Patent ID: 11904860
Assignee: SUBARU CORPORATION
Field: Transport (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC B | IPC B

Claim 2:
3. A traveling control apparatus for a vehicle, the traveling control apparatus comprising circuitry configured to:
detect a preceding vehicle to be followed by the vehicle,
predict a course change of the preceding vehicle in a direction crossing an oncoming lane,
detect an oncoming vehicle traveling on the oncoming lane and approaching the preceding vehicle,
calculate an estimated arrival time of the oncoming vehicle to a position of the preceding vehicle in a case where the course change of the preceding vehicle is predicted and where the oncoming vehicle approaching the preceding vehicle is detected,
compare the estimated arrival time with a necessary crossing time necessary for the preceding vehicle to travel across the oncoming lane,
predict, in a case where the estimated arrival time is shorter than the necessary crossing time, that the preceding vehicle will not travel across the oncoming lane,
set a target inter-vehicle distance between the preceding vehicle and the vehicle, and
in a case where it is predicted that the preceding vehicle that attempts to travel across the oncoming lane will not travel across the oncoming lane:
lower a deceleration rate of the vehicle approaching the preceding vehicle by adding an increment distance to the target inter-vehicle distance set by the target inter-vehicle distance setting unit to determine a new target inter-vehicle distance and setting the new target inter-vehicle distance as a new value, in a case where it is predicted that the preceding vehicle will not travel across the oncoming lane, or
lower an acceleration rate of the vehicle approaching the preceding vehicle by regulating a target speed rate set to a value on an acceleration side to determine a new target speed rate, and setting the new target speed rate as a new value, in a case where an actual inter-vehicle distance is longer than the target inter-vehicle distance set by the target inter-vehicle distance setting unit, wherein:

the vehicle comprises a hybrid vehicle including at least a traveling motor as a drive source, and
in a case where the new value is set, a traveling mode in which the vehicle is driven only by the traveling motor is set.