Continental Product and Innovation Highlights at CES Asia 2017

• Continental offers over-the-air updates for multiple electronic control units in the vehicle
• 3D display surface: new design possibilities in the cockpit
• Multifunctional smart device terminal offers wireless charging and NFC functionality
• Cloud-based vAnalytics provides mobility-related services for dealers and auto repair shops as well as car owners and drivers
• Swarm intelligence on two wheels: eHorizon for motorcycles
• The innovative connected Energy Management offers fuel efficiency guidance to the driver
• Continental’s Safety Domain Control Unit (SDCU) provides Integrated Safety
• Continental’s China Automated Driving Development Vehicle will be shown in CES Asia 2017

Shanghai, China, June 1, 2017. As the automotive industry continues its rapid shift towards software and mobility services, Continental is expanding the list of pioneering products. To demonstrate its interpretation of the digitalization of the automotive world, the international technology company will be showcasing a selection of products and services at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) Asia on June 7 - 9 in Shanghai.

“The entire automotive industry is undergoing a revolution and we at Continental are playing an active role in shaping it. On the basis of our solid expertise in systems integration and our years of experience in the field of vehicle connectivity and human-machine interface technology, we are constantly adapting our products in line with the latest market trends. For example, we are developing the building blocks of new mobility solutions for our customers and helping to shape the mobility of tomorrow together. At the upcoming CES Asia in Shanghai, we will be showcasing the very latest solutions which will be taking us into the future,” says Enno Tang, President & CEO of Continental China.

Continental has helped vehicle manufacturers with over-the-air updates for more than ten years and is today shipping various products capable of being updated over-the-air to different vehicle manufacturers. Now Continental is expanding its portfolio to enable updates of electronic control units across the entire vehicle from powertrain to infotainment systems.

With the cooperation of mobile satellite communications company Inmarsat, Continental will be able to deliver over-the-air updates across the globe through a single network. Inmarsat operates multiple geostationary satellite constellations that provide a two-way data connection combined with a global broadcast capability to enable rapid, responsive and efficient over-the-air updates to vehicles everywhere. This will allow Continental’s customers to deploy worldwide update campaigns at the push of a button, bypassing the complexity of dealing with multiple mobile network operators. The cooperation between the companies will also enable vehicles to leverage intelligent routing over satellite and terrestrial wireless (mobile, WiFi) networks to achieve the best quality of service, least cost, and highest availability.

The growing demand for functions and digital content in the cockpit means that in-vehicle display surfaces are getting bigger all the time. Fully digital instrument clusters may be ideal for flexibly displaying digital content, but they offer less design flexibility. To enable future drivers to enjoy digital content without having to loot at a classic flat media display, Continental has developed a 3D display surface featuring optically bonded, topographical elements that restores a sense of quality and design individuality to the classic display. The 3D display surface was awarded the 2017 CES Asia Honoree Awards in the Mobile category.

The key functionality of the Multifunctional Smart Device Terminal (MFST) from Continental: the new terminal allows drivers to wirelessly charge their smartphone and operate a range of device functions in the vehicle safely and conveniently. To wirelessly connect the smartphone to the vehicle, the driver simply places the device in the compartment in the center console. Virtually any mobile device can then be charged inductively. The only requirement is that the smartphone meets the "Qi" standard specified by the Wireless Power Consortium (WPC) or that it can be retrofitted to do so. The Multifunctional Smart Device Terminal also offers automatic wireless bluetooth pairing of the phone with support of the external antenna and the head unit in the vehicle. The driver only needs to activate the Near Field Communication (NFC) function. The terminal also supports wireless antenna coupling, thus the mobile phone receives significantly better signal quality when transmitting and receiving phone calls and data.

vAnalytics offers a wide range of services, including customer relationship management, geolocation, geofencing, remote vehicle access, diagnostics and fleet management, etc. Taking customer relationship management as an example, “CRM+” connects dealers and auto repair shops to their customer’s vehicles for monitoring and reporting the vehicle related information with the approval of the customer. In China, together with BestDrive – a subsidiary of Continental specializing in spare car parts and auto repair shop services – Continental has been performing the application of the CRM+ service in Shanghai since early summer 2016 successfully. During the Auto Shanghai 2017, Continental signed a strategic Joint Venture agreement with China Unicom Smart Connection to establish and operate a world class Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) solution provider. And vAnalytics will be one of the products and services that the upcoming Joint Venture will deliver to the market.

Motorcyclists can already start looking forward to future seasons because, thanks to the electronic horizon (eHorizon), Continental developers are enabling not only car drivers but also motorcyclists to see around corners. The eHorizon system for two-wheelers interconnects bikers, offers a shared platform to motorcyclist communities, and allows motorcyclists to share important route information. With this system, Continental is using the concept of swarm intelligence, which continuously supplies the digital map in the backend with accurate and up-to-date information. The stored data is collated in the cloud and made available to all motorcyclists. This ensures that bikers are informed in advance of obstacles along their route such as road works, accidents, oil or water on the road, or traffic jams, which enhances safety not only for them but also for all other road users.

In an electric or hybrid vehicle, the connected Energy management (cEM) can adapt hybrid operating strategies to the identified preferences of the driver. At the same time details of the identified route also can be integrated into the energy planning strategy. Route topography, outside temperature (allowing heating requirements to be assessed), time of day (indicating whether this is, say, a regular commute or the start of a holiday) and length of journey are just some examples of the information that can be used in this way. Backend data too can be integrated in the adaptation and optimization process. Continental hails this personalization as a “win-win” for drivers.

The China Automated Driving Development Vehicle was launched in August 2016, aiming to utilize the full innovation to driving forward the AD evolution in China and help to elevate the capabilities of the Chinese automotive industry.