Hygiene Management Device Using Image Recognition

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Solution Overview

Problem

In hygiene-controlled areas such as food factories, hospitals, and restaurants, ensuring complete hand-washing routines is challenging due to the lack of effective monitoring and enforcement systems, which can lead to inadequate hygiene practices and increased risk of infectious diseases.

Innovation Solution

A hygiene management device equipped with a processor that uses image recognition to monitor and verify the completion of hand-washing procedures, integrating with sensors and display devices to guide users through the washing process and control access to clean areas based on compliance.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If manual monitoring of hand-washing procedures is used, then device complexity is low, but hygiene compliance and measurement precision deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvehand-washing procedure verification accuracyVSAvoidmonitoring system complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces manual mechanical monitoring with an automated image recognition system using cameras and processors to detect hand-washing procedures, eliminating the need for human observers while achieving precise verification of hygiene compliance

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The system enables self-monitoring where the hand-washing facility itself (equipped with cameras and sensors) automatically verifies whether proper hand-washing procedures are performed, without requiring external human monitoring

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

2Reliability

If continuous monitoring of hand-washing procedures is implemented, then hygiene compliance improves, but energy consumption and device complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvehygiene protocol adherenceVSAvoidmonitoring system energy consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs image recognition and verification at specific intervals triggered by motion detection or timing mechanisms, rather than continuous monitoring, reducing energy consumption while maintaining effective surveillance of hand-washing procedures

Inventive Principle:

Principle #19Periodic action

Solution Approach 2:

The system activates monitoring only when needed (e.g., when motion is detected indicating someone is using the facility), rather than operating continuously, thereby reducing energy consumption while ensuring reliability when actually required

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Measurement precision

If detailed image recognition is used to verify hand-washing procedures, then measurement precision improves, but processing time and device complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprocedure completion detection accuracyVSAvoidverification processing time

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The verification process is divided into discrete procedural steps (wet hands, apply soap, lather, rub hands, rinse, dry), with the system checking for completion of each step independently, enabling efficient processing while maintaining comprehensive verification accuracy

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentUS11551539B2Hygiene management device and hygiene management method

Publication Date: 2023.01.10 TOSHIBA TEC KK

AI summary

According to one or more embodiment, a hygiene management device includes a processor. The processor determines based on image recognition whether a plurality of predetermined procedures of a hand-washing action have been completed by a subject. The processor executes different types of processing, such as, for example, opening or closing a passage, depending on completion or incompletion of each of the plurality of predetermined procedures.