Biological information utilization system, biological information utilization method, program, and recording medium

• US 8,147,406 B2
• Filed: 06/10/2004
• Issued: 04/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Intertrust Technologies Corporation (Fidelio Acquisition Co LLC)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Kawamura, Tatsurou, Kamei, Akihito
• Primary Examiner(s): Johnson, III, Henry M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rajan, Kai
• Application Number:
  US10/559,723
• Publication Number:
  US 20060155580A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,854 Days
• Field of Search: 600/300, 600/301, 128903-905, 128/920
• US Class Current: 600/300
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/20 for electronic clinical trials or questionnaires
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/40 for data related to laboratory analysis, e.g. patient specimen analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 70/60 relating to pathologies

Abstract

In a vital data utilization system (100), measurement systems (110) include a measurement unit (111) measuring the vital data of subjects, a clock unit detecting each measurement time at which vital data is measured and a communication unit (112) sending the vital data including measurement time to a server (120). Further, a server (120) includes a communication unit (121) receiving pieces of vital data from measurement systems (110), a vital data storage unit (126) in which vital data is stored, a value-added information making unit (123) making the value-added information indicating the geographical distribution of the vital data or the changes over time of the geographical distributions of the vital data based on vital data stored in the vital data storage unit (126) and a communication unit (121) providing the made value-added information to the measurement systems (110) and the PCs of service destinations.

Claims

1. A vital data utilization system comprising:

a server;

a receiving apparatus; and

a plurality of measurement instruments,

wherein said server, said receiving apparatus and said measurement instruments are connected via a communication network,

wherein each of said measurement instruments includes;

a vital data measurement device that measures a body temperature of a respective subject; and

a sending device that sends the measured body temperature to said server,

wherein said server includes;

a receiving device that receives a plurality of measured body temperatures from said plurality of measurement instruments;

a storage device that stores each of the plurality of body temperatures, each of the plurality of body temperatures being stored in association with residence information indicating a position of a respective residence of the subject at which a respective measurement instrument included in said plurality of measurement instruments is placed;

a database making device that stores the plurality of body temperatures into said storage device to make a database including the plurality body temperatures, each of the plurality of body temperatures being included in the database in association with the residence information;

a value-added information making device that calculates, for each respective area of a plurality of areas, an average value of the plurality of body temperatures, based on (a) the plurality of body temperatures of the subjects and (b) the residence information associated with the plurality of body temperatures, and makes, from the plurality of body temperatures included in the database, value-added information indicating a geographical distribution of average values of the plurality of body temperatures calculated for the respective areas using shading such that the shading becomes darker as the average values increase and such that the shading becomes lighter as the average values decrease; and

a value-added information providing device that provides said receiving apparatus with the value-added information, and

wherein said receiving apparatus includes an output device that receives the value-added information provided by said value-added information providing device, and presents and outputs the geographical distribution of the average values of the plurality of body temperatures, such that the geographical distribution is superimposed on a map, the geographical distribution representing the average values using shading such that the shading becomes darker as the average values increase and such that the shading becomes lighter as the average values decrease.

2. The vital data utilization system according to claim 1,

wherein each measurement instrument included in said plurality of measurement instruments further includes a clock device that detects a measurement time at which the body temperature is measured,

wherein said sending device sends, to said server, a set of information including the body temperature and the measurement time,

wherein said receiving device of said server receives a plurality of sets of information from said plurality of measurement instruments,

wherein said storage device of said server stores the plurality of sets of information, each respective set of information of the plurality of sets of information including a respective body temperature and a respective measurement time and each respective set of information being stored in association with the residence information,

wherein said database making device of said server stores the plurality of received sets of information into said storage device to make a database including the plurality of received sets of information, each respective set of information being included in the database in association with the residence information, and

wherein said value-added information making device of said server processes the body temperature of each respective set of information included in the database for the respective subject identified in the database in association with a respective measurement time and makes, from the body temperatures included in the database for each subject identified in the database in association with the respective measurement time, value-added information indicating changes over time of a geographical distribution of the average values indicated by the plurality of body temperatures included in the database, the geographical distribution representing the changes over time of the average values using shading such that the shading becomes darker as the average values increase and such that the shading becomes lighter as the average values decrease.

3. The vital data utilization system according to claim 1, wherein said vital data measurement device quantitatively measures the subjects'"'"' body temperatures.

4. The vital data utilization system according to claim 1,

wherein said sending device adds, to a plurality of respective sets of information, respective information including a respective body temperature and respective measurement instrument identification information identifying a corresponding measurement instrument and sends the respective sets of information including the respective measurement identification information to said server,

wherein said storage device stores the plurality of sets of respective information, each respective set of information including the body temperature and respective measurement instrument identification information and each respective set of information being stored in association with the residence information,

wherein said value-added information making device reads out, from said storage device, the residence information, based on the measurement instrument identification information received from the server, and processes the body temperature based on at least one of the read-out information.

5. The vital data utilization system according to claim 1,

wherein said sending device adds, to a plurality of respective sets of information, respective information including a respective body temperature, and the residence information, and sends the plurality of respective sets of information to said server, and

wherein said value-added information making device processes the body temperature of each respective set of information received from said sending unit, based on the residence information received from said sending device.

6. The vital data utilization system according to claim 1,

wherein said database making device updates the database each time at least one new set of information including the body temperature is received, and

wherein said value-added information making device updates the value-added information based on the updated database.

7. The vital data utilization system according to claim 1, wherein said receiving apparatus is placed in at least one of a hospital, a public facility excluding a hospital, and a house of the subject.

8. The vital data utilization system according to claim 1, wherein said vital data measurement device is located at housing equipment in a house of the subject.

9. The vital data utilization system according to claim 8,

wherein the housing equipment is one of a toilet apparatus and a bed, and

wherein said vital data measurement device includes a thermometer for measuring the body temperature, and said vital data measurement device measures the body temperature at a time when the subject uses one of the toilet apparatus and the bed.

10. The vital data utilization system according to claim 1, wherein said server further includes a charging device that calculates a charge for value-added information provided to said receiving apparatus.

11. The vital data utilization system according to claim 10, wherein said server further includes an incentive calculation device that calculates an incentive for each subject.

12. The vital data utilization system according to claim 11, wherein said incentive calculation device adds, to a charge calculated by said charging device, a value of the incentive for each subject.

13. The vital data utilization system according to claim 11, wherein said incentive calculation device calculates points to be exchanged for at least one of (i) a right to receive the value-added information, (ii) a right to receive a discount from a rate of the value-added information, (iii) a right to receive a free distribution of or a discount from a sale price of a commodity to be used by said vital data measurement device, (iv) a right to receive another service, and (v) a right to receive a free distribution of or a discount from a sale price of another commodity.

14. The vital data utilization system according to claim 1,

wherein said receiving apparatus is a mobile type apparatus and further includes a present position detection device that detects a present position, and

wherein said output device receives the value-added information indicating the geographical distribution of the average values of the plurality of body temperatures of the respective subjects located at the detected present position and located at a peripheral part of the detected present position, and presents and outputs the geographical distribution of the average values of the plurality of body temperatures of the respective subjects located at the detected present position and located at the peripheral part of the detected present position, the geographical distribution representing the average values of the plurality of body temperatures using shading such that the shading becomes darker as the average values increase and such that the shading becomes lighter as the average values decrease, the value-added information being provided by said value-added information providing device.

15. A server in a system in which said server, a receiving apparatus and a plurality of measurement instruments are connected via a communication network, said server comprising:

a receiving device that receives a plurality of body temperatures from the plurality of measurement instruments;

a storage device that stores the plurality of body temperatures, each of the plurality of body temperatures being stored in association with residence information indicating a position of a respective residence of a subject at which a respective measurement instrument included in the plurality of measurement instruments is placed;

a database making device that stores the plurality of body temperatures into said storage device to make a database including the plurality of body temperatures, each of the plurality of body temperatures being included in the database in association with the residence information;

a value-added information making device that calculates, for each respective area of a plurality of areas, an average value of the plurality of body temperatures, based on (a) the plurality of body temperatures of the subjects and (b) the residence information, associated with the plurality of body temperatures, and makes, from the plurality of body temperatures included in the database for each subject identified in the database in association with the respective measurement time, value-added information indicating a geographical distribution of average values of the plurality of body temperatures or changes over time of the geographical distribution of the average values of the plurality of body temperatures, the geographical distribution representing the average values calculated for the respective areas and the changes over time of the average values using shading such that the shading becomes darker as the average values increase and such that the shading becomes lighter as the average values decrease; and

a value-added information providing device that provides the receiving apparatus with the value-added information.

16. The server according to claim 15,

wherein said receiving device receives, from each respective measurement instrument, a respective set of information to which measurement instrument identification information identifying the respective measurement instrument is added,

wherein said storage device previously stores the residence information, and

wherein said value-added information making device reads out, from said storage device, the residence information, based on the received measurement instrument identification information, and calculates the average value of the plurality of body temperatures in each area based on at least one of the read-out information.

17. The server according to claim 15,

wherein said receiving device receives, from each respective measurement instrument, a respective set of information to which the residence information is added, and

wherein said value-added information making device calculates the average value of the plurality of body temperatures in each area based on at least one of (i) the measurement instrument position information and (ii) the received residence information.

18. The server according to claim 15,

wherein said database making device updates the database each time at least one new set of information including the body temperature is received, and

wherein said value-added information making device updates the value-added information based on the updated database.

19. A vital data utilization method of using a system in which a server, a receiving apparatus, and a plurality of measurement instruments are connected via a communication network, said vital data utilization method comprising:

using each respective measurement instrument for;

measuring a body temperature of a respective subject; and

sending the measured body temperature to the server;

using the server, including a storage device that stores a plurality of body temperatures, each of the plurality of body temperatures being stored in association with residence information indicating a position of a respective residence of the subject at which a respective measurement instrument included in the plurality of measurement instruments is placed, for;

receiving the plurality of body temperatures from the plurality of measurement instruments;

storing the plurality of body temperatures into the storage device to make a database including the plurality of body temperatures, each of the plurality of body temperatures being stored in association with the residence information;

calculating, for each respective area of a plurality of areas, an average value of the plurality of body temperatures, based on (a) the plurality of body temperatures of the subjects and (b) the residence information, associated with the plurality of body temperatures, and making, from the plurality of body temperatures included in the database for each subject identified in the database in association with the respective measurement time, value-added information indicating a geographical distribution of average values of the plurality of body temperatures included in the database or changes over time of the geographical distribution of the average values of the plurality of body temperatures included in the database, the geographical distribution representing the average values of the plurality of body temperatures calculated for the respective areas of the plurality of areas and the changes over time of the average values using shading such that the shading becomes darker as the average values increase and such that the shading becomes lighter as the average values decrease; and

providing the receiving apparatus with the value-added information; and

using the receiving apparatus for receiving the value-added information provided in said providing, and presenting and outputting the geographical distribution of the average values of the plurality of body temperatures, such that the geographical distribution is superimposed on a map, the geographical distribution representing the average values calculated for the respective areas and the changes over time of the average values using shading, such that the shading becomes darker as the average values increase and such that the shading becomes lighter as the average values decrease.

20. A vital data utilization method of using a server in a system in which the server, a receiving apparatus, and a plurality of measurement instruments are connected via a communication network, the server including a storage device that stores a respective body temperature in association with residence information indicating a position of a respective residence of a subject at which a respective measurement instrument included in the plurality of measurement instruments is placed, said vital data utilization method comprising:

receiving a plurality of body temperatures from the plurality of measurement instruments;

storing the received plurality of body temperatures in association with the residence information, to make a database including, as a plurality of received sets of information, the received plurality of body temperatures;

calculating, for each respective area of a plurality of areas, an average value of the plurality of body temperatures, based on (a) the plurality of body temperatures of subjects and (b) the residence information, associated with the plurality of body temperatures, and making value-added information indicating a geographical distribution of average values of the plurality of body temperatures included in the database or changes over time of the geographical distribution of the average values of the plurality of body temperatures included in the database, the geographical distribution representing the average values calculated for the respective areas and the changes over time of the average values using shading such that the shading becomes darker as the average values increase and such that the shading becomes lighter as the average values decrease; and

providing the receiving apparatus with the value-added information.

21. A computer-readable recording medium having a program recorded thereon, the program causing a computer to execute a method comprising:

receiving a plurality of body temperatures from a plurality of measurement instruments;

storing the received plurality of body temperatures into the storage device to make a database including the plurality of body temperatures, each of the plurality of body temperatures being stored in association with residence information indicating a position of a respective residence of a respective subject at which a respective measurement instrument included in the plurality of measurement instruments is placed;

calculating, for each respective area of a plurality of areas, an average value of the plurality of body temperatures, based on (a) the plurality of body temperatures of subjects and (b) the residence information, associated with the plurality of body temperatures, and making, from the plurality of body temperatures included in the database for each subject identified in the database in association with the respective measurement time, value-added information indicating a geographical distribution of average values of the plurality of body temperatures included in the database or changes over time of the geographical distribution of the average values of the plurality of body temperatures included in the database, the geographical distribution representing the average values calculated for the respective areas of the plurality of areas and the changes over time of the average values using shading such that the shading becomes darker as the average values increase and such that the shading becomes lighter as the average values decrease; and

providing the receiving apparatus with the value-added information.

22. A receiving apparatus in a system in which a server, said receiving apparatus and a plurality of measurement instruments are connected via a communication network, said receiving apparatus comprising an output device that receives information provided by the server, and presents and outputs the received information,

wherein each of the measurement instruments includes:

a vital data measurement device that measures a body temperature of a respective subject; and

a sending device that sends the measured body temperature to the server,

wherein the server includes;

a receiving device that receives a plurality of measured body temperatures from the plurality of measurement instruments;

a storage device that stores the plurality of body temperatures, each of the plurality of body temperatures being stored in association with residence information indicating a position of a respective residence of the subject at which a respective measurement instrument included in the plurality of measurement instruments is placed;

a database making device that stores the plurality of body temperatures into the storage device to make a database including the plurality of body temperatures, each of the plurality of body temperatures being included in the database in association with the residence information;

a value-added information making device that calculates, for each respective area of a plurality of areas, an average value of the plurality of body temperatures, based on (a) the plurality of body temperatures of the subjects and (b) the residence information, associated with the plurality of body temperatures, and makes, from the plurality of body temperatures included in the database for each subject identified in the database in association with the respective measurement time, value-added information indicating a geographical distribution of average values of the plurality of body temperatures included in the database or changes over time of the geographical distribution of the average values of the plurality of body temperatures included in the database, the geographical distribution representing the average values calculated for the respective areas of the plurality of areas and the changes over time of the average values using shading such that the shading becomes darker as the average values increase and such that the shading becomes lighter as the average values decrease; and

a value-added information providing device that provides said receiving apparatus with the value-added information; and

wherein said output device receives the value-added information provided by the value-added information providing device, and presents and outputs the geographical distribution of the average values of the plurality of body temperatures included in the database or the changes over time of the geographical distribution of the average values of the plurality of body temperatures included in the database, such that the geographical distribution is superimposed on a map, the geographical distribution representing the average values calculated for the respective areas of the plurality of areas and the changes over time of the average values using shading such that the shading becomes darker as the average values increase and such that the shading becomes lighter as the average values decrease.

23. The receiving apparatus according to claim 22, the receiving apparatus being a mobile type apparatus and further comprising a present position detection device that detects a present position,

wherein said output device receives the value-added information indicating the geographical distribution of the average values of the plurality of body temperatures of the respective subjects located at the detected present position and located at a peripheral part of the detected present position, and presents and outputs the geographical distribution of the average values of the plurality of body temperatures of the respective subjects located at the detected present position and located at the peripheral part of the detected present position, such that the geographical distribution is superimposed on a map, the geographical distribution representing the average values using shading such that the shading becomes darker as the average values increase and such that the shading becomes lighter as the average values decrease.