Terminal device, program and control method

Abstract

To provide a terminal device, program, and control method or the like for appropriately supporting sleep of a user.SOLUTION: A terminal device includes: an acquisition part for acquiring snore information related to snore of a user; and a control part for allowing a bed to be used by a user in sleeping to control sections of the bed based on the snore information. When snore is continuously detected based on the snore information even when an angle of the section is changed, the control section performs control to re-change the angle of the section, and performs control to switch an angle change direction based on the angle of the section in section control.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a terminal device, a program, a control method, and the like.

Background Art

[0002] Various techniques for supporting the sleep of a user are known. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for adjusting the bottom angle of an electric bed when detecting the snoring of a user. <000001x>

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] [[ID=z5]]It is effective to secure the airway by raising the back to prevent snoring. However, since the back-raising angle that can secure the airway varies depending on the body type of the user, it is not easy to determine the optimal back-raising angle.

[0005] According to some aspects of the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a terminal device, a program, a control method, and the like that appropriately support the sleep of a user.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] One aspect of the present disclosure relates to a terminal device that includes an acquisition unit for acquiring snoring information relating to a user's snoring and sleep information relating to the user's sleep, and a control unit that, when it is determined that the user is in a sleep state, causes the control unit to control the bottom of the bed used by the user to sleep based on the snoring information, wherein the control unit performs control to change the angle of the bottom again if snoring is continuously detected based on the snoring information even if the angle of the bottom is changed, and in controlling the bottom, performs control to switch the direction of change of the angle based on the angle of the bottom. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0007] [Figure 1] This is a diagram showing an example of a control system configuration. [Figure 2A] This is an example of an operation screen displayed on the terminal device's display unit. [Figure 2B] This is an example of an operation screen displayed on the terminal device's display unit. [Figure 3] This diagram illustrates an example of the placement of the detection device. [Figure 4A] This is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a terminal device. [Figure 4B] This is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a terminal device. [Figure 5] This is a flowchart explaining the process of searching for the snoring suppression angle (first control). [Figure 6] This is an example of correspondence information where the user is associated with the snoring suppression angle. [Figure 7] This is a flowchart explaining the process for determining the on / off setting of the first control. [Figure 8A] This figure shows the relationship between sleeping posture and snoring, as obtained by the third control method. [Figure 8B] This figure shows the relationship between back angle and snoring, as obtained by the first control method. [Figure 9] This is an example screen that displays information acquired during sleep. [Figure 10A] This is an example of an operation screen displayed on the terminal device's display unit. [Figure 10B] This is an example of an operation screen displayed on the terminal device's display unit. [Figure 11] This is an example of second correspondence information where a course (mode) and control are associated. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0008] This embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same or equivalent elements are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant descriptions are omitted. This embodiment described below is not intended to unduly limit the content described in the claims. Furthermore, not all of the configurations described in this embodiment are essential components of this disclosure.

[0009] 1. Example System Configuration Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating the overview of the control system 10 according to this embodiment. The control system 10 may include a terminal device 100, a detection device 200, and a bed 300. However, the control system 10 is not limited to the example in Figure 1, and modifications such as omitting some components or adding other components are possible. For example, the detection device 200 may be omitted, or other devices may be added. The same applies to other drawings such as Figure 4A, where components can be omitted or added.

[0010] The bed 300 is an electric bed that includes a control unit 310 and a movable part 70 as a controlled unit controlled by the control unit 310. The movable part 70 includes a bottom 71. A mattress 76 (described later using Figure 3) is placed on the bottom 71. The user 81 lies down on the mattress 76. The bottom 71 here is the floorboard on which the mattress 76 etc. are placed, as described above, and may include multiple plate-shaped members as shown in Figure 1.

[0011] As the bed to be controlled, for example, the method described in PCT / JP2018 / 044703 (invention name: Electric Furniture, international filing date: December 5, 2018) can be adopted. This patent application is incorporated in its entirety by reference.

[0012] The movable part 70 includes, for example, a back bottom 70a (back section), a knee bottom 70b (upper leg section), a leg bottom 70c (lower leg section), and a height adjustment part 70h, etc. The height adjustment part 70h is, for example, a bed lift. As in the example of FIG. 1, the movable part 70 may further include a head bottom 70d (head section). In the plurality of parts (back bottom 70a, knee bottom 70b, leg bottom 70c, and head bottom 70d) included in the bottom 71, the angles between them can be changed. As shown in FIG. 1, the bed 300 may include a lighting part 73a and a temperature control part 73b as the controlled parts.

[0013] [[ID=⑧]]For example, by the operation of the back bottom 70a, the angle of the user's back can be changed. By the operation of the knee bottom 70b and the leg bottom 70c, the angle of the knee can be changed. By the operation of the head bottom 70d, the angle or height of the user's head can be changed. These angles may change in conjunction. These angles are the angles when based on the frame 75 of the bed. For example, the frame 75 is set to be substantially parallel to the floor surface. The angles of the above bottom 71 may also be angles based on the floor surface. In this example, casters 70g are provided under the frame 75. The casters 70g may be omitted and changed to "legs".

[0014] The height adjustment part 70h can change, for example, the distance (height) between the floor surface and the bed surface. The height adjustment part 70h may be able to independently change the height on the head side of the bed 300 and the height on the foot side of the bed 300. Thereby, the overall inclination of the bed surface can be changed.

[0015] For these movable parts 70, for example, an actuator or the like is used. By the operation of the movable parts 70, at least any one of "raising the back", "raising the knees", "height adjustment", and "tilting" is possible. "Tilting" includes at least any one of rolling and tilting.

[0016] The bed 300 of the present embodiment is connected to the terminal device 100, and a controlled part including the movable parts 70 is controlled based on a signal from the terminal device 100. For example, the terminal device 100 transmits a control signal to the control part 310 of the bed 300, and the control part 310 operates the movable parts 70 based on the control signal. The terminal device 100 is a portable terminal device such as a smartphone or a tablet terminal. However, the terminal device 100 may be another device such as a PC (Personal Computer).

[0017] For example, the terminal device 100 displays an arbitrary operation screen on the display part 160 by operating according to control application software. As a control method of the bed in conjunction with a terminal device or the like, for example, the method described in Japanese Patent Application No. 2018-228590 (Title of Invention: Bed Device, Filing Date: December 5, 2018) can be used. This patent application is incorporated in its entirety by reference.

[0018] FIG. 2A shows a screen 42A which is an example of an operation screen. The screen 42A is, for example, a TOP screen, and displays, for example, an icon ("Menu") for transitioning to a screen related to the menu of the control system 10, an icon ("Automatic Driving") for transitioning to a screen related to the setting of the automatic driving of the control system 10, and an icon ("Screen Switch") for switching to a screen related to the operation of the bed 300.

[0019] When the "Screen Switching" icon on screen 42A is determined to have been selected by the user, the system transitions to screen 42B, as shown in Figure 2B. Screen 42B is a screen related to the operation of the bed 300, and displays an area 42B1 that shows information on the position of each bottom of the bed 300 and the position of the frame 75, an area 42B2 that displays multiple icons for selecting the operation mode of the bed 300, and an icon ("START") for executing the mode selected by area 42B2. The movable parts 70 of the bed 300 are driven according to each operation mode. Since the operation modes are disclosed in Japanese Patent Application No. 2018-228590, a detailed explanation is omitted. The terminal device 100 may also display a screen for manually adjusting the angles of each of the multiple parts included in the bottom 71.

[0020] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of the arrangement of the detection device 200. In Figure 3, the components are drawn spaced apart from each other for clarity. As shown in Figure 3, in the bed 300, a bottom 71 is provided on the bed legs 74 of the bed section 70B. A mattress 76 is provided on the bottom 71. A user 81 lies on the mattress 76. The detection device 200 is provided, for example, between the bottom 71 and the mattress 76. For example, the detection device 200 is a sheet-like or plate-like device.

[0021] The detection device 200 determines the state of user 81. Specifically, when user 81 lies down, the detection device 200 detects user 81's body vibrations (body movement, vibration) via the mattress 76. Based on the body vibrations detected by the detection device 200, biometric information representing user 81's state of biological activity is calculated. For example, the biometric information includes information on respiratory rate, heart rate, activity level, posture, wakefulness / sleep, and getting out of bed / staying in bed. The sleep determination may also include determining non-REM sleep and REM sleep, as well as determining the depth of sleep.

[0022] The following describes an example in which the terminal device 100 and the detection device 200 are connected via communication, and biological information is obtained in the terminal device 100. However, the calculation of biological information may be performed in the detection device 200, or in another device (for example, the control unit 310 of the bed 300, or a server connected to the terminal device 100).

[0023] For example, the periodicity of body movements can be analyzed, and respiratory rate and heart rate can be calculated from the peak frequency. Periodicity analysis can be performed using methods such as Fourier transform. Respiratory rate is the number of breaths per unit time. Heart rate is the number of heartbeats per unit time. The unit time is, for example, one minute. Alternatively, body vibrations may be detected per sampling unit time, and the number of detected body vibrations may be calculated as the activity level.

[0024] Furthermore, as a method for detecting the user 81's getting out of bed, being in bed, position, posture, etc., the methods for detecting entry and exit described in Japanese Patent Application No. 2002-327624 (Title of Invention: Device for detecting entry and exit to and from a bed, Filing Date: November 11, 2002), the detection method described in Japanese Patent Application No. 2002-327632 (Title of Invention: Device for detecting positional displacement on a bed, Filing Date: November 11, 2002), and the detection method described in Japanese Patent Application No. 2002-327633 (Title of Invention: Device for detecting position on a bed, Filing Date: November 11, 2002) can be used. These patent applications are incorporated in their entirety by being referenced.

[0025] In this embodiment, the method only needs to detect the user 81's biological information, and the method is not limited to using body vibration. For example, the biological information may be calculated using an infrared sensor, a camera, an actuator with a strain gauge, an acceleration sensor, a load sensor, radar to determine the displacement of the body surface or bedding, etc.

[0026] Figures 4A and 4B show examples of the configuration of the terminal device 100 according to this embodiment. As shown in Figure 4A, the terminal device 100 may include an acquisition unit 110 and a control unit 120.

[0027] The acquisition unit 110 acquires snoring information regarding the user 81's snoring. This snoring information may be information about snoring sounds determined based on, for example, the output sound of a microphone placed near the user.

[0028] Based on snoring information, the control unit 120 controls the bottom 71 of the bed 300 used by the user 81 for sleeping. The bottom 71 here may include the back bottom 70a, knee bottom 70b, leg bottom 70c, head bottom 70d, etc., as described above.

[0029] The control unit 120 is comprised of the following hardware. The hardware may include at least one of a circuit that processes digital signals and a circuit that processes analog signals. For example, the hardware may consist of one or more circuit devices or one or more circuit elements mounted on a circuit board. One or more circuit devices may be, for example, an IC (Integrated Circuit) or an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array). One or more circuit elements may be, for example, a resistor or a capacitor.

[0030] The control unit 120 may also be implemented by the following processor. The terminal device 100 of this embodiment includes a memory for storing information and a processor that operates based on the information stored in the memory. The information is, for example, a program and various types of data. The processor includes hardware. Various types of processors can be used, such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), or a DSP (Digital Signal Processor). The memory may be a semiconductor memory such as SRAM (Static Random Access Memory), DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory), or flash memory, or it may be a register, or it may be a magnetic storage device such as a hard disk drive (HDD), or it may be an optical storage device such as an optical disk drive. For example, the memory stores instructions that can be read by the computer, and the functions of the control unit 120 are realized as processing when the processor executes these instructions. The instructions here may be instructions from an instruction set that constitutes a program, or they may be instructions that instruct the hardware circuit of the processor to operate.

[0031] In this embodiment, the control unit 120 changes the angle of the bottom 71 again if snoring is continuously detected based on snoring information even after the angle of the bottom 71 has been changed. In this control of the bottom 71, the control unit 120 may switch the direction of angle change based on the current angle of the bottom 71. For example, while snoring of user 81 is detected, the control unit 120 repeatedly increases the angle of the back bottom 70a by a predetermined angle at predetermined intervals. In this way, the angle of the back bottom 70a changes, so an angle that can suppress the snoring of the target user 81 can be appropriately determined. At that time, the direction of change is not fixed to increase, and control to decrease the angle of the back bottom 70a may be performed. For example, if the angle of the back bottom 70a reaches the upper limit of the movable range as a result of increasing the angle of the back bottom 70a, the control unit 120 may switch to control to decrease the angle of the back bottom 70a by a predetermined angle. Similarly, if the angle of the back bottom 70a is reduced and the current angle reaches the lower limit of the movable range, the control unit 120 may switch to a control that increases the angle of the back bottom 70a by a predetermined angle. However, the switching of the direction of change is not limited to when the endpoint of the movable range is reached, and it is not prevented to switch the direction of change at locations other than the endpoints of the movable range. By switching the direction of change at locations other than the endpoints, it becomes possible to increase the priority of a part of the movable range and decrease the priority of other parts of the movable range. A high priority for a given angle means that it is likely to be set to that angle. For example, the conditions for switching the direction of change may differ for each user 81.

[0032] Furthermore, in this embodiment, when snoring is detected based on snoring information, the control unit 120 performs control to search for a snoring suppression angle, which is an angle that is determined to suppress snoring, based on the angle of the bottom 71 and the snoring information. The specific processing details will be described later with reference to Figure 5, etc.

[0033] According to the method of this embodiment, it becomes possible to control the angle of the bottom 71 while checking the actual snoring situation. Therefore, since the back angle at which an airway can be secured may differ from user to user, it becomes possible to determine a back angle suitable for each user. The back angle here refers to the angle of the user 81's back, and is synonymous with the angle of the back bottom 70a with respect to the floor surface on which the frame 75 or bed 300 is placed. In other words, according to the method of this embodiment, it becomes possible to appropriately determine the angle of the back bottom 70a that is effective in suppressing snoring, and to control the back bottom 70a to achieve that angle. The control unit 120 is not prevented from controlling parts of the bottom 71 other than the back bottom 70a.

[0034] Furthermore, even for the same user 81, the optimal back angle for suppressing snoring may change depending on the situation. In the method of this embodiment, the snoring suppression angle is searched from a given search range, so it can respond to changes in the user 81's situation. As a result, the generation of snoring sounds by the target user 81 is suppressed, making it possible to improve the sleep of the user 81 themselves and those around them (family members, etc.) and avoid disrupting their sleep.

[0035] Figure 4B shows a detailed configuration example of the terminal device 100 according to this embodiment. As shown in Figure 4A, the terminal device 100 may include a processing unit 130, a microphone 140, a storage unit 150, a display unit 160, and a communication unit 170.

[0036] The processing unit 130 here can use various processors such as a CPU, GPU, or DSP. The processing unit 130 may also include a snoring information acquisition unit 111, a biological information acquisition unit 113, an angle adjustment unit 121, and an on / off determination unit 123. The snoring information acquisition unit 111 and the biological information acquisition unit 113 correspond to the acquisition unit 110 in Figure 4A, for example. The angle adjustment unit 121 and the on / off determination unit 123 correspond to the control unit 120 in Figure 4A, for example.

[0037] The snoring information acquisition unit 111 acquires an audio signal from the microphone 140 and performs processing to obtain snoring information representing the user's snoring based on the audio signal. For example, the snoring information acquisition unit 111 may extract a component corresponding to snoring from the audio signal and obtain information representing the duration of snoring as snoring information. In this way, the snoring information acquisition unit 111 can determine whether or not snoring has been detected, and if so, the length of its duration. The component corresponding to snoring may be, for example, a component in a predetermined frequency band. Furthermore, known audio signal processing techniques can be widely applied to the calculation of snoring information.

[0038] The biometric information acquisition unit 113 obtains the user 81's biometric information based on the information representing body vibration from the detection device 200. Specifically, as described above, the biometric information acquisition unit 113 obtains biometric information such as respiratory rate, heart rate, activity level, posture, wakefulness / sleep, and getting out of bed / staying in bed. Although the connection relationships are omitted in Figure 4B, the acquisition of body vibration from the detection device 200 is performed via the communication unit 170.

[0039] The angle adjustment unit 121, when snoring is detected based on snoring information, transmits a signal to the control unit 310 of the bed 300 to control the bottom 71 (more specifically, the back bottom 70a) of the bed 300. Although the connection relationships are omitted in Figure 4B, the transmission of control signals to the bed 300 is performed via the communication unit 170.

[0040] The on / off determination unit 123 determines whether the first control, which raises the backrest to suppress snoring, is on or off based on at least one of the snoring information and the biological information. The first control is a control that searches for a snoring suppression angle, and specifically is a control that executes each of the steps described later using Figure 5. For example, the angle adjustment unit 121 may execute the process described later using Figure 5, provided that the first control is set to on in the on / off determination unit.

[0041] Microphone 140 is a microphone built into the terminal device 100 and is an element that converts sound into an electrical signal. Although this example shows the terminal device 100 including microphone 140, the snoring information acquisition unit 111 may acquire the audio signal from a microphone provided outside the terminal device 100.

[0042] The memory unit 150 is a work area of ​​the processing unit 130 and is implemented by various types of memory such as SRAM, DRAM, and ROM (Read Only Memory). The memory unit 150 may store snoring information and biological information. The memory unit 150 may also store recording results using the output signal of the microphone 140 (for example, recording data during periods of snoring). By outputting this recording data, it becomes possible to present the snoring situation to the user 81. The memory unit 150 may also store recorded data for a predetermined period after the angle adjustment unit 121 has controlled the bottom 71. By outputting this recorded data, it becomes possible to show the user 81 the effect of the snoring stopping operation by the angle adjustment unit 121. The memory unit 150 may also store various types of information, which will be described later, using Figures 6, 8A, 8B, 11, etc.

[0043] The display unit 160 is an interface for displaying various information, and may be a liquid crystal display, an organic EL display, or another type of display. The display unit 160 displays the operation screen described above using Figures 2A and 2B, and the operation screen described later using Figures 10A and 10B.

[0044] The communication unit 170 is an interface for communication over a network and includes, for example, an antenna, an RF (radio frequency) circuit, and a baseband circuit. The communication unit 170 may operate according to the control of the control unit 120 (processing unit 130), or it may include a communication control processor different from the control unit 120. For example, the communication unit 170 communicates with the detection device 200 and the bed 300 using Bluetooth®. However, the communication unit 170 may also use wireless LAN (Local Area Network) for communication, or use other communication methods. Furthermore, the communication method used for communication with the detection device 200 and the communication method used for communication with the bed 300 may be the same or different.

[0045] In this embodiment, some or all of the processing performed by the terminal device 100 may be implemented by a program. The processing performed by the terminal device 100 refers to, for example, the processing performed by the processing unit 130 (acquisition unit 110 and control unit 120). The program referred to here may be, for example, application software that runs on a smartphone or the like.

[0046] The program according to this embodiment can be stored in a non-temporary information storage device (information storage medium), which is a medium readable by a computer. The information storage device can be implemented as, for example, an optical disc, a memory card, an HDD, or a semiconductor memory. The semiconductor memory is, for example, ROM. The processing unit 130, etc., performs various processing according to this embodiment based on the program stored in the information storage device. That is, the information storage device stores a program that causes the computer to function as the processing unit 130, etc. A computer is a device that includes an input device, a processing unit, a storage unit, and an output unit. Specifically, the program according to this embodiment is a program that causes the computer to execute each of the steps described later using Figure 5, etc.

[0047] Furthermore, the method of this embodiment can be applied to a control method that includes the following steps: The control method includes the steps of acquiring snoring information about the user's snoring, and causing the bed used by the user to sleep to perform control of the bottom 71, and when snoring is detected based on the snoring information, control is performed to search for a snoring suppression angle, which is an angle that is determined to suppress snoring, based on the angle of the bottom 71 and the snoring information.

[0048] 2. Snoring suppression treatment Next, we will explain specific methods for suppressing snoring.

[0049] 2.1 Processing Flow Figure 5 is a flowchart illustrating the processing flow in the control unit 120 of the terminal device 100, specifically the angle adjustment unit 121. The processing in Figure 5 may be performed periodically at predetermined intervals, for example, when the user 81 is determined to be in a sleep state based on biometric information. Also, as will be described later, the processing in Figure 5 may be performed on the condition that the first control is turned on.

[0050] First, in step S101, the angle adjustment unit 121 acquires snoring information from the snoring information acquisition unit 111. Specifically, the snoring information acquisition unit 111 acquires the output signal from the microphone 140 and obtains snoring information from the output signal. The angle adjustment unit 121 determines whether or not snoring has been detected based on the snoring information. For example, the angle adjustment unit 121 may determine that snoring has been detected if the duration of snoring is greater than a predetermined threshold. The threshold here may be 0 or a value greater than 0.

[0051] If snoring is detected (Yes in step S101), in step S102, the angle adjustment unit 121 outputs a control signal via the communication unit 170 to instruct the bed 300 to change the angle of the back bottom 70a. For example, the angle adjustment unit 121 may transmit a control signal to increase the angle of the back bottom 70a by a predetermined angle. An example where the predetermined angle is 2 degrees will be described below, but various variations in the specific amount of change are possible.

[0052] Based on the processing in step S102, the control unit 310 of the bed 300 controls the angle of the back bottom 70a by driving actuators, etc., to increase the angle of the back bottom 70a by 2 degrees. For example, if the angle of the back bottom 70a before the change was 0 degrees, which is the horizontal state, the control unit controls the angle of the back bottom 70a to change it to 2 degrees. Note that the horizontal state here is not limited to a perfectly horizontal state, but includes a nearly horizontal state where the angle difference with the horizontal plane is less than or equal to a predetermined value. When the driving of the back bottom 70a is completed, the bed 300 transmits a message to that effect and the changed angle to the terminal device 100.

[0053] In step S103, the angle adjustment unit 121 obtains information from the communication unit 170 indicating that the angle change is complete and the changed angle. In the example above, the angle adjustment unit 121 obtains information from the bed 300 indicating that the angle of the back bottom 70a has been changed to 2 degrees.

[0054] After processing in step S103, the process returns to step S101 and continues. That is, the microphone 140 outputs an output signal representing the sound around the user after the angle change. The snoring information acquisition unit 111 acquires the output signal from the microphone 140 and obtains snoring information from the output signal. That is, the snoring information here represents snoring when the back bottom 70a is at a 2-degree angle. The angle adjustment unit 121 determines whether or not snoring has been detected based on the snoring information. In this way, after changing the angle of the bottom 71, it is possible to appropriately determine, based on the snoring information, whether or not the snoring has stopped as a result of the change. For example, the snoring information acquisition unit 111 may obtain snoring information based on the audio signal during the period from the time of receiving the notification from the bed 300 in step S103 until a predetermined period (for example, about 30 seconds) has elapsed.

[0055] If snoring detection continues after the angle change (Yes in step S101), steps S102 and S103 are executed again. For example, if snoring is detected even when the back bottom 70a is at a 2-degree angle, the angle adjustment unit 121 instructs to increase the angle by another 2 degrees, and the control unit 310 of the bed 300 changes the angle of the back bottom 70a to 4 degrees. After the processing in step S103, the process returns to step S101 and continues. That is, the angle adjustment unit 121 determines whether snoring is present at a 4-degree angle.

[0056] In this way, by repeating the processes in steps S101 to S103, it becomes possible to appropriately search for an angle that can suppress snoring while actually sensing the snoring state. Therefore, the snoring suppression angle can be appropriately determined according to the target user 81.

[0057] Furthermore, if the angle of the back bottom 70a reaches the upper limit of the search range, the angle adjustment unit 121 may control the angle of the back bottom 70a to change it to the lower limit of the search range, or it may control the angle of the back bottom 70a to decrease by a predetermined angle. For example, if the search range is 0 to 10 degrees, and snoring is detected at 10 degrees (Yes in step S101), the angle adjustment unit 121 may set the angle of the back bottom 70a to 0 degrees and continue the search from there to 2 degrees, 4 degrees, and so on. Alternatively, if snoring is detected at 10 degrees, the angle adjustment unit 121 may perform a search in the reverse direction in the order of 8 degrees, 6 degrees, etc., and when it reaches 0 degrees, it may perform a control to increase it again by 2 degrees. In addition, the angle adjustment unit 121 only needs to be able to search for a snoring suppression angle within the search range in the loop processing of steps S101 to S103, and various variations of the specific search procedure are possible.

[0058] If no snoring is detected (No in step S101), in step S104, the angle adjustment unit 121 finishes adjusting the angle of the bottom 71. Then, in step S105, the angle adjustment unit 121 stores the angle of the back bottom 70a at that time as the snoring suppression angle in the storage unit 150, in association with the user 81.

[0059] In the case where user 81 does not snore at all, it is determined that no snoring was detected in the first step S101 after the processing in Figure 5 has started (No in step S101). In this case, there is no need to search for a snoring suppression angle, so in step S104, the angle adjustment unit 121 maintains the current angle. In step S105, the angle adjustment unit 121 may store the current angle as the snoring suppression angle in the storage unit 150. Alternatively, in this embodiment, the angle at which it is determined that the snoring that was occurring has stopped may be used as the snoring suppression angle, and if the loop processing of steps S101 to S103 has not been executed, the processing of step S105 may be omitted.

[0060] Figure 6 shows an example of correspondence information stored in the storage unit 150 by the processing in step S105 of Figure 5. Correspondence information is information that associates a user with a snoring suppression angle, and may be in the form of table data as shown in Figure 6. In the example in Figure 6, the snoring suppression angle for user A is 2 degrees, and the snoring suppression angle for user B is 10 degrees. In this way, it becomes possible to appropriately manage the snoring suppression angle according to the user.

[0061] Furthermore, if snoring is detected after the corresponding information has been stored, the control unit 120 (angle adjustment unit 121) may control the angle of the bottom 71 using the snoring suppression angle associated with user 81 as the initial value for the search. For example, consider the case where the process in Figure 5 is performed on user A after the data in Figure 6 has been acquired. In this case, in step S102, the angle adjustment unit 121 instructs the bed 300 to preferentially select the snoring suppression angle of 2 degrees compared to other angles. For example, the angle adjustment unit 121 may send an instruction to set the angle of the back bottom 70a to 2 degrees, regardless of the current angle of the back bottom 70a. In this way, angles that have a proven track record of suppressing snoring in the past are preferentially set, making it possible to efficiently suppress user 81's snoring.

[0062] However, whether or not user 81 snores depends on the user's condition. For example, changes in user 81's weight can alter how the airway is obstructed. Therefore, just because an angle previously suppressed snoring doesn't necessarily mean it will suppress snoring in the future. In that case, the angle adjustment unit 121 may repeat the process of steps S101 to S103 in Figure 5 to search for a new snoring suppression angle other than the existing snoring suppression angle. In this way, it becomes possible to determine multiple snoring suppression angles for a single user 81.

[0063] For example, even if the information required for user A is 2 degrees as the snoring suppression angle, the search for snoring suppression angles may be performed targeting angles other than 2 degrees. In the example in Figure 6, 8 degrees was searched for as a new snoring suppression angle for user A, so two snoring suppression angles, 2 degrees and 8 degrees, are associated with user A. Also in the example in Figure 6, two snoring suppression angles, 10 degrees and 6 degrees, are associated with user B. In this case, the angle adjustment unit 121 performs the angle change in step S102 so that, for example, in the processing in Figure 5 targeting user A, 2 degrees and 8 degrees are set preferentially over other angles.

[0064] In the above example, the loop processing of steps S101 to S103 is immediately terminated when snoring is no longer detected (Yes in step S101), but the specific processing is not limited to this. For example, even if snoring is no longer detected at a given angle, the angle adjustment unit 121 may repeat the processing of steps S101 to S103 until the search for a predetermined angle range is completed. The predetermined angle range here may be the entire search range or a part of it. In this way, the probability of finding multiple angles as snoring suppression angles increases, making snoring suppression more efficient.

[0065] Furthermore, the snoring suppression angle in this embodiment is not limited to what is determined during a single sleep, but may be statistically determined based on long-term measurement results. For example, as will be described later using Figure 8B, the angle adjustment unit 121 may determine the relationship between each angle and the duration of snoring, and determine the angle with the shortest duration of snoring as the snoring suppression angle. For example, the relationship between the angle and the duration of snoring may be measured over a period in which a predetermined number of sleeps or more are expected (e.g., one month), and the snoring suppression angle may be determined based on the statistical results. For example, the angle adjustment unit 121 may determine a statistical value (mean, median, etc.) of the duration of snoring for each angle, and determine the angle with the smallest statistical value as the snoring suppression angle. For example, until data for the target user 81 has been accumulated, the angle adjustment unit 121 may perform angle adjustments over a relatively wide range and accumulate data showing the relationship between the angle and the duration of snoring. On the other hand, as data for user 81 is accumulated, the angle adjustment unit 121 may perform a search process limited to the vicinity of the snoring suppression angle determined by the said data.

[0066] 2.2 Automatic On / Off Setting As described above, the first control, which raises the backrest to suppress snoring, includes a snoring detection process based on snoring information (step S101) and a process to change the angle of the bottom 71 of the bed 300 (step S102). Although not shown in Figure 5, the output signal of the microphone 140 may also be recorded to inform the user 81 or related parties (family, caregivers, etc.) of the specific snoring situation after waking up.

[0067] The first control can be manually set to on / off; however, in this embodiment, the on / off determination may be performed automatically.

[0068] Figure 7 is a flowchart illustrating the process for determining whether the first control is on or off. First, in step S201, the on / off determination unit 123 calculates an evaluation value based on snoring information, or biological information, or both. The evaluation value here may be the snoring information itself, or information calculated from the snoring information. For example, the evaluation value may be the duration of snoring within a predetermined period.

[0069] In other words, the control unit 120 (on / off determination unit 123) may decide whether or not to perform control of the bottom 71 based on the degree of snoring determined based on the snoring information. This approach allows for the appropriate switching of the first control on or off based on whether or not there is a high need to suppress snoring.

[0070] Furthermore, the evaluation value may be the biological information itself, or it may be information calculated from the biological information. For example, the evaluation value may be a respiratory event index. The respiratory event index is information obtained based on the respiratory state, and for example, it represents the number of occurrences per unit time of events in which breathing is determined to have stopped.

[0071] Specifically, the acquisition unit 110 (biometric information acquisition unit 113) acquires the user 81's biometric information from the detection device 200 placed on the bottom 71 of the bed 300. The control unit 120 (on / off determination unit 123) then decides whether or not to execute control of the bottom 71 based on the biometric information. In this way, it becomes possible to appropriately switch the first control on or off based on the biometric information. For example, since the respiratory event index mentioned above represents the degree of apnea, by using the respiratory event index, it becomes possible to appropriately switch the first control on or off based on whether or not sleep is being disturbed.

[0072] Furthermore, the evaluation value may be determined by combining snoring information and biological information, or by combining multiple pieces of biological information.

[0073] In step S202, the on / off determination unit 123 determines whether the evaluation value is greater than a predetermined threshold. Here, the evaluation value is information that indicates a higher probability that sleep is being disturbed, with a larger value being indicated. The on / off determination unit 123 may also determine whether the snoring duration value is greater than a first threshold, or whether the respiratory event index is greater than a second threshold, or it may perform a determination using other evaluation values ​​and thresholds.

[0074] If the evaluation value is greater than the threshold (Yes in step S202), in step S203, the on / off determination unit 123 sets the first control to on. That is, when it is determined that sleep is being disturbed and there is a high probability that snoring will occur, it becomes possible to appropriately suppress snoring. For example, microphone audio recording and the angle of the back bottom 70a are performed, thus reducing the chances of missing snoring.

[0075] On the other hand, if the evaluation value is below the threshold (No in step S202), in step S204, the on / off determination unit 123 sets the first control to off. That is, if it is determined that there is a high probability that good sleep is being achieved, recording of microphone audio and changing the angle of the back bottom 70a can be suppressed. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the consumption of memory area 150 by recording sounds other than snoring, and the incorrect operation of the back bottom 70a based on noise other than snoring.

[0076] Whether or not snoring occurs varies from day to day, and even the same user may snore on some days and not on others. According to the method of this embodiment, it becomes possible to appropriately switch the first control on / off based on the user's specific circumstances. Therefore, the user 81 does not need to manually control the on / off state, which also improves convenience.

[0077] 2.3 Variations of snoring suppression The following describes variations related to snoring suppression.

[0078] 2.3.1 Suppressing snoring by means other than back angle The above describes the first control method, which involves raising the backrest to suppress snoring. This method aims to secure the airway and suppress snoring by having the user assume a posture with a higher back angle compared to the horizontal position (0 degrees). In other words, it is a method that assumes stabilizing the angle of the backrest bottom 70a to a value appropriate for the user 81.

[0079] However, methods other than the first control may be used to suppress snoring. For example, the control unit 120 may suppress snoring by changing the angle of the back bottom 70a to vibrate (stimulate) the user 81's body and promote instantaneous awakening. In an awakened state, the user 81's muscles are released, so it is possible to suppress snoring through instantaneous awakening. Hereinafter, the control that promotes instantaneous awakening by operating the back bottom 70a will be referred to as the second control.

[0080] The second control can be achieved by the angle adjustment unit 121. In this case, since the purpose is to provide stimulation, the specific angle of the back bottom 70a can be set arbitrarily. For example, the angle adjustment unit 121 may increase the angle of the back bottom 70a by a predetermined angle, and then decrease it by the same predetermined angle. In this case, since the angle of the back bottom 70a returns to its original position after the control, the posture of the user 81, including the back angle, does not change significantly, but sufficient stimulation is applied to the user 81, making it possible to promote awakening. However, the specific control to promote instantaneous awakening of the user 81 is not limited to this, and various modifications can be implemented. Furthermore, there is no prejudice that changing the back angle to allow the user to assume a posture that facilitates airway management (first control) also serves as the second control.

[0081] Furthermore, the degree of snoring is related to the user 81's sleeping posture (hereinafter also referred to as sleeping position). Therefore, the acquisition unit 110 (biometric information acquisition unit 113) may acquire biometric information, including posture information representing the user 81's sleeping posture, from the detection device 200 placed on the bottom 71 of the bed 300. The control unit 120 determines the relationship between the user's sleeping position and snoring based on the posture information and snoring information. The posture information here is, for example, information that identifies whether the sleeping position is supine, left lateral, right lateral, or prone. In this way, it becomes possible to determine a sleeping position suitable for snoring suppression for each user 81. Hereinafter, the control that determines a sleeping position suitable for user 81 will be referred to as the third control.

[0082] For example, the control unit 120 may perform a third control to determine the relationship between sleeping posture and snoring based on posture information and snoring information. Figure 8A shows an example of the information obtained by the third control. Specifically, the information shown in Figure 8A associates each of the multiple sleeping postures with the snoring duration per unit time while in that sleeping posture. For example, the snoring duration in Figure 8A is a value representing the value per hour (in minutes).

[0083] In the example in Figure 8A, the average snoring duration per hour in the supine position is 3.8 minutes. In the right lateral position, the average snoring duration per hour is 2.5 minutes. In the left lateral position, the average snoring duration per hour is 1.2 minutes. Furthermore, since the subject user 81 did not spend any time in the prone position (or the time was shorter than the specified limit) during the measurement period, the snoring duration in the prone position was not determined. Therefore, in this case, it can be determined that the recommended sleeping position for the subject user 81 is the left lateral position.

[0084] The third control may include control to drive the bottom 71, pillow, etc., in order to achieve the recommended sleeping position. For example, a method is known to encourage a transition to a lateral position by changing the height of the bottom 71 and pillow in the left-right direction (the side direction of the bed 300), and this method can be applied in this embodiment.

[0085] As described above, factors that can suppress snoring include raising the back, back movement (momentary awakening), and sleeping posture. Therefore, the control unit 120 may perform a first control to search for a snoring suppression angle based on snoring information, a second control to shake the user 81's body by driving the bottom 71 based on snoring information, and a third control to determine a suitable sleeping posture for the user 81 based on snoring information and posture information. In this way, snoring suppression that takes various factors into consideration becomes possible.

[0086] 2.3.2 Presentation Process In this embodiment, various information acquired by the first to third controls may be presented to the user 81, etc. This presentation is, for example, by displaying it on the display unit 160 of the terminal device 100, but other methods may be used. Furthermore, it is not necessary for all of the presentations described below to be performed, and some may be omitted.

[0087] For example, the control unit 120 may present information regarding the snoring suppression angle obtained based on the first control to the user 81 or the like. For example, based on the first control, the control unit 120 may obtain information that associates the snoring duration per unit time at the angle of the back bottom 70a with the angle of that angle, as shown in Figure 8B. For example, the information shown in Figure 8B may be obtained by repeating the snoring suppression angle search process.

[0088] In the example shown in Figure 8B, the snoring duration per unit time is shortest when the angle of the back bottom 70a is 8 degrees. In this case, the control unit 120 may indicate that the back angle effective for suppressing snoring for the target user 81, i.e., the snoring suppression angle, is 8 degrees. For example, the control unit 120 may display the table shown in Figure 8B, or it may display a screen containing text or images recommending that the back bottom 70a be set to 8 degrees. In this way, snoring can be suppressed by encouraging the user to sleep at the recommended back angle.

[0089] Furthermore, the control unit 120 may, based on the third control, present information representing the sleeping position that has been determined to suppress the snoring of the target user 81. For example, the control unit 120 may display the table shown in Figure 8A, or it may display a screen containing text and images recommending the left lateral position. In this way, snoring can be suppressed by encouraging the user to sleep in the recommended sleeping position.

[0090] Figure 9 is an example of a screen that displays data acquired during one night of sleep using a graph. For example, the control unit 120 displays the screen shown in Figure 9 on the display unit 160, etc., based on snoring information, biological information, control history of the back bottom 70a, etc., stored in the memory unit 150.

[0091] In Figure 9, the horizontal axis represents time, and the vertical axis represents the values ​​of each parameter. A1 in Figure 9 represents the duration of snoring at each time point. A2 represents the respiratory rate at each time point. A3 represents the angle of the back bottom 70a at each timing. A4 represents the heart rate at each timing. A5 represents the timing of the action that induces instantaneous awakening, with one triangle representing one action. By displaying the information shown in Figure 9, the sleep state can be presented to the user 81 in an easy-to-understand manner. More specifically, by presenting the information shown in A1, A3, and A5, the state of snoring, the adjustment status of the back angle (execution status of the first control), and the timing and frequency of actions that induce instantaneous awakening (execution status of the second control) can be presented.

[0092] 2.3.3 Determining the Effectiveness of Each Element As described above, there are three factors related to snoring suppression: back angle, momentary awakening, and sleeping position. Therefore, the control unit 120 may use all of these to suppress snoring, or it may use some of them to suppress snoring. For example, the user 81 may be able to set each of the first to third controls described above to be on or off. However, the effectiveness of the first to third controls in suppressing snoring varies greatly from person to person, and it may be difficult for the user 81 to know which control (which function provided by the application software) to turn on.

[0093] Therefore, the control unit 120 may present the degree of correlation between snoring and each of the following: back angle, momentary awakening, and sleeping posture. In this way, it becomes possible to make the user 81 aware of how much each of the above-mentioned elements affects their snoring. As a result, the user 81 can appropriately recognize the elements that are effective in suppressing their snoring, making it easy to set the first to third controls on and off.

[0094] For example, the control unit 120 may present the information shown in Figure 8B based on the results of the first control. The control unit 120 may also compare the snoring duration and threshold values ​​included in the table in Figure 8B and present snoring durations smaller than the threshold values ​​in an identifiable manner. For example, if all snoring durations are greater than the threshold, it is considered that adjusting the back angle has not sufficiently suppressed the occurrence of snoring. Conversely, if there is an angle where the snoring duration value is smaller than the threshold, that angle has a high snoring suppression effect. By presenting the information shown in Figure 8B, or similar information, the degree of correlation between back angle and snoring, that is, the degree of effectiveness of the first control, can be appropriately presented.

[0095] Furthermore, the control unit 120 may present the information shown in A1 and A5 of Figure 9 based on the results of the second control. For example, in the example in Figure 9, snoring is detected to continue even after the second control (driving the back bottom 70a) is performed, and as a result, the second control is repeatedly executed during a single sleep. In this case, the second control is considered not very effective in suppressing the snoring of the target user 81. On the other hand, if the duration of snoring decreases after the second control is performed, the second control is considered effective in suppressing snoring. By presenting the information shown in Figure 9, or similar information, the degree of correlation between momentary awakening and snoring, that is, the degree of effectiveness of the second control, can be appropriately presented.

[0096] The control unit 120 may also present the information shown in Figure 8A based on the results of the third control. The control unit 120 may also compare the snoring duration and threshold included in the table in Figure 8A and present snoring durations smaller than the threshold in an identifiable manner. Similar to the example of the first control, sleeping positions in which the snoring duration is smaller than the threshold are considered effective in suppressing snoring. Therefore, by presenting the information shown in Figure 8A, or similar information, the degree of correlation between sleeping position and snoring, that is, the degree of effectiveness of the third control, can be appropriately presented.

[0097] As described above, the control unit 120 can determine the degree of effectiveness of the first to third controls based on the information described above. Therefore, the control unit 120 may perform a control to present to the user one or more of the first, second, and third controls that have been determined to be effective in suppressing snoring. In this way, it becomes possible to clearly present to the user 81 which of the multiple controls related to snoring suppression should be turned on. Furthermore, the control unit 120 is not prevented from automatically switching each control on or off based on the above determination results.

[0098] 2.3.4 User Input The control unit 120 may also display prompts for user 81 to input information about their state. For example, the control unit 120 may prompt user input by displaying the question, "Did you drink alcohol before going to bed?" and answer choices ("Yes / No"). Alternatively, the control unit 120 may display the question, "How are you feeling now?" and answer choices ("Good / Normal / Bad"). Or, "Did you sleep well last night?" and answer choices ("Yes / No"). In this way, it becomes possible to obtain information that is difficult to detect from the microphone 140 or detection device 200, as well as information that represents the user 81's subjective state.

[0099] It is known that snoring is more likely to occur when a person drinks alcohol due to muscle relaxation, etc. Therefore, when a person drinks alcohol, it is possible that snoring will not be suppressed even if the snoring suppression angle is set to the value determined from past results. In this case, it may not be appropriate to conclude that the snoring is caused by drinking alcohol and that the snoring suppression angle is ineffective. Therefore, the control unit 120 may exclude the corresponding data from the calculation of the snoring suppression angle when the user inputs that they have been drinking alcohol. For example, even when the angle adjustment unit 121 executes the processes of steps S101 to S104 shown in Figure 5, it may omit the process of step S105. Alternatively, the control unit 120 may exclude data from when a person has been drinking alcohol from the data used to calculate the information shown in Figures 8A and 8B. In this way, the influence of irregular data on the snoring suppression angle can be suppressed.

[0100] Similarly, if user 81 is unwell, this can also be considered an irregular condition for user 81. Therefore, if the control unit 120 receives user input indicating that the user is unwell, it may perform a process such as excluding the corresponding data from the calculation of the snoring suppression angle.

[0101] Furthermore, the control unit 120 can determine the degree of sleep based on snoring information, respiratory rate, heart rate, etc. Therefore, when a user answers the question "Did you sleep well last night?", the control unit 120 may perform a process that compares the sleep determination result based on the information acquired by the acquisition unit 110 with the user 81's subjective judgment.

[0102] Furthermore, the user input in this embodiment is not limited to the items described above, and various modifications are possible.

[0103] 3. Sleep support other than snoring suppression The above describes the control for suppressing snoring in the target user 81. This control may be the first control described above, or it may include the second and third controls.

[0104] However, the control performed by the control unit 120 in this embodiment is not limited to this. For example, the control unit 120 may perform a plurality of controls, including a first control for searching for a snoring suppression angle, a fourth control for supporting the user 81 to fall asleep by adjusting the bottom 71, and a fifth control for supporting the user to wake up by adjusting the bottom 71. The plurality of controls may also include a second control and a third control. In this way, it becomes possible to support the user 81's sleep in various situations.

[0105] For example, it is known that the user 81 finds it easier to fall asleep when the back bottom 70a is gently sloped, and that it finds it easier to turn over when the top surface of the bottom 71 is nearly flat. Therefore, as the fourth control described above, the angle adjustment unit 121 may perform a control that raises the back before the user falls asleep to encourage them to fall asleep, and then lowers the back after sleep is detected to make it easier for the user to turn over.

[0106] Furthermore, the angle adjustment unit 121 may perform a fifth control as described above, which involves raising the backrest to promote wakefulness. For example, the angle adjustment unit 121 may determine REM sleep / non-REM sleep based on biological information and perform the fifth control by increasing the angle of the backrest bottom 70a at the timing of REM sleep closest to the scheduled wake-up time.

[0107] Furthermore, PCT / JP2018 / 044703 discloses a control that changes the angle of the back bottom 70a in accordance with the fluctuation ΔS of the signal SS corresponding to the biological signal. For example, the angle adjustment unit 121 may determine that the user 81 is in deeper sleep when ΔS is decreasing and increase the angle of the back bottom 70a to promote deeper sleep, or decrease the angle of the back bottom 70a when ΔS is increasing to make it easier to turn over in sleep. Hereinafter, this control will also be referred to as the sixth control. In addition, the control unit 120 of this embodiment may perform various controls disclosed in PCT / JP2018 / 044703, etc.

[0108] As described above, in this embodiment, by performing the first to sixth controls, etc., it becomes possible to support the user 81 in various situations during sleep. However, it is not limited to the execution of all of these controls, and the on / off of automatic driving may be customized according to the user 81.

[0109] Figures 10A and 10B are examples of operation screens displayed on, for example, the display unit 160 of the terminal device 100. For example, when the "Automatic Driving" selection operation in Figure 4A is performed, screen 42C shown in Figure 10A is displayed. Screen 42C includes an object to switch automatic driving on / off, and when the operation to turn on this object is performed, screen 42D shown in Figure 10B is displayed.

[0110] Screen 42D is a screen for making more specific settings. In this embodiment, multiple modes (courses) are set, and automatic operation can be turned on or off for each mode. Courses here include, for example, a sleep improvement course, a sleep onset improvement course, a wake-up improvement course, a snoring prevention course, a good dream course, a dream erasure / memory reduction course, etc.

[0111] The Sleep Improvement Course is a course that improves overall sleep conditions. The Sleep Onset Improvement Course is a course that improves conditions related to falling asleep. The Wake-Up Improvement Course is a course that improves conditions related to waking up. The Snoring Prevention Course is a course that suppresses the occurrence of snoring. The Good Dreams Course is a course that helps user 81 have pleasant dreams. The Dream Erasure / Memory Reduction Course is a course that helps users forget about dreams or reduces their memory and impression of them. Since many dreams are nightmares, and there is knowledge that dreaming is one of the factors that makes one feel that their sleep is shallow and reduces subjective sleep quality, using the Dream Erasure / Memory Reduction Course is an effective way to support user 81's sleep. In this way, by enabling user input on a course-by-course basis, user 81 can easily input their own requests.

[0112] For example, the memory unit 150 may store second correspondence information, in which one or more of the multiple controls (multiple functions) are associated with each of the multiple modes (courses). The control unit 120 may then decide whether or not to execute each of the multiple controls based on the user input selecting one of the multiple modes and the second correspondence information.

[0113] Figure 11 shows an example of the second correspondence information, which represents the correspondence between courses and controls. The controls here correspond to the first to sixth controls described above. As shown in Figure 11, the sleep improvement course is associated with all six controls. Therefore, when the automatic operation of the sleep improvement course is set to ON, the six corresponding controls are executed automatically.

[0114] Similarly, the improved sleep onset course is associated with the fourth control, which raises and lowers the back during sleep onset. The improved wake-up course is associated with the fifth control, which raises the back during wake-up. The anti-snoring course is associated with the first control, which raises the back using a snoring suppression angle; the second control, which promotes instantaneous awakening; and the third control, which recommends the optimal sleeping position. The good dreams course is associated with the sixth control, which raises and lowers the back according to ΔS. The dream erasure / memory reduction course is associated with the sixth control. However, Figure 11 is just one example of the correspondence between courses and controls, and various modifications are possible regarding specific courses, controls, and the correspondences between them.

[0115] As shown in Figure 11, the good dream course and the dream erasure / memory reduction course are each associated with the same sixth control, but the timing of changing the angle of the back bottom 70a may differ depending on the course. For example, whether or not one remembers the content of a dream depends on whether or not they wake up after dreaming, and it has been found that if one continues to sleep after dreaming, the memory of the dream is erased, so only the dream immediately before waking is remembered. Therefore, in the good dream course, for example, in order to avoid waking up in the middle of the night due to nightmares, the angle of the back bottom 70a can be changed during REM sleep (the period when dreams are often remembered) that is not the scheduled wake-up time, making the dream memory milder and, as a result, making it easier to interpret it as a good dream. On the other hand, in the dream erasure / memory reduction course, for example, if sleep continues for a predetermined time or longer from the time of switching from REM sleep to non-REM sleep, and the time difference with the scheduled wake-up time is below a threshold, the fifth control may be performed to increase the angle of the back bottom 70a. In this way, it is possible to encourage waking with the dream memory erased or reduced. As a result, it becomes possible to make people forget they had a dream, or to diminish its memory or impression.

[0116] In this way, it becomes possible to appropriately turn on the necessary automatic control functions according to the user 81's requests. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the operational burden on the user 81 compared to setting each function individually. Although six controls, from the first to the sixth, have been exemplified here, the number of executable controls may increase if functions are added to the control system 10. In that case as well, by allowing the user to select a course that is easy to understand intuitively, it is possible to easily realize settings that meet the user 81's requests.

[0117] Although this embodiment has been described in detail above, it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that many modifications are possible without substantially departing from the novel aspects and effects of this embodiment. Therefore, all such modifications are included within the scope of this disclosure. For example, any term that appears at least once in the specification or drawings together with a broader or synonymous term may be replaced with that different term anywhere in the specification or drawings. Furthermore, all combinations of this embodiment and its modifications are also included within the scope of this disclosure. In addition, the configuration and operation of terminal devices, detection devices, beds, etc., are not limited to those described in this embodiment, and various modifications are possible.

[0118] [Additional Notes] One aspect of the present disclosure relates to a terminal device that includes an acquisition unit for acquiring snoring information relating to a user's snoring, and a control unit for controlling the bottom of a bed used by the user for sleeping based on the snoring information, wherein the control unit performs control to change the angle of the bottom again if snoring is continuously detected based on the snoring information even if the angle of the bottom is changed, and in controlling the bottom, performs control to switch the direction of change of the angle based on the angle of the bottom.

[0119] Other aspects of this disclosure relate to a computer functioning as an acquisition unit that acquires snoring information relating to a user's snoring, and a control unit that, based on the snoring information, causes the computer to control the bottom of the bed used by the user for sleeping, wherein the control unit performs control to change the angle of the bottom again if snoring is continuously detected based on the snoring information even if the angle of the bottom is changed, and in controlling the bottom, performs control to switch the direction of change of the angle based on the angle of the bottom.

[0120] Further aspects of the present disclosure relate to a control method that includes the steps of acquiring snoring information relating to a user's snoring, and causing a bed used by the user to sleep to perform control of the bottom of the bed, wherein if snoring is continuously detected based on the snoring information even after the angle of the bottom is changed, the control is performed to change the angle of the bottom again, and in the control of the bottom, the control is performed to switch the direction of change of the angle based on the angle of the bottom. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0121] 10...Control system, 42A, 42B, 42C, 42D...Screen, 42B1, 42B2...Area, 70...Movable part, 70B...Bed part, 70a...Back bottom, 70b...Knee bottom, 70c...Leg bottom, 70d...Head bottom, 70g...Caster, 70h...Height adjustment part, 71...Bottom, 73a...Lighting part, 73b...Temperature control unit, 74...Bed leg part, 75...Frame, 76...Mattress, 81...User, 100...Terminal device, 110...Acquisition unit, 111...Snoring information acquisition unit, 113...Biometric information acquisition unit, 120...Control unit, 121...Angle adjustment unit, 123...On / Off determination unit, 130...Processing unit, 140...Microphone, 150...Storage unit, 160...Display unit, 170...Communication unit, 200...Detection device, 300...Bed, 310...Control unit

Claims

1. An acquisition unit that acquires snoring information related to the user's snoring and sleep information related to the user's sleep, When the user is determined to be asleep, a control unit controls the bottom of the bed used by the user for sleeping based on the snoring information, Includes, The acquisition unit acquires biological information, including the user's breathing state while sleeping, from a detection device placed on the bottom of the bed. The control unit, If snoring is continuously detected based on the snoring information even after changing the angle of the bottom, the angle of the bottom is changed again, In the control of the bottom, control is performed to switch the direction of change of the angle based on the angle of the bottom, If snoring is detected based on the snoring information, a first control is performed to search for a snoring suppression angle, which is the angle determined to suppress snoring, based on the angle of the bottom and the snoring information. The search for the snoring suppression angle is controlled to search for the angle of the bottom from a lower limit of 0 degrees to a predetermined upper limit. moreover, Based on at least one of the snoring information and the biological information, an evaluation value indicating whether or not sleep is being disturbed is calculated, and if the evaluation value is greater than a predetermined threshold, the first control is automatically switched on. A terminal device that automatically switches off the first control when the evaluation value is smaller than the threshold, and restricts the acquisition of the snoring information by the acquisition unit while the first control is off.

2. In claim 1, The control unit, A terminal device that presents one or more controls that are determined to be effective in suppressing the user's snoring, out of the following: the first control, the second control which shakes the user's body by driving the bottom based on the snoring information, and the third control which acquires biological information including posture information representing the user's sleeping posture from a detection device whose acquisition unit is placed on the bottom of the bed, and determines the posture suitable for the user based on the snoring information and the posture information.

3. In claim 2, The bed can be operated automatically in either the first or second mode among several modes. When the terminal device accepts the selection of the first mode, the control unit controls the bottom of the bed in a manner that includes the first control and includes one or more of the plurality of controls. When the terminal device accepts the selection of the second mode, the control unit controls the bottom of the bed in a manner that does not include the first control but includes one or more of the plurality of controls.

4. In claim 1, It includes a storage unit that stores correspondence information, which is information relating the user and the snoring suppression angle. The control unit, The system controls the display to prompt the user for input regarding their status, A terminal device that, upon receiving input from the user, determines that snoring is not suppressed even when the snoring suppression angle stored in the memory unit is set, and then excludes the corresponding information from the calculation of the snoring suppression angle.

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