Abstract: Method for determining the drowsiness/attention level of the driver of a road vehicle; the method comprises the steps of: detecting at least one steering parameter related to the kinematics of a driver-operated device for steering; where the steering parameter is related to the steering angle and/or the steering speed of the road vehicle; elaborating a steering index as a function of the at least one steering parameter detected; detecting at least one line parameter related to the position of the road vehicle within a lane; processing a line index as a function of the at least one line parameter detected; computing a driver drowsiness/attention index as a function of a combination of the steering index and the line index.

Abstract: An automotive competition method for having at least a first real road vehicle and a second virtual road vehicle race with each other; the method comprises the steps of: defining a virtual space, comprising a virtual track, on which a virtual projection of the first road vehicle and the second road vehicle race together; moving the virtual projection of the first road vehicle in the virtual space according to actions imparted by a driver to the first road vehicle; transmitting to the driver data related to the movement of the second road vehicle in the virtual space by means of an interface device indicating at least the position on the virtual track of the second road vehicle with respect to the position of the projection of the first road vehicle on the virtual track.

Abstract: A motor vehicle including a steering wheel comprising a touch-sensitive portion, a user interface comprising a control device for triggering an enablement of a hill descent control function, and a control unit coupled to the steering wheel and to the user interface is disclosed. The control unit is configured to detect the enablement of the hill descent control function by the control device and to start the hill descent control function in response to a touch on the touch-sensitive portion by a driver of the motor vehicle, provided that the hill descent control function is enabled.

Abstract: A motor vehicle including a steering wheel comprising a touch-sensitive portion, a user interface comprising a control device for triggering an enablement of a hill descent control function, and a control unit coupled to the steering wheel and to the user interface is disclosed. The control unit is configured to detect the enablement of the hill descent control function by the control device and to start the hill descent control function in response to a touch on the touch-sensitive portion by a driver of the motor vehicle, provided that the hill descent control function is enabled.

Abstract: A vehicle comprising a propulsion device, a braking device controllable to brake the vehicle, an accelerator pedal operable to control the acceleration of the vehicle through the propulsion device, a brake pedal operable to control the braking of the vehicle through the braking device, an activation controller usable by a driver to trigger an activation of a hill descent function control, and a control unit is disclosed. The control unit is configured to start the hill descent control function in response to the activation by setting a target value for the speed of the vehicle and by controlling at least one of the braking device and the propulsion device according to the set target value, to perform a change in the set target value based on the use of the accelerator pedal and the brake pedal, and to restart the hill descent control function upon finalization of the change.

Abstract: A control system for a motor vehicle comprising an electronic control unit and a sensory system adapted to detect an obstacle is disclosed. The sensory system generates a first informative datum related to a distance of the vehicle from the obstacle at a first time instant and a second informative datum related to the height of the obstacle. The electronic control unit verifies that the obstacle height complies with a safety criterion as a function of the second informative datum, determines the space travelled by the vehicle between the first time instant and a second time instant as a function of the first informative datum when the obstacle height does not comply with the safety criterion, and controls a braking system and/or signalling system of the vehicle on the basis of the first informative datum and of the determined space to limit the risk of collision with the obstacle.

Abstract: A method to calculate a driving route includes the steps of acquiring information corresponding to a departure place of the motor vehicle and to a target destination, determining a road map comprising a departure point and an arrival point of the driving route associated with the departure place and with the destination, respectively, calculating the driving route on the road map from the departure point to the arrival point by solving a path planning problem comprising an optimization of a target function depending on at least one first scalar parameter defined by a fun index, wherein the fun index is indicative of a level of fun of the driving route and wherein the target function strays away from an optimum value thereof when the fun index indicates a deviation of the level of fun from a target level or a decrease in the level of fun, the optimum value of the target function corresponding to the solution of the path planning problem.

Abstract: A driver assistance method for driving a road vehicle and including the steps of: determining whether the road vehicle, while driving along a bend, is oversteering or understeering or is about to oversteer or understeer; and generating a tactile feedback, which can be perceived by a driver, if the road vehicle, while driving along the bend, is oversteering or understeering or is about to oversteer or understeer.

Abstract: A control method to control a vehicle driving along a main road having a plurality of detours only arranged on one side of the main road. The control method exhibits the steps of: recognising a road surface marking present on a surface of the main road; recognising a road sign present beside the main road in order to determine possible speed limits set by the road sign; and establishing whether a speed limit set by a road sign refers to a detour or to the main road.

Abstract: A control method to control a vehicle driving along a main road having a plurality of detours. The control method exhibits the steps of: recognising a road surface marking present on a surface of the main road; recognising a road sign present beside the main road in order to determine possible speed limits set by the road sign; establishing whether a speed limit set by a road sign refers to the main road or to a detour which is located ahead of the vehicle and has been signalled by a satellite positioning system equipped with georeferenced mapping; establishing whether the driver is going to take the detour; warning the driver of the speed limit set by the road sign and related to the main road for as long as the driver does not intend to take the detour; and warning the driver of the speed limit set by the road sign and related to the detour only when the driver is going to take the detour.

Abstract: A method for the performance-enhancing driver assistance of a road vehicle driven by a driver. The method comprises the steps of detecting a plurality of dynamic data (DD) of the vehicle by means of a control system, suggesting to the driver, by means of an interface device and depending on the plurality of dynamic data, one or more corrective actions to be carried out in order to accomplish a mission optimizing a cost function, and estimating the driving ability of the driver in order to obtain a driver rating value, based on which the corrective actions to be suggested are to be changed.

Abstract: A method for the performance-enhancing driver assistance of a road vehicle. The method comprises the steps of defining a dynamic model of the road vehicle, determining the actual position and orientation of the road vehicle, detecting a plurality of environmental data, detecting a plurality of dynamic data, determining a passing through point of the road vehicle arranged in front of the road vehicle, solving an optimum control problem aimed at optimizing a cost function), taking into account, as boundary conditions, the plurality of environmental data, the actual position and the passing through point, so as to compute a mission optimizing the cost function from the actual position of the vehicle to the passing through point of the vehicle.

Abstract: A method of processing the psychophysical state of a driver to improve the driving experience of road vehicle driven by a driver and comprising the steps of: cyclically detecting one or more objective vital parameters of the driver by means of one or more first sensors installed within a vehicular system; processing the value of a vital state index according to said one or more objective vital parameters detected; cyclically detecting one or more subjective parameters of the driver by means of one or more second sensors installed within the vehicular system; processing, starting from the objective vital parameters and according to the subjective parameters, the psychophysical state of the driver.

Abstract: A method for controlling the orientation of a light beam for a motor vehicle is described comprising the steps of i) adjusting the orientation of a light beam arranged at the front relative to a normal forward moving direction of the motor vehicle; ii) acquiring a map of a path followed by said motor vehicle; iii) acquiring a current position of the motor vehicle along the path; and iv) defining a point of the path to which to orient the light beam, based on the map and on the current position; and v) rotating the light beam relative to the motor vehicle so as to light the point before the motor vehicle reaches the point.

Abstract: A method for the performance-enhancing driver assistance of a road vehicle driven on a track. The method comprises the steps of defining a dynamic model of the road vehicle, determining the actual position and orientation of the road vehicle, detecting a plurality of space data concerning the structure of the track, detecting a plurality of dynamic data of the vehicle, determining a passing through point of the road vehicle arranged in front of the road vehicle, solving an optimum control problem aimed at optimizing a cost function, taking into account, as boundary conditions, the plurality of environmental data, the actual position and the passing through point, so as to compute a mission optimizing the cost function, and driving the vehicle in an autonomous manner so as to show to the driver the mission optimizing the cost function.

Abstract: A method to calculate a driving route includes the steps of acquiring information corresponding to a departure place of the motor vehicle and to a target destination, determining a road map comprising a departure point and an arrival point of the driving route associated with the departure place and with the destination, respectively, calculating the driving route on the road map from the departure point to the arrival point by solving a path planning problem comprising an optimization of a target function depending on at least one first scalar parameter defined by a fun index, wherein the fun index is indicative of a level of fun of the driving route and wherein the target function strays away from an optimum value thereof when the fun index indicates a deviation of the level of fun from a target level or a decrease in the level of fun, the optimum value of the target function corresponding to the solution of the path planning problem.

Abstract: Method for determining the drowsiness/attention level of the driver of a road vehicle; the method comprises the steps of: detecting at least one steering parameter related to the kinematics of a driver-operated device for steering; where the steering parameter is related to the steering angle and/or the steering speed of the road vehicle; elaborating a steering index as a function of the at least one steering parameter detected; detecting at least one line parameter related to the position of the road vehicle within a lane; processing a line index as a function of the at least one line parameter detected; computing a driver drowsiness/attention index as a function of a combination of the steering index and the line index.

Abstract: A control method to control a vehicle driving along a main road having a plurality of detours. The control method exhibits the steps of: recognising a road surface marking present on a surface of the main road; recognising a road sign present beside the main road in order to determine possible speed limits set by the road sign; establishing whether a speed limit set by a road sign refers to the main road or to a detour which is located ahead of the vehicle and has been signalled by a satellite positioning system equipped with georeferenced mapping; establishing whether the driver is going to take the detour; warning the driver of the speed limit set by the road sign and related to the main road for as long as the driver does not intend to take the detour; and warning the driver of the speed limit set by the road sign and related to the detour only when the driver is going to take the detour.

Abstract: A control method to control a vehicle driving along a main road having a plurality of detours only arranged on one side of the main road. The control method exhibits the steps of: recognising a road surface marking present on a surface of the main road; recognising a road sign present beside the main road in order to determine possible speed limits set by the road sign; and establishing whether a speed limit set by a road sign refers to a detour or to the main road.

Abstract: A driver assistance method for driving a road vehicle and including the steps of: determining whether the road vehicle, while driving along a bend, is oversteering or understeering or is about to oversteer or understeer; and generating a tactile feedback, which can be perceived by a driver, if the road vehicle, while driving along the bend, is oversteering or understeering or is about to oversteer or understeer.