In connected car news are Twillo, Toyota, Resensas, SoundHound, HARMAN and FCC.
Twillo Powers TCNA Drivelink
Twilio Inc. (NYSE: TWLO) (LTSE: TWLO), the customer engagement platform that drives real-time, personalized experiences for today’s leading brands, and Toyota Connected North America, Inc. (TCNA), an independent software and data innovation center of excellence, announced Twilio Flex is powering TCNA’s Drivelink telematics service platform.
TCNA leverages the latest technology to help provide more than 5.5 million drivers in North America with convenience, access to emergency services and more behind the wheel. Drivelink can help provide access to emergency services and security features, as well as roadside assistance, to customers through a network of agents who can assist drivers and passengers in various ways. Drivelink is not only a service that can assist in an emergency situation, but also a feature that can elevate the driver’s experience – from providing navigation to even assisting customers with in-vehicle operations.
Drivelink, powered by Twilio Flex, is now live and, since its implementation, TCNA customers have already started reaping the benefits of the updated platform. The platform allows for flexibility and agility, enabling the ability to implement an idea quickly, within hours or days – not months. For instance, TCNA gathered feedback from agents and was able to quickly implement an automated public safety answering point (PSAP) function, allowing the agent to use geolocation to call the proper first responders to help those in need wherever they are in the U.S., Canada and Mexico.
Since launch in 2019, Drivelink has been a lifeline for millions of drivers, with more than 3 million automated and agent-operated customer support calls made in the ensuing three years. The platform, now supported by Twilio Flex, provides drivers with the following capabilities and more in the U.S., Canada and Mexico:
- Roadside Assistance: Whether a flat tire or a tow, roadside assistance is always just a tap of the SOS button away.
- Stolen Vehicle Locator: If a vehicle has been stolen, a Drivelink agent can assist authorities to help track down and recover the vehicle.
- Automated Crash Notification: If someone gets in a car accident and their airbag deploys, it sets off an automatic notification for an agent to reach out.
- Destination Assist: Drivers can click on a map to call an agent who can help find the destination and send it to the navigation in the car. Destination Assist feature available in US and Canada only.
- Call reconnect: If a vehicle disconnects from the network, the call will be picked up by the same agent so the customer has continuity of service.
“Millions of drivers trust Toyota to help provide them peace of mind,” said Steve Basra, CEO and president of TCNA. “The solutions we offer are imperative to our mission of elevating the drivers’ experience. In a world that’s highly competitive and ripe for disruption, we provide the types of services that facilitate a more meaningful relationship with our customers, and Twilio’s tools enable that to happen.”
“Twilio and Toyota share a common DNA as we are both companies of builders,” said Jeff Lawson, CEO of Twilio. “We understand that the power and magic come from tackling problems and building solutions that delight customers. Drivelink, powered by Twilio Flex, is only the beginning of the innovations we’ll see in the near future from the TCNA team. I can’t wait to see what they build next.”
Steve Basra and Jeff Lawson will be at SIGNAL, Twilio’s customer and developer conference, discussing how Toyota and Twilio built this next-gen contact center solution and its impact to date in helping keep drivers safe. SIGNAL 2022 will take place virtually November 2-3, 2022 (Americas & EMEA) and November 3-4, 2022 (APAC). To learn more and register for free click here.
FCC Grant License for C-V2X in ME
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has granted Applied Information, Inc. its 10th experimental license for testing Cellular Vehicle-to-Everything (C-V2X) connected vehicle applications. The latest license is for testing in Brunswick, ME in cooperation with the Maine Department of Transportation.
The experimental licenses enable Applied Information, in coordination with local and state Departments of Transportation (DOT), to test various C-V2X safety applications for the infrastructure under a wide variety of roadway conditions from Maine to Hawaii.
“Applied Information is committed to improving roadway safety by developing connected vehicle applications with our public and private sector partners,” said Bryan Mulligan, Applied Information President. “We believe these licenses demonstrate the pent-up demand of DOTs across the U.S. to demonstrate and deploy C-V2X technology as soon as possible.”
Examples of C-V2X safety applications in development include those for school zones, school buses, emergency vehicles, rail crossings, pedestrian safety and unprotected left turn crash avoidance.
Renesas Intros PMIC
Renesas Electronics Corporation (TSE:6723), a premier supplier of advanced semiconductor solutions, to unveiled an innovative automotive power management IC (PMIC) for next-generation automotive camera applications. The RAA271082 is a versatile ISO-26262 compliant multi-rail power IC with a primary high voltage synchronous buck regulator, two secondary low voltage synchronous buck regulators, and a low voltage LDO regulator. It offers four overvoltage and undervoltage (OV/UV) monitors, I2C communications, a configurable general-purpose I/O pin, and a dedicated reset output/fault indicator. To meet stringent ASIL B metrics, the RAA271082 includes a second independent reference for OV/UV monitors, built-in self-test at power-up, independent OV/UV monitoring, and continuous CRC error checking on internal registers and I2C communications.
The highly integrated RAA271082 provides a universal power solution for automotive cameras. It is an ideal companion for Renesas’ Automotive High-Definition Link (AHL) technology that enables car manufacturers to deliver high-definition video using low-cost cables and connectors. The new PMIC simplifies power supply design for automotive camera applications requiring functional safety compliance, modules that include surround view/satellite, rearview, driver monitor, and e-mirror. The RAA271082 supports the power requirements of almost any combination of image sensor, image signal processor (ISP) and encoder technology, while also supporting direct-from-battery as well as power-over coax supply.
In addition to imaging systems, the RAA271082’s high integration and comprehensive safety features make it an excellent solution for 16- and 32-bit automotive MCUs in a variety of applications.
“Cameras are now an indispensable feature for all new vehicles,” said Niall Lyne, Vice President of the Automotive Analog Power and Video Business Division at Renesas. “Our new PMIC delivers all the functionality our customers need in a compact form factor suitable for almost all automotive camera modules. It is an excellent companion for our AHL solution, recently named as one of the most innovative applications of computer vision technology.”
Key Features of the RAA271082 PMIC
- Developed on an ISO-26262 compliant process, to support system safety goals reaching ASIL B
- High degree of programmability supports a wide assortment of automotive image sensors from all major vendors
- Provides 1A output current capability per switching regulator to support the growing power demands of the latest generation of high-resolution automotive image sensors.
- Supports general-purpose automotive MCUs with integrated reset generation, watchdog timer and programmable GPIO
- Integrates multiple components and functions to reduce overall power consumption
Winning Combination with RAA271082 and AHL
Renesas has developed a Winning Combination to assist customers in designing automotive camera systems using both the RAA271082 and AHL: Full Digital Cluster with AHL. Renesas Winning Combinations are technically vetted system architectures that work together seamlessly to bring an optimized low-risk design for a faster time to market. Renesas offers more than 300 Winning Combinations with a wide range of products from its portfolio. They can be found at https://www.renesas.com/win.
Availability
The RAA271082 is available today, along with the RTKA271082DE0000BU Evaluation Board. More information is available at www.renesas.com/RAA271082.
SoundHound AI Voice for HARMAN
SoundHound AI, Inc. (Nasdaq: SOUN) (“SoundHound”), a global leader in voice artificial intelligence, and HARMAN International, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. focused on connected technologies and solutions for automotive, consumer and enterprise markets, announced they will be working together to bring a seamless, natural voice AI experience to the automotive market.
“We are impressed by SoundHound’s voice AI and we’re excited for the opportunity to work together to provide drivers with a way of controlling their in-vehicle digital experience system that is as smart and intuitive as with any of their other devices.”
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SoundHound will draw on its knowledge of automotive voice technology to deliver advanced speech recognition software to the HARMAN Ignite Store, a leading connected vehicle platform which enables automakers to develop, manage and operate their own in-vehicle app store. This voice-enablement will allow drivers and passengers to effortlessly launch and interact with the broad range of apps and devices already accessible via HARMAN Ignite Store – providing next-level handsfree convenience and safety.
Working together, the two companies aim to create new, voice AI-enabled possibilities for automakers looking to uplevel their in-vehicle technology.
SoundHound’s disruptive voice AI is the result of over 17 years of innovation. Built on Speech-to-Meaning® and Deep Meaning Understanding® technologies, the company’s advanced voice AI platform provides exceptional speed and accuracy. Speech-to-Meaning technology tracks speech in real-time and understands the context, even before the user has finished speaking. Deep Meaning Understanding enables in-vehicle voice assistants to address multiple questions and filter results simultaneously.
Because these technologies work more like the human brain, this best-in-class voice AI allows drivers and passengers to control their in-vehicle experience using natural human speech.
“Great voice technology is now a key differentiator for vehicle-buying consumers, and SoundHound’s advanced voice AI delivers a truly conversational experience that feels natural and effortless,” said James Hom, Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer at SoundHound. “By integrating our advanced voice AI with HARMAN’s elite platform, we’ll be offering automakers a high quality, next-generation system that minimizes distractions and maximizes convenience.”
With over 90 percent of new vehicles globally projected to have voice assistants by 2028 (Automotive World), SoundHound and HARMAN will provide an exceptional, customer-focused solution to automakers looking for a fully OEM-owned and branded in-vehicle experience.
“In line with our ‘Consumer Experiences. Automotive Grade.’ value proposition, HARMAN Ignite Store aims to seamlessly voice-enable third party automotive applications, so it’s critical that our integrated voice AI is the best on the market – both in terms of its technical capabilities and its user-friendliness,” said Albert Jordan, Vice President of HARMAN Ignite Store at HARMAN International. “We are impressed by SoundHound’s voice AI and we’re excited for the opportunity to work together to provide drivers with a way of controlling their in-vehicle digital experience system that is as smart and intuitive as with any of their other devices.”
To learn more about SoundHound, visit SoundHound.com.
For more information on the HARMAN Ignite Store, visit https://car.harman.c