Driver assistance system, motor vehicle and method for automatic longitudinal guidance of a motor vehicle

Abstract

Driver assistance system (12) for a motor vehicle (10), wherein the driver assistance system (12) is designed for automatic longitudinal guidance of the motor vehicle (10), wherein the driver assistance system (12) is designed to perform longitudinal guidance of the motor vehicle (10) depending on a detected current traffic light color (22a, 22b, 22c) of a traffic light (22) located ahead of the motor vehicle (10) in the direction of travel, wherein the driver assistance system (12) is configured such that – under the first condition that a specific traffic light color (22a), which signals a stop request, has been detected by means of a first detection device (16, 18) of the motor vehicle (10); and – under the second condition that confirmation (24) of the specific traffic light color by a driver of the motor vehicle (10) has been detected; the motor vehicle (10) is automatically decelerated, characterized in that the driver assistance system (12) is designed to check,whether the detected current traffic light color (22a, 22b, 22c) matches a traffic light color (22a, 22b, 22c) signaled by the driver, and depending on the result of the check, output a signal, wherein the traffic light color (22a, 22b, 22c) signaled by the driver represents the specified traffic light color (22a) if the driver's confirmation (24) is detected, and a traffic light color (22b, 22c) different from the specified traffic light color (22a) if the confirmation (24) is not detected, wherein the driver assistance system (12) is configured such that, in the event that the detected current traffic light color (22a, 22b, 22c) does not match the traffic light color (22a, 22b, 22c) signaled by the driver, a warning is issued to the driver as a measure, depending on the signal output. is issued, and / or the driver assistance system (12) deactivates the automatic longitudinal and / or lateral guidance and hands over the driving task to the driver.

Description

The invention relates to a driver assistance system for a motor vehicle, wherein the driver assistance system is designed for automatic longitudinal guidance of the motor vehicle, and wherein the driver assistance system is designed to perform longitudinal guidance of the motor vehicle depending on the detected current traffic light color of a traffic light located ahead of the motor vehicle in the direction of travel. Furthermore, the invention also relates to a motor vehicle and a method for automatic longitudinal guidance of a motor vehicle. Currently known driver assistance systems designed for automatic longitudinal control of the vehicle beyond emergency braking, such as adaptive cruise control (ACC) or adaptive cruise assist (ACA), do not, to the best of our knowledge, react to traffic lights. Such a system only decelerates or stops at red lights if the vehicle ahead stops, and then only in reaction to the stopped vehicle, not in reaction to the red light itself. This is because the detection of traffic lights and their displays using vehicle cameras is difficult and prone to errors.Running a red light is critical. Firstly, it's punishable by fines and penalty points in Germany, for example. Secondly, it poses a serious risk of accidents with cross traffic, which typically proceeds quickly through the intersection at a green light and doesn't anticipate vehicles entering despite the red light. Since current driver assistance systems for automatic lane keeping don't react to traffic light colors, drivers are prepared to stop manually at a red light if there's no other vehicle in front. This wouldn't be the case with a driver assistance system that supposedly reacts to traffic light colors, and a driver might be inattentive if the system mistakenly interprets a red light as green.Accordingly, it is unfortunately not yet possible for an assistance system for longitudinal guidance of the motor vehicle to completely take over vehicle control, at least in the longitudinal direction, at traffic light intersections, as relying on video-based traffic light recognition can lead to accidents. Furthermore, systems dealing with the detection of traffic light colors are known from the prior art. For example, DE 11 2012 006 761 T5 describes a driver assistance device with a display that shows an image of the vehicle's surroundings. A user can select a target in the image as a recognition target, and the device can then notify the user when a change in the state of the selected recognition target is detected. The user can, for example, select a traffic light in the image as the recognition target. If the traffic light color changes, this can be communicated to the user accordingly. This allows the user to be alerted to changing traffic light colors, in particular to a traffic light switching on or off, if desired. Similarly, US 2009 / 0174573 A1 describes how a change in a traffic light state can be detected and the driver alerted to such a change. If the driver is about to run a red light, automatic emergency braking can also be initiated. However, automatic longitudinal control of the vehicle, distinct from simple emergency braking, is not possible. These systems can therefore only alert a driver to a change in the traffic light status; they cannot automatically guide the vehicle through intersections based on the current light condition. Furthermore, systems that initiate automatic emergency braking when a red light is detected and the driver fails to brake have the significant problem that they cannot guarantee the correct detection of the traffic light color. For example, if a green light is mistakenly interpreted as red and emergency braking is initiated, this can result in extremely dangerous situations for the driver and other traffic. Furthermore, US 2019 / 0263378 A1 describes a driver assistance system that can automatically brake the vehicle when a target requiring braking, such as a red traffic light, is detected. If this target disappears, the automatic braking stops. However, if the target becomes uncertain, braking continues. Here again, the same problem exists: it cannot be ruled out that traffic light colors might be incorrectly detected. In this case, this would lead to the vehicle braking at a green light that was mistakenly registered as red, resulting in dangerous situations for the vehicle and following traffic. The fact that braking continues even when the target is uncertain exacerbates this problem. US Patent 10,831,196 B2 describes a motor vehicle designed to operate in autonomous mode, which acquires sensor data relating to an aspect of its environment. An aspect of the vehicle's environment not observed by the sensor can be inferred based on the sensor data, and the vehicle can be controlled based on this inferred aspect. DE 10 2013 205 840 A1 describes a method for automatically driving a predetermined route, in which an automatic driving strategy is compared with a manual driving strategy and automatic driving of the route is enabled if the automatic driving strategy deviates from the manual driving strategy by less than a predetermined amount. JP 2018-49 457 A describes a vehicle that only crosses an intersection when a driver confirms a traffic light color of a traffic light installed at the intersection. US Patent 10 685 403 B1 describes a vehicle that can receive information about a traffic light color via a wireless communication link from a traffic light and can automatically slow down or warn the driver. DE 10 2020 126 678 A1 describes a vehicle guidance system for providing a driving function for the automated longitudinal guidance of a vehicle. The vehicle guidance system is designed to determine that the vehicle is stopped at a signaling unit, to recognize that the driver of the vehicle is operating a control element of a user interface of the vehicle to control the driving function, and, in response to the recognized operation of the control element, to initiate an automated start-up of the vehicle. The object of the present invention is therefore to provide a driver assistance system, a motor vehicle and a method that enable improved support for a driver in the longitudinal guidance of the motor vehicle in the area of ​​traffic lights. This problem is solved by a driver assistance system, a motor vehicle, and a method with the features according to the respective independent patent claims. Advantageous embodiments of the invention are the subject of the dependent patent claims, the description, and the figures. A driver assistance system according to the invention for a motor vehicle is designed for automatic longitudinal guidance of the motor vehicle, wherein the driver assistance system is further designed to perform longitudinal guidance of the motor vehicle depending on the detected current traffic light color of a traffic light located ahead of the motor vehicle in the direction of travel. The driver assistance system is configured such that, under the first condition that a specific traffic light color signaling a stop request has been detected by a first detection device of the motor vehicle, and under the second condition that confirmation of the specific traffic light color by a driver of the motor vehicle has been detected, the motor vehicle is automatically decelerated.The driver assistance system is designed to check whether the detected current traffic light color matches a traffic light color signaled by the driver, and to issue a signal depending on the result of the check. The traffic light color signaled by the driver represents the specified traffic light color if the driver's confirmation is detected, and a different traffic light color if the confirmation is not detected. The driver assistance system is configured such that, if the detected current traffic light color does not match the traffic light color signaled by the driver, the system will, depending on the signal issued, either issue a warning to the driver, and / or deactivate the automatic longitudinal and / or lateral guidance and hand over the driving task to the driver. In other words, a driver must first confirm the presence of a red traffic light before the driver assistance system, in response to this red light detected by the first detection device, triggers a deceleration of the vehicle. The invention is based on the following insights: Because the traffic light detection, particularly video-based traffic light detection, requires confirmation by the driver, it makes it possible to detect technical detection errors in a timely manner and prevent them from occurring in the first place. However, if the driver were required to confirm every traffic light detection, regardless of whether it was green or red, their attention would decrease over time, and the desired monitoring by the driver would quickly diminish. Furthermore, it cannot always be assumed that the driver actually wants to drive through every traffic light using the automatic longitudinal guidance system.Furthermore, having to acknowledge green lights represents an additional effort, especially compared to previous longitudinal guidance systems, which simply ignored traffic lights and allowed the vehicle to drive through them. By requiring the driver to acknowledge a red light, however, the driver can advantageously signal that they also want the driver assistance system to react automatically to that red light. This also informs the system that the driver has recognized the next traffic light as red, providing additional verification. Unintentional braking of the vehicle in the event of a falsely identified red light that is actually green can thus be reliably avoided.This can drastically reduce dangers to the vehicle as well as to following traffic, and at the same time, automatic longitudinal guidance can be provided as usual when crossing a green light, and additionally, automatic stopping in front of a red light can be provided even without a preceding road user who is also stopped. The driver assistance system, designed for automatic longitudinal control of the vehicle, is designed not only to perform emergency braking but also to provide automatic longitudinal control. Furthermore, the driver assistance system can optionally also be designed for automatic lateral control of the vehicle. Generally, this driver assistance system can be the aforementioned ACC or ACA. The driver assistance system only takes over automatic longitudinal control of the vehicle if it has been activated by the driver. The fact that the vehicle decelerates automatically under the first and second conditions means that the vehicle will decelerate automatically if both of the aforementioned conditions are met.Furthermore, for the first and second conditions to be considered fulfilled, the traffic light color must be red at the moment the driver's confirmation is recorded. Both conditions therefore refer to the same time step. The traffic light color is preferably recorded repeatedly or continuously, for example, at regular intervals. The driver assistance system can be designed to first check whether these first and second conditions are met, and if so, it triggers automatic deceleration. Thus, if automatic longitudinal control is activated, the vehicle will decelerate as soon as the two aforementioned conditions are met, regardless of other conditions, such as whether another road user is in front of the vehicle in the direction of travel.In other words, it is now possible to have the vehicle automatically stop at a red light after confirmation by the driver, even if the driver assistance system is not currently controlling the vehicle's longitudinal guidance for another road user directly in front of it. If another road user is indeed in front of the vehicle, the driver assistance system can still control the vehicle for that other road user if that other road user also stops at the traffic light. Otherwise, the control for that other road user can be deactivated, for example, if that other road user would continue driving despite the red light being detected and the driver's confirmation. The specific traffic light color mentioned above, which signals a stop requirement, is preferably red or a similar shade. Currently, it is common practice, especially worldwide, to use a red traffic light to signal a stop requirement to road users. From a technical standpoint, however, any other color could also be used to signal such a stop requirement. For the sake of simplicity, however, we will refer to a "red traffic light" or "red traffic light color" instead of this specific color that signals a stop requirement. The traffic light color also defines a switching state of the traffic light. Generally, a traffic light can have two or three different switching states, for example, red, green, and optionally yellow. Therefore, a "red traffic light" should be understood to mean a traffic light that is currently displaying a red light.Similarly, a green traffic light should be understood to mean a traffic light that is currently showing a green light color, etc. Furthermore, the fact that the driver assistance system is designed to automatically decelerate the vehicle when the two aforementioned conditions are met does not mean that automatic deceleration cannot occur if neither condition is met. For example, the driver assistance system can also automatically decelerate the vehicle even if there is no confirmation from the driver and / or no red light has been detected by the first detection device, for example, during emergency braking or when adjusting for a vehicle ahead, as described previously. Thus, for instance, emergency braking can still be performed automatically by the driver assistance system, for example, if an object is detected immediately ahead that poses a risk of collision.However, such automatic decelerations do not constitute a reaction to the detected traffic light color. A reaction to the traffic light color that influences the automatic longitudinal guidance and, in particular, leads to automatic deceleration, is only possible if the driver's confirmation has also been detected, at least if the red traffic light color was detected by the vehicle's first detection device. Longitudinal guidance, particularly automatic longitudinal guidance by the driver assistance system, can be deactivated, for example, by the driver actively braking and / or accelerating. In such a case, an already initiated automatic deceleration in response to a red light can also be aborted. If the light changes to green, for example, the automatic deceleration can also be aborted, as the first condition is then no longer met. In general, it is advantageous if the driver assistance system is configured such that, when the first and second conditions are met, automatic deceleration is performed until the vehicle comes to a complete stop, particularly before the traffic light, and / or as long as the first condition is met, and / or automatic longitudinal control is activated. The driver assistance system can decelerate the vehicle, in the event of a red traffic light detected by the first detection device and with the driver's confirmation, so that the vehicle comes to a stop before the traffic light, for example, at a stop line associated with the traffic light, or similar. A further requirement for this automatic deceleration to continue uninterrupted is that the traffic light color continues to be detected as red by the first detection device.If, instead, the first detection device registers that the traffic light has turned green during deceleration, the automatic deceleration can be stopped and the vehicle can accelerate automatically again, for example to a preset speed. Automatic deceleration can also be interrupted if the automatic longitudinal control is deactivated. If the vehicle is already stationary in front of the traffic light and it turns green, the driver assistance system can optionally initiate an automatic continuation of the vehicle's journey in response to the detected green light. This significantly increases driver comfort, as it enables safe and automatic stopping at traffic lights. According to the invention, the driver assistance system is designed to check whether the detected current traffic light color matches a traffic light color signaled by the driver, in particular one derived from driver behavior, and to output a signal depending on the result of the check. The traffic light color signaled by the driver represents the specified traffic light color if the driver's confirmation is detected, and a different traffic light color if the confirmation is not detected. For example, if the driver confirms that they have detected the red traffic light color, or if such confirmation is detected by a detection device of the vehicle even though the first detection device did not detect a red traffic light, but, for example, a green traffic light, this can indicate an error, which can thus be advantageously detected.The same applies in reverse, for example, if the first detection device registers a red traffic light, but the driver does not acknowledge it. In these cases, further measures can be taken depending on the signal issued. In the simplest case, a warning can be issued to the driver. Furthermore, the system can disengage, meaning the automatic longitudinal and / or lateral guidance can be deactivated and the driving task returned to the driver. This, too, is preferably accompanied by a corresponding warning to the driver. Another dialogue with the driver can also occur. For example, the driver can be asked again to confirm the traffic light color. This can, for instance, rule out the possibility that the driver's confirmation, which could be made by pressing a button, was accidental.This can advantageously increase safety and provide an additional verification for the detection of the traffic light color. False readings and incorrect reactions, both from the driver and the initial detection device, can thus be detected, and appropriate measures can be taken in a timely manner. In a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, the driver assistance system is configured such that, in the event that no confirmation by the driver is detected, no reaction influencing the currently automatically executed longitudinal guidance of the motor vehicle is executed in response to the current traffic light color detected by the first detection device. In other words, automatic longitudinal guidance is performed regardless of the current traffic light color detected, at least as long as it has been detected by the first sensor, provided no confirmation from the driver is received. The vehicle simply proceeds through green lights according to the automatic longitudinal guidance system, without requiring any additional confirmation from the driver. This offers the driver greater comfort and also prevents driver fatigue and increased inattentiveness caused by constant confirmation. Furthermore, it is advantageous if the driver assistance system includes a first detection device designed to detect the current traffic light color of a traffic light located ahead of the vehicle in the direction of travel, wherein the first detection device comprises at least one optical and / or acoustic sensor. Preferably, the first detection device for detecting the traffic light color comprises an optical sensor, in particular a camera. The camera can be designed to continuously capture images of the vehicle's surroundings, especially of an area ahead of the vehicle in the direction of travel. Particularly significant advantages of the invention and its embodiments become apparent when the traffic light color is detected by a video camera of the vehicle, since video-based traffic light detection can be prone to errors.Nevertheless, it is also conceivable that other systems could be used to detect traffic light colors. For example, so-called Car-to-X communication devices could be used, allowing the vehicle to communicate with infrastructure components and facilities such as traffic lights, provided these traffic lights or infrastructure components are also designed for communication with vehicles. In this way, the vehicle or its driver assistance system can also obtain information about the current traffic light color of a traffic light ahead in the direction of travel. Such detection can be considered reliable and is not subject to environmental influences such as darkness or bad weather conditions. Accordingly, a further highly advantageous embodiment of the invention is achieved if the driver assistance system is configured such that, if the specific traffic light color signaling the stop requirement is detected by a second detection device of the vehicle, particularly reliably, the vehicle automatically decelerates upon detection of the specific traffic light color signaling the stop requirement, regardless of driver confirmation. The second detection device can also be included in the driver assistance system and comprise a communication device configured for wireless communication with an infrastructure component, in particular the traffic light. In other words, if the vehicle or driver assistance system communicates with the traffic light and detects that it is currently red, the driver assistance system can trigger and execute automatic deceleration and a stop of the vehicle, even without confirmation from the driver. In this case, the traffic light color can be considered reliably detected, thus ruling out the possibility that the traffic light detected as red is actually green, i.e., a traffic light currently displaying a green color. In general, it can be stipulated that driver confirmation is only required for the automatic deceleration of the vehicle when a red light is detected if either the red light cannot be considered 100% reliably detected or the accuracy or reliability of the detection falls below a predefined threshold. In this way, driver confirmation can be advantageously dispensed with entirely. In a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, the driver assistance system includes a third detection device for capturing the driver's confirmation, wherein the third detection device is designed to capture a manual operating action by the driver as confirmation. In this case, the driver's confirmation is implemented as an explicit confirmation, which makes the driver's confirmation particularly reliable. Thus, an explicit, active action by the driver is required to make such a confirmation. Nevertheless, it is also conceivable that the driver's confirmation represents an implicit confirmation, in particular that the driver has also perceived or seen the red traffic light.For example, an eye tracker can be used in the vehicle to check whether the driver has looked at the traffic light or not, or more generally to monitor whether the driver is paying attention to the traffic situation. However, to further increase safety, it is advantageous if the confirmation is explicit. Such explicit confirmation could, for example, also be a voice command from the driver. It is particularly advantageous, however, if the third detection device is designed as a button or lever, especially on the steering wheel of the motor vehicle. Such a button or lever, particularly in the immediate vicinity of where a driver's hands are typically located, is especially advantageous in terms of both detection reliability and driver comfort. False detections can thus be advantageously ruled out. Accidental activation can be detected, for example, by the measures described above. Overall, this provides a very reliable and safe procedure for automatic longitudinal guidance, even in conjunction with traffic lights. Furthermore, the invention also relates to a motor vehicle with a driver assistance system according to the invention or one of its embodiments. The advantages described for the driver assistance system according to the invention and its embodiments apply equally to the motor vehicle according to the invention. The motor vehicle according to the invention is preferably designed as a motor vehicle, in particular as a passenger car or truck, or as a passenger bus or motorcycle. Furthermore, the invention also relates to a method for the automatic longitudinal guidance of a motor vehicle. In this method, under the first condition that a specific traffic light color signaling a stop requirement has been detected by a first detection device of the motor vehicle at a traffic light located ahead of the motor vehicle in the direction of travel, and under the second condition that confirmation of the specific traffic light color by a driver of the motor vehicle has been detected, the automatic longitudinal guidance is carried out depending on the detected traffic light color in such a way that the motor vehicle is automatically decelerated.The system checks whether the detected current traffic light color matches a traffic light color signaled by the driver. Depending on the result of this check, a signal is issued. The traffic light color signaled by the driver represents the specified traffic light color if the driver's confirmation is detected, and a different traffic light color is displayed if the confirmation is not detected. If the detected current traffic light color does not match the traffic light color signaled by the driver, the system will, depending on the signal issued, either issue a warning to the driver, and / or deactivate the automatic longitudinal and / or lateral guidance and hand over the driving task to the driver. The advantages described in connection with the driver assistance system according to the invention and its embodiments also apply in the same way to the method according to the invention. The invention also includes further developments of the method according to the invention, which have features already described in connection with the further developments of the driver assistance system according to the invention. For this reason, the corresponding further developments of the method according to the invention are not described again here. The invention also includes the control device for the motor vehicle or the driver assistance system. The control device can comprise a data processing device or a processor unit configured to carry out an embodiment of the method according to the invention. For this purpose, the processor unit can comprise at least one microprocessor and / or at least one microcontroller and / or at least one FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) and / or at least one DSP (Digital Signal Processor). Furthermore, the processor unit can comprise program code configured to carry out the embodiment of the method according to the invention when executed by the processor unit. The program code can be stored in a data memory of the processor unit. The invention also includes combinations of the features of the described embodiments. The invention therefore also includes realizations that each exhibit a combination of the features of several of the described embodiments, provided that the embodiments have not been described as mutually exclusive. The following are exemplary embodiments of the invention. Figure 1 shows a schematic representation of a motor vehicle with a driver assistance system according to one embodiment of the invention; and Figure 2 shows a schematic representation of a flowchart to illustrate a method for automatic longitudinal guidance according to one embodiment of the invention. The exemplary embodiments described below are preferred embodiments of the invention. In these exemplary embodiments, the described components each represent individual features of the invention, which can be considered independently of one another and each further develops the invention independently. Therefore, the disclosure is intended to include combinations of features of the embodiments other than those shown. Furthermore, the described embodiments can also be supplemented by further features of the invention already described. In the figures, identical reference symbols denote functionally equivalent elements. Fig. 1 shows a schematic representation of a motor vehicle 10 with a driver assistance system 12 for automatic longitudinal guidance of the motor vehicle according to an embodiment of the invention. The driver assistance system 12 includes a control unit 14. This control unit is designed to receive signals from an environment sensing device 16 of the motor vehicle 10. Such an environment sensing device 16 can, as in the present example, include a camera 18. This camera can also be part of the driver assistance system 12. In addition, the motor vehicle 10 can generally have numerous environment sensors, for example, distributed around the motor vehicle. In the present example, the camera 18 detects an area in the direction of travel, in this example the y-direction shown, in front of the motor vehicle 10. The detection area of ​​the camera 18 is designated 20 in this example.Using camera 18, objects ahead of the vehicle 10, including other road users, can be detected, and the longitudinal guidance can be regulated by the control unit 14 accordingly. A speed limit can be preset, for example, by the driver of the vehicle. The control unit 14 is then designed to regulate the vehicle 10 to this speed. If camera 18 also detects a road user ahead, the control unit 14 additionally regulates the longitudinal guidance of the vehicle 10 to maintain a certain minimum distance to the road user ahead. If such a road user ahead stops at a traffic light 22, as shown here, the control unit 14 also steers the vehicle 10 so that it comes to a stop behind the road user ahead. With existing longitudinal driver assistance systems, stopping at traffic lights can only be achieved if a vehicle ahead also stops. If there is no vehicle ahead, existing systems do not react to traffic lights, due to the difficulty and error-prone nature of camera-based detection of traffic lights and their displays. The present invention, or its embodiments, advantageously enables the system to control the vehicle even at traffic lights, as will be explained in more detail below. The environmental detection device 16, in particular the camera 18 of the vehicle 10 in this example, is designed to detect the traffic light 22 ahead in the direction of travel y. Furthermore, the detected traffic light 22 is analyzed to determine its current color 22a, 22b, or 22c. This analysis is based on the image data captured by the camera 18. In this example, the red traffic light color is designated 22a, the yellow traffic light color 22b, and the green traffic light color 22c. These traffic light colors 22a, 22b, and 22c represent possible alternative switching states of the traffic light 22. The red traffic light color 22a also signals a stop requirement or a mandatory stop. A traffic light 22 that displays a red light 22a as a stop requirement is hereinafter also referred to as a red traffic light 22a. Based on the image data captured by camera 18, an evaluation unit, which may be assigned to camera 18, checks which traffic light color 22a, 22b, 22c traffic light 22 is currently displaying, or whether traffic light 22 is currently red. If so, this information is transmitted to control unit 14. Control unit 14 also checks whether confirmation 24 has been given by the driver. Such confirmation 24 could, for example, be a manual confirmation 24, as in the present example. To give such confirmation 24, a control element 28 could be provided in the steering wheel 26 of the vehicle 10, such as a steering wheel button, a steering column lever, or similar. A voice command could also serve as confirmation 24, which could be detected by a suitable detection device.Such a confirmation action 24 by the driver is only required if the driver also desires a system response from the driver assistance system 12 in the event of a red traffic light 22a. In other words, if the driver sees the red traffic light 22a and wants the vehicle 10 to stop automatically, even if there is no other vehicle immediately ahead that is also stopped, the driver can simply execute the confirmation action 24, which is then also registered by the control unit 14. If both conditions are then met—namely, that the red traffic light 22a has been detected by the camera 18 and that the confirmation action 24 has been registered by the control element 28—the control unit triggers automatic deceleration of the vehicle 10. This continues until the vehicle 10 finally stops in front of the traffic light 22, for example, at an assigned stop line.This delay can also be interrupted or aborted, for example if the driver presses the accelerator pedal, the automatic longitudinal guidance is deactivated in another way, or a switch to green 22c is detected by camera 18. This approach has the significant advantage that the driver assistance system 12 receives driver confirmation 24 for the traffic light recognition via camera 18, which is inherently prone to technical errors. This enables the driver assistance system 12 to reliably control the vehicle even at traffic lights 22. In the event of an error detection of the traffic light color 22a, 22b, or 22c, this can advantageously be recognized by the corresponding driver behavior, for example, a missing confirmation 24 or a confirmation 24 being received even though camera 18 did not detect a red traffic light 22a. This provides additional verification of the camera 18's detection. In all other situations, the system 12 behaves as usual and, for example, proceeds through a green traffic light 22c without confirmation 24. The vehicle 10 thus includes a detection system for the location of a traffic light 22 on the upcoming path, as well as a detection system for the traffic light indicators 22a, 22b, and 22c. This technical detection system can advantageously be used for comparison. If the driver's request, which can be signaled by confirmation 24, and the technical detection match, the vehicle can adjust to the traffic light 22. If they do not match, further dialogue with the driver can take place, or the system can disengage and return the driving task to the driver. The control unit 14 comprises the corresponding decision logic and the vehicle control system. Fig. 2 shows a schematic representation of a flowchart illustrating a longitudinal control method according to a further embodiment of the invention. In this example, in step S10, the driver assistance system 12 is first activated, thus activating automatic longitudinal control. Automatic lateral control may also occur concurrently, but this is irrelevant for the subsequent steps. In the following step S12, this automatic longitudinal control is now executed by the driver assistance system 12. Furthermore, in step S14, it is checked whether a traffic light 22 has been detected ahead of the vehicle 10 in the direction of travel y. If this is not the case, the process returns to step S12. If, on the other hand, a traffic light has already been detected in step S14, the process proceeds to step S16, in which it is checked whether the traffic light 22 is red.If this is not the case, the system returns to step S12 and continues with normal longitudinal control. This means that the vehicle will proceed through the green traffic light according to the automatic longitudinal control, unless the driver intervenes. If, however, a red traffic light was detected in step S16, the optional step S18 can be used to check which detection device of the vehicle 10 detected the red traffic light 22a and / or with what accuracy or reliability the traffic light 22 was recognized as red traffic light 22a.If, for example, the detection of the red traffic light 22a is based on Car-to-X communication between the vehicle 10 and the traffic light 22, the information about the current red state 22a of the traffic light 22 can be considered reliable, and the process can proceed directly to step S24, in which the vehicle 10 is automatically decelerated by the driver assistance system 12, i.e., by an active braking intervention of the driver assistance system 12. However, if it is determined in step S18 that the detection of the red traffic light in step S16 is not of sufficiently high quality and may be faulty, and / or that the red traffic light 22a was detected by a camera 18 of the vehicle 10, the process first proceeds to step S20, in which it is checked whether there is also confirmation of this red traffic light by the driver. If this is not the case, the process can proceed to step S22, by checking, for example, whether the traffic light 22 is still red.If this is the case, the check in step S20 is repeated for confirmation 24. This can continue, for example, until traffic light 22 turns green again (22c), during which time normal longitudinal control is maintained. This means that no automatic deceleration occurs in response to the detected red traffic light (22a). If, on the other hand, step S20 detects that confirmation 24 from the driver is present, the process proceeds to step S24, and the driver assistance system 12 initiates automatic deceleration of the vehicle 10. Subsequently, step S26 checks whether the vehicle 10 is already stationary. If so, the procedure ends in step S28 and can, for example, begin again in step S10. Otherwise, that is, if the vehicle 10 is not yet stationary in step S26, the process proceeds to step S30, in which it is checked whether traffic light 22 is still red.If this is the case, the process returns to step S24 and the vehicle 10 continues to brake, for example until it finally comes to a standstill. Otherwise, if step S30 determines that the traffic light 22 is no longer red, the process returns to step S12 and normal longitudinal control by the vehicle 10 or its driver assistance system 12 is carried out. Overall, the examples show how the invention makes it possible to report a red traffic light via a control element, for example a button, and thereby enable automatic longitudinal guidance to be regulated as safely as possible, even at traffic lights. REFERENCE MARK LIST: 10 Motor vehicle 12 Driver assistance system 14 Control unit 16 Surround detection device 18 Camera 20 Detection range 22 Traffic light 22a Red traffic light color 22b Yellow traffic light color 22c Green traffic light color 24 Confirmation 26 Steering wheel 28 Control element S10 Step S12 Step S14 Step S16 Step S18 Step S20 Step S22 Step S24 Step S26 Step S28 Step S30 Step

Claims

Driver assistance system (12) for a motor vehicle (10), wherein the driver assistance system (12) is designed for automatic longitudinal guidance of the motor vehicle (10), wherein the driver assistance system (12) is designed to perform longitudinal guidance of the motor vehicle (10) depending on a detected current traffic light color (22a, 22b, 22c) of a traffic light (22) located ahead of the motor vehicle (10) in the direction of travel, wherein the driver assistance system (12) is configured such that – under the first condition that a specific traffic light color (22a), which signals a stop request, has been detected by means of a first detection device (16, 18) of the motor vehicle (10); and – under the second condition that confirmation (24) of the specific traffic light color by a driver of the motor vehicle (10) has been detected; the motor vehicle (10) is automatically decelerated, characterized in that the driver assistance system (12) is designed to check,whether the detected current traffic light color (22a, 22b, 22c) matches a traffic light color (22a, 22b, 22c) signaled by the driver, and depending on the result of the check, output a signal, wherein the traffic light color (22a, 22b, 22c) signaled by the driver represents the specified traffic light color (22a) if the driver's confirmation (24) is detected, and a traffic light color (22b, 22c) different from the specified traffic light color (22a) if the confirmation (24) is not detected, wherein the driver assistance system (12) is configured such that, in the event that the detected current traffic light color (22a, 22b, 22c) does not match the traffic light color (22a, 22b, 22c) signaled by the driver, a warning is issued to the driver as a measure, depending on the signal output. is issued, and / or the driver assistance system (12) deactivates the automatic longitudinal and / or lateral guidance and hands over the driving task to the driver. Driver assistance system (12) according to claim 1, characterized in that the driver assistance system (12) is configured such that, when the first and second conditions are met, automatic deceleration is performed until the motor vehicle (10), in particular in front of the traffic light (22), comes to a stop; and / or as long as the first condition is met; and / or automatic longitudinal guidance is activated. Driver assistance system (12) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the driver assistance system (12) is configured such that, in the event that no confirmation (24) is detected by the driver, no reaction influencing the currently automatically executed longitudinal guidance of the motor vehicle (10) is executed on the current traffic light color (22a, 22b, 22c) detected by the first detection device (16, 18). Driver assistance system (12) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the driver assistance system (12) has the first detection device (16, 18) which is designed to detect a current traffic light color (22a, 22b, 22c) of a traffic light (22) located ahead of the motor vehicle (10) in the direction of travel, wherein the first detection device (16, 18) comprises at least one optical and / or acoustic sensor (18). Driver assistance system (12) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the driver assistance system (12) is configured such that, in the event that the specific traffic light color (22a, 22b, 22c) signaling the stop requirement has been detected by means of a second detection device of the motor vehicle (10), in particular reliably, an automatic deceleration of the motor vehicle (10) is carried out when the specific traffic light color (22a) signaling the stop requirement has been detected, irrespective of an acknowledgment (24) by the driver, in particular wherein the driver assistance system (12) has the second detection device (16) which has a communication device configured for wireless communication with an infrastructure component, in particular the traffic light (22). Driver assistance system (12) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the driver assistance system (12) has a third detection device (28) for detecting the confirmation (24) of the driver, wherein the third detection device (28) is designed to detect a manual operating action of the driver as confirmation (24). Driver assistance system (12) according to claim 6, characterized in that the third detection device (28) is designed as a button or a lever, in particular on a steering wheel (26) of the motor vehicle (10). Motor vehicle (10) with a driver assistance system (12) according to one of the preceding claims. A method for the automatic longitudinal guidance of a motor vehicle (10), wherein, under the first condition that a specific traffic light color (22a), which signals a stop requirement, has been detected by a first detection device (16, 18) of the motor vehicle (10) in the direction of travel (y) of a traffic light (22) preceding the motor vehicle (10); and under the second condition that confirmation (24) of the specific traffic light color by a driver of the motor vehicle (10) has been detected; the automatic longitudinal guidance is carried out in such a way as to depend on the detected traffic light color (22a) that the motor vehicle (10) is automatically decelerated, characterized in that the driver assistance system (12) checks whether the detected current traffic light color (22a, 22b, 22c) corresponds to a traffic light color (22a, 22b, 22c) of the traffic light (22) signaled by the driver, and outputs a signal depending on the result of the check.wherein the traffic light color (22a, 22b, 22c) signaled by the driver represents the specified traffic light color (22a) if the driver's confirmation (24) is detected, and a traffic light color (22b, 22c) different from the specified traffic light color (22a) if the confirmation (24) is not detected, wherein in the case that the detected current traffic light color (22a, 22b, 22c) does not match the traffic light color (22a, 22b, 22c) signaled by the driver, depending on the signal issued, as a measure - a warning is issued to the driver, and / or - the driver assistance system (12) deactivates the automatic longitudinal and / or lateral guidance and hands over the driving task to the driver.

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