Information display system

• US 7,996,177 B2
• Filed: 03/31/2006
• Issued: 08/09/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Original Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Inventors: Tatsuta, Seiji, Iba, Yoichi, Sugihara, Ryohei
• Primary Examiner(s): BHAT, ADITYA S
• Application Number:
  US11/396,217
• Publication Number:
  US 20060230108A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,957 Days
• Field of Search: 702/150, 702/155, 702158-160, 702/179, 702/181, 345 21- 23, 701201-202, 701207-211
• US Class Current: 702/150
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0242 adapted to measure environmental factors, e.g. temperature, pollution
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0219 Inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes, tilt switches
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0002 Remote monitoring of patients using telemetry, e.g. transmission of vital signals via a communication network A61B5/07 takes precedence; transmission systems for measured values G08C; transmission H04B; transmission of digital information H04L; wireless communication networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02055 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular condition and temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/021 Measuring pressure in heart or blood vessels A61B5/0205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02438 with portable devices, e.g. worn by the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0531 Measuring skin impedance
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0816 Measuring devices for examining respiratory frequency measuring frequency of electric signals G01R23/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1112 Global tracking of patients, e.g. by using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1118 Determining activity level
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1455 using optical sensors, e.g. spectral photometrical oximeters
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4504 Bones A61B5/4547 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6824 Arm or wrist
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6829 Foot or ankle
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/742 using visual displays A61B5/339 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 7/00 Instruments for auscultation
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 22/006 Pedometers

Abstract

An information display system includes a sensor which measures a state of each part of a body of a user, an active state identifying section which identifies an active state of the user based on a measurement result, an information estimating section which estimates information required by the user based on the active state identified by the active state identifying section, a database which stores at least the information required by the user, an information selecting section which selects the information required by the user from a plurality of information stored in the database, and an information display section which displays the information required by the user selected by the information selecting section.

Claims

1. An information display system comprising:

a measuring section configured to measure a state of a plurality of parts of a body of a user;

an active state identifying section which identifies an active state of the user based on a measurement result of the measuring section;

an information estimating section which estimates information required by the user based on the active state identified by the active state identifying section;

an information storage section which stores at least the information estimated to be required by the user by the information estimating section;

an information selecting section which selects the information estimated to be required by the user from a plurality of information items stored in the information storage section; and

an information display section which displays the information estimated to be required by the user and selected by the information selecting section;

wherein the information stored in the information storage section comprises information to which metadata is fixed beforehand, and the information selecting section performs filtering by referring to the metadata for selecting the information required by the user.

2. The information display system according to claim 1, wherein the measuring section includes a position measuring instrument configured to measure a position and a direction of the user.

3. The information display system according to claim 2, wherein the position measuring instrument has a GPS function.

4. The information display system according to claim 1, wherein the measuring section includes at least a detector which is configured to detect at least one of an arm movement, a leg movement, a voice, and a sound inside the body of the user.

5. The information display system according to claim 4, wherein a detector which is configured to detect the leg movement includes a pressure sensor which is configured to detect a pressure at at least one location on a planta.

6. The information display system according to claim 5, wherein the pressure sensor is configured to detect a pressure of at least a heel portion.

7. The information display system according to claim 6, wherein the detector which is configured to detect the leg movement makes a judgment of the user to be in a halted state when a pressure fluctuation of the heel portion is not higher than a predetermined first threshold value and when a pressure is not less than a predetermined second threshold value, and makes a judgment of the user to be in a sitting state when the pressure fluctuation of the heel portion is not higher than the predetermined first threshold value and when the pressure is less than the predetermined second threshold value.

8. The information display system according to claim 7, wherein the predetermined second threshold value is set according to a body weight of the user.

9. The information display system according to claim 6, wherein the detector which is configured to detect the leg movement calculates a proportion τ

which is a ratio of a time for which a pressure is exerted on the heel to a time period of one cycle when the pressure fluctuation of the heel portion is higher than the predetermined first threshold value and when the pressure fluctuation is cyclic, and

the detector is configured to detect the user to be in a running state when the pressure fluctuation of the heel portion is higher than the predetermined first threshold value and when the proportion τ

is less than a predetermined third threshold value, and

the detector is configured to detect the user to be in a walking state when the pressure fluctuation of the heel portion is higher than the predetermined first threshold value and when the proportion τ

is not less than the predetermined third threshold value.

10. The information display system according to claim 4, wherein the detector which is configured to detect the sound inside the body includes a bone conduction microphone.

11. The information display system according to claim 1, wherein the measuring section includes a detector for measuring whether the user is indoors or outdoors.

12. The information display system according to claim 11, wherein the detector includes an ultrasonic sensor, and is configured to detect whether the user is indoors or outdoors by measuring a distance from the detector to a ceiling by using reflection of ultrasonic waves.

13. The information display system according to claim 11, wherein the detector includes an optical sensor including a light emitting and receiving section, and is configured to detect whether the user is indoors or outdoors by measuring a distance from the detector to a ceiling by using reflection of light.

14. The information display system according to one of claims 12 and 13, wherein the detector is configured to detect the user to be indoors under a roof when the distance measured up to the ceiling is in a predetermined range which is set beforehand.

15. The information display system according to claim 11, wherein the detector includes a detector which measures an amount of light in an ultraviolet region.

16. The information display system according to claim 11, wherein the detector includes a pyroelectric sensor.

17. The information display system according to claim 11, wherein the detector includes a microphone.

18. The information display system according to claim 1, wherein the measuring section includes a detector which is configured to detect a pressure of a planta of the user for measuring a movement of a leg.

19. The information display system according to claim 1, wherein the active state identifying section identifies the active state of the user based on measurement data measured by the measuring section and a scheduled action data of the user stored beforehand.

20. The information display system according to claims 1, wherein the measuring section is wearable.

21. The information display system according to claim 1, wherein the information display section is a small size display wearable on a head.

22. The information display system according to claim 1, wherein the measuring section includes a bone conduction microphone and an external sound microphone, and is configured to measure whether the user is in an uttering state or not, and measure whether the user is in a masticating state or not, based on a signal power detected by each microphone.

23. The information display system according to claim 22, wherein the measuring section includes a conversation detector which is configured to detect the user to be in conversation when a proportion of time during which the user is in the uttering state in a predetermined time is not less than a predetermined threshold value.

24. The information display system according to claim 22, wherein the measuring section includes a meal detector which is configured to detect the user to be having a meal when a proportion of time during which the user is in the masticating state in a predetermined time is not less than a predetermined threshold value.

25. The information display system according to claim 1, wherein the information storage section is configured to further store information which is used for selecting the information by the information selecting section.

26. The information display system according to claim 1, wherein the information selecting section is configured to communicate with another computer via a dedicated line or the Internet.

27. An information display system comprising:

a measuring section configured to measure a state of a plurality of parts of a body of a user;

an active state identifying section which identifies an active state of the user based on a measurement result of the measuring section;

an information estimating section which estimates information required by the user based on the active state identified by the active state identifying section;

an information storage section which stores at least the information estimated to be required by the user by the information estimating section;

an information selecting section which selects the information estimated to be required by the user from a plurality of information items stored in the information storage section;

an information display section which displays the information estimated to be required by the user and selected by the information selecting section; and

a schedule storage section which is configured to store at least a schedule of the user,

wherein the active state identifying section identifies the active state of the user by referring to the schedule stored in the schedule storage section.

28. The information display system according to claim 27, further comprising:

a control-calculation section which creates a sub-schedule by estimating at least a travel time based on at least the schedule of the user stored in the schedule storage section.

29. The information display system according to claim 28, wherein the control-calculation section which creates the sub-schedule sets a last hour to start returning home based on a timetable of a last train up to home.

30. An information display system comprising:

a measuring section configured to measure a state of a plurality of parts of a body of a user;

an active state identifying section which identifies an active state of the user based on a measurement result of the measuring section;

an information estimating section which estimates information required by the user based on the active state identified by the active state identifying section;

an information storage section which stores at least the information estimated to be required by the user by the information estimating section;

an information selecting section which selects the information estimated to be required by the user from a plurality of information items stored in the information storage section;

an information display section which displays the information estimated to be required by the user and selected by the information selecting section; and

an external circumstances storage section which is configured to store at least one of a weather forecast information and traffic information,

wherein the information estimating section estimates the information required by the user by referring to at least one of the weather forecast information and the traffic information stored in the external circumstances storage section.

31. An information display system comprising:

a measuring section configured to measure a state of a plurality of parts of a body of a user;

an active state identifying section which identifies an active state of the user based on a measurement result of the measuring section;

an information estimating section which estimates information required by the user based on the active state identified by the active state identifying section;

an information storage section which stores at least the information estimated to be required by the user by the information estimating section;

an information selecting section which selects the information estimated to be required by the user from a plurality of information items stored in the information storage section;

an information display section which displays the information estimated to be required by the user and selected by the information selecting section;

wherein the information storage section includes at least one of an individual database which stores at least one of information such as information of objects of the user'"'"'s hobby, preference, and interest, an action target, a history database which stores at least one of information such as places the user has visited before and an action history in the past, and data base in which general data is stored.

32. An information display system comprising:

a measuring section configured to measure a state of a plurality of parts of a body of a user;

an active state identifying section which identifies an active state of the user based on a measurement result of the measuring section;

an information estimating section which estimates information required by the user based on the active state identified by the active state identifying section;

an information storage section which stores at least the information estimated to be required by the user by the information estimating section;

an information selecting section which selects the information estimated to be required by the user from a plurality of information items stored in the information storage section;

an information display section which displays the information estimated to be required by the user and selected by the information selecting section; and

a control-calculation section which performs optimization of display information such that detailed character information at a time of displaying the information by the information display section is abbreviated to brief information.

33. An information display system comprising:

a measuring section configured to measure a state of a plurality of parts of a body of a user;

an active state identifying section which identifies an active state of the user based on a measurement result of the measuring section;

an information estimating section which estimates information required by the user based on the active state identified by the active state identifying section;

an information storage section which stores at least the information estimated to be required by the user by the information estimating section;

an information selecting section which selects the information estimated to be required by the user from a plurality of information items stored in the information storage section;

an information display section which displays the information estimated to be required by the user and selected by the information selecting section; and

a schedule storage section which is configured to store at least a schedule of the user,

wherein the measuring section includes;

a position measuring section which is configured to measure a position and a direction of the user, and

an indoor-outdoor detector for measuring whether the user is indoors or outdoors, and

wherein the active state identifying section identifies the user to be indoors near a position measured immediately before by the position measuring section when the indoor-outdoor detector detects the user to be indoors even when the position measuring section is in an environment where it is not possible to measure the position, and thereafter, the active state identifying section identifies the user to be at a position according to at least the schedule of the user which is stored in the schedule storage section till the position measuring section once again enters an environment where it is possible to measure the position.