Signature - Q4, 2007 - (Page 20)

Bluetooth Technology in Motion | Q4 ’07 devices. It’s a market that’s clearly on the move, leaving no doubt that the days of ﬁddling with car stereo knobs and balancing a phone while driving are quickly coming to an end. Calling All Cars If you think things haven’t changed much, take a look at the current state of today’s automotive market. Just 10 years ago, it was still something of a novelty to have a cell phone, let alone any kind of hands-free device for using it while driving. Bluetooth enabled headsets made the scene in 2000, and the ﬁrst hands-free car kits were introduced a year later. Never Get Lost Again Where’s the telematics industry heading when it comes to embedded automotive applications? One sign of things to come can be found in the continued innovations by Airbiquity, the pioneer of in-band voice modems in wireless networks. The company developed the patented aqLink in-band modem, which can send digital data seamlessly over a compressed voice channel without degrading voice quality. The modem’s low cost and coverage advantages are ideal for transmitting essential telematics data. Bluetooth technology efﬁciently sends digital data from cars to phones. Phones, in turn, offer ready platforms for linking to service providers. So instead of relying on embedded navigation systems, automotive OEMs might choose telematics control units (TCUs) supporting Airbiquity and Bluetooth technology or an Airbiquity in-band software modem plugged onto an existing Bluetooth enabled TCU. With that setup, drivers could use a Bluetooth wireless phone in conjunction with a personal phone plan to send vehicle location data to preferred service providers. These companies could then provide services like roadside assistance, enhanced navigation, remote diagnostics, concierge services and more. “With the wide adoption of Bluetooth in the automotive sector and in mobile platforms such as PDAs, wireless handsets and portable navigation devices, aqLink is the ideal choice for reliable communication of real-time data for these devices,” says Leon Hong, chief technology ofﬁcer and vice president of product development for Airbiquity. By 2009, researchers estimate that 80 percent of mobile phones will be Bluetooth enabled, and many will include GPS capabilities. “The combination of Bluetooth and GPS makes the wireless phone an ideal platform for telematics applications,” Hong says. — A.J. It’s taken six years, but today, nearly every carmaker offers factory-installed hands-free calling, with more opting in every year. For instance, Nissan offered Bluetooth enabled calling capabilities only for its Versa, Sentra, Altima, Maxima and Z models in the 2007 model year. Look ahead to 2008, and you’ll see that all of Nissan’s marques will offer hands-free calling. The 2008 lineups for competing carmakers are expected to display similar buy-in. The Bluetooth SIG, Inc.’s Phone Book Access Proﬁle (PBAP) has played a big role in the automotive industry’s move toward integrated Bluetooth enabled systems. (See “Number, Please!” on page 29 for more details on PBAP .) Car systems use a combination of built-in microphones, the vehicle’s audio system and voice-recognition technology to enable safe, hands-free communication while driving. Until PBAP was introduced last year, there was no universal technology capable of sharing a phone book between phone and car. Using PBAP and the enhanced hands-free proﬁle (HFP 1.5), today’s car systems can automatically recognize a compatible cell phone in the vehicle’s interior, and drivers can speak a preprogrammed name or phone number to initiate a call. Voice-activated instructions can also control incoming calls. When privacy matters, drivers can redirect the call from the car’s speakers to a Bluetooth enabled headset. Some systems, including Chrysler’s UConnect, also allow drivers to transfer calls from their phones to the car and back as they move in and out of the vehicle. Poised to Pervade In-vehicle Bluetooth enabled systems are not just about hands-free calling, however. Users are demanding more options, especially in the area of automotive “infotainment” – that is, the use of audio, video and informational devices in a highly mobile personal area network. A growing number of portable device interfaces, or car integration kits, rely on Bluetooth wireless technology for such applications. The most common today focus on syncing mobile phones and portable music players with a vehicle’s audio systems. ABI Research, which analyzes the wireless technology industry, expects that shipments of such kits will grow quickly in the years ahead, thanks to massmodel commitments from Ford and GM. In fact, analysts predict that shipments of iPod integration kits will more than double between 2008 and 2010, and by 2011, they believe worldwide revenues will surpass US$314 million. Sync, a joint effort by Ford and Microsoft, could raise the bar even further. The Bluetooth enabled system, which will be available in several Ford and Mercury models in 2008 and span the automaker’s complete line the following model year, can support both music playback and a dozen different Bluetooth enabled cell phones. “Ford’s Sync represents a major shift in OEMs’ approach to the consumer electronics community,” says Mike Ippoliti, ABI’s research director for telematics and automotive. “While some makes have merely supported certain media or devices, Ford’s Sync is intended to be a selling point, using voice recognition as a technology edge and breaking the mold of premium-only availability.” 20 | SIGnature | Bluetooth.org http://Bluetooth.org

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Signature - Q4, 2007

Signature - Q4, 2007 Contents The Road Ahead Getting Noticed In the News Keeping the Edge Why Wibree? The Message Zone Do You Compute? Command Center Mountain Magic On the Fast Track Give or Get? Groundsurf’s Up! Get in the Game Get on the List Number, Please! User-Friendly The Tell-Tale Car

Signature - Q4, 2007

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