Information processing device, program, and design selection method

Abstract

To provide an information processing device, a program, a nail system, and a nail design selection method which make it possible to present nail designs which are more suitable for physical and mental conditions of a user.SOLUTION: A printer 1 includes a controller 110 which acquires blood flow-associated biological information and determines nail designs to be presented to a user on the basis of the acquired biological information.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 14

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus, a program , and and a zine selection method.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a nail printer that can apply a nail design such as a color or pattern selected by a user to fingernails is known. Patent Document 1 describes this type of technology. Patent Document 1 describes a technology of a nail printer capable of ejecting droplets such as ink with high accuracy without trial painting.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Conventional nail printers as described in Patent Document 1 present a predetermined nail design to the user. Nails have effects such as calming the user's mood and improving motivation. There is room for improvement in terms of presenting nail designs based on the user's mental and physical state.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of such a situation, and an information processing apparatus, a program Ta De that can present a zine more suitable according to the user's mental and physical state , and and a zine selection method are provided.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] To achieve the above objective, an information processing device according to one aspect of the present invention acquires biological information related to blood flow, and determines at least one of the user's tension state, the state of heart rate regulation function, and the state of high or low blood pressure based on the acquired biological information, and presents the determination result to the user. nails It is characterized by having a processing unit that determines the design. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an information processing device, a program, a nail system, and a method for selecting a nail design that is more suitable for the user's physical and mental state. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is a diagram showing the configuration of a nail printing system according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of a printing apparatus relating to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] This is a configuration diagram showing the configuration of the printing unit in one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] This is a functional block diagram showing the functional configuration for performing a printing process among the functional configurations of a printing apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] A block diagram showing the hardware configuration of a user terminal relating to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] This is a functional block diagram showing the functional configuration of a user terminal according to one embodiment of the present invention, specifically the functional configuration for performing a print operation. [Figure 7] This is a schematic diagram illustrating the measurement area set on the skin of the finger. [Figure 8] This is a schematic diagram illustrating how pulse wave information is obtained from the brightness values ​​of pixels within the measurement area. [Figure 9] This is a schematic diagram illustrating the process of calculating biological information from pulse wave data. [Figure 10]It is a table that summarizes possible biometric information, determination thresholds corresponding to the biometric information, design selections presented to the user, and psychosomatic state estimation results. [Figure 11] It is a schematic diagram showing a selection screen of the presented nail design. [Figure 12] It is a graph showing an example of a Lorenz plot calculated from pulse wave information. [Figure 13] It is a flowchart for explaining the flow of processing executed by a printing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 14] It is a flowchart for explaining the flow of processing executed by a printing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 15] It is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of a printing apparatus according to a first modification example of the present invention. [Figure 16] It is a configuration diagram showing the configuration of a printing unit according to a first modification example of the present invention. [Figure 17] It is a functional block diagram showing a functional configuration for executing printing processing among the functional configurations of a printing apparatus according to a first modification example of the present invention. [Figure 18] It is an explanatory diagram for explaining the difference in pulse wave measurement results depending on the presence or absence of cuff compression. [Figure 19] It is a flowchart for explaining a part of the flow of processing executed by a printing apparatus according to a first modification example of the present invention. [Figure 20] It is a flowchart for explaining a part of the flow of processing executed by a printing apparatus according to a second modification example of the present invention. [Figure 21] It is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a nail print system according to a third modification example of the present invention.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0010] [Overview of Embodiment] <Nail Print System> Figure 1 is a configuration diagram showing the overall configuration of the nail print system S, which includes the printing device 1 according to this embodiment. As shown in Figure 1, the nail print system S includes multiple printing devices 1, user terminals 2 which are tablet terminals corresponding to each printing device 1, a network 3, and a group of servers 4.

[0011] Printing device 1 is a nail printer that prints nail designs such as colors, patterns, and designs onto the user's nails. There is no particular limit to the number of printing devices 1; the nail printing system S may include n printing devices 1 (where n is any natural number). In the following description, when describing n printing devices 1 without distinguishing between them, the letter at the end of the designation will be omitted, and they will simply be referred to as "printing device 1".

[0012] The printing device 1 in this embodiment measures the user's blood flow fluctuations from the video and allows the user to select a nail design based on the measurement results. The printing device 1 prints the user's selected nail design onto the user's nails. The printing device 1 is electrically connected to the user terminal 2 via wired or wireless communication and transmits and receives various types of information. The user terminal 2 is also connected to each server included in the server group 4 via the network 3, enabling them to communicate with each other.

[0013] Network 3 is implemented by a network that is one or a combination of the following: the Internet, a LAN (Local Area Network), or a mobile phone network.

[0014] Server group 4 includes various servers that cooperate with the printing device 1. For example, server group 4 includes an authentication server for authenticating users of the printing device 1. Also, for example, server group 4 includes a nail design registration and distribution server where nail design data for download by user terminal 2 is registered. Furthermore, server group 4 includes a measurement data storage server that stores user profile information. User profile information includes information such as user settings and the user's usage history of the printing device 1.

[0015] Nail design refers to designs applied to a user's fingernails. For example, designs such as colors, patterns, designs of characters, etc., are applied to the nails. Nail design is not only artistic, but depending on the impression it makes, it can have a positive effect on the mental well-being of the person who receives it, such as reducing stress or improving motivation.

[0016] Note that the nail printing system S shown in Figure 1 is merely an example, and the server group 4 may include servers with other functions. Furthermore, the multiple servers included in the server group 4 may be implemented as separate server devices, or they may be implemented as a single server device.

[0017] <Printing device> Figure 2 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of a printing apparatus 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 2, the printing apparatus 1 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 11 which is a processor, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 12, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 13, a bus 14, an input / output interface 15, an imaging unit 16, an input unit 17, an output unit 18, a storage unit 19, a communication unit 20, a drive 21, a power supply unit 22, a printing unit 32, and a pulse wave analysis unit 33.

[0018] The CPU 11 executes various processes according to the program recorded in the ROM 12 or the program loaded from the storage unit 19 into the RAM 13.

[0019] RAM13 also stores data and other information necessary for the CPU11 to perform various processes.

[0020] The CPU 11, ROM 12, and RAM 13 are interconnected via a bus 14. An input / output interface 15 is also connected to this bus 14. The imaging unit 16, input unit 17, output unit 18, storage unit 19, communication unit 20, drive 21, power supply unit 22, printing unit 32, and pulse wave analysis unit 33 are connected to the input / output interface 15.

[0021] As shown in Figure 3, the imaging unit 16 includes a camera 16a equipped with an optical lens unit and an image sensor, and an illumination unit 16b provided inside a housing 32a (described later) that illuminates the inside of the housing 32a. The optical lens unit consists of lenses that focus light to capture an image of a subject, such as a focus lens or a zoom lens. The focus lens is a lens that forms an image of the subject on the light-receiving surface of the image sensor. The zoom lens is a lens that freely changes the focal length within a certain range. The imaging unit 16 is also provided with peripheral circuits that adjust setting parameters such as focus, exposure, and white balance as needed.

[0022] The image sensor consists of a photoelectric conversion element and an AFE (Analog Front End), etc. The photoelectric conversion element is, for example, a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) type photoelectric conversion element. The subject image is incident on the photoelectric conversion element from the optical lens section. The photoelectric conversion element then photoelectrically converts (images) the subject image and stores the image signal for a certain period of time, and sequentially supplies the stored image signal as an analog signal to the AFE. The AFE performs various signal processing on this analog image signal, such as A / D (Analog / Digital) conversion processing. A digital signal is generated by the various signal processing and output as the output signal of the imaging unit 16. Such an output signal from the imaging unit 16 is supplied to the CPU 11, etc., as appropriate. The illumination 16b is composed of, for example, an LED.

[0023] The input unit 17 consists of various buttons, a microphone, etc., and inputs various information in response to user instructions and voice commands.

[0024] The output unit 18 consists of a liquid crystal display or the like, and outputs images and videos corresponding to the image data and video data output by the CPU 11.

[0025] The memory unit 19 is composed of semiconductor memory such as DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory) and stores various types of data.

[0026] The communication unit 20 controls communication so that the CPU 11 can communicate with other devices (for example, each server included in the server group 4) via the network 3.

[0027] The drive 21 is configured with an interface to which removable media 100 can be attached. Removable media 100, which may consist of a magnetic disk, optical disk, magneto-optical disk, or semiconductor memory, can be attached to the drive 21 as appropriate. Various programs, image data, video data, and other types of data may be stored on the removable media 100. Furthermore, programs, image data, video data, and other types of data read from the removable media 100 by the drive 21 may be installed in the storage unit 19 as needed.

[0028] The power supply unit 22 is configured to supply power to each part of the printing device 1 by being connected to an external power supply.

[0029] The printing unit 32 is capable of printing nail designs onto the user's fingernails. As shown in Figure 3, the printing unit 32 includes a finger rest 32b for placing the user's finger 5, a sensor (not shown) for detecting the finger 5 placed on the finger rest 32b, a nail design printing unit (not shown) for printing nail designs onto the nail 5a, and a housing 32a that covers the finger rest 32b, the sensor, and the nail design printing unit. In other words, in the printing device 1 of this embodiment, the nail design printing unit prints nail designs onto the nail 5a of the finger 5 placed on the finger rest 32b.

[0030] In this embodiment, the printing apparatus 1 recognizes the finger 5 placed on the finger rest 32b using a sensor. However, the printing apparatus 1 may also recognize the finger 5 based on an image captured by the camera 16a of the imaging unit 16, rather than using a sensor. For example, the printing apparatus 1 may recognize the finger 5 by detecting its skin tone in the captured image.

[0031] The pulse wave analysis unit 33 has a pulse wave analysis circuit capable of calculating pulse wave information by analyzing images of the user's skin, etc. For example, when the pulse wave analysis unit 33 receives images captured by the imaging unit 16, it calculates various biological information, which will be described later, via the pulse wave analysis circuit. In this embodiment, the image processing unit 111 of the control unit 110, which will be described later, analyzes the images and calculates pulse wave information and various biological information, but the pulse wave analysis unit 33 may also calculate them.

[0032] Furthermore, the printing device 1 may be equipped with other hardware in addition to the hardware described above. For example, the printing device 1 may further be equipped with an output unit consisting of a lamp, a speaker, or a vibration motor, which outputs light, sound, or vibration signals.

[0033] Figure 4 is a functional block diagram showing the functional configuration of the printing device 1 in Figure 2, specifically the configuration for performing the printing process. The printing process refers to a series of processes in which the printing device 1 displays measurement results based on changes in biometric information acquired from the user.

[0034] First, let's describe the storage unit 19 that stores various types of information. The storage unit 19 stores various data related to guidance in screen display processing, information for performing measurements, information for displaying measurement results, information indicating measurement results, information related to nail designs, history of printed nail designs, information related to printing processes, etc. Note that the above types of data may be stored only in the storage unit 19, but they may also be appropriately stored on the removable media 100 by the drive 21. Furthermore, each type of information may also be appropriately stored on the measurement data storage server included in the server group 4.

[0035] Next, we will describe each functional block that performs the printing process. As shown in Figure 4, the control unit 110 of this embodiment includes a video processing unit (video processing function) 111, an output processing unit (output processing function) 112, an input processing unit (input processing function) 113, a data processing unit (data processing function) 114, a determination processing unit (determination processing function) 115, a communication processing unit (communication processing function) 116, and a printing processing unit (printing processing function) 117.

[0036] The video processing unit 111 acquires information about the user (hereinafter referred to as "subject information") by analyzing the video, which includes the user as the subject, captured by the imaging unit 16. Subject information includes, for example, the color of each part of the user's body, such as the fingers 5 in the user's video, and biometric information (sometimes called vital data) that indicates the user's state. Since the measurement is performed by analyzing the information (video) acquired by the imaging unit 16, biometric information can be acquired sequentially without contacting the user. The specific analysis of video data by the video processing unit 111 will be described later. In addition, when the video processing unit 111 outputs the acquired biometric information, it outputs the biometric information to at least the storage unit 19. As a result, the storage unit 19 stores a history of the acquired biometric information.

[0037] The output processing unit 112 controls the display of moving images as display images on the screen of the output unit 18. This allows for the dynamic visualization and easy-to-understand display of the progress of pulse wave measurement, etc. The output processing unit 112 also performs synthesis processing, such as combining guide images, measurement data, and nail designs. For example, the output processing unit 112 controls the display of a composite image, such as the one shown in Figure 9, which combines the user's finger 5 with an image showing the measurement results (such as a measurement result table or graph), or a preview image, which combines the user's finger 5 with a nail design image.

[0038] Furthermore, the input processing unit 113 executes a process to accept user operations entered into the input unit 17. For example, the input processing unit 113 accepts a user operation to start the printing process from the input unit 17 and inputs it to the printing processing unit 117.

[0039] The data processing unit 114 performs processing to print nail designs based on biometric information. For example, the data processing unit 114 acquires biometric information calculated by the image processing unit 111. The data processing unit 114 outputs the acquired biometric information to the communication processing unit 116, which then transmits it to the user terminal via the communication unit 20. The data processing unit 114 also acquires information about the nail design transmitted from the user terminal 2 and outputs a print command signal to the printing unit 32.

[0040] The judgment processing unit 115 makes various judgments in the printing process based on various thresholds stored in the storage unit 19. For example, the judgment processing unit 115 makes a judgment by comparing the biological information calculated by the image processing unit 111 with a predetermined threshold, and outputs the judgment result to the data processing unit 114.

[0041] The communication processing unit 116 performs processing for communication with external devices. For example, it communicates with the authentication server included in server group 4. This authenticates the user performing the printing process. The communication processing unit 116 also updates the user's profile information for the printing process by communicating with the measurement data storage server included in server group 4.

[0042] The printing processing unit 117 performs processing to control the operation of the printing unit 32 of the printing device 1. For example, when the printing processing unit 117 receives a printing start command from the control unit 110, it causes the printing unit 32 to print the nail design onto the user's fingernail 5a.

[0043] <User terminal> Next, an example of user terminal 2 will be described using Figure 5. Figure 5 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of user terminal 2 according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0044] The user terminal 2 of this embodiment is a computer comprising a CPU 51, ROM 52, RAM 53, bus 54, input / output interface 55, input unit 56, output unit 57, storage unit 58, communication unit 59, and battery 60. Note that components common to or similar to those already described may be given the same names, and detailed explanations may be omitted.

[0045] Next, the functional configuration of the user terminal 2 will be described. Figure 6 is a functional block diagram showing a part of the functional configuration of the user terminal 2 according to this embodiment.

[0046] The control unit 70, which performs various controls on the user terminal 2, is implemented by a CPU 51 that performs calculation processing. The control unit 70 in this embodiment includes a communication processing unit (communication processing function) 71, an output processing unit (output processing function) 72, an input processing unit (input processing function) 73, and a print management unit (print management function) 74.

[0047] The communication processing unit 71 performs processing to exchange various information with the server group 4 via the communication unit 59. The communication processing unit 71 also performs processing to exchange various information with the printing device 1 via the communication unit 59.

[0048] The output processing unit 72 executes processing to display an image on the screen of the output unit 57. For example, when the communication processing unit 71 acquires biometric information transmitted from the printing device 1, the output processing unit 72 performs processing to display the biometric information on the screen of the output unit 57, according to a command from the communication processing unit 71. Also, when the communication processing unit 71 acquires nail design selection information transmitted from the nail design registration distribution server of the server group 4 (described later), the output processing unit 72 executes processing to display the nail design selection information on the screen of the output unit 57, according to a command from the communication processing unit 71.

[0049] The input processing unit 73 executes a process to accept user operations entered into the input unit 56. For example, in the case of a touch panel, the input processing unit 73 accepts the information displayed on the output unit 57 as input and sends a command to the output processing unit 72 to execute a process such as switching the information displayed on the screen of the output unit 57.

[0050] The print management unit 74 transmits and receives information regarding the printing process with the printing device 1 via the communication unit 59. For example, when the print management unit 74 receives input from the user to start printing, it outputs a command to start printing to the communication processing unit 71, causing the printing device 1 to start the printing process via the communication unit 59.

[0051] [Analysis of video data] Next, the analysis of video data in the printing device 1 will be explained using Figures 7 to 9. Figure 7 is a schematic diagram showing the finger 5 placed on the finger rest 32b in Figure 3, and the region of interest (ROI) set as the measurement area in the skin region of the finger. Figure 8 is a schematic diagram to explain how the brightness values ​​of pixels within the region of interest (ROI) are calculated and the acquired pulse wave waveform is displayed. The thin lines show the original pulse wave waveform, and the thick lines show the pulse wave waveform after band-pass filtering. Figure 9 is a schematic diagram to explain how biological information is calculated from the measured pulse wave information. First, the acquisition of video data to be analyzed by the video processing unit 111 will be explained using Figure 7.

[0052] The video processing unit 111 recognizes the contours, position, and skin areas of the fingers by performing tracking-related processes such as contour and part pattern matching and skin color recognition, and detects predetermined parts of the fingers. For example, it detects the contours and position of the fingers from the user video in the video, and automatically recognizes the finger areas. The video processing unit 111 then detects the condition of the detected parts, such as the skin color. Also, as shown in Figure 7, the video processing unit 111 sets a region of interest (ROI) indicated by a dashed frame on the side of the fingernail 5a of the finger 5 that is closer to the base.

[0053] In this embodiment, the region of interest (ROI) is set on the skin area other than the nail 5a. This is because a white base coat for position recognition is applied to the nail 5a, making pulse wave measurement impossible. If the nail 5a is not coated with a base coat, the ROI may be set on the nail 5a. In this embodiment, the ROI is set within a predetermined range. However, the ROI does not have to be within a predetermined range. For example, the control unit 110 may automatically recognize the skin area from the skin color in the video and automatically set the range in which the ROI is maximized.

[0054] The video processing unit 111 extracts pulse waves from video by utilizing the property that hemoglobin in the blood absorbs green light well, thereby acquiring biological information related to blood flow, such as pulse rate and pulse wave. The wavelength of the green signal is generally said to be 495-570 nm, and the absorption coefficient of hemoglobin is high around 500-600 nm. When blood flow increases, the amount of blood on the skin surface increases, and the amount of hemoglobin per unit time increases, so more green signals are absorbed by hemoglobin compared to before the blood flow increased. Therefore, the brightness of the green signal detected when blood flow increases decreases. When the image sensor of the imaging unit 16 converts light to brightness, RGB filters are placed in front of the image sensor, and the brightness value of each RGB pixel is calculated. In this case, the light that has passed through the green filter becomes the brightness value. Even if the sensitivity of the image sensor is not flat with respect to wavelength, the wavelength band can be narrowed to some extent by the above-mentioned filters, so the green signal can be detected with good accuracy.

[0055] As shown in Figure 8, the video processing unit 111 acquires pulse wave information based on the brightness information contained in the video information of the body in the video within the region of interest (ROI). More specifically, the video processing unit 111 acquires the brightness of the green signal at each unit time and acquires pulse wave information from the time change in the brightness of the green signal. The unit time is, for example, the frame rate of the video, and the brightness of the green signal can be acquired for each temporally consecutive image that makes up the video.

[0056] Furthermore, the video processing unit 111 may also acquire brightness for the red signal at unit time intervals and calculate pulse wave information by subtracting it from the green signal acquired at unit time intervals. The video processing unit 111 can acquire pulse wave information from the time change in brightness obtained by subtracting the brightness of the red signal from the brightness of the green signal, thereby increasing the accuracy of the pulse wave information. In this embodiment, the operation from the imaging unit 16 to image the target part of the user's body to the operation to acquire the brightness of the green signal is described as pulse wave measurement.

[0057] Furthermore, pulse wave information includes amplitude PA. The waveform shown by the thick line in Figure 8 is the waveform obtained by applying a band-pass filter to the original pulse wave waveform to extract the amplitude component. The pulse wave analyzed from the video shows a periodic waveform that falls within a certain amplitude PA range. This pulse wave amplitude PA represents the difference between the adjacent maximum and minimum values ​​of the pulse wave waveform. In other words, amplitude PA represents the difference between the maximum and minimum values ​​of the green signal brightness.

[0058] Furthermore, it is preferable that the range for acquiring the amplitude PA be a region where there are no abnormal values ​​and the amplitude is stable. For example, if an abnormal value exceeding a preset threshold is detected, pulse wave information is acquired in a way that excludes the abnormal value. Alternatively, a message may be displayed indicating that the image could not be properly acquired during imaging, and re-imaging may be performed to acquire appropriate pulse wave information. Alternatively, the pulse wave acquired after a predetermined time has elapsed from the start of imaging may be used to calculate the amplitude. Alternatively, the amplitude may be calculated by removing abnormal values ​​from the pulse wave acquired within a predetermined time. Thus, various methods can be applied to calculate the amplitude.

[0059] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 9, the video processing unit 111 according to this embodiment can calculate various biological information, which will be described later, by performing frequency analysis, time-domain analysis, etc., on the pulse wave acquired by video analysis. In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 10, it is possible to calculate physical and mental biological information such as LF / HF, SD (standard deviation) of FFI, rate of change of variation of Lorentz plot, rate of change of pulse rate, rate of change of PA, rate of change of baseline, CVRR, and strain time. Details of each biological information will be described later.

[0060] Furthermore, in the printing apparatus 1 according to this embodiment, various biological information can be used as indicators and compared with thresholds shown in Figure 10 to estimate four items of mental and physical state, as shown in Figure 10. Figure 10 is a table summarizing the biological information that the printing apparatus 1 according to this embodiment can calculate, the judgment thresholds corresponding to the biological information, and the design selection and mental and physical state estimation results presented to the user corresponding to the judgment results.

[0061] For example, as shown in Figure 10, the LF / HF ratio, the SD (standard deviation) of FFI, the rate of change in the variability of the Lorentz plot, and the rate of change in pulse rate can be used to estimate whether the user's mental and physical state is tense or relaxed. Furthermore, the rate of change in PA and the rate of change in baseline can be used to estimate the quality of the user's blood circulation. Additionally, CVRR and strain time can be used to estimate the quality of the user's heart rate regulation function and the level of their blood pressure, respectively. Note that the thresholds shown in Figure 10 are merely examples, and the values ​​and conditions can be changed as appropriate.

[0062] Furthermore, the printing apparatus 1 according to this embodiment can present nail designs as shown in Figure 11 using three guidelines based on the estimated mental and physical state of the user. The three guidelines are: a guideline that shows the user's mental and physical state through the nail design; a guideline that shows a nail design that balances the user's mental and physical state; and a guideline that shows a nail design that has a health-promoting effect.

[0063] For example, in a guideline that uses nail designs to indicate a user's mental and physical state, if the user's mental and physical state is estimated to be tense, the printing device 1 will present a bright-colored nail design that expresses tension. Conversely, if the user's mental and physical state is estimated to be relaxed, the printing device 1 will present a calm-colored nail design. In this embodiment, nail designs are mainly described by color, but patterns, designs, and decorations may also be changed to match the estimated mental and physical state.

[0064] Furthermore, in the guidelines for nail designs that balance the user's mental and physical state, if the user's mental and physical state is estimated to be tense, the printing device 1 will present a nail design with calming colors that will alleviate tension. Conversely, if the user's mental and physical state is estimated to be relaxed, the printing device 1 will present a nail design with bright colors that will boost motivation.

[0065] Furthermore, in the guidelines for displaying nail designs that promote health, if the user is estimated to have high blood pressure fluctuations, the printer 1 will display a nail design with subdued colors. Conversely, if the user is estimated to have low blood pressure fluctuations, the printer 1 will display a nail design with bright colors.

[0066] Furthermore, the printing device 1 can estimate the user's physical and mental state using a single indicator and make a design decision to present to the user. However, the printing device 1 may also estimate the physical and mental state by combining multiple indicators and make a design decision. For example, the printing device 1 may estimate the physical and mental state for four items: relaxation / tension tendency, blood circulation, heart rate regulation function, and blood pressure, and then determine the results by majority vote or other means. Alternatively, the printing device 1 may select any one of the items to be used for determination instead of using majority vote.

[0067] Furthermore, items suitable for the processing capacity (resources) of the system being implemented may be selected and determined. For example, in a printing device with limited processing capacity, indicators that place a heavy load on calculations may be avoided. In this embodiment, the indicators used for determination are set in advance, but the indicators used for determination may also be set to be selected by the user.

[0068] In this embodiment, the user can pre-set which guideline to use to present the nail design. In the printing process according to this embodiment, described later, a guideline is selected that represents the user's physical and mental state through the nail design. The design guideline for the physical and mental state is not limited to the three mentioned above; one of the three may be used, or a guideline other than the three mentioned above may be used. Furthermore, the design guideline for the physical and mental state may be fixed and not selected by the user.

[0069] Next, we will explain each piece of biometric information in detail. First, LF / HF is an indicator that shows the fluctuations in the interval between pulses of the pulse wave and indicates the tendency of the autonomic nervous system. LF / HF is calculated using frequency analysis, etc. The higher the LF / HF value, the more likely the printer 1 is to determine that the user is tense. Conversely, the lower the LF / HF value, the more likely the printer 1 is to determine that the user is relaxed.

[0070] Next, we will explain the standard deviation of the FFI (Foot to Foot Interval). FFI indicates the time interval between the bottom peaks of the pulse wave waveform, and the standard deviation of FFI is an indicator of the degree of variability in the intervals of the pulse wave waveform. The smaller the standard deviation of FFI, the more likely the printer 1 is to determine that the user is tense. Conversely, the larger the standard deviation of FFI, the more likely the printer 1 is to determine that the user is relaxed.

[0071] Next, we will explain the rate of change in variability of a Lorentz plot using Figure 12. The rate of change in variability of a Lorentz plot is an indicator of the tendencies of the autonomic nervous system. The rate of change in variability of a Lorentz plot is calculated as follows. First, let's explain the Lorentz plot. A Lorentz plot is a graph in which the interval between adjacent pulse waves of two consecutive pulse waves is plotted with one on the horizontal axis and the other on the vertical axis, allowing us to see the variability of the pulse wave interval.

[0072] For example, if we focus on a certain k-th pulse wave, we plot the interval between the k-th pulse wave and the subsequent (k+1)-th pulse wave, corresponding to the vertical and horizontal axes of the graph. An example of such a plot is shown in Figure 12. The smaller the fluctuation in the interval between consecutive pulse waves, the more the points cluster in the center. Conversely, the larger the fluctuation in the interval between consecutive pulse waves, the more the points are dispersed around the periphery.

[0073] Here, we will explain the variability of the Lorentz plots. First, we evaluate the Lorentz plots numerically. In this embodiment, for example, the variability of the Lorentz plots is calculated by projecting the Lorentz plots onto orthogonal axes to quantify them. Specifically, in the graph of the Lorentz plots, the axis passing through the center of the data distribution of each Lorentz plot and the point where k and k+1 are the same is defined as the yx axis. In addition, the axis passing through the center of the data distribution of each Lorentz plot and orthogonal to the yx axis is defined as the y-(-x) axis.

[0074] Project each Lorentz plot of data from 1 to 3 minutes onto the two axes mentioned above, and define the variability on the yx axis as σ(x) and the variability on the y-(-x) axis as σ(-x). In this case, the variability of the Lorentz plot is evaluated using the area of ​​the ellipse S = π × σ(x) × σ(-x). The larger the area of ​​the ellipse, the greater the variability, and the smaller the area of ​​the ellipse, the smaller the variability.

[0075] The rate of change in the variability of the Lorentz plot is calculated by dividing the variability of the Lorentz plot during pulse wave measurement by the variability of the Lorentz plot under normal conditions. In this embodiment, the memory unit 19 stores the variability of the Lorentz plot under normal conditions in advance, and the printing device 1 retrieves the variability of the Lorentz plot under normal conditions held by the memory unit 19 and uses it for calculation when calculating the rate of change in the variability of the Lorentz plot.

[0076] Furthermore, the control unit 110 estimates the user's mental and physical state by comparing the rate of change of the variability in the Lorentz plot with a threshold. If the calculated rate of change of variability exceeds the threshold, the printing device 1 can determine that the user is in a relaxed state. If the calculated rate of change of variability is below the threshold, the printing device 1 can determine that the user is in a tense state.

[0077] Next, the rate of change in pulse rate will be explained. The rate of change in pulse rate is an indicator that shows the tendencies of the autonomic nervous system. Pulse rate is the number of heartbeats within a predetermined time. For example, the number of heartbeats per minute is defined as the pulse rate. The rate of change in pulse rate is calculated by dividing the pulse rate at the time of pulse wave measurement by the pulse rate under normal conditions. In this embodiment, the memory unit 19 stores the pulse rate under normal conditions in advance, and the printing device 1 retrieves the pulse rate under normal conditions held by the memory unit 19 and uses it for calculation when calculating the rate of change in pulse rate.

[0078] Furthermore, the control unit 110 estimates the user's physical and mental state by comparing the rate of change in pulse rate with a threshold. For example, if the calculated rate of change in pulse rate exceeds the threshold, the printer 1 can determine that the user is tense. Conversely, if the calculated rate of change in pulse rate is below the threshold, the printer 1 can determine that the user is relaxed.

[0079] Next, the rate of change of PA (Pulse Amplitude) is an indicator that shows the increase or decrease in the amplitude of the pulse wave waveform. The rate of change of PA can be calculated using the following formula. Rate of change of PA = (PA2 / PA1) ... (Formula) PA1: Average value of PA measurements under normal conditions PA2: The average value of PA measurements over a predetermined period of time during the measurement. The average value of PA measurements under normal conditions is measured in advance and stored in the storage unit 19 of the printing device 1. When calculating biological information, the control unit 110 retrieves the average value of PA measurements under normal conditions from the storage unit 19 and uses that value to perform calculations. Furthermore, the smaller the rate of change in PA, the more the printing device 1 can determine that the user tends to have poor blood circulation. Conversely, the larger the rate of change in PA, the more the printing device 1 can determine that the user tends to have good blood circulation.

[0080] Next, the baseline change rate is an indicator related to the state of blood circulation. The baseline change rate can be calculated using the following formula. Baseline change rate = (BL2 / BL1) ... (formula) BL1: Baseline of pulse wave information under normal conditions BL2: Baseline of pulse wave information in measurement

[0081] Here, the baseline is the average value of the converted brightness over a predetermined period of time. In this embodiment, the baseline of pulse wave information under normal conditions is measured in advance and stored in the storage unit 19 of the printing device 1. When calculating biological information, the control unit 110 retrieves the baseline under normal conditions from the storage unit 19 and performs calculations using that value. If the rate of change of the baseline is below a threshold, the printing device 1 can determine that the user's blood circulation is poor. If the rate of change of the baseline exceeds the threshold, the printing device 1 can determine that the user's blood circulation is good.

[0082] Next, let's consider the meanings of baseline and PA. As mentioned above, the principle for extracting pulse wave information from the brightness of the image is to capture the temporal change in the brightness of green light absorbed by hemoglobin. Therefore, the baseline is considered to be approximately proportional to the average amount of hemoglobin in the target area during the measurement period. In other words, a change in baseline can be interpreted as a change in the average blood volume at that measurement site. In contrast, pulse wave amplitude itself indicates the beating of the pulse, so a change in PA can be interpreted as a change in the strength of the pulse.

[0083] In this embodiment, the control unit 110 stores data from normal conditions in the storage unit 19 as the basis for calculating the rate of change in the variation of the Lorentz plot, the rate of change in pulse rate, the rate of change in PA, and the rate of change in the baseline. However, the data used as the basis for calculation is not limited to this; for example, the average value of users of the same age group or the average value of users of the same gender may be used. Furthermore, the video processing unit 111 may acquire data two or more times during the printing process and use one of the acquired data as the basis for calculation.

[0084] Next, CVRR (Coefficient of Variation of RR intervals) indicates the fluctuation in the intervals between pulse waves and is an indicator of the state of heart rate regulation function. CVRR is calculated by frequency analysis of pulse wave information, etc. The smaller the CVRR, the more the printer 1 can determine that the user's heart rate regulation function is in a poor state. Conversely, the larger the CVRR, the more the printer 1 can determine that the user's heart rate regulation function is in a good state.

[0085] Next, the distortion time is an indicator that shows the relative fluctuation of blood pressure. Furthermore, the distortion time is the time difference between the pulse wave component and the waveform distortion component due to blood pressure fluctuations in the pulse wave information. The smaller the distortion time, the more the printing device 1 can determine that the user's blood pressure is high. Conversely, the larger the distortion time, the more the printing device 1 can determine that the user's blood pressure is low. It should be noted that, not limited to the above indicators, the printing device 1 according to this embodiment can calculate various indicators that show the user's physical and mental state based on the acquired pulse wave information.

[0086] [Printing operation] Next, the printing process flow will be explained with reference to Figures 13-14. Figures 13-14 are flowcharts illustrating the processing flow performed by the printing device 1 of Figure 2, which has the functional configuration of Figure 4. The printing process is started when the user places their fingers on the finger rest and initiates the printing process at the input unit 56 of the user terminal 2.

[0087] First, the control unit 110 sets the measurement parameters of the imaging unit 16 to preset initial values, as shown in Figure 13 (step S10). The measurement parameters are the setting values ​​related to imaging by the camera 16a of the imaging unit 16. These setting values ​​are, for example, numerical values ​​related to the exposure, focal length, and magnification of the camera 16a, and the brightness and luminance of the LEDs of the illumination 16b. By properly setting the measurement parameters, noise in the image can be reduced, and the reliability of the measured pulse wave information can be improved.

[0088] Furthermore, the brightness of the image may change depending on the skin color of the user being captured. For this reason, if individual differences are expected among users, each measurement parameter may be set according to the user rather than using the initial value. For example, in step S11, the finger 5 on the finger rest 32b may be captured, and the setting value may be changed based on the captured image of the finger 5. In addition, the control unit 110 may save the measurement parameters for each individual to the authentication server of the server group 4 via the network 3 at the time the printing process is completed, and then retrieve and set the measurement parameters from the authentication server when another printing process is started.

[0089] In this embodiment, the control unit 110 sets the measurement parameters each time the print process starts. However, the control unit 110 may store the set measurement parameters in the storage unit 19 and use the stored measurement parameters when performing print processing for the same user in the future.

[0090] Next, the control unit 110 determines whether the user's finger 5 has been detected by the sensor in the printing unit 32 (step S11). If the user's finger 5 has been detected by the sensor (step S11: Yes), the control unit 110 sets the region of interest (ROI) on the finger (step S12).

[0091] Next, the control unit 110 starts measuring the pulse wave by instructing the imaging unit 16 to begin imaging the finger 5 (step S13). Once the pulse wave measurement is complete (step S14: Yes), the control unit 110 calculates the S / N (Signal to Noise) value of the measured pulse wave information and compares it with a threshold (step S15).

[0092] Here, the signal-to-noise ratio (S / N) is an indicator used to determine how much noise other than the pulse wave is included in the measured pulse wave information. The smaller the S / N value, the more reliable the acquired video data is considered to be. In this embodiment, the threshold is set to 0.7, and data with an S / N value of less than 0.7 is considered reliable data. Note that the threshold is not limited to 0.7 and can be set according to the purpose of the device to which it is applied.

[0093] If the S / N value is less than 0.7 (Step S15: No), the control unit 110 causes the imaging unit 16 to readjust the measurement parameters such as the exposure of the camera 16a (Step S17), and proceeds to step S11. On the other hand, if the S / N value is greater than 0.7 (Step S15: Yes), the control unit 110 calculates the data to be used for determination from the biological information shown in Figure 10 (Step S16). Next, the control unit 110 transmits the calculated biological information to the user terminal 2 via the communication unit 20 in order to display the calculated biological information on the user terminal 2 (Step S18).

[0094] Next, the control unit 110 compares the calculated biometric information with a threshold as shown in Figure 14 and makes a determination (step S19). In this embodiment, LF / HF is used as the indicator for determination, and the system is set to determine and present a nail design that expresses the mental and physical state. For example, the control unit 110 makes a determination based on the LF / HF value against the threshold "1". If LF / HF exceeds the threshold "1" (step S19: Yes), the control unit 110 transmits determination information to the user terminal 2 via the communication unit 20 for creating and selecting a bright color group from the design data tags (step S20).

[0095] Then, the control unit 70 of the user terminal 2 sends a command signal to the nail design registration and distribution server of the server group 4 via the communication unit 59, causing the nail design registration and distribution server to send data of nail designs tagged with a bright color to the user terminal 2. The control unit 70 of the user terminal 2 uses the received nail design data to create multiple predetermined nail design groups. For example, it creates data containing two nail designs as shown in Figure 11. The number of nail designs is not particularly limited.

[0096] Furthermore, the control unit 110 transmits a command signal for displaying a design selection screen to the user terminal 2 via the communication unit 20 in order to display a selection screen for the user to select a nail design (step S22).

[0097] The input processing unit 73 of the user terminal 2 accepts the user's selection of a nail design to the input unit 56. The control unit 70 of the user terminal 2 transmits the nail design selection information to the printing device 1 via the communication unit 59.

[0098] The control unit 110 checks whether the communication unit 20 has received the nail design selection information (step S23). If the communication processing unit 71 has received the nail design selection information (step S23: Yes), the control unit 110 proceeds to step S24.

[0099] On the other hand, if LF / HF is less than or equal to the threshold "1" (step S19: No), the control unit 110 outputs to the communication processing unit 116 and transmits judgment information to the user terminal 2 via the communication unit 20 for creating and selecting a stable color group from the design data tags (step S21).

[0100] Then, the control unit 70 of user terminal 2 sends a command signal to the nail design registration and distribution server of server group 4 via the communication unit 59, causing the nail design registration and distribution server to send nail design data with a subdued color tag to user terminal 2. The control unit 70 of user terminal 2 uses the received nail design data to create multiple predetermined nail design groups.

[0101] Furthermore, the control unit 110 transmits a command signal to the user terminal 2 via the communication unit 20 to display a selection screen for selecting a nail design on the output unit 57 screen of the user terminal 2 (step S22).

[0102] The input processing unit 73 of the user terminal 2 accepts the user's selection of a nail design to the input unit 56. The control unit 70 of the user terminal 2 transmits the nail design selection information to the printing device 1 via the communication unit 59.

[0103] The control unit 110 checks whether the communication unit 20 has received the nail design selection information (step S23). If the communication processing unit 71 has received the nail design selection information (step S23: Yes), the control unit 110 proceeds to step S24.

[0104] Next, the control unit 110 creates a preview image by superimposing the selected nail design onto the captured image of the finger 5. The control unit 110 also superimposes a screen on the preview image indicating whether or not to proceed with printing. Furthermore, the control unit 110 transmits the created preview image to the user terminal 2 via the communication unit 20 in order to display the preview screen on the user terminal 2 (step S24).

[0105] The control unit 70 of the user terminal 2 displays the received preview image on the screen of the output unit 57. The screen of the output unit 57 of the user terminal 2 also displays a screen for selecting whether or not to print. When the user touches one of the options displayed on the screen, the control unit 70 of the user terminal 2 receives the selection information for whether or not to print. The control unit 70 of the user terminal 2 transmits the selection information to the printing device 1 via the communication unit 59.

[0106] Next, the control unit 110 checks whether or not to perform printing based on the received selection information (step S25). If the selection information is for not to perform printing (step S25: No), the control unit 110 moves the process to step S22. If the selection information is for performing printing (step S25: Yes), the control unit 110 causes the printing unit 32 to print the selected nail design onto the nail 5a of the user's finger 5. Next, the control unit 110 checks whether or not the printing operation by the printing unit 32 has been completed (step S26).

[0107] When the printing operation by the printing unit 32 is completed (step S26: Yes), the control unit 110 sends a command signal to the user terminal 2 via the communication unit 20 to prompt the display of a selection screen to confirm whether or not to continue printing.

[0108] The control unit 70 of the user terminal 2 displays a selection screen on the output unit 57 asking whether to continue printing or not. When the user touches one of the options displayed on the screen, the control unit 70 of the user terminal 2 receives the selection information asking whether to continue printing or not. The control unit 70 of the user terminal 2 transmits the selection information to the printing device 1 via the communication unit 59. Note that continuing to print means, for example, printing on the nail 5a of another finger 5 of the same user, or allowing another user to use it.

[0109] The control unit 110 confirms the selection information regarding whether to continue printing the received print (step S27). If the selection information indicates a choice to continue printing (step S27: Yes), the control unit 110 sends a command signal to the user terminal 2 via the communication unit 20 to prompt the display of a selection screen in order to confirm whether the user continuing the print is the same user.

[0110] The control unit 70 of the user terminal 2 displays a selection screen on the output unit 57 asking whether to continue printing or not. When the user touches one of the options displayed on the screen, the control unit 70 of the user terminal 2 receives the selection information asking whether to continue printing or not. The control unit 70 of the user terminal 2 transmits the selection information to the printing device 1 via the communication unit 59.

[0111] The control unit 110 confirms the selection information transmitted from the user terminal 2 (step S28). If the selection information indicates that the user to be printed is the same user (step S28: Yes), the control unit 110 proceeds to step S22. This allows the user to print the nail design on the nail 5a of the other finger 5 without having to perform processes such as setting measurement parameters.

[0112] On the other hand, if the user who will continue to print is not the same person (step S28: No), the control unit 110 moves the process to step S10. This allows the control unit 110 to perform the printing process, from setting the measurement parameters, for the new user. Next, the case of No in step S27 will be explained. If the input selection is one that terminates the printing process without continuing (step S27: No), the printing process is terminated. In this embodiment, the processes from steps S19 to S28 shown in Figure 14 were performed by the control unit 110 of the printing device 1, but they may also be performed by the control unit 70 of the user terminal 2.

[0113] The printing apparatus 1 configured as described above includes a control unit 110 that acquires biological information related to blood flow and determines a nail design to present to the user based on the acquired biological information.

[0114] As a result, the printing apparatus 1 according to this embodiment can present nail designs that are more suitable for the user's physical and mental state.

[0115] Furthermore, the control unit 110 acquires biological information based on the image information obtained by imaging at least a part of the body. The biological information is the image pulse wave.

[0116] As a result, the printing apparatus 1 according to this embodiment can acquire biometric information without contact with the user.

[0117] Furthermore, biometric information is acquired based on the video information obtained by imaging the user's fingers.

[0118] As a result, the printing device 1 according to this embodiment can perform pulse wave measurement using images from a camera equipped in the nail printer, leading to weight reduction and cost reduction by reducing the number of parts in the nail printer. Furthermore, the printing device 1 according to this embodiment can perform pulse wave measurement simultaneously with printing nail designs with the nail printer. This reduces the time and effort spent on pulse wave measurement in the printing device 1. Moreover, the area on the nail printer where the finger is placed is a location where external light and other factors that cause noise in the pulse wave image do not enter. Therefore, the printing device 1 according to this embodiment can reduce noise in the image used for pulse wave measurement.

[0119] Furthermore, the control unit 110 determines the blood circulation status based on biological information and decides on a nail design to present to the user based on the determined blood circulation status.

[0120] As a result, the printing device 1 according to this embodiment can provide nail designs that correspond to the user's blood circulation. For example, the printing device 1 can provide nail designs that reflect the user's blood circulation. The printing device 1 can make the nail design a muted color when the user's blood circulation is poor, or a bright color when the user's blood circulation is good, thereby allowing the user to recognize their physical and mental state.

[0121] Furthermore, the control unit 110 determines the user's state of tension based on biological information and decides on a nail design to present to the user based on the determined state of tension.

[0122] As a result, the printing device 1 according to this embodiment can provide nail designs that correspond to the user's state of tension. For example, the printing device 1 can provide nail designs that help to calm and balance the user's mood swings. The printing device 1 can use calming colors for the nail design when the user is stressed, or brightening colors when the user is relaxed, thereby contributing to balancing the user's mood.

[0123] Furthermore, the control unit 110 determines the status of the heart rate regulation function based on biological information and decides on the nail design to present to the user based on the determined heart rate regulation function.

[0124] As a result, the printing device 1 according to this embodiment can provide nail designs that correspond to the state of the user's heart rate regulation function. For example, the printing device 1 can provide nail designs that represent the state of the user's heart rate regulation function. The printing device 1 can make the nail design a subdued color when the user's heart rate regulation function is poor, or a bright color when the user's heart rate regulation function is good, thereby allowing the user to recognize their physical and mental state.

[0125] Furthermore, the control unit 110 determines the blood pressure level based on biological information and decides on a nail design to present to the user based on the determined blood pressure level.

[0126] As a result, the printing device 1 according to this embodiment can provide nail designs that correspond to the user's blood pressure. For example, the printing device 1 can provide nail designs that reflect the user's blood pressure. For instance, the printing device 1 can make the nail design a muted color when the user's blood pressure is low, or a bright color when the user's blood pressure is high, thereby allowing the user to recognize their physical and mental state.

[0127] Furthermore, in the printing apparatus 1 according to this embodiment, groups consisting of multiple nail designs are pre-configured, and the control unit 110 determines which group to present to the user as a nail design based on biological information.

[0128] This allows the printing device 1 to further reduce the time it takes to decide on the nail design to present to the user.

[0129] [Differentiation] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and any modifications, improvements, etc., that can achieve the objectives of the present invention are included in the present invention. For example, the embodiments described above can be modified to create the following examples of modifications. Furthermore, the following examples of modifications can be combined.

[0130] <First variation> In the embodiments described above, the printing device 1 calculated biological information such as LF / HF, standard deviation of FFI, rate of change of variability of the Lorentz plot, rate of change of pulse rate, rate of change of PA, rate of change of baseline, CVRR, and strain time, but is not limited to these. For example, in a configuration with an added cuff that compresses the finger, it is possible to calculate blood volume from the pulse wave information before and after finger compression by measuring the pulse wave with and without finger compression. This allows the printing device 1 to present the user with nail designs corresponding to the blood volume.

[0131] The hardware configuration of the printing apparatus 1 according to the first modified example will be explained with reference to Figure 15. Note that for configurations that are common or similar to those already described, the same names may be used and detailed explanations may be omitted. Figure 15 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the printing apparatus 1 according to the first modified example of the present invention.

[0132] The printing apparatus 1 of this embodiment is a computer comprising a CPU 11, a ROM 12, a RAM 13, a bus 14, an input / output interface 15, an imaging unit 16, an input unit 17, an output unit 18, a storage unit 19, a communication unit 20, a drive 21, a power supply unit 22, a printing unit 32, a pulse wave analysis unit 33, and a compression unit 34. Note that components common to or similar to those already described may be given the same names, and detailed descriptions may be omitted.

[0133] The compression unit 34 comprises a cuff 34a formed from an elongated, bag-shaped piece of cloth as shown in Figure 16, and a pump unit (not shown) that pumps air into the cuff 34a. Figure 16 shows the cuff 34a wrapped around a finger 5 placed on a finger rest 32b in the printing unit 32 of the printing device 1. With the cuff 34a wrapped around the user's finger 5, the compression unit 34 can inflate the cuff 34a by pumping air into the cuff 34a with the pump unit, thereby compressing the blood vessels in the finger 5 and regulating blood flow. In this embodiment, the finger is compressed by pumping air into the cuff 34a, but this is not the only method. For example, the user's finger may be bound with a tube or the like to create compression.

[0134] Next, the functional configuration of the printing apparatus 1 according to the first modified example will be described. Figure 17 is a functional block diagram showing a part of the functional configuration of the printing apparatus 1 according to the first modified example. The control unit 110 that performs various controls of the printing apparatus 1 according to the first modified example is realized by a CPU 11 that performs arithmetic processing. The control unit 110 in this embodiment has an image processing unit (image processing function) 111, an output processing unit (output processing function) 112, an input processing unit (input processing function) 113, a data processing unit (data processing function) 114, a determination processing unit (determination processing function) 115, a communication processing unit (communication processing function) 116, a printing processing unit (printing processing function) 117, and a compression processing unit (compression processing function) 118. Note that for configurations that are common or similar to those already described, the same name may be used and detailed explanations may be omitted.

[0135] The compression processing unit 118 can, upon receiving a command, drive the pump unit of the compression unit 34 to send air into the cuff 34a. For example, in this modified example, when measuring pulse waves while compressing the user's finger 5, the compression processing unit 118 receives a command to start compressing the cuff 34a and drives the pump of the compression unit 34.

[0136] Figure 18 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the difference in pulse wave measurement results depending on whether or not the cuff 34a is compressed. The upper diagram shows the pulse wave measurement with no compression of finger 5, and the lower diagram shows the pulse wave measurement with compression of finger 5.

[0137] Specifically, the upper left figure shows the measurement process when measuring the pulse wave of finger 5 without compression. The upper center figure shows the region of interest (ROI) and pulse wave waveform superimposed on the image of finger 5 during pulse wave measurement without compression. The upper right figure is a graph showing the baseline when measuring the pulse wave of finger 5 without compression. In this embodiment, the measured baseline is used as the normal baseline, and G1-R1 is calculated by subtracting the red signal R1 from the green signal G1.

[0138] Specifically, the lower left figure shows the measurement process when the cuff 34a is inflated and compression is applied to finger 5, followed by measurement of the pulse wave of finger 5. The diagonal lines on the cuff 34a indicate that the cuff 34a is in a compressed state. The lower center figure shows the region of interest (ROI) and pulse wave waveform superimposed on the image of finger 5 during pulse wave measurement while compression is applied. The lower right figure is a graph showing the baseline when pulse wave measurement is performed while finger 5 is compressed. In this embodiment, the baseline measured under compression is used as the reference baseline, and GR is calculated by subtracting the red signal R from the green signal G.

[0139] As shown in the left diagram of the upper and lower sections of Figure 18, pulse wave measurement performed by compressing finger 5 is carried out under the same conditions except for compression by cuff 34a. Also, as can be seen by comparing the center diagrams of the upper and lower sections of Figure 18, the amplitude of the pulse wave in the lower center diagram is smaller than that in the upper center diagram. In other words, it can be seen that the pulse wave amplitude is reduced when finger 5 is compressed by cuff 34a. As shown in the left diagram of the upper and lower sections of Figure 18, when comparing the calculated baselines, the baseline GR based on pulse wave information in the compressed state is smaller.

[0140] In this embodiment, the control unit 110 can calculate the amount of blood increased during pulse wave measurement relative to the reference blood volume by subtracting the baseline obtained from pulse wave measurement with compression (G-R) from the normal baseline obtained from pulse wave measurement without compression (G1-R1).

[0141] Next, we will describe the specific processing of the first modified example. Figure 19 is a part of a flowchart illustrating the flow of the printing process by the printing device 1. Steps S10 to S16 and steps S18 to S28 are common to one embodiment of the present invention, so the flowchart and detailed explanation are omitted.

[0142] The explanation will begin from step S16 in Figure 13. The control unit 110 calculates various biological information from the acquired pulse wave information (step S16). Next, the generated biological information, for example, the calculated baseline (G1-R1), is saved (step S100). Next, the control unit 110 drives the pump to the compression unit 34 and inflates the cuff 34a wrapped around the finger 5 with air to start compressing the finger 5 (step S101).

[0143] The control unit 110 obtains the compression value (pressure) inside the cuff 34a from the compression unit 34 and checks whether the compression value exceeds a preset value (step S102). If the pressure value exceeds the preset value (step S102: Yes), the control unit 110 stops the pump operation of the compression unit 34 and stops compressing the finger 5 (step S103). Next, the control unit 110 starts imaging of the finger 5 in the imaging unit 16 and starts pulse wave measurement (step S104).

[0144] Once the pulse wave measurement is complete (Step S105: Yes), the control unit 110 releases the air in the pump to the compression unit 34 and releases the pressure on the finger 5 (Step S106). Various biometric information is calculated from the pulse wave measured in Steps S104 to S105 (Step S107). Next, the control unit 110 transmits the biometric information and command signals to the user terminal 2 via the communication unit 20 in order to display the calculated biometric information on the screen of the output unit 57 of the user terminal 2 (Step S108).

[0145] The control unit 70 of the user terminal 2 displays the calculated biometric information, such as the calculated baseline information (GR), on the screen of the output unit 57 based on the acquired biometric information and command signals.

[0146] Next, the control unit 110 calculates the blood volume by subtracting the baseline information (GR) calculated from the stored baseline information (G1-R1) (step S109). Then, the control unit 110 sends various calculated information and command signals to the user terminal 2 via the communication unit 20 in order to display the calculated blood volume and the graph's progress on the output unit 57 screen of the user terminal 2.

[0147] The control unit 70 of the user terminal 2 displays the calculated blood volume and graph trends on the screen of the output unit 57 based on the acquired information and command signals (step S110). Next, the control unit 110 sends a command signal to the user terminal 2 to prompt it to display a screen for selecting whether or not to terminate the print job of printing the nail design on the nail 5a.

[0148] When the control unit 70 of the user terminal 2 receives a command signal, it displays a selection screen on the output unit 57 asking whether to terminate the print job or not. When the user touches one of the options displayed on the screen, the control unit 70 of the user terminal 2 receives the user's selection information. The control unit 70 of the user terminal 2 also transmits the selection information to the printing device 1 via the communication unit 59, asking whether to terminate or continue the print job.

[0149] Next, the control unit 110 confirms the selection information from the communication unit 20 (step S111). If the selection information is not to terminate the print job (step S111: No), the control unit 110 stores the calculated biometric information in the storage unit 19 and proceeds to step S18 (step S112). If the selection information is to terminate the print job (step S111: Yes), the control unit 110 proceeds to step S10. From there, the same processing as in the above embodiment described with reference to Figure 13 is executed.

[0150] As described above, the first modified printing device 1 includes a configuration for applying pressure to the finger, in addition to the embodiment of the present invention. The printing device 1 measures pulse waves with and without finger pressure and calculates blood volume. This allows the printing device 1 to present nail designs that correspond to the blood volume as a measure of the user's physical and mental state.

[0151] <Second variation> In the first modified example described above, the control to stop compression by the compression unit 34 during the printing process (step S102 in Figure 19) was determined by comparing it with a preset threshold value, but it is not limited to this. For example, the control can also be made to stop the process if the noise contained in the measured pulse wave exceeds a certain level. The noise contained in the pulse wave information can be determined using the S / N value. The printing apparatus 1 in the second modified example has the same configuration as the printing apparatus 1 in the first modified example, and the same name is used, so a detailed explanation is omitted.

[0152] The specific processing of the second modification will now be explained. Figure 20 is a part of a flowchart illustrating the flow of the printing process by the printing device 1. In this modification flowchart, steps S102 to S104 of the first modification are replaced with steps S200 to S202. Since the processing of the other parts is the same as the first modification, the flowchart and detailed explanation will be omitted.

[0153] First, let's explain step S101. The control unit 110 drives the pump in the compression unit 34 to inflate the cuff 34a wrapped around the finger 5 with air and begin compressing the finger 5 (step S101). Next, the control unit 110 instructs the imaging unit 16 to begin imaging the finger 5 and start measuring the pulse wave (step S200). Next, the control unit 110 checks the S / N value of the acquired pulse wave information and the compression value (pressure) of the cuff 34a (step S201). If the S / N value is less than 0.3 or the compression value exceeds the set value (step S201: Yes), the control unit 110 stops the pump operation in the compression unit 34 and stops compressing the finger 5 (step S202). From here on, the same process as the modified example described above, with reference to Figure 19, is performed. Note that the threshold value for the S / N value is not limited to 0.3 and can be set according to each individual.

[0154] As explained above, in the second modified printing device 1, pulse wave measurement is performed with and without finger pressure, and when calculating blood volume, the amount of noise in the pulse wave information is observed to determine when to stop the pressure. As a result, the printing device 1 can measure pulse waves more accurately and present nail designs that are more precisely suited to the user's physical and mental state.

[0155] <Third variation> In the embodiment described above, pulse wave information was obtained by analyzing a video of a finger, but this is not the only method. For example, as shown in Figure 21, the printing device 1 may acquire pulse wave information by capturing a video of a face using a camera provided separately from the printing device 1 and analyzing the video of the face. The printing device 1 according to the third modified example is the same as the first embodiment except that the imaging unit 16 is provided outside the housing of the printing unit 32, and therefore the same name is used and a detailed explanation is omitted. Furthermore, since the specific processing of this modified example is the same as that of the above embodiment, the flowchart and detailed explanation are omitted.

[0156] As explained above, in the third modified example, the printing device 1 acquires pulse wave information from the facial image and calculates biometric information. This increases the design flexibility of the printing device 1. Furthermore, although the printing device 1 captures images of the face in this modified example, it is not limited to this. For example, the part to be imaged could be the user's foot or arm. Also, although the printing device 1 is equipped with a camera in this modified example, it may be possible to use a separate camera that can be connected to the printing device 1, separate from the imaging unit 16.

[0157] Furthermore, in this embodiment, pulse wave information was obtained by analyzing images of the fingers, but this is not limited to this. For example, pulse wave measurement may be performed using a sensor that combines an infrared light-emitting element and a photodetector, or it may be performed using a method that captures changes in arterial volume as pressure changes with a pressure sensor.

[0158] Furthermore, in this embodiment, nail designs stored in the nail design registration and distribution server are downloaded to the user terminal 2 to determine which nail design to present to the user, but this is not limited to this. For example, the user terminal 2 may generate a nail design according to the estimated physical and mental state. Also, in this embodiment, the presented nail designs are displayed on the user terminal 2 and the user is allowed to select one, but this is not limited to this. For example, the printing device 1 may be provided with a screen display function and a selection input function, and the printing device 1 may display the presented nail designs on the screen and allow the user to select one. Also, in this embodiment, the present invention was applied to the printing device 1, but this is not limited to this. For example, the information processing device according to the present invention may be the user terminal 2 or a server. In this embodiment, the printing device 1 performed processing to print nail designs and acquire images of a part of the body, as well as detecting video pulse waves and acquiring biological information from video pulse waves, and determining the nail design based on the acquired biological information, but the processing to determine the nail design may be performed on the user terminal 2 side or the server side.

[0159] In other words, the nail system S may be configured to include a printing device 1 having an imaging unit 16 (acquisition unit) that acquires images of at least a part of the user's body, a communication unit 20 that can transmit the images acquired by the imaging unit 16 to the outside, and a printing unit 32 that can print on the user's nails; a user terminal 2 having a communication unit 59 that can communicate with the printing device 1, and a control unit 70 that determines the user's biometric information based on the images of at least a part of the user's body and determines a nail design to present to the user based on the determined biometric information. In this configuration, the printing unit 32 prints on the user's nails based on the nail design received by the communication unit 20 from the communication unit 59. In the above example, the imaging unit 16 was located in the printing device 1, but it is not limited to that; the imaging unit 16 may be a separate imaging device from the printing device 1, or it may be a camera located in the user terminal 2. For example, if a separate imaging device from the printing device 1 is used as the imaging unit 16, the imaging unit 16 may, after acquiring images of at least a part of the user's body, directly transmit information about the images to the user terminal 2 or directly transmit it to a server. Furthermore, if the camera on the user terminal 2 is used as the imaging unit 16, the imaging unit 16 may, after acquiring an image of at least a part of the user's body, directly transmit information about the image to the server, or it may not transmit it to the server, and the control unit 110 may determine the nail design based on the information related to the image from the user terminal 2.

[0160] The series of processes described above can be executed by hardware or by software. In other words, the functional configuration in Figure 4 is merely illustrative and not particularly limiting. That is, it is sufficient for the printing device 1 to be equipped with a function that can execute the series of processes described above as a whole, and the type of functional block used to realize this function is not particularly limited to the example in Figure 4.

[0161] Furthermore, a single functional block may consist of hardware alone, software alone, or a combination of both. The functional configuration in this embodiment is realized by a processor that performs arithmetic processing. Processors that can be used in this embodiment include single-processor, multi-processor, and multi-core processors, as well as combinations of these various processing units with processing circuits such as ASICs (Application Specific Integrated Circuits) and FPGAs (Field-Programmable Gate Arrays).

[0162] When a series of processes are executed by software, the programs that make up that software are installed on a computer or other device from a network or storage medium. A computer may be a computer built into dedicated hardware. Alternatively, a computer may be a computer capable of performing various functions by installing various programs, such as a general-purpose personal computer.

[0163] Such recording media containing programs consist not only of removable media 100 shown in Figure 2, which are distributed separately from the main unit of the device to provide the program to the user, but also of recording media provided to the user in a state where they are pre-installed in the main unit of the device. Removable media 100 consists of, for example, magnetic disks (including floppy disks), optical disks, or magneto-optical disks. Optical disks consist of, for example, CD-ROMs (Compact Disk-Read Only Memory), DVDs (Digital Versatile Disks), Blu-ray® Discs, etc. Magneto-optical disks consist of, for example, MDs (Mini-Disks). Furthermore, recording media provided to the user in a state where they are pre-installed in the main unit of the device consist of, for example, the ROM 12 shown in Figure 2 on which the program is recorded, or the hard disk included in the storage unit 19 shown in Figure 2, etc.

[0164] In this specification, the step of describing a program to be recorded on a recording medium includes not only processes that are performed chronologically in that order, but also processes that are not necessarily performed chronologically, but are executed in parallel or individually. Furthermore, in this specification, the term "system" refers to an overall system composed of multiple devices, means, etc.

[0165] Although several embodiments of the present invention have been described above, these embodiments are merely illustrative and do not limit the technical scope of the present invention. The present invention can take various other embodiments, and furthermore, various modifications such as omissions and substitutions can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. These embodiments and their variations are included in the scope and spirit of the invention as described herein, and are also included in the scope of the invention and its equivalents as described in the claims.

[0166] The invention described in the original claims of this application is listed below. [Note 1] An information processing device characterized by comprising a processing unit that acquires biological information related to blood flow and determines a nail design to present to the user based on the acquired biological information. [Note 2] The information processing apparatus according to Appendix 1, characterized in that the processing unit acquires the biological information based on information related to an image obtained by imaging at least a part of the body. [Note 3] The information processing device according to Appendix 2, characterized in that the aforementioned biological information is a video pulse wave. [Note 4] The information processing apparatus according to Appendix 2 or Appendix 3, characterized in that the processing unit acquires the biological information based on information related to an image obtained by imaging the user's finger. [Note 5] The information processing device according to any one of the appendices 1 to 4, characterized in that the processing unit determines the blood circulation state based on the biological information and determines a nail design to present to the user based on the determined blood circulation state. [Note 6] The information processing apparatus according to any one of the appendices 1 to 5, characterized in that the processing unit determines the user's state of tension based on the biological information and determines a nail design to present to the user based on the determined state of tension. [Note 7] The information processing device according to any one of the appendices 1 to 6, characterized in that the processing unit determines the state of the heart rate regulation function based on the biological information and determines a nail design to present to the user based on the determined heart rate regulation function. [Note 8] The information processing apparatus according to any one of the appendices 1 to 7, characterized in that the processing unit determines the high or low state of blood pressure based on the biological information, and determines a nail design to present to the user based on the determined high or low state of blood pressure. [Note 9] A group consisting of multiple nail designs is pre-configured. The processing unit is an information processing device according to any one of appendices 1 to 8, which determines the group as the nail design to be presented to the user based on the biological information. [Note 10] A printing device having a first communication unit capable of communicating with the outside, and a printing unit capable of printing on a user's fingernail, The information processing device comprises a second communication unit capable of communicating with the printing device, and a processing unit that determines the user's biometric information based on information relating to images of at least a part of the user's body, and determines a nail design to present to the user based on the determined biometric information. The nail system is characterized in that the printing unit prints on the user's nails based on the nail design received by the first communication unit from the second communication unit. [Note 11] On the computer, A program that acquires biological information related to blood flow and executes a processing function to determine a nail design to present to the user based on the acquired biological information. [Note 12] A method for selecting a nail design that is performed by an information processing device, A method for selecting a nail design, which includes a processing step of acquiring biological information related to blood flow and determining a nail design to present to the user based on the acquired biological information. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0167] 1 Printing device 2 User terminals 70 Control Unit 110 Control Unit

Claims

1. An information processing device characterized by comprising a processing unit that acquires biological information related to blood flow, determines at least one of the user's tension state, the state of heart rate regulation function, and the state of high or low blood pressure based on the acquired biological information, and determines a nail design to present to the user based on the determination result.

2. On the computer, A program that acquires biological information related to blood flow, determines at least one of the user's tension level, the state of heart rate regulation function, and the state of high or low blood pressure based on the acquired biological information, and executes a processing function to determine a nail design to present to the user based on the determination result.

3. A design selection method performed by an information processing device, A design selection method that includes a processing step of acquiring biological information related to blood flow, determining at least one of the user's tension state, the state of heart rate regulation function, and the state of high or low blood pressure based on the acquired biological information, and determining a nail design to present to the user based on the determination result.

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