Inter-vehicle control apparatus

An inter-vehicle control apparatus mounted to an own vehicle, the inter-vehicle control apparatus comprising:

• a control unit having a processor configured to perform acceleration and deceleration control of the own vehicle based on an actual inter-vehicle physical quantity and a target inter-vehicle physical quantity, where the actual inter-vehicle physical quantity is a detected value of a physical quantity corresponding to an inter-vehicle distance between the own vehicle and a preceding vehicle, and the target inter-vehicle physical quantity is a target value of the actual inter-vehicle physical quantity;
• a detection unit having the processor configured to detect an occurrence of at least one of:
• (i) a first event in which the inter-vehicle distance becomes discontinuously shorter;
• and (ii) a second event in which a target inter-vehicle distance corresponding to the target inter-vehicle physical quantity becomes discontinuously longer;
• and
• a determining unit having the processor configured to determine a risk of collision with the preceding vehicle felt by the driver of the own vehicle, based on information of a personality of the driver,
• when the detection unit detects the at least one of the first event and the second event, the control unit performing the acceleration and deceleration control of the own vehicle such that a change in deceleration of the own vehicle is kept lower as the determined risk of collision decreases.

An inter-vehicle control method comprising:

• performing, by a control unit of an inter-vehicle control apparatus mounted to an own vehicle, acceleration and deceleration control of the own vehicle based on an actual inter-vehicle physical quantity and a target inter-vehicle physical quantity, where the actual inter-vehicle physical quantity is a detected value of a physical quantity corresponding to an inter-vehicle distance between the own vehicle and a preceding vehicle, and the target inter-vehicle physical quantity is a target value of the actual inter-vehicle physical quantity;
• detecting, by a detection unit of the inter-vehicle control apparatus, an occurrence of at least one of:
• (i) a first event in which the inter-vehicle distance becomes discontinuously shorter;
• and (ii) a second event in which a target inter-vehicle distance corresponding to the target inter-vehicle physical quantity becomes discontinuously longer;
• determining, by a determining unit of the inter-vehicle control apparatus, a risk of collision with the preceding vehicle felt by the driver of the own vehicle, based on a surrounding road environment of the own vehicle or information of a personality of the driver;
• and
• when the detection unit detects the at least one of the first event and the second event, performing, by the control unit, the acceleration and deceleration control of the own vehicle such that a change in deceleration of the own vehicle is kept lower as the determined risk of collision decreases.