On-vehicle device, vehicle, operation reception method, and recording medium

Abstract

Provided are: an on-vehicle device capable of receiving an operation from a driver in a form that causes less interference with driving; a vehicle; an operation reception method; and a recording medium.　The on-vehicle device comprises: one or more displays for receiving at least a screen element selection operation from a user seated in a seat of a vehicle; a storage means for storing information pertaining to an area on the display that is operated by the user via a non-contact method other than a touch panel; and an operation reception means for receiving the element selection operation for the area from the user via the non-contact method other than a touch panel.

Description

In-vehicle device, vehicle, operation reception method, and recording medium

[0001] The present invention relates to an in-vehicle device, a vehicle, an operation reception method, and a recording medium.

[0002] Displays mounted on vehicles tend to be larger, and there are some that integrate not only instrument panels but also air conditioners, audio systems, consoles of car navigation systems, etc.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses an information processing device capable of performing more appropriate operation support according to the depth of the relationship between the user and the operation target device. According to this document, this information processing device performs an operation of estimating a device (operation target device) that the user desires to operate based on at least one of the respective element information of the user's biological information, speech, and actions.

[0004] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2024-092633

[0005] When receiving an operation using a finger on a large display, there is a possibility of attracting the driver's side glance.

[0006] An object of the present disclosure is to provide an in-vehicle device, a vehicle, an operation reception method, and a recording medium that can receive an operation from a driver in a form that hardly hinders driving.

[0007] According to a first aspect, there is provided an in-vehicle device including one or more displays that receive a selection operation of at least an element on a screen from a user sitting on a seat of a vehicle, storage means for storing information regarding a range on the display that receives an operation from the user by a non-contact method other than a touch panel, and operation reception means for receiving a selection operation of the element from the user by a non-contact method other than the touch panel for the range.

[0008] According to a second aspect, there is provided a vehicle equipped with the above-described in-vehicle device.

[0009] From a third perspective, an operation reception method is provided for an in-vehicle device comprising a display that receives selection operations for at least one element on the screen from a user seated in a vehicle, and a storage means that stores information about a range on the display that receives operations from the user using a non-contact method other than a touch panel, and for which the user makes a selection operation for the element within the range using a non-contact method other than a touch panel, and the operation corresponding to the selected element on the screen is performed.

[0010] From a fourth perspective, an in-vehicle device is provided, which includes a display that accepts selection operations of at least elements on the screen from a user seated in a vehicle, and storage means for storing information about a range on the display that accepts operations from the user using a non-contact method other than a touch panel. The recording medium contains a program that causes the device to perform the following actions: a process of accepting selection operations of the elements from the user using a non-contact method other than a touch panel for the range; and a process of performing a process corresponding to the selected element on the screen.

[0011] This disclosure makes it possible to provide an in-vehicle device, a vehicle, an operation reception method, and a recording medium that can receive operations from the driver in a manner that does not significantly interfere with driving.

[0012] This is a diagram showing one configuration of the present disclosure. This is a diagram for explaining the operation of the present disclosure. This is a flowchart showing the operation of the present disclosure. This is a diagram showing one configuration of the present disclosure. This is a diagram for explaining the configuration of the in-vehicle device of the present disclosure. This is a flowchart showing the operation of the mapping system of the present disclosure. This is a diagram for explaining the operation of the in-vehicle device of the present disclosure. This is a diagram showing another configuration of the present disclosure. This is another diagram for explaining the operation of the in-vehicle device of the present disclosure. This is another diagram for explaining the operation of the in-vehicle device of the present disclosure. This is a diagram showing another configuration of the present disclosure. This is a diagram for explaining the operation of the present disclosure. This is a diagram showing the configuration of the computer constituting the in-vehicle device of the present disclosure.

[0013] First, an overview of one embodiment of this disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In this disclosure, the drawings are associated with one or more embodiments. The reference numerals in the drawings appended to this overview are provided for convenience as examples to aid understanding and are not intended to limit this disclosure to the illustrated embodiments. In addition, the connecting lines between blocks in the drawings and other references referred to in the following description include both bidirectional and unidirectional lines. Unidirectional arrows schematically indicate the flow of the main signal (data) and do not exclude bidirectionality. The program is executed via a computer device, which includes, for example, a processor, a storage device, an input device, a communication interface, and a display device as needed. This computer device is also configured to communicate with devices (including computers) inside or outside the device via the communication interface, whether wired or wireless. In addition, there are ports or interfaces at the input / output connection points of each block in the figures, but these are omitted from the illustration.

[0014] In one embodiment, this disclosure can be realized in an in-vehicle device 10, as shown in Figure 1, comprising one or more displays 13, a storage means 11, and an operation receiving means 12. More specifically, the displays 13 receive selection operations for at least one element on the screen from a user seated in a vehicle. The storage means 11 stores information about a range on the display that is subject to non-contact operation other than a touch panel from the user. The operation receiving means 12 receives selection operations for the elements within the range from the user using a non-contact method other than a touch panel. As a non-contact method other than a touch panel, for example, a method can be used to sense the user's movements or voice using the sensor S in Figure 1 and receive selections for elements.

[0015] Figure 2 is a diagram illustrating the range held by the storage means 11 and the operation of the operation receiving means 12 based on this range. In the example in Figure 2, a display 13 showing elements A to D is shown. The storage means 11 stores the range (operation receiving range) for which operations other than touch panel operations are accepted. In the example in Figure 2, the operation receiving range among elements A to D is elements A and B. Also, in the example in Figure 2, it is assumed that a microphone M is provided as the sensor S.

[0016] The in-vehicle device 10 configured as described above operates as follows. First, the in-vehicle device 10 receives a selection operation from the user for an element on the screen (step S01 in Figure 3). For example, if the user says "right" into the microphone M, the operation reception means 12 selects element B, which is to the right from the user's perspective, from within the operation reception range, rather than element D, which is at the far right.

[0017] Next, the in-vehicle device 10 executes the process corresponding to the selected element on the screen (step S02 in Figure 3). For example, if element A is the operation to open the hood and element B is the operation to open the charging port or fuel filler cap, the in-vehicle device 10 performs the operation to open the charging port or fuel filler cap.

[0018] As explained above, this disclosure allows the driver to input commands in a manner that does not significantly interfere with driving. This is because a range is set for accepting non-contact input methods other than touch panels, and a configuration is adopted that accepts non-contact input methods other than touch panels within that range. If the range is not set, the range of selection operations for elements on the screen becomes wider, making it more difficult for the user to give instructions, and also complicating the processing in the operation reception means 12. According to this disclosure, for example, as shown in Figure 2, two of the four elements on the screen are the targets of operation, so the user only needs to give instructions such as "left" or "right," and the processing on the in-vehicle device side is also simplified.

[0019] In the above explanation, it was assumed that the user would select an element by indicating its position, such as "left" or "right." However, when accepting element selection via microphone M, it is also possible to accept direct voice commands. Such voice commands may include phrases like "open hood" or "open charging port." Even in this case, by limiting the range of voice commands that are accepted, the possibility of unintended element selection by the user can be reduced. Furthermore, it is possible to use a camera or the like as the sensor S. In this case, element selection would be accepted based on the direction of the face, the user's gaze, gestures, etc. (See Embodiment 1 and subsequent embodiments below).

[0020] [First Embodiment] Next, a first embodiment will be described in which the user can select elements on an image by changing the direction of their face. Figure 4 is a diagram showing one configuration of the present disclosure. Referring to Figure 4, a vehicle configuration is shown which includes a camera 106, an in-vehicle device 100 that receives images from the camera 106, and a display 105 with a touch panel that functions as an instrument panel or center cluster. The camera 106 is capable of photographing a user (driver) U sitting in a seat SH.

[0021] The in-vehicle device 100 includes a storage unit 101, an operation reception unit 102, a decision unit 103, and a processing execution unit 104.

[0022] The determination unit 103 is connected to the position sensor of the seat SH and, based on the information received from the position sensor, determines the range within the display range of the display 105 that accepts non-contact operation other than the touch panel from the user U. For example, the determination unit 103 can estimate the range on the display 105 that the user U can touch (the range their fingertips can reach) from the position of the seat SH, and define the range that extends beyond that range and contains selectable elements as the aforementioned range. For example, if element D is within the range that the user U can touch among elements A to D displayed on the display 105 in Figure 5, the determination unit 103 determines the range in which elements A to C are displayed as the range that accepts non-contact operation other than the touch panel. Note that the touchable range (the range their fingertips can reach) does not have to be the range that the user U can physically touch; for example, the range that the user U can touch while remaining seated on the seat SH may be estimated.

[0023] The memory unit 101 stores information regarding the range on the display 105 that accepts operations from user U using a non-contact method other than the touch panel, as determined by the determination unit 103. Furthermore, the memory unit 101 stores the contents of the processing corresponding to elements A to D arranged on the display 105. This memory unit 101 corresponds to the memory means 11 described above.

[0024] When the operation reception unit 102 finds that a predetermined condition for starting element selection based on the direction of the face has been met, it determines the direction of the user U's face based on the image captured by the camera 106. The predetermined condition can be that the user U has turned ON a switch SW located on the part of the steering wheel that is gripped. Of course, the switch SW may be located elsewhere than the steering wheel. Alternatively, instead of operating the switch, the predetermined condition may be that a predetermined phrase has been spoken aloud, or that the vehicle is stopped. In this way, the element selection operation can be started smoothly while driving. Furthermore, a condition for ending element selection may also be defined. For example, the termination condition can be that a switch located on the part of the steering wheel that is gripped is turned OFF. In this way, the element selection operation can be easily ended while driving. Similarly, instead of operating the switch, the termination condition may be that a predetermined phrase has been spoken aloud, or that the vehicle has changed from a stopped state to a moving state.

[0025] Furthermore, the operation reception unit 102 receives a selection operation for elements A to C within the range determined by the determination unit 103, and an execution confirmation operation, based on the direction of the user U's face as determined above. The execution confirmation operation can be, for example, the ON operation of a switch SW provided on the gripping part of the handle. Upon receiving the execution confirmation operation, the operation reception unit 102 requests the processing execution unit 104 to execute the processing corresponding to the selected element, based on the content of the processing corresponding to elements A to D stored in the storage unit 101. For example, if user U is looking to the left, the operation reception unit 102 assumes that element A has been selected and requests the processing execution unit 104 to execute the processing corresponding to element A. To cancel the selected element and return to selecting an element, for example, the user can perform the OFF operation and then the ON operation of the aforementioned switch SW. Such an operation reception unit 102 corresponds to the operation reception means 12 described above.

[0026] The processing execution unit 104 accepts touch panel operations on the display 105 and also executes the processing instructed by the operation reception unit 102.

[0027] Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Figure 6 is a flowchart showing the operation of the in-vehicle device 100 of this disclosure. Referring to Figure 6, first, the in-vehicle device 100 determines whether or not the start condition for the element selection operation based on the orientation of the face has been met (step S001).

[0028] If the in-vehicle device 100 determines that the conditions for starting an element selection operation based on the orientation of the face have been met, (Yes in step S001) the in-vehicle device 100 determines the orientation of the user U's face based on the image captured by the camera 106 (step S002).

[0029] Next, the in-vehicle device 100 selects an element corresponding to the face orientation determined in step S002 (step S003). For example, if user U is looking straight ahead, the operation reception unit 102 determines that the central element B has been selected, as shown in Figure 7.

[0030] Next, the in-vehicle device 100 receives an execution confirmation operation from the user U for the selected element (step S004). If the execution confirmation operation is performed (Yes in step S004), the in-vehicle device 100 executes the processing corresponding to the selected element (step S005). For example, if element B is linked to an air conditioner, the in-vehicle device 100 displays the air conditioner's operation screen on the display 105. If child elements are placed on this air conditioner's operation screen, the in-vehicle device 100 can accept operations to switch the air conditioner's operating mode and set temperature using the same procedure as in steps S002 to S004. If a negative operation for execution confirmation is performed in step S004 (No in step S004), the in-vehicle device 100 returns to step S002 and resumes determining the direction of the face.

[0031] The in-vehicle device 100 accepts the element selection operation based on the orientation of the face until the predetermined termination condition for the element selection operation is met (No. in step S006). On the other hand, if the predetermined termination condition for the element selection operation is met, the in-vehicle device 100 terminates the element selection operation based on the orientation of the face (Yes in step S006).

[0032] As described above, this embodiment makes it possible for a user driving a vehicle to operate the vehicle's functions by the direction of their face. In particular, in this embodiment, since elements can be selected by the direction of the face rather than the line of sight, the user can select elements by changing the direction of their face while maintaining their line of sight.

[0033] In the embodiment described above, it was assumed that there was only one display 105, but there may be multiple displays 105. For example, as shown in Figure 8, in addition to the touch panel display 105, the vehicle may be equipped with a sub-display 105-2. In this case, the memory unit 101 may be configured to set the area of ​​the sub-display 105-2 as the range described above, and the operation reception unit 102 may be configured to accept selection operations of elements on the sub-display 105-2 based on the orientation of the user U's face. The sub-display 105-2 may be a display without a touch panel.

[0034] Furthermore, although elements A to D were described as being arranged horizontally in the above embodiment, the elements that accept selection operations based on the direction of the face may be arranged vertically on the display 105, as shown in Figure 9. In this way, it becomes possible to accept selection operations for elements A to C based on the vertical direction of the user U's face. In this case, the user U can select elements by tilting their head upwards or downwards while looking straight ahead. This vertical layout of elements has the advantage of not interfering with the user U's attention to what is ahead while driving.

[0035] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the operation reception unit 102 may present the range determined by the determination unit 103 or elements A to C within that range in a way that is visible to the user U. For example, in the example of Figure 10, the range determined by the determination unit 103 or elements A to C within that range are highlighted, making it possible for the user to see the elements that can be selected by the direction of their face. This makes it easier for the user U to select elements. In the example of Figure 10, the outer edges of elements A to C are highlighted by making them thicker, but the form of highlighting is not limited to this, and other methods such as changing the color of the elements or making the elements blink can also be used. Conversely, it is also possible to keep the display of elements A to C as they are and make the element D, which is not the target, less conspicuous. Furthermore, in the example of Figure 10, elements A to C are highlighted, but the area in which elements A to C are located may also be highlighted.

[0036] Furthermore, although the above embodiment described the case where there are three selectable elements, if there are four or more selectable elements, various UIs (user interfaces) such as the following can be adopted. (1) Determining the selection target by the angle of the face For example, with the front as 0 degrees, the range of 30 degrees to the left and right is set as the range in which element selection is accepted based on the direction of the face. For example, if four elements are arranged horizontally from left to right, the elements are assigned as follows: if the direction of the face is 15 degrees or more to the left = the leftmost element, if it is less than 15 degrees to the left = the second element from the left, if it is less than 15 degrees to the right = the third element from the left, and if it is 15 degrees or more to the left = the rightmost element. The range of angles and the number of divisions based on the direction of the face may be changed according to the number of elements that are accepted for selection. For example, if there are two elements, if the direction of the face is less than 30 degrees to the left = the left element, and if it is less than 30 degrees to the right = the right element. (2) Focus transition If the direction of the face is changed from front → right → front, that is, if the head is turned to the right once, the focus is transitioned to the element one position to the right. Furthermore, if the user moves their head from front to left and back to front, that is, if they turn their head once to the right, the focus will shift to the element one position to the left. By using this type of focus transition UI, it becomes possible to handle the selection of elements from a large number of elements.

[0037] [Second Embodiment] Next, a second embodiment will be described in which the method for determining the range in which user U can perform operations using non-contact methods other than the touch panel has been modified. Figure 11 is a diagram showing another configuration of the present disclosure. The difference from the first embodiment shown in Figure 4 is that the determination unit 103a of the in-vehicle device 100a acquires an image from the camera 106 instead of the seat SH position sensor and determines the aforementioned range based on the user U's physique. The other configurations are almost the same as in the first embodiment, so the following will mainly describe the differences in operation.

[0038] The determination unit 103a acquires an image of user U taken from camera 106 and estimates the user's physique based on the image of the user captured in the image. Based on this physique, the determination unit 103a determines the range of the display 105 that user U can operate using non-contact methods other than the touch panel. In this embodiment as well, based on user U's physique, the determination unit 103a estimates the range on the display 105 that user U can touch (the range their fingertips can reach), and the area beyond that range where selectable elements are located can be defined as the aforementioned "range".

[0039] Other configurations and operations are the same as in the first embodiment, so their description will be omitted. According to this embodiment, the range in which non-contact operations other than touch panel operations are accepted can be determined using a camera 106 that receives element selection operations from user U. In the above description, the determination unit 103a was described as estimating the user's physique based on the image of the user captured by the camera 106, but the seat position may be estimated from the size of the seat captured by the camera 106.

[0040] [Third Embodiment] Next, a third embodiment will be described in which stability is improved when operating the pointer (cursor) using the orientation of the face. Figure 12 is a diagram showing another configuration of the present disclosure. The difference from the first embodiment shown in Figure 4 is that the operation reception unit 102b of the in-vehicle device 100a has an element selection function using a pointer (cursor) implemented. The other configurations are almost the same as those of the first embodiment, so the differences in operation will be explained below.

[0041] When predetermined conditions for initiating element selection based on face orientation are met, the operation reception unit 102b determines the face orientation of user U based on the image captured by the camera 106. Then, based on the determined face orientation of user U, the operation reception unit 102b displays a pointer (cursor) on the range determined by the determination unit 103 and accepts the selection operation for elements A to C. This selection operation for elements A to C can take the form of accepting a second operation while the pointer (cursor) is positioned over any of elements A to C. This second operation can be a predetermined gesture, button operation, voice input, etc.

[0042] When attempting to move the pointer (cursor) by moving the direction of the face, there is a problem in that even minute movements of the face are transmitted to the pointer (cursor), making it difficult to select elements. Therefore, the operation reception unit 102b of this embodiment is equipped with the following mechanism.

[0043] FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining a mechanism in which the operation reception unit 102b moves a pointer (cursor) on the display 105 according to the face orientation. As shown in FIG. 13, first, a virtual screen VD larger than the actual display 105 is prepared, and elements A to C are arranged thereon at intervals wider than the elements on the display 105. Then, the operation reception unit 102b moves the pointer (cursor) P1 on the virtual screen VD according to the face orientation. As described above, since the virtual screen VD is larger than the actual display 105, even if a fine movement of the face orientation occurs, it does not result in a large movement of the pointer (cursor) P1. Then, the operation reception unit 102b uses the position of the pointer (cursor) P1 on this virtual screen VD to move the pointer (cursor) P2 on the display 105 and receives a selection operation of an element from the user U.

[0044] As described above, according to the present embodiment, even in a situation where a fine movement of the face orientation of the user U occurs, it is possible to facilitate the selection of an element by the pointer (cursor).

[0045] Although each embodiment of the present disclosure has been described above, the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and further modifications, substitutions, and adjustments can be made without departing from the basic technical idea of the present disclosure. For example, the network configuration, the configuration of each element, and the data representation form shown in each drawing are examples for assisting in understanding the present disclosure, and are not limited to the configurations shown in these drawings.

[0046] For example, in the above-described first to third embodiments, the in-vehicle devices 100 to 100b have been described as receiving a selection operation of an element according to the face orientation, but the method of receiving the selection operation of an element is not limited to this. For example, the present disclosure can be modified to a form of receiving a selection operation of an element by voice, gaze, gesture, or the like.

[0047] In addition, in the above-described embodiment, it is assumed that the present disclosure is applied to a vehicle having a steering wheel for manual driving, but the present disclosure can also be applied to receiving operations from passengers or the like in an autonomous vehicle. In the case of an autonomous vehicle, operations by the user U are not assumed, and a steering wheel or the like may be omitted, but by applying the present disclosure, it becomes possible to receive various operations based on the direction of the face.

[0048] (Regarding Hardware Configuration) In each embodiment of the present disclosure, each component of each device represents a functional unit block. Some or all of the components of each device are realized by an arbitrary combination of an information processing device 900 and a program as shown in FIG. 14, for example. FIG. 14 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of an information processing device 900 that realizes each component of each device. The information processing device 900 includes, as an example, the following configurations: - CPU (Central Processing Unit) 901 - ROM (Read Only Memory) 902 - RAM (Random Access Memory) 903 - Program 904 loaded into RAM 903 - Storage device 905 that stores program 904 - Drive device 907 that reads and writes to recording medium 906 - Communication interface 908 connected to communication network 909 - Input / output interface 910 that performs input / output of data - Bus 911 that connects each component

[0049] Each component of each device in each embodiment is realized by the CPU 901 acquiring and executing a program 904 that realizes these functions. That is, in the CPU 901 of FIG. 14, an element selection reception program or a processing execution program may be executed to perform an update process of each calculation parameter held in the RAM 903, the storage device 905, or the like. The program 904 that realizes the functions of each component of each device is stored in the storage device 905 or the ROM 902 in advance, for example, and is read by the CPU 901 as needed. Note that the program 904 may be supplied to the CPU 901 via the communication network 909, or may be stored in the recording medium 906 in advance, and the drive device 907 may read the program and supply it to the CPU 901.

[0050] There are various variations in how each device is implemented. For example, each device may be implemented by any combination of a separate information processing device 900 and a program for each component. Alternatively, multiple components of each device may be implemented by any combination of a single information processing device 900 and a program. That is, each part (processing means, function) of the above-described in-vehicle devices 10, 100-100b can be implemented by a computer program that causes a processor mounted on the device to execute the above-described processing using its hardware.

[0051] Furthermore, some or all of the components of each device are realized by other general-purpose or dedicated circuits, processors, etc., or combinations thereof. These may be made up of a single chip or multiple chips connected via a bus.

[0052] Some or all of the components of each device may be realized by a combination of the circuits and programs described above.

[0053] When some or all of the components of each device are implemented by multiple information processing devices or circuits, these multiple information processing devices or circuits may be centrally located or distributed. For example, the information processing devices or circuits may be implemented in a form in which each is connected via a communication network, such as a client-and-server system or a cloud computing system.

[0054] The embodiments described above are preferred embodiments of this disclosure and do not limit the scope of this disclosure to these embodiments alone. That is, a person skilled in the art can modify or substitute the embodiments described above to construct various modified forms without departing from the gist of this disclosure.

[0055] Some or all of the above embodiments may also be described as follows, but are not limited to these.

[0056] [Note 1] An in-vehicle device comprising: one or more displays that accept selection operations of at least one element on the screen from a user seated in a vehicle seat; storage means for storing information about a range on the display that accepts operations from the user using a non-contact method other than a touch panel; and operation receiving means for accepting selection operations of the element from the user using a non-contact method other than a touch panel within the range. [Note 2] The operation receiving means of the above-described in-vehicle device may be configured to present the range or element on the display that accepts operations using a non-contact method other than a touch panel in a way that is visible to the user. [Note 3] The above-described in-vehicle device may further be configured to include determination means that estimates a range that is out of the user's reach based on the position of the seat or the user's physique, and determines the range that accepts operations from the user seated in the vehicle using a method other than a touch panel. [Note 4] The determination means of the above-described in-vehicle device may be configured to estimate the position of the seat or the user's physique based on an image of the user captured by a camera. [Note 5] The above-described in-vehicle device may be configured to include a display with a touch panel and a display without a touch panel as the display. [Note 6] The above-described in-vehicle device may further include a shooting means for photographing the face of a user sitting in the seat of the vehicle, and the operation receiving means may be configured to accept selection operations of elements on the screen using the orientation of the user's face. [Note 7] In the above-described in-vehicle device, the elements on the screen may be arranged in the vertical direction, and the operation receiving means may be configured to accept selections from the user from among the elements arranged in the vertical direction. [Note 8] The operation receiving means of the above-described in-vehicle device may use a virtual screen larger than the display, arrange the elements on the screen on the virtual screen at wider intervals than the elements on the screen, and accept selection operations of elements on the screen using the orientation of the user's face relative to the virtual screen.[Note 9] The operation receiving means of the above-described in-vehicle device is connected to a predetermined switch, and when the predetermined switch is ON, it can be configured to accept operations by a method other than the touch panel. [Note 10] The above-described in-vehicle device is further equipped with a microphone, and the operation receiving means can be configured to accept selection operations of elements on the screen using voice instructions emitted by the user. [Note 11] A vehicle equipped with an in-vehicle device comprising: one or more displays that accept selection operations of elements on the screen from a user seated in a vehicle seat; storage means for storing information about a range on the display that accepts operations from the user by a non-contact method other than the touch panel; and operation receiving means for accepting selection operations of elements from the user by a non-contact method other than the touch panel for the range. [Note 12] An operation reception method for an in-vehicle device comprising a display that receives selection operations for at least one element on the screen from a user seated in a vehicle, and storage means for storing information about a range on the display that receives operations from the user using a non-contact method other than a touch panel, wherein the method receives selection operations for the range from the user using a non-contact method other than a touch panel, and executes processing corresponding to the selected element on the screen. [Note 13] A recording medium that records a program causing an in-vehicle device comprising a display that receives selection operations for at least one element on the screen from a user seated in a vehicle, and storage means for storing information about a range on the display that receives operations from the user using a non-contact method other than a touch panel, wherein the method receives processing from the user for selecting the range from the user using a non-contact method other than a touch panel, and executes processing corresponding to the selected element on the screen. Note that the forms described in each of the above notes can be combined with each other after making the necessary modifications.For example, a configuration that combines the contents described in Appendix 2 and the contents described in Appendix 3, presents the range or element in a way that is visible to the user, and estimates the range that is out of the user's reach based on the seat position, is also included in the scope of disclosure of this specification. Furthermore, the forms described in Appendix 10 to 12 can be expanded into the forms described in Appendix 2 to 9, similar to Appendix 1.

[0057] Furthermore, each disclosure in the above-mentioned patent documents is incorporated into this document by reference and may be used as the basis or part of this disclosure as necessary. Within the framework of this disclosure (including the claims), further modifications and adjustments to the embodiments or examples are possible based on their fundamental technical concept. Also, within the framework of this disclosure, various combinations or selections (including partial deletions) of various disclosure elements (including each element of each claim, each element of each embodiment or example, each element of each drawing, etc.) are possible. In other words, this disclosure naturally includes the entire disclosure, including the claims, and various modifications and alterations that a person skilled in the art could make in accordance with the technical concept. In particular, with respect to the numerical ranges described in this document, any numerical value or sub-range included within that range should be interpreted as being specifically described, even if not otherwise stated. Furthermore, each disclosure item of the above-mentioned cited documents may, as necessary, be used in part or in whole as part of this disclosure, in accordance with the spirit of this disclosure, and this is also considered to be included in the disclosure items of this application.

[0058] 10, 100, 100a, 100b In-vehicle device 11 Storage means 12 Operation reception means 13 Display 101 Storage unit 102, 102b Operation reception unit 103, 103a Decision unit 104 Processing execution unit 105 Display 105-2 Sub-display 106 Camera 900 Information processing device 901 CPU (Central Processing Unit) 902 ROM (Read Only Memory) 903 RAM (Random Access Memory) 904 Program 905 Storage device 906 Recording medium 907 Drive device 908 Communication interface 909 Communication network 910 Input / output interface 911 Bus A-D Elements M Microphone P1, P2 Pointer (Cursor) S Sensor SH Sheet SW Switch U User VD Virtual Screen

Claims

1. An in-vehicle device comprising: one or more displays that receive selection operations on at least one element on the screen from a user seated in a vehicle; storage means for storing information about a range on the display that receives operations from the user using a non-contact method other than a touch panel; and operation receiving means for receiving selection operations from the user for the range using a non-contact method other than a touch panel.

2. The in-vehicle device according to claim 1, wherein the operation receiving means presents to the user a range or element on the display that accepts operations by a non-contact method other than the touch panel, in a manner that is visible to the user.

3. The in-vehicle device according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising determination means for estimating the range that is out of reach of the user based on the position of the seat or the user's physique, and determining the range in which operation by a method other than the touch panel will be accepted from the user seated in the vehicle.

4. The in-vehicle device according to claim 3, wherein the determination means estimates the seat position or the user's physique based on an image of the user captured by a camera.

5. The in-vehicle device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the display includes a display with a touch panel and a display without a touch panel.

6. The in-vehicle device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising a shooting means for photographing the face of a user seated in the vehicle, wherein the operation receiving means accepts a selection operation of an element on the screen using the orientation of the user's face.

7. The in-vehicle device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the elements on the screen are arranged in a vertical direction, and the operation receiving means receives a selection from the user from among the elements arranged in the vertical direction.

8. The in-vehicle device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the operation receiving means uses a virtual screen larger than the display, arranges the elements on the virtual screen at wider intervals than the elements on the screen, and accepts a selection operation of the elements on the screen using the orientation of the user's face relative to the virtual screen.

9. The in-vehicle device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the operation receiving means is connected to a predetermined switch, and when the predetermined switch is in the ON state, it accepts operation by a method other than the touch panel.

10. An in-vehicle device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, further comprising a microphone, wherein the operation receiving means accepts selection operations of elements on the screen using voice instructions emitted by the user.

11. A vehicle equipped with an in-vehicle device according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

12. An operation reception method for an in-vehicle device comprising: a display that receives selection operations for at least one element on the screen from a user seated in a vehicle; and storage means that stores information regarding a range on the display that receives operations from the user using a non-contact method other than a touch panel; the method for receiving selection operations for the element on the screen from the user using a non-contact method other than a touch panel for the range; and executing processing corresponding to the selected element on the screen.

13. A recording medium that records a program causing an in-vehicle device to perform the following actions: a process for receiving an operation from the user to select at least one element on the screen from a user seated in a vehicle seat; and a process for performing an operation corresponding to the selected element on the screen from the user within the specified range using a non-contact method other than a touch panel.

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