# US 11,993,257 B2 · Method for operating a vehicle assistance system, device for executing the method, and vehicle > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,993,257 B2 - Document ID: US11993257B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/290,324 - Filed: 2019-10-15 - Published: 2021-12-02 - Granted: 2024-05-28 - Earliest claimed: 2018-10-30 - Assignees: Daimler AG; Robert Bosch GmbH - Applicants: Daimler AG; Robert Bosch GmbH - Inventors: Christoph Gustav Keller; Holger Mielenz - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11993257B2 ## CPC - B60W 30/09: Taking automatic action to avoid collision, e.g. braking and steering - B60W 10/18: including control of braking systems - B60W 10/20: including control of steering systems - B60W 30/08: {Active safety systems} predicting or avoiding probable or impending collision {or attempting to minimise its consequences} - B60W 30/0956: {the prediction being responsive to traffic or environmental parameters} - B60W 60/001: {Planning or execution of driving tasks} - B60W 60/0011: {involving control alternatives for a single driving scenario, e.g. planning several paths to avoid obstacles} - B60W 60/0015: {specially adapted for safety} - G05D 1/00: Control of position, course, altitude or attitude of land, water, air or space vehicles, e.g. using automatic pilots (drive control systems specially adapted for autonomous road vehicles B60W60/00) - G08G 1/166: {for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes} - B60W 2554/402: Type - B60W 2554/4023: large-size vehicles, e.g. trucks - B60W 2554/4041: Position - B60W 2554/4044: Direction of movement, e.g. backwards - G06V 20/58: Recognition of moving objects or obstacles, e.g. vehicles or pedestrians; Recognition of traffic objects, e.g. traffic signs, traffic lights or roads - G08G 1/161: {Decentralised systems, e.g. inter-vehicle communication} - G08G 1/164: {Centralised systems, e.g. external to vehicles} - 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 - G05D: SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES - G08G: TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEMS (guiding railway traffic, ensuring the safety of railway traffic B61L; arrangement of road signs or traffic signals E01F9/00; radar or analogous systems, sonar systems, lidar systems specially adapted for traffic control G01S13/91, G01S15/88, G01S17/88; {radar or analogous systems, sonar systems, lidar systems specially adapted for anti-collision purposes G01S13/93, G01S15/93, G01S17/93}) - G06V: IMAGE OR VIDEO RECOGNITION OR UNDERSTANDING ## Abstract A method for operating a vehicle assistance system is described. In one embodiment, when the vehicle is in the autonomous driving mode, encountering an obstacle is prevented independent of the passage height, due to a control unit if is determined that the obstacle is a load supported by a working machine, where the load projects into a driving corridor of the vehicle or moves in the driving corridor. Also described is a device for carrying out the method and to a vehicle having such a device. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for operating the assistance system of a vehicle, wherein in an autonomous driving mode of the vehicle, passage under an obstacle having a passage height that has been determined to be sufficiently high is prevented by a control unit, wherein the control unit determines if the obstacle is a working machine carrying a movable load unit, the control unit also determines whether the movable load unit protrudes into the driving route or is moving into the driving route of the vehicle, and wherein the control unit is configured to predict a hazard potential to the vehicle resulting from the movable load unit protruding into or moving into the driving route of the vehicle and to prevent passage under the obstacle only if the predicted hazard potential is at or above a predetermined level. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein prevention of the passage under the obstacle takes place by braking the vehicle to a standstill, and a driving mode of the vehicle is resumed once the load is no longer in the driving route. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein prevention of the passage under the obstacle takes place by re-planning a trajectory for the vehicle, so that an operating area of the working machine is circumvented. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein prevention of the passage under the obstacle takes place by braking the vehicle to a standstill, and a decision regarding how to proceed with respect to further operation of the vehicle is requested from a remote operator. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the working machine is detected based on its contour. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein the contour of the working machine is determined based on detected signals from a sensor system detecting the surroundings of the vehicle. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein a movement path of the movable load unit being carried by the working machine is determined by a movement model. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein, if a distance from the vehicle to the movable load unit falls below a given distance, emergency braking is automatically initiated. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) A device for executing the method of claim 1, wherein, in the autonomous driving mode of the vehicle, the control unit of the assistance system prevents passage under the movable load unit having the passage height that has been determined to be sufficiently high, if it is determined that the movable load unit is the movable load unit being carried by the working machine that protrudes into the driving route or is moving into the driving route of the vehicle. ### Claim 10 A method for operating the assistance system of a vehicle, wherein in an autonomous driving mode of the vehicle, passage under an obstacle is prevented by a control unit in the vehicle if the control unit determines: the obstacle is a working machine carrying a movable load unit having a variable height with respect to the working machine and the movable load unit protrudes into the driving route or is moving into the driving route of the vehicle, a hazard potential prediction to the vehicle resulting from the movable load unit protruding into or moving into the driving route of the vehicle, and wherein the control unit prevents passage under the obstacle only if the predicted hazard potential is at or above a predetermined level. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein passage under the obstacle is prevented even when the passage height has been determined to be sufficiently high if it has also been determined that the movable load unit protrudes into the driving route or is moving into the driving route.