Honda Motor Co., Ltd.

Takayuki Sakata

Seiichi Kato

Masayasu Yoshida

Ryuichi Hata

Satoshi Koike

Naoyuki Kubo

Mitsuru Nonaka

Masanori Yoshihira

A route planning apparatus configured to create a travel plan that includes a planned travel route for a leading vehicle to electronically tow a following vehicle using inter-vehicle communication, the route planning apparatus comprising: a receiving unit configured to receive a request to stop at a waypoint during traveling by the electronic towing, the stop-over request being input on a second information processing apparatus that is used by an occupant of the following vehicle: a searching unit configured to search, for a waypoint according to the request, the planned travel route and a surrounding region of the planned travel route; and a transmitting unit configured to transmit information regarding a found waypoint and a route to the waypoint to a first information processing apparatus that is used by an occupant of the leading vehicle.

Electronic towing system and method for controlling route planning apparatus

A control device of a vehicle is configured to control travelling of the vehicle such that the vehicle follows a preceding vehicle based on information received from the preceding vehicle, and determine, based on information regarding a cargo space of the preceding vehicle, an inter-vehicle distance to the preceding vehicle when the vehicles stop. Upon the preceding vehicle having stopped, the device stops the vehicle such that a distance between the vehicle and the preceding vehicle becomes the inter-vehicle distance determined by the device.

Vehicle and control device of the same

A control device of a vehicle is provided. The device controls travelling of the vehicle such that the vehicle follows another vehicle based on information received from the other vehicle; and determines whether to allow the vehicle to start to follow another vehicle based on at least one of whether a user of the vehicle is inside the vehicle or an instruction from the user. The processor starts to follow another vehicle in a case where the travel control circuit is allowed to follow the other vehicle.

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Wako, Japan

Takayuki Sakata