Patent attributes
A convoy travel apparatus enables a convoy travel of a subject vehicle by regularly transmitting convoy travel information including the latest measurement of GPS positioning coordinates and predetermined number of preceding measurements of GPS positioning coordinates. By receiving the convoy travel information from other vehicles, the convoy travel apparatus of the subject vehicle identifies a sender vehicle of a current convoy travel information based on a comparison between a travel locus generated from the current convoy travel information and a past travel locus generated from a convoy travel information previously received. The identification of the sender vehicle leads to the identification of the information from a leader vehicle to be followed in the convoy travel control of the subject vehicle, thereby enabling a convoy travel of the subject vehicle based on the identified information.