Driver assistance system and method for operating a driver assistance system

1. A driver assistance system for a motor vehicle comprising:

an actuator configured to automatically actuate at least one element of the motor vehicle selected from the group consisting of a brake unit, a drive unit and a steering unit;

an input device for entering a user request for a driving maneuver executable by the driver assistance system;

a releasing device for releasing an operation of the driver assistance system; and

a processing unit configured to run a computer program product which instructs the unit for executing the following:

determining whether a first occupant in the motor vehicle has effected a release of the driver assistance system with the releasing device for operation of the at least one element of the motor vehicle by a second occupant in the motor vehicle; and

releasing the driver assistance system to the second occupant for operation of the at least one element thereby in response to the release.

2. The driver assistance system according to claim 1 , wherein the releasing device comprises a biometric person recognition device; and wherein determining whether a release for the driver assistance system to be operated by the second occupant is effected by the first occupant by the releasing device is effected on the basis of data ascertained by the biometric person recognition device.

3. The driver assistance system according to claim 1 , wherein the releasing device comprises an operating element in a foot well area of the first occupant; and wherein determining whether a release for the driver assistance system to be operated by the second occupant is effected by the first occupant by actuation of the operating element.

4. The driver assistance system according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a first sensor for ascertaining at least one parameter characteristic of a possible distraction of the second occupant from a momentary traffic situation; and

an output device for issuing a warning message;

wherein when the release for the driver assistance system to be operated by the passenger is effected by the first occupant by the releasing device, the computer program product instructs the processing unit to execute the following:

ascertaining a degree of distraction of the second occupant from the momentary traffic situation based on the at least one ascertained parameter; and

issuing the warning message by the output device when the degree of distraction of the second occupant from the momentary traffic situation exceeds a predefined threshold value.

5. The driver assistance system according to claim 1 , wherein the driver assistance system further comprises a second sensor for detecting objects in an area adjacent to the motor vehicle, wherein the driver assistance system is configured to automatically perform the driving maneuver based on data ascertained from the second sensor of the motor vehicle.

6. The driver assistance system according to claim 1 , wherein the driver assistance system further comprises a communication device for receiving data from at least one of a vehicle-to-vehicle communication device or a vehicle-to-infrastructure communication device, wherein the driver assistance system is configured to automatically perform the driving maneuver based on data received by the communication device.

7. The driver assistance system according to claim 1 further comprising a storage device having map data stored thereon, wherein the driver assistance system is configured to automatically perform the driving maneuver based on the map data stored in the storage device.

8. A method for operating a driver assistance system of a motor vehicle, wherein the driver assistance system includes an actuator configured to automatically actuate at least one element of the motor vehicle selected from the group consisting of a brake unit, a drive unit and a steering unit, an input device for entering a user request for a driving maneuver executable by the driver assistance system and a releasing device for releasing an operation of the driver assistance system, the method comprising:

determining whether a release for the driver assistance system to be operated by the second occupant of the motor vehicle is effected by a first occupant of the motor vehicle by the releasing device; and

releasing the operation of the driver assistance system for the second occupant when the release for the driver assistance system to be operated by the second occupant of the motor vehicle is effected by the first occupant of the motor vehicle by the releasing device.

9. The method according to claim 8 , further comprising determining whether a release for the driver assistance system to be operated by the second occupant is effected by the first occupant of the motor vehicle by the releasing device is effected on the basis of data ascertained from a biometric person recognition device.

10. The method according to claim 8 , further comprising determining whether a release for the driver assistance system to be operated by the second occupant is effected by the first occupant of the motor vehicle by the releasing device is effected on the basis of an actuation of an operating element arranged in a foot well area of the first occupant.

11. The method according to one of claim 8 , further comprising:

ascertaining at least one parameter characteristic of a possible distraction of the second occupant from a momentary traffic situation by a first sensor of the motor vehicle;

ascertaining a degree of distraction of the second occupant from a momentary traffic situation based on the at least one ascertained parameter; and

issuing a warning message when the ascertained degree of distraction of the second occupant from the momentary traffic situation exceeds a predefined threshold value.

12. The method according to one of claim 8 , further comprising:

determining whether a user request for performing a driving maneuver executable by means of the driver assistance system is effected by the first occupant of the motor vehicle by the input device; and

automatically performing the driving maneuver when the user request for performing the driving maneuver is effected by the first occupant of the motor vehicle by the input device;

wherein determining, whether a release for the driver assistance system to be operated by the second occupant of the motor vehicle is effected by the first occupant of the motor vehicle by the releasing device is effected during automatic execution of the driving maneuver.

13. The method according to claim 12 , further comprising:

determining whether a take-over of the motor vehicle by the first occupant is necessary during automatic execution of the driving maneuver; and

issuing a warning message when it is determined that a take-over of the motor vehicle by the first occupant is necessary during automatic execution of the driving maneuver.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable medium with computer executable instructions stored thereon which are executable on a processor for operating a driver assistance system of the motor vehicle having an actuator configured for automatic actuation of at least one element of the motor vehicle selected from the group consisting of a brake unit, a drive unit and a steering unit, an input device for entering a user request for at least one driving maneuver executable by the driver assistance system and a releasing device for releasing an operation of the driver method comprising:

determining whether a first occupant in the motor vehicle has effected a release of the driver assistance system for operation of the at least one element of the motor vehicle by a second occupant in the motor vehicle; and

releasing the driver assistance system to the second occupant for operation of the at least one element thereby in response to the release.