Display control device and display control method

Abstract

In the display control device according to the present embodiment, a plurality of first still images and a plurality of second still images are respectively given first indexes and second indexes, the first indexes and the second indexes are given to the plurality of first still images and the plurality of second still images in a manner that a feature point that moves periodically between the plurality of first still images and the plurality of second still images corresponds, a first animation included in a first display screen and a second animation included in a second display screen are displayed by respectively continuously playing the plurality of first still images and the plurality of second still images, in a case where the first display screen shifts to the second display screen, a pre-shift image that is a first still image immediately before the screen shift is displayed, a second index corresponding to the first index given to the pre-shift image is selected, and a second still image is played from the selected second index.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a display control device and a display control method. Background Technology

[0002] A user interface device is known that can migrate from the display of a source screen (a screen serving as a migration source) to the display of a target screen (a screen serving as a migration target) using animation (e.g., Patent Document 1). This user interface device calculates the necessity of saving screen information of the source screen based on migration information of the source screen, acquires information of the source screen corresponding to one acquisition stage based on the necessity, and saves the acquired information of the source screen as screen information. Furthermore, if the screen information of the target screen in the current migration is saved, the saved screen information of the source screen is acquired as the screen information of the target screen in the current migration.

[0003] Existing technical documents

[0004] Patent documents

[0005] Patent Document 1: International Publication No. 2017 / 212758 Summary of the Invention

[0006] The problem the invention aims to solve

[0007] However, the aforementioned conventional user interface devices have the following problem: when the source screen is not saved and the source screen is different from the target screen, the animation before and after the screen migration becomes an unnatural presentation.

[0008] The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a display control device and display control method that makes the animation before and after the screen transition a natural presentation.

[0009] Solution for solving the problem

[0010] The present invention solves the above problems by means of the following scheme: a plurality of first still images and a plurality of second still images are respectively assigned a first index and a second index. The first index and the second index are assigned to the plurality of first still images and the plurality of second still images in such a way that they correspond to feature points that move periodically between the plurality of first still images and the plurality of second still images. A first animation contained in a first display screen and a second animation contained in a second display screen are displayed by continuously playing the plurality of first still images and the plurality of second still images respectively. In the case of migrating from the first display screen to the second display screen, an image before the migration, which is the first still image immediately preceding the migration, is displayed. A second index corresponding to the first index assigned to the image before the migration is selected, and the second still image is played from the selected second index.

[0011] The effects of the invention

[0012] According to the present invention, it is possible to display the animation before and after the screen transition in a natural way. Attached Figure Description

[0013] Figure 1 This is a block diagram illustrating a dialogue service system according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0014] Figure 2 It has Figure 1 The front view of the display's front panel.

[0015] Figure 3A This is a table used to explain the relationship between the operation of the steering wheel switch and the switching between the wake word and the activation of the dialogue system.

[0016] Figure 3B This is a table used to illustrate the operation of the steering wheel switch in the variant example and the relationship between the wake word and the start of the dialogue system.

[0017] Figure 4 It is shown Figure 1 The image shown on the monitor.

[0018] Figure 5 It is shown Figure 1 The image shown on the monitor.

[0019] Figure 6 It is shown Figure 1 The image shown on the monitor.

[0020] Figure 7 It is shown Figure 1 The image shown on the monitor.

[0021] Figure 8 It is shown Figure 1 The image shown on the monitor.

[0022] Figure 9 These are animated images and graphs used to illustrate the time progression of the "sound detection state" in the animation.

[0023] Figure 10 These are animated images and graphs used to illustrate the passage of time in an animation.

[0024] Figure 11 It is a concept diagram used to illustrate the image structure of animation and the indexes selected during screen transitions.

[0025] Figure 12 It is shown Figure 1 The image shown on the monitor.

[0026] Figure 13 It is shown Figure 1 The image shown on the monitor.

[0027] Figure 14 It is shown Figure 1 The image shown on the monitor.

[0028] Figure 15 It is shown Figure 1 The image shown on the monitor.

[0029] Figure 16 It is shown Figure 1 The image shown on the monitor.

[0030] Figure 17 It is shown Figure 1 The image shown on the monitor.

[0031] Figure 18 It is shown Figure 1 The image shown on the monitor.

[0032] Figure 19 It is shown Figure 1 A table showing the model flow of dialogue in a dialogue system.

[0033] Figure 20 It is shown Figure 1 A table showing the model flow of dialogue in a dialogue system.

[0034] Figure 21 It is shown Figure 1 The image shown on the monitor.

[0035] Figure 22 It is shown Figure 1 A table showing the model flow of dialogue in a dialogue system.

[0036] Figure 23 It is shown Figure 1 A table showing the model flow of dialogue in a dialogue system.

[0037] Figure 24 It is shown Figure 1 A table showing the model flow of dialogue in a dialogue system.

[0038] Figure 25 It is shown Figure 1 A table showing the model flow of dialogue in a dialogue system. Detailed Implementation

[0039] The following describes one embodiment of the dialogue service system according to the present invention, based on the accompanying drawings. Figure 1This is a block diagram illustrating a dialogue service system according to one embodiment of the present invention. The dialogue service system is a vehicle-mounted system including a display 10, a communication unit 20, a steering wheel switch 30, an ECU 40, and a controller 100. The dialogue service system according to this embodiment includes a system for using voice processing functions to converse with and provide services to occupants, and a system for controlling the display screen.

[0040] The display 10 is a touch panel type display installed in a vehicle. The touch panel type display 10 includes a pressure sensor that detects touch operations performed by a user (occupant) by measuring the pressure applied to the display 10 during a contact operation based on resistance values, voltage, etc. The mechanism of the pressure sensor is not particularly limited, and methods known at the time of application can be appropriately used. Furthermore, the touch panel is not limited to pressure-sensitive types; it can also be electrostatic or other types. Figure 2 This is a front view near the front panel where the touch panel is located. (Example) Figure 2 As shown, display 10 is a central display on the front part of the front bulkhead, positioned between the driver's seat and the front passenger seat. Display 10 is positioned within reach of both the driver and front passenger. However, display 10 is not necessarily positioned where both the driver and front passenger can reach it; for example, it could be positioned where only the driver can reach it. Furthermore, display 10 is not limited to the front bulkhead; it could also be positioned where rear seat occupants can reach it.

[0041] When an occupant selects an icon, button, etc. from the menu screen using their finger or an operating device that replaces the finger via touch operation on the touch display 10, the screen display on the display 10 changes accordingly. Furthermore, the following description primarily focuses on touch operations performed using a finger; however, in this embodiment, an operating device can also be used instead of a finger for touch operations. A touch operation is an instruction performed by a gesture using a finger, such as touching an icon or button displayed on the display 10 or bringing a finger close to an icon or button. Touch operations include tapping (one touch on the screen), double tapping (two touches on the screen), long tapping (long press on the screen), swiping (swiping the finger across the screen while maintaining this state, tracing with the finger), flicking (rapidly bouncing the finger across the screen), and pinching in / pinching out (two fingers touching the screen and bringing them closer / away from each other). Touch operations are not limited to the first gesture of touching one or more points on the screen; they may also include a second gesture of moving the finger's contact point while the screen is being touched. In addition, touch operation can also be performed without directly touching the display screen; it can involve hovering a finger or other object near the display screen. Furthermore, touch operation methods are not limited to this and can include other methods as well.

[0042] The communication unit 20 is a communication device capable of communicating with the server 2 outside the vehicle. The communication unit 20 is used to send and receive signals between the controller 100 and the server 2. The steering wheel switch (turn switch) 30 is a switch used to activate (start) the dialogue system, such as... Figure 2 As shown, the system is positioned on the steering wheel. When the occupant (driver) wants to receive services through the dialogue system, they operate the steering wheel switch 30 to activate the dialogue system. As described later, the dialogue system includes: a first dialogue system 112, which primarily uses a voice recognition engine installed in the vehicle 1 to perform voice processing and provide services; and a second dialogue system 32, which primarily uses a voice recognition engine included in the server 2 to perform voice processing and provide services to the occupant from the server 2. Furthermore, the steering wheel switch 30 is assigned to activate which dialogue system; operating the steering wheel switch 30 activates either the first or second dialogue system.

[0043] ECU 40 is a control unit that controls objects such as air conditioning equipment 41 and sunroof 42. It controls the controlled objects and controller 100 through a CAN communication network. There is not just one ECU 40, but multiple control units, with one ECU 40 connected to each controlled object.

[0044] The controller 100 is composed of a computer with hardware and software, including a memory storing programs and a CPU that executes the programs stored in the memory. Furthermore, the controller 100 has a dialogue system control unit 110, a start unit 120, and a display control unit 130 as functional blocks, and programs for implementing the functions of the dialogue system control unit 110, the start unit 120, and the display control unit 130 are stored in the memory. The computer included in the controller 100 implements the functions of each functional block by executing the programs. In addition, the controller 100 is connected to the display 10, the communication unit 20, the steering wheel switch 30, and the ECU 40 via a CAN communication network or the like. The controller 100 is not limited to having a dialogue system control unit 110, a start unit 120, and a display control unit 130; for example, it may also have control blocks for controlling various systems in the vehicle interior, such as controlling the audio system, to control other in-vehicle equipment. Furthermore, the device having the controller 100 is equivalent to the "display control device" of the present invention.

[0045] The dialogue system control unit 110 has the function of recognizing the occupant's voice and controlling the dialogue system. The dialogue system control unit 110 includes a voice recognition unit 111 and a first dialogue system 112. The voice recognition unit 111 detects the occupant's voice input and uses the voice recognition engine included in the first dialogue system 112 to recognize the voice through voice processing of the detected voice. When the first dialogue system 112 is activated, the voice recognition unit 111 detects the input voice when the occupant speaks into the microphone inside the vehicle. Voice detection is performed from the start of voice input until a predetermined time elapses from the end of voice input. For example, if a passenger sends a message such as "Set the air conditioner temperature to 25℃," the voice recognition unit 111 detects the sound from the beginning to the end of the message, and terminates the sound detection after a predetermined period of silence following the end of the message. The voice recognition unit 111 identifies the sound by processing the detected sound using a voice recognition engine.

[0046] Furthermore, when the voice recognition unit 111 recognizes a wake-up word used to activate the dialogue system, it outputs a control signal indicating that the wake-up word has been recognized to the second interface 122, which will be described later. The wake-up word is a pre-determined call message such as "Hello○○ (the name of the vehicle manufacturer, the nickname of the dialogue system, etc.)". In addition, the wake-up word can also be changed through the occupant's settings.

[0047] The first dialogue system 112 is an in-vehicle voice processing system primarily designed for collaboration with in-vehicle devices. It utilizes a voice recognition engine to facilitate dialogue between the occupant and the controller 100, providing services to the occupant corresponding to the dialogue content. The first dialogue system 112 connects to the ECU 40 to collaborate with in-vehicle devices such as the air conditioning unit 41, sunroof 42, navigation system, audio system, and hands-free system. The first dialogue system 112 is equipped with communication functions for communicating with various ECUs. For example, when an occupant tells the dialogue system to change the temperature setting of the air conditioning unit 41, the voice recognition unit 111 processes the voice data, identifies the air conditioning unit 41 as the control target, generates a control command, and outputs the control command to the ECU 40 via the in-vehicle communication path (CAN communication network). Furthermore, when a control signal is sent from the first dialogue system 112 to in-vehicle devices such as the air conditioning unit 41 via the ECU 40, the in-vehicle communication path through which the control signal travels does not include the communication path connecting the controller 100 and the communication unit 20. ECU 40 controls the air conditioning unit 41 according to control commands, changing the set temperature of the air conditioning unit 41. Thus, the first dialogue system 112 provides services to the occupants through dialogue. The services provided by the first dialogue system 112 are not limited to setting the air conditioning unit 41, but may also include adjusting the airflow direction and volume of the air conditioning unit 41. Other examples of services include route guidance via the navigation system, audio system settings, telephone operation via the hands-free system, phone number search, SMS service, and operation of in-vehicle equipment such as the sunroof 42, windows, trunk, and sliding doors.

[0048] On the other hand, the second dialogue system 32 included in server 2 is a system that uses an external voice recognition engine for voice processing. Vehicle 1 connects to server 2 to access external information and provide services to occupants. The services provided through the second dialogue system 32 include a variety of services such as internet-based shopping and remote operation of home appliances. The second dialogue system 32 differs from the first dialogue system 112 and is not intended for collaboration with in-vehicle equipment. Furthermore, regarding the difference between the first dialogue system 112 and the second dialogue system 32, they are independent dialogue systems. The first dialogue system has a voice recognition engine that sends control commands to in-vehicle equipment via an in-vehicle communication path, while the second dialogue system has a different voice recognition engine than the one included in the first dialogue system. Additionally, from another perspective, the first dialogue system 112 inputs or outputs control commands to in-vehicle equipment via an in-vehicle communication path, but the second dialogue system 32 can also be a system that inputs and outputs control commands to in-vehicle equipment other than the communication unit 20 without using an in-vehicle communication path. Furthermore, as another perspective, the difference between the first dialogue system 112 and the second dialogue system 32 is that the first dialogue system can also be a system that outputs control commands to the vehicle-mounted device through an in-vehicle communication path other than the communication path connecting the communication unit 20 and the first dialogue system 112, instead of outputting control commands through an in-vehicle communication path other than the communication path connecting the communication unit 20 and the first dialogue system 112.

[0049] When the voice recognition unit 111 uses the second dialogue system 32 to communicate with the occupant, it detects the occupant's voice input and sends the detected voice data to the server 2 via the communicator 20. The second dialogue system 32 on the server 2 processes the input voice data and sends the processing result to the vehicle 1. The voice recognition unit 111 outputs the processing result obtained by the second dialogue system 32 through sound output from the vehicle's speakers or through the display screen 10.

[0050] The first dialogue system 112 is not limited to connecting to the ECU 40 inside the vehicle, but can also connect to the server 2 outside the vehicle. For example, the first dialogue system 112 can also connect to the server 2 outside the vehicle and use an external voice recognition engine for voice recognition processing. For example, since there is a lot of information such as the name of a shop, sometimes using an external voice recognition engine is better than using an in-vehicle voice recognition engine. In this case, the first dialogue system 112 uses the external voice recognition engine for voice recognition processing.

[0051] The activation unit 120 is a functional block for activating the first dialogue system 112 and the second dialogue system 32, and has a first interface 121 and a second interface 122. The first interface 121 sends an activation command to the dialogue system based on the operation of the steering wheel switch 30; that is, the first interface 121 serves as a connection between the steering wheel switch 30 and the first dialogue system 112, and between the steering wheel switch 30 and the second dialogue system 32. The first interface 121 sends an activation command to one of the systems in the first dialogue system 112 and the second dialogue system 32. The first interface 121 does not send control commands to both the first dialogue system 112 and the second dialogue system 32 simultaneously. The destination of the control commands sent by the first interface 121 is determined by user settings and / or factory initial settings. When the steering wheel switch 30 is assigned to activate the first dialogue system 112, the first interface 121 sends an activation command to the first dialogue system 112 upon receiving an operation command based on the operation of the steering wheel switch 30. When the steering wheel switch 30 is configured to activate the second dialogue system 32, the second interface 122 sends a activation command to the second dialogue system 32. Furthermore, the activation command for the second dialogue system 32 is used to establish a communicable state between the vehicle 1 and the server 2, and to establish a state in which the vehicle 1 can utilize the dialogue system of the server 2.

[0052] The second interface 122 sends a start command to the dialogue system based on the wake word. The second interface 122 is the connection between the voice recognition unit 111 and the dialogue system. The second interface 122 sends a start command to either the first dialogue system 112 or the second dialogue system 32. The second interface 122 does not send control commands to both the first dialogue system 112 and the second dialogue system 32 simultaneously. Figure 1 In this example, the second interface 122 sends a start command to the first dialogue system 112. The destination of the control command sent by the second interface 122 is determined by the initial factory settings. Figure 1 In the example, since the wake word is assigned to activate the first dialogue system 112, when the wake word is recognized by the voice recognition unit 111, the second interface 122 sends a start command to the first dialogue system 112. That is, the voice recognition engine included in the first dialogue system 112 is in standby mode, capable of recognizing at least the wake word. When the wake word is recognized by the voice recognition unit 111, the second interface 122 sends a start command to the first dialogue system 112, and the first dialogue system 112 activates the voice recognition engine to recognize various words other than the wake word. Furthermore, when the wake word is assigned to activate the second dialogue system 32, the second interface 122 sends a start command to the second dialogue system 32.

[0053] Furthermore, the activation unit 120 sets the destination of the activation command to one of the first dialogue system 112 and the second dialogue system 32 based on the occupant's operation. The occupant's operation to set the destination of the activation command can be a touch operation on the display 10, a switch operation other than the steering wheel switch 30, etc. For example, in the case of a touch operation on the display 10, the controller 100 displays a dialogue system setting screen on the display 10, and the occupant touches a selection menu on the displayed setting screen to select one of the first dialogue system 112 or the second dialogue system 32, selecting the desired dialogue system from the selection menu. In order to send an activation signal to the dialogue system selected through the touch operation on the display 10, the activation unit 120 sets the destination of the activation signal sent from the first interface 121. For example, if the occupant changes the system to be activated when the steering wheel switch 30 is operated from the first dialogue system 112 to the second dialogue system 32 through a touch operation on the display 10, the activation unit 120 sets the destination of the activation signal sent from the first interface 121 to the second dialogue system 32. Thus, the occupant can choose from the first dialogue system 112 and the second dialogue system 32 to activate the dialogue system when the steering wheel switch 30 is operated, according to their preference.

[0054] Furthermore, where the dialogue system settings can be changed through dialogue with the occupant, the activation unit 120 can also set the destination of the activation command sent by the first interface 121 to either the first dialogue system 112 or the second dialogue system 32 based on the voice recognized by the dialogue system control unit 110. For example, if the occupant is communicating with the controller 100 using the first dialogue system 112, and the occupant expresses a desire to change the allocation of the steering wheel switch 30 from the first dialogue system 112 to the second dialogue system 32, the dialogue system control unit 110 recognizes the occupant's voice and sends a control command to the activation unit 120 to allocate the steering wheel switch 30 to activate the second dialogue system 32. Based on the control command, the activation unit 120 sets the destination of the activation signal sent by the first interface 121 to the second dialogue system 32. Thus, the occupant can select the system activated when the steering wheel switch 30 is operated—either the first dialogue system 112 or the second dialogue system 32—through dialogue using the dialogue system.

[0055] In this embodiment, the dialogue system that can be activated by operating the steering wheel switch 30 can be selected by the occupant as either the first dialogue system 112 or the second dialogue system 32. However, the dialogue system that can be activated by a wake word is fixed as the first dialogue system 112. Since the first dialogue system 112 is primarily intended for collaboration with in-vehicle equipment, it is used more frequently than the second dialogue system 32. Therefore, by fixing wake word-based activation as the first dialogue system 112, occupant convenience can be improved. Furthermore, since the steering wheel switch 30 can be selected by the occupant, the freedom of choice in selecting the dialogue system can also be ensured.

[0056] Figure 3A This is a table used to indicate whether the startup of the first dialogue system / second dialogue system can be switched. For example... Figure 3A As shown, in the dialogue service system according to this embodiment, the "wake word" can activate the first dialogue system 112, but cannot activate the second dialogue system 32. The "steering wheel switch" can activate either the first dialogue system 112 or the second dialogue system 32 according to the occupant's settings. That is, the activation of the dialogue system via the steering wheel switch 30 can be exclusively selected. Furthermore, when the steering wheel switch 30 is assigned to the first dialogue system 112, the second dialogue system 32 cannot be activated by operating the steering wheel switch 30 and using the wake word, but the second dialogue system 32 can be activated, for example, by selecting from the menu screen displayed on the display 10, or by switching operations other than the steering wheel switch 30.

[0057] Figure 3B This table illustrates the correlation between the activation of the first dialogue system and the second dialogue system in the dialogue service system according to the variations of this embodiment. In the dialogue service system according to the variations, the dialogue system that can be activated based on a wake-up word can be exclusively selected by the user. The activation unit 120 sets the destination of the activation command when the wake-up word is recognized to one of the systems of the first dialogue system 112 and the second dialogue system 32. The occupant can select the dialogue system to be activated from the first dialogue system 112 and the second dialogue system 32 through touch operation of the display 10, switch operation other than the steering wheel switch 30, and dialogue with the controller 100 using the dialogue system. Thus, the situation of activating multiple dialogue systems when the wake-up word is spoken can be avoided, and the dialogue system activated when the steering wheel switch 30 is operated can be selected from the first dialogue system 112 and the second dialogue system 32 according to the user's preference.

[0058] Furthermore, dialogue systems sometimes have proprietary standards related to system startup. These proprietary standards include things like, "When a specific dialogue system can be started, other dialogue systems must be turned off (invalidated)." When a dialogue system with such a standard is used in the first dialogue system 112, as in this embodiment, it is sufficient to allow the user to change the allocation of the steering wheel switch 30, or to allow exclusive selection of dialogue systems. Additionally, when the user can change the startup of the dialogue system via a wake-up word, as in a variation, it is sufficient to allow the user to change the startup allocation via a wake-up word, or to allow exclusive selection of dialogue systems. That is, according to the standard of the first dialogue system, the first dialogue system 112 and the second dialogue system 32 need to be started exclusively. Therefore, as in this embodiment, by allowing the user to change the allocation of the steering wheel switch 30 and the startup allocation via a wake-up word, the standards of the dialogue system can be complied with, and the freedom of dialogue system selection can also be ensured.

[0059] Furthermore, in this embodiment, if the destination of the start command sent by the first interface 121 and / or the second interface 122 is changed through the operation of the occupant or through a dialogue with the occupant using the dialogue system, the dialogue system control unit 110 may also output the changed content to the occupant by voice.

[0060] The display control unit 130 controls the display screen of the monitor 10. Furthermore, when a touch operation is detected by the monitor, the display control unit 130 receives an operation command corresponding to the location and type of the touch operation on the display screen. The display control unit 130 causes the monitor 10 to display an operation screen for operating the dialog system, a settings screen for the dialog system, and a screen for displaying information provided from the dialog system. Additionally, the display control unit 130 outputs the operation commands received based on the touch operation of the monitor 10 to the dialog system control unit 110 and the activation unit 120.

[0061] The dialogue system control unit 110 controls the dialogue system, and the display control unit 130 controls the display screen. These controls are interconnected via an application program (software). The operational status of the dialogue system controlled by the dialogue system control unit 110 is displayed on the display 10. Furthermore, the display control unit 130 controls the display screen of the display 10 based on the dialogue conducted through the dialogue system. When an occupant engages in dialogue with the controller 100 through the dialogue system, the dialogue system control unit 110 sends control commands corresponding to the content of the dialogue to the display control unit 130, which then adjusts the display screen of the display 10 according to the control commands.

[0062] Next, refer to Figure 4This will explain the control method of the controller 100 and the display screen of the display 10. Figure 4 The display screen 10 shows the main screen of the entire system, including the dialogue service system.

[0063] When an occupant turns on the main switch of the display 10, the display control unit 130 causes the main screen to be displayed on the display 10. For example... Figure 4 As shown, the main screen is a menu screen for selecting the navigation system, music, the first dialogue system 112, and the second dialogue system 32. Each menu screen contains icons representing its content. For example, the menu image for the first dialogue system 112 includes a first icon 101, and the menu image for the second dialogue system 32 includes a second icon 102. The first icon 101 is the icon that enables a touch operation to start the first dialogue system 112, and the second icon 102 is the icon that enables a touch operation to start the second dialogue system 32. When an occupant touches the first icon 101, the activation unit 120 sends a start signal to the first dialogue system 112. When an occupant touches the second icon 102, the activation unit 120 sends a start signal to the second dialogue system 32. Thus, the first dialogue system 112 and the second dialogue system 32 can be exclusively selected via touch operation of the display 10.

[0064] Next, the display screen shown according to the action status of the first dialogue system 112 will be explained. Figures 5-8 The display screen on the monitor 10 shows the various operational states of the first dialogue system 112. When the occupant is... Figure 4 When the first icon 101 or the area around the first icon 101 is touched on the main screen shown, the display control unit 130 causes the display to... Figure 5The screen shown illustrates the operation state of the first dialogue system 112, which has four states: "initial state," "acceptable voice state," "voice detection state," and "voice processing state." The initial state is the state from when the voice recognition engine is activated based on a start signal until it becomes capable of detecting voice. In the initial state, the voice recognition unit 111 performs initialization processing, which is the processing prior to voice processing. When the initialization processing is complete, the operation state of the first dialogue system 112 changes from the initial state to the acceptable voice state. The acceptable voice state is the state where voice can be accepted, indicating that the occupant has not yet made a sound. The voice detection state is the state where voice can be accepted, indicating that the occupant has made a sound and the system is detecting that sound. In other words, in the state where voice can be detected, if no voice is input, the first dialogue system 112 is in the acceptable voice state; if voice is input, the first dialogue system 112 changes to the voice detection state. Then, when the voice detection state ends and a predetermined time has elapsed, the operation state of the first dialogue system 112 changes to the voice processing state. The voice processing state is the state where voice processing is performed by the voice recognition engine.

[0065] Figures 5-8 The display screen is presented through the main image in the services provided by the dialogue system, including an action status image that shows the action status of the dialogue system. The action status image uses images to show the occupant the status of the dialogue system, which is equivalent to text, animation, or graphic. In this embodiment, the main message 50 and / or animation 70 are equivalent to the action status image.

[0066] Figure 5 This shows the display screen shown on the monitor 10 when the first dialogue system 112 is in the "initial state" operation state. For example... Figure 5As shown, the "Initial State" display screen includes a main message 50, an example message 60, and an animation 70. The main message 50 is a message sent from the first dialogue system 112 to the occupant, serving as a prompt for the occupant to input sound. The occupant can confirm the dialogue system has been activated by confirming the main message 50. That is, the main message 50 is equivalent to an action state image indicating that the dialogue system has been activated. The example message 60 shows an example of the sound the occupant should emit to utilize the first dialogue system 112, including a command 61 and a setting value 62. The command 61 is a word representing the action or state of the service the occupant wants to receive through the dialogue system, representing the operation instruction issued by the occupant to the dialogue system. The setting value 62 is a statement representing the object of the service, expressed using nouns such as numerical values ​​and names. For example, in the message "Play AAA Radio Station" in the second line of example message 60, "Play" represents the command, and "AAA Radio Station" represents the setting value. The command "Play" indicates operation of the audio system, and "AAA Radio Station" represents the object played by the audio system (the name of the radio station). In addition, the example message 60 also serves as a function button, for example, if the occupant touches the message "Enter number" on the third line, it will switch to a screen for entering a phone number.

[0067] Animation 70 uses periodic motion to represent the state of a specified function through images. Figure 5 In this example, the defined function is equivalent to the sound detection and processing function in the dialogue system, and the state is equivalent to the action state of the dialogue system. Periodic motion is represented by the movement of waveforms. That is, to represent the four action states of the first dialogue system 112, animation 70 contains four animations 71-74. In other words, the progress of sound processing performed by the first dialogue system 112 is represented by four animations 71-74. Animation 70 distinguishes each action state through the shape, color, and size of the waves, so that the occupant watching the animation can understand it. Furthermore, the controller 100 activates animation 70 based on the occupant's voice input, thereby displaying the progress of sound processing on the display screen of the monitor 10. Figure 5 Animation 71 represents the "initial state". Animation 71 is a gray waveform with small amplitude. Animation 70 is displayed between the main message 50 and the example message 60. Furthermore, the action state image representing the action state of the dialogue system only needs to contain an image of at least one of the main message 50 and animation 70. (Further details will follow later.) Figures 6-8 The same applies to the main screen shown; the motion status image only needs to contain the image of at least one of the main message 50 and animation 70.

[0068] Figure 6 The display shown is shown on the display 10 when the first dialogue system 112 is in the "acceptable voice state" mode. For example... Figure 6As shown, the "Acceptable Voice Status" display screen includes main message 50, sample message 60, and animation 70. The display positions and images of main message 50 and sample message 60 are shown in the image. Figure 5 same. Figure 6 Animation 72 represents a "sound reception status". Animation 72 is a blue waveform, and the amplitude of animation 72 is greater than the amplitude of the wave in animation 71. If sound is detected while displaying the "sound reception status", the display screen of monitor 10 switches to [the next state]. Figure 7 The display screen remains unchanged if no sound is detected during the period when "sound is available". Figure 6 The state.

[0069] Figure 7 The image shown is displayed on the monitor 10 when the first dialogue system 112 is in "voice detection state". For example... Figure 7 As shown, the "Sound Detection Status" display screen includes main message 50, example message 60, and animation 70. The display positions and images of main message 50 and example message 60 are shown in the image. Figure 5 and Figure 6 same. Figure 7 Animation 73 represents the "sound detection status". Animation 73 is a blue waveform, and the amplitude of the wave in Animation 73 is greater than the amplitude of the wave in Animation 72. By making the amplitude of the wave in Animation 73 greater than the amplitude of the wave in Animation 72, the occupants can confirm the detection of sound by looking at the display screen.

[0070] Furthermore, the display control unit 130 can also change the amplitude of the animation 73 according to the volume of the detected sound. For example, the display control unit 130 can control the amplitude of the animation 73 according to the sound input, such that the higher the volume of the detected sound, the larger the amplitude of the animation 73. By making a sound while watching the movement of the amplitude of the animation 73, the occupant can confirm that the sound recognition system has detected the sound on the display screen. Alternatively, the animation 73 can be set to be an animation obtained by overlapping multiple waves, giving the action a sense of dynamism.

[0071] Figure 8 The image shown is displayed on the monitor 10 when the first dialogue system 112 is in "voice processing mode". For example... Figure 8 As shown, the "Sound Processing Status" display screen includes main message 50, example message 60, and animation 70. The display positions and images of main message 50 and example message 60 are shown. Figures 5-7 same. Figure 8 Animation 74 represents the "sound processing state." Animation 74 uses red, white, and green waveforms, distinguishing waves by color within a given area. For example, at a certain time, in... Figure 8Animation 74 is displayed on the drawing from left to right in red, white, and green. Furthermore, the amplitude of the wave and the colored portions change over time. The amplitude of the wave in animation 74 is smaller than that in animation 73. By seeing the wave color change from "blue" to "red, white, and green," the occupants can confirm that sound processing has begun based on the displayed image. Animation 74 can also be set as an animation obtained by overlapping multiple waves, giving the action a dynamic feel. Additionally, not limited to animation 74, animations 71 through 73 can also be set as animations obtained by overlapping multiple waves.

[0072] Furthermore, the number of colors assigned to animation 74 is three, which is more than the number of colors assigned to animations 71-73. Therefore, based on the display method of animation 70, the occupant can more clearly determine whether the operation state of the first dialogue system 112 is "sound processing state" or a state other than "sound processing state". In addition, in this embodiment, animation 70 is set to four types based on the operation state of the sound processing function, but the types of animations are not limited to four; there could be two, three, or five or more types. Furthermore, the actions displayed in the animation are not limited to waves; for example, they could be pattern changes, changes in the height of bar graphs, etc., as long as they are at least periodic.

[0073] Figure 9 This is a diagram illustrating the time progression of animation 73, which represents the "sound detection state." Animation 73 changes the shape of the wave within one cycle (2π). The wave shown in animation 73 contains characteristic points of periodic motion. These characteristic points are represented by the positions of antinodes / nodes, the positions of the wave apex, or changes in color. These characteristic points serve as identifiers for comparison with other animations 71, 72, and 74. Figure 9 In the middle, (a) shows animation 73 when the time is (0), and (b), (c) and (d) show animation 73 when the time is (π / 2, π, 3π / 2). Figure 9 The left side shows an image of the wave displayed on the screen. Figure 9 The right side conceptually illustrates the movement of feature points contained in the waveform of animation 73. For example, the changes in the shape, color, hue, coordinates, etc., of a wave can be represented by a wave (a periodic function), and the movement of feature points can be represented by a standing wave obtained by superimposing that wave. For example, the feature point at the center point (position = λ) of the wave in animation 73 becomes 0 at time (0, π, 2π…), is maximum at time (π / 2, 5π / 2, 9π / 2…), and is minimum at time (3π / 2, 7π / 2, 11π / 2…). That is, the feature point also moves with the same periodicity as the periodic movement of animation 73. Furthermore, the changes in feature points do not necessarily have to be represented by actions or colors that can be visually confirmed by the occupants; they can also be represented by points calculated computationally.

[0074] Figure 10 This is a graph used to illustrate the correlation between still images of animations 71-74 at a specific point in time within the cycle and feature points within each of animations 71-74. Figure 10 In the diagram, (a) represents a still image of animation 71, and (b) to (d) represent still images of animations 72 to 74. (e) is a diagram of the feature points in animations 71 to 74. In animations 71 to 74, even at the same moment within the period, the shape and color of the wave differ depending on the animation. Animations 71 to 74 share the same period. For example, the waveform of animation 71 at time (π / 2) has a different color and shape than the waveform of animation 72. On the other hand, as long as they are at the same moment within the period, the feature points of the periodic motion in animations 71 to 74 are represented by the same waveform.

[0075] Next, use Figure 11 This will explain the image structure used to display animations 71-74 and the screen transition of the display 10. Figure 11 This is a concept diagram used to illustrate the image structure used to display animations 71-74, as well as the still images played before and after the scene transitions. Figure 11 In this context, the first display screen and the second display screen are display screens displayed corresponding to the various action states of the first dialogue system 112. The first display screen represents the screen before the transition, and the second display screen represents the screen after the transition. For example, when the action state of the first dialogue system 112 switches from "initial state" to "acceptable voice state" and the display screen of the display 10 transitions, the first display screen is equivalent to the display screen of the "initial state", and the second display screen is equivalent to the display screen of the "acceptable voice state".

[0076] Animations 71-74 are displayed by playing multiple still images in succession. The images used to display animations 71-74 consist of 60 still images, each assigned an index from 0 to 59. The number of still images is the same in each of animations 71-74. The index is an identifier for the still image and indicates the playback order. Regarding the index, it is assigned to the still images in a way that corresponds to feature points of periodic motion between the images included in animations 71-74. For example, in... Figure 10 In the example, the still images in animations 71-74 represent images at the same moment in the cycle, and therefore are assigned the same index. In other words, when comparing still images between animations 71-74, the still images corresponding to the feature points are assigned the same index.

[0077] When displaying animations 71-74, the display control unit 130 sends images to the display 10 at a playback rate of 30 still images per second. That is, the time slot (display interval) for each still image is 20 ms. The display control unit 130 begins playing the still images in the order they are assigned to an index. Thus, in this embodiment, since animations 71-74 are displayed by playing multiple still images, the processing load on the CPU can be reduced. Furthermore, when performing a screen transition from the first display screen to the second display screen, the display control unit 130 displays the image before the transition, which is the still image immediately preceding the transition, and selects a second index corresponding to the first index assigned to the image before the transition. Then, the display control unit 130 begins playing the second still image starting from the selected second index.

[0078] exist Figure 11 In this example, the display control unit 130 starts image playback from a still image assigned index "#0" to display the "initial state" of the first dialogue system 112 using animation 71. Then, assuming that the operation state of the first dialogue system 112 transitions from the "initial state" to the "audio-acceptable state" while displaying a still image assigned index "#9", the display control unit 130 selects a still image from 60 still images used to display animation 72 that is assigned the same index "#9" as the still image assigned to the previous still image. The display control unit 130 causes the display 10 to display the previous still image until the time slot of the previous still image has passed. At the point when the time slot of the previous still image has passed, image playback for displaying animation 72 begins from the selected index "#9". In other words, when performing screen transition, the display control unit 130 selects an index in a manner that maintains continuity between the periodic motion feature points displayed in animation 71 and the periodic motion feature points displayed in animation 72, and starts playing still images from the selected index.

[0079] Furthermore, if the operation state of the first dialogue system 112 changes, causing the display screen of the monitor 10 to shift, and if a still image is played starting from the first index "#0" at the moment of screen shift, the display would appear as if the wave motion is interrupted midway, resulting in the animation appearing discontinuous. In other words, in Figure 11 In the example, if the playback order is reset without making the index continuous when transitioning from the first display screen to the second display screen, the feature points between the still image before the transition and the still image after the transition will not correspond, so the animation becomes an unnatural presentation.

[0080] In this embodiment, indices are assigned in a manner corresponding to feature points of periodic motion between images included in each animation 71-74. During screen transitions, still images are continuously played using these indices. Therefore, even if the animation presentation method changes, the continuity of the animation display can be maintained, allowing for a natural presentation of the animation before and after the screen transition. Furthermore, in this embodiment, during screen transitions, the display 10 maintains a state where a still image from before the transition is displayed, and switches to a second display screen at the point in time after the time slot of the previous still image has elapsed. This also maintains the continuity of the animation.

[0081] Next, the display screen is shown after the voice recognition processing performed by the first dialogue system 112 has been completed normally. Figure 12 This refers to the display screen 10 shows after the first dialogue system 112 recognizes a sound related to the POI. For example, it is set that the display screen 10 displays the following after the first dialogue system 112 is started: Figure 6 While the display screen is active, the passenger utters the phrase "coffee shop" as a sound related to the Point of Interest (POI). The voice recognition unit 111 detects the sound "coffee shop" and performs voice recognition processing. When the voice recognition processing is successfully completed, the dialogue system control unit 110, based on the voice input of the POI-related words, determines that the passenger is searching for a "coffee shop" near the current location and outputs a control command to the display control unit 130, causing the display 10 to show a guide image 80 related to the POI and a map 90 of the surrounding area. Figure 12 As shown, the guidance image 80 contains a string 81 representing the result of voice recognition and POI information 82. String 81 is the string of voice recognized by the first dialogue system 112. Figure 12 In the example, "coffee shop" is displayed. This allows passengers to confirm what kind of sound the system has identified. POI information 82 displays the names of nearby POIs, their distances, and other POI-related information.

[0082] When the string 81 is displayed Figure 12 When the state of the displayed screen has elapsed for a specified time, the displayed screen of monitor 10 will switch to... Figure 13The screen displays the message. When the first dialogue system 112 finishes the voice recognition processing based on the sound "coffeeshop", it returns to a state where it can accept voice messages. On the display screen 10, an animation 72 indicating "acceptable voice message" is displayed in the position where the string 81 was originally displayed. In other words, by seeing the animation 72 displayed in the position where the string 81 was originally displayed, the occupant can confirm that the next sound "coffee shop" can be emitted.

[0083] When passengers, for example, from Figure 13 When the status of the displayed screen reads aloud the store name, etc., contained in the POI information 82, the first dialogue system 112 detects the occupant's voice. For example... Figure 14 As shown, on the display screen of monitor 10, as sound detection occurs, animation 70 changes to animation 73, representing the "sound detection state". Then, when sound detection ends and the system switches to sound processing state, as shown... Figure 15 As shown, the display of animation 70 changes to animation 74, which shows the "sound processing status". Thus, the occupant can view the guidance information and map information of the POI while checking the processing status of the first dialogue system through the display on the monitor 10.

[0084] From Figure 14 If the displayed screen does not properly complete sound processing, the first dialogue system 112 outputs a control signal indicating sound recognition failure to the display control unit 130. The display control unit 130 then... Figure 14 The animation 71, with a gray waveform, is displayed at position 73 on the screen. Thus, the occupants can confirm the voice recognition failure through the display on the monitor 10. Furthermore, in the event of voice recognition failure, to encourage the occupants to speak, a message such as "Please enter your voice again" can be output.

[0085] As described above, in this embodiment, the display control unit 130 switches the display screen according to the state of the first dialogue system 112. That is, the display control unit 130 causes... Figures 5-8 The screen shown contains an image displaying the main message 50 and an example message (equivalent to the "first information display image" of the present invention) and is similar to... Figures 12-15 The screen shown, containing images displaying information related to the POI and map information (equivalent to the "second information display image" of the present invention), is switched on the display 10. Furthermore, the main message 50 and the example message correspond to the "first information" of the present invention, while the information related to the POI and map information correspond to the "second information" of the present invention. Each display screen contains an image of animation 70. Moreover, if the previous screen (equivalent to...) is switched... Figures 5-8 The displayed screen shown is the same as the screen after migration (equivalent to...). Figures 12-15 By comparing the displayed images, the position and size of the animation 70 in the image before migration are different from those in the image after migration. Therefore, it is possible to simultaneously realize the presentation of information using the first dialogue system 112 and the display of the action state of the first dialogue system 112.

[0086] Next, the transition of the display screen on the monitor 10 when sound processing is not properly completed from the "acceptable sound state" of the first dialogue system 112 will be explained. The situation where sound processing is not properly completed refers to a situation where a predetermined time has elapsed in the "acceptable sound state". For example, when the display screen on the monitor 10 changes to... Figure 6 If the occupant does not speak after the video feed, the voice recognition unit 111 cannot detect any sound. If this state continues for a predetermined time, the voice recognition unit 111 determines that the voice processing has not been completed properly. Furthermore, cases of improper voice processing also include situations where voice processing malfunctions. The voice recognition unit 111 performs voice recognition processing on the detected sound. Then, if the voice recognition unit 111 cannot parse the input sound, or if there is no command 61 matching the parsed sound, it determines that the voice processing is malfunctioning. Such malfunction determinations also fall under the category of improper voice processing.

[0087] As described above, when the first dialogue system 112 is in a "voice-acceptable state", the display 10 shows the following: Figure 6 The main screen shown. Furthermore, if it is determined that sound processing has not been completed correctly, the display screen of monitor 10 changes to... Figure 16 The image shown. Figure 16 The display screen of the monitor 10 shows the situation where sound processing is not completed normally from the "acceptable sound state".

[0088] If sound processing is not completed properly, the display control unit 130 causes the display to... Figure 16The category screen shown contains category images obtained by grouping commands 61. The category image is an image that represents the group name using text and icons based on grouping multiple commands. The category image contains the category name 201 and the category icon 202. For example, as an example of commands, multiple commands related to telephones, such as "make a call (call and / or dial)," "dial," and "telephone," are grouped into one category, "telephone." Additionally, the category icon 202 is displayed next to the category name 201. The grouping of commands 61 is not limited to telephone; it also includes navigation, audio, etc., and the name and icon of the grouped category are included in the category screen. Furthermore, the image containing the category name 201 and the icon 202 indicate the area where touch operation is enabled. That is, the image containing the category name 201 and the icon 202 also function as buttons for passengers to select categories. For example, if a passenger touches the image containing the category name 201 or the category icon "telephone," the display control unit 130 switches the display screen from the category screen to the list screen described later. In addition, the category images displayed on the main screen only need to include an image of at least one of the names 201 and the icon 202.

[0089] In addition to the category name 201 and icon 202, the category screen also includes a main message 50 and an animation 70. Animation 70 is an animation 72 that shows the "sound detection status". The sound recognition processing performed by the sound recognition unit 111 also functions effectively when the category screen is displayed, and the occupant can confirm the operation status of the first dialogue system 112 as "acceptable sound status" based on the display of animation 72.

[0090] Even if the occupants are unfamiliar with the audio used to operate the primary dialogue system, they can proceed with the dialogue system based on the display of category names 201 and icons 202. Furthermore, even if the audio cannot be processed properly due to noise, the occupants can operate the dialogue system by displaying category images (icons) that also function as buttons. Additionally, category images with button functions are displayed as frequently used images, thus improving convenience. Moreover, since the category screen includes main message 50 and animation 72, the occupants can confirm whether the system can be advanced through dialogue with the controller 100 based on the screen display.

[0091] Furthermore, the occupant's selection of categories and / or lists can be made either through voice input or through other switching operations. That is, when the category screen is displayed on the display 10, the controller 100 determines whether a category selection is available based on any one of the occupant's voice, the occupant's touch operation on the display 10, or the occupant's switching operation.

[0092] When the occupant selects a category in the category screen, the display control unit 130 causes the display 10 to display, as shown in the image. Figure 17 The list screen shown. Figure 17 The list screen displayed on monitor 10 is shown.

[0093] The list screen is an image containing grouped commands, including a list 300 with multiple commands. List 300 has multiple structure sentences 310, each structure sentence 310 containing at least one command 61, and in addition to the command, example text 311. The list screen does not include animation 70. Structure sentences 310 display the combination of command 61 and setting value 62 as text. Example text 311 displays any text following the setting value 62, showing information assigned to either the string or numeric column of the structure sentence 310. For example, the topmost structure sentence in the list consists of the command "Call" and the example text "<Name>". "<Name>" indicates that a person's name, shop name, or other setting value 62 is entered after the command. When a passenger touches the display of a structure sentence 310 in the list, an example of the setting value 62 entered at the example text 311 is displayed on the right side of the list 300. Furthermore, when a passenger touches the display of a structure sentence 310 in the list by double-tapping, etc., an example of the setting value 62 is displayed. Figure 18 The example text at position 311 shows the list of settings entered. For example, in... Figure 17 When the topmost structure phrase "Call <Name>" is selected in the display screen, the following will be displayed: Figure 18 The information shown is assigned to either the string or number column in structure sentence 310. The occupants can access this information via... Figure 18 Touch the displayed number in the list screen to select command 61 and the example assigned to structure sentence 310. Figure 18 In the example, if the topmost structure "Call <Name>" is selected in the list, the controller 100 can either call the touched number in the list or display a notification on the display 10 indicating that a call is being made.

[0094] Next, an example of the model flow of dialogue in a dialogue system will be given. Figure 19 , Figure 20 , Figures 22-25 This indicates the response message from the controller 100 in response to the sounds emitted by the occupants. Figure 19 , Figure 20 , Figures 22-25 In the text, "Customer" shows examples of messages sent by passengers, and "IVI" shows examples of messages generated by the dialogue system. Furthermore, Figure 19 , Figure 20 , Figures 22-25 This is just one example; dialogue systems also perform dialogues under other model processes.

[0095] Figure 19 is an exemplary flow of a dialogue related to temperature setting of an air conditioner 41. For example, when an occupant says "Hey XX (original text: ヘイ○○)", the controller 100 outputs a Japanese message "Please select whether to input the command by voice (original Japanese message: コマンドを音声入力するか選択して下さい)" via a mechanical voice. Figure 19 the exemplary flow is: for example, by displaying on the display 10 Figure 6 in the state of the display screen of Figure 19 the message shown in the "Customer" column, the dialogue system operates to change the set temperature of the air conditioner 41.

[0096] Figure 20 is an exemplary flow of a dialogue related to POI search. For example, when the occupant speaks a wake word and the voice is processed normally, the controller 100 replies with the message "Please select whether to input the command by voice (original text: コマンドを音声入力するか選択して下さい)". Then, the occupant utters the message "I want to go to a coffee shop near the destination (original text: 目的地近くのカフェへ行きたい)" that includes words capable of determining the POI such as the type of the store. After recognizing the message, the controller 100 performs search using a navigation system and replies with the message "Please input the item number by voice from the displayed list or select another tab (original text: 表示されたリストから項目番号を音声入力するか、別のタブを選択してください)". At this time, the display 10 displays Figure 21 the display screen shown in . The controller 100 causes the display 10 to display a guidance image 80 related to the POI. The controller 100 may also display a map together. The guidance image 80 includes an animation 72 representing a "voice-enabled state" and POI information 82 obtained according to a search result. An item number is assigned to each POI information. The occupant can select a POI by speaking the item number. In the Figure 21 example, the occupant selects the POI "AAA" by speaking "1 (original text: イチ)". After repeating the voice "1 (original text: イチ)" uttered by the occupant, the controller 100 replies with a selection message such as "Do you want to change the destination (original text: 目的地を変更しますか)".

[0097] Figure 22 is an exemplary flow of a dialogue related to destination setting. Figure 23 is an exemplary flow of a dialogue related to voice playback. Figure 24 is an exemplary flow of a dialogue related to sending of SMS (Short Message Service). Figure 25 is an exemplary flow of a dialogue related to sending and receiving of SMS (Short Message Service).

[0098] As described above, in this embodiment, the controller 100 causes the display 10 to display a first display screen containing a first animation and a second display screen containing a second animation. The first and second animations are animations that represent a state in a predetermined function through periodic movement. The first and second animations are displayed by continuously playing multiple first still images and multiple second still images, respectively. The multiple first still images and multiple second still images are each assigned a first index and a second index, which are assigned to the multiple first still images and multiple second still images in a manner that corresponds to feature points of periodic movement between the multiple first still images and the multiple second still images. Furthermore, when performing a screen transition from the first display screen to the second display screen, the controller 100 displays a pre-transition image that is immediately adjacent to the first still image before the screen transition, selects a second index corresponding to the first index assigned to the pre-transition image, and plays the second still image starting from the selected second index. This reduces the difference between the rendering of the animation before and after the screen transition, making the animation before and after the screen transition a natural presentation. As a result, the CPU load caused by rendering can be reduced. Furthermore, the first animation is equivalent to the animation 70 contained in the display screen before the screen migration (first display screen), the second animation is equivalent to the animation 70 contained in the display screen after the screen migration (second display screen), the first still image is equivalent to the image used to play the first animation, and the second still image is equivalent to the image used to play the second animation.

[0099] Furthermore, in this embodiment, in the display control method executed by the controller 100, in order to display the first animation on the first display screen, multiple first still images are played in order of a first index; and in order to display the second animation on the second display screen, multiple second still images are played consecutively in order of a second index. Moreover, when performing a screen transition from the first display screen to the second display screen, the controller displays an image immediately preceding the first still image before the transition, selects a second index corresponding to the first index assigned to the image before the transition, and plays the second still image starting from the selected second index. This reduces the difference between the rendering of the animation before and after the screen transition, resulting in a more natural presentation of the animation before and after the transition. As a result, the CPU load caused by rendering is reduced.

[0100] Furthermore, in this embodiment, if no sound input is detected, the display 10 shows an image for suggesting operations to the occupant. That is, if sound processing is not completed normally due to the lack of sound input, an image is displayed... Figure 16The category screen shown displays an image containing the category name 201 and an icon 202 as images for suggested operations. Thus, even without knowing the voice commands for operating the primary dialogue system, the occupant can proceed with the dialogue.

[0101] Furthermore, in a variation of this embodiment, the controller 100 may select the second index such that the difference in position or shape of the animation 70 before and after the screen transition is less than a predetermined value. This allows for the suppression of deviations between the animations before and after the screen transition.

[0102] Furthermore, in a variation of this embodiment, when the first display screen represents the state of sound detection and the second display screen represents the state of sound recognition, the controller 100 may select a second index that does not correspond to the first index assigned to the image before the transition when performing a screen transition. Alternatively, when the change in the state of sound processing is represented by discontinuous animation, a second index that does not correspond to the first index may be selected before and after the screen transition, and still images may be played starting from the selected second index.

[0103] Alternatively, in this embodiment, the controller 100 may display the animation 70 as a message image superimposed on the main message 50, example message 60, etc.

[0104] Furthermore, in this embodiment, if the volume of the sound is above a predetermined value, the controller 100 may not detect the input sound, and the amplitude of the waveform animation 70 may be greater than the amplitude of the waveform animation when sound is detected. Thus, it is possible to confirm from the animation that sound cannot be detected due to the volume of the sound.

[0105] In addition, in this embodiment, the controller 100 may control the display screen of the display 10 so that the position of the nodes of the waveform moves on the display screen according to the passage of time.

[0106] Furthermore, the embodiments described above are provided to facilitate understanding of the present invention and are not intended to limit the invention. Therefore, the elements disclosed in the above embodiments are intended to include all design modifications and equivalents that fall within the scope of the present invention.

[0107] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures

[0108] 1: Vehicle; 2: Server; 20: Communication unit; 30: Steering wheel switch; 32: Second dialogue system; 70: Animation; 100: Controller; 110: Dialogue system control unit; 111: Voice recognition unit; 112: First dialogue system; 120: Start unit; 121: First interface; 122: Second interface; 130: Display control unit.

Claims

1. A display control device for controlling the display screen of a monitor. The display control device includes a controller that causes the display to show a first display screen containing a first animation and a second display screen containing a second animation. The first animation and the second animation are animations that represent the state of a specified function through periodic movement. They are displayed by continuously playing multiple first still images and multiple second still images. When playing the first animation, the first still images are displayed in the order of the first index; when playing the second animation, the second still images are displayed in the order of the second index. The plurality of first still images and the plurality of second still images are respectively assigned a first index and a second index, the first index and the second index being assigned to the plurality of first still images and the plurality of second still images in a manner that corresponds to feature points of the periodic motion between the plurality of first still images and the plurality of second still images. In the case of performing a screen migration from the first display screen to the second display screen, The controller causes the display to show the image before the transition, which is the first still image immediately preceding the screen transition. The controller selects the second index corresponding to the first index assigned to the image before migration. The controller plays the second still image starting from the selected second index.

2. The display control device according to claim 1, wherein, The first display screen contains a first information display image displaying the first information at a location other than the display position of the first animation. The second display screen contains a second information display image at a location other than the display position of the second animation, which displays the second information. The display positions of the first animation and the second animation are at the same location on the display screen. The first information and the second information are different information.

3. The display control device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The controller has a voice recognition unit that can recognize the user's voice. The controller activates either the first animation or the second animation based on the user's voice input.

4. The display control device according to claim 3, wherein, If no sound input is detected, the controller causes the display to show an image for the user's suggested actions.

5. The display control device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein, The controller causes the second animation to be displayed at a different position than the first animation contained in the pre-migration image, or causes the second animation to be displayed at a different size than the first animation contained in the pre-migration image.

6. The display control device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein, The controller selects the second index in such a way that the difference in position or shape of the animation before and after the screen transition is less than a predetermined value.

7. The display control device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein, When performing a screen transition, the controller selects the second index in a manner that keeps the feature points of periodic motion shown in the first animation and the feature points of periodic motion shown in the second animation continuous.

8. The display control device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The first animation and the second animation are waveform animations.

9. The display control device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The first animation and the second animation are animations of waveforms with the same cycle.

10. The display control device according to claim 8 or 9, wherein, The controller has a voice recognition unit that can recognize the user's voice. The controller controls the amplitude of the waveform animation based on the user's voice input.

11. The display control device according to claim 10, wherein, When the volume of the sound is above a predetermined value, the controller does not detect the input sound, and makes the amplitude of the waveform animation greater than the amplitude of the waveform animation when the sound is detected.

12. The display control device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The controller has a voice recognition unit that can recognize the user's voice. When the first display screen represents the state of sound detection and the second display screen represents the state of sound recognition, the controller selects the second index that does not correspond to the first index assigned to the image before the migration when performing the screen migration.

13. The display control device according to claim 8 or 9, wherein, The controller has a voice recognition unit that can recognize the user's voice. The first display screen shows the status of the audio input. The second display screen shows the status of sound recognition. The second animation is assigned more colors than the first animation.

14. The display control device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The animation of either the first animation or the second animation is an animation obtained by superimposing multiple waveforms. The positions of the nodes of the waveform move on the display screen as time passes.

15. The display control device according to claim 8 or 9, wherein, The first display screen and the second display screen each contain a message image and function buttons for the user. The waveform animation is displayed between the message image and the function button.

16. The display control device according to claim 8 or 9, wherein, The first display screen and the second display screen each contain a message image for the user. The waveform animation is displayed as an overlay on the message image.

17. A display control method for controlling the display screen of a monitor, the display control method comprising the following steps: In order to display a first animation on a first display screen representing a state of a predetermined function through periodic motion, the plurality of first still images are played in order according to a first index assigned in such a way that the feature points of the periodic motion correspond between the plurality of first still images and the plurality of second still images. Perform a screen migration from the first display screen to the second display screen. In order to display a second animation on the second display screen representing the state of the prescribed function through periodic motion, the plurality of second still images are played sequentially according to a second index assigned in such a way that the feature points of the periodic motion correspond between the plurality of first still images and the plurality of second still images. When performing the aforementioned screen transition... Displaying the image before the migration, which is the first still image immediately preceding the migration. Select the second index corresponding to the first index assigned to the image before migration. Play the second still image starting from the selected second index.

Images