Ericsson has announced more details around its plans to power the ultimate connectivity experience for self-driving cars. As autonomous driving becomes a reality with more cars hitting the road this year, the company says attention is turning to spotty network coverage along highways that stand in the way of great media and productivity experiences.
At CES 2016 in Las Vegas, Ericsson and Volvo Cars announced their joint research program to develop intelligent, high-bandwidth, streaming capabilities that will ensure drivers and passengers get the most out of their time travelling in an autonomous Volvo. New technologies from the research program are planned to be integrated in autonomous driving Volvo cars.
The autonomous car connectivity capabilities announced by Ericsson utilize creative techniques to ensure a premium media experience for self-driving cars, especially on high-speed highways. This environment is particularly challenging because bandwidth and data management were not intended to support high volumes of data in high-speed mobile situations, the company says. While network coverage is strong in static locations, it is largely inconsistent on highways and only limited data can be stored in a car.
Ericsson has supported Volvo’s Connected Vehicle Cloud (CVC) – based on Ericsson’s Multiservice Delivery Platform – since 2013. The CVC provides infotainment, applications and communication services in Volvo’s new cars.
Ericsson platform will support open application programming interfaces
Ericsson’s open application programming interfaces (APIs) platform will support industry partners in the development of in-car ecosystems that offer innovative services and applications.
The company’s open software platform delivers time-relevant media and content to the autonomous car. The platform creates a network that combines network awareness, data and analytics that enhance productivity and experiences. Using key capabilities such as video segmentation, network optimization and understanding of real-time traffic data, the platform provides a seamless viewing or productivity experience, the company says. Open APIs allow the platform to support multiple partners for creation of an application ecosystem that is built around the driver.
Diomedes Kastanis, chief technology officer of Software Solutions, Ericsson, said, “Ericsson’s platform can use analytics for a range of use cases, including suggesting media content to fit the length of a planned route. We are taking an expansive, innovative approach to autonomous cars, treating them as Internet of Things (IoT) devices that are made smarter by our powerful, analytics-driven approach. Our latest work on this front represents yet another example of Ericsson’s focus on open, agile software that meets the needs of emerging ecosystems.”
During Mobile World Congress 2016 this week in Barcelona, Ericsson will showcase its unique industry insights, the latest innovations and inspirational discussions that enable powerful new business opportunities. The company says the world is in the midst of the societal transformation to what it calls the Networked Society: a society in which mobility, broadband and cloud empower every person and every industry to reach their full potential. The company can be found at hall 2, stand 2N60.
