Monitoring device

Abstract

To provide a monitoring device that enhances the accuracy of determination of an abnormal behavior or an abnormal state of an inhabitant, and transmits an abnormality signal by reliably determining whether or not there was a specific behavior of the inhabitant on the basis of a measurement value of event presence / absence determination means.SOLUTION: At a home 1, a monitoring device comprises: an illuminance sensor 7; a CO2 sensor 8; light quantity determination means 9 for determining a lightness state of a room (an illuminance device lighting being on, with only natural light, a dark state) on the basis of a measurement value of the luminaire sensor 7; behavior determination means 10 for determining a behavior state (not present, present, ventilation in progress) of an inhabitant on the basis of a measurement value of the CO2 sensor 8; abnormal behavior determination means 11 for determining whether or not the behavior of the inhabitant is abnormal on the basis of a combination of a light quantity determination result of the light amount determination means 9 and a behavior determination result of the behavior determination means 10; and abnormality signal transmission means 12 for transmitting an abnormality signal when it is determined that the behavior of the inhabitant is abnormal.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a monitoring device that grasps the situation of a room where a resident lives, determines whether the behavior of the resident is abnormal based on the grasped room situation, and transmits an abnormal signal when it is determined that there is an abnormality.

Background Art

[0002] While the total population of Japan is on a decreasing trend, the population of the elderly aged 65 and over is on an increasing trend, and among them, the number of elderly people living alone is increasing year by year. Against this background, there is an increasing demand for services that monitor the safety of the elderly and the like, replacing families with elderly parents or siblings living apart who cannot be directly monitored. And although various monitoring devices that can provide such services have been proposed, there are problems such as the need for information transmission by the conscious actions of users, the need to individually set appropriate thresholds for determining environmental data, and the psychological burden on users being large in monitoring that requires a camera, as they feel being monitored. For example, Patent Document 1 (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2009-157758) describes a housing monitoring system comprising a housing device (1) having a control unit (2), a presence / absence detection unit (3) that detects whether a resident is present or not based on the input of an absence signal and a presence signal, an illuminance sensor (4) that detects whether the illuminance in the living room is brighter than a threshold value, a life sensor (5) that detects whether a resident in the living room is engaged in life activities, and a timer (6) that measures the time after the state where the life activities of the resident are not detected, and that outputs a notification signal when the time measured by the timer (6) becomes a predetermined time or more, and a management room device (10) having a notification unit (11) that notifies that an abnormality has occurred when a notification signal from the housing device (1) is input (see particularly Claims 1, paragraphs 0011, 0020, 0021, and FIG. 1). However, the presence / absence detection unit (3) requires the resident to input both an absence signal and a presence signal, so if the resident forgets to input these signals, it will be unable to detect presence or absence. Furthermore, since the living sensor (5) is composed of passive sensors that detect human movement within the living space (see paragraph 0016), it cannot detect living activities that do not involve movement, and there was a risk of incorrectly outputting a notification signal.

[0003] Furthermore, Patent Document 2 (Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2020-71621) discloses a monitoring system that acquires the carbon dioxide concentration within a target facility from a carbon dioxide sensor (3) installed in the target facility, and acquires the biological signals of a subject from a biological sensor (4) installed in a sleeping area within the target facility, and estimates the behavior or state of a subject in the target facility based on the time-series changes in carbon dioxide concentration and biological signals (see paragraphs 0013 to 0017 and Figure 1 in particular). Furthermore, Patent Document 3 (JP 2021-504070) describes a system that receives signals from a UWB radar containing information representing the patient's movements and issues an alarm when an undesirable event or condition in the patient is predicted, and monitors the environment in which the patient is using by detecting ambient sound, air humidity, temperature, atmospheric pressure, brightness, lighting color temperature, air quality and VOCs (see in particular the abstract and paragraphs 0043, 0067, and 0108). However, the monitoring system described in Patent Document 2 acquires the subject's biosignals from a biosensor (4) installed in the sleeping area, and is therefore not suitable for estimating the subject's behavior or state during times other than sleep. Although Patent Document 3 states that a UWB sensor (309) is assisted by one or more environmental sensors (310) (see paragraph 0108), it does not describe what kind of environmental sensors should be used and how the detection results should be processed to help predict undesirable events or states in the patient. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2009-157758 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-71621 [Patent Document 3] Special Publication No. 2021-504070 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0005] Based on the above-mentioned problems, the present invention has the following objectives: Firstly, to provide a monitoring device that can determine abnormal behavior or conditions of residents and transmit abnormal signals using multiple environmental sensors, including an illuminance sensor and a CO2 sensor, without requiring operation by the residents or acquiring the residents' biosignals or images; secondly, to improve the accuracy of determining abnormal behavior or conditions of residents based on the measured values ​​of each environmental sensor; and thirdly, to enable accurate determination of whether or not a specific action by a resident has occurred based on the measured values ​​of an event presence / absence determination means composed of an illuminance sensor, a TVOC sensor, etc. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] Claim 1 The invention relating to this is An illuminance sensor that measures the brightness of the room where the resident lives, CO2 is used to measure the carbon dioxide concentration in the aforementioned room. 2 Sensors and, Based on the measured value of the illuminance sensor, a light intensity determination means determines whether the brightness of the room is in one of three states: with the lighting device on, with only natural light, or in a dark state. The aforementioned CO 2 A behavior determination means that determines, based on the sensor's measurement values, which of the following states the resident's behavior is occurring: going out without ventilation, being in the room without ventilation, or ventilating. An abnormal behavior determination means determines whether the resident's behavior is abnormal or not based on a combination of the light intensity determination result from the light intensity determination means and the behavior determination result from the behavior determination means, An abnormality signal transmission means that transmits an abnormality signal when the abnormality determination result from the abnormality determination means is abnormal, A timer that starts timing prior to the determination by the light intensity determination means and the action determination means, and resets timing according to the output of the determination result by the abnormal action determination means. and, Equipped with, The abnormal behavior detection means is If the light intensity determination result indicates that the lighting device is turned on, and the behavior determination result indicates that the person is outside without ventilation, and the timer has been set for a period of time less than the first predetermined time, then it is determined that there is no abnormality, and the timer is not reset. If the light intensity determination result indicates that the lighting device is turned on, and the behavior determination result indicates that the person is outside without ventilation, and the time measured by the timer exceeds the first predetermined time, then an abnormality is determined. If the light intensity determination result is a dark state, and the behavior determination result is a state of being present in the room without ventilation or with ventilation, and the timer has been set for a period of time within the second predetermined time, then it is determined that there is no abnormality, and the timer is not reset. If the light intensity determination result is a dark state, and the behavior determination result is a state of being present in the room without ventilation or with ventilation, and the time measured by the timer exceeds the second predetermined time, then an abnormality is determined. If the light intensity determination result indicates that the lighting device is on or only natural light is present, and the behavior determination result indicates that the person is in the room without ventilation or with ventilation, and the timer has been set for a third predetermined time, then it is determined that there is no abnormality, and the timer is not reset. If the light intensity determination result indicates that the lighting device is on or that only natural light is present, and the behavior determination result indicates that the person is in the room without ventilation or with ventilation, and the time measured by the timer exceeds the third predetermined time, then an abnormality is determined. If the light intensity determination result indicates a state of natural light only or darkness, and the behavior determination result indicates a state of being outside without ventilation, then it is determined that there is no abnormality, and the timer is reset. The first predetermined time is 30 to 60 minutes, the second predetermined time is 5 to 15 hours, and the third predetermined time is 1 to 5 hours.

[0009] Claim 2 The invention relating to this is An illuminance sensor that measures the brightness of the room where the resident lives, CO2 is used to measure the carbon dioxide concentration in the aforementioned room. 2 Sensors and, Based on the measured value of the illuminance sensor, a light intensity determination means determines whether the brightness of the room is in one of three states: with the lighting device on, with only natural light, or in a dark state. The aforementioned CO 2 A behavior determination means that determines, based on the sensor's measurement values, which of the following states the resident's behavior is occurring: going out without ventilation, being in the room without ventilation, or ventilating. An abnormal behavior determination means determines whether the resident's behavior is abnormal or not based on a combination of the light intensity determination result from the light intensity determination means and the behavior determination result from the behavior determination means, An abnormality signal transmission means that transmits an abnormality signal when the abnormality determination result from the abnormality determination means is abnormal, A timer that starts timing prior to the determination by the light intensity determination means and the action determination means, and resets the timing according to the output of the determination result by the abnormal action determination means, The system includes an event presence / absence determination means that determines whether or not a specific action by the resident occurred, based at least on the measured value of the illuminance sensor, The abnormal behavior determination means determines whether the resident's behavior is abnormal or not based on a combination of the light intensity determination result by the light intensity determination means, the behavior determination result by the behavior determination means, and the timing by the timer. The event determination means resets the timer when it determines that a specific action has been taken by the resident. The presence / absence determination means of the event has a variance value calculation means for calculating the variance value of the measurement values within a certain past period for each measurement time of the illuminance sensor, and when the lighting or extinguishing time of the lighting device is included within the certain period, the variance value takes a positive value, and when it is not included, it becomes 0. Utilizing this, when the change in the variance value is a pattern specific to the lighting or extinguishing time, it is determined that there has been a specific action by the resident, and when the change in the variance value is not the specific pattern, it is determined that there has been no specific action by the resident.

[0011] Claim 3 The invention according to An illuminance sensor that measures the brightness of the room where the resident lives, CO2 is used to measure the carbon dioxide concentration in the aforementioned room. 2 Sensors and, Based on the measured value of the illuminance sensor, a light intensity determination means determines whether the brightness of the room is in one of three states: with the lighting device on, with only natural light, or in a dark state. The aforementioned CO 2 A behavior determination means that determines, based on the sensor's measurement values, which of the following states the resident's behavior is occurring: going out without ventilation, being in the room without ventilation, or ventilating. An abnormal behavior determination means determines whether the resident's behavior is abnormal or not based on a combination of the light intensity determination result from the light intensity determination means and the behavior determination result from the behavior determination means, An abnormality signal transmission means that transmits an abnormality signal when the abnormality determination result from the abnormality determination means is abnormal, The action determination means has a measurement value fluctuation situation determination means for determining whether the moving average difference of the measurement values of the CO2 sensor continuously increases for a fourth predetermined time or more, continuously decreases for the fourth predetermined time or more, or decreases by 30% or more within a fifth predetermined time. If the measurement value fluctuation determination means determines that the value has been continuously increasing for four predetermined hours or longer, it is determined that the person is in the room without ventilation; if it determines that the value has been continuously decreasing for four predetermined hours or longer, it is determined that the person is out without ventilation; and if it determines that the value has decreased by 30% or more within five predetermined hours or less, it is determined that the person is ventilating. The fourth predetermined time is 15 to 30 minutes, and the fifth predetermined time is 60 to 90 minutes. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] Claim 1 According to the monitoring device of the invention relating to this invention, Illuminance recovery, CO 2 The system includes a sensor, a light intensity determination means for determining whether the room's brightness is in a state where the lighting device is on, only natural light is present, or it is dark, and an action determination means for determining whether the occupant is out without ventilation, in the room without ventilation, or ventilating. Based on the combination of the light intensity determination result from the light intensity determination means and the behavior determination result from the behavior determination means, it is determined whether the resident's behavior is abnormal or not, and if the determination result is abnormal, an abnormality signal is transmitted. Therefore, it is possible to determine the abnormal behavior or state of a resident and transmit an abnormality signal without requiring any operation from the resident, and without acquiring the resident's biosignals or images. Also, The system includes a timer that starts timing prior to the determination by the light intensity determination means and the behavior determination means, and resets the timing according to the output of the determination result by the abnormal behavior determination means. By using the timing of the timer to determine whether the resident's behavior is abnormal, the accuracy of determining abnormal behavior or condition of the resident can be improved. Furthermore, since the timer is reset when the light intensity determination result is a state with only natural light or a dark state, and the behavior determination result is a state of being outside without ventilation, an abnormal signal is not transmitted when the resident is outside.

[0015] Claim 2 According to the monitoring device of the invention relating to this invention, Illuminance recovery, CO 2 The system includes a sensor, a light intensity determination means for determining whether the room's brightness is in a state where the lighting device is on, only natural light is present, or it is dark, and an action determination means for determining whether the occupant is out without ventilation, in the room without ventilation, or ventilating. Based on the combination of the light intensity determination result from the light intensity determination means and the behavior determination result from the behavior determination means, it is determined whether the resident's behavior is abnormal or not, and if the determination result is abnormal, an abnormality signal is transmitted. Therefore, it is possible to determine the abnormal behavior or state of a resident and transmit an abnormality signal without requiring any operation from the resident, and without acquiring the resident's biosignals or images. Furthermore, the system includes a timer that starts timing prior to the determination by the light intensity determination means and the action determination means, and resets the timing according to the output of the determination result by the abnormal action determination means, and an event presence / absence determination means that determines whether or not a specific action has occurred by the resident. Since the system determines whether or not the resident's action is abnormal based on the combination of the light intensity determination result by the light intensity determination means, the action determination result by the action determination means, and the timing by the timer, the accuracy of determining abnormal actions or states of residents can be improved. In addition, since the event presence / absence determination means resets the timer according to the determination that a specific action has occurred by the resident, an abnormal signal is not transmitted when a specific action has occurred by the resident, that is, when it is clear that the resident is active. moreover,The event presence / absence determination means includes a variance calculation means that calculates the variance of measured values ​​within a certain period in the past for each measurement time of the illuminance sensor. By utilizing the fact that the variance takes a positive value when the time of turning on or off the lighting device is included within the certain period, and 0 when it is not included, it is determined that a specific action by the resident occurred if the change in the variance follows a pattern specific to when the lights are turned on or off, and that no specific action by the resident occurred if the change in the variance does not follow a specific pattern. Thus, it is possible to accurately determine whether or not a specific action by the resident occurred.

[0017] Claim 3 According to the monitoring device of the invention relating to this invention, Illuminance recovery, CO 2 The system includes a sensor, a light intensity determination means for determining whether the room's brightness is in a state where the lighting device is on, only natural light is present, or it is dark, and an action determination means for determining whether the occupant is out without ventilation, in the room without ventilation, or ventilating. Based on the combination of the light intensity determination result from the light intensity determination means and the behavior determination result from the behavior determination means, it is determined whether the resident's behavior is abnormal or not, and if the determination result is abnormal, an abnormality signal is transmitted. Therefore, it is possible to determine the abnormal behavior or state of a resident and transmit an abnormality signal without requiring any operation from the resident, and without acquiring the resident's biosignals or images. Also, The behavior determination means includes a measurement value fluctuation status determination means that determines whether the moving average difference of the CO2 sensor's measured values ​​has been continuously increasing for a fourth predetermined time or longer, continuously decreasing for a fourth predetermined time or longer, or decreasing by 30% or more within a fifth predetermined time or shorter. If the measurement value fluctuation status determination means determines that the value has been continuously increasing for a fourth predetermined time or longer, it is determined that the person is in the room without ventilation. If it determines that the value has been continuously decreasing for a fourth predetermined time or longer, it is determined that the person is out without ventilation. If it determines that the value has decreased by 30% or more within a fifth predetermined time or shorter, it is determined that the person is ventilating. Thus, the behavior of the resident can be determined more accurately. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0018] [Figure 1] Conceptual diagram of the monitoring device according to Example 1. [Figure 2] A diagram showing the changes in illuminance and carbon dioxide concentration. [Figure 3] A flowchart showing the processing flow of the monitoring device according to Example 1. [Figure 4] Conceptual diagram of the monitoring device according to Example 2. [Figure 5] A flowchart showing the processing flow of the monitoring device according to Example 2. [Figure 6]Conceptual diagram of the monitoring device according to Example 3. [Figure 7] A flowchart showing the processing flow of the monitoring device according to Example 3. [Figure 8] A graph showing the change in illuminance and the average of the variance values ​​over the most recent 60 minutes. [Figure 9] Conceptual diagram of the monitoring device according to Example 4. [Figure 10] A graph showing the changes in TVOC concentration and TVOC variance. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0019] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to examples. However, the scope of the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments or their modifications. [Examples]

[0020] Figure 1 is a conceptual diagram of the monitoring device according to Example 1. The monitoring device according to Example 1 grasps the conditions of room 2 in the house 1 where the resident lives, determines whether the resident's behavior is abnormal based on the conditions of room 2 grasped, and transmits an abnormality signal if an abnormality is determined. The transmitted abnormality signal is sent to an abnormality signal receiving means (not shown) installed in the management center or in the residence of family members living separately from the resident, so that the person in charge at the management center or family members can be notified that an abnormality has been determined. As shown in Figure 1, Room 2 has an entrance / exit 3, a window 4, a ventilation fan 5, and a lighting device 6, etc. In order to understand the occupant's behavior, an illuminance sensor 7 to measure the brightness of Room 2 and a CO2 sensor 8 to measure the carbon dioxide concentration are installed in appropriate locations in Room 2. The illuminance sensor 7 (GY-30 is used in Example 1) measures the illuminance of room 2 every minute and stores each measurement in a memory device. The light intensity determination means 9 connected to the illuminance sensor 7 determines, based on the stored illuminance measurements, whether the brightness of room 2 is such that the lighting device 6 is on, there is only natural light, or it is dark. Furthermore, the CO2 sensor 8 (using the SCD30 which employs the NDIR method in Example 1) measures the carbon dioxide concentration every minute, divides the measured values ​​for the most recent 30 minutes into 15-minute intervals, and stores the difference between the average value of the first 15 minutes and the average value of the second 15 minutes as the current measured value in the memory. The behavior determination means 10 connected to the CO2 sensor 8 determines, based on the stored carbon dioxide concentration measurements, whether the resident is out without ventilation (including moving to another room), in the room without ventilation, or ventilating. Furthermore, the light intensity determination means 9 and the behavior determination means 10 are connected to an abnormal behavior determination means 11 that determines whether or not the resident's behavior is abnormal based on a combination of the light intensity determination result from the light intensity determination means 9 and the behavior determination result from the behavior determination means 10. The abnormal behavior determination means 11 is connected to an abnormal signal transmission means 12 that transmits an abnormal signal to a management terminal installed outside the house 1 (such as a management center or the residence of family members living separately from the resident) if the abnormal behavior determination result indicates an abnormality. The installation locations of the light intensity determination means 9, the action determination means 10, the abnormal action determination means 11, and the abnormal signal transmission means 12 can be arranged in various ways as follows. (Example 1) The entire system is installed inside house 1 or room 2, and an abnormal signal is transmitted from the abnormal signal transmission means 12 to a management terminal via a communication line or the like. (Example 2) A portion of the system (for example, the light intensity determination means 9 and the behavior determination means 10) is installed inside house 1 or room 2, and a portion of the system (for example, the abnormal behavior determination means 11 and the abnormal signal transmission means 12) is installed outside house 1. The determination result is then transmitted from inside house 1 or room 2 to the outside of house 1 (for example, the abnormal behavior determination means 11 or the abnormal signal transmission means 12) via a communication line or the like. (Example 3) All devices are installed outside House 1, and the illuminance sensor 7 and CO2 sensor 8 transmit their respective measured values ​​to the light intensity determination means 9 and the action determination means 10 via a communication line or the like.

[0021] Figure 2 shows the changes in illuminance and carbon dioxide concentration, and displays the results measured over a three-day period from February 19th to 21st. According to Figure 2, the periods with different illuminance conditions can be understood as follows. (L1) Period of high illuminance (when lighting device 6 is lit) February 19th, 0:00-1:00, 6:40-8:20, 20:20-24:00, February 20th, 6 PM to February 21st, 1 AM, February 21st, 6 PM to 12 AM (L2) Periods with moderate illumination (conditions where living is possible with only natural light) February 19th, 8:20 AM - 6:00 PM, February 20th, 10:40 AM - 6:00 PM February 21st, 8:20 AM - 6:00 PM (L3) Period of low illumination (lighting device 6 is turned off, and it is too dark to live with natural light alone) February 19th, 1:00 AM - 6:40 AM, 6:00 PM - 8:20 PM, February 20th, 0:00 to 10:40, February 21st, 1:00 to 8:20 Furthermore, according to Figure 2, the periods with different behavioral states can be understood as follows. (A1) Periods during which carbon dioxide concentration is increasing (without ventilation and with residents present) February 19th, 0:00-6:40, 7:40-8:20 From 8:20 PM on February 19th to 12:40 PM on the 20th, and from 2:00 PM to 9:00 AM on the 21st, February 21st, 16:00-17:40, 18:00-24:00 (A2) Periods when carbon dioxide concentration is decreasing (when residents are away from home) February 19th, 8:20 AM - 8:20 PM, February 21st, 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM (A3) Periods during which carbon dioxide concentration is rapidly decreasing (under ventilated conditions) February 19th, 6:40 AM - 7:40 AM, 8:20 PM - 12:00 AM February 20th, 13:00-13:40, February 21st, 17:40-18:00 Furthermore, as shown in Figure 2, during periods when both low illuminance (L3) and increased carbon dioxide concentration (A1) are satisfied, the residents' behavior can be determined to be that of someone sleeping. In other words, as shown by the dotted line in Figure 1, by connecting the illuminance sensor 7 to the behavior determination means 10, it is possible to determine whether or not the resident is asleep.

[0022] Figure 3 is a flowchart showing the processing flow of the monitoring device according to Example 1. As shown in Figure 3, when the monitoring device according to Embodiment 1 is started to operate, the light intensity determination means 9 determines, based on the measured value of the illuminance sensor 7, whether the illuminance is high (L1), moderate (L2), or low (L3), that the lighting device 6 is lit (artificial light or artificial light + natural light, labeled "artificial light" in Figure 2), that the living environment can be lived in with natural light only (natural light), or that the lighting device 6 is turned off and the living environment cannot be lived in with natural light only (dark). Furthermore, based on the measurement values ​​of the CO2 sensor 8, the behavior determination means 10 determines whether the carbon dioxide concentration is increasing (A1), decreasing (A2), or rapidly decreasing (A3), that the resident is in the room without ventilation (inhabitants), the resident is out without ventilation (absent), or that ventilation is taking place (ventilating). Then, based on the combination of the light intensity determination result from the light intensity determination means 9 and the behavior determination result from the behavior determination means 10, the abnormal behavior determination means 11 determines whether the resident's behavior is abnormal or not. If the determination result is abnormal, the abnormal signal transmission means 12 transmits an abnormal signal. If the determination result is not abnormal, the process ends without transmitting an abnormal signal. In Example 1, if the combination of the light intensity determination results (L1) to (L3) by the light intensity determination means 9 and the behavior determination results (A1) to (A3) by the behavior determination means 9 is (L1) artificial light and (A2) absent, or (L3) darkness and (A3) ventilation in progress, or (L3) darkness and (A1) occupancy in the room and not during normal sleep time, then it is determined that there is an abnormality in the resident's behavior. In all other cases, it is determined that there is no abnormality. [Examples]

[0023] Figure 4 is a conceptual diagram of the monitoring device according to Example 2. As can be seen from Figure 4, the monitoring device according to Embodiment 2 is equipped with a timer 13 that starts timing prior to the determination by the light intensity determination means 9 and the behavior determination means 10, and resets the timing according to the output of the determination result by the abnormal behavior determination means 14. The abnormal behavior determination means 14 differs from the monitoring device according to Embodiment 1 in that it determines whether the resident's behavior is abnormal or not based on a combination of the light intensity determination result by the light intensity determination means 9, the behavior determination result by the behavior determination means 10, and the timing by the timer 13. The other configurations are exactly the same as those of Embodiment 1. Therefore, explanations of other configurations will be simplified, and configurations identical to those of the monitoring device in Example 1 will be explained using the same numbers as in Example 1.

[0024] Figure 5 is a flowchart showing the processing flow of the monitoring device according to Example 2. As shown in Figure 5, when the monitoring device according to Embodiment 2 is started, the timer 13 starts timing, and, as in Embodiment 1, the light intensity determination means 9 determines which of the following states is present: the lighting device 6 is lit (artificial light), the living environment can be maintained with natural light only (natural light), or the lighting device 6 is turned off and the living environment cannot be maintained with natural light only (dark). Furthermore, the behavior determination means 10 determines which of the following states is in place: the resident is in the room without ventilation (occupied), the resident is out (absent), or ventilation is in progress (ventilating). The abnormal behavior determination means 14 then determines whether the resident's behavior is abnormal and whether to reset the timer 13 based on the combination of the light intensity determination result from the light intensity determination means 9, the behavior determination result from the behavior determination means 10, and the timing from the timer 13, according to cases 1 to 4 shown below. If the determination result is abnormal, the abnormal signal transmission means 12 transmits an abnormal signal and then resets the timer 13 to terminate the process. If the determination result is normal and the timer 13 is not reset, the light intensity determination means 9 and the behavior determination means 10 resume their determinations without resetting the timer 13. If the determination result is normal and the timer 13 is to be reset, the timer 13 is reset without transmitting an abnormal signal and the process terminates.

[0025] (Case 1) Combination of (L1) artificial light and (A2) absence If the time measured by Timer 13 does not exceed Condition 1: First predetermined time (30-60 minutes), there is no abnormality and it will not be reset. If it exceeds this time, there is an abnormality and it will be reset. An abnormality will be detected if the lighting device 6 is left on and the occupants leave the premises for more than the first predetermined time without ventilating the room. (Case 2) Combination of (L3) darkness and (A1) occupancy or (L3) darkness and (A3) ventilation If the time measured by Timer 13 does not exceed Condition 2: Second predetermined time (5-15 hours), it is considered normal and will not be reset; otherwise, it is considered abnormal and will be reset. An abnormality is detected if the room remains dark for more than the second prescribed time without ventilation, or if ventilation continues. In such cases, blackout curtains should be installed on window 4, and the second prescribed time should be set to be about two hours longer than the normal sleep time. (Case 3) (L1) Artificial light and (A1) Occupied, (L1) Artificial light and (A3) Ventilation in progress (L2) Natural light and (A1) Occupancy or (L2) Natural light and (A3) Ventilation combination If the time measured by Timer 13 does not exceed Condition 3: Third predetermined time (1 to 5 hours), it is considered normal and will not be reset; otherwise, it is considered abnormal and will be reset. An abnormality is detected if the lighting device 6 remains lit or the room remains bright with natural light, and the room remains occupied or ventilated for longer than the third predetermined time without ventilation. However, the third predetermined time needs to be adjusted according to the type of room 2 and the occupant's behavior pattern (the length of time they remain in room 2 without going out or moving to another room). (Case 4) Combination of (L2) natural light and (A2) absence or (L3) darkness and (A2) absence Regardless of the timing set by Timer 13, it will reset if no abnormalities are found. This applies when the lighting device 6 is turned off and the person is out without ventilation, so monitoring is not required. [Examples]

[0026] Figure 6 is a conceptual diagram of the monitoring device according to Example 3. As can be seen from Figure 6, the monitoring device according to Embodiment 3 is further equipped with a timer 13 that starts timing prior to the determination by the light intensity determination means 9 and the action determination means 10, and resets the timing according to the output of the determination result by the abnormal action determination means 14, and an event presence / absence determination means 15 that determines whether or not a specific action has been taken by the resident based on the measured value of the illuminance sensor 7. The abnormal action determination means 14 differs from the monitoring device according to Embodiment 1 in that it determines whether or not the resident's action is abnormal based on a combination of the light intensity determination result by the light intensity determination means 9, the action determination result by the action determination means 10, and the timing by the timer 13, and resets the timer 13 when the event presence / absence determination means 15 determines that a specific action has been taken by the resident. The other configurations are exactly the same as in Embodiment 1. Therefore, explanations of other configurations will be simplified, and the same configurations as those described in Examples 1 and 2 will be explained using the same numbers as in Examples 1 and 2.

[0027] Figure 7 is a flowchart showing the processing flow of the monitoring device according to Example 3. As shown in Figure 7, when the monitoring device according to Embodiment 3 is started, the timer 13 starts timing, and, as in Embodiment 1, the light intensity determination means 9 determines which of the following states is present: the lighting device 6 is lit (artificial light), the living environment can be maintained with natural light only (natural light), or the lighting device 6 is turned off and the living environment cannot be maintained with natural light only (dark). Furthermore, the behavior determination means 10 determines which of the following states is in place: the resident is in the room without ventilation (occupied), the resident is out (absent), or ventilation is in progress (ventilating). Then, based on the combination of the light intensity determination result by the light intensity determination means 9, the action determination result by the action determination means 10, and the timing by the timer 13, the abnormal action determination means 14 determines whether the resident's behavior is abnormal and whether to reset the timer 13, in the same manner as the monitoring device according to Embodiment 2. If the determination result is abnormal, the abnormal signal transmission means 12 transmits an abnormal signal, and then the timer 13 is reset to terminate the process. If the determination result is normal and the timer 13 is not reset, the determination by the light intensity determination means 9 and the action determination means 10 is resumed without resetting the timer 13. If the determination result is normal and the timer 13 is to be reset, the timer 13 is reset without transmitting an abnormal signal to terminate the process. Furthermore, in the monitoring device according to Embodiment 3, the event presence / absence determination means 15 resets the timer 13 when it determines, based on the measured value of the illuminance sensor 7, that a specific action by the resident has occurred (event occurred).

[0028] Figure 8 is a graph showing the change in the illuminance measured by the illuminance sensor 7 over a certain day, and the average of the variance values ​​over the most recent 60 minutes (hereinafter referred to as "illuminance variance"). The first vertical axis (left) represents illuminance [lx], the second vertical axis (right) represents the illuminance variance, and the horizontal axis represents time. The thin lines in the graph represent changes in illuminance, and the thick lines in the graph represent changes in the illuminance variance. First, looking at the changes in illuminance dispersion values ​​in Figure 8 (the graph of the dark lines), we can see that high values ​​are observed in areas with large changes in illuminance, and low values ​​are observed in areas with small changes in illuminance. These areas where the dispersion changes significantly appear during the time of day when illuminance changes drastically, and during the time of day after the transition from artificial light to darkness or from darkness to artificial light. Comparing the former and the latter, the latter has a distinctive trapezoidal shape, and this shape allows us to detect human action, such as a resident operating the switch of the lighting device 6. In Example 3, the event presence / absence determination means 15 determines that a specific action by a resident (operating the switch of the lighting device 6) has occurred based on the appearance of a characteristic trapezoidal shape (a unique pattern) in the graph of the illuminance dispersion value, and resets the timer 13. In Figure 8, the illuminance dispersion value used is the average of the dispersion values ​​over the most recent 60 minutes. However, the period for averaging can be shorter or longer than 60 minutes, and the characteristic shape that appears in the graph of illuminance dispersion values ​​associated with the turning on or off of the lighting device 3 is not limited to a trapezoid; it could also be an isosceles triangle or similar shape. Therefore, the event presence / absence determination means 15 has a variance calculation means that calculates the variance of measured values ​​within a certain period in the past for each measurement time of the illuminance sensor. By utilizing the fact that the variance takes a positive value when the time of turning on or turning off the lighting device 3 is included within the certain period, and 0 when it is not included, it can be said that if the change in the variance is a pattern specific to when the lights are turned on or turned off, it is determined that a specific action by the resident has occurred, and if the change in the variance is not a specific pattern, it is determined that no specific action by the resident has occurred. [Examples]

[0029] Figure 9 is a conceptual diagram of the monitoring device according to Example 4. As can be seen from Figure 9, the monitoring device according to Example 4 differs from the monitoring device according to Example 3 in that a TVOC sensor 16 is added to the monitoring device according to Example 3, and the event presence / absence determination means 15 resets the timer 13 in accordance with the determination that a specific action by the resident has occurred, based not only on the measurement value of the illuminance sensor 7 but also on the measurement value of the TVOC sensor 16. The other configurations are exactly the same as those of Example 3. Therefore, explanations of other configurations will be omitted, and configurations identical to those of the monitoring device in Example 3 will be described using the same numbers as in Example 3.

[0030] The processing flow of the monitoring device according to Example 4 is the same as the flowchart shown in Figure 7. In other words, in Example 3, the event presence / absence determination means 15 reset the timer 13 when it determined that a specific action by a resident had occurred (event occurred) based on the measurement value of the illuminance sensor 7. In Example 4, in addition to this, a TVOC sensor 16 (using the CJMCU-811 which employs the MOX method in Example 4) measures and stores the TVOC concentration in room 2 every minute. If the rate of change of the measured TVOC concentration is greater than or equal to a predetermined value, the event presence / absence determination means 15 also determines that a specific action by a resident has occurred and resets the timer 13 accordingly. By the way, TVOC is an abbreviation for total volatile organic compounds, which are organic compounds that become gases in the atmosphere due to their high volatility. Since TVOC is contained in odor components, a high TVOC concentration can be inferred to indicate the presence of an odor. For example, using perfume or air fresheners causes a sharp increase in TVOC concentration, and it also rises during meal preparation and eating. Conversely, opening a window or operating a ventilation fan causes a decrease in TVOC concentration. Therefore, by monitoring the rate of change in TVOC concentration, it is possible to determine whether or not specific actions (presence or absence of events) have occurred, such as the use of perfume or air fresheners by residents, the preparation or consumption of meals, the opening and closing of windows, or the operation of the ventilation fan switch.

[0031] Figure 10 is a graph showing the changes in TVOC concentration measured by the TVOC sensor 16 and the average value of the variance over the most recent 60 minutes (hereinafter referred to as "TVOC variance") over a certain day. The first vertical axis (left) represents concentration [ppm], the second vertical axis (right) represents TVOC variance, and the horizontal axis represents time. The thin line graph represents the change in TVOC concentration, and the thick line graph represents the change in TVOC variance. Focusing on the change in TVOC variance in Figure 10 (the graph of the thick lines), similar to Figure 8, a large change in TVOC concentration results in a high TVOC variance. The shaded area on the left represents the time when ventilation is taking place, and the TVOC concentration has decreased, resulting in a high TVOC variance. The shaded area on the right represents the time when the resident is out, and since there is no one in Room 2, the TVOC concentration does not change, and the TVOC variance is low. Subsequently, when the resident returns home and becomes occupying, the TVOC concentration increases, and the TVOC variance takes on a high value. Thus, by focusing on the parts where the TVOC variance value is large, it is possible to detect the actions of residents, such as during ventilation, absence, and presence in the room. While the rate of change in TVOC concentration can be monitored using appropriate methods, the TVOC variance value remains large regardless of whether the TVOC concentration decreases or increases, making data processing easier.

[0032] The following are examples of modifications of the monitoring device described in Examples 1 to 4. (1) In Examples 1 to 4, the behavior determination means 10 determined which of the following states the resident's behavior was: going out without ventilation, staying in the room without ventilation, or ventilating, based on the stored carbon dioxide concentration measurement value. However, the behavior determination means 10 may also be provided with timing data from the timer 13 and a measurement value fluctuation status determination means to determine whether the moving average difference of the CO2 sensor measurement value has been continuously increasing for a fourth predetermined time (e.g., 15 to 30 minutes) or longer, continuously decreasing for a fourth predetermined time or longer, or decreasing by 30% or more during a fifth predetermined time (e.g., 60 to 90 minutes) or less. Furthermore, the measurement value fluctuation status determination means may determine that if the moving average difference continues to increase for a fourth predetermined time or longer, it is determined that the person is in the room without ventilation; if the moving average difference continues to decrease for a fourth predetermined time or longer, it is determined that the person is out without ventilation; and if the moving average difference decreases by 30% or more within a fifth predetermined time or less, it is determined that the person is ventilating. This improves the accuracy of the action determination means 10 in determining the behavioral state of the residents.

[0033] (2) In Examples 1 to 4, the abnormal signal transmitting means 12 transmitted an abnormal signal to the management terminal when the abnormal behavior determination result from the abnormal behavior determination means 11 was abnormal. However, it is also possible to enable the abnormal behavior determination means 11 to receive information regarding the combination of light intensity determination result and behavior determination result, and to transmit information regarding that combination or information regarding the abnormal condition of the resident corresponding to that combination to the management terminal. (3) In Examples 3 and 4, similar to Example 2, the presence or absence of an abnormality and whether or not to reset was determined for each of (Case 1) to (Case 3) based on whether or not conditions 1 to 3 were met. However, in these examples, an event presence or absence determination means 15 is added to determine whether or not a specific action by a resident has occurred. Therefore, in the combination of (L1) artificial light and (A1) occupancy and (L2) natural light and (A1) occupancy in (Case 3), if the no-event state does not exceed condition 4: fourth predetermined time (7 to 10 hours), it may be changed to: no abnormality and no reset; if it exceeds the condition, an abnormality and a reset. (4) In Example 4, the event presence / absence determination means 15 determined whether or not a specific action by a resident occurred based on the measured values ​​of the illuminance sensor 7 and the TVOC sensor 16. However, it is also possible to determine whether or not a specific action by a resident occurred based solely on the measured value of the TVOC sensor 16. [Explanation of symbols]

[0034] 1. House 2. Room 3. Entrance 4. Window 5. Ventilation fan 6. Lighting device 7. Illuminance sensor 8 CO2 sensor 9 Light intensity determination means 10 Action determination means 11, 14 Abnormal behavior detection means 12 Abnormal signal transmission means 13 Timer 15. Means for determining the presence or absence of an event 16. TVOC sensor

Claims

1. An illuminance sensor for measuring the brightness of a room where an inhabitant lives, A CO2 sensor for measuring the carbon dioxide concentration in the aforementioned room, Based on the measured value of the illuminance sensor, a light intensity determination means determines whether the brightness of the room is in one of three states: with the lighting device on, with only natural light, or in a dark state. A behavior determination means that determines, based on the CO2 sensor readings, which of the following states the resident's behavior is being determined: being out without ventilation, being in the room without ventilation, or being ventilated. An abnormal behavior determination means determines whether the resident's behavior is abnormal or not based on a combination of the light intensity determination result from the light intensity determination means and the behavior determination result from the behavior determination means, An abnormality signal transmission means that transmits an abnormality signal when the abnormality determination result from the abnormality determination means is abnormal, The system includes a timer that starts timing prior to the determination by the light intensity determination means and the action determination means, and resets the timing according to the output of the determination result by the abnormal action determination means, The abnormal behavior detection means is If the light intensity determination result indicates that the lighting device is turned on, and the behavior determination result indicates that the person is outside without ventilation, and the timer has been set for a period of time less than the first predetermined time, then it is determined that there is no abnormality, and the timer is not reset. If the light intensity determination result indicates that the lighting device is turned on, and the behavior determination result indicates that the person is outside without ventilation, and the time measured by the timer exceeds the first predetermined time, then an abnormality is determined. If the light intensity determination result is a dark state, and the behavior determination result is a state of being present in the room without ventilation or with ventilation, and the time measured by the timer is within the second predetermined time, then it is determined that there is no abnormality, and the timer is not reset. If the light intensity determination result is a dark state, and the behavior determination result is a state of being present in the room without ventilation or with ventilation, and the time measured by the timer exceeds the second predetermined time, then an abnormality is determined. If the light intensity determination result indicates that the lighting device is on or that only natural light is present, and the behavior determination result indicates that the person is in the room without ventilation or with ventilation, and the timer has been set for a third predetermined time, then it is determined that there is no abnormality, and the timer is not reset. If the light intensity determination result indicates that the lighting device is on or that only natural light is present, and the behavior determination result indicates that the person is in the room without ventilation or with ventilation, and the time measured by the timer exceeds the third predetermined time, then an abnormality is determined. If the light intensity determination result indicates a state of natural light only or darkness, and the behavior determination result indicates a state of being outside without ventilation, then it is determined that there is no abnormality, and the timer is reset. The first predetermined time is 30 to 60 minutes, the second predetermined time is 5 to 15 hours, and the third predetermined time is 1 to 5 hours. A monitoring device characterized by the following features.

2. An illuminance sensor for measuring the brightness of a room where an inhabitant lives, A CO2 sensor for measuring the carbon dioxide concentration in the aforementioned room, Based on the measured value of the illuminance sensor, a light intensity determination means determines whether the brightness of the room is in one of three states: with the lighting device on, with only natural light, or in a dark state. A behavior determination means that determines, based on the CO2 sensor readings, which of the following states the resident's behavior is being determined: being out without ventilation, being in the room without ventilation, or being ventilated. An abnormal behavior determination means determines whether the resident's behavior is abnormal or not based on a combination of the light intensity determination result from the light intensity determination means and the behavior determination result from the behavior determination means, An abnormality signal transmission means that transmits an abnormality signal when the abnormality determination result from the abnormality determination means is abnormal, A timer that starts timing prior to the determination by the light intensity determination means and the action determination means, and resets the timing according to the output of the determination result by the abnormal action determination means, The system includes an event presence / absence determination means that determines whether or not a specific action by the resident occurred, based at least on the measured value of the illuminance sensor, The abnormal behavior determination means determines whether the resident's behavior is abnormal or not based on a combination of the light intensity determination result by the light intensity determination means, the behavior determination result by the behavior determination means, and the timing by the timer. The event determination means resets the timer when it determines that a specific action has been taken by the resident. The means for determining whether or not the event exists is, The illuminance sensor has a variance calculation means that calculates the variance of the measured values ​​over a certain period in the past for each measurement time. By utilizing the fact that the variance value is positive when the time of turning on or off the lighting device falls within the aforementioned fixed period, and zero when it does not, if the change in the variance value follows a pattern specific to when the lights are turned on or off, it is determined that a specific action by the resident occurred. If the change in the variance value does not follow the aforementioned specific pattern, it is determined that no specific action by the resident occurred. A monitoring device characterized by the following features.

3. An illuminance sensor for measuring the brightness of a room where an inhabitant lives, A CO2 sensor for measuring the carbon dioxide concentration in the aforementioned room, Based on the measured value of the illuminance sensor, a light intensity determination means determines whether the brightness of the room is in one of three states: with the lighting device on, with only natural light, or in a dark state. A behavior determination means that determines, based on the CO2 sensor readings, which of the following states the resident's behavior is being determined: being out without ventilation, being in the room without ventilation, or being ventilated. An abnormal behavior determination means determines whether the resident's behavior is abnormal or not based on a combination of the light intensity determination result from the light intensity determination means and the behavior determination result from the behavior determination means, The system includes an abnormality signal transmission means that transmits an abnormality signal when the abnormality determination result from the abnormality determination means indicates that there is an abnormality. The aforementioned action determination means is The aforementioned CO 2 The system includes a means for determining the status of changes in measured values, which determines whether the moving average difference of the sensor's measured values ​​has been continuously increasing for a fourth predetermined time or longer, continuously decreasing for a fourth predetermined time or longer, or decreasing by 30% or more within a fifth predetermined time or less. If the measurement value fluctuation determination means determines that the value has been continuously increasing for four predetermined hours or longer, it is determined that the person is in the room without ventilation; if it determines that the value has been continuously decreasing for four predetermined hours or longer, it is determined that the person is out without ventilation; and if it determines that the value has decreased by 30% or more within five predetermined hours or less, it is determined that the person is ventilating. The fourth predetermined time is 15 to 30 minutes, and the fifth predetermined time is 60 to 90 minutes. A monitoring device characterized by the following features.

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