US Patent 11447135 Drive assisting method and vehicle control device

A travel assistance method for a vehicle, executed by the processor, comprising: detecting a road structure including a merging point where a merging lane and a merged lane merge, detecting a state of another vehicle traveling toward a merging point, setting, based on the road structure, a merging position relative to a traveling vehicle (other vehicle) traveling in the merged lane and a determination criterion for determining whether or not merging is possible at the merging position, and determining whether or not merging is possible based on the state of the subject vehicle, the state of the other vehicle and the determination criterion.