A control apparatus controls an agent apparatus functioning as a user interface of a request processing apparatus that acquires a request indicated by a voice of a user and performs a process corresponding to the request. The control apparatus includes a gaze point specifying section that specifies a gaze point of the user, and a state determining section that makes a determination to change a state of the agent apparatus from a standby state of processing an activation request for starting a response process via the agent to an activation state of processing a request other than the activation request via the agent, if the gaze point is positioned at (i) a portion of the agent used to transmit information to the user or (ii) a portion of an image output section that displays or projects an image of the agent.

A driving consciousness estimation device includes a driving readiness estimation unit configured to estimate a driving readiness relating to a driving consciousness of the driver from a driver's reaction to the travelling environment, a driving task demand estimation unit configured to estimate a driving task demand which is an index required for the driver with respect to the driving readiness from the travelling environment, and an attention awakening unit configured to execute awakening of attention for the driver relating to the driving of the vehicle based on the result of comparison between the driving readiness and the driving task demand.

A driving assistance apparatus includes a gaze detection portion detecting a gaze distribution of a driver for a vehicle, an image acquisition portion acquiring a captured image from an imaging device that captures an image in surroundings of the vehicle, a driver information acquisition portion acquiring driver information that allows identification of the driver for the vehicle, a generation portion generating a personalized saliency map based on the captured image and the driver information, the personalized saliency map that serves as a saliency map for the captured image and that differs depending on the driver, and a determination portion determining whether or not the driver looks at a visual confirmation target in the surroundings of the vehicle by comparing the gaze distribution detected by the gaze detection portion and the personalized saliency map generated by the generation portion.

The present systems, devices, and methods generally relate to controlling wearable displays during vehicle operation, and particularly to detecting when a user is operating a vehicle and restricting operation of a wearable display to prevent the user from being distracted. At least one processor of a wearable display system receives user context data from at least one user context sensor, and determines whether the user is operating a vehicle based on the user context data. If the user is operating a vehicle, presentation of at least one user interface is restricted. Unrestricted access can be restored by inputting an unlock input to override the restriction, or by analysis of additional user context data at a later time.

The invention relates to a method for calibrating an eye tracker unit of an operating device, wherein at least one apparatus is controlled by means of the operating device depending on at least one user input and wherein, in the case of the method, at least one graphical element is displayed respectively by a control unit of the operating device in at least one predetermined usage step of the operating device and at least one piece of viewing direction information is determined by means of the eye tracker unit for the user viewing a screen. The invention provides that, from the at least one displayed element, an optically salient element, on which the user must focus with their eyes in order to successfully perform the usage step, is established, and calibration data for the calibration of the eye tracker unit is generated depending on a display position of the optically salient element on the screen and depending on the at least one piece of viewing direction information.

The present invention relates to a method of evaluating a current risk of mismatch between actual driving automation capabilities of a vehicle and driving automation capabilities of the vehicle expected by a driver. The method comprises monitoring at least one physical property of the driver indicative of a gaze direction; determining a first visual attention metric value indicative of a level of visual attention to the road ahead; comparing the first visual attention metric value to a first threshold value; and providing, when the comparison indicates that the current level of visual attention to the road is lower than the first threshold level, a signal indicative of an elevated risk of expectation mismatch.

A method for the contactless shifting of visual information includes detecting at least one viewing direction to detect visual information in a first display area, and a movement of a hand and/or a movement of a head of a user toward a second display area. After the detection of the visual information in the first display area, and after the detected motion indicating a shift, the visual information is shown in the second display area upon the completion of the pivoting movement or movements.

The invention relates to a method for a user to control a device. According to the invention, the method comprises the following steps:identification of a device located in a viewing direction of the user (100) by means of analysis of at least one image obtained by an image sensor (111) and containing at least part of the user's (100) face; determination of an oral instruction; transmission of a command associated with the determined oral instruction to the device identified. The invention also relates to a control device (110) in which such a method can be carried out, as well as a system (110, 121, 122) and a motor vehicle (130) comprising such a device (110).

An object is to provide a technique which enables a driver to intuitively select and determine a target object to which a vehicle is to travel. A driving assistance apparatus includes a candidate selection unit which selects a target object candidate when the candidate selection unit determines that a visual line position of a driver is included in any setting range of a plurality of target object candidates and a target object determination unit which determines the target object candidate selected by the candidate selection unit as a target object when a determination button which can be operated by the driver is operated after the candidate selection unit selects the target object candidate.

A head up display arrangement is for a motor vehicle having a human driver. The arrangement includes a camera positioned and configured to capture images of a space in front of the vehicle. At least a portion of the space is blocked from view of the driver by a part of the vehicle. A head up display module produces virtual images that are visible to the driver. The virtual images are based on the images captured by the camera.