“Computer, Information Processing Method, And Network System” in Patent Application Approval Process (USPTO 20200294650)

2020 OCT 02 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Insurance Daily News -- A patent application by the inventors UEDA, MASAYA (Sakai City, Japan); HARADA, YASUHIRO (Sakai City, Japan); HIRUKAWA, SHUHICHI (Sakai City, Japan); NAKANO, AZUSA (Sakai City, Japan); KOGURE, CHIKAAKI (Sakai City, Japan); NAKANO, MASAYUKI (Sakai City, Japan); YUASA, TAKAYUKI (Sakai City, Japan), filed on December 14, 2016, was made available online on September 17, 2020, according to news reporting originating from Washington, D.C., by NewsRx correspondents.

This patent application is assigned to Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Sakai City, Osaka, Japan).

The following quote was obtained by the news editors from the background information supplied by the inventors: “Generally, techniques for obtaining the mental or physical state of a subject are known. For example, in JP 2004-213169 A (PTL 1), a health management system is disclosed. According to PTL 1, this health management system includes a management server, and users such as diabetes patients access the management server from a user terminal such as a personal computer via the Internet. In response to this access, the management server presents a questionnaire checklist with four categories of emotion, motivation (willingness), depression (low spirits), and stress on the user terminal. The user inputs responses to the questionnaire according to the implementation procedure for the checklist. The management server processes the response inputs and stores the results of this processing in a database. Accordingly, the user can access the database and learn the evaluation (questionnaire result) determined by the management server. However, in order to avoid presenting a questionnaire list of all the categories on the same day, the management server performs inquiries at timings deemed appropriate based on the priority level of each category.

“In addition, in JP 2005-293130 A (PTL 2), a beauty salon support system is disclosed. According to PTL 2, a usage record storage unit that stores usage record information for customers is referenced, a status of a customer is obtained based on the usage record of the customer, proposal information corresponding to the status is extracted from a proposal information storage unit that stores proposal information for customers, and the proposal information is output.

“Also, in NPL 1, Janet Yamada, ‘Hair Cortisol as a Potential Biologic Marker of Chronic Stress in Hospitalized Neonates,’ Neonatology, KARGER issued on Mar. 14, 2007, it is described that cortisol in hair may be measured as a biomarker of newborn stress.

“In addition, in NPL 2, Evan Russell et. al, ‘Hair cortisol as a biological marker of chronic stress Current status future directions and unanswered questions,’ Psychoneuroendocrinology (2012) 37, 589-601, a technique for measuring cortisol in hair is disclosed.”

In addition to the background information obtained for this patent application, NewsRx journalists also obtained the inventors’ summary information for this patent application: “Technical Problem

“There is demand for a technique that makes it easier than before to acquire information regarding the trend of the mental or physical state of a subject. The present disclosure has been made to solve such problems, and has an object of providing a computer, an information processing method, and a network system capable of acquiring information relating to the trend of a mental or physical state of a subject more easily than before.

“Solution to Problem

“According to an aspect of the invention, provided is a computer including: a memory configured to store first data obtained from a strand of hair acquired from a subject, and second data obtained from a specimen acquired from the subject, the specimen being different in acquisition time from the strand of hair; and a processor configured to generate a trend of a mental or physical state of the subject based on the first data and the second data.

“Preferably, the computer further includes a communication interface. The processor acquires the first data and the second data from another device via the communication interface.

“Preferably, the computer further includes a communication interface. The processor is configured to acquire the first data from a first other device via the communication interface and acquire the second data from a second other device via the communication interface.

“Preferably, the second data is obtained from a strand of hair acquired from the subject, the strand of hair being different in acquisition time from the strand of hair.

“Preferably, the second data is obtained from a specimen acquired from the subject other than a strand of hair, the specimen being different in acquisition time from the strand of hair.

“Preferably, the processor is configured to generate a future state of the subject based on data acquired from a subject other than the subject.

“Preferably, the processor is configured to generate advice for the future state.

“Preferably, the processor is configured to: transmit, to the subject when a first predetermined condition is satisfied, information including the trend via the communication interface, and transmit, to a predetermined institution such as a police station, a prosecutor’s office, a courthouse, or a hospital when a second predetermined condition is satisfied, information including the trend via the communication interface.

“According to another aspect of the invention, an information processing method in a computer is provided. The information processing method includes: acquiring, by a processor, first data obtained from a strand of hair acquired from a subject; acquiring, by the processor, second data obtained from a specimen acquired from the subject, the specimen being different in acquisition time from the strand of hair; and generating, by the processor, a trend of a mental or physical state of the subject based on the first data and the second data.

“According to still another aspect of the invention, provided is a network system including: a device configured to acquire first data obtained from a strand of hair acquired from a subject and second data obtained from a specimen acquired from the subject, the specimen being different in acquisition time from the strand of hair; and a computer configured to: receive the first data and the second data from the device, and generate a trend of a mental or physical state of the subject based on the first data and the second data.

“According to yet another aspect of the invention, provided is a network system including: a first device configured to acquire first data obtained from a strand of hair acquired from a subject; a second device configured to acquire second data obtained from a specimen acquired from the subject, the specimen being different in acquisition time from the strand of hair; and a computer configured to: receive the first data from the first device, receive the second data from the second device, and generate a trend of a mental or physical state of the subject based on the first data and the second data.

“Advantageous Effects of Invention

“As described above, according to the present disclosure, there is provided a computer, an information processing method, and a network system capable of acquiring information relating to the trend of a mental or physical state of a subject more easily than before.”

The claims supplied by the inventors are:

“1. A computer comprising: a memory configured to store: first data obtained from a strand of hair acquired from a subject, and second data obtained from a specimen acquired from the subject, the specimen being different in acquisition time from the strand of hair; and a processor configured to generate a trend of a mental or physical state of the subject based on the first data and the second data.

“2. The computer according to claim 1, further comprising a communication interface, wherein the processor is configured to acquire the first data and the second data from another device via the communication interface.

“3. The computer according to claim 1, further comprising a communication interface, wherein the processor is configured to: acquire the first data from a first other device via the communication interface, and acquire the second data from a second other device via the communication interface.

“4. The computer according to claim 1, wherein the second data is obtained from a strand of hair acquired from the subject, the strand of hair being different in acquisition time from the strand of hair.

“5. The computer according to claim 1, wherein the second data is obtained from a specimen acquired from the subject other than a strand of hair, the specimen being different in acquisition time from the strand of hair.

“6. The computer according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to generate a future state of the subject based on data acquired from a subject other than the subject.

“7. The computer according to claim 6, wherein the processor is configured to generate advice for the future state.

“8. The computer according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to: transmit, to the subject when a first predetermined condition is satisfied, information including the trend via the communication interface, and transmit, to a predetermined institution when a second predetermined condition is satisfied, information including the trend via the communication interface.

“9. An information processing method in a computer, the information processing method comprising: acquiring, by a processor, first data obtained from a strand of hair acquired from a subject; acquiring, by the processor, second data obtained from a specimen acquired from the subject, the specimen being different in acquisition time from the strand of hair; and generating, by the processor, a trend of a mental or physical state of the subject based on the first data and the second data.

“10. A network system comprising: a device configured to acquire: first data obtained from a strand of hair acquired from a subject, and second data obtained from a specimen acquired from the subject, the specimen being different in acquisition time from the strand of hair; and a computer configured to: receive the first data and the second data from the device, and generate a trend of a mental or physical state of the subject based on the first data and the second data.

“11. (canceled)

“12. The network system according to claim 10, wherein the device comprises a first device configured to acquire first data obtained from a strand of hair acquired from a subject; a second device configured to acquire second data obtained from a specimen acquired from the subject, the specimen being different in acquisition time from the strand of hair; and the computer is configured to: receive the first data from the first device, receive the second data from the second device, and generate a trend of a mental or physical state of the subject based on the first data and the second data.”

URL and more information on this patent application, see: UEDA, MASAYA; HARADA, YASUHIRO; HIRUKAWA, SHUHICHI; NAKANO, AZUSA; KOGURE, CHIKAAKI; NAKANO, MASAYUKI; YUASA, TAKAYUKI. Computer, Information Processing Method, And Network System. Filed December 14, 2016 and posted September 17, 2020. Patent URL: http://appft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PG01&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsrchnum.html&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=%2220200294650%22.PGNR.&OS=DN/20200294650&RS=DN/20200294650

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