Method and device for operating an automated vehicle

A device configured to operate an automated vehicle, comprising:

• a surroundings sensor unit configured to detect surroundings of the vehicle and to provide surroundings data of the detected surroundings;
• situation detection unit including a defined plurality of situation detection elements to which the surroundings data may be supplied;
• computational modeling of the surroundings of the vehicle being carried out using the situation detection elements, wherein the situation detection elements are collectively present together at one time, and, wherein each of the situation detection elements determines a respective model corresponding to one of a plurality of aspects of the surroundings such that each of the plurality of aspects is independent of each other and such that a sum of the models of the situation detection elements covers an entire field of action of the surroundings;
• driver assistance systems which are activatable using output data of the models of the situation detection elements;
• a decision-making unit using which it may be decided which output data of the models of the situation detection elements are used for activating an actuator unit of the vehicle;
• and
• an actuator unit of the vehicle which is activatable using the decided-upon output data.

A non-transitory computer-readable data carrier on which is stored program code for operating an automated vehicle, the program code, when executed by an electronic device, causing the electronic device to perform the following steps:

• detecting surroundings of the vehicle;
• providing surroundings data of the detected surroundings;
• supplying the surroundings data to a situation detection unit including a defined plurality of situation detection elements that are collectively present together at one time;
• computationally modeling the surroundings of the vehicle using the situation detection elements, wherein each of the situation detection elements determines a respective model corresponding to one of a plurality of aspects of the surroundings such that each of the plurality of aspects is independent of each other and such that a sum of the models of the situation detection elements covers an entire field of action of the surroundings;
• activating driver assistance systems using output data of the models of the situation detection elements;
• deciding, using a decision-making unit, which of the output data of the models of the situation detection elements are used for activating an actuator unit of the vehicle;
• and
• activating the actuator unit of the vehicle using the decided-upon output data.