HARMAN International, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. focused on connected technologies for automotive, consumer and enterprise markets, announced the launch of its all-new 5G-ready multiband conformal antennas for automotive applications, which combine multiple antennas in one module that can be mounted below a vehicle’s body panels.
A modern, connected car could require as many as 18 antennas to provide all relevant services for consumers, which causes extensive design and aesthetic challenges for automakers that want to keep their products connected, but still streamlined and attractive. HARMAN’s multiband conformal antennas are designed to address these challenges.
“Up until now, automakers have typically employed a “shark fin” antenna in combination with a variety of other antennas distributed around the vehicle. In the era of pervasively connected cars, this layout is no longer viable for designers,” said Vishnu Sundaram, Vice President, Telematics Business Unit, HARMAN Connected Car. “Leveraging our close connection with Samsung and several OEM partners, the HARMAN team has designed a solution that is compact, aesthetically pleasing, and future-proof.”
HARMAN’s multiband conformal antennas have been derived from Samsung’s deep experience in mobile antenna design. They have the ability to accommodate a variety of modern radio services, including LTE, GNSS, V2X, WiFi, Bluetooth, RKE and Electronic Toll Collection. The antennas mount into an aperture opening in a vehicle’s body panel – typically the roof area or rear deck – and are covered by a waterproof, non-conductive radome. It provides gain, and directionality, while delivering performance and the required isolation for many radio systems to operate together.
“In the past six months, the idea of a conformal antenna has gained a serious share of interest from our Automotive OEM customers because it satisfies the needs of telematics engineers while providing a fresh easel for automotive body designers,” said Sundaram. “We’re currently evaluating the antennas with several premium automakers to validate the design for each specific vehicle and expect to see the conformal antennas available for model year 2021 vehicles.”
In addition to streamlining radio services, the multiband conformal antennas can be combined in an integrated package with HARMAN’s Telematics Control Unit (TCU) to become a “smart antenna.” This 5G-ready technology will help automakers keep up with the pace of innovation in the telecommunications sector so that drivers of the cars of today, tomorrow, and the future can be untethered and constantly connected. It also supports vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure safety solutions that will become standard features as cars become increasingly connected to their surroundings.
ABOUT HARMAN (Booth A11)
HARMAN (harman.com) designs and engineers connected products and solutions for automakers, consumers, and enterprises worldwide, including connected car systems, audio and visual products, enterprise automation solutions; and services supporting the Internet of Things. With leading brands including AKG®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon®, Mark Levinson® and Revel®, HARMAN is admired by audiophiles, musicians and the entertainment venues where they perform around the world. More than 50 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and connected car systems. Our software services power billions of mobile devices and systems that are connected, integrated and secure across all platforms, from work and home to car and mobile. HARMAN has a workforce of approximately 30,000 people across the Americas, Europe, and Asia. In March 2017, HARMAN became a wholly-owned subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
