Display control device and display control method

Abstract

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a technology capable of suitably controlling the changing of parameters per operation unit. This display control device controls a display device and comprises: an acquisition unit that acquires, from a user, a change operation for changing parameters used for an image displayed on the display device and acquires the line-of-sight of the user; and a control unit that controls the changing of the parameters per operation unit, which is the unit of the change operation, on the basis of the results of line-of-sight determination for determining whether the line-of-sight is directed at the image on the display device.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a display control device and a display control method. [Background technology]

[0002] In a display control device such as a navigation device, parameters inside the device are used for the map position displayed on the display device, the radio frequency, etc. When such a display control device receives a change operation to change a parameter, the parameter is changed, and as a result, the map is moved, the frequency is increased or decreased, etc. Meanwhile, for example, the technology of Patent Document 1 proposes a digital signage that changes the scroll speed of a scroll display based on whether the line of sight is directed toward the display device. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2017-167681 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the conventional technology, the parameter change per operation unit, which is the unit of the change operation, is constant, so the map movement and frequency increase / decrease per operation unit are constant. However, in actual operation, a user may wish to reduce the parameter change per operation unit to reduce the map movement and frequency increase / decrease per operation unit. Conversely, a user may wish to increase the parameter change per operation unit to increase the map movement and frequency increase / decrease per operation unit.

[0005] Therefore, the present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a technology that can appropriately control parameter changes per operation unit. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The display control device of the present disclosure is a display control device that controls a display device, and includes an acquisition unit that acquires from a user a change operation that changes parameters used in an image displayed on the display device and acquires the user's gaze, and a control unit that controls the change of parameters per operation unit, which is the unit of the change operation, based on the result of a gaze determination that determines whether the gaze is directed toward the image on the display device. For a predetermined period from the point when acquisition of the change operation starts, the change in the parameter per operation unit is constant, regardless of the result of the line of sight determination. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the present disclosure, the change in parameters per operation unit, which is the unit of a change operation, is controlled based on the result of gaze determination, which determines whether the gaze is directed toward the image on the display device, thereby enabling appropriate control of the change in parameters per operation unit.

[0008] The objects, features, aspects and advantages of the present disclosure will become more apparent from the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a display control device according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of the display control device according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a display control device according to a second embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing a rotary switch according to a second embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining change control by a display control device according to a second embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining a change of a parameter by a display control device according to a second embodiment. [Figure 7] 10 is a flowchart showing the operation of the display control device according to the second embodiment. [Figure 8] 11A and 11B are diagrams illustrating an example of the results of line-of-sight determination and speed determination. [Figure 9] FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining change control by a display control device according to embodiment 3. [Figure 10] FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining change control by a display control device according to embodiment 3. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining change control by a display control device according to embodiment 3. [Figure 12] FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining change control by a display control device according to embodiment 3. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a block diagram showing a hardware configuration of a display control device according to another modified example. [Figure 14] FIG. 13 is a block diagram showing a hardware configuration of a display control device according to another modified example. [Figure 15] FIG. 13 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a server according to another modified example. [Figure 16] FIG. 13 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a communication terminal according to another modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] <Embodiment 1> Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a display control device 1 according to the present embodiment 1. The display control device 1 in Fig. 1 is connected to a display device 51 by wire or wirelessly.

[0011] The display device 51 displays various images under the control of the display control device 1. Hereinafter, an image displayed on the display device 51 may be referred to as a "display image". The display device 51 is, for example, a liquid crystal display device, a head-up display (HUD), etc. The display device 51 may or may not be included in the display control device 1. Furthermore, the display device 51 and the display control device 1 may or may not be mounted on a vehicle.

[0012] The display control device 1 in FIG.

[0013] The acquisition unit 11 acquires, from a user, a change operation for changing parameters used in a display image. For example, if the display image is a map, the parameters changed by the change operation include parameters used to move the map. For example, if the display image is names of facilities or addresses arranged in alphabetical order, the parameters changed by the change operation include parameters used to move (change) the names. For example, if the display image is a radio frequency, the parameters changed by the change operation include parameters used to change the frequency.

[0014] For example, a touch panel, a rotary switch, and interfaces thereof are used for the function of acquiring the change operation of the acquisition unit 11. For example, when a touch panel is used for the acquisition unit 11, a scroll operation such as a flick on the touch panel is used as the change operation. For example, when a rotary switch is used for the acquisition unit 11, an operation of rotating the rotary switch is used as the change operation.

[0015] The acquisition unit 11 acquires the gaze of a user. The function of acquiring the gaze of the acquisition unit 11 uses, for example, a camera that captures a face image of the user, an image recognition device that acquires the gaze of the user by performing image recognition processing on the face image, and a user interface thereof.

[0016] The control unit 12 performs a gaze determination to determine whether or not the gaze acquired by the acquisition unit 11 is directed toward the display image of the display device 51. Furthermore, the control unit 12 controls the change of parameters per operation unit, which is a unit of a change operation, based on the result of the gaze determination. For example, when the gaze is directed toward the display image, the control unit 12 sets the change of parameters per operation unit to a normal change A1, and when the gaze is not directed toward the display image, the control unit 12 sets the change of parameters per operation unit to a skip change A2 larger than the normal change A1.

[0017] The control unit 12 changes the parameters based on the change operation acquired by the acquisition unit 11 and the change of the parameters per operation unit. For example, when the change operation acquired by the acquisition unit 11 is B times the operation unit and the normal change A1 is set as the change of the parameters per operation unit, the control unit 12 changes the parameters by A1×B. For example, when the change operation acquired by the acquisition unit 11 is B times the operation unit and the skip change A2 is set as the change of the parameters per operation unit, the control unit 12 changes the parameters by A2×B. When the control unit 12 changes the parameters, the display image displayed on the display device 51 is changed, for example, the map is moved.

[0018] <Operation> FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the operation of the display control device 1 according to the first embodiment.

[0019] First, in step S1, the acquisition unit 11 acquires a change operation and a user's line of sight.

[0020] In step S2, control unit 12 performs a gaze determination to determine whether or not the gaze acquired by acquisition unit 11 is directed toward the display image of display device 51. If it is determined that the gaze is directed toward the display image of display device 51, the process proceeds to step S3, and if it is determined that the gaze is not directed toward the display image of display device 51, the process proceeds to step S4.

[0021] In step S3, the control unit 12 sets the parameter change per operation unit to normal change, after which the process proceeds to step S5.

[0022] In step S4, the control unit 12 sets the parameter change per operation unit to skip change, after which the process proceeds to step S5.

[0023] In step S5, the control unit 12 changes the parameters based on the change operation and the change in the parameters per operation unit acquired by the acquisition unit 11. After that, the operation in FIG.

[0024] <Summary of the first embodiment> According to the display control device 1 of the first embodiment as described above, the change in the parameter per operation unit is controlled based on the result of the line-of-sight determination that determines whether or not the line of sight is directed toward the display image of the display device 51. According to such a configuration, even if the operation amount of the change operation is the same, the change in the parameter when the line of sight is not directed toward the display image of the display device 51 can be made larger than the change in the parameter when the line of sight is directed toward the display image of the display device 51.

[0025] For example, when a user wishes to move the map displayed on the display device 51 by a large amount, the user can move the map by a larger amount per operation unit of the scroll operation by moving his / her gaze away from the map and performing the scroll operation. This makes it possible to reduce the number of times and the time required to repeat the scroll operation. This is particularly effective for a device used in a situation where it is necessary to draw the user's attention to something other than the displayed image, such as encouraging the user to concentrate on driving.

[0026] Also, for example, when the user wishes to move the map displayed on the display device 51 by a small amount, the user can move the map by a small amount per operation unit of the scroll operation by directing the user's line of sight toward the map. This allows the user to move the map delicately and carefully while looking at the map.

[0027] <Embodiment 2> 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a display control device 1 according to the present embodiment 2. In the following, among the components according to the present embodiment 2, components that are the same as or similar to the components described above are given the same or similar reference symbols, and different components will be mainly described.

[0028] 3 is connected by wire or wirelessly to not only a display device 51 but also a rotary switch 52 and a camera 53. The display device 51 is similar to the display device 51 described in the first embodiment.

[0029] Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the rotary switch 52. The rotary switch 52 is rotatable clockwise and counterclockwise, and receives a rotation operation from the user to rotate the rotary switch 52. The camera 53 in Fig. 3 captures a face image of the user.

[0030] Next, the configuration of the display control device 1 will be described. The display control device 1 in Fig. 3 includes an operation acquisition unit 11a, a line of sight acquisition unit 11b, a line of sight determination unit 12a, a speed determination unit 12b, and a parameter change unit 12c. Note that the operation acquisition unit 11a and the line of sight acquisition unit 11b in Fig. 3 are included in the concept of the acquisition unit 11 in Fig. 1, and the line of sight determination unit 12a, the speed determination unit 12b, and the parameter change unit 12c in Fig. 3 are included in the concept of the control unit 12 in Fig. 1.

[0031] The operation acquisition unit 11a acquires a change operation based on a rotation operation accepted by the rotary switch 52. Hereinafter, the operation acquisition unit 11a will be described as acquiring a rotation operation of rotating the rotary switch 52 by 10 degrees clockwise per sampling period (for example, 0.2 seconds) of the rotary switch 52 as a change operation of a forward operation unit (hereinafter, sometimes abbreviated as "unit"). According to such a configuration, for example, when a rotation operation of rotating clockwise by 90 degrees per sampling period is accepted, the operation acquisition unit 11a acquires a change operation of 9 units in the forward direction based on the rotation operation. Also, for example, when a rotation operation of rotating counterclockwise by 60 degrees per sampling period is accepted, the operation acquisition unit 11a acquires a change operation of 6 units in the reverse direction based on the rotation operation. Note that the period and angle that define the change operation of the operation unit are not limited to those described above.

[0032] The gaze acquiring unit 11b acquires the gaze of the user by performing image recognition processing on the image captured by the camera 53. For example, the gaze acquiring unit 11b acquires the gaze of the user based on the position of the cornea of ​​the eye relative to the entire eye of the face image.

[0033] The line-of-sight determination unit 12a performs line-of-sight determination to determine whether or not the line of sight acquired by the line-of-sight acquisition unit 11b is directed toward the display image of the display device 51. In the following description, the line-of-sight determination unit 12a determines that the line of sight is directed toward the display image when the line of sight is included in a range corresponding to the display image, and determines that the line of sight is not directed toward the display image when the line of sight is not included in the range. However, the line of sight determination is not limited to this. For example, the line of sight determination unit 12a may determine that the line of sight is directed toward the display image when the line of sight is included in a range corresponding to the entire screen of the display device 51, and may determine that the line of sight is not directed toward the display image when the line of sight is not included in the range.

[0034] The speed determination unit 12b performs speed determination to determine whether or not the speed of the change operation acquired by the operation acquisition unit 11a is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold. In the following description, the speed determination unit 12b determines that the speed is equal to or greater than the threshold when the change operation acquired per sampling period is equal to or greater than 3 units of change operation, and determines that the speed is smaller than the threshold when the change operation is smaller than 3 units of change operation. However, the period and threshold serving as the speed reference are not limited to those described above.

[0035] The parameter change unit 12c controls the change of parameters per operation unit based on the result of the line-of-sight determination by the line-of-sight determination unit 12a and the result of the speed determination by the speed determination unit 12b.

[0036] FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining the change control of the parameters per operation unit by the parameter change unit 12c according to the second embodiment.

[0037] The parameter modification unit 12c according to the second embodiment sets the normal modification to the parameter modification per operation unit when the line of sight is not directed to the display image and the speed of the modification operation is not determined to be equal to or greater than the threshold. That is, in any of the following cases: (i) the line of sight is directed to the display image and the speed of the modification operation is equal to or greater than the threshold, (ii) the line of sight is directed to the display image and the speed of the modification operation is slower than the threshold, or (iii) the line of sight is not directed to the display image and the speed of the modification operation is slower than the threshold, the normal modification is set to the parameter modification per operation unit.

[0038] On the other hand, the parameter modification unit 12c according to the second embodiment sets a skip modification larger than the normal modification for the parameter modification per operation unit when (iv) the line of sight is not directed toward the display image and the speed of the modification operation is determined to be equal to or greater than the threshold value. In the following, as an example, the skip modification is described as being twice as large as the normal modification.

[0039] 6 is a diagram for explaining the change of parameters by the parameter change unit 12c. The parameter change unit 12c changes the parameters based on the change operation acquired by the operation acquisition unit 11a and the change of the parameters per operation unit.

[0040] For example, assume that the rotary switch 52 is rotated clockwise by 20 degrees per sampling period when the first option in FIG. 6 is a selection candidate by adding a cursor or the like. In this case, the operation acquisition unit 11a acquires a change operation of 2 units, and the speed of the change operation is determined to be smaller than the threshold value. In this case, regardless of whether the line of sight is directed toward the displayed image or not, the parameter change unit 12c sets the parameter change per operation unit to a normal change by the change control of FIG. 5, and changes the parameter by 2 (=2×1). As a result, the state transitions to a state in which the third option, which is a distance of 2 from the first option in FIG. 6, becomes a selection candidate.

[0041] For example, assume that the rotary switch 52 is rotated clockwise by 40 degrees per sampling period when the first option in FIG. 6 is a selection candidate by adding a cursor or the like. In this case, the operation acquisition unit 11a acquires a change operation of 4 units, and the speed of the change operation is determined to be equal to or greater than the threshold. In this case, if it is determined that the line of sight is directed toward the display image, the parameter change unit 12c sets the parameter change per operation unit to normal change by the change control of FIG. 5, and changes the parameter by 4 (=4×1). As a result, the state transitions to a state where the fifth option, which is a distance of 4 from the first option in FIG. 6, becomes a selection candidate. On the other hand, if it is determined that the line of sight is not directed toward the display image in the above case, the parameter change unit 12c sets the parameter change per operation unit to skip change by the change control of FIG. 5, and changes the parameter by 8 (=4×2). As a result, the state transitions to a state where the ninth option (not shown), which is a distance of 8 from the first option in FIG. 6, becomes a selection candidate.

[0042] <Operation> FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the operation of the display control device 1 according to the second embodiment.

[0043] First, in step S11, the operation acquisition unit 11a acquires a change operation based on a rotation operation accepted by the rotary switch 52. In addition, the line of sight acquisition unit 11b acquires the line of sight of the user by performing image recognition processing on an image captured by the camera 53.

[0044] In step S12, the speed determination unit 12b performs speed determination to determine whether the speed of the change operation acquired by the operation acquisition unit 11a is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value. If it is determined that the speed of the change operation is equal to or greater than the predetermined threshold value, the process proceeds to step S13, and if it is determined that the speed of the change operation is smaller than the predetermined threshold value, the process proceeds to step S14.

[0045] In step S13, line-of-sight determination unit 12a performs line-of-sight determination to determine whether or not the line of sight acquired by line-of-sight acquisition unit 11b is directed toward the display image of display device 51. If it is determined that the line of sight is directed toward the display image of display device 51, the process proceeds to step S14, and if it is determined that the line of sight is not directed toward the display image of display device 51, the process proceeds to step S15.

[0046] In step S14, the parameter change unit 12c sets the parameter change per operation unit to normal change, and then the process proceeds to step S16.

[0047] In step S15, the parameter change unit 12c sets the parameter change per operation unit to skip change, and then the process proceeds to step S16.

[0048] In step S16, the parameter change unit 12c changes the parameters based on the change operation acquired by the operation acquisition unit 11a and the change in the parameters per operation unit, After that, the operation in FIG.

[0049] <Summary of the second embodiment> According to the display control device 1 of the second embodiment as described above, the parameter change per operation unit is controlled based on the results of the line of sight determination and the results of the speed determination. With this configuration, when the line of sight is not directed toward the display image and the speed of the change operation is equal to or greater than the threshold, the parameter change can be increased. When the line of sight is not directed toward the display image and the speed of the change operation is slower than the threshold, the parameter change can be decreased. With this configuration, a user who is accustomed to change operations can fine-tune the parameters without directing their line of sight toward the display image.

[0050] <Modification of the second embodiment> In the second embodiment, the change operation is a rotation operation on the rotary switch 52, the displayed image is the options in Fig. 6, and the parameter is used for one-dimensional movement of the options, but this is not limited thereto. For example, as described in the first embodiment, the change operation may be a scroll operation such as a flick on a touch panel, the displayed image is a map, and the parameter is used for two-dimensional movement of the map. In this configuration, the speed determination unit 12b may determine that the speed of the change operation is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value when three or more flicks per second are acquired as the change operation.

[0051] In the second embodiment, the parameter change unit 12c controls the change of parameters per operation unit based on the results of the gaze determination and the speed determination, that is, the determination results of (i) to (iv) in Fig. 5. Then, a normal change is set as the change of parameters per operation unit in the determination results of (i) to (iii) in Fig. 5, and a skip change is set as the change of parameters per operation unit in the determination result of (iv). That is, the change of parameters per operation unit in the determination results of (i) to (iv) in Fig. 5 is two types of change, namely, a normal change and a skip change, but is not limited thereto, and may be three types of change or four types of change.

[0052] <Embodiment 3> A block diagram showing the configuration of a display control device 1 according to the present embodiment 3 is similar to the block diagram (FIG. 3) of the embodiment 2. Hereinafter, among the components according to the present embodiment 3, components that are the same as or similar to the components described above are given the same or similar reference symbols, and different components will be mainly described.

[0053] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of the results of gaze determination and speed determination arranged in chronological order. "Inside" of "Gaze" indicates the result of gaze determination that the gaze is directed toward the display image (hereinafter referred to as inside determination result), and "Outside" of "Gaze" indicates the result of gaze determination that the gaze is not directed toward the display image (hereinafter referred to as outside determination result). "Large" of "Speed" indicates the result of speed determination that the speed of the change operation is equal to or greater than the threshold (hereinafter referred to as large determination result), and "Small" of "Speed" indicates the result of speed determination that the speed of the change operation is smaller than the threshold (hereinafter referred to as small determination result). Note that "large" of "Speed" corresponds to the amount of change operation per sampling period being equal to or greater than the threshold, and "Small" of "Speed" corresponds to the amount of operation being smaller than the threshold.

[0054] The display control device 1 according to the above-mentioned second embodiment is configured to control the change of parameters per operation unit based on the results of the gaze determination and the speed determination ((i) to (iv) in FIG. 5) for each sampling period. In such a configuration, it may not be possible to continuously perform control based on the determination result of (iv) due to factors such as the gaze being unintentionally glanced at the displayed image and the difficulty of continuously rotating the rotary switch 52 beyond a certain angle.

[0055] That is, even if the user intends to perform control based on the judgment result of (iv) at all points in Fig. 8, the judgment result of (iv) (outside judgment result and large judgment result) is not obtained at all points, and the control cannot be performed. In contrast, in the present embodiment 3 described below, it is possible to perform control based on any of the judgment results of (i) to (iv) as continuously as possible.

[0056] In the third embodiment, the line of sight determination and the speed determination are performed at least at a plurality of time points within a predetermined period, and the parameter change unit 12c stores the determination results at the plurality of time points. In the following description, the predetermined period is one second from the current time point, and the plurality of time points are every 0.2 seconds (5 samples). However, the predetermined period and the plurality of time points are not limited to this.

[0057] FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining the change control of the parameters per operation unit by the parameter change unit 12c according to the third embodiment.

[0058] The parameter change unit 12c controls the change of parameters per operation unit based on the number of times that the line of sight is determined to be directed toward the display image (inside determination number) and the number of times that the line of sight is determined to be not directed toward the display image (outside determination number) within a predetermined period. As an example, in the third embodiment, when the inside determination number is greater than the outside determination number within a predetermined period, the parameter change unit 12c determines that the inside determination result has been obtained at all time points within the predetermined period. On the other hand, when the outside determination number is greater than the inside determination number within a predetermined period, the parameter change unit 12c determines that the outside determination result has been obtained at all time points within the predetermined period.

[0059] In the case of FIG. 9, the inside determination count is 1 and the outside determination count is 4, so the parameter change unit 12c determines that the outside determination result has been obtained at all time points (5 samples) within the predetermined period.

[0060] FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining the change control of the parameters per operation unit by the parameter change unit 12c according to the third embodiment.

[0061] The parameter change unit 12c controls the change of parameters per operation unit based on the number of times (large judgment number) that the speed of the change operation is determined to be equal to or greater than the threshold within a predetermined period, and the number of times (small judgment number) that the speed of the change operation is determined to be smaller than the threshold within a predetermined period. As an example, in the third embodiment, when the number of large judgment numbers is greater than the number of small judgment numbers within a predetermined period, the parameter change unit 12c determines that a large judgment result has been obtained at all time points within the predetermined period. On the other hand, when the number of small judgment numbers is greater than the number of large judgment numbers within a predetermined period, the parameter change unit 12c determines that a small judgment result has been obtained at all time points within the predetermined period.

[0062] In the case of FIG. 10, the number of low judgments is 1 and the number of high judgments is 4, so the parameter change unit 12c determines that high judgment results have been obtained at all points (5 samples) within the predetermined period.

[0063] 11 and 12 are diagrams for explaining the change control of parameters per operation unit by the parameter change unit 12c according to the third embodiment. In both of Figs. 11 and 12, the number of inside judgments is two and the number of outside judgments is three, so the parameter change unit 12c determines that the outside judgment result has been obtained at all time points (five samples) within the predetermined period. In both of Figs. 11 and 12, the number of small judgments is two and the number of large judgments is three, so the parameter change unit 12c determines that the large judgment result has been obtained at all time points (five samples) within the predetermined period.

[0064] Thereafter, the parameter change unit 12c controls the change of the parameters per operation unit based on the result of the above-mentioned determination, in the same manner as in the second embodiment.

[0065] <Summary of the Third Embodiment> According to the display control device 1 of the third embodiment as described above, the change of the parameter per operation unit is controlled based on the number of times that the line of sight is determined to be directed toward the display image and the number of times that the line of sight is determined not to be directed toward the display image within a predetermined period. With this configuration, it is possible to suppress the influence of a momentary change in the direction of the line of sight on the change control of the parameter per operation unit.

[0066] According to the third embodiment, the parameter change per operation unit is controlled based on the number of times that the speed of the change operation is determined to be equal to or greater than the threshold value and the number of times that the speed of the change operation is determined to be smaller than the threshold value within a predetermined period. With this configuration, it is possible to prevent an instantaneous change in the speed of the change operation from affecting the parameter change control per operation unit.

[0067] <Modification of the third embodiment> In the third embodiment, the parameter change unit 12c controls the change of the parameters per operation unit based on the number of inside determinations, the number of outside determinations, the number of large determinations, and the number of small determinations, but this is not limited to the above.

[0068] For example, one of the combinations may be stored in advance in correspondence with a time series pattern of a combination of either an inside judgment result or an outside judgment result and either a large judgment result or a small judgment result within a predetermined period. For example, a combination of an inside judgment result and a small judgment result may be stored in advance in correspondence with the time series pattern of Fig. 11, and a combination of an inside judgment result and a large judgment result may be stored in advance in correspondence with the time series pattern of Fig. 12.

[0069] In the case of such a configuration, it is assumed that the time series pattern of the combination of the judgment result of the gaze judgment unit 12a and the judgment result of the speed judgment unit 12b matches the time series pattern of Fig. 11. In such a case, the parameter change unit 12c may determine that a combination of the inside judgment result and the small judgment result previously associated with the time series pattern of Fig. 11 has been obtained at all points in time within a predetermined period. Then, the parameter change unit 12c may control the change of the parameters per operation unit based on the inside judgment result and the small judgment result, as in the second embodiment.

[0070] In addition, in the case of the above configuration, it is assumed that the time series pattern of the combination of the gaze judgment result of the gaze judgment unit 12a and the speed judgment result of the speed judgment unit 12b matches the time series pattern of Fig. 12. In such a case, the parameter change unit 12c may determine that a combination of the inside judgment result and the large judgment result previously associated with the time series pattern of Fig. 12 has been obtained at all points in time within a predetermined period. Then, the parameter change unit 12c may control the change of parameters per operation unit based on the inside judgment result and the large judgment result, as in the second embodiment.

[0071] According to the display control device 1 configured as above, the change of the parameter per operation unit is controlled based on the time series pattern of the combination of either the inside judgment result or the outside judgment result and either the large judgment result or the small judgment result within a predetermined period. According to such a configuration, as shown in Fig. 11 and Fig. 12, even if the number of inside judgments, the number of outside judgments, the number of large judgments, and the number of small judgments are the same, when the time series pattern is different, the change of the parameter per operation unit can be made different. Note that the time series pattern itself and the correspondence between the time series pattern and one combination may be appropriately changed by machine learning using, for example, artificial intelligence.

[0072] <Modification 1 of the First to Third Embodiments> A user who is accustomed to the change operation may start the change operation without directing his / her gaze toward the displayed image. In such a case, if the skip change is used for changing the parameters per operation unit, the user will not be able to change the parameters appropriately.

[0073] Therefore, the parameter change per operation unit may be constant regardless of the result of the line of sight determination for a predetermined period (for example, one second) from the time when the acquisition unit 11 starts acquiring the change operation. With this configuration, even if a user who is accustomed to the change operation starts the change operation without directing his / her line of sight to the display image, the parameter can be changed appropriately.

[0074] <Modification 2 of the First to Third Embodiments> When it is determined that the line of sight is not directed toward the image and the acquisition unit 11 acquires a change operation, the control unit 12 may control the audio output device (not shown) to output a voice based on the change of the image displayed on the display device 51. For example, when a famous place name is displayed on the display device 51 by the change operation, the control unit 12 may cause the audio output device to output the place name by voice. Also, for example, when the first letter of the name of a facility or address displayed on the display device 51 is changed from "A" to "B" by the change operation, the control unit 12 may cause the audio output device to output "B" by voice. With such a configuration, the user can know what kind of image is displayed on the display device 51 without directing his / her line of sight toward the displayed image.

[0075] <Other Modifications> The acquisition unit 11 and the control unit 12 in FIG. 1 described above are hereinafter referred to as "acquisition unit 11, etc." The acquisition unit 11, etc. are realized by a processing circuit 81 shown in FIG. 13. That is, the processing circuit 81 includes an acquisition unit 11 that acquires a change operation from a user and acquires the user's line of sight, and a control unit 12 that controls the change of parameters per operation unit based on a result of line of sight determination that determines whether the line of sight is directed toward an image on a display device. Dedicated hardware may be applied to the processing circuit 81, or a processor that executes a program stored in a memory may be applied. Examples of the processor include a central processing unit, a processing unit, an arithmetic unit, a microprocessor, a microcomputer, and a DSP (Digital Signal Processor).

[0076] When the processing circuit 81 is a dedicated hardware, the processing circuit 81 corresponds to, for example, a single circuit, a composite circuit, a programmed processor, a parallel programmed processor, an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), or a combination of these. Each function of the acquisition unit 11 and the like may be realized by a circuit in which the processing circuits are distributed, or the functions of each unit may be realized by a single processing circuit.

[0077] When the processing circuit 81 is a processor, the functions of the acquisition unit 11 and the like are realized by a combination with software and the like. The software and the like includes, for example, software, firmware, or software and firmware. The software and the like are described as a program and stored in a memory. As shown in FIG. 14, the processor 82 applied to the processing circuit 81 realizes the functions of each unit by reading and executing a program stored in the memory 83. That is, the display control device 1 includes a memory 83 for storing a program that, when executed by the processing circuit 81, results in the execution of a step of acquiring a change operation from a user and acquiring the user's line of sight, and a step of controlling the change of parameters per operation unit based on the result of line of sight determination that determines whether the line of sight is directed toward the image of the display device. In other words, this program can be said to cause a computer to execute the procedure or method of the acquisition unit 11 and the like. Here, the memory 83 may be, for example, a non-volatile or volatile semiconductor memory such as a RAM (Random Access Memory), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a flash memory, an EPROM (Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory), an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory), an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), a magnetic disk, a flexible disk, an optical disk, a compact disk, a mini disk, a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc), a drive device thereof, or any storage medium to be used in the future.

[0078] The above describes a configuration in which each function of the acquisition unit 11, etc. is realized either by hardware or software, etc. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a configuration in which a part of the acquisition unit 11, etc. is realized by dedicated hardware and another part is realized by software, etc. For example, the functions of the acquisition unit 11 can be realized by a processing circuit 81, an interface, a receiver, etc. as dedicated hardware, and the functions of the other units can be realized by the processing circuit 81 as a processor 82 reading and executing a program stored in a memory 83.

[0079] As described above, the processing circuitry 81 can realize each of the above-mentioned functions by hardware, software, or a combination of these.

[0080] The display control device 1 described above can also be applied to a display control system constructed as a system by appropriately combining vehicle devices such as a PND (Portable Navigation Device), a navigation device, and a DMS (Driver Monitoring System), communication terminals including mobile terminals such as mobile phones, smartphones, and tablets, functions of applications installed in at least one of the vehicle devices and the communication terminals, and a server. In this case, each function or each component of the display control device 1 described above may be distributed and disposed in each device constituting the system, or may be concentrated in one of the devices.

[0081] Fig. 15 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a server 91 according to this modification. The server 91 in Fig. 15 includes a communication unit 91a and a control unit 91b, and is capable of wireless communication with a vehicle device 93 such as a navigation device and a DMS device of a vehicle 92.

[0082] The communication unit 91a, which is an acquisition unit, receives the change operation and the user's line of sight acquired by the vehicle device 93 by wirelessly communicating with the vehicle device 93.

[0083] The control unit 91b has a function similar to that of the control unit 12 in FIG. 1, by executing a program stored in a memory, not shown, of the server 91 by a processor, not shown, of the server 91. That is, the control unit 91b generates a control signal for controlling a change in a parameter per operation unit based on a result of a line-of-sight determination that determines whether or not the line of sight is directed toward an image on the display device. Then, the communication unit 91a transmits the control signal generated by the control unit 91b to the vehicle device 93. According to the server 91 configured in this manner, it is possible to obtain an effect similar to that of the display control device 1 described in the first embodiment.

[0084] Fig. 16 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a communication terminal 96 according to this modification. The communication terminal 96 in Fig. 16 includes a communication unit 96a similar to the communication unit 91a and a control unit 96b similar to the control unit 91b, and is capable of wireless communication with a vehicle device 98 of a vehicle 97. Note that the communication terminal 96 may be, for example, a mobile terminal such as a mobile phone, a smartphone, or a tablet carried by the driver of the vehicle 97. According to the communication terminal 96 configured in this manner, it is possible to obtain the same effects as the display control device 1 described in the first embodiment.

[0085] It should be noted that the embodiments and modifications may be freely combined, and the embodiments and modifications may be modified or omitted as appropriate.

[0086] The above description is illustrative in all respects and is not restrictive. It is understood that countless variations not illustrated can be envisioned. [Explanation of symbols]

[0087] 1 display control device, 11 acquisition unit, 12 control unit, 51 display device.

Claims

1. A display control device that controls a display device, an acquisition unit that acquires, from a user, a change operation for changing a parameter used in an image displayed on the display device, and acquires a line of sight of the user; a control unit that controls a change of the parameter per operation unit, which is a unit of the change operation, based on a result of a line-of-sight determination that determines whether or not the line of sight is directed toward the image on the display device; Equipped with A display control device in which the change in the parameter per operation unit is constant for a predetermined period from the time when the acquisition unit starts acquiring the change operation, regardless of the result of the line of sight determination.

2. A display control device according to claim 1, The control unit is A display control device that controls the change of the parameter per operation unit based on the result of the line of sight determination and the result of a speed determination that determines whether the speed of the change operation is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold.

3. A display control device according to claim 1, The line of sight determination is performed at a plurality of time points within a predetermined period of time, The control unit is A display control device that controls the change of the parameter per operation unit based on the number of times that the line of sight is determined to be directed toward the image and the number of times that the line of sight is determined to not be directed toward the image within the predetermined period.

4. A display control device according to claim 1, The control unit is A display control device that, when it is determined that the line of sight is not directed toward the image and the acquisition unit acquires the change operation, controls an audio output device to output audio based on a change to the image displayed on the display device.

5. The display control device according to claim 2, A display control device, wherein the change in the parameter per operation unit when the line of sight is not directed toward the image and it is determined that the speed of the change operation is greater than or equal to the threshold value, compared to the change in the parameter per operation unit when the line of sight is not directed toward the image and it is not determined that the speed of the change operation is greater than or equal to the threshold value.

6. The display control device according to claim 2, The speed determination is performed at a plurality of points in time within a predetermined period of time; The control unit is A display control device that controls the change of the parameter per operation unit based on the number of times that the speed of the change operation is determined to be greater than or equal to the threshold value and the number of times that the speed of the change operation is determined to be smaller than the threshold value within the predetermined period.

7. The display control device according to claim 2, the line of sight determination and the speed determination are performed at a plurality of time points within a predetermined period of time; The control unit is A display control device that controls the change of the parameter per operation unit based on a time series pattern of a combination of either a determination result that the gaze is directed toward the image or a determination result that the gaze is not directed toward the image within the predetermined period, and either a determination result that the speed of the change operation is greater than or equal to the threshold value or a determination result that the speed of the change operation is smaller than the threshold value.

8. A display control method for controlling a display device, comprising: acquiring, from a user, a change operation for changing a parameter used in an image displayed on the display device, and acquiring a line of sight of the user; controlling the change of the parameter per operation unit, which is a unit of the change operation, based on a result of a line-of-sight determination that determines whether or not the line of sight is directed toward the image on the display device; A display control method, wherein the change in the parameter per operation unit is constant for a predetermined period from the point in time when acquisition of the change operation begins, regardless of the result of the line of sight determination.

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