Text-reading device and text-reading method

1. A text-reading device comprising:

a visual line direction detection device that detects a visual line direction of a driver of a vehicle;

a memory that stores the visual line direction of the driver when the driver looks at a display screen of a display device, which is arranged in a compartment of the vehicle;

a gaze determination device that determines that the driver gazes at the display screen of the display device when a state that the visual line direction detected by the visual line direction detection device coincides with the visual line direction stored in the memory continues for a predetermined gaze determination time or longer;

a voice conversion device that converts text information as a display object of the display device to a voice signal when a read-starting instruction is input; and

a reading control device that inputs the read-starting instruction into the voice conversion device when a read-starting condition is satisfied that the gaze determination device determines that the driver gazes at the display screen of the display device while the display device displays the text information, and the vehicle starts to move;

wherein the voice conversion device starts to read the text information when a vehicle speed is changed from zero to a speed equal to or faster than a predetermined speed, and the driver averts eyes from the display device to start to run the vehicle after the gaze determination device determines that the driver gazes at the display screen while the driver stops the vehicle.

2. The text-reading device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the gaze determination device determines that the driver does not gaze at the display screen of the display device when a state that the visual line direction detected by the visual line direction detection device does not coincide with the visual line direction stored in the memory continues for a predetermined release determination time or longer after the gaze determination device determines that the driver gazes at the display screen of the display device.

3. The text-reading device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the display screen of the display device is divided into a plurality of regions,

wherein the memory stores the visual line direction of the driver in association with each region when the driver looks at each divided region, and

wherein the reading control device inputs the read-starting instruction into the voice conversion device when the read-starting condition is satisfied, the read-starting instruction being for reading the text information from a text part displayed in one of regions of the display screen of the display device, the one of regions at which the driver finally gazes.

4. The text-reading device according to claim 3 ,

wherein the reading control device inputs the read-starting instruction for reading the text information from a beginning of a text sentence initially displayed in one of the regions of the display screen, the one of the regions at which the driver finally gazes.

5. The text-reading device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the reading control device inputs the read-starting instruction into the voice conversion device when the read-starting condition is satisfied, the read-starting instruction being for reading the text information from a beginning of a text sentence, which is initially displayed on the display screen of the display device.

6. The text-reading device recited by claim 1 , wherein the voice conversion device starts to read the text information that is displayed on the display screen of the display device.

7. The text-reading device recited by claim 1 , wherein the voice conversion device starts to read the text information from a beginning of a sentence of the text information that is displayed on the display screen of the display device.

8. A text-reading method comprising:

detecting a visual line direction of a driver of a vehicle;

storing the visual line direction of the driver when the driver looks at a display screen of a display device, which is arranged in a compartment of the vehicle;

determining that the driver gazes at the display screen of the display device when a state that a detected visual line direction coincides with a stored visual line direction continues for a predetermined gaze determination time or longer;

inputting a read-starting instruction when it is determined that the driver gazes at the display screen of the display device while the display device displays the text information, and the vehicle starts to move;

converting the text information as a display object of the display device to a voice signal when the read-starting instruction is input, and outputting the voice signal; and

starting to read the text information when a vehicle speed is changed from zero to a speed equal to or faster than a predetermined speed, and the driver averts eyes from the display device to start to run the vehicle after the determining that the driver gazes at the display screen while the driver stops the vehicle.

9. The text-reading method recited by claim 8 , wherein starting to read the text information includes starting to read the text information that is displayed on the displace screen of the display device.

10. The text-reading method recited by claim 8 , wherein starting to read the text information includes starting to read the text information from a beginning of a sentence of the text information that is displayed on the display screen of the display device.

11. A text-reading device comprising:

a visual line direction detection device that detects a visual line direction of a driver of a vehicle;

an engine electronic control unit that detects a vehicle speed of the vehicle;

a memory that stores the visual line direction of the driver when the driver looks at a display screen of a display device arranged in a compartment of the vehicle; and

a control unit configured to:

determine that the driver gazes at the display screen of the display device in response to the visual line direction detected by the visual line direction detection device coinciding with the visual line direction stored in the memory for more than a predetermined gaze determination time period; and

start converting text information of a display object of the display device to a voice signal in response to (i) determining that the vehicle speed detected by the engine electronic control unit changed from zero to a speed greater than a predetermined speed; and (ii) determining that the driver gazed at the display screen while the vehicle was stopped.