IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,681,800

Granted Patent B2

US 12,681,800 · App. 18/798,696 · Granted Jul 14, 2026

Freedom from interference (FFI) in electronics systems

Inventors: Sriram Hariharan (San Diego, CA); Ghanashyam Prabhu (San Diego, CA); Yuwen Zou (San Jose, CA); Deepak Kumar Agarwal (Bangalore, IN); Alexis Gabriel Marcel Boutillier (Caen, FR); Subbarao Palacharla (San Diego, CA)

Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated

G06F11/0796 G06F11/0739 G06F2201/87

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Quick Facts

Patent No.: US 12,681,800
App. No.: 18/798,696
Granted: Jul 14, 2026
Kind: B2

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Abstract

Aspects of the disclosure are directed to implementation of a freedom from interference (FFI) safety mechanism. In accordance with one aspect, the disclosure includes initiating a fault handling for a first automotive safety integrity level (ASIL) domain based on a main domain hardware error message; sending a traffic isolation request message for the first ASIL domain; sending a traffic block request message for the first ASIL domain; and executing a block operation and a flush operation on the first ASIL domain based on the traffic isolation request message and the traffic block request message to implement freedom from interference (FFI).

Claims (62)

1 . An apparatus comprising:

a system fault handler configured to perform a fault handling;

a domain isolation control module coupled to the system fault handler, the domain isolation control module configured to receive a traffic isolation request message; and

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the domain isolation control module is further configured to send a traffic block request message.

3 . The apparatus of claim 2 , further comprising a first automotive safety integrity level (ASIL) domain coupled to the shared communication channel, the first ASIL domain configured to generate a main domain traffic.

4 . The apparatus of claim 3 , further comprising a second automotive safety integrity level (ASIL) domain coupled to the shared communication channel, the second ASIL domain configured to generate a safety domain traffic.

5 . The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the block operation and the flush operation are executed on the first ASIL domain.

6 . An apparatus comprising:

a system fault handler configured to perform a fault handling;

a domain flow control module coupled to the system fault handler, the domain flow control module configured to send a block and flush request message; and

7 . The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the domain flow control module is configured to receive a traffic block request message.

8 . The apparatus of claim 7 , further comprising a first automotive safety integrity level (ASIL) domain coupled to the shared communication channel, the first ASIL domain configured to generate a main domain traffic.

9 . The apparatus of claim 8 , further comprising a second automotive safety integrity level (ASIL) domain coupled to the shared communication channel, the second ASIL domain configured to generate a safety domain traffic.

10 . The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the block operation and the flush operation are executed on the first ASIL domain.

11 . An apparatus comprising:

a system fault handler configured to perform a fault handling;

a domain isolation control module coupled to the system fault handler, the domain isolation control module configured to receive a traffic isolation request message;

a domain flow control module coupled to the system fault handler, the domain flow control module configured to send a block and flush request message; and

a shared communication channel coupled to the domain isolation control module, the shared communication channel configured to execute a block operation and a flush operation based on the traffic isolation request message and the block and flush request message, the block operation and the flush operation executed on a first automotive safety integrity level (ASIL) domain to implement freedom from interference (FFI).

12 . The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the domain isolation control module is further configured to send a traffic block request message.

13 . The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the domain flow control module is configured to receive a traffic block request message.

14 . The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the first ASIL domain is configured to generate a main domain traffic.

15 . The apparatus of claim 14 , further comprising a second ASIL domain coupled to the shared communication channel, the second ASIL domain configured to generate a safety domain traffic.

16 . The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the domain isolation control module is further configured to send a traffic block request message.

17 . The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the domain flow control module is configured to receive a traffic block request message.

18 . An apparatus comprising:

means for initiating a fault handling for a first automotive safety integrity level (ASIL) domain based on a main domain hardware error message;

means for sending a traffic isolation request message for the first ASIL domain;

means for sending a traffic block request message for the first ASIL domain; and

means for executing a block operation and a flush operation on the first ASIL domain based on the traffic isolation request message and the traffic block request message to implement freedom from interference (FFI).

19 . The apparatus of claim 18 , further comprising means for receiving the main domain hardware error message from the first automotive safety integrity level (ASIL) domain.

20 . The apparatus of claim 19 , further comprising means for sending a block and flush request message for the first ASIL domain.

21 . The apparatus of claim 20 , further comprising means for receiving at least one acknowledgment message to indicate completion of the block operation and the flush operation on the first ASIL domain.

22 . A method comprising:

initiating a fault handling for a first automotive safety integrity level (ASIL) domain based on a main domain hardware error message;

sending a traffic isolation request message for the first ASIL domain;

sending a traffic block request message for the first ASIL domain; and

executing a block operation and a flush operation on the first ASIL domain based on the traffic isolation request message and the traffic block request message to implement freedom from interference (FFI).

23 . The method of claim 22 , wherein the main domain hardware error message includes a latent fault checking with duplication.

24 . The method of claim 22 , wherein the main domain hardware error message is a notification of a latent fault in isolation control.

25 . The method of claim 22 , wherein the main domain hardware error message is a notification of a latent fault in flow control.

26 . The method of claim 25 , wherein the notification of the latent fault in flow control includes a lock step check.

27 . The method of claim 22 , wherein the main domain hardware error message is a notification of an interface protocol fault.

28 . The method of claim 27 , wherein the interface protocol fault is an invalid request/response command.

29 . The method of claim 27 , wherein the interface protocol fault is an illegal address.

30 . The method of claim 27 , wherein the interface protocol fault is an error correction code (ECC) error.

31 . The method of claim 27 , wherein the interface protocol fault is a parity error.

32 . The method of claim 27 , wherein the interface protocol fault is a package data fault error.

33 . The method of claim 27 , wherein the interface protocol fault is a timeout error.

34 . The method of claim 22 , wherein the traffic isolation request message implements a full isolation of a second automotive safety integrity level (ASIL) domain from the first ASIL domain.

35 . The method of claim 34 , wherein the second ASIL domain is an ASIL-D domain as defined by ISO 26262.

36 . The method of claim 35 , wherein the second ASIL domain is at a higher safety integrity level than the first ASIL domain.

37 . The method of claim 22 , further comprising receiving the main domain hardware error message from the first automotive safety integrity level (ASIL) domain.

38 . The method of claim 37 , wherein the first ASIL domain is an ASIL-B domain as defined by ISO 26262.

39 . The method of claim 37 , wherein the first ASIL domain is a main domain island.

40 . The method of claim 39 , wherein the traffic block request message initiates blocking of a main domain traffic in the main domain island.

41 . The method of claim 40 , further comprising sending a block and flush request message for the first ASIL domain.

42 . The method of claim 41 , wherein the block and flush request message initiates the block operation and the flush operation on the main domain traffic.

43 . The method of claim 41 , further comprising receiving at least one acknowledgment message to indicate completion of the block operation and the flush operation on the first ASIL domain.

44 . The method of claim 43 , wherein the at least one acknowledgment message includes one or more of the following: an acknowledgment of completion of the block operation and the completion of the flush operation, an acknowledgment of traffic block completion, and an acknowledgment of domain isolation completion.