Device and method for controlling vehicle platooning

1 . A method of controlling a vehicle for assisting leaving from a vehicle platoon, the method comprising:

receiving a leave-request message including an overtaking intention from a first vehicle included in the vehicle platoon;

determining approval for the first vehicle to leave based on an expected time required for another vehicle in an adjacent lane to reach a position parallel to a position of the first vehicle;

transmitting a leave-approval message to the first vehicle; and

generating one or more sub-groups of vehicles belonging to the vehicle platoon based on a location of the first vehicle in the vehicle platoon;

reducing accelerations of vehicles in at least one sub-group located in front of the first vehicle in the vehicle platoon based on a distance between the one or more sub-groups in response to a detection of a lane change of the first vehicle so that the first vehicle leaves the vehicle platoon,

wherein maximum accelerations of the vehicles in at least one sub-group located in front of the first vehicle in the vehicle platoon are set lower than an acceleration of the first vehicle, wherein the vehicles in at least one sub-group remain in the same lane.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining of the approval includes determining the approval based on comparison between the expected time and a preset reference time.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the determining of the approval includes setting the preset reference time based on at least one of a slope of a road, a curvature of a road, a curved direction of the road, or weather information.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining of the approval includes:

determining an overtaking time of the first vehicle; and

determining the approval according to comparison between a reference overtaking time and the overtaking time,

wherein the reference overtaking time is determined based on at least one of a slope of a road, a curvature of a road, a curved direction of a road, and weather information.

5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising reducing an acceleration of the vehicle platoon in response to a detection of a lane change of the first vehicle.

6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

detecting a preceding vehicle in front of the vehicle platoon;

determining a target distance between the vehicle platoon and the preceding vehicle based on a size of the first vehicle; and

controlling traveling of the vehicle platoon based on the determined target distance.

7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising notifying other vehicle in the vehicle platoon of the leaving of the first vehicle.

8 . A device for controlling a vehicle for assisting leaving from a vehicle platoon, the device comprising:

a processor configured to communicate with at least vehicles set to the vehicle platoon; and

a controller configured to receive a leave-request message including an overtaking intention from a first vehicle included in the vehicle platoon through the processor, determine approval for the first vehicle to leave based on an expected time required for another vehicle in an adjacent lane to reach a position parallel to a position of the first vehicle, and transmit a leave-approval message to the first vehicle,

wherein the controller is configured to generate one or more sub-groups of vehicles belonging to the vehicle platoon based on a location of the first vehicle in the vehicle platoon and reduce accelerations of vehicles in at least one sub-group located in front of the first vehicle in the vehicle platoon based on a distance between the one or more sub-groups in response to a detection of a lane change of the first vehicle so that the first vehicle leaves the vehicle platoon,

wherein maximum accelerations of the vehicles in at least one sub-group located in front of the first vehicle in the vehicle platoon are set lower than an acceleration of the first vehicle, wherein the vehicles in at least one sub-group remain in the same lane.

9 . The device of claim 8 , wherein the controller is configured to determine the approval based on comparison between the expected time and a preset reference time.

10 . The device of claim 9 , wherein the controller is configured to set the preset reference time based on at least one of a slope of a road, a curvature of a road, a curved direction of the road, or weather information.

11 . The device of claim 8 , wherein the controller is configured to determine an overtaking time of the first vehicle and determine the approval according to comparison between a reference overtaking time and the overtaking time, wherein the overtaking time is determined based on at least one of a slope of a road, a curvature of a road, a curved direction of a road, and weather information.

12 . The device of claim 8 , wherein the controller is configured to reduce an acceleration of the vehicle platoon in response to a detection of a lane change of the first vehicle.

13 . The device of claim 8 , wherein the controller is configured to detect a preceding vehicle in front of the vehicle platoon, determine a target distance between the vehicle platoon and the preceding vehicle based on a size of the first vehicle, and control traveling of the vehicle platoon based on the determined target distance.