Harman concept on Intel technology

Harman Becker Automotive Systems has announced a co-operation agreement with Intel on energy-efficient infotainment solutions

Harman Becker Automotive Systems, the Automotive Division of Harman International, has announced a co-operation agreement with Intel on energy-efficient infotainment solutions. The company, which presented the first series-ready concept car at CeBit recently, has engineered the concept (revolutionary car-infotainment system) around the new Intel Atom processor Z520PT. The Intel Atom Z520PT is not only outstanding among other features for its processing power, particularly low-power consumption and industrial-temperature support, the result includes energy savings of up to 25per cent. And without any compromises in terms of functionality, performance and enjoyment. The new "green" Harman audio and infotainment solutions are therefore more powerful, more compact, lighter, and more energy-efficient than conventional systems. 

Interestingly, the innovative Harman infotainment platform integrates for the first time in the complex automotive environment the Intel Atom processor Z520PT with 1.3 Gigahertz clock speed. At about 2.2 Watt, the processor now only needs 25 per cent of the power consumption of conventional models - while at the same time providing higher processing performance even in the industrial operating temperatures in cars of minus 40 to 85 C degree. The reason for this impressive energy saving is its enhanced level of miniaturisation based on Intel 45nm Processor Technology. All the Harman Automotive Division energy-efficient infotainment generations rely essentially on highly efficient design solutions, which stand for lower weight and smaller space requirements. Software applications also replace conventional hardware components, so that the total number of components and the weight are reduced, and space is saved; this also has a positive effect on the overall energy balance of the vehicle. The modular design also offers the advantage that the concept can be optimized or upgraded at any time, while the development time is shortened and updates can be implemented at short notice. 

Innovative range of functions - flexible and up-to-date at all times. However, the new Harman infotainment system solutions not only open up the possibility of contributing to lower power consumption, but also serve up a wide range of innovative functions, greater flexibility and always up-to-date information. The car of the future will be permanently "online" and so will be able to provide a range of services that can compete easily with any stationary application at home or in the office. One of the main reasons for this is the fact that all conventional multimedia formats and communications technologies demonstrate a high level of compatibility with Intel architecture. Fast Internet access, extensive e-mail functions and state-of-the-art audio and video formats can therefore be used just as easily as conventional "office functions" (address book, calendar, tasks, etc.), the latest software updates or enhanced infotainment functions. The Internet access in the prototype is achieved with a 3G UMTS telephone or alternatively via WiFi at a speed that was previously not feasible in a vehicle. 

Thanks to the innovative voice control, both the navigation and audio functions and even modern communication tools such as e-mail, SMS, MMS, and electronic address books can be used reliably and safely with a whole-word voice input. The attractive 3D navigation with excellent screen resolution provides three-dimensional special destinations and landscape models, among other features. Apart from conventional map presentations, it is also possible to display satellite maps. The current traffic conditions are taken into account in real time as the system calculates the route. The "Econo Route" option is specifically optimized for the vehicle to ensure minimal power consumption on the route. In the case of a petrol or hybrid vehicle, it calculates the route that will be most economical in terms of fuel and CO2 emissions, and the most energy-efficient route in the case of an electric vehicle. 

In this way, the next-generation Harman infotainment systems, according to Harman International sources, are combining an innovative range of functions, brilliant graphics and high processor performance with low energy consumption for the first time in a car. These aspects are crucially important for car manufacturers: every "energy consumer" in the car can ultimately play its own role in reducing fuel consumption and so reducing emissions. The issue of energy efficiency will become even more significant in future hybrid and electric vehicles, where the power consumption even has a direct influence on the range of the car. 

"We believe that helping our customers to be more successful is strategic to our future growth," said Prasad Chandran, Chairman, BASF Group in India and Head South Asia. "Hence BASF works closely with customers and strives to offer innovative and customized solutions. The Tata Nano project has been special to BASF as we were able to cross geographical, technical and intellectual boundaries to meet Tata's specific needs." Developing products for the Nano was a challenge that required tailor-made solutions and processes that focused on the specific needs of Tata Motors. For the Nano project this involved drawing together experts from the worldwide BASF network to create synergies that fostered innovation.