# US 12,181,297 B2 · Method for enabling a route

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- Number: US 12,181,297 B2
- Document ID: US12181297B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/776,325
- Filed: 2020-09-28
- Published: 2022-12-15
- Granted: 2024-12-31
- Earliest claimed: 2019-11-13
- Assignees: Mercedes-Benz Group AG
- Applicants: Mercedes-Benz Group AG
- Inventors: Mario Aleksic; Stefan Maisenbacher
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12181297B2

## CPC

- G01C 21/3476: {using point of interest [POI] information, e.g. a route passing visible POIs}
- G01C 21/3644: {Landmark guidance, e.g. using POIs or conspicuous other objects}
- B60W 60/001: {Planning or execution of driving tasks}
- B60W 60/005: {Handover processes (Handing over between remote control and on-board control or handing over between remote control arrangements G05D1/227)}
- G01C 21/30: Map- or contour-matching
- G01C 21/3484: {Personalized, e.g. from learned user behaviour or user-defined profiles}
- B60W 2556/50: of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
- G01C: MEASURING DISTANCES, LEVELS OR BEARINGS; SURVEYING; NAVIGATION; GYROSCOPIC INSTRUMENTS; PHOTOGRAMMETRY OR VIDEOGRAMMETRY (measuring liquid level G01F; radio navigation, determining distance or velocity by use of propagation effects, e.g. Doppler effects, propagation time, of radio waves, analogous arrangements using other waves G01S)
- 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

## Abstract

A method for enabling a route for automated driving operation of a vehicle involves enabling a route ahead of the vehicle for automated driving operation of the vehicle if it is determined, using a digital map, which is used during automated driving operation for landmark-based localization of the vehicle, that there are landmarks present along the route which, with regard to their suitability for longitudinal and transverse localization of the vehicle, fulfil requirements which are predefined according to a course of the route.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method, comprising:
determining, using a digital map used during automated driving operation for landmark-based localization of a vehicle, information about a route from a digital map along with a vehicle will travel;
dividing the route into straight route sections and curved route sections based on the information about the route determined from the digital map;
determining, based on the digital map, a plurality of landmarks along the route;
determining, for each of the plurality of determined landmarks, whether the respective one of the plurality of landmarks is only suitable for longitudinal localization of the vehicle, is only suitable for transverse localization of the vehicle, or is suitable for both longitudinal and transverse localization of the vehicle;
determining, for each of the straight route sections, whether there are at least a predetermined number of the plurality of landmarks along the respective straight route section that are suitable for transverse localization of the vehicle;
determining, for each of the curved route sections, whether there are at least a predetermined number of the plurality of landmarks along the respective curved route section that are suitable for both longitudinal and transverse localization of the vehicle;
enabling the automated driving operation of the vehicle along the respective curved route sections having at least the predetermined number of the plurality of landmarks along the respective curved route section that suitable for both the longitudinal and transverse localization of the vehicle; and
enabling the automated driving operation of the vehicle along the respective straight route sections having at least the predetermined number of the plurality of landmarks along the respective straight route section that are suitable for at least the transverse localization of the vehicle.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein at least one roadway marking or lighting unit of a road lighting system are detected as landmarks for a transverse localization of the vehicle.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein at least one bridge crossing a roadway without bridge piers or lighting unit of a road lighting system is detected as landmarks for longitudinal localization of the vehicle.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
specifying a maximum driving speed of the vehicle for the automated driving operation based on a localization accuracy of the vehicle and depending on the route section.