The theme refers to the different display performances of in-vehicle electronics, such as instruments, IVI and other vision-related display devices, including the body, in different customized modes. We can also understand it as skin.
Traditional body skin (Buick ELECTRA E5)
Characteristics of traditional themes
Fixed, single, limited options, non-customized.
In the development of traditional themes, it is necessary to separately and reasonably prefabricate the different expressions, colors, and icons of each theme. Combined with the prefabricated UI and UE, an embedded software package is formed and integrated into the embedded system in the form of prefabricated components. In the software package, users can only choose a single, limited theme on the client.
The birth of cloud theme
Before traditional vehicle electronic products are connected to cloud services, they only support built-in custom themes, and users can only choose built-in themes. With the advent of the Internet of Vehicles era, a new software update and upgrade method has also been born, which is called OTA. The cloud theme relies on the skin-changing function under OTA, which we can also call online skin-changing.
The cloud theme has a perfect demand link between car manufacturers, OEMs, and even end users. End users can make reasonable customizations with car manufacturers and OEMs according to their own needs and preferences, and complete the perfect switching of customized themes through online skin changing. .
Implementation of cloud theme
For the realization of cloud themes, Yixin Technology has developed a complete set of cloud theme implementation solutions based on the kanzi graphics engine and the LCD instrument development platform.
01 Implementation plan
The UE module receives the topic switching application from the IVI side, designs a topic switching plug-in, receives the message notification of switching topics from the UE logic module, and completes the topic switching in Kanzi; at the same time, it sends the corresponding notification to the UE logic module after the topic switching. Theme switching is completed.
When the IPC side prepares for topic switching, the interaction layer will send the topic name that needs to be switched to the UI client in the form of an Event. After loading the theme resources, the UI client will notify the interaction layer of the result in the form of UI Action.
When switching themes, the interaction layer needs to send the name of the theme to be switched to the UI client through UI events. The parameter name of this UI event is the name of the topic kzb, which is also the topic name contained in the topic kzb. After the theme switching operation is completed, the UI client will notify the interaction layer in the form of UI Action.
02 Customized operation (theme package production)
1. Define the cloud theme project name.
2. Follow the cloud theme production principles and define the theme group name.
3. Define the topic content.
Create a new theme in Theme, set the theme name, and ensure that all cloud themes do not have the same name. Define resource id (one-to-one correspondence with the resource id in the template definition) and corresponding resources (these resources exist in the cloud theme Kanzi project) in the theme. Example : Template resource, resource id is color_common_general_text, resource is Brushes/Blue.
4. Export theme kzb
Select File->Export -> Export KZB in the top menu of Kanzi to export the final theme package.
Cloud theme application
Instrument+IVI
The current mainstream LCD instrument, the IVI entertainment system, has built-in network equipment. With the help of the cloud server, the perfect skin change and linkage of multiple themes of the instrument and the IVI entertainment system can be realized.
HUD+Instrument+IVI
HUD, or Head-Up Display, mainly projects important driving information such as speed and navigation onto the windshield in front of the driver, allowing the driver to see important driving information such as speed and navigation without lowering or turning his head. . Cloud themes can also use cloud servers to achieve HUD+instrument+IVI three-screen skinning and linkage.
The application of cloud themes can bring more driving experience to users, and skins with different interfaces can also help relieve driving fatigue and bring visual surprises, which is of great significance in the era of intelligent automobiles. This is the end of this issue’s sharing on the cloud topic. If you have other interesting content, you are welcome to leave a message and share it.