Method for operating a vehicle, and control unit

1. A method for operating a vehicle, the method comprising:

activating an autonomous cruise control; and

switching, when the autonomous cruise control is in an activated state, to an accelerator-pedal-controlled distance controller in response to an acceleration command indicated by an override of an accelerator pedal of the vehicle;

wherein the autonomous cruise control and the accelerator-pedal-controlled distance controller are in a control unit,

wherein the autonomous cruise control is a regulator for a power-output setpoint value of the vehicle, wherein the power-output setpoint value represents a power output to be delivered by a drive of the vehicle, and when active, the autonomous cruise control regulates the power supplied as a function of an instantaneous speed of the vehicle and a present distance between the vehicle and a preceding vehicle,

wherein the distance controller is a controller for the power-output setpoint value, wherein when active, the distance controller controls the delivered power output depending on the distance and an acceleration command of the driver, wherein the acceleration command is represented by an accelerator-pedal angle of an accelerator pedal of the vehicle, and wherein the acceleration command is translated into the power-output setpoint value, utilizing the distance,

wherein the distance controller reads in a target-value distance, which represents a minimum distance that is preset at an interface,

wherein so long as a present distance is outside of a buffer area before the minimum distance, the acceleration command is translated directly into the power-output setpoint value, wherein if the distance lies within the buffer area, the acceleration command is translated in a reduced form into the power-output setpoint value, wherein when the distance is closer to the minimum distance, the less the acceleration command is translated into the power-output setpoint value, and wherein when the distance corresponds to the minimum distance, the distance controller regulates power-output setpoint value so that there is no drop below the minimum distance, and

wherein when a reduction of the power-output setpoint value is not sufficient to achieve the target-value distance, the distance controller outputs the braking setpoint value for a brake system of the vehicle to brake the vehicle until the distance is the same as the minimum distance.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising:

switching, in response to an end of the acceleration command, from the accelerator-pedal-controlled distance controller back to use of the autonomous cruise control.

3. The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising:

switching to the accelerator-pedal-controlled distance controller in response to a deceleration demand via operation of a brake pedal of the vehicle.

4. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein during use of the accelerator-pedal-controlled distance controller, the target-value distance from a preceding vehicle is adjusted as a function of the acceleration command.

5. A control apparatus for operating a vehicle, comprising:

a control unit configured to switch, when an autonomous cruise control is in an activated state, to an accelerator-pedal-controlled distance controller in response to an acceleration command indicated by an override of an accelerator pedal of the vehicle;

wherein the autonomous cruise control and the accelerator-pedal-controlled distance controller are in the control unit,

wherein the autonomous cruise control is a regulator for a power-output setpoint value of the vehicle, wherein the power-output setpoint value represents a power output to be delivered by a drive of the vehicle, and when active, the autonomous cruise control regulates the power supplied as a function of an instantaneous speed of the vehicle and a present distance between the vehicle and a preceding vehicle, and

wherein the distance controller is a controller for the power-output setpoint value, wherein when active, the distance controller controls the delivered power output depending on the distance and an acceleration command of the driver, wherein the acceleration command is represented by an accelerator-pedal angle of an accelerator pedal of the vehicle, and wherein the acceleration command is translated into the power-output setpoint value, utilizing the distance,

wherein the distance controller reads in a target-value distance, which represents a minimum distance that is preset at an interface,

wherein so long as a present distance is outside of a buffer area before the minimum distance, the acceleration command is translated directly into the power-output setpoint value, wherein if the distance lies within the buffer area, the acceleration command is translated in a reduced form into the power-output setpoint value, wherein when the distance is closer to the minimum distance, the less the acceleration command is translated into the power-output setpoint value, and wherein when the distance corresponds to the minimum distance, the distance controller regulates power-output setpoint value so that there is no drop below the minimum distance, and

wherein when a reduction of the power-output setpoint value is not sufficient to achieve the target-value distance, the distance controller outputs the braking setpoint value for a brake system of the vehicle to brake the vehicle until the distance is the same as the minimum distance.

6. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium, on which is stored a computer program, which is executable by a processor, comprising:

a program code arrangement having program code for operating a vehicle, by performing the following:

switching, when an autonomous cruise control is in an activated state, to an accelerator-pedal-controlled distance controller in response to an acceleration command indicated by an override of an accelerator pedal of the vehicle;

wherein the autonomous cruise control and the accelerator-pedal-controlled distance controller are in the control unit,

wherein the autonomous cruise control is a regulator for a power-output setpoint value of the vehicle, wherein the power-output setpoint value represents a power output to be delivered by a drive of the vehicle, and when active, the autonomous cruise control regulates the power supplied as a function of an instantaneous speed of the vehicle and a present distance between the vehicle and a preceding vehicle, and

wherein the distance controller is a controller for the power-output setpoint value, wherein when active, the distance controller controls the delivered power output depending on the distance and an acceleration command of the driver, wherein the acceleration command is represented by an accelerator-pedal angle of an accelerator pedal of the vehicle, and wherein the acceleration command is translated into the power-output setpoint value, utilizing the distance,

wherein the distance controller reads in a target-value distance, which represents a minimum distance that is preset at an interface,

wherein so long as a present distance is outside of a buffer area before the minimum distance, the acceleration command is translated directly into the power-output setpoint value, wherein if the distance lies within the buffer area, the acceleration command is translated in a reduced form into the power-output setpoint value, wherein when the distance is closer to the minimum distance, the less the acceleration command is translated into the power-output setpoint value, and wherein when the distance corresponds to the minimum distance, the distance controller regulates power-output setpoint value so that there is no drop below the minimum distance, and

wherein when a reduction of the power-output setpoint value is not sufficient to achieve the target-value distance, the distance controller outputs the braking setpoint value for a brake system of the vehicle to brake the vehicle until the distance is the same as the minimum distance.