Patent ID: 8600609

Claim:
A method for operating a longitudinal driver assist system of an automobile, comprising the steps of: evaluating environmental data of a first automobile relating to current travel in a longitudinal convoy which comprises at least three automobiles, including the first automobile and at least two additional automobiles driving directly behind one another, with each of the first automobile and the at least two additional automobiles having an active longitudinal driver assist system, wherein the environmental data comprise a coherently-received radar signal associated with the driver assist system of the first automobile and non-coherently received radar signals associated with the active longitudinal driver assist systems of the at least two additional automobiles, performing in the first automobile a spectral analysis of the non-coherently received radar signals, detecting from the spectral analysis a number of additional active longitudinal driver assist systems, forming a convoy value from the evaluated environmental data, and adapting at least one operating parameter of the driver assist system of the first automobile based on the convoy value.