Posture balance support system, its control device, control method, and program

Abstract

One embodiment of the present invention comprises: a sensor unit that measures the oscillation state of a body of an assistance subject or the oscillation state of a support for supporting the body; an electric stimulation presentation unit that imparts electric stimulation to a muscle portion relating to a postural balance of the assistance subject; and a control device that is connected to the sensor unit and to the electric stimulation presentation unit. The control device acquires measurement information of the oscillation state from the sensor unit, determines the magnitude of the oscillation state on the basis of the acquired measurement information, generates an electric stimulation control signal in which a determination result of the magnitude of the oscillation state is reflected in the strength of the electric stimulation, and supplies the generated electric stimulation control signal to the electric stimulation presentation unit to thereby generate the electric stimulation.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] One aspect of this invention relates to a system for assisting a person's posture balance, for example, and a control device, a control method, and a program used in this system.

Background Art

[0002] As muscle strength and the functions of sensory organs decline with aging, the posture balance function deteriorates, making it easier for posture to deteriorate and for falls to occur. Therefore, in order to prevent falls, a technology for assisting so that the posture balance is difficult to collapse is necessary. As a technology for assisting fall prevention, for example, as described in Non-Patent Document 1, a technology for realizing fall prevention by generating a rotational torque in the opposite direction to the collapse of the posture balance at the buttocks with a dedicated lower limb appliance is known.

Prior Art Documents

Non-Patent Documents

[0003]

Non-Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, in the method described in Non-Patent Document 1, since it is necessary to wear a lower limb appliance, it is a very large burden for the subject to manage the wearing of the appliance. Specifically, it takes time and effort to wear the appliance, and there is a problem that various movements in daily life are hindered by wearing the appliance.

[0005] This invention was made in view of the above circumstances, and aims to provide a technology that can reduce the burden on the person being supported by eliminating the need for large-scale orthotic devices, while also suppressing imbalances in posture. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] To solve the above problems, the first aspect of this invention relates to the body of the person to be supported or a support that supports the body. While attached to the body or support of the person receiving support during daily life. The state of agitation Continuously A sensor unit for taking measurements, and an electrical stimulation presentation unit that applies electrical stimulation to the muscle areas related to the postural balance of the person being supported, While attached to the body of the person receiving support, A posture balance support system comprising the sensor unit and a control device connected to the electrical stimulation presentation unit, wherein the control device provides the sensor unit The body or support of the person receiving support during daily life The measurement information of the aforementioned motion state is acquired, and the magnitude of the motion state is determined based on the acquired measurement information. Based on pre-set thresholds The determination is made based on the magnitude of the aforementioned swaying state. Depending The intensity of the electrical stimulation Controlled The system generates an electrical stimulation control signal and supplies the generated electrical stimulation control signal to the electrical stimulation presentation unit to generate the electrical stimulation.

[0007] According to a first aspect of this invention, when the body or support structure of the person being supported becomes unstable, the magnitude of the instability is determined, and an electrical stimulus of an intensity corresponding to the determination is applied to the muscle area related to the postural balance of the person being supported. The application of this electrical stimulus causes the person being supported to move in a way that stabilizes their postural balance, thereby suppressing deterioration of their posture. Furthermore, the person being supported only needs to wear an electrical stimulation display unit on their muscle area, eliminating the need to wear bulky orthoses such as lower limb braces. This eliminates the hassle and management of wearing orthoses, and also eliminates concerns that wearing orthoses may hinder various daily activities.

[0008] A second aspect of this invention is that the control device provides the sensor unit The body or support of the person receiving support during daily lifeThe system acquires measurement information on the state of motion and, based on the acquired measurement information, determines the degree of risk of the person being supported falling. Based on pre-set thresholds Determine, If the aforementioned risk level is determined to be equal to or greater than the aforementioned threshold, The result of the judgment Depending The intensity of the electrical stimulation Controlled The system generates an electrical stimulation control signal and supplies it to the electrical stimulation presentation unit to generate the electrical stimulation.

[0009] According to a second aspect of this invention, when the body or support structure of the person being supported becomes unstable, the degree of risk of falling is determined based on the state of instability, and an electrical stimulus of an intensity corresponding to the determination result is applied to the muscle area related to the postural balance of the person being supported. Therefore, for example, if the postural balance of the person being supported is disrupted and the degree of risk of falling increases, an electrical stimulus is applied to the muscles related to postural balance, causing the person's body to act to stabilize its postural balance. As a result, further disruption of postural balance is suppressed, and falls are prevented. Furthermore, the person being supported only needs to wear an electrical stimulation presenting unit on their muscle area, eliminating the need to wear large orthoses such as lower limb orthoses. This eliminates the hassle and management of wearing orthoses, and also eliminates concerns that wearing orthoses may hinder various daily activities. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] In other words, according to one aspect of this invention, it is possible to provide a technology that can reduce the burden on the person being assisted by eliminating the need for large-scale orthotic devices, while also suppressing imbalances in posture. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] Figure 1 shows an example of a posture balance support system according to an embodiment of this invention. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of a control device used in a posture balance support system according to the first embodiment of this invention. [Figure 3]FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the software configuration of a control device used in a posture balance support system according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing procedure and processing content of posture balance support control executed by the control unit of the control device shown in FIG. 3. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing an example of the software configuration of a control device used in a posture balance support system according to the second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing procedure and processing content of posture balance support control executed by the control unit of the control device shown in FIG. 5. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of changes in posture balance when electrical stimulation is applied, in comparison with the case where no electrical stimulation is applied.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0012] Hereinafter, embodiments according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0013] [One Embodiment] (Configuration Example) (1) System FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a posture balance support system according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0014] The posture balance support system according to the first embodiment includes a motion sensor SS1, an electrical stimulation presentation unit, and a control device SV connected to the motion sensor SS1 and the electrical stimulation presentation unit via, for example, a signal cable.

[0015] The sway sensor SS1 consists of an inertial sensor using, for example, an acceleration sensor or an angular velocity sensor, and is attached to the waist of the assisted person US. The sway sensor SS1 measures the sway value of the body of the assisted person US and outputs the measurement signal to the control device SV. Note that the sway sensor SS1 may be arranged on the support base or the floor surface on which the assisted person US stands, and measures the sway of the support base or the floor surface that affects the postural balance of the assisted person US.

[0016] The electrical stimulation presentation unit is composed of electrodes E1, E2 attached to the muscles related to the postural balance of the assisted person US, and an electrical stimulation generator ES that applies an electrical stimulation signal to these electrodes E1, E2. As the muscles to which the electrodes E1, E2 are attached, for example, the gastrocnemius muscles existing behind the knees of both legs are suitable.

[0017] The electrical stimulation generator ES generates an electrical stimulation signal according to the electrical stimulation control signal supplied from the control device SV. For example, by superimposing a stimulation frequency of 15 to 200 Hz on a reference frequency of several kHz to 20 kHz, a low-frequency stimulation signal suitable for pseudo muscle contraction is generated. Then, the electrical stimulation generator ES applies the low-frequency electrical stimulation signal to the electrodes E, E2, thereby applying electrical stimulation (EMS: Electrical Muscle Stimulation) to the gastrocnemius muscles behind the knees of both legs of the assisted person US to cause muscle contraction.

[0018] Note that the reference frequency, the stimulation frequency, and the signal intensity of the electrical stimulation signal can be arbitrarily controlled by the electrical stimulation control signal output from the control device SV, and are arbitrarily set according to the type of muscle to be stimulated and the nature of the muscle contraction reaction of each assisted person.

[0019] (2) Control device SV The control device SV consists of, for example, a small housing and is attached to the body of the assisted person US by a belt or the like. Note that the control device SV may be provided as a part of the functions of, for example, a smartphone or a wearable terminal.

[0020] Figures 2 and 3 are block diagrams showing examples of the hardware and software configurations of the control device 1, respectively.

[0021] The control device SV includes a control unit 1A that uses a hardware processor such as a Central Processing Unit (CPU), and a storage unit having a program storage unit 2 and a data storage unit 3, and an input / output interface (hereinafter referred to as I / F) unit 4 are connected to this control unit 1A via a bus 5.

[0022] The input / output I / F unit 4 includes, for example, a function to receive a motion measurement signal output from the motion sensor SS1 and convert it into digital data, a function to output an electrical stimulation control signal to the electrical stimulation generator ES, and a function to take in an operation signal input at an operation panel (not shown).

[0023] Furthermore, the input / output I / F unit 4 may be equipped with a communication interface function. By providing a communication interface function, it becomes possible to send and receive signals between the electrical stimulation generator ES and the motion sensor SS1 using a low-power wireless communication interface such as Bluetooth®, thereby further reducing the load on the movements of the person being supported, US.

[0024] The program storage unit 2 is configured, for example, by combining a non-volatile memory that can be written to and read at any time, such as an SSD (Solid State Drive), and a non-volatile memory such as a ROM (Read Only Memory), and stores middleware such as an OS (Operating System), as well as application programs necessary to execute various controls according to the first embodiment. Hereafter, the OS and each application program will be collectively referred to as a program.

[0025] The data storage unit 3 is, for example, a combination of a non-volatile memory such as an SSD that can be written to and read at any time, and a volatile memory such as RAM (Random Access Memory), as a storage medium. The storage area is provided with a motion measurement data storage unit 31 and a judgment threshold storage unit 32 as the main storage units necessary to carry out the first embodiment.

[0026] The motion measurement data storage unit 31 stores motion measurement data, which is obtained by digitizing the motion measurement signal output from the motion sensor SS1. The judgment threshold storage unit 32 stores judgment thresholds used to determine the motion state.

[0027] The control unit 1A includes a motion measurement data acquisition processing unit 11, a motion state determination processing unit 12, and an electrical stimulation control processing unit 13 as processing functions necessary to carry out the first embodiment. All of these processing units 11 to 13 are realized by causing the hardware processor of the control unit 1A to execute an application program stored in the program storage unit 2.

[0028] Furthermore, some or all of the above-mentioned processing units 11 to 13 may be implemented using hardware such as LSI (Large Scale Integration) or ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit).

[0029] The motion measurement data acquisition processing unit 11 acquires the motion measurement data, which is a digitized version of the motion measurement signal output from the motion sensor SS1, from the input / output I / F unit 4, and sequentially stores the acquired motion measurement data in the motion measurement data storage unit 31.

[0030] The motion state determination processing unit 12 reads motion measurement data from the motion measurement data storage unit 31 and compares this motion measurement data with a determination threshold stored in the determination threshold storage unit 32 to determine the motion state of the person being supported (US). An example of the motion state determination process is described in the operation example.

[0031] The electrical stimulation control processing unit 13 generates an electrical stimulation control signal that reflects the intensity of the oscillation state determination result in the oscillation state determination result, based on the oscillation state determination result by the oscillation state determination processing unit 12, and outputs the generated electrical stimulation control signal to the electrical stimulation generator ES from the input / output I / F unit 4. An example of the electrical stimulation control signal generation process will also be explained in the operation example.

[0032] (Example of operation) Next, we will explain an example of the operation of the posture balance support system configured as described above.

[0033] Figure 4 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing procedure and processing content of attitude balance support control performed by the control unit 1A of the control device SV.

[0034] (1) Acquisition of motion measurement data When an instruction to start support is input on an operation panel (not shown), the control unit 1A of the control device SV detects the input of the instruction to start support in step S10 and thereafter executes posture balance support control.

[0035] When the above support operation is initiated, the motion state of the body or support structure of the person being supported (US) is continuously measured by the motion sensor SS1, and a measurement signal of the motion state is output from the motion sensor SS1. This motion state measurement signal is received by the input / output I / F unit 4 of the control device SV, and is converted into motion measurement data by being digitized, for example, at a predetermined sampling rate.

[0036] In step S11, the control unit 1A first acquires the motion measurement data corresponding to the motion measurement signal output from the motion sensor SS1 from the input / output I / F unit 4 under the control of the motion measurement data acquisition processing unit 11, and stores the acquired motion measurement data in the motion measurement data storage unit 31.

[0037] (2) Determination of the state of agitation Next, in step S12, the control unit 1A reads the motion measurement data from the motion measurement data storage unit 31, for example, at regular intervals, under the control of the motion state determination processing unit 12. The motion state determination processing unit 12 then extracts a feature quantity representing the motion state of posture (for example, the average value of the amplitude) from the motion measurement data of the regular intervals that it has read, and compares the extracted feature quantity as the motion value with a determination threshold stored in the determination threshold storage unit 32. Then, in step S13, the motion state determination processing unit 12 determines whether the motion value is equal to or greater than the determination threshold and provides the determination result to the electrical stimulation control processing unit 13.

[0038] The above-mentioned motion state may also be determined by comparing the instantaneous value of the motion measurement data with a threshold value. Furthermore, although the above example described the case where only one threshold value is used, multiple threshold values ​​may also be used. Using multiple threshold values ​​makes it possible to determine the motion state in even more stages.

[0039] (3) Generation of electrical stimulation control signals Once the motion state determination processing unit 12 obtains a result for determining the motion state, the control unit 1A generates an electrical stimulation control signal under the control of the electrical stimulation control processing unit 13 as follows.

[0040] In other words, if the electrical stimulation control processing unit 13 determines that the oscillation value is equal to or greater than the threshold, in step S14 it sets the intensity of the electrical stimulation to a predetermined "specified value". At this time, the specified value is set to an electrical stimulation intensity that is appropriate for causing the person being supported (US) to make movements to maintain postural balance.

[0041] The above predetermined value may be set to a fixed value based on measurement data of the response characteristics to electrical stimulation in a typical person, or it may be set to an appropriate value for each supported person based on the results of measuring the response characteristics to electrical stimulation for each supported person (US).

[0042] On the other hand, if the above-mentioned oscillation value is determined to be below the judgment threshold, the electrical stimulation control processing unit 13 sets the intensity of the electrical stimulation to, for example, "0", that is, a value where no electrical stimulation is applied, in step S15.

[0043] The electrical stimulation control processing unit 13 then generates an electrical stimulation control signal, including a control value for generating the electrical stimulation intensity, according to the intensity value set in step S14 or step S15, in step S16. The electrical stimulation control processing unit 13 then outputs the generated electrical stimulation control signal from the input / output I / F unit 4 to the electrical stimulation generator ES.

[0044] As a result, the electrical stimulation generator ES generates an electrical stimulation signal with the intensity specified by the electrical stimulation control signal and applies it to electrodes E1 and E2, thereby applying electrical stimulation to the popliteus muscle area of ​​both legs of the person being supported (US).

[0045] The popliteus muscle is used for flexion of the knee joint. Therefore, when the above electrical stimulation is applied, the knee of the person being supported (US) unconsciously flexes, lowering their center of gravity, which stabilizes their posture in the event of a sudden loss of postural balance.

[0046] Furthermore, if the sway value is determined in multiple stages by multiple judgment thresholds, the electrical stimulation control processing unit 13 sets the intensity of the electrical stimulation corresponding to each of those stages. In this way, it becomes possible to control the intensity of the electrical stimulation in multiple stages according to the magnitude of the sway value, and as a result, it becomes possible to provide the person being supported with an electrical stimulation of appropriate strength according to the degree of postural imbalance.

[0047] (4) Termination of posture balance support control During the control operation described above, the control unit 1A monitors for input of an assistance termination instruction in step S17. If no assistance termination instruction is received, it returns to step S11 and repeatedly executes the posture balance assistance control according to steps S11 to S17. On the other hand, if an assistance termination instruction is received, it terminates the posture balance assistance control and returns to the standby state.

[0048] (Effects / Actions) As described above, in the first embodiment, the sway state of the person being supported (US) is measured, the sway value is determined based on the measurement data, and if the sway value is above a certain threshold, an electrical stimulus of a predetermined intensity is applied to the popliteus muscle of the person being supported (US).

[0049] Therefore, according to the first embodiment, even if the person being supported (US) is about to lose their postural balance, the application of the electrical stimulation causes the person's knees to flex unconsciously, lowering their center of gravity, thereby suppressing the loss of postural balance.

[0050] Figure 7 shows an example of the results of an experiment that verifies the degree of stability of postural balance by applying electrical stimulation when the floor surface is shaking (a state in which floor disturbance occurs).

[0051] In this example, electrodes were attached to the popliteus muscle behind the knees of both subjects, and these electrodes were connected to an electrical stimulation generator. The electrical stimulation intensity was pre-set to an intensity that could confirm knee flexion. The subjects stood upright on a floor disturbance device. After a certain period of time, a floor disturbance was generated 10 cm in front of them. The subjects were instructed to bend their knees and stabilize their posture as much as possible when the floor shook. The study investigated whether there was a difference in standing balance when electrical stimulation was applied to the popliteus muscle during floor disturbances, and when it was not. In this study, the sway value was defined as the position of the center of pressure measured by the floor disturbance device.

[0052] As shown in Figure 7, when electrical stimulation (EMS) was applied, the change in the position of the center of foot pressure was smaller when floor disturbances occurred (the area enclosed by the dashed line in Figure 7) compared to when electrical stimulation was not applied, and it was confirmed that there was less sway and postural balance was more stable.

[0053] In other words, according to the first embodiment, by using a simple configuration that only involves attaching electrodes to the popliteus muscle behind the knees of both legs, it becomes possible to effectively suppress imbalances in the postural balance of the person being supported (US).

[0054] [Second Embodiment] A second embodiment of this invention determines the degree of risk of the person being supported (US) falling based on measurement data of their swaying state, and sets the intensity of electrical stimulation based on the determination result.

[0055] (Example configuration) Figure 5 is a block diagram showing an example of the software configuration of a control device SV according to a second embodiment of the present invention. In this figure, the same reference numerals are used for parts identical to those in Figure 3, and detailed explanations are omitted. Furthermore, the hardware configuration is identical to that in Figure 2, and therefore its illustration and description are omitted.

[0056] The control unit 1B of the control device SV includes a fall risk determination processing unit 14 instead of the sway state determination processing unit 12 described in the first embodiment. The fall risk determination processing unit 14 is implemented by causing the hardware processor of the control unit 1B to execute an application program stored in the program storage unit 2, together with the sway measurement data acquisition processing unit 11 and the electrical stimulation control processing unit 13.

[0057] The fall risk determination processing unit 14 reads motion measurement data from the motion measurement data storage unit 31 and compares this motion measurement data with the determination threshold value for each person being supported stored in the determination threshold storage unit 32 to determine the motion state of the person being supported (US).

[0058] (Example of operation) Given this configuration, the control device SV according to the second embodiment operates as follows.

[0059] Figure 6 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing procedure and processing content of attitude balance support control performed by the control unit 1B of the control device SV.

[0060] (1) Acquisition of motion measurement data When an instruction to start support is input on an operation panel (not shown), the control unit 1B of the control device SV detects the input of the instruction to start support in step S20 and thereafter executes posture balance support control as follows.

[0061] In other words, in step S21, the control unit 1B first acquires motion measurement data corresponding to the motion measurement signal output from the motion sensor SS1 from the input / output I / F unit 4 under the control of the motion measurement data acquisition processing unit 11, and stores the acquired motion measurement data in the motion measurement data storage unit 31.

[0062] (2) Determining the degree of risk of falling Next, under the control of the fall risk determination processing unit 14, the control unit 1B first reads the motion measurement data from the motion measurement data storage unit 31, for example, in fixed intervals, in step S22. Then, in step S23, the fall risk determination processing unit 14 extracts feature quantities for determining the risk of falling from the motion measurement data of the fixed intervals that have been read, and compares the extracted feature quantities with the determination thresholds stored in the determination threshold storage unit 32.

[0063] For example, the fall risk determination processing unit 14 sets a time window of 100 msec as the above-mentioned fixed interval, reads the sway measurement data for each time window, and calculates the effective value (Root Mean Square) for the read sway measurement data. Then, it compares the calculated effective value with the determination threshold.

[0064] In this case, a threshold value pre-set for each supported person is used as the judgment threshold. For example, the effective value of the sway measurement when a risk of falling occurs while the supported person maintains an upright position on an unstable floor surface for a certain period of time is calculated, and this effective value is used as the judgment threshold.

[0065] The fall risk determination processing unit 14 determines in step S24 whether the feature quantity is above the determination threshold based on the comparison results in step S23, and provides the determination result to the electrical stimulation control processing unit 13.

[0066] In the above example, we described a case where one judgment threshold is set for each person receiving support (US). However, it is also possible to set multiple judgment thresholds for each individual person receiving support (US). Using multiple judgment thresholds makes it possible to determine the risk of falling in even more stages.

[0067] (3) Generation of electrical stimulation control signals Once the fall risk determination processing unit 14 obtains a fall risk determination result, the control unit 1B generates an electrical stimulation control signal under the control of the electrical stimulation control processing unit 13 as follows.

[0068] In other words, if the electrical stimulation control processing unit 13 determines that the feature quantity representing the risk of falling is above a judgment threshold, it sets the intensity of the electrical stimulation to a predetermined "specified value" in step S25. At this time, the specified value is set to an electrical stimulation intensity appropriate for preventing falls in the person being supported (US).

[0069] On the other hand, if the above feature quantity is determined to be below the judgment threshold, the electrical stimulation control processing unit 13 sets the intensity of the electrical stimulation to, for example, "0", that is, a value that does not apply electrical stimulation, in step S26.

[0070] Ideally, the above predetermined values ​​should be set to appropriate values ​​for each supported person based on the results of measuring their response characteristics to electrical stimulation. However, they may also be set to a fixed value based on measurement data of the response characteristics to electrical stimulation in a typical person.

[0071] The electrical stimulation control processing unit 13 then generates an electrical stimulation control signal in step S26, which includes a control value for generating the electrical stimulation intensity according to the intensity set in step S25 or step S26. The electrical stimulation control processing unit 13 then outputs the generated electrical stimulation control signal from the input / output I / F unit 4 to the electrical stimulation generator ES.

[0072] As a result, the electrical stimulation generator ES generates an electrical stimulation signal with the intensity specified by the electrical stimulation control signal and applies it to electrodes E1 and E2, thereby applying electrical stimulation to the popliteus muscle area of ​​both legs of the person being supported (US).

[0073] The popliteus muscle is used for flexion of the knee joint. Therefore, when the above electrical stimulation is applied, the knee of the person being supported (US) unconsciously flexes, lowering their center of gravity, which stabilizes their posture in the event of a sudden loss of postural balance.

[0074] Furthermore, if the sway value is determined in multiple stages by multiple judgment thresholds, the electrical stimulation control processing unit 13 sets the intensity of the electrical stimulation corresponding to each of those stages. In this way, it becomes possible to control the intensity of the electrical stimulation in multiple stages according to the degree of risk of falling, and it becomes possible to provide the person being supported with an electrical stimulation of an appropriate strength according to the degree of risk of falling.

[0075] (4) Termination of posture balance support control During the control operation described above, the control unit 1B monitors for input of an instruction to terminate support in step S28. If no instruction to terminate support is received, the unit returns to step S21 and repeatedly executes the posture balance support control according to steps S21 to S28. On the other hand, if an instruction to terminate support is received, the posture balance support control is terminated and the unit returns to the standby state.

[0076] (Effects / Actions) As described above, in the second embodiment, the swaying state of the person being supported (US) is measured, the risk of falling is determined based on the measurement data, and if it is determined that there is a risk of falling, an electrical stimulus of a predetermined intensity is generated and applied to the popliteus muscle located behind the knees of both legs of the person being supported (US).

[0077] Therefore, according to the second embodiment, when the person being supported (US) loses their postural balance and the risk of falling increases, applying electrical stimulation to the popliteus muscle causes the person being supported (US) to unconsciously flex their knee, lowering their center of gravity. This suppresses the loss of postural balance and prevents them from falling.

[0078] [Other embodiments] (1) As a motion sensor, a camera may be used instead of an inertial sensor to capture images of the posture of the person being supported (US) and obtain data representing the person's motion state from the images. Alternatively, a foot pressure sensor or force plate may be placed on the floor to measure the motion state of the person being supported (US), or the person being supported (US) may wear shoes with insole-type foot pressure sensors to measure the motion state.

[0079] (2) In addition to the popliteus muscle behind the knee, other muscles involved in knee flexion, such as the hamstrings, may be selected as the muscles to be stimulated by electrical stimulation, and electrical stimulation may be applied to one or both of these muscles simultaneously.

[0080] (3) Furthermore, in each of the above embodiments, the control device SV is fixed to the body of the person being supported US. However, the invention is not limited to this, and the control device SV may be placed on a LAN, the Web, or the cloud, and data transmission may be performed via the network between the control device SV and a smartphone or wearable device held by the person being supported US, thereby acquiring measurement data from the motion sensor and supplying electrical stimulation control signals to the electrical stimulation generator ES.

[0081] (4) In addition, the configuration of the control device, the processing procedure and the processing content can also be modified in various ways without departing from the spirit of this invention.

[0082] Although embodiments of this invention have been described in detail above, the above description is merely illustrative in all respects. It goes without saying that various improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of this invention. In other words, when implementing this invention, specific configurations may be adopted as appropriate depending on the embodiment.

[0083] In short, this invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and the components can be modified and implemented in practice without departing from the gist of the invention. Furthermore, various inventions can be formed by appropriately combining the multiple components disclosed in the embodiments described above. For example, some components may be deleted from all the components shown in the embodiments. Moreover, components from different embodiments may be appropriately combined. [Explanation of symbols]

[0084] US…Support recipients SV... Control device SS1... Motion sensor ES... Electrical stimulation generator E1,E2…electrode 1A, 1B... Control Units 2…Program memory 3…Data storage unit 4…Input / Output I / F section 5... Bus 11…Motion Measurement Data Acquisition Processing Unit 12... Motion State Determination Processing Unit 13…Electrical stimulation control unit 14…Fall risk determination processing unit 31... Motion measurement data storage unit 32... Judgment threshold storage unit

Claims

1. A sensor unit attached to the body of the person being supported or to a support that supports the body, which continuously measures the state of motion of the person being supported or the support during daily life, An electrical stimulation presentation unit that applies electrical stimulation to the muscle areas related to the postural balance of the person being supported, The control device, which is attached to the body of the person receiving support, is connected to the sensor unit and the electrical stimulation presentation unit. It is equipped with, The control device is A first processing unit acquires measurement information from the sensor unit regarding the state of motion of the body or support of the person being supported during daily life, A second processing unit that determines the magnitude of the sway based on the acquired measurement information and a preset threshold, A third processing unit generates an electrical stimulation control signal that controls the strength of the electrical stimulation according to the determination result of the magnitude of the oscillation state when the oscillation state is determined to be above the threshold, and supplies the generated electrical stimulation control signal to the electrical stimulation presentation unit to generate the electrical stimulation. A posture balance support system equipped with the following features.

2. A control device connected to a sensor unit that is attached to the body of the person being supported or to a support that supports the body, and that continuously measures the state of movement of the person being supported or the support during daily life, and an electrical stimulation presentation unit that applies electrical stimulation to the muscle areas related to the postural balance of the person being supported, A first processing unit, while attached to the body of the person being supported, continuously acquires measurement information of the motion state of the person being supported's body or support during daily life from the sensor unit, A second processing unit that determines the magnitude of the sway based on the acquired measurement information and a preset threshold, A third processing unit generates an electrical stimulation control signal that controls the strength of the electrical stimulation according to the determination result of the magnitude of the oscillation state when the oscillation state is determined to be above the threshold, and supplies the generated electrical stimulation control signal to the electrical stimulation presentation unit to generate the electrical stimulation. A control device equipped with the following features.

3. A sensor unit attached to the body of the person being supported or to a support that supports the body, which continuously measures the state of motion of the person being supported or the support during daily life, An electrical stimulation presentation unit that applies electrical stimulation to the muscle areas related to the postural balance of the person being supported, The control device, which is attached to the body of the person receiving support, is connected to the sensor unit and the electrical stimulation presentation unit. It is equipped with, The control device is A first processing unit acquires measurement information from the sensor unit regarding the state of motion of the body or support of the person being supported during daily life, A second processing unit determines the degree of risk of the person being supported falling based on the acquired measurement information, using a preset threshold; A third processing unit generates an electrical stimulation control signal that controls the strength of the electrical stimulation according to the determination result of the risk of falling, when the degree of risk of falling is determined to be above the threshold, and supplies the generated electrical stimulation control signal to the electrical stimulation presentation unit to generate the electrical stimulation. A posture balance support system equipped with the following features.

4. A control device connected to a sensor unit that is attached to the body of the person being supported or to a support that supports the body, and that continuously measures the state of movement of the person being supported or the support during daily life, and an electrical stimulation presentation unit that applies electrical stimulation to the muscle areas related to the postural balance of the person being supported, The control device is attached to the body of the person being supported, A first processing unit acquires measurement information from the sensor unit regarding the state of motion of the body or support of the person being supported during daily life, A second processing unit determines the degree of risk of the person being supported falling based on the acquired measurement information, using a preset threshold; A third processing unit generates an electrical stimulation control signal that controls the strength of the electrical stimulation according to the determination result of the risk of falling, when the degree of risk of falling is determined to be above the threshold, and supplies the generated electrical stimulation control signal to the electrical stimulation presentation unit to generate the electrical stimulation. A control device equipped with the following features.

5. The posture balance support system according to claim 1 or 3, wherein the electrical stimulation presentation unit comprises an electrode attached to the popliteus muscle area behind the knee of the person to be supported, and an electrical stimulation generating unit that applies an electrical stimulation signal to the electrode.

6. A control method performed by a control device connected to a sensor unit that is attached to the body of a person to be supported or a support unit that supports the body, and which continuously measures the state of sway of the body of the person to be supported or the support unit that supports the body during daily life, and which applies electrical stimulation to the muscle area that controls the postural balance of the person to be supported, The process of acquiring measurement information of the motion state from the sensor unit while it is attached to the body of the person being supported, A process of determining the magnitude of the sway based on the acquired measurement information and a predetermined threshold, If the oscillation state is determined to be above the threshold, an electrical stimulation control signal is generated that controls the strength of the electrical stimulation according to the determination result of the magnitude of the oscillation state, and the generated electrical stimulation control signal is supplied to the electrical stimulation presentation unit to generate the electrical stimulation. A control method comprising the following features.

7. A control method performed by a control device connected to a sensor unit that is attached to the body of the person to be supported or to a support that supports the body, and which continuously measures the state of movement of the body or support during daily life, and an electrical stimulation presentation unit that applies electrical stimulation to the muscle area that controls the postural balance of the person to be supported, A first processing unit that, while attached to the body of the person being supported, acquires measurement information of the motion state from the sensor unit, A second processing unit determines the degree of risk of the person being supported falling based on the acquired measurement information, using a preset threshold; A third processing unit generates an electrical stimulation control signal that controls the strength of the electrical stimulation according to the determination result of the risk level of falling, and supplies the generated electrical stimulation control signal to the electrical stimulation presentation unit to generate the electrical stimulation when the risk level is determined to be above the threshold, and A control method comprising the following features.

8. A program that causes a processor in the control device to perform processing performed by the first to third processing units in the control device according to claim 2 or claim 4.

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