LG Electronics supplied an in-vehicle telematics solution applying the next-generation fifth-generation mobile network (5G) standard to mass-production models by European automakers. It integrates the communication module and up to 12 antennas into one, and boosts data transmission reliability and response speed to address software-defined vehicles (SDVs) and Autonomous Driving.
LG Electronics said on the 19th that it recently applied a smart telematics solution based on "Release 16 (R16)," the latest 5G communication standard, for the first time to a mass-production model by a European automaker. It is the industry's first time that an R16-based in-vehicle telematics solution has been applied to a mass-production vehicle in Europe.
R16 is the second communication standard that enhances the performance and stability of R15, which focused on 5G commercialization. It supports ultra-reliable, ultra-low latency communications that increase data transmission reliability and reduce latency. The data error rate of R16-based telematics is 0.001%, a 100-fold improvement over 4G. The data transmission latency between the telematics module and the base station is 1 millisecond (ms), five times lower than 4G.
Telematics is a technology that links a vehicle with external communication networks to exchange various information. It is used for OTA (Over-the-Air) wireless updates of vehicle software, V2X (Vehicle-to-Everything) that enables vehicles, other vehicles, and road infrastructure to exchange information in real time, and for high-volume data transmission for Autonomous Driving systems.
R16-based telematics improves the communication stability and response speed of these functions. LG Electronics expects it to be especially useful in Autonomous Driving environments where data must be exchanged in real time with surrounding vehicles and road infrastructure.
The hardware architecture has also been changed. Conventional in-vehicle communication systems separate the telematics module from the shark-fin antenna protruding outside the vehicle. As vehicles have come to support more communication functions such as 5G, Wi-Fi, V2X, and the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), the number of antennas has increased, and antennas that cannot fit inside the shark fin have had to be placed separately throughout the vehicle.
In this solution, LG Electronics integrated the communication module and up to 12 antennas into a single piece of hardware. This reduces signal loss that occurs in the sections consolidating the module and antennas, and simplifies the wiring structure and spatial layout.
For automakers, it can reduce the installation space and the number of parts needed inside the vehicle, lowering cost burdens. Eliminating the shark-fin antenna on the exterior can also increase design flexibility. LG Electronics said it designed the solution to maintain stable consolidation performance in a variety of driving and communication environments, including high-temperature desert regions.
The communication performance of next-generation telematics also ties into "LG αWare," a software solution for SDVs and AI-defined vehicles (AIDVs) that LG Electronics is developing. LG αWare consists of the in-vehicle entertainment solution "PlayWare," "MetaWare," which provides user experiences using Augmented Reality (AR), Mixed Reality (MR), and AI, and "VisionWare," an advanced driver-assistance system (ADAS) solution that uses AI algorithms and camera sensors.
LG Electronics is expanding SDV-related businesses around its in-vehicle webOS Automotive Content Platform (ACP), in-cabin sensing that detects the condition of drivers and passengers, and telematics that collects and transmits various vehicle data. It is also moving to secure next-generation mobile communication technologies. In March, it joined the Global 6G Coalition and is participating in developing 6th-generation mobile communication (6G) standards and system verification. According to estimates by the market research firm TechInsights, LG Electronics ranks No. 1 in global market share in the in-vehicle telematics market.
Eun Seok-hyun, president and head of the VS Business Division at LG Electronics, said, "By continuously introducing innovative solutions in in-vehicle communications, which have become a core competitiveness of mobility, we will further solidify our telematics market leadership beyond SDVs and into the AIDV era."