Accessory, mobile communication terminal, program, and server

Abstract

Provided are an accessory and a mobile communication terminal with which user-to-user communication based on the "displaying of biometric information" can be performed via a network.　An earring 1 comprises a sensor 102 that detects the heart rate of the wearer, and LEDs 256, 257 that are display devices, and a control unit 251. The control unit 251 has a first operation mode and a second operation mode. In the first operation mode, the control unit 251 controls the LEDs 256, 257 so as to display the heat rate of the wearer. In the second operation mode, the control unit 251 controls the LEDs 256, 257 on the basis of the heart rate of another person, which is obtained externally, or display mode information for another person.

Description

Accessories, mobile communication devices, programs, servers

[0001] The present invention relates to a body accessory that displays biometric information of a wearer, and a system that uses the body accessory.

[0002] Known examples of accessories that display the wearer's biometric information include those disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2. The accessory disclosed in Patent Document 1 is an earring worn on the wearer's ear. This earring includes a sensor that detects a pulse signal from the wearer's earlobe as biometric information, an amplifier that amplifies the pulse signal, and a light emitter that emits light in response to the amplified pulse signal.

[0003] The accessory disclosed in Patent Document 2 is an earring worn on the wearer's ear. The earring includes a sensor that detects the wearer's heart rate from the earlobe as biometric information, a display unit such as an LCD, a judgment unit that judges the wearer's psychological state and health condition based on the heart rate, and a display control unit that controls the display content based on the wearer's condition judged by the judgment unit. The earring also includes a communication unit that connects to a portable information terminal carried by the wearer. The portable information terminal sets the operation of the earring. For example, the portable information terminal sets the image to be displayed on the display unit.

[0004] Patent No. 4953425 Publication Patent No. 4953425 Publication

[0005] As described above, the accessory disclosed in Patent Document 1 directly displays the wearer's biometric information. Meanwhile, the accessory disclosed in Patent Document 2 indirectly displays the wearer's biometric information in a form that corresponds to the wearer's condition. The wearer's biometric information is influenced by the wearer's psychology and emotions. Therefore, the accessories disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2 are considered to have the function of transmitting the wearer's psychology and emotions.

[0006] In today's highly networked society, various tools are used to enable communication between multiple people. A typical example of such a tool is a social networking service. On the other hand, the accessories disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2 are standalone devices. As a result, these accessories cannot transmit the wearer's mental state or emotions via a network. Furthermore, these accessories cannot appropriately display the mental state or emotions of others.

[0007] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and its purpose is to provide accessories, portable communication terminals, programs, and servers that enable communication between users by "displaying biometric information" over a network.

[0008] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the accessory of claim 1 of the present application comprises a sensor that detects the wearer's biometric information, an acquisition unit that acquires biometric information of others from the outside, a display unit, and a control unit that has a first operating mode that controls the display unit to display the wearer's biometric information, and a second operating mode that controls the display unit to display at least the biometric information of others.

[0009] Furthermore, the accessory of claim 4 of the present application comprises a sensor that detects biometric information of the wearer, a memory unit that stores display mode information, a display unit, and a control unit having a first operating mode that controls the display unit to display the biometric information of the wearer in a mode corresponding to the display mode information for the wearer, and a second operating mode that controls the display unit to display the biometric information of the wearer in a mode corresponding to the second display mode information, wherein the second display mode information is display mode information for another person, or at least display mode information calculated from the display mode information for another person.

[0010] In addition, the mobile communication terminal according to claim 11 of the present application is provided with a transfer unit that acquires biometric information of another person from another mobile communication terminal via a network and transfers the biometric information of the other person to the accessory according to claim 1 that is connected so as to be able to communicate with each other.

[0011] In addition, the mobile communication terminal according to claim 13 of the present application is provided with a setting unit that acquires display mode information for other people from other mobile communication terminals via a network, and sets second display mode information derived from at least the display mode information for other people to the accessory according to claim 4 that is connected to the accessory so that they can communicate with each other.

[0012] A program according to claim 15 of the present invention causes a computer to function as the forwarding unit of the mobile communication terminal according to claim 11 or 12.

[0013] A program according to claim 16 of the present invention causes a computer to function as the setting unit of the mobile communication terminal according to claim 13 or 14 .

[0014] A server according to claim 17 of the present invention includes a relay unit that relays biometric information of other people between the server and a plurality of the mobile communication terminals according to claim 11 or 12 via a network.

[0015] A server according to claim 16 of the present invention includes a relay unit that relays the display mode information of other people between the server and a plurality of the mobile communication terminals according to claim 13 or 14 via a network.

[0016] According to the accessory of the present invention, when the control unit is operating in the first operation mode, the biometric information of the wearer is displayed on the display unit. On the other hand, when the control unit is operating in the second operation mode, the biometric information of another person obtained from outside is displayed on the display unit. In other words, communication between users is possible through the display of biometric information.

[0017] According to the accessory of claim 4 of the present application, when the control unit is operating in the first operation mode, the wearer's biometric information is displayed on the display unit in a manner corresponding to the display mode information for the wearer. On the other hand, when the control unit is operating in the second operation mode, the wearer's biometric information is displayed on the display unit in a manner corresponding to the second display mode information. Here, the second display mode information is display mode information for other users, or at least display mode information calculated from the display mode information for other users. Therefore, communication between users is possible through the display of biometric information.

[0018] Overall configuration diagram of the communication system Side view of the earring with the housing cut away Configuration diagram of the earring Detailed configuration diagram of the earring and mobile communication terminal Flowchart of the first operation mode Flowchart of linkage example 1 of the second operation mode Flowchart of linkage example 1 of the second operation mode Flowchart of linkage example 2 of the second operation mode Flowchart of linkage example 3 of the second operation mode Flowchart of linkage example 4 of the second operation mode Flowchart of linkage example 5 of the second operation mode Flowchart of linkage example 6 of the second operation mode

[0019] An accessory and a communication system including the accessory according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0020] As shown in Figure 1, the communication system including the accessory of this embodiment comprises a set of accessory 1 and a portable communication terminal 500 carried by the wearer of accessory 1, and a server 700 that can communicate with portable communication terminal 500 via network 600.

[0021] The ornament 1 will now be described. In this embodiment, the ornament is an earring. As shown in Fig. 2, the earring 1 comprises a mounting part 100 that is attached to the earlobe, a main body 200, and a connecting part 300 that connects the mounting part 100 and the main body 200.

[0022] The attachment unit 100 includes a clip 101 that clips onto the earlobe, and a heartbeat sensor 102 located inside the clip 101. The heartbeat sensor 102 detects the wearer's heartbeat as biometric information. The heartbeat sensor 102 is a well-known reflective heartbeat sensor equipped with a light-emitting unit and a light-receiving unit. Light emitted from the light-emitting unit toward the earlobe is reflected inside the earlobe. The intensity of this reflected light changes depending on the blood flow rate (changes in blood vessel volume) in the artery in the earlobe. In other words, the intensity of the reflected light changes in accordance with the heartbeat. The heartbeat sensor 102 detects the intensity of this reflected light in the light-receiving unit and outputs it as a heartbeat signal.

[0023] The main body 200 includes a substantially spherical housing 210 made of transparent or translucent resin, and a main board 221 and a sub-board 222 disposed within the housing 210. The main board 221 and the sub-board 222 are stacked at a predetermined distance in the thickness direction. In other words, the bottom surface of the main board 221 and the top surface of the sub-board 222 face each other. The main board 221 and the sub-board 222 are electrically connected.

[0024] 2 and 3 , a control unit 251, an LED driving unit 252, a communication unit 253, a power supply control unit 254, a battery 255, and a plurality of upper LEDs 256 are mounted on the main board 221. The upper LEDs 256 are mounted on the upper surface of the main board 221. The battery 255 is mounted on the lower surface of the main board 221, i.e., between the main board 221 and the sub-board 222.

[0025] A plurality of lower LEDs 257 and a charging connector 258 are mounted on the sub-board 222. The lower LEDs 257 are mounted on the lower surface of the sub-board 222. The charging connector 258 is mounted on the lower surface of the sub-board 222. The socket for the charging connector 258 is exposed on the bottom surface of the housing 210.

[0026] The control unit 251 is made up of a microcomputer that has a CPU, a volatile main memory, a non-volatile sub-memory, an I / O interface, a timer, and the like mounted on one chip. A control program is stored in the non-volatile sub-memory. The non-volatile sub-memory also stores setting information, which will be described later. The control unit 251 functions by executing the control program. Details of the control unit 251 will be described later.

[0027] The LED driving unit 252 is composed of a circuit that drives the LEDs 256 and 257. The LEDs 256 and 257 function as display devices that display biological information. The LED driving unit 252 amplifies a control signal from the control unit 251 to drive the LEDs 256 and 257. The LEDs 256 and 257 can emit light of multiple colors. Specifically, the LEDs 256 and 257 are equipped with red, green, and blue light-emitting elements. The LEDs 256 and 257 can emit all colors of visible light by controlling the drive current to the light-emitting elements of each color. The light emission colors of the LEDs 256 and 257 are controlled by a control signal from the control unit 251.

[0028] The communication unit 253 functions as an interface for wireless communication with the portable communication terminal 500 (described later). In this embodiment, the communication unit 253 complies with the Bluetooth (registered trademark) Low Energy standard.

[0029] The power supply control unit 254 supplies power from the battery 255 to the control unit 251, the LED driving unit 252, and the communication unit 253. In addition, the power supply control unit 254 controls charging of the battery 255 when an external power supply is connected to a charging connector 258.

[0030] The connection unit 300 is made of a string-like or rod-like member that suspends the main body 200 from the attachment unit 110. In this embodiment, the connection unit 300 is made of a plurality of electric wires that electrically connect the heart rate sensor 102 of the attachment unit 100 and the control unit 251 of the main body 200. That is, the connection unit 300 has the function of physically connecting the main body 200 and the attachment unit 100 and the function of electrically connecting them. In this embodiment, the connection unit 300 is made of an electric wire that supplies an emission signal from the control unit 251 to the light-emitting unit of the heart rate sensor 102, an electric wire that transmits a detection signal from the light-receiving unit of the heart rate sensor 102 to the control unit 251, and an electric wire for grounding. These three electric wires are twisted. In addition to the electric wires, the connection unit 300 may also include a string-like or rod-like member for reinforcement.

[0031] The earring 1 according to the present invention operates in cooperation with a portable communication terminal 500 carried by the wearer. The main role of the portable communication terminal 500 is to set up the earring 1, give instructions for the operation of the earring 1, and send and receive various information to and from the outside. The detailed configuration of the earring 1 and the portable communication terminal 500 will be described below with reference to FIG. 4.

[0032] The control unit 251 of the earring 1 includes a heartbeat information processing unit 410 , a display control unit 420 , a setting information storage unit 430 , and a heartbeat information transmission unit 440 .

[0033] The heartbeat information processing unit 410 calculates the number of heartbeats per minute from the heartbeat signal detected by the heartbeat sensor 102. The calculation process of the heartbeat information processing unit 410 is performed periodically, for example, every second.

[0034] Display control unit 420 controls the display of LEDs 256, 257 in accordance with operation mode 431 stored in setting information storage unit 430. Details of display control will be described later. Display control by display control unit 420 starts in response to a display start instruction from mobile communication terminal 500, and ends in response to a display end instruction.

[0035] The setting information storage unit 430 stores operation modes 431 as setting information. The operation modes 431 include at least a first operation mode and a second operation mode. The second operation mode may further include additional operation mode information. The setting information storage unit 430 stores display mode information for determining the display mode in display control of the LEDs 256 and 257. In this embodiment, the display mode information consists of emission color information of the LEDs 256 and 257. The setting information storage unit 430 stores first color information 432, which is display mode information for the wearer used in the first operation mode, and second color information 433, which is second display mode information used in the second operation mode. Each piece of information stored in the setting information storage unit 430 is set by the mobile communication terminal 500.

[0036] The heartbeat information transmitting section 440 can transmit the heart rate calculated by the heartbeat information processing section 410 to the mobile communication terminal 500 .

[0037] The mobile communication terminal 500 includes a first communication unit 510 that communicates with the earring 1, a second communication unit 520 that connects to a network, an earring control unit 530 that controls the operation of the earring 1, a setting information storage unit 540, a heart rate information transfer unit 550 that transfers the heart rate, and a location information acquisition unit 560 that acquires its own location information.

[0038] The mobile communication terminal 500 is implemented by installing a program on a portable computer called a smartphone, which has communication functions, a display, a touch panel, etc. By installing this program on the computer, the computer functions as at least an earring control unit 530, a setting information storage unit 540, a heartbeat information transfer unit 550, and a location information acquisition unit 560. The program is also installed on the computer via a predetermined storage medium or a communication line.

[0039] The first communication unit 510 functions as an interface for wireless communication with the communication unit 253 of the earring 1. In this embodiment, the first communication unit 510 complies with the Bluetooth (registered trademark) Low Energy standard.

[0040] Second communication unit 520 functions as an interface for communicating with server 700 via network 600. The configuration of network 600, which is the communication path between portable communication terminal 500 and server 700, is not important. Typically, network 600 is configured by interconnecting one or more communication networks. When network 600 includes a wireless communication network such as LTE, second communication unit 502 includes a communication module for connecting to this wireless communication network. When network 600 includes a wireless LAN, second communication unit 520 includes an interface circuit for connecting to this wireless LAN.

[0041] The earring control unit 530 controls the settings of the earring 1, the operation of the earring 1, and the operation of the heartbeat information transfer unit 550, according to the operation mode 541 stored in the setting information storage unit 540. The detailed operation of the earring control unit 530 will be described later.

[0042] The setting information storage unit 540 stores an operation mode 541 of the earring 1 as setting information. This operation mode 541 is set by the wearer, who is the user. The operation mode 431 stored in the earring 1 is set by the earring control unit 530 by copying the operation mode 541 in the setting information storage unit 540.

[0043] The setting information storage unit 540 also stores display mode information for determining the display mode in the display control of the LEDs 256, 257 of the earring 1. In this embodiment, the display mode information consists of emitted color information of the LEDs 256, 257. The setting information storage unit 540 stores color information 542 of the wearer used in the first operation mode and color information 543 of others used in the second operation mode.

[0044] In response to instructions from the earring control unit 530, the heartbeat information transfer unit 550 transfers the heartbeat information of another person obtained from outside via the network 600 to the earring 1. In addition, in response to instructions from the earring control unit 530, the heartbeat information transfer unit 550 transmits the heartbeat information obtained from the earring 1 to the outside via the network 600.

[0045] Position information acquisition unit 560 acquires position information of portable communication terminal 500. Methods for acquiring position information include a method using a satellite positioning system and a method using position information in a wireless communication network system.

[0046] The server 700 manages users of the communication system and manages the connections between users. A user of the communication system is a user who combines an earring 1 and a mobile communication terminal 500. The server 700 manages at least identification information and password information as account information for each user. The server 700 also manages information linking users to each other. For a given user, users linked to that user are called "friends." The server 700 accepts requests from each user to link to other users, performs authentication processing, and performs link setting processing.

[0047] Furthermore, when the earring 1 is operating in a second operation mode described below, the server 700 relays information between the mobile communication terminals 500. The relay process may be performed only when the display operation of the earring 1 starts, or may be performed in real time while the earring 1 is operating. In the latter case, the server 700 may establish a communication path between the mobile communication terminals 500 and instruct the mobile communication terminals 500 to perform peer-to-peer data communication.

[0048] The earring control unit 530 of the portable communication terminal 500 receives in advance input of color information 542 of the wearer from the user, and stores this color information 542 of the wearer in the setting information storage unit 540. The earring control unit 530 receives input of an operation mode 541 from the user, and stores this operation mode 541 in the setting information storage unit 540. Here, when the second operation mode is selected as the operation mode 541, the earring control unit 530 can obtain color information of other friends via the server 700, and store this color information of the other friends in the setting information storage unit 540 as color information 543 of the other friends.

[0049] When the earring control unit 530 receives an input from the user to start a display operation, it sets the operation mode 541 stored in the setting information storage unit 540 to the operation mode 431 of the setting information storage unit 430 of the earring 1. Furthermore, the earring control unit 530 can set the color information 542 of the wearer stored in the setting information storage unit 540 to the first color information 432 of the setting information storage unit 430 of the earring 1. Furthermore, when the second operation mode is selected as the operation mode 541, the earring control unit 530 can derive second color information and set this second color information as second color information 544 in the setting information storage unit 430 of the earring 1. In response to an instruction from the user, the earring control unit 530 instructs the display control unit 420 of the earring 1 to start a display operation.

[0050] When the second operating mode is selected as the operating mode 541, the earring control unit 530 can periodically re-derive the second color information while the earring 1 is operating, and update the second color information 544 in the setting information memory unit 430 of the earring 1.

[0051] When the second operation mode is selected as the operation mode 541, the earring control unit 530 can acquire the friend's heart rate information in real time via the server 700 while the earring 1 is in operation. When the second operation mode is selected as the operation mode 541, the earring control unit 530 can instruct the heart rate information transfer unit 550 to transfer the friend's heart rate information acquired via the server 700 to the earring 1 in real time while the earring 1 is in operation.

[0052] When the second operation mode is selected as the operation mode 541, the earring control unit 530 can acquire the wearer's heart rate information in real time from the earring 1 while the earring 1 is in operation. When the second operation mode is selected as the operation mode 541, the earring control unit 530 can instruct the heart rate information transfer unit 550 to transfer the wearer's heart rate information acquired from the earring 1 to the friend's mobile communication terminal 500 via the server 700 while the earring 1 is in operation.

[0053] Upon receiving a display operation start command from the earring control unit 530 , the display control unit 420 of the earring 1 controls the display of the LEDs 256 , 257 in accordance with the operation mode 431 stored in the setting information storage unit 430 .

[0054] The operation in the first operating mode will be described. In the first operating mode, the earring 1 operates based on the wearer's heart rate and the first color information 432, which is display mode information for the wearer. That is, in the first operating mode, the earring 1 operates in a standalone manner. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 5 , the display control unit 420 acquires the wearer's heart rate from the heart rate information processing unit 410 (step S1) and controls the LEDs 256 and 257 to blink in synchronization with the wearer's heart rate (step S1). Here, the display control unit 420 controls the LEDs 256 and 257 to emit light in the color specified by the first color information 432. The color associated with the first color information 432 is the wearer's color information 542.

[0055] Next, the operation in the second operation mode will be described. In the second operation mode, the earring 1 operates in cooperation with various information related to friends. Information necessary for the cooperation is relayed by data communication between the mobile communication terminals 500 via the server 700. There are various examples of the cooperation mode. An example of the cooperation in the second operation mode will be described below.

[0056] [1. Linking with Friend's Heart Rate] [[Operation on the Sending Side]] First, we will explain the earring 1 and mobile communication terminal 500 on the data sending side. The earring control unit 530 of the sending side mobile communication terminal 500 instructs the heart rate information sending unit 440 of the earring 1 to send the wearer's heart rate to the mobile communication terminal 500. Furthermore, the earring control unit 530 instructs the heart rate information forwarding unit 550 to forward the wearer's heart rate information acquired from the earring 1 to the friend's mobile communication terminal 500 via the server 700.

[0057] [Operation on the Receiving Side] In the case of this linked operation, the second operation mode further has two additional operation modes. The first additional operation mode is a "full light emission mode." The second additional operation mode is a "semi-light emission mode." The additional operation modes are set when setting the operation mode in the mobile communication terminal 500 described above.

[0058] 6 and 7, the earring control unit 530 of the receiving mobile communication terminal 500 derives a color that is distinguishable from the color associated with the wearer's color information 542 as second color information, and sets this second color information as second color information 433 in the setting information storage unit 430 of the earring 1 (steps S101 and S111). The second color information is, for example, a complementary color of the color associated with the wearer's color information 542. The earring control unit 530 then instructs the heartbeat information transfer unit 550 to transfer the friend's heartbeat information obtained via the server 700 to the earring 1 in real time.

[0059] 6, in the full light emission mode, the display control unit 420 of the earring 1 acquires the friend's heart rate from the mobile communication terminal 500 (step S102) and controls the upper LED 256 and the lower LED 257 to flash in synchronization with the friend's heart rate (step S103). Here, the earring control unit 530 controls the upper LED 256 and the lower LED 257 to emit light in the color specified by the second color information 433.

[0060] In the semi-emission mode, as shown in FIG. 7 , the display control unit 420 of the earring 1 acquires the wearer's heart rate from the heart rate information processing unit 410 and the friend's heart rate from the mobile communication terminal 500 (steps S112 and S113). The display control unit 420 then controls the upper LED 256 to flash in synchronization with the wearer's heart rate and the lower LED 257 to flash in synchronization with the friend's heart rate. Here, the earring control unit 530 controls the upper LED 256 to emit light in a color specified by the first color information 432 and the lower LED 257 to emit light in a color specified by the second color information 433 (steps S114 and S115). The color associated with the first color information 432 is the wearer's color information 542.

[0061] By this processing, in full light emission mode, the friend's heart rate is displayed in a color different from the player's own color on the LEDs 256 and 257 of the player's earring 1. Also, in semi-light emission mode and full light emission mode, the friend's heart rate is displayed in a color different from the player's own color on the lower LED 257 of the player's earring 1.

[0062] [2. Linking with Friend's Color Information] [[Operation on the Sending Side]] First, we will explain the earring 1 and the mobile communication terminal 500 on the data sending side. The earring control unit 530 of the sending mobile communication terminal 500 transfers the wearer's color information 542 to the friend's mobile communication terminal 500 via the server 700.

[0063] [Operation of the receiving side] As shown in Figure 8, the earring control unit 530 of the receiving side's mobile communication terminal 500 obtains the friend's color information from the friend's mobile communication terminal 500 via the server 700, and sets this color information as the second color information 433 in the setting information memory unit 430 of the earring 1 (step S201).

[0064] The display control unit 420 of the earring 1 acquires the wearer's heart rate from the heart rate information processing unit 410 and controls the upper LED 256 and the lower LED 257 to blink in synchronization with the wearer's heart rate (steps S202 and S203). Here, the earring control unit 530 controls the upper LED 256 and the lower LED 257 to emit light in the color specified by the second color information 433, i.e., the friend's color information.

[0065] Through this processing, the player's own heart rate is displayed in the friend's color on the LEDs 256, 257 of the player's own earring 1. In this example of linkage, a semi-illumination mode may be provided, as in [1. Linkage with friend's heart rate].

[0066] 3. Linkage with Friend's Heart Rate and Color Information (1) Operation on the Sending Side First, the earring 1 and portable communication terminal 500 on the data sending side will be described. The earring control unit 530 of the sending portable communication terminal 500 instructs the heart rate information sending unit 440 of the earring 1 to send the wearer's heart rate to the portable communication terminal 500. Furthermore, the earring control unit 530 instructs the heart rate information forwarding unit 550 to forward the wearer's heart rate information acquired from the earring 1 to the friend's portable communication terminal 500 via the server 700. The earring control unit 530 also forwards the wearer's color information 542 to the friend's portable communication terminal 500 via the server 700.

[0067] 9, the earring control unit 530 of the receiving mobile communication terminal 500 acquires the friend's color information from the friend's mobile communication terminal 500 via the server 700, and stores this color information as other person's color information 543 in the setting information storage unit 540 (step S301). Also, it instructs the heart rate information transmission unit 440 of the earring 1 to transmit the wearer's heart rate to the mobile communication terminal 500.

[0068] Next, the earring control unit 530 acquires the wearer's heart rate from the earring 1 and acquires the friend's heart rate from the server 700 (steps S302 and S303). The earring control unit 530 then calculates second color information from the wearer's heart rate, the friend's heart rate, the wearer's color information 542, and the other friend's color information 543. The earring control unit 530 sets this second color information as second color information 433 in the setting information storage unit 430 of the earring 1 (steps S304 and S305).

[0069] The calculation of the second color information will now be described. The earring control unit 530 calculates the synchronization rate between the wearer's heart rate and the friend's heart rate (step S304). Here, as an example of calculating the synchronization rate, the synchronization rate is calculated from the difference between the wearer's heart rate and the friend's heart rate. The synchronization rate is calculated using a function such that the smaller the difference, the higher the synchronization rate, and the larger the difference, the lower the synchronization rate. Here, a lower and upper limit of the difference may be set. The function may be linear or nonlinear. For example, when the difference is equal to or less than a predetermined lower limit (e.g., 5 bpm), the synchronization rate is set to 100%. When the difference is equal to or greater than a predetermined upper limit (e.g., 50 bpm), the synchronization rate is set to 0%.

[0070] Another example of calculating the synchronization rate is to calculate it from the difference between the rate of change per unit time of the wearer's heart rate and the rate of change per unit time of the friend's heart rate. The synchronization rate is calculated using a function such that the smaller the difference, the higher the synchronization rate, and the larger the difference, the lower the synchronization rate. Here, a lower and upper limit of the difference may be set. The function may be linear or nonlinear. For example, when the difference is equal to or less than a predetermined lower limit (e.g., 1 bpm / sec), the synchronization rate is set to 100%. When the difference is equal to or greater than a predetermined upper limit (e.g., 5 bpm / sec), the synchronization rate is set to 0%.

[0071] Next, the earring control unit 530 calculates second color information by mixing the color associated with the wearer's color information 542 with the color associated with the friend's color information 543 multiplied by the synchronization rate (step S305). Therefore, when the synchronization rate is 0%, the color associated with the second color information is the color associated with the wearer's color information 542. When the synchronization rate is 100%, the color associated with the second color information is an intermediate color between the color associated with the wearer's color information 542 and the color associated with the friend's color information 543.

[0072] The earring control unit 530 acquires the wearer's heart rate and the friend's heart rate at any time, and calculates and updates the second color information 433 at any time.

[0073] The display control unit 420 of the earring 1 acquires the wearer's heart rate from the heart rate information processing unit 410 and controls the upper LED 256 and the lower LED 257 to blink in synchronization with the wearer's heart rate (step S306). Here, the earring control unit 530 controls the upper LED 256 and the lower LED 257 to emit light in the color specified by the second color information 433.

[0074] By this processing, the user's heart rate is displayed in a color that is a mixture of the user's color and the friend's color on the LEDs 256, 257 of the user's earring 1. The degree of color mingling changes depending on the synchronization rate between the user's heart rate and the friend's heart rate.

[0075] [4. Linkage with Friend's Heart Rate and Color Information (2)] [[Operation on the Sending Side]] First, the earring 1 and portable communication terminal 500 on the data sending side will be described. The earring control unit 530 of the sending-side portable communication terminal 500 instructs the heart rate information sending unit 440 of the earring 1 to send the wearer's heart rate to the portable communication terminal 500. Furthermore, the earring control unit 530 instructs the heart rate information forwarding unit 550 to forward the wearer's heart rate information acquired from the earring 1 to the friend's portable communication terminal 500 via the server 700. The earring control unit 530 also forwards the wearer's color information 542 to the friend's portable communication terminal 500 via the server 700.

[0076] 10 , the earring control unit 530 of the receiving mobile communication terminal 500 acquires the friend's color information from the friend's mobile communication terminal 500 via the server 700, stores this color information in the setting information storage unit 540 as other person's color information 543, and sets it as second color information 433 in the setting information storage unit 430 of the earring 1 (step S401). Then, the earring control unit 530 instructs the heartbeat information transfer unit 550 to transfer the friend's heartbeat information acquired via the server 700 to the earring 1 in real time.

[0077] The display control unit 420 of the earring 1 acquires the friend's heart rate from the mobile communication terminal 500 and controls the upper LED 256 and the lower LED 257 to blink in synchronization with the friend's heart rate (steps S402 and S403). Here, the earring control unit 530 controls the upper LED 256 and the lower LED 257 to emit light in the color specified by the second color information 433.

[0078] Through this processing, the player's own heart rate is displayed in the friend's color on the LEDs 256, 257 of the player's own earring 1. In this example of linkage, a semi-illumination mode may be provided, as in [1. Linkage with friend's heart rate].

[0079] [5. Linking with Friend's Heart Rate and Color Information (3)] In this linking example, the heart rate and color information are linked with a plurality of friends.

[0080] Operation on the transmitting side First, the earring 1 and portable communication terminal 500 on the data transmitting side will be described. The earring control unit 530 of the transmitting portable communication terminal 500 instructs the heart rate information transmitting unit 440 of the earring 1 to transmit the wearer's heart rate to the portable communication terminal 500. Furthermore, the earring control unit 530 instructs the heart rate information transferring unit 550 to transfer the wearer's heart rate information acquired from the earring 1 to the friend's portable communication terminal 500 via the server 700. The earring control unit 530 also transfers color information 542 of the wearer to the friend's portable communication terminal 500 via the server 700.

[0081] 11 , the earring control unit 530 of the receiving mobile communication terminal 500 acquires color information of each friend from the friend's mobile communication terminal 500 via the server 700, and stores this color information as other person's color information 543 in the setting information storage unit 540 (step S501). Also, it instructs the heart rate information transmission unit 440 of the earring 1 to transmit the wearer's heart rate to the mobile communication terminal 500.

[0082] Next, the earring control unit 530 obtains the wearer's heart rate from the earring 1 and obtains the heart rates of each friend from the server 700 (steps S502 and S503). The earring control unit 530 then calculates second color information from the wearer's heart rate, the heart rates of each friend, the wearer's color information 542, and the color information 543 of the other friends. The earring control unit 530 sets this second color information as second color information 433 in the setting information storage unit 430 of the earring 1 (steps S503 to S506).

[0083] The calculation of the second color information will now be described. The earring control unit 530 calculates the synchronization rate between the wearer's heart rate and the friend's heart rate for each friend (step S504). Here, one example of calculating the synchronization rate is to calculate it from the difference between the wearer's heart rate and the friend's heart rate. The synchronization rate is calculated using a function such that the smaller the difference, the higher the synchronization rate, and the larger the difference, the lower the synchronization rate. Here, a lower and upper limit of the difference may be set. The function may be linear or nonlinear. For example, when the difference is equal to or less than a predetermined lower limit (e.g., 5 bpm), the synchronization rate is set to 100%. When the difference is equal to or greater than a predetermined upper limit (e.g., 50 bpm), the synchronization rate is set to 0%.

[0084] Another example of calculating the synchronization rate is to calculate it from the difference between the rate of change per unit time of the wearer's heart rate and the rate of change per unit time of the friend's heart rate. The synchronization rate is calculated using a function such that the smaller the difference, the higher the synchronization rate, and the larger the difference, the lower the synchronization rate. Here, a lower and upper limit of the difference may be set. The function may be linear or nonlinear. For example, when the difference is equal to or less than a predetermined lower limit (e.g., 1 bpm / sec), the synchronization rate is set to 100%. When the difference is equal to or greater than a predetermined upper limit (e.g., 5 bpm / sec), the synchronization rate is set to 0%.

[0085] Next, the earring control unit 530 selects the friend from the multiple friends whose cumulative time during which a high synchronization rate has been calculated has been the longest within a predetermined period (step S505). Here, a high synchronization rate means that the synchronization rate is higher than a threshold value. This threshold value can be a predetermined static value. Alternatively, this threshold value can be a value calculated using a statistical method from the synchronization rates of multiple friends at a certain point in time. Alternatively, the high synchronization rate is the synchronization rate of the friend with the Nth highest synchronization rate, where N is a natural number. If N is 1, the friend whose cumulative time at the top of the synchronization rate has been the longest is selected.

[0086] Next, the earring control unit 530 calculates second color information by mixing the color associated with the wearer's color information 542 with the color associated with the selected friend's color information 543 multiplied by the friend's synchronization rate (step S506). Therefore, when the mixing rate is 0%, the color associated with the second color information is the color associated with the wearer's color information 542. When the mixing rate is 100%, the color associated with the second color information is an intermediate color between the color associated with the wearer's color information 542 and the color associated with the selected friend's color information 543.

[0087] The earring control unit 530 acquires the wearer's heart rate and the heart rate of each friend at any time, and calculates and updates the second color information 433 at any time.

[0088] The display control unit 420 of the earring 1 acquires the wearer's heart rate from the heart rate information processing unit 410 and controls the upper LED 256 and the lower LED 257 to blink in synchronization with the wearer's heart rate (step S507). Here, the earring control unit 530 controls the upper LED 256 and the lower LED 257 to emit light in the color specified by the second color information 433.

[0089] Through this process, the LEDs 256, 257 on the user's earring 1 display the user's heart rate in a color that is a mixture of the user's own color and the friend's color. The friend to be mixed is the friend with the longest cumulative time during which a high synchronization rate was calculated within a predetermined period of time. The degree of color mixing varies depending on the synchronization rate between the user's own heart rate and the friend's heart rate.

[0090] 6. Linkage with Friend's Location Information and Color Information Operation on the Sending Side First, we will explain the earring 1 and portable communication terminal 500 on the data sending side. The earring control unit 530 of the sending portable communication terminal 500 acquires its own location information from the location information acquisition unit 560 and transmits it as needed to the friend's portable communication terminal 500 via the server 700. The earring control unit 530 also transfers the wearer's color information 542 to the friend's portable communication terminal 500 via the server 700.

[0091] [Operation of the receiving side] As shown in Figure 12, the earring control unit 530 of the receiving side's mobile communication terminal 500 acquires the friend's color information from the friend's mobile communication terminal 500 via the server 700, and stores this color information as other person's color information 543 in the setting information storage unit 540 (step S601).

[0092] Next, the earring control unit 530 acquires its own location information from the location information acquisition unit 560, and also acquires the friend's location information from the server 700 (steps S602 and S603). The earring control unit 530 then calculates second color information from its own location information, the friend's location information, the wearer's color information 542, and the other friend's color information 543. The earring control unit 530 sets this second color information as the second color information 433 in the setting information storage unit 430 of the earring 1 (steps S604 and S605).

[0093] The calculation of the second color information will now be described. The earring control unit 530 calculates the distance between the user and the friend based on the user's location information and the friend's location information. Next, the earring control unit 530 calculates the mixing ratio from the distance (step S604). Here, the mixing ratio is calculated using a function such that the shorter the distance, the higher the mixing ratio, and the longer the distance, the lower the mixing ratio. A lower and upper limit for the distance may also be set. The function may be linear or nonlinear. For example, when the distance is equal to or less than a predetermined lower limit (e.g., 10 m), the mixing ratio is set to 100%. When the distance is equal to or greater than a predetermined upper limit (e.g., 10 km), the mixing ratio is set to 0%.

[0094] Next, the earring control unit 530 calculates second color information by mixing the color associated with the wearer's color information 542 with the color associated with the friend's color information 543 multiplied by the mixing ratio (step S605). Therefore, when the mixing ratio is 0%, the color associated with the second color information is the color associated with the wearer's color information 542. When the mixing ratio is 100%, the color associated with the second color information is an intermediate color between the color associated with the wearer's color information 542 and the color associated with the friend's color information 543.

[0095] The earring control unit 530 acquires the wearer's location information and the friend's location information at any time, and calculates and sets the second color information 433 at any time.

[0096] The display control unit 420 of the earring 1 acquires the wearer's heart rate from the heart rate information processing unit 410 and controls the upper LED 256 and the lower LED 257 to blink in synchronization with the wearer's heart rate (steps S606 and S607). Here, the earring control unit 530 controls the upper LED 256 and the lower LED 257 to emit light in the color specified by the second color information 433.

[0097] By this processing, the user's heart rate is displayed in a color that is a mixture of the user's color and the friend's color on the LEDs 256, 257 of the user's earring 1. The degree of color mingling changes depending on the distance between the user and the friend.

[0098] In this way, with the earring 1 according to this embodiment, various information about friends, such as heart rate information, color information, and location information, can be obtained using the mobile communication terminal 500, and this information can be used to display the heart rate information in various display formats. In other words, communication can be achieved between multiple users who share a pair of earring 1 and mobile communication terminal 500 by "displaying biological information" over a network.

[0099] Next, another example of use of the communication system including the earring 1 according to this embodiment will be described.

[0100] As described above, the pair of earrings 1 and portable communication terminals 500 according to this embodiment is capable of two-way communication of various information. Meanwhile, as another example of use, a plurality of earrings 1 and portable communication terminals 500 can unilaterally receive various common information from a predetermined distribution source in the second operation mode. The distribution source may be a specific earring 1 and portable communication terminal 500 according to this embodiment. Alternatively, the distribution source may be another device that has the function of acquiring and distributing various information such as heart rate information, color information, and location information.

[0101] A specific example of such a use case is a concert venue. In this case, the broadcast source is the performers. A user who is an audience member can simply set one of the performers as a friend. In this case, the server 700, which manages friends, can present the performers involved in the concert to the user as friend candidates, making it easier for the user to set up friends.

[0102] Another example of use is a matchmaking party. In this case, the second operating mode of the earring 1 and the mobile communication terminal 500 is a variation of [5. Linking with Friend's Heart Rate and Color Information (3)]. In the above linking example, the user's color information and friends were set by the user. However, in this example, the server 700, which manages friends, selects opposite-sex party participants as friends for each user and sets the color information of all participants so that it does not overlap with that of participants of the same sex. The mobile communication terminal 500 of each participant accesses the server 700 to set the selected participant as a friend and sets the set color information as their own color information.

[0103] Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various improvements and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

[0104] For example, in the above embodiment, earrings were described as an example of jewelry, but other jewelry may also be used. Other examples of jewelry include rings, bracelets, collars, ankle bands, necklaces, hair ornaments, hats, eyeglasses, sunglasses, earphones, headphones, wristwatches, pocket watches, straps, key chains, badges, etc. Also, in the above embodiment, the earrings were configured such that a clip having a sensor and a main body having a display unit were connected by a connecting unit, but the clip and main body may be integrated.

[0105] In the above embodiment, the sensor is incorporated into the earring, but depending on the type of accessory and the type of sensor, the sensor and the accessory main body having the display unit may be separate. In this case, the sensor and the accessory main body can be attached to different parts of the wearer. For example, in the case of a strap, the strap main body having the display unit can be attached to the wearer's bag, and the sensor that detects the heart rate can be attached to the wearer's ear or arm. Furthermore, when the sensor and the accessory main body having the display unit are separate, the sensor and the accessory main body may be connected wirelessly or by wire.

[0106] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, heart rate information was described as biometric information, but other biometric information may be used. Biometric information that changes in response to physical or mental changes of the wearer is preferred. Examples include facial expression, body movement, body temperature, electromyography, electrocardiography, electroencephalography, blood pressure, respiratory rate, sweat rate, and pupil movement. Furthermore, multiple pieces of biometric information may be combined.

[0107] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the heart rate, which is biometric information, is displayed by blinking an LED in synchronization with the heart rate, but other display methods may be used. For example, a 7-segment LED, LCD, organic EL panel, or the like may be used as the display device. In this case, the heart rate may be displayed numerically. Alternatively, an image corresponding to the heart rate may be displayed. Furthermore, in the above embodiment, LED display color information is used as display mode information for the heart rate, which is biometric information, but other display mode information may be used depending on the display method of the biometric information and the display device. For example, if an organic EL panel is used as the display device, display color information or an image may be used as display mode information.

[0108] In the above embodiment, the second color information used in the second operation mode is calculated by the portable communication terminal, but it may be calculated by the accessory. Also, the accessory may be provided with the functionality of the portable communication terminal.

[0109] DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1...Earring 100...Attachment unit 101...Clip 102...Heartbeat sensor 200...Main body 210...Housing 251...Control unit 252...LED driving unit 253...Communication unit 254...Power supply control unit 255...Battery 256...Upper LED 257...Lower LED 258...Charging connector 410...Heartbeat information processing unit 420...Display control unit 430...Setting information storage unit 440...Heartbeat information transmission unit 500...Mobile communication terminal 510...First communication unit 520...Second communication unit 530...Earring control unit 540...Setting information storage unit 550...Heartbeat information transfer unit 600...Network 700...Server

Claims

1. a sensor for detecting biometric information of the wearer; an acquisition unit that acquires biometric information of another person from outside; A display unit; a control unit having a first operation mode for controlling the display unit to display biometric information of the wearer and a second operation mode for controlling the display unit to display at least biometric information of another person; the display unit includes a first display element and a second display element; In the second operation mode, the issuance control unit controls the display unit to display the biometric information of the wearer on the first display element and the biometric information of another person on the second display element. An ornament characterized by the above.

2. The acquisition unit acquires biometric information of another person via a portable terminal carried by the wearer.

2. The accessory according to claim 1.

3. a sensor for detecting biometric information of the wearer; a storage unit that stores display mode information; A display unit; a control unit having a first operation mode for controlling the display unit to display the wearer's biometric information in a manner corresponding to display mode information for the wearer, and a second operation mode for controlling the display unit to display the wearer's biometric information in a manner corresponding to second display mode information, The second display mode information is display mode information for other users, or is at least display mode information calculated from the display mode information for other users. An ornament characterized by the above.

4. The second display mode information is calculated from at least the display mode information for the wearer and the display mode information for other people.

4. The accessory according to claim 3.

5. The second display mode information is calculated from the biometric information of the wearer and the biometric information of the other person, and the display mode information for the wearer and the display mode information for the other person.

5. The accessory according to claim 4.

6. The second display mode information is calculated from a synchronization rate of biometric information calculated from the biometric information of the wearer and the biometric information of another person, and from the display mode information for the wearer and the display mode information for the other person.

6. The accessory according to claim 5.

7. The second display mode information is calculated from display mode information for another person, which is related to the other person among the plurality of other people for whom the high synchronization rate has been calculated for the longest time within a predetermined period, and display mode information for the wearer.

7. The accessory according to claim 6.

8. The second display mode information is calculated from the distance between the wearer and another person, the display mode information for the wearer, and the display mode information for the other person.

4. The accessory according to claim 3.

9. The display mode information for the wearer and the second display mode information are set by a portable terminal possessed by the wearer.

9. The accessory according to claim 3, wherein the accessory is a metal piece.

10. A transfer unit is provided for acquiring biometric information of another person from another portable communication terminal via a network and transferring the biometric information of the other person to the accessory according to claim 1, which is connected to the accessory so as to be able to communicate with each other. A mobile communication terminal characterized by:

11. The transfer unit further acquires biometric information of the wearer from the accessory according to claim 1 connected to the accessory so as to be able to communicate with each other, and transfers the biometric information of the wearer to another portable communication terminal via the network.

11. The mobile communication terminal according to claim 10.

12. and a setting unit that acquires display mode information for other users from other portable communication terminals via a network and sets second display mode information derived from at least the display mode information for other users to the accessory according to claim 3, which is connected to the accessory so as to be able to communicate with each other. A mobile communication terminal characterized by:

13. The setting unit further transmits the display mode information for the wearer of the accessory according to claim 3 to other portable communication terminals connected to each other so as to be able to communicate with each other via a network.

13. The portable communication terminal according to claim 12.

14. The computer is caused to function as a forwarding unit of the mobile communication terminal according to claim 10 or 11. A program characterized by:

15. A computer is caused to function as the setting unit of the mobile communication terminal according to claim 12 or 13. A program characterized by:

16. A relay unit that relays biometric information between a plurality of mobile communication terminals according to claim 10 or 11 via a network. A server characterized by:

17. A relay unit is provided for relaying display mode information between a plurality of mobile communication terminals according to claim 12 or 13 via a network. A server characterized by: