# US 12,214,784 B2 · Driving assistance control apparatus, driving assistance system, and driving assistance control method for vehicle > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,214,784 B2 - Document ID: US12214784B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/110,337 - Filed: 2020-12-03 - Published: 2021-03-25 - Granted: 2025-02-04 - Earliest claimed: 2018-06-05 - Assignees: Denso Corporation - Applicants: Denso Corporation - Inventors: Yuta Komoguchi; Yohei Masui; Kenji Kato - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12214784B2 ## CPC - B60W 30/12: Lane keeping - B60W 30/165: Automatically following the path of a preceding lead vehicle, e.g. "electronic tow-bar" - B60W 30/18154: {Approaching an intersection} - B60W 40/06: Road conditions - 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 2552/53: Road markings, e.g. lane marker or crosswalk - B60W 2554/4046: Behavior, e.g. aggressive or erratic - B60W 2554/802: Longitudinal 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 A driving assistance control apparatus for a vehicle includes an acquiring unit and a control unit. The acquiring unit acquires a detected traveling environment of the vehicle. Using the acquired traveling environment, and in response to a preceding vehicle being present near a road edge and no obstacle being present between the road edge and the preceding vehicle, the control unit causes a driving assisting unit to perform driving assistance in which the preceding vehicle is tracked. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A driving assistance control apparatus for an own vehicle, comprising: a processor; a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium; and a set of computer-executable instructions stored on the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium that cause the processor to: control a driving assisting unit configured to perform driving assistance including at least lane deviation prevention assistance; acquire a traveling environment of the own vehicle; determine, based on the traveling environment, whether a current position of the own vehicle is near an intersection; determine, based on the traveling environment, whether a preceding vehicle is present near a road edge; determine, based on the traveling environment, whether an obstacle is present near the own vehicle on a side of the road edge; and while the lane deviation prevention assistance is being performed by the driving assisting unit, in response to determining that the current position of the own vehicle is near the intersection and that the preceding vehicle is present near the road edge and no obstacle is present near the own vehicle on the side of the road edge, cancel the lane deviation prevention assistance and command the driving assisting unit to perform driving assistance in which the preceding vehicle is tracked. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The driving assistance control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: the set of computer-executable instructions further cause the processor to command the driving assisting unit to perform driving assistance in which the preceding vehicle is tracked, in response to the preceding vehicle straddling a roadway outer line and no obstacle being present near the own vehicle on the side of the road edge. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The driving assistance control apparatus according to claim 2, wherein: the set of computer-executable instructions further cause the processor to cancel at least lane deviation prevention assistance of which the roadway outer line is a target, and causes the driving assisting unit to perform driving assistance in which the preceding vehicle is tracked. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The driving assistance control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: the set of computer-executable instructions further cause the processor to command the driving assisting unit to perform driving assistance in response to a plurality of preceding vehicles being present. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The driving assistance control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: the set of computer-executable instructions further cause the processor to command the driving assisting unit to perform driving assistance in response to a distance between the preceding vehicle and a lane boundary line or a center line being equal to or less than a distance that is prescribed in advance. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The driving assistance control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: the set of computer-executable instructions further cause the processor to acquire layout information on the intersection, and determine whether the own vehicle is near the intersection using the layout information of the intersection. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The driving assistance control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: the set of computer-executable instructions further cause the processor to change a target position at a rear of the preceding vehicle based on a distance between the preceding vehicle and the own vehicle or a shape of a road. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) A driving assistance system comprising: the driving assistance control apparatus according to claim 1; a detecting unit that is provided in the own vehicle and detects the traveling environment; and the driving assisting unit. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The driving assistance control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: the set of computer-executable instructions further cause the processor to: determine, based on the traveling environment, whether the own vehicle is positioned near the intersection; and in response to determining that the own vehicle is positioned near the intersection, command the driving assisting unit to perform driving assistance in which the own vehicle travels or stops near the road edge or a center line. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The driving assistance control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: the set of computer-executable instructions further cause the processor to: determine, based on the traveling environment, whether the preceding vehicle is straddling a roadway outer line and the preceding vehicle is identified as a target for tracking; and in response to determining that the preceding vehicle is straddling the roadway outer line and the preceding vehicle is identified as the target for tracking, suppress at least lane deviation prevention assistance in which the roadway outer line is a control target and command the driving assisting unit to perform driving assistance in which the preceding vehicle is tracked. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The driving assistance control apparatus according to claim 10, wherein: the set of computer-executable instructions further cause the processor to command the driving assisting unit to perform driving assistance in which the preceding vehicle is tracked by the own vehicle straddling the roadway outer line so as to follow the preceding vehicle. ### Claim 12 A driving assistance control method for an own vehicle comprising: controlling a driving assisting unit configured to perform driving assistance including at least lane deviation prevention assistance; acquiring a traveling environment of the own vehicle; and determining, based on the traveling environment, whether a current position of the own vehicle is near an intersection; determining, based on the traveling environment, whether a preceding vehicle is present near a road edge; and determining, based on the traveling environment, whether an obstacle is present near the own vehicle on a side of the road edge; and while the lane deviation prevention assistance is being performed by the driving assisting unit, in response to determining that the current position of the own vehicle is near the intersection and that the preceding vehicle is present near a road edge and no obstacle is present near the own vehicle on the side of the road edge, canceling the lane deviation prevention assistance and causing the driving assisting unit to perform driving assistance in which the preceding vehicle is tracked.