US Patent 11364912 Vehicle control device

If an external environment recognition unit recognizes a traffic signal indicating a stop instruction at a point in time when a distance detection unit detects a distance less than or equal to a first distance, an operation determination unit performs deceleration control at a first rate of deceleration at a point in time when the distance detection unit detects a distance less than or equal to a second distance shorter than the first distance, and if the external environment recognition unit does not recognize the traffic signal at the point in time when the distance detection unit detects the distance less than or equal to the first distance, the operation determination unit performs the deceleration control at a second rate of deceleration smaller than the first rate of deceleration at the point in time when the distance detection unit detects the distance less than or equal to the first distance.