Support surface movement control device, support surface movement control method, and support device

Abstract

This support surface movement control device (30) for controlling the movement of a support surface (520) for supporting the body of a user (U) comprises a movement control unit (34) for controlling the movement of the support surface. The support surface has an upper body support part (521) for supporting the upper body of the user on the support surface, and leg support parts (523, 524) for supporting the legs of the user on the support surface. The movement control unit executes lowering control for moving the upper body support part in a direction in which the inclination angle of the upper body support part decreases, and moving the leg support parts in a direction in which the inclination angle of the leg support parts decreases. In the lowering control, the movement control unit, while reducing the inclination angle of the upper body support part at a first speed, reduces the inclination angle of the leg support parts at a second speed greater than the first speed.

Description

Support surface movement control apparatus, support surface movement control method, and support device

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a support surface movement control apparatus, a support surface movement control method, and a support device.

[0002] Various devices such as beds, sofas, chairs, and wheelchairs are used as support devices for supporting the human body. Furthermore, as one type of these support devices, those configured such that a support surface for supporting the human body is movable are known. For example, in reclining beds, reclining sofas, reclining chairs, and the like, a portion of the support surface that supports a human's upper body is pivotable with respect to a horizontal plane.

[0003] For support devices configured such that the support surface is movable, it has been proposed to control movement of the support surface by a control device such as a computer. Patent Document 1 describes a bed device including a back-raising control unit that performs back-raising control and a back-lowering control unit that performs back-lowering control.

[0004] Japanese Patent No. 5665411 Specification

[0005] In conventional devices, when the support surface is moved in accordance with control by a control device, the sleep of a user on the support surface may be disturbed.

[0006] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a support surface movement control apparatus, a support surface movement control method, and a support device in which disturbance of sleep of a user on the support surface caused by movement of the support surface is suppressed.

[0007] A support surface movement control device is provided that controls the movement of a support surface supporting a user's body, comprising a movement control unit for controlling the movement of the support surface, wherein the support surface has an upper body support portion for supporting the user's upper body on the support surface, and a leg support portion for supporting the user's legs on the support surface, and the movement control unit performs a downward control that moves the upper body support portion in a direction that reduces the inclination angle of the upper body support portion and moves the leg support portion in a direction that reduces the inclination angle of the leg support portion, and in the downward control, the movement control unit reduces the inclination angle of the upper body support portion at a first speed while reducing the inclination angle of the leg support portion at a second speed greater than the first speed.

[0008] A support device is provided that comprises a support surface for supporting the user's body and a support surface movement control device according to the first embodiment.

[0009] A third aspect of the present disclosure provides a support surface movement control method for controlling the movement of a support surface that supports the body of a user, wherein the support surface comprises an upper body support portion that supports the upper body of the user on the support surface, and a leg support portion that supports the legs of the user on the support surface, and the movement control unit performs a downward control that moves the upper body support portion in a direction that reduces the inclination angle of the upper body support portion and moves the leg support portion in a direction that reduces the inclination angle of the leg support portion, wherein the movement control unit, in the downward control, reduces the inclination angle of the upper body support portion at a first speed while reducing the inclination angle of the leg support portion at a second speed greater than the first speed.

[0010] According to this disclosure, a support surface movement control device, a support surface movement control method, and a support device are provided that suppress disturbance to the sleep of a user on the support surface due to the movement of the support surface.

[0011] Figures 1(a) to 1(c) are side views of a bed controlled by a bed base movement control device. In Figure 1(a), the first, second, third, and fourth bed bases are in a horizontal position. In Figure 1(b), the first bed base is in the backrest position, and the second, third, and fourth bed bases are in a horizontal position. In Figure 1(c), the first bed base is in the backrest position, the second bed base is in a horizontal position, and the third and fourth bed bases are in the knee-raised position. Figure 2 is a plan view showing the arrangement of load detectors on the bed. Figure 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a bed base movement control system according to an embodiment of this disclosure. Figure 4 is a flowchart of the process for acquiring body information. Figure 5 is a flowchart of the process for acquiring biological information. Figure 6 is a flowchart of sleep onset movement control.

[0012] <Embodiment> The floor plate movement control system 100 (Figure 3) of the embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 6, using the case in which the floor plate movement control system 100 is used for a bed 500 (Figure 1, an example of a "support device").

[0013] [Bed 500] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the bed 500 controlled by the floorboard movement control system 100 has a base portion 510, a floorboard 520 (an example of a "support surface") supported by the base portion 510, and a movement mechanism 530 for moving the floorboard 520. In the following description, the long side direction (direction of the Y axis in Figure 2) and the short side direction (direction of the X axis in Figure 2) of the bed 500 and floorboard 520 will be referred to as the longitudinal direction and width direction of the bed 500 and floorboard 520, respectively.

[0014] The base portion 510 has a rectangular frame 511 in plan view and four legs 512 provided at the four corners of the frame 511.

[0015] The bed base 520 has four bed bases, a first bed base 521, a second bed base 522, a third bed base 523, and a fourth bed base 524, arranged in order from the head side of the bed 500 (the positive side in the Y-axis direction in Figure 2) along the longitudinal direction of the bed 500. As a guideline, the first bed base 521, the second bed base 522, the third bed base 523, and the fourth bed base 524 support the upper body, buttocks, thighs, and lower legs of the user U (Figure 2) on the bed base 520, respectively. The first bed base 521 is an example of an "upper body support section," and the third bed base 523 and the fourth bed base 524 are examples of "leg support sections."

[0016] The first bed plate 521 is located near the second bed plate 522 and is pivotable around an axis AX1 extending in the width direction of the bed 500. The second bed plate 522 is fixed to the base portion 510. The third bed plate 523 is located near the second bed plate 522 and is pivotable around an axis AX3 extending in the width direction of the bed 500. The fourth bed plate 524 is connected to the third bed plate 523, is located at the connection point with the third bed plate 523, and is pivotable around an axis AX4 extending in the width direction of the bed 500.

[0017] The moving mechanism 530 includes a first moving mechanism 531 for moving the first floor plate 521 and a second moving mechanism 532 for moving the third floor plate 523 and the fourth floor plate 524. In this embodiment, the first moving mechanism 531 and the second moving mechanism 532 are electric cylinders. However, the first moving mechanism 531 and the second moving mechanism 532 may be any actuator.

[0018] The operation of the first moving mechanism 531 causes the first floor plate 521 to pivot around axis AX1, displacing between a horizontal position where the top surface of the first floor plate 521 coincides with the horizontal plane (Figure 1(a)) and a maximum back-raised position where the top surface of the first floor plate 521 is inclined with respect to the horizontal plane (Figures 1(b) and 1(c)). The inclination angle α of the first floor plate 521 at the maximum back-raised position (i.e., the maximum value that the inclination angle α can take) is arbitrary, but as an example, it can be about 30 to 45 [°]. At the horizontal position, the top surface of the first floor plate 521 and the top surface of the second floor plate 522 are flush. That is, the inclination angle α is 0 [°]. In this disclosure and the present invention, "angle of inclination" means the angle (acute angle) made with respect to the horizontal plane.

[0019] The operation of the second movement mechanism 532 causes the third floor plate 523 to pivot around axis AX3. At this time, the fourth floor plate 524 pivots around axis AX4, moving vertically while maintaining a state in which the top surface of the fourth floor plate 524 coincides with the horizontal plane. As a result, the third floor plate 523 and the fourth floor plate 524 are displaced between a horizontal position in which the top surfaces of the third floor plate 523 and the fourth floor plate 524 coincide with the horizontal plane (Figures 1(a) and 1(b)), and the maximum knee-raising position in which the top surface of the third floor plate 523 is inclined with respect to the horizontal plane, the top surface of the fourth floor plate 524 coincides with the horizontal plane, and is located above the top surface of the second floor plate 522 (Figure 1(c)). In the horizontal position, the top surfaces of the third floor plate 523 and the fourth floor plate 524 are flush with the top surface of the second floor plate 522. The inclination angle β of the third floor plate 523 at the maximum knee-raising position (i.e., the maximum value that the inclination angle β can take) can be approximately 25 to 40°. In the horizontal position, the top surface of the third floor plate 523 and the top surface of the second floor plate 522 are flush. That is, the inclination angle β is 0°.

[0020] [Configuration of the floorboard movement control system 100] As shown in Figure 3, the floorboard movement control system 100 of this embodiment mainly comprises a load detection unit 10, a control unit (an example of a "support surface movement control device") 30, and a storage unit 40. The load detection unit 10 and the control unit 30 are connected via an A / D conversion unit 20. A display unit 50, a notification unit 60, and an input unit 70 are further connected to the control unit 30. The first movement mechanism 531 and the second movement mechanism 532 of the bed 500 are connected to the control unit 30.

[0021] The load detection unit 10 includes four load detectors 11, 12, 13, and 14. Each of the load detectors 11, 12, 13, and 14 is a load detector that detects load using, for example, a beam-type load cell. Each of the load detectors 11, 12, 13, and 14 is connected to the A / D conversion unit 20 by wiring or wirelessly.

[0022] As shown in Figure 2, the four load detectors 11 to 14 of the load detection unit 10 are positioned below the casters C1, C2, C3, and C4 attached to the lower ends of the four legs 512 of the bed 500, respectively.

[0023] The A / D conversion unit 20 is equipped with an A / D converter that converts analog signals from the load detection unit 10 into digital signals, and is connected to the load detection unit 10 and the control unit 30 by wiring or wirelessly, respectively.

[0024] The control unit 30 is a dedicated or general-purpose computer and contains a center of gravity position calculation unit 31, a body information acquisition unit 32, a biological information acquisition unit 33, and a floor plate movement control unit 34 (an example of a "movement control unit"). The body information acquisition unit 32 includes a bed exit determination unit 321 and a body movement determination unit 322. The biological information acquisition unit 33 includes a respiratory rate calculation unit 331, a heart rate calculation unit 332, and a sleep determination unit 333.

[0025] The storage unit 40 is a storage device that stores data used in the floorboard movement control system 100, and can use, for example, a hard disk (magnetic disk). The display unit 50 is a monitor, such as a liquid crystal monitor, that displays information output from the control unit 30. The notification unit 60 is a device that provides predetermined notifications audibly based on information from the control unit 30, such as a speaker. The input unit 70 is an interface for providing predetermined input to the control unit 30, and can be a keyboard and a mouse.

[0026] [Operation of the bed base movement control system 100] The bed base movement control system 100 constantly acquires the physical condition (physical information) and biological condition (biological information) of the user U on the bed 500. The bed base movement control system 100 may move the bed base 520 by control based on the acquired information.

[0027] [Acquisition of physical information] The acquisition of physical information is performed by the physical information acquisition unit 32 of the control unit 30. In this embodiment, the physical information acquisition unit 32 continuously acquires the physical information of the user U on the bed 500 at predetermined intervals. The acquisition of physical information performed by the physical information acquisition unit 32 mainly includes a load detection step S11, a center of gravity position calculation step S12, a bed exit determination step S13, and a body movement determination step S14, as shown in the flowchart of Figure 4.

[0028] In the load detection step S11, the load detectors 11, 12, 13, and 14 are used to detect the load of the user U on the floor plate 520 (bed 500). The load of the user U on the floor plate 520 is分散 applied to the load detectors 11 to 14 arranged under the four legs 512 of the bed 500, and is detected in a dispersed manner by these detectors.

[0029] Each of the load detectors 11 to 14 detects a load (load change) and outputs it as an analog signal to the A / D conversion section 20. The A / D conversion section 20 converts the analog signal into a digital signal with a sampling period of, for example, 5 milliseconds, and outputs the digital signal (hereinafter referred to as "load signal") to the control section 30. Hereinafter, the load signals obtained by digitally converting the analog signals output from the load detectors 11, 12, 13, and 14 in the A / D conversion section 20 are each referred to as load signal s １ , s ２ , s ３ , s ４ .

[0030] In the center of gravity position calculation step S12, the center of gravity position calculation section 31 calculates the position of the center of gravity G of the user U based on the load signals s １ , s ２ , s ３ , s ４ .

[0031] For the position of the center of gravity G, let the position of the center of gravity G in the XY coordinate system shown in FIG. 2 be (x, y), and the coordinates of the load detectors 11, 12, 13, and 14 be (X １ , Y １ ), (X ２ , Y ２ ), (X ３ , Y ３ ), (X ４ , Y ４ ), respectively, and let the partial loads of the user U indicated by the load signals s １ , s ２ , s ３ , s ４ be W １ , W ２ , W ３ , W ４ , respectively, then the position is calculated by the following (Formula 1) and (Formula 2).

[0032]

[0033] In the bed exit determination step S13, the bed exit determination unit 321 determines whether or not the user U has left the bed 500 based on the load that the user U applies to the bed base 520. Specifically, for example, the bed exit determination unit 321 determines whether or not the user U has left the bed 500 based on the partial load W １ , W ２ , W ３ , W ４ The total value is calculated, and the calculated value (hereinafter referred to as "user load W") is the threshold TH Ｗ If the value is smaller than the specified value, it is determined that the user U has left the bed 500. The bed exit determination unit 321 may, instead of, or in addition to, the bed exit determination based on the user load W, perform a bed exit determination based on the center of gravity G of the user U calculated in the center of gravity position calculation step S12. Specifically, for example, it may be determined that the user U has left the bed 500 if the center of gravity G has not been calculated.

[0034] In the body movement determination process S14, the body movement determination unit 322 detects the load signal s １ s ２ s ３ s ４ Based on at least one of the following, it is determined whether or not user U is experiencing body movement.

[0035] Here, "body movement" refers to the movement of the user's head, torso (trunk), and limbs. Movement of organs, blood vessels, etc., associated with breathing and heartbeat is not included in body movement. Body movement can be classified, for example, into large body movements involving the movement of the user's torso (trunk) and small body movements involving only the movement of the user's limbs or head. An example of large body movement is turning over in bed or getting up, while an example of small body movement is the movement of the hands, feet, or head during sleep.

[0036] Load signal s from load detector 11 １ The variability of the sampling values ​​decreases during periods when user U is not moving and increases during periods when user U is moving. Load signals s from load detectors 12, 13, and 14 ２ s ３ s ４ The same applies to this matter.

[0037] Therefore, the body motion determination unit 322 receives load signals s from load detectors 11 to 14. １ ~s ４ For at least one of the following, calculate the standard deviation σ which represents the magnitude of the variability of the sampled values ​​within a predetermined period (for example, 5 seconds), and compare the calculated standard deviation σ with a predetermined threshold TH. σ Based on this comparison, it is determined whether or not user U is experiencing body movement.

[0038] Specifically, for example, the value of the standard deviation σ calculated for a predetermined period is a predetermined threshold TH σ If it is smaller than this, it is determined that no body movement occurred in user U during that period. On the other hand, the value of the standard deviation σ calculated for a predetermined sampling period is a predetermined threshold TH σ If the above conditions are met, it is determined that user U experienced physical movement during that period. Note that the variance σ is used instead of the standard deviation σ. ２ The presence or absence of user U's body movement may be determined by comparing it with a predetermined threshold.

[0039] [Acquisition of Biological Information] The acquisition of biological information is performed by the biological information acquisition unit 33 of the control unit 30. In this embodiment, the biological information acquisition unit 33 continuously acquires the biological information of the user U on the bed 500 at predetermined intervals. The acquisition of biological information performed by the biological information acquisition unit 33 mainly includes a load detection step S11, a center of gravity position calculation step S12, a respiratory rate calculation step S21, a heart rate calculation step S22, and a sleep determination step S23, as shown in the flowchart of Figure 5.

[0040] The load detection step S11 and the center of gravity position calculation step S12 are the same as those used in the acquisition of physical information. In other words, in this embodiment, the results of the load detection step S11 and the center of gravity position calculation step S12 are used in both the acquisition of physical information and the acquisition of biological information.

[0041] In the respiratory rate calculation process S21, the respiratory rate calculation unit 331 calculates the respiratory rate of the user U. Specifically, for example, the load signal s １ ~s ４Frequency analysis is performed on one of the parameters, and the user U's respiratory rate is estimated based on the value of the frequency peak that appears in the band of approximately 0.2 to 0.33 Hz, which corresponds to the frequency of human respiration.

[0042] In the heart rate calculation process S22, the heart rate calculation unit 332 calculates the heart rate of the user U. Specifically, for example, the load signal s １ ~s ４ Frequency analysis is performed on one of the parameters, and the user U's heart rate is estimated based on the value of the frequency peak that appears in the band of approximately 0.5 to 3.3 Hz, which corresponds to the frequency of a human heartbeat.

[0043] In the sleep determination process S23, the sleep determination unit 333 determines whether the user U is asleep or awake.

[0044] The sleep determination unit 333 receives the load signal s according to the following (Equation 3). １ ~s ４ Standard deviation σ １ ~σ ４ The Activity Index (ACI), which is the time integral of the simple average, is calculated.

[0045] The integration time is 20 seconds here, but it is not limited to this. Standard deviation σ １ ~σ ４ Since it increases in response to the user U's body movements, the activity index ACI will be larger if the user U exhibits body movements that cause larger load changes over a longer period of time. In other words, the activity index ACI is a parameter that reflects both the magnitude of the body movement and the duration of the body movement.

[0046] The sleep determination unit 333 calculates the standard deviation σ at each sampling time in the past 20 seconds, every 20 seconds. １ ~σ ４ Using the value, a new activity index ACI is calculated. Then, the calculated activity index ACI and the threshold TH ＡＣＩ Based on a comparison with the above, it is determined whether user U is in a sleep state or a wakeful state. Specifically, for example, if the activity index ACI is at threshold TH ＡＣＩIf the value is smaller than this, it is determined that user U is in a sleep state. The sleep determination unit 333 may determine that user U is in a sleep state by any other method.

[0047] [Control of Bed Board Movement] In this embodiment, the control of the movement of the bed board 520 includes sleep-onset movement control. In sleep-onset movement control, the bed board movement control unit 34, as an example, moves the first bed board 521, which is in the maximum back-raised position, to the vicinity of the horizontal position, and moves the third bed board 523 and fourth bed board 524, which are in the maximum knee-raised position, to the horizontal position. This changes the shape of the bed board 520 from a shape suitable for the user U to fall asleep to a shape suitable for the user U to continue sleeping. In this embodiment, when the first bed board 521 is in the maximum back-raised position and the third bed board 523 is in the maximum knee-raised position, the inclination angle α is greater than the inclination angle β.

[0048] The sleep onset movement control will be explained using the flowchart in Figure 6. In Figure 6, step S31 is the start decision step, and steps S32 to S36 are the descent control steps (an example of "descent control").

[0049] In step S31 (start determination step), the floorboard movement control unit 34 determines whether or not the user U is in a sleep state. The floorboard movement control unit 34 refers to the latest determination result of the sleep determination step S23. If the floorboard movement control unit 34 determines that the user U is not in a sleep state (step S31: NO), it executes step S31 again.

[0050] If the floorboard movement control unit 34 determines that the user U is asleep (step S31: YES), it starts the lowering control process. That is, the floorboard movement control unit 34 activates the first movement mechanism 531 and the second movement mechanism 532 to move the first floorboard 521 and the third floorboard 523 toward the horizontal position (step S32). Although the fourth floorboard 524 also moves along with the movement of the third floorboard 523, in the following explanation, only the movement of the third floorboard 523 will be mentioned to avoid unnecessary complexity.

[0051] In step S32, the floor plate movement control unit 34 reduces the inclination angle α of the first floor plate 521 at a speed Vα [° / sec], and at the same time reduces the inclination angle β of the third floor plate 523 at a speed Vβ [° / sec] greater than the speed Vα [° / sec] (Vα < Vβ). In this embodiment, the floor plate movement control unit 34 maintains a state in which the rate of decrease of the inclination angle β is greater than the rate of decrease of the inclination angle α during the execution of step S32. In other words, the floor plate movement control unit 34 maintains a value greater than the rate of decrease of the inclination angle β throughout the entire period in which the first floor plate 521 and the third floor plate 523 are moving simultaneously.

[0052] Furthermore, in step S32, the floor plate movement control unit 34 maintains the inclination angle α of the first floor plate 521 at an angle greater than the inclination angle β of the third floor plate 523 (α > β). In this embodiment, the floor plate movement control unit 34 maintains the inclination angle α at an angle greater than the inclination angle β for the entire duration of the execution of step S32.

[0053] In step S33, the floor plate movement control unit 34 sets the inclination angle β of the third floor plate 523 to the target value β. Ｔ Determine whether or not the target value β has been reached. Ｔ In this embodiment, it is 0 [°].

[0054] The floor plate movement control unit 34 sets the inclination angle β to the target value β. Ｔ If it is determined that the target value β has not been reached (step S33: NO), step S33 is executed again. The floor plate movement control unit 34 determines that the inclination angle β is the target value β Ｔ If it is determined that the target value α has been reached (step S33: YES), the second moving mechanism 532 is stopped to stop the movement of the third floor plate 523 (step S34), and the inclination angle α of the first floor plate 521 is set to the target value α. Ｔ It is determined whether or not the target value α has been reached (step S35). Ｔ In this embodiment, the target value β is Ｔ It is a value greater than α. Target value α Ｔ Specifically, this can be any value between 4 and 24 degrees.

[0055] The floorboard movement control unit 34 sets the inclination angle α to the target value α. ＴIf it is determined that the target value α has not been reached (step S35: NO), step S35 is executed again. The floor plate movement control unit 34 determines that the inclination angle α is the target value α Ｔ If it is determined that the target has been reached (step S35: YES), the first moving mechanism 531 is stopped to stop the movement of the first floor plate 521 (step S36), and the sleep-inducing movement control is terminated.

[0056] In this embodiment, when the first floor plate 521 is in the maximum backrest position and the third floor plate 523 is in the maximum kneerest position, the inclination angle α is greater than the inclination angle β. Furthermore, the floor plate movement control unit 34 maintains the state in which the inclination angle α is greater than the inclination angle β for the entire duration of the execution of process S32. And the target value α Ｔ The target value is β Ｔ It is a value greater than . Therefore, in this embodiment, the floor plate movement control unit 34 maintains the inclination angle α of the first floor plate 521 at an angle greater than the inclination angle β of the third floor plate 523 for the entire duration of the execution of the descent control process.

[0057] The advantageous effects of the floor plate movement control system 100 of this embodiment are summarized below.

[0058] In the descent control process, the floorboard movement control unit 34 reduces the inclination angle α of the first floorboard 521 at a speed Vα [° / sec] while reducing the inclination angle β of the third floorboard 523 at a speed Vβ [° / sec] greater than the speed Vα [° / sec]. In this way, by lowering the user U's legs at a speed faster than the user U's upper body, the sensation of the user U's head falling backward is suppressed, and the disturbance of the user U's sleep is suppressed.

[0059] In this embodiment, the floorboard movement control unit 34 of the floorboard movement control system 100 maintains the inclination angle α of the first floorboard 521 at an angle greater than the inclination angle β of the third floorboard 523 throughout the entire duration of the descent control process. In this way, by maintaining a state in which the tilt of the user U's upper body is greater than the tilt of the user U's legs, the sensation of the user U's head being tilted excessively backward is suppressed, and the disturbance of the user U's sleep is more effectively suppressed.

[0060] In the sleep-inducing movement control performed by the floorboard movement control unit 34 of the floorboard movement control system 100 of this embodiment, the target value α of the inclination angle α of the first floorboard 521 Ｔ The target time β is the inclination angle β of the third floor plate 523. Ｔ It is greater than. In this way, by setting the lower limit of the inclination angle α of the first floor plate 521 in the descent control process to a value greater than the lower limit of the inclination angle β of the third floor plate 523 in the descent control process, the sensation of the user U's head being tilted excessively backward is suppressed, and the disturbance of the user U's sleep is more effectively suppressed.

[0061] <Modification> In the above embodiment, the following modified form can also be used.

[0062] In the above embodiment, the floorboard movement control unit 34 maintains the rate at which the inclination angle β of the third floorboard 523 decreases at a value greater than the rate at which the inclination angle α of the first floorboard 521 decreases at the same time throughout the entire period during which the inclination angle β of the first floorboard 521 decreases at the same time. However, it is not limited to this. The floorboard movement control unit 34 may set the rate at which the inclination angle β of the third floorboard 523 decreases at a value greater than the rate at which the inclination angle α of the first floorboard 521 decreases at the same time only for a portion of the period during which the inclination angle α of the first floorboard 521 decreases at the same time. Even in this embodiment, the sensation of the user U's head tilting backward is suppressed during that period, and the disturbance of the user U's sleep is suppressed.

[0063] In the above embodiment, the floor plate movement control unit 34 maintains the inclination angle α of the first floor plate 521 at an angle greater than the inclination angle β of the third floor plate 523 for the entire duration of the descent control process. However, it is not limited to this. For example, the floor plate movement control unit 34 may maintain the inclination angle α of the first floor plate 521 at an angle greater than the inclination angle β of the third floor plate 523 during the period in which the inclination angle α of the first floor plate 521 is decreased while the inclination angle β of the third floor plate 523 is decreased. Alternatively, the floor plate movement control unit 34 may maintain the inclination angle α of the first floor plate 521 at an angle greater than the inclination angle β of the third floor plate 523 for a portion of the duration of the descent control process. Even in these configurations, the sensation of the user U having their head tilted excessively backward is suppressed during the period, and the disturbance to the user U's sleep is more effectively suppressed.

[0064] In the above embodiment, the position of the first bed base 521 at the start of the descent control process is not limited to the maximum back-raising position but may be any position, and the position of the third bed base 523 at the start of the descent control process is not limited to the maximum knee-raising position but may be any position. That is, the inclination angle α of the first bed base 521 and the inclination angle β of the third bed base 523 at the start of the sleep-inducing movement control are arbitrary. These values ​​may be, for example, values ​​input by the user U via the input unit 70. If the inclination angle β is greater than or equal to the inclination angle α at the start of the descent control process, the bed base movement control unit 34 may, in process S32, first move the third bed base 523 while stopping the first bed base 521 until the inclination angle β becomes smaller than the inclination angle α, and then start moving the first bed base 521.

[0065] In the sleep onset movement control of the above embodiment, the target value α of the inclination angle α of the first bed base 521 is Ｔ The target value β of the inclination angle β of the third floor plate 523 is β Ｔ It is a value greater than α. However, it is not limited to this, and the target value α Ｔ The target value is β Ｔ It may be the same value as the target value α ＴThe target value is β Ｔ A smaller value is also acceptable.

[0066] In the lowering control step of the above embodiment, the target value β of the inclination angle β of the third floor plate 523 Ｔ It is 0 [°]. However, it is not limited to this, and the target value β Ｔ can be any value greater than 0 [°]. For example, by making the lower limit of the inclination angle β of the third floor plate 523 greater than 0° in the descent control process, and making the inclination angle α of the first floor plate 521 greater than the inclination angle β, the sensation of the user U's head being tilted excessively backward is suppressed, and the disturbance of the user U's sleep is more effectively suppressed.

[0067] In the sleep-inducing movement control performed by the floorboard movement control system 100 of the above embodiment, the floorboard movement control unit 34 determines whether or not the user U is in a sleep state in step S31 (start determination step), but is not limited to this. In step S31, the floorboard movement control unit 34 may determine whether or not the current time has reached the set time, and if it determines that the current time has reached the set time, it may execute step S32.

[0068] In the floorboard movement control system 100 of the above embodiment, the floorboard movement control unit 34 automatically starts the lowering control process of the floorboard 520 based on the determination result of process S31. In this specification and the present invention, "the control unit automatically starts the lowering control" means that the control unit autonomously starts the lowering control based on condition determination, etc. The control unit starting the lowering control of the floorboard based on a determination of whether or not a preset condition has been met (for example, a determination of whether or not a set time has been reached, a determination of whether or not the user's physical information and / or biometric information meets predetermined conditions) is included in "the control unit automatically starts the lowering control". On the other hand, the control unit starting the movement of the floorboard in response to an artificial start instruction from the user, etc. (for example, a start instruction entered via key input, voice input, touch panel input, etc.) is not included in "the control unit automatically starts the lowering control". Note that the floorboard movement control unit 34 is not limited to the mode in which it automatically starts the lowering control process of the floorboard 520.

[0069] In the floor plate movement control system 100 of the above embodiment, the floor plate movement control unit 34 automatically starts and executes the lowering control process, and starts the lowering control process in response to the operation of the operator (for example, a caregiver providing care for user U on the floor plate 520, user U themselves, etc.) (for example, operation via the input unit 70) to move the first floor plate 521 and the third floor plate 523 to a target value α Ｔ , β Ｔ It may also be possible to perform manual descent control to lower it to a certain point. In this case, the target value α of the inclination angle α of the first floor plate 521 in automatic descent control is α Ｔ However, the target value α of the inclination angle α of the first floor plate 521 in manual descent control Ｔ It may be larger than this. In manual descent control, where it is assumed that the caregiver will perform the action while observing the user U's condition, or that the user U will perform the action while awake, the target value α Ｔ Even if the lower limit of the inclination angle α in the descent control is reduced, the risk of user U's sleep being disturbed is small.

[0070] In the floorboard movement control system 100 of the above embodiment, the user U, caregiver, etc., can input via the input unit 70, etc., the conditions for starting automatic descent control, the inclination angle α and inclination angle β at the start of sleep-inducing movement control, and the target value α. Ｔ and target value β Ｔ You can input various conditions such as those listed above.

[0071] In the floorboard movement control system 100 of the above embodiment, any biosignal acquisition unit that acquires the user U's biosignals (signals that fluctuate in accordance with the user U's biological activity) can be used instead of the load detection unit 10. Specifically, for example, a plurality of pressure sensors arranged in a matrix under the sheet can be used to acquire the fluctuations in the pressure applied by the user U to the floorboard 520 as biosignals. In this embodiment, the position of the user's center of gravity, whether or not there is body movement, etc., can be determined based on the output of the plurality of pressure sensors.

[0072] The floor plate movement control system 100 of the above embodiment does not necessarily need to include all of the load detectors 11 to 14; it may include only one of them. For example, if there are three load detectors, the position of the user U's center of gravity on the top surface of the floor plate 520 can be detected as long as they are not arranged in a straight line. Also, the load detectors do not necessarily need to be placed at the four corners of the bed; they can be placed at any position so as to be able to detect the load of the subject on the bed and its fluctuations. Furthermore, the load detectors 11 to 14 are not limited to load sensors using beam-type load cells; for example, force sensors can also be used.

[0073] In the above embodiment, the use of the floorboard movement control system 100 on a bed 500 was described as an example, but the use of the floorboard movement control system 100 is not limited to a bed 500. The floorboard movement control system 100 can be used as a support surface movement control system to control the movement of the support surface of any support device in which the support surface that supports the human body is configured to be movable, such as a bed, sofa, chair, or wheelchair. In this case, the support surface movement control system may be capable of performing downward control to move, for example, a backrest (an example of an "upper body support section"), a leg rest (an example of a "leg support section"), etc., in a direction that reduces the inclination angle.

[0074] As long as the features of the present invention are maintained, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and other forms conceivable within the scope of the technical idea of ​​the present invention are also included within the scope of the present invention.

[0075] 11, 12, 13, 14 Load detector; 30 Control unit; 31 Center of gravity position calculation unit; 32 Body information acquisition unit; 321 Bed exit determination unit; 322 Body movement determination unit; 33 Biological information acquisition unit; 34 Bed base movement control unit; 500 Bed; 520 Bed base

Claims

1. A support surface movement control device for controlling the movement of a support surface that supports the body of a user, comprising a movement control unit for controlling the movement of the support surface, wherein the support surface has an upper body support portion for supporting the upper body of the user on the support surface, and a leg support portion for supporting the legs of the user on the support surface, the movement control unit performs a downward control that moves the upper body support portion in a direction that reduces the inclination angle of the upper body support portion and the leg support portion in a direction that reduces the inclination angle of the leg support portion, and the movement control unit, in the downward control, reduces the inclination angle of the upper body support portion at a first speed while reducing the inclination angle of the leg support portion at a second speed greater than the first speed.

2. The support surface movement control device according to claim 1, wherein the movement control unit maintains the inclination angle of the upper body support at a larger angle than the inclination angle of the leg support during the period in which the inclination angle of the upper body support is reduced at a first speed while the inclination angle of the leg support is reduced at a second speed.

3. The support surface movement control device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the lower limit of the inclination angle of the upper body support portion in the lowering control is greater than the lower limit of the inclination angle of the leg support portion in the lowering control.

4. The support surface movement control device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the lower limit of the inclination angle of the leg support in the lowering control is greater than 0°.

5. The support surface movement control device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the movement control unit automatically starts and executes the lowering control.

6. The support surface movement control device according to claim 5, further comprising a sleep determination unit that determines whether the user on the support surface is in a sleep state, wherein the movement control unit starts the downward control based on the sleep determination unit's determination that the user is in a sleep state.

7. The support surface movement control device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the movement control unit is capable of performing automatic descent control, which automatically starts and executes the descent control, and manual descent control, which performs the descent control according to the operator's operation, wherein the lower limit of the inclination angle of the upper body support in the automatic descent control is greater than the lower limit of the inclination angle of the upper body support in the manual descent control.

8. A support device comprising a support surface for supporting the user's body and a support surface movement control device according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

9. A support surface movement control method for controlling the movement of a support surface that supports the body of a user, wherein the support surface comprises an upper body support portion that supports the upper body of the user on the support surface, and a leg support portion that supports the legs of the user on the support surface, and the method includes performing a downward control by a movement control unit to move the upper body support portion in a direction that reduces the inclination angle of the upper body support portion and the leg support portion in a direction that reduces the inclination angle of the leg support portion, wherein the movement control unit, in the downward control, reduces the inclination angle of the upper body support portion at a first speed while reducing the inclination angle of the leg support portion at a second speed greater than the first speed.

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