ENABLING A HIGHLY AUTOMATED DRIVING FUNCTION

Abstract

A method for autonomous operation of a vehicle on a driving route ahead permits autonomous operation of the vehicle is only permitted if one or a group of conditions is/are fulfilled for a predetermined route length of the driving route ahead. The conditions include: there is a structural separation on at least one side of a current travel path of the vehicle; a driving lane of the vehicle has a minimum lane width; there are no humps and dips substantially limiting the range of environmental detection sensors; the number of driving lanes does not change; there are no tunnels; there are no buildings on the travel path; there are no motorway junctions; a radius of curvature of the driving lane of the vehicle is larger than a predetermined limit value; there are no traffic disruptions; there are no traffic reports about dangerous situations; and there are no traffic reports about the presence of roadworks.

Claims

1-9. (canceled)

10. A method for autonomous operation of a vehicle on a driving route ahead, the method comprising: determining whether one predetermined condition or a group of predetermined conditions is/are fulfilled for a predetermined route length of the driving route ahead; and permitting the autonomous operation of the vehicle only if the one predetermined condition or the group of predetermined conditions is/are fulfilled for a predetermined route length of the driving route ahead, wherein the one predetermined condition or the group of predetermined conditions include: there is a structural separation on at least one side of a current travel path of the vehicle, there are no humps and dips substantially limiting the range of environmental detection sensors, and there are no tunnels.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the one predetermined condition or the group of predetermined conditions further include: a driving lane of the vehicle has a minimum lane width, a radius of curvature of the driving lane of the vehicle is larger than a predetermined limit value, a number of driving lanes does not change, there are no buildings on the current travel path, there are no motorway junctions, there are no traffic disruptions, there are no traffic reports about dangerous situations, and there are no reports about presence of roadworks.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the autonomous operation of the vehicle is only permitted if one following conditions or a group of the following conditions is/are fulfilled for a predetermined route length of the driving route ahead: a current position of the vehicle is determined in the vehicle with a position accuracy better than a predetermined limit value G2, digital map data about a course of the current travel path are present for the predetermined route length of the driving route ahead, the digital map data having a position accuracy better than a predetermined limit value G3, there is a connection to a server, by means of which current traffic information for the driving route ahead can be provided, all systems of the vehicle required for autonomous operation operate without errors.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein if the autonomous operation is permitted, the vehicle generates an output that signal that the autonomous operation is permitted.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the predetermined route length ranges from 1 km to 20 km.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the digital map data comprise two layers, wherein data relating to the lane courses of the driving lanes are provided in one of the layers and data relating to objects arranged along the driving lanes are provided in the other of the two layers.

16. An assistance system for autonomous operation of a vehicle on a driving route ahead, the system comprising: a control unit configured to only permit the autonomous operation of the vehicle if one predetermined condition or a group of predetermined conditions is/are fulfilled for a predetermined route length of the driving route ahead, wherein the one predetermined condition or the group of predetermined conditions include: there is a structural separation on at least one side of a current travel path of the vehicle, there are no humps and dips substantially limiting the range of environmental detection sensors, and there are no tunnels.

17. The assistance system of claim 16, the predetermined condition or the group of predetermined conditions further include: a driving lane of the vehicle has a minimum lane width, the number of driving lanes does not change, there are no buildings on the current travel path, there are no motorway junctions, a radius of curvature of the driving lane of the vehicle is larger than a predetermined limit value G1, there are no traffic disruptions, there are no traffic reports about dangerous situations, and there are no reports about the presence of roadworks.

18. The assistance system of claim 16, wherein the control unit only permits the autonomous operation of the vehicle if one or a group of the following conditions is/are fulfilled for a predetermined route length of the driving route ahead: a current position of the vehicle is determined in the vehicle with a position accuracy better than a predetermined limit value G2, digital map data about a course of the current travel path are present for the predetermined route length of the driving route ahead, the digital map data having a position accuracy better than a predetermined limit value G3, there is a connection to a server, by means of which current traffic information for the driving route ahead can be provided, all systems of the vehicle required for autonomous operation operate without errors, weather conditions for the driving route ahead meet predetermined minimum weather conditions, surface conditions of the travel path of the driving route ahead meet predetermined minimum surface conditions.

19. A vehicle comprising the assistance system of claim 16.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES

[0044] Here are shown:

[0045] FIG. 1 a traffic situation with a vehicle on a driving lane and a driving route ahead, and

[0046] FIG. 2 an assistance system according to the invention for carrying out a method according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0047] FIG. 1 shows a traffic situation with a vehicle 10 on a travel path 14 with two driving lanes 18. In front of the vehicle 10, there is a driving route 12 ahead that can only be covered by the vehicle 10 in autonomous operation 46 when one or a group of the conditions described below, preferably all the conditions, have been fulfilled.

[0048] Condition 1: there must be a structural separation, for example in the form of crash barriers or guide walls 16, on at least one side, preferably on the side of the travel path of oncoming traffic, optionally also on both sides of the current travel path 14 of the vehicle 10,

[0049] Condition 2: the driving lane 18 of the vehicle 10 must have a predetermined minimum lane width 20,

[0050] Condition 3: the radius of curvature 28 of the driving route 12 must not fall below a predetermined limit value G1, whereby too tight curve radii, which could impair an autonomous operation 46 of the vehicle 10 in a dangerous manner, should be avoided on the driving route 10 ahead,

[0051] Condition 4: the range of environmental detection sensors, for example a radar or camera system, is not substantially limited by humps or dips, i.e., the range is not limited to a value which is below a predetermined minimum range,

[0052] Condition 5: the number of driving lanes 18 must not change on the driving route 12 ahead,

[0053] Condition 6: no tunnel 22 and no building 24, such as a toll station, for example, may be present on the driving route 12,

[0054] Condition 7: there must not be a motorway junction 26 on the driving route 12 ahead of the vehicle 10,

[0055] Condition 8: there must not be any traffic disruptions, for example slow-moving traffic,

[0056] Condition 9: there must not be any traffic reports about dangerous situations, which can be retrieved via an external server,

[0057] Conditions 5 to 9 are preferably optional conditions, i.e. they are preferably only considered in combination with at least one of conditions 1 to 4.

[0058] In the situation shown in FIG. 1, only conditions 2, 3 and 6 are fulfilled for the driving route 12, such that autonomous operation of the vehicle 10 is not possible.

[0059] FIG. 2 depicts an assistance system 40 for the autonomous operation of a vehicle 10. The assistance system 40 comprises a control unit 42, an output means 44, a sensor system 50, a navigation database 60, and a position detection system 70, for example a GPS receiver. The control unit 42 also receives traffic information and weather information from a central server 30 via a mobile network. The sensor system 50 scans the vehicle environment and detected current environmental information, for example about the presence of crash barriers, the radius of curvature of the driving route ahead, the number of driving lanes, the presence of tunnels, buildings and motorway junctions. The navigation database 60 maintains a digital road map with at least one piece of the information cited above.

[0060] In the present case, the control unit 42 is designed and configured in such a way that autonomous operation of the vehicle is only enabled if at least one or all or a group of the conditions described below have been fulfilled. First, a structural separation 16 must be present on one of the two sides of the current travel path 14 of the vehicle 10, preferably on the side of the travel path of the oncoming traffic, or on both sides; furthermore the driving lane 18 of the vehicle 10 must have a minimum width 20, in addition, the number of driving lanes 18 in the driving route 12 ahead must not change. Furthermore, no tunnel 22 and no building 24, such as a toll station, for example, may be present on the driving route 12; in addition, there must be no motorway junction 26 on the driving route 12 ahead of the vehicle 10. Finally, a radius of curvature 28 of the driving route 12 must not fall below a predetermined limit value G1.

[0061] Although the invention has been illustrated and explained in more detail by preferred exemplary embodiments, the invention is not limited by the examples disclosed and other variations may be derived therefrom by the person skilled in the art without leaving the scope of the invention. It is therefore clear that there is a plurality of possible variations. It is also clear that embodiments stated by way of example are only really examples which are not to be seen as limiting the scope, application possibilities or configuration of the invention in any way. In fact, the preceding description and the description of the figures enable the person skilled in the art to implement the exemplary embodiments in a concrete manner, wherein, with the knowledge of the disclosed inventive concept, the person skilled in the art is able to undertake various changes, for example, with regard to the functioning or arrangement of individual elements stated in an exemplary embodiment without leaving the scope of the invention, which is defined by the claims and their legal equivalents, such as further explanations in the description.