What is in-vehicle infotainment and the integrated cockpit? The future of the car and the challenges of achieving it

What is in-vehicle infotainment and the integrated cockpit, and what are the challenges of implementing it with interior displays? Explains specific measures to address these issues. It explains how these issues should be addressed in the face of demands for higher resolutions, multiple displays, and functional safety.

What is In-Vehicle Infotainment (IVI)?

"In-Vehicle Infotainment (IVI)" supports driving and comfort by providing information and entertainment to the driver and passengers.

In order to understand this concept, one must understand what is meant by "infotainment". "Infotainment" is a term used in this market that combines the words "information" and "entertainment". "In-car infotainment" provides these functions when needed.

What type of information drivers and passengers need is typical information to support driving, such as navigation and road traffic information. In addition, there is entertainment and content playback, such as music and movies.

In the future, when cars are generally connected to high-speed Internet, we will be able to see more. For example, reading the news, retrieving files stored in the cloud, downloading movies, downloading music, and operating our cars using voice recognition are all things we do now with computers and smartphones, more comfortably and seamlessly.

What is an in-car infotainment system?

The term "in-vehicle infotainment system" refers to the various mechanisms that make in-vehicle infotainment possible.

More specifically, it is a system that receives user operations through switches, touch panels, voice, processes necessary information, and then outputs it to speakers or displays. It is based on various hardware and software.

Among these components, displays that show various types of information play an important role.

* "In-car infotainment" usually means "navigation etc + audio/visual", but includes "instruments/dashboard display" in the description here.

What is the Central Information Display (CID)?

The "Central Information Display" is a large display located in the center of the cockpit. It displays navigation and entertainment information, which is essential for realizing in-vehicle infotainment. It is expected to become larger, with higher resolution and more displays in the future.

What is a meter/dashboard display?

The "Instrument/Instrument Cluster Display" is the display behind the steering wheel. In some cases, it is called the instrument cluster display. It shows driving speed, battery charge, engine/motor speed, fuel consumption, and various signal devices/warning lights. Most of this information is related to driving safety, so it is necessary to ensure that it is displayed correctly.

What is a Heads-Up Display (HUD)?

A "head-up display" is a display that displays information by projecting it onto the windshield. It might be easier to understand if you think of it as being displayed on a certain portion of the windshield.

The head-up display usually shows driving information such as speed and gas/battery level, as well as simplified information from the navigation. To this end, the driver can continue driving without looking down.

Head-up displays have become increasingly advanced recently, thanks to the emergence of head-up displays and augmented reality technology. For example, AR displays can display arrows indicating the direction of travel that is consistent with the actual road outside the windshield, rather than simply projecting navigation information, making recognition more intuitive. This next-generation head-up display is expected to become mainstream in the future.

What is the latest trend in head-up displays (HUDs)?

What is a panoramic HUD (panoramic HUD)?

This section introduces panoramic HUD, which has become a hot topic recently. This is different from the conventional HUD. It is a new type of display that projects the image of the display embedded in the instrument panel onto a special black coating on the lower part of the windshield with high light intensity. This type of display has attracted a lot of attention in recent years because it does not require a complex optical mechanism like HUD and allows the user to see necessary information with a high-contrast display while keeping their eyes forward. In addition, since projection can be made across the entire width of the windshield, a wide range of content can be displayed in addition to the conventional display provided by the instrument and HUD.

The future vision of "In-car Infotainment" cars

Some of this is already happening through the link between in-vehicle infotainment and advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS).

Object detection, such as a pedestrian or another vehicle, is one example. The system utilizes sensors installed in the vehicle and high-precision GPS to detect danger. The system not only displays information on the display, but also assists with braking. In addition, the system monitors the driver to support safe driving. The driver's condition is monitored in real time through image sensors and heart rate sensors built into the seat and other parts of the vehicle. If the system determines that the driver is drowsy or inattentive, it alerts the driver to avoid danger through warning sounds and seat vibrations.

There are also some things that have been achieved in the entertainment industry. For example, downloading high-quality music from a smartphone. Playing music through a car audio system connected to high-spec speakers allows you to enjoy music in your car as if you were in a concert hall.

As in-vehicle infotainment develops further in the future, more new possibilities will emerge.

This is just one example, but the car might recognize a schedule registered in the driver's smartphone and automatically set the navigation system. Or play music selected by the driver. Combined with autonomous driving technology, drivers will be able to eat, chat, play games and work just like they would at home or in the office.

With the development of in-car infotainment, time that used to be spent in traffic can now be spent freely.

What is an integrated cockpit?

Integrated cockpit refers to the integrated management of the display of various information, including information displayed on the instrument/instrument panel, as well as content displayed on the central information display and head-up display. In addition, recent integrated management includes information such as advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), driver monitoring systems (DMS), etc., and is expected to be widely used. Until now, the instrument/instrument panel and infotainment have been separate units, but in the "integrated cockpit", everything is controlled by a single ECU. This will enable the display of necessary information on the most appropriate display at the necessary moment, contributing to improved safety and convenience for drivers and passengers.

Challenges of Displays in In-Vehicle Infotainment Systems

With the development of in-vehicle infotainment, the display area also faces challenges.

*Usually, "in-vehicle infotainment" refers to "navigation etc + audio/visual", but this includes "instruments/dashboard display".

Larger, higher-resolution displays

First, displays are becoming larger in size and resolution. In the past, automotive displays were used to show limited information, such as the time, navigation system, and song titles. As the amount of displayed content increases, such as images on rearview mirror monitors, remaining motor battery power, and driver operation trends, displays are becoming larger in size and higher in resolution.

In order to display such a variety of information on a larger display, the entire system must be brought to higher specifications. Therefore, the challenge is how to cope with the ever-increasing size and resolution of displays.

Multiple displays (multi-monitor)

Multiple displays are another challenge. In addition to the central information display and the instrument/dashboard display, cars now have many more displays, including head-up displays. Of course, the convenience of displaying more information has greatly increased. However, in some respects, it can be difficult to know what information is shown on which display.

Multiple displays are also combined into one large display. For example, a central information display is usually a single display, however, as the information increases, multiple displays are combined into a single display. User convenience increases, but the technical problem of distributing a single video signal to multiple displays must be solved.

Safety measures for digital instruments/instrument clusters

Instrument/dashboard displays used to show speed, engine speed, etc. in an analog manner. Today, digital displays on LCD screens placed partially or fully on the instruments are becoming mainstream.

Of particular concern is safety-related information such as signal devices/warning lights, gasoline, battery charge, seat belts, ajar doors, and side brakes. If the display continues to show incorrect information, the safety of the driver and passengers could be seriously compromised. To prevent this from happening, the entire system must have a mechanism to detect when the display fails.

Features of Epson Car Display Controller

Epson offers a range of automotive display controllers with various features that help enable in-vehicle infotainment and integrated cockpits. A key feature is the ability to adapt to a variety of display needs.

The image on the display is displayed by outputting the video signal from the SoC (System on Chip) to the display. However, with the development of in-vehicle infotainment, inconsistencies have arisen between the signals from the SoC to the display. Placing Epson's in-vehicle display controller between the SoC and the display solves these problems.