Method for operating a vehicle and device for carrying out the method

1. A method for operating a vehicle ( 1 ), comprising the steps of:

carrying out a lane-keeping control of the vehicle ( 1 ) along a course of a lane (FS) travelled in by the vehicle ( 1 );

wherein when lane markings are detected, determining the course of the lane (FS) on a basis of detected lane markings;

wherein when lane markings are not detected:

determining the course of the lane (FS) in a mapped-based manner on a basis of data from a digital map ( 2 ), wherein the vehicle ( 1 ) is localized in the digital map ( 2 ) and wherein:

for a rough localization of the vehicle ( 1 ) in the digital map ( 2 ), determining a rough position of the vehicle in the digital map by a localization system and identifying a portion (A) of the lane (FS) in a surrounding region of the determined rough position in the digital map ( 2 ) on a basis of the determined rough position; and

for a fine localization of the vehicle ( 1 ) in the digital map ( 2 ), a course of the identified portion (A) of the lane (FS) is compared with a recorded course of a path portion (WA) travelled by the vehicle ( 1 ), wherein the comparison of the course of the identified portion (A) of the lane (FS) with the recorded course of the path portion (WA) travelled by the vehicle ( 1 ) is performed by cross-correlating the course of the identified portion (A) of the lane (FS) with the recorded course of the path portion (WA) travelled by the vehicle ( 1 ).

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the fine localization of the vehicle ( 1 ) in the digital map ( 2 ) determines a current fine position of the vehicle ( 1 ) in the digital map ( 2 ) within the identified portion (A) of the lane (FS).

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein a curve (K) of the lane (FS) is identified as the portion (A) of the lane (FS).

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the course of the lane is determined on the basis of the data from the digital map ( 2 ) when the lane markings are not present or are not clearly detected.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the method is performed during an emergency stopping maneuver in which the vehicle ( 1 ) is braked to a standstill under the lane-keeping control while a driver of the vehicle ( 1 ) is unfit to drive.

6. The method according to claim 5 , wherein the unfit to drive is determined by detecting a failure of the driver to respond to a request for an action issued to the driver.

7. A device ( 4 ) for carrying out the method according to claim 1 , comprising:

a control unit ( 5 ) configured to control a steering device ( 6 ) of the vehicle ( 1 ) for the lane-keeping control of the vehicle ( 1 ) along the course of the lane (FS) travelled by the vehicle ( 1 );

a detection unit ( 3 ) configured to detect the lane markings;

the digital map ( 2 );

a reception unit ( 9 ) configured to receive signals from a global navigation satellite system;

a sensor system ( 10 ) and a memory unit ( 11 ) configured to detect and record the course of the path portion (WA) travelled by the vehicle ( 1 ); and

a processing unit ( 12 ) configured to:

determine the course of the lane on the basis of the detected lane markings when the lane markings are detected; and

determine the course of the lane in the map-based manner on the basis of the data from the digital map ( 2 ) when the lane markings are not detected.

8. The device ( 4 ) according to claim 7 , wherein the device is configured to carry out the method during an emergency stopping maneuver in which the vehicle ( 1 ) can be braked to a standstill under the lane-keeping control while a driver of the vehicle ( 1 ) is unfit to drive.

9. The device ( 4 ) according to claim 8 , further comprising a determination unit ( 13 ) configured to determine a failure of the driver to respond to a request for an action issued to the driver.