Biological information management system, relay device, and biological information management method

Abstract

To provide a biological information management system with an improved security.SOLUTION: A biological information management system 1 includes: a biological information sensor 10 for measuring time-series waveform data of an electric signal regarding biological information of a user and sending time-series waveform data of the measured electric signal and a sensor ID; a relay device 20 for sending the time-series waveform data of the electric signal received from the biological information sensor 10 and a sensor-related ID related to the sensor ID without including a user ID as personal information; and a server device 30 for storing the time-series waveform data of the electric signal and the sensor-related ID received from the relay device 20 without including the user ID as personal information.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a biological information management system, a relay device, and a biological information management method. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes an information processing system (corresponding to a biometric information management system) that includes a wearable device (corresponding to a biometric information sensor) that measures medical physical information including a user's biometric information (vital information, vital signs), a gateway device (corresponding to a relay device) such as a smartphone, and a server (corresponding to a server device) that stores the user's biometric information received from the wearable device via the gateway device. The wearable device also stores the user's biometric information, including personal information such as the user's name, address, and date of birth, as well as health and medical information (e.g., information about illnesses, diseases, and treatments). The server also stores the user's biometric information received from the wearable device. This allows the system to provide optimal information for each user in the event of a disaster, based on the user's biometric information and biometric information. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6620456 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Information about a user, such as the user's name, address, date of birth, etc., is considered personal information as defined by the Personal Information Protection Act. In addition, medical physical information, including the user's biometric information (vital information, vital signs), and information about the user's health and medical care (e.g., information about illness, disease, and treatment) are considered medical information that may be considered sensitive personal information as defined by the Personal Information Protection Act.

[0005] The information processing system described in Patent Document 1 (corresponding to the biometric information management system of the present application) has issues in terms of information protection except in emergencies such as disasters. For example, relayed data from a gateway device (corresponding to a relay device) such as a smartphone is at risk of information leakage, unauthorized viewing (peeping), and tampering. Similarly, stored data on a server (corresponding to a server device) is at risk of information leakage, unauthorized viewing, and tampering.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide a biometric information management system, a relay device, and a biometric information management method with improved security. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The biometric information management system of the present invention is a system for managing measurement results of a user's biometric information obtained by a biometric information sensor, and includes: a biometric information sensor that measures time-series waveform data of an electrical signal related to the user's biometric information and transmits the measured time-series waveform data of the electrical signal and a sensor ID for identifying the biometric information sensor; wherein the time-series waveform data of the electrical signal is pre-processed medical information data before being processed into the biometric information, which is medical information and sensitive personal information; a relay device that receives the time-series waveform data of the electrical signal and the sensor ID from the biometric information sensor and transmits the received time-series waveform data of the electrical signal and a sensor-related ID related to the received sensor ID without including a user ID, which is personal information that can identify the user; and a server device that receives the time-series waveform data of the electrical signal and the sensor-related ID from the relay device and stores the received time-series waveform data of the electrical signal and the sensor-related ID without including the user ID, which is personal information that can identify the user, and without processing the time-series waveform data of the electrical signal into the biometric information, which is medical information and sensitive personal information.

[0008] The relay device of the present invention is a relay device that relays between a biometric information sensor and a server device, and receives from the biometric information sensor time-series waveform data of an electrical signal related to a user's biometric information and a sensor ID for identifying the biometric information sensor, where the time-series waveform data of the electrical signal is pre-processed medical information data before being processed into the biometric information, which is medical information and sensitive personal information, and transmits the received time-series waveform data of the electrical signal and a sensor-related ID related to the received sensor ID to the server device without including a user ID, which is personal information that can identify the user.

[0009] The biological information management method of the present invention is a method for managing measurement results of a user's biological information using a biological information sensor, and includes: a biological information measurement step of measuring time-series waveform data of an electrical signal related to the user's biological information and transmitting the measured time-series waveform data of the electrical signal and a sensor ID for identifying the biological information sensor; wherein the time-series waveform data of the electrical signal is pre-processed medical information data before being processed into the biological information, which is medical information and sensitive personal information; a relay step of receiving the time-series waveform data of the electrical signal and the sensor ID and transmitting the received time-series waveform data of the electrical signal and a sensor-related ID related to the received sensor ID without including a user ID, which is personal information that can identify the user; and a storage step of receiving the time-series waveform data of the electrical signal and the sensor-related ID and storing the received time-series waveform data of the electrical signal and the sensor-related ID without including the user ID, which is personal information that can identify the user, and without processing the time-series waveform data of the electrical signal into the biological information, which is medical information and sensitive personal information. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the present invention, security in biometric information management can be improved. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1]1 is a diagram illustrating a biological information management system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 2 is a diagram illustrating a relay device in the biological information management system shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a server device in the biological information management system illustrated in FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a viewing device in the biological information management system shown in FIG. [Figure 5A] 1 is a data transition diagram showing an example of a biological information management operation and a biological information viewing operation by the biological information management system according to the present embodiment. [Figure 5B] FIG. 10 is a data transition diagram showing an example of a biological information management operation and a biological information viewing operation of Modification 1 by the biological information management system according to the present embodiment. [Figure 5C] FIG. 10 is a data transition diagram showing an example of a biological information management operation and a biological information viewing operation of Modification 2 by the biological information management system according to the present embodiment. [Figure 5D] FIG. 10 is a data transition diagram showing an example of a biological information management operation and a biological information viewing operation of a third modified example by the biological information management system according to the present embodiment. [Figure 6A] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of pre-processed medical information data (raw data) before being processed into biometric information, which is medical information and is sensitive personal information. [Figure 6B] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing another example of pre-processed medical information data (raw data) before being processed into biometric information, which is medical information and is sensitive personal information. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] An example of an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which the same or equivalent parts are designated by the same reference numerals.

[0013] (First embodiment) <Biometric Information Management System> Fig. 1 is a diagram showing a biological information management system according to this embodiment. The biological information management system 1 shown in Fig. 1 includes a biological information sensor 10, a relay device 20, a server device 30, and a viewing device 40. The biological information management system 1 manages measurement results relating to a user's biological information measured by the biological information sensor 10 using the server device 30. The biological information management system 1 also allows the user's biological information to be viewed using the viewing device 40.

[0014] The biometric sensor 10 is, for example, a wearable (e.g., ring-shaped) sensor that can be worn by a user. The biometric sensor 10 measures time-series waveform data of an electrical signal related to the user's biometric information (vital information, vital signs). The biometric sensor 10 transmits the time-series waveform data of the measured electrical signal in association with a pre-stored sensor ID (Identifier) ​​for identifying the biometric sensor. For example, the biometric sensor 10 may include the sensor ID as header information in the time-series waveform data of the electrical signal. Alternatively, the sensor ID may be calculated by a predetermined calculation to generate a unique ID before transmission. The unique ID obtained by such calculation is also included in the sensor ID.

[0015] Examples of the biological information sensor 10 include a photoplethysmographic sensor, a heart rate sensor (photoplethysmographic sensor), a glucose sensor (photoplethysmographic sensor), and a core body temperature sensor. Examples of biological information include blood oxygen saturation (SpO2), atrial fibrillation data or arrhythmia data obtained by detecting abnormal heart rhythms, blood glucose levels, core body temperature, and other medical information (sensitive personal information). Examples of the time-series waveform data of the electrical signal include raw data before being processed into such medical information (sensitive personal information), i.e., pre-processed medical information (sensitive personal information) data before processing such as arithmetic processing according to a predetermined algorithm. Details of the biological information sensor 10, the biological information that is medical information (sensitive personal information), and the time-series waveform data of the electrical signal that is pre-processed medical information (sensitive personal information) data will be described later.

[0016] Examples of the relay device 20 include information processing devices such as a smartphone, a tablet, and a PC. The relay device 20 is a device that relays between the biometric sensor 10 and the server device 30. The relay device 20 receives time-series waveform data of the electrical signal and a sensor ID from the biometric sensor 10. The relay device 20 transmits the time-series waveform data of the received electrical signal and a sensor-related ID associated with the received sensor ID to the server device 30 via the network 5. At this time, the relay device 20 transmits the time-series waveform data of the electrical signal and the sensor-related ID as is, without including a user ID (identifier), which is personal information that can identify the user. Details of the relay device 20 will be described later.

[0017] The server device 30 may be an information processing device such as a PC or a mainframe computer. The server device 30 receives the time-series waveform data of the electrical signal and the sensor-related ID from the relay device 20 via the network 5. The server device 30 stores the received time-series waveform data of the electrical signal and the sensor-related ID. At this time, the server device 30 stores the time-series waveform data of the electrical signal and the sensor-related ID as is, without including a user ID, which is personal information that can identify a user, and without processing the time-series waveform data of the electrical signal into biological information, which is medical information and sensitive personal information. Details of the server device 30 will be described later.

[0018] Examples of the viewing device 40 include information processing devices such as smartphones, tablets, and PCs. The viewing device 40 is a device that allows a doctor providing remote medical care or the user himself / herself to view biometric information, which is medical information and sensitive personal information. The viewing device 40 displays the biometric information based on the sensor-related ID. Details of the viewing device 40 will be described later.

[0019] The communication standard between the biometric sensor 10 and the relay device 20 is not particularly limited, but examples thereof include so-called short-range wireless communication standards such as Bluetooth (registered trademark) and Wi-Fi (registered trademark). The communication standard between the relay device 20 and the server device 30 is not particularly limited, but examples thereof include wireless communication standards such as wireless LAN (Local Area Network), LTE (Long Term Evolution), 3G, 4G, or 5G, or communication standards such as wired LAN, performed via an access point AP and a network 5. The communication standard between the server device 30 and the browsing device 40 is not particularly limited, but examples thereof include wireless communication standards such as wireless LAN (Local Area Network) or communication standards such as wired LAN, performed via a network 5.

[0020] <<Biometric information sensor>> The following provides a detailed description of the biological information sensor 10. As described above, the biological information sensor 10 measures time-series waveform data of an electrical signal related to the user's biological information (medical information, sensitive personal information).

[0021] The Personal Information Protection Act stipulates that the medical information listed below falls under sensitive personal information. The results of medical examinations conducted by doctors, etc., and Guidance, medical treatment, or prescriptions given by a doctor based on the results of a health checkup, etc. (Article 2, Paragraph 3 of the Personal Information Protection Act, Article 2, Items 2 and 3 of the Enforcement Order of the Personal Information Protection Act)

[0022] In this application, biometric information means information that has been processed into medical information (sensitive personal information) that can be used by a doctor to perform a health check to determine whether the user's health condition is normal or abnormal, i.e., information that has been processed into medical information that can be displayed as the results of a health check (e.g., blood oxygen saturation SpO2, atrial fibrillation data or arrhythmia data detected by detecting abnormal heart rhythms, blood glucose level, core body temperature, etc.).

[0023] On the other hand, the time-series waveform data of the electrical signal refers to data before it has been processed into such medical information (sensitive personal information), i.e., pre-processed medical information data before it has been subjected to processing such as arithmetic processing according to a predetermined algorithm for generating medical information. In other words, the time-series waveform data of the electrical signal is not only the raw data measured by the sensor, but also, as long as it has not been processed into medical information that can be displayed as the results of a health check, may be time-series data of peak values ​​only, or a waveform shape represented by the time-series data, or data that has been digitized (discretized) by digital filtering, as will be described later.

[0024] For example, if the biometric information sensor 10 is a photoplethysmographic sensor, the photoplethysmographic sensor irradiates the user with infrared (IR) and red (R) light and measures the reflected or transmitted infrared (IR) and red (R) light, which changes with changes in the oxygen concentration in the blood. As shown in FIG. 6A, the photoplethysmographic sensor generates time-series data of each electrical signal corresponding to the reflected or transmitted infrared (IR) light and the reflected or transmitted red (R) light as time-series waveform data of each electrical signal. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 6B, the photoplethysmographic sensor generates time-series waveform data of each electrical signal based on the waveforms indicated by the time-series data of these electrical signals.

[0025] By processing the time-series waveform data of these electrical signals according to a predetermined algorithm, blood oxygen saturation SpO2, i.e., biological information, can be obtained. This biological information corresponds to medical information, i.e., sensitive personal information, as defined by the Personal Information Protection Act. On the other hand, the time-series waveform data of the electrical signals described above is raw data (pre-processed medical information data) before being processed into biological information, which is medical information, and does not correspond to medical information, i.e., sensitive personal information, as defined by the Personal Information Protection Act.

[0026] Photoplethysmographic sensors are also used as heart rate sensors. For example, when the biometric information sensor 10 is such a heart rate sensor, the heart rate sensor measures the peaks of reflected infrared (IR) and red (R) light, which change in accordance with changes in blood flow due to cardiac pulsation. The heart rate sensor generates time-series waveform data of the peaks of each electrical signal corresponding to the peaks of the reflected infrared (IR) and red (R) light, i.e., pulse wave data and heart rate data.

[0027] By processing the time-series waveform data of these electrical signals according to a predetermined algorithm, atrial fibrillation data or arrhythmia data resulting from the detection of abnormal heart rhythms, i.e., biological information, can be obtained. This biological information corresponds to medical information, i.e., sensitive personal information, as defined by the Personal Information Protection Act. On the other hand, the time-series waveform data of the electrical signals described above is raw data (pre-processed medical information data) before being processed into biological information, which is medical information, and does not correspond to medical information, i.e., sensitive personal information, as defined by the Personal Information Protection Act.

[0028] Photoplethysmographic sensors are also used as glucose sensors. For example, when the bioinformation sensor 10 is such a glucose sensor, the glucose sensor measures the pulse waveform of reflected or transmitted light, which changes depending on the glucose concentration in the blood. The glucose sensor generates waveforms of each electrical signal corresponding to the pulse waveform of the reflected or transmitted light, i.e., time-series waveform data.

[0029] The waveforms of these electrical signals, i.e., time-series waveform data, are processed according to a predetermined algorithm to obtain blood glucose levels, i.e., biological information. This biological information falls under the category of medical information, i.e., sensitive personal information, as defined by the Personal Information Protection Act. On the other hand, the time-series waveform data of the electrical signals described above is raw data (pre-processed medical information data) before being processed into biological information, which is medical information, and does not fall under the category of medical information, i.e., sensitive personal information, as defined by the Personal Information Protection Act.

[0030] Also, for example, if the biometric information sensor 10 is a deep body temperature sensor, the deep body temperature sensor measures time series waveform data of each electrical signal (electrical signal corresponding to temperature) from multiple temperature sensors (e.g., thermistors) arranged at different intervals on the user's body surface.

[0031] By processing the time-series waveform data of such electrical signals according to a predetermined algorithm, deep body temperature, i.e., biological information, can be obtained. This biological information corresponds to medical information, i.e., sensitive personal information, as defined by the Personal Information Protection Act. On the other hand, the time-series waveform data of the electrical signals described above is raw data (pre-processed medical information data) before being processed into biological information, which is medical information, and does not correspond to medical information, i.e., sensitive personal information, as defined by the Personal Information Protection Act.

[0032] <<Relay device>> The following describes in detail the relay device 20. Fig. 2 is a diagram showing the relay device in the biological information management system shown in Fig. 1. The relay device 20 shown in Fig. 2 includes communication units 21 and 22, an ID reader / writer 23, a control unit 24, and a storage unit 25.

[0033] The communication unit 21 performs wireless communication with the biometric information sensor 10. The communication unit 21 is an interface that complies with so-called short-range communication standards such as Bluetooth (registered trademark) or Wi-Fi (registered trademark). Note that the communication standards that the communication unit 21 complies with are not limited to these.

[0034] The communication unit 22 communicates with the server device 30, for example, via an access point AP and the network 5. The communication unit 22 is an interface that performs wireless communication in accordance with a communication standard such as a wireless LAN (Local Area Network), LTE (Long Term Evolution), 3G, 4G, or 5G.

[0035] The ID reader / writer 23 is a device that reads an ID (Identifier) ​​recorded on a recording medium and writes an ID to the recording medium. The ID reader / writer 23 is configured, for example, as an ID card reader / writer or an RFID (Radio Frequency Identifier) ​​reader / writer, and the recording medium is configured, for example, as an ID card or an RFID tag.

[0036] The control unit 24 controls the overall operation of the relay device 20. For example, based on a user ID and a sensor-related ID read by the ID reader / writer 23, or based on a sensor-related ID pre-stored in the storage unit 25, the control unit 24 receives, via the communication unit 21, time-series waveform data of the electrical signal and a sensor ID from the biological information sensor 10 corresponding to the sensor-related ID. The control unit 24 transmits the time-series waveform data of the received electrical signal and the sensor-related ID associated with the received sensor ID to the server device 30 via the communication unit 22. At this time, the control unit 24 transmits the time-series waveform data of the electrical signal and the sensor-related ID as is, without including the user ID, which is personal information that can identify the user.

[0037] Here, the sensor-related ID may be the sensor ID itself, or may be a unique ID calculated by performing a predetermined arithmetic operation on the sensor ID and the user ID. The control unit 24 may write the generated sensor-related ID to a recording medium using the ID reader / writer 23.

[0038] The storage unit 25 stores programs (applications) or data executed by the control unit 24. The storage unit 25 may also store in advance sensor-related IDs of the biometric information sensors 10 that can be used by the user, or may store generated sensor-related IDs. The storage unit 25 is configured with a recording medium such as a ROM (Read Only Memory), an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), an SSD (Solid State Drive), or a removable memory card.

[0039] The control unit 24 described above is configured with an arithmetic processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), or an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array). The various functions of the control unit 24 are realized by executing a program (application) stored in the storage unit 25, for example. The program (application) may be provided via a network, or may be provided by being recorded on a computer-readable storage medium such as a CD-ROM (Compact Disc Read Only Memory) or a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc). Examples of the storage medium include non-transitory tangible media.

[0040] <<Server device>> The server device 30 will be described in detail below. Fig. 3 is a diagram showing the server device in the biological information management system shown in Fig. 1. The server device 30 shown in Fig. 3 includes a communication unit 32, a control unit 34, and a storage unit 35.

[0041] The communication unit 32 communicates with the relay device 20 and the browsing device 40, for example, via the network 5. The communication unit 32 is an interface that performs wireless communication in accordance with a wireless communication standard such as a wireless LAN (Local Area Network) or a communication standard such as a wired LAN.

[0042] The control unit 34 controls the overall operation of the server device 30. The control unit 34 receives the time-series waveform data of the electrical signal and the sensor-related ID from the relay device 20 via the communication unit 32. The control unit 34 stores the received time-series waveform data of the electrical signal and the sensor-related ID in the storage unit 35. At this time, the control unit 34 stores the time-series waveform data of the electrical signal and the sensor-related ID as they are in the storage unit 35 without including a user ID, which is personal information that can identify the user, and without processing the time-series waveform data of the electrical signal into biological information, which is medical information and is sensitive personal information.

[0043] In addition, in response to a request received from the viewing device 40 via the communication unit 32, the control unit 34 transmits the time series waveform data of the electrical signal stored in the memory unit 35, which corresponds to the requested sensor-related ID, to the viewing device 40 via the communication unit 32 without processing it into biometric information, which is medical information and sensitive personal information.

[0044] Alternatively, the control unit 34 may function as a calculation unit and process the time-series waveform data of the electrical signal into biometric information that is medical information and is sensitive personal information according to a predetermined algorithm stored in advance in the storage unit 35. In this case, the control unit 34 may process the time-series waveform data of the electrical signal stored in the storage unit 35 and corresponding to the requested sensor-related ID into biometric information in response to a request received from the viewing device 40, and transmit the processed biometric information. In this case, the control unit 34 does not store the processed biometric information that is medical information and is sensitive personal information in the storage unit 35.

[0045] The storage unit 35 stores programs (applications) or data executed by the control unit 34. The storage unit 35 also saves time-series waveform data of the received electrical signal and a sensor-related ID. The storage unit 35 may also store a predetermined algorithm for processing the time-series waveform data of the electrical signal into bioinformation (medical information). It is preferable that the storage address of the time-series waveform data of the electrical signal and the storage address of the predetermined algorithm are separate. The storage unit 35 is configured with a recording medium such as a ROM (Read Only Memory), an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), an SSD (Solid State Drive), or a removable memory card.

[0046] The control unit 34 described above is configured with an arithmetic processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), or an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array). The various functions of the control unit 34 are realized by executing a program (application) stored in the storage unit 35, for example. The program (application) may be provided via a network, or may be provided by being recorded on a computer-readable storage medium such as a CD-ROM (Compact Disc Read Only Memory) or a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc). Examples of the storage medium include non-transitory tangible media.

[0047] <<Viewing device>> The viewing device 40 will be described in detail below. Fig. 4 is a diagram showing a viewing device in the biometric information management system shown in Fig. 1. The viewing device 40 shown in Fig. 4 includes a communication unit 42, an ID reader 43, a control unit 44, a storage unit 45, an operation unit 47, and a display unit 48.

[0048] The communication unit 42 communicates with the server device 30, for example, via the network 5. The communication unit 42 is an interface that performs wireless communication in accordance with a wireless communication standard such as a wireless LAN (Local Area Network) or a communication standard such as a wired LAN.

[0049] The ID reader 43 is a device that reads an ID (Identifier) ​​recorded on a recording medium. The ID reader 43 is configured, for example, by an ID card reader, an RFID (Radio Frequency Identifier) ​​reader, etc., and the recording medium is configured, for example, by an ID card, an RFID tag, etc.

[0050] The operation unit 47 is an operation unit that is operated by the user and is configured, for example, by a keyboard or a mouse having physical operation buttons, or a touch panel having virtual operation buttons.

[0051] The display unit 48 displays biological information and is configured, for example, as a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display.

[0052] The control unit 44 controls the overall operation of the viewing device 40. The control unit 44 enables viewing of biometric information based on a user ID input via the operation unit 47 or an administrator ID different from the user ID. Then, the control unit 44 requests the corresponding biometric information from the server device 30 via the communication unit 42 based on the sensor-related ID input by the user via the operation unit 47.

[0053] Alternatively, the control unit 44 may enable viewing of the biometric information based on the user ID or an administrator ID different from the user ID read from the recording medium by the ID reader 43. Furthermore, the control unit 44 may request the corresponding biometric information from the server device 30 via the communication unit 42 based on the sensor-related ID read from the recording medium by the ID reader 43.

[0054] The control unit 44 receives the time-series waveform data of the electrical signal and the sensor-related ID from the server device 30 via the communication unit 42. The control unit 44 functions as a calculation unit and processes the time-series waveform data of the electrical signal into biometric information, which is medical information and sensitive personal information, according to a predetermined algorithm pre-stored in the memory unit 45. Alternatively, the control unit 44 may process the time-series waveform data of the electrical signal into biometric information, which is medical information and sensitive personal information, according to a predetermined algorithm read by the ID reader 43. The control unit 44 displays the processed biometric information on the display unit 48.

[0055] Alternatively, when the biometric information is processed in the server device 30, the control unit 44 may receive the biometric information from the server device 30 and display the received biometric information on the display unit .

[0056] The storage unit 45 stores programs (applications) or data executed by the control unit 44. The storage unit 45 may also store a predetermined algorithm for processing time-series waveform data of an electrical signal into biometric information (medical information, sensitive personal information). The storage unit 45 may also store time-series waveform data of a received electrical signal and a sensor-related ID, received biometric information and a sensor-related ID, and processed biometric information and a sensor-related ID. The storage unit 45 is configured with a recording medium such as a ROM (Read Only Memory), an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), an SSD (Solid State Drive), or a removable memory card.

[0057] The control unit 44 described above is configured with an arithmetic processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), or an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array). The various functions of the control unit 44 are realized by executing a program (application) stored in the storage unit 45, for example. The program (application) may be provided via a network, or may be provided by being recorded on a computer-readable storage medium such as a CD-ROM (Compact Disc Read Only Memory) or a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc). Examples of the storage medium include non-transitory tangible media.

[0058] Next, a description will be given of a biological information management operation and a biological information viewing operation by the above-described biological information management system 1 with reference to Fig. 5A. Fig. 5A is a data transition diagram showing an example of a biological information management operation and a biological information viewing operation by the biological information management system according to this embodiment.

[0059] First, the biological information management operation will be described. The biological information sensor 10 measures time-series waveform data of an electrical signal related to the user's biological information (medical information, sensitive personal information). As described above, the time-series waveform data of the electrical signal is pre-processed medical information data (raw data) before being processed into biological information, which is medical information (sensitive personal information). The biological information sensor 10 transmits the time-series waveform data of the measured electrical signal and a pre-stored sensor ID (biological information measurement step).

[0060] The relay device 20 receives the time-series waveform data of the electrical signal and the sensor ID from the biological information sensor 10, and transmits the received time-series waveform data of the electrical signal and the sensor ID. At this time, the relay device 20 transmits the time-series waveform data of the electrical signal and the sensor ID as is, without including the user ID, which is personal information that can identify the user (relay step).

[0061] Server device 30 receives the time-series waveform data of the electrical signal and the sensor ID from relay device 20, and stores the received time-series waveform data of the electrical signal and the sensor ID. At this time, server device 30 stores the time-series waveform data of the electrical signal and the sensor ID as they are, without including the user ID, which is personal information that can identify the user, and without processing the time-series waveform data of the electrical signal into biological information, which is medical information (sensitive personal information) (storage step).

[0062] Next, the operation of viewing biometric information will be described. A viewer, such as a doctor or the user himself / herself, operates the operation unit 47 of the viewing device 40 to input an administrator ID and a sensor ID. Then, the viewing device 40 enables viewing of the biometric information based on the input administrator ID. Furthermore, the viewing device 40 requests the corresponding biometric information from the server device 30 based on the input sensor ID.

[0063] In response to a request from the viewing device 40, the server device 30 transmits the stored time series waveform data of the electrical signal, which corresponds to the requested sensor ID, to the viewing device 40 without processing it into biometric information, which is medical information (sensitive personal information).

[0064] The viewing device 40 receives the time-series waveform data of the electrical signal and the sensor ID from the server device 30, and processes the time-series waveform data of the electrical signal into biometric information, which is medical information (sensitive personal information), by performing arithmetic processing according to a predetermined algorithm stored in advance. The viewing device 40 displays the processed biometric information (viewing step). The viewing device 40 may also store the processed biometric information.

[0065] As described above, according to the biological information management system 1 of this embodiment, the relay device transmits time-series waveform data of the electrical signal related to the biological information measured by the biological information sensor, i.e., raw medical information data (raw data) before being processed into medical information that is sensitive personal information. Furthermore, the server device stores the time-series waveform data of the electrical signal received from the relay device without processing it into medical information that is sensitive personal information. This prevents the relay device and the server device from generating sensitive personal information. Therefore, even if the relay device and the server device are accessed by a malicious third party, leakage, unauthorized viewing (peeping), and tampering of sensitive personal information can be prevented, thereby improving security.

[0066] Here, even if the medical information is unprocessed data (raw data) that is medical information but does not fall under sensitive personal information, if it exists together with a user ID, which is personal information that can identify the user, it falls under sensitive personal information. For example, if the relay device is a mobile device such as a smartphone, tablet, or PC, personal information (information that can identify the user, such as name, date of birth, and gender) may be recorded on it, or personal information may be registered in an application that operates in conjunction with it. In this case, even if the unprocessed medical information data (raw data) is medical information and does not fall under sensitive personal information, it will fall under sensitive personal information if it exists together with personal information.

[0067] In this regard, according to the biological information management system 1 of this embodiment, the relay device transmits a sensor ID for identifying the sensor without including a user ID, which is personal information that can identify the user. The server device also stores a sensor ID for identifying the sensor without including a user ID, which is personal information that can identify the user. This ensures that the relay device and the server device do not contain both pre-processed medical information data (raw data) and user IDs. Therefore, even if the relay device or the server device is accessed by a malicious third party, the pre-processed medical information data (raw data) alone does not constitute sensitive personal information, preventing leakage, unauthorized viewing (peeping), and tampering of sensitive personal information, thereby improving security.

[0068] Furthermore, according to the biometric information management system 1 of this embodiment, the viewing device indirectly identifies, displays, and stores the biometric information of a desired user using a sensor ID, rather than a user ID, which is personal information that can identify the user. This prevents a malicious third party from identifying which user the biometric information, which is medical information and sensitive personal information, belongs to, even if the viewing device is accessed by such a third party.

[0069] Furthermore, according to the biometric information management system 1 of this embodiment, by logging in to the viewing device using an administrator ID that is different from the user ID, which is personal information that can identify the user, even if the viewing device is accessed by a malicious third party, it is possible to prevent the biometric information, which is medical information and sensitive personal information, from being identified as belonging to which user.

[0070] (Variation 1) In the above-described embodiment, viewing device 40 pre-stores a predetermined algorithm and processes time-series waveform data of electrical signals into biometric information, which is medical information (sensitive personal information). However, this embodiment is not limited to this, and server device 30 may pre-store a predetermined algorithm and process time-series waveform data of electrical signals into biometric information, which is medical information (sensitive personal information), in response to a request from viewing device 40.

[0071] 5B is a data transition diagram showing an example of a biometric information management operation and a biometric information viewing operation according to Modification 1 by the biometric information management system according to this embodiment. Note that the biometric information management operation according to Modification 1 shown in FIG. 5B is the same as the above-described biometric information management operation shown in FIG. 5A.

[0072] The biometric information viewing operation of Modification 1 shown in Fig. 5B will be described. As described above, a viewer such as a doctor or the user operates the operation unit 47 of the viewing device 40 to input an administrator ID and a sensor ID. Then, the viewing device 40 enables viewing of the biometric information based on the input administrator ID. Furthermore, the viewing device 40 requests the corresponding biometric information from the server device 30 based on the input sensor ID.

[0073] In response to a request from the viewing device 40, the server device 30 selects, from the stored time-series waveform data of the electrical signal, time-series waveform data of the electrical signal that corresponds to the requested sensor ID. The server device 30 processes the time-series waveform data of the electrical signal into biometric information, which is medical information (sensitive personal information), according to a predetermined algorithm stored in advance. The server device 30 transmits the processed biometric information to the viewing device 40. At this time, the server device 30 does not store the processed biometric information, which is medical information (sensitive personal information).

[0074] The viewing device 40 receives and displays the biometric information and the sensor ID from the server device 30 (viewing step). The viewing device 40 may store the received biometric information.

[0075] This first modification also provides the same advantages as the biological information management system 1 of the present embodiment described above.

[0076] (Variation 2) In the above-described embodiment, when viewing biometric information, the viewer, such as a doctor or the user himself / herself, manually inputs the administrator ID and the sensor ID by operating the operation unit 47 of the viewing device 40. However, the present embodiment is not limited to this, and the viewer, such as a doctor or the user himself / herself, may automatically input the user ID and the sensor ID using a recording medium, such as an ID card or an RFID tag.

[0077] 5C is a data transition diagram showing an example of a biometric information management operation and a biometric information viewing operation according to Modification 2 of the biometric information management system of this embodiment. The biometric information management operation according to Modification 2 shown in FIG. 5C is the same as the above-described biometric information management operation shown in FIG. 5A.

[0078] The biometric information viewing operation of Modification 2 shown in FIG. 5C will be described. A viewer, such as a doctor or the user himself / herself, inserts, for example, an ID card into ID reader 43 of viewing device 40. This causes viewing device 40 to automatically recognize the user ID and sensor ID recorded on the ID card. Then, viewing device 40 enables viewing of biometric information based on the recognized user ID. Furthermore, viewing device 40 requests corresponding biometric information from server device 30 based on the recognized sensor ID.

[0079] As described above, in response to a request from the viewing device 40, the server device 30 transmits the stored time series waveform data of the electrical signal, which corresponds to the requested sensor ID, to the viewing device 40 without processing it into biometric information, which is medical information (sensitive personal information).

[0080] As described above, the viewing device 40 receives the time-series waveform data of the electrical signal and the sensor ID from the server device 30, and processes the time-series waveform data of the electrical signal into biometric information, which is medical information (sensitive personal information), by performing arithmetic processing according to a predetermined algorithm stored in advance. The viewing device 40 displays the processed biometric information (viewing step). The viewing device 40 may also store the processed biometric information.

[0081] This second modification also provides the same advantages as the biological information management system 1 of the present embodiment described above.

[0082] Furthermore, according to this modification 2, when viewing biometric information, it is no longer necessary for the user to remember, for example, the user's own user ID, thereby improving convenience. Also, by checking using an ID card or the like, it is possible to prevent fraudulent use by spoofing the user ID.

[0083] (Variation 3) In the above-described embodiment and modified examples, the sensor ID itself is used to identify the biological information. However, the above-described embodiment and modified examples are not limited to this, and a sensor-related ID related to the sensor ID may be used to identify the biological information. Furthermore, in the above-described modified example 2, a recording medium such as an ID card may record a predetermined algorithm for processing time-series waveform data of the electrical signal into biological information that is medical information (sensitive personal information).

[0084] FIG. 5D is a data transition diagram showing an example of a biological information management operation and a biological information viewing operation according to Modification 3 performed by the biological information management system according to this embodiment.

[0085] First, the biological information management operation will be described. As described above, the biological information sensor 10 measures time-series waveform data of an electrical signal related to the user's biological information (medical information, sensitive personal information), and transmits the time-series waveform data of the measured electrical signal and a pre-stored sensor ID (biological information measurement step).

[0086] The relay device 20 receives the time-series waveform data of the electrical signal and the sensor ID from the biological information sensor 10. The relay device 20 transmits the time-series waveform data of the received electrical signal and a sensor-related ID related to the received sensor ID. At this time, the relay device 20 transmits the time-series waveform data of the electrical signal and the sensor-related ID without including a user ID, which is personal information that can identify a user (relay step).

[0087] Here, the sensor-related ID is a unique ID calculated by performing predetermined arithmetic operations on the sensor ID and the user ID. The relay device 20 writes the generated sensor-related ID to the ID card using the ID reader / writer 23.

[0088] Server device 30 receives the time-series waveform data of the electrical signal and the sensor-related ID from relay device 20, and stores the received time-series waveform data of the electrical signal and the sensor-related ID. At this time, server device 30 stores the time-series waveform data of the electrical signal and the sensor-related ID as they are, without including a user ID, which is personal information that can identify a user, and without processing the time-series waveform data of the electrical signal into biological information, which is medical information (sensitive personal information) (storage step).

[0089] Next, the operation of viewing biometric information will be described. A viewer, such as a doctor or the user himself / herself, inserts, for example, an ID card into ID reader 43 of viewing device 40. This causes viewing device 40 to automatically recognize the user ID, sensor-related ID, and a predetermined algorithm for processing the time-series waveform data of the electrical signal recorded on the ID card into biometric information, which is medical information (sensitive personal information). Then, viewing device 40 enables viewing of the biometric information based on the recognized user ID. Furthermore, viewing device 40 requests corresponding biometric information from server device 30 based on the recognized sensor-related ID.

[0090] In response to a request from the viewing device 40, the server device 30 transmits the stored time series waveform data of the electrical signal, which corresponds to the requested sensor-related ID, to the viewing device 40 without processing it into biometric information, which is medical information (sensitive personal information).

[0091] The viewing device 40 receives the time-series waveform data of the electrical signal and the sensor-related ID from the server device 30, and processes the time-series waveform data of the electrical signal into biometric information, which is medical information (sensitive personal information), by performing arithmetic processing according to a predetermined algorithm read from the ID card. The viewing device 40 displays the processed biometric information (viewing step). The viewing device 40 may also store the processed biometric information.

[0092] This third modification also provides the same advantages as the second modification described above.

[0093] Furthermore, according to Modification 3, to identify the biometric information, a sensor-related ID, which is a unique ID calculated by performing predetermined arithmetic operations on the sensor ID and the user ID, is used instead of the sensor ID itself. As a result, neither the user ID, which is personal information that can identify the user, nor the sensor ID itself exists in relay device 20 nor server device 30, thereby further increasing confidentiality.

[0094] Furthermore, according to the third modification, the relay device 20 can additionally write the generated sensor-related ID to an ID card and use it when viewing biometric information, further improving convenience.

[0095] Furthermore, according to this modification 3, the ID card records a predetermined algorithm for processing time-series waveform data of the electrical signal into biometric information, which is medical information (sensitive personal information), and viewing device 40 reads the predetermined algorithm recorded on the ID card when viewing the biometric information. This eliminates the need to store the predetermined algorithm in viewing device 40 in advance, and makes it possible to prevent reverse analysis of the algorithm calculation.

[0096] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and various modifications, variations, and combinations are possible. In the above-described embodiments and variations, four forms are illustrated as shown in Figures 5A to 5D. However, the present invention is not limited to these, and all or part of the four forms shown in Figures 5A to 5D may be combined. [Explanation of symbols]

[0097] 1 Biometric information management system 5. Network 10 Biometric information sensor 20 Relay device 21,22 Communications Department 23 ID reader / writer 24 Control Unit 25 Memory section 30 Server device 32 Communications Department 34 Control Unit 35 Storage section 40 Viewing Device 42 Communications Department 43 ID reader 44 Control Unit 45 Storage section 47 Operation section 48 Display section AP Access point

Claims

1. a biometric information sensor that measures time-series waveform data of an electrical signal related to biometric information of a user and transmits the measured time-series waveform data of the electrical signal and a sensor ID for identifying the biometric information sensor; a relay device that receives time-series waveform data of the electrical signal and the sensor ID from the biological information sensor, and transmits the received time-series waveform data of the electrical signal and a sensor-related ID related to the received sensor ID without including a user ID, which is personal information that can identify the user; a server device that receives the time-series waveform data of the electrical signal and the sensor-related ID from the relay device, stores the received time-series waveform data of the electrical signal and the sensor-related ID without including the user ID, and transmits the time-series waveform data of the electrical signal corresponding to the sensor-related ID in response to a request without processing it into the biological information, which is medical information and sensitive personal information; a viewing device for viewing the biological information, which is medical information and sensitive personal information, based on the sensor-related ID; The viewing device in a biometric information management system comprising: requesting the biometric information corresponding to the sensor-related ID from the server device; receiving the time-series waveform data of the electrical signal transmitted from the server device in response to a request, and processing the received time-series waveform data of the electrical signal into the biological information, which is medical information and sensitive personal information, and displaying the biological information; Viewing device.

2. a biometric information sensor that measures time-series waveform data of an electrical signal related to biometric information of a user and transmits the measured time-series waveform data of the electrical signal and a sensor ID for identifying the biometric information sensor; a relay device that receives time-series waveform data of the electrical signal and the sensor ID from the biological information sensor, and transmits the received time-series waveform data of the electrical signal and a sensor-related ID related to the received sensor ID without including a user ID, which is personal information that can identify the user; a server device that receives the time-series waveform data of the electrical signal and the sensor-related ID from the relay device, and stores the received time-series waveform data of the electrical signal and the sensor-related ID without including the user ID, and processes the time-series waveform data of the electrical signal corresponding to the sensor-related ID in response to a request into the biological information which is medical information and sensitive personal information, and transmits the processed biological information without storing it; a viewing device for viewing the biological information, which is medical information and sensitive personal information, based on the sensor-related ID; The viewing device in a biometric information management system comprising: requesting the biometric information corresponding to the sensor-related ID from the server device; receiving the biometric information transmitted from the server device in response to a request, and displaying the received biometric information which is medical information and sensitive personal information; Viewing device.

3. 3. The viewing device according to claim 1, further comprising: a viewing device that enables the biometric information to be viewed based on an administrator ID that is different from a user ID that is personal information that can identify the user.

4. 3. The browsing device according to claim 1, further comprising an ID reader that reads the sensor-related ID from a recording medium that records the sensor-related ID.

5. an ID reader that reads the sensor-related ID and a predetermined algorithm for processing the time-series waveform data of the electrical signal into the biological information, which is medical information and sensitive personal information, from a recording medium that records the sensor-related ID and the predetermined algorithm; According to the predetermined algorithm, the time-series waveform data of the electrical signal received from the server device is processed into the biological information which is medical information and sensitive personal information. The viewing device according to claim 1 .

6. the ID reader further reads out a user ID, which is personal information that can identify the user, or an administrator ID that is different from the user ID, from a recording medium that further records the user ID or the administrator ID; Furthermore, the biometric information can be viewed based on the user ID or the administrator ID.

6. The viewing device according to claim 4 or 5.

7. a biometric information sensor that measures time-series waveform data of an electrical signal related to biometric information of a user and transmits the measured time-series waveform data of the electrical signal and a sensor ID for identifying the biometric information sensor; a relay device that receives time-series waveform data of the electrical signal and the sensor ID from the biological information sensor, and transmits the received time-series waveform data of the electrical signal and a sensor-related ID related to the received sensor ID without including a user ID, which is personal information that can identify the user; a server device that receives the time-series waveform data of the electrical signal and the sensor-related ID from the relay device, stores the received time-series waveform data of the electrical signal and the sensor-related ID without including the user ID, and transmits the time-series waveform data of the electrical signal corresponding to the sensor-related ID in response to a request without processing it into the biological information, which is medical information and sensitive personal information; a display unit that displays the biological information, which is medical information and sensitive personal information, based on the sensor-related ID; A viewing device in a biometric information management system comprising: requesting the biometric information corresponding to the sensor-related ID from the server device; receiving the time-series waveform data of the electrical signal transmitted from the server device in response to a request, and processing the received time-series waveform data of the electrical signal into the biological information, which is medical information and sensitive personal information, and displaying the biological information; Viewing device.

8. a biometric information sensor that measures time-series waveform data of an electrical signal related to biometric information of a user and transmits the measured time-series waveform data of the electrical signal and a sensor ID for identifying the biometric information sensor; a relay device that receives time-series waveform data of the electrical signal and the sensor ID from the biological information sensor, and transmits the received time-series waveform data of the electrical signal and a sensor-related ID related to the received sensor ID without including a user ID, which is personal information that can identify the user; a server device that receives the time-series waveform data of the electrical signal and the sensor-related ID from the relay device, and stores the received time-series waveform data of the electrical signal and the sensor-related ID without including the user ID, and processes the time-series waveform data of the electrical signal corresponding to the sensor-related ID in response to a request into the biological information which is medical information and sensitive personal information, and transmits the processed biological information without storing it; a display unit that displays the biological information, which is medical information and sensitive personal information, based on the sensor-related ID; A viewing device in a biometric information management system comprising: requesting the biometric information corresponding to the sensor-related ID from the server device; receiving the biometric information transmitted from the server device in response to a request, and displaying the received biometric information which is medical information and sensitive personal information; Viewing device.

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