Measurement assisting device and measuring device using the same

• US 20040186772A1
• Filed: 12/19/2003
• Published: 09/23/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: ARKRAY, Inc
• Original Assignee: ARKRAY, Inc
• Inventors: Kawatahara, Masanao
• Application Number:
  US10/481,559
• Publication Number:
  US 20040186772A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0218 based on score
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0226 Incentive systems for frequent usage, e.g. frequent flyer miles programs or point systems
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

A measurement assisting system in which a point or points depending on the measurement result are given to the measurer, a reward depending on the obtained points are given to the measurer, and thus the measurer is motivated to make an accurate measurement. A patient sends data on the measurement made by using a blood sugar meter (1) to a self-measurement assisting server (6) through a game machine (2) with a communication function using a mobile telephone (3) over the Internet (4). The self-measurement assisting server (6) gives the patient a point or points corresponding to the evaluation of the measurement data. If the obtained points exceeds a predetermined value, the self-measurement assisting server (6) sends an electronic medium reward (on-line incentive) such as a game characteristic usable by the game machine (2) to the game machine (2) of the patient.

Claims

1. A measurement assisting device to be connected to a measuring device and an electronic device of measurers via a communication medium, the device comprising:

a point storage unit for storing an obtained point for each measurer;

a point processing unit for adding a point given according to an evaluation of measurement data of a measurer received from the measuring device via the communication medium to the previously obtained points of the measurer stored in the point storage unit;

an electronic medium reward storage unit for storing an electronic medium reward to be transmitted to the electronic device of the measurer via the communication medium and used therein; and

a reward issuing unit for transmitting the electronic medium reward according to the obtained point of the measurer from the electronic medium reward storage unit to the electronic device of the measurer via the communication medium.

2. The measurement assisting device according to claim 1, wherein the electronic medium reward is a game program, a game character or item, music data, image data, or electronic cash or a coupon that can be used by the measurer via the communication medium in payment to at least one trader.

3. The measurement assisting device according to claim 1 or 2, which is to be connected to an information processing device of an administrative institution via the communication medium,, the device further comprising:

a reception processing unit for receiving a point from the information processing device via the communication medium, the point being determined by an administrator in the administrative institution according to the evaluation of the measurement data and input to the information processing device.

4. The measurement assisting device according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a reference value storage unit for storing a standard for calculating points,

wherein the point processing unit evaluates the measurement data received from the measuring device via the communication medium according to the standard stored in the reference value storage unit and determines a point to give to the measurer according to the evaluation.

5. The measurement assisting device according to claim 4, wherein the reference value storage unit stores a target measurement value, and the point processing unit gives higher points as an actual measurement value is closer to the target measurement value.

6. The measurement assisting device according to claim 4, wherein the reference value storage unit stores a predicted value input by the measurer before a measurement, and the point processing unit gives higher points as an actual measurement value is closer to the predicted value.

7. The measurement assisting device according to claim 4, wherein the reference value storage unit stores a target value relating to measurement performing conditions, and the point processing unit gives higher points as a value relating to actual measurement performing conditions is closer to the target value.

8. The measurement assisting device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein a blood sugar meter is used as the measuring device.

9. A measuring device to be connected to the measurement assisting device according to any one of claims 1 to 8 via a communication medium and transmit measurement data to the measurement assisting device via the communication medium,

wherein a point is given according to an evaluation of the measurement data in the measurement assisting device, and an electronic medium reward to be used in an electronic device of a measurer is supplied according to a cumulative total of the point.

10. The measuring device according to claim 9, having the function of measuring the blood sugar level.

11. The measuring device according to claim 9 or 10, integrated with the electronic device.

12. A program to be read in a computer to be connected to a measuring device and an electronic device of measurers via a communication medium, the computer including a point storage unit for storing an obtained point for each measurer and an electronic medium reward storage unit for storing an electronic medium reward to be transmitted to the electronic device of the measurers via the communication medium and used therein,

the program making the computer execute:

a point processing of adding a point given according to an evaluation of measurement data of a measurer received from the measuring device via the communication medium to the previously obtained points of the measurer stored in the point storage unit; and

a reward issuance processing of transmitting the electronic medium reward according to the obtained point of the measurer from the electronic medium reward storage unit to the electronic device of the measurer via the communication medium.

13. The program according to claim 12, wherein a game program, a game character or item, music data, image data, or electronic cash or a coupon that can be used by the measurer via the communication medium in payment to at least one trader is used as the electronic medium reward.

14. The program according to claim 12 or 13,

wherein the computer is to be connected to an information processing device of an administrative institution via the communication medium,

the program further making the computer execute a processing of receiving a point from the information processing device via the communication medium, the point being determined by an administrator in the administrative institution according to the evaluation of the measurement data and input to the information processing device.

15. The program according to claim 12 or 13,

wherein the computer further includes a reference value storage unit for storing a standard for calculating points, and

in the point processing, the measurement data received from the measuring device via the communication medium are evaluated according to the standard stored in the reference value storage unit, and a point to be given to the measurer is determined according to the evaluation.

16. The program according to claim 15, wherein the reference value storage unit stores a target measurement value, and higher points are given as an actual measurement value is closer to the target value in the point processing.

17. The program according to claim 16, wherein the reference value storage unit stores a predicted value input by the measurer before a measurement, and higher points are given as an actual measurement value is closer to the predicted value in the point processing.

18. The program according to claim 15, wherein the reference value storage unit stores a target value relating to measurement performing conditions, and higher points are given as a value relating to actual measurement performing conditions is closer to the target value in the point processing.