Alpine Pushes In-Vehicle Touch Screen Technology to the Next Level

TORRANCE, Calif., Jan. 8, 2004 -- As today's in-vehicle audio/visual systems become more complex, the human-machine interface has never been more important. Alpine Electronics will introduce this year, a significant technology advancement that make in-vehicle touch panel screens more intuitive and easier-to-use for consumers.

"Alpine has been looking into touch panel technology for years, but chose to wait until we could deliver solutions that make on-screen access to controls a definitive benefit for consumers," said Stephen Witt, Alpine's vice president of Brand Marketing. "Without question, we feel that our new TME-M770 and IVA-D300 monitors offer the stand-out advantages we've been striving for."

In April, Alpine will premiere the industry's first touch screen display featuring its own PulseTouch(TM) technology, which uses vibrations, pressure and sound to simulate the sensation of using real buttons on a touch screen. The technology, featured in Alpine's award-winning IVA-D300 Mobile Multimedia Station(TM), can simulate different key styles to provide a unique feel when holding down, tapping, sliding or pushing a button. Users can even feel the edges of each key when tracing their finger over the screen, enabling them to locate buttons while keeping their eyes on the road. In another innovation, DVD menu keys can be manipulated directly through the PulseTouch display, enabling users to more easily identify control buttons. This feature is key when considering that DVD setup/playback menus typically vary in layout.

Touch screen will also be a key advantage for rear seat passengers this year. Alpine will be the first manufacturer to bring touch screen source control to the rear seat entertainment environment with its TME-M770 head-rest style monitor. The 6.5-inch monitor's touch screen uses familiar arrow icons for fingertip control of video sources, such as DVD players, changers and TV tuners. Users simply touch the icon at the bottom of the screen to play, pause, fast backwards or fast forward discs or four direction arrows to find content within folders or menus.

Brightness, color, contrast, tint and sharpness can all be controlled on the screen, as well as Visual EQ(TM) to optimize image quality. Two auxiliary inputs enable the hook-up of a DVD source unit or TV tuner, plus another audio or video system.

Alpine has dedicated tremendous resources towards perfecting the Human Machine Interface (HMI), including a dedicated Heuristic Engineering team, whose sole purpose is to focus on how to solve human interaction problems to improve ease of use and customer satisfaction. For everything from buttons and displays to menus, safety and ease of use serve as guiding principles for Alpine's engineers and product designers.

About Alpine Electronics

Alpine Electronics is the world's leading automotive consumer electronics system supplier and an ISO certified corporation. Alpine specializes in an integrated platform concept for mobile multimedia with premium components for digital audio/video media playback, digital broadcast reception, and satellite linked navigation. With research and development facilities in Asia, Europe and the U.S., Alpine is the global leader for mobile sound systems and in-vehicle navigation for both after-market and OEM factory installations. Alpine Electronics is a consolidated subsidiary of Alps Electric Co., Ltd., one of the world's premier manufacturers of electronic components for computer, communications and car electronics equipment. Visit www.alpine-usa.com to learn more about Alpine products or to find an authorized retailer.