The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Mar. 19, 2024
Filed:
Dec. 21, 2020
Denso Corporation, Kariya, JP;
DENSO CORPORATION, Kariya, JP;
Abstract
A vehicle control apparatus performs a following travel mode in which an own vehicle travels while following a followed vehicle ahead of the own vehicle. The apparatus includes a surrounding object detection section that acquires detection information regarding a surrounding object, a space determination section that uses the detection information to determine presence/absence of a free space located laterally to an own lane, a setting condition determination section that determines whether a first other vehicle having entered the own lane from the free space or a second other vehicle traveling ahead of a preceding vehicle having entered the free space from the own lane meets a setting condition for setting the first or second other vehicle as the followed vehicle, and an automated driving control section that sets the first or second other vehicle as the followed vehicle to perform the following travel mode if the setting condition is met.