Continental Develops AutoLinQ - Infotainment and Internet Services

HANOVER, GERAMY – June 2 2009: You have flown off on vacation, are sitting in the sun and suddenly something pops into your head: “Did I shut my car window?” If you didn’t, all you can do is hope that a burglar or vandal doesn’t notice the open window and that your car is safe and sound where you left it when your return home.

The savior in such situations will be AutoLinQ, which comprises the developments of the latest car hardware and software solutions from the automotive supplier Continental. For instance, with AutoLinQ the car owner can control and operate his car from afar by cell phone, PC or laptop. In this case, the vacationer can simply enter the command “close window” by cell phone, while at the same time checking to see whether the car is still in its parking space – and then sit back and enjoy his vacation.

But AutoLinQ provides much more, as the motorist is “Always On” when on the go: In the car, he can operate the system by voice so that his hands don’t have to leave the wheel. While on the road, webcam images of the planned route, appointment organizers, music files or videos can be downloaded. From the computer in the living room, the car owner will be able to check the gas level in the tank, the battery charge or the tire pressure. It will even be possible to adjust the stiffness of the shock absorber via the home PC.

Engineer Herbert Halamek, a part of the think tank behind AutoLinQ in the Continental Interior division: “Thanks to DSL, it is now nearly standard that the home PC has a permanent Internet connection. And this is something we would like to have as well in the car. The big difference here is that in the car, the focus is not on constant browsing. Instead, Continental has its sights on practical driving and comfort functions.” That includes webcam images of the traffic load on the planned route, and what is called a buddy function. With this function, the driver can determine where his friends are at on a road map in the car, using his infotainment system networked with other online services. He can call them directly and drive the shortest route to where they are, making use of current traffic information.

AutoLinQ could go into series production in some two to three years. Thilo Koslowski, Vice President and Automotive Practice Leader of Gartner, Inc. (US market research company for the technology industry): “By 2016, the networking of a vehicle and access to current relevant information will be just as important for the majority of consumers as traditional characteristics such as a high degree of safety or low fuel consumption.”