# US 12,767,183 B2 · Method and apparatus for operating an automated vehicle > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,767,183 B2 - Document ID: US12767183B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/189,484 - Filed: 2023-03-24 - Published: 2023-11-30 - Granted: 2026-10-20 - Earliest claimed: 2022-05-24 - Assignees: Robert Bosch GmbH - Applicants: Robert Bosch GmbH - Inventors: Marlon Ramon Ewert - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12767183B2 ## CPC - B60W 60/0027: {using trajectory prediction for other traffic participants} - B60W 2554/4026: Cycles - B60W 2554/4029: Pedestrians - B60W 2554/4046: Behavior, e.g. aggressive or erratic - 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 and apparatus for operating an automated vehicle. The method includes: acquiring environmental data values which represent objects in an environment of the automated vehicle; determining a position of the automated vehicle; comparing the environmental data values with a digital map, depending on the position of the automated vehicle, the digital map including environmental features, a first subset of the objects being determined as static objects when these objects are comprised as environmental features in the digital map, and a second subset of the objects are determined as non-static objects, when these objects are not comprised as an environmental feature in the digital map; determining a motion behavior of the non-static objects relative to the automated vehicle; determining a travel strategy for the automated vehicle, depending on the motion behavior of the non-static objects; and operating the automated vehicle, depending on the travel strategy. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of operating an automated vehicle, comprising the following steps: acquiring environmental data values using an environmental sensor system of the automated vehicle, wherein the environmental data values represent objects in an environment of the automated vehicle, wherein the environmental sensor system includes a plurality of main sensors and a plurality of redundant sensors, wherein the redundant sensors are initialized in a resource-conserving mode, wherein the environmental data values acquired using the environmental sensor system are acquired using the plurality of main sensors; determining a position of the automated vehicle; comparing the environmental data values with a digital map, depending on the determined position of the automated vehicle, wherein the digital map includes environmental features, wherein a first subset of the objects are determined as static objects, when the objects are included as environmental features in the digital map, and a second subset of the objects are determined as dynamic objects, when the objects are not included as environmental features in the digital map; determining whether the environmental data values acquired using the plurality of main sensors include one or more environmental data values corresponding to the second subset of objects and have an accuracy less than or equal to a threshold; activating, in response to determining the environmental data values acquired by the plurality of main sensors include one or more environmental data values corresponding to the second subset of objects and have an accuracy less than or equal to the threshold, the plurality of redundant sensors from the resource-conserving mode; acquiring, by the plurality of main sensors and the plurality of redundant sensors after activating the plurality of redundant sensors, further environmental data values for the second subset of objects; determining a motion behavior of the second subset of objects relative to the automated vehicle based on the further environmental data values; determining a travel strategy for the automated vehicle depending on the determined motion behavior of the second subset of objects; and operating the automated vehicle depending on the travel strategy, the operating including performing at least one of a lateral and longitudinal control of the automated vehicle. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the digital map is configured as an accurate map, which includes the environmental features with an accurate position. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the determined position of the automated vehicle includes both a position indication in a predetermined coordinate system and a pose of the automated vehicle. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the motion behavior of the second subset of objects includes whether the second subset of objects in the environment of the automated vehicle are moving away from or towards the automated vehicle. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the travel strategy includes a trajectory for the automated vehicle and the operation includes driving along the trajectory. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the digital map includes one or more map layers, and wherein at least one of the one or more map layers includes a map from a bird's eye view, a map of a navigation system, a radar map, and/or a lidar map. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the operating the automated vehicle depending on the travel strategy further includes to perform one or more safety-relevant functions. ### Claim 8 An apparatus, comprising: a control unit configured to operate an automated vehicle, the control unit configured to: acquire environmental data values using an environmental sensor system of the automated vehicle, wherein the environmental data values represent objects in an environment of the automated vehicle, wherein the environmental sensor system includes a plurality of main sensors and a plurality of redundant sensors, wherein the redundant sensors are initialized in a resource-conserving mode, wherein the environmental data values acquired using the environmental sensor system are acquired using the plurality of main sensors; determine a position of the automated vehicle; compare the environmental data values with a digital map, depending on the determined position of the automated vehicle, wherein the digital map includes environmental features, wherein a first subset of the objects are determined as static objects, when the objects are comprised as environmental features in the digital map, and a second subset of the objects are determined as dynamic objects, when these objects are not comprised as environmental feature in the digital map; determine whether the environmental data values acquired using the plurality of main sensors include one or more environmental data values corresponding to the second subset of objects and have an accuracy less than or equal to a threshold; activate, in response to determining the environmental data values acquired by the plurality of main sensors include one or more environmental data values corresponding to the second subset of objects and have an accuracy less than or equal to the threshold, the plurality of redundant sensors from the resource-conserving mode; acquire, by the plurality of main sensors and the plurality of redundant sensors after activating the plurality of redundant sensors, further environmental data values for the second subset of objects; determine a motion behavior of the second subset of objects relative to the automated vehicle based on the further environmental data values; determine a travel strategy for the automated vehicle depending on the determined motion behavior of the second subset of objects; and operate the automated vehicle depending on the travel strategy, wherein to operate the automated vehicle includes to perform at least one of a lateral and longitudinal control of the automated vehicle. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the digital map includes one or more map layers, and wherein at least one of the one or more map layers includes a map from a bird's eye view, a map of a navigation system, a radar map, and/or a lidar map. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the control unit is further configured to perform one or more safety-relevant functions as part of to operate the automated vehicle depending on the travel strategy. ### Claim 11 A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium on which is stored a computer program of operating an automated vehicle, the computer program, when executed by a computer, causing the computer to perform the following steps: acquiring environmental data values using an environmental sensor system of the automated vehicle, wherein the environmental data values represent objects in an environment of the automated vehicle, wherein the environmental sensor system includes a plurality of main sensors and a plurality of redundant sensors, the redundant sensors being initialized in a resource-conserving mode, wherein the environmental data values acquired using the environmental sensor system are acquired using the plurality of main sensors; determining a position of the automated vehicle; comparing the environmental data values with a digital map, depending on the determined position of the automated vehicle, wherein the digital map includes environmental features, wherein a first subset of the objects are determined as static objects, when the objects are comprised as environmental features in the digital map, and a second subset of the objects are determined as dynamic objects, when these objects are not comprised as environmental features in the digital map; determining whether the environmental data values acquired using the plurality of main sensors correspond to the second subset of objects and have an accuracy less than or equal to a threshold; activating, in response to determining the environmental data values acquired by the plurality of main sensors include one or more environmental data values corresponding to the second subset of objects and have an accuracy less than or equal to the threshold, the plurality of redundant sensors from the resource-conserving mode; acquiring, by the plurality of main sensors and the plurality of redundant sensors after activating the plurality of redundant sensors, further environmental data values for the second subset of objects; determining a motion behavior of the second subset of objects relative to the automated vehicle based on the further environmental data values; determining a travel strategy for the automated vehicle depending on the determined motion behavior of the second subset of objects; and operating the automated vehicle depending on the travel strategy, the operating including performing at least one of a lateral and longitudinal control of the automated vehicle. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the digital map includes one or more map layers, and wherein at least one of the one or more map layers includes a map from a bird's eye view, a map of a navigation system, a radar map, and/or a lidar map. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the operating the automated vehicle depending on the travel strategy further includes to perform one or more safety-relevant functions.