Office Action 1: Notice of Allowance (2025-03-04)

CLAIMS:
What is claimed is:
1\. A traveling support device that is applied to a vehicle equipped with an imaging device that captures an image of a surrounding of an own vehicle, and performs a traveling support control for the own vehicle based on the image captured by the imaging device, the traveling support device comprising: a recognizer that recognizes, based on the image, a front object located ahead of the own vehicle in a direction of travel and a boundary portion located on each of left and right sides of a road on which the own vehicle is traveling; an angular width calculator that calculates an object point and a boundary point on one line extending along a width direction of the own vehicle in the image and calculates, for the object point and the boundary point, an angular width based on an origin defined in the image, the object point indicating a predetermined portion of the front object, the boundary point being on the boundary portion; an obtainer that obtains distance information indicating a distance to the predetermined portion of the front object; a lateral distance calculator that calculates, based on the angular width calculated by the angular width calculator and the distance information, a lateral distance between the predetermined portion of the front object and the boundary portion along the width of the own vehicle; and a controller that performs the traveling support control to the front object based on the lateral distance, wherein the recognizer recognizes, as the front object, another vehicle traveling in an adjacent lane that is adjacent to an own lane in which the own vehicle is traveling, the angular width calculator calculates, as the angular width, a first angular width at a position of an own-vehicle-end lateral end portion of a rear surface of the other vehicle recognized by the recognizer and a second angular width at a position of a front-end portion of an own-vehicle-end side surface of the other vehicle, the lateral distance calculator calculates, as the lateral distance, a first lateral distance corresponding to the first angular width of the other vehicle and a second lateral distance corresponding to the second angular width of the other vehicle, and the controller performs the traveling support control for the other vehicle based on the first lateral distance and the second lateral distance to the other vehicle.
2\. The traveling support device according to claim 1, wherein the recognizer recognizes, as the front object, an oncoming vehicle traveling from ahead of the own vehicle, the angular width calculator calculates, as the angular width, a first angular width at a position of an own-vehicle-end lateral end portion of a front surface of the oncoming vehicle recognized by the recognizer and a second angular width at a position of a rear end portion of an own-vehicle-end side surface of the oncoming vehicle, the lateral distance calculator calculates, as the lateral distance, a first lateral distance corresponding to the first angular width of the oncoming vehicle and a second lateral distance corresponding to the second angular width of the oncoming vehicle, and the controller performs the traveling support control for the oncoming vehicle based on the first lateral distance and the second lateral distance to the oncoming vehicle.
3\. A traveling support device that is applied to a vehicle equipped with an imaging device that captures an image of a surrounding of an own vehicle, and performs a traveling support control for the own vehicle based on the image captured by the imaging device, the traveling support device comprising: a recognizer that recognizes, based on the image, a front object located ahead of the own vehicle in a direction of travel and a boundary portion located on each of left and right sides of a road on which the own vehicle is traveling; an angular width calculator that calculates an object point and a boundary point on one line extending along a width direction of the own vehicle in the image and calculates, for the object point and the boundary point, an angular width based on an origin defined in the image, the object point indicating a predetermined portion of the front object, the boundary point being on the boundary portion; an obtainer that obtains distance information indicating a distance to the predetermined portion of the front object; a lateral distance calculator that calculates, based on the angular width calculated by the angular width calculator and the distance information, a lateral distance between the predetermined portion of the front object and the boundary portion along the width of the own vehicle; and a controller that performs the traveling support control to the front object based on the lateral distance, wherein the recognizer recognizes, as the front object, an oncoming vehicle traveling from ahead of the own vehicle, the angular width calculator calculates, as the angular width, a first angular width at a position of an own-vehicle-end lateral end portion of a front surface of the oncoming vehicle recognized by the recognizer and a second angular width at a position of a rear end portion of an own-vehicle-end side surface of the oncoming vehicle, the lateral distance calculator calculates, as the lateral distance, a first lateral distance corresponding to the first angular width of the oncoming vehicle and a second lateral distance corresponding to the second angular width of the oncoming vehicle, and the controller performs the traveling support control for the oncoming vehicle based on the first lateral distance and the second lateral distance to the oncoming vehicle.
4\. A traveling support device that is applied to a vehicle equipped with an imaging device that captures an image of a surrounding of an own vehicle, and performs, as a traveling support control based on the image captured by the imaging device, a following traveling control to a leading vehicle traveling ahead of the own vehicle in a direction of travel in an own lane in which the own vehicle is traveling, the traveling support device comprising: a recognizer that recognizes, based on the image, a front object located ahead of the own vehicle in the direction of travel and a boundary portion located on each of left and right sides of a road on which the own vehicle is traveling; an angular width calculator that calculates an object point and a boundary point on one line extending along a width direction of the own vehicle in the image and calculates, for the object point and the boundary point, an angular width based on an origin defined in the image, the object point indicating a predetermined portion of the front object, the boundary point being on the boundary portion; an obtainer that obtains distance information indicating a distance to the predetermined portion of the front object; a lateral distance calculator that calculates, based on the angular width calculated by the angular width calculator and the distance information, a lateral distance between the predetermined portion of the front object and the boundary portion along the width of the own vehicle; and a controller that performs the traveling support control to the front object based on the lateral distance, wherein the recognizer recognizes, as the front object, another vehicle traveling in an adjacent lane that is adjacent to the own lane and in which a vehicle travels in the same direction as a direction of travel of a vehicle in the own lane, and recognizes a marking line between the own lane and the adjacent lane as the boundary portion, the angular width calculator calculates the angular width of the other vehicle recognized by the recognizer, at a position of a front-end portion of an own-vehicle-end side surface of the other vehicle, the lateral distance calculator calculates the lateral distance to the front-end portion, and the controller determines, based on the lateral distance, whether to select the other vehicle as the leading vehicle.
5\. The traveling support device according to claim 4, wherein the angular width calculator calculates, as the angular width, a first angular width at a position of an own-vehicle-end lateral end portion of a rear surface of the other vehicle recognized by the recognizer and a second angular width at the position of the front-end portion of the own-vehicle-end side surface of the other vehicle, the lateral distance calculator calculates, as the lateral distance, a first lateral distance corresponding to the first angular width and calculates a second lateral distance corresponding to the second angular width, and based on a transition from a state in which both the first lateral distance and the second lateral distance have positive values to a state in which at least the second lateral distance has a negative value where the lateral distance has a negative value on an own lane side of the marking line and a positive value on an opposite side of the marking line from the own lane, the controller determines that the other vehicle is to be selected as the leading vehicle.
6\. The traveling support device according to claim 4, wherein the recognizer recognizes, as a left marking line, the marking line located on a left side of the own lane and recognizes, as a right marking line, the marking line located on a right side of the own lane, the angular width calculator calculates a left angular width and a right angular width as the angular width at the front-end portion of the other vehicle, the left angular width being the angular width with respect to the left marking line, the right angular width being the angular width with respect to the right marking line, the lateral distance calculator calculates a left lateral distance and a right lateral distance as the lateral distance to the front-end portion of the other vehicle, the left lateral distance being calculated based on the left angular width, the right lateral distance being calculated based on the right angular width, and the controller makes a leading vehicle determination based on the lateral distance to the front-end portion on a condition that a difference between a lateral width of the own lane and a distance difference between the left lateral distance and the right lateral distance is less than a predetermined difference.
7\. The traveling support device according to claim 4, wherein the recognizer recognizes, as the boundary portion, the marking line that is visible in the image as an actual marking line, and recognizes, as the boundary portion, the marking line that is not visible or is hardly visible in the image as a virtual marking line, in response to a predetermined condition including a condition that the lateral distance to the front-end portion of the other vehicle is within a predetermined range being met, the controller determines that the other vehicle is to be selected as the leading vehicle in the following traveling control, and the controller makes an implementation mode of a leading vehicle determination based on the predetermined condition different depending on whether the actual marking line is recognized and the lateral distance is calculated based on the actual marking line or the virtual marking line is recognized instead of the actual marking line and the lateral distance is calculated based on the virtual marking line.
8\. The traveling support device according to claim 7, wherein the controller includes a counter that counts a total number of times the condition that the lateral distance to the front-end portion of the other vehicle is within the predetermined range is met consecutively, and when the lateral distance is out of the predetermined range, resets a count value, when the count value of the counter reaches a predetermined value, the controller determines that the predetermined condition has been met and the other vehicle is to be selected as the leading vehicle in the following traveling control, when the actual marking line is recognized and the lateral distance calculated based on the actual marking line is within the predetermined range, the counter increments the count value by a predetermined number, and when the virtual marking line is recognized instead of the actual marking line and the lateral distance calculated based on the virtual marking line is within the predetermined range, the counter maintains the count value or increments the count value by a number less than the predetermined number.
9\. A traveling support device that is applied to a vehicle equipped with an imaging device that captures an image of a surrounding of an own vehicle, and performs, as a traveling support control based on the image captured by the imaging device, a collision damage reduction control for avoiding collision with an object or reducing collision with the object the traveling support device comprising: a recognizer that recognizes, based on the image, a front object located ahead of the own vehicle in a direction of travel and a boundary portion located on each of left and right sides of a road on which the own vehicle is traveling; an angular width calculator that calculates an object point and a boundary point on one line extending along a width direction of the own vehicle in the image and calculates, for the object point and the boundary point, an angular width based on an origin defined in the image, the object point indicating a predetermined portion of the front object, the boundary point being on the boundary portion; an obtainer that obtains distance information indicating a distance to the predetermined portion of the front object; a lateral distance calculator that calculates, based on the angular width calculated by the angular width calculator and the distance information, a lateral distance between the predetermined portion of the front object and the boundary portion along the width of the own vehicle; and a controller that performs the traveling support control to the front object based on the lateral distance, wherein the recognizer includes: a first recognizer that recognizes, as the boundary portion, a marking line defining an own lane in which the own vehicle is traveling; and a second recognizer that recognizes, as the boundary portion, a boundary marking object that is a road boundary different from the marking line and extending along a road on which the own vehicle is traveling, the controller determines, based on the lateral distance, whether to select the object as a target of the collision damage reduction control, and the controller makes an implementation mode of the collision damage reduction control based on the lateral distance different depending on whether the marking line is recognized as the boundary portion or the boundary marking object is recognized as the boundary portion.

OFFICE ACTION:
DETAILED ACTION
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-9 are allowed.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:  The present application is directed to a non-obvious improvement over the following prior art references:
U.S. Patent No. 10037472 – which describes a system for determining a lateral offset between a front object and a longitudinal axis of the host vehicle. The system determines an angle between a lane marking an a reference point on the object and a longitudinal distance based on radar data, and calculates a lateral distance between the object and the lane marking using the angle and longitudinal distance. The system assists with tracking lateral positions of forward objects even on curved roads.
U.S. Patent No. 11845439 – which describes a method for identifying longitudinal and lateral distances to a forward vehicle. The lateral distance is measured to the front and rear corners of the forward vehicle using normalization ratios based on the apparent distances to the front and rear corners of the forward vehicle. A future path of the forward vehicle is predicted based on the longitudinal and lateral distances and the host vehicle is controlled accordingly.
U.S. Publication No. 2015/0298692 – which describes a driving support system for collision avoidance based on an overlap ratio relating to a front object. The system determines the overlap ratio as the width of the object to the lateral distance from a lane marker and further determines if the object is stationary, moving towards or away from the host vehicle, or moving laterally. The system determines a compensation amount for collision avoidance and the  host vehicle is controlled to brake or steer according to the compensation amount.
U.S. Publication No. 2020/00369274 – which describes a driving assistance system for selecting a candidate object of follow-up travel. The angular width of a preceding vehicle is obtained and used to calculated the distance to the preceding vehicle from the host vehicle. An azimuth angle of the preceding vehicle with respect to the forward direction of the host vehicle is determined and a lateral offset amount of the preceding vehicle using the azimuth angle and the distance to the preceding vehicle.  When the lateral offset is less than or equal to a threshold, the preceding vehicle is selected as a candidate for follow-up travel.
Claims 1-9 are considered allowable, since when reading the claims in light of the specification,
as per MPEP §2111.01, none of the references of record, either individually or in combination, disclose
the specific arrangement of elements in the same combination specified in independent claim 1 for a vehicle travelling support device in which an angular width is used to calculate a lateral distance between an object and a road boundary, specifically including:
(Claim 1) “A traveling support device that is applied to a vehicle equipped with an imaging device that captures an image of a surrounding of an own vehicle, and performs a traveling support control for the own vehicle based on the image captured by the imaging device, the traveling support device comprising:
a recognizer that recognizes, based on the image, a front object located ahead of the own vehicle in a direction of travel and a boundary portion located on each of left and right sides of a road on which the own vehicle is traveling;
an angular width calculator that calculates an object point and a boundary point on one line extending along a width direction of the own vehicle in the image and calculates, for the object point and the boundary point, an angular width based on an origin defined in the image, the object point indicating a predetermined portion of the front object, the boundary point being on the boundary portion;
an obtainer that obtains distance information indicating a distance to the predetermined portion of the front object;
a lateral distance calculator that calculates, based on the angular width calculated by the angular width calculator and the distance information, a lateral distance between the predetermined portion of the front object and the boundary portion along the width of the own vehicle;
and a controller that performs the traveling support control to the front object based on the lateral distance, wherein
the recognizer recognizes, as the front object, another vehicle traveling in an adjacent lane that is adjacent to an own lane in which the own vehicle is traveling,
the angular width calculator calculates, as the angular width, a first angular width at a position of an own-vehicle-end lateral end portion of a rear surface of the other vehicle recognized by the recognizer and a second angular width at a position of a front-end portion of an own-vehicle-end side surface of the other vehicle,
the lateral distance calculator calculates, as the lateral distance, a first lateral distance corresponding to the first angular width of the other vehicle and a second lateral distance corresponding to the second angular width of the other vehicle, and
the controller performs the traveling support control for the other vehicle based on the first lateral distance and the second lateral distance to the other vehicle.”
There are inventions in the field that provide similar functionality and/or have similar features,
as the prior art of record shows. Applicant’s invention differs from the prior art of record by:
“the angular width calculator calculates, as the angular width, a first angular width at a position of an own-vehicle-end lateral end portion of a rear surface of the other vehicle recognized by the recognizer and a second angular width at a position of a front-end portion of an own-vehicle-end side surface of the other vehicle,
the lateral distance calculator calculates, as the lateral distance, a first lateral distance corresponding to the first angular width of the other vehicle and a second lateral distance corresponding to the second angular width of the other vehicle, and
the controller performs the traveling support control for the other vehicle based on the first lateral distance and the second lateral distance to the other vehicle.”
The examiner’s search failed to find this combination of features, nor was it obvious in light of
the prior art. It is for these reasons that the claims of the present application are found to be patentable
over the prior art. Independent claims 3, 4, and 9 are allowable for similar reasons. Dependent claims 2 and 5-8 are allowable as depending either directly or indirectly from allowable claims 1 and 4.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment
of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such
submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Conclusion



CITED REFERENCE SUMMARIES: Ref US20200369274A1: Claims:
A driving assist device comprising: a first sensor; a second sensor, the first and second sensors being used for detection of an object in front of the driving assist device; and a control device for executing inter-vehicle distance control using an output of the first sensor or an output of the second sensor to keep an inter-vehicle distance within a predetermined range, the inter-vehicle distance being a distance between a vehicle and at least one preceding object in front of the vehicle, wherein: the control device is configured not to execute the inter-vehicle distance control under a predetermined first condition upon determination that the at least one preceding object is detected based on the output of one of the first sensor and the second sensor without being detected based on the output of the other of the first and second sensors; and an environment of a non-detection sensor that is the other of the first and second sensors satisfies a first requirement for determination of a reliability of the output of the non-detection sensor; and the control device is configured to execute the inter-vehicle distance control under a predetermined second condition upon determination that the environment of the non-detection sensor satisfies a second requirement for determination of the reliability of the output of the non-detection sensor, each of the first and second conditions representing that a corresponding level of the reliability of the output of the non-detection sensor, the level of the reliability of the output of the non-detection sensor represented by the second condition being lower than the level of the reliability of the output of the non-detection sensor represented by the first condition.
a second sensor, the first and second sensors being used for detection of an object in front of the driving assist device; and
a control device for executing inter-vehicle distance control using an output of the first sensor or an output of the second sensor to keep an inter-vehicle distance within a predetermined range, the inter-vehicle distance being a distance between a vehicle and at least one preceding object in front of the vehicle,
the control device is configured not to execute the inter-vehicle distance control under a predetermined first condition upon determination that the at least one preceding object is detected based on the output of one of the first sensor and the second sensor without being detected based on the output of the other of the first and second sensors; and an environment of a non-detection sensor that is the other of the first and second sensors satisfies a first requirement for determination of a reliability of the output of the non-detection sensor; and
the at least one preceding object is detected based on the output of one of the first sensor and the second sensor without being detected based on the output of the other of the first and second sensors; and
an environment of a non-detection sensor that is the other of the first and second sensors satisfies a first requirement for determination of a reliability of the output of the non-detection sensor; and
the control device is configured to execute the inter-vehicle distance control under a predetermined second condition upon determination that the environment of the non-detection sensor satisfies a second requirement for determination of the reliability of the output of the non-detection sensor, each of the first and second conditions representing that a corresponding level of the reliability of the output of the non-detection sensor, the level of the reliability of the output of the non-detection sensor represented by the second condition being lower than the level of the reliability of the output of the non-detection sensor represented by the first condition.
The driving assist device according to claim 1 , wherein: the control device is configured to perform at least one of a first process and a second process upon determination that a first case is present, the first case representing that the at least one preceding object is detected based on the output of one of the first sensor and the second sensor without being detected based on the output of the other of the first and second sensors, the first process being configured to reduce an upper limit of an acceleration of the vehicle used by the inter-vehicle control for the first case to be lower than that for a second case, the second case representing that the at least one preceding object is detected based on the output of each of the first and second sensors, the second process being configured to reduce an upper limit of a speed of the vehicle used by the inter-vehicle control for the first case to be lower than that for the second case.
the control device is configured to perform at least one of a first process and a second process upon determination that a first case is present, the first case representing that the at least one preceding object is detected based on the output of one of the first sensor and the second sensor without being detected based on the output of the other of the first and second sensors,
the first process being configured to reduce an upper limit of an acceleration of the vehicle used by the inter-vehicle control for the first case to be lower than that for a second case,
the second case representing that the at least one preceding object is detected based on the output of each of the first and second sensors,
the second process being configured to reduce an upper limit of a speed of the vehicle used by the inter-vehicle control for the first case to be lower than that for the second case.
The driving assist device according to claim 2 , wherein: the control device is configured to individually set a parameter defining a motion of the vehicle in the inter-vehicle distance control for each of first to third detection cases, the first detection case representing that the at least one preceding object is detected based on the output of the first sensor without being detected based on the output of the second sensor, the second detection case representing that the at least one preceding object is detected based on the output of the second sensor without being detected based on the output of the first sensor, the third detection case that is the second case representing that the at least one preceding object is detected based on the output of each of the first and second sensors.
the control device is configured to individually set a parameter defining a motion of the vehicle in the inter-vehicle distance control for each of first to third detection cases,
the first detection case representing that the at least one preceding object is detected based on the output of the first sensor without being detected based on the output of the second sensor,
the second detection case representing that the at least one preceding object is detected based on the output of the second sensor without being detected based on the output of the first sensor,
the third detection case that is the second case representing that the at least one preceding object is detected based on the output of each of the first and second sensors.
The driving assist device according to claim 1 , wherein: the first sensor is a millimeter wave radar; the second sensor is a camera; and the control device is configured to determine whether the environment of the non-detection sensor satisfies the second requirement in accordance with at least one of the output of the millimeter wave radar and the output of the camera upon determination that the at least one preceding object is detected based on the output of the camera without being detected based on the output of the millimeter wave radar.
the first sensor is a millimeter wave radar;
the second sensor is a camera; and
the control device is configured to determine whether the environment of the non-detection sensor satisfies the second requirement in accordance with at least one of the output of the millimeter wave radar and the output of the camera upon determination that the at least one preceding object is detected based on the output of the camera without being detected based on the output of the millimeter wave radar.
The driving assist device according to claim 4 , wherein: the at least one preceding object includes a plurality of preceding objects; the control device is configured to execute the inter-vehicle distance control that includes first to fourth processes upon determination that: each of the preceding objects is detected based on the output of the camera without being detected based on the output of the millimeter wave radar; and the environment of the millimeter wave radar satisfies the second requirement, the first process being to determine, in accordance with an angular range occupied by each preceding object in a horizontal direction, an azimuth angle of the corresponding preceding object with respect to a forward direction of the vehicle, and a width distance between the vehicle and the corresponding preceding object, the second process being to calculate a deviation of each receding object from the vehicle in a forward direction of the vehicle, based on the azimuth angle and on the width distance of the corresponding preceding object, the third process being to use the output of the camera to determine a lower edge distance between the vehicle and each preceding object in accordance with a height from a lower edge of the corresponding preceding object to a vanishing point, the fourth process being to adjust, upon determination that the deviations of one or more preceding objects in the plurality of preceding objects being lower than or equal to a predetermined threshold, the width distance between a shortest preceding object and the vehicle to be within a predetermined range, the shortest preceding object having a shortest value of the deviation from the vehicle in the forward direction of the vehicle in the plurality of preceding objects.
the at least one preceding object includes a plurality of preceding objects;
the control device is configured to execute the inter-vehicle distance control that includes first to fourth processes upon determination that: each of the preceding objects is detected based on the output of the camera without being detected based on the output of the millimeter wave radar; and the environment of the millimeter wave radar satisfies the second requirement,
each of the preceding objects is detected based on the output of the camera without being detected based on the output of the millimeter wave radar; and
the environment of the millimeter wave radar satisfies the second requirement,
the first process being to determine, in accordance with an angular range occupied by each preceding object in a horizontal direction, an azimuth angle of the corresponding preceding object with respect to a forward direction of the vehicle, and a width distance between the vehicle and the corresponding preceding object,
the second process being to calculate a deviation of each receding object from the vehicle in a forward direction of the vehicle, based on the azimuth angle and on the width distance of the corresponding preceding object,
the third process being to use the output of the camera to determine a lower edge distance between the vehicle and each preceding object in accordance with a height from a lower edge of the corresponding preceding object to a vanishing point,
the fourth process being to adjust, upon determination that the deviations of one or more preceding objects in the plurality of preceding objects being lower than or equal to a predetermined threshold, the width distance between a shortest preceding object and the vehicle to be within a predetermined range,
the shortest preceding object having a shortest value of the deviation from the vehicle in the forward direction of the vehicle in the plurality of preceding objects.
The driving assist device according to claim 4 , wherein: the control device is configured to perform, in the inter-vehicle distance control, a first control task and a second control task, the first control task being configured to set a relative speed between the vehicle and the at least one preceding object to zero, the relative speed being determined based on the output of the millimeter wave radar, the second control task being configured to cause a value 1/TTC to converge to zero, the value 1/TTC being calculated from a rate of magnification of an image of the at least one preceding object per unit of time, the rate of magnification of the image being determined based the output of the camera; and the control device is configured to: execute, in the inter-vehicle distance control, the first control task without executing the second control task upon determination that the at least one preceding object is detected based on the output of the millimeter wave radar; and execute, in the inter-vehicle distance control, the second control task without performing the first control task upon determination that the at least one preceding object is not detected based on the output of the millimeter wave radar.
the control device is configured to perform, in the inter-vehicle distance control, a first control task and a second control task,
the first control task being configured to set a relative speed between the vehicle and the at least one preceding object to zero, the relative speed being determined based on the output of the millimeter wave radar,
the second control task being configured to cause a value 1/TTC to converge to zero,
the value 1/TTC being calculated from a rate of magnification of an image of the at least one preceding object per unit of time, the rate of magnification of the image being determined based the output of the camera; and
the control device is configured to: execute, in the inter-vehicle distance control, the first control task without executing the second control task upon determination that the at least one preceding object is detected based on the output of the millimeter wave radar; and execute, in the inter-vehicle distance control, the second control task without performing the first control task upon determination that the at least one preceding object is not detected based on the output of the millimeter wave radar.
execute, in the inter-vehicle distance control, the first control task without executing the second control task upon determination that the at least one preceding object is detected based on the output of the millimeter wave radar; and
execute, in the inter-vehicle distance control, the second control task without performing the first control task upon determination that the at least one preceding object is not detected based on the output of the millimeter wave radar.
The driving assist device according to claim 4 , wherein the control device is configured to execute the inter-vehicle distance control that includes first and second setting processes upon determination that: the preceding objects is detected based on the output of the camera without being detected based on the output of the millimeter wave radar; and the environment of the millimeter wave radar satisfies the second requirement, the first setting process being to set a parameter to thereby cause a motion of the vehicle to be slower than the motion of the vehicle executed when the preceding vehicle is detected based on the output of the millimeter wave radar, the second setting process being to set a value of a threshold parameter to be different from a value of the threshold parameter used by the inter-vehicle distance control in a case where the preceding vehicle is detected based on the output of the millimeter wave radar, the threshold parameter being used to determine the preceding vehicle as a target, the inter-vehicle distance control keeping a distance from the vehicle to the target within the predetermined range.
the control device is configured to execute the inter-vehicle distance control that includes first and second setting processes upon determination that: the preceding objects is detected based on the output of the camera without being detected based on the output of the millimeter wave radar; and the environment of the millimeter wave radar satisfies the second requirement,
the preceding objects is detected based on the output of the camera without being detected based on the output of the millimeter wave radar; and
the first setting process being to set a parameter to thereby cause a motion of the vehicle to be slower than the motion of the vehicle executed when the preceding vehicle is detected based on the output of the millimeter wave radar,
the second setting process being to set a value of a threshold parameter to be different from a value of the threshold parameter used by the inter-vehicle distance control in a case where the preceding vehicle is detected based on the output of the millimeter wave radar,
the threshold parameter being used to determine the preceding vehicle as a target, the inter-vehicle distance control keeping a distance from the vehicle to the target within the predetermined range.
The driving assist device according to claim 1 , wherein: the first sensor is a millimeter wave radar and the second sensor is a camera, and the control device is configured to execute the inter-vehicle distance control that includes a setting process upon determination that: the preceding objects is detected based on the output of the camera without being detected based on the output of the millimeter wave radar; the environment of the camera satisfies the second requirement; and the environment of the millimeter wave radar satisfies the second requirement, the setting process being to set a parameter to thereby cause a motion of the vehicle to be slower than the motion of the vehicle executed when the preceding vehicle is detected based on the output of each of the millimeter wave radar and the camera.
the first sensor is a millimeter wave radar and the second sensor is a camera, and
the control device is configured to execute the inter-vehicle distance control that includes a setting process upon determination that: the preceding objects is detected based on the output of the camera without being detected based on the output of the millimeter wave radar; the environment of the camera satisfies the second requirement; and the environment of the millimeter wave radar satisfies the second requirement,
the preceding objects is detected based on the output of the camera without being detected based on the output of the millimeter wave radar;
the environment of the camera satisfies the second requirement; and
the setting process being to set a parameter to thereby cause a motion of the vehicle to be slower than the motion of the vehicle executed when the preceding vehicle is detected based on the output of each of the millimeter wave radar and the camera.
The driving assist device according to claim 1 , wherein: the first sensor is a millimeter wave radar; the second sensor is a camera; the second requirement of the first sensor is set such as to be satisfied when the vehicle is within a tunnel; and the control device is configured to execute the inter-vehicle distance control in accordance with the output of the camera upon determination that: the preceding objects is detected based on the output of the camera without being detected based on the output of the millimeter wave radar; and the environment of the camera satisfies the second requirement.
the second sensor is a camera;
the second requirement of the first sensor is set such as to be satisfied when the vehicle is within a tunnel; and
the control device is configured to execute the inter-vehicle distance control in accordance with the output of the camera upon determination that: the preceding objects is detected based on the output of the camera without being d
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