Vehicle guidance system and method for operating a travel function on the basis of the distance from a signaling unit

A vehicle system for providing a driving function for automated longitudinal guidance of a vehicle at a signaling unit, comprising:

• a vehicle guidance system configured to:
• determine an environmental-data-based distance from a first signaling unit located ahead on the basis of environmental data from one or more environmental sensors of the vehicle;
• determine a map-data-based distance from the first signaling unit located ahead on the basis of map data relating to a road network used by the vehicle;
• determine an estimated value of the distance from the first signaling unit on the basis of the environmental-data-based distance and on the basis of the map-data-based distance;
• and
• effect the automated longitudinal guidance of the vehicle at the first signaling unit on the basis of the estimated value of the distance from the first signaling unit;
• wherein the vehicle guidance system is further configured, repeatedly at a sequence of times while the vehicle approaches the first signaling unit, to:
• determine the environmental-data-based distance and the map-data-based distance and, on the basis thereof:
• determine the estimated value of the distance from the first signaling unit;
• and
• adapt a weighting of the environmental-data-based distance and the map-data-based distance when determining the estimated value of the distance from the first signaling unit while the vehicle approaches the first signaling unit, on the basis of the respectively determined environmental-data-based distance and/or the respectively determined map-data-based distance;
• adapt a deceleration profile of the vehicle during approach to the first signaling unit repeatedly at the sequence of times on the basis of the respectively currently determined estimated value of the distance from the first signaling unit.