HELLA Showcases Next-Gen Technology
Excelfore has partnered with HELLA to showcase its eSync system at the CES Show, taking place Jan. 9-12 in Las Vegas. Excelfore is an “enabler of smart mobility networks.”
With HELLA, Excelfore is holding product demonstrations in the Excelfore suites in the Westgate Resort, showcasing in practice how the eSync over-the-air (OTA) platform will help carmakers take full advantage of innovative automotive technologies. A representative vehicle network with fully functional current-production HELLA body control and trailer modules will be used. Deep-reaching analytics will go far beyond reading pre-defined error codes, according to the company.
The eSync system can push diagnostic software from the cloud server to individual electronic control units (ECUs) in the vehicle. A variety of electrical, electronic and connectivity characteristics will be drawn and logged for tracking and analysis to predict potential technical issues. The same eSync system can then remotely deliver updated software over-the-air to address issues before they cause failures, according to Excelfore.
The eSync platform will also be used to propose and to install new premium features into HELLA’s innovative lighting systems, allowing OEMs to access new business opportunities by creating options for consumers to customize features in their cars.
“Our new advanced lighting systems will open up entirely new possibilities in automotive lighting. This enables us to offer additional functions that make driving even safer and more comfortable,” said Michael Kleinkes, head of global lighting technology development at HELLA. “Additionally, the collaboration with Excelfore enables us to add lighting features after start-of-production, optimizing the support for the driver in respect to safety and comfort.”
“By providing a secure bi-directional pipeline to reach the electronic devices in the car, eSync creates new opportunities for innovative companies like HELLA and their OEM customers to improve the car-owners’ experience, offering post-sale upgrades, and boosting the reliability of their vehicles even as they deploy new technologies,” said Shrinath Acharya, CEO of Excelfore. “The eSync OTA platform enables new automotive applications -“ we expect many interesting innovations from global leaders like HELLA as this level of connectivity proliferates across the automotive industry.”
The eSync system and the eSync Alliance
The eSync system is a cloud platform for secure transactions with the electronic end devices in a vehicle. It can deliver and update software and firmware over-the-air, and can collect diagnostics and telematics data from end devices in the vehicle, according to Excelfore.
Modern connected cars may incorporate dozens, or even hundreds, of software-driven sensors and controllers. Automakers and fleet operators increasingly seek the ability to update software over-the-air, to avoid recall and service costs, to provide security patches, to improve vehicle performance and efficiency, and even to add new features or enhancements. However, to date, most solutions that are available to serve the automotive market are single-company proprietary offerings.
The eSync Alliance, a global initiative consisting of multiple automotive suppliers, specifically addresses this by creating a community of companies that cooperate to provide standardized and interoperable OTA and diagnostic-data solutions.
