Smart vehicle systems and control logic with automated lane merging assistance

A non-transient, computer-readable medium storing instructions executable by a vehicle controller of a motor vehicle, the motor vehicle including a vehicle body, a driver mirror attached to the vehicle body, and an electric mirror motor communicatively connected to the vehicle controller and drivingly coupled to the driver mirror, the instructions, when executed, causing the vehicle controller to perform operations comprising:

• receiving, from a wireless-enabled host vehicle tracking device in the motor vehicle, location data indicative of a host vehicle location of the motor vehicle;
• mapping, using the received location data and a memory-stored digital roadway map, the host vehicle location to a vehicle roadway;
• detecting a lane merging event responsive to the host vehicle location coinciding with a first lane segment of the vehicle roadway merging with a second lane segment of the vehicle roadway at a lane merging point, the first lane segment including an arcuate lane segment;
• determining, responsive to detecting the lane merging event, multiple new mirror angles for the driver mirror by:
• determining respective relative angles between a series of arcuately spaced lane locations of the arcuate lane segment and the second lane segment, and
• calculating the new mirror angles based on the respective relative angles between the second lane segment and the series of arcuately spaced lane locations of the arcuate lane segment;
• commanding the electric mirror motor to sequentially move the driver mirror to the new mirror angles prior to the motor vehicle reaching the lane merging point;
• and
• commanding a driver feedback system of the motor vehicle to output an audible, visible, and/or haptic cue indicating controller-automated movement of the driver mirror concurrent with the mirror actuator moving the driver mirror to the new mirror angles.

A motor vehicle, comprising:

• a vehicle body;
• a plurality of road wheels attached to the vehicle body;
• a prime mover attached to the vehicle body and configured to drive at least one of the road wheels to thereby propel the motor vehicle;
• a mirror assembly including a driver mirror attached to the vehicle body and a mirror actuator drivingly coupled to the driver mirror;
• and
• a vehicle controller programmed to:
• receive, from a host vehicle tracking device, location data indicative of a host vehicle location of the motor vehicle;
• map, using the location data and a digital roadway map, the host vehicle location to a vehicle roadway;
• detect a lane merging event responsive to the host vehicle location coinciding with a first lane segment merging with a second lane segment at a lane merging point of the vehicle roadway, the first lane segment including an arcuate lane segment;
• determine, responsive to detecting the lane merging event, a new mirror angle for the driver mirror, the determining including:
• determining respective relative angles between a series of arcuately spaced lane locations of the arcuate lane segment and the second lane segment, and
• calculating multiple new mirror angles based on the respective relative angles between the second lane segment and the series of arcuately spaced lane locations of the arcuate lane segment;
• command the mirror actuator to sequentially move the driver mirror to the new mirror angles prior to the motor vehicle reaching the lane merging point;
• and
• command a driver feedback system of the motor vehicle to output an audible, visible, and/or haptic cue indicating controller-automated movement of the driver mirror concurrent with the mirror actuator moving the driver mirror.