Android 12L arrives on Android Automotive OS: here are the news for vehicle manufacturers

Android Automotive OS, the operating system of the green robot (but without its logo) running directly on vehicle hardware (Unlike Android Auto which is running on the phone and projected on the vehicle), it has updated to Android 12L. The new version of the operating system for devices with large screens led a number of Announcements for car manufacturers, let’s discover them together.

Obviously these are all novelties that represent one base on which the various brand names they can decide to work, so the introduction depends on them (a bit like Android). The most interesting points concern the system UI improvementswith the introduction of quick checks that allow various manufacturers to add selected settings to various SysUI elements, such as Bluetooth switches to the status bar, for example. All to ensure that “users can change key safety settings while driving without opening the Settings app.

Among the novelties we also find support for physical rotary controllers, “a visual review of notifications”, which improves the grouped notifications And “Bluetooth performance improve “, which allows devices to connect more often and at the right time. Below is the changelog full.

AA OS 12L complete changelog

System UI and core app improvements

• Quick checks function. It allows OEMs to add selected settings (for example, Bluetooth switches) to SysUI (for example, the status bar) to allow users to change key settings safely while driving, without opening the Settings app.
• Rotarian support. Bug fixes and improvements.
• Customization of the user interface. Plug-in architecture enabled for custom classes. For details, see Car UI Plugin.
• Visual review notification. User experience review and improvements to grouped notifications.

Bluetooth

• Improved Bluetooth reconnection performance. Automatically connect to devices more often and under the right circumstances. For more information, see Managing the Bluetooth connection.
• Messaging database. Support for using a messaging database via the Message Access Profile (MAP) to provide more flexibility for Bluetooth-based messaging apps.

Connectivity

• Network selection by application (PANS). Enables the creation and enforcement of a dynamic network policy that determines which applications can use OEM_PAID networks.
• Double STA. Allow IVI to connect to an OEM restricted Wi-Fi network, concurrently with a primary connection to a Wi-Fi network.

Audio

• Audio attenuation signal. Provides HAL with audio focus status and information on which output devices to avoid.
• Volume improvements. Enable for more precise volume control, including provisioning and API to get active volume groups.
• Muting by volume group. Enable mute for volume group and improve HAL and UI communication on mute states.
• AIDL migration for AudioControl HAL. Migration of AudioControl HAL from HIDL to AIDL to make full use of AIDL functionality.
• Power policy management for audio. Power management functionality enabled for car audio service, including disabling and enabling focus requests and muting and unmuting volume groups in case of power policy changes for the audio.

Camera

• CarEvs Manager. It allows OEMs to implement Android activity showing preview from automotive camera services.

System reliability and stability

• Car watchdog flash memory management. Manages system flash memory by limiting the amount of data written to memory. It allows OEMs to define write thresholds (for OEM packages, media and maps) and to collect statistics for OEM applications. Disable and terminate non-critical applications and services that exceed defined thresholds.

Safety

• Vehicle-linked encryption. Android storage encryption can now be configured to store some key encryption parameters on an external ECU. This prevents data collection by removing the main unit from the car (for example due to a theft or relegated to a landfill).
• Secure developer options. The Android and ADB developer options can only be remotely enabled by an OEM. The reference implementation provides cryptographic token access mechanisms and a remote Web service.

Position

• Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) position switches. Access to device location for apps used for ADAS can now be controlled with a separate location switch in the Settings app.

Telemetry

• Edge-based analysis functionality. Allows the ability to perform multiple edge-based metric processing on Android Automotive devices. Android infotainment and vehicle property metrics can be configured in scripts written in the Lua language and processed on the device to be sent to the OEM’s backend of choice.

Compliance

• Conformity fixes. A series of patches ensures compliance with the Android certification test suites. The AAOS version of Android 12L is 100% compliant with the CTS, CTS-Verifier and STS test suites on our internal reference platform with no additional fixes needed in the AOSP software.

Street:
9to5Google

Source:
Android