Vehicle control system, vehicle control method, and storage medium

A vehicle control method using an in-vehicle computer of a vehicle that comprises:

• (a) a power generator configured to include an internal combustion engine is configured to output power used by an electric motor and an electric motor is configured to generate power using power output by the internal combustion engine;
• (b) a storage battery configured to store power generated by the power generator;
• and (c) a running electric motor configured to be connected to driving wheels of a vehicle and rotate the driving wheels by being driven using power supplied from the power generator or the storage battery,
• the method comprising:
• determining an area toward which a vehicle occupant of the vehicle has a line of vision directed;
• deriving an index based on a frequency at which the vehicle occupant has the line of vision directed toward a specific area on the basis of a result of the determination;
• and
• operating the power generator in a case in which an amount of power of the storage battery is equal to or smaller than a threshold and operating the power generator regardless of the threshold of the amount of power of the storage battery storing power generated by the power generator in a case in which the derived index is equal to or higher than a predetermined degree.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium that stores a computer program to be executed by a computer of a vehicle that comprises (a) a power generator configured to include an internal combustion engine is configured to output power used by an electric motor and an electric motor is configured to generate power using power output by the internal combustion engine;

• (b) a storage battery configured to store power generated by the power generator;
• and (c) a running electric motor configured to be connected to driving wheels of a vehicle and rotate the driving wheels by being driven using power supplied from the power generator or the storage battery,
• the medium to perform at least:
• determine an area toward which a vehicle occupant of the vehicle has a line of vision directed;
• derive an index based on a frequency at which the vehicle occupant has the line of vision directed toward a specific area on the basis of a result of the determination;
• and
• operate the power generator in a case in which an amount of power of the storage battery is equal to or smaller than a threshold and operating the power generator regardless of the threshold of the amount of power of the storage battery storing power generated by the power generator in a case in which the derived index is equal to or higher than a predetermined degree.