Method and apparatus for controlling the velocity of a vehicle

Claim 1

A method for automatically controlling a velocity of a vehicle based on consideration of preceding vehicles, said method comprising: selecting one of said preceding vehicles from an area of possible future travel and of the vehicle to be controlled to serve as a control target for determining the velocity of the vehicle to be controlled; determining said area of possible future travel courses of lanes for the controlled vehicle and at least one land adjacent thereto, each of the preceding vehicles being assigned to one of said area of possible future travel or said lane or lanes adjusting the velocity of the controlled vehicle, responsive to an indication that the controlled vehicle is going to move from a lane in which it is traveling to another of said lanes, based on a preceding vehicle traveling in the lane to which the controlled vehicle is going to move, such that when the indication of lane change in a direction is detected, the area assigned to the vehicle or vehicles considered for said selection is expanded in the direction of the lane change wherein the selection of a preceding vehicle as the control target is accomplished, first, based on whether the preceding vehicle is in the considered area of possible future travel and, second, based on which of the preceding vehicles still available for selection requires the least nominal acceleration of the controlled vehicle and further wherein, said expansion of the considered area is reversed when it is recognized that the lane change has been completed or after the indication of lane change has been present for a period which exceeds a selectable, predetermined time limit.

Claim 2

A method for automatically controlling a velocity of a vehicle based on consideration of preceding vehicles, said method comprising: selecting one of said preceding vehicles from an area of possible future travel and of the vehicle to be controlled to serve as a control target for determining the velocity of the vehicle to be controlled; determining said area of possible future travel courses of lanes for the controlled vehicle and at least one land adjacent thereto, each of the preceding vehicles being assigned to one of said area of possible future travel or said lane or lanes adjusting the velocity of the controlled vehicle, responsive to an indication that the controlled vehicle is going to move from a lane in which it is traveling to another of said lanes, based on a preceding vehicle traveling in the lane to which the controlled vehicle is going to move, such that when the indication of lane change in a direction is detected, the area assigned to the vehicle or vehicles considered for said selection is expanded in the direction of the lane change wherein the selection of a preceding vehicle as the control target is accomplished, first, based on whether the preceding vehicle is in the considered area of possible future travel and, second, based on which of the preceding vehicles still available for selection requires the least nominal acceleration of the controlled vehicle and further wherein, said expansion of the considered area is reversed when it is recognized that the lane change has been completed or after the indication of lane change has been present for a period which exceeds a selectable, predetermined time limit.

Claim 10

An apparatus for controlling the speed of a vehicle travelling in one of a plurality of lanes, said apparatus comprising: means for recognizing an indication that the vehicle to be controlled is about to change lanes or is beginning to change lanes; means for determining an area of assumed future travel for the vehicle to be controlled and at least one lane adjacent thereto; means for selecting one of said preceding vehicles within the area of assumed future travel as the control target as the control target; means for expanding the considered area responsive to recognition by said means for recognizing that the controlled vehicle intends to change or is beginning to change lanes wherein said expansion of the considered area is reversed when it is recognized that the lane change has been completed or after the indication of lane change has been present for a period which exceeds a selectable, predetermined time limit; and means for controlling the speed of the vehicle to be controlled thereon.

Claim 11

An apparatus for controlling the speed of a vehicle travelling in one of a plurality of lanes, said apparatus comprising: means for recognizing an indication that the vehicle to be controlled is about to change lanes or is beginning to change lanes; means for determining an area of assumed future travel for the vehicle to be controlled and at least one lane adjacent thereto; means for selecting one of said preceding vehicles within the area of assumed future travel as the control target as the control target; means for expanding the considered area responsive to recognition by said means for recognizing that the controlled vehicle intends to change or is beginning to change lanes wherein said expansion of the considered area is reversed when it is recognized that the lane change has been completed or after the indication of lane change has been present for a period which exceeds a selectable, predetermined time limit; and means for controlling the speed of the vehicle to be controlled thereon.