JP2007183824A - Driving-support device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a driving-support device which accurately determines whether a driver recognizes a traffic condition, and informs the driver of the traffic condition if the driver does not recognize the traffic condition. <P>SOLUTION: The driving-support device acquires information on activity of a driver's brain (S11) and analyzes the activity of the brain from the acquired information (S12). The device captures signals from a sensor, which detects a condition outside a vehicle, and picture data from an on-vehicle camera (S13 and S14). When the driver does not recognize a vehicle approaching his (or her) own vehicle or an obstacle existing in a traveling direction (S16 and S19: NO) when they exist (S15 and S18: YES), the device informs the driver of the information to support his (or her) driving (S17, S20). <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a driving support device that performs driving support by alerting a driver of a vehicle who is not aware of traffic conditions.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there is a driving support device that detects a situation outside a vehicle using an infrared sensor, a vehicle-mounted camera, and the like and performs driving support according to the detection result. For example, a technique is disclosed in which a distance from the vehicle to a front obstacle is calculated and a warning is issued to the driver when the calculated distance is equal to or less than a predetermined value (for example, refer to Patent Documents 1 and 2). .

  With this technology, a warning is issued whenever the distance between the vehicle and the obstacle ahead of the vehicle falls below a predetermined value, so the driver can be alerted and traffic accidents can be avoided in advance. It is supposed to be possible.

  However, since it is common for a driver driving a vehicle to pay attention to the situation outside the vehicle, if an alarm is issued each time a forward obstacle is detected, the driver is On the other hand, not only is it uncomfortable, but there is a risk of distraction.

Therefore, in order to solve such problems, in addition to detecting the situation outside the vehicle, the state of the driver is also detected, and if the driver recognizes an obstacle, the output of the alarm is suppressed. An alarm device for a vehicle has been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 3).
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 7-57198 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-293199 JP 2004-295472 A

  In the technique described in Patent Document 3, the driver's gaze direction is specified by imaging the driver's face with an infrared camera and analyzing the obtained image. If the direction of the obstacle detected by the obstacle detection device is the same as the direction of the driver's line of sight identified by the image analysis, it is determined that the driver recognizes the obstacle. .

  However, even when the direction of the obstacle coincides with the driver's line-of-sight direction, the degree of recognition varies greatly depending on whether the driver is consciously looking at the obstacle or unconsciously. For example, even if the driver is looking at an obstacle, he may be thinking about something else in his head, and he will be fully aware of the obstacle simply by entering the field of view. It's hard to say. In the above-described method, since they cannot be detected separately, there is a possibility that an alarm is not output even in a situation where the driver does not fully recognize the obstacle. That is, there is a problem that the original function of an alarm device that issues an alarm when an obstacle is detected may not work effectively.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and accurately determines whether or not the driver recognizes the traffic situation, and if not, informs the driver of information about the traffic situation. An object of the present invention is to provide a driving assistance device that can perform the above-described operation.

  According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a driving support device including a detecting unit that detects a traffic situation outside the vehicle, wherein the driving support device supports driving by the driver according to the traffic situation outside the vehicle detected by the detecting unit. Based on the information acquired by the acquisition means, the acquisition means for non-invasively acquiring information relating to brain activity and whether or not the driver recognizes the traffic situation outside the vehicle detected by the detection means And means for notifying the driver of information about the traffic situation when it is determined that the driver does not recognize the traffic situation.

  In the first aspect of the invention, whether or not the driver recognizes the traffic situation is determined based on the information related to the brain activity of the driver. After accurately grasping, it is determined whether or not information should be notified.

  The driving support apparatus according to a second aspect of the invention is characterized in that the detecting means detects the presence or absence of a vehicle approaching the host vehicle or an obstacle existing in the traveling direction of the host vehicle.

  In the second invention, if the driver does not recognize the presence of a vehicle approaching the vehicle or an obstacle existing in the traveling direction of the vehicle, Information that calls attention is reliably notified.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a driving support device including receiving means for receiving information related to traffic conditions outside the vehicle, wherein the driving support device supports driving by the driver according to the information received by the receiving means. Based on the information acquired by the acquisition means, whether the driver recognizes the traffic situation indicated by the information received by the reception means and non-invasively acquiring information relating to brain activity And a means for notifying the driver of information about the traffic situation when the driver judges that the traffic situation is not recognized.

  In the third aspect of the invention, whether or not the driver recognizes the traffic situation is determined based on the information related to the brain activity of the driver. After accurately grasping, it is determined whether or not information should be notified.

  The driving support apparatus according to a fourth aspect is characterized in that the receiving means receives information relating to a traffic signal or an intersection.

  In the fourth aspect of the invention, when the driver does not recognize the traffic signal or the information related to the intersection, the information for prompting the driver is surely notified. Is done.

  The driving support apparatus according to a fifth aspect is characterized in that the acquisition means includes a first sensor that measures an electric field generated by the brain and a second sensor that measures a blood flow state in the brain.

  In the fifth invention, the signal obtained by the first sensor is excellent in temporal resolution, but has a characteristic that the spatial resolution is inferior, and the signal obtained by the second sensor is excellent in spatial resolution. However, the time resolution is inferior. Therefore, accurate information on brain activity can be obtained by using these signals in combination and taking advantage of their respective advantages.

  In the case of the first invention and the third invention, the driver's recognition degree is determined because the driver judges whether or not the driver recognizes the traffic situation based on information on the driver's brain activity. It is possible to determine whether or not to notify information after accurately grasping. Therefore, when it can be determined that the driver does not recognize the traffic situation, information can be notified, and when it can be determined that the driver is recognized, control can be performed so that the information is not notified. Information can be notified.

  In the case of the second invention, when a vehicle approaching the vehicle or an obstacle existing in the traveling direction of the vehicle is detected but the driver does not recognize the presence, the driver is notified. Since information that calls attention is notified, a contact accident or the like can be prevented in advance.

  In the case of the fourth invention, when the driver does not recognize the traffic signal or the information related to the intersection, the driver is notified of information that calls attention to the driver. Therefore, a contact accident or the like near the intersection can be prevented in advance.

  In the case of the fifth invention, the brain activity is non-invasively combined with the output from the measuring means (first sensor) excellent in time resolution and the output from the measuring means (second sensor) excellent in spatial resolution. As a result, the state of brain activity can be accurately grasped.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be specifically described with reference to the drawings showing embodiments thereof.
Embodiment 1 FIG.
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a brain hat as an acquisition means for non-invasively acquiring information relating to brain activity. The brain hat 10 includes a plurality of (for example, several tens to several hundreds) two types of first sensors 11 and second sensors 12 on a cloth base body 10A having a hat shape so as to cover a human head. ). The first sensor 11 and the second sensor 12 are arranged at an equal pitch (for example, at intervals of several millimeters).

  Specifically, the first sensor 11 is an electroencephalogram (EEG) having electrodes, and detects a weak electric field (electroencephalogram) caused by a current generated by a nerve cell in the brain in response to an external stimulus. To do. Each first sensor 11 measures and outputs the spontaneous change of the electric field accompanying the brain activity at each site where it is installed. The first sensor 11 is excellent in time resolution and can measure in units of several milliseconds.

  Specifically, the second sensor 12 is a near infrared sensor (NIRS) that receives a light emitting element that emits infrared light having a relatively short wavelength and reflected light of the infrared light. The light receiving element is configured as a set, and the state of cerebral blood flow is detected based on the amount of light emitted from the light emitting element in the brain. Each second sensor 12 measures and outputs cerebral blood flow at each site where it is installed. Since the second sensor 12 is not affected by other regions such as an electric field or a magnetic field, the second sensor 12 has excellent spatial resolution and can be measured in units of several millimeters.

  Since the first sensor 11 and the second sensor 12 can observe brain activity even in a small configuration, the first sensor 11 and the second sensor 12 can be attached to the brain hat 10 as described above and require a large configuration. do not do.

  FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating the driving support apparatus according to Embodiment 1, and FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a control system of the driving support apparatus. A driver of a vehicle 100 such as an automobile wears the brain hat 10 shown in FIG. The first sensor 11 and the second sensor 12 of the brain hat 10 are connected to an aggregation device 110 that aggregates output signals (that is, information relating to brain activity) of the sensors 11 and 12. Further, the output signals (information) totalized by the totalization device 110 are sent to the brain activity analysis unit 111.

  Based on the signal indicating the electric field appearing outside the skull obtained by the first sensor 11 and the signal indicating the state of cerebral blood flow obtained by the second sensor 12, the brain activity analysis unit 111 performs the brain hat 10. The brain activity of the wearer (that is, the driver of the vehicle 100) is analyzed, and the analysis result is sent to the control unit 101 including a CPU, ROM, RAM, and the like. As the analysis result, information indicating “a state of recognizing an approaching vehicle”, information indicating “a state of recognizing an obstacle present in the traveling direction”, and the like are obtained by the brain activity analysis unit 111.

  Note that the information described above does not have to be information directly derived from the output signals of the first sensor 11 and the second sensor 12. For example, information indicating “a state of recognizing some object outside the vehicle” and information indicating “movement of the eyeball” (that is, information indicating temporal changes in the direction of the line of sight) are included in the brain activity analysis unit 111. As a result of the analysis of the above, combining the information, whether the driver is in the state of "recognizing the approaching vehicle" or "the state of recognizing the obstacle present in the traveling direction" It may be determined whether or not it is in "."

  The vehicle 100 driven by the driver wearing the brain hat 10 is equipped with sensors 120a to 120d and a determination unit 121, an in-vehicle camera 130, and a determination unit 131 as detection means for detecting traffic conditions outside the vehicle. Yes.

  The sensor 120a is an existing obstacle detection sensor that uses ultrasonic waves, radio waves, light beams, and the like, and is disposed, for example, on the left front side of the vehicle 100. The output of the sensor 120a is input to the determination unit 121. The determination unit 121 determines the presence / absence of another vehicle approaching from the left front of the vehicle 100 and the presence / absence of an obstacle present in the traveling direction based on the output from the sensor 120a. Therefore, the determination unit 121 includes a buffer memory that temporarily holds a signal from the sensor 120a, an arithmetic circuit that performs predetermined arithmetic processing to perform determination, and the like. In the present embodiment, by taking into account the output of a speedometer not shown in the figure, a vehicle approaching the host vehicle and an obstacle existing in the traveling direction are distinguished and detected. That is, an object approaching at the same speed as the own vehicle is determined to be an obstacle existing in the traveling direction, and an object approaching at a speed larger than the speed of the own vehicle is It is determined that the vehicle is approaching the vehicle.

  The same applies to the other sensors 120b to 120d, and the sensors 120b, 120c, and 120d are disposed on the left rear side, right rear side, and right front side of the vehicle 100, respectively. The determination unit 121 determines the presence / absence of a vehicle approaching the host vehicle and the presence / absence of an obstacle present in the traveling direction based on the outputs of the sensors 120b to 120d. The determination result by the determination unit 121 is output to the control unit 101.

  The in-vehicle camera 130 is, for example, an imaging device that captures an image of the rear of the vehicle 100 (particularly, a region that cannot be confirmed by the driver by the rearview mirror) in conjunction with the back gear, and is mounted on the roof at the rear of the vehicle 100. Video data acquired by the in-vehicle camera 130 is input to the determination unit 131. The determination unit 131 determines the presence or absence of an obstacle existing behind the vehicle based on the video data output from the in-vehicle camera 130. Therefore, the determination unit 131 includes a frame memory that temporarily holds video data output from the in-vehicle camera 130, an image processing circuit that performs predetermined image processing for determination, and the like. As an algorithm for detecting an obstacle from video data, an existing algorithm can be used. The determination result by the determination unit 131 is output to the control unit 101.

  With the above configuration, the analysis result by the brain activity analysis unit 111 and the determination results by the determination units 121 and 131 are input to the control unit 101. As the analysis result of the brain activity, information indicating “a state of recognizing an approaching vehicle”, “a state of recognizing an obstacle present in the traveling direction”, or the like is input. As determination results by the determination units 121 and 131, information related to the presence / absence of “vehicle approaching the host vehicle”, information related to the presence / absence of “obstacle in the traveling direction of the host vehicle”, and the like are input. Therefore, the control unit 101 combines the information from the brain activity analysis unit 111 and the information from the determination units 121 and 131, so that the driver recognizes the vehicle even though there is a vehicle approaching the host vehicle. It is possible to grasp the case where the driver does not recognize the obstacle even when there is an obstacle in the traveling direction of the host vehicle.

  Further, when the control unit 101 grasps the above-described situation, the control unit 101 notifies the driver of the vehicle 100 of information and supports driving. Therefore, a speaker 140 is connected to the control unit 101 via an alarm sound / sound generation circuit 141, and a monitor 150 is connected via an image generation circuit 151. When the information is notified by an alarm sound and sound, the control unit 101 instructs the alarm sound / sound generation circuit 141 to generate a signal indicating the alarm sound and sound and output the signal through the speaker 140. Further, when information is notified by video or image, the control unit 101 instructs the image generation circuit 151 to generate a signal indicating the video or image and display the information on the monitor 150.

  Next, the operation of the driving support apparatus according to Embodiment 1 will be described. FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an operation procedure of the driving support apparatus according to the first embodiment. Information (information about the electric field caused by the current source existing in the brain and the blood flow state in the brain) is acquired by the first sensor 11 and the second sensor 12 (step S11), and the acquired information Is sent to the brain activity analysis unit 111. The brain activity analysis unit 111 analyzes the driver's brain activity based on the acquired information (step S12), and sends the analysis result to the control unit 101. Note that the driving support apparatus performs a series of these processes, that is, acquisition of information representing brain activity (S11) and analysis of brain activity (S12) at appropriate time intervals, and the control unit 101 always has the latest information. The analysis result is input.

  Next, the determination unit 121 captures signals output from the sensors 120a, 120b, 120c, and 120d (step S13), and based on the captured signals, the vehicle approaching the host vehicle (the vehicle 100) or the host vehicle It is determined whether there is an obstacle that exists in the traveling direction of the vehicle. The determination result by the determination unit 121 is sent to the control unit 101. The determination unit 131 captures video data output from the in-vehicle camera 130 (step S14), and determines whether there is an obstacle in the traveling direction of the host vehicle based on the captured video data. The determination result by the determination unit 131 is sent to the control unit 101.

  In the driving support device, the determination by the determination units 121 and 131 is performed at appropriate time intervals, and the latest determination result is always input to the control unit 101.

  Next, the control unit 101 determines whether there is a vehicle approaching the host vehicle based on the determination result by the determination unit 121 (step S15). When it is determined that there is a vehicle approaching the host vehicle (S15: YES), the control unit 101 determines that the driver approaches the vehicle approaching the host vehicle based on the latest analysis result input from the brain activity analysis unit 111. It is determined whether or not it is recognized (step S16). When it is determined that the driver does not recognize the presence of the vehicle even though there is a vehicle approaching the host vehicle (S16: NO), there is a vehicle approaching the driver. Is notified (step S17). At this time, the control unit 101 controls the alarm sound / voice generation circuit 141 to output an alarm based on the alarm sound / voice message through the speaker 140. In addition, the control unit 101 controls the image generation circuit 151 to cause the monitor 150 to output a warning message based on image information or text information. After completing the output of these alarms, the operation as the driving support device is terminated.

  If it is determined that the driver recognizes an approaching vehicle (S16: YES), the operation of the driving support device is terminated as it is.

  If it is determined in step S15 that there is no vehicle approaching the host vehicle (S15: NO), the control unit 101 determines whether there is an obstacle in the traveling direction based on the determination results by the determination units 121 and 131. Judgment is made (step S18). If it is determined that an obstacle exists in the traveling direction (S18: YES), the control unit 101 recognizes the presence of the obstacle based on the latest analysis result input from the brain activity analysis unit 111. It is determined whether or not (step S19). When it is determined that the driver does not recognize the presence of the obstacle even though there is an obstacle in the traveling direction (S19: NO), there is an obstacle in the traveling direction with respect to the driver. The effect is notified (step S20). That is, the control unit 101 controls the alarm sound / sound generation circuit 141 to output an alarm based on the alarm sound / sound message through the speaker 140 and also controls the image generation circuit 151 to control image information or text information. Is output to the monitor 150. After completing the output of these alarms, the operation as the driving support device is terminated.

  Further, when it is determined in step S18 that there is no obstacle in the traveling direction (S18: NO), and when it is determined in step S19 that an obstacle existing in the traveling direction is recognized (S19: YES). Then, the operation of the driving support device is finished as it is.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, since it is determined that the driver wearing the brain hat 10 can determine that the traffic situation outside the vehicle is not recognized, information that calls attention is notified. Can be naturally accepted as a warning to be addressed.

  In addition, the driver does not feel any pain because the brain hat 10 is attached and the information on the activity in the brain is acquired non-invasively instead of the method of embedding electrodes in the cerebral cortex. Moreover, since it is only necessary to wear the brain hat 10, it does not give an excessive physical burden and mental burden to the driver.

  In the present embodiment, sensors 120a to 120d, determination unit 121, and in-vehicle are used as an example of detection means for detecting the presence or absence of a vehicle approaching the host vehicle and the presence or absence of an obstacle present in the traveling direction of the host vehicle. Although the camera 130 and the determination unit 131 have been described, it is needless to say that the configuration is not necessarily required. For example, the number of sensors arranged around the vehicle 100 can be increased or decreased as necessary. Further, in addition to the in-vehicle camera 130 that captures the rear of the vehicle 100, a configuration that includes a door mirror camera that captures a blind spot area from the driver's seat side, a blind corner camera that captures the right front and left front of the vehicle 100, and the like There may be. Moreover, it is not always necessary to use the sensors 120a to 120d in combination with the in-vehicle camera 130, and any one of them may be mounted.

Embodiment 2. FIG.
In the first embodiment, the sensors 120a to 120d such as the obstacle detection sensors and the in-vehicle camera 130 are mounted as the detection means for detecting the situation outside the vehicle. However, the road-to-vehicle communication is used for the traffic situation. The structure which receives the information concerned from the outside and grasps the traffic situation outside a vehicle based on the received information may be sufficient.

  FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram for explaining the driving support apparatus according to the second embodiment. In the figure, reference numeral 200 denotes a vehicle equipped with a communication device 160 (see FIG. 6) such as a mobile phone, a radio, a DSRC radio (DSRC: Dedicated Short Range Communication). The driver of the vehicle 200 is wearing the brain hat 10 described in the first embodiment. The configuration of the brain hat 10 is the same as that shown in the first embodiment, and the first sensor 11 for measuring the electric field appearing outside the driver's cranium and the first sensor for measuring the blood flow state in the brain. A plurality of two sensors 12 are provided.

  The schematic diagram shown in FIG. 5 shows a state where the vehicle 200 is about to enter an intersection where a traffic signal 300 (hereinafter simply referred to as a traffic signal) is installed. The traffic light 300 is provided with a roadside radio 301 that transmits information indicating its presence (hereinafter referred to as signal information). This signal information is configured to be notified to a predetermined range centering on the roadside radio 301. That is, when the signal information transmitted from the roadside device 301 is received by the communication device 160 of the vehicle 200, it can be recognized as a device that the traffic device 300 is approaching the intersection where the signal device 300 is installed.

  Even if the driving assistance apparatus according to the present embodiment recognizes the presence of the traffic light 300 as an apparatus, if the driver does not recognize the signal 300, the driving assistance apparatus notifies the driver of information that calls attention. I try to support driving by.

  FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a control system of the driving support apparatus according to the second embodiment. The point that the communication apparatus 160 is connected instead of mounting the sensors 120a to 120d and the determination unit 121, the in-vehicle camera 130, and the determination unit 131 is different from the first embodiment. In addition, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected and represented about the component same as the driving assistance apparatus shown in Embodiment 1. FIG.

  Based on the signal indicating the electric field appearing outside the skull obtained by the first sensor 11 and the signal indicating the state of cerebral blood flow obtained by the second sensor 12, the brain activity analysis unit 111 performs the brain hat 10. The brain activity of the wearer (that is, the driver of the vehicle 200) is analyzed, and the analysis result is sent to the control unit 101. As an analysis result, information indicating “a state in which the presence of a traffic light is recognized” or the like is obtained by the brain activity analysis unit 111.

  The communication device 160 includes an antenna circuit, a signal processing circuit, and the like for performing wireless communication with the roadside wireless device 301 described above. When the signal information transmitted from the roadside radio 301 is received by the antenna circuit, the communication device 160 notifies the control unit 101 of the information to that effect.

  With the above configuration, the analysis result by the brain activity analysis unit 111 and the notification from the communication device 160 are input to the control unit 101. Therefore, the control unit 101 combines the information from the brain activity analysis unit 111 and the notification from the communication device 160, so that the driver recognizes that the vehicle 200 is approaching the intersection. If there is not, attention can be urged by outputting an alarm sound / audio through the speaker 140 or displaying information such as an image on the monitor 150.

  FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an operation procedure of the driving support apparatus according to the second embodiment. Information (information about the electric field caused by the current source existing in the brain and the blood flow state in the brain) is acquired by the first sensor 11 and the second sensor 12 (step S31), and the acquired information Is sent to the brain activity analysis unit 111. The brain activity analysis unit 111 analyzes the driver's brain activity based on the acquired information (step S32), and sends the analysis result to the control unit 101. The driving support device performs a series of these processes, that is, acquisition of information representing brain activity (S31) and analysis of brain activity (S32) at appropriate time intervals. The latest analysis result is input.

  Next, the control unit 101 determines whether or not signal information has been received by monitoring information input through the communication device 160 (step S33). If it is determined that the signal information has been received (S33: YES), the control unit 101 determines whether the driver recognizes the presence of the traffic light based on the latest analysis result input from the brain activity analysis unit 111. Judgment is made (step S34). When it is determined that the driver does not recognize the presence of the traffic signal even though the vehicle is approaching the traffic signal (S34: NO), the driver is notified that the traffic signal is present ( Step S35). That is, the control unit 101 controls the alarm sound / sound generation circuit 141 to output an alarm based on the alarm sound / sound message through the speaker 140 and also controls the image generation circuit 151 to control image information or text information. Is output to the monitor 150. After completing the output of these alarms, the operation as the driving support device is terminated.

  If it is determined in step S33 that no signal information has been received (S33: NO), and if it is determined in step S34 that the driver recognizes the presence of a traffic light (S34: YES), driving assistance is continued. End the operation of the device.

  Thus, in this embodiment, since the driver wearing the brain hat 10 is configured to notify information that calls attention only when the driver does not recognize the traffic situation outside the vehicle, the driver The information can be naturally accepted as a warning to be dealt with.

  In the present embodiment, information indicating the presence of a traffic signal is received as information relating to traffic conditions. However, the present invention is not necessarily limited to such information. For example, information on the display status of traffic lights, information on intersections, railroad crossings, under construction, traffic jams, etc., information on road shapes (curves, lanes, etc.), information on road conditions (freezing, undulation, rutting, etc.) You may do it. In this driving support system, when such information is received and the driver does not recognize the traffic situation corresponding to the information, a warning can be given to the driver, and safe driving is supported. can do.

It is a schematic diagram which shows the brain hat as an acquisition means which acquires the information regarding brain activity noninvasively. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a driving assistance device according to Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the control system of a driving assistance device. 4 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an operation procedure of the driving support apparatus according to the first embodiment. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram for explaining a driving assistance device according to a second embodiment. 6 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a control system of a driving assistance apparatus according to Embodiment 2. FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an operation procedure of the driving support apparatus according to the second embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Brain hat 11 1st sensor 12 2nd sensor 101 Control part 111 Brain activity analysis part 120a-120d Sensor 121 Determination part 130 Car-mounted camera 131 Determination part 140 Speaker 150 Monitor 160 Communication apparatus 300 Traffic signal device 301 Roadside radio | wireless machine

Claims (5)

In a driving support device that includes a detecting unit that detects a traffic situation outside the vehicle, and supports driving by the driver according to the traffic situation outside the vehicle detected by the detecting unit,
Based on the information acquired by the acquisition means, the acquisition means for non-invasively acquiring information related to the brain activity of the driver, and whether the driver recognizes the traffic situation outside the vehicle detected by the detection means And a means for notifying the driver of information about the traffic condition when it is determined that the driver does not recognize the traffic condition.   2. The driving support apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the detecting means detects the presence or absence of a vehicle approaching the host vehicle or an obstacle existing in the traveling direction of the host vehicle. In a driving support device comprising receiving means for receiving information relating to traffic conditions outside the vehicle, and supporting driving by the driver according to the information received by the receiving means,
Information acquired by the acquisition means whether the driver recognizes the traffic situation indicated by the information received by the receiving means and non-invasively acquiring information relating to the brain activity of the driver And a means for notifying the driver of information about the traffic situation when it is judged that the driver does not recognize the traffic situation. .   The driving support device according to claim 3, wherein the receiving unit is configured to receive information relating to a traffic signal or an intersection.   The said acquisition means is provided with the 1st sensor which measures the electric field which a brain generate | occur | produces, and the 2nd sensor which measures the blood-flow state in a brain, Any one of Claim 1 thru | or 4 characterized by the above-mentioned. The driving support device according to 1.

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