Principle and development history of vehicle-mounted T-BOX

TelematicsBOX is referred to as T-BOX, also known as Telematics Control Unit (TCU). It is an intelligent terminal device composed of a processor, GPS module, 4G/5G module (with SIM card function), and supports multiple interfaces (such as CAN bus, USB, RS-232, Bluetooth, etc.). It is an important part of the Internet of Vehicles system. By connecting the on-board CAN bus and the external cloud platform, it realizes communication and data exchange between vehicles (V2V), vehicles and infrastructure (V2I), and vehicles and the Internet (V2N).

T-BOX Principle

The core functions of T-BOX are MPU and MCU.
MPU is used to implement application functions, such as viewing vehicle information, unlocking doors or remotely starting the vehicle through APP.
MCU is mainly used to control power management and access the vehicle CAN bus.

T-BOX communicates with the host through the CAN BUS bus to achieve the transmission of commands and information, thereby obtaining information including vehicle status, button status, and transmission of control commands, etc. Through audio connection, both parties can share the microphone and speaker output. It communicates indirectly with the mobile phone APP through the background system in the form of a data link (two-way).

The communication between T-BOX and the backend system also includes voice and SMS. The SMS form is mainly used to realize one-key navigation and remote control functions.

T-BOX can deeply read the CAN bus data and private protocols of the car. The MCU part of T-BOX has an OBD module with powerful processing functions. The module has a built-in CPU architecture to collect the bus data and private protocols of the car bus, so as to perform reverse control and transmit the data to the cloud server through the network.

T-BOX can also locate the vehicle through the GPS module and use the network module to transmit data to the cloud server through the network. Car owners can obtain vehicle condition reports, driving reports, fuel consumption statistics, fault reminders, violation inquiries, location trajectories, driving behaviors, security and anti-theft, reservation services, remote car search and other information from the cloud server through the mobile phone APP. They can also indirectly interact with the network module through the connection with the server on the mobile phone APP, and then through the channel between the network module and the MCU, finally use the MCU to provide services such as controlling the car doors, windows, lights, locks, horns, double flash, mirror folding, sunroof, monitoring central control warnings and airbag status.

The mobile phone can unlock the car door through a series of links including the mobile phone, cloud server, vehicle-mounted T-BOX, vehicle bus, and door control system.

T-BOX Features

The functions provided by T-BOX include network access, OTA, remote control, location query, vehicle tracking, battery management, location reminder, eCall, remote diagnosis, platform monitoring, national supervision, etc.

Network access

T-BOX has SIM and communication modules, supports registration with operator networks, serves as the entry point for the vehicle to connect to the Internet of Vehicles, and provides Internet access services to the vehicle computer.

Real-time upload of vehicle information

T-BOX can not only access the Internet but also is the core controller of vehicle informationization. It communicates with the whole vehicle through CAN and Ethernet, and obtains vehicle information in real time, including real-time fuel consumption, engine water temperature, engine speed, vehicle mileage, current vehicle speed, battery voltage, intake pressure, coolant temperature, oxygen sensor voltage, engine load, throttle opening, air flow, GPS vehicle location information, etc. It realizes real-time monitoring of vehicle driving data.

Remote Control

When the vehicle is stationary, the vehicle can be remotely controlled. You can enter the unique ID number VIN of your vehicle through the mobile phone APP and TSP backend webpage to obtain the current real-time status of the vehicle, such as whether the windows are closed, whether the doors are locked, the remaining fuel and power, the total mileage, the temperature of the cab, and other vehicle information. We can perform corresponding remote control based on this information, such as remotely opening the door, remotely opening the window, remotely opening the trunk, remotely turning on the air conditioner, etc., which greatly facilitates the driver's experience. It is also an important application of the current Internet of Vehicles. Many new energy vehicles can now realize the function of remote control.

Remote Diagnosis

The automobile remote fault diagnosis system means that when the car is started, T-BOX obtains the fault information of the car and uploads the fault code to the data processing center. The system rechecks the fault information without disturbing the owner. After the fault is determined, it is automatically eliminated remotely. Faults that cannot be eliminated are sent to the owner via SMS, so that the owner knows the fault information of the car in advance and takes precautions. The basic principle is that T-BOX directly connects to the gateway and communicates with the vehicle network through the CAN transceiver, can obtain data from the entertainment CAN and diagnostic CAN, and can control BCM, VCU, etc., or issue diagnostic commands.

Vehicle abnormality alarm upload

When some parts of the vehicle are abnormal or seriously faulty, such as: engine temperature is too high, door intrusion, water temperature is too high, oil level is low, etc., T-BOX will immediately obtain the fault or abnormal information and transmit this information to the user, reminding the user to deal with these problems in time, which greatly improves the user's driving safety.

E/B-call service

eCall (Emergency Call) includes roadside assistance, automatic collision notification (ACN), etc.

The EU has mandated that all new cars on the market be equipped with the automotive emergency call system eCall by the end of 2017. The international standard (ETSI TS 126 267) specifies the data format of the eCall digital channel transmission MAD (Minimum Set of Data), including location, vehicle type and accident severity, as well as the call priority of the synchronous voice channel and PSAP (Public Safety Answer Point).

eCall supports manual triggering and automatic triggering. The manual eCall function can be triggered by a physical button (a red button on the roof, usually marked as SOS); the automatic eCall function means that when the airbag pops out after a collision, the T-BOX automatically dials the rescue phone after receiving the collision signal. After the eCall is dialed, the backend will provide and arrange the corresponding rescue service in a timely manner according to the vehicle's location.

eCall is a European standard, and Russia has also launched a similar solution, ERA GLONASS. Domestically, there are currently no mandatory regulations.

OTA Function

The traditional way to update car software is to go to a 4S store to upgrade the corresponding ECU software through OBD and upgrade the infotainment system through USB and other interfaces. With the development of smart cars, local upgrades are no longer suitable for the rapidly changing in-vehicle ecosystem, and OTA is now widely used in cars.

Over-The-Air (OTA) refers to the process of downloading and updating software via wireless transmission instead of cables or other local connection methods. Common types of OTA include SOTA (Software OTA, application software upgrade), COTA (Config OTA, configuration update), and FOTA (Firmware OTA, firmware upgrade). OTA can be used to add new features to the vehicle and fix vulnerabilities.

SOTA: Software upgrade, for the application software upgrade on the vehicle.
COTA: Configuration upgrade, for the configuration upgrade on the vehicle.
FOTA: Firmware upgrade, for the firmware upgrade on the vehicle, to achieve major functional updates in the power domain, chassis domain, assisted driving domain, infotainment domain and body domain.

OTA mainly involves two ends, background management and client. Background management includes upgrade package upload, version control, upgrade process monitoring and statistics, application and data upgrade, etc.; client includes scheduled update check, manual update check, secure download, breakpoint resume, upgrade package verification, etc.

V2X

V2X (cooperative intelligent transport vehicle communication system) is an intelligent transport system that realizes intelligent coordination and cooperation among people, vehicles and roads through information interaction. It can achieve road traffic safety, improve traffic efficiency, and provide information services and other applications. It is a trend in the future development of the Internet of Vehicles, and the realization of this technology is inseparable from the network carrier provided by T-BOX.

Location query/vehicle tracking

Provides real-time positioning information of the vehicle, and the real-time location and historical trajectory of the vehicle can be queried through the mobile phone application.

Platform monitoring/national supervision

The on-board communication unit (OCU) installed on the vehicle is used to transmit the high-voltage electricity-related static data, dynamic data and fault status required by the state to the government platform in real time. The corresponding national standard is "GB/T 32960-2016 Technical Specification for Electric Vehicle Remote Service and Management System". From April 1, 2017, all new energy vehicles must implement the national standard GB/T 32960.

T-BOX Prospects

T-BOX is a key component of intelligent connected vehicles

T-BOX (TelematicsBOX) can deeply read the CAN bus data and private protocols of the car, and transmit the data to the cloud server through the wireless network. It is a key component of the intelligent networked car, providing reliable and complete driving safety, security, energy saving, information, entertainment and other service functions for the intelligent networked car. T-BOX uses a variety of technologies, including: wireless wide area network (WAN), wireless local area network (WLAN), vehicle body communication network (CAN), multi-network routing, vehicle data security, over-the-air number burning (ODC), GPS and Beidou positioning, three-dimensional acceleration sensor, multi-axis sensor, real-time inertial navigation, etc.