IN-VEHICLE INFOTAINMENT (IVI) SOLUTIONS

Today, an infotainment unit can be seen in almost all vehicles. It is basically an information command center on the dashboard, complete with a touch sensitive user interface. The modern infotainment unit replaces some of the switches and buttons usually seen in the vehicles of the past. These days, the infotainment systems are created with the motive of providing the most important vehicle updates to the driver, at the right time – so that there is limited driver distraction.

Through the infotainment unit, the driver can control various vehicle functionalities:

• Radio
• Heating and Air Conditioning
• Integration with mobile phone
• GPS connectivity
• Internet access
• Interior lighting

And much more.

The vehicle infotainment system integrates with various other electronic components within the vehicle to deliver information and entertainment to the occupants, seamlessly. The main components of the infotainment system and their functioning are as follows:

• Head Unit – :The infotainment head unit is located on the vehicle dashboard. It has an intuitive touch-screen based HMI. Of late, automotive OEMs have been introducing multi-display infotainment systems with powerful processors.
• Operating System – :Operating System – Android, Linux and Windows are the operating systems commonly used in infotainment units.
• Heads-Up Display – : Some modern infotainment units have Heads-Up Display (HUD) systems that project real-time information about the vehicle on a dedicated screen on the windshield. The HUD system accepts gesture and voice control so that driver distraction is minimised.
• Connectivity with External Network – :The infotainment system has Bluetooth, GPS and Wi-Fi connectivity modules for mobile phone integration, navigation assistance and internet connection.
• Vehicle Internal Communication Module – :The infotainment hardware is connected to the other ECUs in the vehicle. The communication protocol is standard, such as CAN.

An infotainment system is usually designed with application processors (NXP’s iMX-8 Series, Renesas’ R0Car, Snapdragon, etc.) at its heart. On the other hand, instrument clusters are based on microcontrollers, which are less powerful. So, the features supported by an infotainment system can be more advanced. This includes:

• Bigger display screen
• Video and audio support
• Camera integration
• Mobile phone pairing
• Real-time map or route display
• Advanced graphics

Our blog on Infotainment versus instrument cluster explains this in detail.

Some of the points to bear in mind while testing an infotainment unit are as follows:

• Ensure that the UI is user-friendly and intuitive.
• The infotainment system should deliver information to the driver so that distraction is minimised.
• Ideally, the system should be compatible with various platforms (Android, Linux), secondary devices (USB, SD cards, etc.) and file systems.
• The individual components of the infotainment system should be integrated with each other in a seamless way.
• Adopt automation testing for evaluating complex functionalities without human intervention.
• Pay close attention to the security parameters to be tested – Security against Session expiry, URL manipulation, SQL injection, etc.
• Last, but not the least, the system functionality should be closely aligned with the requirements in the SRS document. Plan to execute straightforward tests (as per the SRS), ad-hoc tests, negative tests, and stress tests.

More information on this can be found in our blog on infotainment testing strategies.

Custom development of an infotainment application implies that you have a greater degree of ownership of the product. You can continuously finetune it to suit your business needs in the future. However, an off-the-shelf solution will not give you this level of control. In readymade solutions, the IP rights will be with the product owner/application vendor. So, you will be dependent on them for any upgrade in the future.

Another aspect to consider is the cost. Although the cost upfront may seem slightly higher for a custom developed solution, it will be a one-time investment. You will not be spending later on for upgrades or scalability.

Remember – the most optimum solution is one that fulfills your current and future requirements. So, it is advisable to create a checklist of your functional and business requirements and accordingly identify the solution you should go for.

Recent studies conducted by ‘Markets and Markets’ and ‘Mordor Intelligence’ show that the infotainment market is expected to grow steadily at 10.7% CAGR till 2027. The main drivers for this market growth are increasing demand for user safety, comfort and convenience. The increase in popularity of smartphone integration with infotainment systems is another driving factor.

The projected growth is robust, despite the pandemic-induced market slowdown in 2020.

Google has introduced Android Automotive, a specialized Android platform for running automotive infotainment applications. It offers scalability, customisation and openness.

Android Automotive is an OS that runs on the in-vehicle hardware. It supports apps that are built for Android and Android Auto.

Android Automotive eliminates the need to pair the infotainment system with a mobile device for internet access, navigation, playing media files, etc. Our recent blog on Android Automotive takes an in-depth look at this technology.