US 12,391,254 B2
Vehicle controller, method, and computer program for vehicle control
Yoshihiro Aotani, Kawasaki (JP); Eiki Kitagawa, Edogawa-ku Tokyo-to (JP); and Satoru Akahane, Shinjuku-ku Tokyo-to (JP)
Assigned to TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, Toyota (JP)
Filed by TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, Toyota (JP)
Filed on Aug. 1, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/228,826.
Claims priority of application No. 2022-127313 (JP), filed on Aug. 9, 2022.
Prior Publication US 2024/0051540 A1, Feb. 15, 2024
Int. Cl. B60W 30/18 (2012.01); B60W 40/04 (2006.01); B60W 60/00 (2020.01)
CPC B60W 30/18163 (2013.01) [B60W 40/04 (2013.01); B60W 60/001 (2020.02); B60W 2720/106 (2013.01)] 5 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A vehicle controller comprising:
a processor configured to:
detect, ahead of a host vehicle, a merging section in which an adjacent lane adjacent to a host vehicle lane being traveled by the host vehicle merges into the host vehicle lane,
detect one or more other vehicles traveling on the adjacent lane,
determine whether to allow at least one of the detected vehicles to precede the host vehicle at a lane change of the one of the detected vehicles to the host vehicle lane in the merging section,
control acceleration or deceleration of the host vehicle so that a rear end of the host vehicle is ahead of a front end of a second vehicle following a first vehicle allowed to precede the host vehicle, the first and second vehicles being among the detected vehicles, and
when a space between the first vehicle and the second vehicle is smaller than a full length of the host vehicle, set a target acceleration of the host vehicle so that the front end of the host vehicle is between a rear end of the first vehicle and the front end of the second vehicle.