Patent ID: 8666647

Claim:
A convoy travel apparatus installed in a subject vehicle, the apparatus comprising: a control unit generating convoy travel information and performing a convoy travel control of the subject vehicle; and a wireless communication unit performing vehicle-to-vehicle communication, the wireless communication unit regularly transmitting the convoy travel information of the subject vehicle generated by the control unit and regularly receiving convoy travel information from other vehicles, wherein the convoy travel information of the subject vehicle and of the other vehicles includes a whole convoy ID representing a whole convoy and at least one sub-convoy ID respectively representing a sub-convoy, the sub-convoy is organized by dividing the whole convoy, each sub-convoy including a number of vehicles less than or equal to a predetermined value defined by a communication capacity of the wireless communication unit of a sub-convoy leader vehicle, the control unit determines whether the subject vehicle is the sub-convoy leader vehicle or a sub-convoy follower vehicle of the sub-convoy, the control unit performs the convoy travel control of the subject vehicle per the convoy travel information received from the sub-convoy leader vehicle of the sub-convoy in which the subject vehicle is traveling as the sub-convoy follower vehicle, when the subject vehicle is the sub-convoy follower vehicle of the sub-convoy and based on the sub-convoy ID and leader information included in the convoy travel information, the control unit identifies the convoy travel information from the sub-convoy leader, the control unit generates the convoy travel information to further include the leader information for identifying the subject vehicle as a leader of the sub-convoy, when the subject vehicle is the sub-convoy leader vehicle of the sub-convoy, and the control unit (a) based on the sub-convoy ID and the leader information included in the convoy travel information, identifies the convoy travel information received from the sub-convoy leader vehicle of the sub-convoy in which the subject vehicle is traveling as the sub-convoy follower vehicle, (b) determines a content of the convoy travel control of the subject vehicle based on the convoy travel information identified, and (c) generates the convoy travel information to further include the content of the convoy travel control, when the subject vehicle is the sub-convoy leader vehicle of a subsequent sub-convoy to a forward sub-convoy.