US 12,479,438 B2
Vehicle control device and vehicle control system
Ryuta Hashimoto, Tokyo-to (JP); and Takahiro Seta, Yokohama (JP)
Assigned to TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, Toyota (JP)
Filed by TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, Toyota (JP)
Filed on Apr. 10, 2024, as Appl. No. 18/631,830.
Claims priority of application No. 2023-116864 (JP), filed on Jul. 18, 2023.
Prior Publication US 2025/0026353 A1, Jan. 23, 2025
Int. Cl. B60W 30/18 (2012.01); B60W 50/14 (2020.01)
CPC B60W 30/18163 (2013.01) [B60W 50/14 (2013.01); B60W 2050/146 (2013.01)] 5 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A vehicle control device comprising:
a processor configured to:
determine whether or not a difficult traveling zone where traveling of a vehicle is difficult exists between a lane change completion location which is set on a target lane as one lane of a road having multiple lanes and where movement of the vehicle from the target lane to another lane is to be completed and a current location of the vehicle,
calculate a first distance between an end point of the difficult traveling zone in a traveling direction of the vehicle and the lane change completion location, when it has been determined that the difficult traveling zone exists,
determine whether or not the first distance is at least a reference distance, and
decide to execute a lane change for movement of the vehicle to the target lane after the vehicle has passed through the difficult traveling zone when it has been determined that the first distance is at least the reference distance or to decide to execute a lane change for movement of the vehicle to the target lane before the vehicle reaches the difficult traveling zone when it has been determined that the first distance is less than the reference distance.