The invention relates to a method for determining an optimum speed (V.sub.OPT) to be adopted by a motor vehicle (1) when said motor vehicle (1) is approaching a traffic light (2). According to said method a first GLOSA-type on-board system (10) determines, upon receiving a message emitted by said traffic light (2), a total distance (D.sub.TL) of travel separating the motor vehicle (1) from the traffic light (2), then estimates the time necessary for the motor vehicle (1) to travel said total distance (D.sub.TL), and finally defines a recommended speed (V.sub.Q) based on the status of the traffic light (2) at the end of the estimated time. The method is characterised in that it also uses at least one speed limitation produced via a second system (12; 13) on board said motor vehicle such as to determine said recommended speed (V.sub.Q) and/or said optimum speed (V.sub.QPT).

A control system for a vehicle includes a control that determines a planned path of travel for the vehicle along a road being traveled by the vehicle and along a traffic lane in which the vehicle is traveling on the road. The control determines a speed profile for the vehicle along the planned path responsive at least in part to (i) detection of an object along the determined planned path of travel and (ii) determination of a speed limit change along the determined planned path of travel. The control controls the vehicle to maneuver the vehicle along the determined planned path of travel in accordance with the determined speed profile.

A device for setting a target vehicle that sets a target vehicle to be subjected to driving assistance control of a host vehicle includes: a detection signal acquisition device capable of acquiring a first detection signal representing an object by an image, and a second detection signal representing the object by a reflection point; and setting control unit, which determines whether to set a forward object as a target vehicle, wherein if a movement history is not associated with the forward object, and a combination history is associated with the forward object, then as a selection threshold of a first determination parameter for determining whether to set the forward object as the target vehicle, a selection threshold is used such that the forward object is less likely to be selected as the target vehicle than with the selection threshold which would be used if a movement history is associated with the forward object.

A method for controlling an SSC-SCC system for increasing a SSC distance using SCC is provided. The method includes determining whether a vehicle in operation satisfies a preset SSC entry condition and entering the SSC mode or maintaining the SSC entry state when the vehicle satisfies the preset SSC entry condition. A distance from a preceding vehicle is measured after the entering of the SSC mode or the maintaining of the SSC entry state. Additionally, the method includes determining whether the measured distance is equal to or less than a preset reference distance and performing SCC braking in response to determining that the measured distance is equal to or less than the preset reference distance.

A transportation vehicle for containers has a vehicle controller for automatically driving and controlling the speed of the transportation vehicle. The transportation vehicle includes a sensor apparatus for object identification, with the sensor apparatus interacting with the vehicle controller such that a movement region of the transportation vehicle can be ascertained. The transportation vehicle is configured to come to a standstill within the movement region by a braking process during a braking time, and that a movement region of an object that is identified by the sensor apparatus can be ascertained, with the object being moved within the movement region during the braking time of the transportation vehicle, so that the permissible speed of the transportation vehicle can be automatically reduced by the vehicle controller, and so that the two movement regions do not touch after the reduction in the permissible speed.

A vehicle control device controls a vehicle on the basis of inter-vehicle spacing information with respect to a preceding vehicle and a trailing vehicle. The vehicle control device is equipped with: a target inter-vehicle spacing calculation unit which calculates target inter-vehicle spacing information on the basis of inter-vehicle spacing information with respect to the preceding vehicle and inter-vehicle spacing information with respect to a trailing vehicle. The vehicle control device is configured to control the speed of the vehicle such that the calculated target inter-vehicle spacing information is maintained.

A vehicle control system includes: a detection section that detects a presence and state of any nearby vehicles traveling in the vicinity of a vehicle; a speed generation section that generates a target speed of the vehicle based on a state of a benchmark vehicle from out of the nearby vehicles whose presence and state have been detected by the detection section, the benchmark vehicle being closest to the vehicle in a direction of progress from out of a first vehicle traveling ahead of the vehicle in a current lane in which the vehicle is traveling or a second vehicle traveling ahead of the vehicle in an adjacent lane adjacent to the current lane; and a travel control section that automatically controls at least acceleration and deceleration of the vehicle based on the target speed generated by the speed generation section.

A vehicle control method including: setting a target acceleration based on a distance to a preceding vehicle or an obstacle and accelerating an own vehicle based on the target acceleration without relying on a driver's operation. Then, the vehicle control method including: calculating an acceleration limit which is an acceleration at which a relative distance to the preceding vehicle or the obstacle at a time when a preset acceleration limiting time has passed from a start of the acceleration is equal to or longer than a reference relative distance and a relative vehicle speed to the preceding vehicle or the obstacle at the time when the preset acceleration limiting time has passed from the start of the acceleration is equal to or lower than a reference relative vehicle speed, and accelerating the own vehicle at the acceleration limit when the target acceleration exceeds the acceleration limit.

A control device for a vehicle includes: an inter-vehicle distance detector that detects a presence or an absence of a preceding vehicle, and an inter-vehicle distance between the vehicle and the preceding vehicle; an effectiveness ratio setting module that sets an effectiveness ratio indicating a proportion of an accelerator operation amount of a driver to be reflected in a drive control, on the basis of the inter-vehicle distance when the inter-vehicle distance is less than a predetermined standard value; and a drive controller that performs the drive control on the vehicle on the basis of the effectiveness ratio. When the preceding vehicle goes away in a state in which the effectiveness ratio is lowered, the effectiveness ratio setting module gradually increases the effectiveness ratio for a period for which an accelerator is on.

Disclosed is a driving support control device (ECU) 10 capable of controlling a vehicle 1 in accordance with any one selected from plural driving support modes by a driver. The driving support control device 10 is configured to temporally repeatedly calculate a target traveling course (R1 to R3) along which the vehicle 1 should travel, and to, in a given one (preceding vehicle following mode) of the driving support modes, execute control of causing the vehicle 1 to travel on and along the target traveling course, wherein the driving support control device 10 is operable, in a situation where a current position of the vehicle 1 deviates beyond a given distance d.sub.th laterally from the target traveling course, to, even when the driver selects the given driving support mode, prohibit transition to the given driving support mode.