METHOD AND DEVICE FOR DETERMINING A ROUTE FOR AN AUTOMATED VEHICLE

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a vehicle configured to drive autonomously, at least partially and / or at least in sections. In particular, the invention relates to a method and a corresponding device for determining a driving route for a vehicle with an automated driving mode.

[0002] A vehicle may have an automated driving mode in which the longitudinal and / or lateral guidance of the vehicle is partially or fully automated. Furthermore, the vehicle may have a manual driving mode in which the longitudinal and / or lateral guidance of the vehicle is partially or fully automated by the driver. The degree of automation of the vehicle may be variable in several stages between a fully automated driving mode and a fully manual driving mode.

[0003] US 9 688 288 B1 describes a method for route planning taking into account zones where autonomous driving is not possible. US 2019 / 113353 A1 describes a method for route planning for an autonomously driving vehicle.

[0004] To get from a starting point to a destination, a route can be planned using a navigation system of an autonomous vehicle. The comfort of a journey from the starting point to the destination can depend on the planned route. This document addresses the technical task of enabling the determination of the most comfortable route possible for a vehicle with an automated driving mode.

[0005] The object is achieved by each of the independent claims. Advantageous embodiments are described, inter alia, in the dependent claims.

[0006] According to one aspect, a device for determining a driving route for a (motor) vehicle is described. The vehicle has an automated driving mode in which the vehicle is guided longitudinally and / or transversely at least partially or completely automatically (e.g., according to SAE Level 3 or higher). Furthermore, the vehicle has a manual driving mode in which the vehicle is guided longitudinally and / or transversely at least partially or completely manually by the driver of the vehicle (e.g., according to SAE Level 2 or lower).

[0007] The device is configured to determine release information relating to the release of the automated driving mode on different road sections of the road network traveled by the vehicle. The device can in particular be configured to determine digital map information relating to the road network traveled by the vehicle. The digital map information can describe the spatial and / or geographical arrangement of the different road sections and / or road junctions of the road network. Furthermore, the digital map information can comprise the release information for different road sections of the road network. The release information can, if necessary, depend on the current weather conditions and / or the current traffic situation. It can thus be determined on which one or more road sections of the road network the use of the automated driving mode is possible (if necessary currently).Furthermore, it can be determined on which one or more road sections of the road network (if applicable currently) the use of manual driving mode is required.

[0008] The device is further configured to determine and / or predict availability information regarding the availability of the vehicle driver for manual longitudinal and / or transverse guidance of the vehicle during a journey from a starting point (within the road network) to a destination (within the road network), for which a route is to be determined. In a first embodiment, it is particularly predicted in which one or more future time intervals on the journey along the route to be planned the driver is likely to be available for manual longitudinal and / or transverse guidance of the vehicle or is likely to be unavailable for manual longitudinal and / or transverse guidance of the vehicle.

[0009] The device can be configured to determine and / or predict the availability information based on one or more of the following data: sensor data relating to the driver, which was recorded by one or more driver sensors, in particular by one or more interior cameras, of the vehicle; data from an infotainment system of the vehicle (e.g., relating to an audio and / or video broadcast that the driver wishes to hear or watch); data from a personal user device (e.g., smartphone) of the driver; and / or data from a digital calendar of the driver (e.g., relating to a planned audio and / or video conference while driving along the route to be planned). In this way, the availability of the vehicle driver for manual longitudinal and / or lateral guidance on the upcoming journey can be predicted in a precise manner.

[0010] The device can in particular be configured to determine and / or predict availability information which, for a sequence of upcoming time intervals during the journey from the starting point to the destination, indicates the degree of availability of the vehicle driver for manual longitudinal and / or transverse guidance of the vehicle in the respective time interval. In a second embodiment, or optionally additionally, the predicted availability information indicates the desired degree of automation of the vehicle in the respective time interval of the sequence of time intervals. In the first embodiment, the predicted availability information indicates for the sequence of upcoming time intervals whether or not the vehicle driver is available to operate the vehicle in manual driving mode in the respective time interval.

[0011] Furthermore, the device is configured to determine at least one route through the road network from the starting point to the destination point based on the release information and the availability information (and taking into account the digital map information). At least one route is determined (using a routing algorithm) in which the release of the sequence of road sections of the route matches as closely as possible the predicted availability of the driver for manual longitudinal and / or lateral guidance of the vehicle at the sequence of time intervals during the journey along the route. This can increase the comfort for the driver of a vehicle with an automated driving mode.

[0012] In the first embodiment, the device is configured (as part of determining a driving route) to determine, for a (possible) driving route, a correlation measure of the correlation and / or the agreement and / or the overlap between one or more road sections in which the automated driving mode is enabled and one or more time intervals in which the driver is unavailable to operate the vehicle in manual driving mode. The driving route is then determined in such a way that the correlation measure is increased, in particular maximized. Thus, a driving route can be determined that has the greatest possible (temporal and / or spatial) correlation between road sections enabled for the automated driving mode and time intervals with low availability for the driver to drive manually. This further increases comfort for the driver of the vehicle.

[0013] In the second embodiment, the release information for a plurality of roadway sections of the roadway network indicates the possible degree of automation of the vehicle in the respective roadway section. The device is configured (as part of determining a travel route) to determine, for a (possible) travel route with a sequence of roadway sections, a correlation measure of the correlation and / or the overlap and / or the correspondence between the possible degrees of automation on the sequence of roadway sections of the travel route and the desired degrees of automation at the sequence of time intervals during the journey from the starting point to the destination point. The travel route is then determined in such a way that the correlation measure is increased, in particular maximized.

[0014] This makes it possible to determine at least one route in which the vehicle's possible levels of automation on the road sections of the planned route best match the predicted unavailability of the driver for manual longitudinal and / or lateral guidance. This significantly increases the comfort of the vehicle driver.

[0015] In addition, the device can be configured to predict, based on the availability information, a time interval during the upcoming journey from the starting point to the destination point, in which the driver will not be available for manual longitudinal and / or lateral guidance of the vehicle. Furthermore, the device can be configured to determine the travel route on the basis of the release information in such a way that the vehicle is (presumably) located or will be located in a road section that is enabled for the automated driving mode during the predicted time interval. A travel route can thus be determined in which the one or more predicted time intervals of the driver's unavailability coincide and / or correlate with one or more road sections in which the use of the automated driving mode is enabled. In other words, the travel route can be planned in such a way that, if necessary,A detour is taken to enable a higher degree of vehicle automation at one or more times of predicted driver unavailability. This can reliably increase the comfort of the vehicle driver.

[0016] The device can be configured to estimate an expected duration for the route to be determined based on the digital map information relating to the road network (and possibly taking into account current traffic information relating to the current traffic situation in the road network). The availability information can then be determined and / or predicted for the (entire) expected duration. This allows a particularly convenient route to be determined.

[0017] The device can be configured to determine the route using a routing algorithm that takes into account a section weight for each of the different possible road sections of the road network, indicating the significance of the respective possible road section for the route to be determined. The section weights of the different possible road sections can be determined based on the availability information. A section weight for a road section can be increased (to indicate a relatively high significance for the route to be planned) if the road section is enabled for automated driving mode and if the road section is intended for a time interval along the route during which the driver of the vehicle is not available for manual longitudinal and / or lateral guidance of the vehicle.On the other hand, a section weight for a road section can be reduced (to indicate a relatively low priority for the planned route) if the road section is not approved for automated driving mode and if the road section is intended for a time interval along the route during which the driver of the vehicle is not available for manual longitudinal and / or lateral guidance of the vehicle. By adjusting the section weights depending on the availability information, a route can be determined in a particularly reliable manner that includes road sections for automated driving that are particularly well adapted to the predicted unavailability of the driver for manual driving.

[0018] The device can be configured to determine and / or predict, during or during the journey from the starting point to the destination, in particular repeatedly and / or periodically, updated availability information relating to the availability of the vehicle driver for manual longitudinal and / or lateral guidance of the vehicle during the journey from the respective current location of the vehicle to the destination. Thus, during the journey (using the originally planned route), it can be checked whether the driver's availability for manual longitudinal and / or lateral guidance of the vehicle has changed (compared to the last forecast). For example, it can be checked whether the driver's availability is tending to decrease. Alternatively or additionally, it can be checked whether the one or more time intervals of the driver's availability or unavailability have changed.

[0019] Furthermore, the device can be configured (during the journey) to adapt the route from the current location of the vehicle to the destination based on the updated availability information. In this case, an updated route can be determined in each case, by which a correlation measure is increased, in particular maximized. Alternatively or additionally, an updated route can be determined by which the one or more road sections with a relatively high degree of vehicle automation (e.g., with the automated driving mode enabled) are adapted to the one or more updated time intervals of the driver's unavailability. For example, if the driver's unavailability increases, an updated route can be determined that has an increased proportion of road sections in which the automated driving mode is enabled (and which is typically longer than the previously applicable route).By adjusting the route (if necessary repeatedly), the driver's comfort can be further increased.

[0020] The device can be configured to output route information relating to the determined route to the driver of the vehicle (e.g., via a user interface of the vehicle). The route information can display (e.g., graphically) the one or more time intervals and / or the one or more road sections when driving along the determined route in which the vehicle can be operated in the automated driving mode or in which the vehicle must be operated in the manual driving mode. By outputting route information (relating to one or more different planned routes), the driver of the vehicle can be conveniently enabled to select a route that particularly well matches their planned availability for manual driving.According to a further aspect, a (road) motor vehicle (in particular a passenger car or a truck or a bus) is described which comprises the device described in this document.

[0021] According to a further aspect, the invention relates to a method as defined in one of claims 10 or 11.

[0022] According to another aspect, a software (SW) program is described but not claimed.

[0023] The SW program can be configured to run on a processor (e.g. on a vehicle control unit or on a server) and thereby to carry out the method described in this document.

[0024] According to a further aspect, a storage medium is described, but not claimed. The storage medium may comprise a software program configured to be executed on a processor and thereby to carry out the method described in this document.

[0025] It should be noted that the methods, devices and systems described in this document can be used alone or in combination with other methods, devices and systems described in this document.

[0026] For the purposes of this document, the term "automated driving" can be understood as driving with automated longitudinal or lateral guidance, or autonomous driving with automated longitudinal and lateral guidance. Automated driving can, for example, involve extended driving on the highway or temporary driving during parking or maneuvering. The term "automated driving" encompasses automated driving with any degree of automation. Examples of levels of automation include assisted, partially automated, highly automated, or fully automated driving. These levels of automation were defined by the Federal Highway Research Institute (BASt) (see the BASt publication "Research Compact," issue 11 / 2012). In assisted driving, the driver continuously performs longitudinal or lateral guidance, while the system assumes the other function within certain limits.In partially automated driving (TAF), the system assumes longitudinal and lateral guidance for a certain period of time and / or in specific situations, whereby the driver must continuously monitor the system, as in assisted driving. In highly automated driving (HAF), the system assumes longitudinal and lateral guidance for a certain period of time without the driver having to continuously monitor the system; however, the driver must be able to assume control of the vehicle after a certain time. In fully automated driving (VAF), the system can automatically handle driving in all situations for a specific application; for this application, a driver is no longer required. The four levels of automation mentioned above correspond to SAE Levels 1 to 4 of the SAE J3016 standard (SAE - Society of Automotive Engineering). For example, highly automated driving (HAF) corresponds to Level 3 of the SAE J3016 standard.Furthermore, SAE J3016 also specifies SAE Level 5 as the highest level of automation, which is not included in the BASt definition. SAE Level 5 corresponds to driverless driving, in which the system can automatically handle all situations like a human driver throughout the entire journey; a driver is generally no longer required.

[0027] The invention will be described in more detail below with reference to exemplary embodiments. Figure 1 exemplary components of a vehicle; Figure 2 exemplary modules for determining a user-dependent route; Figure 3 exemplary availability information of a user on a journey from a starting point to a destination; and Figure 4 a flowchart of an exemplary method for determining a driving route for a vehicle with an automated driving mode.

[0028] As stated at the beginning, this document deals with determining the most comfortable route for an autonomous vehicle. In this context, Fig. 1 an exemplary vehicle 100 with an automated driving mode that enables, for example, automated driving of the vehicle 100 according to SAE Level 3 or higher.

[0029] The vehicle 100 may include one or more environmental sensors 102 configured to capture environmental data (i.e., sensor data) relating to the environment of the vehicle 100. Exemplary environmental sensors 102 are a camera, a radar sensor, a lidar sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, etc. A control unit (or device) 101 of the vehicle 100 may be configured to create an environmental model relating to the environment of the vehicle 100 based on the environmental data. The environmental model may, for example, describe the course of the road, one or more other road users, one or more obstacles, etc. in the environment of the vehicle 100.

[0030] The control unit 101 can be configured to operate one or more longitudinal and / or transverse guidance actuators 103 (e.g., a steering device, a drive motor, a braking device, etc.) depending on the environmental data, in particular depending on the environmental model, in particular to guide the vehicle 100 longitudinally and / or transversely in an at least partially automated manner (i.e., to provide an automated driving mode of the vehicle 100).

[0031] The vehicle 100 may further comprise a storage unit 104, on which, for example, digital map information relating to the road network traveled by the vehicle 100 is stored. Furthermore, the vehicle 100 may comprise a position sensor, e.g., a GPS receiver (not shown), which is configured to determine position data relating to the position of the vehicle 100. The control unit 101 may be configured to plan a route for the vehicle 100 from a starting point to a destination within the road network based on the digital map information (possibly taking the position data into account).

[0032] The vehicle 100 may also include a communication unit 106 configured to establish a (possibly wireless) communication connection 121 with a vehicle-external unit 120 (e.g., with a backend server). For example, updated digital map information, e.g., information regarding a current traffic situation, may be provided by the vehicle-external unit 120.

[0033] Alternatively or additionally, a (wireless) communication connection 111 with a user device 120 (e.g. a smartphone) of a user, in particular the driver, of the vehicle 100 can be established via the communication unit 106 of the vehicle 100, e.g. in order to provide information relating to the user, e.g. in relation to a digital calendar of the user.

[0034] Furthermore, the vehicle 100 may comprise a user interface 105 (e.g., with one or more control elements and / or with one or more output elements) that enables interaction between the vehicle 100 and the user, in particular the driver, of the vehicle 100.

[0035] In addition, the vehicle 100 may have one or more driver sensors 107, in particular a camera directed towards the driver of the vehicle 100, which may be configured to collect driver data, ie sensor data, relating to the (condition of the) driver.

[0036] As explained above, the vehicle 100 can be configured to operate in an automated driving mode or in a manual driving mode. The degree of automation of the vehicle 100 can be adjustable in several stages between a fully automated driving mode and a fully manual driving mode.

[0037] The degree of automation at which the vehicle 100 is operated may depend on the road section on which the vehicle 100 is located. A road section, e.g., on a highway, may be approved for autonomous or at least partially autonomous driving. In other words, on a specific road section, the use of the vehicle's (possibly fully) automated driving mode may be possible. On the other hand, on another road section (e.g., in a city or at a construction site), the use of the automated driving mode may not be possible and / or the use of the manual driving mode may be required.

[0038] The release information regarding whether a road section is generally approved for use in the automated driving mode and / or the release information regarding the permissible degree of automation of a vehicle 100 in a road section can be stored and / or provided (by the vehicle-external unit 120), for example, as digital map information relating to the road network traveled by the vehicle. The release information for a road section may also depend on the current weather conditions and / or the current traffic situation and / or traffic density.

[0039] In order to get from a starting point to a destination, a driving route can be planned by the control unit 101 of the vehicle 100. The route planning can take into account the release information of the road sections on a possible driving route. For example, a driving route can be determined that has the largest possible proportion of road sections on which the vehicle 100 can be operated in the automated driving mode (e.g., according to SAE Level 3 or higher). This can increase the comfort for the user of the vehicle 100, since the proportion of the route on which the vehicle 100 must be operated in the manual driving mode (e.g., according to SAE Level 2 or less) can be reduced.

[0040] The control unit 101 of the vehicle 100 can be configured to predict availability information regarding the availability of the driver of the vehicle 100 during the journey from the starting point to the destination point for a route to be planned, starting from a starting point to a destination point. The availability information can be determined, for example, based on the driver data from the one or more driver sensors 107 of the vehicle 100; data (e.g., calendar entries from a digital calendar) from the driver's user device 110; and / or a driver input via the user interface 105 of the vehicle 100 (e.g., to reserve a period of time during the trip when manual driving should not be required).

[0041] The availability information can indicate the driver's availability for manual vehicle control as a function of time during the journey. The driver's level of availability may change over time.

[0042] For example, the driver may have a conference call scheduled for a specific time period or time interval during the journey, resulting in reduced availability for driving during that time interval. Furthermore, the driver may have a rest period scheduled for another time interval, meaning the driver is not available to drive at all during that time interval. On the other hand, there may be one or more other time intervals in which the driver is not firmly scheduled and is therefore expected to be available to drive.

[0043] The control unit 101 can be configured to take into account the availability information of the driver of the vehicle 100 when planning the route. In particular, a route can be determined that has the highest possible match between (time) intervals in which the driver is not expected to be available to drive the vehicle; and (road) sections in which the vehicle 100 can be operated in the automated driving mode.

[0044] In this way, a particularly comfortable route can be determined for a user of a vehicle 100.

[0045] Fig. 2illustrates an exemplary device 200 for determining a travel route for a vehicle 100. The device 200 comprises a behavior estimation module 201, which is configured to estimate the behavior of the driver of the vehicle 100 while traveling along the travel route to be planned. The predicted behavior and / or availability information 211 can be transferred to a processing module 202, which is configured to determine, based on the behavior and / or availability information 211, behavior and / or availability data 212 having a data format that can be used in a routing algorithm. If necessary, a combined module 205 can be provided that directly provides the behavior and / or availability data 212 in the data format for the routing algorithm.

[0046] The device 200 further comprises a routing module 203 which is configured to determine route data 213 for one or more possible routes based on the behavior and / or availability data 212 and on the digital map data (taking into account the release information for the individual road sections).

[0047] The determination of a route 316 starting from a starting point 311 to a destination 312 is shown by way of example in Fig. 3 In particular, Fig. 3a section of a road network 310, wherein the road network 310 comprises a plurality of intersections 313 and a plurality of edges or connecting paths 314 between different intersections 313. The road network 310, in particular the geographical arrangement of the road network 310, can be displayed and / or described by the digital map information. The digital map information can further display release information 315 for one or more road sections, ie, for edges 314 or sections of edges 314, of the road network 310. In Fig. 3 For example, the road sections 314 are illustrated by dashed lines, which are approved for use in the automated driving mode.

[0048] Furthermore, Fig. 3 exemplary availability information 211 is shown. In particular, Fig. 3An exemplary temporal progression 300 of the availability or degree 301 of availability of the driver of vehicle 100 for manual vehicle control. The driver's availability 301 can be taken into account during route planning. In particular, a driving route 316 can be determined in which the sections with low driver availability overlap as closely as possible with road sections 314 that are approved for use in the automated driving mode.

[0049] This document describes a multi-criteria route optimization taking into account road clearance information, i.e., release information 315, for determining driving routes 316. A determined driving route 316 can be adapted in terms of one or more properties (such as estimated time of arrival (ETA), road clearance / driving release for assisted, semi-autonomous, or fully autonomous driving, etc.) to an observed driver behavior and / or to an estimated future driver behavior request (i.e., availability information 211 for the driver). In particular, a driving route 316 can be determined in order to to increase, in particular to maximize, a continuous HAF time; and / or to optimize the timing of the HAF time segments to fit one or more of the driver's calendar appointments, current entertainment program, etc. In doing so, an extended travel time and / or distance may be accepted if necessary.

[0050] A behavior estimator 201 can be used to estimate the driver's current and future behavior based on various data sources. The determined behavior and / or availability information 211 can be passed to a preprocessor 202. The preprocessor 202 translates this information 211 into a data format usable by the routing engine 203. The estimated driver behavior can be divided into different time intervals (e.g., time buckets). Furthermore, the driver's activities can be categorized. The different activity categories can be evaluated based on their complexity for the driver. Activities with a relatively high level of complexity (and thus time intervals with a relatively low availability 301) can have a higher priority for the use of HAF time in order to optimally relieve the driver.The complexity assessment can be based on general categories as well as personal information about the driver during comparable activities in the past (e.g., number of ADAS interventions, detected distraction from road traffic by the interior camera 107, detected signs of fatigue, etc.). Safety-relevant, predicted driver behavior, such as fatigue, can receive the highest priority for the use of HAF (i.e., for the use of the automated driving mode). The determined data 212 can be transferred to the routing engine 203.

[0051] The routing engine 203 calculates, for example, using a dynamic graph (as exemplified in Fig. 3shown) one or more route suggestions. A route 316 can be determined in such a way that the levels of assisted and / or autonomous driving possible on the route 316 enable the planned and / or predicted activities and / or the estimated behavior of the driver as far as possible. This can be made possible in particular by increasing link or section weights for road sections with positive road clearance (i.e., in which the use of the automated driving mode is possible) in the time intervals (corresponding to the prioritization from the behavior estimator 201) with a higher prioritization for the use of partially / fully autonomous driving (based on the estimated behavior, i.e., based on the behavior information, of the driver).

[0052] After the route calculation, it can be checked whether a calculated route 316 complies with one or more constraints (e.g. an Estimated Time of Arrival (ETA) at the destination point 312 that is not to be exceeded, a maximum permissible additional time expenditure compared to the fastest route, etc.).

[0053] One or more optimized routes 316 can be output to the driver via the user interface 105. Information can also be output regarding which one or more sections 314 of the respective route 316 are operated in automated driving mode. The one or more routes 316 can be determined in the vehicle 100 and / or by a vehicle-external unit 120.

[0054] For example, by comparing the personal calendar of the user of the vehicle 100, it can be determined whether an activity is planned during the planned route that is easier to perform during TAF / HAF operation of the vehicle 100 (e.g., a telephone call). In another example, the HAF time of the vehicle 100 can be adjusted to the user's current entertainment program (e.g., to the time period of an audio and / or video program).

[0055] By suggesting multiple possible travel routes 316, it may be possible to determine and / or learn whether the user accepts a longer travel time if a route 316 has more contiguous HAF time and / or if a route 316 has HAF times that are well suited to the user's planned activities. Route planning can thus be adapted to the user's preferences.

[0056] Fig. 4shows a flowchart of an exemplary (possibly computer-implemented) method 400 for determining a driving route 316 for a (motor) vehicle 100. The method 400 can be executed by a control unit 101 of the vehicle 100 and / or by a vehicle-external unit 120. The vehicle 100 has an automated driving mode in which the vehicle 100 is guided longitudinally and / or transversely at least partially automatically (e.g., according to SAE Level 3 or more). Furthermore, the vehicle 100 has a manual driving mode in which the vehicle 100 is guided longitudinally and / or transversely at least partially manually by the driver of the vehicle 100 (e.g., according to SAE Level 2, 1, or 0).

[0057] The method 400 includes determining 401 release information 315 relating to the release of the automated driving mode on different roadway sections 314 of the roadway network 310 traveled by the vehicle 100. The release information 315 can be provided as part of digital map information relating to the roadway network 310. The release information 315 can indicate, for each individual roadway section 314, the possible degree of automation of vehicles 100 when traveling on the respective roadway section 314.

[0058] Furthermore, the method 400 comprises determining and / or predicting 402 availability information 211, 212 relating to the availability of the driver of the vehicle 100 for manual longitudinal and / or lateral guidance of the vehicle 100 during a journey from a starting point 311 to a destination 312, wherein a route 316 is to be planned for the journey. The availability information 211, 212 can be determined based on the sensor data from one or more driver sensors 107 of the vehicle 100 and / or based on a driver schedule from a driver's digital calendar. The availability information 211, 212 can indicate the degree 301 of the driver's availability for manual longitudinal and / or lateral guidance of the vehicle 100 for a sequence of future time intervals.

[0059] The method 400 further comprises determining 403 a driving route 316 through the road network 310 from the starting point 311 to the destination point 312 on the basis of the release information 315 and on the basis of the availability information 211, 212. In particular, a driving route 316 can be determined in which there is the greatest possible overlap between time intervals in which the driver is not available for manual longitudinal and / or lateral guidance of the vehicle 100 and road sections 314 in which the use of the automated driving mode is possible.

[0060] The measures described in this document can increase the comfort of a user of a vehicle 100 with an automated driving mode.

[0061] The present invention is not limited to the embodiments shown. In particular, it should be noted that the description and the figures are intended only to illustrate the principle of the proposed methods, devices, and systems by way of example.

Claims

1. Device (101, 120) for determining a driving route (316) for a vehicle (100) that has an automated driving mode, in which the vehicle (100) is longitudinally and / or laterally controlled in an at least partially automated manner, and that has a manual driving mode, in which the vehicle (100) is longitudinally and / or laterally controlled in an at least partially manual manner by a driver of the vehicle (100), wherein the device (101, 120) is configured - to determine clearance information (315) relating to clearance for the automated driving mode on different roadway sections (314) of a roadway network (310) used by the vehicle (100); - to determine and / or predict availability information (211, 212) relating to an availability of the driver of the vehicle (100) for manual longitudinal and / or lateral control of the vehicle (100) on a journey from a starting point (311) to a destination (312); the availability information (211, 212) indicating for each of a sequence of time intervals during the journey from the starting point (311) to the destination (312) whether or not the driver of the vehicle (100) is available in the respective time interval to operate the vehicle (100) in the manual driving mode; - to determine, for a driving route (316) through the roadway network (310) from the starting point (311) to the destination (312), on the basis of the clearance information (315) and on the basis of the availability information (211, 212), a correlation measure of a correlation between roadway sections (314) in which the automated driving mode has clearance and time intervals in which the driver is not available to operate the vehicle (100) in the manual driving mode; and - to determine the driving route (316) in such a way that the correlation measure is increased.

2. Device (101, 120) for determining a driving route (316) for a vehicle (100) that has an automated driving mode, in which the vehicle (100) is longitudinally and / or laterally controlled in an at least partially automated manner, and that has a manual driving mode, in which the vehicle (100) is longitudinally and / or laterally controlled in an at least partially manual manner by a driver of the vehicle (100), wherein the device (101, 120) is configured - to determine clearance information (315) relating to clearance for the automated driving mode on different roadway sections (314) of a roadway network (310) used by the vehicle (100); the clearance information (315) indicating for each of a plurality of roadway sections (314) of the roadway network (310) a possible level of automation of the vehicle (310) in the respective roadway section (314); - to determine and / or predict availability information (211, 212) relating to an availability of the driver of the vehicle (100) for manual longitudinal and / or lateral control of the vehicle (100) on a journey from a starting point (311) to a destination (312); the availability information (211, 212) indicating for each of a sequence of time intervals during the journey from the starting point (311) to the destination (312) a desired level of automation of the vehicle (100) in the respective time interval; - to determine, for a driving route (316) comprising a sequence of roadway sections (314) through the roadway network (310) from the starting point (311) to the destination (312), on the basis of the clearance information (315) and on the basis of the availability information (211, 212), a correlation measure of a correlation between the possible levels of automation on the sequence of roadway sections (314) of the driving route (316) and the desired levels of automation for the sequence of time intervals on the journey from the starting point (311) to the destination (312); and - to determine the driving route (316) in such a way that the correlation measure is increased.

3. Device (101, 120) according to either of the preceding claims, wherein the device (101, 120) is configured - to take the availability information (211, 212) as a basis for predicting a time interval on the journey from the starting point (311) to the destination (312) in which the driver will not be available for manual longitudinal and / or lateral control of the vehicle (100); and - to determine the driving route (316) on the basis of the clearance information (315) in such a way that in the predicted time interval the vehicle (100) is located in a roadway section (314) that is cleared for the automated driving mode.

4. Device (101, 120) according to one of the preceding claims, the device (101, 120) being configured to determine and / or predict the availability information (211, 212) on the basis of - sensor data relating to the driver that have been acquired by one or more driver sensors (107), in particular by one or more interior cameras, of the vehicle (100); - data from an infotainment system of the vehicle (100); - data from a personal user device (110) of the driver; and / or - data from a digital calendar of the driver.

5. Device (101, 120) according to either of the preceding claims, wherein the device (101, 120) is configured - to take digital map information relating to the roadway network (310) as a basis for estimating a probable duration for the driving route (316) that is to be determined; and - to determine and / or predict the availability information (211, 212) for the probable duration.

6. Device (101, 120) according to either of the preceding claims, wherein the device (101, 120) is configured - to determine the driving route (316) on the basis of a routing algorithm in which, for each of different possible roadway sections (314) of the roadway network (310), a section weight is taken into consideration, which indicates a value of the respective possible roadway section (314) for the driving route (316) that is to be determined; and - to determine the section weights of the different possible roadway sections (314) on the basis of the availability information (211, 212).

7. Device (101, 120) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein - the device (101, 120) is configured to output route information relating to the determined driving route (316) to the driver of the vehicle (100); and - the route information indicates the one or more time intervals and / or the one or more roadway sections (314) on the journey along the determined driving route (316) in which the vehicle (100) can be operated in the automated driving mode or in which the vehicle (100) must be operated in the manual driving mode.

8. Device (101, 120) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein - the device (101, 120) is configured to determine digital map information relating to the roadway network (310) used by the vehicle (100) and to determine the driving route (316) on the basis of digital map information; and - the digital map information comprises the clearance information (315) for a plurality of different roadway sections (314) of the roadway network (310).

9. Device (101, 120) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the device (101, 120) is configured so as, on the journey from the starting point (311) to the destination (312), in particular repeatedly and / or periodically, - to determine and / or predict updated availability information (211, 212) relating to the availability of the driver of the vehicle (100) for manual longitudinal and / or lateral control of the vehicle (100) on the journey from a current location of the vehicle (100) to the destination (312); and - to adapt the driving route (316) from the current location of the vehicle (100) to the destination (312) on the basis of the updated availability information (211, 212).

10. Method (400) for determining a driving route (316) for a vehicle (100) that has an automated driving mode, in which the vehicle (100) is longitudinally and / or laterally controlled in an at least partially automated manner, and that has a manual driving mode, in which the vehicle (100) is longitudinally and / or laterally controlled in an at least partially manual manner by a driver of the vehicle (100), wherein the method (400) comprises - determining (401) clearance information (315) relating to clearance for the automated driving mode on different roadway sections (314) of a roadway network (310) used by the vehicle (100); - determining and / or predicting (402) availability information (211, 212) relating to an availability of the driver of the vehicle (100) for manual longitudinal and / or lateral control of the vehicle (100) on a journey from a starting point (311) to a destination (312); the availability information (211, 212) indicating for each of a sequence of time intervals during the journey from the starting point (311) to the destination (312) whether or not the driver of the vehicle (100) is available in the respective time interval to operate the vehicle (100) in the manual driving mode; - determining, for a driving route (316) through the roadway network (310) from the starting point (311) to the destination (312), on the basis of the clearance information (315) and on the basis of the availability information (211, 212), a correlation measure of a correlation between roadway sections (314) in which the automated driving mode has clearance and time intervals in which the driver is not available to operate the vehicle (100) in the manual driving mode; and - determining (403) the driving route (316) in such a way that the correlation measure is increased.

11. Method (400) for determining a driving route (316) for a vehicle (100) that has an automated driving mode, in which the vehicle (100) is longitudinally and / or laterally controlled in an at least partially automated manner, and that has a manual driving mode, in which the vehicle (100) is longitudinally and / or laterally controlled in an at least partially manual manner by a driver of the vehicle (100), wherein the method (400) comprises - determining (401) clearance information (315) relating to clearance for the automated driving mode on different roadway sections (314) of a roadway network (310) used by the vehicle (100); the clearance information (315) indicating for each of a plurality of roadway sections (314) of the roadway network (310) a possible level of automation of the vehicle (310) in the respective roadway section (314); - determining and / or predicting (402) availability information (211, 212) relating to an availability of the driver of the vehicle (100) for manual longitudinal and / or lateral control of the vehicle (100) on a journey from a starting point (311) to a destination (312); the availability information (211, 212) indicating for each of a sequence of time intervals during the journey from the starting point (311) to the destination (312) a desired level of automation of the vehicle (100) in the respective time interval; - determining, for a driving route (316) comprising a sequence of roadway sections (314) through the roadway network (310) from the starting point (311) to the destination (312), on the basis of the clearance information (315) and on the basis of the availability information (211, 212), a correlation measure of a correlation between the possible levels of automation on the sequence of roadway sections (314) of the driving route (316) and the desired levels of automation for the sequence of time intervals on the journey from the starting point (311) to the destination (312); and - determining (403) the driving route (316) in such a way that the correlation measure is increased.