# US 11,299,148 B2 · Travel control apparatus and vehicle > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,299,148 B2 - Document ID: US11299148B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/789,822 - Filed: 2020-02-13 - Published: 2020-06-11 - Granted: 2022-04-12 - Earliest claimed: 2017-08-25 - Assignees: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Shohei Yamashita - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11299148B2 ## CPC - B60W 30/09: Taking automatic action to avoid collision, e.g. braking and steering - B60W 30/18163: {Lane change; Overtaking manoeuvres} - B60W 60/00274: {considering possible movement changes} - G08G 1/16: Anti-collision systems (road vehicle drive control systems for predicting or avoiding probable or impending collision otherwise than by control of a particular sub-unit B60W30/08) - B60W 2552/05: Type of road, e.g. motorways, local streets, paved or unpaved roads - B60W 2554/4042: Longitudinal speed - B60W 2554/4045: Intention, e.g. lane change or imminent movement - B60W 2554/801: Lateral distance - B60W 2554/802: Longitudinal distance - B60W 2554/804: Relative longitudinal speed - B60W 2554/806: Relative heading - B60W 2556/50: of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data - B60W 2720/24: Direction of travel - B60W 2754/20: Lateral distance - B60W: CONJOINT CONTROL OF VEHICLE SUB-UNITS OF DIFFERENT TYPE OR DIFFERENT FUNCTION; CONTROL SYSTEMS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR HYBRID VEHICLES; ROAD VEHICLE DRIVE CONTROL SYSTEMS FOR PURPOSES NOT RELATED TO THE CONTROL OF A PARTICULAR SUB-UNIT - G08G: TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEMS (guiding railway traffic, ensuring the safety of railway traffic B61L; arrangement of road signs or traffic signals E01F9/00; radar or analogous systems, sonar systems, lidar systems specially adapted for traffic control G01S13/91, G01S15/88, G01S17/88; {radar or analogous systems, sonar systems, lidar systems specially adapted for anti-collision purposes G01S13/93, G01S15/93, G01S17/93}) ## Abstract The present invention provides a travel control apparatus for controlling traveling of a self-vehicle to avoid another vehicle on a front side, the apparatus comprising: a calculation unit for calculating a relative speed between the self-vehicle and the other vehicle; a state detection unit for detecting an operation state of the other vehicle; and a control unit for controlling avoidance processing of avoiding the other vehicle and causing the self-vehicle to pass a lateral side of the other vehicle, wherein the control unit changes a separation distance to separate the self-vehicle and the other vehicle in the avoidance processing in accordance with the relative speed calculated by the calculation unit and the operation state detected by the state detection unit. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A travel control apparatus for controlling traveling of a self-vehicle to avoid another vehicle on a front side, the apparatus comprising: a calculation unit for calculating a relative speed between the self-vehicle and the other vehicle; a state detection unit for detecting an operation state of the other vehicle; and a control unit for controlling avoidance processing of avoiding the other vehicle and causing the self-vehicle to pass a lateral side of the other vehicle, wherein the control unit changes a separation distance to separate the self-vehicle and the other vehicle in the avoidance processing in accordance with the relative speed calculated by the calculation unit and the operation state detected by the state detection unit, wherein in a case where the state detection unit detects that the other vehicle is in an operation state in which the other vehicle is going to move to a lateral side of a road, the control unit reduces the separation distance as compared to a case in which it is detected that the other vehicle is in an operation state in which the other vehicle is stopped on the lateral side of the road. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The travel control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the state detection unit detects an absolute speed of the other vehicle as the operation state of the other vehicle, and the control unit changes the separation distance in accordance with the absolute speed of the other vehicle detected by the state detection unit. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The travel control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein in a case where the state detection unit detects that the other vehicle is in an operation state in which the other vehicle is going to start from the lateral side of the road onto a lane, the control unit stops the avoidance processing. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The travel control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the state detection unit detects the operation state of the other vehicle based on at least one of lighting of a direction indicator of the other vehicle, lighting of a brake lamp of the other vehicle, and an orientation of the other vehicle. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The travel control apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising acquisition unit for acquiring a type of a traveling road on which the self-vehicle is traveling, wherein the control unit changes the separation distance in accordance with the type of the traveling road acquired by the acquisition unit. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) A vehicle comprising a travel control apparatus according to claim 1. ### Claim 7 A travel control method of controlling traveling of a self-vehicle to avoid another vehicle on a front side, the method comprising steps of: (i) calculating a relative speed between the self-vehicle and the other vehicle; (ii) detecting an operation state of the other vehicle; and (iii) by a processor, controlling avoidance processing of avoiding the other vehicle and causing the self-vehicle to pass a lateral side of the other vehicle, wherein the step (iii) further comprises changing a separation distance to separate the self-vehicle and the other vehicle in the avoidance processing in accordance with the calculated relative speed and the detected operation state, wherein in a case where the step (ii) detects that the other vehicle is in an operation state in which the other vehicle is going to move to a lateral side of a road, the step (iii) further comprises reducing the separation distance as compared to a case in which it is detected that the other vehicle is in an operation state in which the other vehicle is stopped on the lateral side of the road.