STIMULATORY EFFECT ESTIMATION DEVICE, SLEEP DEPTH ESTIMATION DEVICE, STIMULUS EFFECT ESTIMATION METHOD, AND VEHICLE CONTROL UNIT

摘要

A stimulatory effect estimation device includes a stimulus generator 3 which applies a stimulus to a back seat passenger, an electroencephalogram 2 which measures the brain waves of the back seat passenger, a memory 4, and an ECU 5 which specifies the brain wave indexes of stimulatory effects which surface in response to the stimuli both when the passenger is awake and when the passenger is asleep from the brain waves measured by the electroencephalogram 2 when a stimulus is applied from the stimulus generator 3 while the passenger is awake and the brain waves measured by the electroencephalogram 2 when a stimulus is applied from the stimulus generator 3 while the passenger is asleep. The ECU 5 estimates stimulatory effects when the passenger is asleep from stimulatory effects when the passenger is awake using a conversion model for converting the stimulatory effect when the passenger is awake and the stimulatory effects when the passenger is asleep on the basis of the brain wave indexes which surface when the same stimulus is applied when the passenger is awake and when the passenger is asleep, and selects a stimulus which is applied to the back seat passenger on the basis of the relationship between the stimulatory effects and the changes in sleep depth.