Liquid volume information providing device, liquid volume prediction system, sanitary goods, prediction device

Abstract

To more accurately predict the amount of liquid around an absorbent body of a sanitary product or the amount of liquid absorbed by the absorbent body. [Solution] A liquid amount information providing device (100) comprises a boost circuit (102) that boosts the voltage output from a power generating unit (50) that generates electricity at an amount corresponding to the amount of liquid when it comes into contact with liquid around the absorbent body of a sanitary product, and a signal processing unit (108) that operates with power from the boost circuit (102) and transmits a signal for predicting the amount of liquid around the absorbent body and in the absorbent body in an absorbed state or the amount of liquid absorbed by the absorbent body via a communication unit (112) to a prediction device that predicts the amount of liquid based on a predetermined relationship between the signal and the amount of liquid. The device also comprises a voltage detection circuit (106) that starts supplying power from the boost circuit (102) when the voltage output from the boost circuit (102) becomes a first voltage or higher, and stops supplying power from the boost circuit (102) when the voltage becomes a second voltage or lower that is lower than the first voltage.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a liquid amount information providing device, a liquid amount prediction system, a sanitary product, and a prediction device. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes a water leakage sensor in which, when a water leak occurs and moisture enters the housing, a chemical change occurs inside the housing, causing a potential difference between electrodes that activates an electronic circuit. Patent Document 2 describes how urination and the number of urinations can be determined from intermittent signals with intervals that correspond to the level of power generation output from a urine power generation unit. [Prior art document] [Patent Documents] [Patent Document 1] JP 2006-53057 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2018-068583 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0003] It is desirable to more accurately predict the amount of liquid surrounding or absorbed by an absorbent body of a sanitary article. [Means for solving the problem]

[0004] A liquid quantity information providing device according to one aspect of the present invention may include a boost circuit that boosts a voltage output from a power generation unit that generates electricity at an amount corresponding to the amount of liquid when liquid comes into contact with an absorbent body of a sanitary product. The liquid quantity information providing device may also include a signal processing unit that operates on power from the boost circuit and transmits, via a communication unit, a signal for predicting the amount of liquid around the absorbent body and in the absorbent body in an absorbed state or the amount of liquid absorbed by the absorbent body to a prediction device that predicts the amount of liquid based on a predetermined relationship between the signal and the amount of liquid. The liquid quantity information providing device may also include a voltage detection circuit that starts supplying power from the boost circuit to at least one of the signal processing unit and the communication unit in response to the voltage output from the boost circuit becoming equal to or higher than a first voltage, and stops supplying power from the boost circuit to at least one of the signal processing unit and the communication unit in response to the voltage output from the boost circuit dropping from the first voltage to a second voltage lower than the first voltage.

[0005] In the liquid amount information providing device, the signal may be output by the communication unit when power supply from the boost circuit to at least one of the signal processing unit and the communication unit begins.

[0006] In any of the liquid amount information providing devices, the signal processing unit may transmit a signal indicating a value corresponding to the number of times the signal has been transmitted in a target period to the prediction device via the communication unit.

[0007] In any of the liquid quantity information providing devices, the signal processing unit may increment a value corresponding to the number of times the signal has been transmitted, which is stored in a memory unit, each time the signal is transmitted during the target period, and transmit the signal indicating the incremented value.

[0008] Any of the liquid quantity information providing devices may further include a first member including a substrate unit on which the boost circuit, the signal processing unit, the voltage detection circuit, and the communication unit are mounted, and a conductive elastic member electrically connected to the substrate unit, and a second member arranged to sandwich a portion of the sanitary product between the first member and the second member so as to electrically connect an electrode unit of the power generation unit and the elastic member.

[0009] In any of the liquid quantity information providing devices, one or both of the first member and the second member may have a magnet portion. The other of the first member and the second member may have a magnetic body containing a magnetic material in a position facing the magnet portion. The first member and the second member may be fixed to each other with a part of the sanitary product sandwiched therebetween by the magnet portion and the magnetic body attracting each other.

[0010] A liquid amount prediction system according to one aspect of the present invention may include the liquid amount information providing device and the prediction device having a prediction unit that identifies the signal transmission interval based on the received signal and predicts the amount of liquid based on the predetermined relationship and the identified signal transmission interval.

[0011] In the liquid amount prediction system, the prediction unit may identify the signal transmission interval from the reception interval of the received signal.

[0012] In any of the liquid amount prediction systems, the signal processing unit may transmit a signal indicating a value corresponding to the number of times the signal was transmitted during a target period, the value being stored in a memory unit, to the prediction device via the communication unit. The prediction unit may specify a transmission interval of the signal based on the value indicated in the signal received during the target period.

[0013] A sanitary product according to one aspect of the present invention may include the liquid amount prediction system, the power generation unit, and the absorbent body.

[0014] A prediction device according to one aspect of the present invention may include a boost circuit that boosts a voltage output from a power generation unit that generates electricity at an amount corresponding to the amount of liquid when it comes into contact with liquid around an absorbent body of a sanitary product; a signal processing unit that operates with power from the boost circuit and transmits a signal via a communication unit to predict the amount of liquid around the absorbent body and in an absorbed state or the amount of liquid absorbed by the absorbent body; and a voltage detection circuit that starts supplying power from the boost circuit to at least one of the signal processing unit and the communication unit in response to the voltage output from the boost circuit becoming a first voltage or higher, and stops supplying power from the boost circuit to at least one of the signal processing unit and the communication unit when the voltage output from the boost circuit drops from the first voltage to a second voltage lower than the first voltage. The prediction device may include a prediction unit that identifies a transmission interval of the signal based on the signals received during a target period from a liquid amount information providing device, and predicts the amount of liquid based on a predetermined relationship between the transmission interval of the signal and the amount of liquid and the identified transmission interval of the signal.

[0015] In the prediction device, the signal processing unit may transmit the signal stored in a memory unit, the signal indicating a value corresponding to the number of times the signal was transmitted during the target period, via the communication unit. The prediction unit may specify a transmission interval of the signal based on the value indicated in the signal received from the liquid quantity information providing device during the target period.

[0016] The above summary of the invention does not list all of the features of the present invention. Subcombinations of these features may also constitute inventions. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a liquid amount prediction system. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a specific configuration of a liquid amount information providing device. [Figure 3] 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the liquid amount information providing device shown in FIG. 2. FIG. [Figure 4]FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of a power generation unit and a liquid amount information providing device. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing changes in the output voltage of the power generating unit when a liquid (50 mL) that is simulated urine is supplied around the absorbent body at multiple times (A to J). [Figure 6] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing the signal transmission intervals according to the amount of liquid present around a pair of electrodes. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the results of an experiment in which the transmission interval (charging time) was measured for each amount of liquid (urine). [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the relationship between the amount of liquid (urine) and the minimum, maximum, and average charging time (seconds), derived from the experimental results shown in FIG. 7. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of functional blocks of a terminal. [Figure 10] 5A and 5B are diagrams illustrating the amount of power generated by the power generation unit, signal transmission intervals, and signal transmission timings. [Figure 11] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating signal transmission intervals, the number of times a signal is transmitted, and the number of times a signal is received. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0018] The following embodiments do not limit the scope of the invention as claimed, and not all of the combinations of features described in the embodiments are necessarily essential to the solution of the invention.

[0019] Figure 1 is a configuration diagram of a liquid amount prediction system. The liquid amount prediction system includes a sanitary product 10 and a terminal 20. The sanitary product 10 may be a disposable absorbent sanitary product, such as a disposable paper diaper. The sanitary product 10 has an absorbent body 12 that absorbs liquids such as urine.

[0020] The sanitary product 10 includes a power generation unit 50 disposed around the absorbent body 12, and a liquid amount information providing device 100 that outputs a signal for predicting the amount of liquid. The liquid amount information providing device 100 transmits the signal for predicting the amount of liquid to the terminal 20. The terminal 20 predicts the amount of liquid based on the signal from the liquid amount information providing device 100.

[0021] The power generation unit 50 is a voltaic cell that uses a liquid such as urine as an electrolyte. The power generation unit 50 has a pair of electrodes 52 and 54. The pair of electrodes 52 and 54 may be made of metal materials, alloy materials, or metal oxides that have different ionization tendencies.

[0022] The pair of electrodes 52 and 54 may be provided on the surface of the substrate. When urine leakage occurs and the pair of electrodes 52 and 54 come into contact with urine, electricity can be generated. When a liquid such as urine enters between the pair of electrodes 52 and 54, a chemical reaction with the electrolyte causes the pair of electrodes 52 and 54 to act as the anode and cathode of a battery, generating a potential difference, i.e., a voltage, between the pair of electrodes 52 and 54. The pair of electrodes 52 and 54 may be arranged so as to contact the surface of the absorbent body 12 opposite to the surface that contacts the wearer's skin.

[0023] One of the pair of electrodes 52 and 54 is a positive electrode, which may be made of a material containing copper, silver, nickel, carbon, titanium, or the like. The other of the pair of electrodes 52 and 54 is a negative electrode, which may be made of a material containing zinc, aluminum, or magnesium, which has a higher ionization tendency than the positive electrode. The electrode combination used here was carbon for electrode 52 and aluminum for electrode 54. It has also been confirmed that this system can be realized with a combination of copper for electrode 52 and aluminum for electrode 54.

[0024] The length of the pair of electrodes 52 and 54 is 10 cm or more and a width of 1 cm or less, and preferably a length of 20 mm or more and a width of 0.5 cm or less. The closer the distance between the pair of electrodes 52 and 54, the greater the power generation capacity. However, since there is a risk of the pair of electrodes 52 and 54 shorting out when worn on the human body, the distance between the pair of electrodes 52 and 54 is preferably 2 mm to 20 mm.

[0025] As another example, the distance between the pair of electrodes 52 and 54 may be 10 cm or more in length and 5 cm or less in width, and preferably 20 cm or more in length and 2 cm or less in width. A substrate is sandwiched between the pair of electrodes 52 and 54, and the distance between the pair of electrodes 52 and 54 is the thickness of the substrate. Regarding the conductivity of the pair of electrodes 52 and 54, it is acceptable for the specific resistance (volume resistivity) to be 200 Ω m as measured according to JIS C 2139, but the lower the resistance value, the more desirable it is.

[0026] The liquid amount information providing device 100 operates using the power output from the power generating unit 50 as a power source, and transmits a signal to the terminal 20 for predicting the amount of liquid.

[0027] The pair of electrodes 52 and 54 may be formed, for example, by sewing knitted fabric, woven fabric, metal seal, or metal-deposited paper, nonwoven fabric, file, or the like made of metal-plated thread to a substrate, by depositing metal directly onto the substrate, or by printing metal onto the substrate.

[0028] In another example where a substrate is sandwiched between the pair of electrodes 52 and 54, one of the pair of electrodes 52 and 54, which is closer to the skin, together with the substrate, may be made of a material that is water-permeable or breathable, or a material that is water-absorbent, so that each of the pair of electrodes 52 and 54 is sure to come into contact with urine. The breathability of the material may be 10 (cm3 / cm2·s) or more, and preferably 20 (cm3 / cm2·s) or more. The breathability is 1 cm3 / cm2·s or more. 2 This is a value that indicates the amount of air that passes through an area of ​​1 second.

[0029] Figure 2 shows an example of a specific configuration of the liquid amount information providing device 100. Figure 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the liquid amount information providing device 100 shown in Figure 2. The configuration shown in Figure 2 is merely an example, and other configurations may be used as long as they use power from the power generation unit 50 to output a signal corresponding to the amount of liquid.

[0030] The liquid amount information providing device 100 comprises a first member 126 that holds a board unit 120 on which various circuits are mounted, and a second member 128 that is connected to the first member 126 via a hinge 129. The second member 128 is foldable relative to the first member 126 via the hinge 129, and is disposed opposite the first member 126 and the second member 128, with a portion of the sanitary product 10 sandwiched between them.

[0031] The second member 128 has a magnet portion 121, and the first member 126 has a magnetic body 123 containing a magnetic material at a position facing the magnet portion 121 when the second member 128 is folded and placed facing the first member 126. As a result, the first member 126 and the second member 128 are fixed to each other with a part of the sanitary product sandwiched between them as the magnet portion 121 and the magnetic body 123 attract each other. The first member 126 may have the magnet portion 121, and the second member 128 may have the magnetic body 123. The first member 126 and the second member 128 may each have the magnet portion 121.

[0032] The first member 126 has a spring 122, which is a conductive elastic member electrically connected to the substrate part 120. When the first member 126 and the second member 128 are arranged opposite each other, the first member 126 and the second member 128 are fixed to each other with a part of the sanitary product 10 sandwiched between them so that the pair of electrodes 52 and 54 are positioned opposite the spring 122.

[0033] The second member 128 may have marks 124 provided to guide the positions where the pair of electrodes 52 and the electrode 54 are to be placed.

[0034] 4 is a functional block diagram of the power generation unit 50 and the liquid amount information providing device 100. The liquid amount information providing device 100 includes a boost circuit 102, a capacitor 104, a voltage detection circuit 106, a signal processing unit 108, a storage unit 110, and a communication unit 112.

[0035] The power generation unit 50 generates electricity at an amount corresponding to the amount of liquid when it comes into contact with the liquid around the absorbent body 12 of the sanitary product 10. The boost circuit 102 boosts the voltage output from the power generation unit 50. The boost circuit 102 boosts the voltage output from the power generation unit 50 to a first voltage V1, for example, 2.7 V or higher.

[0036] Figure 5 shows how the output voltage of the power generation unit 50 changes when a liquid (50 mL) that is a simulated urine is supplied around the absorbent body 12 at multiple times (A to J). As shown in Figure 5, the voltage value input from the power generation unit 50 to the boost circuit 102 is 380 mV to 430 mV immediately after the liquid is injected, when power generation is active, and varies within a range of 200 mV to 340 mV depending on the amount of liquid until a steady state is reached approximately 5 minutes after the liquid is injected. The input impedance of the boost circuit 102 changes depending on the operating voltage. As an example, when the voltage changes from 0.28V to 0.3V, the resistance changes from 30kΩ to 10kΩ. At 0.3V, the input current is 17uA and the output current at 2.7V output is 700nA. At 0.28V, the input current is 9.9uA and the output current at 2.7V output is about 290nA. Even if the output impedance of the power generating source is 10kΩ or more, the voltage can be boosted and stored in the capacitor to 2.7V, resulting in wireless transmission.

[0037] The signal processing unit 108 operates using power from the boost circuit 102. The signal processing unit 108 generates a signal for predicting the amount of liquid around the absorber 12 or the amount of liquid absorbed by the absorber 12, and causes the communication unit 112 to transmit the generated signal to the terminal 20, which predicts the amount of liquid based on a predetermined relationship between the signal transmission interval and the amount of liquid. The signal processing unit 108 may supply power to the communication unit 112 while power is being supplied from the boost circuit 102, and cause the communication unit 112 to transmit the generated signal to the terminal 20 at a predetermined cycle.

[0038] When the voltage output from the boost circuit 102 becomes equal to or higher than a first voltage V1, the voltage detection circuit 106 starts supplying power from the boost circuit 102 to at least one of the signal processing unit 108 and the communication unit 112. When the voltage output from the boost circuit 102 becomes equal to or lower than a second voltage V2 lower than the first voltage V1 from the first voltage V1, the voltage detection circuit 106 stops supplying power from the boost circuit 102 to at least one of the signal processing unit 108 and the communication unit 112. When the voltage output from the boost circuit 102 becomes equal to or lower than the second voltage V2 lower than the first voltage V1 from the first voltage V1, the voltage detection circuit 106 may stop supplying power from the boost circuit 102 to at least one of the signal processing unit 108 and the communication unit 112.

[0039] The voltage detection circuit 106 may start supplying power from the boost circuit 102 to at least one of the signal processing unit 108 and the communication unit 112 in response to the voltage of the capacitor 104, which is charged with power from the boost circuit 102, becoming equal to or higher than a first voltage V1, and may stop supplying power from the boost circuit 102 to at least one of the signal processing unit 108 and the communication unit 112 when the voltage of the capacitor 104 thereafter becomes equal to or lower than a second voltage V2. The voltage detection circuit 106 may start supplying power from the boost circuit 102 to at least one of the signal processing unit 108 and the communication unit 112 in response to the voltage of the capacitor 104, which is charged with power from the boost circuit 102, becoming equal to or higher than the first voltage V1, and may stop supplying power from the boost circuit 102 to at least one of the signal processing unit 108 and the communication unit 112 in response to the voltage of the capacitor 104 becoming equal to or lower than the second voltage V2. The signal processing unit 108 may start transmitting a signal via the communication unit 112 in response to the voltage of the capacitor 104, which is charged with power from the boost circuit 102, becoming equal to or higher than the first voltage V1, and may then continue transmitting the signal via the communication unit 112 at a predetermined interval until the voltage of the capacitor 104 becomes equal to or lower than the second voltage V2.

[0040] The signal processing unit 108 operates using power from the voltage detection circuit 106, and generates a signal for predicting the amount of liquid around the absorber 12 and in the absorber 12 in an absorbed state, or the amount of liquid absorbed by the absorber 12. Furthermore, the signal processing unit 108 uses the power to operate the communication unit 112, and causes the communication unit 112 to wirelessly transmit the generated signal to the terminal 20.

[0041] The communication unit 112 transmits the signal generated by the signal processing unit 108 to the terminal 20 via short-range wireless communication, for example, Bluetooth (registered trademark), WiFi, or the like. The communication unit 112 operates using power from the boost circuit 102. The communication unit 112 may operate using power supplied from the boost circuit 102 via the signal processing unit 108.

[0042] Here, the magnitude of the power output from the power generation unit 50 depends on the amount of electrolyte present around the pair of electrodes 52 and 54, i.e., the amount of liquid. The greater the amount of liquid, the greater the power output from the power generation unit 50. Therefore, the greater the amount of liquid, the shorter the charging time required for the voltage of the capacitor 104, which is charged with the power output from the power generation unit 50, to reach the first voltage V1. If the charging time is shorter, the transmission interval at which the signal processing unit 108 transmits a signal via the communication unit 112 also becomes shorter.

[0043] 6 shows the signal transmission intervals according to the amount of liquid present around the pair of electrodes 52 and 54. (a) shows the signal transmission intervals when the amount of liquid is 200 ml, (b) shows the signal transmission intervals when the amount of liquid is 300 ml, (c) shows the signal transmission intervals when the amount of liquid is 400 ml, and (d) shows the signal transmission intervals when the amount of liquid is 500 ml. When the voltage output from the boost circuit 102 reaches the first voltage V1 (2.7 V), the voltage detection circuit 106 starts supplying power to the signal processing unit 108, and a signal is transmitted at least once via the communication unit 112, consuming the charge in the capacitor 104. When the voltage output from the boost circuit 102 reaches the second voltage V2 (2.1 V), the voltage detection circuit 106 temporarily stops supplying power to the signal processing unit 108. Thereafter, when charge accumulates in capacitor 104 and the voltage output from boost circuit 102 reaches first voltage V1, voltage detection circuit 106 again starts supplying power to signal processing unit 108, and a signal is transmitted at least once via communication unit 112. If a signal is transmitted via communication unit 112 once each time the voltage output from boost circuit 102 reaches first voltage V1 (2.7 V), the interval at which this operation is repeated corresponds to the transmission interval. In this case, the transmission interval corresponds to the charging time from when the voltage of capacitor 104 drops to second voltage V2 until it is charged again to first voltage V1.

[0044] As shown in FIG. 6, the signal transmission interval depends on the amount of liquid, and the amount of liquid around the absorbent body 12 or the amount of liquid absorbed by the absorbent body 12 can be predicted from the signal transmission interval.

[0045] Figure 7 shows the results of an experiment in which the transmission interval was measured for each amount of liquid (urine). Figure 8 shows the relationship between the amount of liquid (urine) and the minimum, maximum, and average charging time (seconds), derived from the experimental results shown in Figure 7. If this relationship is determined in advance through an experiment, the amount of liquid around the absorber 12 or the amount of liquid absorbed by the absorber 12 can be predicted from the signal transmission interval, for example, from the relationship between the amount of liquid and the average charging time.

[0046] For example, the amount of urine an adult excretes is said to be about 150 to 200 mL, so if you want to change a diaper after two urinations, you can change the diaper when the signal transmission interval is less than 1.3 seconds, which corresponds to 400 mL.

[0047] 9 shows an example of a functional block of the terminal 20. The terminal 20 is an example of a prediction device that predicts the amount of liquid based on a predetermined relationship between a signal and the amount of liquid. The terminal 20 may be a smartphone, a tablet, a personal computer, or the like.

[0048] The terminal 20 includes a control unit 30, a memory unit 22, a communication unit 24, and a display unit 26. The control unit 30 may be configured with a microprocessor such as a CPU or MPU, a microcontroller such as an MCU, etc. The memory unit 22 may be a non-transitory computer-readable medium, and may include at least one storage medium selected from the group consisting of SRAM, DRAM, EPROM, EEPROM (registered trademark), and flash memory such as a USB memory.

[0049] The communication unit 24 receives signals from the terminal 20 via short-range wireless communication, for example, Bluetooth (registered trademark), WiFi, etc. The display unit 26 may be a touch panel display that displays various information and accepts operations from the user.

[0050] The control unit 30 has a prediction unit 32. The prediction unit 32 determines the signal transmission interval based on the signal received from the liquid amount information providing device 100, and predicts the amount of liquid around the absorber 12 and in the absorber 12 in an absorbed state based on a predetermined relationship between the signal and the amount of liquid and the determined signal transmission interval. The prediction unit 32 determines the signal transmission interval based on the signal received from the liquid amount information providing device 100, and predicts the amount of liquid absorbed into the absorber 12 based on the determined signal transmission interval and a predetermined relationship between the signal transmission interval and the amount of liquid absorbed into the absorber 12.

[0051] The amount of power generated by the power generation unit 50 depends on the amount of liquid. Therefore, it is conceivable to predict the amount of liquid directly from the magnitude of the voltage of the power generation unit 50 before the voltage of the power generation unit 50 is boosted by the boost circuit 102. However, a wearer wearing the sanitary product 10 is not always stationary and may, for example, turn over in their sleep. In such cases, the amount of liquid between the pair of electrodes 52 and 54 may fluctuate.

[0052] 10, the amount of power generated by the power generation unit 50 may suddenly change due to the movement of the wearer. When predicting the amount of liquid from the magnitude of the voltage of the power generation unit 50 before the voltage of the power generation unit 50 is boosted by the boost circuit 102, such a sudden change may prevent the prediction unit 32 from accurately predicting the amount of liquid.

[0053] On the other hand, even if the amount of power generated by the power generation unit 50 suddenly changes, the charging time of the capacitor 104, i.e., the signal transmission interval, does not change as much as the change in the magnitude of the voltage of the power generation unit 50. Therefore, the prediction unit 32 can predict the amount of liquid more accurately by predicting the amount of liquid from the signal transmission interval than by predicting the amount of liquid from the magnitude of the voltage of the power generation unit 50.

[0054] It is also conceivable that the prediction unit 32 predicts the amount of liquid by regarding the reception interval of signals received by the terminal 20 as the transmission interval at which signals are transmitted by the liquid quantity information providing device 100. However, due to the influence of the communication environment, etc., the terminal 20 may not always be able to receive all of the signals transmitted from the liquid quantity information providing device 100. Therefore, if the prediction unit 32 predicts the amount of liquid from the reception interval of signals received by the terminal 20, the accuracy of the predicted amount of liquid may decrease.

[0055] 11, if terminal 20 fails to receive a signal, the number of times terminal 20 receives a signal may be less than the number of transmissions included in the signal from liquid quantity information providing device 100. In this case, the interval between signal receptions may be longer than the actual interval between transmissions of the signal transmitted by liquid quantity information providing device 100, and prediction unit 32 may predict a smaller amount of liquid than the actual amount of liquid.

[0056] Therefore, the signal processing unit 108 may transmit a signal indicating a value corresponding to the number of times the signal was transmitted during the target period to the terminal 20 via the communication unit 112. Each time the signal processing unit 108 transmits a signal during the target period, the signal processing unit 108 may increment the value corresponding to the number of times the signal was transmitted, which is stored in the memory unit 110, and transmit a signal indicating the incremented value. The signal processing unit 108 may generate a signal indicating a value corresponding to the number of transmissions, separate from the signals for predicting the amount of liquid around the absorbent body 12 and in the absorbent body 12 in an absorbed state, or the amount of liquid absorbed by the absorbent body 12, and cause the communication unit 112 to transmit each of the generated signals to the terminal 20.

[0057] The target period for transmitting a signal may be the period from when the voltage first reaches the first voltage V1 to when it finally falls below the second voltage V2. The target period for receiving a signal may be the period from when the terminal 20 first receives a signal to when it receives a signal again. The target period for receiving a signal may be the period from when the voltage output from the boost circuit 102 first reaches the first voltage V1 to the time predicted by the prediction unit 32. The target period for receiving a signal may be a time after a predetermined period has elapsed from the prediction start time specified for the terminal 20 by the user.

[0058] The prediction unit 32 may identify a signal transmission interval based on values ​​indicated in the signals received during the target period. The prediction unit 32 may predict the amount of liquid based on a predetermined relationship between the signal transmission interval and the amount of liquid and the identified signal transmission interval.

[0059] In this way, by the liquid quantity information providing device 100 notifying the terminal 20 of the number of times a signal has been transmitted, the prediction unit 32 can accurately predict the amount of liquid even if the terminal 20 is unable to receive all of the signals transmitted from the liquid quantity information providing device 100.

[0060] Although the present invention has been described using the embodiments, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the scope described in the above embodiments. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and improvements can be made to the above embodiments. It is clear from the claims that such modifications and improvements can also be included within the technical scope of the present invention.

[0061] It should be noted that the execution order of each process, such as operations, procedures, steps, and stages, in the devices, systems, programs, and methods shown in the claims, specifications, and drawings is not specifically stated as "before," "prior to," etc., and can be realized in any order unless the output of a previous process is used in a later process. Even if the operational flow in the claims, specifications, and drawings is described using "first," "next," etc. for convenience, it does not mean that it is essential to perform the process in this order. [Explanation of symbols]

[0062] 10 Hygiene products 12 Absorbent 20 terminals 22 Memory section 24 Communications Department 26 Display section 30 Control Unit 32 Prediction Department 50 Power Generation Department 52,54 electrode 100 Liquid quantity information providing device 102 Boost circuit 104 Capacitor 106 Voltage detection circuit 108 Signal Processing Unit 110 Storage section 112 Communications Department 121 Magnet section 122 Spring 123 Magnetic material 126 First member 128 Second member 129 Hinge

Claims

1. a boost circuit that boosts the voltage output from a power generating unit that generates electricity at an amount corresponding to the amount of liquid when the power generating unit comes into contact with the liquid around the absorbent body of the sanitary product; a capacitor that is charged with power from the boost circuit; a signal processing unit that operates using power from the capacitor and transmits a signal for predicting the amount of liquid around the absorbent body and in the absorbent body in an absorbed state or the amount of liquid absorbed by the absorbent body via a communication unit to a prediction device that predicts the amount of liquid based on a predetermined relationship between the signal and the amount of liquid; a voltage detection circuit that starts supplying power from the capacitor to at least one of the signal processing unit and the communication unit when the voltage output from the capacitor becomes equal to or higher than a first voltage, and stops supplying power from the capacitor to at least one of the signal processing unit and the communication unit when the voltage output from the capacitor becomes equal to or lower than a second voltage lower than the first voltage from the first voltage; A liquid amount information providing device comprising:

2. The liquid amount information providing device according to claim 1 , wherein the signal is output by the communication unit when the supply of power from the capacitor to at least one of the signal processing unit and the communication unit is started.

3. The liquid amount information providing device according to claim 1 , wherein the signal processing unit transmits the signal indicating a value corresponding to the number of times the signal is transmitted in a target period to the prediction device via the communication unit.

4. The liquid amount information providing device according to claim 3 , wherein the signal processing unit transmits the signal indicating a value corresponding to the number of times the signal has been transmitted during the target period, the value being stored in a storage unit.

5. a first member including a substrate portion on which the boost circuit, the signal processing portion, the voltage detection circuit, and the communication portion are mounted, and a conductive elastic member electrically connected to the substrate portion; a second member provided between the first member and the electrode portion of the power generating unit and the elastic member, with a portion of the sanitary product sandwiched between the second member and the first member, so as to electrically connect the electrode portion of the power generating unit and the elastic member; The liquid amount information providing device according to claim 1 , further comprising:

6. One or both of the first member and the second member has a magnet portion, the other of the first member and the second member has a magnetic body containing a magnetic material at a position facing the magnet portion, The liquid quantity information providing device according to claim 5 , wherein the first member and the second member are fixed to each other with a part of the sanitary product sandwiched therebetween by mutual attraction between the magnet portion and the magnetic body.

7. A boost circuit that boosts the voltage output from a power generating unit that generates electricity at an amount corresponding to the amount of liquid when the unit comes into contact with the liquid around the absorbent body of the sanitary product; a signal processing unit that operates using power from the boost circuit and transmits, via a communication unit, a signal for predicting the amount of liquid around the absorbent body and in the absorbent body in an absorbed state or the amount of liquid absorbed by the absorbent body to a prediction device that predicts the amount of liquid based on a predetermined relationship between the signal and the amount of liquid; a voltage detection circuit that starts supplying power from the boost circuit to at least one of the signal processing unit and the communication unit when the voltage output from the boost circuit becomes equal to or higher than a first voltage, and stops supplying power from the boost circuit to at least one of the signal processing unit and the communication unit when the voltage output from the boost circuit becomes equal to or lower than a second voltage lower than the first voltage; a first member including a substrate portion on which the boost circuit, the signal processing portion, the voltage detection circuit, and the communication portion are mounted, and a conductive elastic member electrically connected to the substrate portion; a second member provided between the first member and the electrode portion of the power generating unit and the elastic member, with a portion of the sanitary product sandwiched between the second member and the first member, so as to electrically connect the electrode portion of the power generating unit and the elastic member; A liquid amount information providing device comprising:

8. One or both of the first member and the second member have a magnet portion, the other of the first member and the second member has a magnetic body containing a magnetic material at a position facing the magnet portion, The liquid quantity information providing device according to claim 7 , wherein the first member and the second member are fixed to each other with a part of the sanitary product sandwiched therebetween by mutual attraction between the magnet portion and the magnetic body.

9. A liquid amount information providing device according to any one of claims 1 to 8; the prediction device including a prediction unit that identifies a transmission interval of the signal based on the received signal, and predicts the amount of the liquid based on the predetermined relationship and the identified transmission interval of the signal; A liquid volume prediction system comprising:

10. The liquid amount prediction system according to claim 9 , wherein the prediction unit determines the signal transmission interval from the reception interval of the received signal.

11. A liquid quantity information providing device according to claim 4, the prediction device including a prediction unit that identifies a transmission interval of the signal based on the received signal, and predicts the amount of the liquid based on the predetermined relationship and the identified transmission interval of the signal; Equipped with the signal processing unit transmits the signal indicating the value stored in the storage unit to the prediction device via the communication unit; The prediction unit determines the transmission interval of the signal based on the value indicated in the signal received during the target period.

12. The liquid amount prediction system according to claim 9 ; The power generation unit; The absorbent body Hygiene products equipped with:

13. a voltage detection circuit that starts supplying power from the capacitor to at least one of the signal processing unit and the communication unit when the voltage output from the capacitor becomes a first voltage or higher, and stops supplying power from the capacitor to at least one of the signal processing unit and the communication unit when the voltage output from the capacitor becomes less than or equal to a second voltage that is lower than the first voltage, and a prediction unit that specifies a transmission interval of the signal based on the signal received during a target period from a liquid amount information providing device that includes: a boost circuit that boosts a voltage output from a power generating unit that generates power at an amount corresponding to the amount of liquid when it comes into contact with liquid around an absorbent body of a sanitary product; a capacitor that is charged with power from the boost circuit; a signal processing unit that operates with power from the capacitor and transmits a signal via a communication unit to predict the amount of liquid around the absorbent body and in the absorbent body in an absorbed state or the amount of liquid absorbed by the absorbent body; and a voltage detection circuit that starts supplying power from the capacitor to at least one of the signal processing unit and the communication unit when the voltage output from the capacitor becomes less than or equal to a first voltage, and stops supplying power from the capacitor to at least one of the signal processing unit and the communication unit when the voltage output from the capacitor becomes less than or equal to a second voltage that is lower than the first voltage, the signal processing unit transmits the signal indicating a value corresponding to the number of times the signal is transmitted during the target period via the communication unit; The prediction unit determines a transmission interval of the signal based on the value indicated in the signal received from the liquid amount information providing device during the target period.

Images