Convoy travel system and convoy travel apparatus

A convoy travel apparatus for controlling a plurality of vehicles in a convoy of vehicles to follow a preceding vehicle by using information obtained from the preceding vehicle through communication, the convoy travel apparatus comprising:

• a microcomputer programmed to:
• identify a travel lane of the convoy;
• determine whether the convoy is approaching a merge point of a multi-lane road that has multiple travel lanes on a side of traffic, the multiple lanes including a merging lane and a non-merge lane;
• determine a vehicle position ranking of at least one vehicle of the plurality of vehicles by using information obtained through communication from other in-convoy vehicles in the convoy;
• and
• instruct an Electronic Power Steering Electronic Control Unit (EPS ECU) of the at least one vehicle of the plurality of vehicles to perform a steering control of the at least one vehicle to change lanes without changing its speed, wherein
• when the microcomputer (i) determines that the convoy approaches the merge point and (ii) identifies that the travel lane of the convoy is the merging lane that has the merge point, the microcomputer controls the at least one vehicle to change lanes without changing its speed toward the non-merge lane that is adjacent the merging lane, and leaves all remaining vehicles in the convoy to continue travelling in the travel lane without changing their speeds in an unchanged state, and
• when the microcomputer (i) determines that the convoy approaches the merge point, and (ii) identifies that the travel lane of the convoy is the merging lane that has the merge point, the at least one vehicle having a subsequent vehicle from the plurality of vehicles travelling behind the at least one vehicle, the microcomputer controls the subsequent vehicle to the at least one vehicle having the determined vehicle position ranking to change lanes without changing its speed toward the non-merge lane that is adjacent the merging lane while maintaining an inter-vehicle distance and position between the at least one vehicle and the subsequent vehicle during and after changing lanes.

A convoy travel system for organizing a convoy having a plurality of vehicles that are each respectively equipped with a convoy travel apparatus, the convoy travel apparatus comprising:

• a follow travel controller that controls at least one vehicle of the plurality of vehicles to respectively follow a preceding vehicle by using information obtained from the preceding vehicle through communication, the follow travel controller of the convoy travel system:
• identifying a travel lane of the convoy;
• determining whether the convoy is approaching a merge point of a multi-lane road that has multiple travel lanes on a side of traffic, the multiple travel lanes including a merging lane and a non-merge lane;
• and
• instructing an Electronic Power Steering Electronic Control Unit (EPS ECU) to perform steering control of the at least one vehicle to change lanes without changing its speed, wherein
• when the follow travel controller (i) determines that the convoy approaches the merge point and (ii) identifies that the travel lane of the convoy is the merging lane that has the merge point, the follow travel controller controls the at least one vehicle in the convoy to change lanes without changing its speed toward the non-merge lane that is adjacent the merging lane, and leaving all remaining vehicles in the convoy to continue travelling in the travel lane in an unchanged state,
• wherein the follow travel controller determines whether a vacant space exists in the non-merge lane that is adjacent the merging lane and in an area that extends from a diagonal-front of the at least one vehicle to a side of the at least one vehicle, and
• notifies, as a lane change prior notice, a scheduled lane change of the at least one vehicle to other vehicles through communication when the follow travel controller (i) determines that the convoy approaches the merge point, (ii) identifies that the travel lane of the convoy is the merging lane that has the merge point, and (iii) determines that the vacancy space exists, and
• wherein, before providing the lane change prior notice to other vehicles, the follow travel controller determines whether the lane change prior notice has already been received by the at least one vehicle either from the preceding vehicle of the at least one vehicle or from a following vehicle of the at least one vehicle through communication,
• and wherein the follow travel controller of the at least one vehicle provides the lane change prior notice and controls the at least one vehicle to change lanes without changing its speed to the non-merge lane that is adjacent the merging lane only when the follow travel controller determines that the lane change prior notice has not already been received by the at least one vehicle either from the preceding vehicle of the at least one vehicle or from the following vehicle of the at least one vehicle through communication.

A convoy travel apparatus for controlling a plurality of vehicles in a convoy of vehicles to follow a preceding vehicle by using information obtained from the preceding vehicle through communication, the convoy travel apparatus comprising:

• a microcomputer programmed to:
• identify a travel lane of the convoy;
• determine whether the convoy is approaching a merge point of a multi-lane road that has multiple travel lanes on a side of traffic, the multiple lanes including a merging lane and a non-merge lane;
• and
• instruct an Electronic Power Steering Electronic Control Unit (EPS ECU) of at least one vehicle of the plurality of vehicles to perform a steering control of the at least one vehicle to change lanes without changing its speed, wherein
• when the microcomputer (i) determines that the convoy approaches the merge point and (ii) identifies that the travel lane of the convoy is the merging lane that has the merge point, the microcomputer controls the at least one vehicle to change lanes without changing its speed toward the non-merge lane that is adjacent the merging lane, and leaves all remaining vehicles in the convoy to continue travelling in the travel lane in an unchanged state,
• and wherein the microcomputer determines whether a vacant space exists in the non-merge lane that is adjacent the merging lane and in an area that extends from a diagonal-front of the at least one vehicle to a side of the at least one vehicle, and notifies, as a lane change prior notice, a scheduled lane change of the at least one vehicle to other vehicles through communication when the microcomputer (i) determines that the convoy approaches the merge point, (ii) identifies that the travel lane of the convoy is the merging lane that has the merge point, and (iii) determines that the vacancy space exists, and
• wherein, before providing the lane change prior notice to other vehicles, the microcomputer determines whether the lane change prior notice has already been received by the at least one vehicle either from the preceding vehicle of the at least one vehicle or from a following vehicle of the at least one vehicle through communication,
• and wherein the microcomputer of the at least one vehicle provides the lane change prior notice and controls the at least one vehicle to change lanes without changing its speed to the non-merge lane that is adjacent the merging lane only when the microcomputer determines that the lane change prior notice has not already been received by the at least one vehicle either from the preceding vehicle of the at least one vehicle or from the following vehicle of the at least one vehicle through communication.