Information presentation device, information presentation method and program product for presenting information

1. An information presentation apparatus that is mounted in a vehicle, the information presentation apparatus comprising at least one processor programmed to:

detect an out-of-vehicle risk object that exists around the vehicle and potentially poses a risk to the vehicle;

detect a gaze direction of a driver of the vehicle;

determine whether the out-of-vehicle risk object is recognized by the driver based on a detection result of the out-of-vehicle risk object of the gaze direction; and

present, to the driver, out-of-vehicle risk information regarding the out-of-vehicle risk object in a presentation mode, wherein

the at least one processor is further programmed to:

change the presentation mode depending on whether the out-of-vehicle risk object is recognized by the driver based on a determination result of the out-of-vehicle object;

calculate a value of an attention buffer by increasing the value of the attention buffer at a predetermined increase rate when the driver is viewing the out-of-vehicle risk object and by decreasing the value of the attention buffer at a predetermined decrease rate when the driver is not viewing the out-of-vehicle risk object; and

determine whether the out-of-vehicle risk object is recognized by the driver based on the calculated value of the attention buffer; and

increase the decrease rate when the out-of-vehicle risk object changes its behavior after the driver changed from a viewing state where the driver was viewing the out-of-vehicle risk object to a non-viewing state where the driver was not viewing the out-of-vehicle risk object.

2. The information presentation apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the at least one processor is further programmed to:

supplementarily present the out-of-vehicle risk information when the out-of-vehicle risk object is recognized by the driver; and

present the out-of-vehicle risk information such that the driver is able to visually recognize an object in a direction toward the out-of-vehicle risk object when the out-of-vehicle risk object is not recognized by the driver.

3. The information presentation apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the at least one processor is programmed to control:

a first presentation device to present the out-of-vehicle risk information when the out-of-vehicle risk object is recognized by the driver, the first presentation device being located closest to the out-of-vehicle risk object in the direction toward the out-of-vehicle risk object; and

a second presentation device to present the out-of-vehicle risk information when the out-of-vehicle risk object is not recognized by the driver, the second presentation device being located at least in a direction in which the driver is recognizable.

4. The information presentation apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the at least one processor is further programed to:

determine the presentation mode and a presentation position at which the out-of-vehicle risk information is to be presented based on the gaze direction of the driver and the direction in which the out-of-vehicle risk object exists; and

present the out-of-vehicle risk information in the determined presentation mode and at the determined presentation position.

5. The information presentation apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the at least one processor is programmed to present guidance information, as the out-of-vehicle risk information, that directs the gaze direction of the driver toward the out-of-vehicle risk object when the out-of-vehicle risk object is not recognized by the driver.

6. The information presentation apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein

the guidance information is presented by moving light from the gaze direction of the driver toward the out-of-vehicle risk object.

7. The information presentation apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein

when the driver changes from a non-recognition state where the out-of-vehicle risk object is not recognized by the driver to a recognition state where the out-of-vehicle risk object is recognized by the driver, the at least one processor is programmed to changes the presentation mode from a mode in which the out-of-vehicle risk information is presented such that the driver is able to recognize an object in the direction in which the out-of-vehicle risk object exists to a mode in which the out-of-vehicle risk information is supplementarily presented.

8. A method for an information presentation apparatus that is mounted in a vehicle, the method comprising:

detecting an out-of-vehicle risk object that exists around the vehicle and potentially poses a risk to the vehicle;

detecting a gaze direction of a driver of the vehicle;

determining whether the out-of-vehicle risk object is recognized by the driver based on a detection result of the out-of-vehicle risk object and a detection result of the gaze direction; and

presenting, to the driver, out-of-vehicle risk information regarding the out-of-vehicle risk object in a presentation mode, wherein

the method further comprises:

changing the presentation mode depending on whether the out-of-vehicle risk object is recognized by the driver based on a determination result of the out-of-vehicle object;

calculating a value of an attention buffer by increasing the value of the attention buffer at a predetermined increase rate when the driver is viewing the out-of-vehicle risk object and by decreasing the value of the attention buffer at a predetermined decrease rate when the driver is not viewing the out-of-vehicle risk object;

determining whether the out-of-vehicle risk object is recognized by the driver based on the calculated value of the attention buffer; and

increasing the decrease rate when the out-of-vehicle risk object changes its behavior after the driver changed from a viewing state where the driver was viewing the out-of-vehicle risk object to a non-viewing state where the driver was not viewing the out-of-vehicle risk object.

9. A non-transitory, computer readable, tangible storage medium storing a program for at least one processor of an information presentation apparatus that is mounted in a vehicle, the program, when executed by the at least one processor, causing the at least one processor to perform:

detecting an out-of-vehicle risk object that exists around the vehicle and potentially poses a risk to the vehicle;

detecting a gaze direction of a driver of the vehicle;

determining whether the out-of-vehicle risk object is recognized by the driver based on a detection result of the out-of-vehicle risk object and a detection result of the gaze direction; and

presenting, to the driver, out-of-vehicle risk information regarding the out-of-vehicle risk object in a presentation mode, wherein

the program further causes the at least one processor to perform:

changing the presentation mode depending on whether the out-of-vehicle risk object is recognized by the driver based on a determination result of the out-of-vehicle object;

calculating a value of an attention buffer by increasing the value of the attention buffer at a predetermined increase rate when the driver is viewing the out-of-vehicle risk object and by decreasing the value of the attention buffer at a predetermined decrease rate when the driver is not viewing the out-of-vehicle risk object;

determining whether the out-of-vehicle risk object is recognized by the driver based on the calculated value of the attention buffer; and

increasing the decrease rate when the out-of-vehicle risk object changes its behavior after the driver changed from a viewing state where the driver was viewing the out-of-vehicle risk object to a non-viewing state where the driver was not viewing the out-of-vehicle risk object.