Continental, a technology business, provides key components for the new BMW iX’s smart and appealing user experience. The electric car incorporates Continental’s Cockpit High-Performance Computer in response to vehicle digitalization. It keeps track of the ever-increasing software complexity as well as the cockpit’s continually expanding functional scope.
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Ensuring a smooth interaction between man and machine
The computer also offers the processing power required for the supplier’s head-up display and the vehicle’s large-scale display landscape. Continental provides fundamental building elements for a smooth contact between the driver and the vehicle with a new form of user experience, including the driver camera integrated into the digital instrument cluster.
Continental is also outfitting the electrified variant with ultra-wideband transceivers for smartphone-based digital vehicle access.
Other supplier solutions, such as the smartphone terminal with close-range communication for inductive charging, the electronics for the intelligent panoramic roof known as BMW Sky Lounge, and soft and low-emission surface materials, ensure exciting design alongside comfort, ergonomics, and user-friendliness.
“The user experience is becoming an increasingly important decision criterion for vehicle buyers. With our building blocks for an intuitive, safe, but above all, attractive interaction between the driver and the vehicle in the BMW iX, as well as our expertise in software development and systems integration, we help to promote sustainable mobility”, said Nikolai Setzer, CEO Continental.
The high-performance computer is the central element of the cockpit
The BMW iX’s electronics design bridges the gap between today’s dispersed vehicle architecture and the future’s integrated and centralized vehicle architecture. Rather than depending on a slew of electronic control units, BMW’s new electric car combines the computational power of many operations into a few central processors.
Continental’s sophisticated cockpit domain controller handles all input and output devices in the car interior centrally, on a single electronic control unit, and is responsible for numerous software operations. As a result, it opens up new possibilities for a consistent and distinct user experience across the vehicle.
This also combines functionality from infotainment and instrumentation, allowing for a more flexible configuration. This provides for maximum customization for drivers and passengers, as well as increased vehicle design flexibility.
Third-party applications and cloud services may be integrated with the central high-performance computer, which also offers hardware-independent software integration. When combined with the solution for over-the-air software upgrades, the cockpit becomes more timely and expandable.
As a result, the cockpit and the human-machine interface are evolving from a driver’s job to a multimodal companion that adjusts to the driver’s demands.
This method is notably obvious in the windshield display system and the curved display’s driver camera from the provider. All critical information, such as speed, crucial warning messages, and navigation arrows, is projected in the driver’s immediate field of view, allowing you to keep your eyes on the road and close to the traffic.
The BMW iX’s driver camera, which is completely incorporated into the display, analyzes camera pictures of the driver’s head position, direction, eye-opening, and line of sight to ensure that the driver is informed in the case of traffic distraction or a loss of focus due to weariness.
As a result, the two systems also improve an intuitive user experience and road traffic safety. Other electronic safety components of Continental’s active and passive safety, such as braking, chassis, and airbag control units, as well as sensors, contribute to driving safety for a holistically good user experience.
The digital environment is further supported by Continental systems
Continental contributes to the digitization of the conventional car key by delivering transceiver modules for the BMW iX electric vehicle. The mobility supplier’s modules assess the distance between the smartphone and the car as a crucial building component for keyless entry via smartphone.
This enables the digital key to be precisely located for passive access and engine start without the driver needing to pick up the smartphone. For the first time, the solution combines maximum ease with greatly better security against relay attacks (man-in-the-middle) thanks to ultra-wideband (UWB) technology.
Vehicle thieves, for example, can no longer intercept and prolong the key signal to obtain entry. The car owner may also produce up to five digital keys from the vehicle manufacturer’s My BMW app at the same time and share them with family and friends.
The Car Connectivity Consortium, a cross-industry organization, is working on a worldwide standard for passive car access (CCC). This is where firms from the automotive sector, smartphone manufacturers, and technology companies get together to advance smartphone-vehicle connectivity.
The CCC also wants to figure out what more can be done using UWB technology for vehicle localization. Continental, together with other well-known firms like BMW and Apple, is working on the fundamental development of the UWB radio standard for car access at the CCC.
In the BMW iX, the mobile device may be charged inductively by placing it on the Continental smartphone terminal with an integrated near field communication (NFC) interface. This instantly establishes a link between the phone and the infotainment system. In addition, if the smartphone power runs out, the car may be accessed using NFC.
Continental is also making the panoramic roof intelligent with the management system for the so-called Sky Lounge. Depending on the lighting conditions, the huge glass surface may be electrically dimmed. As a result, the headliner creates a distinct sense of space, similar to that seen in nature.
Continental’s many surface materials, such as instrument panel covers, door balustrade covers, and seat coverings, all contribute to the comfortable inside atmosphere. Acella Lux’s décor material is known for its great comfort and low-emission qualities.
Continental now provides a variety of summer and winter tire styles for the BMW iX at local tire shops, with low braking distances and great handling in both dry and wet conditions.
