Bathroom system, storage medium, and control device

Abstract

A bathroom system (1) comprises: a storage unit (210) that stores a plurality of pieces of effect information pertaining to effects that a user wants to obtain by bathing in a bathroom (10), an acquisition unit (220), a determination unit (230), and an output unit (240). The acquisition unit acquires at least one piece of effect information from among the plurality of pieces of effect information. The determination unit determines a bathing plan for a plurality of future baths of the user in accordance with the effect information acquired by the acquisition unit. The output unit outputs the bathing plan which has been determined by the determination unit.

Description

Bathroom system, storage medium and control device

[0001] The present invention relates to a bathroom system, a storage medium, and a control device.

[0002] BACKGROUND ART Conventionally, a control device for controlling the operation of a bathroom, and a bathroom system including a bathroom and a control device are known.

[0003] In this regard, Patent Document 1 discloses a bathtub device (bathroom system) that stores hot water in the bathtub body, detects or estimates the body temperature of the bather (user), and provides the bather with a warming or cooling sensation based on the detected or estimated body temperature.

[0004] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2022-107101

[0005] The bathroom system described in Patent Document 1 requires the user to consider the amount of water to fill the bathtub, the temperature, the duration of bathing, etc., and then set the bathroom control device according to a plan they have in mind. Therefore, the bathroom system described in Patent Document 1 has the problem that it is difficult to provide the user with a bathing experience that is suited to their body when the user has little knowledge about bathing or does not have the time or space to think about bathing.

[0006] The present invention was made in consideration of these problems, and its purpose is to provide a bathroom system, storage medium, and control device that can provide a bathing plan for multiple future baths that is tailored to the user's desired effects.

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, the bathroom system of the present invention comprises a memory unit that stores multiple pieces of effect information regarding the effects that a user wants to obtain by bathing in the bathroom, an acquisition unit that acquires at least one piece of effect information from the multiple pieces of effect information, a decision unit that determines a bathing plan for the user's future multiple baths based on the effect information acquired by the acquisition unit, and an output unit that outputs the bathing plan determined by the decision unit.

[0008] In addition, the memory unit stores physical information that is predetermined as information about the user's body that is unlikely to change from bath to bath, the acquisition unit acquires the physical information, and the determination unit determines the bathing plan based on the effect information and the physical information acquired by the acquisition unit.

[0009] In addition, the acquisition unit acquires information about the user during or after bathing, and the decision unit updates the bathing plan according to the information acquired by the acquisition unit.

[0010] The information also includes a bathing evaluation indicating the user's evaluation of the bathing experience.

[0011] The information also includes physical information of the user during or after bathing, and the physical information is predetermined information about the user's body that may change with each bathing session.

[0012] In addition, the acquisition unit acquires environmental information regarding the environment in which the bathroom is located, and the determination unit determines the bathing plan based on the environmental information and effect information acquired by the acquisition unit.

[0013] In addition, the bathroom system of the present invention further includes an operation control unit that controls the operation of the bathroom in accordance with the bathing plan output by the output unit.

[0014] The output unit also proposes the bathing plan to the user.

[0015] In addition, the storage medium of the present invention is a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium that records a program that causes a computer to function as an acquisition unit that acquires effect information regarding the effects that a user wants to obtain from bathing, a decision unit that determines a bathing plan for the user's future multiple baths based on the effect information acquired by the acquisition unit, and an output unit that outputs the bathing plan determined by the decision unit.

[0016] The control device of the present invention also includes an acquisition unit that acquires effect information regarding the effects that the user desires to obtain from bathing, a decision unit that determines a bathing plan for the user's future multiple bathing sessions based on the effect information acquired by the acquisition unit, and an output unit that outputs the bathing plan determined by the decision unit.

[0017] According to the present invention, the bathroom system, storage medium, and control device can provide a bathing plan for multiple future baths that is tailored to the user's desired effects.

[0018] 1 is a diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of a bathroom system according to a first embodiment. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of the configuration of the bathroom shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 2A is a perspective view showing an example of the configuration of the bathtub shown in FIG. 2A. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the control device shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the control device shown in FIG. 4. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a bathing effect selection screen in the display content shown in FIG. 4. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a first example of a bathing information suggestion screen in the display content according to the first embodiment. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a second example of a bathing information suggestion screen in the display content according to the first embodiment. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a third example of a bathing information suggestion screen in the display content according to the first embodiment. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a bathing condition table stored by the control device shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of processing performed by the bathroom system according to the first embodiment. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing another example of the overall configuration of the bathroom system according to the first embodiment. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a first example of a bathing information suggestion screen in the display content according to the second embodiment. FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a first example of a bathing information suggestion screen in the display content according to the second embodiment. 10 is a diagram showing an example of conditions under which the control device according to the third embodiment changes control in accordance with the user's physical information. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a third example of a bathing schedule stored by the control device according to the third embodiment. FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a fourth example of a bathing schedule stored by the control device according to the third embodiment. FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of processing performed by the bathroom system according to the third embodiment.

[0019] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention (hereinafter referred to as a "first embodiment," "second embodiment," or "third embodiment") will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. To facilitate understanding of the description, the same components and steps in each drawing will be designated by the same reference numerals as much as possible, and redundant description will be omitted.

[0020] First Embodiment First, the first embodiment will be described.

[0021] <Overall Configuration> Figure 1 is a diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of a bathroom system 1A according to a first embodiment. As shown in Figure 1, bathroom system 1A includes, for example, a bathroom 10, a control device 20, and multiple terminal devices 30. Bathroom 10, control device 20, and terminal devices 30 are communicatively connected via a communications network NT such as an intranet, the Internet, or a telephone line. Note that while Figure 1 shows multiple terminal devices 30 connected to bathroom system 1A via communications network NT, bathroom system 1A may also be connected to a single terminal device 30.

[0022] Bathroom 10 is a unit that includes, for example, a bathtub 12, a shower, a water supply mechanism, a drainage mechanism, and control devices that control each device. Bathroom 10 receives control commands transmitted from control device 20 via communication network NT and operates each device according to the received control commands. Bathroom 10 also transmits the status of each device in bathroom 10 to control device 20 via communication network NT. The status of each device includes, for example, the temperature and amount of hot water stored in bathtub 12, the temperature of hot water supplied from the shower, and the operating status of the water supply mechanism and drainage mechanism. Note that bathroom 10 may also operate each device in response to user input via an input / output device provided separately from terminal devices 30A-30C.

[0023] The control device 20 is, for example, a server device, and provides the results of content execution obtained by executing a program, or the program itself, to users of each of the terminal devices 30A-30C via the communications network NT. The control device 20 also transmits control commands related to operational control of the bathroom 10 to the bathroom 10 via the communications network NT. The control device 20 also acquires information related to the operational status of the bathroom 10 from the bathroom 10 via the communications network NT, and acquires information such as the results of program execution and user input operations on the terminal devices 30A-30C from the terminal devices 30A-30C. The control device 20 is connected to the bathroom 10 and the terminal devices 30A-30C so that they can communicate with each other.

[0024] The terminal device 30 is an interface device such as a smartphone, a smartwatch, or an input device for controlling the operation of the bathroom 10 or setting the control content. The terminal device 30 accepts input from the user and transmits information including the content of the accepted input to the control device 20 via the communication network NT. The terminal device 30 also communicates the information transmitted from the control device 20 via the communication network NT to the user by displaying it on a screen, outputting audio, vibrating, or the like.

[0025] <Configuration of Bathroom> Next, the bathroom 10 will be described with reference to Figures 2A and 2B. Figure 2A is a perspective view showing an example of the configuration of the bathroom 10 shown in Figure 1. Figure 2B is a perspective view showing an example of the configuration of the bathtub 12 shown in Figure 2A. As shown in Figures 2A and 2B, the bathroom 10 is configured to include, for example, the bathtub 12, sensors 14a to 14c, a signal processing device 16, a remote control 16a, an outlet 17, a water discharge device 18, and a water intake section 19. The water intake section 19 is configured to include a bathtub water discharge outlet 19a and a water intake 19b.

[0026] The bathtub 12 is shaped like a roughly rectangular box in a plan view and is configured to store hot and cold water inside. The inner wall surface that forms one of the short sides of the bathtub 12 is formed as a backrest surface 12a, which is an inner wall surface that is formed so that the user can lean against while bathing. Note that the shape of the main body of the bathtub 12 is roughly rectangular, but is not limited to this and may be any shape. The bathtub 12 is provided with a drain port 17 on the bottom that can be opened and closed by a plug, and when the drain port 17 is open, the hot and cold water stored in the bathtub 12 is discharged to the outside of the bathtub 12.

[0027] The water discharge device 18 is provided on the upper part of the backrest surface 12a of the bathtub 12 and is configured to discharge hot water toward the inside of the bathtub 12. The water discharge device 18 has a flat, wide water outlet 18a extending along the upper edge of the backrest surface 12a and is configured to discharge hot water toward the shoulders of a user leaning against the backrest surface 12a. The water discharge device 18 is also configured to discharge a portion of the hot water drawn in from the water intake 19b through the water outlet 18a. As a result, the hot water in the bathtub 12 is sucked in through the water intake 19b, discharged through the water outlet 18a, and circulated so that it flows into the bathtub 12. Furthermore, a portion of the hot water drawn in from the water intake 19b is also discharged from the bathtub water outlet 19a provided on the backrest surface 12a of the bathtub 12.

[0028] Sensors 14a-14c are sensors that detect the physical condition of the user while bathing. Sensors 14a-14c detect the user's electrocardiogram signal, for example, via hot water stored in the bathtub 12, based on the potential difference between sensors 14a and 14b. Sensor 14a is, for example, a negative electrode and is located on the backrest surface 12a of the bathtub 12. Sensor 14b is, for example, a positive electrode and is located on the backrest surface 12a of the bathtub 12. Sensor 14c is, for example, an electrode that acquires a reference potential for the potentials detected by sensors 14a and 14b and is located on the backrest surface 12a.

[0029] In the first embodiment, the bathtub 12 is provided with sensors 14a to 14c that detect the user's electrocardiogram signals, but this is not limited to this, and further detection devices for measuring the user's body temperature, pulse, heart rate, blood flow velocity, etc. may be provided.

[0030] Signal processing device 16 controls the operation of each component of bathroom 10 in accordance with control commands transmitted from control device 20 via communications network NT. Signal processing device 16 is also configured to communicate with remote control 16a and controls the operation of each component of bathroom 10 in accordance with control commands transmitted from remote control 16a. Remote control 16a is an input / output device for operating each component of bathroom 10, and is configured to allow the user to operate, for example, the user's electrocardiogram detection function in bathtub 12 and the water discharge device 18. Signal processing device 16 fills bathtub 12 with water at a temperature and volume in accordance with the control commands transmitted from control device 20, plays music via remote control 16a, and sounds a timer in accordance with the control commands. Bathroom 10 also discharges or stops the discharge of water from water outlet 18a and bathtub water outlet 19a at a temperature and flow rate in accordance with the control commands, in accordance with a sequence in accordance with the control commands transmitted from control device 20.

[0031] <Hardware Configuration> The configuration of bathroom 10 has been described above. Next, the control device 20 will be described with reference to Figure 3. Figure 3 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of control device 20 shown in Figure 1. As shown in Figure 3, control device 20 is configured to include, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 21, memory 22, storage device 23, communication device 24, and input / output device 25.

[0032] The CPU 21 functions as various functional components by executing predetermined programs stored in the memory 22 or the storage device 23. Details of these functional components will be described later.

[0033] The storage device 23 is configured with a hard disk, a solid state drive, or the like. This storage device 23 stores various programs and various information required for the CPU 21 to execute processes, as well as information on the results of the processes. The storage device 23 is an example of a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. Other examples of non-transitory computer-readable storage media include magnetic tape, flexible disks, optical disks, digital versatile disks, Blu-ray disks, magneto-optical disks, memory cards, USB memory, and other portable storage media.

[0034] The communication device 24 includes a communication interface for communicating with external devices, and transmits and receives various types of information between the bathroom 10 and the terminal device 30, for example.

[0035] The input / output device 25 is composed of a mouse, a keyboard, a touch panel, a display, etc. The input / output device 25 accepts inputs that are used by the operator of the control device 20 to operate the control device 20, and displays information provided by the control device 20 to the operator.

[0036] The control device 20 can be realized using an information processing device such as a dedicated or general-purpose server computer. The control device 20 may be configured from a single information processing device or multiple information processing devices distributed over a communication network NT. Fig. 3 shows only a portion of the main hardware configuration of the control device 20, and the control device 20 may also have other configurations that are generally included in a server.

[0037] <Functional Configuration> The hardware configuration of the control device 20 has been described above. Next, the functional configuration of the control device 20 will be described. Fig. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the control device 20 shown in Fig. 1. As shown in Fig. 4, the control device 20 is configured to include, as its functional configuration, for example, a storage unit 210, an acquisition unit 220, a determination unit 230, an output unit 240, and an operation control unit 250. Functional means other than the storage unit 210 are realized by the control device 20 executing programs stored in the storage device 23 or the like.

[0038] The storage unit 210 is a functional component that stores display content 211 and various information to be displayed to the user via the terminal device 30. Specifically, the storage unit 210 stores the display content 211, effect information 212, a bathing condition table 213, and user information 214.

[0039] The display content 211 is content whose display is controlled by the output unit 240 on the screen of the terminal device 30. The display content 211 will now be described with reference to FIGS. 5, 6A, and 6B. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a selection screen for bathing effects in the display content 211 shown in FIG. 4. As shown in FIG. 5, the display content 211 includes a button 2111 for the user to select the bathing effect they wish to obtain by bathing on the selection screen, a button 2112 for confirming the selection made by the button 2111, and various texts. Examples of bathing effects include "improved sleep," "improved sensitivity to cold," "beautiful skin," "promoted sweating," "relaxation," and "relief from fatigue."

[0040] "Sleep improvement" refers to effects such as being able to sleep better, falling asleep more easily, waking up refreshed, and recovering physical strength through sleep. "Improving sensitivity to cold" refers to effects such as maintaining a warm, cozy state in the body for longer periods and preventing the extremities of the body from getting cold. "Beautiful skin effect" refers to the effect of improving dry skin. "Sweat promotion" refers to the effect of detoxifying through sweating. "Relaxation" refers to the effect of resting the brain and recovering physical strength. "Recovery from fatigue" refers to the effect of increasing the body's ability to recover from fatigue.

[0041] Button 2111 is an object that can be switched by a user operation such as clicking between a selected state in which the bathing effect associated with button 2111 is selected and a non-selected state in which the bathing effect is not selected. Button 2112 is an object that can be pressed by a user operation such as clicking, and when pressed, the bathing effect associated with the selected button 2111 is considered to have been selected, and the selection content is transmitted to the control device 20.

[0042] FIG. 6A is a diagram showing a first example of a bathing information proposal screen in the display content 211 according to the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 6A , the proposal screen in the display content 211 includes, for example, an area 2113 displaying bathing conditions, buttons 2114 and 2115, and various text. After a bathing effect is selected by the user on the selection screen in FIG. 6A , the proposal screen in the display content 211 controls the display of bathing information corresponding to the selected bathing effect on the terminal device 30. The bathing information indicates predetermined bathing conditions, such as the temperature and volume of water stored in the bathtub 12, the recommended bathing time, whether or not to use bath additives, conditions for using a shoulder bath or shower, and whether or not to play music. Area 2113 is an area for controlling the display of bathing information corresponding to the bathing effect selected at the top.

[0043] In FIG. 6A , "beautiful skin" is selected as the bathing effect. Also, in FIG. 6A , area 2113 displays information indicating that the bath temperature is lukewarm at 39°C, the bathing time is short at 10 minutes, bath additives should be used if the user has dry skin, and no bath additives should be used if the user has oily skin, and no other settings are specified. Buttons 2114 and 2115 are objects that can be pressed by a user operation, such as clicking. When button 2114 is pressed, the proposal is considered to be rejected, and a notification of the rejection is transmitted to the control device 20. The selection screen for the display content 211 shown in FIG. 5 is again displayed on the terminal device 30. When button 2115 is pressed, the proposal for operation control according to the bathing information is considered to be accepted, and a notification of acceptance is transmitted to the control device 20. In this example, when button 2115 is pressed in Figure 6A, the control device 20 controls the operation of the bathroom 10 in accordance with the bathing information, but this is not limited to this, and it may simply suggest bathing information to the user.

[0044] 6B is a diagram showing a second example of a bathing information suggestion screen in the display content 211 according to the first embodiment. In FIG. 6B, "relaxation" is selected as the bathing effect. Also, in FIG. 6B, the area 2113 displays information that indicates the water temperature is lukewarm at 39°C, the bath time is long at 20 minutes, hot and cold stimuli are alternately dispensed from the shoulder bath, and music is played.

[0045] Returning to Figure 4, effect information 212 is information about the effect the user wants to obtain by bathing in bathroom 10. Effect information 212 indicates, for example, the user's selection results for information about the effect the user wants to obtain from bathing. Effect information 212 includes multiple bathing effects, including the aforementioned "improved sleep," "improved sensitivity to cold," "beautiful skin," "promoted sweating," "relaxation," and "relief from fatigue," as well as information about whether the bathing effect has been selected.

[0046] The bathing condition table 213 shows the correspondence between bathing effects and bathing conditions, which indicate operational control of the bathroom 10 and the actions the user takes while bathing. The bathing condition table 213 will now be described in detail with reference to FIG. 7 . FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the bathing condition table 213 stored in the control device 20 shown in FIG. 1 . As shown in FIG. 7 , the bathing condition table 213 associates bathing information for each of six bathing effects. In this example, the bathing information includes "water temperature," "water volume," "bathing time," "bath additives," "shoulder bath / shower," and "other." "Water temperature" indicates the temperature of the water stored in the bathtub 12. "Water volume" indicates the amount of water stored in the bathtub 12 or the height of the water surface. "Bathing time" indicates the recommended time for the user to soak in the water stored in the bathtub 12. "Bath additives" indicates information regarding whether or not to use bath additives. "Shoulder bath / shower" indicates information about the sequence of discharging hot and cold water from the water discharge device 18. "Other" indicates general content other than the above, including, for example, whether or not to provide a foot bath, recommendations for hydration, recommendations for playing music, air flow control from the blower, air conditioning control in the changing room, lighting brightness control, and mist sauna operation control.

[0047] Returning to Fig. 4, the user information 214 indicates various pieces of information related to the user. The user information 214 includes, for example, the user's name, address, telephone number, ID for using the display content 211, password, nickname, etc. The user information 214 also includes physical information such as the user's date of birth, age, sex, height, weight, build, body fat percentage, BMI (Body Mass Index), and the presence or absence of illness. The user information 214 also includes physical information such as body temperature (skin temperature and core body temperature), heart rate, pulse rate, electrocardiogram waveform, blood flow velocity, brain activity level, and respiratory rate.

[0048] The acquisition unit 220 acquires various information from the user via the terminal device 30, an input device provided in the bathroom 10, or the like. Specifically, the acquisition unit 220 acquires at least one piece of effect information 212 from the terminal device 30, the storage unit 210, or the like. Furthermore, when the acquisition unit 220 proposes bathing conditions to the user, it acquires the user's response to the proposal. Furthermore, the acquisition unit 220 acquires user information 214 from the user via the terminal device 30. Furthermore, the acquisition unit 220 may acquire information about the user's physical condition via the sensors 14a to 14c in the bathroom 10 or the terminal device 30C, or the like. Information about the user's physical condition includes, for example, an electrocardiogram signal, body temperature, pulse rate, blood pressure, and respiratory rate. The user's acquisition unit 220 stores the various acquired information in the storage unit 210.

[0049] The determination unit 230 determines bathing information related to bathing in accordance with at least one piece of effect information 212 acquired by the acquisition unit 220. Specifically, the determination unit 230 first selects a bathing condition from a plurality of predetermined bathing conditions in accordance with the effect information 212 acquired by the acquisition unit 220. Next, the determination unit 230 refers to the effect information 212 and the bathing condition table 213 to determine bathing information included in the bathing condition associated with the bathing effect indicated by the effect information 212. Note that when there are multiple bathing effects indicated by the effect information 212, the determination unit 230 selects the bathing condition associated with each bathing effect.

[0050] The output unit 240 outputs the bathing information determined by the determination unit 230. Specifically, the output unit 240 outputs, for example, the bathing information included in the bathing conditions selected by the determination unit 230 to the terminal device 30 and communicates the information to the user by, for example, displaying the information on a screen in text or outputting audio. The output unit 240 also outputs the display content 211 by controlling its display on the terminal device 30. The output process performed by the output unit 240 is not limited to presenting the information in a form that the user can see, but may also include creating data in a form that the user cannot see. Specifically, the output unit 240 outputs the bathing information determined by the determination unit 230 as data that can be stored in the storage unit 210 and stores it in the storage unit 210. Furthermore, the output unit 240 suggests the bathing information stored in the storage unit 210 to the user. Furthermore, the output unit 240 outputs, for example, information relating to the control of the operation of the bathroom 10, among the bathing information included in the bathing conditions selected by the determination unit 230, to the operation control unit 250. The information relating to the control of the operation is, for example, the items of the bathing information that can be controlled in the bathroom 10 (in this example, the water temperature and amount, shoulder bath, bath time alarm timer, etc.). Note that when outputting the bathing information, the output unit 240 may be configured to be able to execute either output to the operation control unit 250 or output to the terminal device 30, or may be configured to be able to execute both.

[0051] The operation control unit 250 controls the operation of the bathroom 10 according to the bathing information output by the output unit 240. Specifically, the operation control unit 250 controls the operation of the bathroom 10 by generating a control command for controlling the operation of the bathroom 10 from the bathing information or by converting the bathing information into a control command and transmitting the control command to the signal processing device 16 of the bathroom 10.

[0052] <Processing Flow> The functional configuration of the control device 20 has been described above. Next, the processing flow of the bathroom system 1A will be described in detail. Figure 8 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing flow performed by the bathroom system 1A according to the first embodiment.

[0053] (Step SP10) The terminal device 30 acquires effect information 212 from the user. Specifically, the terminal device 30 controls the display of the bathing effect selection screen shown in FIG. 6 among the display content 211. The terminal device 30 accepts the user's input of a bathing effect selection and transmits effect information 212 indicating the bathing effect selected by the user to the control device 20. The terminal device 30 accepts the user's bathing effect selection, for example, several hours to several tens of minutes before the user enters the bathroom 10, when the user enters the bathroom 10, or when the user enters the changing room in front of the bathroom 10. The terminal device 30 also acquires physical information from the user. Note that when acquiring effect information 212 when the user enters the bathroom 10, the terminal device 30 may acquire the user's physical information using sensors 14a-14c of the bathtub 12 or other detection means (not shown) such as cameras or sensors installed in the bathroom. The process then proceeds to step SP12.

[0054] (Step SP12) The terminal device 30 transmits the acquired effect information 212 to the control device 20 via the communication network NT. Then, the process proceeds to step SP14.

[0055] (Step SP14) The control device 20 acquires the effect information 212 from the terminal device 30 via the communication network NT using the acquisition unit 220. The control device 20 stores the acquired effect information 212 in the storage unit 210 using the acquisition unit 220. Then, the process proceeds to step SP16.

[0056] (Step SP16) The control device 20, through the determination unit 230, references the effect information 212 and the bathing condition table 213 stored in the storage unit 210 and selects bathing conditions based on the bathing effect selected by the user and indicated by the effect information 212. Specifically, the control device 20, through the determination unit 230, references the bathing condition table 213 in the storage unit 210 and selects, from among the multiple bathing conditions, the bathing condition associated with the bathing effect. For example, referring to FIG. 5 , if the bathing effect indicated by the effect information 212 is "promoting sweating," the determination unit 230 selects as bathing conditions the set of bathing information in the right column of "promoting sweating" in the bathing condition table 213 (water temperature: 41°C, bathing time: 20 minutes, hydration recommended). Furthermore, if the effect information 212 indicates multiple bathing effects, the determination unit 230 selects all of the bathing conditions associated with each of the multiple bathing effects. Then, the process proceeds to step SP18.

[0057] (Step SP18) The control device 20 transmits the bathing information included in the bathing condition selected by the determination unit 230 to the operation control unit 250 via the output unit 240. The control device 20 also determines, via the operation control unit 250, the content of the operation control of the bathroom 10 from the bathing information transmitted by the output unit 240. Specifically, when the determination unit 230 selects only one bathing condition, the operation control unit 250 determines the content of the operation control of the bathroom 10 so that the bathroom 10 operates in accordance with the bathing information associated with that bathing condition.

[0058] In contrast, when multiple bathing conditions are selected by the determination unit 230, the operation control unit 250 determines the operation control content of the bathroom 10 so that, for example, the bathroom 10 operates according to common bathing information among the bathing information associated with the multiple bathing conditions. Also, when multiple bathing conditions are selected by the determination unit 230, the operation control unit 250 determines the operation control content of the bathroom 10 so that, for example, the bathroom 10 operates while excluding operations according to conflicting bathing information among the bathing information associated with the multiple bathing conditions. An example of control by the operation control unit 250 will be described with reference to Figures 5 and 6C.

[0059] FIG. 6C illustrates a third example of a bathing information suggestion screen in the display content 211 according to the first embodiment. In FIG. 6C , "improved sleep" and "relaxation" are selected as bathing effects. Also, in FIG. 6C , area 2113 displays information indicating a lukewarm water temperature of 39°C, with no other settings. As shown in the bathing condition table 213 in FIG. 5 , the only common bathing information between the bathing information associated with the "improved sleep" bathing effect and the bathing information associated with the "relaxation" bathing effect is "water temperature." Therefore, in FIG. 6C , the operation control unit 250 selects "water temperature" as the bathing information and determines to control the operation of the bathroom 10 so that the water temperature is 39°C. Note that in this example, the operation control unit 250 determines the operation control content of the bathroom 10 so that only the common bathing information among the bathing information associated with multiple bathing conditions is operated, but this is not limited to this. For example, the operation control unit 250 may exclude operations according to conflicting bathing information from among the bathing information associated with multiple bathing conditions, and then control the operation of the bathroom 10 according to the remaining bathing information. For example, if "improved sleep" and "relaxation" are selected as bathing effects, the operation control unit 250 determines control to set the water temperature to 39°C, the bathing time to 20 minutes, use a low-temperature shower after exiting the bath, alternate hot and cold water for the shoulder bath, and play music. The operation control unit 250 also does not control items of bathing information whose operation cannot be controlled by the bathroom 10's mechanisms. Returning to FIG. 8 , the process proceeds to step SP20.

[0060] (Step SP20) The control device 20 transmits the operational control details for bathroom 10 determined by the operation control unit 250 to the terminal device 30 via the communications network NT via the output unit 240, and proposes bathing information to the user. Then, the process proceeds to step SP22.

[0061] (Step SP22) The terminal device 30 proposes the bathing information transmitted from the control device 20 to the user. Specifically, the terminal device 30 proposes the bathing information to the user by controlling the display of a proposal screen in the display content 211 as shown in Figures 6A to 6C on the screen. The terminal device 30 accepts an operational input from the user indicating an answer of acceptance or rejection to the proposed bathing information. Then, the process proceeds to step SP24.

[0062] (Step SP24) The terminal device 30 transmits the user's response to the bathing information suggestion via the communication network NT to the control device 20. Then, the process proceeds to step SP26.

[0063] (Step SP26) The control device 20 determines whether the content of the user's response to the bathing information proposal transmitted from the terminal device 30 indicates acceptance. If the determination indicates a positive judgment, the process proceeds to step SP28. On the other hand, if the determination indicates a negative judgment, the process returns to step SP10, or the series of processes shown in FIG. 8 ends.

[0064] (Step SP28) In control device 20, operation control unit 250 transmits the operation control content determined by operation control unit 250 in the processing of step SP20 as a control command to bathroom 10 via communications network NT. Then, the processing proceeds to processing of step SP30.

[0065] (Step SP30) Bathroom 10 receives the control command sent from control device 20, and uses signal processing device 16 to control the operation of each component of bathroom 10 in accordance with the control command. Then, the series of processing steps shown in Figure 8 ends.

[0066] <Effects> As described above, in the first embodiment, bathroom system 1A includes memory unit 210 that stores multiple pieces of effect information 212 related to effects that the user wants to obtain by bathing in bathroom 10, acquisition unit 220, determination unit 230, and output unit 240. Acquisition unit 220 acquires at least one piece of effect information 212 from the multiple pieces of effect information 212. Determination unit 230 determines bathing information related to bathing in accordance with effect information 212 acquired by acquisition unit 220. Output unit 240 outputs the bathing information determined by determination unit 230. Thus, bathroom system 1A can provide the user with bathing information related to bathing that is suited to the bathing effects that the user desires.

[0067] In the first embodiment, the bathing information is information related to controlling the operation of bathroom 10. Control device 20 further includes an operation control unit 250 that controls the operation of bathroom 10 in accordance with the bathing information output by output unit 240. Therefore, bathroom system 1A controls the operation of bathroom 10 in accordance with the bathing information, and can therefore provide the user with a bath that is suited to the bathing effect of the user.

[0068] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, the acquisition unit 220 acquires multiple pieces of effect information 212. The determination unit 230 determines multiple bathing conditions, each containing multiple pieces of bathing information, based on the multiple pieces of effect information 212. The operation control unit 250 controls the operation of the bathroom 10 so as to perform operation control in accordance with at least one piece of bathing information included in the multiple bathing conditions. Therefore, even when multiple bathing effects are acquired from the user, the bathroom system 1A can provide the user with a bathing experience that is tailored to the bathing effects that are appropriate for the user.

[0069] In the first embodiment, the operation control unit 250 controls the operation of the bathroom 10 so as to perform common operation control among operation controls indicated by the bathing information included in the multiple bathing conditions. Therefore, when multiple bathing effects are acquired from the user, the bathroom system 1A can provide the user with a bathing experience that achieves multiple effects.

[0070] In the first embodiment, the operation control unit 250 controls the operation of the bathroom 10 so as to exclude conflicting operation controls from among the operation controls indicated by the bathing information included in the multiple bathing conditions. Therefore, when multiple bathing effects are acquired from the user, the bathroom system 1A can prevent the effects achieved by the operation controls from canceling each other out, thereby providing the user with a bathing experience that achieves multiple effects with greater accuracy.

[0071] In the first embodiment, the output unit 240 also suggests bathing information to the user. Therefore, the bathroom system 1A can suggest bathing information to the user in accordance with bathing effects that are suitable for the user.

[0072] In the first embodiment, the bathing information is information related to controlling the operation of bathroom 10. Acquisition unit 220 acquires a response to the proposal from the user. Control device 20 includes operation control unit 250 that controls the operation of bathroom 10 in accordance with the accepted bathing information when the response acquired by acquisition unit 220 indicates acceptance of the proposal. Therefore, bathroom system 1A can provide the user with a bathing experience that is suited to the user's bathing needs, taking into account the user's preferences.

[0073] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, the acquisition unit 220 is capable of communicating with the terminal device 30 operated by the user and acquires effect information 212 from the user via the terminal device 30. The bathing information is information related to controlling the operation of the bathroom 10. The output unit 240 is capable of communicating with the bathroom 10 and transmits the bathing information, including control commands for the operation of the bathroom 10, to the bathroom 10. Therefore, the bathroom system 1A can provide bathing information related to bathing that is in line with the bathing effects that are appropriate for the user, even if the terminal device 30 and the bathroom 10 are located at separate locations or even if the bathroom 10 and the terminal device 30 do not have the functional components of the control device 20.

[0074] Second Embodiment Next, a second embodiment will be described. In the second embodiment, the bathroom system 1A determines bathing information based on the user's physical information in addition to the effect information 212. The functional configuration of the control device 20 according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 4. The operation control unit 250 is the same as in the first embodiment, and therefore its description will be omitted.

[0075] <Functional Configuration> In the second embodiment, the acquisition unit 220 acquires at least one piece of effect information 212 and physical information from the terminal device 30, the storage unit 210, or the like. Specifically, the acquisition unit 220 acquires physical information from the terminal devices 30A-30C, for example, before the user takes a bath. The acquisition unit 220 also acquires physical information from the sensors 14a-14c in the bathroom 10 and the terminal device 30A, for example, while the user is taking a bath. The acquisition unit 220 stores the acquired physical information in the storage unit 210. The bathroom system 1A also includes a detection unit for acquiring the user's physical information. The detection unit is, for example, the sensors 14a-14c provided in the bathroom 10. The detection unit is, for example, sensors for detecting biological information provided in the terminal devices 30B and 30C.

[0076] The acquisition unit 220 also acquires information relating to the state of the bathroom 10 and operational control from the memory unit 210, the bathroom 10, etc. Information relating to the state of the bathroom 10 and operational control is stored, for example, in the memory unit 210 or the terminal device 30. Information relating to the state of the bathroom 10 is, for example, the temperature and volume of hot water stored in the bathtub 12. Information relating to the operational control of the bathroom 10 is, for example, the set values ​​for the temperature and volume of hot water stored in the bathtub 12, and the set values ​​for the flow rate of hot water discharged from the bathtub water outlet 19a, the water outlet 18a, etc.

[0077] The acquisition unit 220 also acquires environmental information from the terminal device 30, the storage unit 210, etc. The environmental information includes, for example, location information, such as the latitude and longitude, address, and country of the location where the bathroom 10 is located, meteorological information, such as the temperature, humidity, and weather at the location, and time information, such as the current time, date, and season at the location. The environmental information is stored, for example, in the storage unit 210 or the terminal device 30.

[0078] The determination unit 230 determines bathing information related to bathing in accordance with the effect information 212 and physical information acquired by the acquisition unit 220. Specifically, as in the first embodiment, the determination unit 230 first selects a bathing condition from a plurality of predetermined bathing conditions in accordance with the effect information 212 acquired by the acquisition unit 220. Next, the determination unit 230 refers to the effect information 212 and the bathing condition table 213, and extracts bathing information included in the bathing condition associated with the bathing effect indicated by the effect information 212. Furthermore, the determination unit 230 performs processing to change or maintain the extracted bathing information in accordance with the physical information acquired by the acquisition unit 220, and determines the information after the processing as the bathing information.

[0079] Here, a specific example of the process by which the determination unit 230 changes or maintains the bathing information in accordance with the physical information will be described. The determination unit 230 determines whether the values ​​of items included in the user's physical information, such as body temperature (skin temperature and core body temperature), heart rate, pulse rate, electrocardiogram waveform (amplitude and frequency), blood flow velocity, and brain activity level, are within a range from an upper limit to a lower limit set for each item. When a value of each item of physical information exceeds its associated upper limit, the user's physical state is indicated as being active. On the other hand, when a value of each item of physical information is below its associated lower limit, the user's physical state is indicated as being at rest. Furthermore, when a value of each item of physical information falls within the range between its associated upper and lower limits, the user's physical state is indicated as being neither active nor at rest, but normal. Note that when a value of each item of physical information exceeds its associated upper limit, the user's physical state is indicated as being at rest, and when a value of each item of physical information is below its associated lower limit, the user's physical state is indicated as being active. Furthermore, for each item of physical information, only either an upper limit or a lower limit may be set.

[0080] The determination unit 230 determines that the user's physical condition is normal when the majority of the physical information items indicate a normal physical condition. Furthermore, the determination unit 230 determines that the user's physical condition is active when the majority of the physical information items indicate an active physical condition. Furthermore, the determination unit 230 determines that the user's physical condition is at rest when the majority of the physical information items indicate a resting physical condition. Subsequently, if the user's physical condition is normal, the determination unit 230 performs a process to maintain the bathing information. Furthermore, if the user's physical condition is active or at rest, the determination unit 230 performs a process to change the bathing information.

[0081] If the decision unit 230 determines that the user's physical state is active, it changes the bathing information so that the user's physical state will be brought to a normal or restful state through bathing. Specifically, if the decision unit 230 determines that the user's physical state is active, it performs change processing on the bathing information, such as lowering the water temperature, shortening the bathing time, and adding a cold stimulus by the water discharge device 18 after bathing. In contrast, if the decision unit 230 determines that the user's physical state is resting, it changes the bathing information so that the user's physical state will be brought to a normal or active state through bathing. Specifically, if the decision unit 230 determines that the user's physical state is resting, it performs change processing on the bathing information, such as raising the water temperature, lengthening the bathing time, adding a low-temperature shower after exiting the bath, and adding a warm stimulus by the water discharge device 18 during bathing.

[0082] Here, a specific method for determining or updating bathing information for each bathing effect will be described. As in the first embodiment, there are six types of bathing effects: "improvement of sleep," "improvement of sensitivity to cold," "beautiful skin," "promotion of sweating," "relaxation," and "relief from fatigue." First, a case where the acquisition unit 220 acquires physical information before the user takes a bath will be described.

[0083] If the decision unit 230 determines that the bathing effect is "sleep improvement" and that the user's physical condition before bathing is active, it changes the bathing information to shorten the bathing time and start bathing two hours before the scheduled bedtime. If the decision unit 230 determines that the bathing effect is "sleep improvement" and that the user's physical condition before bathing is restful, it changes the bathing information to lengthen the bathing time and start bathing two and a half hours before the scheduled bedtime. Furthermore, if the decision unit 230 cannot output the bathing effect one and a half hours before the scheduled bedtime, it changes the bathing information to take a low-temperature shower.

[0084] If the determination unit 230 determines that the bathing effect is "improvement of sensitivity to cold" and that the user's physical condition before bathing is active, it determines bathing information to lower the water temperature and shorten the bathing time. If the determination unit 230 cannot lower the water temperature, it changes the bathing information to bathe the whole body for 5 minutes and bathe only the legs for an additional 15 minutes. If the determination unit 230 determines that the bathing effect is "improvement of sensitivity to cold" and that the user's physical condition before bathing is quiet, it changes the bathing information to lengthen the bathing time.

[0085] When the determining unit 230 determines that the bathing effect is "beautiful skin" and that the user's physical condition before bathing is active, it changes the bathing information to lower the water temperature. When the determining unit 230 determines that the bathing effect is "beautiful skin" and that the user's physical condition before bathing is quiet, it changes the bathing information to slightly raise the water temperature.

[0086] If the decision unit 230 determines that the bathing effect is "promoting sweating" and that the user's physical condition before bathing is active, it changes the bathing information to lower the water temperature and shorten the bathing time. If the decision unit 230 determines that the bathing effect is "promoting sweating" and that the user's physical condition before bathing is quiet, it changes the bathing information to raise the water temperature and lengthen the bathing time. If the decision unit 230 cannot raise the water temperature, it changes the bathing information to further lengthen the bathing time.

[0087] In the second embodiment, when the bathing effect is "relaxation" or "relief from fatigue," the determination unit 230 determines bathing information regardless of the user's physical information before bathing.

[0088] Next, a case where the acquisition unit 220 acquires physical information while the user is taking a bath will be described.

[0089] If the determination unit 230 determines that the bathing effect is "sleep improvement" and that the user's physical state during the bath is active, it calculates the remaining time until the user's planned bedtime based on the user's planned bedtime and the current time or the bathing duration (number of minutes elapsed since the start of bathing). If the remaining time until the planned bedtime is equal to or greater than a predetermined time, the determination unit 230 changes the bathing information to provide a cold stimulus to the user bathing from the water outlet 18a, bathtub water outlet 19a, etc. In contrast, if the remaining time until the planned bedtime is less than a predetermined time, the determination unit 230 changes the bathing information to provide a cold stimulus to the user bathing from the water outlet 18a, bathtub water outlet 19a, etc. while notifying the user to exit the bath. Furthermore, if the bathing effect is "sleep improvement" and the user's physical state during the bath is restful, it calculates the remaining time until the user bathes based on the user's planned bedtime and the current time or the bathing duration (number of minutes elapsed since the start of bathing). The determination unit 230 maintains the bathing information unchanged if the remaining time until the scheduled bedtime is equal to or greater than the predetermined time. On the other hand, if the remaining time until the scheduled bedtime is less than the predetermined time, the determination unit 230 changes the bathing information so that a thermal stimulus is given to the bathing user from the water outlet 18a, the bathtub water outlet 19a, etc., while a bathing notification is given.

[0090] If the decision unit 230 determines that the bathing effect is "improvement of sensitivity to cold" and that the user's physical condition during bathing is active, it changes the bathing information to provide a cold stimulus to the bathing user from the water outlet 18a, bathtub water outlet 19a, etc. Furthermore, if the decision unit 230 detects via sensors 14a-14c in the bathroom 10 that the user has left the bathtub 12, it changes the bathing information to prevent or stop the provision of a cold stimulus. It determines the bathing information to lower the water temperature and shorten the bathing time. Furthermore, if the decision unit 230 determines that the bathing effect is "improvement of sensitivity to cold" and that the user's physical condition during bathing is at rest, it changes the bathing information to provide a warm stimulus to the bathing user from the water outlet 18a, bathtub water outlet 19a, etc., and to display the bathing time.

[0091] When the determination unit 230 determines that the bathing effect is "beautiful skin" and that the user's physical condition during bathing is active, it applies a cold stimulus to the user during bathing from the water outlet 18a, the bathtub water outlet 19a, etc., and changes the bathing information to display the bathing time. When the determination unit 230 determines that the bathing effect is "beautiful skin" and that the user's physical condition during bathing is quiet, it changes the bathing information to display the bathing time.

[0092] If the determination unit 230 determines that the bathing effect is "sweating promotion" and that the user's physical state during bathing is active, it changes the bathing information to display the bathing time. Also, if the determination unit 230 determines that the bathing effect is "sweating promotion" and that the user's physical state during bathing is quiet, it changes the bathing information to provide a thermal stimulus to the user during bathing from the water outlet 18a, bathtub water outlet 19a, etc., and display the bathing time.

[0093] In the second embodiment, when the bathing effect is "relaxation" or "relief from fatigue," the determination unit 230 determines the bathing information regardless of the user's physical information during bathing. Note that when the bathing effect is "relaxation" or "relief from fatigue," the determination unit 230 may change the bathing information depending on the physical information before or during bathing.

[0094] In the second embodiment, the determination unit 230 determines the bathing information by determining whether the physical information acquired by the acquisition unit 220 satisfies a predetermined condition, but this is not limiting. For example, the determination unit 230 may substitute the effect information 212 and the physical information into a predetermined calculation formula or calculation model and determine the calculation result of the calculation formula or calculation model as the bathing information. The calculation formula is, for example, a function such as a monomial or polynomial. The calculation model is, for example, a learning model used in AI (Artificial Intelligence). Furthermore, when the determination unit 230 determines the bathing information using a calculation formula or calculation model, the determination unit 230 may update the calculation formula or calculation model based on physical information acquired before or during the user's bath and physical information acquired after the user's bath.

[0095] Furthermore, the determination unit 230 may determine bathing information based on information related to the state or operation control of the bathroom 10 in addition to the physical information. For example, if the temperature or volume of hot water already stored in the bathtub 12 is higher or greater than the temperature or volume indicated by the bathing information determined based on the bathing effect and physical information, the determination unit 230 may shorten the bathing time or add a cold stimulus by the water discharge device 18 after bathing. For example, if the temperature or volume of hot water already stored in the bathtub 12 is lower or less than the temperature or volume indicated by the bathing information determined based on the bathing effect and physical information, the determination unit 230 may lengthen the bathing time or add a warm stimulus by the water discharge device 18 after bathing.

[0096] The determination unit 230 may determine the bathing information based on environmental information in addition to physical information. For example, the determination unit 230 refers to the temperature of the location where the bathroom 10 is located in the environmental information, and if the temperature is higher than a predetermined upper limit, changes the bathing information to promote the user's physical state to be more restful. Furthermore, for example, if the temperature indicated by the environmental information is lower than a predetermined lower limit, the determination unit 230 changes the bathing information to promote the user's physical state to be more active.

[0097] The determination unit 230 may also determine the climate zone of the location where the bathroom 10 is located from the location information indicated by the environmental information, and determine the bathing information according to the climate zone. For example, if the location where the bathroom 10 is located is a tropical zone, the determination unit 230 may estimate that the temperature of the location is high and change the bathing information in a direction that promotes the user's physical state to be more restful. For example, if the location where the bathroom 10 is located is a cold zone, the determination unit 230 may estimate that the temperature of the location is low and change the bathing information in a direction that promotes the user's physical state to be more active. For example, if the location where the bathroom 10 is located is a dry zone, the determination unit 230 may estimate that the humidity of the location is low and increase the frequency of recommending the use of bath additives or lower the standard.

[0098] The determination unit 230 may also determine the bathing information according to information related to the time indicated by the environmental information. For example, if it is late at night in winter in the location where the bathroom 10 is located, the determination unit 230 estimates that the temperature in the location is low and changes the bathing information in a direction that promotes the user's physical state to be active. For example, if it is midday in summer in the location where the bathroom 10 is located, the determination unit 230 estimates that the temperature in the location is high and changes the bathing information in a direction that promotes the user's physical state to be restful.

[0099] When the direction of the change in the bathing information is consistent, such as when the physical information indicates rest and the environmental information indicates that the temperature is higher than the upper limit, the decision unit 230 changes the bathing information by adding the change amount of the value based on the physical information to the change amount of the value based on the environmental information. Furthermore, when the direction of the change in the bathing information is contradictory, such as when the physical information indicates rest and the environmental information indicates that the temperature is higher than the upper limit, the decision unit 230 changes the bathing information by the difference between the change amount of the value based on the physical information and the change amount of the value based on the environmental information. The decision unit 230 may change the bathing information by multiplying the change amount by an increase or decrease rate, rather than by adding or subtracting the change amount.

[0100] The output unit 240 outputs the bathing information determined by the determination unit 230. Specifically, the output unit 240 outputs information related to the control of the operation of the bathroom 10, from among the bathing information included in the bathing conditions selected by the determination unit 230, to the operation control unit 250, as in the first embodiment. Furthermore, the output unit 240 outputs the bathing information by controlling the display content 211 to be displayed on the terminal device 30 before or during the user's bathing. Here, a proposal screen for the display content 211 in the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 10A to 10C. FIG. 10A is a diagram showing a first example of a proposal screen for bathing information in the display content 211 according to the second embodiment.

[0101] In Fig. 10A , the user's physical information is acquired before the user takes a bath. Furthermore, the display control of the proposal screen of the display content 211 in Fig. 10A is performed on the terminal device 30 before the user takes a bath. As shown in Fig. 10A , the proposal screen of the display content 211 includes, for example, an area 2116 that displays bathing advice for the user, buttons 2117 and 2118, and various texts. The proposal screen shown in Fig. 10A is displayed on the terminal device 30 after the bathing information is determined or updated by the determination unit 230.

[0102] In FIG. 10A , the terminal device 30 displays that "improved sleep" has been selected as the bathing effect and that the user's body temperature before bathing was 36.7°C. Also in FIG. 10A , area 2116 displays bathing advice, such as avoiding long baths due to high body temperature and limiting bath time to 10 minutes, and aiming to exit the bath within 1 hour and 30 minutes of going to bed and heading to the bathroom 10 2 hours and 30 minutes before going to bed. Buttons 2117 and 2118 are objects that can be pressed by a user operation, such as clicking. Pressing button 2117 displays the screen immediately before the proposal screen of the display content 211 shown in FIG. 10A . Pressing button 2118 indicates acceptance of the advice indicated by the bathing information, and the acceptance is transmitted to the control device 20, or a screen corresponding to the top page of the display content 211 is simply displayed.

[0103] FIG. 10B is a diagram showing a second example of a bathing information suggestion screen in the display content 211 according to the second embodiment. In FIG. 10B , the user's physical information is acquired while the user is bathing. The suggestion screen of the display content 211 in FIG. 10B is displayed and controlled on the terminal device 30 while the user is bathing. In FIG. 10B , the terminal device 30 displays information indicating that "improved sleep" has been selected as the bathing effect and that the user's current body temperature during bathing is 37.2°C. In FIG. 10B , the terminal device 30 also displays, in an area 2116, bathing advice such as continuing the bath due to low body temperature, exiting the bath after 15 minutes based on the rate of body temperature increase, and taking a low-temperature shower after exiting the bath depending on the scheduled time of exiting the bath.

[0104] FIG. 10C is a diagram showing a third example of a bathing information suggestion screen in the display content 211 according to the second embodiment. In FIG. 10C, the user's physical information and the bathroom 10's environmental information are acquired before the user bathes. The suggestion screen of the display content 211 in FIG. 10C is displayed and controlled on the terminal device 30 before the user bathes. In FIG. 10C, the terminal device 30 displays information indicating that "improved sleep" has been selected as the bathing effect, that the user's current body temperature before bathing is 36.5°C, that the current air temperature is 5.3°C, and that the current bath water temperature is 37.0°C. In FIG. 10C, the terminal device 30 displays information in area 2116 about bathing advice, such as taking a longer bath due to the low air temperature, that the body temperature is normal, and that taking the current water temperature into account, taking the air temperature into account, the bath should last for 20 minutes or more.

[0105] <Processing Sequence> The functional configuration of the control device 20 in the second embodiment has been described above. Next, the processing sequence of the bathroom system 1A will be described in detail. FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing sequence performed by the bathroom system 1A in the second embodiment. Note that FIG. 11 describes the case where bathing information is determined and output when the user is taking a bath. Note that when bathing information is determined before the user takes a bath, the processing sequence up to step SP18 in FIG. 8 is the same as in the first embodiment, and then the bathing information is simply updated according to the physical information, so a description of this process will be omitted.

[0106] (Step SP50) Terminal device 30 acquires physical information from the user. Specifically, terminal device 30 acquires the user's physical information using sensors 14a-14c in bathtub 12 and other detection means (not shown) such as cameras or sensors installed in the bathroom. It is assumed that the bathing effect is selected by the user before bathing and stored as effect information 212 in the storage means of control device 20, and that the bathing conditions selected in accordance with effect information 212 are also stored in storage unit 210. Then, processing proceeds to step SP52.

[0107] (Step SP52) Terminal device 30 acquires environmental information related to the location where bathroom 10 is located. Specifically, terminal device 30 measures the temperature, humidity, air pressure, and other parameters within bathroom 10 using measuring instruments such as a thermometer, hygrometer, and barometer installed in bathtub 12, and acquires the measurement results as environmental information. Terminal device 30 also acquires information pre-stored in terminal device 30, such as the address, country, and time of the location where bathroom 10 is located, as environmental information. Then, processing proceeds to step SP54.

[0108] (Step SP54) The terminal device 30 transmits the acquired physical information and environmental information to the control device 20 via the communication network NT. Then, the process proceeds to step SP56.

[0109] (Step SP56) The control device 20 acquires the physical information and environmental information acquired by the terminal device 30 via the communication network NT using the acquisition unit 220. The control device 20 stores the acquired physical information and environmental information in the storage unit 210 using the acquisition unit 220. Then, the process proceeds to step SP58.

[0110] (Step SP58) The control device 20, using the decision unit 230, references the storage unit 210 and acquires the bathing effect selected by the user and the current bathing information. Next, the control device 20, using the decision unit 230, updates the acquired bathing information based on the effect information 212 stored in the storage unit 210, the current physical information, and the environmental information. The control device 20, using the decision unit 230, references the physical information and determines whether the user's physical condition is active, resting, or normal. The control device 20, using the decision unit 230, updates the bathing information in accordance with the determination result, the bathing effect selected by the user, and the environmental information. Then, the process proceeds to step SP60.

[0111] (Step SP60) The control device 20 transmits the bathing information updated by the determination unit 230 to the terminal device 30 via the communication network NT via the output unit 240, and presents the bathing information to the user. Then, the process proceeds to steps SP62 and SP64.

[0112] (Step SP62) The terminal device 30 presents the bathing information transmitted from the control device 20 to the user. Specifically, the terminal device 30 presents the bathing information to the user by controlling the display of a proposal screen in the display content 211 such as those shown in Figures 10A to 10C on the screen.

[0113] (Step SP64) The control device 20 uses the operation control unit 250 to update the operation control content of the bathroom 10 in accordance with the bathing information updated by the decision unit 230. Next, the control device 20 transmits the operation control content updated by the operation control unit 250 as a control command to the bathroom 10 via the communications network NT. Then, the process proceeds to the processing of steps SP66 and SP68.

[0114] (Step SP66) Bathroom 10 receives the control command sent from control device 20, and uses signal processing device 16 to control the operation of each component of bathroom 10 in accordance with the control command.

[0115] (Step SP68) The control device 20 determines, via the acquisition unit 220, whether or not the user has finished bathing. Specifically, the control device 20 determines, via the acquisition unit 220, whether or not the user has finished bathing based on detection by the sensors 14a-14c in the bathroom 10, detection by a hot water volume sensor (not shown) provided in the bathroom 10, input by the user to the terminal device 30, etc. If the determination is negative, the process proceeds to step SP70. On the other hand, if the determination is positive, the series of processes shown in FIG. 11 ends.

[0116] (Step SP70) The control device 20, using the operation control unit 250, determines whether a predetermined period of time has elapsed since the acquisition unit 220 last acquired physical information or environmental information. If the determination indicates a positive determination, the process returns to the process of step SP50. On the other hand, if the determination indicates a negative determination, the process returns to the process of step SP68.

[0117] <Effects> As described above, in the second embodiment, bathroom system 1A includes memory unit 210, acquisition unit 220, determination unit 230, and output unit 240, which store multiple pieces of effect information 212 related to the effects the user wants to obtain from bathing in bathroom 10 and physical information related to the user's body. Acquisition unit 220 acquires at least one piece of effect information 212 from the multiple pieces of effect information 212 and the physical information. Determination unit 230 determines bathing information related to bathing based on effect information 212 and the physical information acquired by acquisition unit 220. Output unit 240 outputs the bathing information determined by determination unit 230. Therefore, bathroom system 1A can provide information about bathing that is tailored to the effects suitable for the user.

[0118] In the second embodiment, the determination unit 230 substitutes the effect information 212 and the physical information into a predetermined calculation formula or calculation model, and determines the calculation result of the calculation formula or calculation model as the bathing information. Therefore, even if the bathing information is not previously associated with the effect information 212 and the physical information, the bathroom system 1A can determine the bathing information using the calculation formula or calculation model, and can provide information about bathing that is tailored to the effects suitable for the user.

[0119] In the second embodiment, the acquisition unit 220 acquires physical information about the user before, during, and after bathing. The determination unit 230 updates the calculation formula or calculation model based on the physical information acquired before, during, and after bathing. Therefore, the bathroom system 1A updates the calculation formula or calculation model based on the user's physical information before and after bathing. The more the user bathes, the more accurately it can provide information about bathing that matches the user's desired effects.

[0120] In the second embodiment, the acquisition unit 220 acquires information relating to the control of the state or operation of the bathroom 10. The determination unit 230 determines bathing information based on the information relating to the control of the state or operation of the bathroom 10, the effect information, and the physical information acquired by the acquisition unit 220. Therefore, the bathroom system 1A controls the operation of the bathroom 10 according to the bathing information, and can therefore provide the user with a bathing experience that is suited to the bathing effect of the user.

[0121] In the second embodiment, the acquisition unit 220 acquires environmental information about the environment in which the bathroom 10 is located. The determination unit 230 determines the bathing information based on the environmental information, effect information, and physical information acquired by the acquisition unit 220. Therefore, the bathroom system 1A takes into account the environment in which the bathroom 10 is located, and can provide the user with a bathing experience that is in line with the environment of the bathroom 10 and the bathing effects that are appropriate for the user.

[0122] In the second embodiment, the bathroom system 1A further includes a detector that detects physical information. The acquisition unit 220 acquires the physical information from input by the user and the detection results of the detector before or during the user's bathing. Therefore, the bathroom system 1A detects the user's physical information in a timely manner, thereby providing the user with a bathing experience that is tailored to the user's bathing needs.

[0123] In the second embodiment, the bathing information is information related to controlling the operation of bathroom 10. Bathroom system 1A also includes an operation control unit 250 that controls the operation of bathroom 10 in accordance with the bathing information output by output unit 240. Therefore, bathroom system 1A controls the operation of bathroom 10 in accordance with the bathing information, and can therefore provide the user with a bathing experience that is tailored to the bathing effect that is appropriate for the user.

[0124] In the second embodiment, the output unit 240 proposes bathing information to the user. Therefore, the bathroom system 1A can propose bathing information to the user in accordance with bathing effects that are suitable for the user.

[0125] Third Embodiment Next, a third embodiment will be described. In the third embodiment, the bathroom system 1A determines a bathing plan for the user's future multiple bathing sessions based on the effect information 212. The functional configuration of the control device 20 according to the third embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 4. Note that the output unit 240 and the operation control unit 250 are similar to those in the first or second embodiment, and therefore will not be described here.

[0126] <Functional Configuration> In the third embodiment, the acquisition unit 220 acquires at least one piece of effect information 212 from the terminal device 30, the storage unit 210, or the like. The acquisition unit 220 also acquires physical information and body information of the user from the terminal device 30, the storage unit 210, or the like. Specifically, the acquisition unit 220 acquires physical information from the user information 214 in the storage unit 210, for example, before the user takes a bath. The acquisition unit 220 also acquires body information from the user information 214 in the storage unit 210, for example, before or after taking a bath. The acquisition unit 220 also acquires body information from the sensors 14a to 14c in the bathroom 10 and the terminal device 30A, for example, during bathing. The acquisition unit 220 stores the acquired physical information and body information in the storage unit 210. The acquisition unit 220 also acquires environmental information from the terminal device 30, the storage unit 210, or the like. After the bathing session, the acquisition unit 220 acquires an evaluation of the bathing session from the user via the terminal device 30 or the like.

[0127] Physical information is information about the user's body that is predetermined as information that is unlikely to change with each bath, and as described above, includes, for example, the user's date of birth, age, sex, height, weight, build, body fat percentage, BMI, presence or absence of illness, etc. In contrast, physical information is information about the user's body that is predetermined as information that may change with each bath, and as described above, includes, for example, body temperature (skin temperature and core body temperature), heart rate and pulse rate, electrocardiogram waveform, blood flow velocity, brain activity level, respiratory rate, etc.

[0128] The determination unit 230 determines a bathing plan based on the effect information 212 acquired by the acquisition unit 220. The bathing plan is information about the user's future bathing trips, e.g., information indicating bathing information for each day during a specified period. The bathing plan is stored in the storage unit 210 for each bathing effect. Here, the bathing plan will be described with reference to FIG. 12A . FIG. 12A is a diagram showing a first example of a bathing plan stored by the control device 20 according to the third embodiment. The bathing plan in FIG. 12A is assumed to represent a plan in which the bathing effect indicated by the effect information 212 is "promoting sweating." As shown in FIG. 12A , the bathing plan includes a number of days indicating which day in the specified period corresponds to the bathing plan, and bathing information associated with the number of days. In FIG. 12A , the bathing information includes information regarding "water temperature," "bathing time," and "thermal stimulation." The "thermal stimulation" is information indicating whether or not warm water will be discharged from the water discharger 18, the water intake 19, or the like.

[0129] In FIG. 12A , for example, the bathing plan is associated with bathing information for the first day, "Day 1," in which the "bath temperature" is 38°C, the "bathing time" is 13 minutes, and no "thermal stimulation." Also, in FIG. 12A , for example, the bathing plan is associated with bathing information for the fourth day, in which the "bathing temperature" is 40°C, the "bathing time" is 13 minutes, and no "thermal stimulation." Also, in FIG. 12A , for example, the bathing plan is associated with bathing information for the seventh day, the final day, in which the "bathing temperature" is 41°C, the "bathing time" is 15 minutes, and "thermal stimulation" is present. As shown in FIG. 12A , the bathing plan is configured so that when the bathing effect is "promoting sweating," the bathing information gradually increases in water temperature and lengthens in bathing time.

[0130] Returning to FIG. 4 , the determination unit 230 may determine a bathing plan based on environmental information in addition to the effect information 212 acquired by the acquisition unit 220. Specifically, the determination unit 230 determines a bathing plan so that bathing information such as "water temperature," "bathing time," and "thermal stimulation" vary depending on time-related information, such as the current time, date, and season, of the location where the bathroom 10 is located, as indicated by the environmental information. Here, another example of a bathing plan will be described with reference to FIGS. 12A and 12B . FIG. 12B is a diagram showing a second example of a bathing plan stored by the control device 20 according to the third embodiment. Note that the bathing plan in FIG. 12A is a bathing plan for a case where the time-related information included in the environmental information indicates that the bathroom 10 is located in Japan and the date indicates "summer," such as August. Furthermore, the bathing plan in FIG. 12B is a bathing plan for a case where the time-related information included in the environmental information indicates that the bathroom 10 is located in Japan and the date indicates "winter," such as December.

[0131] 12B , for example, the bathing plan is associated with bathing information for the first day, "Day 1," in which the "bath temperature" is 39°C, the "bath time" is 15 minutes, and "thermal stimulation" is not performed. Also, in FIG. 12B , for example, the bathing plan is associated with bathing information for the fourth day, in which the "bath temperature" is 41°C, the "bath time" is 15 minutes, and "thermal stimulation" is performed. Also, in FIG. 12B , for example, the bathing plan is associated with bathing information for the seventh day, the final day, in which the "bath temperature" is 42°C, the "bath time" is 18 minutes, and "thermal stimulation" is performed. As shown in FIGS. 12A and 12B , the bathing plan is set so that the water temperature is higher, the day thermal stimulation begins is later, and the bathing time is longer when the information regarding the time indicated by the environmental information indicates "winter" than when the information indicates "summer."

[0132] Returning to FIG. 4 , the determination unit 230 determines a bathing plan based on physical information in addition to the effect information 212 acquired by the acquisition unit 220. The determination of a bathing plan based on physical information by the determination unit 230 will be described with reference to FIG. 13 . FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of conditions under which the control device 20 according to the third embodiment changes control based on the user's physical information. As shown in FIG. 13 , the determination unit 230 determines the operation mode so as to determine either the first mode or the second mode based on the user's physical information. As shown in FIG. 13 , the determination unit 230 determines the operation mode to be the first mode if the user is male, has a high height or BMI, has a high (or high) weight, build, or body fat percentage, or is 18 years or older but younger than 40 years old. Furthermore, the determination unit 230 determines the operation mode to be the second mode if the user is female, has a low height or BMI, has a low (or low) weight, build, or body fat percentage, or is younger than 18 years old or 40 years or older. When the conditions indicated by the physical information apply to both the first mode and the second mode, the determining unit 230 determines the operation mode to be the condition that applies to the greatest number of items.

[0133] The determination unit 230 determines a bathing plan according to the determined operating mode. Here, the determination of a bathing plan according to an operating mode will be described with reference to FIGS. 14A and 14B . FIG. 14A is a diagram showing a third example of a bathing plan stored by the control device 20 according to the third embodiment. FIG. 14B is a diagram showing a fourth example of a bathing plan stored by the control device 20 according to the third embodiment. The bathing plan in FIG. 14A is a bathing plan used when the bathing effect indicated by the effect information 212 is "sweating promotion" and the determination unit 230 operates in the first mode. The bathing plan in FIG. 14B is a bathing plan used when the bathing effect indicated by the effect information 212 is "sweating promotion" and the determination unit 230 operates in the second mode.

[0134] 14A, for example, the bathing plan is associated with bathing information for the first day, "Day 1," in which the "bath temperature" is 39°C, the "bath duration" is 15 minutes, and there is no "thermal stimulation." Also, in FIG. 14A, for example, the bathing plan is associated with bathing information for the last day, "Day 7," in which the "bath temperature" is 42°C, the "bath duration" is 18 minutes, and there is a "thermal stimulation."

[0135] In contrast, in Fig. 14B, the bathing plan is associated with bathing information such that the "bath temperature" is 38°C, the "bathing time" is 13 minutes, and there is no "thermal stimulation" for the first day, "Day 1." Also, in Fig. 14B, the bathing plan is associated with bathing information such that the "bath temperature" is 41°C, the "bathing time" is 15 minutes, and there is a "thermal stimulation" for the last day, "Day 7." As shown in Figs. 14 and 14B, when operating in the first mode, the determination unit 230 determines a bathing plan so that the water temperature is higher and the bathing time is longer than when operating in the second mode.

[0136] 4, the determination unit 230 may determine the bathing plan based on the physical information in addition to the effect information 212 acquired by the acquisition unit 220. When determining the bathing plan, the determination unit 230 determines the bathing information for that day based on the physical information in the same manner as described in the second embodiment, and also performs processing to change or maintain the bathing plan for the following days in the same manner.

[0137] Furthermore, the determination unit 230 may update the bathing plan after each day's bathing in accordance with the user's evaluation of the bathing session acquired by the acquisition unit 220. For example, if the evaluation acquired from the user indicates that the bathing was too hot or painful, the determination unit 230 updates the bathing plan to lower the water temperature in the bathing information for the following day and thereafter by a predetermined value or percentage. For example, if the evaluation acquired from the user indicates that the bathing was not satisfying, the determination unit 230 updates the bathing plan to raise the water temperature in the bathing information for the following day and thereafter by a predetermined value or percentage, or to lengthen the bathing time. Note that the determination unit 230 may change the bathing plan by switching the operating mode in accordance with the bathing evaluation acquired from the user.

[0138] <Processing Sequence> The functional configuration of the control device 20 in the third embodiment has been described above. Next, the processing sequence of the bathroom system 1A will be described in detail. FIG. 15 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing sequence performed by the bathroom system 1A in the third embodiment. Note that FIG. 15 describes the case where a bathing plan is determined and output when the user is taking a bath. Note that when a bathing plan is determined before the user takes a bath, the processing sequence is the same as in the first embodiment up to step SP12 in FIG. 8, where effect information 212 is acquired, and then the processing continues to step SP100, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted.

[0139] (Step SP100) Terminal device 30 acquires physical information from the user. Specifically, terminal device 30 acquires the user's physical information using sensors 14a-14c in bathtub 12 and other detection means (not shown) such as cameras or sensors installed in the bathroom. It is assumed that the bathing effect is selected by the user before bathing and stored as effect information 212 in the storage means of control device 20, and that the bathing conditions selected in accordance with effect information 212 are also stored in storage unit 210. Then, processing proceeds to step SP102.

[0140] (Step SP102) The terminal device 30 acquires physical information about the user. Specifically, the terminal device 30 accepts operational input related to physical information from the user and acquires the physical information from the input content. Note that the terminal device 30 may acquire the physical information by referencing the physical information of the user that is pre-stored in the terminal device 30. Then, the process proceeds to step SP104.

[0141] (Step SP104) Terminal device 30 acquires environmental information related to the location where bathroom 10 is located. Specifically, terminal device 30 measures the temperature, humidity, air pressure, and other parameters within bathroom 10 using measuring instruments such as a thermometer, hygrometer, and barometer installed in bathtub 12, and acquires the measurement results as environmental information. Terminal device 30 also acquires information pre-stored in terminal device 30, such as the address, country, and time of the location where bathroom 10 is located, as environmental information. Then, processing proceeds to step SP106.

[0142] (Step SP106) The terminal device 30 transmits the acquired physical information, body information, and environmental information to the control device 20 via the communication network NT. Then, the processing proceeds to step SP108.

[0143] (Step SP108) The control device 20 acquires physical information, physical body information, and environmental information from the terminal device 30 via the communication network NT using the acquisition unit 220. The control device 20 stores the acquired physical information, physical body information, and environmental information in the storage unit 210 using the acquisition unit 220. Note that in this example, the control device 20 acquires the physical information from the terminal device 30, but this is not limited thereto, and the control device 20 may acquire the physical information by referencing physical information of the user that is pre-stored in the storage unit 210. Then, the processing proceeds to step SP110.

[0144] (Step SP110) The control device 20, using the decision unit 230, references the storage unit 210 and acquires effect information 212 related to the bathing effect selected by the user. The control device 20 then creates a bathing plan based on the acquired effect information 212, current physical information, physical information, and environmental information. If the decision unit 230 has already created a bathing plan based on the effect information 212, the control device 20 updates the bathing plan based on the acquired effect information 212, current physical information, physical information, and environmental information. Specifically, the control device 20 creates, updates, and determines a bathing plan by changing or maintaining the values ​​of the information serving as a template for a bathing plan, which is predetermined for each bathing effect, in accordance with the physical information, physical information, and environmental information. When the decision unit 230 changes or maintains the values ​​of the bathing plan in accordance with the physical information, the control device 20 determines the operating mode in accordance with the values ​​indicated by the physical information. The control device 20 changes or maintains the bathing schedule values ​​according to the determined operation mode using the determination unit 230. Then, the process proceeds to step SP112.

[0145] (Step SP112) The control device 20 transmits the bathing plan determined by the determination unit 230 to the terminal device 30 via the communication network NT via the output unit 240, and presents the bathing plan to the user. Then, the process proceeds to steps SP113 and SP114.

[0146] (Step SP113) The terminal device 30 presents the bathing plan sent from the control device 20 to the user. Specifically, the terminal device 30 presents the bathing plan to the user by controlling the display of information indicated by the bathing plan on the screen as display content 211.

[0147] (Step SP114) The control device 20, using the operation control unit 250, determines or updates the control content of the operation of the bathroom 10 in accordance with the bathing plan updated by the determination unit 230. Next, the control device 20 transmits the control command, which is the operation control content determined or updated by the operation control unit 250, to the bathroom 10 via the communications network NT. Then, the process proceeds to the processing of steps SP116 and SP118.

[0148] (Step SP116) Bathroom 10 receives the control command sent from control device 20, and uses signal processing device 16 to control the operation of each component of bathroom 10 in accordance with the control command.

[0149] (Step SP118) The control device 20 determines, using the acquisition unit 220, whether or not the user has finished bathing. Specifically, the control device 20 determines, using the acquisition unit 220, whether or not the user has finished bathing based on detection by the sensors 14a to 14c in the bathroom 10, detection by a hot water volume sensor (not shown) provided in the bathroom 10, input by the user to the terminal device 30, etc. If the determination is negative, the process proceeds to step SP120. On the other hand, if the determination is positive, the process proceeds to step SP122.

[0150] (Step SP120) The control device 20, using the operation control unit 250, determines whether a predetermined period of time has elapsed since the acquisition unit 220 last acquired physical information, physical body information, or environmental information. If the determination indicates a positive determination, the process returns to the process of step SP100. On the other hand, if the determination indicates a negative determination, the process returns to the process of step SP118.

[0151] (Step SP122) The control device 20 transmits a bathing evaluation request, which indicates the user's satisfaction with and evaluation of the current bathing, to the terminal device 30 via the communication network NT using the output unit 240. Then, the process proceeds to step SP124.

[0152] (Step SP124) The terminal device 30 receives an operation input from the user and acquires a bathing evaluation of the current bathing session, and then the process proceeds to step SP126.

[0153] (Step SP126) The terminal device 30 transmits the user's bathing evaluation of the current bathing session to the control device 20 via the communication network NT. Then, the process proceeds to step SP128.

[0154] (Step SP128) The control device 20 acquires the user's bathing evaluation of the current bath via the communication network NT using the acquisition unit 220. Next, the control device 20 updates the bathing plan in accordance with the bathing evaluation using the decision unit 230. Then, the series of processing shown in FIG. 15 ends.

[0155] <Effects> As described above, in the third embodiment, bathroom system 1A includes memory unit 210 that stores multiple pieces of effect information 212 related to the effects the user wants to obtain from bathing in bathroom 10, acquisition unit 220, determination unit 230, and output unit 240. Acquisition unit 220 acquires at least one piece of effect information 212 from the multiple pieces of effect information 212. Determination unit 230 determines a bathing plan for the user's future multiple bathing sessions based on effect information 212 acquired by acquisition unit 220. Output unit 240 outputs the bathing plan determined by determination unit 230. Therefore, bathroom system 1A can provide the user with a bathing plan for future multiple bathing sessions that is in line with the effects appropriate for the user.

[0156] The storage unit 210 also stores physical information about the user's body that is predetermined as information that is unlikely to change from bath to bath. The acquisition unit 220 also acquires the physical information. The determination unit 230 also determines a bathing plan based on the effect information 212 and physical information acquired by the acquisition unit 220. Therefore, the bathroom system 1A reflects the user's physical condition in the bathing plan, and can provide a bathing plan for multiple future baths that is more suited to the user's desired effects.

[0157] The acquisition unit 220 also acquires information about the user during or after bathing. The determination unit 230 also updates the bathing plan based on the information acquired by the acquisition unit 220. Therefore, the bathroom system 1A can provide a bathing plan for multiple future baths that is more suited to the user's desired effects.

[0158] The information also includes a bathing evaluation indicating the user's evaluation of the bathing. Therefore, the bathroom system 1A can provide the user with a bathing plan for multiple future bathing sessions that is tailored to the user's desired effects.

[0159] The information also includes the user's physical information during and after bathing. The physical information is predetermined information about the user's body that may change with each bath. Therefore, the bathroom system 1A determines a bathing plan based on the user's physical information, and can provide a bathing plan for multiple future baths that is tailored to the user's desired effects.

[0160] The acquisition unit 220 also acquires environmental information about the environment in which the bathroom 10 is located. The determination unit 230 then determines a bathing plan based on the environmental information and effect information 212 acquired by the acquisition unit 220. Therefore, the bathroom system 1A determines a bathing plan taking into account the environment in which the bathroom 10 is located, and can therefore provide the user with a bathing plan for multiple future baths that is suited to the environment of the bathroom 10 and the user.

[0161] Bathroom system 1A also includes operation control unit 250 that controls the operation of bathroom 10 in accordance with the bathing plan output by output unit 240. Therefore, bathroom system 1A controls the operation of bathroom 10 in accordance with the bathing information, and can therefore provide the user with a bathing experience that is tailored to the user's bathing needs.

[0162] The output unit 240 also proposes a bathing plan to the user. Therefore, the bathroom system 1A can propose to the user a bathing plan for multiple future baths that is in line with the bathing effects that are suitable for the user.

[0163] <Modifications> The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments. In other words, variations on the above-described embodiments, which are appropriately modified by a person skilled in the art, are also included within the scope of the present invention as long as they include the features of the present invention. Furthermore, the elements of the above-described embodiments and the modifications described below can be combined to the extent technically possible, and such combinations are also included within the scope of the present invention as long as they include the features of the present invention.

[0164] For example, in the first embodiment, the control device 20 has the determination unit 230 select bathing information according to the effect information 212, but this is not limited to this. The control device 20 may calculate bathing information by, for example, substituting information such as the bathing effect indicated by the effect information 212 into AI, a predetermined algorithm, or a predetermined calculation formula. Furthermore, the control device 20 uses the acquisition unit 220 to acquire the effect information 212 indicating the bathing effect selected by the user from the terminal device 30, but this is not limited to this. The effect information 212 indicating the bathing effect may also be acquired from the terminal device 30 by text input or voice input.

[0165] According to this configuration, the bathroom system 1A calculates bathing information from bathing effects regardless of predetermined bathing effects or bathing conditions, and can therefore output bathing information related to bathing that makes it easier for the user to achieve the bathing effect desired.

[0166] For example, in the first embodiment, the control device 20 outputs bathing information via the output unit 240 regardless of the state of the bathroom 10, such as the amount and temperature of hot water stored in the bathtub 12, or the timing at which the user selects a bathing effect, but this is not limited to this. For example, the control device 20 may output different bathing information via the output unit 240 depending on whether the temperature and amount of hot water stored in the bathtub 12 of the bathroom 10 satisfy predetermined conditions.

[0167] The predetermined condition is, for example, whether the temperature of the water stored in the bathtub 12 is higher than the temperature indicated by the predetermined bathing information. If the temperature of the water stored in the bathtub 12 is higher than the temperature indicated by the predetermined bathing information, the control device 20 shortens the bathing time indicated by the bathing information and outputs bathing information indicating the change to the user via the terminal device 30. Another predetermined condition is, for example, whether the amount of water stored in the bathtub 12 is greater than the amount indicated by the predetermined bathing information. If the amount of water stored in the bathtub 12 is greater than the amount indicated by the predetermined bathing information, the control device 20 changes the bathing information to drain the water from the bathtub 12 and transmits the bathing information to the operation control unit 250.

[0168] According to this configuration, the bathroom system 1A outputs different bathing information via the output unit 240 depending on the condition of the bathroom 10, and can therefore provide the user with bathing information that takes into account the condition of the bathroom 10 and is in line with the bathing effects that are suitable for the user.

[0169] For example, in the first embodiment, when there are multiple bathing effects indicated by the effect information 212, the determination unit 230 selects a bathing condition associated with each bathing effect, but this is not limited to this. The determination unit 230 may select a predetermined number of bathing conditions, for example, according to the priority associated with each bathing effect. The predetermined number is, for example, a number smaller than the number of bathing effects selectable by the user, such as 1, 3, or 5 in this example. The priority is a value indicating the priority order for the bathing effect, and for example, a smaller value indicates a higher priority.

[0170] The acquisition unit 220 acquires the priority from the terminal device 30 by acquiring a value previously stored in the storage unit 210 or a value entered by the user on the selection screen of the display content 211. When the user enters the priority on the selection screen of the display content 211, for example, the order in which the user selected bathing effects is stored, and the acquisition unit 220 acquires the order in which the user selected the bathing effects as the priority, in addition to the bathing effects selected by the user. The acquisition unit 220 may, for example, determine the priority for each bathing effect in ascending order starting from 1 in the order in which the user selected the bathing effects, or may determine the priority in descending order starting from the number of selected bathing effects in the order in which the user selected the bathing effects. Furthermore, when the user enters the priority, for example, an object such as a text box that simply accepts the input of the priority may be provided in the display content 211, and the acquisition unit 220 may acquire the input for the object as the priority. Note that the priority does not need to be determined for all bathing effects selected by the user; for example, it may be determined only for the bathing effect that the user most prioritizes.

[0171] With this configuration, the determination unit 230 determines a priority for each piece of effect information 212 and selects one bathing condition according to the priority. Therefore, even if the user selects multiple bathing effects, the bathroom system 1A selects a bathing condition according to the priority associated with the bathing effect, and therefore can provide the user with bathing information related to bathing that is more accurate and in line with the selected bathing effect.

[0172] The acquisition unit 220 also acquires priorities from the user. The determination unit 230 then selects one bathing condition based on the priorities acquired by the acquisition unit 220. Therefore, the bathroom system 1A acquires priorities for bathing effects from the user, and can provide the user with bathing information that best suits the user's wishes.

[0173] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, the control device 20 controls the display of the display content 211 so that the user can freely select multiple bathing effects on the proposal screen for the display content 211, but this is not limited to this. When the user selects multiple bathing effects for the display content 211, the control device 20 may control the display of the display content 211 on the terminal device 30 via the output unit 240 so that other bathing effects cannot be selected, depending on the bathing effects already selected. For example, the control device 20 may shade the buttons 2111 of unselectable bathing effects to make them unselectable, change their colors, make the buttons 2111 unresponsive to clicks or other operations, or display text, images, or the like to indicate that they are unselectable. Note that when the user cancels the selection of a bathing effect or selects an additional one, the control device 20 updates and controls the display of the display content 211 according to the selection status via the output unit 240.

[0174] Furthermore, the control device 20 selects, via the determination unit 230, as an unselectable bathing effect, a bathing effect associated with a bathing condition that includes an operation control of the bathroom 10 that is contradictory to the operation control of the bathroom 10 included in the bathing condition associated with the bathing effect already selected by the user. The control device 20 controls, via the output unit 240, the display of the display content 211 on the terminal device 30 so that the bathing effect selected by the determination unit 230 as an unselectable bathing effect cannot be selected.

[0175] According to this configuration, the control device 20 controls the display of the display content 211 so that when the user selects a bathing effect on the terminal device 30, the user cannot select a bathing effect that causes an operation of the bathroom 10 to contradict the selected bathing effect. Therefore, the bathroom system 1A makes it easier for the user to select bathing effects that have a mutually beneficial or synergistic effect, and can provide the user with bathing information with higher accuracy.

[0176] Furthermore, in the second embodiment, the bathroom system 1A uses the determination unit 230 to determine whether the user's body is active, resting, or normal based on the user's physical information. However, this is not limited to this. The determination unit 230 may also determine which state the user's body corresponds to using indicators other than active, stable, and normal. For example, the determination unit 230 may determine whether the user's body is in an awake state (i.e., awake and not intoxicated by alcohol or the like) or in a sleep / intoxication state (i.e., asleep, dozing, or drunk). If the determination unit 230 determines the user is in an awake state, it maintains the bathing information. On the other hand, if the determination unit 230 determines the user is in a sleep / intoxication state, it changes the bathing information to notify the user to exit the bath immediately or after a predetermined time has elapsed. With this configuration, the bathroom system 1A can notify a sleeping, dozing, or intoxicated user, thereby providing the user with bathing information while preventing the user from overheating.

[0177] Furthermore, in the first to third embodiments, the control device 20 acquires effect information 212 related to bathing effects from the terminal device 30 in response to a user's operational input to the display content 211, but this is not limited to this. The control device 20 may determine the bathing effects based on the user's physical information, body information, or both physical information and body information in addition to the effect information 212 acquired by the acquisition unit 220. When determining the bathing effects, the acquisition unit 220 refers to, for example, a table in the storage unit 210 that indicates the correspondence between each item of body information and body information and the bathing effects, and determines the bathing effects based on the referenced table.

[0178] Therefore, the bathroom system 1A determines the bathing effect based on physical or body information obtained from the user, thereby reducing the effort required for the user to select the bathing effect and providing the user with bathing information related to bathing that matches the user's wishes.

[0179] Furthermore, in the third embodiment, the control device 20 determines a bathing plan based on the user's physical information, physical information, environmental information, etc., but this is not limited to this. The control device 20 may also determine a bathing plan based on bathing plans for other users different from the user. Specifically, the control device 20 uses the determination unit 230 to extract other users with similar or identical attributes, based on any of the information indicated by the user's physical information, physical information, and environmental information. Similar or identical attributes mean, for example, that the user and the other users are of the same gender, that the user and the other users have body temperatures between 36.5°C and 36.6°C, or that the bathrooms 10 in which the user and the other users bathe are within 10 km of each other. The control device 20 determines the user's bathing plan by changing or maintaining the bathing information included in the base bathing plan based on the user's physical information, physical information, environmental information, etc. Therefore, bathroom system 1A determines a bathing plan based on the bathing plans of other users who have similar or identical attributes to the user, and can therefore provide a bathing plan that is more suitable for the user.

[0180] Furthermore, when initially creating a bathing plan for a user, the control device 20 may create the bathing plan based on the bathing plans of other users, and when updating the user's bathing plan, the control device 20 may determine the user's bathing plan without using the bathing plans of other users. In other words, when there is little information about the user, the bathroom system 1A may use the bathing plans of other users, but when there is more information about the user, the bathroom system 1A may determine the bathing plan without using the bathing plans of other users. Therefore, the bathroom system 1A can provide a bathing plan that is more suitable for the user.

[0181] In the first embodiment, bathroom system 1A includes control device 20 and terminal device 30 as separate units, and control device 20 is connected to bathroom 10 and terminal devices 30A-30C via communications network NT. However, this is not limited to this. Bathroom system 1A may include, for example, control device 20 integrated with terminal device 30A, or control device 20 integrated with terminal device 30A while also being capable of communicating with another terminal device 30D. Referring to FIG. 9, a bathroom system 1B in which control device 20 and terminal device 30A are integrated will be described.

[0182] 9 is a diagram showing another example of the overall configuration of bathroom system 1B according to the first embodiment. As shown in Fig. 9, bathroom system 1B includes, for example, control device 20 integrally formed with terminal device 30A, bathroom 10, and terminal device 30D provided within bathroom 10.

[0183] The control device 20 is installed on the premises where the bathroom 10 is located or indoors, and is configured to be able to communicate with the bathroom 10 via a wired or wireless connection. The control device 20 also has, for example, a terminal device 30A as a user interface device for the bathroom system 1B. In this example, the control device 20 is configured to be able to communicate with the bathroom 10 and the terminal device 30D, but it may also be installed adjacent to the bathroom 10, so that it is formed integrally with the various devices in the bathroom 10 and the terminal device 30D.

[0184] Terminal device 30A is provided in control device 20 and accepts operational input from the user and outputs various information to the user. Terminal device 30D is provided in bathroom 10 and is configured to be able to communicate with control device 20 via a wired or wireless connection. Terminal device 30D accepts operational input from the user from within bathroom 10 and outputs various information to the user.

[0185] According to this configuration, even if the control device 20 is not a server device on the communication network NT but is formed integrally with the terminal device 30, the bathroom system 1B can provide bathing information related to bathing that is in line with the bathing effects that are suitable for the user.

Claims

1. A bathroom system comprising: a memory unit that stores multiple pieces of effect information regarding the effects a user desires to obtain by bathing in the bathroom; an acquisition unit that acquires at least one piece of effect information from the multiple pieces of effect information; a decision unit that determines a bathing plan for the user's future multiple baths based on the effect information acquired by the acquisition unit; and an output unit that outputs the bathing plan determined by the decision unit.

2. The bathroom system described in claim 1, wherein the memory unit stores physical information that is predetermined as information about the user's body that is unlikely to change from bath to bath, the acquisition unit acquires the physical information, and the determination unit determines the bathing plan based on the effect information and physical information acquired by the acquisition unit.

3. The bathroom system of claim 1, wherein the acquisition unit acquires information about the user during or after bathing, and the decision unit updates the bathing plan according to the information acquired by the acquisition unit.

4. The bathroom system according to claim 3, wherein the information includes a bathing rating indicating the user's rating of the bathing experience.

5. The bathroom system of claim 3, wherein the information includes physical information of the user during or after bathing, and the physical information is predetermined information about the user's body that may change with each bath.

6. The bathroom system of claim 1, wherein the acquisition unit acquires environmental information regarding the environment in which the bathroom is located, and the determination unit determines the bathing plan based on the environmental information and effect information acquired by the acquisition unit.

7. A bathroom system described in any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising an operation control unit that controls the operation of the bathroom in accordance with the bathing plan output by the output unit.

8. A bathroom system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the output unit proposes the bathing plan to the user.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium that records a program that causes a computer to function as: an acquisition unit that acquires effect information regarding the effects that a user desires to obtain from bathing; a decision unit that determines a bathing plan for the user's future multiple baths based on the effect information acquired by the acquisition unit; and an output unit that outputs the bathing plan determined by the decision unit.

10. A control device comprising: an acquisition unit that acquires effect information regarding the effects a user desires to obtain from bathing; a decision unit that determines a bathing plan for the user's future multiple bathing sessions based on the effect information acquired by the acquisition unit; and an output unit that outputs the bathing plan determined by the decision unit.

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