AWAKENING MAINTENANCE SUPPORT APPARATUS

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an awakening maintenance support apparatus that executes awakening maintenance support such as warning more properly, by referring to the user's awakening effort, as a parameter of a viewpoint different from the user's awakening decrease.SOLUTION: An awakening decrease A and an awakening effort E increase (phase F1). Furthermore, the awakening decrease A increases and the awakening effort E decreases, and ultimately reaches a doze or a state close thereto (phase F2). Alternatively, the awakening decrease A gradually decreases from such an extremely strong awakening decrease state, and the awakening effort E increases (phase F3). Then, the awakening decrease A decreases to some extent below, and also the awakening effort E decreases (phase F4). Also, the whole area taking the awakening decrease A in a horizontal axis and the awakening effort E in a longitudinal axis is divided into four areas A1 to A4 by setting threshold values in the awakening decrease A and the awakening effort E. The present invention is configured to select a support method according to at least one of the phases and areas. 【課題】覚醒維持支援装置において、使用者の覚醒低下とは異なる視点のパラメータとして当該使用者の覚醒努力を参照することにより、警報等の覚醒維持支援をより適切に実行すること。【解決手段】覚醒低下Ａ及び覚醒努力Ｅが増加する（フェーズＦ１）。更に覚醒低下Ａが増加し覚醒努力Ｅが減少し、最終的には居眠りまたはそれに近い状態に至る（フェーズＦ２）。一方、そのような極めて強い覚醒低下状態から覚醒低下Ａが徐々に減少し覚醒努力Ｅは増加する（フェーズＦ３）。そして、覚醒低下Ａがある程度以下に減少し覚醒努力Ｅも減少する（フェーズＦ４）。また、覚醒低下Ａを横軸に、覚醒努力Ｅを縦軸に取った領域全体を、覚醒低下Ａ，覚醒努力Ｅに閾値を設定することで４つの領域Ａ１〜Ａ４に区分する。本発明はフェーズ及び領域の少なくとも一方に応じて支援方法を選択する。【選択図】図２