Issue link: https://te.mouser.com/i/1349158
The Road to Autonomous Driving Transforming Vision into Reality Page 12 TE AUTOMOTIVE /// Trend Paper | The Road to Autonomous Driving infrastructure or to each other. However, LTE's inherent latency is too high for time-critical applications. 5G, which is currently being specified, will offer low latency and high bandwidth in the cellular world. TE has already developed an early prototype for the 5G antenna. WLAN and Bluetooth Bluetooth and Wireless LAN (WLAN) also have a place in vehicle networks. Bluetooth is being used for remote access and allows smart phones to communicate with infotainment systems. It will soon replace a key fob. TE has developed integrated Bluetooth antennas and transceivers in rooftop antennas to provide the interface for such use cases. In addition, remote parking applications, where the car is controlled via a smart phone while it 'self-parks,' can be supported. WLAN is a good choice when high data throughput is required to connect consumer devices to the car. Cars already offer WLAN hotspots, which allow passengers to access the internet via a built-in LTE modem. Furthermore, WLAN may be used to connect the car to the Internet while it is stored in the garage at home, so that critical software updates can be rolled out overnight via FOTA, or Firmware Over The Air, or the driver's music library is synchronized. Smarter Antenna Packaging As the sheer amount of connectivity within the vehicle grows, it becomes increasingly challenging to find practical locations for antennas and accompanying electronic control units. In addition, the frequencies of newer services, such as LTE or WLAN, are in the GHz range which can mean lower signal strength on coaxial cables. TE is therefore developing a solution which combines antennas and transceivers in a single unit. It will reduce the distance signals have to travel and therefore will increase achievable data rates. The target location for such a smart antenna is in the roof area. Services that will likely be supported include mobile communication, V2X, GNSS, Bluetooth, and WLAN. Such an architecture also has the advantage of having only one high-speed data interface (e.g., Ethernet), which provides access to all of the above-mentioned services. With the deployment of 5G, even higher frequencies are expected, meaning that such an antenna transceiver combination will be become standard. 7 | THE ROLE OF SENSORS A fully autonomous vehicle will incorporate a sensor taxonomy comprising of internal and external sensors as well as sensors using data communication. As discussed, high resolution stereo and/or mono cameras, RADAR, and LIDAR enable the sensing of the vehicle's immediate surroundings and communication based on V2X data, which provides information about the environment beyond the line-of-sight as well as traf- fic infrastructure. The fully autonomous vehicle will also depend on internal vehicle sensing technology, much of which exists today but is being deployed in new applications and combined with other sensor functionalities requiring, in some cases, even greater levels of functional safety and accuracy. Today multiple ADAS related applications such as Electronic Stabilization Control (ESC) and Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS) are enabled by precise sensor-generated information. The following use cases describe examples of the expanded and increased significance of sensors in fully autonomous vehicles. Reactive Body Position Control for Collision Protection A key driver of ADAS and autonomous driving is the industry's goal to increase safety and eliminate road fatalities. There are already numerous advanced features that utilize sensor-based technology to monitor, detect, and respond to driving hazards and risks.