Automated pacing of vehicle operator content interaction

A computing device comprising:

• one or more user input detection components;
• and
• one or more processors configured to:
• receive an indication of a first user input detected by the one or more user input detection components;
• determine a type of the first user input;
• select, based on the type of the first user input, a defined rate at which to adjust a level of an attention buffer;
• responsive to receiving the indication of the first user input, adjust a level of an attention buffer at a defined rate;
• responsive to determining that the level of the attention buffer satisfies a first threshold, prevent further interaction with a user interface of the computing device;
• responsive to determining that an indication of a second user input has not been received within a time period, adjust a level of the attention buffer;
• and
• responsive to determining that the level of the attention buffer satisfies a second threshold, allow further interaction with the user interface.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed, cause one or more processors of a computing device to:

• receive an indication of a first user input detected by one or more user input detection components;
• determine a type of the first user input;
• select, based on the type of the first user input, a defined rate at which to adjust a level of an attention buffer,
• responsive to receiving the indication of the first user input, adjust the level of the attention buffer at the defined rate;
• responsive to determining that the level of the attention buffer satisfies a first threshold, prevent further interaction with a user interface of the computing device;
• responsive to determining that an indication of a second user input has not been received within a time period, adjust a level of the attention buffer;
• and
• responsive to determining that the level of the attention buffer satisfies a second threshold, allow further interaction with the user interface.

A method for pacing content interaction of a vehicle operator, the method comprising:

• receiving, by one or more processors of a computing device, an indication of a first user input;
• responsive to receiving the indication of the first user input, adjusting, by the one or more processors, a level of an attention buffer at a first defined rate;
• responsive to determining that the level of the attention buffer satisfies a first threshold, outputting, by the one or more processors, a first notification to discourage interaction with a user interface of the computing device;
• responsive to determining that an indication of a second user input has not been received within a time period, adjusting, by the one or more processors, the level of the attention buffer;
• responsive to determining, by the one or more processors, that the level of the attention buffer satisfies a second threshold, allowing further interaction with the user interface without outputting a subsequent notification to discourage interaction with the user interface;
• subsequent to determining that the level of the attention buffer satisfies the second threshold, receiving, by the one or more processors, an indication of a second user input;
• responsive to receiving the indication of the second user input, adjusting, by the one or more processors, the level of the attention buffer at a second defined rate;
• and
• responsive to determining that the level of the attention buffer satisfies a third threshold, outputting, by the one or more processors, a second notification to discourage further interaction with a user interface of the computing device, wherein the second notification differs from the first notification.

A computing device comprising:

• one or more user input detection components;
• and
• one or more processors configured to:
• receive an indication of a first user input;
• determine a type of the first user input;
• select, based on the type of the first user input, a first defined rate at which to adjust a level of an attention buffer,
• responsive to receiving the indication of the first user input, adjust the level of the attention buffer at the defined rate;
• responsive to determining that the level of the attention buffer satisfies a first threshold, output a first notification to discourage interaction with a user interface of the computing device;
• responsive to determining that an indication of a second user input has not been received within a time period, adjust a level of the attention buffer;
• and
• responsive to determining that the level of the attention buffer satisfies a second threshold, allow further interaction with the user interface without outputting a subsequent notification to discourage interaction with the user interface.