Travel support apparatus and travel support system

摘要

A travel support system uses a wireless communication unit for receiving a following vehicle's speed control capacity, and compares the speed control capacity received with a speed control capacity of the subject vehicle. If the speed control capacity of the following vehicle is higher than the capacity of the subject vehicle, a maximum deceleration of the subject vehicle is restricted to a restricted value. In addition, a target inter-vehicle distance to a lead vehicle is set according to the restricted value of the subject vehicle, thereby enabling a reduction of the inter-vehicle distance to the lead vehicle for each of the vehicles in a convoy.

主权项

1. A travel support apparatus disposed in a subject vehicle, the apparatus comprising:
a communication unit for communicably coupling the subject vehicle with surrounding vehicles for exchanging information via vehicle-to-vehicle communication, the information including a speed control capacity of a vehicle; a first inter-vehicle distance detection unit for detecting an inter-vehicle distance from the subject vehicle to a lead vehicle of the subject vehicle; a travel control unit for controlling the inter-vehicle distance to the lead vehicle based on the information received by the communication unit from the lead vehicle; a speed control capacity calculation unit for determining a speed control capacity of the subject vehicle; a comparison unit for comparing the speed control capacity of the subject vehicle determined by the speed control capacity calculation unit with the speed control capacity of a following vehicle located behind the subject vehicle when the communication unit receives the speed control capacity of the following vehicle; and a maximum deceleration restriction unit for determining a restricted value to restrict a maximum deceleration of the subject vehicle when the comparison unit determines that the following vehicle has a lower speed control capacity than the subject vehicle; wherein the speed control capacity of the subject vehicle is determined based on information directly indicating the presence of a range sensor that is equipped to independently detect the presence of a frontal obstacle in front of the subject vehicle and a distance to the frontal obstacle.