Next Generation Telematics Architecture

Technology sets new benchmark, allowing for scalability and flexibility that liberate the supply chain.

Vision

Telematics services continue to grow and will become standard equipment in future automobiles. Telematics fills the voids between the vehicle, consumer connectivity at home and connected mobile devices. With the continual evolution of technology and the ever increasing use of personal connected devices, vehicle manufacturers will employ telematics services to make their vehicles safer and allow their drivers to remain connected.

To make that happen, automotive manufacturers will partner with telematics service providers who support an open and standard methodology to delivering services. HUGHES Telematics has developed their architecture around the objectives established by the Next Generation Telematics Protocols (NGTP) working committee, a new framework and technology-neutral telematics protocol designed to bring greater flexibility and scalability to the industry.

HUGHES Telematics’ approach is a shift away from proprietary telematics systems of the past to a flexible platform that can bring new players and new services to the market faster and at a lower cost. HUGHES Telematics’ next generation telematics architecture follows four key principles:

• Flexibility of choice among hardware providers, call centers, content providers, and wireless carriers.
• Scalability to easily add services, content, and capacity.
• Adaptability within a technology neutral platform with standardized interfaces and protocols encourages development of new services, third party application development and easy integration into legacy systems.
• Reliability is crucial to delivering safety services to consumers in life-threatening situations.

Next Generation Telematics Architecture Components

Hughes Telematics’ architecture includes nine major components integrated through the use of standardized interfaces:

1. Telematics Control Unit (TCU) – Telematics hardware installed in the vehicle providing integration to vehicle systems.
2. Telematics Operations Center (TOC) – The core of the telematics architecture managing the information about the customer (CRM), the vehicles and devices (ERP), the subscriptions and payments (BRM) and the overall performance of the services (BI).
3. Telematics Operations System (TOS) – The connectivity and delivery of services between the vehicles’ TCU, through the wireless network to the TOC.
4. Call Center – Integration of call centers to support OEM defined services including roadside, information calls, and concierge services.
5. Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) – Emergency call center providing call routing and dispatch services.
6. Content Management – Standardized platforms and interfaces for efficient content ingestion and delivery as well as rating, reporting and settlement with content, carrier and OEM partners.
7. Provisioning Data Provider – Provisioning and management of TCU wireless accounts.
8. Customer Data Provider – OEM data feeds including customer information, vehicle data, sales records, and subscriber agreements creating a single view of the customer.
9. Consumer Web Portal – OEM branded website that provides consumers with the opportunity to personalize and customize the telematics services within their vehicles.

Telematics Control Unit (TCU)

HUGHES Telematics’ next generation architecture has been designed to accommodate its own TCU or OEM proprietary hardware, third party hardware, and non-embedded devices. Through the use of standardized interfaces, OEMS have the flexibility to select TCU hardware independently from the selection of a Telematics Service Provider (TSP). HUGHES Telematics has developed multiple generations of TCU hardware that enable simple service application downloads, multiple communication channels and safe and easy-to-use customer interfaces. HUGHES Telematics’ TCUs provide communication options for both CDMA and GSM, along with Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. To support multiple communications options, the primary design principle is “Always Best Connected.” HUGHES Telematics’ TCU logic will choose the most efficient channel for each circumstance among cellular, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, or eventually Satellite.

Key to the HUGHES Telematics strategy is the creation of safe and easy to use customer interfaces using natural voice recognition. HUGHES Telematics provides access to telematics services without the need to memorize specific commands to help achieve greater acceptance in the use of services. The platform also provides a common interface protocol that will enable a single application to be displayed on multiple sizes and styles of radio displays, enabling faster development of new services.

Unique to HUGHES Telematics’ proprietary TCU is a feature known as “Virtual Accessories.” This allows for the on-demand activation of services already integrated into the TCU such as navigation, satellite radio, and blue tooth hands-free. These services can be activated for transactional, daily, annual, or lifetime use, allowing for standardization of features in the vehicle. The platform also enables additional applications to be downloaded over the air to the TCU creating greater choices for the vehicle owners. Virtual Accessory capability allows OEMs to customize their product offering for their customers.

Telematics Operations Center (TOC)

The TOC houses the core systems and provides the interface to the customer. Customer interfaces include call centers, consumer web portals, and the vehicle itself. HUGHES Telematics’ implementation of Oracle’s end-to-end set of applications using an “out-of-box” strategy within the TOC optimizes time and flexibility in the operations center. HUGHES Telematics solutions are faster to market, embedded with best practices, and easily upgradable. This ensures dependable service delivery and provides a single, real-time, customer view for all services and customer interactions. The TOC modular design provides OEMs many options for their telematics strategy. Choices include a comprehensive end-to-end HUGHES Telematics solution or client specified content providers, services and hardware. Virtually any desired component can be plugged into the existing architecture.

Telematics Operations System (TOS)

The TOS provides the secure interface to the vehicle. It executes commands between the vehicle and the TOC, translating them into common language that can communicate with the designated carrier. The TOS also manages wireless number provisioning, data management, and interfaces with the wireless carrier. Both the TOC and the TOS reside at redundant locations to ensure load balancing and maximum reliability in the event of natural disasters or outages. This gives OEMs and customers 100% availability to services and support every day of the year.

Call Center

The next generation telematics architecture includes the implementation of call center switching and control systems that provide flexibility to interface with multiple third party call centers and locations.

Oracle’s Contact Center Anywhere (CCA) has been implemented within HUGHES Telematics’ TOC and provides the dynamic routing of calls between multiple call center partners for optimal service delivery and capacity management. The implementation of CCA leverages industry best practices in both call center technology and features. CCA technology is a web-based, thin client application that allows for easy call center implementations globally including home-based agents. The web-based solution allows virtual call routing and remote supervisor monitoring. CCA also allows the OEM to select and integrate their preferred call center partners for services such as roadside, information calls, or concierge services.

Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP)

A critical component to any telematics system includes connectivity to an emergency call center. The CCA implementation provides seamless integration of both voice call and vehicle data required for emergency call centers to respond quickly and accurately with the right resources. HUGHES Telematics has established an exclusive relationship with Intrado, the industry leader providing the core of North America’s 9-1-1 infrastructure. Intrado responders are highly trained with APCO and NENA Emergency Number Professional (ENP) certifications and have an average of over nine years of 9-1-1 dispatch experience. Intrado also has the industry’s largest dedicated staff of PSAP data integrity analysts.

Content Management

A fundamental attribute of HUGHES Telematics’ architecture is the creation of standardized interfaces to the TOC for the delivery of internet content as shown below. This standardization provides a defined platform to easily integrate content and services into the vehicle such as navigation, traffic, news, sports, weather and other value added experiences. Beyond content, the content management systems provide all the necessary tools to activate and authenticate service sessions as well as to measure, rate, bill and report on usage and settle with content, OEM and carrier partners.

Provisioning Data Provider

Each TCU requires provisioning with the appropriate wireless carrier as defined by the OEM. The provisioning data provider manages the provisioning process and required data to communicate with the TCU. This includes managing the wireless carrier relationship, billing, and account management.

Customer Data Provider

Customer data may come from various sources including the OEM, dealer, or third parties. This data serves as the foundation for the customer record and includes key customer information, vehicle data, sales records, subscription and billing information. The customer information is key to delivering telematics services to vehicle drivers. HUGHES Telematics can collect the customer information direct from OEM dealer feeds, through web portals created for dealers to collect telematics information or directly from the new vehicle owner following delivery of the vehicle.

Consumer Web Portal

Unique to HUGHES Telematics, the architecture provides the infrastructure and functionality to support an OEM branded telematics site. This web portal serves as a way for new vehicle buyers to customize their services. It also allows OEMs to manage the messaging to their customers and as a marketing tool for cross-sell, up-sell, and promotional opportunities. The site provides self-service of several telematics services such as door unlock and can allow the driver to remotely personalize their vehicle.

Benefits

HUGHES Telematics is the first in the industry to create and implement a telematics platform that allows automotive OEMs to tailor content and features with flexibility for future service and hardware selections. The architecture is an open telematics platform structure that allows for connectivity between multiple content providers, call centers and hardware providers. A vehicle manufacturer can select the best of breed providers to create a unique experience for their vehicle owners. The HUGHES architecture also allows for global deployment creating a single service offering that will meet the globalization needs of automotive manufacturers.

About HUGHES Telematics

HUGHES Telematics ( www.HUGHEStelematics.com) is a leader in implementing the next generation of connected services for the automobile. Centered on a core platform of safety and security offerings, the company develops and manages vehicle- and driver-centric solutions to enhance the driving and ownership experience. Headquartered in Atlanta, Ga., HUGHES Telematics offers a portfolio of consumer, manufacturer, fleet and dealer services provided through two-way broadband connectivity to the vehicle.