Bather monitoring system, program and monitoring method

Abstract

To protect a bathing person from a bathing abnormality by discovering an occurrence of a bathing abnormality due to drowning in bathtub water while he or she is taking a bath without hindering bathing environment or comfort, and without giving stress to the bathing person.SOLUTION: A bathing person monitoring system includes: a sensor 8 for acquiring either a cardiac rate or a motion of a bathing person as biological information; an abnormality determination unit 10 for determining a bathing person with the acquisition of the biological information as a first timing, determining a drowning state from a transition state of the biological information from the first timing to a second timing after an elapse of a predetermined time, generating calling message information to the bathing person in a message notification unit 14, determining a bathing state from a result of comparison between the biological information detected at a fourth timing after an elapse of a predetermined time from a third timing at which the calling message information is output, and the biological information detected at the second timing, and, generating determination result information; and the message notification unit 14 and an abnormality notification unit 16 for presenting the calling message information or presenting the determination result information.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a detection technique for monitoring a bather and preventing the bather from drowning in bath water. [Background technology]

[0002] If a bather becomes unwell and drowns in the bathtub water, it can be difficult for the person in question to contact someone outside the bathroom. Except when a caregiver is present, the bathroom is usually the bather's free space, and the bather's privacy is maintained. Even if people outside the bathroom are concerned about the bather, there are limits to how much they can monitor the bather at all times. For example, in detecting abnormalities in a hotel bathroom, multiple sensors that detect human bodies are installed below the bathroom sink counter, and when one or two of the multiple sensors detect a bather, it is determined that the situation is normal, and when three or more sensors continue to detect a person for a predetermined period of time or more, it is determined that an abnormality has occurred (for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 8-50693 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Incidentally, video surveillance of the bathroom from multiple locations would likely improve the accuracy of determining whether something is normal or abnormal. However, as a bathroom is a free space, restricting the bathing environment and limiting freedom and privacy can undermine the comfort that bathers expect from bathing and cause discomfort to the bather. Making bathers aware that they are being monitored can also cause stress and reduce the effectiveness of their bathing experience. However, it is essential to avoid the unexpected event of someone drowning in the bathtub water while bathing. Patent Document 1 does not disclose or suggest anything about such a problem, and the configuration disclosed in Patent Document 1 cannot solve such a problem. Therefore, in view of the above problems, the object of the present invention is to detect the occurrence of bathing abnormalities caused by drowning in bathtub water while bathing and to protect the bather from such bathing abnormalities without interfering with the bathing environment or comfort and without causing stress to the bather. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] In order to achieve the above object, according to one aspect of the bather monitoring system of the present invention, the heart rate of a bather in a bathroom or bathtub is monitored. 、 or bathers Heart rate and motion Kiwo a biological information acquiring means for acquiring biological information, a means for determining a bather based on the acquisition of the biological information as a first timing, monitoring a transition state of the biological information from the first timing to a second timing after a predetermined time has elapsed, and determining a bather based on the transition state; I can't breathe drowning state In Judge , at the third timing Message notification section displays message information to call bathers Exit force Let the above The bathing state of the bather is determined based on a comparison result between the biological information detected at a fourth timing after a predetermined time has elapsed since the third timing and the biological information detected at the second timing. Is the bathing condition abnormal? bathing state determination means for determining the bathing state and generating determination result information; and presenting the call message information; or Indicates the abnormal bathing condition and an information presentation means for presenting the determination result information. In this bather monitoring system, the bathing state determination means may use the heart rate to determine whether the bather is in a drowning state. In this bather monitoring system, the bathing state determination means determines whether or not the bather is in a bathing state based on the biological information acquired by the biological information acquisition means after the call message information is notified. The aforementioned If there is no change in the biological information, the bathing status The aforementioned It may be determined that the bathing state is abnormal. This bather monitoring system further includes a drain plug for draining hot and cold water from the bathtub. ,before The bath state determination means The aforementioned The bathtub control device may further include a control means for opening the drain valve to drain the hot and cold water from the bathtub when an abnormal bathing state is determined. In this bather monitoring system, the control means may control the opening and closing time or the amount of water discharged from the drain plug, thereby discharging a predetermined amount of hot water from the bathtub.

[0006] To achieve the above object, according to one aspect of the program of the present invention, there is provided a program executed by a computer, which includes: a program for measuring the heart rate of a person in a bathroom or a bathtub; 、 or bathers Heart rate and motion Kiwo a function of causing a biological information acquisition means to acquire biological information as biological information; a function of determining a bather based on the acquisition of the biological information as a first timing, monitoring a transition state of the biological information from the first timing to a second timing after a predetermined time has elapsed, and determining a bather based on the transition state; I can't breathe drowning state In Judge , at the third timing Message notification section displays message information to call bathers Exit force Let the above The bathing state of the bather is determined based on a comparison result between the biological information detected at a fourth timing after a predetermined time has elapsed since the third timing and the biological information detected at the second timing. Is the bathing condition abnormal? and generating determination result information; and causing an information presentation means to present the call message information; or Indicates the abnormal bathing condition The computer is caused to execute a function of presenting the determination result information.

[0007] To achieve the above object, according to one aspect of the bather monitoring method of the present invention, a biological information acquiring means acquires a heart rate of a bather in a bathroom or a bathtub. 、 or bathers Heart rate and motion Kiwoa bathing state determination means for determining a bather based on the acquisition of the biological information as a first timing, monitoring a transition state of the biological information from the first timing to a second timing after a predetermined time has elapsed, and determining the bather from the transition state; I can't breathe drowning state In Judge , at the third timing Message notification section displays message information to call bathers Exit force Let the above The bathing state of the bather is determined based on a comparison result between the biological information detected at a fourth timing after a predetermined time has elapsed since the third timing and the biological information detected at the second timing. Is the bathing condition abnormal? and generating determination result information; and an information presenting means presents the call message information, or Indicates the abnormal bathing condition and presenting the determination result information. In this bather monitoring method, the bathing state determination means may include a step of determining whether the bather is in a drowning state using the heart rate. In this bather monitoring method, the bathing state determination means determines whether or not the bathing state is correct after the notification of the call message information. The aforementioned If there is no change in the biological information, the bathing status The aforementioned The method may include a step of determining that the bathing state is abnormal. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, one of the following effects can be obtained. (1) The detected biological condition can be used to determine the bather's bathing condition, such as whether they are drowning, and by presenting this information, the bather can be protected from abnormal bathing conditions, such as prolonged drowning. (2) Abnormalities in bathing can be monitored, and the bathtub can be drained quickly, thereby preventing unforeseen incidents such as bather accidents. (3) By detecting and utilizing the bather's biometric information, it is possible to monitor whether the bather is bathing or not, as well as the bather's physical condition. This eliminates the need for multiple sensors in the bathroom, reduces the number of components, and speeds up the detection process. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing a bathroom anomaly detection system according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 1A is a diagram showing an example of a state in which an abnormal bathing state due to drowning in bathtub water is detected by a sensor, and FIG. 1B is a diagram showing an example of a state in which drainage processing is performed in response to an abnormal bathing state due to drowning. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a process for determining a drowning state based on detected biological information. [Figure 4] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a bathing monitoring process. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a bathroom anomaly detection system according to a second embodiment. [Figure 6] A is a diagram showing the bathing detection state, B is a diagram showing an example of the state of abnormal bathing state detected by a sensor due to drowning in bathtub water, and C is a diagram showing an example of the state in which drainage processing is performed in response to an abnormal bathing state due to drowning. [Figure 7] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a bathing monitoring process. [Figure 8] 10 is a bathroom abnormality detection system according to the third embodiment, in which A is a diagram showing the state of detection of human presence and bathing, B is a diagram showing an example of the state of detection of an abnormal bathing state due to drowning in bathtub water by a sensor, and C is a diagram showing an example of the state in which drainage processing is performed in response to an abnormal bathing state due to drowning. [Figure 9] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a bathing monitoring process. [Figure 10] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a bathroom anomaly detection system. [Figure 11] FIG. [Figure 12] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a control unit of the bathroom abnormality detection system. [Figure 13] 10 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure of bathing monitoring. [Figure 14]10 is a bathroom abnormality detection system according to Example 2, in which FIG. 10A shows the detection state of the bather's movements and bathing, FIG. 10B shows an example of the detection state of an abnormal bathing state caused by drowning in bathtub water by a sensor, and FIG. 10C shows an example of the state in which drainage processing is performed in response to an abnormal bathing state caused by drowning. [Figure 15] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a function for determining an abnormal bathing state. [Figure 16] 10 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure of bathing monitoring. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] [First embodiment] Fig. 1 shows a bathroom anomaly detection system according to a first embodiment. The configuration shown in Fig. 1 is an example, and the present invention is not limited to the configuration shown in Fig. 1. This bathroom abnormality detection system 2 is an example of a bather monitoring system, program, or monitoring method of the present invention, and monitors (watches over) the condition of a person in the bathtub 4, i.e., the bather, detects abnormal bathing conditions such as the bather drowning, and drains the bathtub water (BW). 1, this bathroom abnormality detection system 2 includes a drain plug 6 and a sensor 8 installed in a bathtub 4, an abnormality determination unit 10, and a control unit 12. In addition, the bathroom abnormality detection system 2 includes a message notification unit 14 and an abnormality notification unit 16.

[0011] Sensor 8 is an example of a biosensor of the present invention that detects the bather's biometric information, and includes, for example, a heart rate sensor that detects the heart rate of the bather in bathtub 4, and a human presence sensor that detects whether the bather is moving. Sensor 8 may detect a heart rate waveform if it is a heart rate sensor, or may detect or measure the timing of movement, the trajectory of movement, or the distance moved if it is a human presence sensor. The abnormality determination unit 10 is composed of, for example, a computer, and monitors the bather's bathing state based on the biological information detected by the sensor 8, determining whether the bather is in an abnormal bathing state, such as drowning in the bathtub water BW, as well as the presence or absence of a person in the bathtub 4. Additionally, when using heart rate information, for example, the abnormality determination unit 10 may also have a function for determining the bather's health state based on the bather's heart rate and heart rate strength. Furthermore, when using the bather's movement information, for example, the abnormality determination unit 10 may also have a function for determining the bather's health state based on the magnitude, range, and state of the movement, such as whether the movement is normal or whether the bather is violent due to a seizure or other physical abnormality. Control unit 12 is an example of a means for controlling the system to resolve the abnormal bathing state based on the determination result of abnormality determination unit 10. This control unit 12 may be configured, for example, as a water heater (not shown), a remote controller for the water heater, or an independent control device. Control unit 12 receives the determination output from abnormality determination unit 10. If the determination output indicates an abnormal bathing state, control unit 12 opens drain plug 6 to drain bathwater BW from bathtub 4. Furthermore, when drain plug 6 is opened, control unit 12 activates, for example, message notification unit 14 or abnormality notification unit 16 to call the bather or notify the outside world of the abnormality.

[0012] The message notification unit 14 is an example of an information presentation means that outputs a message to the bathroom under the control of the control unit 12, and is configured, for example, with a speaker function of a bathroom remote control. The message notification unit 14 outputs a message by voice or light signal to a bather who is determined to be in an abnormal bathing state, notifying the bather of the abnormal bathing state or urging the bather to wake up if the bather is dozing off or otherwise in a state of drowning. This message notification is output as a melody or electronic sound, such as "Are you OK?", "There's a problem with your bathing," "There's no problem," "Please come back," or "You're overdone." The message notification unit 14 may be installed, for example, in a bathroom remote control (remote control device 18 in FIG. 2) installed near the bathtub 4. A similar message may also be output from a kitchen remote control (not shown) so that the bather can confirm in the kitchen that a message has been sent to the bather. The abnormality notification unit 16 is an example of an information presentation means, and is an example of a means for notifying those inside and outside the bathroom of the occurrence of an abnormal bathing condition if there is no response from the bather after the message notification unit 14 outputs a call message under the control of the control unit 12. The abnormality notification unit 16 is a means for notifying, for example, the speakers of the bathroom remote control or kitchen remote control, as well as an external communication terminal such as a mobile phone, an external server device, etc. using the communication function.

[0013] <Bath supervision processing> Sensor 8 is installed, for example, inside or around bathtub 4, on a wall in the bathroom, or on remote control device 18, and detects the bather's biological information by contact with the bather or indirectly via the bathtub water BW. In this embodiment, sensor 8 detects the bather's heart rate at predetermined intervals or continuously to monitor for abnormal bathing conditions such as drowning based on the biological information. For example, as shown in A of Fig. 2, sensor 8 collects biological information from a bather who falls asleep or becomes confused while bathing and has turned their face downward, causing their face to become submerged. At this time, sensor 8 measures the bather's heart rate and outputs the results to abnormality determination unit 10. The abnormality determination unit 10, for example, monitors the heart rate information notified by the sensor 8 to determine whether or not a person is in the bathtub 4, monitors the bathing state, and executes an abnormality determination process. Based on, for example, the heart rate value and its transition state, the abnormality determination unit 10 determines that the bather is drowning or is at risk of drowning, and outputs a determination result that the bathing state is abnormal. The abnormality determination unit 10 notifies the control unit 12 of this determination result.

[0014] For example, when control unit 12 receives a determination result indicating an abnormal bathing state, it outputs an instruction to execute a call process to message notification unit 14 in remote control device 18 in the bathroom. Control unit 12 also outputs an operation instruction to drain plug 6 of bathtub 4, opening it and discharging bathwater BW through drain pipe 20, as shown in B of Fig. 2 . The control unit 12 may perform the process of draining the bathtub water BW after performing the call process on the remote control device 18, or may perform the process of draining the bathtub water BW when it receives the result of the abnormal bathing state determination without performing the call process. The control unit 12 may determine the order in which to perform the call process or whether to perform it depending on, for example, whether or not emergency release from the drowning state is necessary based on the state of the detected biological information.

[0015] <Determining bathing status> Fig. 3 shows an example of a process for determining whether an abnormal bathing state due to drowning is present based on the detection results. The process contents and determination procedure shown in Fig. 3 are merely an example. The abnormality determination unit 10 determines whether the bather is drowning, for example, based on information about the heart rate detected by the sensor 8. In this determination process, the transition state of biological information including the heart rate over time is monitored, for example, as shown in FIG. For example, the abnormality determination unit 10 acquires heart rate information α of the bather at time t1, and then acquires heart rate information β at time t2, a predetermined time later. The abnormality determination unit 10 determines the transition state from heart rate information α to β. In this determination, it determines whether the transition from heart rate information α to β is a transition state specific to a drowning state where breathing is impossible, such as a sudden change in heart rate that is greater than that caused by normal bathing.

[0016] The abnormality determination unit 10 uses, for example, heart rate information β at time t2 as the reference value for determining whether to respond to the call. At time t3, a predetermined time after time t2, the call message processing is performed. Then, the abnormality determination unit 10 acquires heart rate information at time t4, a predetermined time after the call, and compares it with the heart rate information β, which is the reference value for determination. As a result, for example, in state X1, where the heart rate information γ is higher than the heart rate information β, the abnormality determination unit 10 determines the bathing state as a drowning state and an abnormal bathing state. In state X2, where the heart rate information δ is lower, the abnormality determination unit 10 determines the bathing state as a normal state when the heart rate stabilizes at time t5.

[0017] In this abnormality determination process, the determination may be made based on whether the heart rate has suddenly dropped due to cardiac arrest caused by drowning, or whether the bathing state is abnormal based on data showing not only a simple increase or decrease in heart rate but also specific changes in heart rate that occur when drowning occurs. Furthermore, when using the bather's movement information as biometric information, the abnormality determination process may determine that the bather is in an abnormal bathing state, including drowning, if the bather suddenly stops moving or becomes violent.

[0018] <Bath monitoring> Figure 4 shows an example of a processing procedure for detecting bathroom abnormalities using bathing monitoring. This processing procedure and processing content are merely examples, and the present invention is not limited to such a configuration. Furthermore, this bathing monitoring processing is an example of a bathroom abnormality detection method and its program processing. The abnormality determination unit 10 acquires the bather's biological information from the sensor 8 (S11) and determines the bathing state based on the biological information (S12). The abnormality determination unit 10 determines whether the bather is in a drowning state (S13), and if the bather is not in a drowning state (NO in S13), it repeats acquiring the biological information (S11) and determining the bathing state (S12).

[0019] If the control unit 12 determines that the bather is drowning (YES in S13), it outputs instruction information to the message notification unit 14 and processes a message to call the bather (S14). The abnormality determination unit 10 then determines whether the bather has recovered from the drowning state based on this message processing (S15). This determination of recovery from drowning can be made, for example, by referring to heart rate information obtained from the sensor 8 and determining whether the condition indicates a drowning state. If the bather has recovered from the drowning state (YES in S15), the process returns to S11 and bathing monitoring continues. If the abnormality determination unit 10 determines that the bather has not recovered from the drowning state (NO in S15), the control unit 12 opens the drain plug 6 to drain the bathtub water (BW) (S16) and notifies the outside via the abnormality notification unit 16 that an abnormal state due to drowning has occurred in the bathtub (S17).

[0020] <Advantages of the First Embodiment> According to the first embodiment, the following effects can be obtained. (1) By quickly determining whether the bather is drowning in the bathtub water BW based on biological information such as the bather's heart rate and discharging the bathtub water, the bathtub water can be discharged, allowing the bather to be released from the drowning state and to be able to breathe, even if the bather falls asleep while bathing, loses consciousness, or experiences other physical abnormalities that make it impossible for them to escape from the bathtub or take action to ensure breathing. (2) By continuously monitoring the bather's drowning condition and promptly draining the bathtub water, accidents caused by drowning in the bathtub water can be avoided. (3) By calling out to the bather and understanding their recovery from drowning based on heart rate information, it is possible to improve safety by quickly draining the water in the bath in the event of an abnormal bathing state due to drowning, while at the same time improving the convenience of the bath function by reducing the unnecessary discharge of bath water (BW). (4) By using biometric information to determine whether someone is bathing and whether they are in an abnormal bathing state due to drowning, the monitoring burden on the bather is reduced, privacy is ensured, and there is no need to use multiple sensors in the bathroom, which reduces the number of components and speeds up the detection process.

[0021] Second Embodiment Fig. 5 shows a bathroom anomaly detection system according to a second embodiment. The configuration shown in Fig. 5 is an example, and the present invention is not limited to the configuration shown in Fig. 5. In Fig. 5, the same components as those in Fig. 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals. The bathroom abnormality detection system 30 according to the second embodiment includes a sensor 32 in addition to the detection system 2 (FIG. 1) described above. Sensor 32 is an example of a means for detecting the water level in bathtub 4, or whether or not the water level is changing, and the detection output indicates whether or not a person is bathing and their movements while bathing. Sensor 32 may be, for example, a water level sensor that optically measures the water level in the bathtub, or one that detects the water pressure in bathtub 4 or in the piping of a water heater (not shown) and calculates the water level according to this water pressure. Furthermore, other configurations are the same as those in the first embodiment, so the same reference numerals are used and the description thereof will be omitted.

[0022] <Bath supervision processing> The water level L1 of the bathtub water BW rises to a water level L2 when a bather enters the bathtub 4, as shown in A of Figure 6. If the sensor 32 detects that the water level is equal to or higher than L2, a detection output indicating the bather's bathing state is obtained. FIG. 6B shows a drowning state as an example of an abnormal state. At this time, the sensor 8 collects biological information of the bather who, for example, has fallen asleep or become confused while bathing and whose face is in a submerged state. In this embodiment, a heart rate sensor that measures the bather's heart rate is used as the sensor 8, and the detected heart rate results are output to the abnormality determination unit 10 one by one. Furthermore, the sensor 32 detects that the bathtub water BW level has risen from L2 to L3 due to the drowning state, and outputs the detection result to the abnormality determination unit 10. Abnormality determination unit 10, for example, monitors heart rate information notified by sensor 8 and the transition to water level L3 obtained from sensor 32 to determine whether a person is in bathtub 4, monitors the bathing state, and executes abnormality determination processing. Based on, for example, the heart rate value, the transition state of that value, and the rise in water level from L2 to L3, abnormality determination unit 10 determines that the bather is drowning or is at risk of drowning, and outputs a determination result of an abnormal bathing state. Abnormality determination unit 10 notifies control unit 12 of this determination result.

[0023] For example, based on the result of the determination that the bathing state is abnormal, the control unit 12 performs a call process and opens the drain plug 6, thereby lowering the water level by draining the bathtub water BW. At this time, the control unit 12 monitors the drop in the water level in the bathtub 4 based on the detection results from the sensor 32. Then, when all the hot and cold water in the bathtub 4 has been drained or when it has reached a predetermined level, the control unit 12 outputs a closing command to the drain plug 6. Note that the water level after the bathtub water BW has been drained may be preset to a level at which the bather will not drown, and the drain plug 6 may be closed when that water level is reached, or it may be determined from the detection results of the sensors 8 and 32 whether the bather has been released from a drowning state.

[0024] <Bath monitoring> Figure 7 shows an example of a processing procedure for detecting bathroom abnormalities using bathing monitoring. This processing procedure and processing content are merely examples, and the present invention is not limited to such a configuration. Furthermore, this bathing monitoring processing is an example of a bathroom abnormality detection method and its program processing. The abnormality determination unit 10 acquires the bather's biological information from the sensor 8 (S21) and acquires water level information from the sensor 32 (S22) to determine the bathing condition (S23). The abnormality determination unit 10 combines the changes in the heart rate and the changes in the bathtub water BW level to determine whether the bather is drowning (S24), and if the bather is not drowning (NO in S24), returns to acquiring the biological information (S21).

[0025] If the control unit 12 determines that the bather is drowning (YES in S24), it outputs instruction information to the message notification unit 14 and processes a message to call the bather (S25). The abnormality determination unit 10 then determines whether the bather has recovered from the drowning state based on this message processing (S26). This determination of recovery from drowning can be made by, for example, referring to heart rate information obtained from sensor 8 or a drop in water level detected by sensor 32 to determine whether the condition indicates a drowning state. If the bather has recovered from the drowning state (YES in S26), the control unit 12 returns to S21 and continues bathing monitoring. If the abnormality determination unit 10 determines that the bather has not recovered from the drowning state (NO in S26), the control unit 12 opens the drain plug 6 to drain the bathtub water (BW) (S27) and notifies the outside via the abnormality notification unit 16 that an abnormal state due to drowning has occurred in the bathtub (S28).

[0026] <Advantages of the second embodiment> According to the second embodiment, in addition to the effects of the first embodiment, the following effects can be obtained. (1) By combining information on water level changes with vital information such as heart rate, the accuracy of determining whether a part of the body is drowning or at risk of drowning in the bathwater BW is improved, and recovery from drowning in the bathwater BW can be achieved more quickly, thereby improving bathing safety. (2) By adding water level changes to the factors that determine whether a bather is drowning, in addition to the bather's unique biological characteristics such as age and cardiopulmonary strength, the accuracy of determining whether a bather is drowning can be improved, and the occurrence of drowning-related accidents can be reduced.

[0027] [Third embodiment] Fig. 8 shows a bathroom anomaly detection system according to a third embodiment. The configuration shown in Fig. 8 is an example, and the present invention is not limited to the configuration shown in Fig. 8. In Fig. 8, the same components as those in Fig. 2 are denoted by the same reference numerals. The bathroom abnormality detection system 40 according to the third embodiment includes a sensor 42 in addition to the detection system 2 (FIG. 1) described above. Sensor 42 is an example of a human monitoring sensor of the present disclosure that detects the presence or absence of a bather in bathtub 4 or the bathroom, and may be, for example, an optical sensor. The bather presence or absence information detected by sensor 42 is sent to abnormality determination unit 10 and, in combination with the biological information from sensor 8, is used to determine the bather's drowning state. Furthermore, other configurations are the same as those in the first embodiment, so the same reference numerals are used and the description thereof will be omitted.

[0028] <Bath supervision processing> As shown in A of FIG. 8, for example, sensor 42 has a sensor area set to detect a bather at a predetermined position or height in bathtub 4 or the bathroom. This sensor 42 is installed, for example, on a wall in the bathroom or on remote control device 18, and emits laser light, infrared light, or the like in a predetermined direction and within a predetermined range. It may also be configured to receive infrared light emitted by the human body. Sensor 42 detects a bather in bathtub 4 in a normal posture. In this way, detection information indicating whether a bather is present or not is notified to abnormality determination unit 10. At this time, abnormality determination unit 10 is also notified of biological information detected by sensor 8. FIG. 8B shows a drowning state as an example of an abnormal bathing state. At this time, the sensor 8 collects biological information of the bather, for example, if the bather falls asleep or becomes confused while bathing and the face is submerged. The sensor 8 then measures the bather's heart rate as an example of biological information, and outputs the results to the abnormality determination unit 10 one by one. The sensor 42 also obtains a detection result indicating that no bather is present in the sensor area set near the bathtub 4, and outputs the result to the abnormality determination unit 10.

[0029] The abnormality determination unit 10 determines that a bather is present in the bathtub 4 based on, for example, heart rate information notified from the sensor 8, and determines that the bather is in an abnormal bathing state due to drowning based on the detection result that the bather is absent from the sensor 42. The abnormality determination unit 10 notifies the control unit 12 of this determination result. For example, based on the result of the determination that the bathing state is abnormal, the control unit 12 performs a call process and opens the drain plug 6, thereby lowering the water level by draining the bathtub water BW. At this time, if the detection result of the sensor 42 changes to indicate the presence of a bather after performing a call process, the control unit 12 will maintain the drain plug 6 in a closed state, or if the drainage process has already been performed, will switch the drain plug 6 from an open state to a closed state.

[0030] <Bath monitoring> Figure 9 shows an example of a processing procedure for detecting bathroom abnormalities using bathing monitoring. This processing procedure and processing content are merely examples, and the present invention is not limited to such a configuration. Furthermore, this bathing monitoring processing is an example of a bathroom abnormality detection method and its program processing. The abnormality determination unit 10 acquires the bather's biological information from the sensor 8 (S31), and acquires the bather's presence / absence information from the sensor 42 (S32), and determines the bathing state (S33). The abnormality determination unit 10 combines the change in heart rate and the bather's presence / absence information to determine whether the bather is in a drowning state (S34), and if the bather is not in a drowning state (NO in S34), returns to acquiring the biological information (S31).

[0031] If the control unit 12 determines that the bather is drowning (YES in S34), it outputs instruction information to the message notification unit 14 and processes a message to call the bather (S35). The abnormality determination unit 10 then determines whether the bather has recovered from the drowning state based on this message processing (S36). This determination of recovery from drowning can be made by, for example, referring to heart rate information obtained from sensor 8 or bather presence / absence information detected by sensor 42 to determine whether the condition indicates a drowning state. If the bather has recovered from the drowning state (YES in S36), the control unit 12 returns to S31 and continues bathing monitoring. If the abnormality determination unit 10 determines that the bather has not recovered from the drowning state (NO in S36), the control unit 12 opens the drain plug 6 to drain the bathtub water (BW) (S37) and notifies the outside via the abnormality notification unit 16 that an abnormal state due to drowning has occurred in the bathtub (S38).

[0032] <Advantages of the third embodiment> According to the third embodiment, in addition to the advantages of the first and second embodiments, the following advantages can be obtained. (1) By combining biometric information with detection information on the presence or absence of a bather by setting up a sensor area near the bathtub 4, the accuracy of determining whether a bather is drowning in the bathtub water BW or is at risk of drowning can be improved, and the bather can recover from drowning in the bathtub water more quickly, thereby improving bathing safety. (2) By combining information directly detected on the presence or absence of a bather with unique biological characteristics such as the bather's age and the strength of their cardiopulmonary function, the accuracy of determining whether a bather is drowning can be improved, and the occurrence of accidents due to drowning can be reduced. [Example]

[0033] <Hot water supply system> Fig. 10 shows an embodiment of a bathroom anomaly detection system. The configuration shown in Fig. 10 is an example, and the present invention is not limited to such a configuration. The bathroom abnormality detection system 2 according to this embodiment is installed in a hot water supply system and includes a water heater 50, a bathroom remote control 52, and a kitchen remote control . Water heater 50 is equipped with a water supply control unit 56, a sensor 32 for detecting the water level, etc. Water supply control unit 56 is equipped with a processor 58, a sound sensor circuit unit 60, and a communication control unit 62. Processor 58 controls the linked operations of bathroom remote control 52 and kitchen remote control 54 through communication control unit 62. Sound sensor circuit unit 60 detects voice input from the microphones of bathroom remote control 52 and kitchen remote control 54, and uses this to determine whether or not there is movement by the bather. Furthermore, the hot water supply control unit 56 is connected to a drain plug 6 installed in the bathtub 4 and a sensor 8 that acquires biometric information, and controls the drainage process of the bathtub water BW by opening and closing the drain plug 6, and performs detection processes such as detecting the bather's heart rate information.

[0034] The hot water supply control unit 56 is connected to the bathroom remote control 52 and the kitchen remote control 54 via a transmission line 64. This transmission line 64 serves as an audio transmission line for transmitting control signals as well as bather detection outputs and audio signals. This transmission line 64 may also be wireless. Bathroom remote control 52 is equipped with a sensor 42 that monitors the bathing status, a bathroom remote control control unit 66, a display unit 68, a speaker 70, a microphone 72, and a response button 74 that allows the bather to respond to calls. Sensor 42 may be installed in a position where it can detect bathers in bathtub 4, for example, on a high place such as the ceiling, and connected to bathroom remote control 52. The kitchen remote control 54 includes a kitchen remote control control unit 76, a display unit 78, a speaker 80, a microphone 82, and the like. The kitchen remote control control unit 76 is provided with a terminal unit 84 that outputs an abnormality determination and an abnormality notification. This terminal unit 84 is connected to an external system 86, and is capable of sending and receiving information including the aforementioned abnormal bathing state determination and abnormality notification outputs. Specifically, if a security box of an external security system is connected to the terminal unit 84, it is possible to send and receive information including the aforementioned abnormal bathing state determination and abnormality notification outputs via the terminal unit 84. This terminal unit 84 may be provided in the hot water supply control unit 56 or the bathroom remote control control unit 66. Bathroom remote control 52 and kitchen remote control 54 configure an intercom function via microphone 72-speaker 70 and microphone 82-speaker 80 by means of sound sensor circuit section 60 and communication control section 62 of hot water supply control section 56.

[0035] <Water heater 50> Fig. 11 shows an example of a water heater 50. In Fig. 11, the same parts as in Fig. 10 are given the same reference numerals. Feedwater W flows through a water supply pipe 90 to a heat exchanger 92 and also reaches a mixing valve 96 through a bypass pipe 94 branching off from the water supply pipe 90. A temperature sensor 98 detects the feedwater temperature. The heat exchanger 92 exchanges the heat of combustion of fuel gas G burned in a burner 100 with the feedwater W. The hot water HW obtained by this heat exchange reaches a mixing valve 96 installed in a hot water outlet pipe 102. The mixing valve 96 mixes the hot water HW with the feedwater W from the bypass pipe 94. The hot water HW mixed with the feedwater W is detected by a temperature sensor 104. The opening of ports a and b of the mixing valve 96 is adjusted based on this detected temperature, and hot water HW at the set temperature is obtained from the hot water supply pipe 106.

[0036] When hot water is poured into the bathtub 4, hot water HW is supplied to the bathtub 4 through a hot water pouring pipe 108 branching off from the hot water supply pipe 106 and a reheating pipe 110. The hot water HW supplied to the hot water pouring pipe 108 is adjusted by an on-off valve 112. The reheating pipe 110 is equipped with a return pipe 110-1 that flows the bath water BW to the heat exchanger 114, and a supply pipe 110-2 that returns the bath water BW from the heat exchanger 114 to the bathtub 4. The heat exchanger 114 exchanges the heat of combustion of the fuel gas G burned in the burner 116 with the bath water BW. The circulation pump 118 installed in the return pipe 110-1 is driven when reheating or pouring hot water, and circulates the bath water BW or hot water HW through the reheating pipe 110 to the bathtub 4. Temperature sensor 120 detects the temperature of the circulating bath water BW, and sensor 32 detects the bath water level.

[0037] <Control unit 130> 12 shows the control unit 130 of the bathroom abnormality detection system 2. This control unit 130 includes the hot water supply control unit 56, bathroom remote control control unit 66, and kitchen remote control control unit 76, and utilizes the water level detection function and audio output function of the hot water supply system to monitor the bathing situation, determine any abnormal bathing conditions that may occur to the bather while bathing, and perform drainage processing of the bathtub water BW. The hot water supply control unit 56 is equipped with a computer, and is provided with a processor 58, a memory unit 132, an input / output (I / O) unit 134, and a system communication unit 136. The processor 58 executes an operating system (OS) and an abnormality detection program stored in the memory unit 132. The memory unit 132 is provided with storage elements such as a read-only memory (ROM), an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), and a random-access memory (RAM), and stores the OS and the abnormality detection program.

[0038] Under the control of processor 58, I / O 134 receives detection outputs from detection elements such as (biological) sensor 8, (water level) sensor 32, and temperature sensors 98, 104, and 120, and provides control outputs to functional parts such as the drain plug 6 of bathtub 4, mixing valve 96, on-off valve 112, circulation pump 118, and burner combustion control unit 137. The system communication unit 136 is an example of the communication control unit 62 described above, and is linked to the bathroom remote control control unit 66 and the kitchen remote control control unit 76 under the control of the processor 58. The detection output of the (water level) sensor 32 is transmitted from the system communication unit 136 to the bathroom remote control control unit 66.

[0039] The bathroom remote control control unit 66 is equipped with a computer, and is provided with a processor 138, a memory unit 140, an I / O unit 142, a system communication unit 144, and an audio modulation / demodulation unit 146. The processor 138 executes a bathing abnormality detection program in cooperation with the hot water supply control unit 56 based on the OS stored in the memory unit 140. In other words, the processor 138 functions as the abnormality determination unit 10 described above. The memory unit 140 is provided with storage elements such as ROM, EEPROM, and RAM, and stores the OS and abnormality detection program. The memory unit 140 may also implement a timer function in cooperation with the processor 138. Under the control of the processor 138, the I / O 142 receives and outputs the detection output of the sensor 42, the response button 74, the ON / OFF input of the switch (SW) 158, the audio input from the audio modulation / demodulation units 146 and 156, the audio output to the audio modulation / demodulation units 146 and 156, the display output to the display unit 68, and the control output of the LED (Light Emitting Diode) 160.

[0040] Under the control of the processor 138, the system communication unit 144 can connect the hot water supply control unit 56 and the kitchen remote control control unit 76 wirelessly or via a wired connection, and can also establish communication connections with the Internet and other lines, and can perform data communication with communication terminals such as mobile phones and smartphones via public lines. The audio modulation / demodulation unit 146 modulates a carrier signal with audio and demodulates the carrier signal to an audio signal. The audio modulation / demodulation unit 146 is connected to the I / O 142, receives audio input from the microphone 72, and outputs audio to the speaker 70. The speaker 70 connected to the audio modulation / demodulation unit 146 is an example of the message notification unit 14 and the abnormality notification unit 16 described above, and is used to notify messages and abnormalities.

[0041] Kitchen remote control control unit 76 is equipped with a computer, and is provided with processor 148, memory unit 150, system communication unit 152, I / O 154, and audio modulation / demodulation unit 156. Processor 148 executes an abnormality detection program in conjunction with hot water supply control unit 56 based on the OS stored in memory unit 150. Memory unit 150 is provided with storage elements such as ROM, EEPROM, and RAM, and stores the OS and abnormality detection program. Under the control of the processor 148, the I / O 154 receives ON / OFF inputs from the SW 162, inputs from the audio modulation / demodulation units 146 and 156, and provides audio output to the audio modulation / demodulation units 146 and 156, display output to the display unit 78, judgment output or abnormality detection output to the external system 86, and control output for the LED 164.

[0042] The hot water supply control unit 56 and the bathroom remote control control unit 66 are connected to the system communication unit 152 wirelessly or by wire, and are controlled by the processor 148. The audio modulation / demodulation unit 156 modulates a carrier signal with audio and demodulates the carrier signal to an audio signal, similar to the audio modulation / demodulation unit 146 described above. The audio modulation / demodulation unit 156 is connected to the I / O 154, which takes in audio input from the microphone 82 and outputs audio to the speaker 80. The speaker 80 connected to the audio modulation / demodulation unit 156 is an example of the message notification unit 14 and the abnormality notification unit 16 described above, and is used for message notification and abnormality notification.

[0043] <Bath monitoring procedure> 13 shows a processing procedure for monitoring bathing and detecting an abnormality in the bathroom according to the embodiment. This processing procedure is an example of computer processing in the abnormality determination unit 10.

[0044] Prior to the start of bathing monitoring, initialization is performed (S41). After this initialization, information detected by the (biological) sensor 8, (water level) sensor 32, and (human monitoring) sensor 42 is acquired (S42), and the possibility of drowning in the bathtub water is determined from the bather's biological information (S43). To determine the possibility of drowning, as shown in the first embodiment, changes in heart rate and the like are monitored, and a judgment is made based on a sudden increase or decrease in heart rate or cardiac arrest. If the determination based on the biometric information indicates that the bather is not drowning (NO in S43), the process returns to S41 and continues monitoring the bathing condition. If the determination is that the bather is drowning (YES in S43), the process determines whether the bathing condition is abnormal based on either the detection results of the (water level) sensor 32 or the (person monitoring) sensor 42, or a combination of these (S44).

[0045] A predetermined time is measured from the time of determining that the bathing state is abnormal due to drowning (S45), and a call message is issued (S46). The time measurement after determining that the bathing state is abnormal is a process to check, for example, for temporary measurement errors and the possibility of recovery from the drowning state, and the measurement time can be set taking into account the safety of the bather and the convenience of the bathing facilities. As a result of the call message notification, it is determined whether there is a response or whether there is a change in the detection results of each sensor (S47). The bather's response can be determined, for example, by pressing the response button 74 on the bathroom remote control 52 or by capturing voice through the microphone 72. If there is no change in the bather's reaction or the sensor detection results (NO in S47), it is determined that the bather is drowning, the drain plug 6 is opened (S48), and the bath water BW is drained. If there is a change in the bather's reaction or the sensor detection results (YES in S47), a predetermined time is measured (S49), and then it is determined whether the drowning state has been resolved (S50). The drowning state can be determined by combining the detection information of the (biological) sensor 8 with the detection information of the (water level) sensor 32 and the (human monitoring) sensor 42, for example. If the drowning state has not been resolved (NO in S50), the drain plug 6 is opened (S48) to drain the bathtub water BW. If the drowning state has been resolved (YES in S50), the process returns to normal bathing monitoring. Furthermore, in the process of draining the bathtub water BW, the drain plug 6 is left open for a predetermined time, or the drain plug 6 is closed after a predetermined amount of bathtub water BW has been drained (S51). The opening time of the drain plug 6 and the amount of water to be drained can be set, for example, taking into account the volume of the bathtub 4, so that the water is drained until the bather's face is above the water surface. In other words, the bathtub water BW is drained from the bathtub 4 so that some of it remains on part of the bather's body.

[0046] <Effects of Example 1> According to the first embodiment, the following effects can be obtained. (1) Even if a bather falls asleep or experiences a physical abnormality while bathing and drowns in the bathtub water, the abnormal bathing condition can be detected early and the bathtub water (BW) can be drained, allowing the bather to breathe, thereby increasing the safety of bathing. (2) After determining that the bather may be in a drowning state, a message is sent to confirm the bather's condition, and based on the response, abnormal bathing due to drowning is confirmed and the water is drained, thereby ensuring safety of bathing and convenience by avoiding unnecessary drainage treatment when the bather is not in an abnormal bathing state. (3) If a terminal unit 84 is provided in the kitchen remote control control unit 76 or the like to extract abnormality determination output and abnormality notification output, and information including the abnormality determination output and abnormality notification output is sent and received with an external system 86, the safety of people taking a bath can be further increased in conjunction with an external system 86 such as an existing security system. (4) By controlling the amount of bath water BW discharged, the bather can be assured of being able to breathe, and by leaving enough bath water BW so that the bather's body is not completely exposed to the outside air, the bather's body temperature can be maintained after the water is drained, ensuring safety and convenience in bathing. [Example]

[0047] Fig. 14 shows an example of the configuration of a bathroom anomaly detection system according to Example 2. The configuration shown in Fig. 14 is an example. The bathroom anomaly detection system 170 according to the second embodiment includes a sensor 32 for detecting the water level in the bathtub 4, as shown in FIG. 14A, and a pyroelectric sensor 172. The pyroelectric sensor 172 is an example of the (biological) sensor 8 of the present invention and functions as a human sensor for detecting the movement of a bather in the bathtub 4 as biological information. The pyroelectric sensor 172 is capable of detecting or tracing and storing the movement of at least a person in the bathtub 4. It may be installed, for example, on the ceiling or wall of the bathroom or on a remote control device installed in the bathtub. The pyroelectric sensor 172 has a sensor area 174 located at least inside the bathtub 4 and above the surface of the bathwater BW, thereby defining a bather status monitoring area. When the bather moves, the pyroelectric sensor 172 acquires motion information, such as the presence or absence of the motion, the amount of motion, and the range of motion. This motion information monitors the movement of the bather, who is a living body, and is an example of biological information.

[0048] The abnormality determination unit 10 obtains information that the water level has changed from L2 to L3 through detection by the sensor 32, as shown in B of Figure 14, and determines whether an abnormal condition has occurred in the bather by combining this information with the biological information from the pyroelectric sensor 172. If the control unit 12 determines that the bather is in an abnormal bathing state, for example as shown in C of FIG. 14, it opens the drain plug 6 to drain the bath water BW from the bathtub 4. The other configurations are the same as those in the first embodiment, so the same reference numerals are used and the description thereof will be omitted.

[0049] <Judging bathing conditions> FIG. 15 shows an example of a bathing state determination function. The abnormality determination unit 10 determines the state of the bather from, for example, the bather's movement state detected by the pyroelectric sensor 172 and the water level or its change detected by the sensor 32. In other words, the abnormality determination unit 10 determines whether or not a person is in the bathtub 4 based on the water level or its change detected by the sensor 32, and further combines this with the detection result of the sensor 172 to determine whether the person is in a normal bathing position or is in a position that may lead to drowning or risk drowning. (1) As a result of bathing state determination, for example, if the pyroelectric sensor 172 detects movement and the detected water level of the sensor 32 is L2, it is determined that a bather is present and the bathing state is normal. (2) When the pyroelectric sensor 172 does not detect any movement and the water level detected by the sensor 32 is L1, there is no bather present and the bathing state is not determined. (3) If the pyroelectric sensor 172 detects movement and the detected water level by the sensor 32 changes from L2 to L3, it is determined that a bather is present and that the rising water level poses a risk of drowning. (4) If the pyroelectric sensor 172 does not detect any movement and the water level detected by the sensor 32 changes from L2 to L3, it is determined that a bather is present and is in a drowning state. The bathing state determination example shown here is merely an example, and the bathing state may be determined in more detail based on the detection results of each sensor.

[0050] <Bath monitoring procedure> 16 shows a processing procedure for monitoring bathing and detecting an abnormality in the bathroom according to Example 2. This processing procedure is an example of computer processing in the abnormality determination unit 10. Before bathing monitoring begins, initialization is performed (S61). After this initialization, detection information from the pyroelectric sensor 172 and the water level sensor 32 is acquired (S62), and this detection information is used to determine whether the bather is in an abnormal bathing state due to drowning (S63). If there is no possibility that the bather is drowning (NO in S63), monitoring of the bathing state continues. If it is determined that the bather may be drowning (YES in S63), a call message is broadcast (S64). As a result of the broadcast of the call message, it is determined whether there is a response or a change in the detection results of each sensor (S65). The bather's response can be determined, for example, by pressing the response button 74 on the bathroom remote control 52 or by capturing sound through the microphone 72.

[0051] If there is no change in the bather's reaction or the detection results of the pyroelectric sensor 172 or the sensor 32 (NO in S65), it is determined that the bather is drowning, the drain plug 6 is opened (S66), and the bath water BW is drained. If there is a change in the bather's reaction or the sensor detection results (YES in S65), a predetermined time is measured (S67), and then it is determined whether the drowning state has been resolved (S68). The drowning state can be determined by combining the detection information from the pyroelectric sensor 172 with the detection information from the water level sensor 32, for example. The time measurement from the notification of this call message (S67) is a process for, for example, distinguishing between errors in the measurement results and determining whether the recovery is temporary, and the measurement time should be set taking into consideration the safety of the bather and the convenience of the bathing facilities. If the drowning state has not been resolved (NO in S68), the drain plug 6 is opened (S66) to drain the bathtub water BW. If the drowning state has been resolved (YES in S68), the process returns to normal bathing monitoring.

[0052] <Effects of Example 2> According to the second embodiment, the following effects can be obtained. (1) By combining the bather's behavior information with the bathtub water BW water level information, abnormal bathing conditions due to drowning can be monitored, and the bathtub water BW can be drained to allow the bather to breathe, thereby improving bathing safety. (2) After determining that the bather may be in a drowning state, a message is sent to confirm the bather's condition, and based on the response, abnormal bathing due to drowning is confirmed and the water is drained, thereby ensuring safety of bathing and convenience by avoiding unnecessary drainage treatment when the bather is not in an abnormal bathing state. Other Embodiments

[0053] (1) In the above embodiment and example, when an abnormal bathing state due to the bather drowning is determined based on the bather's biological information and, in addition, water level information and presence / absence monitoring information, the drain valve 6 is opened and the bathtub water BW is drained. However, this is not limited to this. For example, even if the bather is not drowning, the bathroom abnormality detection system 2 may determine, based on the information detected by the (biological) sensor 8, that a state that could lead to drowning, such as falling asleep, an abnormal physical state, or cardiac arrest, as an abnormal bathing state, and drain some or all of the bathtub water BW. If there is a risk of drowning, conditions may be set to make it more difficult to drain the bath water BW, for example by increasing the number of times the call message is processed or by lengthening the time measurement until a response. (2) In the above embodiment and example, the heart rate detected by a heart rate sensor is used to determine whether the bather is drowning, but this is not limited to this. For example, an infrared sensor that detects the bather's body temperature or an electroencephalograph that detects the bather's brain waves may be used as the sensor 8 that detects the bather's biological information. (3) In the above embodiment, the determination of an abnormal bathing state due to drowning was based solely on changes in the bather's heart rate information, but this is not limited to this. The drowning state may also be determined by combining the heart rate information with the temperature information of the bathwater BW. That is, information showing the relationship between the bathwater temperature and the heart rate state due to bathing may be stored, allowing for detailed analysis of heart rate changes due to normal bathing or changes that occur when the bather is drowning. This makes it possible to clearly distinguish between an increase in heart rate due to a rise in body temperature at the start of bathing and an increase in heart rate due to apnea caused by drowning or heat shock while bathing, thereby enabling the bather's condition to be determined more quickly and accurately.

[0054] As explained above, the most preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to the above description. Various modifications and changes are possible for those skilled in the art based on the gist of the invention as set forth in the claims or disclosed in the detailed description. It goes without saying that such modifications and changes are included within the scope of the present invention. [Industrial Applicability]

[0055] This bather monitoring system, program or method is useful in that it can determine the occurrence of abnormalities in the bather or abnormal bathing conditions from biometric information, and by forcibly draining the bathtub water BW to prevent drowning, it can ensure the bather's breathing and increase bathing safety. [Explanation of symbols]

[0056] 2, 30, 40, 170 Bathroom abnormality detection system 4. Bathtub 6 drain plug 8, 32, 42 sensors 10 Abnormality determination section 12 Control Unit 14 Message notification section 16. Abnormality alarm section 18 Remote control device 20 Drain pipe 50 Water heater 52 Bathroom remote control 54 Kitchen remote control 56 Hot water supply control unit 58, 138, 148 processors 60 Sound sensor circuit 62 Communication control section 64 Transmission Line 66 Bathroom remote control control unit 68 Display section 70 Speaker 72 microphones 74 Reply button 76 Kitchen remote control control unit 78 Display section 80 speakers 82 Microphone 84 Terminal section 86 External Systems 90 Water supply pipe 92 Heat exchanger 94 Bypass Pipe 96 Mixing valve 98 Temperature Sensor 100 burners 102 Outlet pipe 104 Temperature Sensor 106 Hot Water Pipe 108 Pouring pipe 110 Refire pipe 110-1 Return pipe 110-2 Outgoing pipe 112 On-off valve 114 Heat exchanger 116 Burner 118 Circulation Pump 120 Temperature Sensor 130 control section 132, 140, 150 memory section 134, 142, 154 Input / output section (I / O) 136 System Communication Department 137 Burner combustion control unit 144, 152 System Communication Department 146, 156 Voice modulation and demodulation unit 158, 162 Switch (SW) 160, 164 LEDs 172 Pyroelectric Sensor 174 sensor areas

Claims

1. a biological information acquiring means for acquiring the heart rate or the heart rate and movement of a person bathing in a bathroom or a bathtub as biological information; a bathing condition determination means for determining the bather at the first timing when the biometric information is acquired, monitoring the transition state of the biometric information from the first timing to a second timing after a predetermined time has elapsed, determining from the transition state that the bather is in a drowning state where he or she cannot breathe, causing a message notification unit to output a message to the bather at a third timing, and determining whether the bather's bathing condition is abnormal or not based on a comparison result between the biometric information detected at a fourth timing after a predetermined time has elapsed from the third timing and the biometric information detected at the second timing, and generating determination result information; an information presenting means for presenting the call message information or the determination result information indicating the abnormal bathing state; Bather monitoring system, including:

2. 2. The bather monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the bathing state determining means uses the heart rate to determine whether the bather is in a drowning state.

3. A bather monitoring system as described in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the bathing status determination means determines the bathing status to be an abnormal bathing status if there is no change in the biometric information acquired by the biometric information acquisition means after the call message information is notified.

4. Furthermore, a drain plug for draining hot and cold water from the bathtub; a control means for opening the drain valve to drain the hot and cold water in the bathtub when the bathing state determination means determines that the bathing state is abnormal; 4. The bather monitoring system of claim 3, comprising:

5. 5. The bather monitoring system according to claim 4, wherein the control means controls the opening and closing time or the amount of water discharged from the drain plug, thereby discharging a predetermined amount of hot water from the bathtub.

6. A computer-executable program, A function of causing a biometric information acquisition means to acquire the heart rate of a person bathing in a bathroom or a bathtub, or the heart rate and movement of the person bathing in a bathroom or a bathtub, as biometric information; a function of determining the bather at the first timing when the biometric information is acquired, monitoring the transition state of the biometric information from the first timing to a second timing after a predetermined time has elapsed, determining from the transition state that the bather is in a drowning state where he or she cannot breathe, causing the message notification unit to output a message to the bather at a third timing, and determining whether the bather's bathing state is abnormal or not based on the comparison result between the biometric information detected at a fourth timing after a predetermined time has elapsed from the third timing and the biometric information detected at the second timing, and generating determination result information; a function of causing an information presentation means to present the call message information or the determination result information indicating the abnormal bathing state; A program for causing the computer to execute the above.

7. A step in which a biological information acquisition means acquires the heart rate or the heart rate and movement of a bather in a bathroom or a bathtub as biological information; a bathing state determination means for determining the bather based on the acquisition of the biometric information as a first timing, monitoring the transition state of the biometric information from the first timing to a second timing after a predetermined time has elapsed, determining from the transition state that the bather is in a drowning state where he or she cannot breathe, causing the message notification unit to output a message to the bather at a third timing, determining whether the bather's bathing state is abnormal or not based on a comparison result between the biometric information detected at a fourth timing after a predetermined time has elapsed from the third timing and the biometric information detected at the second timing, and generating determination result information; an information presenting step in which information presenting means presents the call message information or the determination result information indicating the abnormal bathing state; A method for monitoring bathers, including:

8. 8. The bather monitoring method according to claim 7, further comprising a step in which the bathing state determining means uses the heart rate to determine whether the bather is in a drowning state.

9. A method for monitoring a bather as described in claim 7 or claim 8, including a step in which the bathing status determination means determines the bathing status to be an abnormal bathing status if there is no change in the biometric information acquired by the biometric information acquisition means after the call message information is notified.

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