IP Library Granted Patent US 12686398
Granted Patent B2
US 12686398 · App. 18/708,445 · Granted Jul 21, 2026

Motor vehicle driving assistance module and method

Inventors: Renaud Deborne (Guyancourt cedex, FR); Raphael Quilliard (Guyancourt cedex, FR)
Assignee: AMPERE S.A.S.
B60W50/045B60W30/0956B60W50/0205B60W50/14
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12686398
App. No.
18/708,445
Granted
Jul 21, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A driving assistance module for a motor vehicle includes a main block that receives, at input, a set of input data relating to the motor vehicle and to its environment, and that provides, at output, a preliminary control for the motor vehicle on the basis of the input data, and a safeguarding block for safeguarding the preliminary control setpoint, which safeguarding block is separate from the main block and receives, at input, the preliminary control setpoint and a set of check data, provides, at output, a final control setpoint and checks that the preliminary control setpoint is in accordance with a set of at least one predefined rule. The set of check data differs from the set of input data, and each of the check data has a safety level strictly higher than a safety level of at least one of the input data.

Claims (24)

1 . A driving assistance module for a motor vehicle, comprising:

a main block that receives, at input, a set of input data relating to the motor vehicle and to its environment, and that provides, at output, a preliminary control setpoint for the motor vehicle based on the input data; and

a safeguarding block for safeguarding the preliminary control setpoint, which safeguarding block is separate from the main block and receives, at input, the preliminary control setpoint and a set of check data, provides, at output, a final control setpoint and checks that the preliminary control setpoint is in accordance with a set of at least one predefined rule,

wherein the set of check data differs from the set of input data,

wherein each of the check data has a safety level strictly higher than a safety level of at least one of the input data, and

wherein the motor vehicle is controlled according to the final control setpoint.

2 . The module as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the final control setpoint is equal to the preliminary control setpoint when the preliminary control setpoint is in accordance with the predefined rules and, when not, is equal to a predetermined safety setpoint.

3 . The module as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the safeguarding block is configured to compute an intermediate control setpoint and wherein the final control setpoint is equal to a maximum out of the preliminary control setpoint and the intermediate control setpoint.

4 . The module as claimed in claim 1 , wherein:

when, at a first time, the preliminary control setpoint is no longer in accordance with the predefined rules, each component of the final control setpoint varies discontinuously, and

when, at a subsequent second time, the preliminary control setpoint is in accordance with the predefined rules again, at least one component of the final control setpoint varies continuously.

5 . The module as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the check data all have a determined ASIL safety level.

6 . The module as claimed in claim 1 , wherein at most one of the check data has a safety level lower than that of the check data other than the one of the check data.

7 . The module as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the final control setpoint comprises a torque to be transmitted to an actuator of a drivetrain or of a braking system so as to carry out a function of automatically adjusting a speed of the motor vehicle.

8 . The module as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the final control setpoint comprises a warning signal for activating a human-machine interface when a driver of the motor vehicle is no longer focusing on their driving and when a function of keeping the motor vehicle in a center of its traffic lane is activated.

9 . The module as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the safeguarding block is configured to count time that has elapsed for which a driver of the motor vehicle has no longer been focusing on their driving, in a whole number of cycles.

10 . A method for computing a final control setpoint for a motor vehicle equipment, comprising:

receiving, at a main block, a set of input data relating to the motor vehicle and to its environment;

computing, via the main block, a preliminary control setpoint based on the input data;

receiving, at a safeguarding block separate from the main block, the preliminary control setpoint and a set of check data;

computing the final control setpoint, which comprises checking that the preliminary control setpoint is in accordance with a set of at least one predefined rule; and

controlling the motor vehicle according to the final control setpoint,

wherein the set of check data differs from the set of input data, and

wherein the check data has a safety level strictly higher than a safety level of at least one of the input data.