IP Library Granted Patent US 12697982
Granted Patent B2
US 12697982 · App. 18/498,208 · Granted Aug 4, 2026

Techniques for calculating surface breakpoints for secondary safety verifications in vehicle controls systems

Inventor: Andrew D Johnson (Clawson, MI)
Assignee: FCA US LLC
B60W50/0098B60W2050/0026B60W2050/0088
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12697982
App. No.
18/498,208
Granted
Aug 4, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A calibration technique for a multi-dimensional surface for functional safety verification of a control system of a vehicle involves accessing a memory configured to store operation data relative to the control system of the vehicle, the operation data representing a multi-dimensional surface comprising a plurality of data points, identifying a plurality of breakpoints for representing the multi-dimensional surface based on a maximum allowable number of breakpoints, instantaneous data point slopes, and minimum/maximum breakpoint spacing constraints, and generating a calibrated look-up table for the control system, the calibrated look-up table including the plurality of breakpoints, wherein the calibrated look-up table is configured to be utilized for functional safety verification of an output of the control system.

Claims (44)

1 . A calibration system for a multi-dimensional surface for functional safety verification of a control system of a vehicle, the calibration system comprising:

a memory configured to store operation data relative to the control system of the vehicle, the operation data representing a multi-dimensional surface comprising a plurality of data points;

a computer system configured to:

identify a plurality of breakpoints for representing the multi-dimensional surface based on a maximum allowable number of breakpoints, instantaneous data point slopes, and minimum/maximum breakpoint spacing constraints; and

generate a calibrated look-up table for the control system, the calibrated look-up table including the plurality of breakpoints, wherein the calibrated look-up table is configured to be utilized for functional safety verification of an output of the control system; and

the control system of the vehicle, wherein the control system is configured to:

receive, from the computer system, the calibrated look-up table and store the calibrated look-up table, wherein the calibrated look-up table requires less memory storage capacity than all possible outputs of a neural network model executable by the vehicle;

control operation of the vehicle including generating, based on the neural network model, the output; and

during the operation of the vehicle, utilize the calibrated look-up table to determine whether the output satisfies a functional safety verification.

2 . The calibration system of claim 1 , wherein:

the output is a primary output generated by the control system during the operation of the vehicle based on the neural network model; and

the control system is configured to determine whether the output satisfies the functional safety verification by generating a secondary output using the calibrated look-up table and determining whether the primary and secondary outputs are sufficiently similar,

wherein the use of the calibrated look-up table for the functional safety verification of the primary output reduces a processing load on the control system by eliminating a need for a secondary execution of the neural network model to obtain the secondary output.

3 . The calibration system of claim 1 , wherein the computer system is further configured to identify the plurality of breakpoints by (i) determining a minimum/maximum step and a slope deviation for identifying a breakpoint.

4 . The calibration system of claim 3 , wherein the computer system is further configured to identify the plurality of breakpoints by (ii) determining an instantaneous slope at a first data point and creating a line with the determined instantaneous slope through the first data point.

5 . The calibration system of claim 4 , wherein the computer system is further configured to identify the plurality of breakpoints by (iii) stepping to a second data point and comparing a Y-value of the second data point to a Y-value of the created line.

6 . The calibration system of claim 5 , wherein the computer system is further configured to identify the plurality of breakpoints by (iv) identifying the first data point as a breakpoint when the difference between the Y-values of the second data point and the created line is greater than the slope deviation.

7 . The calibration system of claim 6 , wherein the computer system is further configured to identify the plurality of breakpoints by continuing identifying breakpoints until the maximum number of breakpoints have been identified.

8 . The calibration system of claim 3 , wherein the multi-dimensional surface is a two-dimensional (2D) surface.

9 . The calibration system of claim 3 , wherein the multi-dimensional surface is a three-dimensional (3D) surface, and wherein the computer system is further configured to divide the 3D surface into a plurality of 2D surfaces.

10 . The calibration system of claim 9 , wherein the computer system is further configured to:

identify the plurality of breakpoints for each of the plurality of 2D surfaces; and

determine a plurality of breakpoints for the 3D surface by calculating a weighted sum of an average and a maximum of the plurality of breakpoints for the plurality of 2D surfaces, respectively.

11 . A calibration method for a multi-dimensional surface for functional safety verification of a control system of a vehicle, the calibration method comprising:

accessing, by a computer system, a memory configured to store operation data relative to the control system of the vehicle, the operation data representing a multi-dimensional surface comprising a plurality of data points;

identifying, by the computer system, a plurality of breakpoints for representing the multi-dimensional surface based on a maximum allowable number of breakpoints, instantaneous data point slopes, and minimum/maximum breakpoint spacing constraints;

generating, by the computer system, a calibrated look-up table for the control system, the calibrated look-up table including the plurality of breakpoints, wherein the calibrated look-up table is configured to be utilized for functional safety verification of an output of the control system;

receiving, by the control system of the vehicle and from the computer system, the calibrated look-up table and storing, by the control system, the calibrated look-up table, wherein the calibrated look-up table requires less memory storage capacity than all possible outputs of a neural network model executable by the vehicle;

controlling, by the control system, operation of the vehicle including generating, based on the neural network model, the output; and

during the operation of the vehicle, utilizing, by the control system, the calibrated look-up table to determine whether the output satisfies a functional safety verification.

12 . The calibration method of claim 11 , wherein:

the output is a primary output generated by the control system during the operation of the vehicle based on the neural network model; and

the determining of whether the output satisfies the functional safety verification comprises generating, by the control system, a secondary output using the calibrated look-up table and determining, by the control system, whether the primary and secondary outputs are sufficiently similar,

wherein the use of the calibrated look-up table for the functional safety verification of the primary output reduces a processing load on the control system by eliminating a need for a secondary execution of the neural network model to obtain the secondary output.

13 . The calibration method of claim 11 , further comprising identifying the plurality of breakpoints by (i) determining, by the computer system, a minimum/maximum step and a slope deviation for identifying a breakpoint.

14 . The calibration method of claim 13 , further comprising identifying the plurality of breakpoints by (ii) determining, by the computer system, an instantaneous slope at a first data point and creating, by the computer system, a line with the determined instantaneous slope through the first data point.

15 . The calibration method of claim 14 , further comprising identifying the plurality of breakpoints by (iii) stepping, by the computer system, to a second data point and comparing, by the computer system, a Y-value of the second data point to a Y-value of the created line.

16 . The calibration method of claim 15 , further comprising identifying the plurality of breakpoints by (iv) identifying, by the computer system, the first data point as a breakpoint when the difference between the Y-values of the second data point and the created line is greater than the slope deviation.

17 . The calibration method of claim 16 , further comprising identifying, by the computer system, the plurality of breakpoints by continuing identifying breakpoints until the maximum number of breakpoints have been identified.

18 . The calibration method of claim 13 , wherein the multi-dimensional surface is a two-dimensional (2D) surface.

19 . The calibration method of claim 13 , wherein the multi-dimensional surface is a three-dimensional (3D) surface, and wherein the method further comprises dividing, by the computer system, the 3D surface into a plurality of 2D surfaces.

20 . The calibration method of claim 19 , further comprising:

Identifying, by the computer system, the plurality of breakpoints for each of the plurality of 2D surfaces; and

determining, by the computer system, a plurality of breakpoints for the 3D surface by calculating a weighted sum of an average and a maximum of the plurality of breakpoints for the plurality of 2D surfaces, respectively.