS and the sufficiency of the DVS based on the food classification indicated by the food intake information or the food classification to which the ingredients indicated by the food intake information belong. The determination unit 235 may determine the sufficiency of various nutrients instead of, or in addition to, the DVS and its sufficiency. The determination unit 235 obtains the nutrients and their amounts corresponding to each menu from the nutrient information and sums up the amounts of each nutrient. The determination unit 235 compares the total amount with the target intake amount for each nutrient to determine the sufficiency of various nutrients. Alternatively, the determination unit 235 refers to the nutrients and their amounts for each ingredient indicated by the nutrient information and calculates the intake amount of each nutrient according to the ingredients and their amounts indicated by the food intake information. The determination unit 235 compares the total intake amount for each nutrient with the target intake amount to determine the sufficiency of various nutrients.

[0037] The meal evaluation unit 236 evaluates the meal using the total chewing evaluation value and the sufficiency status determined by the judgment unit 235. This sufficiency status may include either or both of the sufficiency status of DVS and / or the sufficiency status of various nutrients. In addition to the total chewing evaluation value and sufficiency status, the meal evaluation unit 236 may further evaluate the user's meal using information about the user's biological characteristics. This information about the biological characteristics includes at least one or more pieces of information obtained from biological information, such as body weight, appetite, height, BMI, body fat, skeletal muscle mass, bone mass, and lean body mass.

[0038] The information update unit 237 updates each user's history information and biometric information. The advice selection unit 238 selects advice information based on the information obtained from the user's history information. The advice selection unit 238 may also use, in addition to or instead of, the user's biometric information to select advice information. The biometric information used by the advice selection unit 238 includes information on weight and appetite, or both. In addition, other information obtained from biometric information, such as gender and age, may be used as biometric information by the advice selection unit 238.

[0039] The information provision unit 239 provides information to terminal devices 3 and 4 based on chewing evaluation values, DVS sufficiency status, and sufficiency status of various nutrients. The information provision unit 239 has a return unit 241 and an information output unit 242. The return unit 241 returns to terminal device 3 either or both of the total chewing evaluation value based on meal image data received by the receiving unit 231 and the evaluation results from the meal evaluation unit 236. The information output unit 242 outputs either or both of user-specific information obtained from history information and information about multiple users. The output destination is terminal device 4, but it may also be output to terminal device 3. The user-specific information output by the information output unit 242 includes at least one of the following: meal image data, the number of times meal image data has been received, information based on the time-series total chewing evaluation value, time-series DVS sufficiency status, time-series nutrient sufficiency status, and time-series meal evaluation results. Furthermore, the information output unit 242 outputs information about the advice selected by the advice selection unit 238. Information about multiple users may include, for example, the average values ​​of the total chewing evaluation value, DVS sufficiency status, and nutrient sufficiency status for all users or users belonging to a specific group. The information output unit 242 determines which users belong to a specific group, for example, based on the total chewing evaluation value.

[0040] Terminal device 3 is a computer device such as a smartphone, tablet, or personal computer. Terminal device 3 comprises a communication unit 31, an input unit 32, an imaging unit 33, a display unit 34, and a processing unit 35. The communication unit 31 transmits and receives information via the network 9. The input unit 32 is configured using existing input devices such as buttons, touch panels, keyboards, and mice. The input unit 32 is operated by the user when inputting user instructions to terminal device 3. The imaging unit 33 is a camera that takes images. The display unit 34 is an image display device such as a liquid crystal display or an organic EL (Electro-Luminescence) display. The processing unit 35 performs processing to transmit and receive information via the communication unit 31 and to display data on the display unit 34 according to the instructions input by the input unit 32.

[0041] Terminal device 4 is a computer device such as a tablet terminal or a personal computer. Terminal device 4 comprises a communication unit 41, an input unit 42, a display unit 43, and a processing unit 44. The communication unit 41 transmits and receives information via the network 9. The input unit 42 is configured using existing input devices such as buttons, touch panels, keyboards, and mice. The input unit 42 is operated by the user when inputting instructions from the user of terminal device 4 to terminal device 4. The display unit 43 is an image display device such as a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display. The processing unit 44 performs processing to transmit and receive information via the communication unit 41 and to display data on the display unit 43 according to the instructions input by the input unit 42. The processing unit 44 also performs processing to instruct the printing device 5 to print information.

[0042] Figure 2 shows an example of chewing value information for each menu item. The chewing value information for each menu item shown in this figure is information that associates menu items with chewing evaluation values. In this figure, the chewing evaluation values ​​are represented in three stages, "◎", "〇", and "△", in descending order of the number of chews. The number of stages is arbitrary. The chewing evaluation value for each menu item is determined based on the ingredients or the measured values ​​for each menu item. Specifically, experimental participants of different ages and genders measure the number of times they chew a predetermined number of times from the time they put a bite of the food (dish) of the menu item for which the chewing evaluation value is to be determined until they swallow it, and the chewing evaluation value is determined based on these measured values. The amount of food per bite is about one curry spoon. The results of this measurement show that the number of chews differs not only depending on the hardness of the ingredients themselves, but also on how the ingredients are cut and cooked. Therefore, the chewing evaluation value for menus that have not been measured may be determined based on the ingredients that have actually been measured, their hardness and how they are cut, and the cooking method for each menu item. In this way, the chewing evaluation value for a menu item is based on the measured number of actual chews when eating the food in that menu item, or on one or more of the following: the hardness of the ingredients included in that menu item, how the ingredients are cut, or the cooking method of that menu item.

[0043] Figure 3 shows an example of history information. The history information shown in the figure includes a user ID and one or more meal information entries. The meal information includes the date and time, meal image data taken at that time, estimated chewing evaluation values ​​for each meal menu based on the meal image data, estimated total chewing evaluation value for that meal, DVS sufficiency status, nutrient sufficiency status, and evaluation.

[0044] The DVS sufficiency status is shown as follows: points for each food category, points for each food group and their ratio to the target score, and the DVS and the ratio of the target to the DVS. Points for each food category are, for example, 1 point if the meal contains ingredients from that food category, and 0 points if it does not. Points for each food group are the sum of the points for the food categories included in that food group. DVS is the sum of the points for each food group. In a radar chart, the DVS sufficiency status may be calculated by dividing the area of ​​the polygon obtained by connecting the user's ratio of each food category or food group to the target score by the area of ​​the polygon when the total score for all food categories or food groups is 100 percent of the intake target. Nutrient sufficiency status is shown as the intake amount for each nutrient and its ratio to the target intake amount. Nutrient sufficiency status may be shown by which stage the ratio to the target intake amount falls into. The target intake amount can be the intake amount for any period, for example, one meal, one day, the past 30 days, or six months. Alternatively, it can be the target intake amount for the period from the start of food recording to the present. The start date of food recording is obtained from the oldest date and time information set in the history information.

[0045] The target scores for each food group, the target DVS, and the target nutrient intake may be common to all age groups, genders, weights, and heights, or they may be specific to one or more of these age groups, genders, weights, and heights, or they may be specific to the chewing group. Users belonging to the chewing group may be selected based on the total chewing evaluation value set in their history information. For example, the judgment unit 235 determines that users whose percentage of "◎" in the total chewing evaluation value of meals over a predetermined period is above a predetermined level belong to the chewing group. Alternatively, the judgment unit 235 may determine that users whose average total chewing evaluation value of meals over a predetermined period is above a predetermined level, when "◎," "〇," and "△" in the total chewing evaluation value are assigned points of "3 points," "2 points," and "1 point," respectively, belong to the chewing group. In this case, the judgment unit 235 calculates the average of the scores for each food group, DVS, and nutrient intake set in the meal information over the predetermined period for each user belonging to the chewing group as the target.

[0046] Figure 4 shows an example of advice selection information. Advice selection information is information that associates advice selection criteria with the advice given to the user when those criteria are met. Any information obtained from historical information and information about the user's biometrics can be used as selection criteria. In the figure, selection criteria are set for each category, but any combination of information from multiple categories can be used as selection criteria. Examples of information used in selection criteria are shown below.

[0047] (1) The average total chewing evaluation value, the percentage of the specified total chewing evaluation value, and the number of the specified total chewing evaluation values ​​for the most recent specified period (e.g., 30 days). The change over time of the average total chewing evaluation value, the percentage of the specified total chewing evaluation value, and the number of the specified total chewing evaluation values ​​for each period (e.g., every month). (2) Variation in total chewing evaluation values ​​over the most recent specified period, and changes in the variation of total chewing evaluation values ​​over time for each period. (3) The number or percentage of menu items with a predetermined chewing evaluation value in meals during the most recent specified period, or the change over time of the number or percentage of menu items with a predetermined chewing evaluation value in meals for each period. (4) The balance of recent meals and the changes in the balance of meals over time. The balance of meals is indicated by food classification, food group, DVS, nutrients, and the degree of sufficiency of these. Sufficiency can be measured by comparing with a user group that chews thoroughly, or by comparing with the average of all users. (5) Appetite during the most recent specified period, and changes in appetite over time in each period. (6) Comparison with ideal weight, and changes over time such as weight gain or loss. (7) The number of meals recorded in the most recent specified period, the number of consecutive days for which meals were recorded, and the changes in the number of meals recorded over time for each period. Note that recording meals corresponds to transmitting meal image data from terminal device 3 to health support device 2. (8) The date and time when the advice was selected. (9) Recent values ​​and changes over time of height, BMI, body fat, skeletal muscle mass, bone mass, and lean body mass.

[0048] Next, the operation of the health support system 1 will be explained. Note that the processing unit 23 of the health support device 2 transmits and receives data via the communication unit 21, the processing unit 35 of the terminal device 3 transmits and receives data via the communication unit 31, and the processing unit 44 of the terminal device 4 transmits and receives data via the communication unit 41, but these will be omitted from the description below.

[0049] Figure 5 shows the operation of the health support system 1 when a user transmits meal image data. The user operates the input unit 32 of the terminal device 3 to take a picture of the meal with the imaging unit 33. The processing unit 35 of the terminal device 3 transmits the meal image data captured by the imaging unit 33 and the user ID to the health support device 2 according to the instructions entered by the user via the input unit 32. The processing unit 35 of the terminal device 3 may further transmit biological information such as weight and appetite entered by the user via the input unit 32 to the health support device 2.

[0050] The receiving unit 231 of the health support device 2 receives meal image data and user ID transmitted from the terminal device 3 (step S105). The receiving unit 231 identifies history information by user ID. The receiving unit 231 also reads the date of birth from the biometric information identified by user ID and calculates the age from the date of birth. The estimation unit 232 analyzes the meal image data received by the receiving unit 231 in step S105 and estimates the meal menu (step S110). The chewing evaluation unit 233 reads the chewing evaluation value corresponding to each menu estimated by the estimation unit 232 in step S110 from the menu-specific chewing value information stored in the storage unit 22 (step S115).

[0051] The chewing evaluation unit 233 calculates the total chewing evaluation value based on the chewing evaluation values ​​of each menu read in step S115 (step S120). For example, the best chewing evaluation value among the chewing evaluation values ​​of each menu may be used as the total chewing evaluation value, the average of the chewing evaluation values ​​of each menu may be used as the total chewing evaluation value, or the total chewing evaluation value may be obtained by summing the chewing evaluation values ​​of each menu.

[0052] For example, suppose the chewing evaluation score is on a three-point scale: "◎", "〇", and "△", with "◎" being worth 3 points, "〇" worth 2 points, and "△" worth 1 point. Then, suppose the meal menu consists of rice, miso soup, grilled fish, and cold tofu, and the chewing evaluation scores are "〇" for rice, "〇" for miso soup, "◎" for grilled fish, and "△" for cold tofu. If the best chewing evaluation score is to be used as the total chewing evaluation score, the chewing evaluation unit 233 sets the total chewing evaluation score to "◎".

[0053] On the other hand, if the average of the chewing evaluation values ​​for each menu item is used as the total chewing evaluation value, the chewing evaluation unit 233 calculates the average score as (3 points × 1 + 2 points × 2 + 1 point × 1) / 4 = 2 points. The chewing evaluation unit 233 determines the total chewing evaluation value to be "◎" if the average score of the chewing evaluation values ​​is a1 or higher, "〇" if it is a2 or higher but less than a1, and "△" if it is less than a2. However, 3 > a1 > a2 > 1. The chewing evaluation unit 233 may also multiply the chewing evaluation value of each menu item by a coefficient that takes into account the quantity of each menu item, and calculate the average score of the chewing evaluation values ​​multiplied by the coefficient.

[0054] Furthermore, when calculating the total chewing evaluation value by summing the chewing evaluation values ​​of each menu item, the chewing evaluation unit 233 calculates the total score as (3 points × 1 + 2 points × 2 + 1 point × 1) / 4 = 8 points. The chewing evaluation unit 233 determines the total chewing evaluation value as "◎" if the total score is b1 or greater, as "〇" if the total score is b2 or greater but less than b1, and as "△" if the total score is less than b2. However, b1 > b2 > 1. Alternatively, the chewing evaluation unit 233 may multiply the chewing evaluation value of each menu item by a coefficient that takes into account the quantity of each menu item, and calculate the sum of the chewing evaluation values ​​multiplied by the coefficient.

[0055] Next, the acquisition unit 234 obtains the food classification of the ingredients used in each menu estimated by the estimation unit 232 in step S110 from the menu-specific classification information and uses it as food intake information. Furthermore, the acquisition unit 234 obtains the ingredients used in each menu estimated by the estimation unit 232 and their quantities from the menu-specific ingredient information and sets the total quantity of each ingredient into the food intake information (step S125).

[0056] The determination unit 235 determines the sufficiency of DVS and the sufficiency of nutrients based on the food intake information obtained in step S125 (step S130). Specifically, the acquisition unit 234 assigns 1 point to each food category if it is set as having been consumed in the food intake information, and 0 points if it is not set, and calculates a score by summing the points for each food category included in the protein group, vitamin / mineral group, and energy group. The determination unit 235 further calculates DVS by summing the points for the protein group, vitamin / mineral group, and energy group. The determination unit 235 compares the calculated score with the target score for each of the protein group, vitamin / mineral group, energy group, and DVS to determine the sufficiency status. The sufficiency status may be expressed as a percentage of the target score, or it may be expressed as which of the multiple stages the percentage of the target score falls into. Alternatively, the level of sufficiency may be expressed by the classification of foods included in the meal and the classification of foods not included in the meal.

[0057] Furthermore, the determination unit 235 refers to the nutrients and their amounts for each food item indicated in the nutrient information, calculates the amounts of various nutrients corresponding to the food items and their amounts indicated in the food intake information, and sums up the amounts calculated for each nutrient to calculate the total intake. The determination unit 235 compares the total intake with the target intake for each nutrient to determine the degree of sufficiency of each nutrient in relation to the dietary intake target.

[0058] The meal evaluation unit 236 evaluates the user's diet using the total chewing evaluation value calculated in step S120, the sufficiency status of each nutrient and DVS determined in step S130, and one or more pieces of information from the user's weight, appetite, BMI, body fat, skeletal muscle mass, bone mass, and lean body mass (step S135). For example, the meal evaluation unit 236 classifies the user's diet according to classification conditions shown by combinations of the total chewing evaluation value, the sufficiency status of each nutrient, the sufficiency status of DVS, the user's weight, a value representing the user's appetite, BMI, body fat, skeletal muscle mass, bone mass, and lean body mass, and uses this as the meal evaluation result. The return unit 241 returns the total chewing evaluation value and feedback information indicating the meal evaluation result to the terminal device 3 (step S140). The feedback information may also include past evaluation results obtained from history information. The processing unit 35 of the terminal device 3 displays the received feedback information on the display unit 34.

[0059] For example, the processing unit 35 displays a screen on the display unit 34 that maps the time-series evaluation results using the total chewing evaluation value, DVS, and body weight onto a two-axis plane of the total chewing evaluation value and DVS. The evaluation results are classified into evaluations A, B1, B2, and C, and the plane on which the evaluation results are mapped shows areas corresponding to each of the evaluations A, B1, B2, and C. Evaluation A indicates that the user is eating a well-balanced diet and chewing well. Evaluation B1 indicates that the user is chewing well, but the diet is not well-balanced. Evaluation B2 indicates that the user is eating a well-balanced diet, but is not chewing well. Evaluation D indicates that the user is eating a poorly balanced diet and is not chewing well. The user aims for evaluation A.

[0060] The information update unit 237 adds meal information to the user's history information (step S145). The meal information includes image data received in step S105, chewing evaluation values ​​for each menu item read in step S115, total chewing evaluation value obtained in step S120, DVS and nutrient sufficiency status determined in step S130, and the meal evaluation result in step S135. The date and time of the meal information may be set to the date and time the meal image data was received from the terminal device 3, or to the date and time the image data was taken. When biological information such as weight and appetite is received from the terminal device 3, the information update unit 237 adds the date and time the information was received and the received biological information to the biological information identified by the user ID, associating them.

[0061] Figure 6 shows the operation of Health Support System 1 when providing advice to a user. Here, the explanation assumes that a dental hygienist is providing advice in a dental clinic, but other individuals may also provide advice to the user. Examples of individuals other than dental hygienists include, but are not limited to, dentists, dental assistants, other dental healthcare professionals, doctors, nurses, medical assistants, caregivers, nutritionists, care managers, and social workers.

[0062] The processing unit 44 of the terminal device 4 transmits an information request to the health support device 2, which includes the user ID of the patient user and the ID of the dental clinic, in accordance with the instructions entered by the dental hygienist via the input unit 42. The processing unit 44 of the terminal device 4 may further transmit to the health support device 2 one or more pieces of biological information entered by the dental hygienist via the input unit 42, including the user's weight, appetite, height, BMI, body fat, skeletal muscle mass, bone mass, and lean body mass.

[0063] The receiving unit 231 receives an information request from the terminal device 4 (step S205). The receiving unit 231 identifies the history information, biometric information, and user management information stored in the storage unit 22 based on the user ID set in the received information request. Furthermore, the receiving unit 231 identifies the advisor information stored in the storage unit 22 based on the clinic ID set in the information request. If the receiving unit 231 receives biometric information from the terminal device 4, the information update unit 237 adds the date and time the information was received and the biometric information received to the identified biometric information, associating them with each other.

[0064] The advice selection unit 238 determines whether the information obtained based on the history information and biometric information identified by the receiving unit 231 matches each selection condition of the advice selection information stored in the storage unit 22. The advice selection unit 238 reads out the advice information associated with the selection conditions that it has determined to match from the advice selection information (step S210).

[0065] The information output unit 242 obtains user-specific information based on the history information and biometric information identified by the receiving unit 231, and statistical information based on the history information and biometric information of multiple users. The information output unit 242 generates provided information showing the user-specific information, the statistical information, a comparison of the user-specific information and the statistical information, and the advice information selected by the advice selection unit 238, and transmits it to the terminal device 4 (step S215). The information output unit 242 may include information such as the user's name read from the user management information, and information such as the clinic's name and contact information read from the advice provider information, in the provided information. The processing unit 44 of the terminal device 4 displays the received provided information on the display unit 43. The processing unit 44 may instruct the printing device 5 to print the provided information. The dental hygienist refers to the provided information displayed on the display unit 43 and the provided information printed by the printing device 5 to provide explanations and advice to the user and encourage them to record their meals.

[0066] The information output unit 242 may transmit the provided information to the terminal device 4 in multiple parts. In this case, the terminal device 4 may specify which information from the provided information it requests in the information request and send it to the health support device 2. The information output unit 242 of the health support device 2 transmits the provided information requested in the information request to the terminal device 4.

[0067] Figures 7 and 8 show examples of information provided on the terminal device 4. Screen G1 shown in Figure 7 includes a display of the user's monthly dietary balance, total chewing evaluation value (chewing score), number of photos taken, weight, and appetite over time, as well as a list of advice for the user. The information output unit 242 generates screen data to display screen G1 and transmits it to the terminal device 4.

[0068] Regarding dietary balance, the ratio of the user's intake to the intake target for each food category is shown in a diagram. Here, the intake target is defined as the average intake of each food category for users belonging to the group that can chew well. The intake is shown, for example, as the proportion of meals containing that food category in a one-month diet. The information output unit 242 calculates the dietary balance score by dividing the area of ​​the polygon obtained by connecting the proportions of the user's intake of each food category in the diagram by the area of ​​the polygon when the intake of all food categories is 100 percent of the intake target. The information output unit 242 calculates the user's dietary balance score every month and sets a graph showing the time-series change of the calculated score and a diagram showing the user's dietary balance for each month as provided information. Furthermore, the diagram shows the ratio of the average intake of each food category for users belonging to the group that cannot chew well to the intake target. Users belonging to the group that cannot chew well are those whose average total chewing evaluation value for meals over a predetermined period is below a predetermined level. Furthermore, the information output unit 242 scores the chewing evaluation value for each menu item of each meal, calculates a total score for each meal, and calculates the average of these total scores every month to determine the total chewing evaluation to be used in the information provided.

[0069] The advice information includes advice A1 based on the number of times photos were taken, advice A2 on seasonal ingredients based on the current date, advice A3 based on DVS, advice A4 based on the adequacy of food groups, advice A5 based on the adequacy of food classifications, advice A6 based on the total chewing evaluation value, and advice A7 based on body weight and appetite.

[0070] The screen G2 shown in Figure 8 displays a list of meal image data captured during a predetermined period. Each meal image data is accompanied by information on the date and time of capture. The information output unit 242 generates screen data to display screen G2 based on the meal image data and date and time information obtained from the user's history information and transmits it to the terminal device 4. The information output unit 242 may also generate screen data to display detailed information attached to the selected meal image data when the input unit 42 of the terminal device 4 selects a meal image data. The detailed information includes one or more of the following, which are set in the history information in association with the meal image data: chewing evaluation value, total chewing evaluation value, DVS sufficiency status, nutrient sufficiency status, and meal evaluation.

[0071] Furthermore, the advisor may, in step S215, refer to the information provided by each user transmitted from the health support device 2 and send personalized advice to the user's terminal device 3. In the above example, the dental hygienist refers to the information provided displayed on the display unit 43 of the terminal device 4 or printed by the printer 5 and inputs the advice to the user using the input unit 42. When the dental hygienist inputs a transmission instruction to the user using the input unit 42, the processing unit 44 sends advice notification information containing the input advice to the health support device 2. The advice notification information may include all or part of the information provided. The information provided included in the advice notification information may be predetermined or selected by the dental hygienist using the input unit 42. A user ID may also be added to the advice notification information. The information output unit 242 of the health support device 2 reads an address from the user management information identified in step S205, or from the user management information identified by the user ID added to the advice notification information, and sends the advice notification information to the read address. The processing unit 44 of terminal device 4 may also directly send advice notification information to the user's address. The processing unit 35 of the user's terminal device 3 displays the advice notification information received from the health support device 2 or terminal device 4 on the display unit 34.

[0072] According to the embodiments described above, it becomes possible to provide useful information about eating tailored to individual users and support their health. Since poor nutritional status in the elderly is related to a decline in oral function, providing nutritional information in the dental field makes it possible to improve malnutrition, maintain and improve oral function, and primarily for elderly users. Furthermore, from the perspective of frailty prevention, dental hygienists and nurses at dental clinics and other medical facilities can provide patients with useful information to promote their health, leading to an increase in the number and frequency of visits, and contributing to regional collaboration, medical-dental collaboration, and increased revenue for dental clinics and other medical facilities.

[0073] The health support device 2 may be a system implemented using multiple computer devices connected to each other via a network. In this case, it is arbitrary which of these multiple computer devices will implement each function of the health support device 2. Furthermore, the same function may be implemented by multiple computer devices.

[0074] When the functions of the health support device 2, terminal device 3, and terminal device 4 in the above-described embodiment are implemented using a computer, the functions may be implemented by recording a program for implementing these functions on a computer-readable recording medium, loading the program recorded on this recording medium into a computer system, and executing it. Here, "computer system" includes hardware such as the OS and peripheral devices. Furthermore, "computer-readable recording medium" refers to portable media such as flexible disks, magneto-optical disks, ROMs, CD-ROMs, and storage devices such as hard disks built into a computer system. In addition, "computer-readable recording medium" may also include those that dynamically hold programs for a short period of time, such as communication lines used when transmitting programs via networks such as the Internet or communication lines such as telephone lines, and those that hold programs for a certain period of time, such as volatile memory inside a computer system that acts as a server or client in such cases. Furthermore, the above-mentioned program may only implement a part of the functions described above, and may also be able to implement the above-mentioned functions in combination with programs already recorded in the computer system.

[0075] While embodiments of this invention have been described in detail above with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to these embodiments and includes designs and the like that do not depart from the spirit of this invention. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0076] 1…Health support system, 2…Health support device, 3…Terminal device, 4…Terminal device, 5…Printing device, 9…Network, 21…Communication unit, 22…Storage unit, 23…Processing unit, 31…Communication unit, 32…Input unit, 33…Imaging unit, 34…Display unit, 35…Processing unit, 41…Communication unit, 42…Input unit, 43…Display unit, 44…Processing unit, 231…Receiving unit, 232…Estimation unit, 233…Chewing evaluation unit, 234…Acquisition unit, 235…Determination unit, 236…Meal evaluation unit, 237…Information update unit, 238…Advice selection unit, 239…Information provision unit, 241…Return unit, 242…Information output unit

Claims

1. an estimation unit that estimates a meal menu based on image data of the user's meal; a mastication evaluation unit that acquires a mastication evaluation value corresponding to the menu estimated by the estimation unit, the mastication evaluation value indicating the number of times of mastication; an information providing unit that provides information based on the mastication evaluation value; A health support device comprising:

2. the mastication evaluation unit calculates a total mastication evaluation value that indicates the number of mastications required to eat the meal based on the estimated mastication evaluation value corresponding to the menu. The health support device according to claim 1.

3. an acquisition unit that acquires food intake information indicating the classification or ingredients of ingredients used in the menu estimated by the estimation unit; a determination unit that determines one or both of a nutrient sufficiency level for a dietary intake goal and a food intake diversity score sufficiency level based on the food intake information acquired by the acquisition unit; a meal evaluation unit that evaluates a meal using the mastication evaluation value and the satisfaction state; The health support device according to claim 2, further comprising:

4. the meal evaluation unit evaluates the meal of the user using the mastication evaluation value and the satisfaction state based on the image data and information about the user's body. The health support device according to claim 3.

5. The information about the living body includes one or more of information about weight, appetite, height, body mass index, body fat, skeletal muscle mass, bone mass, and lean body mass. The health support device according to claim 4.

6. a receiving unit for receiving the image data from a terminal device used by the user; the information providing unit includes a return unit that returns to the terminal device one or both of the overall mastication evaluation value based on the image data received by the receiving unit and the evaluation result by the meal evaluation unit.

6. The health support device according to claim 3.

7. a storage unit configured to store, for each user, history information indicating a history of at least a portion of the image data, the overall mastication evaluation value, the satisfaction state, and the evaluation results by the meal evaluation unit; the information providing unit includes an information output unit that outputs one or both of information about an individual user obtained from the history information and information about a plurality of users; 7. The health support device according to claim 3.

8. The information for each user output by the information output unit includes at least one of the image data, the number of times the image data is received, information based on the time-series overall mastication evaluation value, the time-series satisfaction status, and the time-series evaluation result. The health support device according to claim 7.

9. an advice selection unit that selects advice information based on information obtained from the user's history information; the information output unit outputs information on the advice selected by the advice selection unit.

9. The health support device according to claim 7 or 8.

10. the advice selection unit selects advice information based on information obtained from the history information of the user and information about the biological information of the user. The health support device according to claim 9.

11. the information about the living body used by the advice selection unit is one or both of weight information and appetite information; The health support device according to claim 10.

12. The mastication evaluation value and the total mastication evaluation value indicate which of a plurality of stages corresponds to the number of times of mastication. The health support device according to any one of claims 2 to 11.

13. The mastication evaluation value corresponding to the menu is based on one or more of the number of mastications measured for the menu, the hardness of ingredients included in the menu, the cutting method of ingredients included in the menu, and the cooking method of the menu.

13. The health support device according to claim 2.

14. an estimation unit that estimates a meal menu based on image data of the user's meal; a mastication evaluation unit that acquires a mastication evaluation value corresponding to the menu estimated by the estimation unit, the mastication evaluation value indicating the number of times of mastication; an information providing unit that provides information based on the mastication evaluation value; A health support system with

15. A health support method executed by a health support device, comprising: an estimation step of estimating a menu of the meal based on image data of the meal of the user; a mastication evaluation step of acquiring a mastication evaluation value corresponding to the menu estimated in the estimation step, the mastication evaluation value indicating the number of times of mastication; an information providing step of providing information based on the mastication evaluation value; A health support method having the above.

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