Automated driving of a motor vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2023384789-A1
Application number	US-202318450228-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 15, 2023
Priority date	Mar 26, 2021
Publication date	Nov 30, 2023
Grant date	—

Abstract

Technologies and techniques for the at least the partially automated driving of a motor vehicle. A first application and at least one redundant second application provide output data depending on motor vehicle operating data and/or environmental data. Vehicle driving data for the at least partially automated driving of the motor vehicle are determined depending on the output data. Vehicle operating data from another vehicle are received, and, depending on the vehicle operating data, the at least one redundant second application switches from an active state to a standby state in which a computer instance of a computer unit used by the at least one redundant second application is at least executed at a lower frequency than in the active state.

First claim

1 . A method for the at least the partially automated driving of a motor vehicle, comprising:
determining vehicle driving data using first output data from a first application and second output data from at least one redundant second application; and processing vehicle operating data of another vehicle, to switch the at least one redundant second application from an active state to a standby state, wherein the active state is configured to process the second output data, and wherein the standby state comprises processing a computer instance of a computer unit by the at least one redundant second application at a lower frequency than in the active state.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein determining the vehicle driving data comprises determining the vehicle driving data before the switching of the at least one redundant second application from the active state to the standby state.

3 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein determining the vehicle driving data comprises determining the vehicle driving data for a predetermined time, independently of the output data from the at least one redundant second application.

4 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the switching of the at least one redundant second application from the active state to the standby state takes place depending on a comparison of the output data of the at least one redundant second application with the vehicle operating data of the other vehicle.

5 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the standby state comprises a passive state that does not use the computer instance.

6 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising comparing the output data of the first application with the vehicle operating data from the other vehicle.

7 . The method according to claim 6 , wherein, depending on the comparing of the output data of the first application with the vehicle operating data from the other vehicle, the at least one redundant second application switches from the standby state to the active state.

8 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein switching the at least one redundant second application from an active state to a standby state comprises processing a predetermined safety level prior to the switching.

9 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising emitting a warning signal depending on a comparison of the output data from at least the first or the at least one redundant second application with the vehicle operating data from the other vehicle.

10 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising one of:
determining a current vehicle state of the motor vehicle, wherein the at least one redundant second application is supplementarily operated in the active state or the standby state, depending on the current driving state; determining the reliability of a communication connection to the other vehicle, wherein the at least one redundant second application is supplementarily operated in the active state or the standby state depending on the reliability; determining a priority with respect to the first and the at least one redundant second application, wherein the at least one redundant second application is supplementarily operated in the active state or the standby state depending on the priority; or determining a convoy operation, wherein the at least one redundant second application is supplementarily operated in the standby state, depending on the determined convoy operation.

11 . A vehicle controller for the at least partially automated driving of a motor vehicle, comprising:
communications for receiving vehicle operating data from another vehicle; and a program-controlled computer unit, operatively coupled to the communications, wherein the computer unit is configured to
determine vehicle driving data using first output data from a first application and second output data from at least one redundant second application; and
process the received vehicle operating data of another vehicle, to switch the at least one redundant second application from an active state to a standby state,
wherein the active state is configured to process the second output data,
and wherein the standby state comprises processing a computer instance of a computer unit by the at least one redundant second application at a lower frequency than in the active state.

12 . The vehicle controller according to claim 11 , wherein the computer unit is configured to determine the vehicle driving data by determining the vehicle driving data before the switching of the at least one redundant second application from the active state to the standby state.

13 . The vehicle controller according to claim 11 , wherein the computer unit is configured to determine the vehicle driving data by determining the vehicle driving data for a predetermined time, independently of the output data from the at least one redundant second application.

14 . The vehicle controller according to claim 11 , wherein the computer unit is configured to switch the at least one redundant second application from the active state to the standby state depending on a comparison of the output data of the at least one redundant second application with the vehicle operating data of the other vehicle.

15 . The vehicle controller according to claim 11 , wherein the standby state comprises a passive state that does not use the computer instance.

16 . The vehicle controller according to claim 11 , wherein the computer unit is configured to compare the output data of the first application with the vehicle operating data from the other vehicle.

17 . The vehicle controller according to claim 16 , wherein, depending on the comparing of the output data of the first application with the vehicle operating data from the other vehicle, the computer unit is configured to switch the at least one redundant second application from the standby state to the active state.

18 . The vehicle controller according to claim 11 , wherein the computer unit is configured to switch the at least one redundant second application from an active state to a standby state by processing a predetermined safety level prior to the switching.

19 . The vehicle controller according to claim 11 , wherein the computer unit is configured to perform one or more of:
determine a current vehicle state of the motor vehicle, wherein the at least one redundant second application is supplementarily operated in the active state or the standby state, depending on the current driving state; determine the reliability of a communication connection to the other vehicle, wherein the at least one redundant second application is supplementarily operated in the active state or the standby state depending on the reliability; determine a priority with respect to the first and the at least one redundant second application, wherein the at least one redundant second application is supplementarily operated in the active state or the standby state depending on the priority; or determine a convoy operation, wherein the at least one redundant second application is supplementarily operated in the standby state, depending on the determined convoy operation.

20 . A motor vehicle, comprising:
a vehicle controller for the at least partially automated driving of the motor vehicle; communications for receiving vehicle operating data from another vehicle; and a program-controlled computer unit operatively coupled to the communications and the vehicle controlled, wherein the computer unit is configured to
determine

Assignees

• Volkswagen Ag

Inventors

• Martinez Flores Yael Abelardo
• Decke Hendrik
• Müller Julian-Steffen
• Aguirre Mehlhorn Marcel
• Kain Tobias

Classifications

• G05D1/87

  using redundant control arrangements · CPC title

• G05D1/695

  for maintaining a fixed relative position of the vehicles, e.g. for convoy travelling or formation flight · CPC title

• G05D1/0077 Primary

  using redundant signals or controls · CPC title

• H04W4/46

  for vehicle-to-vehicle communication [V2V] · CPC title

• B60W50/14

  Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention · CPC title