Biometric information management system for wearable terminal devices via wireless communication network

Abstract

To provide a system that securely manages bio-information received over a radio communication network from a wearable type terminal device.SOLUTION: A bio-information management system comprises: a wearable type terminal device that has a detection unit detecting bio-information and a radio communication unit performing radio communication for transmitting the bio-information; an access point device that is provided with a radio communication network, and can receive the radio communication from the radio communication unit; and a bio-information management device that receives the bio-information detected by the wearable type terminal device from the access point device to manage the bio-information. The wearable type terminal device is configured to transmit wearable terminal device identification information and user identification information to the access point device together with the detected bio-information. The access point device includes an authentication monitoring device that, when receiving information from the wearable type terminal device, collates the previously obtained wearable type identification information with wearable terminal information transmitted from the wearable type terminal device, and determines whether the bio-information management device should manage the information transmitted from the wearable type terminal device.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a biometric information management system for a wearable terminal device via a wireless communication network.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, wearable devices equipped with biosensors that can acquire various biometric information such as a user's heart rate, pulse, blood pressure, body temperature, etc. while being worn have emerged. Also, in medical facilities, nursing facilities, etc., problems such as a shortage of staff for acquiring such biometric information and working hours have arisen. Therefore, it has been proposed to enable the acquisition of biometric information remotely by using wearable devices for the acquisition work of biometric information that has been performed using medical devices (for example, Patent Document 1). It is expected that this can reduce the workload.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, the biometric information handled here is personal information, and there is a problem that authentication of multiple devices and security management of information are required for use in medical facilities, nursing facilities, etc. Also, some wearable devices perform wireless communication using communication methods such as Bluetooth (registered trademark), Wi-Fi (registered trademark), LTE (Long Term Evolution), etc., and there is also a problem that it is necessary to support these various communication methods.

[0005] This invention has been made in view of these circumstances, and aims to provide a system for securely managing biometric information acquired by a wearable device (wearable terminal device) via a wireless communication network. The aim is to reduce the workload of acquiring biometric information in medical facilities, nursing care facilities, and the like. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] To solve the above problems, the biometric information management system according to the present invention comprises: a wearable terminal device configured to be worn by a user, having a detection unit for detecting the wearer's biometric information and a wireless communication unit for wirelessly transmitting the biometric information detected by the detection unit to the outside; an access point device equipped with a wireless communication network having a predetermined receivable area and capable of receiving wireless communication from the wireless communication unit; and a biometric information management device that receives and manages the user's biometric information received by the access point device from the wearable terminal device via the wireless communication network. Furthermore, the wearable terminal device has wearable terminal identification information (for example, device information in the embodiment) for identifying itself, and is capable of inputting user identification information (for example, patient ID in the embodiment) for identifying the user wearing the wearable terminal device. The wearable terminal device is configured to transmit the wearable terminal identification information and user identification information, along with the biometric information detected by the detection unit, from the wireless communication unit to the access point device. At least one of the access point device and the biometric information management device has the wearable terminal identification information in advance and includes an authentication monitoring device that, upon receiving information sent from the wearable terminal device, compares the pre-existing wearable terminal identification information with the wearable terminal information sent from the wearable terminal device to determine whether or not the information sent from the wearable terminal device should be managed by the biometric information management device.

[0007] In the above-described biometric information management system, preferably, the access point device is equipped with an authentication monitoring device, and when the access point device receives information sent from a wearable terminal device, the authentication monitoring device compares pre-entered wearable terminal identification information with the wearable terminal information sent from the wearable terminal device to determine whether or not to send the information sent from the wearable terminal device to the biometric information management device.

[0008] In the above-described biometric information management system, preferably, the access point device comprises one or a plurality of first access point devices located at different positions, each having a first receivable area and capable of receiving wireless communication from a wireless communication unit using a first wireless communication method (e.g., Bluetooth® communication), and a second access point device having a second receivable area covering one or more first access point devices and capable of receiving wireless communication from one or more first access point devices using a second wireless communication method (e.g., Wi-Fi® communication), wherein the first access point device has a communication method conversion device (e.g., communication method conversion devices 10A, 10B in the embodiment) that converts between the first wireless communication method and the second wireless communication method.

[0009] In the above-described biometric information management system, preferably, the authentication monitoring device has an information processing unit (for example, an information processing unit in the embodiment) that performs predetermined information processing on biometric information, and the predetermined information processing includes a process for compressing biometric information.

[0010] In the above-described biometric information management system, preferably, the biometric information management device has a server storage device that stores the user's biometric information received from the access point device, which the authentication monitoring device has determined should be managed by the biometric information management device. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the biometric information management system of the present invention, at least one of the access point device and the biometric information management device has pre-existing wearable terminal identification information, and when it receives information sent from a wearable terminal device, it compares the pre-existing wearable terminal identification information with the wearable terminal information sent from the wearable terminal device and includes an authentication monitoring device that determines whether or not the information sent from the wearable terminal device should be managed by the biometric information management device. Therefore, it is possible to eliminate the connection of unregistered unauthorized devices and unauthorized communications. Accordingly, a system that securely manages multiple wearable terminal devices via wireless communication can be realized. Furthermore, by assigning unique user information (for example, a patient ID in the embodiment) to a user wearing a wearable terminal device and associating it with the device information of the wearable terminal device being worn, the biometric information of each user can be properly managed.

[0012] In the above-described biometric information management system, it is preferable that the access point device is equipped with an authentication monitoring device. In this way, when the access point device receives information sent from the wearable terminal device, the authentication monitoring device of the access point device compares the wearable terminal identification information that has been pre-entered with the wearable terminal information sent from the wearable terminal device to determine whether or not the information sent from the wearable terminal device should be sent to the biometric information management device. This makes it possible to prevent unauthorized information from being sent to the biometric information management device at the upstream end of the communication.

[0013] In the above-described biometric information management system, it is preferable that the access point device comprises a plurality of first access point devices located at different positions, each capable of receiving wireless communication using a first wireless communication method, and a second access point device capable of receiving wireless communication using a second wireless communication method from the plurality of first access point devices, and that the first access point devices have a communication method conversion device that performs communication method conversion. This allows, for example, By using the Bluetooth® communication method as the first wireless communication method, the configuration of the wearable terminal device can be made smaller and simpler, and by using the Wi-Fi® communication method as the second wireless communication method, wide-area communication can be enabled.

[0014] In the above-described biometric information management system, it is preferable to provide an information processing unit in the authentication monitoring device that performs predetermined information processing on biometric information, and that the predetermined information processing includes a process for compressing the biometric information. This reduces the amount of information and alleviates the load on the network, making it easier to transmit biometric information wirelessly.

[0015] In the above-described biometric information management system, it is preferable to provide the biometric information management device with a server storage device that stores the user's biometric information received from the access point device. This enables centralized management of biometric information by the biometric information management device. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0016] [Figure 1] This is a floor plan of a medical facility showing an example of the adoption of the SYS(1) biometric information management system according to the present invention in a medical facility. [Figure 2] This is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of the biological information management system SYS(1) according to the present invention. [Figure 3] This is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of the biological information management system SYS(1) according to the present invention. [Figure 4] This is a floor plan of a medical facility showing an example of the adoption of the SYS(2) biometric information management system according to the present invention in a medical facility. [Figure 5] This is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of the SYS(2) biological information management system according to the present invention. [Figure 6] This is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of the SYS(3) biological information management system according to the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0017] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG. 1 is a plan view showing the inside of a medical facility where a biological information management system SYS(1) according to the first embodiment is adopted. The present invention relates to a system for centrally managing biological information obtained by examination using examination equipment in a medical facility and biological information obtained by a wearable device as a wearable terminal device. An example of a medical facility on which this system is applied will be described. There are various medical facilities such as large general hospitals, medium and small-sized hospitals, small clinics, and medical examination institutions. In FIG. 1, a medical facility as an example thereof is schematically shown in a simplified manner.

[0018] The medical facility MF shown in FIG. 1 is composed of a reception room A, patient rooms B to D, a consultation room E, and an examination room F. In this medical facility MF, a biological information management system SYS(1) according to the first embodiment shown in FIG. 2 is provided. Hereinafter, it will be described by using FIGS. 1 and 2 together.

[0019] First, the reception of patients visiting the medical facility MF from the entrance ENT is performed in the reception room A. At that time, a unique patient ID is issued to each patient, and at the same time, a wearable device WD is lent. In patient rooms B and D, first access point devices AP1(1) and AP1(2) for receiving wireless communication information from the wearable device WD by the Bluetooth communication method are installed respectively. In the reception room A, a second access point device AP2 for receiving wireless communication information from the first access point devices AP1(1) and AP1(2) by a wireless LAN 100 using the Wi-Fi communication method and an authentication monitoring device 20 connected to the second access point device AP2 are installed. In the examination room F, there is an examination device There is an inspection device 45, and the patient's inspection biological information obtained by the inspection device 45 is sent to the second access point device AP2 by a wireless LAN 100 using the Wi-Fi communication method. There is a server device 30 provided outside, and the second access point device AP2 is connected to the server device 30 via a wide area communication network 200. The information sent to the second access point device AP2 by the wireless LAN 100 is sent to the server device 30 using the wide area communication network 200 and is managed here.

[0020] The first access point devices AP1(1) and AP1(2) each have communication method conversion devices (10A, 10B) that convert the signals from the wearable device WD received by the Bluetooth communication method into the Wi-Fi communication method to enable communication by the wireless LAN 100. The first access point devices AP1(1) and AP1(2) are installed while maintaining a distance so as not to be separated beyond the Bluetooth communication possible distance range from each other, and are configured to receive the signals of the wearable device WD within the Bluetooth communication possible distance range from each device. In FIG. 1, the area that can be received by the first access point device AP1(1) by the Bluetooth communication method is shown as a two-dot chain line circle as the first receivable area AREA1(1), and the area that can be received by the first access point device AP1(2) by the Bluetooth communication method is shown as a two-dot chain line circle as the first receivable area AREA1(2).

[0021] In the medical facility MF configured as described above, as mentioned above, patients visiting the facility are registered in reception room A. At that time, a unique patient ID is issued to each patient via input terminal 15, and a wearable device WD is simultaneously provided. At this time, the patient's personal information (name, date of birth, age, gender, etc.), the patient ID, and the device information of the assigned wearable device WD are entered from input terminal 15 and sent from the second access point device AP2 to the server device 30 via the wide-area communication network 200 for storage and management. In addition, the device information and network information of the wearable device WD provided here are also pre-entered and stored in the authentication monitoring device 20.

[0022] Patients who have completed registration in reception room A and been given a wearable device WD enter the medical facility MF wearing the assigned wearable device WD and move around the facility, as shown in Figure 1. In this embodiment, Figures 1 and 2 show an example in which wearable devices WD1 to WD5 use Bluetooth communication as their communication method. In patient room B, there is patient P1 wearing wearable device WD1 and patient P2 wearing wearable device WD2. In patient room C, there is patient P3 wearing wearable device WD3. In patient room D, there is patient P4 wearing wearable device WD4, and in the corridor, there is patient P5 wearing wearable device WD5. In this state, patients P1 to P3 and P5 are located within the first receivable area AREA1(1), and the wireless signals sent via Bluetooth communication from the wearable devices WD1 to WD3 and WD5 worn by these patients can be received by the first access point device AP1(1). Furthermore, patients P4 and P5 are located within the first receivable area AREA1(2), and wireless signals sent via Bluetooth communication from wearable devices WD4 and WD5 worn by these patients, respectively, can be received by the first access point device AP1(2). The signals received by the first access point device AP1(1) and the signals received by the first access point device AP1(2) are converted to Wi-Fi communication by communication method converters (10A, 10B) in the first access point devices AP1(1) and AP1(2), respectively, and sent to the second access point device AP2 via the wireless LAN 100 using Wi-Fi communication. Then, the second access point device AP2 sends the signals to the server device 30 via the wide-area communication network 200. Note that if a patient is in an area where they can be received from multiple first access point devices (in this embodiment, patient P5 can be received from either AP1(1) or AP1(2)), You may also prioritize the access point devices you use.

[0023] Before the second access point device AP2 connects to the wide-area communication network 200, an authentication process is performed by the authentication monitoring device 20 connected to the second access point device AP2. This authentication process involves comparing the device information and network information pre-registered in the authentication monitoring device 20 with the same information of the wearable device WD that is about to connect to the wide-area communication network 200, determining whether a connection is possible, and if a connection is deemed possible, transmitting the biometric information and device information of the wearable device to the server device 30. Device information includes, for example, device information such as MAC addresses and network information such as IP addresses.

[0024] Wearable devices WD that have been authenticated by the authentication monitoring device 20 and authorized to connect connect to the server device 30 via the wide-area communication network 200. The biometric information of the wearable devices authorized to connect is then stored in the server device 30 via the wide-area communication network 200. At this time, the biometric information is organized and stored for each patient ID by comparing it with the patient ID, biometric information, and equipment information of the wearable device stored at the time of reception, making centralized management of biometric information easier.

[0025] In addition to the configurations shown in Figures 1 and 2, the authentication monitoring device 20 can also be configured by connecting it to the first access point devices AP1(1) and AP1(2), as shown in Figure 3. In this case, the authentication process described above is performed before connecting to the second access point device AP2. Note that the communication flow from the inspection device 45 in inspection room F is the same as in Figure 2 and is not shown.

[0026] Next, the SYS(2) biometric information management system according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be described using Figures 4 and 5 together. Figure 4 shows a floor plan of a medical facility, illustrating an example of the SYS(2) biometric information management system according to the second embodiment being adopted in a medical facility MF.

[0027] In Figure 4, the configuration of each room within the medical facility MF is the same as in the first embodiment, and redundant explanations are omitted. A wireless LAN 100 is installed within the medical facility MF to cover the entire facility. A second access point device AP2 connected to the authentication monitoring device 20 is installed in the corridor, and the second access point device AP2 can receive Wi-Fi signals from the wearable devices WD of patients located in the second receivable area AREA2, which is receivable using the Wi-Fi communication method. In addition, a server device 30 connected via the wide-area communication network 200 by the second access point device AP2 is installed in reception room A. Note that in Figure 4, the second receivable area AREA2 is indicated by a dotted circle.

[0028] In the medical facility MF configured as described above, patients who have completed registration in reception room A and been given a wearable device WD move around the medical facility MF wearing the assigned wearable device WD, as shown in Figure 4. At this time, similar to the first embodiment, a unique patient ID is issued to each patient via the input terminal 15, and the patient's personal information (name, date of birth, age, gender, etc.), the patient ID, and the device information of the assigned wearable device WD are entered from the input terminal 15 and sent from the second access point device AP2 to the server device 30 via the wide-area communication network 200 for storage and management. In addition, the device information and network information of the wearable device WD provided here are also entered into and stored in the authentication monitoring device 20 in advance. The placement of patients is the same as in the first embodiment and will not be explained. Patients P1 to P5 are located within the second receivable area AREA2. Each of these patients wears a different device: patient P1 wears WD1, P2 wears WD2, P3 wears WD3, P4 wears WD4, and P5 wears WD5. These wearable devices WD1-WD5 are capable of Wi-Fi communication, and Wi-Fi communication is available from the wearable devices WD1-WD5. The wireless signals transmitted via the communication method can be received by the second access point device AP2. The second access point device AP2 then connects to the server device 30 via the wide-area communication network 200. This communication flow is shown in Figure 5. Note that the communication flow from the inspection device 45 in inspection room F is the same as in Figure 2 and is not shown in Figure 5.

[0029] At this time, that is, before the second access point device AP2 connects to the wide-area communication network 200, authentication processing is performed by the authentication monitoring device 20 connected to the second access point device AP2. The authentication processing is the same as in the first embodiment and will not be explained. In this way, the biometric information of the wearable device WD authorized to connect is stored in the server device 30 by the authentication monitoring device 20.

[0030] In the first and second embodiments, the wearable device WD includes a biosensor that acquires biometric information such as heart rate, pulse, blood pressure, and body temperature while worn by the user, and communicates with the outside using a second wireless communication method, and may include, but is not limited to, a smartwatch or smart band. Biometric information may include, but is not limited to, numerical values ​​representing heart rate, pulse, blood pressure, body temperature, blood oxygen saturation, sleep status, and activity status.

[0031] Although the first and second embodiments of the biometric information management system have been described above, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments.

[0032] In the biometric information management systems of the first and second embodiments, a terminal information correction device 40 may be included to perform correction processing aimed at improving the accuracy of biometric information acquired by a wearable device WD. This correction processing could include correcting biometric information acquired from the wearable device WD by using biometric information acquired from a medical device certified as such, such as an inspection device 45. Figure 6 shows the communication flow of the biometric information management system SYS(3) configured with the terminal information correction device 40 in the second embodiment. As shown in Figure 6, the terminal information correction device 40 is connected to a second access point device AP2 which is connected to an authentication monitoring device 20. With this configuration, biometric information acquired by inspection using the inspection device 45 in the inspection room F can be transmitted to the second access point device AP2 and stored in the terminal information correction device 40 connected to the authentication monitoring device 20, thereby being used for the correction described above. Alternatively, it can be transmitted to the second access point device AP2 and stored in the server device 30, thereby being used for the correction described above. Although not shown, the terminal information correction device 40 could also be incorporated inside the authentication monitoring device 20. The terminal information correction device 40 can improve the accuracy of wearable devices and approximate the biometric information acquired by medical devices.

[0033] Furthermore, in the biometric information management systems of the first and second embodiments, the biometric information management system may have an information processing device that performs information processing. Examples of information processing include data compression to reduce data size and processing to summarize information through statistical processing. By performing these information processing operations in the information processing device, the load on the network when transmitting information to the server device 30 can be reduced. The information processing device may be configured to be connected to the authentication monitoring device 20. The information processing device may also be incorporated inside the authentication monitoring device 20.

[0034] According to the embodiments described above, a system can be provided that authenticates multiple wearable devices via a wireless communication network and securely manages the acquired biometric information. This can reduce the workload of medical professionals, caregivers, and others.

[0035] In the above embodiment, the area where the wireless communication network is located is defined as a medical facility, but it is not limited to this. No. Nursing homes, commercial facilities such as shopping malls, and public facilities such as schools and libraries are also acceptable. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0036] SYS(1)~(3) Biometric Information Management System 100 Wireless LAN 200 Wide-area communication network AP1 First Access Point Device AP2 Second Access Point Device 10A, 10B Communication System Converter 20 Authentication Monitoring Device 30 Server Devices 40 Terminal Information Correction Device 45 Inspection equipment WD1-5 Wearable Devices P1~P5 patients

Claims

1. A wearable terminal device configured to be worn by a user, having a detection unit for detecting the wearer's biometric information and a wireless communication unit for wirelessly transmitting the biometric information detected by the detection unit to an external source; An access point device equipped with a wireless communication network having a predetermined receivable area, and capable of receiving wireless communication from the wireless communication unit, The access point device includes a biometric information management device that receives and manages the user's biometric information received from the wearable terminal device via the wireless communication network, The wearable terminal device has wearable terminal identification information for identifying itself, and is capable of inputting user identification information for identifying the user wearing the wearable terminal device. The wearable terminal device is configured to transmit the wearable terminal identification information and the user identification information, along with the biometric information detected by the detection unit, from the wireless communication unit to the access point device. A biometric information management system characterized in that at least one of the access point device and the biometric information management device has the wearable terminal identification information in advance, and when it receives information sent from the wearable terminal device, it compares the wearable terminal identification information it has in advance with the wearable terminal information sent from the wearable terminal device and determines whether or not the information sent from the wearable terminal device should be managed by the biometric information management device.

2. The access point device includes the authentication monitoring device, The biometric information management system according to claim 1, characterized in that when the access point device receives information sent from the wearable terminal device, the authentication monitoring device compares the wearable terminal identification information that has been pre-entered with the wearable terminal information sent from the wearable terminal device to determine whether or not the information sent from the wearable terminal device should be sent to the biometric information management device.

3. The aforementioned access point device A plurality of first access point devices, each located at one or different locations, having a first receivable area and capable of receiving wireless communication from the wireless communication unit using a first wireless communication method, The system comprises a second access point device having a second receivable area covering one or more of the first access point devices, and capable of receiving wireless communication from the one or more first access point devices using a second wireless communication method, The biometric information management system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the first access point device has a communication method conversion device that converts between the first wireless communication method and the second wireless communication method.

4. The authentication monitoring device has an information processing unit that performs predetermined information processing on the biometric information, The biological information management system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the predetermined information processing includes a process for compressing the biological information.

5. The biometric information management system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the biometric information management device has a server storage device that stores the user's biometric information received from the access point device, which the authentication monitoring device has determined should be managed by the biometric information management device.

Images