US 11,999,340 B2
Vehicle control device, vehicle control method, and program for causing computer to implement vehicle control function
Koichi Okuda, Toyota (JP); Masafumi Yamamoto, Nagakute (JP); Yoshito Sekiguchi, Kariya (JP); Yuuki Makino, Aichi-gun (JP); and Atsushi Tabata, Okazaki (JP)
Assigned to TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, Toyota (JP)
Filed by TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, Toyota (JP)
Filed on Jun. 9, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/332,131.
Claims priority of application No. 2022-100710 (JP), filed on Jun. 22, 2022.
Prior Publication US 2023/0415724 A1, Dec. 28, 2023
Int. Cl. B60W 10/115 (2012.01); B60W 30/165 (2020.01); G08G 1/00 (2006.01)
CPC B60W 10/115 (2013.01) [B60W 30/165 (2013.01); G08G 1/22 (2013.01); B60W 2510/1005 (2013.01); B60W 2510/1055 (2013.01); B60W 2554/80 (2020.02); B60W 2556/65 (2020.02)] 5 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
3. A vehicle control device for controlling platooning of platoon participating vehicles by connecting the platoon participating vehicles to one another via radio communication, the platoon participating vehicles including a lead vehicle and follow-up vehicles that perform automatic follow-up running in line at a predetermined intervehicle distance from the lead vehicle, comprising:
a control portion that, during execution of the platooning, sets a permissible output range of a drive amount with a current gear ratio of an automatic transmission remaining kept, as a change characteristic of the drive amount in each of the platoon participating vehicles so that change of the drive amount in response to change of a drive demand amount lies within a predetermined range, the automatic transmission being included in each of the platoon participating vehicles to transmit power of a power source to driving wheels, wherein
during execution of the platooning, the control portion sets a shift schedule in stepped shifting of the automatic transmission so that the range of the drive amount outputtable is easily maintained.