5 use cases supported with S-GNSS® Auto
The low cost and small form factor of GNSS chips, combined with the ubiquity of GNSS signals are characteristics that are driving the growth of GNSS in the road and automotive sector. In this blog post, we consider the 5 use cases that are supported with S-GNSS® Auto.
1. Enhancing the accuracy of existing GNSS for navigation & location based services
GNSS has played a role in automotive systems for decades. The first GPS-based integrated satellite navigation system was introduced in 1990 by Mazda, in its high-end Eunos Cosmos car for the Japanese market. Today, in-vehicle sat nav has advanced to the point where a GNSS receiver is now a standard component of vehicle infotainment systems, used not just for navigation but also for location-aware information services such as traffic and weather alerts.
S-GNSS® Auto improves the accuracy of navigation systems improving the accuracy of location-aware infotainment services, through to the accuracy of location based services including payments and tolling to on demand mobility services (such as Uber), and over-the-air vehicle software updates.
2. Increasing the availability of ADAS through improved GNSS performance
Unlocking the full potential of GNSS can help alleviate the pressure on other vehicle sensors - enhancing the overall system performance. Delivering up to 10x better accuracy for ADAS, S-GNSS® Auto enhances the accuracy of a GNSS receiver, helps to maximise ADAS uptime in previously difficult environments. By improving the overall quality of GNSS measurements, the positioning subsystem can support safe decision-making and help OEMs, including GM, meet their engineering challenges and desire for consistent accuracy. Recent trial results unveiled at the recent global European Navigation Conference (ENC), demonstrated the precision, accuracy and integrity gains in GNSS positioning in automotive applications.
3. Optimising GNSS performance when using concealed antennas
There is a recent trend towards the reduction in priority for the hardware antenna in consumer vehicles. Driven by tight margins, aerodynamics and aesthetics, many OEMs are removing the ‘shark-fin’ antenna mounts we are used to seeing and concealing antennas within the roof or windscreen of the vehicle. Enhancing the RF signals through S-GNSS® Auto makes it possible to synthesise a high performance antenna with a small, constrained or concealed antenna, taking advantage of the end user motion. This innovation breaks the trend of having to deal with ever worsening antennas and can provide an instant boost in GNSS performance for the automotive sector, whatever the antenna used.
4. Advancing mass market
Whilst the age of fully autonomous road vehicles is not here yet, SAE Level 3 automation is now a reality, with a few high-end models now approved for hands-free, eyes-off driving in limited scenarios. S-GNSS® Auto helps to lower the cost of L3 systems to make them affordable to the mass market, thus making L3 driving possible in more places and for longer periods. In both endeavours, the use of global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) has a significant role to play in autonomous driving based on costs and its global availability.
5. Spoofer mitigation
With the growing importance of cyber security within a software-defined vehicle, the inbuilt spoofing mitigation functionality within S-GNSS® Auto aligns with the future cyber-security supply chain framework. By determining which signals are fake, the software ignores spoofing signals, preventing them from disrupting receiver operation, with the option to also detect the spoofer’s location. Learn more about GNSS spoofing.
Award winning software
Setting a new standard for GNSS performance and cyber-security, this award winning software (recognised by IOP, UK Royal Institute of Navigation, The US Institute of Navigation and The National Technology awards and now by AutoTech Awards), provides an innovative cost-effective software solution, typically previously associated only with expensive hardware or infrastructure. Running either on the GNSS chip or downstream, it provides automakers with a flexible and scalable upgrade to their ADAS and autonomous driving systems and provides consumers and the transportation sector from fleet to logistics companies the ability to rely on precise and accurate positioning, preventing delays, reducing fuel costs and operational efficiency.