Autos Fast Becoming the Ultimate in Mobile Entertainment Centers; Convergence(R) 2004 Sessions Investigate Advanced Systems and Emerging Trends

DEARBORN, Mich., July 15 -- Explore how the magic wand of digital electronics is transforming cars into entertainment centers at Convergence 2004, the world's premier automotive electronics conference.

With today's digital electronics, automobiles have become centers of entertainment as well as modes of transportation. For information and entertainment, vehicles now offer far more than AM radios and vacuum tubes. Multiple CD changers, MP3 players, satellite radio, surround sound and portable DVD players for passengers are just some of the consumer options currently available. And wireless music downloading from personal computers to cars is on the horizon.

Convergence 2004, Oct. 18-20, in Detroit, will look at the role of digital electronics and business trends in mobile entertainment in one of 15 technical sessions offered at the conference. Session 1: Mobile Digital Entertainment: A Revolution in the Media Industry will be held from 2 - 5 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 18th. The session is chaired by Robert Schumacher of Delphi, with Jean- Charles Hourcade, of Thomson Consumer Electronics, serving as vice-chair.

  Session 1 includes the following white papers:

  1. Evolution of Car Radio: From Vacuum Tubes to Satellite and Beyond
  Author: Richard Lind, Delphi
  Co-Authors: Douglas Welk and Huan Yen, Delphi Delco Electronics Systems

  2. Future Trends in the Rear Passenger Video System Market
  Author: Niall Berkery, Pioneer Electronics

  3. Three Dimensional Acoustic Entertainment
  Author: Henry Blind, Visteon

  4. On Delivering Content to Portable Platforms
  Author: Kumar Ramaswamy, Thomson, Inc.
  Co-Authors: Jeff Cooper, Charles Wang and Junbiao Zhang, Thomson, Inc.

5. AM and FM's Digital Conversion: How HD Radio(R) will Spur Innovative Telematics Services for the Automotive Industry

  Author: Robert Struble, iBiquity Digital Corporation
  Co-Author: Joseph D'Angelo and David Salemi, iBiquity Digital Corporation

6. A Case for the Trojan Horse: Lessons Learned from the Development and Marketing of Satellite TV Applied to Satellite Radio

Author: Lawrence Pesce, Sirius Satellite Radio

Other sessions covering the intricacies of migrating consumer entertainment systems include:

* Impact of Consumer Electronics on Automotive Electronics, chaired by Microsoft's John Fikany, with Robert Schumacher, Delphi, serving as vice chair

-- Session 6. Tuesday, Oct. 19, 9 a.m. - noon

* Business Process Transformations Needed, chaired by Raj Desai, IBM, with Roland Rechtsteiner, Roland Berger Strategy Consultants, vice chair

-- Session 9. Tuesday, Oct. 19, 2-5 p.m.

* Balancing Mobility Features with Cost & Quality, chaired by Ben Baker, General Motors Corp., Gary Streelman, Delphi, vice chair

-- Session 12. Wednesday, Oct. 20, 9 a.m. - noon

For 30 years Convergence, the world's foremost automotive electronics conference, has inspired dramatic innovation in automotive electronics by creating a forum for experts in the fields of mechanical and electronic engineering.

Keeping with that tradition, Convergence 2004 -- hosted by Ford and chaired by Ford VP of Research and Advanced Engineering, Dr. Gerhard Schmidt -- will feature a record 85 white papers, 15 technical sessions, three interactive panel discussions, keynote speeches from industry leaders and more than 200 exhibits from international automotive and electronics companies. This year's theme is "Vehicle Electronics to Digital Mobility: the Next Generation of Convergence."

Convergence 2004 will be held Oct. 18 - 20, at Cobo Center in Detroit. Convergence conferences attract nearly 10,000 automotive and electronics engineers, scientists and executives, and some 200 journalists, from around the globe.

Gold sponsors of Convergence are Ford Motor Company; Robert Bosch Corporation; Delphi; DENSO International America; Freescale Semiconductor; General Motors Corporation; IBM Corporation; Motorola; Toyota Motor Corporation; and Yazaki North America, Inc.

The Convergence Transportation Electronics Association (CTEA) sponsors Convergence 2004. Proceeds from the conference will benefit the Convergence Education Foundation, a nonprofit organization founded in 1993 to support mathematics and science education for disadvantaged school-aged children.