Emissions data management system and emission data management method

Abstract

To provide an excrement data management system capable of more properly managing excrement data.SOLUTION: An excrement data management system 10 includes: a first acquisition unit 41 that acquires a toilet bowl ID for identifying an electric toilet seat integrated toilet 20; a second acquisition unit 42 that acquires a user ID for identifying one of the users; a third acquisition unit 43 that acquires excrement data concerning excrement of the user; a fourth acquisition unit 44 that acquires a piece of supplementary data that supplements the user ID; and a storage control unit 45. The storage control unit 45 is configured so as to, when the second acquisition unit 42 do not acquire the user ID, store a second dataset that associates excrement data with the toilet bowl ID in a storage unit 46, and when acquiring a piece of supplementary data corresponding to the stored second data set, to update while associating the acquired supplementary data with the associated excrement data and toilet bowl ID in the stored second dataset.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an emission data management system for managing emission data related to emissions, and an emission data management method.

Background Art

[0002] In order to manage the health status of users, etc., devices for estimating the properties of emissions through an image sensor or the like installed in a toilet device are known. Patent Document 1 discloses a technology related to a toilet device configured to acquire a still image of falling feces using an image sensor (camera) in order to estimate the properties of feces.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] An object of the present invention is to provide an emission data management system that can manage emission data more appropriately.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] A discharge data management system according to one aspect of the present invention includes: a first acquisition unit that acquires a toilet ID for identifying one toilet unit from a plurality of toilet units, each used for processing waste; a second acquisition unit that acquires a user ID for identifying one of the users of the one toilet unit from other users; a third acquisition unit that acquires discharge data relating to the user's waste obtained by the toilet unit; a fourth acquisition unit that acquires supplementary data to supplement the user ID; and a storage control unit. The storage control unit stores a first dataset linking the discharge data, the toilet ID, and the user ID in a storage device when the second acquisition unit acquires the user ID; stores a second dataset linking the discharge data and the toilet ID in the storage device when the second acquisition unit does not acquire the user ID; and when it acquires the supplementary data corresponding to the stored second dataset, it updates the stored second dataset by linking the acquired supplementary data to the discharge data and the toilet ID linked in the stored second dataset.

[0006] A discharge data management method according to one aspect of the present invention comprises: a first acquisition step of acquiring a toilet ID to identify one toilet device from a plurality of toilet devices, each used for processing waste; a second acquisition step of acquiring a user ID to identify one of the users of the one toilet device from other users; a third acquisition step of acquiring discharge data relating to the user's waste obtained by the toilet device; a fourth acquisition step of acquiring supplementary data to supplement the user ID; and a storage control step. In the storage control step, if the user ID is acquired, a first dataset linking the discharge data, the toilet ID, and the user ID is stored in the storage device; if the user ID is not acquired, a second dataset linking the discharge data and the toilet ID is stored in the storage device; and if the supplementary data corresponding to the stored second dataset is acquired, the stored second dataset is updated by linking the acquired supplementary data to the discharge data and the toilet ID linked in the stored second dataset. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] The emission data management system and the like of the present invention can manage emission data more appropriately. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the emission data management system according to the embodiment. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a flowchart of the discharge data transmission operation of the discharge data management system according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is the first figure showing an example of transmission data transmitted in the transmission step according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is the second figure showing an example of transmission data transmitted in the transmission step according to the embodiment. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a flowchart of the data management operation of the discharge data management system according to the embodiment. [Figure 6] Figure 6 shows an example of viewable data from the discharge data management system according to the embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] The embodiments will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. Note that the embodiments described below are all comprehensive or specific examples. The numerical values, shapes, materials, components, arrangement positions and connection configurations of components, steps, and the order of steps shown in the following embodiments are examples only and are not intended to limit the present invention. Furthermore, components in the following embodiments that are not described in an independent claim will be described as optional components.

[0010] Please note that each figure is a schematic diagram and not necessarily a strictly accurate representation. Furthermore, in each figure, substantially identical components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations may be omitted or simplified.

[0011] (Embodiment) [composition] The following describes the emission data management system according to the embodiment. Figure 1 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the emission data management system according to the embodiment.

[0012] The discharge data management system 10 according to this embodiment comprises an electric toilet seat integrated toilet 20, a router 30, a server 40, and a mobile terminal 50.

[0013] In the waste disposal data management system 10, the electric toilet seat integrated toilet 20 communicates with the server 40 by connecting to the wide-area communication network 60 via the router 30. For example, the electric toilet seat integrated toilet 20 transmits waste disposal data related to the user's waste, obtained by the electric toilet seat integrated toilet 20, to the server 40. This allows the server 40 to manage the user's waste disposal data. The user can monitor the waste disposal data through the mobile terminal 50 by accessing the server 40 using a mobile terminal 50 with a dedicated application program installed.

[0014] For example, by monitoring waste data, users can understand fluctuations in various parameters related to their own waste or the waste of family members who share the electric toilet seat integrated toilet 20, and can understand changes in health status reflected in the waste. In this way, the waste data management system 10 can function as a monitoring system, for example, and provide monitoring services to users. Furthermore, if the waste data management system 10 is introduced to nursing care facilities, the health status of users of the nursing care facility can be monitored by nursing care facility staff and doctors at affiliated medical institutions.

[0015] In order to monitor the state of waste, it is necessary to distinguish between waste data from the same user and waste data from other users and store (i.e., remember) them. Therefore, in this embodiment, waste data is linked to a user ID that identifies the user who performed the waste associated with that data from other users and is stored accordingly. However, in some cases, waste data may be generated for which the corresponding user is unknown, such as when the acquisition of the user ID fails. In this embodiment, for such waste data where the user is unknown, it is possible to manually input the user who performed the waste associated with that data by referring to the waste data later. This reduces the amount of waste data that cannot be used for monitoring changes in health status, etc., due to the lack of a user ID, and makes it possible to monitor changes in the user's health status more appropriately.

[0016] The following describes each component of the discharge data management system 10. In the following description, feces discharged by the user will be used as an example of discharge, but the contents of this disclosure can also be applied to urine and menstrual blood discharged by the user. Discharge may sometimes be referred to as excrement.

[0017] The electric toilet seat integrated toilet 20 is a multi-functional toilet that has functions such as toilet flushing and heated toilet seat. The electric toilet seat integrated toilet 20 is an example of a toilet device. Specifically, the electric toilet seat integrated toilet 20 comprises a power supply module 21, an excretion data management module 22, a communication module 23, and an operation panel 25. The power supply module 21, the excretion data management module 22, and the communication module 23 are, for example, independent circuit board modules. The power supply module 21, the excretion data management module 22, and the communication module 23 are housed, for example, in a housing 24 attached to the main body of the electric toilet seat integrated toilet 20. The operation panel 25 is installed on the wall of the cubicle where the electric toilet seat integrated toilet 20 is installed.

[0018] The power supply module 21 is a board module that converts the AC power obtained from a power plug (not shown) provided in the integrated toilet seat type toilet 20 into DC power and supplies the DC power to other components that require power for operation. The power supply module 21 is realized, for example, by mounting circuit elements on a board. The circuit elements include an AC-DC converter, a DC-DC converter, and the like. The power supply module 21 supplies power, for example, to the communication control unit included in the communication module 23. Although not shown in FIG. 1, the power supply module 21 also supplies DC power to components other than the components included in the discharge data management module 22 and the components included in the communication module 23 (for example, components for the toilet cleaning function and the warm water toilet seat function, which are the main functions of the integrated toilet seat type toilet 20).

[0019] The discharge data management module 22 is a board module for generating discharge data and transmitting (or outputting) it to an external device such as the server 40. Specifically, the discharge data management module 22 is realized by executing a predetermined program by a processor and a memory mounted on a board. The discharge data management module 22 includes an acquisition unit 22a, a detection unit 22b, and a transmission unit 22c.

[0020] The acquisition unit 22a is a processing unit that acquires sensor values obtained by sensing from a sensor 24a installed in the bowl. The acquisition unit 22a acquires sensor values from the sensor 24a via a communication module (not shown) for communicating with the sensor 24a, converts them into a format processable by the detection unit 22b, and outputs them.

[0021] Here, we will describe sensor 24a. Sensor 24a is a device for sensing physical quantities related to waste discharge data. For example, when sensing the shape of the waste, sensor 24a is implemented using an image sensor (i.e., a camera). Also, when sensing the odor of the waste, sensor 24a is implemented using an odor sensor. In the waste data management system 10, sensor 24a is implemented by including appropriate sensors such as an image sensor and an odor sensor, depending on the content measured by the detection unit 22b as the state of the waste (shape of the waste, odor, etc.). In other words, sensor 24a may include other sensors as described above. Furthermore, because the user sits on the toilet seat, the amount of ambient light reaching the bowl (for example, the lighting in the cubicle where the electric toilet seat integrated toilet 20 is installed) is limited. Therefore, in this embodiment, a lighting device for sensing using an image sensor is provided inside the bowl. Such a lighting device is turned on after the user sits down.

[0022] The detection unit 22b is a processing unit that measures the shape and odor of the waste material based on sensor values ​​of the waste material discharged by the user. The detection unit 22b measures the state of the waste material based on images obtained from the image sensor and odor intensity values ​​obtained from the odor sensor.

[0023] When the sensor value is an image, the detection unit 22b measures the state of the excrement by image analysis. For example, the shape of the excrement is estimated based on the cross-sectional area and falling speed of the excrement as seen in the image. The measurement result of the excrement shape detected by the detection unit 22b is output as a numerical value indicating, for example, which stage of a 7-stage scale the shape corresponds to. This 7-stage scale for evaluating the shape of the excrement is known as the Bristol Stool Scale, and it is a scale that evaluates changes in stool shape corresponding to the length of time it takes to pass through the digestive tract, divided into 7 thresholds. In the Bristol Stool Scale, a smaller number indicates that the stool is hard and has taken a long time to pass through the digestive tract, while a larger number indicates that the stool contains a large amount of water and has passed through the digestive tract in a short time. The closer the Bristol Stool Scale value is to the middle value (i.e., 4), the healthier the stool shape is considered to be.

[0024] On the other hand, when the detection unit 22b measures the state of the excrement, if the sensor value is an odor intensity value, this sensor value is standardized by applying it to a calibration curve or the like. For example, when evaluating based on the amount of odor substances without particularly distinguishing between them, a large amount of odor substances indicates that the excrement has passed through the digestive tract over a long period of time, leading to increased proliferation of intestinal bacteria and thus an increase in odor substances, or that it has passed through the digestive tract over a short period of time, resulting in a large amount of undigested food and an increase in odor substances. Therefore, the less odor substances there are, the healthier the stool odor and flatulence are considered to be. Also, when identifying specific odor substances and evaluating based on their amount, the amount of odor substances generated by the proliferation of intestinal bacteria and the amount of odor substances generated by a large amount of undigested food can be evaluated individually. The less of any of these odor substances there are, the healthier the stool odor and flatulence are considered to be.

[0025] In addition, any other evaluation methods for assessing stool shape, odor, and flatulence may be applied.

[0026] The transmitting unit 22c is a processing unit that transmits emission data related to waste to an external device. The transmitting unit 22c generates transmission data for transmitting emission data and transmits the generated transmission data to the external device via the communication module 23. For this purpose, the transmitting unit 22c also has functions such as converting the generated transmission data into a format for transmission and reception.

[0027] The communication module 23 is a circuit board module that enables the electric toilet seat integrated toilet 20 to communicate with the server 40 via the router 30. Specifically, the communication module 23 is realized by mounting circuit elements on a circuit board. The communication module 23 includes a communication unit, a communication control unit, and a storage unit, although these are not shown in the diagram.

[0028] The communication section is a communication circuit that includes antenna elements and other components for the electric toilet seat integrated toilet 20 to communicate via the router 30.

[0029] The communication control unit performs information processing to enable communication by the communication unit by executing a program stored in the memory unit. The communication control unit may be implemented by, for example, a microcomputer, but it may also be implemented by a processor.

[0030] The memory unit is a storage device that stores programs executed by the communication control unit. For example, the startup process executed by the communication control unit when power is supplied to it is performed based on the startup program stored in the memory unit. The memory unit is implemented using semiconductor memory or the like.

[0031] The control panel 25 is an interface device on which multiple operation buttons 25a are arranged. Each of the multiple operation buttons 25a is assigned a switch function, such as executing or stopping various functions of the electric toilet seat integrated toilet 20. In this embodiment, the operation buttons 25a on the control panel 25 are used to identify the user ID. For example, the electric toilet seat integrated toilet 20 performs user authentication to identify the user ID. This authentication is performed by having a number pre-assigned to each of the multiple operation buttons 25a, and by pressing the part of the control panel 25 corresponding to the number of the user, the user inputs authentication information (i.e., each user's number). The control panel 25 uses the input authentication information to refer to a data table that associates authentication information with user IDs, thereby identifying the user ID of the user who pressed the operation button 25a. In the following, the authentication information number and the user ID may be used without distinction as a number and a digit representing the user ID, but from a security standpoint, the authentication information and the user ID may be different.

[0032] In addition to the above, authentication may also be performed simply by entering the room by using a terminal device owned by each user (smartphone, tablet, or dedicated portable device) to communicate with the electric toilet seat integrated toilet 20 via short-range wireless communication, or by performing biometric authentication such as facial recognition using a camera installed in the private room or fingerprint recognition using a fingerprint recognition device.

[0033] Router 30 is a communication device that relays communication between the electric toilet seat integrated toilet unit 20 and the server 40. Router 30 is installed in the same facility where the electric toilet seat integrated toilet unit 20 is installed. Router 30 is an example of a gateway. Specifically, Router 30 is a wireless LAN (Local Area Network) router, etc.

[0034] Server 40 is a cloud server located outside the facility where the electric toilet seat integrated toilet 20 is installed. Server 40 is operated, for example, by the manufacturer of the electric toilet seat integrated toilet 20 and provides the aforementioned monitoring service by communicating with the electric toilet seat integrated toilet 20. In this embodiment, Server 40 comprises a first acquisition unit 41, a second acquisition unit 42, a third acquisition unit 43, a fourth acquisition unit 44, a memory control unit 45, and a storage device 46.

[0035] The first acquisition unit 41 acquires a toilet ID to identify a single electric toilet seat integrated toilet 20 from among a plurality of electric toilet seat integrated toilets 20, each used for processing waste. Acquiring a toilet ID means obtaining information about the toilet ID from the private room where the electric toilet seat integrated toilet 20 is installed via communication. In this embodiment, the first acquisition unit 41 is configured as a function on the server 40 that acquires the toilet ID included in the transmission data along with the waste data. Furthermore, the first acquisition unit 41 can be configured in any way as long as it can ultimately provide the toilet ID to the storage device 46 installed on the server 40. For example, the first acquisition unit 41 can be implemented as a single device operating in the private room where the electric toilet seat integrated toilet 20 is installed. In this case, for example, the first acquisition unit 41 is integrated with the function of the transmission unit 22c, which acquires the toilet ID and generates the transmission data.

[0036] The second acquisition unit 42 acquires a user ID to identify one user of a single electric toilet seat integrated toilet 20 from other users. Acquiring a user ID means obtaining user ID information via communication from the private room where the electric toilet seat integrated toilet 20 is installed. In this embodiment, the second acquisition unit 42 is configured as a function on the server 40 that acquires the user ID included in the transmission data along with the discharge data. Furthermore, the second acquisition unit 42 can be configured in any way as long as it can ultimately provide the user ID to the storage device 46 installed on the server 40. For example, the second acquisition unit 42 can be implemented as a single device operating in the private room where the electric toilet seat integrated toilet 20 is installed. In this case, for example, the second acquisition unit 42 is integrated with the function of the transmission unit 22c that acquires the user ID and generates the transmission data.

[0037] The third acquisition unit 43 acquires discharge data related to the user's waste obtained by the electric toilet seat integrated toilet 20. Acquiring discharge data means obtaining information about the discharge data via communication from the private room where the electric toilet seat integrated toilet 20 is installed. In this embodiment, the third acquisition unit 43 is configured as a function on the server 40 that acquires the discharge data included in the transmitted data. Furthermore, the third acquisition unit 43 can be configured in any way as long as it can ultimately provide the discharge data to the storage device 46 installed on the server 40. For example, the third acquisition unit 43 can be implemented as a device operating in the private room where the electric toilet seat integrated toilet 20 is installed. In this case, for example, the third acquisition unit 43 may be integrated with the function of the transmission unit 22c, which acquires discharge data and generates transmitted data, or it may be integrated with the detection unit 22b, which acquires sensor values ​​from the sensor 24a and detects the state of the waste corresponding to the parameters of the discharge data.

[0038] The fourth acquisition unit 44 acquires supplementary data to supplement the user ID. Acquiring supplementary data means acquiring information similar to the user ID via communication from the mobile terminal 50. In this embodiment, the fourth acquisition unit 44 is configured as a function on the server 40 that acquires supplementary data separately from the transmitted data. Furthermore, the fourth acquisition unit 44 can be configured in any way as long as it can ultimately provide the supplementary data to the storage device 46 installed on the server 40. For example, the fourth acquisition unit 44 can be implemented as a device operating in a private room where the electric toilet seat integrated toilet 20 is installed. In this case, for example, the fourth acquisition unit 44 may be integrated with an operating device (e.g., an operation panel 25) capable of receiving user input in the private room where the electric toilet seat integrated toilet 20 is installed. However, since the fourth acquisition unit 44 is used in combination with a presentation device for presenting information regarding discharge data where the user ID is missing, it is preferable that it be connected to a device with input / output functions, such as the mobile terminal 50.

[0039] The memory control unit 45 is a device that combines the acquired toilet ID, user ID, discharge data, and supplementary data, and stores a dataset in the memory storage device 46 in which multiple of these are linked. The detailed operation of the memory control unit 45 will be described later.

[0040] The storage device 46 is a device that stores various types of data, including programs executed by the server 40 and output data. The storage device 46 is implemented using semiconductor memory or the like.

[0041] The mobile terminal 50 is a portable information terminal owned by the user (or their family, etc.) of the electric toilet seat integrated toilet 20, and specifically, it is a smartphone or tablet device. As described above, the user can monitor records of waste disposal data, etc., through the mobile terminal 50 by accessing the server 40 using the mobile terminal 50. The user can also use the mobile terminal 50 as a user interface to make personal settings such as the toilet seat temperature and shower strength.

[0042] [Operation] The operation of the discharge data management system 10, configured as described above, will be explained using Figures 2 to 6. Figure 2 is a flowchart of the operation of the discharge data management system according to the embodiment. Here, the operation of the discharge data management system 10 will be explained, focusing on the operation of the electric toilet seat integrated toilet 20. Furthermore, Figure 6, which will be described later, will explain the operation when the transmitted data is stored in the storage device 46. On the other hand, the use of the transmitted data will be omitted here, as the method of use will differ depending on the operational purpose of the discharge data management system 10.

[0043] First, the entry of a user into a private room equipped with an electric toilet seat 20 is detected by a motion sensor or the like on the electric toilet seat 20 (S101). The electrically operated lid of the electric toilet seat 20 then opens, and the toilet seat becomes ready for use. At the time of the user's entry, sensors for sensing waste, such as sensor 24a, are not activated, but these sensors are activated as soon as the toilet seat becomes ready for use (S102). Note that the activation timing of sensor 24a is not limited to this; it could also be activated when the user enters the room, or it could be kept activated at all times. In the case of standing urination, the sensor may be activated when the toilet seat opens. Furthermore, along with the activation of the sensors, the lighting device for sensing with the image sensor is turned on. Although not described in detail, the image sensor is sometimes used to determine the color of waste contained in the waste data; in such cases, a light source close to white light is selected to suppress the effects of color shift in the image. Furthermore, since the electric toilet seat integrated toilet bowl 20 may be used at night, in addition to the lighting device for sensing with the image sensor, a lighting device to illuminate the inside of the bowl for visibility purposes may be provided, and this lighting device may be turned on before the lighting device for sensing with the image sensor is turned on. For such a lighting device for visibility purposes, a light source with a warm color (low color temperature) is selected so as not to induce the user to wake up. The lighting device may be the same lighting device that automatically changes from warm color to white.

[0044] Next, the electric toilet seat integrated toilet 20 starts accepting user authentication (S103). Authentication is performed based on which of the multiple operation buttons 25a is pressed, as described above. In addition, if two or more operation buttons 25a are pressed, such as when the user presses one by mistake, the user ID of that user may be obtained using the authentication information transmitted according to the last operation button 25a pressed.

[0045] Furthermore, when the transmission unit 22c generates the transmission data, it identifies the user ID from the input authentication information and generates transmission data that includes the identified user ID. Authentication reception continues until the user finishes their waste disposal (exits the cubicle or leaves the toilet seat). This allows the user to input authentication information into the waste disposal data management system 10 at any time.

[0046] When the user sits on the toilet seat and begins to defecate, the acquisition unit 22a acquires sensor values ​​from the sensor 24a (S104). Sensor values ​​are acquired over time, and continuous sensor values ​​are acquired in the time domain. The detection unit 22b measures the state of the waste based on the sensor values ​​(S105). The detection unit 22b measures the state of the waste over time, and continuous measurement results are output in accordance with the continuous sensor values. The detection unit 22b then outputs various parameters of the waste data as measurement results.

[0047] Here, for example, in the case of a user who temporarily uses the electric toilet seat integrated toilet 20, such as a visitor, the operation from acquiring sensor values ​​to outputting discharge data (in other words, acquiring discharge data) may be undesirable. In such cases, the acquisition of sensor values ​​may be stopped. For example, a stop button for stopping sensing by sensor 24a may be installed in the individual room. Pressing such a stop button stops the acquisition of sensor values, i.e., the output of discharge data. As a result, the third acquisition unit 43 stops acquiring discharge data. If discharge data is not acquired, the transmission unit 22c may or may not generate and transmit transmission data.

[0048] Then, the transmission unit 22c generates transmission data (S106). It sends the discharge data to the server 40 as at least a part of the information contained in the transmission data (transmission step, S107).

[0049] Here, Figure 3 is the first figure showing an example of transmission data transmitted in the transmission step according to the embodiment. Figure 4 is the second figure showing an example of transmission data transmitted in the transmission step according to the embodiment. Figure 3 shows the transmission data when the user ID is successfully obtained and transmission data including it is generated. On the other hand, Figure 4 shows the transmission data when the user ID is not successfully obtained and transmission data without the user ID is generated.

[0050] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, in this embodiment, the data transmitted by the transmitting unit 22c includes, in addition to the toilet ID and user ID, multiple parameters related to the waste, such as the date and time of discharge, the type of waste, the shape of the waste, the amount of waste, the color of the waste, the odor of the waste, the time taken from sitting down to the start of discharge, the time taken for bidet washing before discharge, and the time taken for bidet washing after discharge. Other parameters may include the thickness of the waste, whether or not there are breaks in the waste, the time from entering the room to sitting down, the time from entering the room to opening the toilet seat, whether or not the toilet seat was opened and closed, the time from opening the toilet seat to the start of urination, the time taken for bidet washing, the components of the odor, and the intensity of the odor.

[0051] In this embodiment, the toilet ID and user ID are represented by dividing them into parts within a single number that are at different digits, such as the toilet ID in the higher digits and the user ID in the lower digits. Specifically, in Figure 3, the toilet ID is "1001" and the user ID is "1". Here, the user ID is represented by an integer from 1 to 9. As shown in Figure 4, if the user ID cannot be obtained properly and transmission data without a user ID is generated, the user ID part becomes "0", and a number that does not correspond to any of the users from 1 to 9 is assigned. This representation of the ID is just one example, and the user ID may be represented in a way that can associate 10 or more users (for example, a two-digit representation of 10 or more or a hexadecimal number, etc.), or the missing user ID may be represented by a character other than "0" (alphabet and symbols, etc.).

[0052] When server 40 receives transmitted data, it operates as shown in Figure 5. Figure 5 is a flowchart of the data management operation of the discharge data management system according to the embodiment.

[0053] As shown in Figure 5, upon receiving the transmission data, the server 40 refers to the description corresponding to the user ID in the transmission data and determines whether or not the user ID is included (S201). If it is determined that the user ID is included (Yes in S201), the first acquisition unit 41 acquires the toilet ID (first acquisition step, S202), the second acquisition unit 42 acquires the user ID (second acquisition step, S203), and the third acquisition unit 43 acquires the discharge data (third acquisition step, S204). These steps S202 to S204 may be performed sequentially or in parallel. Furthermore, there is no limit to the order in which they may be performed, and they may be processed in an order different from that described above.

[0054] Next, the memory control unit 45 stores the first data set, which is linked to the toilet ID, user ID, and discharge data, in the memory storage device 46 (memory control step, S205), and terminates the process.

[0055] On the other hand, if it is determined that the user ID is not included (No in S201), the first acquisition unit 41 acquires the toilet ID (first acquisition step, S206), and the third acquisition unit 43 acquires the discharge data (third acquisition step, S207). These steps S206 to S207 may be performed sequentially or in parallel. Furthermore, there is no limit to the order in which they may be performed, and the processing may be performed in an order different from that described above.

[0056] Next, the memory control unit 45 stores a second data set, which links the toilet ID with the discharge data, in the memory storage device 46 (memory control step, S208).

[0057] Subsequently, when a viewer who has the authority to view various datasets stored in the storage device 46 requests to view the second dataset, viewing data for viewing is sent to the viewer's mobile terminal 50. Figure 6 is a diagram showing an example of viewing data of the discharge data management system according to the embodiment. The viewer here may be all members of a group such as a family that shares the electric toilet seat integrated toilet 20, or one or more representatives of this group, such as a guardian. Furthermore, the viewer is not limited to users of the electric toilet seat integrated toilet 20. For example, the viewer may be an administrator, such as a staff member of a nursing home, who does not use the electric toilet seat integrated toilet 20 but is in a position to manage the use of the electric toilet seat integrated toilet 20 by users.

[0058] The viewer's mobile device 50 is equipped with a function, as part of an application for managing the user's health status, that allows the user to view the second dataset and identify the user who performed the corresponding excretion in each second dataset. When this function is activated, as shown in Figure 6, some parameters of the excretion data are displayed, and an interface is displayed for inputting the user who performed the excretion, identified from these parameters. The viewer can input supplementary data to fill in missing user IDs in the second dataset by selecting a number corresponding to the user ID in the displayed interface.

[0059] As described above, the viewable data only allows access to some of the parameters included in the waste disposal data. Specifically, the viewable data allows access to parameters related to the usage time of the electric toilet seat integrated toilet 20, which can be used to identify the user who made the waste disposal. On the other hand, parameters related to at least one of the shape and quantity of waste processed using the electric toilet seat integrated toilet 20 are not provided and are not viewable.

[0060] For example, if the viewer is a different user from the user themselves, the user may feel psychological resistance to having parameters such as the shape or quantity of the waste viewed, even if it is a viewer. By doing so, it is possible to suppress the user's psychological resistance while allowing them to input supplementary data corresponding to the missing user ID. However, if the viewer is the user themselves, or if the relationship between users is such that there is little psychological resistance, the viewer may be able to view all parameters of the waste data.

[0061] Returning to Figure 5, the server 40 determines whether or not it has obtained supplementary data from the viewer's input after sending the viewing data (i.e., whether the fourth acquisition step of obtaining supplementary data has been performed) (S209). If the server 40 determines that it has obtained supplementary data (Yes in S209), it updates the second dataset by associating the acquired supplementary data with the discharge data and toilet ID associated in the second dataset (storage control step, S210). On the other hand, if the server 40 determines that it has not obtained supplementary data (No in S209), it skips step S210 and terminates the process.

[0062] As described above, in this embodiment, even when a dataset with missing user IDs is stored, the dataset is updated so that as many datasets as possible have user IDs or corresponding supplementary data attached, by obtaining supplementary data to fill in the missing user IDs. As a result, changes in the user's health status can be monitored while suppressing the number of missing data points, thus enabling more appropriate management of discharged data.

[0063] [Effects, etc.] As explained above, the discharge data management system 10 includes a first acquisition unit 41 that acquires a toilet ID to identify one electric toilet seat integrated toilet 20 from a plurality of electric toilet seat integrated toilets 20 each used for processing waste, a second acquisition unit 42 that acquires a user ID to identify one user of an electric toilet seat integrated toilet 20 from other users, a third acquisition unit 43 that acquires discharge data related to the user's waste obtained by the electric toilet seat integrated toilet 20, a fourth acquisition unit 44 that acquires supplementary data to supplement the user ID, and a storage control unit 45. If the second acquisition unit 42 acquires a user ID, the memory control unit 45 stores a first dataset linking the discharge data, toilet ID, and user ID in the storage device 46. If the second acquisition unit 42 does not acquire a user ID, the memory control unit 45 stores a second dataset linking the discharge data and toilet ID in the storage device 46. If it acquires supplementary data corresponding to the stored second dataset, it updates the stored second dataset by linking the acquired supplementary data to the discharge data and toilet ID linked in the stored second dataset.

[0064] This type of emission data management system 10 updates datasets so that as many datasets as possible have user IDs or corresponding complementary data attached, even when datasets with missing user IDs are stored, by obtaining supplementary data to fill in the missing user IDs. As a result, changes in the user's health status can be monitored while suppressing the number of missing data points, thus enabling more appropriate management of emission data.

[0065] Alternatively, for example, the second acquisition unit 42 may be connected to an operation panel 25 installed in the same room as a single electric toilet seat integrated toilet 20, which has multiple operation buttons 25a that, when pressed, transmit authentication information corresponding to each of the multiple users who share the single electric toilet seat integrated toilet 20. The second acquisition unit 42 may acquire the user ID of one of the users using the single electric toilet seat integrated toilet 20 using the authentication information transmitted in response to an operation button 25a pressed by that user.

[0066] According to this, the user ID can be obtained from the authentication information transmitted by pressing the operation button 25a.

[0067] Furthermore, for example, if two or more of the operation buttons 25a among the multiple operation buttons 25a are pressed, the second acquisition unit 42 may acquire the user ID of the user using the authentication information transmitted in accordance with the last pressed operation button 25a.

[0068] According to this, even if two or more operation buttons 25a are pressed, the user ID can be obtained from the authentication information transmitted by considering the last pressed operation button 25a as correct.

[0069] Furthermore, for example, when updating a stored second dataset, the discharge data associated with the stored second dataset may be presented to a viewer with viewing privileges, and the viewer may input supplementary data corresponding to the user ID of the identified user. The fourth acquisition unit 44 may then acquire the accepted supplementary data and update the stored second dataset by associating the acquired supplementary data with the discharge data and toilet ID associated with the stored second dataset.

[0070] According to this, the viewer can obtain supplementary data corresponding to the user identified from the emission data and update the second dataset.

[0071] Furthermore, for example, the viewers may be all of the multiple users who share a single electric toilet seat integrated toilet unit 20.

[0072] According to this, all users who share a single electric toilet seat integrated toilet unit 20 can view the discharge data for inputting supplementary data.

[0073] Furthermore, for example, a viewer may be an administrator who manages the use of an electric toilet seat integrated toilet unit 20, even if the viewer does not use the electric toilet seat integrated toilet unit 20 themselves.

[0074] According to this, an administrator who manages the use of one electric toilet seat integrated toilet 20, and who does not use one electric toilet seat integrated toilet 20, can view the discharge data for inputting supplementary data.

[0075] Furthermore, for example, the discharge data may include a first parameter relating to the usage time of one electric toilet seat integrated toilet 20, which is presented to the viewer, and a second parameter relating to at least one of the shape and quantity of the discharge processed using one electric toilet seat integrated toilet 20, which is not presented to the viewer.

[0076] According to this, the parameters in the discharge data made available for viewing by viewers can be appropriately distinguished from the standpoint of privacy regarding the discharge, such as making a first parameter relating to the usage time of a single electric toilet seat integrated toilet 20 available for viewing, while not making a second parameter relating to at least one of the shape and quantity of the discharge available for viewing.

[0077] Furthermore, for example, the third data acquisition unit may stop acquiring discharge data by pressing a stop button installed in the same cubicle as the electric toilet seat integrated toilet 20.

[0078] According to this, when a user who is not suitable for acquiring discharge data uses the electric toilet seat integrated toilet 20, the acquisition of discharge data can be stopped.

[0079] Furthermore, for example, the waste may be feces expelled by the user.

[0080] This allows for more appropriate management of user waste data.

[0081] Furthermore, for example, the waste product may be urine discharged from the user.

[0082] This allows for more appropriate management of user urine excretion data.

[0083] Furthermore, for example, the discharge may be menstrual blood discharged from the user.

[0084] This allows for more appropriate management of users' menstrual discharge data.

[0085] Furthermore, the discharge data management method includes a first acquisition step of acquiring a toilet ID to identify one electric toilet seat integrated toilet 20 from multiple electric toilet seat integrated toilets 20, each used for processing waste; a second acquisition step of acquiring a user ID to identify one user of one electric toilet seat integrated toilet 20 from other users; a third acquisition step of acquiring discharge data relating to the user's waste obtained by the electric toilet seat integrated toilet 20; a fourth acquisition step of acquiring supplementary data to supplement the user ID; and a storage control step. In the storage control step, if a user ID is acquired, a first dataset linking the discharge data, toilet ID, and user ID is stored in the storage device 46; if a user ID is not acquired, a second dataset linking the discharge data and toilet ID is stored in the storage device 46; and when supplementary data corresponding to the stored second dataset is acquired, the stored second dataset is updated by linking the acquired supplementary data to the discharge data and toilet ID linked in the stored second dataset.

[0086] This method of managing emission data can achieve the same effects as the emission data management system 10 described above.

[0087] (Other embodiments) Although embodiments have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above.

[0088] In the above embodiment, it was described that one electric toilet seat integrated toilet 20 is used by multiple users. However, just as there may be multiple electric toilet seat integrated toilets 20 in one house, multiple electric toilet seat integrated toilets 20 may be used by one user or multiple users. In that case, even if defecation is performed in different electric toilet seat integrated toilets 20, the defecation record may be saved as that of a single user. The memory control unit 45 may have a conversion function that converts a specific user ID to another existing user ID. In other words, when a specific user ID is obtained, the memory control unit 45 converts it to a pre-set user ID for when the same user uses a different electric toilet seat integrated toilet 20, and stores the first data set associated with the converted user ID in the storage device. As a result, even if defecation is performed in different toilets, a record of defecation can be kept under a single user ID.

[0089] Furthermore, the memory control unit 45 may have a toilet ID linking function that links a specific toilet ID with another existing toilet ID. In other words, when the memory control unit 45 obtains a toilet ID (specific toilet ID) of a pre-set specific electric toilet seat integrated toilet 20 that is different from one electric toilet seat integrated toilet 20, it further links the specific toilet ID with the toilet ID of the electric toilet seat integrated toilet 20 and stores the first data set or the second data set. As a result, defecation records made with different toilets can be managed as records of defecation made with a single defecation device.

[0090] The method of communication between devices in the above embodiment is not particularly limited. For example, a relay device (not shown) may be involved in the communication between devices.

[0091] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the processing performed by a specific processing unit may be performed by another processing unit. Also, the order of multiple processing units may be changed, or multiple processing units may be executed in parallel.

[0092] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, each component may be realized by executing a software program suitable for each component. Each component may also be realized by a program execution unit such as a CPU or processor reading and executing a software program recorded on a recording medium such as a hard disk or semiconductor memory.

[0093] Furthermore, each component may be implemented by hardware. For example, each component may be a circuit (or integrated circuit). These circuits may form a single circuit as a whole, or they may be separate circuits. Also, each of these circuits may be a general-purpose circuit or a dedicated circuit.

[0094] Furthermore, general or specific embodiments of the present invention may be implemented as a system, apparatus, method, integrated circuit, computer program, or recording medium such as a computer-readable CD-ROM. Alternatively, they may be implemented as any combination of a system, apparatus, method, integrated circuit, computer program, and recording medium.

[0095] For example, the present invention may be implemented as an information processing method (discharge data management method) executed by a computer, as a program for causing a computer to execute such an information processing method, or as a computer-readable non-temporary recording medium on which such a program is recorded.

[0096] Furthermore, the present invention also includes forms obtained by applying various modifications to each embodiment that a person skilled in the art could conceive, or forms realized by arbitrarily combining the components and functions of each embodiment without departing from the spirit of the present invention. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0097] 10. Emission Data Management System 20. Electric toilet seat integrated toilet (toilet unit) 25 Control Panel 25a Operation Buttons 41 First acquisition part 42 Second acquisition part 43 Third acquisition part 44 4th acquisition part 45 Memory Control Unit 46 Storage device

Claims

1. A first acquisition unit acquires a toilet ID to identify one toilet unit from among multiple toilet units, each used for processing waste, A second acquisition unit that acquires a user ID to identify one of the users of the aforementioned toilet device from other users, A third acquisition unit that acquires discharge data regarding the user's waste obtained by the toilet device, A fourth acquisition unit that acquires supplementary data to complement the aforementioned user ID, It comprises a memory control unit, The memory control unit, When the second acquisition unit acquires the user ID, it stores a first data set, which links the discharge data, the toilet ID, and the user ID, in the storage device. If the second acquisition unit does not acquire the user ID, the storage device stores a second data set that links the discharge data and the toilet ID. When the supplementary data corresponding to the stored second dataset is obtained, the stored second dataset is updated by associating the obtained supplementary data with the discharge data and toilet ID linked in the stored second dataset. When the storage control unit obtains a specific toilet ID for a pre-set toilet device that is different from the first toilet device, it further associates the specific toilet ID with the toilet ID and stores the first dataset or the second dataset. Emissions data management system.

2. In updating the previously stored second dataset, The output data linked in the stored second dataset is presented to viewers with viewing privileges. The system accepts input of the supplementary data corresponding to the user ID of the user identified by the aforementioned viewer. The fourth acquisition unit acquires the supplementary data that has been received as input, The stored second dataset is updated by linking the acquired supplementary data to the discharge data and toilet ID that are linked in the stored second dataset. The discharge data management system according to claim 1.

3. A first acquisition unit that acquires a toilet ID for identifying one toilet device from a plurality of toilet devices, each used for processing waste, A second acquisition unit that acquires a user ID to identify one of the users of the aforementioned toilet device from other users, A third acquisition unit that acquires discharge data regarding the user's waste obtained by the toilet device, A fourth acquisition unit that acquires supplementary data to complement the aforementioned user ID, It comprises a memory control unit, The memory control unit, When the second acquisition unit acquires the user ID, it stores a first data set, which links the discharge data, the toilet ID, and the user ID, in the storage device. If the second acquisition unit does not acquire the user ID, the storage device stores a second data set that links the discharge data and the toilet ID. When the supplementary data corresponding to the stored second dataset is obtained, the stored second dataset is updated by associating the obtained supplementary data with the discharge data and toilet ID linked in the stored second dataset. In updating the previously stored second dataset, The output data linked in the stored second dataset is presented to viewers with viewing privileges. The system accepts input of the supplementary data corresponding to the user ID of the user identified by the aforementioned viewer. The fourth acquisition unit acquires the supplementary data that has been received as input, The stored second dataset is updated by linking the acquired supplementary data to the discharge data and toilet ID linked in the stored second dataset. The output data includes a first parameter presented to the viewer and a second parameter not presented to the viewer. The second parameter includes information on at least one of the shape and quantity of waste processed using the one toilet device. Emissions data management system.

4. The first parameter includes information relating to the usage time of the toilet device. The discharge data management system according to claim 3.

5. The aforementioned viewers are all of the multiple users who share the aforementioned single toilet device. The discharge data management system according to any one of claims 2 to 4.

6. The aforementioned viewer is an administrator who manages the use of the aforementioned toilet device and does not use the aforementioned toilet device. The discharge data management system according to any one of claims 2 to 4.

7. When a specific user ID is obtained, the storage control unit converts it to another user ID that has been set in advance, and stores the first dataset associated with the converted user ID in the storage device. The discharge data management system according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. The aforementioned second acquisition unit is, A control panel installed in the same cubicle as the aforementioned toilet unit, which has multiple operation buttons that, when pressed, transmit authentication information corresponding to each of the multiple users who share the aforementioned toilet unit, is connected to a control panel via communication. The user ID of one of the users using the aforementioned toilet device is obtained using the authentication information transmitted in response to an operation button pressed by that user. The discharge data management system according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

9. The second acquisition unit acquires the user ID of a user when two or more of the operation buttons are pressed, using the authentication information transmitted according to the last pressed operation button. The discharge data management system according to claim 8.

10. The third acquisition unit stops acquiring the discharge data when a stop button, which is installed in the same cubicle as the first toilet unit, is pressed. The discharge data management system according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

11. The aforementioned waste is feces discharged from the user. The discharge data management system according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

12. The aforementioned discharge is urine discharged from the user. The discharge data management system according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

13. The discharge is menstrual blood discharged from the user. The discharge data management system according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

14. A method for managing discharge data performed by a computer, A first acquisition step involves obtaining a toilet ID to identify one toilet unit from among multiple toilet units, each used for processing waste, A second acquisition step involves obtaining a user ID to identify one of the users of the aforementioned toilet device from other users, A third acquisition step involves acquiring discharge data regarding the user's waste obtained by the aforementioned toilet device, A fourth acquisition step involves obtaining supplementary data to complement the aforementioned user ID, A memory control step is provided, In the memory control step, When the user ID is obtained, a first data set linking the discharge data, the toilet ID, and the user ID is stored in the storage device. If the user ID is not obtained, a second dataset linking the discharge data and the toilet ID is stored in the storage device. When the supplementary data corresponding to the stored second dataset is obtained, the stored second dataset is updated by associating the obtained supplementary data with the discharge data and toilet ID linked in the stored second dataset. In updating the previously stored second dataset, The output data linked in the stored second dataset is presented to viewers with viewing privileges. The system accepts input of the supplementary data corresponding to the user ID of the user identified by the aforementioned viewer. In the fourth acquisition step, the supplementary data that has been received as input is acquired, The stored second dataset is updated by linking the acquired supplementary data to the discharge data and toilet ID linked in the stored second dataset. The output data includes a first parameter presented to the viewer and a second parameter not presented to the viewer. The second parameter includes information on at least one of the shape and quantity of waste processed using the one toilet device. Method for managing waste data.

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