METHOD FOR THE SELF-CHECK OF DRIVING FUNCTIONS OF AN AUTONOMOUS OR SEMI-AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE

Abstract

A method for the self-check of at least one driving function of an autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle in vehicle operation, after an error message about the at least one driving function, in which in one step, at least one vehicle electronic system and/or at least one sensor is/are restarted, a check is made for a further appearance of the error message after each restart, and in the event an error message is not repeated after the restart, the driving function in question is checked during operation of the autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle.

Claims

1. A method for providing a self-check of at least one driving function of an autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle in vehicle operation, after there is an error message about the at least one driving function, the method comprising: restarting at least one vehicle electronic system and/or at least one sensor; checking for a further appearance of the error message after the restart; and checking, in the event an error message does not appear again after the restart, the at least one driving function during operation of the autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the check of the vehicle electronic system and/or the at least one sensor includes at least one of the following: switching a vehicle ignition off and on, restarting at least one control device, restarting at least one peripheral and/or at least one sensor, checking at least one vehicle actuator, and/or communicating with a server unit off-board or a server unit on-board the vehicle to perform an error diagnosis.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle is transferred into a safe state prior to or during the check of the driving function.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the error message is produced by at least one in-vehicle error, and a degree of severity is assigned to the at least one in-vehicle error.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein after the in-vehicle error has been eliminated, operational readiness of the autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle is tested at a low speed.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein depending on a degree of severity of the in-vehicle error, the autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle is deactivated during the check of the error message.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein depending on a degree of severity of the in-vehicle error, the autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle is switched to a manual operating state during the check of the error message.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein an error diagnosis of the driving function is performed during a normal vehicle operation.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein upon communicating with an off-board server unit, a repair service or a towing service is contacted.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein an error diagnosis performed on the off-board server unit is transmitted to the repair service or the towing service.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein an error diagnosis is performed by the server unit off-board or the server unit on-board the vehicle during a low speed of the autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein an error diagnosis is performed by the server unit off-board or the server unit on-board the vehicle based on at least one diagnostic algorithm.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

[0037] The FIGURE shows schematically a functional sequence of a method 1 for the self-check according to one specific embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0038] The FIGURE shows schematically a functional sequence of a method 1 for the self-check according to one specific embodiment of the invention.

[0039] In a first step, an error message 2 is provided by the autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle. The error message may be conveyed 3 to a driver of the vehicle in the form of a display. Depending on the error and especially a degree of severity of the error, the vehicle may be transferred into a safe state 4.

[0040] To that end, the vehicle is decelerated and brought to a standstill on a shoulder. During this process 4, a self-check 5 may already be started. Alternatively or additionally, self-check 5 may also be carried out only after the vehicle has come to a stop. During the self-check, at least one vehicle electronic system and/or at least one sensor is/are restarted 6. Subsequently, it is checked whether the error message appears again 7. In this context, at least one vehicle electronic system and/or at least one sensor is/are restarted 6, and the process of checking whether the error message appears again 7 is carried out component by component and in succession or iteratively. In this way, each system or each function may be checked. The process of checking 7 may be carried out here both by the vehicle itself using a server unit on-board the vehicle or by a server unit off-board the vehicle. For example, if an error no longer appears after a restart, then it may be concluded that the last restarted system or unit caused the error. In this case, the method may be continued and the vehicle may undergo a test run 8 with respect to its autonomous or semi-autonomous functions at a low speed. If, after a defined time or distance, no new error message is determined, the autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle may be operated in a regular operating mode again 9. On the other hand, if a renewed error message is recognized, a sporadic error may be ruled out, and a persistent error or a technical defect is present 10. Similarly, a persistent error or a technical defect 10 may be interpreted if the error message continues to exist after all relevant components have been checked 6, 7. In such a case, for instance, the autonomous or semi-autonomous function of the vehicle may be deactivated 11, so that the vehicle can only be operated manually. Depending on a degree of severity of the error, however, the vehicle may also be deactivated 12 and a repair service and/or towing service may be contacted 13.