Toilet device, toilet system, and ovulation estimation device

Abstract

Provided is a toilet device capable of easily estimating and reporting a menstruation start date or the like of a woman.　A toilet device 1 comprises: a toilet seat 12; a body temperature measurement sensor 14 that is disposed on a surface of the toilet seat 12 and that measures the body temperature of a person seated on the toilet seat 12; an estimation unit that estimates, on the basis of the body temperature of the person measured by the body temperature measurement sensor 14, menstruation ovulation information related to menstruation and ovulation of a woman; and a transmission unit 183 that transmits, to the outside, estimated information on the menstruation ovulation information estimated by the estimation unit 182.

Description

Toilet device, toilet system, and ovulation prediction device

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a toilet device and a toilet system that estimates the start date of a woman's menstruation, etc.

[0002] Conventionally, toilet devices are known that measure the temperature of a woman's urine, estimate the start date of menstruation and other information from the menstrual cycle based on changes in the measured urine temperature, and then display the estimated start date of menstruation and other information (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In the toilet device described in Patent Document 1, when measuring the temperature of a woman's urine, the urine temperature is measured using an infrared sensor, or urine is collected in a urine receiver and the urine temperature is measured using a thermometer.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-30992

[0004] First, in the technology described in Patent Document 1 for measuring the temperature of a woman's urine to estimate the menstrual cycle, etc., it is difficult for the sensor to detect the urine and to aim it at the urine tray, which is inconvenient for users and makes it difficult to actively use. Therefore, there is a demand for a device that can easily estimate the menstruation start date, menstruation end date, menstruation cycle, ovulation date, premenstrual syndrome (PMS) start date, PMS end date, and PMS period (hereinafter, these are also collectively referred to as "a woman's menstruation start date, etc.").

[0005] Second, in the technology described in Patent Document 1, the results of the estimated menstruation start date and the like are notified by display, but it cannot be said that the menstruation start date and the like are not notified at an appropriate time. If the menstruation start date and the like are not notified at an appropriate time, inconvenience may occur.

[0006] For example, especially when menstruation is expected to begin soon, even if a user receives a notification of the start date of menstruation after getting dressed in the bathroom or after leaving the bathroom, if the user gets dressed in the bathroom, they may need to take off their clothes again, or if the user leaves the bathroom, they may need to return to the bathroom, which is a double effort. Furthermore, if the notification is delayed or the user does not notice the notification, problems with menstrual blood may occur while the user is out. Therefore, there is a demand for devices that can notify the start date of menstruation, ovulation date, and premenstrual syndrome date at the appropriate time.

[0007] First, the present disclosure aims to provide a toilet device and a toilet system that can easily estimate and notify a woman of the start date of her menstruation, etc. Second, the present disclosure aims to provide a toilet device and a toilet system that can notify a woman of the start date of her menstruation, etc. at an appropriate time.

[0008] First, the present disclosure relates to a toilet device including a toilet seat, a body temperature measurement sensor disposed on the surface of the toilet seat for measuring the body temperature of a person seated on the toilet seat, an estimation unit for estimating menstrual ovulation information relating to a woman's menstruation and ovulation based on the body temperature of the person measured by the body temperature measurement sensor, and a transmission unit for transmitting the estimated menstrual ovulation information estimated by the estimation unit to an external device.

[0009] Second, the present disclosure relates to a toilet device comprising: a toilet seat; a human body information measuring unit that measures human body information of a person seated on the toilet seat; an estimation unit that estimates menstrual ovulation information related to menstruation and ovulation of a woman seated on the toilet seat based on the human body information measured by the human body information measuring unit; and an alarm control unit that transmits the estimated information of the menstrual ovulation information estimated by the estimation unit to an alarm unit, wherein the alarm control unit controls the alarm unit to notify the estimated information between the time when an entry signal indicating a person has entered the toilet room and the time when a seat removal signal indicating the person has left the toilet seat has elapsed, and a predetermined time has elapsed since the time when the entry signal indicating a person has entered the toilet room and the time when a seat removal signal indicating the person has left the toilet seat have been received.

[0010] 1 is a diagram illustrating the toilet device of a first embodiment; FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of the toilet device of the first embodiment; FIG. 3 is a diagram explaining the arrangement of a detection unit of a body temperature sensor provided on a toilet seat; FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional diagram showing a case where the portion where the detection unit of the body temperature sensor provided on the toilet seat is to be arranged is raised; FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a state where the detection unit of the body temperature sensor provided on the toilet seat is arranged to avoid the position where the heating wire of the heater is arranged; FIG. 6 is a graph showing an example of a menstrual cycle in the basal body temperature method; FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the flow when the toilet device is used by a female user; FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a state where multiple sensors are arranged side by side on a toilet seat in a toilet device of a second embodiment; FIG. 9 is a functional block diagram of the toilet device of the second embodiment; FIG. 10 is a diagram explaining a method for detecting positional deviation when a person sits on the toilet seat, showing a case where the person sits deep on the toilet seat; FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional diagram showing the attachment state of a body temperature sensor of a third embodiment to a toilet seat; FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a first example of a display displayed on the display unit of a remote control terminal; FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a second example of a display displayed on the display unit of a remote control terminal. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an add-on toilet seat equipped with an ovulation prediction device of a fourth embodiment. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a toilet seat to which an add-on toilet seat equipped with an ovulation prediction device of a fourth embodiment is attached. FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a toilet seat to which an ovulation prediction device of a fifth embodiment is attached. FIG. 13 is a functional block diagram of a toilet device of a sixth embodiment. FIG. 14 is a diagram showing notification timing by a notification unit. FIG. 15 is a flowchart showing the flow when a female user uses the toilet device.

[0011] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the front-to-back direction as seen from a user seated on the toilet seat 12 is referred to as the front-to-back direction. The left-to-right direction as seen from a user seated on the toilet seat 12 is referred to as the left-to-right direction. The up-to-down direction is the direction perpendicular to the floor surface on which the toilet bowl 11 is placed.

[0012] The toilet device 1 of the first embodiment is a device for managing women's health by measuring a woman's body temperature daily using a body temperature sensor 14 attached to the toilet seat 12 while the female user is seated on the toilet seat 12. Based on the female user's daily measured body temperature, the device estimates menstrual and ovulation information related to the woman's menstruation and ovulation, i.e., the woman's specific menstruation start date, menstruation end date, menstrual cycle, ovulation date, premenstrual syndrome (PMS) start date, PMS end date, and PMS period, and reports the estimated menstruation start date, estimated menstruation end date, estimated menstrual cycle, estimated ovulation date, estimated PMS start date, estimated PMS end date, and estimated PMS period. The toilet device 1 also has a function of estimating past ovulation dates and reporting the estimated past ovulation dates based on the female user's daily measured body temperature.

[0013] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the toilet system 10 includes a toilet device 1 and a remote control terminal 17 (alarm unit). The toilet device 1 is placed in a toilet room 100. A door 101 that is opened and closed when a person enters or leaves the toilet room 100 is attached to the front side of the toilet device 1. The toilet device 1 includes a toilet bowl 11, a toilet seat 12, a toilet lid 13, a body temperature sensor 14, an entry sensor 15, a seating sensor 16, and a control unit 18 (see Figure 2). The toilet seat 12 forms a seating area on which a person sits. The toilet device 1 includes an ovulation estimation device 2. The ovulation estimation device 2 includes the body temperature sensor 14 and the control unit 18. The ovulation prediction device 2 measures the woman's body temperature daily using a body temperature sensor 14 provided on the toilet seat 12, and based on the female user's body temperature measured daily, predicts menstrual and ovulation information related to the woman's menstruation and ovulation, i.e., the woman's specific menstruation start date, menstruation end date, menstrual cycle, ovulation date, premenstrual syndrome (PMS) start date, PMS end date, and PMS period, and predicts the estimated menstruation start date, estimated menstruation end date, estimated menstrual cycle, estimated ovulation date, estimated premenstrual syndrome (PMS) start date, estimated PMS end date, and estimated PMS period. In this embodiment, the control unit 18 serves as both the control unit of the toilet device 1 and the control unit of the ovulation prediction device 2.

[0014] As shown in Figure 1, the toilet bowl 11 is made of, for example, ceramic and has an opening facing upward. A toilet seat 12 and a toilet lid 13 are disposed on the top of the toilet bowl 11, and the toilet seat 12 and the toilet lid 13 are attached to the toilet bowl 11 so as to be rotatable.

[0015] The toilet seat 12 is the part on which a user sits, and is placed on top of the toilet bowl 11. The toilet seat 12 is formed in a ring shape with an opening 121 on the inside. The toilet lid 13 is a lid that can open and close and cover the opening 121 of the toilet bowl 11 and the toilet seat 12. The toilet seat 12 is formed from a resin material.

[0016] A body temperature sensor 14 is provided on the surface of the toilet seat 12. The body temperature sensor 14 measures the body temperature of a person sitting on the toilet seat 12. For example, the body temperature sensor 14 measures the skin temperature of the person sitting on the toilet seat 12 and estimates the body temperature from that skin temperature. The body temperature sensor 14 has a pair of detection units 141, one on each side. The detection units 141 are the parts of the body temperature sensor 14 that detect the body temperature of the person. The pair of detection units 141 are each provided in a portion of the annular portion of the toilet seat 12 near the rear. When a woman sits on the toilet seat 12, the pair of detection units 141 are positioned below the thighs of the female user.

[0017] For example, the pair of detection units 141 are preferably arranged so that they are located below a position 3 to 10 cm in front of the end of the rear of the woman's thighs (the boundary between the thighs and buttocks) when a woman is seated on the toilet seat 12. For example, the pair of detection units 141 are more preferably arranged so that they are located below a position 5 cm in front of the end of the rear of the woman's thighs (the boundary between the thighs and buttocks) when a woman is seated on the toilet seat 12. The lower position 3 to 10 cm in front of the end of the rear of the woman's thighs is a position where the pair of detection units 141 can be in stable contact with the woman's thighs and can stably measure the body temperature of a female user.

[0018] The detection unit 141 of this embodiment has, for example, a thermistor, and as shown in Fig. 1, is formed, for example, in a circular shape in a plan view, and is built into the toilet seat 12. Note that the shape of the detection unit 141 is not limited to a circular shape in a plan view, and may be formed, for example, in a triangular, rectangular, or elongated shape in a plan view. Furthermore, the detection unit 141 is not limited to being built into the toilet seat 12, and may be provided exposed to the outside on the upper surface of the toilet seat 12.

[0019] 3, the detection unit 141 of the body temperature sensor 14 is positioned closer to the opening 121 than a central imaginary line L extending along the center of the width of the annular portion of the toilet seat 12 in a plan view, and is thereby positioned closer to the opening 121 of the toilet seat 12 with respect to the central imaginary line L extending along the center of the width of the annular portion of the toilet seat 12. In this embodiment, the detection unit 141 of the body temperature sensor 14 is positioned so that the area S1 of the detection unit 141 of the body temperature sensor 14 positioned in region A on the opening 121 side of the toilet seat 12 with respect to the central imaginary line L extending along the center of the width of the annular portion of the toilet seat 12 is equal to or greater than the area S2 of the detection unit 141 of the body temperature sensor 14 positioned in region B opposite the opening 121 of the toilet seat 12 in a plan view.

[0020] The position of the detection unit 141 of the body temperature sensor 14 will now be described in detail. In Figure 3, the detection unit 141A of the body temperature sensor 14 is shown by a virtual line. The center of the detection unit 141A of the body temperature sensor 14 shown by a virtual line in Figure 3 is located on a central virtual line L that extends along the center of the width of the annular portion of the toilet seat 12. The detection unit 141A of the body temperature sensor 14 shown by a virtual line in Figure 3 illustrates a case where, in a plan view, the area S1 of the detection unit 141 of the body temperature sensor 14 located in region A on the opening 121 side of the toilet seat 12 and the area S2 of the detection unit 141 of the body temperature sensor 14 located in region B opposite the opening 121 of the toilet seat 12 have equal area ratios relative to the central virtual line L that extends along the center of the width of the annular portion of the toilet seat 12 (area S1 = area S2).

[0021] In this embodiment, the detection unit 141A of the body temperature measurement sensor 14 is preferably positioned closer to the opening 121 of the toilet seat 12 with respect to the central imaginary line L extending along the center of the width of the annular portion of the toilet seat 12, and is therefore preferably positioned closer to the opening 121 than the position of the detection unit 141A of the body temperature measurement sensor 14 shown by the imaginary line in Figure 3, and is positioned so that the area S1 of the detection unit 141A of the body temperature measurement sensor 14 positioned in area A on the opening 121 side of the toilet seat 12 is equal to or greater than the area S2 of the detection unit 141A of the body temperature measurement sensor 14 positioned in area B opposite the opening 121 of the toilet seat 12 (area S1 ≧ area S2).

[0022] When measuring body temperature for health management specific to women, women, who are the primary subjects for body temperature measurement using the body temperature sensor 14, are smaller on average than men, and therefore their center of gravity when seated on the toilet seat 12 is positioned closer to the inside of the toilet seat 12. Therefore, by positioning the detection unit 141 of the body temperature sensor 14 closer to the opening 121 of the toilet seat 12 with respect to the imaginary central line L that extends along the center of the width of the annular part of the toilet seat 12 in a plan view, when used by a woman whose center of gravity when seated on the toilet seat 12 is positioned closer to the inside of the toilet seat 12, the detection unit 141 of the body temperature sensor 14 can be placed in closer contact with the thighs of the female user, thereby enabling the body temperature of the female user to be measured accurately.

[0023] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the body temperature sensor 14 is built into the toilet seat 12 and is located in a sensor placement area 122 of the toilet seat 12. The toilet seat 12 has a sensor placement area 122 in which the detection unit 141 of the body temperature sensor 14 is located, and the sensor placement area 122 is formed to be raised higher than the surface of the periphery 123 of the sensor placement area 122 on the toilet seat 12. By placing the body temperature sensor 14 in the sensor placement area 122, which is raised higher than the periphery 123, it is possible to improve adhesion to the thighs of female users and accurately measure the body temperature of female users. Note that the raised portion of the sensor placement area 122 is preferably formed with a gently sloping surface so as not to impair the design. However, the raised portion of the sensor placement area 122 is not limited to being formed with a gently sloping surface.

[0024] 4, the thickness of the resin material of the sensor arrangement portion 122 where the detection portion 141 of the body temperature sensor 14 is arranged is thinner than the thickness of the portion 123 surrounding the detection portion 141 of the body temperature sensor 14. As a result, the sensor arrangement portion 122 where the body temperature sensor 14 is arranged in the toilet seat 12 is thinner, which improves the heat conduction performance to the detection portion 141 of the body temperature sensor 14.

[0025] As shown in Figure 5, a heater wire 145 (heating unit) is routed and housed inside the toilet seat 12. The detection unit 141 of the body temperature measurement sensor 14 is positioned so as not to overlap the heater wire 145 (heating unit) housed inside the toilet seat 12 when viewed from above. This positions the body temperature measurement sensor 14 in a position that is less susceptible to the heat of the heating wire 145, thereby reducing errors in body temperature measurement due to the influence of the heating wire 145 and improving the accuracy of body temperature measurement.

[0026] The toilet seat 12 is formed containing a resin material, and the thermal conductivity of the entire toilet seat 12, or the thermal conductivity of only the resin portion surrounding the detection unit 141 of the body temperature sensor 14, is higher than 0.125 W / mK. Since the resin material typically used for toilet seats 12 is polypropylene (PP), it is preferable that the thermal conductivity of the entire toilet seat 12, or the thermal conductivity of only the resin portion surrounding the detection unit 141 of the body temperature sensor 14, is higher than the thermal conductivity of polypropylene (PP), which is 0.125 W / mK. Note that a thermal conductivity higher than 0.125 W / mK may refer to the inherent thermal conductivity value of the resin material of the toilet seat 12 itself, or the thermal conductivity value of a resin material mixed with a highly conductive material.

[0027] As a result, by making the thermal conductivity of the entire toilet seat 12, or just the resin portion around the detection unit 141 of the body temperature measurement sensor 14, higher than 0.125 W / mK, the thermal conductivity can be made higher than that of polypropylene (PP), a resin material generally used for toilet seats 12, making it easier for heat to be transferred to the detection unit 141 of the body temperature measurement sensor 14 when a female user sits on the toilet seat 12. Note that the toilet seat 12 does not have to be made of a resin material.

[0028] As shown in FIG. 1 , the toilet seat 12 has a first portion 124 around the detection unit 141 of the body temperature sensor 14 and a second portion 125 outside the area around the body temperature sensor 14. In this embodiment, the first portion 124 is the area around the detection unit 141 of the body temperature sensor 14, and as shown in FIG. 4 , includes a sensor placement portion 122 where the detection unit 141 of the body temperature sensor 14 is placed and an area 123 around the detection unit 141 of the body temperature sensor 14. As shown in FIG. 1 , the second portion 125 is the area around the body temperature sensor 14 other than the first portion 124. The thermal conductivity of the first portion 124 (see FIGS. 1 and 4 ) may be higher than the thermal conductivity of the second portion 125 (see FIG. 1 ). This allows heat to be more easily transferred to the detection unit 141 of the body temperature sensor 14 around the detection unit 141 of the body temperature sensor 14 when a female user sits on the toilet seat 12.

[0029] The entry sensor 15 is composed of, for example, an infrared sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, or the like, and is installed inside the toilet room 100 as shown in FIG. 1 . When a person enters the toilet room 100, the entry sensor 15 detects that the person has entered the toilet room 100. The entry sensor 15 is attached to the rear wall inside the toilet room. Note that the location where the entry sensor 15 is installed is not limited thereto. The entry sensor 15 may be installed in any position where it can detect that the person has entered the toilet room 100 when the person enters the toilet room 100. For example, the entry sensor 15 may be installed in a position behind the toilet seat 12 of the toilet device 1 (for example, near the location where the seating sensor 16, described below, is installed). The entry sensor 15 may also be a sensor for detecting the opening and closing of the door 101, and may include, for example, a magnetic switch, an infrared sensor, or an ultrasonic sensor.

[0030] The seat sensor 16 is provided at a position behind the toilet seat 12 in the toilet device 1. The seat sensor 16 has, for example, an infrared sensor or an electrostatic sensor, and detects that a person has sat on the toilet seat 12 by switching from OFF to ON, and detects that a person has left the toilet seat 12 by switching from ON to OFF. The position at which the seat sensor 16 is provided is not limited to this, and it may be provided on the toilet seat 12, for example.

[0031] The remote control terminal 17 is attached to one of the left and right walls of the toilet device 1 inside the toilet room 100. The remote control terminal 17 is a terminal capable of performing various operations. The remote control terminal 17 is also provided outside the toilet device 1, and functions as a receiving unit that receives inferred information inferred by an inferring unit 182 (described later) of the control unit 18, and also has a notification function that notifies a female user (person) present inside the toilet room 100. Examples of the notification function of the remote control terminal 17 include displaying information on a display unit of the remote control terminal 17 and notifying by voice.

[0032] The control unit 18 controls various operations of the toilet device 1. As shown in Fig. 2 , the control unit 18 has an identification function unit 181, an estimation unit 182, and a notification control unit 183 (transmission unit). The identification function unit 181, the estimation unit 182, and the notification control unit 183 constitute a part of the ovulation estimation device 2.

[0033] The identification function unit 181 has an identification function for identifying an individual. Since the home toilet device 1 is shared by a family, the identification function unit 181 identifies the individual female user.

[0034] By identifying female users, the identification function unit 181 can individually manage, for each identified female user, menstrual and ovulation information related to the woman's menstruation and ovulation, that is, at least one of the following information: menstruation start date, menstruation end date, menstrual cycle, ovulation date, premenstrual syndrome (PMS) start date, PMS end date, and PMS period, and can notify the identified female user.

[0035] For example, the identification function of the identification function unit 181 to identify an individual user includes identifying an individual from biometric information such as face, fingerprint, voiceprint and veins, identifying an individual by operating an operation panel, identifying an individual using a card key equipped with an identification function, identifying an individual user using the communication function of a mobile terminal such as a smartphone, and identifying an individual based on the characteristics of how the user sits on the toilet seat.

[0036] In the case of a woman living alone, or in the case where there are multiple toilet devices in a house and one of them is used only by a female user, the identification function of the identification function unit 181 can be set to not function. In this case, when a person sits on the toilet seat 12, the body temperature of the person sitting on the toilet seat 12 is measured without identifying the user, and based on the person's body temperature measured over multiple days by the body temperature measurement sensor 14, one or more of the menstruation start date, menstruation end date, menstrual cycle, ovulation date, premenstrual syndrome (PMS) start date, PMS end date, and PMS period can be estimated and notified.

[0037] The estimation unit 182 estimates one or more of the menstruation start date, menstruation end date, menstrual cycle, ovulation date, premenstrual syndrome (PMS) start date, PMS end date, and PMS duration based on the person's body temperature measured over multiple days by the body temperature measurement sensor 14. This allows a female user to estimate one or more of the menstruation start date, menstruation end date, menstrual cycle, ovulation date, premenstrual syndrome (PMS) start date, PMS end date, and PMS duration. Therefore, by simply sitting on the toilet seat 12 every day, it is possible to easily estimate one or more of the menstruation start date, menstruation end date, menstrual cycle, ovulation date, premenstrual syndrome (PMS) start date, PMS end date, and PMS duration. Regarding ovulation date, the estimation unit 182 can estimate future ovulation dates and past ovulation dates based on the female user's body temperature measured daily.

[0038] The prediction of the start date of menstruation, ovulation, and premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is based on the basal body temperature method, using the user's accumulated body temperature data measured daily.

[0039] The basal body temperature method is a method for predicting the ovulation period by measuring basal body temperature. As shown in Figure 6, a woman's basal body temperature is in a low temperature period from the menstrual period to the ovulation period, and is in a high temperature period from the ovulation period to the menstrual period. The basal body temperature method is a method for predicting the ovulation period by measuring body temperature as basal body temperature every day and utilizing the periodicity of this basal body temperature. In this embodiment, in association with the user's daily use of the toilet device 1, the basal body temperature method is used to predict the menstruation start date, menstruation end date, menstrual cycle, ovulation date, premenstrual syndrome (PMS) start date, PMS end date, and PMS duration by measuring the body temperature when the user sits on the toilet seat every morning when using the toilet device 1.

[0040] Specifically, when using the basal body temperature method to estimate the menstruation start date, menstruation end date, menstrual cycle, ovulation date, premenstrual syndrome (PMS) start date, PMS end date, and PMS duration, the body temperature measured daily for each authenticated individual is checked to see if it falls in the high or low temperature period, and one or more of the menstruation start date, menstruation end date, menstrual cycle, ovulation date, premenstrual syndrome (PMS) start date, PMS end date, and PMS duration are estimated based on the user's past menstrual cycle, ovulation cycle, etc. Note that each individual may have an irregular menstrual cycle, but even in such cases, the menstruation start date can be estimated with a certain range of periods based on the user's past menstrual cycle.

[0041] The ovulation date can be estimated based on the body temperature measured daily for each authenticated individual, for example, by referring to the measurement data in Figure 6 and observing the temperature change that occurs when the low temperature phase transitions to the high temperature phase. Furthermore, the high temperature phase (luteal phase) after ovulation varies little from person to person, as with the menstrual cycle, and is consistent at about 14 days for everyone. Therefore, the menstruation start date can be estimated by calculating 14 days after the ovulation date. The menstruation end date can be estimated as the day obtained by adding a predetermined number of days to the menstruation start date (menstruation start date + predetermined number of days (3 to 7 days, for example, 5 days)). The menstrual cycle can be estimated, for example, by averaging the number of days between past ovulation dates.

[0042] Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is a mental or physical symptom that begins 3 to 10 days before the onset of menstruation and disappears with the onset of menstruation. The onset date of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) can be estimated based on the estimation of the onset date of menstruation. The onset date of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) can be estimated to be 3 to 10 days before the onset date of menstruation. The end date of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) can be estimated, for example, to be the onset date of menstruation. The duration of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) can be estimated as the period from the onset date to the end date of premenstrual syndrome (PMS), or the period from the day of ovulation to the day of menstruation.

[0043] The notification control unit 183 (transmitter) transmits the woman's menstrual ovulation information estimated by the estimation unit 182, i.e., at least one of the estimated information of the menstruation start date, menstruation end date, menstrual cycle, ovulation date, premenstrual syndrome (PMS) start date, PMS end date, and PMS period, to the external remote control terminal 17 (receiver, notification unit), and controls the remote control terminal 17 to notify the estimated information estimated by the estimation unit 182 when the remote control terminal 17 receives the estimated information signal. The notification control unit 183 can control the remote control terminal 17 to notify the estimated information of a future ovulation date regarding the ovulation date estimated by the estimation unit 182, and can also control the remote control terminal 17 to notify the estimated information of a past ovulation date. The notification control unit 183 can notify the estimated information estimated by the estimation unit 182, for example, by controlling the remote control terminal 17 to display the information on a display unit of the remote control terminal 17 or to notify the remote control terminal 17 by voice. The contents displayed on the display unit of the remote control terminal 17 include, for example, a first display example, as shown in FIG. 12, which displays a graph of changes in basal body temperature and the body temperature on a specified day, and a second display example, as shown in FIG. 13, which displays the estimated expected date of menstruation, the expected date of ovulation, and the possibility of pregnancy.

[0044] Next, a flow when a female user uses the toilet device 1 of this embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 7. The toilet device 1 of this embodiment measures the daily body temperature of a female user seated on the toilet seat, estimates menstrual and ovulation information related to the woman's menstruation and ovulation, i.e., the menstruation start date, menstruation end date, menstrual cycle, ovulation date, premenstrual syndrome (PMS) start date, PMS end date, and PMS duration, and notifies the female user in the toilet room 100 of this information.

[0045] First, in step S1 shown in Fig. 7, when a female user enters the toilet room 100, an entrance signal is output from the entrance sensor 15, and it is detected that a person has entered the toilet room 100. Here, the female user is identified by the personal authentication function of the identification function unit 181 of the control unit 18, and is identified as a woman registered in the identification function unit 181. For example, the female user can be identified by selecting to identify the user using a selection button that identifies the registered woman.

[0046] In step S2, when a female user sits on the toilet seat 12 of the toilet device 1, the seat sensor 16 outputs a seating signal, and it is detected that a person has sat on the toilet seat 12.

[0047] In step S3, the female user's body temperature is measured by the body temperature sensor 14 provided on the surface of the toilet seat 12. The female user's body temperature is preferably measured every morning. In this embodiment, the female user preferably measures her body temperature every day so as to accumulate daily basal body temperature data in order to estimate the woman's menstrual and ovulation information (menstruation start date, menstruation end date, menstrual cycle, ovulation date, premenstrual syndrome (PMS) start date, PMS end date, and PMS duration) based on the basal body temperature method.

[0048] In step S4, the estimation unit 182 of the control unit 18 estimates the woman's menstrual ovulation information (menstruation start date, menstruation end date, menstrual cycle, ovulation day, premenstrual syndrome (PMS) start date, PMS end date, PMS duration) based on the female user's body temperature measured by the body temperature measurement sensor 14 and with reference to the accumulated basal body temperature data. The estimation of the woman's menstrual ovulation information (menstruation start date, menstruation end date, menstrual cycle, ovulation day, premenstrual syndrome (PMS) start date, PMS end date, PMS duration) is performed based on the basal body temperature method using the user's accumulated body temperature data measured daily.

[0049] In step S5, the estimated menstrual ovulation information of the woman (menstruation start date, menstruation end date, menstrual cycle, ovulation day, premenstrual syndrome (PMS) start date, PMS end date, PMS duration) is notified. The notification control unit 183 of the control unit 18 controls the remote control terminal 17 (notification unit) to transmit the estimated menstrual ovulation information of the woman (menstruation start date, menstruation end date, menstrual cycle, ovulation day, premenstrual syndrome (PMS) start date, PMS end date, PMS duration) to the remote control terminal 17, and notify the information estimated by the estimation unit 182. The notification by the remote control terminal 17 is performed, for example, by displaying on the display unit of the remote control terminal 17 or by sound from the remote control terminal 17. When the measurement of the female user's body temperature is completed, an alarm may be sounded to notify the completion of the measurement, or when the estimated female menstrual and ovulation information (menstruation start date, menstruation end date, menstrual cycle, ovulation date, premenstrual syndrome (PMS) start date, PMS end date, PMS duration) is notified, an alarm may be sounded in addition to a display or voice. After step S5, the process ends.

[0050] According to this embodiment, the following effects are achieved: The toilet device 1 of this embodiment includes a toilet seat 12, a body temperature sensor 14 that is disposed on the surface of the toilet seat 12 and that measures the body temperature of a person sitting on the toilet seat 12, an estimation unit 182 that estimates menstrual and ovulation information related to a woman's menstruation and ovulation, that is, at least one of the menstruation start date, menstruation end date, menstrual cycle, ovulation date, premenstrual syndrome (PMS) start date, PMS end date, and PMS duration, based on the person's body temperature measured by the body temperature sensor 14, and a notification control unit 183 (transmission unit) that transmits the information estimated by the estimation unit 182 to an external remote control terminal 17 (reception unit).

[0051] Therefore, by simply sitting on the toilet seat 12, the user's body temperature can be measured to estimate at least one of the menstruation start date, menstruation end date, menstrual cycle, ovulation date, premenstrual syndrome (PMS) start date, PMS end date, and PMS duration, and this estimated information can be reported, so compared to technology that estimates the menstrual cycle by measuring the temperature of a woman's urine, it is possible to quickly, easily, and reliably estimate and report at least one of the menstruation start date, menstruation end date, menstrual cycle, ovulation date, premenstrual syndrome (PMS) start date, PMS end date, and PMS duration. This makes it less likely that the user will forget to prepare / change sanitary products, and makes it easier to prepare / change sanitary products.

[0052] In this embodiment, the toilet seat 12 is formed in a ring shape with an opening 121 on the inside, and the detection unit 141 of the body temperature sensor 14 is positioned closer to the opening 121 of the toilet seat 12 with respect to a central imaginary line L that extends along the center of the width of the ring-shaped portion of the toilet seat 12 in a plan view. This allows for a closer fit of the detection unit 141 of the body temperature sensor 14 to the thighs of a female user when seated on the toilet seat 12, enabling the body temperature of the female user to be measured accurately.

[0053] In this embodiment, the toilet seat 12 is formed in a ring shape with an opening 121 on the inside, and the detection unit 141 of the body temperature sensor 14 is positioned so that, in a plan view, the area S1 of the detection unit 141 located in the region on the opening 121 side of the toilet seat 12 is equal to or greater than the area S2 of the detection unit 141 located in the region opposite the opening 121 of the toilet seat 12, relative to a central imaginary line L extending along the center of the width of the ring-shaped portion of the toilet seat 12. As a result, when used by a woman whose center of gravity is positioned closer to the inside of the toilet seat 12 when seated on the toilet seat 12, the detection unit 141 of the body temperature sensor 14 can be fitted more closely to the thighs of the female user, allowing the body temperature of the female user to be measured accurately.

[0054] In this embodiment, the toilet seat 12 has a sensor placement portion 122 in which the detection portion 141 of the body temperature sensor 14 is placed, and the sensor placement portion 122 is formed to be raised higher than the surface of the periphery 123 of the sensor placement portion 122 on the toilet seat 12. By placing the body temperature sensor 14 in the sensor placement portion 122 which is raised higher than the periphery 123, it is possible to increase the adhesion to the thighs of female users and to accurately measure the body temperature of female users.

[0055] In this embodiment, the detection unit 141 of the body temperature sensor 14 is positioned in a plan view of the toilet seat 12 so as not to overlap the heating wire 145 for the heater housed inside the toilet seat 12. This allows the body temperature sensor 14 to be positioned in a position where it is less susceptible to the heat of the heating wire 145, thereby reducing errors in body temperature measurement due to the influence of the heating wire 145 and improving the accuracy of body temperature measurement.

[0056] In this embodiment, the detection unit 141 of the body temperature sensor 14 is disposed inside the toilet seat 12, which is formed from a resin material, and the thickness of the resin material in the portion where the detection unit 141 of the body temperature sensor 14 is disposed is thinner than the thickness of the portion 123 surrounding the detection unit 141. As a result, the thickness of the sensor disposition portion 122 of the toilet seat 12 where the body temperature sensor 14 is disposed is thin, which improves the thermal conductivity of the body temperature sensor 14 to the detection unit 141.

[0057] In this embodiment, the toilet seat 12 is formed containing a resin material, and the thermal conductivity of the entire toilet seat 12, or the thermal conductivity of only the resin portion surrounding the detection unit 141 of the body temperature sensor 14, is higher than 0.125 W / mK. By making the thermal conductivity of the entire toilet seat 12, or the thermal conductivity of only the resin portion surrounding the detection unit 141 of the body temperature sensor 14, higher than 0.125 W / mK, the thermal conductivity can be made higher than that of polypropylene (PP), a resin material commonly used for toilet seats 12, and heat can be more easily transferred to the detection unit 141 of the body temperature sensor 14.

[0058] In this embodiment, the toilet seat 12 has a first portion 124 around the detection unit 141 of the body temperature sensor 14, and a second portion 125 outside the area around the body temperature sensor 14. The thermal conductivity of the first portion 124 (see FIGS. 1 and 4) may be higher than the thermal conductivity of the second portion 125 (see FIG. 1). In this case, when a female user sits on the toilet seat 12, heat can be more easily transferred to the detection unit 141 of the body temperature sensor 14 around the detection unit 141 of the body temperature sensor 14.

[0059] In this embodiment, the device is provided with an identification function unit 181 that identifies a user. By identifying a female user using the identification function unit 181, it is possible to individually manage, for each identified female user, at least one piece of information on the start date of menstruation, the end date of menstruation, the menstrual cycle, the day of ovulation, the start date of premenstrual syndrome (PMS), the end date of PMS, and the PMS period. Furthermore, it is possible to individually notify the identified female user of at least one piece of information on the start date of menstruation, the end date of menstruation, the menstrual cycle, the day of ovulation, the start date of premenstrual syndrome (PMS), the end date of PMS, and the PMS period.

[0060] Next, a second embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the second embodiment, the main difference from the number of detectors 141 of the body temperature measurement sensor 14 of the toilet device 1 of the first embodiment is the number of detectors 142 of the body temperature measurement sensor 14A. In the second embodiment, components similar to those of the first embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals in the drawings, and their description will be omitted.

[0061] As shown in Figure 8, the body temperature measurement sensor 14A of the toilet device 1A of the second embodiment has a plurality of detection units 142 arranged in a line in the front-to-back direction of a person when the person is seated on the toilet seat 12. In this embodiment, the plurality of detection units 142 are arranged inside the toilet seat 12. The plurality of detection units 142 are arranged in a line along the annular portion of the toilet seat 12, and when the toilet device 1A is viewed from the side, the plurality of detection units 142 are arranged in a line in the front-to-back direction on each of the left and right sides, with five detection units 142 arranged in a line on each side.

[0062] In this embodiment, for example, a total of ten pairs of detectors 142 are provided, five on each side, and are arranged in the order of detectors 142a, 142b, 142c, 142d, and 142e from the front to the rear in the front-to-rear direction on each side of the toilet seat 12. By providing multiple detectors 142, the likelihood that one of the multiple detectors 142 of the body temperature sensor 14 will come into close contact with the thigh of the female user increases even if the female user's sitting position on the toilet seat 12 varies slightly, thereby improving the close contact of the detectors 142 of the body temperature sensor 14 with the thigh of the female user and enabling the female user's body temperature to be measured with high accuracy.

[0063] There is no limitation on the number of the multiple detectors 142. The multiple detectors 142 may be provided in pairs on the left and right, with, for example, two to four, or six or more detectors 142 arranged in the front-to-rear direction on each side.

[0064] In this embodiment, all of the multiple detection units 142 of the body temperature sensor 14A are positioned closer to the opening 121 than the imaginary central line L that extends along the center of the width of the annular portion of the toilet seat 12 in a plan view, and are therefore positioned closer to the opening 121 of the toilet seat 12 than the imaginary central line L that extends along the center of the width of the annular portion of the toilet seat 12. This allows for a closer fit of the detection units 142 of the body temperature sensor 14A to the thighs of the female user when used by a woman whose center of gravity is positioned closer to the inside of the toilet seat 12 when sitting on the toilet seat 12, and allows for accurate measurement of the female user's body temperature.

[0065] It should be noted that it is not necessary that all of the multiple detection units 142 of the body temperature measurement sensor 14A be positioned closer to the opening 121 of the toilet seat 12 than the central imaginary line L that extends along the center of the width of the annular portion of the toilet seat 12. It is sufficient that at least one detection unit 142 of the multiple detection units 142 of the body temperature measurement sensor 14A is positioned closer to the opening 121 of the toilet seat 12 than the central imaginary line L that extends along the center of the width of the annular portion of the toilet seat 12 in a plan view.

[0066] In a configuration in which the body temperature measurement sensor 14A is equipped with multiple detection units 142, similar to the configuration described in the first embodiment, the portion of the toilet seat 12 where the multiple detection units 142 are arranged may be formed as a raised portion, or the thickness of the resin material may be formed as a thin wall.

[0067] In a configuration in which the body temperature measuring sensor 14A includes a plurality of detection units 142, the control unit 18A can execute, for example, the control of the first control example and the control of the second control example described below.

[0068] In a first control example, in a configuration in which the body temperature measurement sensor 14A includes multiple detectors 142, the estimation unit 182 of the control unit 18A uses the highest temperature or the highest temperature data within a predetermined temperature range among the body temperature data acquired from the multiple detectors 142 to estimate menstrual and ovulation information related to a woman's menstruation and ovulation. By using the highest temperature or the highest temperature data within a predetermined temperature range, body temperature can be measured and estimated accurately in daily body temperature measurements. The predetermined temperature range can be set to, for example, 36.0°C to 36.8°C, and any temperature measured outside this range can be treated as an error.

[0069] 9, the control unit 18A includes a seating position determination unit 184 in addition to the configuration of the control unit 18 of the first embodiment. When a person sits on the toilet seat 12, the seating position determination unit 184 determines the front-to-rear position of the person sitting on the toilet seat 12 based on the temperature data detected by the multiple detection units 142.

[0070] When a person sits on the toilet seat 12 with a plurality of detection units 142 arranged at equal intervals in the front-to-rear direction, the seating position determination unit 184 determines the positional deviation when the person sits shallowly or deeply on the toilet seat 12, selects the detection unit 142 with the most suitable positional relationship, and adopts the measurement value of the selected detection unit 142.

[0071] Specifically, in a state where multiple detectors 142 are arranged at equal intervals in the front-to-rear direction, when a female user W sits deep on the toilet seat 12 as shown in Fig. 10A, of the five detectors 142, four detectors 142a, 142b, 142c, and 142d, arranged from the front to the rear, detect a body temperature within a preset temperature range (e.g., 36.0°C to 36.8°C). Therefore, the seating position determination unit 184 determines that the thigh W1 of the female user W is present within the range X1 between detectors 142a and 142d, and adopts the measurement value of detector 142c, which is located a predetermined number forward (the first detector from the front in Fig. 10A) from detector 142d, which is estimated to be located at the end of the rear side of the thigh W1 of the female user W.

[0072] 10B, when a female user W sits shallowly on the toilet seat 12, three of the five detectors 142, 142a, 142b, and 142c, located from the front to the rear, detect a body temperature within a preset temperature range (e.g., 36.0°C to 36.8°C). Therefore, the seating position determination unit 184 determines that the thigh W1 of the female user W is located within the range X2 between detectors 142a and 142c, and uses the measurement value of detector 142b, which is located a predetermined number forward (the first one forward in the case of FIG. 10B) from detector 142c, which is estimated to be located at the end of the rear side of the thigh W1 of the female user W.

[0073] The predetermined number of detectors to be placed is determined as appropriate based on the number of detectors and the spacing between adjacent detectors. In this embodiment, the predetermined number of detectors 142c, 142b are detectors placed, for example, approximately 3 to 10 cm (preferably 5 cm) forward from the rear end of a woman's thigh. The lower portion, located 3 to 10 cm forward from the rear end of a woman's thigh, is a position where the pair of detectors 141 can stably fit closely to the woman's thigh and stably measure the female user's body temperature. Note that if the ranges X1, X2 in which the multiple detectors 142 detect a person's body temperature are narrower than the predetermined range, an error can be detected.

[0074] Based on the judgment result of the seating position judgment unit 184, the estimation unit 182 employs predetermined detection units 142c, 142b from among the plurality of detection units 142, and estimates one or more of the menstruation start date, menstruation end date, menstrual cycle, ovulation date, premenstrual syndrome (PMS) start date, PMS end date, and PMS period based on the person's body temperature measured by the predetermined detection units 142c, 142b.

[0075] As described above, in a configuration having a plurality of detection units 142, the seating position determination unit 184 determines the seating position of the female user on the toilet seat 12, and by adopting predetermined detection units 142c, 142b from the plurality of detection units 142 in the lower part a predetermined distance (approximately 3 to 10 cm) forward from the rear end of the woman's thigh based on the determination result of the seating position determination unit 184, detection units 142c, 142d can be stably in close contact with the woman's thigh, and the body temperature of the female user can be stably measured.

[0076] The body temperature sensor 14A has a plurality of detection units 142 that are arranged in a row in the front-to-back direction of a person when seated on the toilet seat 12. This increases the likelihood that one of the plurality of detection units 142 of the body temperature sensor 14 will come into close contact with the thigh of a female user even if the female user sits in a slightly different position on the toilet seat 12, thereby improving the adhesion of the detection units 142 of the body temperature sensor 14 to the thigh of the female user and enabling the body temperature of the female user to be measured with high accuracy.

[0077] Next, a third embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The third embodiment differs from the detection unit 141 of the body temperature sensor 14 of the toilet device 1 of the first embodiment mainly in that the detection unit 143 of the body temperature sensor 14B is disposed exposed to the outside on the surface of the toilet seat 12. In the third embodiment, components similar to those in the first embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals in the drawings, and their description will be omitted.

[0078] 11, the body temperature measuring sensor 14B includes a detection unit 143 that is exposed on the surface of the toilet seat 12 and is placed above the surface of the toilet seat 12, a wiring unit 143a that runs from the toilet seat 12-facing surface (back surface) of the detection unit 143 to the inside of the toilet seat 12 through a through-hole 12a provided on the surface of the toilet seat 12, and a resin O-ring 12b for preventing water leakage. The detection unit 143 detects a person's body temperature.

[0079] Although not shown, the detection unit 143 is formed, for example, in a circular shape when viewed from above on the toilet seat 12. The size of the detection unit 143 is formed to be larger in plan view than the through-hole 12a provided in the surface of the toilet seat 12. The water-stopping O-ring 12b is disposed between the surface of the detection unit 143 facing the toilet seat 12 and the area surrounding the through-hole 12a on the surface of the toilet seat 12.

[0080] This prevents moisture and detergent components from penetrating into the interior of the toilet seat 12 through the gap between the detection unit 143 and the surface of the toilet seat 12 during cleaning, even if the detection unit 143 is exposed on the surface of the toilet seat 12.

[0081] Next, a fourth embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. As shown in Figures 14 and 15, the fourth embodiment has a configuration in which an add-on toilet seat 3 is attached to a toilet seat 12C (see Figure 15). The add-on toilet seat 3 includes an ovulation prediction device 2A. In the fourth embodiment, a description of the same configuration as in the first embodiment will be omitted.

[0082] As shown in Figures 14 and 15, the toilet apparatus 1C includes a toilet bowl 11 and a toilet seat 12C. The toilet seat 12C is attached to the top of the toilet bowl 11. The add-on toilet seat 3 is attached to the top of the toilet seat 12C. The add-on toilet seat 3 forms a seating area on which a person sits. The add-on toilet seat 3 is placed on the edge of the opening of the toilet seat 12C and is formed in an annular shape. An ovulation prediction device 2A is built into the top of the interior of the add-on toilet seat 3.

[0083] The ovulation prediction device 2A includes the body temperature measurement sensor 14 of the ovulation prediction device 2 of the first embodiment, and an identification function unit 181, a prediction unit 182, and a notification control unit 183 (transmission unit) in the control unit 18 (see Figure 2) of the ovulation prediction device 2 of the first embodiment.

[0084] The notification control unit 183 (transmission unit) transmits the woman's menstrual ovulation information estimated by the estimation unit 182, i.e., at least one of the estimated information of the menstruation start date, menstruation end date, menstrual cycle, ovulation date, premenstrual syndrome (PMS) start date, PMS end date, and PMS period, to a remote control terminal 17 (receiving unit, notification unit) outside the ovulation estimation device 2A.

[0085] The body temperature measurement sensor 14 of the first embodiment provided in the ovulation prediction device 2A, and the identification function unit 181, prediction unit 182 and notification control unit 183 (transmission unit) in the control unit 18 (see Figure 2) of the ovulation prediction device 2 of the first embodiment provided in the ovulation prediction device 2A have the same configuration and functions as those of the first embodiment.

[0086] The fourth embodiment can achieve the same effects as the first embodiment. Furthermore, according to the fourth embodiment, the ovulation prediction device 2A can be easily attached to the toilet seat 12C by attaching the add-on toilet seat 4 equipped with the ovulation prediction device 2A to the toilet seat 12B without replacing the toilet device 1 or the toilet seat 12C.

[0087] Next, a fifth embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. In the fifth embodiment, as shown in Fig. 16, the ovulation prediction device 2B is made into a single unit, so that the unitized ovulation prediction device 2B can be attached directly to the toilet seat 12 of the toilet device 1 afterwards. In the fifth embodiment, the description of the same configuration as in the first embodiment will be omitted.

[0088] The ovulation prediction device 2B is formed in a box shape or a thick sheet shape, and by unitizing it, it is configured as a separate unit from the toilet seat 12D and can be attached to the toilet seat 12D afterwards. The toilet seat 12D forms a seating portion on which a person sits. The ovulation prediction device 2B can be attached afterwards to the portion of the toilet seat 12D on which a person sits using adhesive tape, hook-and-loop fasteners, or the like, for example.

[0089] As in the fourth embodiment, the ovulation prediction device 2B includes the body temperature measurement sensor 14 of the ovulation prediction device 2 of the first embodiment, and the identification function unit 181, the prediction unit 182, and the notification control unit 183 (transmission unit) in the control unit 18 (see Figure 2) of the ovulation prediction device 2 of the first embodiment.

[0090] As in the fourth embodiment, the notification control unit 183 (transmission unit) transmits the woman's menstrual ovulation information estimated by the estimation unit 182, that is, at least one of the estimated information of the menstruation start date, menstruation end date, menstrual cycle, ovulation date, premenstrual syndrome (PMS) start date, PMS end date, and PMS period, to a remote control terminal 17 (receiving unit, notification unit) outside the ovulation estimation device 2B.

[0091] The body temperature measurement sensor 14 of the first embodiment provided in the ovulation prediction device 2B, and the identification function unit 181, prediction unit 182 and notification control unit 183 (transmission unit) in the control unit 18 (see Figure 2) of the ovulation prediction device 2 of the first embodiment provided in the ovulation prediction device 2B have the same configuration and function as the first embodiment, as in the fourth embodiment.

[0092] The fifth embodiment can achieve the same effects as the first embodiment. Furthermore, according to the fifth embodiment, the ovulation prediction device 2B is formed in a box shape or a thick sheet shape, and is formed compactly, so that it is easy to carry, attach and detach, and handle.

[0093] Next, a sixth embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. In the sixth embodiment, the basic configuration of the toilet system 10 is the same as in the first embodiment, and therefore the description of the first embodiment can be used. In the sixth embodiment, the description of the same configuration as in the first embodiment will be omitted. In the sixth embodiment, as in the first embodiment, the toilet device 1 includes an ovulation estimation device 2C as shown in FIG. 17 . The ovulation estimation device 2C includes a body temperature measurement sensor 14 and a control unit 18. The body temperature measurement sensor 14 (human body information measurement unit) measures the body temperature (human body information) of a person seated on the toilet seat 12.

[0094] In the sixth embodiment, the control unit 18 controls various operations of the toilet device 1. As shown in Fig. 17 , the control unit 18 has an identification function unit 181, an estimation unit 182, a notification control unit 183, a schedule setting unit 187, a sound information provision control unit 185, and a body action device control unit 186. The identification function unit 181, the estimation unit 182, and the notification control unit 183 are the same as those in the first embodiment, and therefore their description will be omitted.

[0095] In the sixth embodiment, the notification control unit 183 can control the remote control terminal 17 to notify, for example, the remote control terminal 17 so that it notifies the estimated information estimated by the estimation unit 182 at the next first to fourth notification timings.

[0096] 18 , the first notification control for issuing a notification at the first notification timing is notification control in which the notification control unit 183 controls the remote control terminal 17 to issue a notification at the first notification timing between the time the user enters the toilet room 100 and the time the user leaves the room. The second notification control for issuing a notification at the second notification timing is notification control in which the notification control unit 183 controls the remote control terminal 17 to issue a notification at the second notification timing between the time the user enters the toilet room 100 and the time the user leaves the room. The third notification control for issuing a notification at the third notification timing is notification control in which the notification control unit 183 controls the remote control terminal 17 to issue a notification at the third notification timing between the time the user enters the toilet room 100 and the time the user sits on the toilet seat 12. The fourth notification control for issuing a notification at the fourth notification timing is notification control in which the notification control unit 183 controls the remote control terminal 17 to issue a notification at the fourth notification timing immediately after the user enters the toilet room 100. Further details of the first to fourth notification timings will be described later.

[0097] The notification control unit 183 controls the remote control terminal 17 not to notify one or more of the estimated information of the menstruation start date, menstruation end date, menstrual cycle, ovulation date, premenstrual syndrome (PMS) start date, PMS end date, and PMS period, when the estimated date of the menstruation start date, ovulation date, or premenstrual syndrome start date is one week or more from the day the person entered the toilet room 100. As a result, by not making a notification when the estimated date of one or more of the estimated information of the menstruation start date, menstruation end date, menstrual cycle, ovulation date, premenstrual syndrome (PMS) start date, PMS end date, and PMS period is one week or more from the day the person entered the toilet room 100, it is possible to reduce stress caused by being notified when it is not time to change sanitary products.

[0098] The schedule setting unit 187 can set a schedule for notifying one or more of estimated information of the menstruation start date, menstruation end date, menstrual cycle, ovulation date, premenstrual syndrome (PMS) start date, PMS end date, and PMS duration via the remote control terminal 17. The notification control unit 183 then controls the remote control terminal 17 to notify one or more of estimated information of the menstruation start date, menstruation end date, menstrual cycle, ovulation date, premenstrual syndrome (PMS) start date, PMS end date, and PMS duration, based on the schedule set by the schedule setting unit 187. For example, the user can set, via the schedule setting unit 187, how many days before the estimated menstruation start date the estimated menstruation start date will be notified. This allows the user to set and adjust the dates for notifying the user of one or more pieces of estimated information regarding the start date of menstruation, the end date of menstruation, the menstrual cycle, the day of ovulation, the start date of premenstrual syndrome (PMS), the end date of PMS, and the duration of PMS, thereby reducing the stress caused by being notified when it is not time to change sanitary products.

[0099] The notification control unit 183 controls the remote control terminal 17 to notify that the temperature sensor 14 is measuring the temperature of the person seated on the toilet seat 12, from the time it receives a seating signal indicating that a person is seated on the toilet seat 12 until the time measurement of the temperature of the person seated on the toilet seat 12 by the temperature sensor 14 is started and completed. This allows the user to know that their temperature is being measured, and therefore allows the user's temperature to be measured stably without the user having to stand up from the toilet seat 12.

[0100] The sound information provision control unit 185 controls the sound information provision to play at least one type of sound information, music and voice, in the toilet room 100 from the time a seating signal indicating a person is seated on the toilet seat 12 is received until the temperature measurement of the person seated on the toilet seat 12 by the temperature measurement sensor 14 is initiated and completed. The sound information is preferably sound information that motivates the user to remain seated on the toilet seat 12 for a long time during the temperature measurement, such as music, songs, conversations using artificial intelligence (AI), trivia, and knowledge. This sound information may be automatically and randomly played by the system on the toilet device 1 side, or it may be played according to the user's preferences, which are preset. Playing sound information during the temperature measurement to motivate the user to remain seated on the toilet seat 12 for a long time can discourage the user from standing up during the temperature measurement, thereby enabling the temperature measurement to be performed safely and reliably.

[0101] The human body action device control unit 186 controls the operation of a heating device 21 (see FIG. 17) (human body action device) that applies thermal stimulation to the human body by warming the human body, and a massage device 22 (see FIG. 17) (human body action device) that applies vibration or electrical stimulation to the human body, from the time it receives a seating signal indicating that a person has sat on the toilet seat 12 until the temperature measurement sensor 14 starts and completes measuring the body temperature of the person seated on the toilet seat 12. By operating devices that can add additional value other than body temperature measurement, the user is made to relax on the toilet seat 12 and want to sit on it for a long time during the body temperature measurement, which prevents the user from standing up during the body temperature measurement and allows the body temperature measurement to be performed safely and reliably.

[0102] Next, a flow when a female user uses the toilet device 1 of this embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 19. The toilet device 1 of this embodiment measures the daily body temperature of a female user seated on the toilet seat, estimates menstrual and ovulation information related to the woman's menstruation and ovulation, i.e., the menstrual start date, menstrual end date, menstrual cycle, ovulation date, premenstrual syndrome (PMS) start date, PMS end date, and PMS duration, and notifies the female user in the toilet room 100 of this information.

[0103] The timing for notifying a woman's menstrual and ovulation information (menstruation start date, menstruation end date, menstrual cycle, ovulation day, premenstrual syndrome (PMS) start date, PMS end date, and PMS duration) can be different from each other, for example, from the first notification timing to the fourth notification timing shown in Fig. 18 , and will be described after the explanation of the overall operation of the toilet device 1. Similarly, the timing for identifying an individual user can also be different from each other, and will be described after the explanation of the overall operation of the toilet device 1.

[0104] First, in step S11 shown in FIG. 19, when a female user enters the toilet room 100, an entry signal is output from the entry sensor 15, and it is detected that a person has entered the toilet room 100.

[0105] In step S12, when a female user sits on the toilet seat 12 of the toilet device 1, the seat sensor 16 switches from OFF to ON, outputting a seat signal, and it is detected that a person has sat on the toilet seat 12.

[0106] In step S13, the female user's body temperature is measured by the body temperature sensor 14 provided on the surface of the toilet seat 12. The female user's body temperature is preferably measured every morning. In this embodiment, the female user preferably measures her body temperature every day so that daily basal body temperature data is accumulated to estimate the woman's menstrual and ovulation information (menstruation start date, menstruation end date, menstrual cycle, ovulation date, premenstrual syndrome (PMS) start date, PMS end date, and PMS duration) based on the basal body temperature method.

[0107] In step S14, the estimation unit 182 of the control unit 18 estimates the woman's menstrual and ovulation information (menstruation start date, menstruation end date, menstrual cycle, ovulation day, premenstrual syndrome (PMS) start date, PMS end date, PMS duration) based on the female user's body temperature measured by the body temperature measurement sensor 14 and with reference to the accumulated basal body temperature data. The estimation of the woman's menstrual and ovulation information (menstruation start date, menstruation end date, menstrual cycle, ovulation day, premenstrual syndrome (PMS) start date, PMS end date, PMS duration) is performed based on the basal body temperature method using the user's accumulated body temperature data measured daily.

[0108] In step S15, when the female user leaves the toilet seat 12 of the toilet device 1, the seat sensor 16 switches from ON to OFF, outputting a seat-off signal, and it is detected that a person has left the toilet seat 12.

[0109] In step S16, the female user gets dressed and leaves the toilet room 100. After step S16, the process ends.

[0110] Here, at a predetermined timing during the flow when a female user uses the toilet device 1, the user is identified and the predicted female menstrual ovulation information (menstruation start date, menstruation end date, menstrual cycle, ovulation day, premenstrual syndrome (PMS) start date, PMS end date, PMS duration) is notified. The notification control unit 183 of the control unit 18 controls the remote control terminal 17 (notification unit) to transmit the predicted female menstrual ovulation information (menstruation start date, menstruation end date, menstrual cycle, ovulation day, premenstrual syndrome (PMS) start date, PMS end date, PMS duration) to the remote control terminal 17 at the predetermined timing, and notify the remote control terminal 17 of the predicted information predicted by the prediction unit 182. The notification by the remote control terminal 17 is performed, for example, by displaying on the display unit of the remote control terminal 17 or by audio from the remote control terminal 17.

[0111] For example, when the current body temperature measurement has been completed, the remote control terminal 17 can notify the estimated menstrual ovulation information of the woman (menstruation start date, menstruation end date, menstrual cycle, ovulation date, premenstrual syndrome (PMS) start date, PMS end date, PMS period) including the current body temperature measurement value. Also, when the current body temperature measurement has not been completed, the remote control terminal 17 can notify the estimated dates of the estimated menstrual ovulation information of the woman (menstruation start date, menstruation end date, menstrual cycle, ovulation date, premenstrual syndrome (PMS) start date, PMS end date, PMS period) based on the body temperature data accumulated up to the previous time.

[0112] Next, the timing for notifying the woman's menstrual ovulation information (menstruation start date, menstruation end date, menstrual cycle, ovulation day, premenstrual syndrome (PMS) start date, PMS end date, PMS duration) will be described. The notification control unit 183 can control the remote control terminal 17 to notify the woman's menstrual ovulation information (menstruation start date, menstruation end date, menstrual cycle, ovulation day, premenstrual syndrome (PMS) start date, PMS end date, PMS duration) at the following first to fourth notification timings, for example.

[0113] 18 , the first notification control for making a notification at the first notification timing is a notification control in which the notification control unit 183 controls the remote control terminal 17 to make a notification at the first notification timing between when a user enters the toilet room 100 and when the user leaves the toilet room 100. In the first notification control, the notification control unit 183 controls the remote control terminal 17 to make a notification of one or more pieces of estimated information of the menstruation start date, menstruation end date, menstrual cycle, ovulation date, premenstrual syndrome (PMS) start date, PMS end date, and PMS period at least once during the period from when an entry signal indicating a person has entered the toilet room 100 is received to when a predetermined time has elapsed since when a seating away signal indicating the person has left the toilet seat 12 is received.

[0114] During the first notification timing, the notification control unit 183 controls the remote control terminal 17 to notify the estimated information within a predetermined time period after receiving an entry signal indicating a person has entered the toilet room and after receiving a leave signal indicating a person has left the toilet seat 12 (timing 1A of the first notification timing in Figure 18).

[0115] The entry signal indicating that a person has entered the toilet room 100 is a signal output by the entry sensor 15 when a user enters the toilet room 100, and the entry signal output by the entry sensor 15 is sent to the control unit 18. The leaving signal indicating that the user has left the toilet seat 12 is a signal output by the seat sensor 16 when the user leaves the toilet seat 12 and the seat sensor 16 changes from ON to OFF, and the leaving signal output by the seat sensor 16 is sent to the control unit 18.

[0116] The "predetermined predetermined time period" of "a predetermined predetermined time period after receiving a signal indicating that a person has left the toilet seat 12" is preferably the time period from when the user leaves the toilet seat 12 until the user puts on clothes and leaves the toilet room 100. Specifically, the "predetermined predetermined time period" is set to a time period during which it is unlikely that the user will put on clothes and leave the toilet room 100 after leaving the toilet seat.

[0117] The "predetermined time period" may be determined and set based on the results of a verification experiment, or may be determined and set arbitrarily by the user, or may be set automatically by the toilet device 1 based on accumulated data that measures the time it takes for the user to leave the room after getting up from the toilet seat 12. If the results of a verification experiment show that the time it is unlikely for the user to put on clothes and leave the toilet room 100 after getting up from the toilet seat is, for example, two minutes, the predetermined time period can be set to, for example, two minutes.

[0118] By making an alert at the first alert timing between when the user enters the toilet room 100 and when the user leaves the room, when the start date of menstruation is approaching, the user can efficiently change or prepare sanitary products.

[0119] 18 , the second notification control for making a notification at the second notification timing is notification control in which the notification control unit 183 controls the remote control terminal 17 to make a notification at the second notification timing between when a user enters the toilet room 100 and when the user leaves the toilet room 100. In the second notification control, the notification control unit 183 controls the remote control terminal 17 to make one or more notifications of inferred information of one or more of the menstruation start date, menstruation end date, menstrual cycle, ovulation date, premenstrual syndrome (PMS) start date, PMS end date, and PMS period between when an entry signal indicating a person has entered the toilet room 100 is received and when a leave signal indicating the person has left the toilet seat 12 is received.

[0120] During the second notification timing, the remote control terminal 17 can be controlled to notify one or more of the estimated information of the start date of menstruation, the end date of menstruation, the menstrual cycle, the ovulation date, the start date of premenstrual syndrome (PMS), the end date of PMS, and the PMS period at the following times:

[0121] For example, when the notification control unit 183 receives an entry signal indicating that a person has entered the toilet room 100 and also receives a seat removal signal indicating that the person has removed themselves from the toilet seat 12 (timing 2A of the second notification timing in Figure 18), it controls the remote control terminal 17 to notify one or more of the estimated information regarding the start date of menstruation, the end date of menstruation, the menstrual cycle, the date of ovulation, the start date of premenstrual syndrome (PMS), the end date of PMS, and the PMS period.

[0122] In addition, the notification control unit 183 controls the remote control terminal 17 to notify one or more of the estimated information including the menstruation start date, menstruation end date, menstrual cycle, ovulation date, premenstrual syndrome (PMS) start date, PMS end date, and PMS period after receiving an entry signal indicating that a person has entered the toilet room 100 and after the body temperature measurement sensor 14 has finished measuring the person's body temperature, within a predetermined time period after the measurement of the person's body temperature has finished (timing 2B of the second notification timing in Figure 18).

[0123] In addition, when the notification control unit 183 receives an entry signal indicating that a person has entered the toilet room 100 and the temperature measurement sensor 14 has finished measuring the person's temperature (timing 2C of the second notification timing in Figure 18), it controls the remote control terminal 17 to notify one or more of the estimated information of the menstruation start date, menstruation end date, menstrual cycle, ovulation date, premenstrual syndrome (PMS) start date, PMS end date, and PMS period.

[0124] In addition, the notification control unit 183 receives an entry signal indicating that a person has entered the toilet room 100, and controls the remote control terminal 17 to notify one or more of estimated information such as the start date of menstruation, the end date of menstruation, the menstrual cycle, the date of ovulation, the start date of premenstrual syndrome (PMS), the end date of PMS, and the PMS period during the measurement period from the start to the end of the measurement of the person's body temperature by the body temperature measurement sensor 14 (timing 2D of the second notification timing in Figure 18).

[0125] In addition, the notification control unit 183 controls the remote control terminal 17 to notify one or more of predicted information regarding the start date of menstruation, the end date of menstruation, the menstrual cycle, the date of ovulation, the start date of premenstrual syndrome (PMS), the end date of PMS, and the PMS period after receiving an entry signal indicating that a person has entered the toilet room 100 and a seated signal indicating that the person has sat on the toilet seat 12, and before the person's body temperature is measured by the body temperature measurement sensor 14 (timing 2E of the second notification timing in Figure 18).

[0126] The seating signal indicating that a user is sitting on the toilet seat 12 is a signal output by the seating sensor 16 when the user sits on the toilet seat 12 and the seating sensor 16 changes from OFF to ON, and the seating signal output by the seating sensor 16 is sent to the control unit 18.

[0127] At the second notification timing, the notification is made before the female user stands up from the toilet seat 12, so that the notification is made when she has taken off her clothes or is about to take off her clothes to use the toilet device 1, allowing her to efficiently change and prepare sanitary products when the start date of menstruation is approaching.

[0128] Furthermore, by notifying the female user before she stands up at the second notification timing, even if she is in a hurry, after she stands up, she can immediately put the sanitary products that are placed in the toilet room 100 into a pouch or bag and leave the toilet room 100, which is convenient as it eliminates the need to prepare sanitary products when she is out.

[0129] 18 , the third notification control for making a notification at the third notification timing is notification control in which the notification control unit 183 controls the remote control terminal 17 to make a notification at the third notification timing between when the user enters the toilet room 100 and when the user sits on the toilet seat 12. In the third notification control, the notification control unit 183 controls the remote control terminal 17 to make one or more notifications of inferred information of one or more of the menstruation start date, menstruation end date, menstrual cycle, ovulation date, premenstrual syndrome (PMS) start date, PMS end date, and PMS period between when the entry signal indicating a person has entered the toilet room 100 is received and when the seating signal indicating the person has sat on the toilet seat 12 is received.

[0130] During the third notification timing, for example, when the notification control unit 183 receives an entry signal indicating that a person has entered the toilet room 100 and a seated signal indicating that the person has sat on the toilet seat 12 (timing 3A of the third notification timing in FIG. 18 ), the notification control unit 183 controls the remote control terminal 17 to notify one or more pieces of inferred information of the menstruation start date, menstruation end date, menstrual cycle, ovulation date, premenstrual syndrome (PMS) start date, PMS end date, and PMS period. Furthermore, the notification control unit 183 controls the remote control terminal 17 to notify one or more pieces of inferred information of the menstruation start date, menstruation end date, menstrual cycle, ovulation date, premenstrual syndrome (PMS) start date, PMS end date, and PMS period during a predetermined time period after receiving the entry signal indicating that a person has entered the toilet room 100 (timing 3B of the third notification timing in FIG. 18 ).

[0131] At the third timing, by issuing a warning between the time when the user enters the toilet room 100 and the time when the user sits on the toilet seat 12, if the sanitary products are stored in an area that is out of reach after the user sits on the toilet seat 12, the warning is issued before the user sits on the toilet seat 12, which is convenient because the user can sit on the toilet seat 12 and use the toilet device 1 in a prepared state.

[0132] 18 , the fourth notification control for making a notification at the fourth notification timing is notification control in which the notification control unit 183 controls the remote control terminal 17 to make a notification at the fourth notification timing immediately after the user enters the toilet room 100. In the fourth notification control, the notification control unit 183 controls the remote control terminal 17 to make one or more notifications of inferred information regarding one or more of the menstruation start date, menstruation end date, menstrual cycle, ovulation date, premenstrual syndrome (PMS) start date, PMS end date, and PMS duration immediately upon receiving an entry signal indicating that a person has entered the toilet room 100. "Immediately upon receiving an entry signal indicating that a person has entered the toilet room 100" means the moment the user enters the toilet room 100 or immediately thereafter, and "immediately" also includes a time period of 0 to 2 seconds after the user enters the toilet room 100, which is within the allowable error range for "immediately."

[0133] At the fourth timing, by notifying immediately after the user enters the toilet room 100, if the sanitary products are stored in an area that is out of reach after the user sits on the toilet seat 12, the user can conveniently use the toilet device 1 by sitting on the toilet seat 12 in a prepared state.

[0134] When reporting estimated information at the first to fourth reporting timings, there is a possibility that the content of the report will be reported to a person other than the person who is actually reporting it unless the user is personally identified by the identification function unit 181. Therefore, it is preferable that the identification function unit 181 report the content of the report after identifying the user individually at each of the first to fourth reporting timings.

[0135] For example, in identifying an individual user, at the timing from when the user enters the toilet room 100 in Fig. 18 to when the user sits on the toilet seat 12, the identification function unit 181 may, for example, identify the user by placing a face authentication system on the outside of the door 101 of the toilet room 100 when the user enters the toilet room 100, or may identify the user by placing a fingerprint authentication system on the doorknob of the door 101, or may identify the user by using a face authentication system or voiceprint authentication system placed in the toilet room 100 immediately after the user enters the toilet room 100. Furthermore, the user may be identified by placing an operation panel inside the toilet room 100 or on the outside of the door 101 and setting a number corresponding to the individual user in advance and touching it, by preparing a card key corresponding to the individual user and holding the card key over an authentication device, or by linking with the user's smartphone.

[0136] Furthermore, for example, when identifying a user during the period from when the user sits on the toilet seat 12 in FIG. 18 to when the user leaves the seat, the identification function unit 181 may identify the user by, for example, installing an operation panel in the toilet room 100 and having the user touch a pre-set number associated with the user, preparing a card key associated with the user and holding the card key over an authentication device, or linking the identification function unit 181 with the user's smartphone. The user may also be identified by biometric authentication using fingerprint authentication, vein authentication, or the shape of the anal folds. The user may also be identified by the way the user sits on the toilet seat 12 (the position of the thighs and legs, the way the legs are spread, the weight distribution), etc. Furthermore, when the user is detected to have sat on the toilet seat 12, the identification function unit 181 may prompt the user to perform personal authentication by voice or by prompting the user to press a number assigned to the user on the operation panel.

[0137] Although the preferred embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above, the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments and can be modified as appropriate.

[0138] For example, in the above embodiment, the notification unit is configured by the remote control terminal 17, but is not limited to this. The notification unit may be installed in the toilet room 100, or may be an information terminal (such as a smartphone) that is not installed in the toilet room 100.

[0139] If it is not possible to estimate based on a person's body temperature (if the body temperature data is too irregular or incomplete due to measurement errors, etc., and the basal body temperature method cannot be applied), the user can input the actual start and end dates of menstruation into the toilet operation unit (remote control terminal) or application software in a separate information terminal (smartphone, etc.), and the toilet can be configured to estimate and notify the date based on the data obtained from that (corresponding to the so-called "Ogino method"). Alternatively, an image sensor or the like can be installed on the toilet seat and the amount of menstrual blood can be measured to estimate the start date of menstruation, and the end date of menstruation, etc. can be estimated and notified.

[0140] In the sixth embodiment, the notification unit is configured by the remote control terminal 17, but is not limited to this. The notification unit does not have to be installed in the toilet room 100, and may be, for example, a mobile information terminal (such as a smartphone). In this case, when a person is present in the toilet room 100, a notification is issued by the mobile information terminal.

[0141] In the sixth embodiment, at least one of the menstruation start date, menstruation end date, menstrual cycle, ovulation date, premenstrual syndrome (PMS) start date, PMS end date, and PMS duration of a user seated on the toilet seat 12 is estimated based on the user's body temperature (human body information) measured by the body temperature measurement sensor 14 (human body information measurement unit), but this is not limiting. For example, at least one of the menstruation start date, menstruation end date, menstrual cycle, ovulation date, premenstrual syndrome (PMS) start date, PMS end date, and PMS duration of a user seated on the toilet seat 12 may be estimated based on the user's urine temperature (human body information) measured by a urine temperature measurement sensor (human body information measurement unit).

[0142] Furthermore, the ovulation estimation device 2C of the sixth embodiment may be applied to the ovulation estimation devices 2A and 2B of the fourth and fifth embodiments. Specifically, the ovulation estimation device 2C of the sixth embodiment may be configured in such a way that an add-on toilet seat 3 including the ovulation estimation device 2C is attached to a toilet seat 12C afterward, similar to the configuration shown in Figures 14 and 15 of the fourth embodiment. The ovulation estimation device 2C of the sixth embodiment may be configured in such a way that the ovulation estimation device 2C is made into a single unit so that the unitized ovulation estimation device 2C can be attached directly to the toilet seat 12 of the toilet apparatus 1 afterward, similar to the configuration shown in Figure 16 of the fifth embodiment.

[0143] The present disclosure includes a toilet device, a toilet system, and an ovulation prediction device according to the following aspects.

[0144] <Aspect 1> A toilet device comprising: a toilet seat; a body temperature sensor disposed on the surface of the toilet seat for measuring the body temperature of a person seated on the toilet seat; an estimation unit for estimating menstrual and ovulation information relating to a woman's menstruation and ovulation based on the body temperature of the person measured by the body temperature sensor; and a transmission unit for transmitting the estimated menstrual and ovulation information estimated by the estimation unit to an external device.

[0145] <Aspect 2> The toilet device according to aspect 1, wherein the menstruation and ovulation information is at least one of a menstruation start date, a menstruation end date, a menstrual cycle, an ovulation date, a premenstrual syndrome start date, a premenstrual syndrome end date, and a premenstrual syndrome period.

[0146] <Aspect 3> The toilet device according to Aspect 1 or 2, wherein the toilet seat is formed in a ring shape with an opening on the inside, and the detection portion of the body temperature measurement sensor that detects the body temperature of a person is positioned closer to the opening side in a plan view with respect to a central imaginary line that extends along the center of the width direction of the ring-shaped portion of the toilet seat.

[0147] <Aspect 4> The toilet device according to any one of Aspects 1 to 3, wherein the toilet seat is formed in a ring shape with an opening on the inside, and the detection portion of the body temperature measurement sensor that detects a person's body temperature is arranged so that, in a plan view, the area of ​​the detection portion arranged in the region on the opening side relative to a central imaginary line extending along the center of the width direction of the ring-shaped portion of the toilet seat is equal to or greater than the area of ​​the detection portion arranged in the region opposite the opening.

[0148] <Aspect 5> The toilet apparatus according to any one of Aspects 1 to 4, wherein the toilet seat has a sensor placement portion where a detection portion of the body temperature measurement sensor that detects a person's body temperature is placed, and the sensor placement portion is formed to be raised higher than the surface of the toilet seat surrounding the sensor placement portion.

[0149] Aspect 6: The toilet apparatus according to any one of Aspects 1 to 5, wherein a detection unit for detecting a person's body temperature in the body temperature measurement sensor is disposed in a position that does not overlap a heating unit housed inside the toilet seat in a plan view of the toilet seat.

[0150] <Aspect 7> The toilet apparatus according to any one of Aspects 1 to 6, wherein a detection unit of the body temperature sensor that detects a person's body temperature is built into and disposed inside the toilet seat, the toilet seat is formed from a resin material, and the thickness of the resin material in the area where the detection unit of the body temperature sensor is disposed is thinner than the thickness of the area surrounding the detection unit.

[0151] <Aspect 8> The toilet apparatus according to any one of aspects 1 to 7, wherein the body temperature measurement sensor has a plurality of detection units arranged side by side in a front-to-back direction of a person when the person is seated on the toilet seat.

[0152] <Aspect 9> The toilet device according to Aspect 8, wherein the estimation unit estimates menstrual and ovulation information related to the woman's menstruation and ovulation by using the highest temperature among the body temperature data acquired from the plurality of detection units, or the highest body temperature data within a predetermined temperature range.

[0153] <Aspect 10> The toilet apparatus according to aspect 8, wherein the plurality of detection units are arranged at equal intervals in a front-to-back direction of a person when the person is seated on the toilet seat.

[0154] <Aspect 11> The toilet device according to Aspect 10, further comprising a seating position determination unit that, when a person sits on the toilet seat, determines a front-to-rear position of the person sitting on the toilet seat based on temperature data detected by the plurality of detection units, and the estimation unit estimates the menstrual ovulation information based on the body temperature of the person measured by a predetermined detection unit among the plurality of detection units, based on the determination result of the seating position determination unit.

[0155] Aspect 12: The toilet apparatus of any one of Aspects 1 to 6, wherein the body temperature measuring sensor comprises: a detection unit that is exposed on the surface of the toilet seat and is positioned above the surface of the toilet seat, and that detects a person's body temperature; a wiring unit that runs from the surface of the detection unit facing the toilet seat to the inside of the toilet seat through a through-hole provided on the surface of the toilet seat; and an O-ring that is positioned between the detection unit and a periphery of the through-hole on the surface of the toilet seat.

[0156] Aspect 13: The toilet apparatus according to any one of Aspects 1 to 11, wherein the toilet seat is formed to contain a resin material, and the thermal conductivity of the entire toilet seat, or the thermal conductivity of only the resin portion around the detection portion of the body temperature measurement sensor that detects a person's body temperature, is higher than 0.125 W / mK.

[0157] Aspect 14: The toilet device according to any one of Aspects 1 to 11 and 13, wherein the toilet seat has a first portion around a detection portion of the body temperature measurement sensor that detects the body temperature of a person, and a second portion other than the periphery of the detection portion of the body temperature measurement sensor that detects the body temperature of a person, and wherein the thermal conductivity of the first portion is higher than the thermal conductivity of the second portion.

[0158] <Aspect 15> The toilet apparatus according to any one of aspects 1 to 14, wherein the body temperature measurement sensor constitutes a part of an ovulation prediction device, and the ovulation prediction device is attachable to the toilet seat.

[0159] <Aspect 16> The toilet device according to any one of aspects 1 to 15, further comprising an identification function unit for identifying a user.

[0160] <Aspect 17> A toilet system comprising: a toilet seat; a body temperature sensor disposed on the surface of the toilet seat for measuring the body temperature of a person seated on the toilet seat; an estimation unit for estimating menstrual and ovulation information relating to a woman's menstruation and ovulation based on the body temperature of the person measured by the body temperature sensor; and an alarm unit for notifying the estimated menstrual and ovulation information estimated by the estimation unit.

[0161] <Aspect 18> An ovulation estimation device comprising: a body temperature measurement sensor that measures the body temperature of a person seated in a seating section; an estimation unit that estimates menstrual ovulation information related to a woman's menstruation and ovulation based on the body temperature of the person measured by the body temperature measurement sensor; and a transmission unit that transmits the estimated menstrual ovulation information estimated by the estimation unit to an external device.

[0162] <Aspect 19> The ovulation prediction device according to aspect 18, wherein the ovulation prediction device is attachable to a toilet seat.

[0163] <Aspect 20> A toilet device comprising: a toilet seat; a human body information measurement unit that measures human body information of a person seated on the toilet seat; an estimation unit that estimates menstrual and ovulation information related to menstruation and ovulation of a woman seated on the toilet seat based on the human body information measured by the human body information measurement unit; and a notification control unit that transmits the estimated information of the menstrual and ovulation information estimated by the estimation unit to a notification unit, wherein the notification control unit controls the notification unit to notify the estimated information during a period from when an entry signal indicating a person has entered a toilet room to when a seat removal signal indicating the person has left the toilet seat has elapsed.

[0164] Aspect 21: The toilet device according to aspect 20, wherein the menstrual and ovulation information is at least one of a menstruation start date, a menstruation end date, a menstrual cycle, an ovulation date, a premenstrual syndrome start date, a premenstrual syndrome end date, and a premenstrual syndrome period.

[0165] <Aspect 22> The toilet device according to Aspect 20 or 21, wherein the notification control unit controls the notification unit to notify the inferred information within a predetermined time period after receiving an entry signal indicating a person entering the toilet room and then receiving a seat removal signal indicating the person leaving the toilet seat.

[0166] <Aspect 23> The toilet device according to Aspect 20 or 21, wherein the notification control unit controls the notification unit to notify the inferred information during a period from when an entry signal indicating a person has entered the toilet room to when a seat removal signal indicating the person has removed from the toilet seat is received.

[0167] Aspect 24 The toilet device according to Aspect 23, wherein the notification control unit controls the notification unit to notify the inferred information when an entry signal indicating a person has entered the toilet room and an exit signal indicating the person has left the toilet seat are received.

[0168] <Aspect 25> The toilet device according to Aspect 23 or 24, wherein the notification control unit receives an entry signal indicating that a person has entered the toilet room, and after the human body information measurement unit has finished measuring the human body information, controls the notification unit to notify the estimated information within a predetermined time period after the measurement of the human body information has finished.

[0169] Aspect 26: The toilet device according to any one of Aspects 23 to 25, wherein the notification control unit controls the notification unit to notify the inferred information when an entry signal indicating that a person has entered the toilet room is received and measurement of the human body information is completed by the human body information measurement unit.

[0170] Aspect 27: The toilet device according to any one of Aspects 23 to 26, wherein the notification control unit receives an entry signal indicating that a person has entered the toilet room, and controls the notification unit to notify the inferred information during measurement by the human body information measurement unit from when measurement of the human body information begins to when measurement of the human body information ends.

[0171] <Aspect 28> The toilet device according to any one of Aspects 23 to 27, wherein the notification control unit controls the notification unit to notify the inferred information after receiving an entry signal indicating that a person has entered the toilet room and a seating signal indicating that the person has sat on the toilet seat, and before the human body information measurement unit measures the human body information.

[0172] Aspect 29: The toilet device according to Aspect 20 or 21, wherein the notification control unit controls the notification unit to notify the inferred information during a period from when an entry signal indicating a person has entered the toilet room to when a seating signal indicating the person has sat on the toilet seat is received.

[0173] Aspect 30: The toilet device according to Aspect 29, wherein the notification control unit controls the notification unit to notify the inferred information when an entry signal indicating a person has entered the toilet room and a seating signal indicating a person has sat on the toilet seat are received.

[0174] <Aspect 31> The toilet device according to Aspect 29 or 30, wherein the notification control unit controls the notification unit to notify the inferred information between the time when an entry signal indicating a person entering the toilet room is received and the time when a predetermined time has elapsed.

[0175] <Aspect 32> The toilet device according to aspect 20, wherein the notification control unit controls the notification unit to immediately notify the inferred information upon receiving an entry signal indicating that a person has entered the toilet room.

[0176] Aspect 33: The toilet device according to any one of Aspects 20 to 32, wherein the notification control unit controls the notification unit not to notify the estimated information when the estimated date of menstruation, ovulation, or premenstrual syndrome onset is one week or more from the day the person enters the toilet room.

[0177] Aspect 34 The toilet device according to any one of Aspects 20 to 33, further comprising a schedule setting unit capable of setting a schedule for the notification unit to notify the estimated information, wherein the notification control unit controls the notification unit to notify the estimated information based on the schedule set by the schedule setting unit.

[0178] Aspect 35: The toilet device according to any one of Aspects 20 to 34, wherein the notification control unit controls the notification unit to provide a notification that the human body information measurement unit is currently measuring the human body information of the person seated on the toilet seat, from the time a seating signal indicating a person is seated on the toilet seat is received until measurement of the human body information of the person seated on the toilet seat is started and completed by the human body information measurement unit.

[0179] Aspect 36 The toilet device according to any one of Aspects 20 to 35, further comprising a sound information providing unit that controls sound information of at least one of music and voice to be played in the toilet room from the time a seating signal indicating a person is seated on the toilet seat is received until measurement of the human body information of the person seated on the toilet seat is started and completed by the human body information measuring unit.

[0180] Aspect 37: The toilet device according to any one of Aspects 20 to 36, further comprising a human body action device control unit that controls a human body action device to operate, applying a stimulus of heat, electricity, or vibration to the human body, from the time a seating signal indicating a person is seated on the toilet seat is received until the measurement of the human body information of the person seated on the toilet seat is started and completed by the human body information measurement unit.

[0181] <Aspect 38> The toilet apparatus according to aspect 20, wherein the human body information measurement unit constitutes a part of an ovulation prediction device, and the ovulation prediction device is attachable to the toilet seat.

[0182] Aspect 39: The toilet device according to any one of Aspects 20 to 37, further comprising an identification function section for identifying a user.

[0183] <Aspect 40> A toilet system comprising: a toilet seat; a human body information measuring unit that measures human body information of a person seated on the toilet seat; an estimation unit that estimates menstrual ovulation information related to menstruation and ovulation of a woman seated on the toilet seat based on the human body information measured by the human body information measuring unit; a notification control unit that transmits the estimated information of the menstrual ovulation information estimated by the estimation unit; and a notification unit that receives the estimated information of the menstrual ovulation information transmitted by the notification control unit and notifies a person of the estimated information, wherein the notification control unit controls the notification unit to issue an alert of the estimated information during a period from when an entry signal indicating a person has entered a toilet room to when a seat removal signal indicating the person has left the toilet seat has elapsed.

[0184] <Aspect 41> An ovulation estimation device comprising: a human body information measurement unit that measures human body information of a person seated on a seat; a prediction unit that predicts menstrual and ovulation information related to a woman's menstruation and ovulation based on the human body information measured by the human body information measurement unit; and a notification control unit that transmits predicted information of the menstrual and ovulation information predicted by the prediction unit to a notification unit, wherein the notification control unit controls the notification unit to notify the predicted information during a period from when an entry signal indicating a person has entered a toilet room to when a seat removal signal indicating the person has removed from the toilet seat has elapsed.

[0185] <Aspect 42> The ovulation prediction device according to Aspect 41, wherein the ovulation prediction device is attachable to a toilet seat.

[0186] 1 Toilet device, 2 Ovulation estimation device, 10 Toilet system, 12 Toilet seat, 12a Through hole, 12b O-ring, 14, 14A, 14B Body temperature measurement sensor (human body information measurement unit), 17 Remote control terminal (receiving unit, alarm unit), 18 Control unit, 100 Toilet room, 121 Opening, 122 Sensor arrangement part, 141, 142, 143 Detection unit, 143a Wiring unit, 145 Heating wire (heating unit), 181 Identification function unit, 182 Estimation unit, 183 Notification control unit (transmitting unit), 184 Seating position determination unit, 185 Sound information provision control unit, 186 Human body action device control unit, 187 Schedule setting unit

Claims

1. A toilet device comprising: a toilet seat; a body temperature measurement sensor disposed on the surface of the toilet seat for measuring the body temperature of a person seated on the toilet seat; an estimation unit for estimating menstrual and ovulation information relating to a woman's menstruation and ovulation based on the person's body temperature measured by the body temperature measurement sensor; and a transmission unit for transmitting the estimated menstrual and ovulation information estimated by the estimation unit to an external device.

2. The toilet device according to claim 1, wherein the menstrual and ovulation information is at least one of the following: menstruation start date, menstruation end date, menstrual cycle, ovulation date, premenstrual syndrome start date, premenstrual syndrome end date, and premenstrual syndrome period.

3. The toilet device according to claim 1, wherein the toilet seat is formed in a ring shape with an opening on the inside, and the detection portion of the body temperature measurement sensor that detects a person's body temperature is positioned closer to the opening side in a plan view with respect to a central imaginary line that extends along the center of the width of the ring-shaped portion of the toilet seat.

4. The toilet device of claim 1, wherein the toilet seat is formed in a ring shape with an opening on the inside, and the detection portion of the body temperature measurement sensor that detects a person's body temperature is positioned so that, in a plan view, the area of ​​the detection portion located in the region on the opening side relative to a central imaginary line extending along the center of the width of the ring-shaped portion of the toilet seat is equal to or greater than the area of ​​the detection portion located in the region opposite the opening.

5. A toilet device as described in claim 1, wherein the toilet seat has a sensor placement portion in which a detection portion of the body temperature measurement sensor that detects a person's body temperature is placed, and the sensor placement portion is formed to be raised higher than the surface of the toilet seat surrounding the sensor placement portion.

6. A toilet device as described in claim 1, wherein the detection section of the body temperature measurement sensor that detects a person's body temperature is positioned in a position that does not overlap with the heating section housed inside the toilet seat when viewed in a plan view of the toilet seat.

7. A toilet device as described in claim 1, wherein the detection part of the body temperature measurement sensor that detects a person's body temperature is built into and positioned inside the toilet seat, the toilet seat is formed from a resin material, and the thickness of the resin material in the part where the detection part of the body temperature measurement sensor is positioned is formed thinner than the thickness of the part surrounding the detection part.

8. The toilet device according to claim 1, wherein the body temperature measurement sensor has a plurality of detection units arranged in a line in the front-to-back direction of a person when the person is seated on the toilet seat.

9. The toilet device according to claim 8, wherein the estimation unit uses the highest temperature among the body temperature data obtained from the plurality of detection units, or the highest body temperature data within a predetermined temperature range, to estimate menstrual and ovulation information relating to a woman's menstruation and ovulation.

10. The toilet device according to claim 8, wherein the plurality of detection units are arranged at equal intervals in the front-to-back direction of a person when the person is seated on the toilet seat.

11. A toilet device as described in claim 10, further comprising a seating position determination unit that, when a person sits on the toilet seat, determines the front-to-back position of the person sitting on the toilet seat based on temperature data detected by the plurality of detection units, and the estimation unit estimates the menstrual ovulation information based on the body temperature of the person measured by a predetermined detection unit among the plurality of detection units, based on the determination result of the seating position determination unit.

12. The toilet device described in claim 1, wherein the body temperature measurement sensor comprises a detection unit that is exposed to the surface of the toilet seat and is positioned above the surface of the toilet seat, and detects a person's body temperature; a wiring unit that runs from the toilet seat side of the detection unit to the inside of the toilet seat through a through hole provided on the surface of the toilet seat; and an O-ring that is positioned between the detection unit and the surrounding area of ​​the through hole on the surface of the toilet seat.

13. The toilet device according to claim 1, wherein the toilet seat is formed containing a resin material, and the thermal conductivity of the entire toilet seat, or the thermal conductivity of only the resin portion around the detection portion of the body temperature measurement sensor that detects a person's body temperature, is higher than 0.125 W / mK.

14. The toilet device of claim 1, wherein the toilet seat has a first portion around the detection portion of the body temperature measurement sensor that detects the body temperature of a person, and a second portion other than the periphery of the detection portion of the body temperature measurement sensor that detects the body temperature of a person, and the thermal conductivity of the first portion is higher than the thermal conductivity of the second portion.

15. The toilet apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the body temperature measurement sensor forms part of an ovulation prediction device, and the ovulation prediction device is attachable to the toilet seat.

16. A toilet device according to any one of claims 1 to 15, comprising an identification feature for identifying a user.

17. A toilet system comprising: a toilet seat; a body temperature measurement sensor arranged on the surface of the toilet seat for measuring the body temperature of a person sitting on the toilet seat; an estimation unit for estimating menstrual and ovulation information relating to a woman's menstruation and ovulation based on the person's body temperature measured by the body temperature measurement sensor; and an alarm unit for alarming the estimated menstrual and ovulation information estimated by the estimation unit.

18. An ovulation prediction device comprising: a body temperature measurement sensor that measures the body temperature of a person seated in a seating area; an estimation unit that estimates menstrual and ovulation information related to a woman's menstruation and ovulation based on the person's body temperature measured by the body temperature measurement sensor; and a transmission unit that transmits the estimated menstrual and ovulation information estimated by the estimation unit to an external device.

19. The ovulation predictor of claim 18, wherein the ovulation predictor is attachable to a toilet seat.

20. A toilet device comprising: a toilet seat; a human body information measurement unit that measures human body information of a person sitting on the toilet seat; an estimation unit that estimates menstrual and ovulation information related to menstruation and ovulation of a woman sitting on the toilet seat based on the human body information measured by the human body information measurement unit; and an alarm control unit that transmits the estimated menstrual and ovulation information estimated by the estimation unit to an alarm unit, wherein the alarm control unit controls the alarm unit to notify the estimated information between the time when an entry signal indicating a person has entered the toilet room and the time when a seat removal signal indicating the person has left the toilet seat has elapsed, and a predetermined time has elapsed since the time when the entry signal indicating a person has entered the toilet room and the time when a seat removal signal indicating the person has left the toilet seat.

21. The toilet device according to claim 20, wherein the menstrual and ovulation information is at least one of the menstruation start date, menstruation end date, menstrual cycle, ovulation date, premenstrual syndrome start date, premenstrual syndrome end date, and premenstrual syndrome period.

22. A toilet device as described in claim 20, wherein the notification control unit controls the notification unit to notify the estimated information within a predetermined time period after receiving an entry signal indicating a person has entered the toilet room and then a seat removal signal indicating a person has removed themselves from the toilet seat.

23. A toilet device as described in claim 20, wherein the notification control unit controls the notification unit to notify the inferred information between the time when an entry signal indicating a person has entered the toilet room is received and the time when a seat removal signal indicating the person has left the toilet seat is received.

24. A toilet device as described in claim 23, wherein the notification control unit controls the notification unit to notify the inferred information when it receives an entry signal indicating that a person has entered the toilet room and a seat removal signal indicating that a person has removed themselves from the toilet seat.

25. A toilet device as described in claim 23, wherein the notification control unit receives an entry signal indicating that a person has entered the toilet room, and controls the notification unit to notify the estimated information within a predetermined time period after the measurement of the human body information has been completed by the human body information measurement unit.

26. A toilet device as described in claim 23, wherein the notification control unit controls the notification unit to notify the estimated information when it receives an entry signal indicating that a person has entered the toilet room and when the human body information measurement unit has finished measuring the human body information.

27. A toilet device as described in claim 23, wherein the notification control unit receives an entry signal indicating that a person has entered the toilet room, and controls the notification unit to notify the estimated information during measurement by the human body information measurement unit from the start to the end of measurement of the human body information.

28. A toilet device as described in claim 23, wherein the notification control unit controls the notification unit to notify the estimated information after receiving an entry signal indicating that a person has entered the toilet room and a seating signal indicating that a person has sat on the toilet seat, but before the human body information measurement unit measures the human body information.

29. A toilet device as described in claim 20, wherein the notification control unit controls the notification unit to notify the estimated information between the time when an entry signal indicating a person has entered the toilet room is received and the time when a seating signal indicating a person has sat on the toilet seat is received.

30. A toilet device as described in claim 29, wherein the notification control unit controls the notification unit to notify the inferred information when it receives an entry signal indicating that a person has entered the toilet room and a seated signal indicating that a person has sat on the toilet seat.

31. A toilet device as described in claim 29, wherein the notification control unit controls the notification unit to notify the estimated information within a predetermined time period after receiving an entry signal indicating that a person has entered the toilet room.

32. The toilet device according to claim 20, wherein the notification control unit controls the notification unit to notify the inferred information immediately upon receiving an entry signal indicating that a person has entered the toilet room.

33. A toilet device as described in claim 20, wherein the notification control unit controls the notification unit so as not to notify the predicted information if the predicted date of menstruation, ovulation, or premenstrual syndrome onset is more than one week from the day the person enters the toilet room.

34. A toilet device as described in claim 20, further comprising a schedule setting unit capable of setting a schedule for the notification unit to notify the estimated information, and wherein the notification control unit controls the notification unit to notify the estimated information based on the schedule set by the schedule setting unit.

35. A toilet device as described in claim 20, wherein the notification control unit controls the notification unit to notify that the human body information measuring unit is measuring the human body information of the person sitting on the toilet seat from the time a seating signal indicating a person sitting on the toilet seat is received until the human body information measuring unit starts and completes measuring the human body information of the person sitting on the toilet seat.

36. A toilet device as described in claim 20, further comprising a sound information providing unit that controls the flow of at least one type of sound information, including music and voice, into the toilet room from the time a seating signal indicating that a person is seated on the toilet seat is received until the time the human body information measuring unit starts and completes measuring the human body information of the person seated on the toilet seat.

37. A toilet device as described in claim 20, further comprising a human body action device control unit that controls the operation of a human body action device that applies a stimulus of heat, electricity, or vibration to the human body from the time a seating signal indicating a person is seated on the toilet seat is received until the measurement of the human body information of the person seated on the toilet seat is started and completed by the human body information measurement unit.

38. The toilet device according to claim 20, wherein the human body information measuring unit constitutes a part of an ovulation prediction device, and the ovulation prediction device is attachable to the toilet seat.

39. A toilet apparatus according to any one of claims 20 to 38, comprising an identification feature for identifying a user.

40. A toilet system comprising: a toilet seat; a human body information measurement unit that measures human body information of a person sitting on the toilet seat; an estimation unit that estimates menstrual and ovulation information related to menstruation and ovulation of a woman sitting on the toilet seat based on the human body information measured by the human body information measurement unit; a notification control unit that transmits the estimated menstrual and ovulation information estimated by the estimation unit; and a notification unit that receives the estimated menstrual and ovulation information transmitted by the notification control unit and notifies a person of the estimated information, wherein the notification control unit controls the notification unit to notify the estimated information between the time when an entry signal indicating a person has entered the toilet room and the time when a seat removal signal indicating the person has left the toilet seat has elapsed, and the time when a predetermined time has elapsed.

41. An ovulation prediction device comprising: a human body information measurement unit that measures human body information of a person seated in a seat; an estimation unit that estimates menstrual and ovulation information related to a woman's menstruation and ovulation based on the human body information measured by the human body information measurement unit; and an alarm control unit that transmits the estimated menstrual and ovulation information estimated by the estimation unit to an alarm unit, wherein the alarm control unit controls the alarm unit to notify the estimated information between the time when an entry signal indicating a person has entered a toilet room and the time when a seat exit signal indicating the person has left the seat has passed.

42. The ovulation predictor of claim 41, wherein the ovulation predictor is attachable to a toilet seat.

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