Awakening support apparatus and awakening support method
An awakening support apparatus for prompting a user inside a vehicle to awake by prompting the user to focus. The awakening support apparatus includes a first selector that selects one category from among a plurality of categories associated with groups of presentation content items, the groups being mutually different in type of focus mode in which the user is prompted to focus, a second selector that selects one or more presentation content items from among a group of presentation content items associated with the one category, and a controller that presents the one or more presentation content items to the user.
1 . An awakening support apparatus for prompting a user inside a vehicle to awake by prompting the user to focus, the awakening support apparatus comprising:
a first selector that selects one category from among a plurality of categories associated with groups of presentation content items, the groups being mutually different in type of focus mode in which the user is prompted to focus;
a second selector that selects one or more presentation content items from among a group of presentation content items associated with the one category; and
a controller that presents the one or more presentation content items to the user, wherein
the plurality of categories include:
(i) a category associated with, among the groups of presentation content items, a group of presentation content items each of which is related to a different specific situation, and
(ii) a category associated with, among the groups of presentation content items, a group of presentation content items each of which is related to a different unspecific situation.
2 . The awakening support apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
each presentation item of the groups of presentation content items is a question for the user or an instruction for causing the user to perform a predetermined operation.
3 . The awakening support apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the plurality of categories include:
(i) a category associated with, among the groups of presentation content items, a group of presentation content items each of which is related to a different situation in present, and
(ii) a category associated with, among the groups of presentation content items, a group of presentation content items each of which is related to a different situation in past or future.
4 . The awakening support apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the plurality of categories include:
(i) a category associated with, among the groups of presentation content items, a group of presentation content items each of which is related to a different specific situation in present;
(ii) a category associated with, among the groups of presentation content items, a group of presentation content items each of which is related to a different specific situation in past or future;
(iii) a category associated with, among the groups of presentation content items, a group of presentation content items each of which is related to a different unspecific situation in the present; and
(iv) a category associated with, among the groups of presentation content items, a group of presentation content items each of which is related to a different unspecific situation in the past or future.
5 . The awakening support apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a sleepiness estimator that estimates a sleepiness level indicating a degree of sleepiness of the user, based on state information indicating a result of detection performed by a state sensor that detects a state of the user, wherein
the first selector selects the one category according to the sleepiness level estimated by the sleepiness estimator.
6 . The awakening support apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein
when the sleepiness level estimated by the sleepiness estimator is greater than or equal to a first sleepiness threshold value, the controller presents the one or more presentation content items to the user.
7 . The awakening support apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein
when the sleepiness level estimated by the sleepiness estimator is greater than or equal to a second sleepiness threshold value that is higher than the first sleepiness threshold value,
the first selector changes the one category to an other category that is other than the one category among the plurality of categories, and
the second selector selects one or more presentation content items from among a group of presentation content items associated with the other category.
8 . The awakening support apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
each time a predetermined time elapses, the first selector changes the one category to an other category that is other than the one category among the plurality of categories, and
the second selector selects one or more presentation content items from among a group of presentation content items associated with the other category.
9 . The awakening support apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
each time presentation of any presentation content item among the group of presentation content items associated with the one category is performed a predetermined number of times, the first selector changes the one category to an other category that is other than the one category among the plurality of categories, and
the second selector selects one or more presentation content items from among a group of presentation content items associated with the other category.
10 . The awakening support apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the first selector selects the one category based on a predetermined order of the plurality of categories.
11 . The awakening support apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the first selector randomly selects the one category from among the plurality of categories.
12 . The awakening support apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the first selector selects the one category based on environment information indicating a result of detection performed by a surrounding environment sensor that detects an environment surrounding the vehicle.
13 . The awakening support apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein
the environment information indicates a traffic volume around the vehicle, and
when the traffic volume indicated by the environment information is greater than or equal to a predetermined amount, the first selector selects, as the one category, a category associated with, among the groups of presentation content items, a group of presentation content items each of which is related to a different specific situation in present.
14 . The awakening support apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the controller presents, to the user, any presentation content item among the group of presentation content items associated with the one category at a predetermined time interval.
15 . The awakening support apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein
the predetermined time interval is set based on environment information indicating a result of detection performed by a surrounding environment sensor that detects an environment surrounding the vehicle.
16 . The awakening support apparatus according to claim 14 , further comprising:
a sleepiness estimator that estimates a sleepiness level indicating a degree of sleepiness of the user, based on state information indicating a result of detection performed by a state sensor that detects a state of the user, wherein
the predetermined time interval is set based on the sleepiness level estimated by the sleepiness estimator.
17 . The awakening support apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the controller controls a presentation apparatus to present the one or more presentation content items to the user by at least one of sound or an image.
18 . An awakening support method for prompting a user inside a vehicle to awake by prompting the user to focus, the awakening support method comprising:
selecting one category from among a plurality of categories associated with groups of presentation content items, the groups being mutually different in type of focus mode in which the user is prompted to focus;
selecting one or more presentation content items from among a group of presentation content items associated with the one category; and
presenting the one or more presentation content items to the user, wherein
the plurality of categories include:
(i) a category associated with, among the groups of presentation content items, a group of presentation content items each of which is related to a different specific situation, and
(ii) a category associated with, among the groups of presentation content items, a group of presentation content items each of which is related to a different unspecific situation.