Information processing system and control method

Abstract

To provide an information processing system and a control method and the like suitable for fields such as caregiving or assistance.SOLUTION: An information processing system includes a communication unit placed at a first position in the living space of a person being assisted, a first device placed at the first position, and a second device used to assist the person being assisted, which is performed in the vicinity of the first device. The first device acquires, based on communication with the communication unit, correspondence information that associates position information representing the location where the first device is placed with person-being-assisted information about the person being assisted using the first device. When connected to the first device, the second device performs processing corresponding to the person being assisted identified by the person-being-assisted information based on the correspondence information.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing system, a control method, and the like.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a method of communicating multiple devices in a nursing scenario is known. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a method of wirelessly communicating a unit provided on a wall surface with a bed. Further, Patent Document 2 discloses a method of pairing a bed with peripheral devices.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] To provide an information processing system, a control method, and the like suitable for fields such as assistance.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] One aspect of the present disclosure relates to an information processing system comprising: a communication unit having a communication unit and positioned at a first location in the living space of a person being cared for; a first device positioned at the first location; and a second device used to provide assistance to the person being cared for, performed around the first device, wherein the first device acquires, based on communication with the communication unit, location information representing the location where the first device is positioned and correspondence information relating to the person being cared for who uses the first device; and the second device, when connected to the first device, performs processing corresponding to the person being cared for as identified by the person being cared for, based on the correspondence information.

[0006] Another aspect of the present disclosure relates to a control method for an information processing system, which includes a communication unit having a communication unit located at a first location in the living space of a person being cared for, a first device located at the first location, and a second device used to assist the person being cared for, performed around the first device, wherein the first device stores mapping information that associates location information representing the location where the first device is located with person information relating to the person being cared for who uses the first device, based on communication between the communication unit and the first device, and when the first device and the second device are connected, the second device 200 is instructed to perform processing corresponding to the person being cared for, as identified by the person information, based on the mapping information. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0007] [Figure 1] This is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of an information processing system. [Figure 2] This figure shows an example of a server system configuration. [Figure 3] This is a diagram showing an example of a communication unit configuration. [Figure 4] This figure shows an example configuration of the first device. [Figure 5] This figure shows an example configuration of the second device. [Figure 6A]This is an example of training data for a positioning application. [Figure 6B] This is a concrete example of a usage mode for a positioning application. [Figure 7] This is an example of a seat sensor placed on a wheelchair. [Figure 8] This is an example of a swallowing choking detection device. [Figure 9] This figure shows an example of the structure of the correspondence information. [Figure 10] This is a sequence diagram illustrating the connection process between the communication unit and the first device. [Figure 11] This is a sequence diagram illustrating the assistance process at the first position. [Figure 12] This is a sequence diagram illustrating the connection process between the communication unit and the first device. [Figure 13] This is a sequence diagram illustrating the connection process between the communication unit and the first device. [Figure 14] This is an example of an information processing system configuration when smart speakers are used. [Figure 15] This diagram shows an example of the configuration of an information processing system when transferring mapping information. [Figure 16] This is a sequence diagram explaining the handover process. [Figure 17] This figure shows a detailed example of the configuration of an information processing system. [Figure 18] This is a sequence diagram illustrating the assistance process at the second position. [Figure 19] This figure shows a detailed example of the configuration of an information processing system. [Figure 20] This is another sequence diagram illustrating the assistance process at the second position. [Figure 21] This figure shows a detailed example of the configuration of an information processing system. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0008] Hereinafter, this embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. For the drawings, the same or equivalent elements are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant descriptions will be omitted. Note that the embodiment described below does not unduly limit the content described in the claims. Also, not all of the configurations described in this embodiment are essential constituent elements of the present disclosure.

[0009] 1. System configuration example FIG. 1 is a configuration example of an information processing system 1 according to this embodiment. The information processing system 1 includes a server system 20, a relay device 30, and each device arranged at a given location within a facility. In FIG. 1, three locations, RoomA to RoomC, are exemplified as locations within the facility. RoomA to RoomC are, for example, bedrooms (private rooms) in a nursing facility or a hospital, but are not limited thereto, and may include locations such as a cafeteria, a bathroom, a toilet, etc. For example, as devices arranged in RoomA, the information processing system 1 includes a communication unit 10, a bed 610 (broadly, a first device 100), and a second device 200. The second device 200 includes various devices such as a smartphone CP, a seat surface sensor 440, a swallowing mucus detection device 460, etc. Details of each device will be described later using FIGS. 6A to 8. Also, the second device 200 may include a medical device 800. A specific example of the medical device 800 will be described later. Although omitted in FIG. 1, similarly, for RoomB and RoomC, the communication unit 10, the bed 610, and the second device 200 are arranged. However, the devices arranged at each location do not have to match. For example, in RoomB or RoomC, some of the devices exemplified in RoomA of FIG. 1 may be omitted, or other devices may be added. Also, the configuration of the information processing system 1 is not limited to FIG. 1, and various modifications such as omitting a part or adding other configurations are possible.

[0010] The information processing system 1 according to this embodiment supports other assistants so that appropriate assistance can be provided regardless of proficiency by digitizing the tacit knowledge in tasks performed by skilled assistants' "intuition" and "tacit knowledge" (hereinafter simply referred to as tacit knowledge) in assistance at medical facilities or nursing facilities, for example. For example, the tacit knowledge of skilled persons is realized as application software. Hereinafter, application software is simply referred to as an application. An application using tacit knowledge is referred to as a tacit knowledge application.

[0011] For example, in the information processing system 1 of this embodiment, the server system 20 may accumulate and manage tacit knowledge applications. Then, the second device 200 acquires the tacit knowledge application via the communication unit 10 and the bed 610 or directly from the server system 20. In this way, it becomes possible to centrally execute the management of the tacit knowledge application using the server system 20 with relatively high processing power. Further, when the tacit knowledge application is transmitted to the second device 200, an assistant using the second device 200 can provide the same assistance as a skilled person. The tacit knowledge application may operate on the bed 610 or on other devices such as the third device 300 described later.

[0012] However, the application operating on the second device 200 or the like is not limited to one that digitizes tacit knowledge, and may be software that supports the assistance by an assistant without using tacit knowledge. Hereinafter, an example in which the tacit knowledge application operates on the second device 200 or the like will be described, but the tacit knowledge application can be replaced with an application that does not use tacit knowledge.

[0013] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the caregiver is a person who provides care to the person receiving care, and includes, for example, care managers, caregivers, and visiting helpers. Also, since family members of the person receiving care may provide care in home care, the caregiver in this embodiment may also include family members of the person receiving care. Furthermore, the person receiving care in this embodiment may be a patient suffering from some kind of illness, and the caregiver may include medical professionals such as doctors, nurses, and pharmacists. The information processing system 1 and each device included in the information processing system 1 will be described in detail below.

[0014] The communication unit 10 is located in a first location, such as a nursing care facility. The first location (e.g., Room A) is the resident's room as described above, but it may be another location such as a dining room. The communication unit 10 may be a smart plug connected to a socket SO supplied with commercial power, located on the wall of the first location, as shown in Figure 1. The communication unit 10 may have a communication unit that performs wireless communication with other devices. Various wireless communication methods such as Bluetooth®, ZigBee®, and IEEE 802.11 can be applied here.

[0015] The bed 610 and the second device 200 are devices used, for example, in a nursing care facility to assist a person receiving care. The bed 610 and the second device 200 may have a communication unit that communicates wirelessly with other devices. Various variations are possible in the communication method for these devices as well.

[0016] For example, the communication unit 10 is connected to the bed 610. The bed 610 is connected to the second device 200.

[0017] The server system 20 is connected to the communication unit 10, for example, via a network. This network may be a public communication network such as the Internet, or a LAN. For example, the server system 20 is connected to the communication unit 10 using a communication method compliant with the IEEE 802.11 standard. Alternatively, the server system 20 may be connected to the communication unit 10 via a relay device 30. Furthermore, various variations of the communication method between the server system 20, the relay device 30, and the communication unit 10 are possible.

[0018] The server system 20 may consist of one server or may include multiple servers. For example, the server system 20 may include a database server and an application server. The database server stores various data, such as mapping information, which will be described later using Figure 9. The application server performs processes such as updating the mapping information based on sensing data collected via the communication unit 10, and transmitting the mapping information to the bed 610. The multiple servers here may be physical servers or virtual servers. If virtual servers are used, they may be located on a single physical server or distributed across multiple physical servers. As described above, the specific configuration of the server system 20 in this embodiment can be modified in various ways.

[0019] The relay device 30 is, for example, a router which is an L3 switch, but other devices such as an L2 switch may also be used.

[0020] In this embodiment, a device that is expected to be permanently used for a particular person receiving care at a first location where the communication unit 10 is located (within a predetermined distance from the communication unit 10) is referred to as the first device 100. The first device 100 may be, for example, a care bed 610 as shown in Figure 1. The bed 610 is highly likely to be used as a dedicated device for one person receiving care unless an event such as the person receiving care (resident) leaving the facility occurs. The following describes an example where the first device 100 is a bed 610. However, as will be described later, equipment other than a bed 610 may be used as the first device 100.

[0021] The second device 200 is, for example, a smartphone CP as shown in Figure 1. For example, the second device 200 may be a device on which a positioning application, described later using Figures 6A and 6B, runs. The positioning application is an example of an implicit knowledge application.

[0022] However, the second device 200 in this embodiment may be any device used in assistance, and is not limited to a smartphone CP. For example, the second device 200 may be the seat sensor 440 described later using Figure 7, or the swallowing choking detection device 460 described later using Figure 8. The second device 200 may also be a detection device that detects information such as sleep, heart rate, and respiration based on the body movements of the person being assisted in bed, or it may be any other device. For example, the implicit knowledge application described above may operate on a device such as a smartphone CP, a seat sensor 440, or a swallowing choking detection device 460 among the second device 200.

[0023] The second device 200 may also include a medical device 800. The medical device 800 is, for example, a device that senses information about the biological activity of a person being cared for and outputs the sensing results. The sensing results output by the medical device 800 are stored, for example, in an electronic medical record system (EMR). The medical device 800 includes a thermometer 810, an SpO2 sensor (pulse oximeter) 820, a blood pressure monitor 830, an intravenous drip sensor 840, etc., as shown in Figure 1. The medical device 800 is not limited to the example in Figure 1 and may also include devices such as oxygen tanks and catheters.

[0024] Figure 2 is a block diagram showing a detailed configuration example of the server system 20. The server system 20 includes, for example, a control unit 21, a storage unit 22, and a communication unit 23.

[0025] The control unit 21 of this embodiment is composed of the following hardware. The hardware may include at least one of a circuit that processes digital signals and a circuit that processes analog signals. For example, the hardware may consist of one or more circuit devices or one or more circuit elements mounted on a circuit board. One or more circuit devices may be, for example, an IC (Integrated Circuit), an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), etc. One or more circuit elements may be, for example, a resistor, a capacitor, etc.

[0026] Furthermore, the control unit 21 may be implemented by the following processor. The server system 20 of this embodiment includes a memory for storing information and a processor that operates based on the information stored in the memory. The information is, for example, a program and various types of data. The memory may be the storage unit 22 or another type of memory. The processor includes hardware. Various types of processors can be used, such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), or a DSP (Digital Signal Processor). The memory may be a semiconductor memory such as SRAM (Static Random Access Memory), DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory), or flash memory, or a register, or a magnetic storage device such as a hard disk drive (HDD), or an optical storage device such as an optical disk drive. For example, the memory stores instructions that can be read by the computer, and the functions of the control unit 21 are realized as processing when the processor executes these instructions. The instructions here may be instructions from an instruction set that constitutes a program, or instructions that instruct the hardware circuit of the processor to operate.

[0027] The control unit 21 includes, for example, a capability information acquisition unit 24, a scene information acquisition unit 25, and a correspondence information processing unit 26.

[0028] The ability information acquisition unit 24 performs a process to acquire ability information representing the activity capacity of the person being assisted. For example, the ability information acquisition unit 24 acquires sensing data from the second device 200. The sensing data here may be the output values ​​of sensors included in each device, or it may be the processing results based on those output values. For example, the sensing data may include log data of an implicit knowledge application over a predetermined period.

[0029] For example, the ability information acquisition unit 24 determines the time-series changes in the care recipient's condition based on sensing data and estimates ability information based on these changes. The ability information here may be index information related to daily living activities (ADL). Various methods for evaluating ADL are known, such as the Barthel Index, and these can be broadly applied in this embodiment. Alternatively, the ability information may be the nine-stage index disclosed as the Clinical Frailty Scale in "Frailty and the potential kidney transplant recipient: time for a more holistic assessment?", Henry HL Wu, et al. For example, the ability information acquisition unit 24 in this embodiment determines, based on sensing data, which of the nine stages the care recipient belongs to.

[0030] The scene information acquisition unit 25 determines the scene in which assistance will be provided to the person being assisted. Scene information here may be information that identifies the type of assistance to be provided, such as assistance with eating, assistance with excretion, or assistance with mobility and transfers. Scene information may also be information about the caregivers, such as the number of caregivers and their skill level. Scene information may also be information about the person being assisted, such as the attributes of the person being assisted. For example, the scene information acquisition unit 25 processes to obtain scene information based on user input or the caregiver's schedule. Scene information may also be information about the location in which the assistance is provided.

[0031] The mapping information processing unit 26 performs processing related to the creation, updating, and transmission of mapping information. Mapping information is, for example, information that associates location information with information about the person being cared for. Specific examples of mapping information will be described later using Figure 9.

[0032] The correspondence information processing unit 26 updates the correspondence information when, for example, the ability information acquisition unit 24 updates the ADL of the person being cared for. For example, if the ADL of the person being cared for declines, the correspondence information processing unit 26 may add data to the correspondence information so that more attentive care is provided than before.

[0033] The mapping information processing unit 26 may also perform the process of transmitting mapping information to the bed 610. The specific process will be described later with reference to Figure 10, etc.

[0034] The storage unit 22 is the work area of ​​the control unit 21 and stores various information. The storage unit 22 can be implemented using various types of memory, and the memory may be semiconductor memory such as SRAM, DRAM, ROM, or flash memory, or it may be a register, a magnetic storage device, or an optical storage device. The storage unit 22 stores, for example, tacit knowledge applications created in the server system 20 or other devices, and mapping information.

[0035] The communication unit 23 is an interface for communication over a network, and when the server system 20 performs wireless communication, it includes, for example, an antenna, an RF (radio frequency) circuit, and a baseband circuit. However, the server system 20 may also perform wired communication, in which case the communication unit 23 may include a communication interface such as an Ethernet connector and a control circuit for said communication interface. The communication unit 23 may operate according to the control of the control unit 21, or it may include a communication control processor different from the control unit 21.

[0036] Figure 3 is a block diagram showing a detailed configuration example of the communication unit 10. The communication unit 10 includes, for example, a control unit 11, a storage unit 12, a communication unit 13, a first connection unit 14, and a second connection unit 15.

[0037] The control unit 11 in this embodiment is composed of hardware including at least one of a circuit for processing digital signals and a circuit for processing analog signals. The control unit 110 may also be implemented by a processor. Various types of processors can be used, such as a CPU, GPU, or DSP. The functions of the control unit 11 are realized as processing when the processor executes instructions stored in the memory of the communication unit 10.

[0038] The storage unit 12 is a work area of ​​the control unit 11 and stores various information. The storage unit 12 can be implemented using various types of memory, and the memory may be semiconductor memory such as SRAM, DRAM, ROM, or flash memory, or it may be a register, a magnetic storage device, or an optical storage device. The storage unit 12 stores, for example, information about the location where the communication unit 10 is located. An example of the process for acquiring location information will be described later with reference to Figure 10, etc.

[0039] The communication unit 13 is an interface for communication over a network and includes, for example, an antenna, an RF (radio frequency) circuit, and a baseband circuit. The communication unit 13 may operate according to the control of the control unit 11, or it may include a communication control processor different from the control unit 11.

[0040] The first connection section 14 receives power from a commercial power source. For example, the first connection section 14 includes a power plug section connected to a commercial power socket SO provided on a wall or the like, and a power supply circuit. The power supply circuit may include an AC / DC converter, a step-down circuit, etc. After processing the power supplied via the power plug section in the power supply circuit, the first connection section 14 supplies the output of the power supply circuit to the second connection section 15.

[0041] The second connection section 15 includes a socket for supplying power to other devices. For example, when the power plug of another device is connected to the socket of the second connection section 15, the communication unit 10 supplies power to the other device via the socket. The first connection section 14 and the second connection section 15 may be connected via the control unit 11. For example, the control unit 11 may control the on / off switching of power supply from the second connection section 15 to other devices, or it may perform control to monitor the amount of power supplied to other devices.

[0042] Figure 4 shows an example configuration of the bed 610 (first device 100). The bed 610 includes, for example, a control unit 110, a storage unit 120, a communication unit 130, a movable unit 140, and an operation unit 150. However, the configuration of the bed 610 is not limited to Figure 4, and modifications such as omitting some components or adding other components are possible. Also, as mentioned above, equipment other than the bed 610 may be used as the first device 100.

[0043] The control unit 110 is comprised of hardware including at least one of a circuit for processing digital signals and a circuit for processing analog signals. The control unit 110 may also be implemented by a processor. Various types of processors can be used, such as a CPU, GPU, or DSP. The functions of the control unit 110 are realized as processing when the processor executes instructions stored in the memory of the bed 610.

[0044] The storage unit 120 is the work area of ​​the control unit 110 and is implemented by various types of memory such as SRAM, DRAM, and ROM. The storage unit 120 may store correspondence information that associates location information and information of the person being cared for. For example, the bed 610 obtains correspondence information from the server system 20 via the communication unit 10 and stores the correspondence information in the storage unit 120.

[0045] The communication unit 130 is an interface for communication over a network and includes, for example, an antenna, an RF circuit, and a baseband circuit. The communication unit 130 communicates with the communication unit 10. The communication unit 130 also communicates with, for example, the second device 200 and the third device 300, which will be described later.

[0046] The movable part 140 is a component whose position and orientation can be changed. For example, the movable part 140 of the bed 610 includes the bottom, which is the surface on which the mattress rests. Therefore, the movable part 140 here may refer to the bottom and a drive unit (motor, etc.) that drives the bottom. For example, the movable part 140 controls the position and orientation of the bottom by driving the drive unit according to the control of the control unit 110.

[0047] The control unit 150 is an interface used to operate the bed 610. For example, the control unit 150 is used to set the direction and amount of movement of the movable part 140. The control unit 150 may include a hand switch placed in a position easily accessible to a user lying on the bed 610 (for example, near the head of the bed). For example, the hand switch may be connected via a cable to a control box containing the control unit 110, etc., and its position may be adjustable by bending and straightening the cable. The bed 610 may also include a display unit that displays information related to the bed 610. The display unit displays various information such as the status of the movable part 140 of the bed 610 and sensor outputs. The control unit 150 of the bed 610 may be buttons etc., arranged together near the display unit, or the display unit and the control unit 150 may be integrated using a touch panel etc.

[0048] Figure 5 shows an example configuration of the second device 200. The second device 200 includes, for example, a control unit 210, a storage unit 220, a communication unit 230, a display unit 240, and an operation unit 250. As described above, in the method of this embodiment, it is possible to use devices of various types as the second device 200. Therefore, the configuration of the second device 200 is not limited to Figure 5, and modifications such as omitting some components or adding other components are possible. For example, the second device 200 may have various sensors depending on the device type, such as motion sensors such as acceleration sensors and gyroscopes, imaging sensors, pressure sensors, GPS (Global Positioning System) sensors, etc.

[0049] The control unit 210 is comprised of hardware including at least one of a circuit for processing digital signals and a circuit for processing analog signals. The control unit 210 may also be implemented by a processor. Various types of processors can be used, such as a CPU, GPU, or DSP. The functions of the control unit 210 are realized as processing when the processor executes instructions stored in the memory of the second device 200.

[0050] The memory unit 220 is the work area of ​​the control unit 210 and is implemented by various types of memory such as SRAM, DRAM, and ROM.

[0051] The communication unit 230 is an interface for communication over a network and includes, for example, an antenna, an RF circuit, and a baseband circuit. The communication unit 230 communicates with, for example, the bed 610. Communication between the bed 610 and the second device 200 can be performed using various communication methods such as Bluetooth, ZigBee, or IEEE 802.11. The communication method used for communication between the communication unit 10 and the bed 610 may be the same as or different for communication between the bed 610 and the second device 200. The communication unit 230 may also communicate with the communication unit 10.

[0052] The display unit 240 is an interface for displaying various information, and may be a liquid crystal display, an organic EL display, or another type of display. The operation unit 250 is an interface for receiving user input. The operation unit 250 may be a button or the like provided on the second device 200. Alternatively, the display unit 240 and the operation unit 250 may be a touch panel configured as an integrated unit.

[0053] The second device 200 may also include configurations not shown in Figure 5. For example, the second device 200 has an imaging unit (image sensor) that outputs image information by imaging a predetermined imaging range. The image information here may be a still image or a moving image. The image information may also be in color or monochrome. The imaging unit may also include a depth sensor that detects the distance to the subject, or a sensor that detects the heat of the subject (e.g., an infrared sensor). The second device 200 may also include a light-emitting unit, a vibration unit, a sound input unit, a sound output unit, etc. The light-emitting unit may be, for example, an LED (light-emitting diode) that provides notification by emitting light. The vibration unit may be, for example, a motor that provides notification by vibration. The sound input unit may be, for example, a microphone. The sound output unit may be, for example, a speaker that provides notification by sound.

[0054] As described above, the information processing system 1 of this embodiment includes a communication unit 10 having a communication unit 13 and positioned at a first location in the living space of the person being cared for, a bed 610 (broadly speaking, a first device 100) positioned at the first location, and a second device 200 used for caring for the person being cared for, performed around the bed 610.

[0055] The bed 610 then acquires mapping information that associates location information representing the location where the bed 610 is placed with information about the person being cared for who will be using the bed 610, based on communication with the communication unit 10. When the bed 610 is connected to a second device 200, it changes the processing content it performs depending on the type of second device 200. For example, when the bed 610 is connected to a medical device 800 as a second device 200, the bed 610 performs the processing of transmitting data acquired from the medical device 800 to the server system 20 via the communication unit 10 and relay device 30. For example, when the bed 610 is connected to a second device 200 used to assist a person being cared for, the bed 610 performs the processing of searching for a second device 200 used to assist another person being cared for, or performs the processing of acquiring data from a second device 200 and transmitting it to another second device 200. Specific examples will be described later.

[0056] Furthermore, when the second device 200 is connected to the bed 610, it performs processing corresponding to the person being cared for, as identified by the person being cared for, based on the correspondence information. The second device 200 may store the results of this processing in association with the bed 610. For example, as will be described later, the results of the processing in the second device 200 may be associated with information indicating that it was performed in the vicinity of the bed 610. Details of the processing will be described later using Figure 10, etc.

[0057] In the method of this embodiment, the communication unit 10 is a wall unit (more specifically, a smart plug) placed on the wall of a living room, for example. Therefore, it has the advantage of being implemented with a simple device configuration and being easy to associate with a location.

[0058] Furthermore, the bed 610 in this embodiment is highly likely to be used as equipment exclusively for a specific person receiving care. Therefore, if the bed 610 is found near the communication unit 10, it is assumed that the bed 610 will be used at the first location by the person receiving care associated with the bed 610. In other words, by the communication unit 10 and the bed 610 communicating, the bed 610 can automatically associate itself with its location and the person receiving care. Also, since the communication unit 10 is expected to be connected to the server system 20, it will be possible to share this association within the information processing system 1.

[0059] Furthermore, for example, a caregiver can access the server system 20 using a terminal device located at a station or similar location and input mapping information that associates the care recipient's information with the bed 610. In this case, the server system 20 holds the most up-to-date mapping information. When a bed 610 is found near the communication unit 10, the communication unit 10 and the bed 610 communicate, allowing the server system 20 to automatically associate the bed 610 with its location and the care recipient.

[0060] Furthermore, as long as the person being cared for moves with the bed 610, the correspondence between the bed 610 and the person being cared for will not change. For example, consider a case where a patient who was hospitalized in the ICU is moved to a general ward along with the bed 610. In this case, the location information can be easily updated by the bed 610 connecting to the communication unit 10 at the destination, and the correspondence between the bed 610 and the person being cared for can continue to be used based on the previous information. Therefore, it becomes possible to reduce the burden on nursing facility staff regarding tasks such as registering settings when the bed 610's location is changed.

[0061] For example, in the information processing system 1 of this embodiment, when a medical device 800 is used as a second device 200 around a bed 610, the medical device 800 performs a process to transmit sensing results to the bed 610, the bed 610 performs a process to transmit the sensing results and corresponding information to the server system 20, and the server system 20 registers the sensing results in the EMR by associating them with the person being cared for. As a result, it becomes easy to identify where and for which person the sensing results of the medical device 800 were acquired. Therefore, for example, when registering the sensing results of the medical device 800 in the EMR, it becomes possible to register the location and the person being cared for in an appropriate association.

[0062] Furthermore, when the second device 200 used to assist the person being assisted is connected to the bed 610, the bed 610 can provide the second device 200 with the mapping information itself, or information based on the mapping information. Therefore, the second device 200 can appropriately perform processing that takes into account the location where the assistance is performed and the person being assisted. In particular, if the mapping information includes various additional information as will be described later using Figure 9, for example, the second device 200 can perform assistance that takes into account information about the location (e.g., scene) and information about the person being assisted (e.g., ADL). More specifically, the second device 200 can change the tacit knowledge application used according to the scene and ADL, or change other devices with which it is cooperating. In other words, the method of this embodiment makes it possible not only to acquire data from the second device 200 and associate location and person being assisted information with that data, but also to provide appropriate data to the second device 200. In other words, the bed 610 of this embodiment not only uses location and person-assisted information when acquiring data from peripheral devices, but can also perform processing to provide data to peripheral devices based on location and person-assisted information. The bed 610 changes its specific processing depending on the type of peripheral device (e.g., a medical device) and the content of the request acquired from the peripheral device (e.g., a request to extract the peripheral device to be linked, a request to acquire information about the person-assisted). Furthermore, if the specific processing content of the bed 610 is determined by the type of peripheral device, the bed 610 may acquire the type of peripheral device along with the data and automatically perform the specific processing. An example of a specific processing flow will be described later.

[0063] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 1, the information processing system 1 may include a terminal device 700 that is connected to the server system 20 directly or via other devices. The terminal device 700 here may be, for example, a smartphone CP used as the second device 200, but it may also be a smartphone different from the smartphone CP. For example, if the terminal used by the first caregiver in charge of the person being cared for is a smartphone CP, the terminal device 700 is a terminal device used by a second caregiver, different from the first caregiver, during their work. For example, the terminal device 700 may connect to the server system 20 to refer to the results of care provided by other caregivers in the same facility (log data, etc., as described later). For example, if the terminal device 700 is a terminal device used by a caregiver, the server system 20 may operate as a system that prompts caregivers to provide care for the person being cared for (in a narrow sense, a nurse call system).

[0064] Furthermore, the terminal device 700 here may be a smartphone or PC used by the care recipient's family. The care recipient's family can use the terminal device 700 to connect to the server system 20 and check on the care recipient's condition at the care facility.

[0065] The terminal device 700 may also receive push notifications from the server system 20. For example, if the terminal device 700 is a smartphone used by a second caregiver, an alert notification will be sent to the smartphone, prompting the second caregiver to support the first caregiver. Also, if the terminal device 700 is a smartphone used by a family member of the person receiving care, it will be possible to notify the family if the person receiving care's condition changes or if an incident such as a fall occurs.

[0066] Furthermore, some or all of the processing performed by the information processing system 1 in this embodiment may be implemented by a program. The processing performed by the information processing system 1, in a narrow sense, includes at least one of the following: the processing performed by the control unit 11 of the communication unit 10, the processing performed by the control unit 110 of the bed 610, and the processing performed by the control unit 210 of the second device 200. The information processing system 1 may also include other devices such as the server system 20 and relay device 30 shown in Figure 1, and the processing performed by the information processing system 1 may include processing performed by such other devices.

[0067] The program according to this embodiment can be stored in a non-temporary information storage medium (information storage device), which is a medium readable by a computer. The information storage medium can be implemented by, for example, an optical disc, a memory card, an HDD, or a semiconductor memory. The semiconductor memory is, for example, a ROM. The control unit 11, etc., performs various processing according to this embodiment based on the program stored in the information storage medium. That is, the information storage medium stores a program that causes the computer to function as the control unit 11, etc. A computer is a device that includes an input device, a processing unit, a storage unit, and an output unit. Specifically, the program according to this embodiment is a program that causes the computer to execute at least a part of each step described later using Figures 10-13, 16, 18, 20, etc.

[0068] Furthermore, the method of this embodiment can be applied to a control method that includes the following steps. The control method according to this embodiment is a control method for an information processing system that includes a communication unit having a communication unit and positioned at a first location in the living space of the person being cared for, a bed (broadly speaking, a first device) positioned at the first location, and a second device used for caring for the person being cared for, performed around the bed. The control method includes the steps of storing in the bed location information that associates location information representing the location where the bed is positioned with person information relating to the person being cared for who uses the bed, based on communication between the communication unit and the bed, and, if the bed and the second device are connected, causing the second device to execute processing corresponding to the person being cared for identified by the person being cared for based on the association information.

[0069] 2. Specific examples of devices Next, a specific example of the second device 200 will be described. Note that the second device 200 is not limited to the device described below, and may also include a device for detecting food intake, a device for detecting when a person being cared for puts their hand inside their clothing (trousers or underwear) and tries to touch the person's skin or the inside of their clothing (trying to fiddle with them), etc. Furthermore, the device described below may perform different processes by operating according to different applications. For example, the swallowing choking detection device 460 described below may function as a medication management device that manages medication intake by detecting the swallowing of medicine.

[0070] Furthermore, each device described below is not limited to functioning as the second device 200, but may also function as the third device 300, as described later. In this embodiment, when assistance is performed by the cooperation of multiple devices, the master device that detects the trigger for the cooperation process is referred to as the second device 200, and the slave device that performs the cooperation process based on the cooperation request from the second device 200 is referred to as the third device 300. Also, whether a device is the second device 200 or the third device 300 is not fixed. That is, each device described below may function as the second device 200 in one type of assistance and as the third device 300 in another type of assistance. Furthermore, each device described below may function as the fifth device 500, as described later, or as a sixth device that operates in cooperation with the fifth device 500.

[0071] 2.1 Smartphone (Positioning Application) For example, the second device 200 may be a smartphone CP or a PC (Personal Computer). A positioning application may run on the smartphone CP or PC as an implicit knowledge application.

[0072] A positioning application is an application that performs processing related to the position or posture of at least one of a person or object in assistance. A positioning application may be used to adjust the posture of a person being assisted in a bed, or to adjust the posture of a person being assisted in a wheelchair. For example, a positioning application may operate in a setting mode for making settings and a usage mode to support actual position adjustment according to those settings. For example, in setting mode, the positioning application acquires training data by imaging a person or object at the desired position based on the operation of an expert. Then, in operation mode, the positioning application overlays the training data, which has been processed with transparency, onto the captured image of the person or object to be adjusted.

[0073] Figure 6A shows an example of training data acquired in setting mode. In the example in Figure 6A, image information representing the desired posture when the person being cared for lies down on the bed is acquired as training data. In the example shown in Figure 6A, the training data may be an image of a cushion, and additional information such as triangles or rectangles displayed at the positions corresponding to the cushion may also be included. These shapes are entered, for example, by the user who sets the training data (e.g., an administrator such as an occupational therapist). Figure 6B shows an example of the usage status of the positioning application and a specific example of the display screen in usage mode. For example, a device such as a smartphone on which the positioning application operates overlays the training data shown in Figure 6A onto an image of the person being cared for, who is the target of position adjustment. For example, the positioning application may apply transparency processing to the training data and then overlay the processed training data (e.g., corresponding to the dashed lines in Figure 6B) onto the image. The caregiver assists the person being cared for so that the person in the image is closer to the training data. In this way, it becomes possible to appropriately support the caregiver's position adjustment.

[0074] Here, we have described an example of overlaying image data, which is training data. However, the positioning application may also output a judgment result (OK / NG) indicating whether the posture of the person being assisted is appropriate or not. For example, the positioning application may determine whether it is OK or NG based on the degree of similarity between the image being captured during position adjustment and the training data, and output the judgment result. Specifically, the positioning application may determine whether the posture of the person being assisted or the caregiver is appropriate or not, or whether the position of equipment such as cushions is appropriate or not. The determination of OK or NG may also be based on the skeletal information of the person being assisted included in the training data and the skeletal information of the person being assisted included in the image being captured during position adjustment. For example, since skeletal information includes information on several feature points such as the shoulder, elbow, and wrist, it is possible to identify the coordinate values ​​of these feature points. The coordinate values ​​here are the x and y coordinate values ​​representing the vertical and horizontal positions of the image. If depth information is acquired, the coordinate values ​​may also include the z coordinate value representing the distance from the camera. Different coordinate systems may also be set as 2D or 3D coordinates. The positioning application determines, for each feature point included in the skeletal information being adjusted for position, whether the degree of difference between it and the coordinate value in the training data is greater than a predetermined value. If the number of points with a large degree of difference exceeds a threshold, it determines that the result is NG (Not Good).

[0075] The positioning application may also perform processing to display specific points that have been determined to be NG (Not Good). For example, the positioning application may compare the captured image with the training data and highlight areas where the difference is determined to be large. Alternatively, the positioning application may output specific instructions on how to change the position of the cushion or how to change the posture. The areas where the difference is determined to be large may be based on the skeletal information of the person being assisted included in the training data and the skeletal information of the person being assisted included in the image captured during position adjustment. For example, the positioning application may determine the coordinate values ​​of the feature points mentioned above and highlight points where the degree of difference is greater than a predetermined value as points with a large difference. For example, the black frame in Figure 6B and the feature points corresponding to the ankles correspond to the results of the highlighting. The rightward arrow in Figure 6B indicates the direction of the posture change.

[0076] Furthermore, the positioning application may accept additional information, such as points that experts consider important, in setting mode, and present such additional information in usage mode. Additional information may include information such as the position and angle of a predetermined body part, the presence, size, and softness of a cushion. The positioning application may also recommend a suitable assistive device for the person being cared for if it determines, based on the results of the posture assessment, that the person being cared for would be able to adjust their posture more easily by using an assistive device such as a cushion. Even if the person being cared for is already using a cushion, the application may recommend a new cushion if the position of the cushion is not properly adjusted, or if the size of the cushion differs from the size of the cushion included in the training data. The recommendation here may specify the size, hardness, etc., of the cushion, or it may specify a specific product (model number, etc.). When a specific product is specified, the positioning application may output link information to an e-commerce site that sells the product.

[0077] Furthermore, the positioning application may display a questionnaire regarding the configured training data when setting the training data in setting mode. This questionnaire is conducted to obtain information necessary for interpreting the training data, such as the purpose of setting the training data (e.g., for pressure ulcer prevention, for pressure relief) and the target area for pressure ulcer prevention, etc.

[0078] The positioning application may accumulate training data at the start of service by prompting caregivers to manually input information into a questionnaire. When a predetermined amount of training data has been accumulated, the positioning application performs learning processing based on that training data. This learning processing is performed based on training data that includes both teacher data and the input results from the questionnaire. As a result, the trained model generated by this learning processing can output appropriate teacher data for each purpose and target body part of the teacher data. For example, in the case of bed positioning targeting a certain body part, the trained model can determine what size cushion should be placed where and what posture the person being cared for should be in. In other words, after the creation of the trained model, it is possible to check the optimal positioning in the positioning application simply by selecting the target body part, without setting any teacher data. Furthermore, at the start of service, training data may be accumulated by prompting caregivers to manually input information about desired assistive devices. When a predetermined amount of training data has been accumulated, the positioning application may create a trained model that recommends assistive devices by performing learning processing based on that training data.

[0079] Furthermore, various variations are possible in how application A, used for adjusting the position of the first person being assisted (Ms. AAA), and application B, used for adjusting the position of the second person being assisted (Ms. BBB), are managed and utilized. For example, applications A and B could be treated as completely different applications. For instance, on a smartphone, each could be launched by selecting a different icon.

[0080] Alternatively, applications A and B may share a common interface application, allowing switching between them within that interface application. For example, on a smartphone, the user may first select an icon in a positioning application, and then switch between applications A and B by selecting tabs within that positioning application.

[0081] Applications A and B may share the same processing (algorithm) but differ in the parameters used in that processing, or both the processing and parameters may differ. Furthermore, even within the same application A, application A1, which interacts with other applications (devices), and application A2, which does not interact with other applications, may be treated as different applications. Moreover, the application management and usage methods described above are not limited to positioning applications, but also apply to other applications such as the swallowing choking application that operates in the swallowing choking detection device 460 described later.

[0082] 2.2 Seat Sensor Figure 7 shows an example of the second device 200, which is a seat sensor 440 placed on the seat of a wheelchair 630. The seat sensor 440 includes a pressure sensor that outputs a pressure value.

[0083] In the example shown in Figure 7, four pressure sensors Se1 to Se4 are positioned on the underside of the cushion 441 placed on the seat of the wheelchair 630. Pressure sensor Se1 is positioned at the front, pressure sensor Se2 is positioned at the rear, pressure sensor Se3 is positioned to the right, and pressure sensor Se4 is positioned to the left. Here, front, back, left, and right refer to the direction as seen from the perspective of the person being cared for when they are seated in the wheelchair 630. Pressure sensors Se1 to Se4 are connected to a control box 442. The control box 442 contains a processor that controls pressure sensors Se1 to Se4 and memory that serves as the processor's work area. The processor detects pressure values ​​by operating pressure sensors Se1 to Se4.

[0084] The seat sensor 440 may determine, based on the pressure values ​​from pressure sensors Se1 to Se4, whether the posture of the person being cared for when sitting in the wheelchair 630 (hereinafter also referred to as the sitting posture) is one of several postures, including normal, forward-sloping, and lateral-sloping. Forward-sloping refers to a state in which the user's center of gravity is shifted forward more than normal, and lateral-sloping refers to a state in which the user's center of gravity is shifted to either the left or right more than normal. For example, the seat sensor 440 determines forward-sloping when the value of pressure sensor Se1 increases by a predetermined amount compared to the initial state, and determines lateral-sloping when the value of pressure sensor Se3 or Se4 increases by a predetermined amount compared to the initial state. The seat sensor 440 may also perform a fall risk determination to determine whether there is a possibility that the person being cared for may fall from the seat.

[0085] The criteria for determining normal, forward, or lateral movement, or the criteria for determining the possibility of falling, may vary depending on the person being cared for and the situation. For example, the seat sensor 440 may perform the above determinations based on an implicit knowledge application. The seat sensor 440 may also add or update implicit knowledge applications based on communication with the server system 20, which will be described later.

[0086] Furthermore, the second device 200 in this embodiment may be a pressure-sensing mattress or a device that communicates with the mattress. These devices determine the posture of the person being cared for in bed.

[0087] 2.3 Swallowing and Choking Detection Device Figure 8 is an example of the second device 200, illustrating a swallowing choking detection device 460 used in a mealtime setting. As shown in Figure 8, the swallowing choking detection device 460 includes a throat microphone 461 that is attached around the neck of the person being cared for, and a terminal device 462 having a camera.

[0088] The throat microphone 461 outputs audio data of the person being assisted, such as swallowing or coughing. The camera on the terminal device 462 outputs images of the person being assisted eating. The terminal device 462 is, for example, a smartphone or tablet PC placed on the table where the person being assisted is eating. The throat microphone 461 is connected to the terminal device 462 using Bluetooth or the like. However, various variations in the specific connection method are possible.

[0089] The swallowing choking detection device 460 determines whether the person being assisted has choked or swallowed based on the audio data from the throat microphone 461. A device that detects swallowing using a microphone worn around the neck is described, for example, in U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 276768, filed on February 15, 2019, entitled “Swallowing action measurement device and swallowing action support system.” This patent application is incorporated by reference in its entirety in this specification. The swallowing choking detection application can detect, based on the audio data, the number of times choking has occurred, the duration of choking (time of occurrence, duration, etc.), and whether or not swallowing has occurred.

[0090] Furthermore, the camera of the terminal device 462 captures images of the person being assisted from the front, as shown in Figure 8, for example. Therefore, the swallowing choking detection application may detect the mouth, eyes, and chopsticks, spoons, etc., used by the person being assisted based on the captured images. Various methods for detecting these facial features and objects based on image processing are known, and in this embodiment, known methods can be widely applied.

[0091] For example, the swallowing choking detection device 460 may determine the swallowing time from when the person being assisted opens their mouth until they swallow, based on the swallowing detection result and the determination result of opening and closing the mouth of the person being assisted. In this way, if the number of swallows decreases, for example, it is possible to determine the specific situation, such as whether the action of putting food into the mouth is not being performed, or whether food is being put into the mouth but not being swallowed. As a result, the risk of aspiration during meals can be determined with high accuracy. For example, the swallowing choking detection device 460 may perform these determinations based on an implicit knowledge application. Furthermore, the swallowing choking detection device 460 may add or update the implicit knowledge application based on communication with the server system 20 described later.

[0092] 3. Specific examples of correspondence information Figure 9 shows an example of mapping information. In this embodiment, the mapping information may include information identifying the person being assisted, information about the person's abilities, information identifying the assistance scene, information identifying the type of assistance being performed, information identifying the equipment used for assistance, information identifying the tacit knowledge application used for assistance, and information about the date and time the mapping information was updated. The mapping information is, for example, table data (a relational database in the narrow sense) in which item values ​​are associated with each item. However, the structure of the mapping information is not limited to the example in Figure 9, and some items may be omitted or other items may be added. Furthermore, the mapping information is not limited to table data, and other forms of data may be used. Also, although Figure 9 shows four rows of data as an example of table data, the item values ​​in each row are just examples, and various modifications to the specific item values ​​are possible, as will be explained below.

[0093] Information identifying the person receiving care corresponds to the care recipient information described above. The care recipient information is, for example, a care recipient ID, which is a unique ID assigned to the person receiving care. The care recipient ID may be associated with information such as the person receiving care's name, address, and place of residence. The care recipient ID may also be associated with attribute information of the person receiving care, such as age, gender, height, weight, medical history, and medication history. The name and other information and attribute information may be different from the care recipient information, or they may be included in the care recipient information.

[0094] The assisted person's ability information is determined based on sensing data. The sensing data represents the state of the assisted person's ecological activity or the sensing results of the assisted person's surrounding environment. For example, it may be the output of sensors included in the bed 610 or the second device 200, or it may be the output of sensors included in a sensing device different from these devices. The server system 20, described later, may determine the time-series changes in the assisted person's state based on the sensing data and estimate the ability information based on these changes. The ability information here may be index information related to daily living activities (ADL). For example, various methods for evaluating ADL, such as the Barthel Index, are known and can be widely applied in this embodiment. Alternatively, the ability information may be the nine-stage index disclosed as the Clinical Frailty Scale in “Frailty and the potential kidney transplant recipient: time for a more holistic assessment?”, Henry HL Wu, et al. For example, the ability information may represent which of the nine stages the assisted person belongs to.

[0095] Scene information includes, for example, information about the location where assistance is provided to the person being assisted. Specifically, the location where assistance is provided may be the location where the bed 610 is placed. In other words, scene information may include location information representing the position of the bed 610. Scene information may also include information that identifies the type of assistance to be performed, such as assistance with eating, assistance with excretion, assistance with movement and transfer, etc. Scene information may also include information about the caregivers, such as the number of caregivers and their skill level, etc. Scene information may also include information about the person being assisted, such as the attributes of the person being assisted. For example, scene information may be determined based on user input or the caregiver's schedule, etc.

[0096] Information that identifies the type of assistance to be provided includes details that specify the content of the assistance, such as assistance with eating, assistance with toileting, and assistance with mobility. Note that assistance with eating and assistance with toileting may be further subdivided.

[0097] Information identifying the device used for assistance (hereinafter referred to as "device information") may be information identifying the type of device (type ID), such as "smartphone," "swallowing choking detection device," or "seat sensor." Alternatively, the device information may be information identifying one of several devices belonging to a specific type (device ID). The device ID is information that uniquely identifies the device, such as the serial number or MAC address. The device ID or type ID may be associated with information such as the vendor or the app ID of installed applications. Vendor information may be different from the device information, or it may be included in the device information.

[0098] Information that identifies the tacit knowledge used in assistance is, for example, an app ID, which is a unique ID assigned to each of multiple tacit knowledge applications. The app ID may also be associated with information such as the application name and creator.

[0099] The update date and time is information that indicates when the corresponding mapped information was updated, for example, information that specifies the year, month, and day. The update date and time may also include hour and minute information. For example, if the mapped information is table data with the structure shown in Figure 9, the data for each row will include information as an update date and time field value that indicates when the row was newly added or when at least one of the field values ​​for that row was updated. Note that here we have shown an example where an update date and time is associated with each data row, but this is not the only example. For example, the mapped information may contain one update date and time for the entire mapped information. In this case, the update date and time indicates when the last update operation was performed on any of the rows in the mapped information.

[0100] For example, even when providing the same meal assistance, a skilled caregiver is thought to change the devices and tacit knowledge they use, taking into account the person being assisted and the situation in which that person is placed (such as their abilities and the scene). In other words, not only the content of the assistance but also the conditions for performing that assistance can be considered tacit knowledge. In this respect, the mapping information of this embodiment associates the device ID and application ID with the person being assisted ID, ADL, and scene, respectively. This makes it possible not only to digitize the assistance provided by the skilled caregiver (create a tacit knowledge application), but also to appropriately digitize the conditions for using that tacit knowledge application. For example, the server system 20 may create and update the mapping information based on the usage history of the tacit knowledge application by a skilled person being assisted. Devices such as the second device 200 can change the tacit knowledge application they use based on the mapping information.

[0101] Furthermore, the mapping information may include information mapping multiple devices used in conjunction in assisting a person receiving care. For example, consider table data containing rows where the person receiving care ID, ADL, scene, and assistance type are common, and where the device ID is device ID1 and other rows where the device ID is device ID2. In this case, it indicates that in one assistance session identified by the person receiving care ID, ADL, scene, and assistance type, two devices are used in conjunction: one corresponding to device ID1 and another corresponding to device ID2. However, a single row may contain information on multiple device IDs used in conjunction, and various modifications can be made to the data structure for mapping multiple devices used in conjunction.

[0102] The server system 20 according to this embodiment may store correspondence information for multiple care recipients as a master table. The master table includes, for example, information about all care recipients residing in a care facility. The bed 610 in this embodiment may acquire, from the master table, information about care recipients associated with the bed 610 as correspondence information in the narrow sense. For example, if a care recipient with care recipient ID=1 is associated with the bed 610, the bed 610 may acquire, as the result of extracting only the rows in the master table where the item value of care recipient ID is ID=1. Alternatively, the bed 610 may acquire the entire master table and use a portion of it related to the target care recipient as correspondence information in the narrow sense for processing. Below, an example of the bed 610 acquiring correspondence information in the narrow sense (the result of extracting a portion) from the server system 20 will be described. Details of the processing will be described later with reference to Figure 10.

[0103] Furthermore, since the bed 610 can acquire location information by communicating with the communication unit 10, the bed 610 can also acquire only the results of extracting some information from the master table that corresponds to the first location (for example, rows where the location included in the scene information is the first location) from the server system 20. However, in this embodiment, as will be described later using Figure 15, etc., it is also assumed that the mapping information acquired by the bed 610 may be used at a second location different from the first location. Therefore, the mapping information acquired by the bed 610 from the server system 20 may include information about locations other than the first location.

[0104] 4. Processing Details The processing of the information processing system 1 of this embodiment will be described in detail. First, the specific flow of processing will be explained using the case where the first location is the assisted person's room as an example. Then, the processing when the assisted person moves to a second location different from the first location will be explained. Specifically, the processing when the second location is the dining room and the processing when the second location is the bathroom will be explained separately.

[0105] 4.1 Room 4.1.1 Example of connecting a communication unit to a bed Figure 10 is a sequence diagram illustrating the process of establishing a communication connection between the communication unit 10 and the bed 610. When this process begins, in step S101, the communication unit 10 is first connected to the commercial power supply in the living room, which is the first location. For example, the first connection part 14 (power plug part) of the communication unit 10, which is a smart plug, is inserted into the commercial power socket SO provided on the wall of the living room. As a result, power is supplied to the communication unit 10, and the communication unit 10 starts operating.

[0106] In step S102, the communication unit 10 acquires information to identify the first location and stores it in the storage unit 12. For example, the communication unit 10 may be connected to a staff terminal (e.g., a smartphone) used by staff at a nursing care facility, and acquire information representing the first location from the staff terminal. The staff here may be caregivers or administrators. For example, the staff terminal operates according to a configuration application provided by a smart plug vendor, etc. The smartphone here may be a terminal device used by a caregiver, for example, a smartphone CP that functions as a second device 200, etc. The processes in steps S101 and S102 are performed only once, for example, when the communication unit 10 is inserted into a commercial power socket SO. In contrast, the processes from step S103 onwards, described below, are performed repeatedly when a person requiring care moves in or a bed is changed, etc.

[0107] In step S103, information associating the person receiving care with the bed 610 is registered in the server system 20 using a staff terminal. For example, a staff member uses a staff terminal to register the person receiving care ID, which identifies the person receiving care, and the bed ID, which identifies the bed 610, in the EMR managed by the server system 20. For example, a staff member may perform the process in step S103 when a new person receiving care enters the facility or when an existing person receiving care moves to a different bed 610.

[0108] In step S104, the communication unit 10 searches for devices in the vicinity that can be connected to the communication unit 10. For example, the communication unit 10 searches for devices whose communication signal strength with the communication unit 13 (e.g., Bluetooth communication signal strength) is above a predetermined threshold. Furthermore, in step S105, the communication unit identifies devices whose communication signal strength is above the threshold and whose device type is "bed". Through the processing in steps S104-S105, the communication unit 10 can identify beds 610 in the vicinity.

[0109] In step S106, the communication unit 10 establishes a communication connection with the bed 610 identified in steps S104-S105. The communication method here is arbitrary and may be the same as or different from the communication method between the communication unit 10 and the server system 20 (relay device 30).

[0110] In step S107, the communication unit 10 starts processing to cause the bed 610 to acquire the mapping information (table data) shown in Figure 9. For example, the communication unit 10 sends a request to the server system 20 to acquire the mapping information. This acquisition request may include a bed ID that identifies the bed 610 with which a communication connection has been established. The communication unit 10 may acquire the bed ID of the bed 610, for example, when the communication connection is established in the processing of step S106.

[0111] In step S108, the server system 20 identifies the care recipient ID of the care recipient associated with the target bed, based on the combination of bed ID and care recipient ID registered in step S103, and the bed ID included in the acquisition request in step S107.

[0112] In step S109, the server system 20 extracts a portion of the correspondence information (master table) that corresponds to the person being cared for, and in step S110, the server system 20 transmits the extraction results to the communication unit 10 as correspondence information in the narrow sense.

[0113] In step S111, the communication unit 10 transmits the mapping information received from the server system 20 to the bed 610. In step S112, the bed 610 receives the mapping information from the communication unit 10 and stores the mapping information in the storage unit 120. The mapping information stored by the bed 610 is, for example, the same information as the mapping information received by the communication unit 10 from the server system 20. However, the communication unit 10 may perform processing to extract a part of the mapping information received from the server system 20 or processing the mapping information and transmit the processing results to the bed 610.

[0114] As described above, in this embodiment, when a bed 610 is located near the communication unit 10, the communication unit 10 and the bed 610 are connected, making it possible for the bed 610 to acquire correspondence information including at least the location and information of the person being cared for. The information that identifies the location (information of the first location) may be transmitted from the communication unit 10 to the bed 610 in step S106, or it may be transmitted together with the correspondence information in step S111. In the example shown in Figure 10, the communication unit 10 only needs to hold information representing the first location and does not need to hold information regarding the person being cared for ID.

[0115] The trigger for the process in step S104 (the trigger for starting the search for bed 610) may be the insertion of a power plug of another device into the second connection part 15 (smart plug socket) of the communication unit 10. For example, the bed 610 manual may instruct the user to insert the bed 610's power plug into the smart plug socket. In this case, when bed 610 is replaced, the power plug of the new bed 610 will be inserted into the second connection part 15 of the communication unit 10, making it possible to establish a connection between the communication unit 10 and bed 610 at the appropriate time. In this example, the communication unit 10 may identify the device connected to the second connection part 15 as bed 610, rather than determining the communication signal strength or device type.

[0116] However, the method of this embodiment is not limited thereto. For example, the device connected to the communication unit 10 may be a device other than the bed 610. In this case, the power connection of the other device to the communication unit 10 is used as a trigger to indicate that assistance may be performed around the communication unit 10. The specific processing of the bed 610 may be achieved by processing from a different perspective than whether or not it is powered to the communication unit 10 (for example, processing based on communication signal strength and device type as described above).

[0117] Specifically, if the communication unit 10 has a first connection part 14, a second connection part 15, and a communication unit 13 as shown in Figure 3, and is a unit that supplies power from a commercial power source via the first connection part 14 and supplies power via the second connection part 15, the communication unit 10 may, when another device is connected to the second connection part 15, perform a process to search for a device of the type corresponding to the first device from among devices whose communication signal strength with the communication unit 13 is above a predetermined threshold. In this way, it becomes possible to automatically identify the bed 610 based on the communication signal strength and the type of device, triggered by the power connection of another device.

[0118] By performing the processing described above, the bed 610 stores the correspondence information (step S112), and the bed 610 is ready to function as a hub at the first position.

[0119] 4.1.2 Example of assistance processing using a second device Figure 11 is a sequence diagram illustrating the collaborative process performed with bed 610 (first device 100) as the hub. Below, we will describe an example in which a smartphone CP running a positioning application and the swallowing / choking detection device 460 work in conjunction with each other during assistance around bed 610. In particular, in the following example, the smartphone CP is the master device (second device 200) that detects the trigger for the collaboration, and the swallowing / choking detection device 460 is the slave device (third device 300) that operates in conjunction with the master device based on instructions.

[0120] When this process begins, in step S201, the second device 200, a smartphone CP, acquires trigger information for the start of assistance. This trigger information refers to information indicating that a specific application has been launched on the second device 200. For example, if a positioning application for adjusting the eating position is launched on the smartphone CP, it is considered that the person being assisted is about to start eating. Therefore, by activating the swallowing choking detection device 460, it becomes possible to have the person assume a posture that makes choking or aspiration less likely during meals.

[0121] In step S202, the communication unit 230 of the second device 200 searches for peripheral devices (for example, by determining the Bluetooth communication signal strength with each device) and determines whether there is a device that holds mapping information to the peripheral devices. For example, the communication unit 230 of the second device 200 queries for the presence or absence of mapping information in a Bluetooth advertisement packet, and the peripheral device that receives the advertisement packet returns information indicating the presence or absence of mapping information. The second device 200 identifies a device as bed 610 if the communication signal strength is above a given threshold and the device holds the mapping information.

[0122] In step S203, the second device 200 establishes a communication connection with the bed 610. For example, the bed 610 and the second device 200 perform pairing in Bluetooth communication.

[0123] In step S203, the devices on which the second device 200 establishes a communication connection may be determined not only by the presence or absence of the aforementioned mapping information, but also by whether or not they are connected to the network (for example, whether or not they are connected to the server system 20). For example, the second device 200 may establish a communication connection with devices that hold mapping information and are connected to the network. Alternatively, the second device 200 may perform a process to display a list of peripheral devices sorted so that devices that hold mapping information and are connected to the network are given priority. The second device 200 then establishes a communication connection with a device selected by the user from among the peripheral devices.

[0124] In step S204, bed 610 performs a process to identify the tacit knowledge application used in the second device 200 and the cooperating device (third device 300) that operates in conjunction with the second device 200. In step S205, bed 610 transmits the information of the tacit knowledge application and the cooperating device to the second device 200.

[0125] The correspondence information in this embodiment may include, for example, information about tacit knowledge data, which is digitized tacit knowledge of a skilled caregiver. Here, the tacit knowledge data may be, for example, a tacit knowledge application. In the example shown in Figure 9, the correspondence information includes an application ID that identifies the tacit knowledge application. However, the tacit knowledge data in this embodiment may include data of a form other than an application. For example, the tacit knowledge data may not be the application itself, but rather configuration data (parameters, etc.) used by the application. For example, if the target application is a positioning application, the tacit knowledge data may be data that identifies one of the multiple training data included in the positioning application.

[0126] For example, bed 610 acquires the latest ADL and scene information of the person being cared for. The latest ADL of the person being cared for may be acquired from the server system 20 via the communication unit 10 in step S204, for example, or it may be acquired along with the correspondence information when performing the processing shown in Figure 10. The scene is information that represents the location of assistance, for example, and the first position acquired in the processing shown in step S102 of Figure 10 is used. Also, since the correspondence information already acquired by bed 610 corresponds to the person being cared for ID (steps S108-S109 of Figure 10), the person being cared for ID is also known.

[0127] In other words, based on this known information and acquired correspondence information, the bed 610 can identify the tacit knowledge data (tacit knowledge application) that the second device 200 should use when providing assistance using the second device 200.

[0128] When the second device 200 is connected to the bed 610 (step S203), it may determine the tacit knowledge data to be used by the second device 200 based on the correspondence information, and if the tacit knowledge data has not yet been acquired, it may acquire the tacit knowledge data via the bed 610. Here, the process of determining the tacit knowledge data is performed, for example, on the bed 610 (step S204), but this process may also be performed on the second device 200.

[0129] For example, in step S205, the second device 200, having obtained information to identify the necessary tacit knowledge application, determines whether the tacit knowledge application is already installed. If it is already installed, the processes in steps S206-S210 described later are omitted.

[0130] If the tacit knowledge application is not already installed, in step S206 the second device 200 requests the tacit knowledge application from the bed 610. In step S207 the bed 610 sends the request for the tacit knowledge application to the communication unit 10. In step S208 the communication unit 10 obtains the necessary tacit knowledge application for the second device 200. Specifically, in step S208 the communication unit 10 may communicate with the server system 20 and receive the necessary tacit knowledge application for the second device 200 from the server system 20. In step S209 the communication unit 10 sends the obtained tacit knowledge application to the bed 610. In step S210 the bed 610 sends the tacit knowledge application received from the communication unit 10 to the second device 200. By installing the tacit knowledge application, the tacit knowledge necessary for assisting the person being cared for becomes available for use on the second device 200.

[0131] Furthermore, as described above in step S205, the bed 610 may transmit information about the connected devices to the second device 200. For example, the mapping information may include device information (such as type ID or device ID) representing the devices used for assistance, as described above using Figure 9. The device information is not limited to information that identifies a single type of device, but may also be information about a combination of multiple device types used in conjunction. Based on the mapping information of the bed 610, the second device 200 determines the third device 300 used to assist the person being assisted in cooperation with the second device 200, and communicates with the third device 300 via the bed 610 when the third device 300 is connected to the bed 610. In this way, the bed 610 can be used as a hub to link various devices used for assistance around the bed 610.

[0132] For example, in step S204, the bed 610 identifies the type of device that can be used as the third device 300 based on known information such as the person being cared for ID, ADL, scene, and type ID representing the type of the second device 200, as well as the correspondence information. Here, we consider an example where the type of device that can be used as the third device 300 is type ID = 1.

[0133] In this case, bed 610 may identify a device whose type ID is 1 and whose communication signal strength with bed 610 is the highest, and in step S205, transmit information about that device to the second device 200. The second device 200 receives user input regarding whether or not to allow cooperation with that device. If it receives user input to allow cooperation, in step S211, the second device 200 transmits information about that device to bed 610.

[0134] Alternatively, bed 610 may request a list of one or more devices whose type ID is 1 and whose communication signal strength with bed 610 is above a threshold, and in step S205, transmit this list information to the second device 200. The second device 200 may accept user input to select a third device 300 from the list information. If user input is made to select any device, in step S211, the second device 200 transmits information about the selected device to bed 610.

[0135] In step S212, bed 610 establishes a communication connection with the third device 300, which is identified by the information obtained in step S211. For example, bed 610 and the third device 300 perform Bluetooth pairing. As a result, both the second device 200 and the third device 300 are paired with bed 610. Therefore, the second device 200 and the third device 300 can perform cooperative processing with bed 610 as the hub.

[0136] In step S213, the second device 200 sends a cooperation request to the third device 300 via the bed 610. When the third device 300 receives the cooperation request, it determines whether a communication connection with the bed 610 has been established. If a communication connection has been established, in step S214, the third device 300 sends a cooperation acceptance response to the second device 200 via the bed 610. In Figure 11, for the sake of simplifying the diagram, the processes in steps S213-S214 are depicted as if they were performed directly between the second device 200 and the third device 300, but as described above, these processes are performed via the bed 610. The same applies to the process in step S216, which will be described later. Also, once the second device 200 and the third device 300 are connected to the bed 610 (steps S203, S212), cooperation processing between them is possible, so the processes shown in steps S213-S214 may be omitted.

[0137] When a cooperation acceptance response is received, in step S215, the display unit 240 of the second device 200 displays "ready" to indicate that it is ready to start the cooperation process. In step S216, the second device 200 and the third device 300 start the cooperation process for assisting the person being cared for via the bed 610. For example, as described above, the smartphone CP, which is the second device 200, determines whether the position is OK / NG, and the swallowing choking detection device 460, which is the third device 300, makes judgments regarding swallowing and choking. In this case, if choking is detected, the positioning application may be used to prompt posture adjustment, or if the positioning application determines it to be NG, the swallowing choking detection device 460 may prompt the person to stop eating.

[0138] For example, data acquired by the second device 200 and data acquired by the third device 300 may be collected in the control unit 110 (e.g., control box) of the bed 610, and processing of each data may be performed in the control unit 110. Alternatively, data acquired by the third device 300 may be transmitted to the second device 200 via the bed 610, and processing of data from both the second device 200 and the third device 300 may be performed in the control unit 210 of the second device 200. For example, when the swallowing choking detection device 460 detects choking, it may query the positioning application (in a continuously monitoring mode) on the smartphone CP via the bed 610 to find out what the posture was like, and the results and raw data may be acquired via the bed 610.

[0139] Furthermore, data and logs resulting from the use of the second device 200 and the third device 300 may be transmitted to the server system 20 via the bed 610. For example, in step S217, the third device 300 transmits the processing results to the bed 610. In step S218, the second device 200 transmits the processing results to the bed 610. In step S219, the bed 610 transfers the processing results of the second device 200 and the third device 300 to the server system 20. The timing of the transfer may be staggered for each device to avoid overloading the server system 20. The timing of the transfer may also be set during off-peak hours when the communication load is low, such as late at night. The server system 20 may also perform a process to automatically register the log data in EMR (Electronic Medical Records). The server system 20 may also perform a summarization process of the log data using a generative AI (e.g., ChatGPT) as needed. By performing the summarization process, the recording work can be simplified.

[0140] In this embodiment, when processing related to assistance for the person being assisted is performed, the second device 200 may transmit a care record indicating that assistance for the person being assisted was performed around the bed 610 (or more broadly, the first device 100) to the server system 20 via the bed 610. In other words, in the method of this embodiment, since the second device 200 communicates with the bed 610, log data is recorded indicating that the second device 200 was used around the bed 610. Because such log data is recorded, it is easy to understand where the second device 200 is actually being used, and inventory management of the device and the consumables consumed in conjunction with the device becomes easier.

[0141] Furthermore, if the caregiver is wearing an RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) device, the presence of the caregiver near the bed 610 is automatically recorded based on the reading results of the RFID. Therefore, the care record associated with the bed 610 can be recorded in association with the caregiver's name, etc. In this case, the caregiver may input additional notes using the display unit 240 of the second device 200 or the display unit of the bed 610 (for example, a display provided on the bed 610). In this way, it becomes possible to include additional notes entered by the caregiver in the care record.

[0142] For example, when using a positioning application, if caregiver authentication is performed, the results of this authentication process can be used to identify the caregiver without using RFID. In this case as well, it becomes possible to include the caregiver's information in the care record.

[0143] Although not explained above, as shown in Figure 9, the mapping information may also include assistance type information representing the type of assistance to be performed on the person being assisted. Therefore, when the second device 200 is connected to the bed 610, it may perform processing to provide the type of assistance represented by the assistance type information to the person being assisted, as identified by the person being assisted information, based on the mapping information. In other words, the type of assistance may also be automatically determined from the mapping information and information such as the person being assisted ID. However, as mentioned above, if the trigger information is the launch of a specific application, the type of assistance may be determined from the launched application, and in this case, the mapping information may not be used to determine the type of assistance.

[0144] Furthermore, in the method of this embodiment, various devices can be used as the second device 200 and the third device 300 that cooperates with the second device 200. For example, the vendors of the second device 200 and the third device 300 may be different. However, when the second device 200 cooperates with other devices, the data structure when transmitting data to those other devices is considered to be determined by the vendor of the second device 200. Similarly, the data structure when the third device 300 receives data from other devices is determined by the vendor of the third device 300. Therefore, when the second device 200 attempts to transmit data to the third device 300 during the cooperation process, it is possible that the structure of the data transmitted by the second device 200 and the structure of the data received by the third device 300 may not match due to differences in vendors. The possibility of data structure mismatch also applies when the second device 200 receives data from the third device 300.

[0145] Therefore, in this embodiment, the bed 610 may perform a data structure conversion process on data received from either the second device 200 or the third device 300, and then transmit the converted data to the other device. In this way, since the data structure conversion can be performed in the bed 610, which functions as a hub for the second device 200 and the third device 300, each device connected to the hub does not need to perform processing that takes into account differences in data structures between vendors.

[0146] Furthermore, while the above describes an example in which the second device 200 and the third device 300 are used in cooperation with each other during assistance around the bed 610, the system is not limited to this. For example, the second device 200 may be used alone in a given type of assistance. Even in this case, the mapping information of the bed 610 can be used to identify the person being assisted, determine the appropriate tacit knowledge application, and determine the content of the assistance, thus offering the advantage of being able to appropriately perform assistance around the bed 610, similar to the example described above.

[0147] 4.1.3 Variations <Other examples of the first device 100> The above description has been based on the example where the first device 100 is a bed 610. However, the first device 100 may be any device that can be relatively easily matched with the person being cared for on a one-to-one basis, and may be a device other than a bed 610. For example, a mattress or pillow with communication capabilities may be used as the first device 100. The first device 100 may also be a device attached to a bed or mattress. In other words, the description of a bed 610 in this specification can be replaced with other devices such as mattresses as appropriate.

[0148] <Process for acquiring information representing the first position by the communication unit> The above describes an example in which the communication unit 10 acquires information representing the first position based on input operations from a staff terminal (step S102 in Figure 10). However, the processing in this embodiment is not limited to this, and the communication unit 10 may acquire the first position based on communication with the server system 20 or the relay device 30, etc.

[0149] For example, the relay device 30 stores information in advance indicating the location where the relay device 30 will be placed, and the control unit 11 of the communication unit 10 may identify the first location depending on which relay device 30 in the nursing care facility the communication unit 13 is connected to. Alternatively, the server system 20 may store information in advance associating an ID that identifies the communication unit 10 with the first location where the communication unit 10 will be placed. This information is entered, for example, by the system administrator of the nursing care facility. The communication unit 10 may request location information from the server system 20 via the relay device 30. The server system 20 identifies the first location based on the ID of the requesting communication unit 10 and returns information representing the first location to the communication unit 10.

[0150] <Other examples of connecting a communication unit to a bed> Using Figures 12 and 13, other examples of the process of connecting the communication unit 10 and the bed 610, and the process of storing mapping information in the bed 610, will be explained. In the process in Figure 12, first, in step S301, the communication unit 10 is connected to the commercial power socket SO. In step S302, the communication unit 10 acquires information representing the first position. The processes in steps S301-S302 are the same as the processes in steps S101-S102 in Figure 10.

[0151] In step S303, the communication unit 10 obtains the care recipient ID information from the staff terminal. For example, the staff member uses a staff terminal with the smart plug configuration application installed to input information that identifies the care recipient residing in the room where the smart plug is placed. Although Figure 12 shows an example of inputting the care recipient ID, other information such as the care recipient's name may be entered on the staff terminal, and the verification against the care recipient ID may be performed by the server system 20.

[0152] In step S304, the communication unit 10 searches for connectable peripheral devices. In step S305, the communication unit 10 identifies the bed 610 from the peripheral devices. In step S306, a communication connection is established between the communication unit 10 and the bed 610. The process in steps S304-S306 is the same as steps S104-S106 in Figure 10.

[0153] In step S307, the communication unit 10 sends a request to the server system 20 to acquire mapping information. This acquisition request may include the person being cared for ID acquired in step S303.

[0154] In step S308, the server system 20 extracts a portion of the correspondence information (master table) that corresponds to the person being cared for, and in step S309, it transmits the extraction result to the communication unit 10 as correspondence information in the narrow sense.

[0155] In step S310, the communication unit 10 transmits the mapping information received from the server system 20 to the bed 610. In step S311, the bed 610 receives the mapping information from the communication unit 10 and stores the mapping information in the storage unit 120.

[0156] In the process shown in Figure 13, first, in step S401, the communication unit 10 is connected to the commercial power socket SO. In step S402, the communication unit 10 acquires information representing the first position. The processes in steps S401-S402 are the same as the processes in steps S101-S102 in Figure 10.

[0157] In step S403, the communication unit 10 searches for connectable peripheral devices. In step S404, the communication unit 10 creates a list of devices whose communication signal strength is above a predetermined threshold and transmits this list to the staff terminal.

[0158] In step S405, the staff terminal performs user operations to select a device corresponding to bed 610 from a list and to enter the care recipient ID. This allows the staff terminal to obtain information representing the correspondence between bed 610 and the care recipient (more specifically, the correspondence between bed ID and care recipient ID).

[0159] In step S406, the staff terminal transmits the bed ID and the person being cared for ID to the communication unit 10. Since the communication unit 10 can identify the bed 610 to connect to based on the bed ID, a communication connection between the communication unit 10 and the bed 610 is established in step S407.

[0160] Since the processing in steps S408-S412 is the same as in steps S307-S311 in Figure 12, a detailed explanation will be omitted.

[0161] Even when the processing shown in Figure 12 or Figure 13 is performed, the server system 20 can appropriately identify the person being cared for corresponding to the bed 610, and as a result, the bed 610 can obtain correspondence information appropriate to that person being cared for.

[0162] When comparing Figure 10 with Figures 12 and 13, the difference is that in Figure 10, it is not essential for the communication unit 10 to acquire the care recipient ID, whereas in Figures 12 and 13, the communication unit 10 does acquire the care recipient ID. However, in the process of Figure 10, the communication unit 10 may acquire the care recipient ID corresponding to the bed 610 from the server system 20 or the like. Also, in all of Figures 10, 12, and 13, the communication unit 10 only transfers the mapping information acquired from the server system 20 to the bed 610, and it is not essential for it to retain this mapping information. However, the method of this embodiment is not limited to this, and it is not prevented for the storage unit 12 of the communication unit 10 to store the mapping information. Thus, various modifications can be made to the data held by the communication unit 10.

[0163] <Examples of communication units other than smart plugs> The above describes an example in which the communication unit 10 is a smart plug. However, the method of this embodiment is not limited to this. Figure 14 is a diagram showing an example of equipment to be placed in the first location (living room) of the information processing system 1. As shown in Figure 14, in addition to the bed 610, a smart speaker 640 that performs voice recognition of the user (caregiver) and controls each device based on the voice recognition result may be placed in the living room as the communication unit 10. Also, curtains 690, a beverage server 660 that provides thickened beverages, an aroma diffuser 670, lighting 680, etc. may be placed in the first location.

[0164] Each device, such as the bed 610, placed in the living room may be connected to, for example, a smart speaker 640 and controlled by voice recognition processing using the smart speaker. For example, the bed 610, curtains 690 (with a drive mechanism for opening and closing the curtains 690), beverage server 660, aroma diffuser 670, and lighting 680 are each connected to the smart speaker 640 directly or via a network, and can operate based on control signals from external devices, similar to examples of so-called smart homes. The smart speaker 640 is also equipped with a microphone for receiving voice, and a smart home application is installed that performs voice recognition and sends control signals to devices based on the voice recognition results.

[0165] For example, the caregiver speaks to the smart speaker 640, including the command "Open the curtains." Although omitted here, recognition processing of a specific hotword may be performed before the command. The smart speaker 640 recognizes that the voice is an action instruction for the curtains 690 by performing voice recognition processing according to the smart home application. Similarly, the caregiver adjusts the height of the bed 610, etc., by speaking, for example, "Raise the bed to the height for changing clothes." The caregiver also instructs the beverage server 660 to prepare a beverage of a predetermined viscosity by speaking, for example, "Prepare thickened beverage 3." In this way, by executing instructions to devices via voice recognition, the burden on the caregiver can be reduced. For example, the caregiver can concentrate on tasks such as changing the clothes of the person being cared for or giving them a drink.

[0166] Furthermore, the caregiver may control the aroma diffuser 670 and the lighting 680 using voice commands. For example, the smart speaker 640 may control the on / off of the aroma diffuser 670 or the lighting 680 when a corresponding keyword is recognized. If these devices have multiple operating modes (for example, if fine adjustment of airflow or brightness is possible), the smart speaker 640 may control the specific operating mode based on the user's voice. In Figure 14, both a small light placed on a shelf and a ceiling light are shown as examples of lighting 680, but one of them may be omitted. Other types of lighting may also be used as lighting 680.

[0167] In the example shown in Figure 14, the smart speaker 640 can connect to the server system 20 via a network and can also connect to the bed 610. Therefore, in this embodiment, the various processes described above may be performed by using the smart speaker 640 as the communication unit 10.

[0168] Furthermore, the smart plug and the smart speaker 640 are not limited to being used individually; both may work together. For example, the smart plug may be connected to a medical device (second device 200) as described above using Figure 1, and the smart speaker 640 may be connected to a non-medical device (lighting, air conditioning, etc.).

[0169] Furthermore, when the smart speaker 640 controls the lighting 680, etc., it is necessary to identify which room's lighting to control, that is, to identify the location to be controlled. In this case, if both a smart plug and a smart speaker 640 are provided, it is assumed that the smart plug has acquired information representing the first location as described above. Therefore, the smart speaker 640 may request information representing the first location from the smart plug via the bed 610. When the smart speaker 640 recognizes a voice requesting control of the lighting 680, etc., it controls the lighting 680, etc. located at the first location acquired from the smart plug. By cooperating with the smart plug according to this embodiment, the smart speaker 640 becomes capable of performing appropriate location-based control.

[0170] <Bed control according to the type of second device> As described above, the second device 200 in this embodiment may be a device that operates according to an implicit knowledge application (such as a smartphone CP, a seat sensor 440, or a swallowing choking detection device 460), or it may be a medical device 800. In other words, the second device 200 in this embodiment may be a device that receives information about an implicit knowledge application or a linked device from the bed 610, or it may be a device that transmits sensing results to the bed 610. Therefore, the bed 610 in this embodiment needs to switch the processing it performs with the second device 200 depending on the type of device the second device 200 is.

[0171] Therefore, the storage unit 120 of the bed 610 may store data (for example, a program or application software) that identifies the device type of the second device 200 and the processing that targets the second device 200 of that device type. In this way, it becomes possible to have the bed 610 execute appropriate processing according to the device type.

[0172] Furthermore, the data stored in bed 610 may be updateable using external devices such as smartphones (e.g., staff terminals). For example, by using a bed application installed on a smartphone, the smartphone may rewrite at least one of the data that identifies the device type and processing stored in bed 610. Alternatively, the smartphone may write new data that associates the data identifying the device type and processing to the storage unit 120. In this way, it becomes possible to flexibly change the operation of bed 610 and the operation of peripheral devices used around bed 610 without changing the hardware of bed 610 itself (e.g., the control box including the control unit 110 and the communication unit 130). For example, it becomes possible to flexibly change the operation even if a vendor develops new peripheral devices or if a vendor develops additional functions for already registered peripheral devices.

[0173] 4.2 Dining room <Handover> As explained above, the bed 610 used in the living room acquires its location and information about the person being cared for based on communication with the communication unit 10, making it possible to appropriately perform assistance around the bed using the bed 610 as a hub.

[0174] However, in nursing care facilities, assistance may be provided in areas other than the resident's room. For example, meals and medication are taken in the dining room, so various types of assistance, such as meal assistance and medication assistance, are provided there. However, it is not practical to carry the bed 610 from the resident's room to the dining room, so equipment other than the bed 610 needs to be set up as a hub in the dining room. For example, since it is unlikely that multiple people receiving assistance will use a wheelchair at the same time, it is possible to assign a one-to-one correspondence between wheelchairs and people receiving assistance in the short term.

[0175] However, it is expected that multiple people requiring assistance will gather in the dining hall. Therefore, even if a second communication unit 10b (smart plug) placed in the dining hall tries to search for a wheelchair to act as a hub, there are often multiple wheelchairs in the vicinity of the second communication unit 10b. For this reason, even considering factors such as communication signal strength and device type, it is not easy for the second communication unit 10b to determine which wheelchair should be designated as the hub at the second location.

[0176] Furthermore, in situations such as using devices at a cafeteria table, it is likely that most devices will not be powered via a wired connection. Therefore, it may not be easy to identify a hub device based on the power connection between the second communication unit 10b and the device. Also, if a wired power connection is required, the number of power cables will increase, and the risk of tripping over these cables will also increase.

[0177] Therefore, in this embodiment, when moving from a first location (e.g., a living room) to a second location (e.g., a dining room), the function as a hub may be transferred from the bed 610 to another device such as a wheelchair 630. In this way, the second communication unit 10b located in the second location (dining room) does not need to search for the wheelchair 630 to set the wheelchair 630 as the hub at the second location (to hold correspondence information corresponding to the person being cared for). Specifically, the transfer of the hub function may be performed by transferring correspondence information. The specific processing will be described below.

[0178] Figure 15 illustrates the situation in which a handover occurs in the first location, which is the living room. Of the equipment shown in Figure 15, the communication unit 10, the bed 610, and the smartphone CP, which is an example of the second device 200, are the same as in Figure 1. Although not shown in Figure 15, other devices not shown in Figure 15 may be placed in the first location (Room A).

[0179] The information processing system 1 shown in Figure 15 further includes, in addition to these configurations, a fourth device 400 that moves with the person being assisted to the second position when the person being assisted moves from the first position to the second position. The first device 100 transmits correspondence information to the fourth device 400 when it detects the movement of the person being assisted. Here, the detection of the person being assisted's movement does not necessarily have to be the detection of the movement from the first position to the second position itself, but may also be the detection of signs of movement to a position away from the first position. This makes it possible to transfer correspondence information at the appropriate time.

[0180] As shown in Figure 15, the first device 100 may be a bed 610 positioned in a first location, and the fourth device 400 may be a wheelchair 630 used to assist the person being assisted with mobility. By using a bed 610 or a wheelchair 630, it becomes possible to use devices that are easily associated with the person being assisted as the first device 100 and the fourth device 400. However, the fourth device 400 is not limited to a wheelchair 630, and other devices such as the seat sensor 440 described above using Figure 7, or a walker with a communication unit, may be used as the fourth device 400.

[0181] Figure 16 is a sequence diagram illustrating the process of transferring mapping information. In step S501, the bed 610 detects the transfer of the person being cared for from the bed 610 to the wheelchair 630. For example, the bed 610 may be a pressure-detecting device and may determine that a transfer has occurred when it detects that the person being cared for has left the bed. Alternatively, the bed 610 may determine that a transfer has occurred when the person being cared for moves from a supine position to a seated position (particularly a seated position on one end of the bed). The bed 610 may also be equipped with a pressure-detecting device, and this device may perform the transfer detection.

[0182] If a transfer is detected, in step S502 the bed 610 searches for the wheelchair 630 to which the passenger will be transferred. For example, the bed 610 determines that the wheelchair 630 to which the passenger will be transferred is a device whose communication signal strength is above a threshold and whose device type is "wheelchair".

[0183] In step S503, the bed 610 establishes a communication connection with the wheelchair 630. For example, the bed 610 and the wheelchair 630 perform pairing using Bluetooth communication.

[0184] Although the above example describes transfer detection using the bed 610, it is not limited to this, and the wheelchair 630 may also detect the transfer. Specifically, the process shown in steps S501-S503 of Figure 16 may be changed to the following steps S501'-S503'.

[0185] For example, the wheelchair 630 may be equipped with a seat sensor 440, and in step S501', the wheelchair 630 may determine that a transfer has occurred if the seat sensor 440 detects that the person being assisted is seated.

[0186] If a transfer is detected, in step S502', the wheelchair 630 searches for the bed 610 from which the correspondence information will be transferred. For example, the wheelchair 630 determines that the device that has a communication signal strength above a threshold and stores the correspondence information is the bed 610. In step S503', the bed 610 establishes a communication connection with the wheelchair 630.

[0187] Furthermore, transfer detection may be performed using both the bed 610 and the wheelchair 630, and various modifications can be made to the specific processing.

[0188] In step S504, the bed 610 transmits mapping information to the wheelchair 630. In step S505, the wheelchair 630 stores the acquired mapping information. This transfers the mapping information from the bed 610 to the wheelchair 630. Since the mapping information here is information that identifies the person being cared for (for example, table data related to a specific person being cared for ID), the transfer of the mapping information establishes an association between the wheelchair 630 and the person being cared for.

[0189] As mentioned above, the mapping information processing unit 26 of the server system 20 may update the mapping information based on the care recipient's ability information (ADL), etc. Therefore, depending on the timing of when the bed 610 acquires the mapping information and the timing of the update process in the mapping information processing unit 26, the mapping information of the bed 610 may not be up-to-date. In this case, the control unit 110 of the bed 610 may query the server system 20 to determine whether the mapping information is up-to-date before the mapping information handover process. This query is performed, for example, via the communication unit 10. For example, the bed 610 sends information on the date and time the mapping information was updated to the server system 20, and the server system 20 determines whether the mapping information of the bed 610 is up-to-date by comparing the date and time the mapping information was updated stored in the storage unit 22 with the date and time the update was obtained from the bed 610. If the mapping information of the bed 610 is not up-to-date, the server system 20 sends the latest mapping information to the bed 610 via the communication unit 10. Bed 610 performs the process of transferring the updated mapping information to wheelchair 630.

[0190] Subsequently, in step S506, the wheelchair 630 is moved to the second position. For example, the caregiver moves the wheelchair 630 to the second position (dining room) with the person being cared for in the wheelchair 630.

[0191] In step S507, the wheelchair 630 searches for a communication unit 10 located at a second position. Here, we will assume that a second communication unit 10b, which is a smart plug, is connected to a commercial power socket SO located on the wall of the dining room. In other words, the second communication unit 10b is a device located at a second position and has a communication section. For example, the wheelchair 630 searches for a device whose communication signal strength is above a threshold and whose device type is a smart plug, and if a device that meets the conditions is found, it attempts to connect to that device. In step S508, the wheelchair 630 establishes a communication connection with the second communication unit 10b.

[0192] Alternatively, instead of the process in step S507, the second communication unit 10b may search for the wheelchair 630. For example, the second communication unit 10b may periodically search for peripheral devices. The second communication unit 10b determines that a device whose communication signal strength is above a threshold and which has association information stored is the wheelchair 630. In step S508, the second communication unit 10b establishes a communication connection with the wheelchair 630.

[0193] <Example 1 of an information processing system> Figure 17 shows an example configuration of the information processing system 1 at the second location. The information processing system 1 includes a server system 20, a relay device 30, a second communication unit 10b, and a wheelchair 630. The information processing system 1 may also include a fifth device 500 used for assisting the person being assisted, which is performed at the second location.

[0194] The server system 20 is the same as in the example described above using Figure 1. The relay device 30 is, as in the example described above using Figure 1, for example, an L3 switch (router). The relay device 30 at the first location and the relay device 30 at the second location may be the same device or different devices. For example, if one relay device 30 has sufficient radio wave strength to cover both the living room and the dining room, both the communication unit 10 in the living room and the second communication unit 10b in the dining room may be connected to that one relay device 30. Alternatively, different relay devices 30 may be provided in the living room and the dining room, respectively.

[0195] The wheelchair 630 may be connected to the second communication unit 10b, for example, using step S508 in Figure 16, as described above. In this case, the wheelchair 630 is connected to the server system 20 via the second communication unit 10b. Therefore, the wheelchair 630 has the same function as the bed 610, not only in that it holds mapping information but also in that it can communicate with the server system 20. Note that the wheelchair 630 does not have to be connected to the second communication unit 10b, and an example of this case will be described later using Figures 19 and 20.

[0196] As shown in Figure 17, when the wheelchair 630 and the second communication unit 10b are connected, the fifth device 500, which is equipment used for assistance in the second position, is connected to the wheelchair 630. For example, the fifth device 500 may be a smartphone CP on which a positioning application runs, or a swallowing choking detection device 460. When these devices send and receive data to and from the server system 20, such transmission and reception are performed via the wheelchair 630.

[0197] Furthermore, the information processing system 1 may include a sixth device that operates in conjunction with the fifth device 500 during assistance at the second position. Similar to the relationship with the second device 200 and the third device 300 described above, the smartphone CP and the swallowing choking detection device 460 may operate as the fifth device 500 or as the sixth device. Also, a device operating as the second device 200 or the third device 300 may also operate as the fifth device 500 or the sixth device.

[0198] Figure 18 is a sequence diagram illustrating the collaborative process performed with wheelchair 630 (fourth device 400) as the hub. Below, we will describe an example in which a smartphone CP running a positioning application and other similar devices work in conjunction with the collaborative devices during assistance around wheelchair 630. The collaborative devices may be a swallowing / choking detection device 460 or other devices.

[0199] When this process begins, in step S601, the fifth device 500, a smartphone CP, acquires trigger information for the start of assistance. In step S602, the communication unit of the fifth device 500 determines whether the communication signal strength is above a threshold and whether there is a device that holds the correspondence information. Here, it is assumed that the wheelchair 630, which has inherited the correspondence information, is found as a device that satisfies the conditions. In this case, in step S603, a communication connection is established between the wheelchair 630 and the fifth device 500.

[0200] In other words, the fifth device 500 determines the type of each of the one or more devices that can communicate, and establishes a connection with the wheelchair 630 if the wheelchair 630 is included among the one or more devices. Here, whether the type of device corresponds to the wheelchair 630 may be determined based on whether or not it stores the correspondence information as described above. Alternatively, the fifth device 500 may obtain the type name or type ID of the device and determine that the device with the type name or type ID corresponding to the wheelchair 630 is the wheelchair 630. In this way, even for assistance at the second position, processing using the wheelchair 630, which stores the correspondence information, as a hub becomes possible.

[0201] The fifth device 500 performs processing corresponding to the person being cared for based on the mapping information of the wheelchair 630. For example, the wheelchair 630, the fifth device 500, the sixth device, and the second communication unit 10b may perform the processing shown in steps S604-S616 shown in Figure 18. When compared with the processing described above using Figure 11, the processing shown in steps S604-S616 is the same as the processing in steps S204-S216, except that the communication unit 10 at the first position is changed to the second communication unit 10b at the second position, the bed 610 is changed to the wheelchair 630, the second device 200 is changed to the fifth device 500, and the third device 300 is changed to the sixth device. In other words, by transferring the mapping information from the bed 610 to the wheelchair 630 in advance, it becomes possible to perform the same processing at the second position as at the first position.

[0202] Furthermore, the storage of log data shown in steps S617-S619 is the same as in steps S217-S219 in Figure 11, except that the device associated with the processing result is changed to the wheelchair 630.

[0203] <Example 2 of an information processing system> The above describes an example in which the wheelchair 630 is connected to the server system 20 via the second communication unit 10b, but the method of this embodiment is not limited to this. For example, a bed 610, which is an example of the first device 100, is likely to communicate with the server system 20 relatively frequently, as it may be used to transmit monitoring results of the person being cared for while they are sleeping to the server system 20. On the other hand, a wheelchair 630, which is an example of the fourth device 400, is often not used by the person being cared for, and therefore communicates with the server system 20 relatively infrequently. Consequently, the wheelchair 630 does not need to be connected to the second communication unit 10b.

[0204] Figure 19 shows an example of the configuration of the information processing system 1 in this case. Similar to Figure 17, the information processing system 1 includes a server system 20, a relay device 30, a second communication unit 10b, a wheelchair 630, and a fifth device 500 (smartphone CP or swallowing / choking detection device 460). Also, similar to Figure 17, the smartphone CP or swallowing / choking detection device 460 may function as a sixth device.

[0205] In comparison with Figure 17, as mentioned above, the second communication unit 10b and the wheelchair 630 are not always connected in the example of Figure 19. For example, the wheelchair 630 sends and receives data with the server system 20 by connecting to the second communication unit 10b during times when the network communication load is low, such as late at night. Therefore, during the daytime when assistance is performed at the second location, the second communication unit 10b and the wheelchair 630 do not need to be connected, as shown in Figure 19.

[0206] Even in this case, the fifth device 500 is connected to the wheelchair 630, just as in the example described above. In this way, the wheelchair 630 can appropriately perform assistance for a specific person being assisted based on the correspondence information it has received.

[0207] On the other hand, if the fifth device 500 is connected only to the wheelchair 630, it will not be able to communicate with the server system 20. Therefore, it may not be possible to update the tacit knowledge application, etc. As shown in Figure 19, the fifth device 500 may also be connected to the second communication unit 10b. In this case, communication between the fifth device 500 and the server system 20 becomes possible.

[0208] Figure 20 is a sequence diagram illustrating the collaborative process executed with wheelchair 630 as the hub. The process of acquiring trigger information in step S701 is the same as in step S601 in Figure 18.

[0209] Next, the communication unit of the fifth device 500 determines whether the communication signal strength is above a threshold and whether there is a device that holds the correspondence information. In addition, the fifth device 500 may obtain information on whether each device is connected to the network (connected to the server system 20).

[0210] For example, if the Bluetooth signal strength is above a threshold, and there is a wheelchair 630 that stores the mapping information, and the wheelchair 630 is connected to the LAN, the fifth device 500 performs the above-described process using Figure 18 to realize the configuration shown in Figure 17. On the other hand, if the Bluetooth signal strength is above a threshold, and there is a wheelchair 630 that stores the mapping information, but the wheelchair 630 is not connected to the LAN, the fifth device 500 performs the process to realize the configuration shown in Figure 19. In other words, if the wheelchair 630 is not connected to the server system 20, the fifth device 500 establishes a connection with the second communication unit 10b. In this way, the fifth device 500 can communicate with the server system 20 via the second communication unit 10b.

[0211] Specifically, the fifth device 500 performs the following processes: identifying a peripheral device whose Bluetooth communication signal strength is above a threshold and which stores mapping information (step S702); and identifying a peripheral device connected to the network (step S703). The fifth device 500 determines that the device identified in step S702 is the wheelchair 630, and determines that the device identified in step S703 is the second communication unit 10b. Alternatively, the fifth device 500 may present the user with a first list, which is a list of peripheral devices whose Bluetooth communication signal strength is above a threshold and which stores mapping information, and a second list, which is a list of peripheral devices connected to the network. For each list, the fifth device 500 accepts user input to select one of the devices, determines that the device selected from the first list is the wheelchair 630, and determines that the device selected from the second list is the second communication unit 10b.

[0212] In step S704, the fifth device 500 establishes a communication connection with the wheelchair 630. In step S705, the fifth device 500 establishes a communication connection with the second communication unit 10b. This enables the fifth device 500 to perform assistance processing using the correspondence information of the wheelchair 630, and to communicate with the server system 20 as needed.

[0213] The processing in steps S706-S707 is the same as in steps S604-S605 in Figure 17.

[0214] If the tacit knowledge application required by the 5th device 500 is not installed, the 5th device 500 performs a process to acquire the tacit knowledge application. In steps S606-S610 of Figure 17, this process was performed via the wheelchair 630. However, in the example of Figure 19, the 5th device 500 and the 2nd communication unit 10b are directly connected. Therefore, in step S708, the 5th device 500 sends a request to the 2nd communication unit 10b to acquire the tacit knowledge application. In step S709, the 2nd communication unit 10b acquires the tacit knowledge application required by the 5th device 500 by communicating with the server system 20. In step S710, the 2nd communication unit 10b sends the acquired tacit knowledge application to the 5th device 500.

[0215] The processing in steps S711-S716 is the same as in steps S611-S616 in Figure 17.

[0216] Furthermore, the fifth device 500 may switch the destination depending on the type of data acquired through the collaborative processing. For example, if the fifth device 500 detects a highly urgent anomaly while performing processing related to assistance, it may output alert information. By outputting the alert information from the fifth device 500, it becomes possible to prompt the caregiver performing assistance at the second location to take the necessary action. In cases of particularly high urgency, it may also be necessary to notify the care facility manager or caregivers at other locations. In this case, as described above using Figure 1, the alert information may be sent to the terminal device 700 via the server system 20.

[0217] However, in the example shown in Figure 19, even if alert information is sent to the wheelchair 630, the wheelchair 630 is not connected to the server system 20. Therefore, in step S717, the fifth device 500 sends alert information to the second communication unit 10b when an abnormality is detected during processing. The second communication unit 10b then sends the alert information to the server system 20. In this way, it becomes possible to appropriately send and share information of high importance.

[0218] On the other hand, log data and the like when no abnormalities have occurred are of low urgency, and problems are unlikely to arise even if they are uploaded to the server system 20 in a batch, for example, during the late-night hours. Therefore, in step S719, the fifth device 500 sends log data representing the results of processing related to the person being assisted to the wheelchair 630. The same applies to the sixth device (step S718).

[0219] The wheelchair 630 stores log data in its memory unit and, when connected to the network during the late-night hours, transmits the log data to the server system 20 via the relay device 30. However, if the wheelchair 630 remains disconnected from the network, the log data may not be uploaded to the server system 20. Therefore, the fifth device 500 and the sixth device may store the usage history of the tacit knowledge application. For example, the fifth device 500 stores timestamps such as when the tacit knowledge application was turned on or off. The fifth device 500 may then inquire with the server system 20 whether the log data has been uploaded by sending the usage history to the server system 20. If the log data has not been uploaded even after a predetermined period has elapsed since the end of use of the tacit knowledge application, the server system 20 or the fifth device 500 may output information prompting the wheelchair 630 to connect to the network. For example, the fifth device 500, a smartphone CP, or a terminal device 700 used by an administrator, etc., may display information identifying the wheelchair 630 (such as a device ID) and text prompting the wheelchair 630 to connect to the network.

[0220] 4.3 Bathroom The second location is not limited to the dining room, but may also be the bathroom. Figure 21 shows an example of the configuration of the information processing system 1 in a bathroom. The information processing system 1 includes a server system 20, a relay device 30, a third communication unit 10c, and a lift 650 used for bathing assistance. The server system 20 and the relay device 30 are the same as in Figure 1. The third communication unit 10c is a smart plug placed on the wall of the bathroom (which may be the interior or the changing room) and is connected to the server system 20 via the relay device 30. The lift 650 has, for example, a communication unit and is connected to the third communication unit 10c.

[0221] The lift 650 is a device shared by multiple people who may use the bathroom. Therefore, it is not easy to store information about a specific person in the third communication unit 10c and associate that person's information with the lift 650.

[0222] Therefore, in this embodiment, as described above using Figures 15-16, we consider a case in which the association information of the bed 610 is transferred to the wheelchair 630, and the person being cared for moves to the bathroom using the wheelchair 630. In this case, since the wheelchair 630 is associated with the information of the person being cared for who has moved to the bathroom, this information can also be used for bathing assistance.

[0223] For example, the lift 650 determines whether a wheelchair 630 is included among the peripheral devices. For example, the lift 650 determines that a device whose communication signal strength is above a threshold and which possesses correspondence information is a wheelchair 630. If a wheelchair 630 is found, the lift 650 obtains the correspondence information from the wheelchair 630 and uses this correspondence information to perform assistance appropriate to the person being assisted. In this case, since the lift 650 is connected to the network via the third communication unit 10c, it becomes possible to complete bathing assistance using only the equipment in the bathroom without using other communication devices.

[0224] If the lift 650 does not have the function to connect to the third communication unit 10c, the wheelchair 630 may be connected to the third communication unit 10c, as in the example described above, using Figure 17, and processing may be performed with the wheelchair 630 as the hub.

[0225] Although this embodiment has been described in detail above, it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that many modifications are possible without substantially departing from the novel aspects and effects of this embodiment. Therefore, all such modifications are included within the scope of this disclosure. For example, any term that appears at least once in the specification or drawings together with a broader or synonymous term may be replaced with that different term anywhere in the specification or drawings. Furthermore, all combinations of this embodiment and its modifications are also included within the scope of this disclosure. In addition, the configuration and operation of the information processing system, communication unit, first to sixth devices, etc., are not limited to those described in this embodiment, and various modifications are possible. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0226] 1...Information processing system, 10...Communication unit, 10b...Second communication unit, 10c...Third communication unit, 11...Control unit, 12...Storage unit, 13...Communication unit, 14...First connection unit, 15...Second connection unit, 20...Server system, 21...Control unit, 22...Storage unit, 23...Communication unit, 24...Capacity information acquisition unit, 25...Scene information acquisition unit, 26...Mapping information processing unit, 30...Relay device, 100...First device, 110...Control unit, 120...Storage unit, 130...Communication unit, 140...Movable unit, 150...Operation unit, 200...Second device, 210...Control unit, 220...Storage unit, 230...Communication unit, 240...Display unit, 250...Operation unit, 300...Third device Vice, 400…Fourth device, 440…Seat sensor, 441…Cushion, 442…Control box, 460…Swallowing / choking detection device, 461…Throat microphone, 462…Terminal device, 500…Fifth device, 610…Bed, 630…Wheelchair, 640…Smart speaker, 650…Lift, 660…Beverage server, 670…Aroma diffuser, 680…Lighting, 690…Curtain, 700…Terminal device, 800…Medical device, 810…Thermometer, 820…SpO2 sensor (pulse oximeter), 830…Blood pressure monitor, 840…Infusion sensor, CP…Smartphone, Se1-Se4…Pressure sensor, SO…Socket

Claims

1. A communication unit having a communication section is placed in the first location within the living space of the person being cared for, A first device positioned at the first location, A second device used for assisting the person being assisted, which is performed around the first device, Includes, The first device is Based on communication with the communication unit, location information representing the location where the first device is placed and correspondence information relating to the person being assisted who uses the first device are obtained. The second device is When connected to the first device, the system performs processing corresponding to the person being cared for, as identified by the person being cared for, based on the correspondence information. The aforementioned correspondence information includes information about tacit knowledge data, which is a digital representation of the tacit knowledge of skilled caregivers. The second device is An information processing system that determines the tacit knowledge data to be used in the second device based on the correspondence information, and, if the tacit knowledge data has not been acquired, acquires the tacit knowledge data via the first device.

2. In claim 1, The aforementioned correspondence information includes device information representing the device used in the assistance, The second device is An information processing system that, based on the correspondence information, determines a third device to be used for the assistance of the person being assisted in cooperation with the second device, and communicates with the third device via the first device when the third device is connected to the first device.

3. In claim 1, The aforementioned correspondence information includes assistance type information representing the type of assistance performed on the person receiving assistance, The second device is An information processing system that, based on the aforementioned correspondence information, performs processing to provide the type of assistance represented by the assistance type information to the person being assisted, who is identified by the person being assisted information.

4. In any one of claims 1 to 3, The system further includes a fourth device that moves with the person being assisted to the second position when the person being assisted moves from the first position to the second position. The first device is An information processing system that transmits the correspondence information to the fourth device when the movement of the person being assisted is detected.

5. In claim 4, The first device is a bed positioned in the first location, The fourth device is an information processing system which is a wheelchair used to assist the person being assisted with mobility.

6. In claim 4, The system further includes a fifth device used for assisting the person being assisted, performed at the second position, The fifth device is Determine the type of one or more devices that can communicate, When the 1 or more devices include the 4th device, a connection is established with the 4th device. An information processing system that performs processing corresponding to the person being assisted based on the correspondence information of the fourth device.

7. In claim 6, It further includes a second communication unit located at the second position and having a communication unit, The fifth device is If the fourth device is not connected to the server system, establish a connection with the second communication unit. An information processing system that transmits log data representing the results of processing related to the person being assisted to the fourth device, and transmits alert information to the second communication unit if an abnormality is detected in the processing.

8. In any one of claims 1 to 3, The second device is An information processing system that, when the processing related to the assistance of the person being assisted is performed, transmits a care record indicating that the assistance of the person being assisted was performed in the vicinity of the first device to the server system via the first device.

9. In any one of claims 1 to 3, The aforementioned communication unit has a first connection section, a second connection section, and a communication section, and is a unit that supplies power from a commercial power source via the first connection section and supplies power via the second connection section. The aforementioned communication unit is An information processing system that, when another device is connected to the second connection port, searches for a device of the type corresponding to the first device from among devices whose communication signal strength with the communication port is above a predetermined threshold.

10. A control method for an information processing system, comprising: a communication unit having a communication unit located at a first position in the living space of the person being cared for; a first device located at the first position; and a second device used for caring for the person being cared for, performed around the first device, Based on the communication between the communication unit and the first device, the first device stores location information representing the location where the first device is placed, and associated information relating to the person being assisted who uses the first device. When the first device and the second device are connected, the second device is instructed to perform a process corresponding to the person being cared for, as identified by the person being cared for, based on the correspondence information. The aforementioned correspondence information includes information about tacit knowledge data, which is a digital representation of the tacit knowledge of skilled caregivers. Based on the aforementioned correspondence information, the implicit knowledge data to be used by the second device is determined, and if the implicit knowledge data has not been acquired, the second device is instructed to perform a process to acquire the implicit knowledge data via the first device. Control method.

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