JP2017127371A - Life logger - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a life logger excellent in usability configured so as to be charged without a loss of a life log.SOLUTION: A life logger 1 includes a core unit 10 and a base unit 20 to which the core unit 10 can be attached. The core unit 10 includes a sensor for sensing a motion, a control circuit for recording a life log based on an output signal of the sensor, and a secondary battery for supplying power to the sensor and the control circuit. The base unit 20 includes a charger for charging the secondary battery. The core unit 10 in the state of being detached from the base unit 20 is operated as a wearable activity meter, and the core unit 10 in the state of being attached to the base unit 20 is operated as a stationary sleep meter while the secondary battery is charged by the charger.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to an apparatus for recording a life log.

  Conventionally, an attempt has been made to monitor a user's biological information (heart rate, body movement, blood pressure, respiration, body temperature, etc.) with a device worn on the body, and to use the obtained data for diagnosis, treatment, health care, etc. (See Patent Documents 1 and 2). Recently, devices that can record information related to various activities in daily life (for example, what has been seen, what has been eaten, the number of steps, movement history, etc.) are not limited to biological information. In this specification, information relating to a person's living body and / or activity is recorded as digital data, or the recorded data is referred to as a “life log” in this specification, and an apparatus for recording a life log is used. Called “life logger”.

  Many life loggers are constituted by wearable type terminals, and have a function capable of recording a life log for 24 hours a day from daytime (active) to nighttime (sleeping). However, for practical purposes, the life logger must be removed from the body during charging, so that the life log cannot be recorded during charging, resulting in loss of the life log.

JP 2005-110920 A JP-A-2005-253609

  This invention is made | formed in view of the said situation, Comprising: It aims at providing the life logger excellent in usability which has the structure which can be charged, without losing a life log.

  In order to achieve the above object, a life logger according to the present invention is a life logger having a core unit and a base unit to which the core unit can be attached, the core unit comprising a sensor for sensing movement, A control circuit that records a life log based on an output signal of the sensor; and a secondary battery that supplies power to the sensor and the control circuit, and the base unit includes a charger that charges the secondary battery. And the core unit removed from the base unit operates as a wearable activity meter, and the core unit attached to the base unit is connected to the secondary battery from the charger. It is a life logger characterized by operating as a sleep monitor while being charged.

According to this configuration, the activity period (the period of waking up) is carried while wearing the core unit, and the core unit is attached to the base unit at bedtime and placed on the bedside, etc. Life log can be recorded without omission. Moreover, since the core unit is charged in parallel while operating as a sleep meter, it is excellent in convenience. The physical requirement specifications (for example, size, shape, and weight) differ between the wearable type active mass meter and the stationary type sleep meter. However, by adopting the separable structure as in the present invention, the degree of freedom in design. Therefore, it becomes easy to take a design that satisfies the required specifications of both a wearable active mass meter and a stationary sleep meter. In addition, since the life logger of the present invention can be removed from the body when used as a sleep meter, even a user who is resistant to sleeping while wearing the life logger on the body can be used.

  When the core unit is detached from the base unit, the control circuit detects a body movement of a user wearing the core unit from an output signal of the sensor, and an activity based on the detected body movement When the core unit is attached to the base unit, the movement of the bedding on which the base unit is placed is detected from the output signal. It is also preferable to adopt a configuration of operating in a sleep meter side mode in which a sleep state based on the movement of the bedding is recorded as a life log. According to this configuration, the activity state during the activity period and the sleep state during the sleep period can be recorded as a life log by the sensor and the control circuit, which are common hardware resources.

  The core unit further includes detection means for detecting whether the core unit is attached to the base unit, and the control circuit is configured to detect the activity measurement mode and the sleep meter based on a detection result of the detection means. It is also preferable to adopt a configuration in which the side mode is automatically switched. According to this configuration, when the user performs an operation of attaching / detaching the core unit to / from the base unit, the measurement mode is automatically switched, so that the user is not aware of the mode change and the mode is switched with high accuracy. Can be realized.

  The detection means may have any configuration. For example, the detection unit may be a circuit that detects electric power input from the charger to the secondary battery. The detecting means may be a switch that closes when the core unit is attached to the base unit.

  The present invention can be understood as a life logger having at least a part of the above-described configuration or function. In addition, the present invention provides a life logger control method including at least a part of the above processing, a program for causing a computer to execute the method, or a computer-readable recording such a program non-temporarily. It can also be regarded as a recording medium. Each of the above configurations and processes can be combined with each other to constitute the present invention as long as there is no technical contradiction.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the life logger excellent in usability which has the structure which can be charged without losing a life log can be provided.

The perspective view which shows the external appearance of a life logger. The block diagram which shows the structure of a life logger. The schematic diagram which shows the usage method of a life logger. The flowchart of a measurement mode switching process.

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. However, the description of each configuration described below should be changed as appropriate according to the configuration of the apparatus to which the invention is applied and various conditions, and is intended to limit the scope of the present invention to the following description. Absent.

(Device configuration)
1A and 1B show the appearance of a life logger according to an embodiment of the present invention. The life logger 1 according to this embodiment includes a core unit 10 and a base unit 20. An attachment portion 21 for the core unit 10 is provided on the upper surface of the base unit 20.
0 has a structure that can be attached / detached to / from the base unit 20. 1A shows a state where the core unit 10 is detached from the base unit 20 (separated state), and FIG. 1B shows a state where the core unit 10 is attached to the attachment portion 21 of the base unit 20 (docking state).

  FIG. 2 is a block diagram schematically showing the configuration of the life logger 1. The core unit 10 generally includes a sensor 101, a control circuit 102, an operation unit 103, a display unit 104, a notification unit 105, a communication control unit 106, a secondary battery 107, a charge control unit 108, and a connection detection unit 109. . In addition, the base unit 20 generally includes a charger 201, a power supply circuit 202, and a notification unit 203.

  The sensor 101 is a sensor that senses movement. The sensor 101 of this embodiment is a three-axis acceleration sensor, and outputs acceleration signals in the X-axis direction, the Y-axis direction, and the Z-axis direction as output signals. In addition to the acceleration sensor, a gyro, a GPS sensor, an image sensor, or the like may be used as the sensor 101, or a plurality of sensors may be combined.

  The control circuit 102 is responsible for control of each part of the life logger 1, processing for detecting (estimating) a user's activity state and sleep state based on the output signal of the sensor 101, processing for recording / displaying / transmitting these life logs, and the like. Circuit. The control circuit 102 includes a processor, a memory, and the like. Processing of the control circuit 102 described later is realized by the processor executing a program stored in the memory.

  The operation unit 103 is an input interface for the user to turn on the life logger 1 and perform various operations, and includes, for example, a button switch. The display unit 104 is an output interface for displaying a setting screen, a life log output screen, and the like of the life logger 1, and is configured by, for example, a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display. The notification unit 105 has a function of notifying the user, and includes a vibration motor or an LED lamp, for example. The communication control unit 106 is a communication interface for the life logger 1 to transmit / receive data to / from an external electronic device (personal computer, smartphone, etc.) wirelessly or by wire.

  The secondary battery 107 is a power source that supplies power to the sensor 101, the control circuit 102, the display unit 104, the notification unit 105, the communication control unit 106, and the like in the core unit 10, for example, a lithium polymer battery or a lithium ion battery. Composed. The charging control unit 108 is a circuit that performs charging control of the secondary battery 107.

  The connection detection unit 109 is means for detecting whether or not the core unit 10 is attached to the base unit 20. Any configuration and detection method may be used for the connection detection unit 109. For example, the connection detection unit 109 electrically connects the core unit 10 and the base unit 20 by a circuit that detects power input from the charger 201 of the base unit 20 to the secondary battery 107 of the core unit 10. (In the case of this configuration, the charging control unit 108 may also function as the connection detection unit 109.) Alternatively, the connection detection unit 109 may be a switch that closes when the core unit 10 is attached to the base unit 20. For example, a push-down type hardware switch may be provided in the core unit 10, and the switch may be pressed by the base unit 20 when the core unit 10 is correctly attached to the mounting portion 21 of the base unit 20. Alternatively, the connection between the core unit 10 and the base unit 20 may be detected by a sensor such as a photo sensor.

The charger 201 in the base unit 20 is a circuit for charging the secondary battery 107 in the core unit 10. In the present embodiment, the base unit 20 and the core unit 10 are provided with electrical contacts (not shown). When the core unit 10 is attached to the attachment portion 21 of the base unit 20, the charger 201, the charge control portion 108, Are electrically connected and charging is started. In this embodiment, a contact charging charger is used, but a non-contact charging (wireless charging) charger using electromagnetic induction or the like may be used. The power supply circuit 202 is a circuit that converts AC power input from a commercial power supply into DC power having a desired voltage. The notification unit 203 is a sound source (buzzer) for an alarm alarm that is one function of the sleep meter.

(how to use)
The life logger 1 is a hybrid type life logger that can be used as a wearable type (portable type) activity meter and can also be used as a stationary sleep meter. When used as an activity meter, as shown in FIG. 3A, the core unit 10 alone is mounted in an upper body pocket or the like. On the other hand, when using as a sleep meter, as shown in FIG. 3B, the core unit 10 is attached to the base unit 20 and placed on the bedside (bedding such as a mattress or mattress) with the bottom surface of the base unit 20 facing down. use. At this time, if the power plug of the base unit 20 is plugged in, the secondary battery 107 of the core unit 10 is charged while operating as a sleep meter.

(Measurement mode)
The control circuit 102 operates in the “activity measurement mode” when the core unit 10 is detached from the base unit 20 (use state in FIG. 3A). The activity measurement mode is a mode in which the user's body movement (body movement) is detected from the output signal of the sensor 101, and the user's activity state based on the detected body movement is recorded as a life log. For example, the control circuit 102 counts the number of steps, estimates the walking speed and exercise intensity, estimates the up and down stairs from the acceleration signal waveforms in the X-axis direction, the Y-axis direction, and the Z-axis direction. Data such as the number of steps taken, the number of steps going up the stairs, the amount of activity (METs), the calorie consumption, and the distance is recorded in the memory as a life log.

  On the other hand, when the core unit 10 is attached to the base unit 20 (use state of FIG. 3B), the control circuit 102 operates in the “sleep measurement mode”. The sleep measurement mode is a mode in which the movement of the bedding is detected from the output signal of the sensor 101 and the sleep state of the user based on the detected movement of the bedding is recorded as a life log. For example, the control circuit 102 detects the movement of the user during sleep from the movement of the bedding appearing in the waveform of the acceleration signal in the X-axis direction, the Y-axis direction, and the Z-axis direction, and the presence / absence and frequency of the movement and the depth of sleep. Etc. is recorded in the memory as a life log.

  The control circuit 102 may switch the operation setting of the sensor 101 according to the measurement mode. For example, in the case of the activity measurement mode, the sampling period of the sensor 101 is relatively small (for example, from 10 Hz), the measurement range is relatively wide (for example, ± 4 G), and in the case of the sleep measurement mode, the sampling period is relatively The measurement range is preferably large (for example, 1 to 10 Hz) and the measurement range is relatively narrow (for example, ± 2 G). Thereby, in the activity measurement mode, it is possible to accurately detect the waveform change of the acceleration signal due to intense body movement such as exercise, and in one sleep measurement mode, the resolution of the sensor 101 is increased, so that a small movement of the bedding is also possible. It can be detected accurately.

  The control circuit 102 may prioritize power consumption over measurement performance in the activity measurement mode, and may prioritize measurement performance over power consumption (because power is received from the charger 201) in the sleep measurement mode. For example, when the sensor 101 capable of adjusting the noise level is used, an operation setting with a lot of noise in the activity measurement mode but a low power consumption is used, and a power consumption may be high in the sleep measurement mode. To do. In addition, when performing filter operations such as noise removal on the control circuit 102 side, the sampling period of the sleep measurement mode may be made smaller than that of the activity measurement mode, and more data may be used for processing.

  FIG. 4 is a flowchart of the measurement mode switching process. When the life logger 1 is turned on, the control circuit 102 checks the current mode (step S40). When the current mode is the activity measurement mode, the control circuit 102 checks whether the core unit 10 is attached to the base unit 20 (separated state or docked state) based on the detection result of the connection detection unit 109 ( In step S41), in the separated state, the activity measurement mode is maintained, and in the docking state, the mode transits to the sleep meter side mode (step S42). On the other hand, when the current mode is the sleep measurement mode, the control circuit 102 checks whether the core unit 10 is attached to the base unit 20 (separated state or docked state) based on the detection result of the connection detection unit 109. (Step S43), transition to the activity measurement mode is performed in the separated state (Step S44), and sleep meter side mode is maintained in the docked state. The above processing is executed at a predetermined time interval (for example, once per second). By such processing, the measurement mode is automatically switched in conjunction with the attachment / detachment of the core unit 10.

(Advantages of this embodiment)
According to the configuration of the embodiment described above, the usage period in which the core unit 10 is worn and carried during the activity period (wake period), and the core unit 10 is attached to the base unit 20 and placed on a bedside or the like at bedtime. Thus, the life log can be recorded without omission from the activity period to the sleep period. Moreover, since the core unit 10 is charged in parallel while operating as a sleep meter, it is excellent in convenience. In addition, since the life logger 1 of the present embodiment can be removed from the body when used as a sleep meter, even a user who is resistant to sleeping while wearing the life logger 1 on the body can be used.

  In addition, since the wearable activity meter and the stationary sleep meter can use the sensor 101, the control circuit 102, the secondary battery 107, the operation unit 103, the display unit 104, the communication control unit 106, etc. in common, the hardware It is possible to save wear resources and reduce costs. Wearable activity meters are desired to be as small and as light as possible from the viewpoint of usability, while stationary sleep meters have a certain size, shape, and weight in order to ensure measurement stability. (Size and weight that can maintain a stable posture on the bedding) are required. The life logger 1 of the present embodiment employs a separation type structure, thereby reducing the size and weight required for a wearable activity meter (core unit 10 alone) and a stationary sleep meter (core unit). 10 and the base unit 20 set) can be satisfied. In order to reduce the size and weight of the core unit 10, it is preferable to provide hardware (for example, the notification unit 203) necessary only when operating as a sleep meter on the base unit 20 side.

  As a method of switching the measurement mode, conventionally, the user manually switches or switches with a timer (for example, the sleep schedule side is set from the time when the bedtime scheduled time is set in advance and the body movement decreases in the time slot. There are many things to start. However, manual switching is complicated for the user, and the latter timer switching has a problem in accuracy, such as switching not being performed at an appropriate timing. On the other hand, in the configuration of the present embodiment, when the user performs an operation of attaching / detaching the core unit 10 to / from the base unit 20, the measurement mode is automatically switched, so that the user is not aware of the mode change. In addition, mode switching can be realized with high accuracy.

The configuration of the embodiment described above is merely a specific example of the present invention, and is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. The present invention can take various specific configurations without departing from the technical idea thereof. For example, the shapes, sizes, and functional configurations of the core unit 10 and the base unit 20 shown in the above embodiment are merely examples, and the present invention is not limited thereto as long as the object of the present invention can be achieved. For example, the core unit 10 of the above embodiment has a structure that can be attached to a pocket or the like by a clip, but any watch type, wristband type, necklace type, glasses type, head mount type, clothing type, etc. can be attached to the user's body. Such a structure may be used. Further, instead of providing the power supply circuit 202 in the base unit 20, AC-DC conversion may be performed by an external AC adapter. Alternatively, the base unit 20 is preferably compatible with USB charging.

1: life logger 10; core unit 101: sensor, 102: control circuit, 103: operation unit, 104: display unit, 105: notification unit, 106: communication control unit, 107: secondary battery, 108: charge control unit, 109: Connection detection unit 20: Base unit 21: Mounting unit 201: Charger, 202: Power supply circuit, 203: Notification unit

Claims (5)

A life logger having a core unit and a base unit to which the core unit can be attached,
The core unit includes a sensor that senses movement, a control circuit that records a life log based on an output signal of the sensor, and a secondary battery that supplies power to the sensor and the control circuit,
The base unit has a charger for charging the secondary battery,
The core unit removed from the base unit operates as a wearable activity meter,
The life logger characterized in that the core unit attached to the base unit operates as a stationary sleep meter while being charged by the secondary battery from the charger. The control circuit includes:
When the core unit is detached from the base unit, the body movement of the user wearing the core unit is detected from the output signal of the sensor, and the activity state based on the detected body movement is used as a life log. Operates in activity measurement mode to record,
When the core unit is attached to the base unit, sleep that detects the movement of the bedding on which the base unit is placed from the output signal and records a sleep state based on the detected movement of the bedding as a life log The life logger according to claim 1, wherein the life logger operates in a meter-side mode. The core unit further includes detection means for detecting whether the core unit is attached to the base unit;
The life logger according to claim 2, wherein the control circuit automatically switches between the activity measurement mode and the sleep meter side mode based on a detection result of the detection means.   The life logger according to claim 3, wherein the detection means is a circuit that detects electric power input from the charger to the secondary battery. The life logger according to claim 3, wherein the detection unit is a switch that closes when the core unit is attached to the base unit.

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