mBlog

This is part 2 of my excerpt from capsFramework.

Related Work

Audi A8 – Google Earth Support
Audi announced the cooperation with Google on the 16th December 2009. The model Audi A8 will soon include well-known Google services. A connection to the services can be established via the Bluetooth car-telephone which has got a GPRS/EDGE data transfer module integrated. The driver will have got access to Google Maps and will be able to search for different addresses displayed on a map. A UMTS module, which will be able to transfer bigger data packages, shall be added to the Audi A8 in the year 2010. So that Audi can provide Google Earth, that presents three-dimensional satellite and aerophoto of places, for the driver [Auda] [Audb].

BMW ConnectedDrive
BMWConnectedDrive is a system consisting of five components actively supporting the driver. ConnectedDrive is divided into the following five components: BMW Assist, BMW Online, BMW Tracking, BMW TeleServices and Internet in the vehicle [Cond].

BMW Assists promises a “greater mobility” [Cona]. It provides services offering the possibility to the driver to manage his travels, to initiate the necessary steps during an emergency case or even to control the adjustments, like the temperature inside the car, remotely. BMW Online and Internet in the vehicle focus on applications using the internet inside the car. It is possible to access and browse websites or use Google Maps in order to arrange the routing to the desired destination and transfer the route to the installed navigation system. However, BMW Tracking uses the existing technology to prevent any attempt which targets the theft of the car or any objective inside the car. The car’s owner is always informed about the location of his vehicle. If the alarm is triggered, a connection to the BMW Tracking Call Center is immediately established. The Call Center will handle the localisation and the safeguarding of the car.
The component BMW TeleServices cares about the maintenance of the car. The driver is reminded of service appointments and service related informations can be transferred to the service center. ConnectedDrive was presented to the public for the first time at the end of the year 2006 [Cone]. However, during that time, the focus was on a payment system which gave the user the possibility to order music etc. directly into the car. In the beginning of 2007 a cooperation with Google was announced and it became possible to use Google Maps and transfer the routing information to the internal navigation system [Conc]. One step further towards the integration of the internet into the car was made half a year later [Cong]. The possibility of accessing Google services by the driver, like Google Maps, from within the car and to transfer the information, like routing, directly to the ConnectedDrive system occurred. In March 2008, at the CeBit it was announced that the access to internet services is not any more restricted to Google but now completely open for every service in the internet [Conb]. It was then practicable for the driver to access every single website of the internet. One and a half years later (September 2009), advertisement said that the BMWApplication Store is available [Conf]. That store shall be accessible within the car and the applications are downloadable and can be added to the ConnectedDrive in order to access them. Games and applications shall be offered. The apps shall connect to web radios, Facebook , XING , Twitter etc.. The applications shall also access the navigation system and later further sensors like the breaking- or acceleration-sensors.

CarTel

CarTel is a developed at the MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory and presented at the Conference On Embedded Networked Sensor System in Boston
Colorado in 2006.
CarTel consists of three main components: CarTel Nodes, CafNet and Portal.
CarTel Nodes are embedded computers connected to a couple of sensors. Each embedded computer is mobile and placed in a vehicle. The nodes collect senso data and can transmit them via different technologies, like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, USB or Flash Memory, to the Portal. The data can also be transmitted during a drive via the CafNet.
CafNet “(carry-and-forward network), is a delay-tolerant network stack” [Hul06] that manages the transmission of data from the CarTel nodes to the Portal even if the connection is inconsistent. The previously mentioned component Portal is responsible for three functions: It collects and stores all sensor data which is transmitted inside a database. It “hosts CarTel applications” [Hul06] and manages the CarTel nodes. Every application hosted on the Portal can be accessed by the users via the web. These applications visualize the collected sensor data in different scenarios. Portal manages the CafNet nodes by distributing updates for them which they request periodical. CarTel has been tested by several case studies.

Continental AutoLinQ

In June 2009, Continental  the AutoLinQ platform [Coni]. AutoLinQ is  information and entertainment system based on Android can be implemented into cars. It is possible to access the Android-Marketplace and to use further internet platforms in order to extend the system with applications. The maxim is ”Always On” and it demonstrates, that it is focused on the use of the internet in order to satisfy the needs of the user’s mobility. Some core applications shall be available to control the access to the internet. Additionally, applications shall be added to reduce the workload of the driver during a journey. Further applications that connect the driver with his friends will be necessary.

Apps shall also be programmed by external developers who shall use the provided Software Development Kit (SDK) from Continental. It is not assured, whether carspecific data will be accessible via the SDK. But one can suggest that it could become possible: “to … provide developers with the tools they need to create automotive-specific Android applications” [Conh]. This Software Development Kit is available since the first quarter of 2010. An App-Store which manages and provides applications is planned for the second quarter of 2010.

Ford SYNC
The car manufacturer Ford provides, in cooperation with Microsoft, an “easy-to-use in-car connectivity system” named SYNC [Forb] in exclusive car models. The system is based on Microsoft Auto [Mic]. It is an embedded operating system on the basis of Windows Embedded CE [Win]. Ford SYNC is divided into four categories: Mobile, Music, Info and Safety. The main focus of attention lies on assisting the user in handling his mobile phone in the car. Because of that, hands-free-equipment or a conversion of text messages into audio messages, which are then read to the user, are offered.
SYNC Music however, focuses on the playback of music in the automobile. The media library of an MP3 player or a USB stick can be browsed by SYNC Music and songs can be played.
SYNC Safety offers an emergency assistant. In case of an emergency, the assistant can automatically contact an emergency worker, fire department or the police, if the assistant button is pushed.
The last category of SYNC is SYNC Info. It offers multiple information services. For example, a navigation system which guides the driver via audio messages. Additionally, current traffic news, sport news and weather information can be accessed. At the end of 2009, it was announced that Ford will soon provide “IPhone-Like Apps for Its Cars” [Fora]. Furthermore, it is reported that a SDK will be published which allows developers to create apps for Ford SYNC. It is not announced whether developers will have access to sensor data.

IPhone – Car Apps

Carticipate [Car] is an app to organize carpools. The driver enters his current position, the destination and the available seats. Other users can then search for rides and contact the one who offers it. This app uses an available internet connection of the IPhone to manage the carpools.

Dynalicous [Dyn] however, is an app which measures the “performance characteristics” of the car. It determines the speed, centrifugal force and the horse power(“wheel and/or estimated crank”). The measured data are displayed and can also be accessed to a later point of time. The performed analysis to determine the data is done with the build-in sensors of the IPhone. A direct connection to the build-in sensors of the car does not have to be established.

The app iGasUp [iGa] can identify the gas stations which have got the cheapest fuel as well as the ones which are closest to the actual position of the car. If the driver starts the app, it will display the ten cheapest and nearest gas stations according to the actual position. Also gas stations at other places can be identified with the app.

The MobileNavigator developed by Navigon [Nav] is an app which realizes a complete navigation system. It uses the build-in GPS-sensor of the IPhone to calculate, with the information of the actual position, the route to the desired destination. The user can track the route with the included map. Additionally, a traffic lane assistant and Reality View, which displays signposting on the highways in a realistic way, are supported.

The last one of the five apps is Parking Meter [Par]. If the reserved parking time expires a parking meter informs the user. The user can enter the parking time for which he has paid if he parks on a billable car-park. Additionally it is possible to take a picture of the scenery as well as to save the GPS-coordinates of the car’s position. This is done via the build-in camera and GPS-sensor of the IPhone. With this features one can avoid long searchings for the car. Furthermore, it is possible to be informed acoustically or via email if the reservation time of the parking space will expire shortly.

These five apps only represent a small amount of available apps for the IPhone and by far not all available apps for automobiles. But these apps are only able to access the IPhone hardware and are not able to directly access the car’s sensors. Therefore, the apps work with estimations.