Abstract: A method for detecting characteristic movements of a vehicle driver for diagnosing a lowering of vigilance by the driver. In a preliminary phase, the surface of the seat base and of the backrest of the seat is divided into a plurality of elementary surfaces in each of which is embedded a pressure sensor able to detect the pressings and releasings applied by the driver on the pressure sensor, and a plurality of specific movements is selected, each of which includes the determination of at least one geographic zone subjected to a “pressing” or a “releasing” resulting from the movement. The data processing includes analyzing the measurement signals provided by the pressure sensors and comparing, at each sampling time, the possible detected geographic zones of pressing and releasing with each stored geographic zone, in order to provide information on detection of a specific movement when there is a correlation between the geographic zones.

Abstract: A method for detecting characteristic movements of a vehicle driver for diagnosing a lowering of vigilance by the driver. In a preliminary phase, the surface of the seat base and of the backrest of the seat is divided into a plurality of elementary surfaces in each of which is embedded a pressure sensor able to detect the pressings and releasings applied by the driver on the pressure sensor, and a plurality of specific movements is selected, each of which includes the determination of at least one geographic zone subjected to a “pressing” or a “releasing” resulting from the movement. The data processing includes analyzing the measurement signals provided by the pressure sensors and comparing, at each sampling time, the possible detected geographic zones of pressing and releasing with each stored geographic zone, in order to provide information on detection of a specific movement when there is a correlation between the geographic zones.

Abstract: Method of evaluating the state of alertness of a vehicle driver based on the analysis of the eyelid movements of the driver. A classification of blink durations composed of m classes defined mathematically, and a classification of states of alertness composed of n alertness state classes including a class corresponding to an “alert” state and a class corresponding to a “sleepy” state, delimited by given thresholds of numbers of medium and long duration blinks, are set up. During an evaluation, a duration vector is associated with each blink, of which each component represents the degree of membership of the blink in one of the predefined duration classes, temporal analysis windows are defined at the end of each of which a cumulative duration vector is calculated of which each component consists of the sum ?M,?L of same row components of duration vectors.

Abstract: The instantaneous energy of the pinging phenomenon is measured, a quantity (R.sub.i) dependent on the instantaneous value of this same measurement is calculated, a sliding average value (R.sub.m) of the quantity (R.sub.i) weighted by a forget factor is calculated and a correction (R.sub.A) of the ignition advance angle is calculated from an inference engine marshalling "fuzzy" logic rules enabling the membership class of (R.sub.a) to be established from those of (R.sub.i) and of (R.sub.m).

Abstract: According to the invention, a) from the position of an accelerator pedal actuated by the driver, a value is extracted of a power (P.sub.d) requested by this driver, b) in various vehicle operating phases, a base power (P.sub.b) absorbed by the vehicle over and above the power possibly required to move the latter is calculated, and c) the quantities of air and of fuel admitted into the engine are controlled in such a way as to drive the power (P.sub.m) which it delivers to the sum of the requested (P.sub.d) and base (P.sub.b) powers.

Abstract: A setpoint air charge (R.sub.c) is calculated from an indicated setpoint (.theta.) of the position of an accelerator pedal, a reference charge value (R.sub.r) is extracted from a behavioural model of the engine (15) activated in real time by the setpoint charge (R.sub.c), an air charge value of the engine (R.sub.m) is measured, and, from the difference (R.sub.c -R.sub.m), the opening (.phi.) of an air-intake throttle valve of the engine (15) is controlled in such a way that the air charge (R.sub.m) of this engine closely follows that of the reference charge (R.sub.r) calculated by the behavioural model. Application to the control of an engine propelling a motor vehicle.