Use cases

Vehicle functional testing is vital but inefficient

Customers expect their new vehicles to just work and end-of-line tests are crucial to make that happen.  Yet it’s often a laborious and expensive part of the production process to check if the dozens of functions work as designed.  

Challenge: Check if the A/C works as designed on all new vehicles 

Rigorous testing of each vehicle function, like the HVAC system, is typically limited to technicians manually testing it on a small sample of vehicles. That can lead to some vehicles being shipped with defective systems.  

Automate A/C functional tests across thousands of vehicles

Sonatus Automator allows test engineers to automate many of the manual functional tests during end-of-line testing onsite, remotely, or as they sit idle while being readied for shipment. 

• Engineers use Automator’s console or APIs to design HVAC test routines.
• Routines automate complex workflows with specific triggers and actions.
• Triggers encompass numerous vehicle signals, external APIs, or contextual events.
• Actions include vehicle functions, diagnostics, interactions with external entities, etc.
• Test routines are deployed remotely to production vehicles, running during idle periods.
• Tests monitor HVAC functionality, checking if a set temperature is reached in time.
• Large-scale tests ensure quality control in newly produced vehicles.

Improve quality testing efficiency with Sonatus Automator

This is one of many such tests that Sonatus Automator can automate to greatly reduce the operational overhead of end-of-line functional testing. Its support for a vast array of triggers and actions, automakers can dramatically improve testing efficiency and reduce the overall cost of production. 

Software-defined vehicles promise to deliver personalized driving experiences

Software-defined vehicles are expected to deliver continuously fresh and personalized user experiences. To achieve this, automakers will need software solutions that support rapid and iterative enhancements, even to those already shipped and sold. 

A new “Summer Vent” feature

An automaker wants to add a “Summer Vent” feature that automatically rolls down the windows and turns on the A/C until a comfortable temperature is reached when it’s too hot outside.   

Deliver new features without software development

Using Sonatus Automator, an OEM can simply create a recipe on the web-based UI or through APIs to automate the following Summer Vent feature workflow:

• Workflow trigger conditions
  • Outside temperature above 90℉ (32℃)
  • Ignition status ON
• Actions 
  • Roll down all the windows
  • Set A/C to max for 3 minutes
  • Check if cabin is cooled sufficiently
  • Adjust temperature to a comfortable setting
  • Roll up windows 

Make it user personalized 

Optionally, the OEM may choose to let users configure the amount of time to run A/C at max and their preferred temperature through the infotainment system or the companion app. 

The recipe can be deployed to a handful of test vehicles for verification before being rolled out to ones that have been shipped or sold.  The new feature is thus instantly available to all customers.  

Delight users with new and personalized driving experiences

The move towards software-defined vehicles opens up the possibilities to tailor the driving experience to individual users.  Sonatus Automator makes that possibility a reality.  

• Endless possibilities of new features through automation 
• Instantly create, test and deploy at any stage of vehicle lifecycle
• Monitor feature usage to understand user preferences
• Apply tight controls to feature creation and end user access
• No new software development or firmware changes needed

Troubleshooting failures on vehicles can be time consuming and costly for OEMs and their customers.  

Situation: Head Unit keeps crashing

For instance, diagnosing random head-unit crashes requires technicians gathering ECU logs in bulk at service centers and transmitting them to the OEM where engineers sift through to find the relevant data. 

This process incurs delays, costs, and customer inconvenience, all exacerbated if the issue is not detected early in post-production and leads to a mass service recall.

Detect and resolve issues early before they escalate

For faster resolution, OEMs can automate a diagnostic routine using Sonatus Automator, Sonatus Collector, ECU Monitoring Agent (ECUMA), and Log Analysis Service (LAS).    

• ECUMA identifies when CPU usage exceeds a preset limit
• Detection initiates an Automator workflow
• LAS is instructed to query DLT logs for relevant data
• Collector gathers necessary CPU metrics, related vehicle signals and DTCs
• Bundled data is sent to service engineering and engineers notified
• A customer support trouble ticket is created

With the precise and correlated data in hand, service engineers have a much faster path to the root cause and resolution.  Detecting issues early in post-production vehicles allows OEMs to fix them while in production or before, avoiding widespread incidents.  

Reduce mass recalls with smart, proactive diagnostics

Early detection and speedy resolution is the key to reducing the likelihood of mass service recalls.  The collection of Sonatus products described here makes it possible for automakers to efficiently assess and resolve vehicle problems before they turn into more costly and inconvenient incidents. 

• Monitor and detect issues early
• Automate data collection for troubleshooting
• Get to resolution faster with precise data 
• Apply fixes in pre-sales vehicles to avoid potential recalls

Fleet services represent a tremendous opportunity for OEMs

With the growth of e-commerce and online delivery services,  the sale of commercial vehicles and related services have become a strategic part of an automotive OEM’s business.  

Fleet telematics and connected services have the potential to add a significant amount of revenue and profits to automakers’ bottomline.

Challenge: Supporting diverse fleet applications 

However, OEMs face the challenge of providing flexible and tailored access to vehicle and driving data to support the diversity of fleet applications.  

Leverage a dynamic data solution for fleet applications

Sonatus Collector enables OEMs to provide fleet service providers convenient and tailored access vehicle and driver data.  

• Access hundreds of signals, log and media files 
• Create custom data collection policies with intuitive UI or APIs 
• Get precise data for any fleet application with finely tuned triggers
• Configure collection frequency to suit application needs
• Create and deploy policies in real-time 
• Give separate or simultaneous access to multiple user groups 
• Use comprehensive set of filters to target a single vehicle or thousands

Capitalize on the growth of fleet services

With Sonatus Collector, automakers are able to monetize vehicle data by providing fleet service providers the telematics data they need to achieve proactive diagnostics and maintenance, fuel efficiency, driver safety, regulatory compliance, and much more. 

Rental fleet companies buy millions of vehicles annually, making them a valuable customer segment for automakers. By providing value-added fleet services to such customers, auto manufacturers can create additional revenue streams and improve the purchase appeal for their vehicles. Sonatus Collector and Automator give automotive OEMs an opportunity to provide such services, by helping fleet operators efficiently manage and maintain their fleet.

Remote diagnostics ensures quick vehicle turnaround

Using Collector’s policy-driven data collection, fleet operators can automatically collect vehicle diagnostic data whenever error codes are generated.

1. Deploy error code triggered diagnostic data collection policy fleet-wide
2. Analyze error-triggered data uploads from vehicles
3. Determine resolution and order parts if needed
4. Alert technicians and schedule for upcoming repairs

By proactively collecting the diagnostic data, fleet operators are able to ensure a quick service turnaround that gets their vehicles ready for rental again.

Monitoring vehicles for rental contract compliance

Collector also empowers fleet operators to ensure compliance with rental contracts using policies to monitor for a wide variety of driving behavior, including the following.

1. Define geofences to restrict where vehicles can be driven
2. Set thresholds to get alerted on instances of excessive speeding
3. Detect instances of harsh driving and road incidents

Monitoring where and how their vehicles are driven allows rental fleet operators to keep track of and prevent misuse, which in turn results in better insurance coverage and costs..

Automated vehicle testing streamlines vehicle maintenance

Automator allows fleet operators to automatically test essential vehicle functions such as door lock/unlock, electronic windows, HVAC and more. It also automates the process of checking for various charge, fuel, oil and fluid levels.

1. Deploy Automator recipes to automate testing of key vehicle functions
2. Configure recipes to run when vehicles are idle in the fleet lot or depot
3. Tend to vehicles that fail tests or that need refills and top-ups

Automator’s test routines allow rental fleet operators to keep their vehicles in excellent driving condition very efficiently and at low costs.

Value-added services enhance OEMs’ value proposition to rental companies

Rental fleet operators are a valuable customer segment for automakers. Sonatus Collector and Automator give OEMs an edge when competing for those sales by enabling fleet companies to improve operational efficiency and lower costs.