IP Library Granted Patent US 12668269
Granted Patent B2
US 12668269 · App. 18/293,026 · Granted Jun 30, 2026

Method for determining an action strategy of a vehicle driving in the automated driving operation

Inventor: Eugen Käfer (Renningen, DE)
Assignee: MERCEDES-BENZ GROUP AG
B60W60/001B60W30/18163B60W60/0053B60W2554/4045B60W2556/65
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12668269
App. No.
18/293,026
Granted
Jun 30, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method for determining an action strategy of a vehicle driving in the automated driving operation when nearing a vehicle ahead which is stationary in its lane. The vehicle behind the stationary vehicle ahead stops and waits to restart its driving operation until the vehicle ahead starts up. If the vehicle is waiting for longer than a pre-determined waiting time, the vehicle initiates an overtaking maneuver to overtake the vehicle ahead, requests support via a teleoperator and/or transmits a request to take over a driving task to a vehicle user of the vehicle.

Claims (15)

1 . A method for determining an action strategy of a vehicle driving in the automated driving operation when approaching a second vehicle ahead that is stationary in the second vehicle's lane, the method comprising:

stopping and waiting, by the vehicle behind the second vehicle, to restart the vehicle's driving operation until the second vehicle starts up or until a predetermined waiting time expires, wherein at least a distance of the vehicle from a junction is used to determine the predetermined waiting time;

determining, by the vehicle, that the distance from the junction is below a predetermined threshold;

estimating, by the vehicle responsive to the distance from the junction being below the predetermined threshold, that a series of further vehicles is located between the second vehicle and the junction, wherein vehicles of the series of further vehicles are not completely recognized by sensors of the vehicle when the vehicle is stopping and waiting;

determining, by the vehicle whether the predetermined waiting time expired; and

responsive to determining that the predetermined waiting time expired, performing, by the vehicle an overtaking maneuver to overtake the second vehicle, request by the vehicle support via a teleoperator, or transmitting by the vehicle a request to take over a driving task to a vehicle user of the vehicle.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined waiting time is further based on an environmental situation of the vehicle.

3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

checking a traffic situation in a surrounding area of the vehicle for indications that the second vehicle forms an end of the series of further vehicles that have come to a standstill.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein, responsive to the presence of indications that indicate that the second vehicle forms an end of the series of further vehicles that have come to a standstill, the method further comprises:

determining a correction value for the predetermined waiting time depending on the indications; and

lengthening the predetermined waiting time by the determined correction value.

5 . The method of claim 3 , wherein, the predetermined waiting time is also determined depending on traffic information available to the vehicle.

6 . The method of claim 3 , further comprising:

receiving, by the vehicle via a vehicle-to-vehicle communication or via a vehicle-to-infrastructure communication, information on a length of the series of further vehicles or a length of a predicted waiting time.