Harman said it developed a safety system to help eliminate vehicle blind spots that lead to “back over" accidents that kill or injure 15,000 pedestrians a year in the U.S. Increased adoption of bigger vehicles such as SUVs has exacerbated the blind spot issue for consumers, Harman said. The company’s Reverse Pedestrian Detection technology uses computer vision and a fish-eye camera to detect pedestrians behind the vehicle and combines data from ultrasonic sensors for close pedestrian verification, it said. The application also uses the steering wheel angle and speed for calculating probable collision trajectories, it said. The software-based technology, designed to be housed in existing vehicle infotainment systems, doesn’t require additional hardware and is available to automotive OEMs now.

Harman and Suzuki announced a contract agreement for an infotainment system in the Suzuki Ignis. The Ignis is the first Japanese-made vehicle for the Japanese market to incorporate Apple CarPlay, the companies said. Last week, Harman opened its Suzhou Product Development Center in China (see 1603230051), which the company said signifies its commitment to the Asia-Pacific market.

Toshiba launched a dual-view video processor for high-resolution automotive displays, it said Friday. Navigation systems and driver support information displays are prompting demand for larger panels with higher resolution, Toshiba said. The TC90195XBG supports 1920 x 720-resolution panels and can output two digital video signals simultaneously, it said. Mass production is slated for June, it said.

Harman spotlighted its automotive technologies on display in vehicles debuting Friday at the New York International Auto Show, which runs through April 3. The Maserati Levante uses Harman’s advanced platform with a multi-touch 8.4-inch SVGA screen and voice control system. In-vehicle add-ons include dual Bluetooth pairing and Harman’s Aha connected services that offer GPS and radio support, Harman said. The Porsche Macan has a 7-inch widescreen TFT touch screen and connects to the iPhone over Wi-Fi via Apple’s CarPlay and to other smartphones over Bluetooth, Harman said. The Macan navigation system supports real-time traffic information, Google Earth, Google Street View, 3D city maps and landscape representation, and it has automatic zoom for a clearer view of intersections, real-time traffic information and dynamic route guidance, Harman said. Mercedes bowed the GLC Coupe and AMG GLC43 at the Auto Show, and its Command online hub uses Harman connectivity and infotainment solutions for access to Google Street View; Google Earth, including 3D cities; local search; and real-time traffic information, said Harman. Users can stream music from smartphones via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi via the vehicle’s wireless hotspot, Harman said. A Lincoln Navigator concept vehicle features Harman’s QuantumLogic surround-sound technology, its Clari-Fi music reconstruction technology and a Revel speaker package, Harman said. The latest Toyota Prius packs Harman’s JBL audio with GreenEdge technology that’s said to deliver twice the performance with half the energy consumption of traditional audio components. GreenEdge audio components weigh less and take up less space in the car, “with no compromises to volume or sound authenticity,” said Harman. Hyundai unveiled the hybrid and electric Ioniq vehicle at the Auto Show, with Harman’s Infinity premium audio system with Clari-Fi music reconstruction technology, it said. Kia’s redesigned 2017 Cadenza sedan comes with a Harman Kardon sound system with Clari-Fi and next-gen QuantumLogic surround sound, said Harman. Subaru’s Impreza has a custom-tuned Harman Kardon sound system, it said.

Harman began operations Wednesday at its Suzhou Global Product Development Center in Suzhou, China, the company’s largest R&D hub for car audio products worldwide. The Suzhou plant will work alongside Harman’s existing manufacturing facility on the same site, giving Harman “full value-chain capabilities” including sourcing, R&D, production, technical support, distribution and retailing, the company said. David Jin, Harman president-northeast Asia and Greater China, said in a statement: “With our development center and production facility in Suzhou and backed by Harman’s global innovation resources, we can stay closer to the China market, get feedback quickly and directly, shorten the product development cycle, better meet customer expectations and more flexibly reach out to the global market.” The Suzhou product development center will work with Chinese automakers BAIC Motor, BYD, Changan, Chery, Geely, Great Wall and SAIC-GM, Harman said.

AT&T made a series of announcements at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona Monday covering the connected car and home automation businesses. The carrier entered a multiyear agreement with its 10th automaker, Porsche, for wireless 4G LTE connectivity in select Boxster, Macan and 911 models, it said. AT&T-powered Porsche Connect Plus services are available standard or as an option and will include a Wi-Fi hot spot, navigation, news, weather alerts and additional infotainment services, AT&T said. Audi expanded its connected car relationship with AT&T for 2017-2018, covering Wi-Fi and connected safety, security and infotainment services, including remote lock/unlock, stolen vehicle locator, online roadside assistance and service requests, AT&T said. With Vodafone, AT&T is supporting the debut of OnStar service for Opel and Vauxhall OnStar in select European countries, it said. OnStar’s Wi-Fi 4G LTE service, enabled by Vodafone in Europe, is offered in all new Opel and Vauxhall passenger vehicles, and is available in Germany, the Netherlands, Spain and the U.K. The vehicles' mobile hot spot supports up to seven mobile devices, AT&T said. Samsung announced AT&T as the first wireless provider of its connected car service, Samsung Connect Auto, in the U.S. The Samsung Wi-Fi service, secured by Samsung’s Knox mobile security platform, uses location-based and real-time alerts to improve the driving experience, including increasing fuel efficiency, Samsung said. AT&T Digital Life and Ericsson are in discussions to take the home security and automation service outside of the U.S., AT&T said. Ericsson would provide its sales channels and technical expertise, and AT&T and Ericsson are “exploring how to simplify the ability of companies outside the U.S. to enter the smart home business,” AT&T said. As part of the relationship, Ericsson “may help test and integrate the AT&T Digital Life platform onto the licensing company’s systems as well as providing post-launch support,” AT&T said.

Intel and LG are collaborating to develop and pilot 5G-based telematics technology, with a goal of being first to market with 5G solutions, the companies said at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. The effort will combine Intel’s experience in connected cars, sensor fusion and distributed deep learning with LG’s connectivity expertise, said Aicha Evans, general manager, Intel communication and devices group.

Giesecke & Devrient expects about 75 percent of all cars shipped globally in 2020 to have embedded connectivity, the German security firm said in a Monday report. Of the 70 million passenger cars registered worldwide in 2014, only 10 percent had embedded connectivity, it said. The forecast is consistent with SiriusXM's forecast that most vehicles built at the end of the decade will include embedded LTE modems (see 1602020055). “As societies are becoming increasingly urbanized and hyperconnected, mobile connectivity is emerging as a core topic for the automotive industry,” Giesecke & Devrient said. “Vehicles of the future will be fully networked, independent, mobile ecosystems with specific services.”

Ford plans to continue “to invest for profitable growth this year and beyond not only in the traditional business, the core business, but also as we transform Ford into an auto and a mobility company,” said Chief Financial Officer Bob Shanks on a Thursday earnings call. As part of its effort aimed at “aggressively pursuing emerging opportunities” in the mobility area, Ford’s plan is “to have the largest autonomous vehicle test fleet in the industry,” CEO Mark Fields said. Fields doesn’t worry that moving to become more of a mobility company will distract the consumer from the Ford brand, he said in Q&A. “It’s really important that we don’t lose sight of our core business." Partnerships will become increasingly important to the company as Ford transitions to more of a mobility force, he said. Ford’s partnership with Amazon “came out of an idea from one of our folks in our Palo Alto facility,” he said. At CES, Fields showcased a partnership to integrate Ford’s Sync Connect and Amazon Echo to provide voice control access between the car and home.

With the FCC poised to take a deep dive on sharing the 5.9 GHz band between Wi-Fi and auto companies (see 1601120055), NCTA said in a blog post Friday that it sees the use of the band as critical. “We’re working hard alongside technology companies, broadband providers, and consumers to encourage the FCC to work quickly, and to enter a collaborative testing process aimed at finding a win-win solution,” the cable association said. “We can all enjoy a future of fast, innovative, widely accessible broadband access. Meaningful sharing of the 5.9 GHz band would be a crucial step forward.”