阅读说明：本技术 控制装置、厕所、信息处理装置以及控制方法 (Control device, toilet, information processing device, and control method ) 是由 松浦博 于 2019-06-06 设计创作，主要内容包括：提供一种能够根据消耗品的重量通知更换时期的控制装置、厕所、信息处理装置、控制程序及控制方法。控制装置(20A)控制宠物用侧(1A)。控制装置(20A)具备：重量取得部(21),其取得用于吸收尿液的尿片的重量的信息；通知处理部(23A),其根据尿片的重量,进行向用户通知关于尿片的更换时期的信息的处理。(Provided are a control device, a toilet, an information processing device, a control program, and a control method, which can notify a replacement timing based on the weight of a consumable. The control device (20A) controls the pet side (1A). A control device (20A) is provided with: a weight acquisition unit (21) that acquires information on the weight of a diaper for absorbing urine; and a notification processing unit (23A) that performs processing for notifying the user of information relating to the replacement timing of the diaper, based on the weight of the diaper.)

1. A control device for controlling an electronic apparatus, comprising:

A weight acquisition unit that acquires information on the weight of a consumable used for absorbing excrement; and

And a notification processing unit configured to perform a process of notifying a user of information on a replacement timing of the consumable part, based on the weight of the consumable part.

2. The control device of claim 1,

A determination unit configured to determine whether or not the weight of the consumable is greater than a predetermined value,

The notification processing unit performs a process of notifying the user of information on the replacement timing of the consumable part when the weight of the consumable part is greater than the predetermined value.

3. The control apparatus of claim 2,

The notification processing unit performs processing for notifying the user of information indicating that replacement of the consumable part is recommended.

4. The control device according to any one of claims 1 to 3,

A replacement time estimation unit configured to estimate a time when the consumable needs to be replaced based on a past change in the weight of the consumable and a latest change in the weight of the consumable,

The notification processing unit performs processing for notifying the user of information on a time at which the consumable part needs to be replaced.

5. The control device according to any one of claims 1 to 4,

The consumable is a sheet for absorbing urine.

6. A lavatory, comprising:

The control device of any one of claims 1 to 5; and

A weight for measuring the weight of the consumable.

7. An information processing apparatus characterized in that,

The control device according to any one of claims 1 to 5;

The weight acquisition unit acquires information on the weight of the consumable from a toilet.

8. A control method for controlling an electronic device, comprising:

A weight acquisition step of acquiring information on the weight of a consumable for absorbing excrement; and

a notification processing step of performing processing of notifying a user of information on a replacement timing of the consumable part, based on the weight of the consumable part.

Technical Field

The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus for a toilet or a cloud server, or a control apparatus, a toilet, an information processing apparatus, a control program, and a control method for controlling an electronic device such as a user terminal.

Background

In recent years, an animal litter box for measuring the weight of pets and the weight of excrement has been known. In such an animal litter box, for example, a water absorption sheet is placed, and when a pet urinates, the animal litter box can be kept clean by replacing the water absorption sheet.

However, there is a possibility that the timing of replacement of the absorbent sheet is not noticed, in which case urine may overflow from the animal litter box or cause sanitary problems. Therefore, in order to solve this problem, it is desirable that the animal litter box has a function of notifying the replacement timing of the absorbent sheet.

Here, as a notification technique, for example, patent document 1 discloses a refrigerator having a consumable replacement request function in which the consumable use time of a consumable used in the refrigerator is accumulated, and when the consumable use time exceeds a replacement request time, information indicating that the consumable replacement time has come is notified. Thus, the refrigerator having the consumable replacement request function outputs the consumable replacement request signal to notify the user, so that a replacement request due to deterioration can be made for each consumable.

Disclosure of Invention

Problems to be solved by the invention

However, in the conventional notification technique disclosed in patent document 1, the replacement timing is determined based on the integrated value of the usage time of the consumable.

However, in the animal litter box, there is a problem that even if the integrated value of the usage time of the absorbent sheet is calculated, the replacement timing cannot be appropriately determined. For example, when the judgment is made only by the use time, the replacement timing may be notified although the water absorbing capacity of the water absorbing sheet still exists.

An aspect of the present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide a control device, a toilet, an information processing device, a control program, and a control method that can notify a replacement timing according to the weight of a consumable.

Means for solving the problems

In order to solve the above problem, a control device according to an aspect of the present invention is a control device for controlling an electronic apparatus, including: a weight acquisition unit that acquires information on the weight of a consumable that absorbs excrement;

And a notification processing unit configured to perform a process of notifying a user of information on a replacement timing of the consumable part, based on the weight of the consumable part.

In order to solve the above problem, a toilet according to an aspect of the present invention is characterized by having the control device and a weight scale for measuring the weight of the consumable.

In order to solve the above problem, an information processing apparatus according to an aspect of the present invention includes the control device, and the weight acquiring unit acquires information on the weight of the consumable part from a toilet.

In order to solve the above problem, a control program according to an aspect of the present invention is a control program for causing a computer to function as the control device, wherein the control program causes the computer to function as the weight acquisition unit and the notification processing unit.

In order to solve the above problem, a control method of an aspect of the present invention is a control method for controlling an electronic apparatus, including: a weight acquisition step of acquiring information on the weight of a consumable that absorbs excrement; a notification processing step of performing processing of notifying a user of information on a replacement timing of the consumable part, based on the weight of the consumable part.

Effects of the invention

According to an aspect of the present invention, the following effects are obtained: provided are a control device, a toilet, an information processing device, a control program, and a control method, which can notify a replacement timing based on the weight of a consumable.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a pet toilet and a control device according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 2(a) is a perspective view showing an external configuration of the pet litter box including the control device, and fig. 2(b) is an exploded perspective view showing the external configuration of the pet litter box.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view showing an external appearance configuration of the pet litter box.

Fig. 4 is a flowchart showing a control flow of the control device.

Fig. 5 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a pet toilet and a control device according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 6 is a graph showing a method of estimating a period of time required to replace a diaper based on a past weight change and a latest weight of the diaper for the pet litter box.

Fig. 7 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a pet toilet and a control device according to a third embodiment of the present invention, and is a block diagram showing the control device provided in a server group.

Detailed Description

(first embodiment)

An embodiment of the present invention is described below with reference to fig. 1 to 4.

In the present embodiment, the pet litter box as the litter box having a weight scale is, for example, a pet litter box having a function of measuring the weight of a pet and measuring the weight of urine as excrement of the pet. Pets are, for example, domestic animals, such as cats, dogs, etc. However, the toilet according to one aspect of the present invention is not limited to cats and dogs, and may be applied to other animals. For example, it can be applied to a human.

(construction of toilet for pet)

The pet litter box of the present embodiment functions as a weight measuring device that measures the weight of an animal, i.e., a pet, and the weight of excrement. In the present embodiment, the excrement is preferably urine. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the excrement is described as urine.

The external appearance configuration of a pet litter box 1A as a litter box provided with the control device of the present embodiment will be described with reference to fig. 2(a), (b), and 3. Fig. 2(a) is a perspective view showing an external configuration of a pet toilet 1A including a control device 20A according to the present embodiment. Fig. 2(b) is an exploded perspective view showing an external configuration of the pet litter box 1A. Fig. 3 is a sectional view showing an external configuration of the pet litter box 1A.

As shown in fig. 2(a) and (b) and fig. 3, the pet litter box 1A of the present embodiment includes: a main body container 11, a measuring table 12, a discharge tray 13, a diaper 14 as a consumable, a support plate 15, a weighing scale 2, a waste weighing scale 3, a control device 20A, and a cover not shown.

The main body container 11 has an opening 11a in a central portion thereof, and supports the measurement table 12. The measuring table 12 is a table on which pets are placed and excreted. The bottom surface of the measuring table 12 has an opening 12 a. A mesh 12b is provided in the opening 12a, and cat litter or the like can be laid on the mesh 12 b. In the present embodiment, the mesh 12b allows liquid such as urine to pass through, but does not allow feces and objects (toys) carried by pets to pass through. The mesh 12b may be formed of cloth or film having liquid permeability, or the like. The opening 12a formed in the bottom surface of the measurement table 12 may be a plurality of slits through which excreta can pass, instead of the mesh 12 b.

The measuring table 12 is shaped like a concave container in the present embodiment, but the shape of the measuring table 12 may be any shape as long as a pet can go up to measure the body weight.

The drain tray 13 is disposed between the opening 12a of the measuring table 12 and the opening 11a of the main body container 11, and serves as a member for receiving excrement. The drain tray 13 can be inserted and extracted from a side hole 11b formed at a side surface of the main body container 11. That is, when the pet urinates at the measuring table 12, the urine passes through the openings 12a provided on the mesh 12b and falls onto the diaper 14 laid on the bottom plate 13a of the drain tray 13.

The diaper 14 is a sheet containing a component that absorbs liquid such as urine. By extracting the drain tray 13 from the main body container 11, the diaper 14 discharged with urine can be easily replaced with a new diaper.

The support plate 15 is a table for supporting the weight scale 2, the excrement weight 3, and the control device 20A.

In the present embodiment, for example, the weighing scales 2 are provided at four places so as to support the four corners of the rectangular bottom of the main body case 11. The scale 2 includes a load cell, not shown, by which the total weight of the main body container 11 including the measuring table 12 and the pet is measured. As a result, the weight of the pet can be measured by subtracting the weight of the main body container 11 including the measuring table 12 from the total weight as the tare weight. Also, in the present embodiment, four scales 2 are provided, and therefore the weight of the pet is approximately four times the value measured by the scales 2. These measurement values are output to a weight acquisition unit 21 of the control device 20A described later.

The excrement weight 3 is a weight of urine, which is pet excrement, measured by a not-shown weighing sensor. In the present embodiment, the excrement weight 3 is provided at the center of the rectangular support plate 15. The upper surface of the waste water weight 3 is in contact with the bottom plate 13a of the waste water tray 13, thereby supporting the waste water tray 13 on which the diaper 14 is laid at one point. That is, when the excrement tray 13 is inserted into the main body container 11, it is in a state of contacting only the upper surface of the excrement weight 3 and not contacting the main body container 11. Therefore, the excrement weight 3 can measure the weight of the excrement tray 13 on which the diaper 14 is laid or the excrement tray 13 on which the diaper 14 after urination is laid. As a result, the total value including the weight of the diaper 14 before excretion and the weight value of the excretion tray 13 is subtracted as the tare weight from the measurement value of the excrement weight 3, whereby the weight of the excrement of the pet, that is, urine can be measured. That is, the weight of the excrement absorbed by the diaper 14 can be determined.

In the present embodiment, the control device 20A is provided, for example, below the excrement weight 3. That is, the controller 20A is stacked with the excrement weight 3. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the control device 20A may be provided at another position.

In the present embodiment, the scale 2 and the excrement weight 3 include load cells, not shown, as load cells. The load cell detects a change in resistance value due to strain as a change in voltage. However, in one aspect of the present invention, the scale 2 and the excrement weight 3 are not limited to the load cell, and for example, a weight using an electromagnetic force balance method may be used. The weight meter in the electromagnetic force balance mode balances the balance through electromagnetic force and detects current at the time.

(constitution of control System)

the configuration of the control system of the pet toilet 1A according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a control system of a pet toilet 1A according to the present embodiment.

As shown in fig. 1, a pet toilet 1A of the present embodiment includes, as a control system: a control device 20A, a weighing scale 2, an excrement weight scale 3, a storage part 4, a display part 5, a loudspeaker 6 and a communication part 7.

The weighing scale 2 measures the weight of the main body container 11 including the measuring table 12, or measures the total weight of the main body container 11 including the measuring table 12 and the pet, and outputs the measured weight to a weight obtaining unit 21 of a control device 20A described later.

The excrement weight meter 3 measures the weight of the excrement tray 13 on which the diaper 14 is not laid, the weight of the excrement tray 13 on which the unused diaper 14 is laid, or the weight of the excrement tray 13 on which the diaper 14 after urination is laid, and outputs the measured weight to the weight acquisition unit 21 of the control device 20A.

In the present embodiment, the control device 20A includes: a weight obtaining section 21, a judging section 22, and a notification processing section 23A.

the weight obtaining section 21 obtains the measurement value by the drainage weight 3. Specifically, the excrement weight 3 takes a measurement value at a prescribed timing (for example, periodically). The measurement value at this time is a total value of the weight of the drain tray 13 and the weight of the diaper 14 containing the absorbed urine. Therefore, the weight obtaining unit 21 subtracts the weight of the drain tray 13 stored in the storage unit 4 in advance from the measurement value. Thereby, the weight of the diaper 14 containing the absorbed urine can be obtained by calculation. The weight acquiring unit 21 outputs the weight of the diaper 14 including the urine absorbed therein to the judging unit 22.

the determination unit 22 determines whether or not the weight of the diaper 14 as a consumable product is larger than a threshold value set in advance as a predetermined value. The determination unit 22 outputs the determination result to the notification processing unit 23A.

For example, the threshold value is set to a value smaller than the sum of the weight of the diaper 14 before use, which does not absorb urine, and the weight of urine that can be absorbed by the diaper 14. In the present embodiment, since the product variation in the weight of the diaper 14 before use is relatively small, the weight of the diaper 14 before use measured in advance is stored in the storage unit 4 as a set value. However, the control device 20A is not limited to this, and may measure the total of the weight of the diaper 14 before use and the weight of the drain tray 13 and store the measured values in the storage unit 4 at a time when the diaper 14 is replaced.

The threshold value may be changed according to the kind of diaper 14. The threshold value may be input to the control device 20A by the user. Control device 20A records the threshold value in the storage unit. Further, the weight of the diaper 14 before use and the weight of urine that can be absorbed by the diaper 14 may also be input to the control device 20A by the user. The control device 20A may set a value, for example, where the weight of the absorbable urine is multiplied by a factor (e.g., 80%) and added to the weight of the diaper 14 before use, as the threshold value. The type of diaper 14 (product-specific information) may also be input to the control device 20A by the user. The control device 20A may set the threshold value according to the kind of diaper 14. Information corresponding to the type of the diaper 14 (the threshold itself, the weight of the diaper 14 before use, and/or the weight of urine that can be absorbed by the diaper 14) may be stored in the storage unit 4 in advance, or may be acquired from the server group 30. Further, the type of diaper 14 may be input to the server group 30 by the user via the user terminal 40. The control device 20A can acquire information and a type corresponding to the type of the diaper 14 from the server group 30.

The threshold value may be varied depending on the weight of the diaper 14 before use. For example, the control device 20A may set a value obtained by multiplying the weight of the diaper 14 before use by a coefficient (a value greater than 1, for example, 3) as a threshold value. As described above, the threshold value may be set according to the rate of increase in weight from the time of replacement. The control device 20A may measure the weight of the diaper 14 before use when changing the diaper 14.

The notification processing portion 23A notifies the user of information about the replacement timing based on the weight of the diaper 14. For example, when the measured value of the weight of the diaper 14 containing urine is larger than the threshold value, the notification processing unit 23A transmits information on the replacement timing of the diaper 14, for example, information indicating the current replacement timing of the diaper 14 to the server group 30 via the notification unit 7, and notifies the user. Specifically, for example, the server group 30 notifies the user terminal 40 such as a smartphone.

Further, for example, the notification processing unit 23A also notifies the pet litter box 1A itself of information indicating that the replacement timing of the diaper 14 has come through the display unit 5 and the speaker 6. For example, the display unit 5 may be configured to turn on an LED (light emitting diode) not shown, to sound the speaker 6, to display a message "please replace diaper" on the display unit 5, or to output a voice from the speaker 6.

The storage unit 4 is configured by, for example, a flash memory or a hard disk, and stores the measurement value measured by the excrement weight scale 3 acquired by the weight acquiring unit 21, a threshold value set in advance for use in the determining unit 22, and the like.

The communication unit 7 may communicate with the communication unit 31 of the server group 30 on the internet, or may be directly connected to the user terminal 40 such as a smartphone using short-range wireless communication such as bluetooth (registered trademark).

The control operation of the control device 20A having the above-described configuration will be described with reference to fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a flowchart showing a control flow of the control device 20A.

As shown in fig. 4, when the pet gets on the measuring table 12 of the pet litter box 1A and urinates, the weight obtaining unit 21 obtains the weight of the diaper 14 including the weight of the urine by subtracting the tare weight from the measurement value from the excrement weight scale 3 by calculation by inputting the measurement value to the weight obtaining unit 21 (S1). The urine weight is stored in the storage portion 4 (S2). Next, the determination unit 22 of the control device 20A determines whether or not the weight of the diaper 14 is greater than a predetermined threshold value (S3). In other words, the determination portion 22 determines whether the urine weight is larger than the threshold value of urine. When it is determined that the weight of the diaper 14 is greater than the predetermined threshold value, the result is output to the notification processing unit 23A. Thus, the notification processing unit 23A of the control device 20A turns on an LED or displays the information on the display screen in the display unit 5, for example. Further, the speaker 6 sounds a buzzer, or notifies a message such as "please replace the diaper 14" by voice (S4). The notification is information about the replacement period of the diaper 14. If it is determined in S3 that the urine weight is less than the predetermined threshold value, the flow ends.

Thus, when the user is near the pet litter box 1A, the user can replace the diaper 14 by notification of the display unit 5 and the speaker 6.

On the other hand, the user may be out. In contrast, in the pet toilet 1A of the present embodiment, the notification indicating the replacement time of the diaper 14 in the notification processing unit 23A is notified to the server group 30 via the communication unit 7. As a result, the server group 30 receives communication from the communication unit 7 of the pet toilet 1A via the communication unit 31 of the server group 30, stores the received content in the storage unit 32, and notifies the user terminal 40 such as a smartphone of the content. Thus, the user who is out can know that the diaper 14 is at the time of replacement by the user terminal 40, and can return to the room to replace the diaper 14.

as described above, the control device 20A of the present embodiment controls the electronic device, and the electronic device includes the pet litter box 1A as a litter box. The control device 20A includes: a weight acquisition unit 21 that acquires information on the weight of a diaper 14, the diaper 14 being a consumable article that absorbs urine, which is excrement; and a notification processing unit 23C that performs processing for notifying the user of information on the replacement timing of the diaper 14, based on the weight of the diaper 14.

In the present embodiment, the control device 20A controls the electronic apparatus. The electronic device is, for example, a pet litter box 1A as a litter box.

however, when the user is notified of the replacement timing of the consumable part, conventionally, the determination is made based on the usage time of the consumable part. However, for example, in the case of a consumable such as the diaper 14, the presence or absence of urination and the frequency and amount of urination affect the replacement timing, and the determination of the replacement timing based on the usage time is not necessarily an appropriate replacement timing. That is, depending on the type of consumable, the replacement timing may not be determined uniformly by the use time.

therefore, in the present embodiment, the control device 20A provided in the pet toilet 1A includes the weight acquisition unit 21 and the notification processing unit 23A. Therefore, the weight acquisition unit 21 acquires information on the weight of the diaper 14, and the diaper 14 absorbs urine as excrement, and the notification processing unit 23A performs processing for notifying the user of information on the replacement timing of the diaper 14 based on the weight of the diaper 14.

As a result, in the present embodiment, the replacement timing is notified based on the weight of the diaper 14. Therefore, for example, when the consumable is the diaper 14, whether or not the diaper 14 is replaced can be appropriately determined by measuring the weight of urine. Therefore, the control device 20A that notifies the replacement timing based on the weight of the consumable supplies can be provided.

The control device 20A of the present embodiment further includes a determination unit 22 that determines whether or not the weight of the diaper 14 is greater than a threshold value, which is a predetermined value, and the notification processing unit 23A performs the following processing when the weight of the diaper 14 is greater than the threshold value: the user is informed about the replacement period of the diaper 14.

Thus, the control device 20A includes a determination unit 22 for determining whether or not the weight of the diaper 14 is greater than the threshold value. Therefore, by setting the threshold value to a weight value indicating the replacement timing of the diaper 14, the determination unit 22 can determine whether or not the diaper 14 has reached the replacement timing. When the determination unit 22 determines that the replacement time of the diaper 14 has come, the notification processing unit 23A performs a process of notifying the user of information on the replacement time. As a result, the control device 20A can be provided which can appropriately notify the replacement timing according to the weight of the diaper 14.

In the control device 20A of the present embodiment, the notification processing unit 23A performs the following processing: the user is informed of information indicating a recommendation to replace the diaper 14. Thereby, the user can know that the diaper 14 needs to be replaced. Here, the notification processing unit 23A notifies the user of information indicating that replacement of the diaper 14 is recommended, for example, by displaying on a display unit provided in the pet litter box 1A itself, or by giving a notification by a buzzer sound from the speaker 6, and the display unit 5 includes, for example, an LED and a display screen. Alternatively, the user may be notified by communicating with the external server group 30 or the user terminal 40.

In the control device 20A of the present embodiment, the consumable part is the diaper 14 for absorbing urine. This makes it possible to provide the control device 20A capable of notifying the replacement timing based on the weight of the diaper 14 when the consumable is the diaper 14 that absorbs urine.

The pet litter box 1A as the litter box of the present embodiment includes a control device 20A and a waste weight meter 3, and the waste weight meter 3 is a meter for measuring the weight of the diaper 14. This makes it possible to provide the pet litter box 1A including the control device 20A, and the control device 20A can notify the replacement timing based on the weight of the diaper 14 by measuring the weight of the urine diaper 14 by the excrement weight meter 3.

Further, the control method of the present embodiment is a control method for controlling the pet toilet 1A as an electronic device, including: a weight acquisition step of acquiring information on the weight of the diaper 14 that has absorbed urine; a notification processing step of performing processing of notifying the user of information on the replacement timing of the diaper 14, based on the weight of the diaper 14. Thus, a control method of the pet litter box 1A in which the replacement timing is notified in accordance with the weight of the diaper 14 can be provided.

(second embodiment)

Another embodiment of the present invention is described below with reference to fig. 5 and 6. The configuration other than the configuration described in the present embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment. For convenience of explanation, members having the same functions as those shown in the drawings of the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals, and explanations thereof are omitted.

The difference between the control device 20B of the pet litter box 1B of the present embodiment is that the replacement time estimation unit 24 is provided in addition to the configuration of the control device 20A of the pet litter box 1A of the first embodiment.

The configuration of the control device 20B of the pet litter box 1B according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to fig. 5 and 6. Fig. 5 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the pet toilet 1B and the control device 20B according to the present embodiment. Fig. 6 is a graph showing a method of estimating a period of time required to replace the diaper 14 based on the past weight change and the latest weight of the diaper 14 in the pet litter box 1B. In fig. 6, the horizontal axis represents time, and the vertical axis represents the measurement value (including the weight of the drain tray 13 and the weight of the diaper 14) by the excrement weight 3.

As shown in fig. 5, the control device 20B of the pet toilet 1B according to the present embodiment is provided with a weight acquisition unit 21, a determination unit 22, a replacement timing estimation unit 24, and a notification processing unit 23B.

The replacement timing estimation section 24 estimates a timing at which the diaper 14 needs to be replaced, based on the past weight change of the diaper 14 and the latest weight of the diaper 14. The replacement timing estimation unit 24 outputs the estimated timing to the notification processing unit 23B.

In the present embodiment, the notification processing unit 23B performs a process of notifying the user of the timing at which the diaper 14 needs to be replaced.

specifically, as shown in fig. 6, assuming that the urine absorbing ability of the diaper 14 is excellent, for example, when the diaper 14 is subjected to the fourth urination, the diaper 14 needs to be replaced. If the past replacement information of the diaper 14 can be grasped, the amount of urine discharged per one time can be known. Further, the weight per period increases.

Therefore, in the present embodiment, for example, after the first urination is performed, the information indicating that the current diaper 14 can perform three times of urination is notified by the notification processing unit 23B. The notification processing unit 23B notifies a period until replacement is necessary (a time when replacement is necessary). The notification may be performed through the display unit 5 and the speaker 6 of the pet litter box 1B, or may be performed through the communication unit 7 and the server group 30 to the user terminal 40.

This enables the user to efficiently prepare for replacement of the diaper 14. For example, the replacement period may be predicted and a new diaper 14 prepared.

As described above, the control device 20B of the pet litter box 1B according to the present embodiment includes the replacement timing estimating unit 24 that estimates the timing at which the diaper 14 needs to be replaced based on the past change in the weight of the diaper 14 and the latest weight of the diaper 14, and the notification processing unit 23B performs processing for notifying the user of information about the timing at which the diaper 14 needs to be replaced.

For example, when the consumable is the diaper 14, depending on the ability of the diaper 14 to absorb urine, it may be necessary to perform urination a plurality of times and then reach a replacement time. In this case, in the control device 20B of the present embodiment, the replacement timing estimation unit 24 estimates the timing at which the replacement of the diaper 14 is necessary, based on the past weight change of the diaper 14 and the latest weight of the diaper 14. The notification processing unit 23B performs a process of notifying the user of the timing at which the diaper 14 needs to be replaced.

As a result, when the replacement timing is determined by a plurality of urination, the user can be appropriately notified of the replacement timing. Further, since the notification content is information on the timing at which the consumable part needs to be replaced, the user can know how many times the timing at which the diaper 14 needs to be replaced has come. Therefore, a new diaper 14 can be appropriately prepared.

Further, the notification processing unit 23B may notify the timing of replacement when the weight of the diaper 14 exceeds the threshold value. For example, when the weight of the diaper 14 is equal to or less than the threshold value, the timing at which replacement is necessary may not be notified. For example, the notification processing unit 23B notifies the time when the diaper 14 needs to be replaced when the weight thereof exceeds a first threshold value, and notifies the time when the diaper 14 needs to be replaced and information indicating that replacement is necessary when the weight thereof exceeds a second threshold value which is larger than the first threshold value.

The controller 20B may determine that the drain tray 13 is taken out and put in when the measurement value of the excrement weight scale 3 is decreased to a predetermined value or more and then increased to a predetermined value or more. In the case where the measured value decreases before and after the removal and the insertion, the control device 20B may determine that the diaper 14 is replaced. For example, the prescribed value is a value corresponding to the weight of the drain tray 13. These matters are also the same for the other embodiments.

(third embodiment)

Another embodiment of the present invention is described below with reference to fig. 7. The configuration other than the configuration described in the present embodiment is the same as that of the first and second embodiments. For convenience of explanation, members having the same functions as those shown in the drawings of the first and second embodiments are given the same reference numerals, and explanations thereof are omitted.

The control device 20A of the pet litter box 1A according to the first embodiment and the control device 20B of the pet litter box 1B according to the second embodiment are both provided in the pet litter box 1A or the pet litter box 1B. In contrast, the pet toilet 1C of the present embodiment is different in that the control device 30C is provided in the server group 30.

The configuration of the control device 30C of the pet litter box 1C according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to fig. 7. Fig. 7 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the control device 30C of the pet toilet 1C according to the present embodiment.

As shown in fig. 7, the pet litter box 1C of the present embodiment is provided with a control unit 20 as a control system of the pet litter box 1C, and the control unit 20 includes a weight acquisition unit 21 and a notification processing unit 23C.

the weight acquisition unit 21 inputs the measurement value of the excrement weight 3 to acquire the weight of the diaper 14, and immediately transmits the acquired weight to the server group 30 via the communication unit 7. The weight acquiring unit 21 may transmit the measurement value of the excrement weight 3 to the server group 30, or may transmit a value obtained by subtracting the weight of the excrement tray 13 from the measurement value to the server group 30.

The notification processing unit 23C provided in the control unit 20 receives the replacement information of the diaper 14 transmitted from the notification processing unit 34 in the control device 30C of the server group 30, which will be described later, via the communication unit 31 and the communication unit 7, and then notifies the information through the display unit 5 and the speaker 6.

On the other hand, in the present embodiment, the control device 30C is provided in the server group 30. That is, in the present embodiment, the control device 30C of the server group 30 receives only the information on the urine weight from the control system of the pet litter box 1C, and the control device 30C of the server group 30 determines whether or not the diaper 14 has reached the replacement timing. When the diaper 14 is replaced, the control device 30C of the server group 30 performs a process of notifying the user terminal 40 and the pet litter box 1C of information on the replacement timing of the diaper 14.

As a configuration for this purpose, the server group 30 (information processing apparatus) includes a control apparatus 30C and a storage unit 32. The server group 30 includes a control device 30C in an information processing device (not shown), and the control device 30C includes a communication unit 31 (weight acquisition unit), a determination unit 33, and a notification processing unit 34.

In the present embodiment, the control device 30C receives the information on the weight of the diaper 14 acquired by the weight acquiring unit 21 from the communication unit 7 of the pet toilet 1C via the communication unit 31, and stores the information on the weight in the storage unit 32.

next, the determination unit 33 of the control device 30C determines whether or not the weight of the diaper 14 is greater than a predetermined value, i.e., a threshold value.

Next, when the weight of the diaper 14 is greater than the threshold value, which is a predetermined value set, the notification processing unit 34 of the control device 30C determines that the replacement time of the diaper 14 has come, and performs the following processing: the user terminal 40 and the notification processing unit 23C of the pet toilet 1C are notified of information on the replacement timing of the diaper 14 via the communication unit 31.

Thus, the user can know that the diaper 14 is replaced by the user terminal 40 such as a smartphone. Further, since the information that the diaper 14 is the replacement timing is displayed on the display unit 5 or the like even in the pet litter box 1C itself, the user can know that the diaper 14 is the replacement timing by the display or the like.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the present invention. For example, in the above embodiment, the control device 30C is provided in the information processing device of the server group 30. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the control device 30C may be provided in the user terminal 40 as an information processing device, for example.

That is, as shown in the first and second embodiments, the control device may be provided in the pet litter box 1A, 1B itself, or as shown in the present embodiment, the control device may be provided in the server group 30 or the user terminal 40 existing outside, instead of the pet litter box 1A, 1B itself.

as described above, the control device 30C according to the present embodiment controls the server group 30 and the user terminal 40 as electronic devices. The control device 30C includes: a communication unit 31 that acquires information on the weight of the diaper 14 for absorbing urine as a weight acquisition unit; and a notification processing unit 34 that performs processing for notifying the user of information on the replacement timing of the diaper 14, based on the weight of the diaper 14.

According to the above configuration, the control device 30C controls electronic devices, and examples of the electronic devices include an information processing device of the server group 30 and an information processing device such as the user terminal 40. That is, in the present embodiment, when the control device 30C is provided in the server group 30, for example, the server group 30 having the information processing device corresponds to the electronic device, and when the control device 30C is provided in the user terminal 40 such as a smartphone, for example, the information processing device such as the user terminal 40 corresponds to the electronic device.

In the present embodiment, the control device 30C includes a communication unit 31 as a weight acquisition unit and a notification processing unit 34. Therefore, the communication unit 31 acquires information on the weight of the diaper 14 via the weight acquisition unit 21 and the communication unit 7 in the control unit 20 of the pet litter box 1C, and the notification processing unit 34 performs processing for notifying the user of information on the replacement timing of the diaper 14 based on the weight of the diaper 14. Therefore, the control device 30C can be provided which notifies the replacement timing based on the weight of the diaper 14.

The information processing device of the server group 30 as the information processing device and the user terminal 40 as the information processing device according to the present embodiment include the control device 30C, and the communication unit 31 acquires information on the weight of the diaper 14 from the weight acquisition unit 21 of the pet litter box 1C via the communication unit 7. The user terminal 40 obtains the weight of the diaper 14 directly from the pet litter box 1C or via the server 30.

Thus, for example, when the control device 30C is provided in an information processing device such as a server group 30 or an information processing device such as a user terminal 40, it is possible to provide an information processing device provided with the control device 30 that notifies the replacement timing based on the weight of the diaper 14.

[ implementation by software ]

The control modules (particularly, the weight acquisition unit 21, the judgment unit 22, and the notification processing unit 23A) of the control device 20A of the first embodiment, the control modules (particularly, the weight acquisition unit 21, the judgment unit 22, the replacement timing estimation unit 24, and the notification processing unit 23B) of the control device 20B of the second embodiment, and the control modules (particularly, the communication unit 31, the judgment unit 33, and the notification processing unit 34) of the control device 30C of the third embodiment may be implemented by logic circuits (hardware) formed on an integrated circuit (IC chip) or the like, or may be implemented by software.

In the latter case, the control devices 20A and 20B and the control device 30C include computers that execute instructions for executing software, i.e., execution programs, for realizing the respective functions. The computer includes, for example, at least one processor (control device) and at least one computer-readable storage medium for storing the program. In the computer, the object of the present invention is achieved by the processor reading the program from the storage medium and executing the program. As the processor, for example, a cpu (central Processing unit) can be used. As the storage medium, for example, a "non-transitory tangible medium" such as a rom (read Only memory) may be used, and a magnetic tape, a magnetic disk, a card, a semiconductor memory, a programmable logic circuit, or the like may be used. Further, a ram (random access memory) or the like for expanding the program is further included. Further, the program may be supplied to the computer via any transmission medium (communication network, broadcast wave, etc.) capable of transmitting the program. An aspect of the present invention can also be implemented in the form of a data signal embedded in a carrier wave, the program being embodied by electronic transmission.

thus, the control program of the present embodiment is a control program for causing a computer to function as the control devices 20A and 20B and the control device 30C, and causes the computer to function as the weight acquisition unit 21, the determination unit 22, the notification processing unit 23A, the replacement timing estimation unit 24, the notification processing unit 23B, the determination unit 33, and the notification processing unit 34.

That is, the control devices 20A and 20B and the control device 30C according to the first to third embodiments may be implemented by a computer, and in this case, a control program for implementing an electronic device by a computer by operating the computer as each unit (software element) provided in the electronic device and a computer-readable recording medium storing the program are also included in the scope of the present invention.

[ conclusion ]

A control device according to a first aspect of the present invention is a control device for controlling an electronic apparatus, including: a weight acquisition unit that acquires information on the weight of a consumable that absorbs excrement; and a notification processing unit configured to perform a process of notifying a user of information on a replacement timing of the consumable part, based on the weight of the consumable part.

The control device according to a second aspect of the present invention includes a determination unit that determines whether or not the weight of the consumable part is greater than a predetermined value, and the notification processing unit performs processing for notifying the user of information on a replacement timing of the consumable part when the weight of the consumable part is greater than the predetermined value.

In the control device according to the third aspect of the present invention, the notification processing unit performs: notifying the user of information indicating a recommendation to replace the consumable.

A control device according to a fourth aspect of the present invention includes a replacement timing estimation unit that estimates a timing at which the consumable part needs to be replaced, based on a change in the weight of the consumable part in the past and the latest weight of the consumable part, and the notification processing unit is capable of performing: notifying the user of information of a time period when the consumable needs to be replaced.

In the control device 2 of the fifth aspect of the present invention, the consumable may be a sheet for absorbing urine.

The toilet of the sixth aspect of the present invention is characterized by having the control device, and a weight meter for measuring the weight of the consumable.

An information processing apparatus according to a seventh aspect of the present invention is the information processing apparatus including the control device, wherein the weight acquiring unit acquires information on the weight of the consumable part from a toilet.

A control program according to an eighth aspect of the present invention is a control program for causing a computer to function as the control device, wherein the control program causes the computer to function as the weight acquisition unit and the notification processing unit.

A control method of an eighth aspect of the present invention is a control method for controlling an electronic apparatus, characterized by comprising: a weight acquisition step of acquiring information on the weight of a consumable for absorbing excrement; a notification processing step of performing processing of notifying a user of information on a replacement timing of the consumable part, based on the weight of the consumable part.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications can be made within the scope shown in the claims, and embodiments obtained by appropriately combining technical means disclosed in different embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present invention. Further, new technical features can be formed by combining the technical methods disclosed in the respective embodiments.

Description of the reference numerals

1A-1C toilet for pet

2 weighing machine

3 weight of excrement

4 storage part

5 display part

6 loudspeaker

7 communication unit

11 body container

11a opening

11b side hole

12 measuring table

12a opening

12b mesh

13 Drain tray

13a bottom plate

14 diaper (consumables)

15 support plate

20A control device

21 weight obtaining part

22 determination unit

23A, 23B, 23C notification processing unit

30 server group

31 communication part (weight obtaining part)

32 storage part

33 determination part

34 notification processing unit

40 user terminal (information processing device)