Patent ID: 8095490

Claim:
A user support device which supports a user who makes one or more transitions between menus arranged in a tree structure by executing a plurality of input actions in the menus, said user support device comprising: a confused state judging unit operable to (i) select, from among a sequence of decision making times required for the user to decide to execute the plurality of input actions executed by the user, a sub-sequence of decision making times, and (ii) judge whether the user is in a confused state or not based on a judgment standard that the user is in the confused state when an increase is observed in the selected sub-sequence of decision making times; and an operation support processing unit operable to provide operation support in a case where said confused state judging unit judges that the user is in the confused state, wherein each decision making time in the sequence of decision making times corresponds to one of the plurality of input actions executed by the user, and wherein the sub sequence of decision making times includes a target decision making time calculated for the User to decide to execute an input action executed by the user from among the plurality of input actions executed by the user, the target decision making time being determined by an input action executed by the user immediately preceding an input action last executed by the user, wherein each decision making time in the sequence of decision making times (i) corresponds to one of the plurality of input actions executed by the user, and (ii) is calculated by subtracting a sum of an eye movement time and an operation time from a dwell time, wherein the eye movement time is an approximated time required for the user to perceive a menu, wherein the operation time is a time required for the user to execute an input action corresponding to the decision making time, and wherein the dwell time is an elapsed time for the user to decide to execute the input action corresponding to the decision making time.