Travel Mobility Special Interest Group Supports Proposed Adoption of Wireless Infrared in ISO Automotive Requirements
WOODLAND HILLS, Calif.--June 5, 2001--The Travel Mobility Special Interest Group (TM-SIG) today announced its support for wireless infrared technology as introduced for consideration by the International Standards Organization (ISO). In a proposal drafted at the ISO Technology Committee TC204 meeting in Honolulu (April 24-26, 2001), ISO Working Group WG16 acknowledged infrared (among other technologies) as a standardization candidate for both short-range and wide-area high-speed vehicular communications. This Working Group action is the first step toward establishing infrared technology in ISO's globally recognized standards for broadband wireless connectivity to link automobiles, trucks, and other vehicles to the "information superhighway."
According to Mr. S. K. Min, CEO of AITS Inc., system integrator of optical wireless data communications for automotive telematics in Seoul, Korea, and expert company for ISO TC204: "This preliminary recognition of infrared technologies in ISO's evolving ITS (Intelligent Transport Systems) sector requirements will open up new communications vistas for automobile manufacturers and consumers. We are pleased that this global standards body is showing its vision in considering multiple technical solutions for the surface-transportation industry."
ISO Working Group WG16's draft document indicates that communications between vehicles and roadside infrastructures has produced some of the earliest real implemented technology and standards. Early implementations include Automatic Vehicle Identification, ISO containers, rail car and engine identification, road tolling and road pricing, and access-control to restricted areas.
Travel Mobility SIG's Automotive Working Group
EFKON AG (Graz, Austria), the global leader in wireless infrared data communications for automotive telematics, serves as the convener-company for the Travel Mobility SIG's Automotive Working Group. EFKON's solutions enable drivers and passengers to use low-cost infrared to connect to convenient broadband wireless access points at toll gates, gas stations, parking structures, and even free-standing roadside data ports.
Patrick Potega, Travel Mobility SIG chair, states that "ISO's proposal acknowledges infrared's proven ability to communicate with vehicles traveling at even 160 kilometers-per-hour. Roadside infrared links already perform reliable financial transactions, and are soon to deliver traffic information, high-speed wireless access to e-mail, roadmaps, yellow-pages, and a variety of travel-convenience information."
A key advantage of infrared is its localized signal coverage. Privacy for existing transactional activities, for example, is currently achieved by discrete wireless data paths for each lane of moving traffic, with a selective link to each vehicle traveling in those lanes.
Travel Mobility SIG's Air Travel Working Group
The Travel Mobility SIG currently encompasses diffuse and directed infrared not only in automotive telematics, but also mobile connectivity in airports and on planes. "Issues of data-transmission ranges greater than 20 meters, data rates higher than 1 Mbps, and virtually continuous duration of communications sessions, have been resolved successfully by EFKON," states Joan Naidish, vice president marketing at AirPower(TM) (Woodland Hills, Calif.), and leader of the Air Travel Working Group. "Customer field trials have verified that such infrared-based systems for in-car and roadside applications provide a robust and reliable connectivity platform. The work within ISO will definitely result in improved access to information for mobile travelers driving in and around airports, without the complexities of RF."
Travel Mobility SIG's Hospitality Working Group
The TM-SIG's Hospitality Working Group is bringing infrared connectivity solutions to hotels. Sanjeev Dua, vice president marketing and business development at Clarinet Systems, Inc. (Milpitas, Calif.), and leader of the Hospitality Working Group, sees ISO's interest in infrared having an impact on the hotel industry. "Hotel parking is always a major issue. One innovative solution is to use local infrared communication links to identify available parking spaces in hotel lots and parking structures."
Travel Mobility SIG Mission
The Travel Mobility SIG's mission is to expand the use of infrared technologies in mobile travel markets by fast-tracking deployment of infrared connectivity infrastructures in a variety of environments: automotive, on airplanes, in airports, hotels, as well as other public and private locations.
Additional Contacts: Dr. Raimund Pammer EKFON AG Andritzer Reichstrasse 66 8045 Graz, Austria Phone: +43 (0) 316 69 56 75-0 Fax: +43 (0) 316 69 56 75-9 Website: www.efkon.com Joan Naidish AirPower The Trillium at Warner Center 6320 Canoga Avenue, 15th Floor Woodland Hills, CA 91367 Phone: +1 (818) 883-9895 Fax: +1 (818) 883-5706 Website: www.airpower-in-seat.com Sanjeev Dua Clarinet Systems, Inc. 1625 McCarthy Boulevard Milpitas, CA 95035 Phone: +1 (408) 468-0400 Fax: +1 (408) 468-0401 Website: www.clarinetsys.com