Change promotion system, change promotion method, control program, and storage medium storing control program

Abstract

[Problem] To provide a change promotion system for ascertaining oral care activity of a subject, and for promoting behavior change to the subject so as to spontaneously improve living activity. [Solution] The present invention is a change promotion system 1 that ascertains oral care activity of a subject T and infers living activity of the subject T, the change promotion system comprising: an information acquisition unit 410 that acquires oral care information relating to the oral care activity; an information processing unit 41 that infers the living activity of the subject T on the basis of the oral care information and evaluates the living activity for each situation classification; an information accumulation unit 43 that accumulates the oral care information, inference information related to the living activity inferred by the information processing unit 41, and evaluation information relating to the evaluation of the living activity obtained by the information processing unit 41; and an information output unit 416 that outputs, to a watcher M who watches the subject T, the evaluation information and change promotion information for promoting behavior change of the living activity of the subject T in accordance with the evaluation information.

Description

Transformation promotion system, transformation promotion method, control program, and storage medium storing the control program

[0001] The present invention relates to a system for encouraging a subject to change his / her daily activities.

[0002] Currently, there are systems that detect the movements and vital signs of a subject and determine the subject's condition. For example, Patent Literature 1 describes a system that uses sensors in a house to detect the movements of the resident (subject) and the operating status of various facilities in the house, and compares a normal activity manual created based on accumulated detection information with a current activity pattern generated based on detection information detected over a recent fixed period to determine the subject's condition.

[0003] Furthermore, Patent Document 2 describes a system that detects the movements and conditions of a person (subject) living in a specified living space (e.g., a residence) using various sensors such as wearable sensors (e.g., vital signs sensors, acceleration sensors, vibration sensors) attached to the person, and determines whether there is an abnormality in the subject based on the output of these sensors.

[0004] Furthermore, Patent Document 3 proposes calculating features from sound information associated with actual behavior acquired by a microphone, evaluating the behavior of a subject, and outputting the evaluation results.

[0005] JP 2006-065886 A JP 2002-175581 A JP 2017-010214 A

[0006] However, systems such as those described in Patent Documents 1 and 3 require the installation of the above-mentioned sensors and various equipment in various locations in the residence, and as a result detect not only the target person's cohabitants and visitors, but also other people living with the target person, making it difficult to detect the daily activities of only the target person.

[0007] Furthermore, in a system such as that described in Patent Document 2, the subject must wear the wearable sensor at all times in order to accurately determine the subject's condition, but subjects are likely to forget to wear the wearable sensor if they are not used to wearing it. For this reason, the system described in Patent Document 2 cannot continuously detect the subject's movements and condition, and cannot accurately determine whether there is anything abnormal in the subject.

[0008] Furthermore, many of the conventional systems that encourage behavioral changes in the daily activities of subjects output advice to improve their daily activities to the subjects based on the results of detecting the subjects' daily activities. However, even if such advice is output to the subjects, it does not necessarily mean that the subjects will improve their daily activities voluntarily.

[0009] Therefore, in consideration of the above-mentioned situation, the present invention provides a system that estimates the daily activities of a subject based on the oral care activities and encourages behavioral changes from a monitor who watches over the subject based on the daily activities, and also provides a system that allows the monitor to know about behavioral changes that have occurred in the subject by understanding the oral care activities that the subject performs every day.

[0010] That is, the present invention encompasses the following inventions: (1) A change promotion system that estimates the daily activities of a subject by grasping the oral care activities of the subject, the change promotion system comprising: an information acquisition unit that acquires oral care information related to the oral care activities, an information processing unit that estimates the daily activities of the subject based on the oral care information acquired by the information acquisition unit and evaluates the daily activities for each lifestyle category, an information storage unit that accumulates the oral care information acquired by the information acquisition unit, estimated information related to the daily activities estimated by the information processing unit, and evaluation information related to the evaluation of the daily activities obtained by the information processing unit, and an information output unit that outputs the evaluation information and change promotion information that encourages behavioral change in the daily activities of the subject in accordance with the evaluation information to a watcher watching the subject.

[0011] (2) The transformation promotion system described in (1), wherein the information processing unit includes an activity analysis unit that analyzes activity content, including oral care content, among the behavior of the subject in the oral care activity based on the oral care information stored in the information storage unit; an activity estimation unit that estimates the subject's daily activities based on the oral care information acquired by the information acquisition unit and the oral care content analyzed by the activity analysis unit; and an activity evaluation unit that evaluates the daily activities estimated by the activity estimation unit for each situation classification related to lifestyle habits.

[0012] (3) The transformation promotion system described in (1) or (2), wherein the information processing unit includes a pattern analysis unit that analyzes the subject's unique activity pattern in the oral care activity based on the oral care information stored in the information storage unit, an activity estimation unit that estimates the subject's daily activities based on the oral care information acquired by the information acquisition unit and the activity pattern analyzed by the pattern analysis unit, and an activity evaluation unit that evaluates the daily activities estimated by the activity estimation unit for each situation classification related to lifestyle habits.

[0013] (4) The transformation facilitation system according to (3), wherein the information output unit includes an information generation unit that generates the transformation facilitation information based on the evaluation information evaluated for each of the situation classifications.

[0014] (5) The transformation promotion system according to (4), wherein the situation classification includes at least one of a sleep situation, a dietary situation, a mental situation, and an oral care situation.

[0015] (6) The transformation promotion system according to (3), wherein the oral care information includes motion information detected by a motion detection unit that detects a cleaning motion performed by an oral cleaning tool that cleans the oral cavity.

[0016] (7) The transformation promotion system according to (6), wherein the transformation promotion information includes oral care-related information about oral care tools and oral care agents used to promote behavioral change in the oral care activity.

[0017] (8) The transformation promotion system described in (7), wherein the information acquisition unit further includes a current situation grasping means for grasping the current state of the subject's living activities, the activity estimation unit estimates the subject's living activities including the current situation information grasped by the current situation grasping means, and the information accumulation unit accumulates information regarding the current state of the subject's living activities grasped by the current situation grasping means.

[0018] (9) The transformation promotion system described in (1) further includes a discrimination processing unit that discriminates the behavioral changes that have occurred in the subject based on the oral care information acquired by the information acquisition unit, and the information storage unit further stores the discrimination information discriminated by the discrimination processing unit.

[0019] (10) The transformation promotion system described in (9), wherein the discrimination processing unit further includes an activity analysis unit that analyzes the activity content of the subject in the oral care activity based on the information stored in the information storage unit, a change extraction unit that compares the most recent information acquired by the information acquisition unit with the activity content analyzed by the activity analysis unit to extract changes in the subject in the oral care activity, and a change discrimination unit that discriminates the behavioral change based on the change information extracted by the change extraction unit.

[0020] (11) The transformation promotion system described in (9) or (10), wherein the discrimination processing unit includes a pattern analysis unit that analyzes the subject's unique behavioral pattern in the oral care activity based on the information stored in the information storage unit, a change extraction unit that compares the most recent information acquired by the information acquisition unit with the behavioral pattern analyzed by the pattern analysis unit to extract changes in the subject in the oral care activity, and a change discrimination unit that discriminates the behavioral change based on the change information extracted by the change extraction unit.

[0021] (12) The change promotion system according to (11), wherein the change determination unit determines, as the behavioral change, an abnormality in the health condition of the subject or a behavioral change in daily activities.

[0022] (13) The transformation promotion system described in (12) further includes a current situation grasping means for grasping the current state of the subject's daily activities, wherein the change determination unit determines the behavioral change based on the change information extracted by the change extraction unit and the current state of the subject's daily activities grasped by the current situation grasping means, and the information storage unit accumulates the determination information determined by the change determination unit of the discrimination processing unit and the current situation information regarding the current state of the subject's daily activities grasped by the current situation grasping means.

[0023] (14) The transformation promotion system according to (11), wherein the information output unit further outputs the discrimination information discriminated by the discrimination processing unit.

[0024] (15) A method for promoting change that grasps the oral care activities of a subject and estimates the subject's daily living activities, the method comprising: acquiring oral care information regarding the oral care activities of the subject; estimating the subject's daily living activities based on the oral care information; evaluating the daily living activities for each lifestyle category; storing the oral care information, estimated information regarding the subject's daily living activities, and evaluation information regarding the daily living activities in an information storage unit; and outputting the evaluation information and change promotion information that encourages the subject to make behavioral changes in their daily living activities according to the evaluation information to a watcher watching over the subject.

[0025] (16) A method for promoting transformation described in (15), which analyzes the activity content including oral care among the behavior of the subject in the oral care activity based on the oral care information stored in the information storage unit, estimates the subject's daily activities based on the oral care information and analytical information related to the oral care content, and evaluates the daily activities for each situation classification related to lifestyle habits.

[0026] (17) A method for promoting transformation described in (15) or (16), which analyzes the subject's unique activity pattern in the oral care activity based on the oral care information stored in the information storage unit, estimates the subject's daily activities based on the oral care information and the activity pattern, and evaluates the daily activities for each situation classification related to lifestyle habits.

[0027] (18) A control program for causing a computer to function as the transformation promotion system according to claim 1, the control program causing a computer to function as an information acquisition unit, an information processing unit, an information storage unit, and an information output unit.

[0028] (19) A storage medium for storing a control program for causing a computer to function as the transformation promotion system described in claim 1, the storage medium storing a control program for causing a computer to function as an information acquisition unit, an information processing unit, an information storage unit, and an information output unit.

[0029] Oral care activities are hygiene management practices performed by individuals as part of their daily habits. The products used in these oral care activities are also typically used by individuals alone. Therefore, even if the subject has cohabitants or visitors in their home, the present invention can identify behavioral changes occurring only in the subject. The present invention does not directly output detected changes in oral care activities to the observer, but rather identifies changes in the subject's daily activities from changes in oral care activities, allowing the observer to easily grasp the subject's behavioral changes. Furthermore, the present invention analyzes the subject's unique behavioral patterns in oral care activities from the behavioral changes accumulated in the information storage unit, thereby making the subject's unique behavioral changes clear and reducing the likelihood of overlooking changes occurring in the subject.

[0030] Furthermore, by continuously understanding the oral care activities performed by a subject every day, the present invention can accurately estimate the subject's daily activities, including the subject's life cycle, such as the time of day when they eat and sleep, and their psychological state, such as stress and pressure, and allow the observer to appropriately encourage behavioral change. Furthermore, the present invention can be easily used without significantly changing the subject's current lifestyle, making it easy to promote behavioral change in a sustainable manner.

[0031] Fig. 3 is a block diagram showing a transformation promotion system according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 4 is a flowchart showing the flow of the transformation promotion system shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a block diagram showing a change detection system according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 6 is a flowchart showing the flow of the change detection system shown in Fig. 3.

[0032] Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0033] As shown in FIG. 1 , a transformation promotion system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises a detection terminal 2, a subject terminal 3, a processing server 4, and a watcher terminal 5. The detection terminal 2 in this embodiment is a terminal device capable of acquiring and transmitting oral care information related to oral care activities, and is preferably a smart toothbrush that detects cleaning actions such as tooth brushing. Other examples of the detection terminal 2 include a detection device attached to a non-powered regular toothbrush that detects cleaning actions, or a smart mirror that analyzes images captured using an imaging function. In the following description, the detection terminal 2 is described as a smart toothbrush.

[0034] The detection terminal 2 includes a brush unit 20, a power unit 21, a detection unit 22, a processing unit 23, a communication unit 24, and a power supply unit 25. The brush unit 20 has a plurality of bristle bundles implanted therein. The power unit 21 is preferably a well-known power source such as a brushless DC motor or a brushed DC motor that vibrates or rotates the brush unit 20, and may be any power source that can move the brush unit 20 to clean the teeth of the subject.

[0035] The detection unit 22 includes a motion detection unit 220 that detects the cleaning action of the brush unit 20 that cleans the teeth. The detection unit 22 includes at least one of an acceleration sensor, a motion sensor, a magnetic sensor, a pressure sensor, and a weight sensor as the motion detection unit 220, and these sensors detect the movement and posture of the brush unit 20, as well as the pressure applied to the brush unit 20, as actions when cleaning the teeth. The motion information detected by the motion detection unit 220 is acquired as oral care information by an information acquisition unit 410 (described later). Furthermore, if the detection unit 22 in the other detection terminal 2 is a smart mirror that captures images and videos, it can not only detect actions such as brushing teeth with a brush, but also acquire as oral care information other cleaning tools such as interdental brushes other than toothbrushes, and oral care products such as toothpaste, mouthwash, and mouthwash, as well as changes in the amount of oral care agents used. One application of the smart mirror is that it can detect the performance of Patakara training as an oral care activity from images or videos, allowing the watcher M to understand the status of the subject T's Patakara training even if he or she is not present.

[0036] The processing unit 23 is an information processing device including a memory device such as a RAM or a ROM, a CPU, etc., and the memory device stores programs and processing data that define the operating procedures of various information processes in the processing unit 23. The processing unit 23 collects the oral care information detected and acquired by the detection unit 22, and processes the detected information into a form that can be transmitted.

[0037] The communication unit 24 is a communication device that uses wireless communication technology such as Bluetooth (registered trademark) or Wi-Fi (registered trademark), and wirelessly transmits the detection information processed by the processing unit 23 to the subject terminal 3. The power supply unit 25 supplies power to the power unit 21, the detection unit 22, the processing unit 23, and the communication unit 24, and is implemented as a well-known rechargeable battery such as a nickel-metal hydride battery, a lithium polymer battery, or a lithium-ion battery. The power supply unit 25 may be a large-capacitance capacitor (supercapacitor) or a primary battery such as an alkaline battery or a manganese battery, as long as it can supply power to the detection terminal 2. It is preferable that the power supply unit 25 of the detection terminal 2 is charged by renewable energy such as a solar cell.

[0038] The subject terminal 3 is preferably a terminal device, such as a smartphone or tablet terminal owned by the subject T, that can receive detection information wirelessly transmitted by the communication unit 24 of the detection terminal 2 and transmit it to the processing server 4. In the following description, the subject terminal 3 is described as a smartphone. The subject terminal 3 includes an information transfer unit 30 that transmits the detection information to the processing server 4 via a network N including the Internet. When the information transfer unit 30 receives the detection information transmitted from the communication unit 24 of the detection terminal 2, it transmits the detection information to the processing server 4 using an application. The information transfer unit 30 may transmit the detection information transmitted from the detection terminal 2 to the processing server 4 every time the information is received, or may transmit the detection information transmitted from the detection terminal 2 after the amount of detection information reaches a predetermined threshold.

[0039] The processing server 4 includes a server communication unit 40, a server processing unit 41, and a server storage unit 43. The server communication unit 40 is a communication device using wireless communication technology capable of connecting to a network N, such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark) or a mobile network. The server communication unit 40 receives detection information transmitted from the subject terminal 3 and transmits the evaluation information and change promotion information processed by the server processing unit 41 to the watcher terminal 5. The server processing unit 41 is an information processing device including a CPU, etc. The server processing unit 41 acquires oral care information related to oral care activities via the server communication unit 40 and estimates the subject T's daily activities based on the oral care information. The server processing unit 41 generates evaluation information for each lifestyle category based on the estimated information of the subject T's daily activities, and change promotion information that encourages behavioral change based on the evaluation information. The evaluation information and change promotion information are preferably output to the watcher terminal 5 by the server communication unit 40, but may also be output to the subject terminal 3.

[0040] The server storage unit 43 is a storage device including RAM, ROM, etc. The server storage unit 43 stores programs and processing data that define the operating procedures of various information processes in the server processing unit 41. The server storage unit 43 functions as an information storage unit that stores oral care information, evaluation information, and transformation promotion information.

[0041] The server processing unit 41 executes a program stored in the server storage unit 43, thereby causing the information acquisition unit 410, activity analysis unit 411, pattern analysis unit 412, activity estimation unit 413, activity evaluation unit 414, information generation unit 415, and information output unit 416 to function. The information acquisition unit 410 acquires detection information from the detection terminal 2 as oral care information via the server communication unit 40 and stores the information in the server storage unit 43. The activity analysis unit 411 analyzes the oral care content of the oral care activity of the subject T based on the oral care information acquired by the information acquisition unit 410 and the oral care information stored in the server storage unit 43, such as the dates and times of the start and end of the oral care activity, the duration of the oral care activity from the start to the end, and the movement of the detection terminal 2 during the duration of the oral care activity. The pattern analysis unit 412 analyzes the subject T's unique behavioral pattern based on the lifestyle content analyzed by the activity analysis unit 411.

[0042] The activity estimation unit 413 estimates the daily activities of the subject T based on the oral care details analyzed by the activity analysis unit 411 and the subject T's unique behavioral pattern analyzed by the pattern analysis unit 412. The activity evaluation unit 414 evaluates the estimated information on the daily activities estimated by the activity estimation unit 413 for each situation classification related to lifestyle habits. The situation classification includes at least one of sleep situation, dietary situation, mental situation, and oral care situation. For example, the sleep situation is evaluated by estimating whether the subject goes to bed early or late based on the time the subject brushed their teeth before going to bed. For example, the dietary situation is evaluated by assessing whether the subject snacks late at night if the subject brushed their teeth late at night. For example, the mental situation is evaluated by determining that excessive tooth brushing indicates high mental stress. For example, the oral care situation is evaluated by assessing whether the subject spends an extremely short time or a long time brushing their teeth, indicating insufficient oral care or excessive attention to detail. If the time is extremely short, it is evaluated that the oral care is not being performed sufficiently, and conversely, if it is long, it is evaluated that there is a possibility that excessive attention is being paid to the details. Other examples of the evaluation of the oral care status include evaluating that the oral care is insufficient because the tooth brushing procedure or the trajectory of the brush unit 20 is irregular or not all of the teeth in the dentition are brushed properly, or evaluating that the pressure applied to the brush unit 20 is strong and the patient is impatient to finish quickly.

[0043] Furthermore, in other embodiments, the activity evaluation unit 414 can also determine a change that has occurred in the subject T from the estimated information of the activity estimation unit 413. The activity evaluation unit 414, for example, determines a change that has occurred in the subject T by comparing the latest detection information at the present time with past detection information each time, or by comparing the average of the latest detection information detected over a certain period with the average of past detection information detected over a similar period. Furthermore, the activity evaluation unit 414 may determine a change in which the current detection information deviates from the average of the past detection information by more than a certain amount, or may set a predetermined threshold for determining that a change has occurred and determine whether the subject T's daily activity has improved or remains unchanged based on whether the current detection information exceeds or falls below the threshold.

[0044] In other embodiments, the transformation promotion system 1 may award rewards such as points or coupons to either the watcher M or the subject T if the subject T's behavioral change in daily activities receives a favorable evaluation from the activity evaluation unit 414, thereby increasing the subject T's motivation to change his or her behavior in daily activities.

[0045] The information generation unit 415 generates change promotion information that promotes behavioral change in daily activities of the subject T based on the evaluation information evaluated for each situation classification. The information output unit 416 outputs the evaluation information evaluated by the activity evaluation unit 414 and the change promotion information generated by the information generation unit 415 to the watcher terminal 5 via the server communication unit 40.

[0046] The activity analysis unit 411, pattern analysis unit 412, activity estimation unit 413, activity evaluation unit 414, and information generation unit 415, which function in the server processing unit 41, can be implemented by machine learning. For example, a time series prediction model such as LSTM or ARIMA is used as the machine learning algorithm, and the time until the subject T takes the next action in daily activities is predicted based on the oral care information, evaluation information, and transformation promotion information stored in the server storage unit 43. Other machine learning algorithms that are used for data mining include support vector machines (SVMs), neural networks, decision trees, and random forests.

[0047] The watcher terminal 5 further includes an information display unit 51 that displays, for example, comments and images on the screen of the terminal device to encourage behavioral change in daily activities based on the evaluation information and the change promotion information. When the watcher terminal 5 acquires the evaluation information and the change promotion information, the information display unit 51 displays comments and images encouraging behavioral change on the screen of the subject terminal 5. In this way, the change promotion system 1 according to the present invention can encourage the watcher M to change the behavior of the subject T so that the subject T's daily activities will be voluntarily improved to a healthier and more regular lifestyle.

[0048] The evaluation information and the change promotion information may be acquired by the subject terminal 3. The subject terminal 3 also includes an information display unit 31 that displays comments and images on the screen of the terminal device based on the evaluation information and the change promotion information. The information display unit 31 displays comments and images encouraging behavioral change based on the evaluation information and the change promotion information on the screen of the subject terminal 3. This allows the subject T to voluntarily change his or her daily activities to a healthier and more regular lifestyle.

[0049] The flow of the transformation promotion system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figure 2. Detection information related to oral care activities is detected (step S1). The detection terminal 2 is activated and vibrates or rotates the brush unit 20. When teeth brushing, which is one of oral care activities, is performed, the detection unit 22 detects detection information such as the pressure (brush pressure) applied to the brush unit 20 and the trajectory of the brush unit 20. Note that while it is preferable for the detection unit 22 to continuously detect the detection information at any time, it may also be detected intermittently at regular intervals or for each action.

[0050] The oral care information is transmitted to the processing server 4 (step S2). The processing unit 23 collects the detection information and processes it into oral care information in a transmittable form. The communication unit 24 wirelessly transmits the oral care information processed by the processing unit 23 to the subject terminal 3. Once received by the subject terminal 3, the information transfer unit 30 transmits the oral care information to the processing server 4 via the network N. Note that the detection terminal 2 transmits the oral care information to the processing server 4 via the subject terminal 3, but this is not limited to this as long as other terminal devices or means can be used as gateways. Furthermore, the communication unit 24 of the detection terminal 2 may transmit the detection information to the processing server 4 using communication technology such as cellular communication, such as 4G or 5G.

[0051] The processing server 4 analyzes the oral care information (step S3). The server communication unit 40 receives the detection information. The server processing unit 41 analyzes the daily activities of the subject T based on the oral care information. The activity analysis unit 411 analyzes the oral care content of what the subject T did in the oral care activities on a single occasion, a day, or a predetermined period basis based on changes in the parameters included in the oral care information. In addition, the pattern analysis unit 412 analyzes the subject T's unique behavioral patterns of oral care activities based on changes in the parameters included in the oral care information.

[0052] The processing server 4 estimates the daily activities of the subject T (step S4). The activity estimation unit 413 estimates the daily activities of the subject T based on the oral care content and the behavioral pattern. The activity evaluation unit 414 evaluates the daily activities of the subject T estimated by the activity estimation unit 413 for each situation classification related to lifestyle habits.

[0053] For example, if the subject T's daily activities include brushing his / her teeth before going to bed and after waking up, and the deviation of the time of brushing his / her teeth before going to bed and after waking up from his / her usual behavioral pattern, it can be estimated that the subject T is sleeping too little or has a reversed day-night cycle.The sleep status of the subject T is evaluated from the estimated daily activities.

[0054] Furthermore, by analyzing the toothbrushing pressure, toothbrushing pattern, and toothbrushing duration of subject T's daily activities, psychological and emotional changes in the subject's daily activities can be estimated from changes in brushing pressure, toothbrushing pattern, toothbrushing duration and duration, and tooth cleaning status for each dentition. For example, if subject T does not brush his or her teeth before bedtime on a certain day and it is determined that this was while he or she was at home, it is estimated that an event affecting his or her psychological state has occurred. Based on the estimated psychological and emotional changes in the subject, it is possible to assess subject T's mental state by noting that subject T's brushing pressure, which has always been detected, has recently increased, indicating that subject T is experiencing mental stress. Another example is to assess whether the subject has healthy oral care habits based on the frequency of regular toothbrushing. Regular toothbrushing can be assessed as a good oral care status. Irregular toothbrushing times can be determined to potentially reflect poor lifestyle habits. In particular, significant variations in toothbrushing times throughout the day can be assessed as indicating that regular lifestyle habits have not been established.

[0055] Furthermore, the oral care situation may be estimated and the oral care activity itself in the oral care situation may be evaluated. For example, if tooth brushing behavior, which is part of oral care activity, is used as an evaluation item, the evaluation items may include an evaluation of whether the subject T regularly brushes his / her teeth during times when he / she normally brushes his / her teeth, such as after meals or before / after going to bed, an evaluation of whether the length of time for performing the tooth brushing behavior is appropriate, an evaluation of whether the tooth brushing procedure and the trajectory of the brush head 20 are regular, an evaluation of whether all teeth in the dentition have been brushed, and an evaluation of the strength of the pressure applied to the brush head 20 during the tooth brushing behavior.

[0056] In other embodiments, if the detection terminal 2 is capable of detecting saliva, color discrimination, dental plaque, etc. in the oral cavity, it can also estimate and evaluate the dietary habits.

[0057] The processing server 4 generates change promotion information (step S5). The information generation unit 415 generates change promotion information for the daily activities of the subject T based on the evaluation information from the activity evaluation unit 414. The change promotion information may be content that directly encourages behavioral change in the daily activities of the subject T, and it is preferable that the content that encourages behavioral change in the oral care activities of the subject T leads to a chain reaction of improvement in the daily activities of the subject T.

[0058] For example, change promotion information is generated that includes content recommending the use of a fluoride-containing mouthwash or rinse before bedtime. As is well known, fluoride is effective in remineralizing teeth and inhibiting caries. In particular, sleeping when saliva secretion is reduced, particularly during the healthy hours of 10:00 PM to 11:00 PM until early the next morning, is effective because fluoride tends to remain on the tooth surface for a relatively long period of time. Therefore, if subject T follows the change promotion information and makes behavioral changes regarding oral care activities, subject T's daily activities will improve. The change promotion information includes oral care-related information that encourages behavioral changes regarding oral care activities, such as encouraging the use of other cleaning tools such as interdental brushes and mouthwash in addition to the toothbrush currently used by subject T, recommending other oral care products according to subject T's daily activities, and giving advice on improving tooth brushing methods.

[0059] The evaluation information and the transformation promotion information are transmitted to the watcher terminal 5 (step S6). The information output unit 416 outputs the evaluation information evaluated by the activity evaluation unit 414 and the transformation promotion information generated by the information generation unit 415 to the watcher terminal 5 via the server communication unit 40. The watcher M can check the evaluation information and the transformation promotion information via the information display unit 51 of the watcher terminal 5. The evaluation information and the transformation promotion information displayed on the information display unit 51 allow the watcher M to understand the subject T's sleep status, mental state, etc., and to know what daily activities the subject T is engaged in. Furthermore, the information output unit 416 outputs the evaluation information and the transformation promotion information to the watcher terminal 5 and may also output them to the subject terminal 3. The subject T can check the evaluation information and the transformation promotion information via the information display unit 31 of the subject terminal 3. The subject T can understand his / her own sleep status, mental state, etc., and can also learn how to change his / her behavior regarding oral care activities based on the evaluation information and change promotion information displayed on the information display unit 31. Note that only the change promotion information may be sent to the subject terminal 3, and only the evaluation information may be sent to the watcher terminal 5. This completes the change promotion system 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0060] The watcher M in the transformation promotion system 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention is a family member of the subject T, such as a spouse or guardian. In other embodiments of the present invention, the watcher M may be a medical institution such as a dentist, otolaryngologist, or oral surgeon, or may be combined with the subject T's family member.

[0061] Furthermore, in order to accurately analyze the daily activities of the subject T, the transformation promotion system 1 according to the present invention preferably further includes a current situation grasping means for grasping the actual state of the daily activities of the subject T. In this embodiment, the current situation grasping means is provided in the subject terminal 3 and the watcher terminal 5. The current situation grasping means may grasp the oral care activity habits of the subject T in advance in the form of a questionnaire, for example, whether the subject T brushes his / her teeth other than before going to bed and after waking up.

[0062] Furthermore, the transformation promotion system 1 according to the present invention can be configured to register the location where the detection terminal 2 will be used in advance, identify location information using the communication unit 24 of the detection terminal 2, and detect only when the activity is being performed at that location. The means for detecting whether the detection terminal 2 is located at that location can be existing equipment at the location, such as IoT appliances or sensor-equipped lighting fixtures installed in the subject T's home, as long as it can detect that the detection terminal 2 is located at the registered location. This allows the accuracy of estimating daily activities to be maintained, even when the detection terminal 2 is used outside the home, without storing detection information that differs from normal daily activities in the server storage unit 43. Furthermore, well-known technologies for detecting whether the subject T is at home can be used, such as door opening / closing sensors, motion sensors, heat sensors, switch sensors for appliances and lights, and meters for water, electricity, gas, etc.

[0063] Furthermore, the transformation promotion system 1 according to other embodiments may be used to improve the function of perioral muscles. In this case, the detection terminal 2 is, for example, a terminal device that supports patakara training using an application. The detection terminal 2 detects vocalizations made during patakara training and stores them as oral care information in the server storage unit 43. The server processing unit 41 then ascertains the patakara training practice status of the subject T in daily activities from the start and end times of the patakara training, etc. Based on this practice status, the subject T's mental state and sleep status can be evaluated.

[0064] Next, an example of an embodiment of a change determination system 100 that can be suitably incorporated into or used in combination with the transformation promotion system 1 of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4. FIG.

[0065] As shown in FIG. 3 , the change detection system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises a detection terminal 2, a subject terminal 3, a processing server 4, and a watcher terminal 5. In this embodiment, the detection terminal 2 is a terminal device capable of acquiring and transmitting information related to oral care activities, preferably a smart toothbrush that detects cleaning actions such as toothbrushing. Other examples of the detection terminal 2 include a detection device attached to a non-powered toothbrush to detect cleaning actions, a toothbrush stand that detects the placement or removal of a toothbrush, or a stand that detects changes in oral care agents such as toothpaste, mouthwash, and mouthwash, such as a toothpaste stand that detects the amount of toothpaste remaining. Other examples of the detection terminal 2 include a smart mirror that analyzes images captured using an imaging function, or a sink that detects the amount of mouthwash or mouthwash spat out after use. The detection terminal 2 is only required to detect information related to oral care activities and transmit the detected information. In the following description, the detection terminal 2 is described as a smart toothbrush.

[0066] The detection terminal 2 includes a brush unit 20, a power unit 21, a detection unit 22, a processing unit 23, a communication unit 24, and a power supply unit 25. The brush unit 20 has a plurality of bristle bundles implanted therein. The power unit 21 is preferably a well-known power source such as a brushless DC motor or a brushed DC motor that vibrates or rotates the brush unit 20, and may be any power source that can move the brush unit 20 to clean the teeth of the subject.

[0067] The detection unit 22 includes a motion detection unit 220 that detects the cleaning action of the brush unit 20 that cleans the teeth. The detection unit 22 includes at least one of an acceleration sensor, a motion sensor, a magnetic sensor, a pressure sensor, and a weight sensor as the motion detection unit 220, and these sensors detect the movement and posture of the detection terminal 2, as well as the pressure applied to the brush unit 20, as actions when cleaning the teeth. The motion information detected by the motion detection unit 220 is acquired by an information acquisition unit 410, which will be described later, as information related to oral care activities. In addition, the detection units 22 in the other detection terminals 2 also detect whether the toothbrush has been placed on or removed from the toothbrush stand and how much toothpaste is left, and these are also acquired as information related to oral care activities.

[0068] The processing unit 23 is an information processing device including a memory device such as a RAM or a ROM, a CPU, etc., and the memory device stores programs and processing data that define the operating procedures of various information processes in the processing unit 23. The processing unit 23 collects the detection information detected by the detection unit 22 and processes the information into a form that can be transmitted.

[0069] The communication unit 24 is a communication device that uses wireless communication technology such as Bluetooth (registered trademark) or Wi-Fi (registered trademark), and wirelessly transmits the detection information processed by the processing unit 23 to the subject terminal 3. The power supply unit 25 supplies power to the power unit 21, the detection unit 22, the processing unit 23, and the communication unit 24, and is implemented as a well-known rechargeable battery such as a nickel-metal hydride battery, a lithium polymer battery, or a lithium-ion battery. The power supply unit 25 may be a large-capacitance capacitor (supercapacitor) or a primary battery such as an alkaline battery or a manganese battery, as long as it can supply power to the detection terminal 2. It is preferable that the power supply unit 25 of the detection terminal 2 is charged by renewable energy such as a solar cell.

[0070] The subject terminal 3 is preferably a terminal device, such as a smartphone or tablet terminal owned by the subject T, that can receive detection information wirelessly transmitted by the communication unit 24 of the detection terminal 2 and transmit it to the processing server 4. In the following description, the subject terminal 3 is described as a smartphone. The subject terminal 3 includes an information transfer unit 30 that transmits the detection information to the processing server 4 via a network N including the Internet. When the information transfer unit 30 receives the detection information transmitted from the communication unit 24 of the detection terminal 2, it transmits the detection information to the processing server 4 using an application. The information transfer unit 30 may transmit the detection information transmitted from the detection terminal 2 to the processing server 4 every time the information is received, or may transmit the detection information transmitted from the detection terminal 2 after the amount of detection information reaches a predetermined threshold.

[0071] The processing server 4 includes a server communication unit 40, a server processing unit 41, and a server storage unit 43. The server communication unit 40 is a communication device that uses wireless communication technology and can connect to a network N such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark) or a mobile network, and receives detection information transmitted from the subject terminal 3 and transmits determination information determined by the server processing unit 41 to the watcher terminal 5. The server processing unit 41 is an information processing device including a CPU, etc. The server processing unit 41 as a determination processing unit determines a behavioral change that has occurred in the subject T based on the detection information received by the server communication unit 40, and outputs determination information, which is the behavioral change of the subject T determined by the server processing unit 41, to the watcher terminal 5 via the server communication unit 40.

[0072] The server storage unit 43 is a storage device including RAM, ROM, etc. The server storage unit 43 stores programs and processing data that define the operating procedures of various information processes in the server processing unit 41. The server storage unit 43 also functions as an information storage unit that stores the detection information received by the server communication unit 40 and the behavioral changes of the subject T determined by the server processing unit 41.

[0073] The server processing unit 41 executes a program stored in the server storage unit 43, thereby causing the information acquisition unit 410, activity analysis unit 411, pattern analysis unit 412, change extraction unit 417, change determination unit 418, and information output unit 416 to function. The information acquisition unit 410 acquires detection information from the detection terminal 2, which is information related to oral care activities, via the server communication unit 40 and stores it in the server storage unit 43. The activity analysis unit 411 analyzes the activity content for each oral care activity based on the detection information stored in the server storage unit 43, such as the dates and times of the start and end of the oral care activity, the duration of the activity from the start to the end, and the movement of the detection terminal 2 during that duration. The pattern analysis unit 412 analyzes the subject T's unique behavioral pattern based on the activity content analyzed for each oral care activity by the activity analysis unit 411.

[0074] The change extraction unit 417 compares the most recent detection information acquired from the detection terminal 2 with the activity content analyzed by the activity analysis unit 411 or the behavioral pattern analyzed by the pattern analysis unit 412 to extract changes in the subject T's oral care activities. Note that the most recent detection information may include not only the most recent detection information acquired by the detection terminal 2, i.e., the current detection information just acquired at the current time, but also the previous, previous-to-previous, or multiple detection information, as well as an average over a certain period including the most recent detection information. The change extraction unit 417 may compare the average of the most recent detection information acquired from the detection terminal 2 over a certain period with the average of past detection information acquired from the detection terminal 2 over a similar period to extract changes in the subject T's oral care activities. This is because changes occurring in the subject T are not necessarily noticeable after one or two occurrences, and a single change may lead to a misidentification of whether or not the change is accidental. Therefore, the change extraction unit 417 compares each of the detection information obtained multiple times, including the current detection information, with the activity content or activity pattern, thereby enabling more accurate extraction of changes occurring in the subject T. Furthermore, the change extraction unit 417 may calculate an average of the detection information obtained multiple times, including the current detection information, and compare it with the activity content or activity pattern to extract changes in the subject T in oral care activities. Methods for calculating the average include the arithmetic mean, geometric mean, weighted mean, moving average, and trimmed mean. Furthermore, as a processing method for when outliers are included in averaging multiple detection information, there are a method for excluding outliers such as quantile averaging (trimmed mean) and a method for reducing the influence of outliers such as robust mean. This makes it possible to more accurately extract changes in the subject T while minimizing the influence of outliers.

[0075] The change determination unit 418 determines a behavioral change that has occurred in the subject T based on the change information extracted by the change extraction unit 417. The change determination unit 418 determines, as a behavioral change, an abnormality in the health condition that has occurred in the subject T, or a behavioral change that has occurred in the daily activities of the subject T, i.e., an improvement in daily activities. The information output unit 416 outputs the determination information determined by the change determination unit 418 to the watcher terminal 5 via the server communication unit 40.

[0076] The activity analysis unit 411, pattern analysis unit 412, change extraction unit 417, and change determination unit 418, which function in the server processing unit 41, can be implemented using machine learning. In the case of unsupervised learning, LOF (Local Outlier Factor) is preferred, and in the case of semi-supervised learning, OC-SVM (One Class SVM) is preferred. Other machine learning algorithms that may be used include Hotelling's T2 method, GMM (Gaussian Mixture Model), KDE (Kernel Density Estimation), AE (Auto Encoder), and k-NN (k-Nearest Neighbor). When determining whether a change in the health condition of a subject T is a behavioral change, LOF is the preferred machine learning algorithm. When determining behavioral changes that have occurred in the subject T's daily activities as behavioral changes, the machine learning algorithm is preferably AE.

[0077] The server processing unit 41 can also be implemented using a conventional algorithm other than machine learning, such as the moving average method, the Z-score method, the epsilon-support vector regression (epsilon-SVR), and the entropy-based methods.

[0078] There are various indicators and modes in which the change determination unit 418 determines that an abnormality in the health condition of the subject T or an improvement in daily activities is a behavioral change, and may, for example, compare the latest detection information at the present time with past detection information each time, or compare the average of the latest detection information detected for a certain period with the average of past detection information detected for a similar period. Furthermore, the change determination unit 418 may determine that the current detection information deviates from the average of the past detection information by more than a certain amount, or may set a predetermined threshold for determining that an abnormality has occurred in the health condition or that daily activities have improved, and determine that an abnormality in the health condition or an improvement in daily activities has occurred based on whether the current detection information exceeds or falls below the threshold.

[0079] Taking an increase or decrease in the number of times or duration of a single action when brushing teeth as an example, when the change determination unit 418 determines whether or not a change has occurred based on a certain deviation from the average of past detection information or whether the deviation is above or below a predetermined threshold, if the deviation is below the average or below the threshold, it transmits determination information including a sign of an abnormality in the subject T, and if the deviation is above the average or above the threshold, it transmits determination information including a sign of an improvement in the daily activities of the subject T. Furthermore, a change from a regular behavior pattern to irregular, or an irregular behavior pattern becoming regular, may be used as an indicator for determining whether or not a change has occurred or an improvement has occurred in the subject T.

[0080] In the case of a toothbrush stand that detects changes in the amount of toothpaste, mouthwash, or other medication used by weight, it can detect the amount of medication used each day and determine an abnormality if the amount increases or decreases beyond a threshold. In the case of a toothbrush with a pressure sensor, it can determine an abnormality if the brushing pressure during a single toothbrushing session increases or decreases beyond a threshold, or if the average brushing pressure for each toothbrushing session increases or decreases beyond a threshold. Furthermore, in the case of a smart mirror or other device that uses an imaging device to determine the tooth region to be cleaned, it can determine an abnormality if the characteristics of the tooth region to be cleaned, such as the bias in the tooth region to be cleaned, change beyond a threshold, or if previously cleaned tooth regions are no longer cleaned.

[0081] The watcher terminal 5 is preferably a terminal device, such as a smartphone or tablet terminal owned by the watcher M, that can receive the discrimination information transmitted from the processing server 4 and display the behavioral changes that have occurred in the subject T that have been discriminated by the server processing unit 41. The watcher terminal 5 includes an information display unit 51 that displays the behavioral changes that have occurred in the subject T based on the discrimination information. The watcher terminal 5 may further include a warning unit 52 that outputs a warning such as an alert to the watcher M when the behavioral changes that have occurred in the subject T correspond to an emergency situation, an unexpected situation, or an abnormal change in health status.

[0082] The flow of the change detection system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 4 . Information regarding oral care activities is detected (step S41). The detection terminal 2 is activated and vibrates or rotates the brush head 20. When tooth brushing, which is one of oral care activities, is performed, the detection unit 22 detects detection information such as the pressure applied to the brush head 20 (brushing pressure), the direction and posture of the brush head 20 during tooth brushing, the pitch and stroke of moving the brush head 20 during tooth brushing, and the trajectory of the brush head 20 during tooth brushing. Note that while it is preferable for the detection unit 22 to continuously detect the detection information at any time, it may also be detected intermittently at regular intervals or for each change.

[0083] Information regarding oral care activities is transmitted to the processing server 4 (step S42). The processing unit 23 collects the detection information and processes it into a transmittable form. The communication unit 24 wirelessly transmits the detection information processed by the processing unit 23 to the subject terminal 3. When the subject terminal 3 receives the detection information, the information forwarding unit 30 transmits the detection information to the processing server 4 via the network N. Note that the detection terminal 2 transmits the detection information, which is information regarding oral care activities, to the processing server 4 via the subject terminal 3, but other terminal devices or means may be used as a gateway. Alternatively, the communication unit 24 of the detection terminal 2 may connect to the network N using communication technology such as 4G or 5G cellular communication and transmit the detection information to the processing server 4 without using a gateway terminal device or means.

[0084] The processing server 4 analyzes information regarding oral care activities (step S43). The server communication unit 40 receives the detection information. The server processing unit 41 analyzes what kind of oral care activities the subject T is performing based on the detection information. The activity analysis unit 411 analyzes the activity content of what the subject T is performing in oral care activities on a single occasion, a day, or a predetermined period basis based on changes in parameters included in the detection information. In addition, the pattern analysis unit 412 analyzes the subject T's unique behavioral patterns of oral care activities based on changes in parameters included in the detection information.

[0085] The processing server 4 determines a behavioral change of the subject T (step S44). The change extraction unit 417 extracts a change that has occurred in the subject T based on the activity content and behavioral pattern. The change determination unit 418 determines a behavioral change of the subject from the changes that have occurred in the subject T extracted by the change extraction unit 417.

[0086] When the server processing unit 41 is implemented using semi-supervised learning, the change extraction unit 417 extracts changes that have occurred in the subject T based on the activity content and behavioral patterns from the initial stage. Thereafter, the activity content and behavioral patterns stored in the server storage unit 43 are learned, thereby accurately extracting changes that have occurred in the subject T. The change determination unit 418 determines behavioral changes in the subject T from the content previously learned in the initial stage. The changes in the subject T extracted by the change extraction unit 417 and the behavioral changes in the subject T determined by the change determination unit 418 are stored in the server storage unit 43 and used to improve the accuracy of the next extraction by the change extraction unit 417 and the determination by the change determination unit 418.

[0087] When the server processing unit 41 is implemented using unsupervised learning, the activity details and behavioral patterns are accumulated in the server storage unit 43, and learning is performed until the amount of learning required for extracting changes that have occurred in the subject T and for discriminating between changes in the behavior of the subject T is reached. When the amount of learning required for extracting changes that have occurred in the subject T and for discriminating between changes in the behavior of the subject T is reached, the change extraction unit 417 extracts changes that have occurred in the subject T, and the change discrimination unit 418 discriminates changes in the behavior of the subject T. The amount of learning may be set to a constant value regardless of the subject T, or may be set to a different value depending on the age, sex, place of residence, personality, lifestyle, etc. of the subject T.

[0088] Examples of items that the change determination unit 418 uses to determine behavioral changes in the subject T include the continuity of oral care activities, such as recently stopping tooth brushing, which was previously done every morning; the frequency of oral care activities, such as recently brushing once a day, the amount of time spent on each oral care activity; changes in the cleaning status, including the amount of time spent cleaning each tooth or each row of teeth; changes in the posture of the brush unit 20 when cleaning each tooth or each row of teeth; and changes in behavioral patterns, such as changes in the order and brushing pressure when cleaning each tooth. Note that the tooth row area refers to the four areas of the tooth row in the oral cavity, the top, bottom, left, and right; the lingual and buccal surfaces, which total eight areas; the occlusal surfaces, which total twelve areas; and the front teeth and molars, which total twenty areas. In addition to these, tooth row areas can be appropriately divided and set.

[0089] If the detection terminal 2 is a terminal device other than a smart toothbrush, the items that the change determination unit 418 determines as behavioral changes will also be different. For example, changes in the amount of toothpaste, mouthwash, mouthwash, and other substances used by the subject T, images of the subject T during oral care activities, and changes in feature points detected from the images may be included.

[0090] The determination result is transmitted to the watcher terminal 5 (step S45). The information output unit 416 connects to the network N via the server communication unit 40, and the server communication unit 40 transmits the determination information determined by the change determination unit 418 to the watcher terminal 5. When the watcher terminal 5 receives the determination information, the information display unit 51 displays the behavioral change that has occurred in the subject T based on the determination information. If the determination information received by the watcher terminal 5 includes information that reports an emergency situation, an unexpected situation, or an abnormality in health status, the warning unit 52 outputs a warning such as an alert to the watcher M. This concludes the change determination system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0091] The change detection system 100 of the present invention will be described below, focusing on differences from the above embodiment, when the detection terminal 2 is not a smart toothbrush but another terminal device. When the detection terminal 2 is a smart mirror, a camera attached to the smart mirror captures images of the subject T during oral care activities, including the movement of the muscles around the oral cavity, the direction in which the subject T's face is facing the smart mirror, and the movement of the subject T's arms holding the oral care product. The information acquisition unit 410 of the server processing unit 41 detects feature points of each movement from the images or video captured by the camera. The activity analysis unit 411 identifies the type of oral care product the subject T is using in the oral care activity from the images or video captured by the camera, and analyzes the activity content of the oral care activity, including the movement using the oral care product, based on the feature points. If the activity analysis unit 411 identifies a toothbrush as the oral care product, it analyzes, for example, the number of times the subject brushes their teeth with the toothbrush, the duration of the brushing, and the brushing pitch and strokes. The activity analysis unit 411 can also identify the part of the dentition where the subject T is brushing their teeth, based on, for example, the handle or bristle surface of the toothbrush contained in an image or video captured of the subject T. The pattern analysis unit 412 analyzes the behavioral pattern of the subject T's oral care activity from the analysis by the activity analysis unit 411.

[0092] The watcher M in the change detection system 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention is a family member of the subject T, such as a spouse or guardian. In other embodiments of the present invention, the watcher M may be a medical institution or medical professional, such as a family doctor in a dentistry, otolaryngology, oral surgery, or the like, or a pharmacist at a prescription pharmacy, or a home care institution, such as a home care provider or a home nursing provider, or may be combined with a family member of the subject T.

[0093] An example will be described in which the determination information received by the watcher terminal 5 includes information indicating a change in health status, such as suspected dementia. Examples of information indicating suspected dementia include fluctuations in the number of times teeth are brushed per day, increases or decreases in the duration of each brushing session, a deviation in the duration of each brushing session compared to the average duration of previous brushing sessions, and a tendency to brush teeth in a biased direction, either left, right, or top or bottom. The change determination system 100 outputs a warning to the warning unit 52 of the watcher terminal 5 owned by the family and medical institution of the subject T (the person being watched over M), along with the detection information used when determining that there is a risk of dementia. Examples of the warning and detection information output by the warning unit 52 include a warning indicating tendencies such as a decline in comprehension, loss of motivation, and decreased concentration, which are observed in the early stages of dementia, and detection information indicating a change in the duration of oral care activities.

[0094] The change detection system 100 according to the present invention can detect signs of diseases other than dementia from behaviors during oral care activities as abnormalities in health status. For example, if the change extraction unit 417 detects unnatural, short, and sudden changes in brushing behavior, an inability to move the toothbrush at a constant speed and amplitude, or an inability to maintain a constant brushing pressure as behavioral changes, the change detection unit 418 outputs detection information indicating possible signs of hand tremors, rigidity (muscle rigidity), or the like caused by Parkinson's disease to the watcher terminal 5. Furthermore, if the patient uses an excessively large amount of toothpaste because it becomes difficult to control hand movements and dispense the appropriate amount from the toothpaste tube, this information is also included as a behavioral change indicating a possible sign of the disease.

[0095] Symptoms of disease that can be identified from movements during oral care activities include, for example, tendon and joint diseases such as carpal tunnel syndrome, osteoarthritis of the fingers, and trigger finger (elastic finger), brain and nervous system diseases such as cerebral infarction, cerebral hemorrhage, transient ischemic attack, brain tumor, chronic subdural hematoma, subarachnoid hemorrhage, and cervical spondylosis, and systemic diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, scleroderma, and Guillain-Barré syndrome. The change detection system 100 according to the present invention can present to the watcher M, via the warning unit 52, what behavioral changes have occurred in the subject T, and what symptoms of disease are observed depending on the category and degree of the behavioral change.

[0096] Furthermore, for example, in the case of subject T who has no relatives, such as an elderly person living alone, the watcher M may be a local government official or a welfare officer, or may be a newspaper delivery person or a courier who regularly comes into contact with subject T. By having multiple watchers M who watch over subject T from various angles, changes in subject T's behavior will not be overlooked, and early treatment or response can be expected.

[0097] Furthermore, in order to improve the accuracy of determining a behavioral change of the subject T, the change detection system 100 according to the present invention preferably further includes a current situation grasping means for grasping the actual state of the daily activities of the subject T. In this embodiment, the current situation grasping means is provided in the subject terminal 3 and the watcher terminal 5. The current situation grasping means may grasp the health condition, lifestyle habits, etc. of the subject T in advance in the form of a questionnaire, or may provide feedback on the results of a medical visit to a medical institution based on a warning from the warning unit 52. When the change detection system 100 according to the present invention grasps the actual state of the daily activities in advance or grasps the results of a medical visit to a medical institution, it can adjust the threshold for determining a behavioral change to match the actual state of the daily activities of the subject T.

[0098] Furthermore, the change detection system 100 according to the present invention can be configured to register the location where the detection terminal 2 will be used in advance, identify location information using the communication unit 24 of the detection terminal 2, and detect only when the activity is being performed at that location. The means for detecting whether the detection terminal 2 is located at that location can be existing equipment at that location, such as IoT appliances or sensor-equipped lighting fixtures installed in the subject T's home, as long as it can detect that the detection terminal 2 is located at the registered location. This allows the accuracy of behavioral change detection to be maintained, even if the detection terminal 2 is used outside the home, without storing detection information that differs from normal daily activities in the server storage unit 43. Furthermore, well-known technologies for detecting whether the subject T is at home can be used, such as door opening / closing sensors, motion sensors, heat sensors, switch sensors for appliances and lights, and meters for water, electricity, gas, etc.

[0099] Therefore, the present invention can provide a behavioral change promotion system that grasps the oral care activities of a subject and encourages the subject to change their behavior so that they can voluntarily improve their daily activities to a healthier and more regular lifestyle. In addition, by grasping the oral care activities that the subject performs every day, the caregiver can learn about the subject's daily activities.

[0100] Furthermore, the present invention allows the observer to become aware of behavioral changes that have occurred in the subject by understanding the oral care activities that the subject performs every day.

[0101] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to these examples, and it goes without saying that the present invention can be embodied in various forms without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0102] DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Transformation promotion system 2 Detection terminal 3 Subject terminal 4 Processing server 5 Watcher terminal 20 Brush unit 21 Power unit 22 Detection unit 23 Processing unit 24 Communication unit 25 Power supply unit 30 Information transfer unit 31 Information display unit 40 Server communication unit 41 Server processing unit 43 Server storage unit 51 Information display unit 52 Warning unit 100 Change determination system 220 Movement detection unit 410 Information acquisition unit 411 Activity analysis unit 412 Pattern analysis unit 413 Activity estimation unit 414 Activity evaluation unit 415 Information generation unit 416 Information output unit 417 Change extraction unit 418 Change determination unit M Watcher N Network T Subject

Claims

1. A change promotion system that grasps the oral care activities of a subject and estimates the subject's daily living activities, comprising: an information acquisition unit that acquires oral care information related to the oral care activities; an information processing unit that estimates the subject's daily living activities based on the oral care information acquired by the information acquisition unit and evaluates the daily living activities for each lifestyle category; an information storage unit that accumulates the oral care information acquired by the information acquisition unit, estimated information related to the daily living activities estimated by the information processing unit, and evaluation information related to the evaluation of the daily living activities obtained by the information processing unit; and an information output unit that outputs the evaluation information and change promotion information that encourages behavioral change in the subject's daily living activities in accordance with the evaluation information to a watcher watching over the subject.

2. The transformation promotion system of claim 1, wherein the information processing unit includes: an activity analysis unit that analyzes activity content, including oral care content, of the subject's behavior in the oral care activities based on the oral care information stored in the information storage unit; an activity estimation unit that estimates the subject's daily activities based on the oral care information acquired by the information acquisition unit and the oral care content analyzed by the activity analysis unit; and an activity evaluation unit that evaluates the daily activities estimated by the activity estimation unit for each situation classification related to lifestyle habits.

3. The transformation promotion system described in claim 1 or 2, wherein the information processing unit includes: a pattern analysis unit that analyzes the subject's unique activity pattern in the oral care activities based on the oral care information stored in the information storage unit; an activity estimation unit that estimates the subject's daily activities based on the oral care information acquired by the information acquisition unit and the activity pattern analyzed by the pattern analysis unit; and an activity evaluation unit that evaluates the daily activities estimated by the activity estimation unit for each situation classification related to lifestyle habits.

4. The transformation promotion system according to claim 3, wherein the information output unit includes an information generation unit that generates the transformation promotion information based on the evaluation information evaluated for each situation classification.

5. The transformation promotion system according to claim 4, wherein the situation classification includes at least one of sleep situation, dietary situation, mental situation, and oral care situation.

6. The transformation promotion system according to claim 3, wherein the oral care information includes motion information detected by a motion detection unit that detects cleaning motions performed by an oral cleaning tool for cleaning the oral cavity.

7. A change promotion system as described in claim 6, wherein the change promotion information includes oral care-related information regarding oral care tools and oral care agents used to promote behavioral change in the oral care activity.

8. A transformation promotion system as described in claim 7, further comprising a current situation grasping means for grasping the current state of the subject's living activities, wherein the activity estimation unit estimates the subject's living activities including the current situation information grasped by the current situation grasping means, and the information storage unit stores information regarding the current state of the subject's living activities grasped by the current situation grasping means.

9. The transformation promotion system described in claim 1, further comprising a discrimination processing unit that discriminates the behavioral changes that have occurred in the subject based on the oral care information acquired by the information acquisition unit, and the information storage unit further stores the discrimination information discriminated by the discrimination processing unit.

10. The transformation promotion system described in claim 9, wherein the discrimination processing unit further includes: an activity analysis unit that analyzes the activity content of the subject in the oral care activity based on the information stored in the information storage unit; a change extraction unit that compares the most recent information acquired by the information acquisition unit with the activity content analyzed by the activity analysis unit to extract changes in the subject in the oral care activity; and a change discrimination unit that discriminates the behavioral change based on the change information extracted by the change extraction unit.

11. The transformation promotion system described in claim 9 or 10, wherein the discrimination processing unit includes: a pattern analysis unit that analyzes the subject's unique behavioral pattern in the oral care activity based on the information stored in the information storage unit; a change extraction unit that compares the most recent information acquired by the information acquisition unit with the behavioral pattern analyzed by the pattern analysis unit to extract changes in the subject in the oral care activity; and a change discrimination unit that discriminates the behavioral change based on the change information extracted by the change extraction unit.

12. The change promotion system according to claim 11, wherein the change determination unit determines that the behavioral change is an abnormal change in the subject's health condition or a behavioral change in daily activities.

13. A transformation promotion system as described in claim 12, further comprising a current situation grasping means for grasping the current state of the subject's daily living activities, wherein the change discrimination unit discriminates the behavioral change based on the change information extracted by the change extraction unit and the current state of the subject's daily living activities grasped by the current situation grasping means, and the information storage unit accumulates the discrimination information discriminated by the change discrimination unit of the discrimination processing unit and current situation information regarding the current state of the subject's daily living activities grasped by the current situation grasping means.

14. The transformation promotion system according to claim 11, wherein the information output unit further outputs the discrimination information discriminated by the discrimination processing unit.

15. A method for promoting change that grasps the oral care activities of a subject and estimates the subject's daily living activities, comprising: acquiring oral care information regarding the oral care activities of the subject; estimating the subject's daily living activities based on the oral care information; evaluating the daily living activities for each lifestyle category; storing the oral care information, estimated information regarding the subject's daily living activities, and evaluation information regarding the daily living activities in an information storage unit; and outputting the evaluation information and change promotion information that encourages behavioral change in the subject's daily living activities in accordance with the evaluation information to a watcher watching over the subject.

16. A method for promoting transformation as described in claim 15, which analyzes the activity content including oral care among the subject's behavior in the oral care activities based on the oral care information stored in the information storage unit, estimates the subject's daily activities based on the oral care information and analytical information related to the oral care content, and evaluates the daily activities for each situation classification related to lifestyle habits.

17. A method for promoting transformation as described in claim 15 or 16, which analyzes the subject's unique activity pattern in the oral care activities based on the oral care information stored in the information storage unit, estimates the subject's daily activities based on the oral care information and the activity pattern, and evaluates the daily activities for each situation classification related to lifestyle habits.

18. A control program for causing a computer to function as the transformation promotion system described in claim 1, the control program causing a computer to function as an information acquisition unit, an information processing unit, an information storage unit, and an information output unit.

19. A storage medium for storing a control program for causing a computer to function as the transformation promotion system described in claim 1, the control program causing a computer to function as an information acquisition unit, an information processing unit, an information storage unit, and an information output unit.

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