by Beverly Rosenbaum
The personal computer, an indispensable part of the modern desktop and briefcase, is about to join forces with that other major mechanical device in our lives, the family car.
Intel and Microsoft announced recently that they are collaborating on a common vision for in-car computing applications. At the third annual Microsoft® Windows® CE Developers Conference held in April, Mike Aymar, Intel vice president and general manager of the Consumer Products Group, told attendees that “We see the vehicle as one of the next strategic locations for computing.”
Earlier this year, Intel took its Ford Expedition, loaded with a Pentium® processor with MMX™ technology, to Las Vegas for the Consumer Electronics Show. Since the announcement of its plans to bring PCs to cars in 1996, Intel has demonstrated Connected Car PC Technology at various venues, including the world’s largest automotive show, IAA Frankfurt, where Citroen unveiled a new Xsara model with Intel CCPC Technology. And Beverly Hills Motoring Accessories (BHMA) debuted a newly customized Lincoln Navigator with Intel Connected Car PC Technology at the 1998 Greater Los Angeles Auto Show.
CCPC provides an assortment of in-vehicle tools and conveniences, including entertainment, security, navigation and real-time information. Through the Connected Car PC’s voice-activated, voice-response technology, drivers can take advantage of the system’s many communications and computing functions without taking their eyes off the road, or their hands off the wheel. Instead of using a keyboard, drivers can interact verbally with the in-car computer in complete safety.
A text-to-speech converter can also read incoming e-mail and allow the driver to dictate a reply. Up-to-the minute news, weather and traffic reports can be made available, verbally, through the Radio Data Broadcast System (RDBS). Information on tourism, stocks, local entertainment, products, services, and much more can be downloaded from the Internet. Even home security systems can be monitored and operated from the car, all through voice commands.
In the directions application, the fastest route to a destination will be mapped out on a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD), using a satellite network called a Global Positioning System (GPS) that can pinpoint your current location to within a few feet.
In addition, the Connected Car PC technology can be used to monitor on-board vehicle systems and maintenance intervals, report accidents, call for road-side assistance, remotely identify both the car and driver to police, track stolen vehicles and provide sophisticated anti-theft protection.
On the passenger’s side of the vehicle, the emphasis is on information, entertainment and productivity. Passengers can be entertained by a movie on a Digital Versatile Disk (DVD), played on a full-color LCD with Dolby Surround Sound Stereo. Or they can play any of the popular 3-D multimedia games available on CD-ROM, or surf the Internet through plug-in graphical interface modules.
Auto PC
The Auto PC is powered by the Microsoft® Windows® CE operating system, and fits into the same space occupied by the car radio and compact disc player.
According to Microsoft sources, “CE” no longer represents a single concept, but rather implies a number of Windows CE design precepts, including “Compact, Connectable, Compatible, and Companion.” It is not software sold separately to run on a desktop or laptop computer or a third-party personal digital assistant. Windows CE comes preinstalled in read-only memory (ROM) on Auto PCs and Handheld PCs, which are available in computer and consumer electronics stores.
The Auto PC has an easy-to-read, high-resolution, 8-color screen (256x 64, 3-bit color), 60 MIPS or higher CPU, and a minimum of 8 MB of RAM and 8 MB of ROM. It incorporates interactive speech technology for hands-free, eyes-free operation, and the features can be customized to match your preferences and usage patterns. You can change the order of programs in the Start menu, or change the pitch and speed of speech output (how Auto PC talks to you).
The information management features of the Auto PC can keep track of phone numbers and addresses and provide driving directions to help get you to your destination. The address information is compatible with other Windows CE-based devices, and contact information can be transferred to and from handheld or laptop PCs via the infrared port. The driver can plan routes to a contact by selecting an address from within the directions program, and (with an optional cellular telephone) automatically dial a number by saying “dial.”
The Auto PC can map a route and give driving directions via interactive speech technology to guide you to your destination smoothly, freeing you from struggling with maps so you can concentrate on driving. A glance at the device’s graphical display instantly shows you the direction of the turn and the street name to turn on, or, with a single voice command, the Auto PC reads the instructions to you so that you can keep your eyes on the road.
With optional wireless technology, you can contract with providers for information such as traffic reports and alerts, world news, financial data, sports scores, weather reports, entertainment information, e-mail, and paging.
Although features will vary with each manufacturer, standard in all makes and models are the Windows CE shell, advanced speech recognition, speech synthesis, directions with navigation software and infrared data transfer so that you can specify an address stored in your Handheld PC, an address book, AM/FM stereo tuner and CD player.
Something for Everyone
Car-pool riders will use the Connected Car PC to browse the Internet, download documents, work with productivity software, exchange e-mail, conduct stock transactions and send or receive faxes.
Vacationers will use it to navigate through urban areas, download weather data, explore hotel and restaurant options, and even make advanced reservations, employing databases downloaded from auto clubs or travel services.
Passengers will be entertained with DVD (digital versatile disk) multimedia games and movies while kids can complete homework assignments using educational software titles or Internet-based reference sources.
Truck drivers will use Connected Car PC technology to determine their exact location via the integrated GPS technology, as well as for navigation data, pickup and delivery scheduling and telephone communication with dispatchers.
Connected Car-PC applications can also automatically monitor and diagnose mechanical operating conditions. The system can not only recommend needed maintenance, it can tell the driver where to obtain it.
Public transit vehicles and taxis can use the system to navigate, avoid traffic congestion, calculate fares, and provide valuable information and entertainment services for passengers.
By the end of this year, aftermarket versions of the system will be widely available, and soon after, as standard or optional equipment in new cars. Clarion Corporation of America will begin mass production of its AutoPC product this month, and suggested retail price for the base unit is $1299. Clarion AutoPC information can be found at http://www.autopc.com.
Customers who would like to make specific suggestions and share product ideas for Windows CE for Auto PC should send e-mail messages to mswish@microsoft.com.
As AutoWeek senior editor Mark Vaughn mused recently, car enthusiasts may soon be measuring 0 to 60 in MHz.
Beverly Rosenbaum is a HAL-PC member who can be contacted at brosen@hal-pc.org.
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