In connected car news are Chamberlain, Toyoda Gosei, Thomas Global, Infineon, Renesas, JLR, SiriusXM, GRL and AUTOCRYPT.
ARQ for Chamberlain Garage Doors
The ARQ remote control is the only universal garage door opener that delivers an advanced, simplified programming and operation with the ability to work with a cloud-based solution within the vehicle for future programs. Drivers will have easy access to open and close their garage door by simply pressing their car’s touch screen.
As Chamberlain Group’s first product to go into automotive production, ARQ is directly installed into the rearview mirror and is expected to hit the road this Fall. This technology gives drivers control over more access points with the ability to connect up to 16 different devices linking to multiple locations such as a primary residence, vacation home or a family member’s garage door.
Toyoda Gosei Ped Protection Airbag
Toyoda Gosei Co., Ltd. (TOKYO:7282) has developed a pedestrian protection airbag that will protect the pedestrian’s head when hit by a vehicle. Toyoda Gosei has developed various types of airbags that protect vehicle occupants; this will be Toyoda Gosei’s first airbag on the market that protects pedestrians and other vulnerable road users.
Among traffic accidents in Japan, the highest mortality rate is seen in those involving pedestrians. The main cause of death in these accidents is head injury. The pedestrian protection airbag covers the rigid parts of the vehicle, such as the front pillars, where the likelihood of fatal injury is the highest. The internal pressure is adjusted to the optimum level for each part of the vehicle covered, mitigating impacts to the head.
These airbags will be used on the Subaru Legacy Outback models for Japan, which are released in October 2021.
Toyoda Gosei will continue to aggressively develop safety systems that will contribute to safer mobility in society.
Thomas Global Reveals Pillar Display System VPDS
Thomas Global Systems unveiled a highly innovative patent-pending vehicle pillar display technology at the Society for Information Display’s 2021 Vehicle Displays and Interfaces Annual Symposium & Expo held in Detroit, Michigan.
Thomas Global’s new Vehicle Pillar Display System (VPDS) provides a significant enhancement to safety by making vehicle A-pillars appear invisible so that drivers can see through to vehicles, pedestrians, cyclists and other objects.
Thomas Global’s VPDS technology is the first to passively generate real depth and dynamically stitch vehicle blind spots with the outside, while rejecting common light sources. VPDS offers significant benefits over previous blind spot pillar display solutions, which do not address focus variation between the display and outside, require complex head or eye tracking or have no ability to prevent the display from being flooded by light sources such as sunlight or vehicle headlights.
“Thomas Global is proud to unveil our industry first VPDS technology. We are delighted at the positive response already received from the automobile industry,” said Mr. William Hutchinson, Chairman of Thomas Global. “VPDS extends our trusted display technology offering into the road vehicle market, where we believe we can make a contribution to safety,” Hutchinson continued.
Featuring an innovative passive optical solution, VPDS incorporates dynamic content, far focused, sunlight rejecting display technology with two externally mounted cameras connected to A-pillar displays on each side of the vehicle.
The increasing width of A-pillars to accommodate airbags and strengthen the passenger cabin has enlarged the A-pillar blind spot over time. VPDS installed in a vehicle’s A-pillars provides the driver with a seamless view of surroundings, eliminating the pillar blind spot which can contribute to collisions without obstructing airbag deployment.
indie Semi Buys Symeo
-indie Semiconductor, Inc. (Nasdaq: INDI), an Autotech solutions innovator, has executed a definitive agreement with Analog Devices, Inc. to purchase Symeo GmbH, ADI’s Munich-based radar division consisting of approximately 35 team members specializing in radar hardware and software development for emerging safety system applications. Symeo’s industry-leading RF and sensor technology enables real-time position detection and distance measurement for high precision radar solutions.
Infineon Tech World Record
-Infineon Technologies AG (FSE: IFX / OTCQX: IFNNY), a world leader in semiconductors for mobility, energy efficiency and the IoT, announced it has attained a GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ title, through its sponsorship of the VW ID.4 USA tour, in conjunction with drivers, Rainer Zietlow and Derek Collins. The record was set for the longest journey by an electric vehicle (EV) in a single country, crossing 35,840.67 miles between July 13, 2021 to October 18, 2021. The drive route incorporated five Infineon sites, including Livonia, MI; San Jose, CA; El Segundo, CA; Austin, TX; and Washington D.C.
The VW ID.4 contains more than 50 Infineon semiconductors, including power semiconductors, microcontrollers and driver ICs. At the heart of the electric drivetrain is a power module from the HybridPACK™ Drive product family for the conversion of energy between the battery and motor. Looking beyond the car, semiconductors from Infineon also play an important role in the electric charging infrastructure and enable faster charging.
Sensata Tech Buys SmartWitness
Sensata Technologies (NYSE: ST) announced the acquisition of SmartWitness Holdings, Inc., a privately-held innovator of video telematics technology for commercial fleets. The SmartWitness platform is comprised of proprietary software and hardware that is purpose-built for the indirect channel of resellers and telematics service providers (“TSPs”), enabling them to provide fleet end users with greater operational insights while making roads safer for drivers everywhere.
Since its founding in 2007, SmartWitness has been a pioneer in video telematics that expand on traditional offerings using artificial intelligence and machine learning to provide contextually aware data that enhances the accuracy and documentation of what really happens in the field. SmartWitness has single and multiple camera platforms, monitoring vehicles and their surroundings to increase safety and driver retention while lowering insurance costs for fleets. The Company offers connected video telematics hardware, software, analytics, and support, including interfaces with more than 40 TSPs globally. Since 2017, SmartWitness has shipped more than 250,000 connected devices to fleet customers through its telematics channel partners, making its solutions among the most widely adopted within the industry. The Company’s solutions are used by fleets across several market segments, including commercial trucking, federal and municipal fleets, schools and public transit networks, and military and first responder vehicles.
Renesas’ SoCs in Toyota Vehicles
Renesas Electronics Corporation (TSE: 6723), a premier supplier of advanced semiconductor solutions, announced that its R-Car H3 and R-Car M3 system-on-chips (SoCs) have been adopted by Toyota Motor Corporation (“Toyota”) for their next-generation multimedia systems. The Renesas R-Car H3 and R-Car M3 SoCs are designed for in-vehicle infotainment (IVI) applications that deliver images, audio, and a variety of information from both in-vehicle and external sources to the driver in a safe and convenient manner. Toyota’s next-generation multimedia system will make its first appearance in the Lexus NX, scheduled for release in November 2021 and later. These systems are planned to be installed in other Lexus- and Toyota-branded vehicles.
Toyota’s next-generation multimedia system incorporates a large-format, high-resolution, maximum 14-inch, wide touch display. The display area can be flexibly divided into sections and zoomed in and out, providing an outstanding combination of advanced functionality and convenience. The system features voice recognition functions, such as quick startup in response to voice commands, an automotive sound system, and an over-the-air (OTA) software update function.
Within these functions, Renesas’ R-Car SoCs provide the ability to smoothly import map information, images, and video input from users’ preferred devices, including smartphones, and connected applications to the large display. They also enable functions such as display touch controls, voice recognition via the microphone input, and audio output to multiple speakers. In addition, the R-Car SoCs’ sophisticated built-in security functions enable secure OTA software updates and provide advanced connected services powered by the SoCs’ outstanding computing performance.
As multimedia system functions vary based on the vehicle model, Toyota has implemented the R-Car H3 in systems for high-end models equipped with full functionality, and the mid-range R-Car M3 in other vehicle models. The R-Car Family provides excellent software compatibility across the product line, contributing to more efficient development when extending systems to a wide range of vehicle models. In addition, Renesas’ broad array of R-Car ecosystem partners offered support for its development.
JLR Range Rover with SirisuXM 360L
– Jaguar Land Rover North America and SiriusXM today announced that the New Range Rover will include SiriusXM with 360L – SiriusXM’s newest and most advanced audio entertainment platform – as a standard feature.
The New Range Rover, which was introduced yesterday in a global reveal by Land Rover, will become the first Jaguar and Land Rover vehicle to offer SiriusXM with 360L, with additional Jaguar and Land Rover vehicles set to follow. The New Range Rover featuring SiriusXM with 360L will be available at Land Rover dealers across the United States with deliveries beginning in Spring 2022.
By model year 2023 SiriusXM with 360L will be standard in Jaguar and Land Rover vehicles equipped with the PIVI Pro infotainment system.
SiriusXM with 360L combines satellite and streaming content delivery into a single, cohesive in-vehicle entertainment experience, upgrading the way the subscriber interacts with the service by providing more choice and a more customizable listening experience for their ride. It delivers more SiriusXM channels in the vehicle and its personalized “For You” recommendations and ability to quickly access related content make it easier for listeners to discover more of the programming they love. With SiriusXM with 360L drivers and their passengers can also access tens of thousands of hours of SiriusXM’s recorded On Demand content, so they can access exclusive interviews, unique shows and live performances whenever they want.
The Land Rover brand’s SiriusXM with 360L experience will also feature Pandora stations. This feature gives the user the ability to create their own ad-free music stations based on the artist they are listening to. Drivers and their passengers can then give songs a thumbs up or thumbs down within the SiriusXM service, or even skip songs, to create their own personal channels in the vehicle that play more of what they want.
GRL Approved by WPC
Granite River Labs (GRL), a global leader in engineering services and test solutions for connectivity and charging, has announced that its GRL-WP-BST-C3 (GRL-C3) tester has been approved by the Wireless Power Consortium (WPC). The efficient and full-featured Qi wireless charging compliance tester is now recognized as an official compliance tool for the Qi Base Power Profile (BPP) v1.2.4 specification.
Wireless power transmitter design and test offers great promise for developers, but it also presents unique design and test challenges. GRL-C3 offers a host of features, such as Qi Exerciser, Protocol & Trace Viewer, and detailed CTS-mapped test execution that provide flexibility for optimal test coverage and design confidence. GRL-C3 automates all required Qi Base Station tests, enabling product developers to quickly run full compliance and validation test suites at the push of a button, making it ideal for Qi-related R&D and compliance testing.
GRL-C3 simplifies wireless charging compliance for devices supporting all Baseline Power Profile (BPP) tests to Qi specification v1.2.4 and v1.3 for BPP, Extended Power Profile (EPP) and Qi authentication. The solution automates oscilloscope and temperature measurements and supports proprietary varieties of Qi wireless charging, providing flexibility for developers to quickly verify products following Qi standards.
“As a user-friendly and cost-effective Qi tester, GRL-C3 fills a void. It is a valuable tool that enables our engineers to instantaneously run all necessary Qi Base Station tests,” said David Bailey, CEO of Xentris Wireless. “The new GRL-C3 is an important addition to both GRL’s and Xentris Wireless’ test solution portfolios for wired and wireless technologies. By increasing confidence and capability, it will help us to reduce costs, accelerate R&D, and get products to market faster.”
What Out for Counterfeit Airbags on eBay
The Automotive Anti-Counterfeiting Council, Inc. (A2C2), a leading voice in the fight against counterfeit automotive parts, is urging eBay to halt the sale of all supplemental restraint system (SRS) airbags and components on eBay.com, calling it the only effective way of preventing the sale of dangerous counterfeit airbags on the site.
Counterfeit airbags pose a serious threat to the health and safety of the motoring public, as they are not made to airbag manufacturers’ specifications, are not subject to quality control tests or application of industry safety measures and do not abide by existing federal regulations. According to testing conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), counterfeit airbags have shown consistent malfunctions ranging from non-deployment to the expulsion of metal shrapnel during deployment.
AUTOCRYPT at Pugfest
Leading automotive and mobility cybersecurity provider AUTOCRYPT Co., Ltd. demonstrated the interoperability of its AutoCrypt V2X security solution at the C-V2X Cross-Industry Pilot Plugfest, China’s largest “Four Layers” C-V2X application testing event, held alongside the 2021 China-SAE Congress and Exhibition (SAECCE) in Shanghai from October 19 to 21.
The annual “Four Layers” C-V2X interoperability demonstration is organized by IMT-2020 (5G) Promotion Group C-V2X Working Group and China-SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers), gathering OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers from around the world. This year’s demonstration was held on test roads across the Shanghai-Suzhou-Wuxi metropolitan area, one of China’s major ITS hubs.
The “Four Layers” of interoperability refers to the physical layer (vehicle), network layer (on-board units or OBUs), message layer (communication modules), and security layer (V2X modules and key management). In the demonstration, AutoCrypt V2X’s software development kit (SDK) was embedded in the OBUs of a major Tier 1 supplier, while its Security Credential Management System (SCMS) was paired with one of the eight participating root certificate authorities (CA).
“The successful completion of the demonstration continues to confirm the interoperability of AutoCrypt V2X in the C-ITS environment,” said Daniel ES Kim, AUTOCRYPT’s Co-Founder and CEO. “As the V2X security provider for all eight full-scale C-ITS projects in South Korea, AUTOCRYPT has worked closely with OEMs and chipmakers across the globe, and our team is highly experienced in adapting to the specific needs and requirements of each client.”
Along with the demonstration, AUTOCRYPT showcased its latest technologies and offered consultations at SAECCE 2021, where its technical experts made two key presentations, one of which explained the role of Plug&Charge (PnC) security for smart EV charging, while the other provided guidance to OEMs on how to incorporate in-vehicle security systems to meet both WP.29 and Chinese