Socionext’s New Detroit Office Set to Assist Auto Companies and Suppliers

SUNNYVALE, CA and DETROIT, MI, JUNE 7, 2016–Socionext America Inc. (SNA), an emerging leader in advanced SoC technology for video and imaging systems, has opened a new Detroit office to service automotive manufacturers and industry suppliers who are creating new generations of vehicle safety, vision, and interconnection technologies.

The new SNA regional office is located at 34441 Eight Mile Road Suite 110, Livonia, Michigan, close to most of the large automotive makers and system manufacturers. Application engineers and software experts are available to assist partners on new and existing projects, and potential new customers can stop by to view products, technologies and interactive demos.

“The new office is designed to provide a local connection that will allow us to listen to the needs of our customers throughout the industry, especially as they work on new safety, visual, and auto interconnection technologies,” said Takuji Nukiwa, President of Socionext America. “We will support all of our leading technologies including 360-degree wrap-around view systems, the ‘all-in-one’ cluster technology, computer generated graphics using CGI Studio software, and others, as they become integrated into new generations of vehicles.”

Socionext America Detroit Area Office

The “All-in-One” Cluster: Ideal for the Connected Vehicle

The “All-in-One” cluster system allows connectivity with the vehicle using smart phones, meeting demands of drivers to connect with the vehicle using mobile devices. Socionext’s new all-in-one cluster comes with improved stitching, moving object detection, and recording functions. The system combines a free programmable instrument cluster, a head-up display and a touch information system all driven by one-mid- range dual core processor. Combined is the graphics display controller optimized for modularized in-car-applications such as dashboards, HUD systems, CID (Central Information Display) and RSE (Rear Seat Entertainment) systems. The complete graphics processing works line based, so no expensive framebuffer memory is necessary.

Three distributed displays, using APIX® technology, work independently to transmit the graphics information. As with the MirrorLink® integration, the system benefits from the computing capacity of the smart device by transforming it into an automotive application platform.

Support for SNA’s 360-degree Wrap-Around View System

Another key system for automotive manufacturers is the Socionext 360-degree wrap-around view system, designed for driver situational awareness. The system allows image display at difficult-to-see angles surrounding the vehicle. It uses a highly integrated SoC and advanced 3D algorithms to synthesize images from several cameras, recreating a seamless, 3D omni-directional view of the area around a vehicle or building. The SoC's video-processing technology can show any perspective and any sightline, and instantaneously and smoothly transitions from one view to another. The technology is unique in its ability to offer a dynamically definable perspective or "free eye point".

Socionext also offers a new 360-degreeWAV system solution package, which enables easy initial evaluation, development of systems for automotive applications. The package includes the hardware, software and development support services - all essential tools to expedite the evaluation and development of the fully optimized 360-degree WAV system.

CGI Studio Enables New Kinds of Automotive GUIs

The new office also will support SNA’s CGI Studio system, a PC-based software development platform for the creation of hybrid 2D and 3D automotive graphical interfaces (HMI/GUI). CGI Studio is used for in-vehicle infotainment and cluster-based dashboard systems throughout the automotive industry. The latest CGI Studio Tool chain now supports OpenGL ES 3.0, enabling cutting-edge in-vehicle HMI applications.

The heart of CGI Studio is a tool called Scene Composer allowing users to easily and quickly compose the scenes for the automotive user interface. Socionext’s proprietary CGI-Studio software is adopted by leading car makers and tier-1 suppliers worldwide.

Leading Innovations in Advanced Driver Assistance (ADAS) and Graphics Systems

Socionext offers 24GHz, 60GHz and 79GHz RF radar sensor technologies for stop and go, blind spot detection, lane departure warning and adaptive cruise control applications.

“At Socionext, we continuously listen to the needs of our customers and partners by building on our engineering expertise and decades of experience in developing embedded solutions for automotive applications,” said President Nukiwa. “We provide both “display-centric” and “action-centric” solutions that offer enhanced human-machine interconnectivity in addition to advanced car and road safety features. Our aim is to develop features for improved driver experience, enhanced safety, and support of society-oriented vehicle designs.”