A method of operating an autonomous vehicle includes determining, by the autonomous vehicle, whether a target is in an intended maneuver zone around the autonomous vehicle; generating, by the autonomous vehicle, a signal in response to determining that the target is within the intended maneuver zone around the autonomous vehicle; determining, by the autonomous vehicle and based on perception information acquired by the autonomous vehicle, whether the target has left the intended maneuver zone around the autonomous vehicle; and determining, by the autonomous vehicle, that it is safe to perform the intended maneuver in response to determining, by the autonomous vehicle, that the target is not in the intended maneuver zone or in response to determining, by the autonomous vehicle, that the target has left the intended maneuver zone.

A method of operating an autonomous vehicle includes determining, by the autonomous vehicle, whether a target is in an intended maneuver zone around the autonomous vehicle; generating, by the autonomous vehicle, a signal in response to determining that the target is within the intended maneuver zone around the autonomous vehicle; determining, by the autonomous vehicle and based on perception information acquired by the autonomous vehicle, whether the target has left the intended maneuver zone around the autonomous vehicle; and determining, by the autonomous vehicle, that it is safe to perform the intended maneuver in response to determining, by the autonomous vehicle, that the target is not in the intended maneuver zone or in response to determining, by the autonomous vehicle, that the target has left the intended maneuver zone.

An autonomous vehicle includes a control system, an array of sensors, processing logic, and a switch. The processing logic generates operation instructions based on sensor data and the control system controls the autonomous vehicle based on the operation instructions. The array of sensors generate the sensor data that is related to objects in an external environment. The switch is coupled between the sensors and the processing logic to buffer the processing logic from the sensor data. The switch is further coupled between the processing logic and the control system to provide the operation instructions from the processing logic to the control system. The switch includes a prioritization engine that prioritizes an order of transmission, from the switch to the processing logic, of the first sensor data over the second sensor data based on received vehicle operation data.

An autonomous vehicle includes a control system, an array of sensors, processing logic, and a switch. The processing logic generates operation instructions based on sensor data and the control system controls the autonomous vehicle based on the operation instructions. The array of sensors generate the sensor data that is related to objects in an external environment. The switch is coupled between the sensors and the processing logic to buffer the processing logic from the sensor data. The switch is further coupled between the processing logic and the control system to provide the operation instructions from the processing logic to the control system. The switch includes a prioritization engine that prioritizes an order of transmission, from the switch to the processing logic, of the first sensor data over the second sensor data based on received vehicle operation data.

A control unit for controlling a driving function of a vehicle is designed to automatically guide the vehicle longitudinally and/or transversely. The control unit is designed to determine that the driver of the vehicle is presently activating or deactivating, and/or intends to activate or deactivate, the driving function. In response thereto, the control unit is additionally designed to cause a manual control intervention produced by the driver of the vehicle in the longitudinal and/or transversal guidance of the vehicle to be at least partly compensated for and/or suppressed prior to the point in time of the activation or deactivation of the driving function in order to adapt the drive behavior of the vehicle during the transition between the manual longitudinal and/or transversal guidance and the automatic longitudinal and/or transversal guidance.

A control unit for controlling a driving function of a vehicle is designed to automatically guide the vehicle longitudinally and/or transversely. The control unit is designed to determine that the driver of the vehicle is presently activating or deactivating, and/or intends to activate or deactivate, the driving function. In response thereto, the control unit is additionally designed to cause a manual control intervention produced by the driver of the vehicle in the longitudinal and/or transversal guidance of the vehicle to be at least partly compensated for and/or suppressed prior to the point in time of the activation or deactivation of the driving function in order to adapt the drive behavior of the vehicle during the transition between the manual longitudinal and/or transversal guidance and the automatic longitudinal and/or transversal guidance.

This application discloses a method and an apparatus for detecting a complexity of a traveling scenario of a vehicle, comprising: obtaining a travelling speed of the vehicle and a travelling speed of a target vehicle; determining, based on the traveling speed of the vehicle and the traveling speed of the target vehicle, a dynamic complexity of a traveling scenario in which the vehicle is located; determining static information of each static factor in the traveling scenario in which the vehicle is currently located; obtaining, based on the static information of each static factor, a static complexity of the traveling scenario in which the vehicle is located; and obtaining, based on the dynamic complexity and the static complexity, a comprehensive complexity of the traveling scenario in which the vehicle is located.

This application discloses a method and an apparatus for detecting a complexity of a traveling scenario of a vehicle, comprising: obtaining a travelling speed of the vehicle and a travelling speed of a target vehicle; determining, based on the traveling speed of the vehicle and the traveling speed of the target vehicle, a dynamic complexity of a traveling scenario in which the vehicle is located; determining static information of each static factor in the traveling scenario in which the vehicle is currently located; obtaining, based on the static information of each static factor, a static complexity of the traveling scenario in which the vehicle is located; and obtaining, based on the dynamic complexity and the static complexity, a comprehensive complexity of the traveling scenario in which the vehicle is located.

A road condition detection device, to be coupled to the wheel of a vehicle, is provided with: an electrostatic charge variation sensor, to provide a charge variation signal indicative of an electrostatic charge variation associated with the rotation of the wheel; and a processing unit, coupled to the electrostatic charge variation sensor to receive the charge variation signal and furthermore for receiving a rotation speed signal indicative of the rotation speed of the wheel. In particular, the processing unit jointly processes the rotation speed signal and the charge variation signal to detect a road condition of a wet road condition and a dry road condition.

A road condition detection device, to be coupled to the wheel of a vehicle, is provided with: an electrostatic charge variation sensor, to provide a charge variation signal indicative of an electrostatic charge variation associated with the rotation of the wheel; and a processing unit, coupled to the electrostatic charge variation sensor to receive the charge variation signal and furthermore for receiving a rotation speed signal indicative of the rotation speed of the wheel. In particular, the processing unit jointly processes the rotation speed signal and the charge variation signal to detect a road condition of a wet road condition and a dry road condition.