Abstract: An information output control method includes a step of deriving a driving load of a driver, based on a traveling environment or a driving state of the driver, a step of deciding to suggest a content that meets the derived driving load, to the driver, and a step of calculating a degree of acceptance of the suggested content by the driver. In the deciding step, the frequency of suggestion of the content or the type of the content is set based on the calculated degree of acceptance.

Abstract: An information processing apparatus includes a processor configured to: select one or more first objects detected from a predetermined range in a captured image from a vehicle-mounted camera that takes an outward direction from a vehicle as a capturing range, the predetermined range being based on a field of view of an onboard person in the vehicle, and generate utterance content that takes the one or more first objects as a topic, the utterance content being to be uttered to the onboard person. The processor sets the predetermined range based on at least one of a traveling speed of the vehicle, whether traveling is performed by autonomous driving of the vehicle or not, and a position where a line of sight of the onboard person is focused on.

Abstract: An information processing apparatus includes a processor configured to: determine a first timing that precedes a notification for announcing in advance switching from autonomous driving of a vehicle to manned driving, in a case where occurrence of the switching from autonomous driving to manned driving is predicted due to the vehicle capable of autonomous driving approaching a predetermined location, and output to the vehicle, in a case where the first timing is reached, utterance content that takes, as a topic, an object that is present in front of the vehicle, the object being detected from a captured image from a vehicle-mounted camera of the vehicle.

Abstract: A voice dialogue system includes: a voice input unit which acquires a user utterance, a dialogue text creator which creates a text of a system utterance, a voice output unit which outputs the system utterance as voice data, and a setting unit that sets a response deadline for system utterances. When a first system utterance is output by the voice output unit, a second system utterance is output after the first system utterance without having acquired a user utterance, and the second system utterance comprises a connective portion for connecting following sentences and a content portion that is a subject of the second system utterance, the setting unit sets a timing at which output of the connective portion of the second system utterance ends or output of the content portion of the second system utterance starts as the response deadline for the first system utterance.

Abstract: A voice dialogue system includes a voice input unit which acquires a user utterance, an intention understanding unit which interprets an intention of utterance of a voice acquired by the voice input unit, a dialogue text creator which creates a text of a system utterance, and a voice output unit which outputs the system utterance as voice data. When creating a text of a system utterance, the dialogue text creator creates the text by inserting a tag in a position in the system utterance, and the intention understanding unit interprets an utterance intention of a user in accordance with whether a timing at which the user utterance is made is before or after an output of a system utterance at a position corresponding to the tag from the voice output unit.

Abstract: The in-vehicle display includes a first display for a driver of a vehicle and a second display for a fellow passenger of the vehicle. An information processing apparatus does not display payment code on the in-vehicle display while the vehicle is in operation when no fellow passenger is present in the vehicle. The information processing apparatus displays the payment code on the second display while the vehicle is in operation when a fellow passenger is present in the vehicle.

Abstract: An information processing apparatus determines, when detecting an instruction from a user to search for a facility, whether position information of the user indicates that the user is in a first area where visit frequency of the user is higher than a predetermined threshold. The information processing apparatus detects, when the position information of the user indicates that the user is in a first area, a new facility by searching within a predetermined range based on the position information, and outputs the information about the detected new facility to a predetermined device. The information processing apparatus records, as the first area, an area where a visit frequency indicated by movement history information indicating movement history of the user is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold.

Abstract: An information output system includes a speech acquisition unit configured to acquire the speech of a user, a holding unit configured to hold intention information associated with a question and intention information associated with a task in the hierarchical structure for each task, an identification unit configured to identify to which of the intention information, held in the holding unit, the content of the speech of the user corresponds, an output determination unit configured to determine to output a question when the intention information associated with the question is identified by the identification unit, and a task execution unit configured to execute a task when the intention information associated with the task is identified by the identification unit. A question held in the holding unit includes content for deriving intention information at a hierarchical level different from the hierarchical level of the associated intention information.

Abstract: An information processing method includes a step of obtaining article information including a category of an article which a user wishes to purchase, and a step of outputting a reminder concerning purchase of the article, when a reminding condition is satisfied in a reminding period that is set according to the category of the article obtained.

Abstract: A voice dialogue system includes: a voice input unit which acquires a user utterance; an intention understanding unit which interprets an intention of utterance of a voice acquired by the voice input unit; a dialogue text creator which creates a text of a system utterance; and a voice output unit which outputs the system utterance as voice data, wherein when creating a text of a system utterance, the dialogue text creator creates the text by inserting a tag in a position in the system utterance, and the intention understanding unit interprets an utterance intention of a user in accordance with whether a timing at which the user utterance is made is before or after an output of a system utterance at a position corresponding to the tag from the voice output unit.

Abstract: Described is a voice dialogue system that includes a voice input unit which acquires a user utterance, an intention understanding unit which interprets an intention of utterance of a voice acquired by the voice input unit, a dialogue text creator which creates a text of a system utterance, and a voice output unit which outputs the system utterance as voice data. When creating a text of a system utterance, the dialogue text creator creates the text by inserting a tag in a position in the system utterance, and the intention understanding unit interprets an utterance intention of a user in accordance with whether a timing at which the user utterance is made is before or after an output of a system utterance at a position corresponding to the tag from the voice output unit.

Abstract: A system comprises an apparatus having a first voice I/O device; and a voice interface apparatus having a second voice I/O device, and connected to the apparatus by audio connection via short-range wireless communication, wherein the apparatus includes a voice I/O unit that performs voice input and output by using the first voice I/O device or the second voice I/O device; an interaction unit that performs voice interaction with a user; and a process unit that performs a process other than the voice interaction, by using the voice I/O, and the voice I/O unit switches a device used for the voice input and output to the first voice input/output device in a case where the process unit is brought into a first state in which the voice input and output is required when the voice interaction with the user is performed by using the second voice I/O device.

Abstract: An information output control method includes a step of deriving a driving load of a driver, based on a traveling environment or a driving state of the driver, a step of deciding to suggest a content that meets the derived driving load, to the driver, and a step of calculating a degree of acceptance of the suggested content by the driver. In the deciding step, the frequency of suggestion of the content or the type of the content is set based on the calculated degree of acceptance.

Abstract: An information processing method includes a step of obtaining article information including a category of an article which a user wishes to purchase, and a step of outputting a reminder concerning purchase of the article, when a reminding condition is satisfied in a reminding period that is set according to the category of the article obtained.

Abstract: A voice dialog device includes a sight line detection unit configured to detect a sight line of a user, a voice acquiring unit configured to acquire voice pronounced by the user, and a processor. The processor is configured to perform a step of acquiring a result of recognizing the voice, a step of determining whether or not the user is driving, and a step of determining whether or not the voice dialog device has a dialog with the user. When the detected sight line of the user is in a certain direction, and a start keyword has been detected from the voice, the processor determines that the user has started a dialog. The processor switches the certain direction based on whether the user is driving.

Abstract: A voice interactive robot interacting with a user by voice includes a main body, a movable part capable of moving relative to the main body, a following control unit that moves the movable part so that the movable part follows the user, a temporary origin setting unit that sets a temporary origin of the movable part in response to movement of the movable part by the following control unit, an acquisition unit that acquires an operation instruction issued in relation to the movable part, and an operation execution unit that moves the movable part in accordance with the operation instruction using the temporary origin as a reference.

Abstract: A voice interaction system includes: a speaker; a microphone having a microphone gain that is set at a low level while a sound is output from the speaker; a voice recognition unit that implements voice recognition processing on input sound data input from the microphone; a sound output unit that generates output sound data and outputs the generated output sound data through the speaker; and a non-audible sound output unit that, when a plurality of sounds are output with a time interval no greater than a threshold therebetween, outputs a non-audible sound through the speaker at least in the interim between output of the plurality of sounds.

Abstract: A keyword generation apparatus, comprises a vocabulary acquisition unit that acquires a keyword uttered by a first user; a first positional information acquisition unit that acquires first positional information including information representing a location at which the first user has uttered the keyword; a storage unit that stores the first positional information and the keyword in association with each other; a second positional information acquisition unit that acquires second positional information including information representing a current position of a second user; and an extraction unit that extracts a keyword unique to a locality in which the second user is positioned from the storage unit based on the second positional information.

Abstract: A voice dialog device includes a sight line detection unit configured to detect a sight line of a user, a voice acquiring unit configured to acquire voice pronounced by the user, and a processor. The processor is configured to perform a step of acquiring a result of recognizing the voice, a step of determining whether or not the user is driving, and a step of determining whether or not the voice dialog device has a dialog with the user. When the detected sight line of the user is in a certain direction, and a start keyword has been detected from the voice, the processor determines that the user has started a dialog. The processor switches the certain direction based on whether the user is driving.

Abstract: A voice dialog device, comprises a voice processing unit configured to obtain a voice pronounced by a user and a result of recognizing the voice; a plurality of estimation units configured to estimate emotion of the user by different methods; and a response unit configured to create a response sentence, based on results of estimating the emotion of the user, and provide the response sentence to the user, wherein when a discrepancy exists between the results of estimating the emotion of the user by the plurality of estimation units, the response unit makes an inquiry to the user, and determines which estimation result is to be adopted, based on content of an obtained response.