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BMW Innovation Days Highlight Future BMW Technologies BIMMERPOST NEWS BIMMERPOST NEWS BMW Innovation Days Highlight Future BMW Technologies 30

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Innovation Days Connected Drive 2011.



05.10.2011



1. The seventh sense – more knowledge, better visibility and intelligent light functions enhance safety on the roads.



Dynamic Light Spot



1.1 Dynamic Light Spot – targeted light beam for improved safety.



Spot on: BMW Night Vision of the next generation will feature the Dynamic Light Spot. Thanks to this targeted beam of light, pedestrians will become even more visible at night and accidents can be avoided.



The risk of a pedestrian being killed or injured in a traffic accident is four times as high at night or during twilight than in daylight. The same applies to the passengers themselves. Nighttime accidents – in particular serious accidents – are very often caused by the late recognition of persons or animals (e.g. deer) on the road. With BMW Night Vision, BMW has deployed a very effective assistance technology for driving in the dark under the umbrella of the BMW ConnectedDrive technologies. BMW Night Vision helps the driver by means of a thermal imaging camera for proactive, safe driving at night.



This support will be expanded by another BMW innovation for increasing the safety of night driving, in the form of the Dynamic Light Spot. Through targeted illumination of pedestrians on the road, the system ensures increased safety for all those involved, including the driver of the vehicle. By using BMW Dynamic Light Spot, the driver can usually avoid a collision or at least reduce its severity. The BMW Dynamic Light Spot is a so-called marker light. This system uses sensors to identify potentially endangered objects in the driver’s surroundings which are then illuminated in a targeted manner with a light spot. At the same time, a strip of light projected onto the road in front of the vehicle leading to the possible collision object draws the driver’s attention to that object. Thanks to early recognition of the pedestrian, the driver can either brake in time or take appropriate evasive action.



All cats are grey at night and visibility is very limited.

Conventional low-beam light allows drivers a theoretical range of vision of about 50 to 85 metres at night, which does not, however, mean that objects can be recognised at that distance. In tests, the recognisability of a darkly clad pedestrian in twilight was found to be just 29 metres. This is understandable, since at greater distances only the feet are illuminated. If the rule “drive so that you can stop within your visible range” were followed in the dark, it would not be advisable to drive even at 80 km/h since at this speed the braking distance is as much as 63 metres.



Night vision assistants are good, but in future things will be even better.

Today, night vision assistants such as BMW Night Vision are available. They provide the driver with an image of the area in front of the vehicle so that pedestrians and animals can be seen even from several hundred metres away. However, this presupposes that the driver uses the Night Vision screen like the rear view mirror and casts a glance at it from time to time. The technology works like this: BMW Night Vision uses an infrared camera with a viewing angle of 24 degrees which generates a thermal image that shows warm objects – people or animals – as bright shapes.



The marker light – targeted illumination helps to gain time.

Today, it is technically possible to identify the position of pedestrians very accurately. Once this position is known, a headlight can focus on that area and show directly where a potentially endangered pedestrian is. BMW calls this system Dynamic Light Spot. The major difference compared to other marker light assistants is that the BMW system projects a strip of light onto the road to direct the attention of the driver to the hazard. The light automatically draws the attention of the driver to the possible collision object and thus triggers an intuitive and fast reaction.



See earlier, react sooner.

In general, it is assumed that a vehicle driver heads in the direction in which he is looking. This has been observed in vehicle safety training when, for example, the driver learns to take evasive action in a tight situation – he usually concentrates on the zone directly in front of the vehicle. So in vehicle safety training, when a collision is imminent, the driver is taught to focus on a free pathway – or “escape route” – away from the road so that this particular direction for evasive action is within the line of vision. With Dynamic Light Spot, things are different. When an illuminated object that is beyond the braking distance is made visible to the driver, he has sufficient time to use the brakes to stop before the obstacle is reached. At the same time, Dynamic Light Spot and the strip of light on the road are switched off as soon as the vehicle is close enough for the normal lights to continue to illuminate the object. What BMW’s Dynamic Light Spot does is to indicate hazards to the driver from as far away as possible and direct his attention to them. The technical components of this system are essentially highly efficient sensors and headlight systems.



The sensor system recognises living creatures by their heat radiation.

To be able to warn the driver of a hazard in time, a recognition distance from the hazard of about 100 metres must be ensured, regardless of weather conditions. To achieve this, the light marking system must have a sufficiently perceptive sensor system. All currently available night vision systems based on near infrared require an input of 100W for illuminating the surroundings in front of the vehicle. This corresponds to additional CO2 emissions of 3 g/km, which is not acceptable these days. The BMW Night Vision Assistant has a far greater recognition range and no additional light source is required. That is because BMW Night Vision is based on detection of the heat radiated by objects and is also less susceptible to the influence of the weather. BMW Night Vision guarantees positive recognition of persons at a distance of 97 metres on average.



Headlight systems: with LED arrays, the obstacle is in direct view.

If, as in the case of BMW Night Vision, the vehicle is fitted with a suitable sensor system to achieve recognition of persons at a sufficient distance, it must be complemented by appropriate headlight technology to enable the Dynamic Light Spot function. There is a wide range of technical possibilities available, from pixel light headlights and xenon, to swivelling modules and so-called LED arrays – all with particular advantages and disadvantages. At present, the light marking is achieved using a swivelling LED spotlight. This ensures that, with a low, short- burst energy requirement, a beam of light that is optimal for the driver is dynamically generated, and a pleasant light image is generated by the swivelling movement. In the case of BMW Dynamic Light Spot, these high-power LEDs are integrated in the installation space of the fog lamps so that the remaining vehicle lighting can be based on conventional technology; full-LED headlights are not a system requirement.



Dynamic Light Spot can significantly reduce accident figures.

BMW is planning to include the Dynamic Light Spot functionality as a part of the special BMW Night Vision option – a result of the BMW ConnectedDrive innovation philosophy for its future new models. The targeted gain in safety – for drivers and passengers as well as those who might be involved in a collision at night – has already been proved in the course of system development. During BMW test drives in the development phase of Dynamic Light Spot, on average one object was highlighted and illuminated every hour.











The risk of a pedestrian being killed or injured in a traffic accident is four times as high at night or during twilight than in daylight. The same applies to the passengers themselves. Nighttime accidents – in particular serious accidents – are very often caused by the late recognition of persons or animals (e.g. deer) on the road. With BMW Night Vision, BMW has deployed a very effective assistance technology for driving in the dark under the umbrella of the BMW ConnectedDrive technologies. BMW Night Vision helps the driver by means of a thermal imaging camera for proactive, safe driving at night.This support will be expanded by another BMW innovation for increasing the safety of night driving, in the form of the Dynamic Light Spot. Through targeted illumination of pedestrians on the road, the system ensures increased safety for all those involved, including the driver of the vehicle. By using BMW Dynamic Light Spot, the driver can usually avoid a collision or at least reduce its severity. The BMW Dynamic Light Spot is a so-called marker light. This system uses sensors to identify potentially endangered objects in the driver’s surroundings which are then illuminated in a targeted manner with a light spot. At the same time, a strip of light projected onto the road in front of the vehicle leading to the possible collision object draws the driver’s attention to that object. Thanks to early recognition of the pedestrian, the driver can either brake in time or take appropriate evasive action.Conventional low-beam light allows drivers a theoretical range of vision of about 50 to 85 metres at night, which does not, however, mean that objects can be recognised at that distance. In tests, the recognisability of a darkly clad pedestrian in twilight was found to be just 29 metres. This is understandable, since at greater distances only the feet are illuminated. If the rule “drive so that you can stop within your visible range” were followed in the dark, it would not be advisable to drive even at 80 km/h since at this speed the braking distance is as much as 63 metres.Today, night vision assistants such as BMW Night Vision are available. They provide the driver with an image of the area in front of the vehicle so that pedestrians and animals can be seen even from several hundred metres away. However, this presupposes that the driver uses the Night Vision screen like the rear view mirror and casts a glance at it from time to time. The technology works like this: BMW Night Vision uses an infrared camera with a viewing angle of 24 degrees which generates a thermal image that shows warm objects – people or animals – as bright shapes.Today, it is technically possible to identify the position of pedestrians very accurately. Once this position is known, a headlight can focus on that area and show directly where a potentially endangered pedestrian is. BMW calls this system Dynamic Light Spot. The major difference compared to other marker light assistants is that the BMW system projects a strip of light onto the road to direct the attention of the driver to the hazard. The light automatically draws the attention of the driver to the possible collision object and thus triggers an intuitive and fast reaction.In general, it is assumed that a vehicle driver heads in the direction in which he is looking. This has been observed in vehicle safety training when, for example, the driver learns to take evasive action in a tight situation – he usually concentrates on the zone directly in front of the vehicle. So in vehicle safety training, when a collision is imminent, the driver is taught to focus on a free pathway – or “escape route” – away from the road so that this particular direction for evasive action is within the line of vision. With Dynamic Light Spot, things are different. When an illuminated object that is beyond the braking distance is made visible to the driver, he has sufficient time to use the brakes to stop before the obstacle is reached. At the same time, Dynamic Light Spot and the strip of light on the road are switched off as soon as the vehicle is close enough for the normal lights to continue to illuminate the object. What BMW’s Dynamic Light Spot does is to indicate hazards to the driver from as far away as possible and direct his attention to them. The technical components of this system are essentially highly efficient sensors and headlight systems.To be able to warn the driver of a hazard in time, a recognition distance from the hazard of about 100 metres must be ensured, regardless of weather conditions. To achieve this, the light marking system must have a sufficiently perceptive sensor system. All currently available night vision systems based on near infrared require an input of 100W for illuminating the surroundings in front of the vehicle. This corresponds to additional CO2 emissions of 3 g/km, which is not acceptable these days. The BMW Night Vision Assistant has a far greater recognition range and no additional light source is required. That is because BMW Night Vision is based on detection of the heat radiated by objects and is also less susceptible to the influence of the weather. BMW Night Vision guarantees positive recognition of persons at a distance of 97 metres on average.If, as in the case of BMW Night Vision, the vehicle is fitted with a suitable sensor system to achieve recognition of persons at a sufficient distance, it must be complemented by appropriate headlight technology to enable the Dynamic Light Spot function. There is a wide range of technical possibilities available, from pixel light headlights and xenon, to swivelling modules and so-called LED arrays – all with particular advantages and disadvantages. At present, the light marking is achieved using a swivelling LED spotlight. This ensures that, with a low, short- burst energy requirement, a beam of light that is optimal for the driver is dynamically generated, and a pleasant light image is generated by the swivelling movement. In the case of BMW Dynamic Light Spot, these high-power LEDs are integrated in the installation space of the fog lamps so that the remaining vehicle lighting can be based on conventional technology; full-LED headlights are not a system requirement.BMW is planning to include the Dynamic Light Spot functionality as a part of the special BMW Night Vision option – a result of the BMW ConnectedDrive innovation philosophy for its future new models. The targeted gain in safety – for drivers and passengers as well as those who might be involved in a collision at night – has already been proved in the course of system development. During BMW test drives in the development phase of Dynamic Light Spot, on average one object was highlighted and illuminated every hour.









Laser Light

1.2 Headlights of the future – laser light.



Stronger, better, brighter, further – after LED, laser is the next stage for car headlights.



As a globally successful carmaker within the premium segment, the BMW Group attaches the utmost importance to advanced technology in all sectors of automotive manufacturing. Exclusive innovations and technological leaps secure BMW’s lead amongst the competition. In the field of exterior vehicle lights, BMW also leads the way for example with full-LED headlights for the BMW 6 Series and with new developments such as the Anti-dazzle High-Beam Assistant, as well as with Dynamic Light Spot. The latter refers to a marker light system that automatically illuminates pedestrians in good time, thereby guiding the driver’s attention to them.



After LED technology, laser light is the next logical step in car lighting development. BMW engineers are currently already working on the introduction of laser light as a further pioneering technology for series production within a few years. Laser light could then facilitate entirely new light functions for even more safety and comfort and at the same time contribute significantly through its higher degree of efficiency towards a saving in energy and fuel respectively.



Laser light produces virtually parallel light beams.

By definition, laser lighting is radically different from sunlight, and also from the various types of artificial lighting in common use today. For a start, laser lighting is monochromatic, which means that the light waves all have the same length. And it is also what is known as a “coherent” light source, which means that its waves have a constant phase difference. As a result, laser lighting can produce a near-parallel beam with an intensity a thousand times greater than that of conventional LEDs. In vehicle headlights, these characteristics can be used to implement entirely new functions. Also, the high inherent efficiency of laser lighting means that laser headlights have less than half the energy consumption of LED headlights. Simply put, laser headlights save fuel.

The intensity of laser light poses no possible risks to humans, animals or wildlife when used in car lighting. Amongst other things, this is because the light is not emitted directly, but is first converted into a form that is suitable for use in road traffic. The resulting light is very bright and white. It is also very pleasant to the eye and has a very low energy consumption.



Laser diodes are already in use today in the consumer sector.

Completely safe laser lighting technology is already in use in a variety of consumer products, though in many cases this is a product feature that goes unnoticed by the customer. That won’t be the case when this technology is used in cars, however, as planned by BMW. Here the whole point is that the advantages should be noticeable and visible. A further feature of laser technology, which has important implications, is the size of the individual diodes. With a length of just ten microns (μm), laser diodes are one hundred times smaller even than the small, square-shaped cells used in conventional LED lighting, which have a side length of one millimetre. This opens up all sorts of new possibilities when integrating the light source into the vehicle. The BMW engineers have no plans to radically reduce the size of the headlights however, although that would be theoretically possible. Instead, the thinking is that the headlights would retain their conventional surface area dimensions and so continue to play an important role in the styling of a BMW, while the size advantages could be used to reduce the depth of the headlight unit, and so open up new possibilities for headlight positioning and body styling.



A further advantage of laser lighting technology, and one which the BMW engineers intend to use to full effect, is its high inherent efficiency. A single statistic will make this clear: whereas LED lighting generates only around 100 lumens (a photometric unit of light output) per watt, laser lighting generates approximately 170 lumens. With statistics like this, it is not surprising that BMW is also planning to take advantage of laser lighting technology to increase the efficiency of the overall vehicle. And appropriately enough it is in a concept vehicle from the new BMW i sub-brand, the BMW i8 Concept, that laser lighting will get its first airing. After all, BMW i stands for a new premium concept that is strongly oriented towards sustainability.



Laser lighting: high efficiency and safety.

Safety is a key consideration in the development of laser lighting for use in passenger cars. For BMW, the complete eye safety of this technology for all road users and its complete reliability in day-to-day use have top priority. Importantly, therefore, before the light from the tiny laser diodes is emitted onto the road, the originally bluish laser light beam is first of all converted by means of a fluorescent phosphor material inside the headlight into a pure white light which is very bright and pleasant to the eye. As a result, in future it will be possible to use laser light to implement all the familiar – including more recent – BMW lighting functions such as Adaptive Headlights, the Dynamic Light Spot spotlighting system and the Anti-Dazzle High-Beam Assistant. It will also be possible to use BMW laser lighting to implement completely new functions, which will have only minimal power consumption.



























As a globally successful carmaker within the premium segment, the BMW Group attaches the utmost importance to advanced technology in all sectors of automotive manufacturing. Exclusive innovations and technological leaps secure BMW’s lead amongst the competition. In the field of exterior vehicle lights, BMW also leads the way for example with full-LED headlights for the BMW 6 Series and with new developments such as the Anti-dazzle High-Beam Assistant, as well as with Dynamic Light Spot. The latter refers to a marker light system that automatically illuminates pedestrians in good time, thereby guiding the driver’s attention to them.After LED technology, laser light is the next logical step in car lighting development. BMW engineers are currently already working on the introduction of laser light as a further pioneering technology for series production within a few years. Laser light could then facilitate entirely new light functions for even more safety and comfort and at the same time contribute significantly through its higher degree of efficiency towards a saving in energy and fuel respectively.By definition, laser lighting is radically different from sunlight, and also from the various types of artificial lighting in common use today. For a start, laser lighting is monochromatic, which means that the light waves all have the same length. And it is also what is known as a “coherent” light source, which means that its waves have a constant phase difference. As a result, laser lighting can produce a near-parallel beam with an intensity a thousand times greater than that of conventional LEDs. In vehicle headlights, these characteristics can be used to implement entirely new functions. Also, the high inherent efficiency of laser lighting means that laser headlights have less than half the energy consumption of LED headlights. Simply put, laser headlights save fuel.The intensity of laser light poses no possible risks to humans, animals or wildlife when used in car lighting. Amongst other things, this is because the light is not emitted directly, but is first converted into a form that is suitable for use in road traffic. The resulting light is very bright and white. It is also very pleasant to the eye and has a very low energy consumption.Completely safe laser lighting technology is already in use in a variety of consumer products, though in many cases this is a product feature that goes unnoticed by the customer. That won’t be the case when this technology is used in cars, however, as planned by BMW. Here the whole point is that the advantages should be noticeable and visible. A further feature of laser technology, which has important implications, is the size of the individual diodes. With a length of just ten microns (μm), laser diodes are one hundred times smaller even than the small, square-shaped cells used in conventional LED lighting, which have a side length of one millimetre. This opens up all sorts of new possibilities when integrating the light source into the vehicle. The BMW engineers have no plans to radically reduce the size of the headlights however, although that would be theoretically possible. Instead, the thinking is that the headlights would retain their conventional surface area dimensions and so continue to play an important role in the styling of a BMW, while the size advantages could be used to reduce the depth of the headlight unit, and so open up new possibilities for headlight positioning and body styling.A further advantage of laser lighting technology, and one which the BMW engineers intend to use to full effect, is its high inherent efficiency. A single statistic will make this clear: whereas LED lighting generates only around 100 lumens (a photometric unit of light output) per watt, laser lighting generates approximately 170 lumens. With statistics like this, it is not surprising that BMW is also planning to take advantage of laser lighting technology to increase the efficiency of the overall vehicle. And appropriately enough it is in a concept vehicle from the new BMW i sub-brand, the BMW i8 Concept, that laser lighting will get its first airing. After all, BMW i stands for a new premium concept that is strongly oriented towards sustainability.Safety is a key consideration in the development of laser lighting for use in passenger cars. For BMW, the complete eye safety of this technology for all road users and its complete reliability in day-to-day use have top priority. Importantly, therefore, before the light from the tiny laser diodes is emitted onto the road, the originally bluish laser light beam is first of all converted by means of a fluorescent phosphor material inside the headlight into a pure white light which is very bright and pleasant to the eye. As a result, in future it will be possible to use laser light to implement all the familiar – including more recent – BMW lighting functions such as Adaptive Headlights, the Dynamic Light Spot spotlighting system and the Anti-Dazzle High-Beam Assistant. It will also be possible to use BMW laser lighting to implement completely new functions, which will have only minimal power consumption.









Proactive Connectivity

1.3 Proactive Connectivity – more knowledge, greater safety.



It’s normally the stuff of Hollywood blockbusters: predicting what is going to happen in the next two minutes. The car of the future will be able to do just that.



What will you find around the next corner? Can you expect tailbacks at some point along the route? The more drivers know about the journey ahead of them, the better they and their vehicles can prepare for and react to upcoming situations. That’s why the BMW Group development engineers have for some time been focusing on collecting information on the road ahead, and telling drivers what is happening a certain distance down the road. This helps to promote safety, and the information can be used for proactive driver assistance technology, navigation systems and energy management. Two ongoing BMW Group research projects with these aims in mind are entitled

“Local Hazard Warning” and “Proactive Connectivity”.



Local Hazard Warning.

The aim of local hazard warning is to alert the driver in good time to difficult-to- foresee dangers on the motorway, for example the end of a tailback around a corner, an accident or a narrowing of the road through moving roadworks.



Local hazard warning technology flags up potential danger at an early stage with the aim of reducing its impact. “A hazard I know about before I reach it is only half as dangerous, as I can prepare for it in advance.” (Georg Obert, Project Manager Local Hazard Warning at BMW Group Traffic Management)



The BMW Group development engineers are currently testing initial scenarios for local hazard warning technology in Hesse, Germany. All mobile roadwork trailers sent out by the motorway authorities have been fitted with a transmitter which sends out their precise current location and other relevant information. The transmitter also tells the driver if a lane has been blocked, which lane it is, which lane the driver should move into as a result, and what the maximum permitted speed is through the roadworks. This data is sent via a backend server into the traffic managers’ test vehicle – a current BMW 5 Series – where it is processed and prepared. The roadwork trailers are extremely well suited to conducting series of tests, as their GPS positioning and connection to a backend server make them clear reference positions against which to calibrate the vehicle system. They can therefore also supply the basic information required as and when the technology is extended to include other situations.



If the test car receives the information via a trailer on the road ahead, it alerts the driver to the danger at an early stage through the car’s navigation system. At the same time, the system gives the driver firm indications on the maximum possible speed and on the likelihood of needing to change lanes. As the BMW Group development engineers are currently testing the system for accuracy and reliability, it is set up with the warning threshold at one kilometre before the incident. Scientific studies have shown this to be the optimum warning distance for when this technology is fitted in a vehicle further down the line.



Local hazard warning can be integrated in conjunction with the next generation of navigation systems. Their ability to process extremely accurate location information (to within five metres) allows the timing of the warning and location of the hazard to be determined and displayed extremely effectively. Further stages of development could conceivably allow local hazard warning systems to be set according to the car’s speed and that of the surrounding traffic, and calculations on tailbacks, for example, to be incorporated. Reliable auto recognition using Extended Floating Car Data already helps BMW vehicles to contribute to an improvement in traffic information. Indeed, in summer 2011 the BMW Group was able to put the fast-working and far-reaching traffic information service Real-Time Traffic Information (RTTI) into production. In the future, BMW vehicles will also be able to record data, which can help to generate local hazard warning alerts. And that will add to the effectiveness of RTTI.

Proactive Connectivity.



Another BMW Group Forschung und Technik GmbH research project, focusing on connectivity to enable proactive driving, sees the development engineers homing in on another specific area:



“With our Proactive Connectivity project we are aiming to look into the future and foresee what will happen down the road in two minutes’ time.” (Dr Ilse Kulp, Project Manager Proactive Connectivity at BMW Group Research and Technology) The engineers’ aim is to provide a reliable prediction on the speed and therefore flow of the traffic for the next two minutes along a given route. Depending on the driving scenario, this means casting an eye a few hundred metres down the road in the city or several kilometres on the motorway. The idea with calculating predictions of this kind is to keep drivers supplied with information on the traffic situation ahead at an early stage and combine this with recommendations on speed and route guidance to help them reach their destination safely and efficiently.



Several data sources deliver unbeatable reliability.

Proactive connectivity is based on simulation of the traffic on the same road over the next section of a car’s journey. Using a number of different data sources ensures that the prediction is as reliable as possible from the outset. One of these sources is historical traffic data based on the observation of a predefined section of traffic over an extended timeframe. As such, it allows forecasts to be made as to the volume of traffic and its average speed at a particular time and in a particular place. This allows us to draw initial conclusions on the probable traffic density and therefore the likelihood of tailbacks, for example.



This is complemented by data from car-to-car and car-to-backend-to-car communications. Car-to-car communications enable direct communication between vehicles over a distance of up to 500 metres. This allows the driver’s car to “see” what the vehicle ahead is “seeing”, and therefore make a prediction on how quickly it will reach the position of the vehicle in front. This “forecast horizon” is further expanded – and to a significant degree – by car-to-backend- to-car communications, as the link to a server removes the need for a direct connection between vehicles. Important elements here include information on the number and speed of other vehicles in the vicinity. Complementing the spread of data used to create the traffic flow simulation is information from the driver’s car, such as its current position and speed, a profile of its journey so far and the driver’s destination.



An algorithm calculates the future.

Based on the intelligent fusion of this data, an algorithm calculates how the traffic will develop in the next two minutes. The algorithm uses this data to provide recommendations on how the driver should respond. These can take the form of warning alerts, for example, or recommendations on the speed the driver should keep to in order to arrive at traffic lights when they are green. Another possibility would be an early warning that the traffic lights are about to turn red, allowing the driver to save fuel by coasting to a stop (while taking into account the expected queue of other vehicles waiting at the lights).



The major challenge in proactive driving lies in making the most accurate prediction possible of what will happen down the road – i.e. in distilling probable scenarios and reliable instructions from all the available data.



“We’ve collected a vast amount of data on actual conditions, such as the speed at which the vehicles ahead are moving, traffic light signal data and data from the driver’s car. The task since has been to use it as the basis for a reliable prediction on how the traffic situation will develop over the next two minutes. At first that sounds a bit like gazing into a crystal ball.” (Benno Schweiger, BMW Group Research and Technology team member working on the Proactive Connectivity algorithm)



The algorithm uses micro traffic flow simulation to enable the complex fusion of all this data into a reliable prediction. Here, the stretch of road ahead is recorded in one-dimensional form and all available data from the area – such as from vehicles, which transmit their position – is added. Plus, the algorithm uses historical data and the current speed of the driver’s car to calculate an assumed traffic density, and fills the gaps between the vehicles randomly with virtual equivalents. The virtual vehicles in the simulation adjust their speed automatically to the speed of the vehicles around them, based on precalculated speed and distance models.



100 scenarios per second.

The algorithm runs this simulation approximately 100 times per second, with the distribution of vehicles on the road and the responses of their virtual drivers changing randomly each time. This produces 100 different variants per second of what might happen in the next two minutes on the road. From this wealth of possible scenarios and data on the frequency of particular incidents, reliable predictions are deduced on how the next two minutes will unfold in reality. The algorithm then sends the driver suitable warnings or indications if it detects that one or various scenarios are highly likely.



This prediction method allows not only traffic tailbacks but also the “movement” at the end of a tailback to be accurately predicted, as increases in the size of tailbacks are also included in the calculations. All of which means diversion recommendations are that much better, plus drivers can adjust their speed at an early stage to slow-moving traffic, and they know at what point down the road the traffic is starting to move again. BMW Group Research and Technology development engineers are currently working with colleagues from other departments to establish how much of a role future use cases based on the algorithm can play in connectivity-led proactive driving.



Vehicle or backend?

In the latest research prototype a large computer in the boot supplies the required processing power, but this could theoretically also be provided in the backend. For this reason the development engineers are currently exploring ways of both scaling and integrating the processing unit into the vehicle, and of transferring processing to the backend. The aim is to find the most effective solution going forward.



The special feature and therefore also the major advantage of connectivity-based proactive driving lies in the combination of underlying data. Car-to-car communications supply the driver with immediate updates on things happening close up ahead, while car-to-backend-to-car communications cover incidents further down the road. Here, historical traffic data form the basis for the calculations. In order to provide even more accurate predictions in the future, real-time traffic data such as RTTI, information from traffic lights, data from variable message signs and weather information should expand the reach of the data pool available for calculating traffic flow simulations.























What will you find around the next corner? Can you expect tailbacks at some point along the route? The more drivers know about the journey ahead of them, the better they and their vehicles can prepare for and react to upcoming situations. That’s why the BMW Group development engineers have for some time been focusing on collecting information on the road ahead, and telling drivers what is happening a certain distance down the road. This helps to promote safety, and the information can be used for proactive driver assistance technology, navigation systems and energy management. Two ongoing BMW Group research projects with these aims in mind are entitled“Local Hazard Warning” and “Proactive Connectivity”.The aim of local hazard warning is to alert the driver in good time to difficult-to- foresee dangers on the motorway, for example the end of a tailback around a corner, an accident or a narrowing of the road through moving roadworks.Local hazard warning technology flags up potential danger at an early stage with the aim of reducing its impact. “A hazard I know about before I reach it is only half as dangerous, as I can prepare for it in advance.” (Georg Obert, Project Manager Local Hazard Warning at BMW Group Traffic Management)The BMW Group development engineers are currently testing initial scenarios for local hazard warning technology in Hesse, Germany. All mobile roadwork trailers sent out by the motorway authorities have been fitted with a transmitter which sends out their precise current location and other relevant information. The transmitter also tells the driver if a lane has been blocked, which lane it is, which lane the driver should move into as a result, and what the maximum permitted speed is through the roadworks. This data is sent via a backend server into the traffic managers’ test vehicle – a current BMW 5 Series – where it is processed and prepared. The roadwork trailers are extremely well suited to conducting series of tests, as their GPS positioning and connection to a backend server make them clear reference positions against which to calibrate the vehicle system. They can therefore also supply the basic information required as and when the technology is extended to include other situations.If the test car receives the information via a trailer on the road ahead, it alerts the driver to the danger at an early stage through the car’s navigation system. At the same time, the system gives the driver firm indications on the maximum possible speed and on the likelihood of needing to change lanes. As the BMW Group development engineers are currently testing the system for accuracy and reliability, it is set up with the warning threshold at one kilometre before the incident. Scientific studies have shown this to be the optimum warning distance for when this technology is fitted in a vehicle further down the line.Local hazard warning can be integrated in conjunction with the next generation of navigation systems. Their ability to process extremely accurate location information (to within five metres) allows the timing of the warning and location of the hazard to be determined and displayed extremely effectively. Further stages of development could conceivably allow local hazard warning systems to be set according to the car’s speed and that of the surrounding traffic, and calculations on tailbacks, for example, to be incorporated. Reliable auto recognition using Extended Floating Car Data already helps BMW vehicles to contribute to an improvement in traffic information. Indeed, in summer 2011 the BMW Group was able to put the fast-working and far-reaching traffic information service Real-Time Traffic Information (RTTI) into production. In the future, BMW vehicles will also be able to record data, which can help to generate local hazard warning alerts. And that will add to the effectiveness of RTTI.Proactive Connectivity.Another BMW Group Forschung und Technik GmbH research project, focusing on connectivity to enable proactive driving, sees the development engineers homing in on another specific area:“With our Proactive Connectivity project we are aiming to look into the future and foresee what will happen down the road in two minutes’ time.” (Dr Ilse Kulp, Project Manager Proactive Connectivity at BMW Group Research and Technology) The engineers’ aim is to provide a reliable prediction on the speed and therefore flow of the traffic for the next two minutes along a given route. Depending on the driving scenario, this means casting an eye a few hundred metres down the road in the city or several kilometres on the motorway. The idea with calculating predictions of this kind is to keep drivers supplied with information on the traffic situation ahead at an early stage and combine this with recommendations on speed and route guidance to help them reach their destination safely and efficiently.Proactive connectivity is based on simulation of the traffic on the same road over the next section of a car’s journey. Using a number of different data sources ensures that the prediction is as reliable as possible from the outset. One of these sources is historical traffic data based on the observation of a predefined section of traffic over an extended timeframe. As such, it allows forecasts to be made as to the volume of traffic and its average speed at a particular time and in a particular place. This allows us to draw initial conclusions on the probable traffic density and therefore the likelihood of tailbacks, for example.This is complemented by data from car-to-car and car-to-backend-to-car communications. Car-to-car communications enable direct communication between vehicles over a distance of up to 500 metres. This allows the driver’s car to “see” what the vehicle ahead is “seeing”, and therefore make a prediction on how quickly it will reach the position of the vehicle in front. This “forecast horizon” is further expanded – and to a significant degree – by car-to-backend- to-car communications, as the link to a server removes the need for a direct connection between vehicles. Important elements here include information on the number and speed of other vehicles in the vicinity. Complementing the spread of data used to create the traffic flow simulation is information from the driver’s car, such as its current position and speed, a profile of its journey so far and the driver’s destination.Based on the intelligent fusion of this data, an algorithm calculates how the traffic will develop in the next two minutes. The algorithm uses this data to provide recommendations on how the driver should respond. These can take the form of warning alerts, for example, or recommendations on the speed the driver should keep to in order to arrive at traffic lights when they are green. Another possibility would be an early warning that the traffic lights are about to turn red, allowing the driver to save fuel by coasting to a stop (while taking into account the expected queue of other vehicles waiting at the lights).The major challenge in proactive driving lies in making the most accurate prediction possible of what will happen down the road – i.e. in distilling probable scenarios and reliable instructions from all the available data.“We’ve collected a vast amount of data on actual conditions, such as the speed at which the vehicles ahead are moving, traffic light signal data and data from the driver’s car. The task since has been to use it as the basis for a reliable prediction on how the traffic situation will develop over the next two minutes. At first that sounds a bit like gazing into a crystal ball.” (Benno Schweiger, BMW Group Research and Technology team member working on the Proactive Connectivity algorithm)The algorithm uses micro traffic flow simulation to enable the complex fusion of all this data into a reliable prediction. Here, the stretch of road ahead is recorded in one-dimensional form and all available data from the area – such as from vehicles, which transmit their position – is added. Plus, the algorithm uses historical data and the current speed of the driver’s car to calculate an assumed traffic density, and fills the gaps between the vehicles randomly with virtual equivalents. The virtual vehicles in the simulation adjust their speed automatically to the speed of the vehicles around them, based on precalculated speed and distance models.The algorithm runs this simulation approximately 100 times per second, with the distribution of vehicles on the road and the responses of their virtual drivers changing randomly each time. This produces 100 different variants per second of what might happen in the next two minutes on the road. From this wealth of possible scenarios and data on the frequency of particular incidents, reliable predictions are deduced on how the next two minutes will unfold in reality. The algorithm then sends the driver suitable warnings or indications if it detects that one or various scenarios are highly likely.This prediction method allows not only traffic tailbacks but also the “movement” at the end of a tailback to be accurately predicted, as increases in the size of tailbacks are also included in the calculations. All of which means diversion recommendations are that much better, plus drivers can adjust their speed at an early stage to slow-moving traffic, and they know at what point down the road the traffic is starting to move again. BMW Group Research and Technology development engineers are currently working with colleagues from other departments to establish how much of a role future use cases based on the algorithm can play in connectivity-led proactive driving.In the latest research prototype a large computer in the boot supplies the required processing power, but this could theoretically also be provided in the backend. For this reason the development engineers are currently exploring ways of both scaling and integrating the processing unit into the vehicle, and of transferring processing to the backend. The aim is to find the most effective solution going forward.The special feature and therefore also the major advantage of connectivity-based proactive driving lies in the combination of underlying data. Car-to-car communications supply the driver with immediate updates on things happening close up ahead, while car-to-backend-to-car communications cover incidents further down the road. Here, historical traffic data form the basis for the calculations. In order to provide even more accurate predictions in the future, real-time traffic data such as RTTI, information from traffic lights, data from variable message signs and weather information should expand the reach of the data pool available for calculating traffic flow simulations.







2. The almost limitless possibilities of connectivity.





The wonderful world of apps

2.1 The wonderful world of apps.



The app concept allows for new, individual functions in the car – simple, safe and downloadable at any time.



With the introduction of MINI Connected in 2010, the BMW Group became the world’s first carmaker to allow the application-based and extensive integration of the Apple iPhone into its models. Available as an option, MINI Connected links up with a simple USB connection and the MINI Connected App to turn the smartphone into a central interface for infotainment inside, and relating to every aspect of, the car. This technology has provided the launch pad for an all-new in- car infotainment experience. In spring 2011 this interface and app were also made available for BMW vehicles in the form of BMW Apps and BMW Connected. Added to which, the BMW Group has since expanded the app concept to include the internet-based services from BMW Online (available since 2001) and, this summer, also BMW Live. Other compatible apps – and therefore services – from third-party providers can also be integrated into the concept and used in BMW and MINI vehicles.



Scope for rapid and flexible expansion.

With the app concept – using either the application-based integration of a smartphone or a browser inside the vehicle – the BMW Group developers have created a highly flexible and still unrivalled platform. Indeed, the functional scope of the vehicle can be significantly broadened with the help of vehicle-specific apps certified by the BMW Group, enabling functions such as web radio, GoogleTM Local Search and FacebookTM to be used inside the vehicle safely and in convenience. But that is only the start. The app concept allows the range of functions to be expanded almost infinitely. Updating the app or installing another compatible app brings new functions into the car – without the need for any modifications to the car itself.



“For us, the whole issue of apps is about not only the individual functions inside the vehicle, such as web radio or Google, but also the avenues this opens up to us beyond them. This technology makes our vehicles fit for the future.” (Florian Reuter, Product Management MINI Connected)

A current example of the constant expansion of the apps’ functionality is the new calendar feature of BMW ConnectedDrive. An update for the app enables the actual calendar from the iPhone to be accessed in the car and the diary function of the smartphone to be linked up to the car’s infotainment system. Drivers can now access their calendar on the central information display and even have entries read out to them.

Third-party apps from external providers.



In addition to the special functions it has created itself, the BMW Group is also using the technical capability provided by MINI Connected and BMW Apps as a platform for the integration of services from other providers. These “third-party apps” will allow a host of infotainment functions which customers already use at home to be transferred seamlessly to the car and operated by the driver. And that means they will have access to the services they want – such as personalised music streaming – at all times, whether they are on foot or travelling in the car.



“With third-party apps we’re aiming to give customers the chance to select the provider they prefer, or at least one they are familiar with, for each specific application. In addition, when it comes to new functions through other apps we can, of course, also recommend a provider offering the service they are seeking.” (Andreas Schwarzmeier, BMW ConnectedDrive)



By opening up this platform to apps from other providers, the BMW Group is underlining its leading position in both the integration of mobile devices into its cars and the introduction of internet-based in-car services. Development times are getting even shorter, and the selection of products wider and more customer-specific. And, most importantly, local requirements can be covered to optimum effect by a diverse structure underpinning the available services. In the USA, BMW Apps and MINI Connected customers can already use the popular and cost-free personalized internet radio service Pandora®.



“Our aim for the future is to take our cooperation with premium infotainment providers to the next level in order to give our customers in-car access to the services they already use at home.” (Andreas Schwarzmeier)



Only apps which meet the requirements of the BMW Group for in-car use are certified and approved by the BMW Group for MINI Connected or BMW Apps. Development partners assist the BMW Group to this end with suitable guidelines, tools and car-related expertise.

Innovative functions, adapted to the brand.



The flexibility of the local interface is also evident in the brand-specific development of BMW Apps and MINI Connected. Both apps offer access to web radio and Facebook, for example, but MINI Connected also features driving and community-oriented functions such as the MINIMALISM Analyser and Mission Control. BMW Apps, meanwhile, serves the need for seamless functionality and ease of information access with functions such as the integration of the iPhone calendar.



“MINI drivers are different from BMW drivers. That’s why it’s important for us to be able to offer them a specially developed service – in the form ofMINI Connected. This also applies to apps from third-party providers. Here we can work effectively with exciting external partners to give customers access to their services inside the MINI.” (Florian Reuter)



The latest version of MINI Connected already offers up to ten different functions, but the developers at the BMW Group are also working on the integration of additional features. As well as the integration of streaming podcast services and virtual travel guides, foursquare® would enable the community area of MINI Connected to expand to include the link-up with location-based services and social networking. Customers can use foursquare to explore their surroundings or check out a nearby restaurant, for example, and to access any tips the community can offer. They can also see where their friends are hanging out. “We have a local interface, which can be adapted along individual and customer- specific lines so that every customer – BMW or MINI – can access a set of functions which suit their personal requirements.” (Uwe Higgen, Head of the BMW Group AppCenter in Munich)



Personalising applications in BMW Online.

From this summer, BMW ConnectedDrive customers have been able to widen their app experience beyond iPhone-based BMW Apps to include browser- based applications from BMW Online. Added to which, they can use their internet-compatible smartphone to access the latest applications from BMW via BMW Live. For example, BMW offers all customer groups and markets a constantly updated and configurable range of functions. To enable this browser- based functionality, the car needs to be specified with BMW ConnectedDrive and have an Internet connection – either via the integrated SIM card or the customer’s mobile phone – to the backend servers on which the applications are running. The applications can then be selected from the menu of the on-board system via BMW Online or BMW Live and accessed immediately. In this way, the BMW ConnectedDrive package offers comfortable access to the desired applications, in the style you would expect from BMW.

“With BMW Online and BMW Live, MINI Connected and BMW Apps, we are offering a range of technically contrasting but complementary solutions which appeal to different customer groups. Keeping both smartphone and backend applications separate from overall car development will allow our models to stay at the leading edge of technology over a period of years.” (Uwe Higgen)



My BMW Remote app goes Android.

The BMW Group doesn’t only offer solutions for the integration of Apple smartphones; in the future, smartphones based on the Android operating system should also be able to use the BMW and MINI apps. The first step along this road is the Android version of the My BMW Remote app, which controls the same remote functions as its iPhone counterpart. In addition to opening and closing the car, the driver can also use the Climate Control function to access the car’s climate control system and activate its auxiliary ventilation or heating. Added to which, the driver can use the Flash Light or Horn Blow functions to gain a visible or audible reminder of their car’s location (not available in all markets). If the car is out of sight and earshot, it can still be located by the Vehicle Finder function within a radius of up to 1,500 metres. A map then guides the driver to the car. Google Local Search rounds off the portfolio of functions. Here, customers can use the Google search function or the smartphone’s address book to send relevant Points of Interest (POIs) to the car’s navigation system. The e-mobility-specific remote functions of the BMW ActiveE, such as battery charging from outside the car, will also be available for Android phones, as will the upgrade for the My BMW Remote app – slated for introduction in autumn 2011 – which adds the Real-Time Traffic Information (RTTI) function.



Android is currently the fastest-growing software platform for smartphones and tablets. As open-source software, it can be adapted to and used on a wide range of devices from different manufacturers. It is here that the challenge lies for the BMW Group developers. Different resolutions, not to mention the technical requirements and particular characteristics of the different devices, have to be taken into account in the development process. And that means the testing phase for Android phones is far more extensive and time-consuming than for apps for the iPhone, which only comes in two variants. Adapting the graphics as required is also a complex business. Android places different demands on the user interface and operating architecture. To this end, the user interface has to be adapted to the look and feel of Android phones, without making too many changes to the familiar and well thought-out appearance of the app. Here, the design of the Android user interface has already incorporated feedback from existing My BMW Remote app users and allows it to integrate new functions even more easily.



BMW AppCenters. Ideas factories for the future.

The importance the BMW Group is attaching to the area of apps is also reflected in its decision to expand development capacity in this area. The three AppCenters in Munich, Mountain View (California) and Shanghai are working together on the research and development of groundbreaking new applications for smartphones and browser-based technologies. With these three locations linked up closely together, the BMW Group is responding extremely effectively to different customer requirements and the desire for a local range of apps.



The close proximity of the AppCenter in Mountain View to Silicon Valley allows far-reaching insights into and exciting link-ups with highly innovative and creative start-ups, while the AppCenter in Shanghai incorporates the needs of the Asian market into the development process. Working together with the Munich-based AppCenter, they allow the BMW Group to ensure that development keeps pace with the times. The three AppCenters operate as a network, underpinned by identical platforms, technologies and software components. And short development times of between two and 12 months allow a rapid turnaround of high-quality market and brand-specific solutions. The developers are currently focusing primarily on apps for community development, car-related functions, infotainment and location-based services. However, these focal points can be varied and extended to respond to differing brand requirements and objectives. After all, the BMW Group experts are expecting busy times ahead in this area.























































With the introduction of MINI Connected in 2010, the BMW Group became the world’s first carmaker to allow the application-based and extensive integration of the Apple iPhone into its models. Available as an option, MINI Connected links up with a simple USB connection and the MINI Connected App to turn the smartphone into a central interface for infotainment inside, and relating to every aspect of, the car. This technology has provided the launch pad for an all-new in- car infotainment experience. In spring 2011 this interface and app were also made available for BMW vehicles in the form of BMW Apps and BMW Connected. Added to which, the BMW Group has since expanded the app concept to include the internet-based services from BMW Online (available since 2001) and, this summer, also BMW Live. Other compatible apps – and therefore services – from third-party providers can also be integrated into the concept and used in BMW and MINI vehicles.With the app concept – using either the application-based integration of a smartphone or a browser inside the vehicle – the BMW Group developers have created a highly flexible and still unrivalled platform. Indeed, the functional scope of the vehicle can be significantly broadened with the help of vehicle-specific apps certified by the BMW Group, enabling functions such as web radio, GoogleTM Local Search and FacebookTM to be used inside the vehicle safely and in convenience. But that is only the start. The app concept allows the range of functions to be expanded almost infinitely. Updating the app or installing another compatible app brings new functions into the car – without the need for any modifications to the car itself.“For us, the whole issue of apps is about not only the individual functions inside the vehicle, such as web radio or Google, but also the avenues this opens up to us beyond them. This technology makes our vehicles fit for the future.” (Florian Reuter, Product Management MINI Connected)A current example of the constant expansion of the apps’ functionality is the new calendar feature of BMW ConnectedDrive. An update for the app enables the actual calendar from the iPhone to be accessed in the car and the diary function of the smartphone to be linked up to the car’s infotainment system. Drivers can now access their calendar on the central information display and even have entries read out to them.Third-party apps from external providers.In addition to the special functions it has created itself, the BMW Group is also using the technical capability provided by MINI Connected and BMW Apps as a platform for the integration of services from other providers. These “third-party apps” will allow a host of infotainment functions which customers already use at home to be transferred seamlessly to the car and operated by the driver. And that means they will have access to the services they want – such as personalised music streaming – at all times, whether they are on foot or travelling in the car.“With third-party apps we’re aiming to give customers the chance to select the provider they prefer, or at least one they are familiar with, for each specific application. In addition, when it comes to new functions through other apps we can, of course, also recommend a provider offering the service they are seeking.” (Andreas Schwarzmeier, BMW ConnectedDrive)By opening up this platform to apps from other providers, the BMW Group is underlining its leading position in both the integration of mobile devices into its cars and the introduction of internet-based in-car services. Development times are getting even shorter, and the selection of products wider and more customer-specific. And, most importantly, local requirements can be covered to optimum effect by a diverse structure underpinning the available services. In the USA, BMW Apps and MINI Connected customers can already use the popular and cost-free personalized internet radio service Pandora®.“Our aim for the future is to take our cooperation with premium infotainment providers to the next level in order to give our customers in-car access to the services they already use at home.” (Andreas Schwarzmeier)Only apps which meet the requirements of the BMW Group for in-car use are certified and approved by the BMW Group for MINI Connected or BMW Apps. Development partners assist the BMW Group to this end with suitable guidelines, tools and car-related expertise.Innovative functions, adapted to the brand.The flexibility of the local interface is also evident in the brand-specific development of BMW Apps and MINI Connected. Both apps offer access to web radio and Facebook, for example, but MINI Connected also features driving and community-oriented functions such as the MINIMALISM Analyser and Mission Control. BMW Apps, meanwhile, serves the need for seamless functionality and ease of information access with functions such as the integration of the iPhone calendar.“MINI drivers are different from BMW drivers. That’s why it’s important for us to be able to offer them a specially developed service – in the form ofMINI Connected. This also applies to apps from third-party providers. Here we can work effectively with exciting external partners to give customers access to their services inside the MINI.” (Florian Reuter)The latest version of MINI Connected already offers up to ten different functions, but the developers at the BMW Group are also working on the integration of additional features. As well as the integration of streaming podcast services and virtual travel guides, foursquare® would enable the community area of MINI Connected to expand to include the link-up with location-based services and social networking. Customers can use foursquare to explore their surroundings or check out a nearby restaurant, for example, and to access any tips the community can offer. They can also see where their friends are hanging out. “We have a local interface, which can be adapted along individual and customer- specific lines so that every customer – BMW or MINI – can access a set of functions which suit their personal requirements.” (Uwe Higgen, Head of the BMW Group AppCenter in Munich)From this summer, BMW ConnectedDrive customers have been able to widen their app experience beyond iPhone-based BMW Apps to include browser- based applications from BMW Online. Added to which, they can use their internet-compatible smartphone to access the latest applications from BMW via BMW Live. For example, BMW offers all customer groups and markets a constantly updated and configurable range of functions. To enable this browser- based functionality, the car needs to be specified with BMW ConnectedDrive and have an Internet connection – either via the integrated SIM card or the customer’s mobile phone – to the backend servers on which the applications are running. The applications can then be selected from the menu of the on-board system via BMW Online or BMW Live and accessed immediately. In this way, the BMW ConnectedDrive package offers comfortable access to the desired applications, in the style you would expect from BMW.“With BMW Online and BMW Live, MINI Connected and BMW Apps, we are offering a range of technically contrasting but complementary solutions which appeal to different customer groups. Keeping both smartphone and backend applications separate from overall car development will allow our models to stay at the leading edge of technology over a period of years.” (Uwe Higgen)The BMW Group doesn’t only offer solutions for the integration of Apple smartphones; in the future, smartphones based on the Android operating system should also be able to use the BMW and MINI apps. The first step along this road is the Android version of the My BMW Remote app, which controls the same remote functions as its iPhone counterpart. In addition to opening and closing the car, the driver can also use the Climate Control function to access the car’s climate control system and activate its auxiliary ventilation or heating. Added to which, the driver can use the Flash Light or Horn Blow functions to gain a visible or audible reminder of their car’s location (not available in all markets). If the car is out of sight and earshot, it can still be located by the Vehicle Finder function within a radius of up to 1,500 metres. A map then guides the driver to the car. Google Local Search rounds off the portfolio of functions. Here, customers can use the Google search function or the smartphone’s address book to send relevant Points of Interest (POIs) to the car’s navigation system. The e-mobility-specific remote functions of the BMW ActiveE, such as battery charging from outside the car, will also be available for Android phones, as will the upgrade for the My BMW Remote app – slated for introduction in autumn 2011 – which adds the Real-Time Traffic Information (RTTI) function.Android is currently the fastest-growing software platform for smartphones and tablets. As open-source software, it can be adapted to and used on a wide range of devices from different manufacturers. It is here that the challenge lies for the BMW Group developers. Different resolutions, not to mention the technical requirements and particular characteristics of the different devices, have to be taken into account in the development process. And that means the testing phase for Android phones is far more extensive and time-consuming than for apps for the iPhone, which only comes in two variants. Adapting the graphics as required is also a complex business. Android places different demands on the user interface and operating architecture. To this end, the user interface has to be adapted to the look and feel of Android phones, without making too many changes to the familiar and well thought-out appearance of the app. Here, the design of the Android user interface has already incorporated feedback from existing My BMW Remote app users and allows it to integrate new functions even more easily.The importance the BMW Group is attaching to the area of apps is also reflected in its decision to expand development capacity in this area. The three AppCenters in Munich, Mountain View (California) and Shanghai are working together on the research and development of groundbreaking new applications for smartphones and browser-based technologies. With these three locations linked up closely together, the BMW Group is responding extremely effectively to different customer requirements and the desire for a local range of apps.The close proximity of the AppCenter in Mountain View to Silicon Valley allows far-reaching insights into and exciting link-ups with highly innovative and creative start-ups, while the AppCenter in Shanghai incorporates the needs of the Asian market into the development process. Working together with the Munich-based AppCenter, they allow the BMW Group to ensure that development keeps pace with the times. The three AppCenters operate as a network, underpinned by identical platforms, technologies and software components. And short development times of between two and 12 months allow a rapid turnaround of high-quality market and brand-specific solutions. The developers are currently focusing primarily on apps for community development, car-related functions, infotainment and location-based services. However, these focal points can be varied and extended to respond to differing brand requirements and objectives. After all, the BMW Group experts are expecting busy times ahead in this area.









Infotainment Assistant – your personal range of multimedia

2.2 Infotainment Assistant – your personal range of multimedia.



A car radio that knows what you want to listen to next? Whether it’s music, a news podcast or the latest posts from your Facebook friends,your customised palette of entertainment and information is in the offing.



The continuing growth in the number of integration options offered by BMW ConnectedDrive has been accompanied by an increase in the scope of personalised infotainment available to customers. Indeed, vehicles can already be specified with a wealth of information and entertainment technology. Familiar functions such as FM, DAB+ and satellite radio, local infotainment servers, USB, iPod and iPhone integration, MP3 players and mobile phones have been joined by new BMW ConnectedDrive services such as office functions with email access and calendars, and new media like Facebook, Twitter and podcasts. Each of these sources contains information which may be of interest to customers.

Yet all this content has to be selected according to source; in other words, drivers not only have to decide what they want to listen to, but also know where to find it. Intelligent search functions and intuitive control systems, such as the voice operation function available from BMW ConnectedDrive for the user’s music collection, can make source-based searches significantly easier. However, the Infotainment Assistant – a new BMW Group research project already tested in a vehicle prototype – goes a step further. This intelligent system overcomes the barriers of source identification and opens the door to personalised infotainment on a whole new level.



“Our aim with the Infotainment Assistant is to look at all the information and entertainment options available to customers inside the vehicle, filter out content which might be relevant and interesting to them, and present it to them without them having to lift a finger.” (Thomas Helbig, Project Manager Online Entertainment)



The Infotainment Assistant plays the role of personal butler to the driver during a journey, proffering suggestions on entertaining or informative content. The suggestions are geared towards the driver’s preferences and the driving situation at hand, ensuring that the range of options always hits the mark. To this end, the Infotainment Assistant compiles an all-round infotainment portfolio of office, news and personalised music content. To do this the current prototype accesses podcasts, an email service, a calendar service, a music community and a music provider. It uses these sources to select and suggest content tailored to the situation and the user. For example, the Infotainment Assistant detects if the driver is running late for a meeting by checking the next appointment entry in the calendar and the time and destination entered into the route guidance function of the navigation system. The new technology can then compose an email informing the other people due to attend the meeting that the driver has been delayed. Equally, if the meeting is put back the assistance system updates the driver on the time he now has in hand.



The different content is presented as if by a personalised radio station, with important emails, calendar entries or favourite songs from friends in the community incorporated dynamically. Text-based content, such as emails, calendar entries or information from communities such as Twitter, is read out through the speakers via the Text to Speech function in order to distract the driver as little as possible from the task of driving.



The assistance system recommends, the driver decides.

As well as using audio output, the prototype also presents the various content in visual form in the central information display. Here, drivers can view the current selection and content presented previously, and this is also where the Infotainment Assistant flashes up its next suggestion. This personalised “infotainment horizon” can be altered at any time. For example, the driver can skip to the next item, actively reject one of the assistance system’s suggestions or miss out several items and go straight to something of particular interest, such as new emails. In the same way, drivers can also state their wish to stay with the current content and only listen to music, for example, from now on. The Infotainment Assistant registers each of these active interventions and refines its selection of content for the future; every entry from the driver adds to the system’s knowledge base. In order to make content as easy as possible to identify, it is presented to the driver – in Cover Flow-style – using icons through which the driver can navigate.



Drivers may also like to enter some core preferences before they use the system for the first time so the Infotainment Assistant has one or two pointers on which to base its recommendations. The aim here is to use a small number of details to prompt the system into drawing as many conclusions as possible on habits and wishes. The more the system is used, the more accurate the personalisation.



“It is important to us that the Infotainment Assistant presents the customers with a personal and well-chosen range of content. Drivers can choose to hand over compilation of their entertainment programme to the assistance system entirely. But if they intervene to make a choice, the assistance system automatically registers their selections.” (Dr Wolfgang Haberl, Project Manager Future In-car Entertainment at BMW Group Research and Technology)



News in the morning, music in the evening.

The Infotainment Assistant also allows suggestions to be adapted to suit the situation. On the way to work, for example, drivers may like to set the system to prioritise incoming emails and news, with the odd musical interlude in between. In other circumstances, however, they might prefer to listen to music and nothing else, or only to sports news. Users can compile these profiles themselves and tweak them according to the services available.



The aim of the Infotainment Assistant is to entertain and inform drivers as effectively as possible – according to their preferences – during their journey, regardless of the source from which the information and content have been taken. In so doing, the system offers personalised, straightforward and fast access to content, and ensures it never stops learning.







The continuing growth in the number of integration options offered by BMW ConnectedDrive has been accompanied by an increase in the scope of personalised infotainment available to customers. Indeed, vehicles can already be specified with a wealth of information and entertainment technology. Familiar functions such as FM, DAB+ and satellite radio, local infotainment servers, USB, iPod and iPhone integration, MP3 players and mobile phones have been joined by new BMW ConnectedDrive services such as office functions with email access and calendars, and new media like Facebook, Twitter and podcasts. Each of these sources contains information which may be of interest to customers.Yet all this content has to be selected according to source; in other words, drivers not only have to decide what they want to listen to, but also know where to find it. Intelligent search functions and intuitive control systems, such as the voice operation function available from BMW ConnectedDrive for the user’s music collection, can make source-based searches significantly easier. However, the Infotainment Assistant – a new BMW Group research project already tested in a vehicle prototype – goes a step further. This intelligent system overcomes the barriers of source identification and opens the door to personalised infotainment on a whole new level.“Our aim with the Infotainment Assistant is to look at all the information and entertainment options available to customers inside the vehicle, filter out content which might be relevant and interesting to them, and present it to them without them having to lift a finger.” (Thomas Helbig, Project Manager Online Entertainment)The Infotainment Assistant plays the role of personal butler to the driver during a journey, proffering suggestions on entertaining or informative content. The suggestions are geared towards the driver’s preferences and the driving situation at hand, ensuring that the range of options always hits the mark. To this end, the Infotainment Assistant compiles an all-round infotainment portfolio of office, news and personalised music content. To do this the current prototype accesses podcasts, an email service, a calendar service, a music community and a music provider. It uses these sources to select and suggest content tailored to the situation and the user. For example, the Infotainment Assistant detects if the driver is running late for a meeting by checking the next appointment entry in the calendar and the time and destination entered into the route guidance function of the navigation system. The new technology can then compose an email informing the other people due to attend the meeting that the driver has been delayed. Equally, if the meeting is put back the assistance system updates the driver on the time he now has in hand.The different content is presented as if by a personalised radio station, with important emails, calendar entries or favourite songs from friends in the community incorporated dynamically. Text-based content, such as emails, calendar entries or information from communities such as Twitter, is read out through the speakers via the Text to Speech function in order to distract the driver as little as possible from the task of driving.As well as using audio output, the prototype also presents the various content in visual form in the central information display. Here, drivers can view the current selection and content presented previously, and this is also where the Infotainment Assistant flashes up its next suggestion. This personalised “infotainment horizon” can be altered at any time. For example, the driver can skip to the next item, actively reject one of the assistance system’s suggestions or miss out several items and go straight to something of particular interest, such as new emails. In the same way, drivers can also state their wish to stay with the current content and only listen to music, for example, from now on. The Infotainment Assistant registers each of these active interventions and refines its selection of content for the future; every entry from the driver adds to the system’s knowledge base. In order to make content as easy as possible to identify, it is presented to the driver – in Cover Flow-style – using icons through which the driver can navigate.Drivers may also like to enter some core preferences before they use the system for the first time so the Infotainment Assistant has one or two pointers on which to base its recommendations. The aim here is to use a small number of details to prompt the system into drawing as many conclusions as possible on habits and wishes. The more the system is used, the more accurate the personalisation.“It is important to us that the Infotainment Assistant presents the customers with a personal and well-chosen range of content. Drivers can choose to hand over compilation of their entertainment programme to the assistance system entirely. But if they intervene to make a choice, the assistance system automatically registers their selections.” (Dr Wolfgang Haberl, Project Manager Future In-car Entertainment at BMW Group Research and Technology)The Infotainment Assistant also allows suggestions to be adapted to suit the situation. On the way to work, for example, drivers may like to set the system to prioritise incoming emails and news, with the odd musical interlude in between. In other circumstances, however, they might prefer to listen to music and nothing else, or only to sports news. Users can compile these profiles themselves and tweak them according to the services available.The aim of the Infotainment Assistant is to entertain and inform drivers as effectively as possible – according to their preferences – during their journey, regardless of the source from which the information and content have been taken. In so doing, the system offers personalised, straightforward and fast access to content, and ensures it never stops learning.









Network of the future – functionality with LTE over-the-air high-speed internet

2.3 Network of the future – functionality with LTE over-the-air high-speed internet.



Wireless, faster than DSL and available anywhere – mobile data connectivity via LTE opens up new possibilities for Connected Drive.



Internet streaming of music or videos over the air from a mobile phone network to a CE device has been a reality for some time. However, the bandwidth of the current UMTS (3G) wireless standard is limited, and the streaming quality is not always optimal. The videos are transmitted in low resolution, and inadequate network coverage in some areas can cause problems with video and audio stuttering or dropouts.



These problems will soon be a thing of the past with the arrival of the new LTE (Long-Term Evolution) standard. LTE, also known as 4G, is a fourth-generation wireless standard and the next major technology standard after GSM (2G) and UMTS/HSPA (3G).



High bit rates, low latency.

The main highlight of LTE is that it combines extremely high bandwidth with very low latency. Whereas UMTS/HSPA can currently achieve theoretical downlink speeds of up to 14 Mbit/s, LTE is around ten times faster. With peak downlink speeds of 150 Mbit/s and latency in the tens of milliseconds, the mobile internet experience provided by LTE is on a par with, or may even surpass, the kind of quality previously confined to home computers with a landline connection. Uplink speeds for this standard will be in the order of 50 Mbit/s. The higher bit rates are achieved by using state-of-the-art modulation and coding methods and multiple antenna technology.



Low latency is a key factor for ensuring high-quality, delay-free operation. Latency is amongst other things a measure of the speed with which the network processes inputs. The extremely low latency offered by LTE is an important enabler for new functions in the car which are supported not by onboard processing power but by backend servers. The combination of low delay times (thanks to the high transfer speeds) and high backend computing power also brings data-intensive cloud applications ever closer. The delegating of processing-power-intensive operations to high-performance backend servers so that the necessary computing power does not have to be available on board the vehicle also reduces space requirements and therefore offers scope for reducing vehicle weight and energy consumption.



LTE also provides better area coverage than previous mobile phone networks, since it can operate not only in the high-frequency 2.6 GHz range but also at low frequencies in the 800 MHz range which have better physical propagation characteristics. The high bandwidth is therefore also available when travelling at high speeds. So LTE can continue to offer high-speed internet access even on motorways and main roads.



Another feature of LTE is the possibility of prioritising specific data packets. For example, the new backend configuration makes it possible to give highest priority to services which must not be interrupted, in order to increase the probability of continuous transmission. This would have particular advantages for safety- related functions.



Efficient use of air interface.

One reason for LTE’s high transfer speeds is its high spectral efficiency. Spectral efficiency is the number of bits that can be transmitted per second per Hertz of bandwidth. LTE currently offers a peak spectral efficiency of 16, compared with just 0.2 for GSM. This means LTE offers 80 times more bandwidth.



“LTE makes much better use of the air interface. Over-the-air data traffic can be managed far more efficiently with this technology.” (Dr Michael Schraut, Head of the Information and Communication Team, BMW Group Research and Technology)

Another first for LTE is the use of multiple antenna systems, that is to say two physically separate transmitting (and two receiving) antennas operate on the same frequency at the same time. The different streams can be identified by their different signal paths. Known as MIMO (Multiple-Input Multiple-Output), this principle provides the high reception performance necessary to support high bit rates. In the research prototype developed by BMW Group Research and Technology, the LTE antennas are integrated in the typical BMW roof fin.



LTE in the car.

The big challenge when it comes to in-car LTE application is to ensure that LTE’s advantages of faster transfer speeds, combined with sufficient bandwidth and spectral efficiency, continue to be maintained while the vehicle is on the move. Peak bit rates will not be available at every point on the route and there may be wide variations depending on factors such as the position of the vehicle in relation to the stationary transmitter, or line-of-sight conditions. The on-board reception systems must be designed to compensate for signal fluctuation in the moving vehicle and also for Doppler shifts.



BMW Group Research and Technology is therefore conducting intensive research, in parallel with extensive live testing, to evaluate the performance of LTE in in-car applications. The live tests are being carried out in urban conditions in Munich and in the surrounding rural area. The focus is on evaluating parameters such as transmission characteristics, latency times and transfer speeds under real-world conditions. Initial promising results show peak download speeds of up to 70 Mbit/s, with average speeds of 23 Mbit/s in town. Overall, the tests show significantly improved area coverage combined with the improvement in bit rates.



“LTE will ensure continued delivery of a perfect in-car BMW ConnectedDrive experience. It will also allow us to provide new, innovative functions.” (Michael Schraut)



The services already offered by BMW ConnectedDrive can benefit greatly from the improved speed, performance and area coverage offered by LTE. Server- based services such as video or music streaming to the car will become more attractive thanks to the high bandwidth and low latency offered by LTE.



BMW Group Research and Technology is also investigating other application scenarios – for example outsourcing of traffic sign recognition to backend servers. The front-mounted camera would scan the signs and stream the information via LTE to the backend server. There an algorithm would identify the signs – including new, unfamiliar ones – and send back the relevant information to the vehicle. This would provide a simple and convenient way of keeping this driver assistance system state-of-the-art and abreast of new traffic signs throughout the life cycle of the vehicle.



When will LTE be here?

That question is quickly answered: LTE is here already. It is now available in 20 countries via 29 commercial networks. In the USA, the first LTE-capable smartphones are already on the market and some operators both in the USA and in Germany are predicting that LTE will be as big as the current UMTS network as early as 2013. The better area coverage means the high bandwidth will also be available when travelling on motorways and main roads. As soon as these goals in terms of availability and area coverage are realised, the BMW Group will be excellently positioned to take its in-car BMW ConnectedDrive services to a new level.













Internet streaming of music or videos over the air from a mobile phone network to a CE device has been a reality for some time. However, the bandwidth of the current UMTS (3G) wireless standard is limited, and the streaming quality is not always optimal. The videos are transmitted in low resolution, and inadequate network coverage in some areas can cause problems with video and audio stuttering or dropouts.These problems will soon be a thing of the past with the arrival of the new LTE (Long-Term Evolution) standard. LTE, also known as 4G, is a fourth-generation wireless standard and the next major technology standard after GSM (2G) and UMTS/HSPA (3G).The main highlight of LTE is that it combines extremely high bandwidth with very low latency. Whereas UMTS/HSPA can currently achieve theoretical downlink speeds of up to 14 Mbit/s, LTE is around ten times faster. With peak downlink speeds of 150 Mbit/s and latency in the tens of milliseconds, the mobile internet experience provided by LTE is on a par with, or may even surpass, the kind of quality previously confined to home computers with a landline connection. Uplink speeds for this standard will be in the order of 50 Mbit/s. The higher bit rates are achieved by using state-of-the-art modulation and coding methods and multiple antenna technology.Low latency is a key factor for ensuring high-quality, delay-free operation. Latency is amongst other things a measure of the speed with which the network processes inputs. The extremely low latency offered by LTE is an important enabler for new functions in the car which are supported not by onboard processing power but by backend servers. The combination of low delay times (thanks to the high transfer speeds) and high backend computing power also brings data-intensive cloud applications ever closer. The delegating of processing-power-intensive operations to high-performance backend servers so that the necessary computing power does not have to be available on board the vehicle also reduces space requirements and therefore offers scope for reducing vehicle weight and energy consumption.LTE also provides better area coverage than previous mobile phone networks, since it can operate not only in the high-frequency 2.6 GHz range but also at low frequencies in the 800 MHz range which have better physical propagation characteristics. The high bandwidth is therefore also available when travelling at high speeds. So LTE can continue to offer high-speed internet access even on motorways and main roads.Another feature of LTE is the possibility of prioritising specific data packets. For example, the new backend configuration makes it possible to give highest priority to services which must not be interrupted, in order to increase the probability of continuous transmission. This would have particular advantages for safety- related functions.One reason for LTE’s high transfer speeds is its high spectral efficiency. Spectral efficiency is the number of bits that can be transmitted per second per Hertz of bandwidth. LTE currently offers a peak spectral efficiency of 16, compared with just 0.2 for GSM. This means LTE offers 80 times more bandwidth.“LTE makes much better use of the air interface. Over-the-air data traffic can be managed far more efficiently with this technology.” (Dr Michael Schraut, Head of the Information and Communication Team, BMW Group Research and Technology)Another first for LTE is the use of multiple antenna systems, that is to say two physically separate transmitting (and two receiving) antennas operate on the same frequency at the same time. The different streams can be identified by their different signal paths. Known as MIMO (Multiple-Input Multiple-Output), this principle provides the high reception performance necessary to support high bit rates. In the research prototype developed by BMW Group Research and Technology, the LTE antennas are integrated in the typical BMW roof fin.The big challenge when it comes to in-car LTE application is to ensure that LTE’s advantages of faster transfer speeds, combined with sufficient bandwidth and spectral efficiency, continue to be maintained while the vehicle is on the move. Peak bit rates will not be available at every point on the route and there may be wide variations depending on factors such as the position of the vehicle in relation to the stationary transmitter, or line-of-sight conditions. The on-board reception systems must be designed to compensate for signal fluctuation in the moving vehicle and also for Doppler shifts.BMW Group Research and Technology is therefore conducting intensive research, in parallel with extensive live testing, to evaluate the performance of LTE in in-car applications. The live tests are being carried out in urban conditions in Munich and in the surrounding rural area. The focus is on evaluating parameters such as transmission characteristics, latency times and transfer speeds under real-world conditions. Initial promising results show peak download speeds of up to 70 Mbit/s, with average speeds of 23 Mbit/s in town. Overall, the tests show significantly improved area coverage combined with the improvement in bit rates.“LTE will ensure continued delivery of a perfect in-car BMW ConnectedDrive experience. It will also allow us to provide new, innovative functions.” (Michael Schraut)The services already offered by BMW ConnectedDrive can benefit greatly from the improved speed, performance and area coverage offered by LTE. Server- based services such as video or music streaming to the car will become more attractive thanks to the high bandwidth and low latency offered by LTE.BMW Group Research and Technology is also investigating other application scenarios – for example outsourcing of traffic sign recognition to backend servers. The front-mounted camera would scan the signs and stream the information via LTE to the backend server. There an algorithm would identify the signs – including new, unfamiliar ones – and send back the relevant information to the vehicle. This would provide a simple and convenient way of keeping this driver assistance system state-of-the-art and abreast of new traffic signs throughout the life cycle of the vehicle.That question is quickly answered: LTE is here already. It is now available in 20 countries via 29 commercial networks. In the USA, the first LTE-capable smartphones are already on the market and some operators both in the USA and in Germany are predicting that LTE will be as big as the current UMTS network as early as 2013. The better area coverage means the high bandwidth will also be available when travelling on motorways and main roads. As soon as these goals in terms of availability and area coverage are realised, the BMW Group will be excellently positioned to take its in-car BMW ConnectedDrive services to a new level.





3. Enhanced convenience with innovative control and display technology plus intelligent navigation.



Augmented Reality

3.1 Augmented Reality – new dimensions in driver assistance and navigation courtesy of the contact analogue Head-Up Display.



Navigation directions merge with reality, hazards are indicated in the driver’s direct line of vision: the contact analogue Head-Up Display signals the intuitive and safe display experience of the future.



In 2004, the BMW Group was the first automotive manufacturer to bring out a colour Head-Up Display which projected driving-related information directly in the driver’s line of sight. In early 2011 the latest generation of this system was introduced, featuring full-colour graphics. But already the BMW researchers and developers are working on a new milestone in this technology which will see the Head-Up Display acquiring “contact analogue” functionality. This is a technique whereby virtual “markings” are superimposed on real objects in the external environment, so that navigation information or information from the driver assistance systems can be displayed at exactly the right points on the driver’s view of the road scene. Navigation instructions can be blended into the road, and vehicles or safety-relevant objects can be highlighted or marked in context.



What exactly is augmented reality, or a contact analogue display system?

The Head-Up Display was the first step towards in-car implementation of augmented reality. The HUD augments the external scene with additional information and artificially generated objects which react to and adapt to the situation in real time. The Head-Up Display presents useful information such as current speed and navigation information directly in the driver’s line of sight, but the technology has much greater potential than that: its applications can be greatly expanded by the use of contact analogue display technology.



Contact analogue displays are a special form of augmented reality. The displayed information is integrated into the external environment in the correct perspective and at the actual point or points in the scene to which it relates, so that effectively the information ap