# US 11,305,774 B2 · Apparatus and method for controlling lane change in vehicle > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,305,774 B2 - Document ID: US11305774B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/204,324 - Filed: 2018-11-29 - Published: 2019-10-17 - Granted: 2022-04-19 - Earliest claimed: 2018-04-11 - Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company; Kia Motors Corporation - Applicants: Hyundai Motor Company; Kia Motors Corporation - Inventors: Sung Min Park; Na Eun Yang; Jin Su Jeong - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11305774B2 ## CPC - B60W 30/18163: {Lane change; Overtaking manoeuvres} - B60W 30/0956: {the prediction being responsive to traffic or environmental parameters} - B60W 50/10: Interpretation of driver requests or demands - G05D 1/0223: {involving speed control of the vehicle (vehicle fittings for automatically controlling, i.e. preventing speed from exceeding an arbitrarily established velocity or maintaining speed at a particular velocity, as selected by the vehicle operator B60K31/00)} - G08G 1/167: {Driving aids for lane monitoring, lane changing, e.g. blind spot detection} - B60W 2554/801: Lateral distance - B60W 2554/804: Relative longitudinal speed - B60W 2720/10: Longitudinal speed - 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 - G05D: SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES - 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 An apparatus for controlling a lane change of a vehicle includes: a sensor to sense an external vehicle, an input device to receive a lane change command from a driver of the vehicle, and a control circuit to be electrically connected with the sensor and the input device. The control circuit may receive the lane change command using the input device, calculate a minimum operation speed for lane change control, and determine whether to accelerate the vehicle based on a distance between a preceding vehicle which is traveling on the same lane as the vehicle and the vehicle, when a driving speed of the vehicle is lower than the minimum operation speed when receiving the lane change command. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An apparatus for controlling a lane change of a vehicle, the apparatus comprising: a sensor configured to sense an external vehicle; an input device configured to receive a lane change command from a driver of the vehicle; and a control circuit configured to be electrically connected with the sensor and the input device, wherein the control circuit is configured to: receive the lane change command using the input device; calculate a minimum operation speed of the vehicle for a lane change control; calculate a safety distance between a preceding vehicle traveling on the same lane as the vehicle and the vehicle based on a speed of the preceding vehicle, a driving speed of the vehicle, maximum acceleration of the vehicle, and minimum acceleration of the vehicle; and determine whether to accelerate the vehicle based on the safety distance and a distance between the preceding vehicle and the vehicle, when the driving speed of the vehicle is lower than the minimum operation speed when receiving the lane change command. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control circuit is configured to: control the vehicle such that the driving speed of the vehicle is higher than the minimum operation speed, when the distance between the preceding vehicle and the vehicle is longer than the safety distance; and perform the lane change control. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control circuit is configured to: control the vehicle to decelerate, when the distance between the preceding vehicle and the vehicle is shorter than the safety distance. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the control circuit is configured to: control the vehicle such that the driving speed of the vehicle is higher than the minimum operation speed, when the distance between the preceding vehicle and the vehicle become longer than the safety distance by the deceleration; and perform the lane change control. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control circuit is configured to: control the vehicle such that the driving speed of the vehicle is higher than the minimum operation speed, when the preceding vehicle is not sensed by the sensor; and perform the lane change control. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control circuit is configured to: control the vehicle such that the driving speed of the vehicle is higher than the minimum operation speed, when the minimum operation speed is lower than the speed of the preceding vehicle; and perform the lane change control. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control circuit is configured to: determine whether to accelerate the vehicle based on the distance between the preceding vehicle and the vehicle, when the minimum operation speed is higher than or equal to the speed of the preceding vehicle. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control circuit is configured to: calculate the minimum operation speed in response to receiving the lane change command. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control circuit is configured to: calculate the minimum operation speed periodically while the vehicle travels. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control circuit is configured to: when a following vehicle traveling on a target lane corresponding to the lane change command is sensed by the sensor, calculate the minimum operation speed based on a speed of the following vehicle and a distance between the vehicle and the following vehicle. ### Claim 11 An apparatus for controlling a lane change of a vehicle the apparatus comprising: a sensor configured to sense an external vehicle; an input device configured to receive a lane change command from a driver of the vehicle; and a control circuit configured to be electrically connected with the sensor and the input device, wherein the control circuit is configured to: receive the lane change command using the input device; calculate a minimum operation speed of the vehicle for a lane change control; and when a following vehicle traveling on a target lane corresponding to the lane change command is not sensed by the sensor, calculate the minimum operation speed based on a predetermined speed for traveling vehicles and a sensing distance corresponding to a maximum distance sensible by the sensor. ### Claim 12 A method for controlling a lane change of a vehicle, the method comprising: receiving a lane change command from a driver of the vehicle; calculating a minimum operation speed of the vehicle for a lane change control; and determining whether to accelerate the vehicle based on a distance between a preceding vehicle traveling on the same lane as the vehicle and the vehicle and a safety distance between the preceding vehicle and the vehicle, when a driving speed of the vehicle is lower than the minimum operation speed when receiving the lane change command, wherein the safety distance is calculated based on a speed of the preceding vehicle, the driving speed of the vehicle, maximum acceleration of the vehicle, and minimum acceleration of the vehicle. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method according to claim 12, further comprising: controlling the vehicle such that the driving speed of the vehicle is higher than the minimum operation speed, when the distance between the preceding vehicle and the vehicle is longer than the safety distance; and performing the lane change control, when the driving speed of the vehicle becomes higher than the minimum operation speed. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The method according to claim 12, further comprising: controlling the vehicle to decelerate, when the distance between the preceding vehicle and the vehicle is shorter than the safety distance.