Visteon Electronics Concepts ... Innovations From the Home to the Vehicle
DEARBORN, Mich., Jan. 7, 2004 -- The auto industry phrase "mass customization" was coined to communicate the consumer's desire to increase convenience and personalize their vehicles. In today's environment, innovation of mobile electronics requires reliability and speed.
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Visteon Corporation is committed to bringing innovations to market quickly. "But offering the right product, at the right time, for the right cost means understanding the many intricacies of how, what, when and at what cost these features are expected by the consumer and the automaker," said John Kill, Vice President of Product Development for Visteon Corporation. "To help build this understanding, Visteon applies its automotive experience and integration expertise, in conjunction with suppliers of unique technologies, to develop concepts for the future," Kill added.
Visteon's concept innovations for potential application by automakers and for potential aftermarket availability include:
* In-vehicle wireless charging stations * Wireless entertainment and home security * Audio system enhancements * Vehicle security systems * Next generation Family Entertainment Systems.
The wireless connectivity vehicle brings entertainment and computing access into the vehicle and home again. This prototype integrates several technologies as concepts for seamless mobile entertainment and communications systems. The vehicle serves as a platform for an in-vehicle media center with dockable wireless smart displays. It allows each of the vehicle's occupants to surf the web, or watch movies, independent of other users. The smart displays also connect to their wireless networks when brought into the home or office.
In addition, personal pre-sets can bring you home into the environment that suits your needs -- wirelessly turning on the lights, starting dinner, adjusting the home heating/cooling system to the desired temperature. And lastly, the driver of the vehicle can turn on the home entertainment center wirelessly from the vehicle before ever entering the home.
Considering the increasing use of personal digital assistants and other portable devices, Visteon is anticipating a need for wireless charging. To better understand the potential demand, Visteon integrated a wireless charging pad into the console of the vehicle, eliminating the need for power cords, cradles and adapters. The technology wirelessly charges cell phones, personal digital assistants and other small portable devices.
As technology evolves to the future state shown in the wireless concept vehicle, Visteon is examining other near-term concepts such as Visteon's newest concept in Family Entertainment. Visteon adapted a consumer-market DVD player to lock into place in the vehicle's headliner. This streamlined design and application allows the DVD player to be removed from the vehicle with the touch of a hand. This removable feature improves security and allows for viewing both in out of the vehicle. In addition, this new design provides a larger viewing screen and a thinner, more streamlined design to improve interior space and styling considerations. This new system can be rapidly developed as a factory-installed original equipment option or easily installed as an aftermarket product.
In addition, Visteon is examining concepts in security through the use of an advanced Global Positioning System (GPS). Once development work is complete, this system could give consumers convenient, 24-hour/seven-day-a- week ability to track vehicle location and operating status through an Internet site. Consumers could receive instant theft notification through cellular phones; and enjoy options including remote door unlocking, concierge services, navigation assistance, personalized trip routing, and low-battery charge notification.
Visteon's electronics expertise is seeded in the development of audio technology. Extensive research by Visteon and others proves the human ear is insensitive to bass frequencies at low volume. For some consumers, enhancing the bass adds to musical enjoyment. Visteon's concept audio enhancement called Bass Sensation(TM) adds new sensory excitement to listening. This audio concept transfers the bass and sub-bass frequencies in the vehicle through the attaching surfaces to the occupants, allowing the occupants to "feel the music." This system delivers an effect nearly equal to that of two 15-inch subwoofers while taking up a fraction of the space.
All of these concepts and much more can be seen at Visteon's booth at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, NV, January 8-11, 2004.
Visteon Corporation is a leading full-service supplier that delivers consumer-driven technology solutions to automotive manufacturers worldwide and through multiple channels within the global automotive aftermarket. Visteon has about 75,000 employees and a global delivery system of more than 180 technical, manufacturing, sales and service facilities located in 25 countries.
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NOTE TO EDITORS: Visteon news releases, photographs and product specification details are available at www.visteon.com