Apparatus for controlling a vehicle and method thereof

A vehicle control apparatus of a vehicle, the vehicle control apparatus comprising:

• one or more processors installed in the vehicle;
• and
• memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the vehicle control apparatus to:
• detect a failure of at least one of;
• a main controller, installed in the vehicle, configured to perform primary control of autonomous driving of the vehicle and to perform minimum risk maneuver (MRM) control, or
• an auxiliary controller, installed in the vehicle, configured to perform secondary control of the autonomous driving of the vehicle;
• and
• based on detecting the failure of the at least one of the main controller or the auxiliary controller, perform an autonomous driving function of the vehicle,
• wherein after the vehicle control apparatus requests transfer of control authority to a user during autonomous driving of the vehicle, based on a failure of the user to take over control authority from the vehicle control apparatus, the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the vehicle control apparatus to:
• perform an MRM for reducing a speed of the vehicle and stopping the vehicle, and
• based on a failure of the main controller occurring during performance of the MRM, continue the MRM using the auxiliary controller,
• wherein the continuing the MRM using the auxiliary controller comprises switching an MRM operation by causing the auxiliary controller to initiate the MRM without receiving an MRM instruction from the main controller, and
• wherein the MRM initiated by the auxiliary controller comprises a first MRM operation controlled by an MRM instruction of a third controller or a second MRM operation not controlled by the MRM instruction of the third controller.

A method comprising:

• determining, by a first controller installed in a vehicle, whether a second controller installed in the vehicle or a third controller installed in the vehicle fails during autonomous driving of the vehicle, wherein the second controller performs primary control of the autonomous driving of the vehicle and is configured to perform minimum risk maneuver (MRM) control, and wherein the third controller performs secondary control of the autonomous driving of the vehicle;
• and
• performing, by the first controller and based on determining that the second controller or the third controller has failed, an autonomous driving function of the vehicle,
• wherein the performing of the autonomous driving function of the vehicle comprises:
• after requesting, by the vehicle, transfer of control authority to a user during autonomous driving of the vehicle, based on a failure of the user to take over control authority from the vehicle:
• performing, by the vehicle, an MRM for reducing a speed of the vehicle and stopping the vehicle, and
• based on a failure of the second controller occurring during performance of the MRM, continuing the MRM using the first controller,
• wherein the continuing the MRM using the first controller comprises switching an MRM operation by causing the first controller to initiate the MRM without receiving an MRM instruction from the second controller, and
• wherein the MRM initiated by the first controller comprises a first MRM operation controlled by an MRM instruction of the third controller or a second MRM operation not controlled by the MRM instruction of the third controller.