JP-7857277-B2 - Ion generator and method for suppressing drowsiness

Inventors

• 岡野 宏昭
• 船守 宏和

Assignees

• シャープ株式会社

Dates

Publication Date

20260512

Application Date

20220218

Priority Date

20210301

Claims (5)

1. An ion generator that releases ion-containing air into a workspace according to the state of the worker in the workspace, The ion generating unit generates the aforementioned ions, The acquisition unit acquires worker information relating to at least one of the worker's drowsiness and the worker's work status, The system includes an ion generation control unit that controls the amount of ions released per unit time generated by the ion generation unit based on the operator information, The worker information includes the state of contact with objects that the worker touches in order to perform the work. The ion generation control unit is an ion generator that increases the amount of ions released per unit time when the contact state does not meet predetermined conditions.
2. An ion generator that releases ion-containing air into a workspace according to the state of the worker in the workspace, The ion generating unit generates the aforementioned ions, The acquisition unit acquires worker information relating to at least one of the worker's drowsiness and the worker's work status, Based on the operator information, an ion generation control unit controls the amount of ions released per unit time from the ion generation unit, The system includes a blower unit that generates an airflow to send the ions generated from the ion generating unit to the outside, A louver capable of changing the airflow direction of the air containing the aforementioned ions, An ion generator further comprising: a detection unit for detecting the direction in which the worker is located relative to the device; and a wind direction switching unit for changing the wind direction of the louvers based on the direction in which the worker is located detected by the detection unit.
3. The ion generating control unit controls the amount of ions released per unit time by controlling the airflow rate of the air blower when releasing the ions, as described in claim 2 .
4. An ion generator that releases ion-containing air into a workspace according to the state of the worker in the workspace, The ion generating unit generates the aforementioned ions, The acquisition unit acquires worker information relating to at least one of the worker's drowsiness and the worker's work status, Based on the operator information, an ion generation control unit controls the amount of ions released per unit time from the ion generation unit, Equipped with a news department, An ion generator in which the ion generation control unit causes the notification unit to notify the operator of the operator's status based on the operator information and information indicating the change in the amount of ions released per unit time when changing the amount of ions released per unit time.
5. A method for suppressing drowsiness in an operator, using an ion generator according to any one of claims 1 to 4 .

Description

Applicable under Article 30, Paragraph 2 of the Patent Law. Website publication date: February 25, 2021. Website address: https://www.shibaura-it.ac.jp/research/branding/uem-site/ Published by: Professor Toshio Ito, Shibaura Institute of Technology The present invention relates to an ion generator and a method for suppressing drowsiness. Various technologies have been proposed to prevent drowsy driving. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a drowsy driving warning device. The drowsy driving warning device estimates the driver's level of alertness based on the amount of time the driver has their eyes closed. The drowsy driving warning device also determines whether or not the driver is in a state where it is permissible to fall asleep, based on the condition of the vehicle. The drowsy driving warning device outputs a warning based on the estimation of the level of alertness and the determination of the vehicle's condition. Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 08-290726 Figure 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of an ion generator according to an embodiment.Figure 2 shows an example of ion emission control information.Figure 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the ion generator.Figure 4 is an operation flow diagram showing an example of the operation of the ion generator in the embodiment.Figure 5 is a graph showing the distribution of drowsiness levels obtained in the experiment.Figure 6A is a graph showing the evaluation results of positive emotions and driving response for Group A and Group B obtained in the experiment.Figure 6B is a table showing the evaluation values and ratios of positive emotions and driving responses for Group A and Group B obtained in the experiment. Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same or corresponding parts will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description will not be repeated. The ion generator in this embodiment is installed in a workspace and releases ion-containing air into the workspace according to the state of the worker performing the work. The configuration of the ion generator in this embodiment will be described in detail below. (composition) Figure 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of an ion generator 1 in an embodiment. As shown in Figure 1, the ion generator 1 comprises an operation unit 11, a camera 12, a notification unit 13, a storage unit 14, a blower unit 15, an ion generating unit 16, a louver 17, a detection unit 18, and a control unit 19. The operation unit 11 includes operation buttons such as a power button. The operation unit 11 outputs an operation signal to the control unit 19 indicating that an operation button has been pressed. Camera 12 captures an image of the subject and outputs the resulting image data to the control unit 19. Camera 12 only needs to be positioned so that it captures at least the upper body, including the worker's head. Camera 12 may be externally attached to the ion generator 1 or incorporated into the ion generator 1. The notification unit 13 includes a speaker 13a and a display 13b. The speaker 13a outputs sound under the control of the control unit 19. The display 13b is installed, for example, in an ion generator 1 in a position visible to the operator. The display 13b displays an image under the control of the control unit 19. The memory unit 14 includes a non-volatile storage medium such as flash memory or a hard disk. The memory unit 14 stores ion emission control information used in the ion generation process, information to be notified by the notification unit 13, and the like. Figure 2 shows an example of ion emission control information. As shown in Figure 2, the ion emission control information is associated with multiple drowsiness levels and multiple ion emission levels. The drowsiness level is an index representing the degree of drowsiness of the worker. The ion emission level is an index representing the amount of ions released per unit time. In this embodiment, a smaller value for the drowsiness level indicates a state of low drowsiness, i.e., a state of alertness. Also, a smaller value for the ion emission level indicates a smaller amount of ions released per unit time. Returning to Figure 1, the air blower 15, ion generating unit 16, and louvers 17 will be explained using Figure 3. Figure 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the ion generator 1. As shown in Figure 3, the ion generator 1 has a housing C and a duct D provided inside the housing C. The duct D connects an opening D1 formed on the negative X-axis side of the housing C and an opening D2 formed on the positive X-axis side of the housing C. Hereinafter, the side of the duct D with opening D1 may be referred to as the upstream side and the side with opening D2 as the downstream side. The air blower unit 15 is positioned near the opening D1. The air blower unit 15 includes a fan and a motor (n