# US 10,481,613 B2 · Method and device for operating a vehicle > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,481,613 B2 - Document ID: US10481613B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/547,561 - Filed: 2016-01-14 - Published: 2018-01-11 - Granted: 2019-11-19 - Earliest claimed: 2015-01-29 - Assignees: Robert Bosch GmbH - Applicants: Robert Bosch GmbH - Inventors: Christoph Schroeder; Oliver Pink; Stefan Nordbruch; Svetlana Rau; Ulf Wilhelm - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10481613B2 ## CPC - G05D 1/0287: {involving a plurality of land vehicles, e.g. fleet or convoy travelling (traffic control systems for road vehicles G08G1/00, particularly anticollision systems G08G1/16)} - B60W 30/12: Lane keeping - B60W 30/165: Automatically following the path of a preceding lead vehicle, e.g. "electronic tow-bar" - B60W 50/14: Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention - B62D 15/025: {Active steering aids, e.g. helping the driver by actively influencing the steering system after environment evaluation (B62D1/28 takes precedence)} - B62D 15/026: {combined with automatic distance control, i.e. electronic tow bar} - B60W 2050/0095: {Automatic control mode change} - B60W 2520/10: Longitudinal speed - B60W 2540/22: Psychological state; Stress level or workload - B60W 2540/229: Attention level, e.g. attentive to driving, reading or sleeping - B60W 2540/26: Incapacity - B60W 2554/00: Input parameters relating to objects - B60W 2554/20: Static objects - B60W 2554/80: Spatial relation or speed relative to objects - B60W 2556/65: Data transmitted between vehicles - G05D: SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES - B60W: CONJOINT CONTROL OF VEHICLE SUB-UNITS OF DIFFERENT TYPE OR DIFFERENT FUNCTION; CONTROL SYSTEMS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR HYBRID VEHICLES; ROAD VEHICLE DRIVE CONTROL SYSTEMS FOR PURPOSES NOT RELATED TO THE CONTROL OF A PARTICULAR SUB-UNIT - B62D: MOTOR VEHICLES; TRAILERS (steering, or guiding on a desired track, of agricultural machines or implements A01B69/00; wheels, castors, axles, increasing wheel adhesion B60B; vehicle tyres, tyre inflation or tyre changing B60C; connections between vehicles of a train or the like B60D; vehicles for use on rail and road, amphibious or convertible vehicles B60F; suspension arrangements B60G; heating, cooling, ventilating or other air treating devices B60H; windows, windscreens, non-fixed roofs, doors or similar devices, protective coverings for vehicles not in use B60J; propulsion plant arrangements, auxiliary drives, transmissions, controls, instrumentation or dashboards B60K; electric equipment or propulsion of electrically-propelled vehicles B60L; power supply for electrically-propelled vehicles B60M; passenger accommodation not otherwise provided for B60N; adaptations for load transportation or to carry special loads or objects B60P; arrangement of signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor, for vehicles in general B60Q; vehicles, vehicle fittings or vehicle parts not otherwise provided for B60R; servicing, cleaning, repairing, supporting, lifting, or manoeuvring, not otherwise provided for, B60S; brake arrangements, brake control systems or parts thereof B60T; air-cushion vehicles B60V; motor-cycles, accessories therefor B62J, B62K; testing of vehicles G01M) ## Abstract A vehicle is operable in a first operating mode in which the vehicle travels autonomously inside the traffic lane based on a detection of lane markings of a traffic lane and in a second operating mode in which the vehicle autonomously follows a vehicle driving in front while ignoring lane markings, and a method of its operation includes operating the vehicle in a first of the two operating modes, detecting a vehicle environment, and switching from the first operating mode to the other of the two operating modes as a function of the detected vehicle environment. A device can execute the method and a computer program can be executed by a device for performing the method. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for operating a first vehicle, the method comprising: operating, by a control device, the first vehicle in a first operating mode, the first operating mode being an operating mode in which the first vehicle travels autonomously inside a traffic lane based on detection of lane markings of the traffic lane; detecting, by the control device, a vehicle environment; and switching, by the control device, the first vehicle from operating in the first operating mode to operating in a second operating mode as a function of the detected vehicle environment, the second operating mode being an operating mode in which the first vehicle autonomously follows a second vehicle while ignoring existing lane markings of the traffic lane. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the detecting is (a) of an obstacle lying in front of the first vehicle, as the detected vehicle environment, and (b) while the first vehicle is operated in the first operating mode; and wherein based on the detecting, the first vehicle switching from operating in the first operating mode to operating in the second operating mode. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the detecting is (a) of one or more vehicles in front of the first vehicle ignoring their respective traffic lanes, as the detected vehicle environment, and (b) while the first vehicle is operated in the first operating mode; and wherein based on the detecting, the first vehicle switching from operating in the first operating mode to operating in the second operating mode. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the detecting is (a) of an irregular flow behavior of road users, as the detected vehicle environment, and (b) while the first vehicle is operated in the first operating mode; and wherein based on the detecting, the first vehicle switching from operating in the first operating mode to operating in the second operating mode. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the switching is performed conditional upon satisfaction of at least one condition, the at least one condition including that (a) a vehicle velocity lies within a permitted range, (b) a trajectory or a driving envelope that the first vehicle will travel is collision-free, (c) other vehicles travel in obvious columns, (d) a minimum distance between a trajectory or a travel envelope that the first vehicle will travel and other road users is observed, (e) a relative velocity of the first vehicle with respect to one or more other road users lies within a permitted range, and (f) a deviation from a law-conforming behavior lies within a predefined range. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein the at least one condition includes the condition that the deviation from the law-conforming behavior lies within a predefined range and the deviation relates to a departure from a traveled traffic lane. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6 wherein the predefined range is of distances within a predefined maximum distance. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein a driver is monitored, and the switching carried out additionally as a function of the driver monitoring. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein a measure of attention pertaining to the driver is ascertained as a function of the driver monitoring, and a switching is carried out as a function of a comparison of the ascertained measure of attention with a predefined attention threshold value. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising outputting a warning of an intended switchover. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the switching is performed conditional upon detection of a switchover acknowledgement. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising switching the first vehicle from operating in the second operating mode to operating in the first operating mode in response to determining, based on the vehicle environment, that a situation that had led to the switch from operating the first vehicle in the first operating mode to operating the first vehicle in the second operating mode has passed. ### Claim 13 A device for operating a first vehicle, the device comprising: a detection device; and a control device; wherein the control device is configured to: operate the first vehicle in a first operating mode, the first operating mode being an operating mode in which the first vehicle travels autonomously inside a traffic lane based on detection of lane markings of the traffic; and switch the first vehicle from operating in the first operating mode to operating in a second operating mode as a function of a vehicle environment detected by the detection device, the second operating mode being an operating mode in which the first vehicle autonomously follows a second vehicle while ignoring existing lane markings of the traffic lane. ### Claim 14 A non-transitory computer-readable medium on which are stored instructions that are executable by a processor and that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform a method of operating a first vehicle, the method comprising: operating the first vehicle in a first operating mode, the first operating mode being an operating mode in which the first vehicle travels autonomously inside a traffic lane based on detection of lane markings of the traffic lane; and switching the first vehicle from operating in the first operating mode to operating in a second operating mode as a function of a detected vehicle environment, the second operating mode being an operating mode in which the first vehicle autonomously follows a second vehicle while ignoring existing lane markings of the traffic lane. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The device of claim 13, wherein based on the detection device detecting, while the first vehicle is operating in the first operating mode, an obstacle lying in front of the first vehicle, the control device switches the first vehicle from operating in the first operating mode to operating in the second operating mode. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The device of claim 13, wherein the detection device detecting, while the first vehicle is operating in the first operating mode, one or more vehicles in front of the first vehicle ignoring their respective traffic lanes, the control device switches the first vehicle from operating in the first operating mode to operating in the second operating mode. ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) The device of claim 13, wherein based on the detecting device detecting, while the first vehicle is operating in the first operating mode, an irregular flow behavior of road users, the control device switches the first vehicle rom operating in the first operating mode to operating in the second operating mode. ### Claim 18 (depends on 13) The device of claim 13, wherein the control device is configured to switch the first vehicle from operating in the second operating mode to operating in the first operating mode in response to determining, based on the vehicle environment, that a situation that had led to the switch of the vehicle from operating in the first operating mode to operating in the second operating mode has passed.