Mitsubishi Electric Automotive America has introduced FLEXConnect audio-video bridging system.
This next generation in-vehicle infotainment system provides flexibility for multiple displays and multiple content streams, allowing passengers to enjoy individual entertainment preferences.
"FLEXConnect is an exciting development for in-vehicle infotainment systems," said Doug Ray, director, audio, video and communications, Mitsubishi Electric. "Our new system improves the overall experience for passengers who can now make individual choices about the entertainment and data they use, including media they bring into the vehicle."
FLEXConnect features two rear seat screens with cameras that operate as independent units while still being connected through the Ethernet AVB architecture. The system supports Wi-Fi connectivity and can be used with multiple smart phones or tablets, allowing users' content to be available in the vehicle.
Additional key features of FLEXConnect include:
An "any media on any screen" feature that allows sharing from one screen to another with a simple tap on the screen
Interactivity between the two screens, allowing passengers to play games or send photos back and forth
Control of content from the front seat, allowing parents to preview and override rear seat programming
Cameras installed above each rear seat screen to allow monitoring of rear seat occupants.
Future concepts of FLEXConnect include:
Navigation selection, allowing passengers to choose a destination and send it to the vehicle's navigation system
Occupant recognition, enabling personalized layouts, contact lists, device defaults and audio preferences that allow each user to step into their own personal entertainment system
The ability to offload alerts, such as traffic and navigation information, from the head unit onto the tablet, allowing the front seat passenger to decide when the driver should be informed. This gives the passenger access to detailed alerts while preventing distracted driving.
"The FLEXConnect infotainment system is perfect for families because it lets kids entertain themselves in rear seats, while parents have ultimate control of the kids' entertainment," said Ray. "It essentially eliminates the need to bring content into the vehicle on a disk. Passengers now control the content and the way it is displayed using paired devices and streaming."
"To keep pace with the consumer electronics market, infotainment system flexibility is crucial," said Gareth Williams, strategic technologies manager, audio, video and communications, Mitsubishi Electric. "FLEXConnect takes advantage of the audio-video bridging architecture to ensure flexibility in the future. The current system enables several features that car manufacturers could implement in the near future, such as occupant recognition and distracted driving prevention."
