JP2005110910A - Vibration detection device and toilet seat device - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a vibration detection device capable of accurately and efficiently determining motion information and biological information from vibration detected by a piezoelectric sensor, and in particular, accurately and efficiently motion information from a user's body movement transmitted to a toilet seat. And a toilet seat device capable of determining biological information.
Based on the output of a piezoelectric sensor, first determination means 29 determines operation information indicating that the user is sitting on the toilet seat, and then second determination means 30 determines biological information such as the heartbeat of the user. Format. As a result, there is no need to wait for biometric information until motion information is determined, so that power consumption necessary to wait for biometric information can be prevented and efficiency can be improved, or electricity generated by unnecessary current can be used. Noise can be prevented and determination accuracy is improved.
[Selection] Figure 6

Description

  The present invention relates to a vibration detection device that detects a plurality of information from vibrations transmitted to a rigid body by a flexible piezoelectric sensor, and in particular, is mounted on a rigid body such as a toilet seat to collect user's biological information and operation information. The present invention relates to an apparatus for accurately detecting.

The conventional typical vibration detection device uses motion information (presence / absence detection) based on the motion of a person standing or sitting and biological information (heart rate) based on the output of a piezoelectric sensor attached to the toilet seat. There is a toilet seat device for judgment (see Patent Document 1). Among them, the configuration is particularly common up to the point where the output of the piezoelectric sensor is filtered and amplified, and has a separate calculation means only for the determination of the heart rate.
Japanese Patent No. 2734832

  The conventional configuration is only described that a plurality of pieces of information such as motion information and biological information can be determined from a person's body movement by the piezoelectric sensor, but in order to determine a plurality of pieces of information from one piezoelectric sensor. The configuration of the determination means necessary for the above is not specifically described, and each piece of information cannot be extracted accurately and efficiently.

  The present invention solves these problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a vibration detection apparatus capable of accurately and efficiently determining operation information and biological information from vibration detected by a piezoelectric sensor.

  It is another object of the present invention to provide a toilet seat device capable of accurately and efficiently determining motion information and biological information from the user's body movement transmitted to the toilet seat.

  In order to solve the above-described conventional problems, the vibration detection device of the present invention determines a biological information after determining operation information based on an output of the piezoelectric sensor having flexibility and detecting vibration and the piezoelectric sensor. And determining means.

  As a result, there is no need to wait for biometric information until motion information is determined, so that power consumption necessary to wait for biometric information can be prevented and efficiency can be improved, or electricity generated by unnecessary current can be used. Noise can be prevented and determination accuracy is improved.

  Further, the toilet seat device of the present invention is configured to detect the user's body movement transmitted to the toilet seat by the above-described vibration detection device and determine the motion information and the biological information.

  As a result, it is not necessary to wait for biological information such as the heartbeat and breathing of the sitting user until the operation information such as the user opening the lid or sitting on the toilet seat is determined. There is an effect of improving accuracy.

  Since the vibration detection device and toilet seat device of the present invention do not need to wait for biological information until operation information is determined, the power consumption necessary for waiting for biological information can be prevented and efficiency can be improved. Therefore, noise generated by unnecessary current can be prevented, and the accuracy of determination is improved.

  A vibration detection apparatus according to a first aspect of the present invention includes a flexible piezoelectric sensor that detects vibration and a determination unit that determines biological information after determining operation information based on an output of the piezoelectric sensor. .

  As a result, there is no need to wait for biometric information until motion information is determined, so that power consumption necessary to wait for biometric information can be prevented and efficiency can be improved, or electricity generated by unnecessary current can be used. Noise can be prevented and determination accuracy is improved.

  The second aspect of the invention is particularly the vibration detection device of the first aspect of the invention, wherein the vibration is caused by the movement of the human body, and the determining means determines the presence of the human body as the operation information and then determines heartbeat and respiration as the biological information It is configured to do.

  As a result, biological information such as heartbeat and respiration is not generated while the human body is not present, so that it is possible to determine the biological information with sufficient accuracy only by determining the biological information after determining the presence of the human body. There is no need to wait for biometric information until the presence of a human body is determined, and there is an effect of improving efficiency and improving accuracy.

  In a third aspect of the invention, in particular, in the vibration detection apparatus of the first or second aspect of the invention, the first determination means for determining motion information and the second determination means for determining biological information are provided.

  As a result, appropriate determination can be made regarding each of the motion information and the biological information, and the accuracy of the determination is improved.

  According to a fourth aspect of the invention, particularly in the vibration detection device of the third aspect of the invention, the power detection unit includes a power supply unit that supplies power to the first determination unit and the second determination unit. At least a part of the electric power is not supplied to the second determination unit, or at least a part of the electric power is not supplied to the first determination unit at the time of biometric information determination.

  As a result, when one of the operation information and the biological information is determined, power consumption to the other determination unit can be reduced, and efficiency can be improved. Similarly, electrical noise generated by the current consumption of the other determination means can be prevented, and the determination accuracy is improved.

  In a fifth aspect of the invention, in particular, in the vibration detection device according to any one of the first to fourth aspects of the invention, the determining means includes an amplifying means for amplifying the output of the piezoelectric sensor, and the living body is higher than the amplification factor when the operation information is determined. The amplification factor at the time of information determination is configured to be large.

  Thereby, since the vibration caused by the biological information is much smaller than the vibration caused by the motion information, the biological information can be determined with high accuracy by increasing the amplification factor at the time of the biological information determination.

  A sixth aspect of the invention is a toilet seat device having the vibration detecting device of any one of the first to fifth aspects of the invention, wherein the movement information and the biological information are determined by detecting the user's body movement transmitted to the toilet seat. It is said.

  Thus, there is no need to wait for biological information such as the heartbeat and breathing of the user who is sitting until the user has determined the operation information such as opening the lid or sitting on the toilet seat. Similarly, there are effects of efficiency improvement and accuracy improvement.

  The seventh invention is the toilet seat device of the sixth invention, in particular, based on operation information and biological information, display means, notification means, communication means, washing means, drying means, toilet seat heating means, water supply / drainage means, indoor air conditioning means, It has the structure which has a control means which controls at least one of a ventilation means, a deodorizing means, etc.

  As a result, it is easy to perform various controls based on the motion information and biological information determined efficiently and accurately, and a multifunctional toilet seat device utilizing the motion information and biological information can be realized.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments.

(Embodiment 1)
1 is an exploded perspective view of a toilet seat device showing a first embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is an external perspective view of a vibration detection sensor used in the toilet seat device of FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a toilet seat device shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the essential part of the toilet seat device of FIG. 1, FIG. 5 is a side view of the toilet shown in FIG. 3, and FIG. 6 is a block diagram of a control device in the toilet seat device. 7 is a time chart of sensor output and operation in the toilet seat device, FIG. 8 is a sensor output at rest, FIG. 9 is a signal obtained by processing the sensor output by a filter, and FIG. 10 is a self-phase relationship of signals processed by the filter. FIG. 11 is a flowchart for obtaining the heartbeat period.

  As shown in FIG. 1, a toilet seat device 5 according to an embodiment of the present invention is flexible as a vibration detection sensor on a base plate 7 of a case 8 composed of a resin-molded rigid upper lid 6 and a base plate 7. A certain cord-shaped piezoelectric sensor 9 is arranged.

  The upper lid 6 has a body portion 10 having a semicircular shape in cross section and forms the upper portion of the case 8. A heater 12 for heating is attached to the lower surface of the top plate 11 of the main body 10. The heater 12 is connected to a control means 13 described later, and is set to a desired temperature by manual operation.

  The base plate 7 has a body portion 14 having a U-shaped cross-sectional view and forms a lower portion of the case 8. A piezoelectric sensor 9 is attached to the upper surface of the bottom plate 15 of the main body 14.

  The upper lid 6 and the base plate 7 are assembled together by fitting screws (not shown) into the engaging portions 17 formed in the upper lid 6 from the through holes 16 formed in the base plate 7. In addition, the piezoelectric sensor 9 is connected to the control means 13 like the heater 12.

  Here, the cord-shaped piezoelectric sensor 9 used in this embodiment will be briefly described. This sensor 9 is a cable-shaped sensor using a piezoelectric element material as shown in FIG. An arranged core wire (center electrode) 18, a piezo element material 19 coated around the core wire 18, an outer electrode 20 disposed around the piezo element material 19, and PVC (vinyl chloride) covering the outermost periphery. Resin) 21.

  This piezoelectric sensor 9 uses a piezo element material 19 having heat resistance capable of an ambient temperature up to about 120 ° C., and a piezo element composed of a resin having flexibility (flexibility) and piezoelectric ceramics. Using the material 19 and a flexible electrode, it has the same flexibility (flexibility) as a normal vinyl cord.

  Furthermore, the piezoelectric sensor 9 is as sensitive as a polymer piezo element material, and exhibits particularly high sensitivity in a low frequency region (10 Hz or less) in which the heart rate of the human body is detected. This is because the relative dielectric constant (about 55) of the piezo element material 19 is larger than the relative dielectric constant (about 10) of the polymer piezo element material, so that the sensitivity reduction is small even in the low frequency region.

  The cord-like piezoelectric sensor 9 obtained in this way does not have piezoelectric performance when the piezo element material 19 is molded. Therefore, by applying a DC high voltage of several KV / mm to the piezo element material 19 Therefore, it is necessary to perform a process for imparting piezoelectric performance to the piezo element material 19 (polarization process). This polarization process is performed by forming a core wire 18 and an outer electrode 20 on the piezoelectric element material 19 and then applying a DC voltage between the electrodes 18 and 20.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the base plate 7 is attached to the back surface of the bottom plate 15 as in the conventional device, and is located between the toilet seat device 5 and the toilet body 22 when the toilet seat is used, and collides with the toilet body 22. Four shock absorbing pads 23 having an elastic force for absorbing water are provided. In addition, the toilet seat device 5 is equipped with a lid body 25 that is flipped up together with the toilet seat device 5 to the aquarium tank 24 side.

  In the present embodiment, the cord-like piezoelectric sensor 9 is mounted on the base plate 7 while being positioned and supported by a plurality of spaced apart holders 26.

  When the pad 23 is enlarged, as shown in FIG. 4, the pad 23 has a pressing means 27 having elasticity attached to the inner surface of the upper lid 6 as a rigid body and a rigid protrusion 28 attached on the base plate 7. The piezoelectric sensor 9 is sandwiched between the means 27 and the protrusion 28. 4A shows a state before the upper lid 6 and the base plate 7 are integrated, and FIG. 4B shows a state in which the upper lid 6 and the base plate 7 are screwed together. When the user sits on the toilet seat device 5, of course, the state is as shown in FIG. 4B. However, the upper lid 6 and the base plate 7 are rigid so that the toilet seat device 5 is not broken even when the weight is applied.

  Here, the rigid body is a member that does not cause a deformation that exceeds the strength even when the human weight is applied, and particularly a member that does not feel deformation such as a sag sinking when a person sits down, that is, a user. It is defined as a member that does not make you feel uneasy about strength. The material is not particularly limited, and may be an insulator such as resin or ceramic, or a conductor such as metal, but it is added that the conventional toilet seat is generally made of resin.

  Now, when the user is sitting on the toilet seat, the entire weight of the user is applied to the toilet seat, but since it is a rigid body, there is almost no partial deformation of the upper lid 6. However, it is thought that the whole toilet seat vibrates slightly due to the body movement of the user. The manner in which the vibration of the toilet seat is amplified and transmitted to the piezoelectric sensor 9 will be described in detail below.

  First, since the pressing means 27 is located between the upper lid 6 and the piezoelectric sensor 9, the pressing means 27 vibrates due to the vibration of the upper lid 6, but the appearance of this vibration becomes quite complicated. Since the pressing means 27 is an elastic member while the upper lid 6 is rigid, the upper portion of the pressing means 27 (near the connecting portion with the upper lid 6) vibrates in the same manner as the upper lid 6, whereas the lower portion of the pressing means 27 The vicinity of the connection with the piezoelectric sensor 9 vibrates with a slight delay and repeats vibrations different from those of the upper lid 6. Therefore, the piezoelectric sensor 9 transmits not only the vibration of the upper lid 6 and the base plate 7 as a rigid body, but also different vibrations by the pressing means 27. In other words, the pressing means 27 amplifies the vibration of the upper lid 6. It will be. From this, the pressing means 27 can be said to be a kind of amplifying means.

  Next, the pressing means 27 and the piezoelectric sensor 9 face each other with different shapes. The piezoelectric sensor 9 is longer in the left-right direction of FIG. 4 and the pressing means 27 is larger in the depth direction of FIG. The means 27 is configured to be opposed in a plane. Therefore, the piezoelectric sensor 9 has a part that does not contact the pressing unit 27 and a part that contacts the pressing unit 27. Further, among the parts that contact the pressing unit 27, the piezoelectric sensor 9 presses from a strongly pressed part to a part that is not pressed so much. There are various parts with different states. Therefore, the piezoelectric sensor 9 is different depending on the part, such as being mainly subjected to vibration as a rigid body at a part not in contact with the pressing unit 27 and mainly receiving vibrations different from the rigid body by the pressing unit 27 at a part strongly pressed by the pressing unit 27. You will receive a vibration. The fact that the entire piezoelectric sensor does not receive the same vibration but receives different vibrations depending on the part is equivalent to partial deformation of the piezoelectric sensor 9, so that the output of the piezoelectric sensor can be increased. Eventually, since the piezoelectric sensor 9 can be deformed from the vibration of the rigid body having almost no deformation, the vibration of the rigid body is amplified. From this, the difference in the shape of the opposing surfaces of the pressing means 27 and the piezoelectric sensor 9 can be said to be a kind of amplifying means.

  Next, the protrusion 28 and the piezoelectric sensor 9 face each other with different shapes. Therefore, the piezoelectric sensor 9 has a portion that does not contact the protrusion 28 and a portion that contacts the protrusion 28. Accordingly, the piezoelectric sensor 9 is relatively less susceptible to vibration as a rigid body at a portion that does not contact the projection 28, and is a rigid body by the projection 28 at a portion that contacts the projection 28, that is, the base plate 7 or the upper lid (rigid body) 6. Depending on the site, you may or may not receive vibration. The fact that the whole piezoelectric sensor does not receive the same vibration but receives or does not receive the vibration depending on the part is equivalent to partial deformation of the piezoelectric sensor 9, so that the output of the piezoelectric sensor is increased. Can do. After all, since the piezoelectric sensor 9 can be deformed from the vibration of the rigid body with almost no deformation, the vibration of the rigid body is amplified. From this, the difference in the shape of the opposing surface of the protrusion 28 and the piezoelectric sensor 9 can be said to be a kind of amplification means. However, the amplification effect by the protrusion 28 is smaller than the amplification effect of the pressing means 27 described above.

  Next, the pressing means 27 and the protrusion 28 face each other in different shapes, and the pressing means 27 has a larger area. Since the projection 28 is a rigid body, only the central portion of the pressing means 27 is compressed, and the elasticity of the pressing means 27 is hindered at the compressed central portion, so that vibration close to a rigid body is performed. Further, a force is applied to the piezoelectric sensor 9 by the pressing means 27 and the protrusion 28, and the piezoelectric sensor 9 is fixed to some extent. The magnitude of this force also varies depending on the elasticity of the pressing means 27 and the distance between the upper lid 6 and the base plate 7 when integrated. As the elasticity of the pressing means 27 is lower, and as the distance between the upper lid 6 and the base plate 7 is shorter, a force is applied to the piezoelectric sensor 9 so that it is fixed firmly. On the other hand, since the elasticity of the peripheral side of the pressing means 27 (the part where the protrusions 28 do not face) is maintained, vibration different from that of the rigid body can be performed. Accordingly, the piezoelectric sensor 9 is fixed at the central portion of the pressing means 27 and vibrates close to a rigid body, and differs from the rigid body only by the pressing from the pressing means 27 on the peripheral side of the pressing means 27 (the part where the projections 28 do not face). Vibrate. A point to be noted at this time is that a portion that vibrates close to a rigid body and a portion that vibrates differently from the rigid body are located very close in the piezoelectric sensor 9. Having different vibrations at extremely close positions is equivalent to locally deforming the piezoelectric sensor 9, so that the output of the piezoelectric sensor can be increased. After all, since the piezoelectric sensor 9 can be deformed from the vibration of the rigid body with almost no deformation, the vibration of the rigid body is amplified. Therefore, the difference in the shape of the opposing surfaces of the pressing means 27 and the protrusion 28 can be said to be a kind of amplifying means. Here, the protrusion 28 may not be a rigid body. Even if the protrusions 28 are made of an elastic body, the pressing means 27 is strongly compressed at the central portion by increasing the height of the pressing means 27 and the protrusions 28 or by reducing the distance between the upper lid 6 and the base plate 7. Because it can be prevented.

  Here, the elasticity of the pressing means 27 only needs to be higher than that of the upper lid 6, and the above-described effect as the amplifying means can be obtained. For example, a typical cushion material may be used, and a rubber or sponge may be used.

  As shown in FIG. 5, when the toilet seat device 5 having the above-described configuration is disposed on the toilet body 22 and the weight of the human body M due to sitting is applied, the piezoelectric sensor 9 is pressed as described above. As a result, the vibration corresponding to the movement of the human body M is amplified and applied to the piezoelectric sensor 9 to reliably output an electric signal.

  An electrical signal obtained according to the acceleration of vibration is supplied to the control means 13.

  However, when the toilet seat apparatus 5 is used, the vibration generated by the driving of the cleaning nozzle as the cleaning means, the operation of the blower as the drying means, or the drainage does not become a noise for the detection of the presence / absence of the human body and the heart rate. Thus, the electrical signal output from the piezoelectric sensor 9 is masked by the control means 13.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the control unit 13 includes a first determination unit 29 that determines human body motion information and a second determination unit 30 that determines biological information.

  The first determination means 29 receives the output of the piezoelectric sensor, processes the output signal of the piezoelectric sensor by the signal processing means 33 having the filter means 31 and the amplification means 32, and the operation information calculation means 34 based on the signal. This is a configuration for obtaining human motion information (what type of motion was performed). Here, the external power supply unit 35 supplies power to the signal processing unit 33 via the power supply unit 36, and always waits for vibrations generated by the movement of the human body.

  The second determination unit 30 receives the signal from the signal processing unit 33, processes the signal by the signal processing unit 39 having the filter unit 37 and the amplification unit 38, and based on the signal, the biological information calculation unit 40 performs human processing. It is the structure which calculates | requires biometric information (heartbeat, respiration, etc.). Here, the external power supply unit 35 supplies power to the signal processing unit 33 via the power supply unit 36. However, when the switch 41 of the power supply unit 36 is off, power is supplied to the signal processing unit 39. The biometric information cannot be determined.

  When not in use, the switch 41 is off, and only the first determination means 29 waits for vibrations generated by the movement of the human body. And when a person uses it, the operation of “lifting the lid 25” and the operation of “sit down on the toilet seat device 5” are always performed, so that vibrations that lift the lid 25 and large vibrations that lower the waist are applied to the toilet seat device 5. Will occur. As a result, the piezoelectric sensor 9 dynamically changes from a state where there is no vibration to a state where it receives a large vibration, so that the acceleration of displacement is large and a large output is generated. The large output of the piezoelectric sensor 9 is sent to the operation information calculation unit 34 as a signal based on the operation information by the filter unit 31 and the amplification unit 32. As a result, “the lid 25 is lifted” “sit down on the toilet seat device 5” The first determination means 29 determines that such an operation has occurred. Further, after the determination by the first determination means 29 that “sit down on the toilet seat device 5”, the control means 13 turns on the switch 41 by the power supply means 36. Then, since power is also supplied to the signal processing means 39, the signal processing means 39 receives the signal from the signal processing means 33, further processes the signal by the filter means 37, the amplification means 38, etc., and the biological information calculation means 40 Send to. If the user is resting, the large vibrations caused by the actions of “lifting the lid 25” and “sitting down on the toilet seat device 5” stop in a short time, and thereafter, the user's biological information, that is, the heartbeat. Only weak vibrations according to breathing or the like continue. Since the vibration corresponding to the biological information is weak, the output of the piezoelectric sensor 9 is small, but since it is sent to the biological information calculating means 40 as a signal amplified in two stages by the amplifying means 32 and 38, the biological information calculating means 40 Then, it can be processed as a signal of an appropriate size. Although the same biological information is used, the vibration due to the heartbeat and the vibration due to the breathing have a high heartbeat frequency and a low respiration frequency, and therefore the filter 37 can separate them. Here, it is assumed that the heart rate is detected by calculating the autocorrelation coefficient in the biological information calculation unit 40 to obtain the cycle of the heart rate, and calculating the heart rate. And the display means 42 which displays the calculated heart rate, the comparison means 43 which compares the setting value of the preset heart rate, and the alerting | reporting means 44 which issues a warning based on the comparison result are equipped. . The notification unit 44 can generate an alarm when the heart rate becomes equal to or higher than a set value. In particular, there is a risk that the heart rate will rise and the occurrence of cerebral overflow when going on defecation, but the control means 13 can predict disease from the change in heart rate and contribute to health management. At this time, if the control means 13 is connected to the Internet in a hospital or the like, for example, the toilet seat device 5 used in the hospital can be centrally monitored, and a toilet that cannot be directly examined The inside can also be monitored constantly.

  Further, the signal to the display means 42 can be transmitted via a communication means such as a wired means or a wireless means.

  Here, regarding the first determination means for determining the operation information, focusing on the magnitude of the output of the signal processing means 33, as shown in FIG. 7, the moment when the human body M is seated on the toilet seat device 5 (or the moment when it rises). A large output waveform is output when an object such as a lid is placed (or removed), or when the body is moved while sitting. On the other hand, if the human body M is in a resting state after sitting, a relatively low level output waveform is output due to minute body movements propagated by heart activity and respiratory activity.

  On the other hand, when the human body M is absent or an object is placed, the output waveform is not shown within a predetermined time after outputting a large output waveform.

  Therefore, the output V of the signal processing means 33 and the two predetermined set values Va and Vb can be compared and determined as follows. That is, if V <Va, it is determined that the human body M or the object is absent (absence output Hi). If Va ≦ V <Vb, it is determined that the human body M exists in a resting state (current output Hi). Further, if Vb <V, it is determined that the human body M has caused body movement (body movement output Hi). When an object is placed instead of the human body M, the presence of a bed and body movement are temporarily judged, but low-level vibrations propagated by heart activity and respiratory activity such as the human body M do not appear. The absence of the human body M is determined as a state where an object is placed.

  For example, when the first determination means determines that there is a person, the operation of the deodorizing means and the toilet seat heating means may be started, and this operation may be stopped when the absence of a person is determined. The toilet seat heating means here is a heater 12.

  On the other hand, regarding the second determination means for determining the biological information, it is necessary to extract the heartbeat from the output fluctuation at rest in FIG. Actually, the output waveform of the piezoelectric sensor 9 at rest is as shown in FIG.

  In the signal processing means 39, the filter means 37 removes a noise component of 60 Hz in particular with a low-pass filter having a cutoff frequency of 30 Hz, and removes a vibration component due to breathing with a high-pass filter with a cutoff frequency of 0.5 Hz. It is. FIG. 9 shows an example of the output waveform after passing through the filter means 37.

  Next, in the biological information calculation means 40, first, an autocorrelation coefficient between the movement time 0 and tmax seconds is calculated. FIG. 10 shows an example of the calculated autocorrelation coefficient.

  Subsequently, the period is determined based on the calculated autocorrelation coefficient F (t). FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing the operation for obtaining the period. The operation is peak detection.

  While increasing t from 0 by a minute time dt, a decrease in F (t) is confirmed in steps 2 to 4, and an increase in F (t) is confirmed in steps 5 to 7. In step 8, t and F (t) when the increase is completed are stored. The peak is repeatedly detected until the movement time t reaches tmax, and after the detection is completed, the period t is set to t indicating the maximum value in the peak. In the data example of FIG. 10, the cycle is t1 seconds. Next, the heart rate is calculated. The heart rate is calculated from the obtained cycle, and the heart rate S = 60 / t. In this data example, S = 60 / t1. As described above, the heart rate S is calculated in the biological information calculation means 40.

  Incidentally, in the present embodiment, the amplification factor of the amplification means 32 can be 10 and the amplification factor of the amplification means 38 can be 200.

  The user can intentionally use the first determination means as an input means for advancing the control step of the toilet seat device 5.

  For example, as a general function of the toilet seat device 5, after the defecation is finished, the flushing water is discharged or the drying air is sent out. However, in this case, it is not always performed for an appropriate time and amount. For example, it is quite difficult to detect the degree of washing of the buttocks and stop the washing, or to detect and stop the degree of drying, so that it is driven for a preset average time or the user switches the switch. It is often controlled to start / stop by pressing.

  Therefore, it is conceivable to control the start / stop by detecting, for example, operation information “shake the buttocks” by the first determination means of the present invention. When the user who has finished defecation shakes the buttocks while sitting on the toilet seat, the wash water starts to be discharged. Next, when the buttocks are shaken, the wash water is stopped and the dry air is sent out. When shaken, it is possible to stop the delivery of the drying air. According to this method, the user can wash and dry the buttocks for the time / amount that he / she likes, so there is no discomfort due to lack of time / amount and it is prevented that the time / amount is wasted and wasted. be able to. Furthermore, compared to the operation of touching the switch with the hand, it is the cleanest because it is not necessary to touch the hand anywhere.

  According to the toilet seat device 5 described above, the piezoelectric sensor 9 reliably supplies an electrical signal corresponding to the acceleration of vibration to the control means 13 to easily detect a slight movement of the human body and obtain high reliability. Can do. In addition, the piezoelectric sensor 9 is flexible and is not easily broken even when an impact is continuously applied. Further, the piezoelectric sensor 9 outputs a detection signal that makes it easy to distinguish between a person and an object. Can do.

  In the above-described embodiment, the configuration in which the output signal from the piezoelectric sensor 9 is smoothed to determine the presence / absence or the heart rate is calculated by calculating the autocorrelation coefficient has been described. It is also conceivable to convert the digital data into digital data and determine the presence / absence based on a moving average value of the digital data in the microcomputer.

  The effects of the embodiment described above will be summarized.

  The vibration detecting device 45 is configured as shown in FIG. 6 by combining the piezoelectric sensor 9 that is flexible and detects vibration and the control unit 51 that determines biological information after determining operation information based on the output of the piezoelectric sensor 9. It is composed.

  As a result, there is no need to wait for biometric information until motion information is determined, so that power consumption necessary to wait for biometric information can be prevented and efficiency can be improved, or electricity generated by unnecessary current can be used. Noise can be prevented and determination accuracy is improved.

  Further, the vibration is due to the body movement of the human body, and the determination means is configured to determine heartbeat and respiration as the biological information after determining the presence of the human body as the operation information.

  As a result, biological information such as heartbeat and respiration is not generated while the human body is not present, so that it is possible to determine the biological information with sufficient accuracy only by determining the biological information after determining the presence of the human body. There is no need to wait for biometric information until the presence of a human body is determined, and there is an effect of improving efficiency and improving accuracy.

  Further, the first determination unit 29 for determining operation information and the second determination unit 30 for determining biological information are provided.

  As a result, appropriate determination can be made regarding each of the motion information and the biological information, and the accuracy of the determination is improved.

  The power supply means 36 supplies power to the first determination means 29 and the second determination means 30, and the power supply means 36 supplies power to the second determination means 30 when determining the operation information. It has a configuration that does not.

  Thus, power consumption to the second determination unit 30 can be reduced and power efficiency can be improved until the first determination unit 29 determines the operation information. At this time, similarly, the electrical noise generated by the current consumed by the second determination means 30 can be prevented, and the determination accuracy is improved.

  Moreover, the determination means 29 and 30 have the amplification means 32 and 38 which amplify the output of the piezoelectric sensor 9, and the amplification factor (2000) at the time of biometric information determination is larger than the amplification factor (10) at the time of operation information determination. It is configured.

  Thereby, since the vibration caused by the biological information is much smaller than the vibration caused by the motion information, the biological information can be determined with high accuracy by increasing the amplification factor at the time of the biological information determination.

  Moreover, it is set as the structure which detects a user's body motion conveyed to the toilet seat, and determines motion information and biological information.

  As a result, there is no need to wait for biological information such as the heartbeat and breathing of the user who has sat down until the user has determined the operation information such as opening the lid 25 or sitting on the toilet seat. There is an effect of improving accuracy.

  Furthermore, based on the operation information and the biological information, at least the display means 42, the notification means 44, the communication means, the cleaning means, the drying means, the toilet seat heating means (heater) 12, the water supply / drainage means, the indoor air conditioning means, the ventilation means, the deodorizing means, etc. It has the structure which has the control means which controls one.

  As a result, it is easy to perform various controls based on the operation information and the biological information determined efficiently and accurately, and a multifunctional toilet seat device 5 utilizing the operation information and the biological information can be realized. .

(Embodiment 2)
FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional configuration diagram of a bath apparatus showing a second embodiment according to the present invention, and FIG. 13 is a block configuration diagram of a control device in the bath apparatus.

  In the bath apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention, a flexible cord-shaped piezoelectric sensor 48 is arranged between a rigid bathtub 46 and a cover 47 as shown in FIG. Further, a protrusion 49 protruding from the bathtub 46 toward the piezoelectric sensor 48, and a holder 50 that supports the piezoelectric sensor 48 on the cover 47, the piezoelectric sensor 48 is positioned via the holder 50.

  Here, the protrusion 49 and the piezoelectric sensor 48 face each other with different shapes. The piezoelectric sensor 48 is longer in the direction parallel to the paper surface of FIG. 12, and the protrusion 49 is larger in the depth direction of FIG. For this reason, the piezoelectric sensor 48 has a portion that does not contact the protrusion 49 and a portion that contacts the protrusion 49, and among the portions that are in contact with the protrusion 49, the portion that is strongly pressed (center) to the portion that is not pressed so much is pressed. There are various parts with different states.

  In addition, the piezoelectric sensor 48 is attached to the cover 47 via the holder 50. Here, whether the cover 47 is fixed integrally to the bathtub 46, whether the cover 47 is rigid or elastic, and whether the holder 50 is fixed. The situation changes depending on whether the body is rigid or elastic.

  First, when the cover 47 is not fixed to the bathtub 46 integrally, regardless of the material of the cover 47 and the material of the holder 50, the bathtub 46 vibrates due to the user's body movement, but the cover 47 does not vibrate. Since the vibration of the bathtub 46 is transmitted only from the protrusion 49 to the piezoelectric sensor 48, the piezoelectric sensor 48 receives vibration only at a portion in contact with the protrusion 49 and does not receive vibration at a portion not in contact with the protrusion 49. The fact that the entire piezoelectric sensor 48 is not subjected to the same vibration but different vibrations depending on the part is equivalent to partial deformation of the piezoelectric sensor 48, so that the output of the piezoelectric sensor 48 can be increased. it can. After all, since the piezoelectric sensor 48 can be deformed from the vibration of the bathtub (rigid body) 46 with almost no deformation, the vibration of the bathtub (rigid body) 46 is amplified. From this, the difference in the shape of the opposing surface of the protrusion 49 and the piezoelectric sensor 48 can be said to be a kind of amplification means.

  Next, when the cover 47 is integrally fixed to the bathtub 46 and at least one of the cover 47 and the holder 50 is made of an elastic body, the bathtub 46 vibrates due to the body movement of the user and passes through the cover 47 and the holder 50. Since the vibration is through the elastic body, the vibration is different from that of the bathtub 46. The vibration of the bathtub 46 is transmitted from the projection 49 to the piezoelectric sensor 48, but the vibration via the cover 47 and the holder 50 is also transmitted to the piezoelectric sensor 48, so that the piezoelectric sensor 48 is divided between the portion contacting the projection 49 and the portion contacting the holder 50. You will receive different vibrations. The fact that the entire piezoelectric sensor 48 is not subjected to the same vibration but different vibrations depending on the part is equivalent to partial deformation of the piezoelectric sensor 48, so that the output of the piezoelectric sensor 48 can be increased. it can. After all, since the piezoelectric sensor 48 can be deformed from the vibration of the bathtub (rigid body) 46 with almost no deformation, the vibration of the bathtub (rigid body) 46 is amplified. Accordingly, the protrusion 49, the cover 47, and the holder 50 can be said to be a kind of amplification means.

  Finally, when the cover 47 is integrally fixed to the bathtub 46 and both the cover 47 and the holder 50 are rigid bodies, when the bathtub 46 vibrates due to the user's body movement, vibration transmitted from the protrusion 49 to the piezoelectric sensor 48 is also prevented. And the vibration through the holder 50 will seem to be the same vibration. However, microscopically, there is a slight time difference between the two that cannot be discerned by humans. That is, when the bathtub 46 vibrates, the protrusion 49 vibrates immediately, but the holder 50 does not vibrate immediately. After the bathtub 50 vibrates, the holder 47 vibrates through the connecting portion around the bathtub 46 and then starts to vibrate. That is, the length of the path through which vibration is transmitted is long. Therefore, the piezoelectric sensor 48 is subjected to slightly different vibrations at the portion in contact with the protrusion 49 and the portion in contact with the holder 50. The fact that the entire piezoelectric sensor 48 is not subjected to the same vibration but different vibrations depending on the part is equivalent to partial deformation of the piezoelectric sensor 48, so that the output of the piezoelectric sensor 48 can be increased. it can. After all, since the piezoelectric sensor 48 can be deformed from the vibration of the bathtub (rigid body) 46 with almost no deformation, the vibration of the bathtub (rigid body) 46 is amplified. Accordingly, the protrusion 49, the cover 47, and the holder 50 can be said to be a kind of amplification means. However, in this case, since the amplification function is less than that in the past, it is necessary to devise such as increasing the amplification factor on the circuit for processing the sensor output.

  Now, the present embodiment also includes a configuration having an amplification function.

  The first is the elasticity of the piezoelectric sensor 48. Since the piezoelectric sensor 48 having flexibility (flexibility) is also elastic, vibration from the protrusion 49 in contact with the piezoelectric sensor 48 and vibration from the holder 50 can vibrate the piezoelectric sensor 48 itself. Due to the elasticity of the piezoelectric sensor 48, it is possible to cause a vibration different from the original vibration. In other words, while generating an output for a given original vibration, it causes a different vibration and generates another output.

  Next, the piezoelectric sensor 48 is mounted in a tensioned state. In FIG. 12, the piezoelectric sensor 48 is supported in tension, that is, in a tensioned state. At this time, the vibration propagates farther in the piezoelectric sensor 48 than in the case where no tension is applied. The vibration from the projection 49 and the holder 50 that contacts the piezoelectric sensor 48 propagates farther in the piezoelectric sensor 48 when tension is applied to some extent, and as a result, outputs are generated from various locations in the piezoelectric sensor 48. Can do. This is considered to have the same effect as increasing the sensitivity of the sensor, that is, amplifying the vibration. As to how much tension should be applied, it is desirable that at least the mechanical strength of the piezoelectric sensor 48 is not impaired, and particularly that the elasticity can be maintained.

  As shown in FIG. 13, the control unit 51 includes a first determination unit 52 that determines human body motion information and a second determination unit 53 that determines biological information.

  The first determination means 52 receives the output of the piezoelectric sensor 48, processes the output signal of the piezoelectric sensor 48 by the signal processing means 56 having the filter means 54 and the amplification means 55, and based on the signal, the operation information calculation means 57 It is the structure which calculates | requires human motion information (what kind of operation | movement was carried out). Here, the external power supply unit 58 supplies power to the signal processing unit 56 via the power supply unit 59, and on / off of the power supply can be controlled by the switch 60. When the switch 60 of the power supply unit 59 is on, power is supplied to the signal processing unit 56 to enable signal processing, and the operation information calculation unit 57 can determine the operation information. When the switch 60 of the power supply means 59 is off, the power supply to the signal processing means 56 is cut off and the operation information cannot be determined.

  The second determination means 53 receives the output of the piezoelectric sensor 48, processes the output signal of the piezoelectric sensor 48 by the signal processing means 63 having the filter means 61 and the amplification means 62, and based on the signal, the biological information calculation means 64. It is the structure which calculates | requires a person's biometric information (a heart rate, respiration, etc.). Here, the external power supply unit 65 supplies power to the signal processing means 63 via the power supply means 66, and the power supply can be turned on / off by a switch 67. When the switch 67 of the power supply means 66 is on, power is supplied to the signal processing means 63 to enable signal processing, and the biological information calculation means 64 can determine the biological information. When the switch 67 of the power supply means 66 is off, the power supply to the signal processing means 63 is cut off and biometric information cannot be determined.

  Based on this, the following control by the control means 51 can be considered.

  When not in use, both the switches 60 and 67 are off, and neither operation information nor biometric information is awaited, but only the switch 60 is turned on in conjunction with the completion of automatic hot water bathing or the completion of soaking operation information. Set to standby state. When a person enters the bathtub 46, a large vibration is generated in the bathtub 46 based on the action of “entering the bathtub 46”. As a result, the piezoelectric sensor 48 dynamically changes from a state where there is no vibration to a state where it receives a large vibration, so that the acceleration of displacement is large and a large output is generated. The large output of the piezoelectric sensor 48 is sent to the operation information calculation unit 57 as a signal based on the operation information by the filter unit 54 and the amplification unit 55. As a result, the first determination unit determines that the operation “entered the bathtub 46” has occurred. It is determined as 52. Further, after the determination by the first determination means 52 that the bath has entered the bathtub 46, the control means 51 turns on the switch 67 by the power supply means 66. Then, since power is also supplied to the signal processing means 63, the signal processing means 63 receives a signal from the piezoelectric sensor 48, further processes the signal by the filter means 61, the amplification means 62, etc., and sends it to the biological information calculation means 64. send. Then, if the user is resting, the large vibration due to the operation of “entering the bathtub” is stopped in a short time, and thereafter only the weak vibration corresponding to the user's biological information, that is, heartbeat, breathing, etc. It will continue. Since the vibration corresponding to the biological information is weak, the output of the piezoelectric sensor 48 is small, but since the signal amplified by the amplifying means 62 is sent to the biological information calculating means 64, the biological information calculating means 64 has an appropriate magnitude. Can be processed as a signal. Although the same biological information is used, the vibration due to heartbeat and the vibration due to respiration have a high heartbeat frequency and a low respiration frequency, and therefore can be separated by the filter 61 or the like. Here, if it is possible to determine, for example, an increase in blood pressure or hotness of a bather from heartbeat, breathing, or other biological information, the hot water supply device 68 is controlled by pouring water after the determination to lower the temperature of the hot water. Is also possible. Also, if it is possible to determine the bather's dozing from the biological information, it is possible to avoid dangers such as drowning by performing wireless communication and notifying the family by the notification means 69 in another room.

  The first determination means can be used intentionally by the user as an input means for controlling the bath apparatus.

  For example, as a general function of a bath apparatus, automatic hot water filling, additional cooking, pouring hot water, pouring water, generation of a bubble having a relaxation effect, ventilation of a bathroom, drying, air conditioning and the like are performed. In general, a bather controls these functions by operating a switch.

  Therefore, it is conceivable that the first determination means 52 of the present invention detects the operation information “tapping the bathtub 46” and controls them. The bathtub 46 is an integrally configured rigid body, and a vibration larger than that of biological information can be obtained by simply tapping the edge. It is possible to make the operation of “tapping the bathtub 46” correspond to switches of various functions depending on the factors of time and number of times. For example, if you tap once in a unit time, you can use pouring hot water, and if you tap twice, a bubble can be generated. In addition, a display means 70 for displaying the set value of the heat insulation temperature is provided in the bathroom, and the numerical value of the increase / decrease changes depending on the number of hits in the direction in which the set temperature increases when tapped hard and the set temperature decreases when tapped weakly. It is also possible. In this case, the bather can change the heat insulation temperature while confirming the display on the display means 70.

  As described above, when the piezoelectric sensor is used as the input means of the bath apparatus, it is not necessary to provide a separate switch in the bathroom, and it is not necessary to take a waterproof measure for the switch. If all switches can be replaced with piezoelectric sensors, there is no need to attach a controller such as a remote controller to the bathroom wall, and wiring and construction for that purpose are also unnecessary.

  In the present embodiment, since the second determination means 52 is connected in parallel with the first determination means 53, it can be determined independently of each other. In other words, depending on the combination of ON / OFF of the switches 60 and 61, the determination of the operation information by the first determination unit 53 and the determination of the biological information by the second determination unit 52 are performed at the same time or only one of them. be able to. When performing simultaneously, it is possible to control the external device by making a comprehensive determination with both pieces of information, and it is also possible to control the other determination with one piece of information. When only one is performed, the power consumption of the other can be prevented, so that useless power does not have to be used, so that efficiency is improved, and noise is prevented from being generated due to wasted current, so that determination accuracy is improved.

  In the present embodiment, the bathtub is shown as a rigid body, but the bathtub is made of various materials historically. Some are made of metal such as wood, resin, stainless steel, marble, rock or tile. As a rigid body for a bathtub, any material that does not cause a large deformation that can be felt by the user during normal bathing and that transmits vibrations can be used.

(Embodiment 3)
FIG. 14 is a configuration diagram of a shower apparatus showing a third embodiment according to the present invention.

  The shower apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention can use a shower in a sitting posture as shown in FIG. 14, and a piezoelectric sensor 72 is disposed inside the seat 71. As in the first embodiment, it is possible to determine operation information such as the presence / absence of a user and body movement and biological information such as heartbeat and respiration, which can be used for shower control and the like.

  In particular, if heart rate and respiration are determined after determining that the user is sitting, it is efficient and the accuracy of the determination can be improved.

(Embodiment 4)
FIG. 15 is a configuration diagram of a child seat showing a fourth embodiment according to the present invention.

  In the child seat according to the embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 15, a sheet-like piezoelectric sensor 74 is arranged on a child seat body 73 having a high cushioning property. It is possible to determine the compression state of the infant's chest based on the operation information such as the body movement of the infant and the biological information such as heartbeat and respiration, and to use it for the control of the belt tension.

  In particular, if heart rate and respiration are determined after determining that an infant is sitting, it is efficient and the accuracy of the determination can be improved.

  In the case of a seat having a high cushioning property, the amplification factor of the determination means can be lowered.

  The piezoelectric sensor 74 according to the present embodiment is not in the form of a cable, but in the form of a flexible sheet by attaching a piezoelectric sheet obtained by molding a piezoelectric element material into a sheet and conductive rubber as electrodes on both sides of the piezoelectric sheet. It is composed.

(Embodiment 5)
FIG. 16 is a configuration diagram of a car seat showing a fifth embodiment according to the present invention.

  In the car seat according to the embodiment of the present invention, a plurality of piezoelectric sensors 76 are arranged inside a car seat 75 having a high cushioning property as shown in FIG. It can be used to determine the driver's psychological state and doze based on movement information such as the driver's body movements and biological information such as heartbeat and breathing, to inform the driver, and to control air conditioning in the vehicle. it can.

  In particular, if heart rate and respiration are determined after determining the start of driving, it is efficient and the accuracy of the determination can be improved.

(Embodiment 6)
FIG. 17 is a configuration diagram of a bedding showing a sixth embodiment according to the present invention.

  In the bedding according to the embodiment of the present invention, a piezoelectric sensor 78 is attached to a mat 77 having a high cushioning property as shown in FIG. It is possible to determine a person's sleep or physical condition based on movement information such as a person's body movement and biological information such as a heartbeat and breathing, and to inform the person or family, or to control indoor air conditioning.

  It is also possible to determine the apnea state during sleep by breathing or snoring vibration as biological information. If the apnea state continues for a long time, the person is awakened by turning on lighting or notifying the person. It is also possible to report.

  In particular, if heart rate and respiration are determined after determining whether to enter the bed or sleep, it is efficient and the accuracy of the determination can be improved.

  The bedding may be a bed or a futon, and can be applied to a blanket or carpet.

  As described above, the vibration detection device and the toilet seat device according to the present invention determine the biological information after determining the movement information based on the output of the piezoelectric sensor that is flexible and detects vibration, thereby obtaining the movement information. There is no need to wait for biometric information until a decision is made, so power consumption necessary to wait for biometric information can be prevented, efficiency can be improved, and electrical noise generated by unnecessary current can be prevented as well. This improves the accuracy of determination.

  Therefore, it is applicable not only to a toilet seat apparatus, a bath apparatus, a shower apparatus, a child seat, and bedding but also to a wheelchair. In addition to a sliding object, it can be applied as long as the user touches it and vibrates, so it is effective for a person who uses the apparatus standing up, leaning, or lying down. Examples include weight scales, height scales, stretchers, operating tables, and the like.

1 is an exploded perspective view of a toilet seat device showing a first embodiment of the present invention. 1 is an external perspective view of a vibration detection sensor used in the toilet seat device of FIG. 1 is an overall perspective view of a toilet bowl to which the toilet seat device shown in FIG. 1 is applied. 1 is a cross-sectional view of the main part of the toilet seat device of FIG. Side view of the use state of the toilet shown in FIG. Block diagram of control means in toilet seat device Time chart of sensor output and operation in toilet seat device Characteristic diagram of piezoelectric sensor at rest in toilet seat device Characteristic diagram of filter output in toilet seat device Characteristics of autocorrelation coefficient in toilet seat device Flowchart for obtaining heart rate cycle in toilet seat device Cross-sectional block diagram of a bath apparatus showing a second embodiment according to the present invention Block diagram of control means in bath equipment The block diagram of the shower apparatus which shows 3rd Embodiment based on this invention Child seat configuration diagram showing a fourth embodiment of the present invention Configuration diagram of a car seat showing a fifth embodiment according to the present invention Configuration of bedding showing a sixth embodiment according to the present invention

Explanation of symbols

5 Toilet seat device 9, 48 Piezoelectric sensor 12 Heater (toilet seat heating means)
13, 51 Control means 29, 52 First determination means (determination means)
30, 53 Second determination means (determination means)
32, 38, 55, 62 Amplifying means 36, 59, 66 Power supply means 42, 70 Display means 44, 69 Notification means 45 Vibration detection device 68 Hot water supply device (water supply / drainage means)

Claims (7)

A vibration detecting apparatus comprising: a flexible piezoelectric sensor that detects vibration; and a determination unit that determines biological information after determining operation information based on an output of the piezoelectric sensor. 2. The vibration detecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the vibration is caused by a body movement of the human body, and the determination unit is configured to determine heartbeat or respiration as the biological information after determining the presence of the human body as the operation information. The vibration detection apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, comprising a first determination unit for determining motion information and a second determination unit for determining biological information. A power supply unit configured to supply power to the first determination unit and the second determination unit, the power supply unit supplying at least part of the power to the second determination unit when determining operation information; The vibration detection device according to claim 3, wherein at least a part of electric power is not supplied to the first determination unit at the time of biological information determination. 5. The determination unit according to claim 1, wherein the determination unit includes an amplification unit that amplifies the output of the piezoelectric sensor, and has a configuration in which the amplification factor at the time of biological information determination is larger than the amplification factor at the time of operation information determination. Vibration detection device. A toilet seat device configured to detect motion information and biological information by detecting a user's body movement transmitted to the toilet seat by the vibration detection device according to any one of claims 1 to 5. Control means for controlling at least one of display means, notification means, communication means, washing means, drying means, toilet seat heating means, water supply / drainage means, indoor air conditioning means, ventilation means, deodorization means, etc. based on the operation information and biological information The toilet seat device according to claim 6, wherein the toilet seat device is configured.

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