Mitsubishi Electric Flexes Telematics, Noise Cancellation Prowess

Mitsubishi Electric Automotive America Inc. is expanding its lineup of infotainment and electronic control systems with two new products. Both are marketed under the company's FLEXConnect architecture.

FLEXConnect In-Vehicle Infotainment technology allows passengers to share content among three light-emitting-diode touchscreens (one in the front seat and two in the rear), other vehicle systems and mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets.

Each user can view information from as many as three sources simultaneously, and share access to navigation, media and climate functionality. The three-display system is powered by a single Texas Instruments processor.

The Northville, Mich.-based company, which is an affiliate of Japan's Mitsubishi Electric Corp., also is launching a new broad-spectrum noise control technology. Called FLEXConnect Active Noise Control, the system uses Mentor Graphics Corp.'s XSe ANC software to silence a variety of engine, chassis and road noises.

The noise cancellation system requires little hardware and can be easily adapted to a wide variety of vehicles without extensive recalibration for each car model. The partners say their system adapts itself more easily than competing alternatives to changing sound levels and frequencies, making it more effective at canceling less predictable and harmonically unrelated road noise.

Conventional noise cancellation techniques generate a copy of the unwanted sound wave 180 out of phase, so the two waves cancel each other. Mitsubishi Electric's system expands that capability with an accelerometer attached to the chassis that detects random vibration from shock absorbers and suspension components. Software converts the sensor's input into anti-noise audio signals that are played through the car's audio speakers.

The new system also reduces the need for conventional sound-deadening material, which results in considerable weight savings, Mitsubishi Electric says.