Abstract
The paper will focus on the current and future state of cloud-connected vehicle technologies as well as vehicle systems and the end-to-end connected ecosystem. The numerous technologies available today allow for a wealth of features and functions to be integrated into the vehicle to provide comfort, security, and safety to the driver. The future car will be driving on the network and be part of the IoT.
Engineering Questions/Objections
With the emergence of ever more connected vehicle technologies as well as the interconnectedness of various features and systems in and outside of the car, the possibilities are endless. New features and functions will become possible to implement and allow the car to be a node and sensor of the growing IoT and future eCities. This paper addresses the question of how current and new technologies need to work together, get integrated and connected and how the future of the cloud-connected vehicle will look like and what possibilities for car makers and consumers exist.
Methodology
The convergence of telecommunication, IT, consumer electronics, and vehicle technologies poses a major challenge to automakers intent on meeting consumer feature and quality expectations. Therefore, a very process oriented design and integration methodology is required that takes into account the numerous interfaces between all sorts of legacy and cutting-edge technologies (IT, cloud, CAN, Car2X, HMI, IoT, cellular, e-Horizon, ADAS) in and outside of the vehicle. The need for standards and common, base ecosystem architectures across all industries involved will be shown along with suggested solutions.
Results
Less expensive connected vehicle system development costs through the use of proper design and integration processes as well as standards will directly translate into more widespread deployments and have a direct correlation to the increase in comfort, convenience, and safety features available in future vehicles. As an example, time and cost savings opportunities for consumers and OEMs will abound as a direct result of the ability to use Remote Diagnostics and FOTA instead of time consuming and costly visits to the dealership to address vehicle issues.
Limitations of the Study
The ability of making different automakers agree on a standard for cloud-connected vehicles as well as encouraging cooperation in the development of a safe and robust IoT backbone to support the connected vehicle ecosystem is difficult to assess and predict.
Uniqueness of the Paper
The paper looks at the connected vehicle system considering not only the vehicle but all other connected vehicle systems components for a true end-to-end ecosystem perspective. Proven system design and integration processes as well as standards for OEMs are being discussed.
Conclusions
The complexity and numerous technologies that make up the cloud-connected vehicle ecosystem requires processes and standards for design and integration. Vehicles in the future will be driving on the network and be part of the IoT resulting in the need to reliably integrate and connect numerous differing technologies and industries especially also with the view towards Car Sharing and Autonomous Driving.
KEYWORDS : Car2X, Telematics, Cloud Connectivity, HMI, Internet of Things (IoT), Firmware updates over the air (FOTA), e-Horizon, ADAS and Autonomous Driving (AD)