Vehicle control device and vehicle control method

A vehicle control device comprising:

• a follow-up running control unit configured to acquire running information of a preceding vehicle that runs ahead of a host vehicle and to control a running state of the host vehicle on the basis of the acquired running information;
• a deceleration jerk acquisition unit configured to acquire deceleration jerk information of the preceding vehicle;
• and
• a deceleration timing control unit configured to change a deceleration start timing, at which the follow-up running control unit decelerates the host vehicle in response to deceleration of the preceding vehicle, on the basis of the deceleration jerk information of the preceding vehicle.

A vehicle control device comprising:

• a follow-up running control unit configured to acquire running information of a preceding vehicle that runs ahead of a host vehicle and to control a running state of the host vehicle on the basis of the acquired running information;
• a deceleration jerk acquisition unit configured to acquire deceleration jerk information of the preceding vehicle;
• and
• a deceleration timing advance unit configured to advance a deceleration start timing, at which the follow-up running control unit decelerates the host vehicle in response to deceleration of the preceding vehicle, when deceleration jerk performance of the preceding vehicle is higher than deceleration jerk performance of the host vehicle as compared with when the deceleration jerk performance of the preceding vehicle is lower than the deceleration jerk performance of the host vehicle.

A vehicle control method comprising:

• acquiring running information of a preceding vehicle that runs ahead of a host vehicle;
• controlling a running state of the host vehicle on the basis of the acquired running information;
• acquiring deceleration jerk information of the preceding vehicle;
• and
• changing a deceleration start timing, at which the host vehicle is decelerated in response to deceleration of the preceding vehicle, on the basis of the deceleration jerk information of the preceding vehicle.