Software Products
The value of car data could add up to $750 billion per year by 2030. The anticipated proliferation of new features and services will turn car data into a decisive theme within the automotive industry. In this context, both traditional automotive players and new players (e.g., high-tech giants, start-ups, service providers) are eager to capitalize on this opportunity (Mc Kinsey). As CES has profound experience and competency from the perspective of both start-ups and dominating OEM’s, we are your perfect partner to succeed in the monetization of car data.
The generation, processing, and usage of car data can be split into three steps; onboard functions gather and derive, with clever algorithms, useful data about the vehicle and its environment. This data is then aggregated with data from other vehicles and enriched with infrastructure data in the cloud. Lastly, this information is downloaded to all subscribed vehicles to improve safety, comfort, and reliability. In addition, cloud data can be used for weather forecasting, which would be extremely valuable to road maintenance providers and road users.
Currently, functional software is strongly linked to host ECUs. In the future, software will become more standardized and exchangeable because automotive electronic architecture is transitioning from being a distributed heterogeneous architecture to a server-based and centralized architecture.
Because CES has more than 20 years of experience as an automotive software-as-a-product supplier, we are your ideal partner for software development.
We are an expert in developing and testing future-proof onboard vehicle functions. We have a library of scalable software functions that manage car data by filtering, aggregating, enriching, and transmitting it reliably. Our software products can also be delivered as updates-over-the-air to any supported electronic control unit in the car.
Examples
iTPMS
The Deflation Detection System Plus (DDS+) is an indirect Tire Pressure Monitoring System (iTPMS) that detects loss of tire pressure on moving vehicles based on wheel rotation information. It does not require a specific tire pressure measurement sensor and is, therefore, a prime example of CES Software-as-a-Product. It can be integrated into any ECU which supports the appropriate interfaces.
DDS+ detects any decrease in pressure in each tire independently using existing wheel speed brake system’s sensors. DDS+ detects pressure loss through variances in dynamic rolling circumference and the resultant change in rotation velocity of the affected tires in comparison to the other tires. Additionally, the characteristic harmonics of the torsional vibration changes in response to tire pressure and provides additional clues to deflation. DDS+ is continuously monitoring these two effects, and if deviances are noted, the driver is informed audibly and/or visually.
Monitoring the forces transmitted from the engine to the drivetrain helps to optimize the DDS+ learning process. As with every iTPMS, the driver has to confirm the correct tire pressure after tire pressure adjustment or tire replacement by performing a manual reset operation. This reset operation triggers a calibration phase, where the current tire properties are recorded for reference.
DDS+ has the capability to comply with the test procedures of current FMVSS138, ECE R141, and China GB26149-2017.
Onboard Friction Estimation
Onboard Friction Estimation is a cost-optimized software solution using existing hardware components. It provides the estimation of road friction during typical driving conditions, where no active control functions are required. The key values analyzed are tire stiffness and road texture (smooth, rough, gravel, cobblestone, etc.), which are determined through the use of sophisticated algorithms.
By supplementing this with additional information such as control function activity (ABS and TCS, for example), wiper use, and ambient temperature, a friction value can be estimated with higher accuracy and reliability.
Optionally, this value can be uploaded to a cloud in addition to a position and time tag. Once in the cloud, it can be aggregated with friction estimation collected from other vehicles and enriched with; weather data, infrastructure data, and friction models. This data could then be made available to other road users as a reliable friction map.
Loose Wheel Detection
A study done in the UK demonstrated that there up to 11,000 wheels attached improperly to vehicles each year in UK. Up to 1,2% of improperly attached wheels lead to an incident that causes damage and 4% of these accidents are fatal. Especially in the focus of highly automated driving, functions are required to gather information that a driver would recognize intuitively. Thus, the detection of a loose wheel is indispensable for automated driving.
The software function ‘Loose Wheel Detection’ (LWD) detects characteristic signal patterns from the wheel speed sensors and can detect loose wheels starting from a 0.5mm gap between rim and wheel hub in just a few seconds.
The function is very robust and application is easy especially in combination with iTPMS.
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