Information processing apparatus, information processing method, information processing program, and recording medium

Abstract

To provide an information processing apparatus which, when information to be updated at any time is presented to a user, assists the user in understanding contents of the information to improve convenience by controlling update of the information according to situations of the user.SOLUTION: On the basis of whether or not information being outputted to output means is an object of an operation of a user, the information being outputted to the output means is updated to information acquired after the information.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of information processing devices and the like that perform update control of information output by an output unit. [Background technology]

[0002] With the spread of mobile computing, users can access a wide variety of information output by terminal devices, including constantly updated information such as weather information, currency exchange information, stock price information, transportation information, information posted to social networking services (SNS), and point of interest (POI) information displayed on maps on navigation devices.

[0003] Furthermore, Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for distributing information that better reflects the user's preferences, taking into consideration the user's tastes and the situation at the time. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-272616 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In the terminal device that presents information to the user described above and the technology described in Patent Document 1, it is common to present information that is updated from time to time to the user, but there have been cases where the information has been updated before the user has understood the content of the information. Specifically, if the information being output is updated to different information while the user is trying to understand the content of the information posted to the SNS that is output by the terminal device, the user will not fully understand the content of the information before the update, which will result in a problem of reduced convenience.

[0006] In view of these circumstances, the present invention aims to provide an information processing device or the like that, when presenting information that is updated at any time to a user, can help the user understand the content of the information and improve convenience by controlling the updating of the information according to the user's situation. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The invention described in claim 1 is characterized by comprising a detection means for detecting an action being performed by a user with respect to information that is output to an output means in an updatable manner, and an update means for suppressing the update of the information based on the action being performed by the user detected by the detection means.

[0008] The invention described in claim 6 is an information processing method by an information processing device, characterized in that it includes a detection step of detecting an action being used by a user for information that is output to an output means in an updatable manner, and an update step of suppressing updating of the information based on the action being used by the user detected by the detection step.

[0009] The invention described in claim 7 is characterized in that the computer functions as a detection means for detecting the actions taken by a user with respect to information that is output to an output means in an updatable manner, and an update means for suppressing the update of the information based on the actions taken by the user detected by the detection means.

[0010] The invention described in claim 8 is a computer-readable recording medium having recorded thereon an information processing program that causes a computer to function as a detection means that detects actions taken by a user on information that is output to an output means in an updatable manner, and an update means that suppresses updating of the information based on the actions taken by the user detected by the detection means. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an information processing device 1. [Figure 2]FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a screen on a display 214c of the navigation device NV. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a navigation device NV. [Figure 4] 4 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the navigation device NV. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

[0013] As shown in FIG. 1, the information processing device 1 includes a detection unit 111A and an update unit 111B.

[0014] The detection means 111A detects actions taken by the user with respect to the information that is updatable output to the output means 2. The information that is updatable output to the output means includes weather information, currency exchange information, stock price information, transportation operation information, information posted to SNS, etc. The actions taken by the user include the movement of the user's line of sight and the user's operation on the information that is being output by the output means 2.

[0015] The update means 111B suppresses updating of information based on the action being taken by the user detected by the detection means 111A.

[0016] Therefore, according to the information processing device 1, when presenting information that is updated at any time to a user, the information update can be suppressed depending on the user's situation, thereby helping the user to understand the content of the information and improving convenience.

[0017] Furthermore, the information can be distinguished into first type information that suspends updating of the information depending on the action being taken by the user, and second type information that updates the information regardless of the action being taken by the user, and when the update means 111B identifies the information as the first type information, it suspends updating of the information depending on the action being taken by the user, and when the information is identified as the second type information, it updates the information regardless of the action being taken by the user.

[0018] In this case, if the information is first type information, the update is postponed or controlled depending on whether or not the information is the target of the action being performed by the user, thereby preventing the information from being updated even though it is the target of the action being performed by the user. On the other hand, if the information is second type information, the information is updated regardless of whether or not the information is the target of the action being performed by the user, so the information to be updated (information that needs to be updated from time to time (for example, information indicating the current time, speed information of a moving body such as an automobile, etc.)) is updated regardless of whether or not the information is the target of the action being performed by the user, thereby not impairing user convenience.

[0019] Furthermore, the update means 111B recognizes the output position of the information to be output, and if the action detected by the detection means 111A is an action for the information to be output at that output position, the update of the information is postponed. In this case, if the user's action is an action for the information to be output at the recognized output position, the update of the information is postponed as the user's action is for the information, thereby helping the user to understand the content of the information and improving convenience.

[0020] Furthermore, the detection means 111A detects the movement of the user's gaze or the user's operation on the information as the operation. In this case, when presenting information that is updated from time to time to the user, by controlling the update depending on whether the user is directing their gaze at the information or performing an operation on the information, it is possible to help the user understand the content of the information and improve convenience.

[0021] Furthermore, the update means 111B refers to the operation history storage means 3 that stores the history of operations detected by the detection means 111A, and suspends updating of information that is not currently the subject of an operation but was the subject of an operation up until a predetermined time ago. The predetermined time can be set arbitrarily. The setting may be made by a manufacturer that produces and sells the information processing device 1, or by the user. The operation history storage means 3 may be provided externally or internally to the information processing device 1.

[0022] In this case, for example, if a user had been viewing information (had intended to perform an action) until a predetermined time ago, but was unable to view the information for various reasons, when the user turns his / her gaze toward the output means 2 to view the information again, the information update will have been suspended, allowing the user to view the same information as before the predetermined time. It is also possible to suspend the information update only if the user had intended to perform an action for a predetermined time (s hours, whether continuous or non-continuous) or more up until the predetermined time (t hours). In other words, it is also possible to update the information if the information had been intended to perform an action up until t hours ago but that time is less than s hours. This allows the update to be suspended only for information that was intended to be the object of a thorough action (information that was thoroughly viewed), while information that was not intended to be the object of a thorough action (information that was glanced at, etc.) is updated, thereby improving user convenience. [Example]

[0023] Next, a specific example corresponding to the above-described embodiment will be described.

[0024] The following embodiments will be described with reference to Figures 2 to 4. The embodiments described below are examples in which the present invention is applied to a navigation device NV mounted on a vehicle.

[0025] [1. Overview of the navigation device NV] First, an outline of the information update function that is characteristic of the navigation device NV in this embodiment will be described. The information update function is a function that controls updating when information that is updated over time is displayed on the display.

[0026] The navigation device NV acquires time information, currency exchange information, and SNS posted information, which are information that is updated over time. The timing of acquiring each piece of information may be periodically, or may be each time the information is updated. The SNS posted information is, for example, information indicating posted articles that include keywords set by the user. That is, when the keyword "Hokkaido" is set, the navigation device NV acquires information indicating posted articles related to Hokkaido.

[0027] Next, the navigation device NV displays the acquired information in separate areas, as shown in FIG. 2. Specifically, the navigation device NV displays time information in the time display area 401 of the screen 400, displays currency exchange information in the currency exchange display area 402, and displays SNS posted information in the posted information display area 403. At this time, if the SNS posted information is the target of the user's action, that is, if the user's gaze is directed at the SNS posted information, or if the user is performing an operation (e.g., a scrolling operation) on the posted information display area 403 in which the SNS posted information is displayed, the navigation device NV does not update the SNS posted information displayed in the posted information display area 403 with the new SNS posted information, even if the new SNS posted information is acquired. On the other hand, with regard to time information, regardless of whether the time information is the target of the user's action, when the navigation device NV acquires new time information, it updates the time information displayed in the time display area 401, etc. with the new time information (the same applies to currency exchange information and the currency exchange display area 402). That is, the navigation device NV displays the latest time information.

[0028] [2. Configuration of the navigation device NV] Next, the configuration of the navigation device NV according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 3. As shown in Fig. 3, the navigation device NV includes a control unit 211, a storage device 212 such as an HDD, an input device 213, a display unit 214, a bus line 215, an input / output interface unit 220, a vehicle speed sensor 221, an angular velocity sensor 222, an acceleration sensor 223, a steering angle sensor 224, a GPS receiving unit 225, a data transmitting / receiving unit 226, a line-of-sight detection camera 227, and an exterior camera 228.

[0029] The vehicle speed sensor 221 detects the current speed of the vehicle using a speed detection process using, for example, a vehicle speed pulse acquired from the vehicle equipped with the navigation device NV, and outputs speed data. The angular velocity sensor 222 detects, for example, the angular velocity of the vehicle, which is a change in direction, and outputs angular velocity data and relative direction data per unit time. The acceleration sensor 223 detects, for example, the acceleration of the vehicle in the longitudinal direction, and outputs acceleration data per unit time. The steering angle sensor 224 detects the steering angle of the vehicle and outputs steering angle data. The GPS receiver 225 receives navigation radio waves from GPS satellites and outputs GPS positioning data, such as latitude, longitude, and altitude data, absolute direction data of the vehicle's traveling direction, and GPS speed data. The data transmitter / receiver 226 performs processing related to data transmission and reception with a server device via a network. The gaze detection camera 227 is installed inside the vehicle equipped with the navigation device NV and is a camera for detecting the gaze of users (driver and passengers) and outputs captured images to the control unit 211. The exterior camera 228 is provided outside the vehicle in which the navigation device NV is mounted, and is a camera for detecting the surrounding environment of the vehicle, and outputs the captured images to the control unit 211.

[0030] The storage device 212 stores various programs such as an operating system and application programs. Note that the various programs may be acquired, for example, from a server device or the like via a network, or may be read and executed from a recording medium such as a CD, DVD, or USB memory.

[0031] The storage device 212 also stores map image data for displaying a map on the display unit 214, map information used when searching for a route, road link information, etc. The storage device 212 also stores information indicating so-called near-miss points such as intersections, railroad crossings, and expressway merging points where accidents are likely to occur. The storage device 212 also stores operation history information indicating the operation history of the user on the navigation device NV, or gaze movement history information indicating the gaze movement history of the user. The information stored in the storage device 212 may be stored in a server device external to the navigation device NV and received and used as appropriate.

[0032] The input device 213 is composed of a touch sensor, a touch panel, a keyboard, a mouse, a pressure detection sensor, a jog dial, other controllers, etc., and accepts input operations from the user and transmits operation signals indicating the operation content to the control unit 211.

[0033] The display unit 214 displays various display data under the control of the control unit 211. The display unit 214 is configured to include a graphics controller 214a, a buffer memory 214b consisting of a memory such as a VRAM (Video RAM), and a display 214c consisting of a liquid crystal display or the like. In this configuration, the graphics controller 214a controls the entire display unit 214 based on control data sent from the control unit 211 via a bus line 215. The buffer memory 214b also temporarily stores image information that can be displayed immediately. Images are then displayed on the display 214c based on the image data output from the graphics controller 214a.

[0034] The control unit 211 is made up of a CPU 211a that controls the entire control unit 211, a ROM 211b in which control programs and the like that control the control unit 211 are stored in advance, and a RAM 211c that temporarily stores various data. The control unit 211 is connected to a vehicle speed sensor 221, an angular velocity sensor 222, an acceleration sensor 223, a steering angle sensor 224, and a GPS receiving unit 225 via a bus line 215 and an input / output interface unit 220, and controls the entire navigation device and the operations of various components such as a display unit 214 based on speed data, angular velocity data, relative direction data, steering angle data, GPS positioning data, absolute direction data of the vehicle's traveling direction, acceleration data, and the like output from each of these sensors.

[0035] The control unit 211 acquires time information from the system clock, and acquires currency exchange information and SNS post information from a server device (not shown). The currency exchange information acquired is information indicating the exchange rate between currencies set by the user, and the SNS post information acquired is information indicating posted articles that include keywords set by the user. The control unit 211 acquires the time information and currency exchange rates at predetermined intervals, and acquires the SNS post information each time a new posted article is uploaded to the server device.

[0036] The control unit 211 identifies the configuration of the screen currently displayed on the display 214c. For example, the control unit 211 identifies the position and display content of the portion of the screen to be updated (e.g., the time display area 401, the currency exchange display area 402, and the posted information display area 403 in FIG. 2), the position of the portion of the screen that the user can operate, etc. The control unit 211 also identifies which acquired information is information for updating the information displayed in which portion of the screen to be updated. Meanwhile, the control unit 211 identifies the direction of the gaze of the users (driver and passengers) based on the captured image output by the gaze detection camera 227. Specifically, the control unit 211 identifies which user is directing their gaze to which area of ​​the time display area 401, the currency exchange display area 402, or the posted information display area 403 on the screen displayed on the display 214c. The control unit 211 also identifies the surrounding environment, such as the weather and road conditions outside the vehicle, based on the captured image output by the exterior camera 228.

[0037] The control unit 211 determines whether to update the display contents of the time display area 401, the exchange rate display area 402, and the posted information display area 403 based on the acquired time information, currency exchange information, and SNS posted information. For example, it can determine whether to update the part to be updated based on the acquired information (sometimes referred to as the "updated part") based on at least one of the following rules (1) to (5). However, when the acquired information is information for which it is preferable to display the latest information, such as time information, it is preferable to always update based on the acquired information. (1) If the acquired information is information for updating the update portion to which the user's gaze is directed, the update using the acquired information will be suspended. (2) If the acquired information is information for updating the update portion that is the target of the user's operation, the update using the acquired information will be suspended. (3) If the current location is a near-miss point, the update with the acquired information is suspended. (4) If the current surrounding environment is highly dangerous, i.e., if there is heavy rain, if the road you are currently traveling on is congested, or if the road you are currently traveling on is extremely narrow, the update with the acquired information will be suspended. (5) If the acquired information is for updating the update portion on which the user has operated (directed their gaze) within an arbitrarily set time, the update using the acquired information will be suspended.

[0038] [3. Example of operation of navigation device NV] Next, an example of the operation of the navigation device NV will be described using the flowchart in Fig. 4. It is assumed that calibration of gaze detection by the gaze detection camera 227 has been completed. It is also assumed that the control unit 211 detects the gaze of the user, stores the gaze movement history in the storage device 212, and stores the operation history in the storage device 212 when the user performs an operation.

[0039] First, the control unit 211 acquires information (time information, currency exchange information, or SNS posted information) (step S11). Next, the control unit 211 identifies an update portion (the time display area 401, currency exchange display area 402, or posted information display area 403) to be updated using the information acquired in the processing of step S11 (step S12). For example, if the acquired information is time information, the control unit 211 identifies the time display area 401 as the update portion, and if the acquired information is SNS posted information, the control unit 211 identifies the posted information display area 403 as the update portion.

[0040] Next, the control unit 211 determines whether the information acquired in the processing of step S11 is information for which updating does not need to be suspended (step S13). Note that in this embodiment, for convenience of explanation, it is assumed that the time information is information for which updating does not need to be suspended, while it is assumed that the currency exchange information and the SNS posting information are information for which updating does not need to be suspended (i.e., information for which updating needs to be suspended). If the control unit 211 determines that the acquired information is information (time information) for which updating does not need to be suspended (step S13: YES), it updates the information in the update portion (time display area 401) identified in the processing of step S12 using the acquired information (time information) (step S21), and proceeds to the processing of step S11. On the other hand, if the control unit 211 determines that the acquired information is not information for which updating does not need to be suspended (i.e., if it is determined that the acquired information is currency exchange information or SNS posting information) (step S13: NO), it then acquires the user's current gaze information and operation information (step S14).

[0041] Next, the control unit 211 determines whether the user's gaze is directed toward the update portion identified in the process of step S12, based on the gaze information acquired in the process of step S14 (step S15). At this time, if the control unit 211 determines that the user's gaze is directed toward the update portion (step S15: YES), it refrains from updating the information displayed in the update portion identified in the process of step S12 using the information acquired in step S11 (step S22) and proceeds to the process of step S11. As a result, even if new information is acquired for the update portion to which the user is directing his or her gaze, the information in the update portion is not updated by the acquired information, thereby deepening the user's understanding of the content of the information. On the other hand, if the control unit 211 determines that the user's gaze is not directed toward the update portion (step S15: NO), it then determines whether the user's operation target is the update portion identified in the process of step S12, based on the operation information acquired in the process of step S14 (step S16). At this time, for example, if the information acquired in the process of step S11 is SNS posted information and the user is performing a scroll operation on the posted information display area 403, the result is determined to be "YES."

[0042] If the control unit 211 determines that the user's operation target is the update portion identified in the processing of step S12 (step S16: YES), it refrains from updating the information displayed in the update portion identified in the processing of step S12 using the information acquired in step S11 (step S22) and proceeds to the processing of step S11. As a result, even if new information is acquired about the update portion being operated by the user, the information in the update portion is not updated by that information, thereby deepening the user's understanding of the content of the information. On the other hand, if the control unit 211 determines that the user's current operation target is not the update portion identified in the processing of step S12 (step S16: NO), it then acquires the user's operation history information, line-of-sight movement history information, current position information, and surrounding environment information (step S17). Specifically, control unit 211 acquires user operation history information and gaze movement history information from storage device 212, acquires latitude, longitude, and altitude data output by GPS receiver 225 as current position information, and acquires surrounding environment information by analyzing images of the exterior of the vehicle output by exterior camera 228. The surrounding environment information indicates whether the current surrounding environment is a high-risk situation, and control unit 211 calculates and acquires the information based on the captured images output by exterior camera 228 and the weather and road conditions outside the vehicle. For example, if there is heavy rain, if the currently traveling road is congested, or if the currently traveling road is an extremely narrow road, surrounding environment information indicating a high-risk situation is acquired. Note that control unit 211 may transmit the current position of the vehicle via a network to a server device that stores information indicating weather, road conditions, etc. for each position, acquire the information corresponding to the current position from the server device, and calculate surrounding environment information based on the information. In addition, the control unit 211 may transmit the current location of the vehicle via a network to a server device that calculates risk level information indicating the risk level of each location, and obtain the risk level information from the server device as surrounding environment information.

[0043] Next, based on the user's operation history information and gaze movement history information acquired in step S17, the control unit 211 determines whether the update portion identified in step S12 is an update portion that has been the target of operation or gaze within a predetermined time from the present (step S18). For example, the control unit 211 determines whether the update portion is an update portion that has been the target of operation or gaze within the past 30 seconds from the present. If the control unit 221 determines that the update portion is an update portion that has been the target of operation or gaze within the predetermined time (step S18: YES), the control unit 221 refrains from updating the information displayed in the update portion identified in step S12 using the information acquired in step S11 (step S22) and proceeds to step S11. As a result, even if new information is acquired for the update portion that the user had gazed at or operated until the predetermined time ago, the information in the update portion is not updated by the acquired information. Therefore, when the user gazes at the information to view the information again, the same information as before can be viewed. On the other hand, if the control unit 211 determines that the updated part has not been the target of operation or gaze within the specified time (step S18: NO), it then determines whether the current position is a near-miss point based on the current position information acquired in the processing of step S17 and the information indicating the near-miss point stored in the memory device 212 (step S19).

[0044] If the control unit 211 determines that the current location is a near-miss point (step S19: YES), it refrains from updating the information displayed in the update portion identified by the processing of step S12 using the information acquired in step S11 (step S22), and proceeds to the processing of step S11. As a result, if the current location is a near-miss point, even if new information is acquired, the information in the update portion is not updated with that information, allowing the user (driver) to concentrate on driving and improving safety. On the other hand, if the control unit 211 determines that the current location is not a near-miss point (step S19: NO), it then determines whether the surrounding environment is a high-risk situation based on the surrounding environment information acquired in the processing of step S17 (step S20).

[0045] If the control unit 211 determines that the surrounding environment is highly dangerous (step S20: YES), it refrains from updating the information displayed in the update portion identified by the processing of step S12 using the information acquired in step S11 (step S22), and proceeds to the processing of step S11. As a result, if the surrounding environment is highly dangerous, even if new information is acquired, the information in the update portion is not updated using that information, allowing the user (driver) to concentrate on driving and improving safety. On the other hand, if the control unit 211 determines that the surrounding environment is not highly dangerous (step S20: NO), it updates the information in the update portion identified by the processing of step S12 (exchange information display area 402 or posted information display area 403) using the information acquired in the processing of step S11 (exchange information or SNS posted information) (step S21), and proceeds to the processing of step S11.

[0046] As described above, the control unit 211 (an example of a "detection means" and "update means") of the navigation device NV detects the actions being performed by the user in relation to the information that is output to the display 214c (an example of an "output means") in an updatable manner, and suppresses the updating of the information based on the actions.

[0047] Therefore, according to the navigation device NV of this embodiment, when presenting information that is updated at any time to a user, the information can be suppressed from being updated depending on the user's situation, thereby helping the user to understand the content of the information and improving convenience.

[0048] Furthermore, the information acquired in the processing of step S11 can be distinguished into exchange rate information and SNS posting information (an example of "first type information"), which suspends updating of the information depending on the action being taken by the user, and time information (an example of "second type information"), which updates the information regardless of the action being taken by the user. If the control unit 211 identifies the information as exchange rate information or SNS posting information (step S13: NO), it suspends updating of the information depending on the action being taken by the user (step S22), but if the control unit 211 identifies the information as time information (step S13: YES), it updates the information regardless of the action being taken by the user (step S21).

[0049] Therefore, if the information is foreign exchange information or information posted on SNS, updates are suspended depending on the user's actions, preventing information from being updated despite the user's actions. On the other hand, if the information is time information, updates are made regardless of the user's actions, so information that should be updated is updated, without impairing user convenience.

[0050] Furthermore, the control unit 211 recognizes the update portion (an example of an "output position") on the display 214c that is updated with the information acquired in the processing of step S11 (step S12), and suspends the update of the information if the user's action is an action for the information output in the update portion. Therefore, by suspending the update when the user's action is an action for the information output in the update portion, it is possible to help the user understand the content of the information output in the update portion and improve convenience.

[0051] Furthermore, the control unit 211 detects, as the user's behavior, the movement of the user's line of sight or the user's operation on the information output by the display 214c. Therefore, when presenting information that is updated from time to time to the user, by controlling the update depending on whether the user is directing their line of sight at the information output by the display 214c or performing an operation on the information output by the display 214c, it is possible to help the user understand the content of the information output on the display 214c and improve convenience.

[0052] Furthermore, the control unit 211 refers to the storage device 212 (an example of an "operation history storage means") that stores the history of detected user actions (operation history information, gaze movement history information), and suspends updating of information output to the display 214c that is not currently the target of user actions but was the target of user actions until a predetermined time ago. Therefore, for example, if the user was viewing information (target of actions) until a predetermined time ago but is unable to view it for various reasons, when the user turns his / her gaze to the information to view it again, the information update has been suspended, allowing the user to view the same information as before the predetermined time ago. Note that the information update may be suspended if the user had been the target of actions for a predetermined time (s hours, whether continuous or non-continuous) or more until the predetermined time (t hours) ago. In other words, if the target of actions until t hours ago was less than s hours, the information may be updated. This allows the update of only information that has been the subject of careful action (information that has been viewed carefully) to be postponed, while information that has not been the subject of careful action (information that has been glanced at, etc.) is updated, thereby improving user convenience.

[0053] [4. Modifications] Next, modifications of the above embodiment will be described. The modifications described below can be combined as appropriate.

[0054] [4.1. Variation 1] In the above embodiment, the display 214c is exemplified as a device for outputting information, but in addition to this, other output devices (for example, HUD (Head-Up Display)) may be provided, and updates of information output by a plurality of output devices may be controlled. In this case, the control unit 211 is capable of identifying the configuration of the screens displayed on the display 214c and the HUD.

[0055] [4.2. Variation 2] In the above embodiment, the user's line of sight is detected based on the captured image output by the line of sight detection camera 227, but the user's line of sight may also be detected based on data output by an electro-oculography sensor.

[0056] [4.3. Variation 3] In the above embodiment, in the processing of step S19, it is determined whether the current position is a near-miss point, but it may also be determined whether the current position is approaching a near-miss point. As a result, if the current position is approaching a near-miss point or if the current position is a near-miss point, the update is postponed, allowing the user (driver) to concentrate on driving, thereby improving safety.

[0057] [4.4. Variation 4] In the above embodiment, no determination is made as to whether the user is the driver or a passenger. However, the control unit 211 determines whether the person using the navigation device NV (here, this means directing their gaze or operating the device) is the driver or a passenger from the captured image output by the gaze detection camera 227, and if the user is a passenger, the process proceeds to step S21 after processing steps S11 and S12. On the other hand, the process shown in FIG. 4 (i.e., the process of postponing the update of information depending on the situation) may be executed only if the user is the driver.

[0058] [4.5. Variation 5] In the above embodiment, after the update is suspended in the processing of step S22, the process proceeds to step S11 to obtain the next information, and therefore the information obtained in the most recent processing of step S11 is discarded without being updated with the information obtained in the processing of step S11. However, in order to ensure that the information obtained in the processing of step S11 is updated, the information obtained in the processing of step S11 is stored in the storage device 212, and when the processing of step S21 is executed, the stored information may be used for updating in order from the oldest information (FIFO (First In First Out)).

[0059] [4.6. Variation 6] Although the above embodiment has been described with reference to a navigation device NV as the information processing device, the present invention can be applied to any device that outputs information. For example, the present invention can be applied to a personal computer (PC), a notebook PC, a smartphone, a tablet, etc. For example, when applied to a smartphone, the user's gaze is detected (the in-camera (a camera mounted on the liquid crystal display device) can be used as a gaze detection camera), and the posted article is not updated while the user is viewing an article posted on an SNS, but is updated when the user is not viewing the article. Furthermore, for articles that have been viewed within a predetermined period of time, updating is suspended even if the user's gaze is shifted. For example, even if the user shifts their gaze while getting on or off a train, the article will not have been updated when the user attempts to view it again, and the same article can be viewed. [Explanation of symbols]

[0060] 1. Information processing equipment 111A Detection means 111B Update method 2. Output Method 3. Operation history storage means NV navigation device 211 Control Unit 211a CPU 211b ROM 211c RAM 212 Storage device 213 Input Device 214 Display Unit 214a graphics controller 214b Buffer memory 214c Display 215 Bus Line 220 Input / Output Interface Section 221 Vehicle speed sensor 222 Angular rate sensor 223 Accelerometer 224 Steering Angle Sensor 225 GPS receiver 226 Data transmission and reception unit 227 Eye-gaze detection camera 228 Exterior Camera

Claims

[Claim 1] a detection means for detecting an action being performed by a user with respect to information that is output to an output means in an updatable manner; an update means for suppressing updating of the information based on the action being performed by the user detected by the detection means; An information processing device comprising:

Images