Apparatus and method for controlling the same

1 . An apparatus comprising:

a sensor including at least one of a camera, a radar, and a light detection and ranging (LiDAR); and

a controller configured to detect a preceding vehicle that travels in front of a host vehicle based on data output from the sensor, and perform adaptive cruise control (ACC) that maintains a first target inter-vehicle distance between the host vehicle and the preceding vehicle,

wherein the controller is configured to:

identify whether the host vehicle is continuously traveling straight;

if the host vehicle is identified as continuously traveling straight, identify whether the preceding vehicle is cutting out of a traveling lane and into another lane according to movement of the preceding vehicle during the ACC;

if the preceding vehicle is identified as cutting out of the traveling lane,

identify whether the another lane to which the preceding vehicle is cutting in is a lane allowing the preceding vehicle to cut in; and

if the another lane to which the preceding vehicle is cutting in is identified as the lane allowing the preceding vehicle to cut in, acquire a relative distance and a relative speed between the host vehicle and another vehicle located in front of the preceding vehicle on a lane on which the preceding vehicle travels, determine whether the relative distance is greater than or equal to a preset distance and the relative speed is greater than or equal to a preset speed, and only when the relative distance and the relative speed satisfy the preset distance and the preset speed, shorten the target inter-vehicle distance of the ACC from a first target inter-vehicle distance to a second target inter-vehicle distance smaller than the first target inter-vehicle distance, and otherwise maintain the first target inter-vehicle distance without shortening.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to:

activate the lane change prediction of the preceding vehicle only when the host vehicle is continuously traveling straight; and

determine whether the host vehicle is continuously traveling straight based on at least one of navigation information and road conditions in a forward region.

3 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to:

identify whether there are intersections or traffic lights in a predetermined forward section; and

if there are no intersections or traffic lights in the predetermined forward section, identify that the host vehicle is continuously traveling straight.

4 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to:

identify whether an exit point at which the host vehicle exits is present in a predetermined forward section based on a traveling path to a destination set in a navigation device; and

identify that the host vehicle continuously travels straight on the basis of no exit point in the predetermined forward section.

5 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to:

acquire a lateral position of the preceding vehicle and a lateral speed of the preceding vehicle,

identify whether a turn signal of the preceding vehicle is turned on; and

identify whether the preceding vehicle is cutting out of the traveling lane according to the lateral position of the preceding vehicle, the lateral speed of the preceding vehicle and the identifying of whether the turn signal of the preceding vehicle is turned on.

6 . The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the controller is configured to identify that the preceding vehicle is cutting out of the traveling lane in response to at least one of:

a lateral speed of the preceding vehicle being higher than or equal to a preset speed,

a lateral distance between a lane marker in the direction in which the preceding vehicle laterally moves and the preceding vehicle being smaller than or equal to a preset distance, and

the identifying of that the turn signal is turned on.

7 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to:

identify whether the another lane to which the preceding vehicle is cutting in is a lane that allows the preceding vehicle to cut in by determining whether the another lane is not a bus lane, a lane under construction, a restricted lane, or a lane that is ending.

8 . A method comprising:

detecting a preceding vehicle that travels in front of a host vehicle based on data output from at least one of a camera, a radar, and a light detection and ranging (LiDAR);

performing adaptive cruise control (ACC) that maintains a target inter-vehicle distance between the host vehicle and the preceding vehicle;

identifying whether the host vehicle is continuously traveling straight;

if the host vehicle is identified as continuously traveling straight, identifying whether the preceding vehicle is cutting out of a traveling lane and into another lane during the ACC according to movement of the preceding vehicle;

if the preceding vehicle is identified as cutting out of the traveling lane,

identifying whether the another lane to which the preceding vehicle is cutting in is a lane allowing the preceding vehicle to cut in; and

if the another lane is identified as allowing the preceding vehicle to cut in, acquiring a relative distance and a relative speed between the host vehicle and another vehicle located in front of the preceding vehicle on a lane on which the preceding vehicle travels, determining whether the relative distance is greater than or equal to a preset distance and the relative speed is greater than or equal to a preset speed, and only when the relative distance and the relative speed satisfy the preset distance and the preset speed, shortening the target inter-vehicle distance of the ACC from a first target inter-vehicle distance to a second target inter-vehicle distance smaller than the first target inter-vehicle distance, and otherwise maintaining the first target inter-vehicle distance without shortening.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the identifying of whether the preceding vehicle is cutting out of the traveling lane comprises:

activating the lane change prediction of the preceding vehicle only when the host vehicle is continuously traveling straight, and

determining whether the host vehicle is continuously traveling straight based on at least one of navigation information and road conditions in a forward region.

10 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the identifying of whether the host vehicle continuously travels straight comprises:

identifying whether there are intersections or traffic lights in a predetermined forward section; and

if there are no intersections or traffic lights in the predetermined forward section, identifying that the host vehicle continuously travels straight.

11 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the identifying of whether the host vehicle continuously travels straight comprises:

identifying whether an exit point at which the host vehicle exits is present in a predetermined forward section based on a traveling path to a destination set in a navigation device, and

identifying that the host vehicle continuously travels straight on the basis of no exit point in the predetermined forward section.

12 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the identifying of whether the preceding vehicle is cutting out of the traveling lane comprises:

acquiring a lateral position of the preceding vehicle and a lateral speed of the preceding vehicle,

identifying whether a turn signal of the preceding vehicle is turned on, and

identifying whether the preceding vehicle is cutting out of the traveling lane according to the lateral position of the preceding vehicle, the lateral speed of the preceding vehicle and the identifying of whether the turn signal of the preceding vehicle is turned on.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the identifying of whether the preceding vehicle is cutting out of the traveling lane comprises identifying that the preceding vehicle is cutting out of the traveling lane in response to at least one of:

a lateral speed of the preceding vehicle being higher than or equal to a preset speed,

a lateral distance between a lane marker in the direction in which the preceding vehicle laterally moves and the preceding vehicle being smaller than or equal to a preset distance, and

the identifying of that the turn signal is turned on.

14 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the identifying of whether the another lane to which the preceding vehicle is cutting in is the lane allowing the preceding vehicle to cut in comprises:

determining whether the another lane is not a bus lane, a lane under construction, a restricted lane, or a lane that is ending; and

if the another lane is determined not to be any of the above, identifying that the lane allows the preceding vehicle to cut in.

15 . A non-transitory computer-readable record medium comprising instructions or execution code for:

detecting a preceding vehicle that travels in front of a host vehicle based on data output from at least one of a camera, a radar, and a light detection and ranging (LiDAR);

performing adaptive cruise control (ACC) that maintains a target inter-vehicle distance between the host vehicle and the preceding vehicle;

identifying whether the host vehicle is continuously traveling straight;

if the host vehicle is identified as continuously traveling straight, identifying whether the preceding vehicle is cutting out of a traveling lane and into another lane during the ACC according to movement of the preceding vehicle;

if the preceding vehicle is identified as cutting out of the traveling lane,

identifying whether the another lane to which the preceding vehicle is cutting in is a lane allowing the preceding vehicle to cut in; and

if the another lane is identified as allowing the preceding vehicle to cut in, acquiring a relative distance and a relative speed between the host vehicle and another vehicle located in front of the preceding vehicle on a lane on which the preceding vehicle travels, determining whether the relative distance is greater than or equal to a preset distance and the relative speed is greater than or equal to a preset speed, and only when the relative distance and the relative speed satisfy the preset distance and the preset speed, shortening the target inter-vehicle distance of the ACC from a first target inter-vehicle distance to a second target inter-vehicle distance smaller than the first target inter-vehicle distance, and otherwise maintaining the first target inter-vehicle distance without shortening.