DRIVING SUPPORT DEVICE

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a driving support device which determines whether a driver should look at an object to be visually recognized by using not only the driver's present visual action but also the driver's past visual action to adequately support the driver's driving. SOLUTION: A sight line distribution detecting means 41 detects the sight line distribution of a driver. An ideal sight line probability distribution computing means 31 extracts and accumulates an image corresponding to the visual field of the driver from images from a front camera 15 based on the information from the sight line distribution detecting means 41, and computes the driver's sight line probability distribution, which is necessary for operating a steering wheel, and the driver's expected sight line probability distribution from the visual characteristic quantity of the image based on the accumulated images, and adds the former to the latter to computes ideal sight line probability distribution. A risk determination means 43 determines a situation to be dangerous, said situation being that a prescribed difference occurs between the driver's sight line distribution and the ideal sight line probability distribution, and an output control part 45 controls a windshield display 17 or a speaker 19 to output the result of the determination. COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI