PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve estimation accuracy when a stress state of an operator is estimated.SOLUTION: When breathing information of an operator is detected (step S101), and when a specific operation event is detected being caused in an own vehicle (decision of step S102 is "Yes"), the breathing down time Ts of the operator is detected in accordance with the breathing information (step S110), the stress state of the operator is estimated accompanying to the specific operation event in accordance with the breathing down time Ts. In other words, when the breathing down time Ts is 0 (decision of step S112 is "No"), the stress state of the operator accompanying to the specific operation event is estimated relatively small (step S115). Meantime, when the breathing down time Ts is not less than a threshold value Tt (decision of step S113 is "Yes"), the stress state of the operator accompanying to the specific operation event is estimated relatively large (step S114).COPYRIGHT: (C)2014,JPO&INPIT【課題】運転者のストレス状態を推定する際の推定精度を向上させる。【解決手段】運転者の呼吸情報を検出し(ステップS101)、自車両に特定運転事象が生じることを検知したときに(ステップS102の判定が“Yes”)、呼吸情報に応じて運転者の呼吸休止時間Tsを検出し(ステップS110)、呼吸休止時間Tsに応じて特定運転事象に伴う運転者のストレス状態を推定する。すなわち、呼吸休止時間Tsが0であるときには(ステップS112の判定が“No”)、運転特定事象に伴う運転者のストレス状態が相対的に小さいと推定する(ステップS115)。一方、呼吸休止時間Tsが閾値Tt以上であるときには(ステップS113の判定が“Yes”)、特定運転事象に伴う運転者のストレス状態が相対的に大きいと推定する(ステップS114)。【選択図】図8
