Granted Patent B2

US 12,643,545 · App. 18/031,231 · Granted Jun 2, 2026

Inventors: Bartono Adiprasito (Tiefenbach, DE); Helena Dolinaj (Munich, DE); Maximilian Guenther (Munich, DE); Frank Herchet (Neufahrn b. Freising, DE); Martin Jaensch (Munich, DE); Markus Kraemer (Dachau, DE); Julius Schulz (Munich, DE); Muhammed Yildiz (Kirchseeon, DE)

Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft

B60W30/18154B60W30/181B60W30/18159B60W60/001B60W2050/0067B60W2555/60

Abstract

Claims (51)

1 . A vehicle system for providing a driving function that provides automated longitudinal guidance of a vehicle at a signaling unit, wherein the driving function has an automatic mode, in which the signaling unit is automatically considered by the driving function, and a manual mode, in which the signaling unit is considered by the driving function only after a user confirmation, the vehicle system comprising:

a vehicle guidance system configured to:

sequentially detect a multiplicity of signaling units;

for each signaling unit of the multiplicity of signaling units:

determine whether the driving function is operable in the automatic mode or only in the manual mode at the signaling unit, wherein the determination is based on data relating to the signaling unit;

as a default operation of the driving function, in response to determining that the driving function is operable in the automatic mode at the signaling unit, operate the driving function in the automatic mode at the signaling unit; and

in contravention of the default operation, in response to determining that the driving function is operable in the automatic mode at the signaling unit, operate the driving function in the manual mode at the signaling unit so that the signaling unit is considered by the driving function only after the user confirmation.

2 . The vehicle system according to claim 1 , wherein the vehicle guidance system is configured to:

pseudo-randomly select the signaling unit; and/or

select the signaling unit using a random number generator.

3 . The vehicle system according to claim 1 ,

wherein the vehicle guidance system is configured to:

change a counter at each signaling unit from the multiplicity of signaling units at which the driving function is operated in the automatic mode;

select the signaling unit on the basis of a value of the counter such that the signaling unit for which the counter corresponds to a period value or to a multiple of the period value is selected, and wherein the period value is 10 or more.

4 . The vehicle system according to claim 3 , wherein the vehicle guidance system is configured to:

reset the counter if the counter has reached the period value; and/or

determine a starting value of the counter at a beginning of the journey of the vehicle using a random number generator.

5 . The vehicle system according to claim 1 , wherein the vehicle guidance system is configured to:

select the signaling unit from the multiplicity of signaling units in such a manner that, on average, the driving function is nevertheless operated in the manual mode at X % of the signaling units, for which it is determined, on the basis of the data, that the driving function is operatable in the automatic mode; and

X is 4 or more.

6 . The vehicle system according to claim 1 , wherein the vehicle guidance system is configured to:

take a signaling unit into consideration automatically in the automatic mode during the automated longitudinal guidance of the vehicle at the signaling unit; and

take a signaling unit into consideration in the manual mode only after confirmation by a user of the vehicle during the automated longitudinal guidance of the vehicle at the signaling unit.

7 . The vehicle system according to claim 1 , wherein the vehicle guidance system is configured to:

determine, as data relating to a signaling unit,

(i) map data relating to signaling units in a road network used by the vehicle; and/or

(ii) environmental data relating to the signaling unit which have been captured by one or more environmental sensors of the vehicle.

8 . The vehicle system according to claim 7 , wherein

the map data comprise one or more attributes for the signaling unit; and

the one or more attributes indicate:

(i) a type of the signaling unit; and/or

(ii) a number of different signal groups of the signaling unit for different directions of travel at a junction of the road network at which the signaling unit is arranged.

9 . The vehicle system according to claim 8 , wherein the type of signaling unit is whether the signaling unit is a light signal installation or a traffic sign.

10 . The vehicle system according to claim 1 , wherein the vehicle guidance system is configured to:

determine a number of different signal groups of the signaling unit on the basis of the data relating to a signaling unit from the multiplicity of signaling units; and

determine, on the basis of the number of different signal groups, whether the driving function is operatable in the automatic mode or only in the manual mode at the signaling unit.

11 . The vehicle system according to claim 1 , wherein the vehicle guidance system in the manual mode is configured to:

output an offer relating to consideration of the signaling unit to the user of the vehicle, via a user interface of the vehicle; and

take the signaling unit into consideration during the automated longitudinal guidance of the vehicle at the signaling unit if the offer is accepted by the user; and/or

not take the signaling unit into consideration during the automated longitudinal guidance of the vehicle at the signaling unit if the offer is not accepted by the user.

12 . The vehicle system according to claim 1 , wherein, when a signaling unit is taken into consideration during the automated longitudinal guidance of the vehicle, the vehicle guidance system is configured to:

determine whether or not the vehicle must stop at the signaling unit on the basis of the data relating to the signaling unit; and

cause the vehicle to be stopped in an automated manner at the signaling unit if it is determined that the vehicle must stop at the signaling unit; and/or

cause the vehicle to be longitudinally guided in an automated manner past the signaling unit if it is determined that the vehicle need not stop at the signaling unit.

13 . The vehicle system according to claim 12 , wherein the data relating to the signaling unit is a color of a light signal from the signaling unit.

14 . A method for operating a driving function that provides automated longitudinal guidance of a vehicle at a signaling unit, wherein the driving function has an automatic mode, in which the signaling unit is automatically considered by the driving function, and a manual mode, in which the signaling unit is considered by the driving function only after a user confirmation, the vehicle system, the method comprising:

detecting a multiplicity of signaling units sequentially;

for each signaling unit of the multiplicity of signaling units:

determine whether the driving function is operable in the automatic mode or only in the manual mode at the signaling unit, wherein the determination is based on data relating to the signaling unit;

as a default operation of the driving function, in response to determining that the driving function is operable in the automatic mode at the signaling unit, operating the driving function in the automatic mode at the signaling unit; and

in contravention of the default operation, in response to determining that the driving function is operable in the automatic mode at the signaling unit, operating the driving function in the manual mode at the signaling unit so that the signaling unit is considered by the driving function only after the user confirmation.

Assignments (1)

Priority Claims (1)

Continuity (1)

References Cited (317)