Few New Telematics Chips have been announced in the past 12 months, indicating that design engineers' metaphorical plates may be sufficiently full. Evidence of engineers' accomplishments are the new features that automakers are adding to the telematics systems they currently offer and the new systems that are poised for launch.

Earlier this year, for example, Ford upgraded its SYNC system to include a 911 Assist feature that will be available for vehicle emergencies at no additional cost (Fig. 1). In the event of air bag deployment, presuming that a phone has been properly paired and is turned on and connected with SYNC, the system will be ready to assist in placing a call to a local 911 emergency operator.

The system will provide a 10-second window during which the driver can decide whether to place or cancel the call. A pre-recorded message will play when the call is answered, after which vehicle occupants will be able to communicate directly with the 911 operator. If the occupants are not responsive, the location of the vehicle can be determined through voice-signal triangulation or a cell phone's GPS location feature.

Ford also added SIRIUS Travel Link navigation, which provides information on gas prices as well as traffic, weather, sports scores, and movie listings. The automaker said that SYNC will be available in nearly all Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles later this year. It estimated that nearly one million SYNC-equipped vehicles will be on the road in 2009.

SYNC customers will be able to use the SYNC web site to set up preferences for a Vehicle Health Report that can be requested at any time using voice commands. SYNC will gather relevant information from vehicle control modules and send that information to Ford via an 800-number, using the customer's mobile phone. Information transmitted from the vehicle is analyzed by Ford and made available to the customer via the SYNC web site. SYNC can prompt owners at mileage intervals when service is due.

“Consumers are increasingly demanding seamless connectivity between their house and office and car,” noted Sheryl Connelly, Ford Global Trends and Futuring manager. “They want to be able to access information ‘just in time’ or on-demand, because they are used to having access to it wherever they go. More than anything, they want to stay connected and informed.”

Ford's SYNC is powered by a 400 MHz Freescale i.MX31 multimedia applications processor that runs the Microsoft operating system, handles audio signal processing for hands-free phone operation, and provides voice-recognition functionality in the SYNC system. On-chip USB connectivity enables high-speed data transfer between the SYNC system and a mobile phone or portable media device, while Freescale's Smart Speed technology supports low power consumption. The Microsoft Auto platform includes a hardware reference design that supports the i.MX31.

General Motor's OnStar system is based on Freescale Power Architecture processors like the MPC5121e, Freescale's telematics workhorse (Fig. 2). The MPC5121e, part of the firm's mobileGT family, is a 32-bit system-on-chip that combines Power Architecture technology with 3-D graphics and multimedia acceleration cores. Based on an e300 core, the MPC5121e also includes a PowerVR MBX Lite 2-D/3-D graphics core and a programmable 32-bit RISC-based multimedia acceleration core optimized for audio processing.

Among the newest OnStar features is Stolen Vehicle Slowdown, expected to be available in 2009. The enhancement to OnStar's Stolen Vehicle Location Assistance capability allows OnStar advisors working with law enforcement to send a signal to a subscriber's stolen vehicle that will reduce its engine power so that the vehicle slows down gradually.

OnStar ranked first in the most recent Consumer Telematics Vendor Matrix prepared by ABI Research. Others in the top 10 are BMW AG, Nissan, Toyota, Mercedes Benz, BMW North America, Fiat Auto, Volvo, Land Rover, and Ford.

“Considerable progress has been made in consumer telematics solutions across the world with representatives from North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific in the top three,” said ABI Research principal analyst Dominique Bonte. “OnStar emerges as the clear market leader of consumer telematics solutions, excelling in both innovation — with the largest number of features — and implementation, with its solution offered on all GM models.”

Bonte noted that all of BMW's new vehicles in Europe will be equipped with Internet access as part of BMW's ConnectedDrive solution. He said that Nissan excels in innovation with its CarWings telematics solution offered in Japan. “It collects its own traffic data based on probe data, and has introduced social networking features.”

ABI assessed features such as infotainment, emergency calling, stolen vehicle tracking, roadside assistance and remote diagnostics. It also considered new features such as insurance solutions, social networking, and connectivity to external devices.

“After several years of moderate growth, consumer telematics solutions are expected to become very popular in the future as drivers start to appreciate the advantages of GPS and cellular communication technology for improved safety, comfort and entertainment,” Bonte said. ABI Research predicts that by 2013, OEM and aftermarket consumer telematics hardware and services will generate annual revenue of $41 billion, and more than 30 million new cars will ship with on-board telematics units, representing a penetration of nearly 44%.

“Car manufacturers will deploy telematics hardware as a standard feature enabling remote diagnostics, which reduces maintenance and repair costs,” Bonte suggested. “Governments will make telematics safety systems such as emergency calling mandatory in new cars in regions such as the EU. Insurance companies will provide premium discounts to drivers willing to install telematics systems to monitor their driving behavior and for stolen vehicle tracking and recovery.”