Page 48 - EETEurope FlipBook February

48 EE|Times EUROPE
Premium In-Car Audio Systems Have a Clear Road Ahead

• BMW Group and Amazon Web Services
(AWS) have formed a strategic collabo-
ration to develop cloud-based software
systems to provide complete turnkey
solutions from development, engineering,
and manufacturing to sales, management,
service, and supply chain operations.
• Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) is
partnering with Amazon to create Alexa
Custom Assistant, a custom voice assis-
tant, with its own custom features, that
will work side by side with the Alexa
voice assistant.
• Hyundai and Harman recently announced
a noise-cancellation system called Road-
Noise Active Noise Control (RANC) to
reduce in-cabin noise.
• DSP Concepts and Bose are collaborat-
ing to bring Bose’s QuietComfort Road
EETE: While always-listening systems EETE: A fierce competition is taking place Noise Control within DSP Concepts’
could save lives in automotive human- among audio technology vendors. Who Audio Weaver audio-signal–processing
machine interfaces, they also raise is leading the race? Who are the fol- environment. This collaboration means
concerns about the user’s privacy lowers, the challengers, the changers, that carmakers using Audio Weaver,
protection. How can we guarantee and the nichers? such as Tesla, Porsche, or BMW, could
privacy for the user? Are players in Goldenson: I don’t think I can answer this offer Bose’s QuietComfort RNC to their
the microphone, ASIC, or application- question, given the numerous innovators vehicles.
processor sectors developing driving audio technology. Let’s just say the There is no question that automotive, Tier
technologies in that sense? audio technology companies that create One, and audio technology suppliers continue
Goldenson: There is no question that privacy differentiated voice solutions, noise can- to recognize growth opportunities and are
and security issues associated with always-on cellation, immersive audio, or streaming IP leveraging strategic partnerships in an effort
devices — whether at home, on a smartphone, experiences to set themselves apart from the to take advantage of them.
or in a vehicle — are demanding increased competition will be leading the race based
attention. Reviewing the latest government on our trend analysis. At SAR Insight & EETE: In your opinion, what are the
regulations [reveals] that existing legal legis- Consulting, we work with various audio untapped opportunities in the in-car audio
lation is not sufficient to protect consumers. companies across the supply chain, from IC market? What are users asking for that
I do have concerns about the impact that component to software- and hardware- audio technology vendors should develop?
connected cars will have on users’ private enabling technologies to device manufactur- Goldenson: I’ve spent considerable time
information. As cars increasingly become con- ers. In our experience, the companies that reviewing automotive audio technology
nected and automation is turning into reality, offer not only differentiated products and ser- developments, and the untapped opportuni-
data privacy needs to be prioritized. vices, but accurate and reliable solutions that ties appear to be similar to the audio needs
The interesting challenge with AI and are compatible with AI and connectivity and of consumers at home and on mobile devices.
computer algorithms is the dichotomy build brand confidence with end users, are These include in-car audio systems that
between needing to continue collecting data usually the leading competitive companies. deliver superior audio quality in the form of
to process, learn, and reason about the world immersive audio with 3D sound impressions,
while, at the same time, identifying data EETE: More and more strategic part- new speaker configurations and positioning to
collection, processing, and storage solutions nerships between automotive OEMs, optimize sound, digital and interactive dash-
that protect the end user. AI-related commu- Tier One suppliers, and audio technology boards to enhance infotainment UX,
nications and transferring information back leaders are taking place. What do you see AI voice assistant platforms that provide
and forth through the cloud can raise security coming out of these collaborations? useful and functional information and vehicle
and privacy concerns. Goldenson: There is clearly a growing num- performance, active noise cancellation tech-
This is perhaps where the benefits of edge ber of strategic partnerships between OEMs, nology that diminishes unwanted in-cabin
computing in the vehicle can be considered. Tier Ones, and technology firms looking to noise, and personalized online streaming
Certainly in automotive — where real-time create a competitive advantage and differ- content and metadata programming that
data is critical — more data is being processed entiate their connected vehicle and feature takes advantage of 5G wireless networks
at the edge or local level, thereby reducing offerings. One of the areas for strategic part- to enhance the driver and passenger in-car
security attacks, which happen during data nerships is within the audio space. Here are multimedia experience.
transfer over a network. Companies across recent examples across the ecosystem: There are a lot of exciting develop-
the ecosystem, from IC component and tech- • Sennheiser and Continental have col- ments and growth opportunities within the
nology software and hardware providers to laborated on a speakerless immersive connected vehicle audio market. These are
Tier One [suppliers] and OEMs, can differen- sound system. The new audio system transformative times in the advancement of
tiate themselves in the market by securing has zero speakers and combines AMBEO in-car audio technology solutions. IMAGE: SHUTTERSTOCK
and processing critical data to enhance the 3D audio technology from Sennheiser
driving experience and address security and with Ac2ated Sound from Continental to Anne-Françoise Pelé is editor-in-chief of
privacy concerns. render 3D sound. EE Times Europe.

FEBRUARY 2021 | www.eetimes.eu