The Driven Hour

So, what does the data stream volume for these services look like? Spotify offers a good example of a popular music platform that offers adaptive streams where the ‘quality’ of the stream can change based on the quality and bandwidth of the network connection. With streams ranging from 96kbps to 320kbps, the data volume being sent to the vehicle (or connected communications device) equates to 40MB/hour to 150MB/hour. It is key to note that the primary direction is from the cloud to the streaming client application.

Vehicle services

Alongside the infotainment services that driver and passengers may make use of, are an increasing range of applications that the vehicle manufacturers offer. These also contribute to the overall data volume that a vehicle will generate. Some vehicle manufacturers such as Jaguar, provide additional information services to the vehicle owner/user. For example, the InControl22 service includes the ability to report completed journeys. This function23 provides the customer with information about their journeys using data sent from the vehicle including the journey distance, real-time location, the duration of the journey, the average speed and data about the efficiency of the journey.

The information required to offer this function is derived from existing vehicle telemetry that is collected by the vehicle manufacturer. Such information forms a small part of the overall vehicle telemetry that is sent over a cellular connection to the vehicle manufacturer.

A growing number of manufacturers offer ‘remotecontrol functions’ using a cellular connection, enabling users to perform such functions as enable the heating/air-conditioning, lock or unlock the vehicle, sound the horn, flash the headlamps, check the fuel level or battery charge and effective range, check current location etc. More advanced functions include ‘summoning’24 the vehicle, however, these services require a relatively small data exchange between the vehicle and the vehicle manufacturer’s data centre.

What is your vehicle reporting?

Vehicle manufacturers are increasingly building their vehicles to be ‘connected,’ meaning that they can report information back to the manufacturer once the vehicle is in operation. Some manufacturers will gather such information for a limited period of time (typically covering the warranty period) but some intend to gather information throughout the lifetime of the vehicle.

In the case of Jaguar, such vehicle telemetry includes information relating to the vehicle being involved in an accident such as the fact that the airbags have been deployed or the sensors have been activated. Further data includes the fuel amount, the distance to empty status, the odometer value, the distance to service status, the coolant level, the washer fluid level, the brake fluid status, the brake pad wear, the tyre pressure, tyre pressure sensor failure, engine malfunction, the oil level, the door and window status, if seatbelts are buckled or not, and information from any sensors, for example in the car, on the steering wheel, or from camera information, including if the cab is open, boot open, bonnet open status, battery information including voltage, emissions information and whether the alarm is armed or sounding.

In cases such as a detected fault condition, the information including Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTC) will be recorded to local storage within the vehicle. This can subsequently be used by service engineers to determine the fault condition that was encountered. Some vehicles will send a summary fault report to the vehicle manufacturer, as well. As more sensors are added to vehicles, not only will vehicle manufacturers gather information about the performance and operation of the vehicle itself but may also gather data generated from the sensors themselves30. This does not mean that such data is gathered continuously but rather that vehicle systems may transmit a form of the sensor data in cases of ‘interest’ such as an accident or an unexpected set of telemetry data being recorded. Such information is of interest to not only the vehicle makers but potentially to organisations such as insurance companies.

As one can see from the information collection details, the manufacturers are collecting far more information than just fault conditions. The position and movement information can include details such as braking and acceleration styles. Tractioncontrol indications can help determine road conditions at a location. Some vehicle makers and mapping service providers are starting to use such information to identify roadway hazards such as potholes.

From a vehicle manufacturer’s perspective, one cannot rely on universal cellular coverage. As a result, applications need to be designed to operate on the premise that connectivity may or may not be available and therefore vehicle systems need to include the ability to store critical data locally, transmitting valuable information when connectivity is restored.