System, measuring device, and control program

JP7916688B2Active Publication Date: 2026-09-08OMRON HEALTHCARE CO LTD
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Patent Information

Application Number
JP2022117166
Authority / Receiving Office
JP · JP
Patent Type
Patents
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2022-07-22
Publication Date
2026-09-08
Estimated Expiration
2042-07-22

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

【0019】 本発明によれば、特定の機器間において情報を送受信することが可能なシステム、測定装置、及び制御プログラムを提供することができる。

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Abstract

To provide a system, a measuring device, and a control program that can transmit and receive information between specific apparatuses.SOLUTION: An information management system 100 according to one aspect of the present invention includes an information terminal 5 (laptop computer 5A) and a measuring device 1 (activity meter 1A). The measuring device 1 performs wireless communication with the information terminal 5. The measuring device 1 is configured to detect the measuring device 1 being stationary in a specific posture, and when detecting being stationary in the specific posture, transmits an advertisement signal for wireless communication with the information terminal 5.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 9
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Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a system, a measurement device, and a control program.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, there has been known a health management system including an activity meter and a gateway device, in which when the activity meter is placed on the gateway device, the number of steps of a managed person measured by the activity meter is transmitted to the gateway device via short-range wireless communication (Patent Document 1). There is also known a biological information management system including a biological information detection unit main body attachable to a subject, a placement table on which the biological information detection unit main body is placed, and an analysis device that analyzes biological information, in which the biological information detected by the biological information detection unit main body is transmitted to the analysis device via the placement table by wireless communication such as Bluetooth (registered trademark) (Patent Document 2).

Prior Art Literature

Patent Literature

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problem to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Incidentally, in an environment where many devices (activity meters) exist, for a receiving side to collect measurement data measured by a specific device via wireless communication, the receiving side needs to actively search for and extract the specific device from advertisement signals transmitted by many devices, connect to the device, and collect data. However, Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2 do not describe control of wireless communication related to these matters. Further, realizing this by a conventional communication method requires a predetermined operation on the receiving side.

[0005] In one respect, this invention has been made in view of these circumstances, and its purpose is to provide a system, a measuring device, and a control program that are capable of sending and receiving information between specific devices. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] To solve the above problems, the present invention employs the following configuration.

[0007] (1) Information terminals and, A measuring device that communicates wirelessly with the information terminal, detects when the measuring device is stationary in a specific posture, and transmits an advertisement signal for the wireless communication when stationary is detected. A system that includes this.

[0008] According to (1), among multiple measuring devices, a measuring device that is stationary in a specific orientation becomes capable of wireless communication with a specific information terminal. Therefore, by stationary measuring devices that are to be wirelessly communicated with a specific information terminal in a specific orientation, it is possible to reliably enable wireless communication between those measuring devices and the specific information terminal. Furthermore, if the measuring device is not stationary in a specific orientation, the transmission of advertising signals to the specific information terminal can be suppressed, thereby reducing power consumption.

[0009] (2) (1) The system described above, The measuring device adds identification information to the advertisement signal transmitted upon detection of stationary status, which is distinguishable from the advertisement signal transmitted when stationary status is not detected. The information terminal communicates wirelessly with the measuring device that transmitted the advertisement signal to which the identification information was added, among a plurality of measuring devices including the measuring device. system.

[0010] According to (2), even if there is another measuring device that transmits an advertising signal when, for example, the communication button is pressed and held down, it can be distinguished by the identification information, so wireless communication can be performed more reliably with a measuring device that is stationary in a specific posture.

[0011] (3) (1) or (2) the system described above, The information terminal communicates wirelessly with the measuring device that transmitted the advertisement signal with the highest received signal strength at the information terminal, among a plurality of measuring devices including the measuring device. system.

[0012] According to (3), even if there is another measuring device that transmits an advertising signal by unintentionally becoming stationary in a specific posture, it is possible to identify the communication partner based on the received signal strength, thus enabling more reliable wireless communication with a measuring device that has been intentionally made stationary in a specific posture.

[0013] (4) A system described in any of (1) to (3), The measuring device includes a holding member that holds the measuring device in the specific posture, system.

[0014] According to (4), the holding member allows the measuring device to be held in a specific position, thus enabling more reliable wireless communication with a specific measuring device.

[0015] (5) A measuring device, A wireless communication unit that performs wireless communication with a specific information terminal, A detection unit that detects when the measuring device is stationary in a specific posture, When the detection unit detects the stationary state, the control unit causes the wireless communication unit to transmit an advertisement signal for the wireless communication, A measuring device equipped with the following features.

[0016] According to (5), a measuring device that is stationary in a specific posture becomes capable of wireless communication with a specific information terminal. Therefore, by making a measuring device to be wirelessly communicated with a specific information terminal stationary in a specific posture, the measuring device can be reliably caused to perform wireless communication with the specific information terminal. Furthermore, when the measuring device is not stationary in the specific posture, transmission of an advertisement signal to the specific information terminal can be suppressed, so that power consumption can be reduced.

[0017] (6) A control program for a measuring device that performs wireless communication with an information terminal, wherein in a processor of the measuring device, when the stationary state of the measuring device in a specific posture is detected, transmitting an advertisement signal for said wireless communication, a control program for causing a process to be executed.

[0018] According to (6), a measuring device that is stationary in a specific posture becomes capable of wireless communication with a specific information terminal. Therefore, by making a measuring device to be wirelessly communicated with a specific information terminal stationary in a specific posture, the measuring device can be reliably caused to perform wireless communication with the specific information terminal. Furthermore, when the measuring device is not stationary in the specific posture, transmission of an advertisement signal to the specific information terminal can be suppressed, so that power consumption can be reduced. Effects of the Invention

[0019] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a system, a measuring device, and a control program capable of transmitting and receiving information between specific devices. Brief Description of the Drawings

[0020] [Figure 1] It is a diagram showing a state where wireless communication is performed between a measuring device 1 and an information terminal 5 that constitute the information management system 100 of the present invention. [Figure 2] It is a diagram showing an activity meter that is an example of the measuring device 1. [Figure 3] It is a diagram showing an example where the information terminal 5 is connected to a network. [Figure 4] This is a block diagram showing the configuration of measuring device 1. [Figure 5] This is a block diagram showing the configuration of information terminal 5. [Figure 6] This flowchart shows the processing procedure by the controller of the measuring device. [Figure 7] This is a flowchart showing the processing procedure by the controller of the information terminal. [Figure 8] This diagram shows a laptop computer 5A and a stand 7 set up at the event venue. [Figure 9] This figure shows the activity tracker 1A placed on the base 7 shown in Figure 8. [Figure 10] This diagram illustrates the BLE connection between the activity tracker 1A, which is mounted on the base 7, and the laptop computer 5A. [Figure 11] This diagram illustrates the data transfer from the activity tracker 1A, which is mounted on the base 7, to the laptop computer 5A. [Figure 12] This figure shows a laptop computer 5A and a modified pedestal 7A installed at the event venue. [Figure 13] This figure shows the activity tracker 1A placed on the base 7A shown in Figure 12. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0021] Hereinafter, embodiments relating to one aspect of the present invention will be described based on the drawings.

[0022] §1 Examples of Application <Information management system 100 to which the present invention is applied> Figure 1 shows an information management system 100, which is an example of the present invention. The information management system 100 comprises a measuring device 1, an information terminal 5 that communicates wirelessly with the measuring device 1, and a base 7 on which the measuring device 1 is placed. The information management system 100 is an example of the system of the present invention.

[0023] The measuring device 1 includes a biometric information measuring device that measures biological information such as weight, body composition, blood pressure, pulse rate, heart rate, body temperature, blood glucose level, or blood oxygen saturation, and an activity level measuring device that measures activity levels such as steps taken, walking distance, or calories burned. The measuring device includes a measuring sensor for measuring the amount to be measured. Depending on the measuring device, the amount to be measured by the measuring sensor may include biological information such as weight, body fat percentage, blood pressure, pulse rate, heart rate, body temperature, blood glucose level, or blood oxygen saturation, or activity levels such as steps taken, distance traveled, or calories burned. The measuring device 1 is, for example, a non-wearable measuring device such as a weighing scale, body composition analyzer, blood pressure monitor, thermometer, or blood glucose meter, or a wearable measuring device such as a pedometer or activity tracker. A non-wearable measuring device is a measuring device that is not wearable, for example, a measuring device used when placed on the ground or a table. A wearable measuring device is a measuring device that is carried by being attached to the user's body. The measuring device 1 transmits the measured biological information and activity levels to the information terminal 5 via wireless communication as user-managed measurement information.

[0024] The information terminal 5 stores the management measurement information received from the measuring device 1 in its data storage unit. The information terminal 5 is also capable of wireless communication with devices other than the measuring device 1, and stores information acquired from external devices in its data storage unit. The information terminal 5 is an information processing device that analyzes various information acquired from the measuring device 1 and other external devices. The information terminal 5 is, for example, a terminal with a display, such as a smartphone, tablet, or laptop computer. The information terminal 5 may be configured to acquire management measurement information from a specific measuring device 1. The specific measuring device 1 from which to acquire management measurement information may be pre-registered in the data storage unit of the information terminal 5.

[0025] The base 7 is a component that holds the mounted measuring device 1 in a specific orientation. The specific orientation of the measuring device 1 refers to, for example, an orientation in which the user interface of the measuring device 1 (e.g., the display screen) is facing downwards. Alternatively, the specific orientation may be an orientation in which the user interface is tilted in the front-to-back direction, that is, an orientation in which the user interface is tilted downwards or upwards. Alternatively, the specific orientation may be an inverted orientation of the measuring device 1, that is, an orientation in which the upper end of the measuring device 1 is lower than the lower end. Alternatively, the specific orientation may be an orientation in which the bottom or top surface of the measuring device 1 is not horizontal, or an orientation in which the horizontal direction of the screen is not horizontal, that is, an orientation tilted in the left-to-right direction. The base 7 is used when the information terminal 5 and the measuring device 1 perform BLE communication and transmit management measurement information of the measuring device 1 to the information terminal 5, and is therefore usually placed and used near the information terminal 5. The base 7 is an example of a holding component of the present invention.

[0026] Figure 2 shows an example of a measuring device 1, which is an activity tracker 1A. The activity tracker 1A is an example of an activity measuring device that measures the user's body movements during activities such as walking, housework, and desk work, outputs the daily calorie expenditure as a numerical value, and transmits the measurement results to the information terminal 5 via wireless communication as the user's management measurement information. For example, the activity tracker 1A displays the user's target calorie expenditure and the total calorie expenditure for the day numerically on the screen. The activity tracker 1A is a wearable measuring device and is capable of extracting acceleration signals generated by the user's physical activity from various noises. In addition to identifying walking and jogging, the activity tracker 1A identifies everyday movements such as housework and desk work and measures calorie expenditure. The activity tracker 1A can also measure the user's heart rate, oxygen consumption, etc. The activity tracker 1A may be, for example, a wristwatch-type device.

[0027] Figure 3 shows an example of how the information terminal 5 is connected to a network. As shown in Figure 3, the information terminal 5 may be connected to the cloud server 90 via a wide-area network N such as the Internet. The information terminal 5 may transmit the management measurement information it stores to the cloud server 90 via the wide-area network N, and the cloud server 90 may manage the user W's management measurement information as a database. Alternatively, the information terminal 5 may acquire the management measurement information managed by the cloud server 90 via the wide-area network N and use the acquired management measurement information.

[0028] §2 Example Configuration <Configuration of measuring device 1> Figure 4 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the measuring device 1. The measuring device 1 comprises a display unit 11 for displaying various information, an operation unit 12 for user operation, a measuring unit 13 for measuring activity levels and biological information, a wireless communication unit 14 for communicating with external devices, and a sensor 15 for detecting the stationary state of the measuring device 1. The measuring device 1 also comprises a RAM 16 for temporarily storing information, a data storage unit 17 for storing information and programs, and a controller 18 for controlling the overall operation. The controller 18 is an example of the control unit and processor of the present invention. The sensor 15 is an example of the detection unit of the present invention.

[0029] The display unit 11 is composed of, for example, a liquid crystal display or an organic EL (Electro-Luminescence) display. The operation unit 12 is a user interface that accepts user operations such as buttons or a touch panel. The buttons include physical buttons provided on the measuring device 1 and virtual buttons displayed on the display unit 11.

[0030] The measurement unit 13 measures biological information such as weight, body composition, blood pressure, pulse, heart rate, body temperature, blood glucose, and blood oxygen saturation, as well as activity levels such as steps taken, walking distance, and calories burned. What is measured varies depending on the object being measured by the measurement device 1.

[0031] The wireless communication unit 14 is a communication unit that performs short-range wireless communication, for example, a circuit (module) for communication in accordance with the BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy®) standard. The wireless communication unit 14 transmits an advertisement signal for wireless communication to an unspecified number of external devices via broadcast communication at a predetermined transmission period. The wireless communication unit 14 transmits the advertisement signal including, for example, the name and attribute information of the measuring device 1. The BLE communication performed by the wireless communication unit 14 is, for example, a communication using the 2.4GHz frequency. The wireless communication unit 14 transmits management measurement information such as biological information and activity levels measured by the measuring unit 13 to the information terminal 5 via BLE communication.

[0032] Sensor 15 is, for example, a gyroscope sensor. Sensor 15 detects when the measuring device 1 is stationary in a specific orientation. Stationary in a specific orientation means that the measuring device 1 is stationary in an orientation that it does not normally assume. Examples of stationary orientations include the user interface of the measuring device 1 facing downwards and lying face down, the user interface tilted in the front-to-back direction, the measuring device 1 being upside down, and the measuring device 1 being stationary in an orientation where the bottom or top surface is not horizontal or the horizontal direction on the screen is not horizontal. Stationary means that the specific orientation has been maintained for a certain period of time (for example, 1 second).

[0033] RAM16 is composed of semiconductor devices such as DRAM or SRAM, and it temporarily stores information and also serves as the work area for the controller 18.

[0034] The data storage unit 17 is a recording medium that stores parameters, control programs, and management and measurement information necessary to realize a predetermined process. The data storage unit 17 is composed of, for example, a hard disk drive (HDD) or a semiconductor storage device (SSD).

[0035] The controller 18 performs predetermined processing by executing a control program. In this embodiment, for example, health management application software for the measuring device is pre-installed as a control program in the data storage unit 17, and the controller 18 performs predetermined processing by executing this health management application software.

[0036] For example, when the sensor 15 detects that the measuring device 1 is stationary in a specific orientation, the controller 18 controls the wireless communication unit 14 to send an advertisement signal for wireless communication (BLE communication). Specifically, when the measuring device 1 is placed on the base 7 and becomes stationary, and the controller 18 detects that the measuring device 1 is stationary in a specific orientation, the controller 18 controls the wireless communication unit 14 to send an advertisement signal. The specific orientation of the measuring device 1 is as described above. The orientation of the measuring device 1 that is designated as the specific orientation is set in advance for each measuring device 1. When the controller 18 detects that the measuring device 1 is stationary in the set specific orientation, it controls the unit to send an advertisement signal for BLE communication.

[0037] Furthermore, the controller 18 adds identification information to the advertisement signal transmitted when it detects that the measuring device 1 is stationary in a specific posture, so as to distinguish it from the advertisement signal transmitted when it does not detect that the measuring device 1 is stationary in a specific posture. The advertisement signal transmitted when it does not detect that the measuring device 1 is stationary in a specific posture is the advertisement signal transmitted when the communication button on the measuring device 1 is pressed and held down (for example, for 2 seconds). The communication button is, for example, a button operated when attempting to transfer biological information and activity levels measured by the measuring device 1 to the information terminal 5, and is a connection instruction button that instructs the connection between the measuring device 1 and the information terminal 5.

[0038] <Configuration of Information Terminal 5> Figure 5 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the information terminal 5. The information terminal 5 includes a display unit 51 for displaying various information, an operation unit 52 for user operation, and a first wireless communication unit 53 and a second wireless communication unit 54 for communicating with external devices. The information terminal 5 also includes a RAM 55 for temporarily storing information, a data storage unit 56 for storing information and programs, and a controller 57 for controlling the overall operation.

[0039] The display unit 51 is composed of, for example, a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display. The operation unit 52 is a user interface that accepts user operations such as buttons and touch panels. The buttons include physical buttons provided on the information terminal 5 and virtual buttons displayed on the display unit 51.

[0040] The first wireless communication unit 53 is a communication unit that performs cellular communication, for example, a circuit (module) for performing communication according to standards such as 4G, 5G, and LTE (Long Term Evolution: registered trademark). The first wireless communication unit 53 is also a communication unit that performs wireless LAN communication, for example, a circuit (module) for performing communication according to standards such as Wi-Fi. The second wireless communication unit 54 is a communication unit that performs short-range wireless communication, for example, a circuit (module) for performing communication according to the BLE standard.

[0041] The second wireless communication unit 54 acquires user management measurement information measured by the measuring device 1, for example, by performing BLE communication with the wireless communication unit 14 of the measuring device 1. The second wireless communication unit 54 receives the advertisement signal transmitted from the wireless communication unit 14 of the measuring device 1 by scanning. The second wireless communication unit 54 recognizes the measuring device 1 from the received advertisement signal and sends a connection request to the measuring device 1 if it wants to establish a communication connection. The measuring device 1 waits for a predetermined time for a connection request after transmitting the advertisement signal, and if it receives a connection request within the predetermined time, it stops transmitting the advertisement signal and switches to one-to-one connection communication with the connection request recipient.

[0042] RAM 55 is composed of semiconductor devices such as DRAM or SRAM, and it temporarily stores information and also serves as the work area for the controller 57.

[0043] The data storage unit 56 is a recording medium that stores parameters, control programs, and management measurement information acquired from the measuring device 1, etc., necessary to realize a predetermined process. The data storage unit 56 is composed of, for example, a hard disk drive (HDD) or a semiconductor storage device (SSD).

[0044] The controller 57 performs predetermined processing by executing a control program. In this embodiment, for example, health management application software for an information terminal is pre-installed as a control program in the data storage unit 56, and the controller 57 performs predetermined processing by executing this health management application software.

[0045] For example, when the health management application software for the information terminal is launched, the controller 57 controls the second wireless communication unit 54 to receive an advertisement signal by scanning.

[0046] Furthermore, the controller 57 controls the second wireless communication unit 54 to perform BLE communication with the measuring device 1 that transmitted the advertisement signal to which identification information is added. The identification information is, as described above, information added to the advertisement signal that is transmitted when the stationary position of the measuring device 1 is detected.

[0047] Furthermore, when multiple advertisement signals are received, the controller 57 controls the second wireless communication unit 54 to perform BLE communication with the measuring device that transmitted the advertisement signal with the highest received strength in the second wireless communication unit 54.

[0048] When the controller 57 receives an advertisement signal from the measuring device 1, it sends a connection request to the measuring device 1 and controls the second wireless communication unit 54 to acquire management measurement information from the measuring device 1.

[0049] §3 Example of Operation <Operation of measuring device 1> Next, an example of the operation of the measuring device 1 will be explained with reference to Figure 6. Figure 6 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure by the controller 18 of the measuring device 1. This process starts when the power of the measuring device 1 is turned on. In this example, the measuring device 1 is assumed to be an activity meter 1A, and will be explained below.

[0050] The controller 18 of the activity tracker 1A acquires sensing data collected by the sensor 15 from the sensor 15 (step S11).

[0051] The controller 18 determines, based on the sensing data acquired by the sensor 15, whether the activity tracker 1A is stationary in a specific posture and whether that stationary state has continued for a predetermined time or longer (step S12). The specific posture is one in which the activity tracker 1A does not normally remain stationary, and as described above, includes a prone posture with the user interface facing downwards, a posture with the user interface tilted in the front-to-back direction, a posture in which the activity tracker 1A is upside down, and a posture in which the bottom or top surface of the activity tracker 1A is not horizontal or the screen is not horizontal.

[0052] In step S12, if the activity tracker 1A is not continuously stationary in a specific posture for a predetermined period of time or longer (step S12: No), the controller 18 determines whether or not it has received a connection instruction (step S13). A connection instruction is an instruction to connect the activity tracker 1A to an external device, and is performed by pressing and holding the communication button on the activity tracker 1A (for example, pressing for 2 seconds).

[0053] If no connection instruction is received in step S13 (step S13: No), the controller 18 returns to step S11 and repeats each process.

[0054] In step S13, if a connection instruction is received (step S13: Yes), the controller 18 controls the wireless communication unit 14 to start transmitting an advertisement signal to which identification information indicating that the vehicle is not stationary in a specific orientation, such as a flag information of specific orientation bit=0, is added (step S14).

[0055] On the other hand, in step S12, if the activity tracker 1A remains stationary in a specific posture for a predetermined period of time or longer (step S12: Yes), the controller 18 controls the wireless communication unit 14 to start transmitting an advertisement signal to which identification information indicating that the activity tracker is stationary in a specific posture, such as a flag information of specific posture bit=1, is added (step S15).

[0056] When the controller 18 starts transmitting the advertised signal in steps S14 and S15, it determines whether or not it has received a connection request from an external device for the activity tracker 1A (step S16).

[0057] In step S16, if no connection request has been received (step S16: No), the controller 18 determines whether a certain period of time set as the time for receiving a connection request has elapsed (step S17).

[0058] In step S17, if a certain amount of time has not elapsed (step S17: No), the controller 18 returns to step S16 and repeats each process.

[0059] In step S17, if a certain period of time has elapsed (step S17: Yes), that is, if no connection request has been received from an external device within that period of time, the controller 18 controls the wireless communication unit 14 to stop transmitting the advertised signal (step S18). After stopping the transmission of the advertised signal, the controller 18 returns to step S11 and repeats each process.

[0060] On the other hand, if a connection request is received in step S16 (step S16: Yes), the controller 18 stops transmitting the advertised signal and starts communication with the external device that made the connection request via BLE connection (step S19). The external device making the connection request is a device that has received the advertised signal from the activity tracker 1A, is capable of BLE communication with the activity tracker 1A, and may be multiple external devices located around the activity tracker 1A.

[0061] Furthermore, if the activity tracker 1A receives a connection request from, for example, the information terminal 5 and establishes a BLE connection with the information terminal 5, the activity tracker 1A transmits the measurement data stored in the data storage unit 17 to the information terminal 5 via BLE communication as user-managed measurement information.

[0062] <Operation of Information Terminal 5> Next, an example of the operation of the information terminal 5 will be explained with reference to Figure 7. Figure 7 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure by the controller 57 of the information terminal 5. This process starts when the power of the information terminal 5 is turned on and the health management application software is launched.

[0063] The controller 57 of the information terminal 5 receives the advertisement signal by scanning and determines whether the received advertisement signal is a signal with a specific attitude bit=1 added (step S21).

[0064] If, in step S21, an advertised signal with the specific attitude bit=1 added has not been received (step S21: No), the controller 57 repeats the process of step S21.

[0065] In step S21, if an advertisement signal with the specific posture bit=1 added is received (step S21: Yes), the controller 57 determines whether it has received multiple advertisement signals with the specific posture bit=1 added (step S22). As described above, an advertisement signal with the specific posture bit=1 added is transmitted, for example, when the activity tracker 1A is placed on the base 7 and becomes stationary in a specific posture. In addition, an advertisement signal with the specific posture bit=1 added may also be transmitted, for example, when the posture of the activity tracker 1A carried by the user happens to be the same specific posture as the activity tracker 1A placed on the base 7. In that case, the controller 57 may receive multiple advertisement signals with the specific posture bit=1 added.

[0066] In step S22, if multiple advertisement signals with a specific posture bit=1 are received (step S22: Yes), the controller 57 sends a connection request signal to the activity meter 1A that transmitted the advertisement signal, based on the advertisement signal with the highest received intensity at the information terminal 5 (step S24). As described above, the pedestal 7 on which the activity meter 1A is placed is usually used near the information terminal 5. Therefore, the intensity of the advertisement signal transmitted from the activity meter 1A placed on the pedestal 7 will be the highest. Consequently, the controller 57 will send a connection request signal to the activity meter 1A placed on the pedestal 7.

[0067] In step S22, if no multiple advertisement signals with a specific posture bit=1 have been received (step S22: No), the controller 57 sends a connection request signal to the activity meter 1A that sent the advertisement signal, based on the received advertisement signal (step S25).

[0068] After requesting a connection in steps S23 and S24, the controller 57 starts communication with the activity tracker 1A via BLE connection (step S25). The information terminal 5 receives management measurement information from the activity tracker 1A via BLE communication.

[0069] <Operation of Information Management System 100> Next, with reference to Figures 8 to 11, an example of the operation of the measuring device 1 and the information terminal 5 in the information management system 100 will be explained.

[0070] The information management system 100 is used, for example, to collect user measurement data (management measurement information) stored in the measuring device 1 for event attendees, which is installed at the event venue, and to send it to the information terminal 5. For example, by providing measurement data to the information terminal 5, event attendees who provide the data are awarded predetermined points.

[0071] Figure 8 shows an example of an information terminal 5 and a base 7 installed at an event venue. The base 7 is on which the measuring device 1 for event attendees is placed. As shown in Figure 8, in this example, the information terminal 5 is a laptop computer 5A and the measuring device 1 is an activity tracker 1A, and these will be explained below.

[0072] The pedestal 7 in this example has a mounting plate 71 on which the activity tracker 1A is placed, and a base 72 that supports the mounting plate 71. On the surface side of the mounting plate 71, there are holding parts 73a to 73c that hold the activity tracker 1A placed on the mounting plate 71 from its periphery. The mounting plate 71 is erected so as to be tilted from the front end to the rear of the base 72. The mounting plate 71 is erected such that the angle θ1 formed between the mounting plate 71 and the base 72 is a predetermined angle (acute angle) relative to the base 72. The base 72 is installed so as to be horizontal. The pedestal 7 is installed in close proximity to the laptop 5A, for example, within a radius of 2m, so that the management measurement information of the activity tracker 1A placed on the pedestal 7 is collected by the laptop 5A via BLE communication.

[0073] Figure 9 shows the activity meter 1A placed on the base 7 in the state shown in Figure 8. As shown in Figure 9, the activity meter 1A is placed on the mounting plate 71 so as to be inserted between the holding parts 73a and 73b. The activity meter 1A is held on both sides by the holding parts 73a and 73b, and on the bottom by the holding part 73c. ​​By being placed on the mounting plate 71 in this way, the activity meter 1A is held in a "specific posture" that is tilted at an angle θ1 backward relative to the base 72.

[0074] When the activity tracker 1A detects, via the sensor 15, that it is stationary in a specific posture, it begins transmitting an advertisement signal. The activity tracker 1A begins transmitting an advertisement signal with added identification information indicating that it is stationary in a specific posture (e.g., specific posture bit=1). In this example, the "specific posture" is defined as the activity tracker 1A being tilted backward by an angle θ1 relative to the base 72, but it is not limited to this state. For example, the requirement that the activity tracker 1A is not tilted to the left or right may be added as a requirement for the specific posture.

[0075] Figure 10 shows the activity tracker 1A, placed on the base 7, and the laptop computer 5A connected via BLE and initiating BLE communication. The laptop computer 5A detects advertisement signals that have identification information (e.g., specific posture bit=1) attached to them from among the received advertisement signals by scanning, and sends a connection request signal to the activity tracker 1A that transmitted that advertisement signal. If multiple advertisement signals with specific posture bit=1 attached are received, the laptop computer 5A sends a connection request signal to the activity tracker 1A that transmitted the advertisement signal with the highest received strength.

[0076] As described above, for example, if there is an activity tracker other than the activity tracker 1A placed on the base 7 that happens to be stationary in the same specific posture as the activity tracker 1A placed on the base 7, that activity tracker may also transmit an advertisement signal with the specific posture bit=1 added. In that case, the laptop 5A may receive multiple advertisement signals with the specific posture bit=1 added, and will send a connection request signal to the activity tracker that transmits the advertisement signal with the highest received strength. In this example, since the base 7 is installed close to the laptop 5A, the activity tracker 1A placed on the base 7 is connected to the laptop 5A via BLE.

[0077] When the activity tracker 1A receives a connection request signal, it stops transmitting an advertising signal and switches to one-to-one connection communication with the notebook computer 5A, which is the recipient of the connection request. This initiates BLE communication between the activity tracker 1A and the notebook computer 5A.

[0078] Figure 11 shows how a BLE-connected activity tracker 1A and a laptop computer 5A transfer measurement data from the activity tracker 1A via BLE communication. When the activity tracker 1A is connected to the laptop computer 5A via BLE, it transmits the user's management measurement information stored in the activity tracker 1A to the laptop computer 5A via BLE communication. The laptop computer 5A uploads the user's management measurement information received from the activity tracker 1A to a cloud server 90, for example, via a wide-area network N.

[0079] <Modified example of the base 7 on which the activity tracker 1A is placed> Referring to Figures 12 and 13, a modified example of the base 7 that holds the activity tracker 1A in a specific posture will be described.

[0080] Figure 12 shows a laptop computer 5A installed at an event venue and a modified pedestal 7A. As shown in Figure 12, the modified pedestal 7A has holding parts 73d and 73e that hold the activity meter 1A, which is placed on the surface side of the mounting plate 71, from the periphery. The mounting plate 71 and base 72 have the same configuration as the mounting plate and base described in Figure 8. Also, the pedestal 7A is installed close to the laptop computer 5A, similar to the pedestal 7.

[0081] Figure 13 shows the activity tracker 1A placed on the base 7A in the state shown in Figure 12. As shown in Figure 13, the activity tracker 1A is placed on the mounting plate 71, sandwiched between the holding parts 73d and 73e. The left side of the activity tracker 1A is held by the holding part 73d, and the lower side is held by the holding part 73e. By being placed on the mounting plate 71 in this way, the activity tracker 1A is held in a "specific posture" where it is tilted to the left or right, specifically, the bottom surface of the activity tracker 1A is tilted at an angle θ2 with respect to the horizontal.

[0082] When the activity tracker 1A detects, via the sensor 15, that it is stationary in a specific posture, it begins transmitting an advertisement signal with identification information (e.g., specific posture bit=1) added, as described in Figure 8. In this example, the "specific posture" is defined as the state in which the bottom surface of the activity tracker 1A is tilted at an angle θ2 with respect to the horizontal, but it is not limited to this state. For example, the requirement that the activity tracker 1A is tilted at an angle θ1 backward relative to the base 72 may be added as a requirement for the specific posture.

[0083] By the way, at event venues with many attendees, there are many measuring devices (for example, activity trackers) that these attendees possess. Therefore, in order for a receiving device to communicate with a specific measuring device via BLE and collect measurement data from that specific device, the receiving device needs to actively search for, extract, connect to, and collect data from the advertisement signals emitted by the many measuring devices. However, this method of the receiving device actively searching for, extracting, and connecting to measuring devices requires operation on the receiving side, and operational errors can lead to incorrect connections and communication.

[0084] In contrast, the information management system 100 in the above embodiment allows one of the multiple activity trackers 1A carried by an event attendee to be in a state where it can communicate via BLE with a laptop computer 5A installed at the event venue. Therefore, by keeping a specific activity tracker 1A that is to be communicated via BLE with the laptop computer 5A in a specific position, that specific activity tracker 1A can be reliably communicated via BLE with the laptop computer 5A. Furthermore, if the activity tracker 1A is not in a specific position, it is not necessary to transmit an advertising signal from the activity tracker 1A, and only the sensor 15 needs to sense that it is in a specific position, thus reducing power consumption.

[0085] Furthermore, according to the information management system 100, identification information (specific posture bit=1) is added to the advertisement signal transmitted from the activity tracker 1A when it is detected to be stationary in a specific posture. Therefore, for example, even if the communication button of an activity tracker held by another event participant is pressed and held (for example, for 2 seconds) and an advertisement signal is transmitted from that activity tracker, it is possible to identify the predetermined activity tracker 1A that is stationary in a specific posture based on the identification information, and thus reliable BLE communication can be established with that predetermined activity tracker 1A that is stationary in a specific posture.

[0086] Furthermore, according to the information management system 100, when multiple activity trackers transmit advertisement signals, the laptop 5A communicates via BLE with the activity tracker that transmitted the advertisement signal with the highest received strength on the laptop 5A. This makes it possible to identify the communication partner based on the received strength on the laptop 5A, even if, for example, an activity tracker carried by an event attendee unintentionally remains still in a specific posture and transmits an advertisement signal from that activity tracker. For this reason, at an event venue, for example, a pedestal 7 that holds the activity tracker 1A in a specific posture can be placed near the laptop 5A, and the activity tracker 1A can be placed on the pedestal 7, allowing the laptop 5A to reliably communicate via BLE with the activity tracker 1A that has been intentionally kept still in a specific posture.

[0087] Furthermore, according to the information management system 100, simply by placing the user's activity tracker 1A on the pedestal 7 installed at the event venue, the activity tracker 1A can be held in a special posture that it would not normally assume. As a result, reliable BLE communication can be established between the predetermined activity tracker 1A placed on the pedestal 7 and the laptop computer 5A installed at the event venue.

[0088] §4 Program The control method for the measuring device 1 or information terminal 5 described in the above-mentioned embodiment can be realized by executing a pre-prepared control program on a computer. This control program is recorded on a computer-readable storage medium and executed when read from the storage medium. This control program may also be provided in the form of a non-transient storage medium such as flash memory, or it may be provided via a network such as the Internet. The computer that executes this control program may be included in the measuring device 1 or information terminal 5, or it may be included in an electronic device such as a smartphone, tablet terminal, or personal computer that can communicate with the measuring device 1 or information terminal 5, or it may be included in a server device that can communicate with these measuring device 1, information terminal 5, and electronic devices.

[0089] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, the above description is merely illustrative in all respects of the present invention. Various improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0090] 1. Measuring device 1A activity meter 5. Information terminals 7,7A Base 13 Measuring part 14. Wireless Communication Section 15. Sensor (detection unit) 18. Controller (control unit, processor) 53. First Radio Communication Section 54. Second Radio Communication Section 57 Controllers 71 Mounting plate 72 Base 73a~73e Holding part 90 Cloud Servers 100 Information Management Systems N Wide Area Network

Claims

1. Information terminals and, A measuring device that communicates wirelessly with the information terminal, detects when the measuring device is stationary in a specific posture, and transmits an advertisement signal for the wireless communication when stationary is detected. Includes, The measuring device adds identification information to the advertisement signal transmitted upon detection of stationary status, which is distinguishable from the advertisement signal transmitted when stationary status is not detected. The information terminal communicates wirelessly with the measuring device that transmitted the advertisement signal to which the identification information was added, among a plurality of measuring devices including the measuring device. system.

2. The system according to Claim 1, The information terminal communicates wirelessly with the measuring device that transmitted the advertisement signal with the highest received signal strength at the information terminal, among a plurality of measuring devices including the measuring device. system.

3. The system according to claim 1 or 2, The measuring device includes a holding member that holds the measuring device in the specific posture, system.

4. A measuring device, A wireless communication unit that communicates wirelessly with information terminals, A detection unit that detects when the measuring device is stationary in a specific posture, When the detection unit detects the stationary state, the control unit causes the wireless communication unit to transmit an advertisement signal for wireless communication, and adds identification information to the advertisement signal transmitted due to the detection of the stationary state that is distinguishable from the advertisement signal transmitted when the stationary state is not detected. A measuring device equipped with the following features.

5. A control program for a measuring device that communicates wirelessly with an information terminal, The processor of the aforementioned measuring device When the stationary position of the measuring device is detected, an advertisement signal for wireless communication is transmitted, and identification information that distinguishes the advertisement signal transmitted due to the detection of stationary position from the advertisement signal transmitted when stationary position is not detected is added to the advertisement signal. A control program for executing a process.

Citation Information

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