# US 12,594,937 B2 · Driving assistance device and driving assistance method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,594,937 B2 - Document ID: US12594937B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/805,214 - Filed: 2022-06-02 - Published: 2022-09-15 - Granted: 2026-04-07 - Earliest claimed: 2019-12-06 - Assignees: Denso Corporation; Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha - Applicants: Denso Corporation; Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha - Inventors: Tomohiko Inoue; Youhei Masui; Hiroaki Niino; Yuki Tezuka; Naoki Kusumoto; Yuuji Kosaka - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12594937B2 ## CPC - B60W 30/143: {Speed control (B60W30/16 takes precedence)} - B60T 7/12: for automatic initiation; for initiation not subject to will of driver or passenger {(limiting speed of vehicles other than rail vehicles B60K31/00)} - B60W 30/0956: {the prediction being responsive to traffic or environmental parameters} - B60W 30/16: Control of distance between vehicles, e.g. keeping a distance to preceding vehicle - B60W 40/04: Traffic conditions - G06V 10/60: relating to illumination properties, e.g. using a reflectance or lighting model - G06V 20/58: Recognition of moving objects or obstacles, e.g. vehicles or pedestrians; Recognition of traffic objects, e.g. traffic signs, traffic lights or roads - G06V 20/584: {of vehicle lights or traffic lights} - G08G 1/09: Arrangements for giving variable traffic instructions ({railroad crossing signals B61L; reflectors E01F, G08B}; indicating arrangements for variable information by selection or combination of individual elements G09F9/00) - 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) - H04W 4/46: for vehicle-to-vehicle communication [V2V] - B60W 2420/403: Image sensing, e.g. optical camera - B60W 2554/40: Dynamic objects, e.g. animals, windblown objects - B60W 2554/80: Spatial relation or speed relative to objects - B60W 2556/65: Data transmitted between vehicles - H04L 67/12: specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks - 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 - B60T: VEHICLE BRAKE CONTROL SYSTEMS OR PARTS THEREOF; BRAKE CONTROL SYSTEMS OR PARTS THEREOF, IN GENERAL (electrodynamic brake systems for vehicle, in general B60L; brakes per se, i.e. devices where braking effect occurs, including ultimate brake actuators, F16D); ARRANGEMENT OF BRAKING ELEMENTS ON VEHICLES IN GENERAL; PORTABLE DEVICES FOR PREVENTING UNWANTED MOVEMENT OF VEHICLES; VEHICLE MODIFICATIONS TO FACILITATE COOLING OF BRAKES - G06V: IMAGE OR VIDEO RECOGNITION OR UNDERSTANDING - 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}) - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) ## Abstract A driving assistance device includes a determination unit that determines whether a brake light of a preceding vehicle located in front of a vehicle is turned on, based on a lighting state of a headlight of the preceding vehicle and an acceleration/deceleration of the preceding vehicle, a calculation unit that calculates a target acceleration/deceleration of the vehicle, based on a determination by the determination unit of whether the brake light of the preceding vehicle is turned on, and a control unit that controls the vehicle so that an acceleration/deceleration of the vehicle corresponds to the target acceleration/deceleration. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A driving assistance device comprising: a determination unit that determines whether a brake light of a preceding vehicle located in front of a vehicle is turned on, based on a lighting state of a headlight of the preceding vehicle and an acceleration/deceleration of the preceding vehicle; and a calculation unit that calculates a target acceleration/deceleration of the vehicle, based on a determination by the determination unit of whether the brake light of the preceding vehicle is turned on; and a control unit that controls an acceleration/deceleration of the vehicle, wherein the determination unit determines that the brake light is turned on, in a case where the headlight of the preceding vehicle is turned on and the preceding vehicle is decelerated, and the vehicle is accelerated or decelerated according to the target acceleration/deceleration. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The driving assistance device according to claim 1, wherein the determination unit determines the lighting state of the headlight of the preceding vehicle, based on a brightness of an image of a rear portion of the preceding vehicle. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The driving assistance device according to claim 1, wherein the determination unit determines the lighting state of the headlight of the preceding vehicle, based on an amount of solar radiation from an outside of the vehicle. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The driving assistance device according to claim 1, wherein the determination unit determines the lighting state of the headlight of the preceding vehicle, based on a lighting state of a headlight of the vehicle. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The driving assistance device according to claim 1, wherein the determination unit determines whether at least one or more brake lights of the preceding vehicle is turned on, based on a time to collision between the vehicle and the preceding vehicle based on the acceleration/deceleration of the vehicle and an acceleration/deceleration of the preceding vehicle. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The driving assistance device according to claim 5, wherein the calculation unit calculates the target acceleration/deceleration, based on the time to collision between the vehicle and the preceding vehicle based on the acceleration/deceleration of the vehicle and the acceleration/deceleration of the preceding vehicle. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The driving assistance device according to claim 1, further comprising an acquisition unit that acquires a brake operation state of the preceding vehicle through inter-vehicle communication, wherein the determination unit determines whether at least one or more brake lights of the preceding vehicle is turned on, based on the brake operation state of the preceding vehicle. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The driving assistance device according to claim 7, wherein the acquisition unit acquires an acceleration/deceleration of the preceding vehicle through the inter-vehicle communication, and the determination unit determines whether at least one of the one or more brake lights of the preceding vehicle is turned on, based on the acceleration/deceleration of the preceding vehicle acquired by the acquisition unit. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The driving assistance device according to claim 1, wherein in response to the determination unit determining that at least one or more brake lights of the preceding vehicle is turned on, the calculation unit calculates a braking target deceleration at which the vehicle is decelerated more than at an Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) target acceleration/deceleration at which a distance from the vehicle to the preceding vehicle is constant, and the control unit controls the vehicle so that the acceleration/deceleration of the vehicle corresponds to the braking target deceleration. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The driving assistance device according to claim 1, further comprising a prefill execution unit that in a case where a brake light of another vehicle other than the vehicle and the preceding vehicle is turned on, causes a gap between a brake pad and a brake disc of the vehicle to be smaller than in a case where the brake light of the another vehicle is not turned on. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The driving assistance device according to claim 10, wherein in a case where a red light of a traffic signal in front of the vehicle is turned on, the prefill execution unit causes the gap between the brake pad and the brake disc to be smaller than in a case where the brake light of the another vehicle is not turned on. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The driving assistance device according to claim 10, wherein in a case where a speed of the vehicle is greater than a speed threshold, the prefill execution unit causes the gap between the brake pad and the brake disc to be smaller than in a case where the brake light of the another vehicle is not turned on. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The driving assistance device according to claim 10, wherein in a case where a time to collision between the vehicle and an object different from the vehicle based on a speed of the vehicle and the object is less than a time threshold, the prefill execution unit causes the gap between the brake pad and the brake disc to be smaller than in a case where the brake light of the another vehicle is not turned on. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) A driving assistance device according to claim 1, wherein a determination unit that determines whether at least one of a plurality of brake lights arranged in a width direction in a rear portion of a preceding vehicle located in front of a vehicle is turned on, based on a lighting state of an auxiliary brake light that is disposed at a different position from the plurality of brake lights of the preceding vehicle and is turned on when at least one of the plurality of brake lights of the preceding vehicle is turned on, wherein the plurality of brake lights comprises tail lamps of the preceding vehicle, and the auxiliary brake light comprises a third brake light of the preceding vehicle. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The driving assistance device according to claim 14, wherein the determination unit determines the lighting state of the auxiliary brake light, based on a brightness of an image of a rear portion of the preceding vehicle. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The driving assistance device according to claim 14, wherein the determination unit determines whether at least one of the plurality of brake lights of the preceding vehicle is turned on, based on a time to collision between the vehicle and the preceding vehicle based on the acceleration/deceleration of the vehicle and an acceleration/deceleration of the preceding vehicle. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The driving assistance device according to claim 16, wherein the calculation unit calculates the target acceleration/deceleration, based on the time to collision between the vehicle and the preceding vehicle based on the acceleration/deceleration of the vehicle and the acceleration/deceleration of the preceding vehicle. ### Claim 18 (depends on 14) The driving assistance device according to claim 14, further comprising an acquisition unit that acquires a brake operation state of the preceding vehicle through inter-vehicle communication, wherein the determination unit determines whether at least one of the plurality of brake lights of the preceding vehicle is turned on, based on the brake operation state of the preceding vehicle. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The driving assistance device according to claim 18, wherein the acquisition unit acquires an acceleration/deceleration of the preceding vehicle through the inter-vehicle communication, and the determination unit determines whether at least one of the plurality of brake lights of the preceding vehicle is turned on, based on the acceleration/deceleration of the preceding vehicle acquired by the acquisition unit. ### Claim 20 (depends on 14) The driving assistance device according to claim 14, wherein in response to the determination unit determining that at least one of the plurality of brake lights of the preceding vehicle is turned on, the calculation unit calculates a braking target deceleration at which the vehicle is decelerated more than at an Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) target acceleration/deceleration at which a distance from the vehicle to the preceding vehicle is constant, and the control unit controls the vehicle so that the acceleration/deceleration of the vehicle corresponds to the braking target deceleration. ### Claim 21 (depends on 14) The driving assistance device according to claim 14, further comprising a prefill execution unit that in a case where a brake light of another vehicle other than the vehicle and the preceding vehicle is turned on, causes a gap between a brake pad and a brake disc of the vehicle to be smaller than in a case where the brake light of the another vehicle is not turned on. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The driving assistance device according to claim 21, wherein in a case where a red light of a traffic signal in front of the vehicle is turned on, the prefill execution unit causes the gap between the brake pad and the brake disc to be smaller than in a case where the brake light of the another vehicle is not turned on. ### Claim 23 (depends on 21) The driving assistance device according to claim 21, wherein in a case where a speed of the vehicle is greater than a speed threshold, the prefill execution unit causes the gap between the brake pad and the brake disc to be smaller than in a case where the brake light of the another vehicle is not turned on. ### Claim 24 (depends on 21) The driving assistance device according to claim 21, wherein in a case where a time to collision between the vehicle and an object different from the vehicle based on a speed of the vehicle and the object is less than a time threshold, the prefill execution unit causes the gap between the brake pad and the brake disc to be smaller than in a case where the brake light of the another vehicle is not turned on. ### Claim 25 A driving assistance method comprising: determining whether a brake light of a preceding vehicle located in front of a vehicle is turned on, based on a headlight of the preceding vehicle being turned on and deceleration of the preceding vehicle; calculating a target acceleration/deceleration of the vehicle, based on a determination of whether the brake light of the preceding vehicle is turned on; and controlling an acceleration/deceleration of the vehicle, wherein the vehicle is accelerated or decelerated according to the target acceleration/deceleration. ### Claim 26 (depends on 25) The driving assistance method according to claim 25, further comprising: in a case where the headlight of the preceding vehicle are not turned on, or in a case where acceleration/deceleration of the preceding vehicle is not detected, determining whether at least one of a plurality of brake lights arranged in a width direction in a rear portion of a preceding vehicle located in front of a vehicle is turned on, based on a lighting state of an auxiliary brake light that is disposed at a different position from the brake lights of the preceding vehicle and is turned on when at least one of the brake lights of the preceding vehicle is turned on.