Agent apparatus for vehicle, agent system, agent coltrolling method, terminal apparatus and information providing method

An agent system comprising:

• an agent apparatus for a vehicle;
• and
• portable terminal apparatuses which can communicate with the agent apparatus, wherein:
• the agent apparatus includes:
• an obtaining part configured to obtain information concerning users stored in the portable terminal apparatuses from the portable terminal apparatuses of respective occupants riding together in the vehicle,
• a determining part configured to
• learn, for the respective occupants, answers of the respective occupants, which answers are obtained from the occupants in response to contents, which contents are recommended by personified agents based on information concerning the users acquired within the vehicle and also based on, if the information concerning the users obtained by the obtaining part is newer than the information concerning the users acquired within the vehicle, information concerning the users updated by the information concerning the users obtained by the obtaining part, the personified agents being those on at least one display and communicating with the users in such a manner that predetermined keywords occurring in verbal communication with the users are stored, and
• thereby determine communication actions of the personified agents of the respective occupants, and determine the communication actions of the personified agents of the respective occupants in such a manner that the communication action of the agent of a person having a higher priority order previously registered is given priority, and
• a control part configured to separately control the agents of the respective occupants so that the agents carry out the communication actions determined by the determining part.

An agent control method, comprising:

• obtaining information concerning users stored in portable terminal apparatuses from the portable terminal apparatuses of respective occupants riding together in the vehicle;
• learning, for the respective occupants, answers of the respective occupants, which answers are obtained from the occupants in response to contents, which contents are recommended by personified agents based on information concerning the users acquired within the vehicle and also based on, if the information concerning the users obtained by the obtaining is newer than the information concerning the users acquired within the vehicle, information concerning the users updated by the information concerning the users obtained by the obtaining, the personified agents being those on at least one display and communicating with the users in such a manner that predetermined keywords occurring in verbal communication with the users are stored;
• thereby determining communication actions of the personified agents of the respective occupants, and determining the communication actions of the personified agents of the respective occupants in such a manner that the communication action of the agent of a person having a higher priority order previously registered is given priority;
• and
• separately controlling the agents of the respective occupants so that the agents carry out the communication actions determined by the determining communication actions.