Health state management device and health state management system

• US 8,311,702 B2
• Filed: 01/14/2009
• Issued: 11/13/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Laurel Machinery Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Laurel Machinery Company Limited
• Inventors: Miki, Masahiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): MARC-COLEMAN, MARTHE Y
• Application Number:
  US12/353,526
• Publication Number:
  US 20090187309A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,399 Days
• Field of Search: 701/36, 701/50, 180/272, 180/287, 340/576, 600/322, 600/316, 382/124, 382/115
• US Class Current: 701/36
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14532 for measuring glucose, e.g. by tissue impedance measurement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14546 for measuring analytes not otherwise provided for, e.g. ions, cytochromes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1455 using optical sensors, e.g. spectral photometrical oximeters
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/18 for vehicle drivers or machine operators
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 28/063 preventing starting of vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/043 Identity of occupants
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/22 Psychological state; Stress level or workload
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/221 Physiology, e.g. weight, heartbeat, health or special needs
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/24 Drug level, e.g. alcohol
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/1382 Detecting the live character of the finger, i.e. distinguishing from a fake or cadaver finger
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/14 Vascular patterns
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00563 using personal physical data of the operator, e.g. finger prints, retinal images, voicepatterns

Abstract

A health state management device manages information on a state of health of a driver of transportation equipment. An authentication portion authenticates the driver, and a health state judgment portion measures blood component data of the driver authenticated by the authentication portion. The health state judgment portion judges the state of health of the driver using the blood component data. A decision portion decides whether or not to permit operation of the transportation equipment based on a judgment result of the health state judgment portion, and a storage portion stores the judgment result of the health state judgment portion and a decision result of the decision portion in association with driver identification information of the driver.

Claims

1. A health state management device which manages information on a state of health of a driver of transportation equipment, comprising:

an authentication portion which authenticates the driver;

a health state judgment portion which measures blood component data of the driver authenticated by the authentication portion, and which judges the state of health of the driver using the blood component data, the blood component data including a predetermined specific item and a plurality of other items, wherein each of the predetermined specific item and the plurality of other items has a range of acceptable values;

a decision portion which decides whether or not to permit operation of the transportation equipment based on a judgment result of the health state judgment portion; and

a storage portion which stores the judgment result of the health state judgment portion and a decision result of the decision portion in association with driver identification information of the driver,

wherein the decision portion decides not to permit operation of the transportation equipment when a value of the predetermined specific item is not within its range of acceptable values, and wherein the decision portion decides not to permit operation of the transportation equipment when a number of the other items having values within their ranges of acceptable values is smaller than a prescribed number.

2. The health state management device according to claim 1, wherein the authentication portion authenticates the driver by means of a vein pattern in a portion of a body of the driver.

3. The health state management device according to claim 1, wherein the health state judgment portion irradiates a portion of a body of the driver with infrared rays to obtain an absorption spectrum and analyzes the absorption spectrum to measure blood component data.

4. The health state management device according to claim 1, wherein

the authentication portion authenticates the driver by means of a vein pattern in a portion of a body of the driver,

the health state judgment portion irradiates a portion of a body of the driver with infrared rays to obtain an absorption spectrum and analyzes the absorption spectrum to measure blood component data, and

detection of the vein pattern used by the authentication portion and acquisition of the absorption spectrum used by the health state judgment portion are realized by means of a single sensor portion.

5. The health state management device according to claim 4, further comprising:

a key management portion which accommodates and manages a key to the transportation equipment; and

a control portion which, when operation of the transportation equipment is permitted by the decision portion, executes control to enable withdrawal of the key, accommodated by the key management portion, to the transportation equipment which can be operated by the driver, based on the driver identification information of the driver for whom the operation is permitted.

6. The health state management device according to claim 1, further comprising an output portion which outputs the decision result of the decision portion.

7. The health state management device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a key management portion which accommodates and manages a key to the transportation equipment; and

a control portion which, when operation of the transportation equipment is permitted by the decision portion, executes control to enable withdrawal of the key, accommodated by the key management portion, to the transportation equipment which can be operated by the driver, based on the driver identification information of the driver for whom the operation is permitted.

8. A health state management system comprising:

the health state management device according to claim 1;

a plurality of key managers which accommodate and manage keys including the key to the transportation equipment and which are connectable via a network to the health state management device; and

a control portion which, when operation of the transportation equipment is permitted by the decision portion, executes control to enable withdrawal of the key, accommodated by the key managers, to transportation equipment which can be operated by the driver, based on the driver identification information of the driver for whom the operation is permitted.

9. The health state management system according to claim 8, wherein

the authentication portion authenticates the driver by means of a vein pattern in a portion of a body of the driver,

the health state judgment portion irradiates a portion of a body of the driver with infrared rays to obtain an absorption spectrum and analyzes the absorption spectrum to measure blood component data, and

detection of the vein pattern used by the authentication portion and acquisition of the absorption spectrum used by the health state judgment portion are realized by means of a single sensor portion.

10. A health state management system comprising:

the health state management device according to claim 1;

the transportation equipment which receives prescribed data from an IC chip held in a holder;

a data writing portion which writes information on the decision result of the decision portion to the IC chip;

a data reading portion which reads the information on the decision result of the decision portion written to the IC chip; and

an engine control portion which executes control to enable starting of an engine of the transportation equipment when the information on the decision result read by the data reading portion is permission information which grants permission to operate the transportation equipment.

11. The health state management system according to claim 10, wherein

the authentication portion authenticates the driver by means of a vein pattern in a portion of a body of the driver,

the health state judgment portion irradiates a portion of a body of the driver with infrared rays to obtain an absorption spectrum and analyzes the absorption spectrum to measure blood component data, and

detection of the vein pattern used by the authentication portion and acquisition of the absorption spectrum used by the health state judgment portion are realized by means of a single sensor portion.