Information processing apparatus, information processing method, and program

Abstract

To provide an information processor for urging a driver to input a voice when the necessity of operating a vehicle is small.SOLUTION: An information processing device including an estimation part configured to estimate a length of a time in which a change amount of a behavior of a vehicle is assumed to continuously fall within a predetermined range, a determination part configured to determine, on a basis of the length of the time, one or more voice operation commands that can be operated by voice as a voice operation command that should be recognized by a user, and an output part configured to output at least a part of the voice operation command determined by the determination part in a mode in which the user can recognize the voice operation command.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing device, an information processing method, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, voice input into information processing devices has become common. For example, voice input is suitable for vehicles, since drivers often have both hands occupied while driving. For example, Patent Document 1 describes a voice recognition device that displays all operation buttons when the vehicle is stopped for a predetermined period of time or longer, and otherwise limits the selectable operation buttons in the same way as when the vehicle is moving. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2009-257832 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] It is preferable that voice input in a vehicle be performed when the user has little need to operate the vehicle. One example of a problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide an information processing device that prompts the user to input voice when the user has little need to operate the vehicle. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The invention described in claim 1 is an estimation unit that estimates the length of time during which a change in the behavior of the vehicle is expected to continue within a predetermined range; a determination unit that determines, based on the length of time, one or more voice operation commands that can be operated by voice as voice operation commands that should be recognized by the user; an output unit that outputs at least a part of the voice operation command determined by the determination unit in a manner that can be recognized by a user; The information processing device has the following.

[0006] The invention described in claim 12 is The computer Estimating the length of time during which the amount of change in the vehicle's behavior is expected to remain within a predetermined range; determining, based on the length of time, one or more voice operation commands operable by voice as commands to be recognized by the user; The information processing method includes outputting at least a part of the determined voice operation command in a manner that can be recognized by the user.

[0007] The invention described in claim 13 is Computer, an estimation unit that estimates the length of time during which a change in the behavior of the vehicle is expected to continue within a predetermined range; a determination unit that determines, based on the length of time, one or more voice operation commands that can be operated by voice as commands that should be recognized by the user; an output unit that outputs at least a part of the voice operation command determined by the determination unit in a manner that can be recognized by a user; It is a program that functions as a [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing an overview of an information processing device according to a first embodiment together with a usage environment. [Figure 2] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of functions of voice operation commands for each scheduled stopping time stored in a storage unit. [Figure 3] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing specific examples of screens output by an output unit to allow a user to recognize a voice operation command. [Figure 4] 10A to 10C are diagrams illustrating an example of a flow of a screen displayed by an output unit. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of an information processing device. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the information processing device. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an overview of an information processing device according to a third embodiment together with a usage environment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In all the drawings, like components are denoted by like reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted as appropriate.

[0010] [First embodiment] 1 is a diagram showing an overview of an information processing device 10 according to this embodiment together with a usage environment. The information processing device 10 is used together with, for example, an audio input device 20, an audio output device 30, and a screen display device 40. The audio input device 20, the audio output device 30, and the screen display device 40 may all be part of the information processing device 10, or may be devices separate from the information processing device 10. In the latter case, these devices communicate with the information processing device 10 at least when the information processing device 10 is used.

[0011] The information processing device 10 is used, for example, as an input interface for a car navigation device that supports driving a vehicle. However, the information processing device 10 may also be used for other purposes. In the following description, the information processing device 10 will be described as being used as at least a part of a car navigation device.

[0012] Examples of the vehicle include, but are not limited to, an automobile, a motorcycle, a moped, and a bicycle. When the vehicle is an automobile, for example, the information processing device 10 is attached to the vehicle as an integrated unit with the audio input device 20, the audio output device 30, and the screen display device 40. When the vehicle is a motorcycle, a moped, or a bicycle, for example, the audio input device 20 and the audio output device 30 are separate devices from the information processing device 10. The audio input device 20 and the audio output device 30 are attached to, for example, a helmet of a user. However, these devices may be attached to wearable items other than a helmet, such as eyeglasses or sunglasses.

[0013] The information processing device 10 also has a wireless communication function. As an example, the information processing device 10 is a smartphone on which a predetermined application is installed. In this case, the microphone of the smartphone functions as the audio input device 20, the speaker of the smartphone functions as the audio output device 30, and the screen of the smartphone functions as the screen display device 40.

[0014] 1, the information processing device 10 includes an estimation unit 100, a determination unit 200, an output unit 300, and a storage unit 400. However, the storage unit 400 may be included inside the information processing device 10 or may be provided externally. Each component will be described in detail below.

[0015] [Estimation part 100] The estimation unit 100 estimates the planned stopping time of the vehicle. The planned stopping time is the time the vehicle is expected to continue stopping. The estimation unit 100, for example, reads information about the stopping position stored in the memory unit 400 and uses this information to estimate the planned stopping time. The timing at which the estimation unit 100 estimates the planned stopping time is, for example, the timing at which the vehicle stops. Alternatively, the estimation unit 100 may estimate the planned stopping time at the timing at which the vehicle is predicted to stop. In addition to this, conventional navigation techniques can also be used to estimate the planned stopping time of the vehicle.

[0016] The stop position in the above information about stop positions is, for example, the location of a traffic light or a railroad crossing. However, it is not limited to the exact location of the traffic light or railroad crossing. For example, the stop position may be away from the location of the traffic light or railroad crossing due to congestion, etc. In this case, the stop position in the information about stop positions also includes the area from the vehicle's position to the location of the next traffic light or railroad crossing. In other words, the information about stop positions is information about the area from the vehicle's position to the location of the next traffic light or railroad crossing. Information about stop positions is, for example, as follows: (1-1) Information on the time when entry is prohibited at traffic lights or railroad crossings Information regarding the time when entry is prohibited at a traffic light or railroad crossing includes, for example, information that includes the relationship between the time when entry is prohibited and the time when entry is permitted at the next traffic light or railroad crossing that the vehicle will pass from the position where it is stopped. Information about the time when entry is prohibited at a traffic light includes, for example, the rate at which the traffic light alternates between no entry (e.g., red light) and entry permission (e.g., green light), and information about the time when each state occurs. Information about the time when entry is prohibited at a traffic light may also include information about the type of traffic light. Specific types of traffic lights include, for example, fixed-cycle, sensor-operated, push-button, time-difference, and arrow-operated. Furthermore, the information regarding the time when entry is prohibited at a railroad crossing includes, for example, the rate at which entry is prohibited at the crossing (the state from when the alarm starts sounding until the barrier is raised) and entry is permitted (the state when the barrier is raised and the alarm is not sounding) alternate, and information regarding the time in each state. Furthermore, for example, if the train operating hours change, the time when entry is prohibited at the railroad crossing also changes, so the information regarding the time when entry is prohibited at a railroad crossing may further include information regarding the train operating status. (1-2) Information about traffic congestion The information about traffic congestion is, for example, information about at least one of the following: the distance of the vehicle line from the location where the vehicle is stopped to the next traffic light or railroad crossing, the number of vehicles, and the time required for the vehicle to depart after the traffic light or railroad crossing allows entry. For example, if there is traffic congestion between the current location where the vehicle is stopped and the traffic light, the time required for the vehicle to depart after the traffic light allows entry will be longer. In other words, the vehicle will be stopped for a longer period of time. Note that the information about traffic congestion may further include information related to the cause of the traffic congestion. For example, if the cause of the traffic congestion is a traffic accident, the stop time due to the traffic congestion may be longer. The estimation unit 100 may use a combination of the above information.

[0017] Furthermore, based on the operation of the output unit 300 described below, it is preferable that the estimation unit 100 repeats the estimation of the planned stopping time and updates the planned stopping time if the vehicle continues to be stopped even after estimating the planned stopping time.

[0018] [Decision unit 200] The determination unit 200 determines one or more voice-operable voice operation commands as voice operation commands to be recognized by the user, based on the planned stopping time estimated by the estimation unit 100. A voice operation command is an instruction to be executed by the car navigation system input by the user's voice, such as an instruction to input a destination. Alternatively, the voice operation command may be an instruction to set music or an instruction to set air conditioning. When inputting a destination, the voice operation command may be, for example, the name of the destination, the genre of the destination or facility to be visited, such as "restaurant" or "tourist spot," or a command indicating the purpose of visiting the destination, such as "dining" or "lodging." When inputting music, the voice operation command may be, for example, the name or genre of music to be played, and when inputting air conditioning, the voice operation command may be an instruction to set air conditioning, such as "heating" or "cooling."

[0019] The voice operation command may also be related to guidance to a destination. For example, the voice operation command may be "zoom in" or "zoom out" to instruct the zooming in or out of a map in guidance to a destination. Alternatively, the voice operation command may be in the form of a question that prompts the voice recognition device 10 to respond, such as "Where should I turn next?" or "How long until we arrive?"

[0020] In addition, the voice operation command may be an instruction to make a call using a calling app, or an instruction to check or reply to a message using a messaging app.

[0021] As described above, the determination unit 200 determines the voice operation command to be recognized by the user based on the scheduled stopping time. The determination unit 200 determines the voice operation command to be recognized by the user, for example, by using information stored in the storage unit 400. Note that having the user recognize the command means, for example, displaying the voice input command on the above-mentioned screen display device 40 or outputting text data of the voice operation command as voice by the voice output device 30.

[0022] The storage unit 400 stores, for example, a scheduled vehicle stop time corresponding to each voice operation command. The scheduled vehicle stop time corresponding to each voice operation command is calculated, for example, from the time estimated to be required for a series of voice operations corresponding to the voice operation command. The determination unit 200 then determines, as the voice operation command to be recognized by the user, a voice operation command corresponding to a scheduled vehicle stop time that is equal to or shorter than the scheduled vehicle stop time estimated by the estimation unit 100. This allows the user to recognize a voice operation command in which a series of voice operations is completed while the vehicle is stopped. The time required for a series of voice operations includes the time required for the user's voice input and the time required for the information processing device 10 to respond. As will be described later, a voice operation command may require the user to input voice multiple times. In this case, the time required for a series of voice operations includes the time required for the user's voice input multiple times and the time required for the information processing device 10 to respond. The storage unit 400 may store a scheduled vehicle stop time corresponding to each voice operation command in multiple stages. For example, the storage unit 400 may store the planned stopping time in three stages: "60 seconds or more," "30 seconds or more but less than 60 seconds," and "less than 30 seconds," in association with each voice operation command.

[0023] As described above, the storage unit 400 further stores information for estimating the planned stopping time, such as map information, traffic congestion information, information about traffic lights, and information about railroad crossings. The storage unit 400 also stores information about a method for estimating the planned stopping time.

[0024] FIG. 2 shows a specific example of the functions of voice operation commands for each planned stop time stored in the storage unit 400. As shown in FIG. 2, the voice operation commands are divided into three stages according to the planned stop time: "60 seconds or more," "30 seconds or more but less than 60 seconds," and "less than 30 seconds." Furthermore, the voice operation commands stored in association with the planned stop time of "60 seconds or more" are voice operation commands that require multiple operations for input, such as "setting a destination" and "replying to a message in a messaging app." For example, in the case of "setting a destination," in addition to inputting the destination, information such as "whether to use a toll road" and "whether to prioritize main roads" may be further input by voice. On the other hand, the voice operation commands stored in association with the relatively short planned stop time of "30 seconds or more but less than 60 seconds" are voice operation commands that require only a single voice input, such as "making a phone call" and "checking messages." Furthermore, the voice operation commands stored in association with the even shorter planned stopping time of "less than 30 seconds" are voice operation commands that require only a single voice input, such as "zoom in / out the map" and "check the current time," and are voice operation commands that provide a quick response from the information processing device 10.

[0025] The determination unit 200 may also determine the voice operation command to be recognized by the user using the user's behavior history. For example, if the user frequently exchanges messages, a voice operation command related to a message app may be preferentially selected as a candidate voice operation command to be recognized by the user. If the scheduled stopping time corresponding to the candidate voice operation command is equal to or shorter than the estimated scheduled stopping time, the determination unit 200 may determine the candidate voice operation command as the voice operation command to be recognized by the user. Alternatively, the scheduled stopping time to be associated with the voice operation command may be calculated using the time required by the user to perform a series of voice operations of the voice operation command from the user's past operations.

[0026] Furthermore, the determination unit 200 may use information related to the time period to determine candidates for voice operation commands to be recognized by the user. If the planned stopping time corresponding to the candidate voice operation command is the same as or shorter than the estimated planned stopping time, the determination unit 200 determines the candidate voice operation command as the voice operation command to be recognized by the user. For example, when it is approaching nighttime, a voice operation command related to the vehicle lights, such as "Turn on the lights," is determined as a candidate voice operation command to be recognized by the user. As another example, when it is approaching lunchtime, a voice operation command to guide the user to a restaurant is determined as a candidate voice operation command to be recognized by the user.

[0027] The determination unit 200 may also use environmental information to determine candidates for voice operation commands to be recognized by the user. If the planned stopping time corresponding to the candidate voice operation command is the same as or shorter than the estimated planned stopping time, the determination unit 200 determines the candidate voice operation command as the voice operation command to be recognized by the user. An example of environmental information is vehicle information, such as information indicating that the vehicle is low on gas. For example, when the vehicle's gas is low, the determination unit 200 determines a voice operation command such as "directions to a gas station" as a candidate voice operation command to be recognized by the user. Other examples of environmental information include information about traffic congestion and weather. For example, when there is traffic congestion on the planned route, a voice operation command that guides the user to a route with less traffic congestion is determined as a candidate voice operation command to be recognized by the user. For example, when the weather is rainy or snowy, a voice operation command that guides the user to a route with a relatively low risk of accidents, such as a main road, is determined as a candidate voice operation command to be recognized by the user.

[0028] [Output section 300] The output unit 300 outputs at least a part of the voice operation command determined by the determination unit 200 in a manner recognizable by the user. Note that outputting in a manner recognizable by the user means, for example, displaying the voice input command on the above-mentioned screen display device 40, or outputting text data of the voice operation command as voice by the voice output device 30.

[0029] The output unit 300 outputs at least a part of the voice operation commands determined by the determination unit 200, for example, when the vehicle is stopped. Alternatively, the output unit 300 outputs at least a part of the voice operation commands determined by the determination unit 200, for example, when it is predicted that the vehicle will stop. Note that the expression "outputting at least a part of the voice operation commands" means that, for example, when outputting voice operation commands on a screen, the number that can be output is limited, and therefore, only voice operation commands determined by the determination unit 200 that have a particularly high priority may be displayed. Note that the voice operation commands with a high priority are determined, for example, based on the above-mentioned information on the user's behavior history, time period, and environment.

[0030] Next, FIG. 3 shows a specific example of a screen output by the output unit 300 to allow the user to recognize a voice operation command. First, when the vehicle is not stopped (or is not expected to stop), as shown in FIG. 3(A), a speedometer screen 1 is displayed on the left side of the screen, and a map screen 2 is displayed on the right side of the screen. Next, when the vehicle is stopped (or is expected to stop), as shown in FIG. 3(B), a voice operation command 3 determined as a voice operation command to be recognized by the user is displayed superimposed on the map screen 2. Then, the user can input a voice operation command by checking the screen and speaking. As described above, the output unit 300 may display only a part of the voice operation command determined by the determination unit 200 on the screen, rather than all of the voice operation command determined by the determination unit 200.

[0031] As described above, it is preferable that the estimation unit 100 repeats the estimation of the scheduled stopping time even after the vehicle has stopped. In this case, it is preferable that the determination unit 200 updates the voice operation command to be recognized by the user every time the scheduled stopping time is updated.

[0032] FIG. 4 shows an example of the flow of screens displayed when the determination unit 200 updates the voice operation command to be recognized by the user. In the example shown in FIG. 4, the storage unit 400 stores the estimated stopping time in three stages, "60 seconds or more," "30 seconds or more but less than 60 seconds," and "less than 30 seconds," as shown in FIG. 2, in association with each voice operation command. However, while six voice operation commands are displayed in the example shown in FIG. 3, only three voice operation commands are displayed in the example shown in FIG. 4. In the example shown in FIG. 4, although the number of voice operation commands displayed is small, the map screen 2 is easy to view. In particular, it is preferable that voice operation commands not be displayed around the current location on the map screen 2. In this way, the output unit 300 may display only a portion of the voice operation commands determined by the determination unit 200.

[0033] First, immediately after the vehicle stops, if the planned stopping time is, for example, 60 seconds or more, the screen displays voice operation commands associated with the planned stopping time of "60 seconds or more," "30 seconds or more but less than 60 seconds," or "less than 30 seconds" (screen T1). However, as described above, the screen T1 has a limit of three voice operation commands that can be displayed, so among the voice operation commands stored in the storage unit 400, the commands "reply to message," "make a phone call," and "check the current time" are not displayed. After that, when the planned stopping time becomes 30 seconds or more but less than 60 seconds, the screen displays voice operation commands associated with the planned stopping time of "30 seconds or more but less than 60 seconds" or "less than 30 seconds" (screen T2). In other words, the voice operation command associated with the planned stopping time of "60 seconds or more" (the voice operation command for "setting a destination" in T1) is removed from the screen. On the other hand, as a result of the removal of the voice operation command, one of the voice operation commands associated with a scheduled stop time of "30 seconds or more but less than 60 seconds" or "less than 30 seconds" (for example, the voice operation command "Make a phone call" in T2), which was not displayed on screen T1, is newly displayed. That is, the voice operation command "Set destination" is replaced with the voice operation command "Make a phone call." Then, as more time passes and the scheduled stop time becomes less than 30 seconds, only the voice operation command associated with a scheduled stop time of "less than 30 seconds" is displayed on the screen (screen T3). In other words, the voice operation commands for which the estimated time required for input is "30 seconds or more but less than 60 seconds" (the voice operation commands "Check message" and "Make a phone call" in T2) are further removed from the screen. Then, in response to this, the voice command "Check current time," which is associated with a scheduled stop time of "less than 30 seconds," is newly displayed on screen T3. That is, the voice operation commands "check messages" and "make a call" are replaced with the voice operation command "check the current time."

[0034] [Example of hardware configuration of information processing device 10] FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the information processing device 10. As shown in FIG. Each functional component of the information processing device 10 may be realized by hardware that realizes each functional component (e.g., a hardwired electronic circuit, etc.), or may be realized by a combination of hardware and software (e.g., a combination of an electronic circuit and a program that controls it, etc.). Below, a case where each functional component of the information processing device 10 is realized by a combination of hardware and software will be further described.

[0035] The information processing device 10 has a bus 1020, a processor 1040, a memory 1060, a storage device 1080, an input / output interface 1100, and a network interface 1120. The bus 1020 is a data transmission path for the processor 1040, the memory 1060, the storage device 1080, the input / output interface 1100, and the network interface 1120 to transmit and receive data to and from each other. However, the method for connecting the processor 1040 and the like to each other is not limited to bus connection.

[0036] The processor 1040 is one of various processors such as a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), or a field-programmable gate array (FPGA). The memory 1060 is a main storage device realized using a random access memory (RAM) or the like. The storage device 1080 is an auxiliary storage device realized using a hard disk, a solid state drive (SSD), a memory card, or a read only memory (ROM) or the like.

[0037] The input / output interface 1100 is an interface for connecting the information processing device 10 to the above-mentioned input / output devices such as the audio input device 20, the audio output device 30, and the screen display device 40.

[0038] The network interface 1120 is an interface for connecting the information processing device 10 to a communication network. This communication network is, for example, a LAN (Local Area Network) or a WAN (Wide Area Network). The network interface 1120 may be connected to the communication network via a wireless connection or a wired connection.

[0039] The storage device 1080 stores program modules that realize each functional component of the information processing device 10. The processor 1040 reads each of these program modules into the memory 1060 and executes them to realize the function corresponding to each program module.

[0040] Next, the operation of the information processing device 10 according to this embodiment will be described below. Fig. 6 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the information processing device 10 according to this embodiment.

[0041] First, the information processing device 10 is started (step S10). The information processing device 10 is started, for example, when an engine key is inserted into a vehicle. Alternatively, the information processing device 10 is started when a user presses a start button on the information processing device 10.

[0042] Next, the estimation unit 100 estimates the planned stopping time (step S20). For example, when the vehicle stops, the estimation unit 100 reads out traffic congestion information and information on traffic lights and railroad crossings from the storage unit 400, and estimates the planned stopping time using these.

[0043] Next, the determination unit 200 determines a voice operation command to be recognized by the user based on the estimated scheduled stopping time (step S30). For example, the determination unit 200 reads out a voice operation command associated with a scheduled stopping time that is the same as or shorter than the estimated scheduled stopping time from the storage unit 400, and determines the voice operation command to be recognized by the user.

[0044] Next, the output unit 300 outputs at least a part of the determined voice operation command (step S40). For example, the output unit 300 causes the screen display device 40 to display the voice operation command on the screen.

[0045] As described above, according to the information processing device 10 of this embodiment, when the vehicle is stopped, the voice operation commands that can be completed while the vehicle is stopped are displayed. Therefore, the user can be prompted to input voice commands when there is little need to operate the vehicle.

[0046] Furthermore, according to the information processing device 10 of this embodiment, the voice operation command appropriate for that time is presented at a time when the burden on driving is low, so the user does not need to pay attention to remembering the command while driving, and can concentrate on driving.

[0047] [Second embodiment] Next, an information processing device 10 according to a second embodiment will be described. This embodiment is the same as the other embodiments except for the following points.

[0048] In this embodiment, instead of the expected stopping time, the estimation unit 100 estimates the length of time during which the amount of change in the vehicle's behavior is expected to remain within a predetermined range. The vehicle's behavior refers to the speed and direction of the vehicle. Below, a specific example of when the amount of change in the vehicle's behavior remains within the predetermined range will be described.

[0049] (2-1) A first example of the amount of change in vehicle behavior remaining continuously within a predetermined range is the amount of change in vehicle speed remaining continuously within a predetermined range. Specifically, for example, the amount of change in vehicle speed remaining within a predetermined range (for example, the amount of change in speed is within 10 km / h), or the vehicle speed remaining within a predetermined range (for example, within 10 km / h). (2-2) A second example of the amount of change in vehicle behavior continuously falling within a predetermined range is the amount of change in vehicle direction continuously falling within a predetermined range. Specifically, for example, the amount of change in vehicle direction is within a predetermined range (for example, a change in vehicle direction such as changing lanes falls under this category, but turning at an angle close to a right angle at an intersection does not fall under this category), or the amount of change in vehicle direction per unit time is within a predetermined range (for example, the vehicle continues to turn gently). Note that the amount of change in the vehicle's behavior continuously falling within a predetermined range may be in both of the above two cases.

[0050] In this embodiment, the length of time during which the amount of change in vehicle behavior is expected to remain within a predetermined range can also be interpreted as including the expected stopping time in the first embodiment.

[0051] In this embodiment, the vehicle may have at least one of an adaptive cruise control function and a cruise control function. The estimation unit 100 may change the method of estimating the length of time during which the change in vehicle speed is expected to remain within a predetermined range depending on the state of at least one of the adaptive cruise control function and the cruise control function. More specifically, the adaptive cruise control function is a function for following a vehicle ahead, and the cruise control function is a function for traveling at a constant speed when there are no other vehicles traveling in the same direction in the vicinity.

[0052] When at least one of the adaptive cruise control function and the cruise control function is enabled, there is relatively little need for the user to operate the vehicle. Therefore, when the adaptive cruise control function and the cruise control function are disabled, the estimation unit 100 may estimate the length of time that the amount of change in vehicle behavior is expected to remain continuously within a first range as the "predetermined range" in the above-mentioned "length of time that the amount of change in vehicle behavior is expected to remain continuously within a predetermined range," and when at least one of the adaptive cruise control function and the cruise control function is enabled, the estimation unit 100 may estimate the length of time that the amount of change in vehicle behavior is expected to remain continuously within a second range that is larger than the first range as the "predetermined range."

[0053] The estimation unit 100 estimates the length of time during which the amount of change in the vehicle's behavior is expected to remain within a predetermined range. This estimation method has some in common with the estimation of the planned stopping time in the first embodiment, but estimation is performed using information about the current position. The information about the current position is as follows: (3-1) Information about traffic congestion The information about the traffic congestion may include, for example, at least one of the distance of the traffic jam and the number of vehicles in the traffic jam at the current location of the vehicle. Alternatively, the information about the traffic congestion may include an estimated time it will take for the vehicle to exit the traffic jam at the current location of the vehicle. Details of the information about the traffic congestion are the same as those in the first embodiment. (3-2) Information on the time when entry is prohibited at traffic lights or railroad crossings The information regarding the time when entry is prohibited at a traffic light or a railroad crossing is, for example, information including the relationship between the time when entry is prohibited and the time when entry is permitted at the next traffic light or railroad crossing that the vehicle will pass from the current position. Note that the details of the time when entry is prohibited and the time when entry is permitted at a traffic light or a railroad crossing are the same as those in the first embodiment. (3-3) Information about the planned route The information about the planned route includes, for example, information about intersections and curves on the planned route, information about the number of lanes, etc. The information about intersections and curves may also include information about the angle at which the vehicle turns and the steepness of the curves. The estimation unit 100 may use a combination of the above information.

[0054] The estimation unit 100 may further use information related to the vehicle speed. For example, the estimation unit 100 calculates the distance of a "route without traffic lights or railroad crossings and without sharp curves." The estimation unit 100 then divides the calculated distance by the current vehicle speed to estimate the length of time during which the change in the vehicle's traveling direction is expected to continue within a predetermined range.

[0055] It should be noted that traffic congestion in this embodiment is not limited to a state in which vehicles are stopped, but also includes a state in which the moving speed of vehicles is slowed down and a state in which vehicles repeatedly stop and start.

[0056] Then, the determination unit 200 determines the voice operation command to be recognized by using the length of time during which the amount of change in the vehicle's behavior is expected to continue within a predetermined range. For example, the storage unit 400 stores voice operation commands in association with the length of time during which the amount of change in the vehicle's behavior is expected to continue within a predetermined range, and determines, as the voice operation command to be recognized by the user, a voice operation command for which the associated length of time during which the amount of change in the vehicle's behavior is expected to continue within the predetermined range is equal to or shorter than the length of time during which the estimated amount of change in the vehicle's behavior is expected to continue within the predetermined range.

[0057] Furthermore, similarly to the first embodiment, the estimation unit 100 may repeatedly estimate the time during which the amount of change in the vehicle's behavior is expected to remain within a predetermined range. Then, the determination unit 200 may determine the voice operation command to be recognized by the user every time the estimation result of the estimation unit 100 for the time during which the amount of change in the vehicle's behavior is expected to remain within the predetermined range is updated. Note that the switching of the screen displayed by the output unit 300 at this time is as described in the first embodiment.

[0058] As described above, the information processing device 10 according to this embodiment can also prompt the user to input voice when there is little need for the user to operate the vehicle, allowing the user to concentrate on driving. Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the same effect can be obtained by prompting the user to input voice when the driving operation is calm, such as when the vehicle is continuing to move at a certain speed range, in addition to when the vehicle is stopped.

[0059] [Third embodiment] Next, an information processing device 10 according to a third embodiment will be described. This embodiment is the same as the other embodiments except for the following points.

[0060] 7 is a block diagram showing an outline of the information processing device 10 according to this embodiment. As shown in FIG.

[0061] The execution unit 500 executes a process corresponding to a voice operation command input by the user. For example, when a voice operation command specifying a destination is identified, the execution unit 500 executes "guidance to the destination." Specifically, the execution unit 500 activates a navigation function or the like to execute guidance to the destination. Furthermore, when a voice operation command specifying music to be played is input, the execution unit 500 executes "music playback." Specifically, the execution unit 500 reads music information from the storage unit 400 and activates a speaker or the like to play the music. Furthermore, when a voice operation command in the form of a question, such as "Where do I turn next?" or "How long until we arrive?" is input, the execution unit 500 answers the question. Specifically, the execution unit 500 reads map information and traffic information, etc., to the destination from the storage unit 400 and calculates the next turn and the estimated arrival time, etc. Then, the execution unit 500 creates text data including the answer to the question and outputs it to the screen display device 40, or outputs the created text data as voice via the voice output device 30.

[0062] The execution unit 500 may receive input and execute corresponding processing only for the voice operation command output by the output unit 300. In this case, the execution unit 500 can limit the voice operation commands for which processing is to be prepared in advance, thereby speeding up the operation of the processing corresponding to the voice operation command.

[0063] However, the execution unit 500 may also include, as targets to be executed, a voice operation command that is no longer output due to replacement by the determination unit 200. For example, in the first embodiment, a voice operation command that has been removed after a time has elapsed, as shown in the example illustrated in Fig. 4, may also be included as targets to be executed (or may be inputtable).

[0064] As described above, the information processing device 10 according to this embodiment can also prompt the user to input voice when there is little need to operate the vehicle, allowing the user to concentrate on driving. Furthermore, according to this embodiment, processing corresponding to a voice operation command input by the user is executed. At this time, since it is possible to limit the voice operation commands for which processing is prepared in advance, it is possible to speed up the operation of the processing corresponding to the voice operation command.

[0065] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the drawings, these are merely examples of the present invention, and various other configurations can also be adopted.

[0066] In addition, although the flowcharts used in the above description show multiple steps (processes) in a sequential order, the order of steps executed in each embodiment is not limited to the order shown. In each embodiment, the order of the steps shown in the drawings can be changed as long as it does not cause any problems in terms of content. Furthermore, the above-described embodiments can be combined as long as the content is not contradictory. [Explanation of symbols]

[0067] 10. Information processing equipment 20 Voice input device 30 Audio output device 40 Screen display device 100 Estimation part 200 Decision Section 300 Output section 400 Storage section 500 Executive Department 1020 Bus 1040 processor 1060 memory 1080 storage device 1100 Input / Output Interface 1120 Network Interface

Claims

1. an estimation unit that estimates the length of time during which a change in the behavior of the vehicle is expected to continue within a predetermined range; a determination unit that determines, based on the length of time, one or more voice operation commands that can be operated by voice as voice operation commands that should be recognized by the user; an output unit that outputs at least a part of the voice operation command determined by the determination unit in a manner that can be recognized by a user; An information processing device having the above.

2. The estimation unit A change in the speed of the vehicle is defined as a change in the behavior of the vehicle, Estimating the length of time using congestion information; The information processing device according to claim 1 .

3. The vehicle has an adaptive cruise control function, the estimation unit estimates, when an adaptive cruise control function is disabled, a length of time during which the vehicle is expected to continuously fall within a first range as the predetermined range, and, when the adaptive cruise control function is enabled, estimates, when the adaptive cruise control function is enabled, a length of time during which the vehicle is expected to continuously fall within a second range that is larger than the first range as the predetermined range.

3. The information processing device according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The estimation unit The amount of change in the traveling direction of the vehicle is defined as the amount of change in the behavior of the vehicle, using information about the planned route to estimate the length of time; 3. The information processing device according to claim 1 or 2.

5. the estimation unit estimates the length of time using information about the current location; 3. The information processing device according to claim 1 or 2.

6. The information about the current location is information about the length of the no-entry state at the next traffic light or the railroad crossing. The information processing device according to claim 5 .

7. 3 . The information processing device according to claim 1 , wherein the determination unit determines a new voice operation command based on the remaining time of the changing time, and replaces at least one of the voice operation commands being output by the output unit with the new voice operation command.

8. an execution unit that executes a process corresponding to one of the voice operation commands output by the output unit based on the voice from the user; Equipped with the execution unit also includes the voice operation command that is no longer output due to the replacement by the determination unit as a target for execution. The information processing device according to claim 7 .

9. the determination unit determines the voice operation command to be output using a behavior history of the user.

3. The information processing device according to claim 1 or 2.

10. the determination unit determines the voice operation command to be output using a time period.

3. The information processing device according to claim 1 or 2.

11. the determination unit determines the voice operation command to be output using information about an environment.

3. The information processing device according to claim 1 or 2.

12. The computer Estimating the length of time during which the amount of change in the vehicle's behavior is expected to remain within a predetermined range; determining, based on the length of time, one or more voice operation commands operable by voice as commands to be recognized by the user; An information processing method comprising outputting at least a part of the determined voice operation command in a manner recognizable to a user.

13. Computer, an estimation unit that estimates the length of time during which a change in the behavior of the vehicle is expected to continue within a predetermined range; a determination unit that determines, based on the length of time, one or more voice operation commands that can be operated by voice as commands that should be recognized by the user; an output unit that outputs at least a part of the voice operation command determined by the determination unit in a manner that can be recognized by a user; A program that functions as a

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