Automotive electronics enters the fourth generation of design architecture, and consumers gain more control

According to iSuppli, the fourth-generation design architecture, which began to be adopted this year, is changing the supply and consumption patterns in the automotive infotainment field, and consumers have greater influence on automotive electronics than before. The fourth-generation design represents the first industry-wide platform that allows consumers to add any features and functions after purchasing a car without restrictions. It is also the first automotive architecture implemented inside the car without a pre-defined feature set on the production line. As a result, the roles and responsibilities of OEM manufacturers and consumers have changed significantly.

For the first time, automakers are admitting they can’t keep up with consumer demand. As a result, automotive infotainment has shifted from an in-car feature to an off-car service. This change, primarily at the software and operating system level, will open up new areas for adding more content and wireless and receiver options to cars.

This means that consumers will not only have the ability to add functionality to their cars through a range of means, but new and existing manufacturers in the automotive electronics value chain will also have many new opportunities.

Leading automotive electronics supplier in danger

In the first three generations of automotive infotainment architecture, top automotive electronics suppliers found it difficult to differentiate due to the limited number of available features. But in the fourth generation, designers in the automotive value chain risk being partially or completely replaced if they fail to overcome some fundamental challenges.

Tier 1 suppliers must meet three key criteria when developing systems for cars. First, they must support visual displays and feedback, ensuring that drivers and passengers can clearly see the displayed data. Second, audio input/output flexibility should be provided so that drivers and passengers get good auditory feedback and can control their music, phone and navigation systems by voice. Finally, interface design must ensure that drivers and passengers get an intuitive interface for controlling all video and audio input/output systems.

The figure below shows how Tier 1 suppliers will need to find opportunities to add value in the fourth-generation automotive infotainment architecture in the future to maintain a competitive advantage.

One feature that is becoming increasingly important in the automotive infotainment space is voice control. As drivers seek greater control over their vast library of content such as music, phone books, maps, directions, etc., voice is currently the most effective way to prevent driver distraction and has become a primary choice in fourth generation designs.

Cheaper

The good news for infotainment manufacturers is that the fourth-generation architecture is software-based, which can reduce the cost of infotainment and save costs in design, development, deployment and after-sales support. But it also makes it more difficult for automakers to differentiate. With consumers having greater control over the features they want and how they want them, it will likely be a battle to achieve profitability in the infotainment space.

Enter MyFord system

Ford is once again taking the lead in automotive infotainment with the launch of its MyFord touch control system, which will be based on a reference design - the preferred approach for manufacturers of cell phones, portable navigation devices (PNDs) and laptops.

The MyFord architecture puts Ford in a very strong position, and the company has a very clear understanding of what it means to control external consumer devices. Ford's idea is not to simply introduce an iPod, iPhone or Blackberry into the car system. Instead, it seeks to create a client/server environment where the client is the car and the server is the external/portable device - it could be a mobile phone, media player or tablet. This is the same design philosophy that has recently begun to be adopted in the mobile phone field, such as Apple's launch of the Apps Store in 2008 and the more recent Nokia Ovi and Google Android environments.

MyFord also allows the driver or passenger to issue commands to any consumer device using voice, steering wheel controls or touchscreen. These commands include next music, play, pause, search or phone book.

With MyFord, Ford is once again clearly ahead in the infotainment space, just as it was when it first introduced Sync, and iSuppli believes other automakers will be scrambling to gain a share of the infotainment value chain.