Method and apparatus for cooperatively coordinating future driving maneuvers of a vehicle with foreign maneuvers of at least one foreign vehicle

A method performed by a processor of a vehicle for automated cooperatively coordinating future driving maneuvers of the vehicle with fellow maneuvers of at least one fellow vehicle, the method comprising the following steps:

• receiving a fellow data packet from the fellow vehicle, wherein the fellow data packet contains a fellow trajectory set of a fellow reference trajectory, wherein the fellow data packet further contains a fellow reference effort value characterizing the fellow reference trajectory;
• selecting a trajectory from a trajectory set for the vehicle as a reference trajectory for the vehicle using the fellow reference trajectory, wherein a trajectory of the trajectory set is selected as the reference trajectory which trajectory is collision-free towards the fellow reference trajectory within a collision horizon;
• controlling the vehicle using the reference trajectory;
• rating the reference trajectory and further trajectories of the trajectory set using a lower limit trajectory and an upper limit trajectory, wherein the reference trajectory is assigned a reference effort value and the trajectories are each assigned an effort value, wherein the lower limit trajectory represents a current ideal trajectory for the vehicle with a lowest possible driving effort and defines a lower limit value of an effort value space, and the upper limit trajectory represents a trajectory with a currently maximum acceptable driving effort for cooperation and defines an upper limit value of the effort value space;
• determining a cooperation demand value using the reference effort value, the lower limit value, the upper limit value, and the fellow reference effort value, wherein the cooperation demand value represents whether it makes more sense to improve one's own situation through a cooperation request or to grant a cooperation request to a fellow vehicle;
• selecting at least one cooperation trajectory from the trajectories of the trajectory set using the reference effort value and the cooperation demand value, wherein as a cooperation trajectory, a trajectory with an effort value between the reference effort value and the upper limit value is selected as an alternative trajectory if the cooperation demand value represents that a cooperation is to be offered to the fellow vehicle, or wherein as the cooperation trajectory, a trajectory with an effort value between the reference effort value and the lower limit value is selected as a demand trajectory if the cooperation demand value represents that a cooperation is to be requested from the fellow vehicle;
• and
• transmitting a data packet to the fellow vehicle, wherein the data packet contains the reference trajectory and the reference effort value associated with the reference trajectory, as well as at least the cooperation trajectory and the effort value associated with the cooperation trajectory.