Notification control system and notification control method

Abstract

To automatically allow a mutual speech between a sensing user and an operator or a staff in accordance with a priority of sensor information.SOLUTION: A notification control system performs a notification control between a sensing user and an assistant for assisting the sensing user. A sensor reception machine includes: a first processing part that receives sensor information of a sensor for detecting a state or / and a behavior of the sensing user; a second processing part that transmits reception machine information associating the sensor information with the sensing user to a server; and a third processing part that controls a conversation between the assistant and the sensing user by calling a telephone of the assistant in accordance with an instruction from the server. The server includes a fourth processing part that transmits an instruction for calling the telephone of the assistant by using a priority management table in which a notification method for the assistant is defined in accordance with the priority of response by the assistant to the sensing user in the case where the sensor information contained in the reception machine information received from the sensor reception machin satisfies a first condition.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a notification control system and a notification control method. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there are technologies that notify telephones or smart devices of sensor information detected by sensors used in various industries. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technology that, when excretion is detected, sends a notification to a PHS or multifunction telephone (MFT) with an extension number registered in a sensor call condition management table. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-064462 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] When operators and staff in various industries determine that urgent confirmation is required based on sensor information notifications, they must go directly to the site to confirm or call the operator or staff over an internal phone. In this regard, Patent Document 1 merely sends a message to a PHS or MFT based on the sensor information. To call an operator or staff member, the user who is the subject of the sensor information must manually call the operator or staff member or press a staff call button to speak, which is a different operation from the operation performed when the sensor information is notified. Among high-priority sensors, there are cases where the safety of sensing users, such as patients, needs to be confirmed immediately. Therefore, there has been a demand for technology that automatically enables mutual communication between sensing users and operators or staff members based on the priority of sensor information.

[0005] The present invention aims to provide a notification control system and a notification control method that enable automatic mutual communication between a sensing user and an operator or staff member according to the priority of sensor information. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The notification control system of the present invention is a notification control system that controls notifications between a sensing user and an assistant who assists the sensing user, wherein the sensor receiver has a first processing unit that receives sensor information from a sensor that detects the state and / or behavior of the sensing user, a second processing unit that sends receiver information that associates the sensor information with the sensing user to a server, and a third processing unit that calls the assistant's telephone in accordance with instructions from the server and controls the call between the assistant and the sensing user, and the server is configured as a notification control system characterized in that, when the sensor information included in the receiver information received from the sensor receiver satisfies a first condition, the server has a fourth processing unit that sends the instruction to call the assistant's telephone using a priority management table that defines the method of notification to the assistant depending on the priority of the assistant's response to the sensing user. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to automatically enable mutual communication between the sensing user and the operator or staff member in accordance with the priority of the sensor information. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a notification control system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a functional configuration of a sensor receiver. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of receiver information. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of a sensor receiver. [Figure 5]FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a functional configuration of a server. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a priority management table. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a setting table. [Figure 8] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a computer schematic diagram. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a sequence diagram showing the procedure of a process (notification control process) performed in this system. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a sequence diagram showing the processing procedure of a notification control process when an automatic voice response is performed. [Figure 11] 11 is a diagram showing an example of a priority management table used in the process shown in FIG. 10. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The following description and drawings are examples for explaining the present invention, and some omissions and simplifications have been made as appropriate for clarity of explanation. The present invention can be implemented in various other forms. Unless otherwise specified, each component may be singular or plural.

[0010] In order to facilitate understanding of the invention, the position, size, shape, range, etc. of each component shown in the drawings may not represent the actual position, size, shape, range, etc. Therefore, the present invention is not necessarily limited to the position, size, shape, range, etc. disclosed in the drawings.

[0011] In the following explanation, various types of information may be described using expressions such as "database," "table," and "list," but the various types of information may also be expressed in data structures other than these. To indicate that the information is not dependent on the data structure, "XX table," "XX list," etc. may be referred to as "XX information." When describing identification information, expressions such as "identification information," "identifier," "name," "ID," and "number" are used, and these are interchangeable.

[0012] When there are multiple components with the same or similar functions, they may be described using the same reference numeral with different subscripts. However, when there is no need to distinguish between these multiple components, the subscripts may be omitted.

[0013] Furthermore, in the following description, processing performed by executing a program may be described, but the program is executed by a processor (e.g., a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit)) to perform the specified processing while appropriately using storage resources (e.g., memory) and / or interface devices (e.g., communication ports), and therefore the processor may be the subject of the processing. Similarly, the subject of the processing performed by executing a program may be a controller, device, system, computer, or node having a processor. The subject of the processing performed by executing a program may be any computing unit, and may include a dedicated circuit (e.g., an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) or an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit)) that performs specific processing.

[0014] A program may be installed on a device such as a computer from a program source. The program source may be, for example, a program distribution server or a computer-readable storage medium. If the program source is a program distribution server, the program distribution server may include a processor and storage resources for storing the program to be distributed, and the processor of the program distribution server may distribute the program to be distributed to other computers. Also, in the following description, two or more programs may be realized as one program, and one program may be realized as two or more programs.

[0015] Fig. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a notification control system according to this embodiment. The notification control system is a system that automatically enables mutual communication between a sensing user and an assistant who assists the sensing user, such as an operator or staff member, according to the priority of sensor information detected by sensors installed in facilities such as nursing homes and hospitals. As shown in Figure 1, the notification control system 1000 includes a sensor 100 that detects sensor information related to a sensing user and transmits the sensor information to a sensor receiver 200; the sensor receiver 200 that transmits the sensor information received from the sensor 100 to a server 300 and, based on instructions according to the determination result by the server 300, displays lamp information (described below) and makes internal calls with operators or staff; the server 300 that uses the receiver information received from the sensor receiver 200 to determine the priority of the operator or staff's response to the sensing user and, based on the result of the determination, issues predetermined instructions to the sensor receiver 200 and a private branch exchange (PBX) 400; the PBX 400 that, in accordance with the predetermined instructions received from the server 300, sends messages to the telephones 500 of the operators or staff and controls responses and mutual calls with the sensor receiver 200 in response to calls from the sensor receiver 200; and the telephones 500 operated by the operators or staff. The sensor 100 and the sensor receiver 200 can communicate with each other via short-range wireless communication networks N1 and N2 defined by a predetermined standard such as BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy). The sensor receiver 200 and the server 300 can communicate with each other via an access point (AP) via wireless communication defined by a predetermined standard such as Wi-Fi. The server 300, the PBX 400, and the telephones 500 (PHS 500a and multifunction telephone 500b) can communicate with each other via a conventionally known network such as an IP communication network. In this example, a PHS or a multifunction telephone is used to notify messages to operators and staff and to make mutual calls, but instead of these, a mobile terminal such as a smartphone or tablet may be used.

[0016] The sensor 100 is installed in an installation location P such as a room or a bed, and is a sensor for detecting the state and behavior of a sensing user. The sensor 100 may be any of various conventionally known sensors, such as an excretion sensor, a bed exit detection sensor, or a monitoring sensor. As will be described later, when the sensor 100 detects the state and behavior of the sensing user, it transmits sensor information, in which identification information such as the ID of the sensor 100 is associated with the detected value, to the sensor receiver 200.

[0017] The sensor receiver 200 is a terminal that reads sensor information received from the sensor 100, displays information about the state and behavior of the sensing user according to instructions from the server 300, and performs internal calls between the sensor receiver 200 and an operator or staff member. The sensor receiver 200 is, for example, a mobile terminal with a calling function, such as a smartphone or tablet, and has a typical hardware configuration. The sensor receiver 200 is installed in a predetermined location in the sensing user's room (for example, on the wall next to the bed). By using the mobile terminal as the sensor receiver 200, the sensing user can use the system without purchasing a new device by simply downloading an application to their usual smartphone. Furthermore, because of its excellent portability, the mobile terminal can be placed in any location, for example, next to the sensing user's bed, where it is easily visible to operators and staff members.

[0018] 2 is a diagram showing the functional configuration of the sensor receiver 200. As shown in Fig. 2, the sensor receiver 200 includes a sensor receiving unit 201 that receives sensor information from the sensor 100 and stores the received sensor information in a memory unit 207, a lamp control unit 202 that displays lamp information of a type corresponding to the sensor information on an operation / display unit 208 in accordance with instructions from the server 300, an extension call control unit 203 that performs intercommunication with telephones 500 of operators or staff members in accordance with the sensor information in accordance with instructions from the server 300, a server transceiver unit 204 that generates the receiver information from the sensor information, transmits the generated receiver information to the server 300, and receives instructions from the server 300, a PBX interface unit 205 that controls call connections and the like with the PBX 400 for the intercommunication, an overall control unit 206 that controls each unit of the sensor receiver 200 and the entire system, a memory unit 207 that stores various information used in the processing performed by the sensor receiver 200, and an operation / display unit 208 that displays on a screen various information used in this system, including the lamp information. The overall control unit 206 can be realized by, for example, an OS (Operating System) for smartphones such as Android (registered trademark). Specific processes performed by each unit of the sensor receiver 200 will be described later.

[0019] Fig. 3 is a diagram showing an example of receiver information stored in storage unit 207. As shown in Fig. 3, receiver information 351 stores a sensor ID, a sensor name, and a value detected by the sensor, in association with each other. The sensor information stored in storage unit 207 collectively holds individual sensor information 3511 received from each sensor (for example, the value "100 ml" of the "excretion sensor" identified by ID "1"). Such receiver information 351 is stored in association with the sensing user's room, the sensing user, the IP address of the sensor receiver 200 used by the sensing user, and the extension number of the telephone 500 of the operator or staff member in charge of the sensing user. 3, for example, the sensors for sensing user A (ID: 000001) in room 201 include the equipment used by the user, such as the user's room and bed, and sensors 1-4 worn by the user, and it shows that sensor information is sent from these sensors to the sensor receiver 200 with IP address "α" and stored as receiver information 351. Then, when the server 300 determines that a predetermined condition is met, the sensor receiver 200 calls the extension number "2001" of the telephone 500 of the operator or staff member in charge of the user, and a mutual call is made between the user and the operator or staff member.

[0020] The sensor receiver 200 shown in Fig. 2 can use, for example, a mobile terminal 1200 having a hardware configuration as shown in Fig. 4. As shown in Fig. 4, the mobile information terminal 1200 is configured to have, for example, a processor 1201, a system bus 1202, a ROM 1203, a RAM 1204, a storage 1205, an input / output interface (I / F) 1206, a communication I / F 1207, and an audio communication I / F 1208.

[0021] The processor 1201 is a microprocessor unit that controls the entire portable information terminal 1201 in accordance with a predetermined program. By executing the predetermined program, the processor 1201 can realize the functions of the sensor receiving unit 201, the lamp control unit 202, the extension call control unit 203, the server transmitting / receiving unit 204, the PBX interface unit 205, the overall control unit 206, and the like.

[0022] The system bus 1202 is a data communication path for transmitting and receiving various commands and data to and from each operational block within the portable information terminal 1200 .

[0023] The ROM (Read Only Memory) 1203 is a memory that stores basic operating programs such as an operating system, other operating programs, and applications, and is a commonly known rewritable ROM.

[0024] A RAM (Random Access Memory) 1204 serves as a work area when the basic operation program and other operation programs are executed.

[0025] The storage 1205 stores various data used in this system, such as the operating program and various tables of the mobile information terminal 1200. The ROM 1203, RAM 1204, and storage 1205 can realize the function of the storage unit 207.

[0026] The input / output I / F 1206 has an input unit that inputs operation instructions to the mobile information terminal 1200, and an output unit that outputs processing results of the mobile information terminal 1200. The input unit is realized by general input devices such as operation keys consisting of button switches or the like, or a touch panel. The output unit is realized by general output devices such as a speaker that outputs audio signals, or a display such as a touch panel that displays processing results. The input / output I / F 1206 can realize the functions of the operation display unit 208.

[0027] The communication I / F 1207 is a general communication device for implementing LAN (Local Area Network), NFC (Near Field Communication), Wi-Fi (registered trademark), etc. The communication I / F 1207 can implement the functions of the sensor receiving unit 201, the server transmitting / receiving unit 204, etc.

[0028] The voice communication I / F 1208 is a general voice communication device for making voice calls using an IP protocol, an LTE (Long Term Evolution) system, etc. The voice communication I / F 1208 can realize the functions of the extension call control unit 203, the PBX interface unit 205, etc.

[0029] In addition, although not specifically exemplified below, the mobile terminal may have general sensors and devices such as a GPS (Global Positioning System) sensor, etc. Next, the server 300 will be described.

[0030] The server 300 is a server that issues instructions to the sensor receiver 200 and the PBX 400 based on the receiver information received from the sensor receiver 200 and various tables in the server.

[0031] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the functional configuration of the server 300. As shown in FIG. As shown in Figure 5, the server 300 functionally includes a lamp control instruction unit 301 that instructs the sensor receiver 200 to display lamp information on the operation display unit 208 when the receiver information received from the sensor receiver 200 satisfies predetermined conditions; a message transmission instruction unit 302 that instructs the PBX 400 to send a predetermined message when the receiver information received from the sensor receiver 200 satisfies predetermined conditions; an extension call unit 303 that instructs the sensor receiver 200 to call a predetermined telephone 500 when the receiver information received from the sensor receiver 200 satisfies predetermined conditions; a memory unit 304 that stores various information used in the processing performed by the server 300; a reception judgment unit 305 that receives receiver information from the sensor receiver 200 and makes a judgment regarding notification control using the various information used in the processing performed by the server 300; a PBX interface unit 306 that, when calling the above-mentioned predetermined telephone 500 via the server 300, issues an instruction to the PBX 400 to make the call; and an overall control unit 307 that controls each unit of the server 300 and the entire server 300. The overall control unit 307 can be realized by, for example, an OS for servers such as Linux (registered trademark). Specific processes performed by each unit of the server 300 will be described later.

[0032] 6 is a diagram showing an example of a priority management table 601 stored in the storage unit 304. The priority management table 601 is a table that defines notification methods according to the priority of responses by operators and staff to sensing users. The notification method is a method for determining what notification is to be given to operators and staff when a certain state or behavior of a sensing user occurs.

[0033] As shown in FIG. 6 , the priority management table 601 stores a correspondence between a classification number for identifying the type of notification method, specific notification content identified by the classification number, and a priority that defines the priority at which the notification content should be notified. For example, in FIG. 6 , the notification content classified under classification number “1” indicates that “lamp display + message notification + staff call” will be performed when the highest priority of response to the sensing user is “1.” “Lamp display” indicates that lamp information of a color corresponding to the sensor type is displayed on the operation display unit 208 of the sensor receiver 200. “Message notification” indicates that a predetermined message, such as “Sensing user A has left bed,” will be notified to the operator or staff in charge when the sensing user satisfies a predetermined condition. “Staff call” indicates that in addition to the “message notification,” a call will be made to the operator or staff in charge to communicate with the operator or staff in charge. In this way, the priority management table 601 defines combinations of notification content for operators and staff depending on the priority of response to the sensing users they are responsible for. As will be described later, the type of display to be performed as the "lamp display" is determined by a setting table 701.

[0034] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a setting table 701 stored in the storage unit 304. The setting table 701 is a table that defines the type of lamp information to be displayed on the operation / display unit 208 of the sensor receiver 200 according to priority when a value detected as a state or behavior of a sensing user exceeds a threshold. The lamp information is information that serves as an indicator for prompting an operator or staff member to take action regarding the sensing user. Examples of the lamp information include color information of a light-emitting unit such as an LED built into the sensor receiver 200, or color information of a screen displayed on the operation / display unit 208. When the lamp information is color information of a light-emitting unit, for example, the lamp control unit 202 causes a red LED to emit light in accordance with an instruction from the server 300. When the lamp information is color information of a screen to be displayed, for example, the lamp control unit 202 reads out red image data of the entire screen that has been previously stored in the storage unit 207 of the sensor receiver 200 and displays the image data on the operation / display unit 208 in accordance with an instruction from the server 300.

[0035] As shown in FIG. 7 , the setting table 701 stores a classification number for identifying the type of lamp information display according to priority, specific notification content identified by the classification number, and a priority that defines the priority at which the notification content is to be displayed. In FIG. 7 , for example, the "red" lamp information display classified by classification number "1" is displayed for the highest priority "1." This indicates that when a "monitoring" sensor for detecting the state and behavior of a sensing user identified by a user ID "000001" satisfies a threshold condition of "decreased vital signs," lamp information of this color is displayed on the operation / display unit 208 of the sensor receiver 200. Furthermore, for example, the "orange" lamp information display classified by classification number "2" is displayed for the next highest priority "2." This indicates that when a "bed exit detection" sensor for detecting the state and behavior of a sensing user of the above user ID satisfies a threshold condition of "exiting bed," lamp information of this color is displayed on the operation / display unit 208 of the sensor receiver 200. In this way, the setting table 701 stores the type of lamp information to be displayed on the operation display unit 208 of the sensor receiver 200 according to priority, and the conditions for displaying that type of lamp information, in correspondence with each sensing user and sensor.

[0036] 1 can be realized by a general computer 1600, as shown in Fig. 8 (schematic diagram of a computer), including a CPU 1601, a memory 1602, an external storage device 1603 such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), a reading / writing device 1607 for reading and writing information from / to a portable storage medium 1608 such as a CD (Compact Disk) or USB memory, an input device 1606 such as a keyboard or a mouse, an output device 1605 such as a display, a communication device 1604 such as an NIC (Network Interface Card) for connecting to a communication network, and an internal communication line (referred to as a system bus) 1609 such as a system bus that connects these. The network N can be configured by a general public line network or the Internet.

[0037] Various data stored in the server 300 or used for processing can be realized by the CPU 1601 reading and using the data from the memory 1602 or the external storage device 1603. Also, each functional unit of the server 300 can be realized by the CPU 1601 loading a predetermined program stored in the external storage device 1603 into the memory 1602 and executing it.

[0038] The above-mentioned predetermined program may be stored (downloaded) into the external storage device 1603 from the storage medium 1608 via the reading / writing device 1607 or from a network via the communication device 1604, and then loaded onto the memory 1602 and executed by the CPU 1601. Alternatively, the program may be directly loaded onto the memory 1602 from the storage medium 1608 via the reading / writing device 1607 or from a network via the communication device 1604, and then executed by the CPU 1601.

[0039] In the following, an example is given in which the server 300 is configured by a single computer, but all or part of these functions may be distributed across one or more computers, such as a cloud, and similar functions may be realized by communicating with each other via a network. Furthermore, in this example, the sensor receiver 200 and the server 300 are used as an example of a configuration for realizing the functions of this system, but these functions may also be provided in a single device (for example, the sensor receiver 200). Next, the processing performed in this system will be described.

[0040] FIG. 9 is a sequence diagram showing the procedure of the process (notification control process) performed in this system. 9, the sensor 100 transmits sensor information to the sensor receiver 200 periodically or at any timing (S901). Every time the sensor receiving unit 201 of the sensor receiver 200 receives the sensor information, it stores the received sensor information in the receiver information 351 of the storage unit 207 (S902). The reception determining unit 305 of the server 300 uses the receiver information 351, priority management table 601, and setting table 701 stored in the storage unit 207 to determine what kind of notification or call to make to the operator or staff member. This will be explained in detail below.

[0041] The reception determination unit 305 reads the sensing user's ID (e.g., "000001"), the sensor (sensor name) (e.g., "monitoring sensor") and its value (e.g., "decline in vital signs") included in the receiver information 351, and reads the lamp and priority corresponding to the read sensing user's ID and threshold value corresponding to the sensor name from the setting table 701. For example, the reception determination unit 305 reads from the setting table 701 the display color "red" of the lamp corresponding to the threshold value "decline in vital signs" and the priority value "1".

[0042] Furthermore, the reception determination unit 305 reads from the priority management table 601 the notification content corresponding to the priority "1" read from the setting table 701. In this example, the reception determination unit 305 reads "lamp display + message notification + staff call" and instructs the lamp control instruction unit 301, message sending instruction unit 302, and extension calling unit 303 to display the lamp, send a message, and call the telephone set 500, respectively.

[0043] When receiving an instruction from the reception determination unit 305 in S903, the lamp control instruction unit 301 transmits an instruction to the sensor receiver 200 to light up a lamp of the display color determined in S903 (S904). For example, the lamp control instruction unit 301 transmits an instruction to light up a lamp emitted by a light-emitting unit such as an LED of the sensor receiver 200 in the display color "red", or transmits an instruction to display red image data stored in advance in the memory unit 304 of the server 300 or the memory unit 207 of the sensor receiver 200 on the operation display unit 208.

[0044] Furthermore, upon receiving an instruction from the reception determination unit 305, the message transmission instruction unit 302 transmits an instruction to the PBX 400 to transmit the message determined in S903 (S905). For example, the message transmission instruction unit 302 instructs the PBX 400 to notify the telephone 500 of a predetermined message such as "Sensing user A has left bed." The message may be predetermined according to the notification content in the priority management table 601. In this example, the message transmission instruction unit 302 instructs the PBX 400 to transmit the predetermined message to the telephone 500 with the extension number "2001" corresponding to the sensing user ID (e.g., "000001") read by the reception determination unit 305 from the receiver information 351. Then, the PBX 400 transmits the predetermined message to the telephone 500 in accordance with the instruction from the server 300 (S906).

[0045] When receiving an instruction from the reception determination unit 305 in S903, the extension call unit 303 transmits an instruction to the sensor receiver 200 to call a specific telephone 500 (S907). For example, the extension call unit 303 transmits an instruction to call the extension number "2001" of the operator or staff member in charge of the sensing user (ID: 000001) stored in association with the receiver information 351 of the sensor receiver 200.

[0046] The extension call control unit 203 of the sensor receiver 200 performs call control processing to call the extension number "2001" stored in correspondence with the receiver information 351 (S908), and the PBX 400 calls the telephone 500 with the specified extension number in accordance with the call instruction (S909).

[0047] Thereafter, when the operator or staff member takes the telephone 500 off-hook in response to the call and answers via the PBX 400 (S910, S911), a two-way call is initiated between the sensor receiver 200 and the telephone 500 (S912). As a result, necessary two-way calls can be automatically made between the sensing user and the operator or staff member, including, for example, a call such as "Are you OK, Mr. A?" or a conversation to explain the operator's or staff member's situation, such as "Are you OK, Mr. A? We're currently working on your case in another location, so we'll come over in five minutes," or a conversation to inquire about the sensing user's situation, such as "Are you OK, Mr. A? Please tell us your symptoms and we'll bring you the appropriate medicine for those symptoms."

[0048] Then, when the conversation between the two ends, the telephone 500 is put on-hook (S913), and the mutual call between the telephone 500 and the sensor receiver 200 is disconnected (S914).

[0049] In the notification control process shown in FIG. 9 , when "Call Staff" is defined as the notification content in the priority management table 601, a mutual call is made between the operator's or staff's telephone 500 and the sensor receiver 200. However, even when "Call Staff" is defined as the notification content, the operator's or staff's response may be predetermined depending on the situation or behavior of the sensing user. Specifically, when a bed exit detection sensor for a sensing user detects the sensing user leaving the bed, simply calling the operator or staff member in charge and asking "Are you OK?" can prevent the sensing user from wandering around. In this case, the burden on the operator or staff member can be further reduced by calling the operator or staff member directly instead of directly. A variation of this type is described below.

[0050] Fig. 10 is a sequence diagram showing the processing steps of notification control processing when performing an automated voice response. In the following, even if the receiver information includes "staff call," if a predetermined response flag is set in the priority management table 601, an IVR (Interactive Voice Response) device will automatically respond with a predetermined message. In the following, processes that overlap with those in Fig. 9 will be assigned the same reference numerals and their description will be omitted, and the description will mainly focus on processes S1001 and S1002 performed by the IVR device 1001. Although no specific example is given of the specific configuration of the IVR device 1001, a conventionally known general automated voice response server may be used.

[0051] As shown in Figure 10, when the reception determination unit 305 of the server 300 determines what kind of notification to send to the operator or staff in the determination at S903, it sends an automatic response request to the IVR device 1001 using the priority management table 611 shown in Figure 11.

[0052] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of the priority management table 611 used in the process shown in FIG. 10. As shown in FIG. 11, the priority management table 611 stores a response flag, which indicates whether an automatic response should be performed, associated with the notification content. For example, since a response flag of "1" is set in association with a "staff call" with a priority of "4," the IVR device 1001 transmits a predetermined message for that priority. In this example, by referring to the setting table 701 shown in FIG. 7, it can be determined that the "staff call" with a priority of "4" has occurred because the temperature in a room or the like is 25°C or higher. Therefore, the reception determination unit 305 instructs the IVR device 1001 to transmit an automatic response message such as "Please lower the temperature so that it is below 25°C" (S1001). Then, the IVR device 1001 transmits a predetermined message to the sensor receiver 200 in accordance with the instruction (S1002). If the reception determination unit 305 determines to perform an automatic response based on the response flag, it executes S1001 instead of S908 and S1002 instead of S911. Furthermore, in this case, the process ends without executing S909, S910, and S912-S914.

[0053] This type of processing can further reduce the workload of operators and staff in responding to sensing users.

[0054] As described above, in the notification control system 1000 that controls notifications between a sensing user and an assistant who assists the sensing user, the sensor receiver (e.g., sensor receiver 200) has a first processing unit that receives sensor information from a sensor (e.g., sensor 100) that detects the state and / or behavior of the sensing user, a second processing unit that transmits receiver information that associates the sensor information with the sensing user to a server (e.g., server 300), and a third processing unit that calls the assistant's telephone number in accordance with instructions from the server and controls the call between the assistant and the sensing user.The server has a fourth processing unit that, when the sensor information included in the receiver information received from the sensor receiver satisfies a first condition (e.g., a condition that the threshold value of the ``monitoring'' sensor is ``vital signs decreasing''), sends the instruction to call the assistant's telephone number using a priority management table (e.g., ``staff call'' of ``lamp display + message notification + staff call'') that defines the notification method for the assistant depending on the priority (e.g., priority ``1'') of the assistant's response to the sensing user. This allows for automatic communication between sensing users and operators or staff depending on the priority of the sensor information.

[0055] Traditionally, nursing care facilities have used sensors to detect when residents who are at risk of falling without assistance get out of bed. In previous systems, when a resident gets out of bed, a notification was sent to a notification device carried by the care staff. Upon receiving the notification, the care staff had to go to the resident's room and physically check on the resident's condition. This also required the care staff to temporarily interrupt their work to check on the resident's condition. In this case, the notification from the sensor information did not necessarily indicate that the resident was in danger, creating the challenge of needing to temporarily check on the resident remotely.

[0056] Furthermore, in the past, the notification system used in nursing care facilities to notify the staff of sensor information that detected changes in the user's condition and the call system to call and communicate with the care staff were operated as separate systems. In such an environment, after the sensor information that detected a change in the user's condition was notified to the staff, in order for the staff and the user to have a direct conversation, as mentioned above, the staff had to go directly to the user, or the user had to manually press a staff call button to operate the call system that was operated separately from the notification system, which meant that operators and staff could not always respond quickly in an emergency.

[0057] This system allows for the resolution of such problems by setting priorities that indicate the user's dangerous condition, and automatically notifying the user and calling out to them if the condition is highly urgent, depending on the priority.

[0058] The sensor receiver also has a display unit (e.g., operation display unit 208) and a fifth processing unit that displays, on the display unit, a type of lamp information corresponding to the sensor information (e.g., color information of a light-emitting unit such as an LED, or color information of a screen displayed on the operation display unit 208) in accordance with an instruction from the server, and when the sensor information included in the receiver information received from the sensor receiver satisfies a second condition (e.g., a condition that the threshold value of a "monitoring" sensor with priority "3" is "decreased vital signs"), the fourth processing unit of the server sends an instruction to the sensor receiver to display, on the display unit, a type of lamp information corresponding to the sensor information. This allows operators and staff to grasp the condition and behavior of the sensing user at a glance.

[0059] Furthermore, when the sensor information included in the receiver information received from the sensor receiver satisfies a third condition (for example, a condition that the threshold value of the "leaving bed" of the "leaving bed detection" sensor with priority "6" is "leaving bed"), the fourth processing unit of the server transmits a predetermined message to the telephone of the assistant via a switchboard (for example, PBX 400). This allows the operator or staff to quickly grasp the state and behavior of the sensing user.

[0060] The sensor receiver may be configured as a mobile terminal with a calling function, allowing sensing users to use the system simply by downloading an application onto a smartphone or other device they already own and are familiar with.

[0061] The notification control system also includes an IVR device (e.g., the IVR device 1001) that performs an automated voice response to the sensor receiver using a predetermined message, and the fourth processing unit of the server causes the IVR device to send the predetermined message to the sensor receiver when information indicating that an automated voice response will be performed in association with the priority (e.g., a response flag of "1" associated with "staff call" at priority "4") is set, even if the instruction to call the assistant's telephone is set. This further reduces the workload of operators and staff on the sensing user.

[0062] Although the present invention has been described in detail above using the drawings, it is not limited to the various examples described above, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0063] 1000 Notification Control System 100 sensors 200 Sensor Receiver 300 servers 400 PBX 500 telephones 201 Sensor receiver 208 Operation display section 202 Lamp control unit 203 Internal call control unit 204 Server Transmitter / Receiver 205 PBX interface section 206 Overall Control Unit 207 Memory section 208 Operation display section 301 Lamp control instruction unit 302 Message sending instruction section 303 Internal Calling Unit 304 Storage section 305 Reception decision unit 306 PBX interface section 307 Overall Control Unit 351 Receiver Information 3511 Sensor Information 601 611 Priority Management Table 701 Settings Table 1001 IVR equipment

Claims

1. A notification control system that controls notifications between a sensing user and an assistant who assists the sensing user, The sensor receiver is a first processing unit that receives sensor information from a sensor that detects the state and / or behavior of the sensing user; a second processing unit that transmits receiver information in which the sensor information and the sensing user are associated with each other to a server; a third processing unit that calls the assistant's telephone number in accordance with an instruction from the server and controls a call between the assistant and the sensing user; The server a fourth processing unit that, when the sensor information included in the receiver information received from the sensor receiver satisfies a first condition, transmits the instruction to call the telephone number of the assistant using a priority management table that defines a notification method to the assistant according to the priority of the assistant's response to the sensing user; A notification control system comprising:

2. the sensor receiver has a display unit and a fifth processing unit that displays lamp information of a type corresponding to the sensor information on the display unit in accordance with an instruction from the server, When the sensor information included in the receiver information received from the sensor receiver satisfies a second condition, the fourth processing unit of the server transmits to the sensor receiver an instruction to display, on the display unit, lamp information of a type corresponding to the sensor information. The notification control system according to claim 1 .

3. the fourth processing unit of the server transmits a predetermined message to the telephone of the assistant via a switchboard when the sensor information included in the receiver information received from the sensor receiver satisfies a third condition; The notification control system according to claim 1 .

4. The sensor receiver is configured by a mobile terminal having a calling function. The notification control system according to claim 1 .

5. the notification control system has an IVR device that performs an automatic voice response to the sensor receiver using a predetermined message, The fourth processing unit of the server causes the IVR device to transmit the predetermined message to the sensor receiver when information to perform an automatic voice response is set in association with the priority even when the instruction to call the telephone number of the assistant is set. The notification control system according to claim 1 .

6. A notification control method performed in a notification control system that controls notifications between a sensing user and an assistant who assists the sensing user, a sensor receiver performs a first process of receiving sensor information from a sensor that detects the state and / or behavior of the sensing user; a second process in which the sensor receiver transmits receiver information in which the sensor information and the sensing user are associated with each other to a server; the sensor receiver performs a third process of calling the assistant's telephone number and controlling a call between the assistant and the sensing user in accordance with an instruction from the server; When the sensor information included in the receiver information received from the sensor receiver satisfies a first condition, the server performs a fourth process of transmitting the instruction to call the telephone number of the assistant using a priority management table that defines a notification method to the assistant according to the priority of the assistant's response to the sensing user. A notification control method comprising:

7. a fifth process in which the sensor receiver having a display unit displays, on the display unit, lamp information of a type corresponding to the sensor information, in accordance with an instruction from the server; When the sensor information included in the receiver information received from the sensor receiver satisfies a second condition in the fourth process, the server transmits to the sensor receiver an instruction to display on the display unit lamp information of a type corresponding to the sensor information. The notification control method according to claim 6 .

8. When the sensor information included in the receiver information received from the sensor receiver satisfies a third condition in the fourth process, the server transmits a predetermined message to the telephone of the assistant via a switchboard. The notification control method according to claim 6 .

9. In the fourth process, even if the instruction to call the telephone number of the assistant is set, if information to perform an automatic voice response is set in association with the priority, the server causes an IVR device that performs an automatic voice response with a predetermined message to the sensor receiver to transmit the predetermined message to the sensor receiver. The notification control method according to claim 6 .

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