Finally, I can throw away my 8 tracks

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_0vKFdANNh-jTOyYI5uOLlAKUMN-REZH4djStK-QBOsK9UoerIQkYQ0ooHBrNkqtH-GrWyv8RzFyiBUgJh52tiVvMuyf0VnYreB_3rcmHwB69_i-fK-HeVaPoF_cKnEM2ZXnTeHSrdHU/s1600/romain_saha.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_0vKFdANNh-jTOyYI5uOLlAKUMN-REZH4djStK-QBOsK9UoerIQkYQ0ooHBrNkqtH-GrWyv8RzFyiBUgJh52tiVvMuyf0VnYreB_3rcmHwB69_i-fK-HeVaPoF_cKnEM2ZXnTeHSrdHU/s1600/romain_saha.jpg" /></a></div>Okay, maybe I'm not old enough to have owned 8-track tapes. But I do remember that my uncle had an 8-track player in the dash of his station wagon when I was a kid, and I am old enough to have owned a car with a cassette player. <br /><br />Music has been fundamental to the driving experience for about as long as cars have been on the road. Terrestrial radio dominated forever, supplemented by tape and then CD. XM radio came along in 2001 and connecting your iPod started to show up in the late 2000s. That's 5 formats since the Model T was introduced in 1908 (okay, so it didn't  have a radio) and 3 formats in the first 90 years.<br /><br />Now, with connected cars becoming a reality, the rate of change is shifting into overdrive. Want Pandora – check. Want to listen to the top alternative radio station in Dublin while driving in California – check. Want to keep listening to your Songza programming as you move from the house to the car – check.<br /><br />Today's announcement from QNX and 7Digital adds a whole new dimension. Having 7Digital in the car will unify the music ownership experience across the big three: car, pocket, and home. Want to listen to your own music programming in the car – check. Want to buy a song you just heard on that Dublin radio station – check.<br /><br /><b><a href="http://www.qnx.com/news/pr_5552_1.html">Read the press release</a></b> for details. And when you're done, check out the <a href="http://blogs.7digital.com/">7digital blog</a>. <br /><br />

Finally, I can throw away my 8 tracks

Okay, maybe I'm not old enough to have owned 8-track tapes. But I do remember that my uncle had an 8-track player in the dash of his sta...

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Enabling drivers to interact safely with applications and services

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFc-hwr0uh40hWeQvWVf0sZW5bjoB8C_nzfPq9rQV357TDt6Plrd4CSDma_j8WTFRjqnvpJVAoN4NSeEseLzPwiOC1Cu0EVuNNQjWnVXJpDcR-FIYDt4gerWR2bJdfc1p2-a8Q15l-X7g/s1600/scott_pennock.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFc-hwr0uh40hWeQvWVf0sZW5bjoB8C_nzfPq9rQV357TDt6Plrd4CSDma_j8WTFRjqnvpJVAoN4NSeEseLzPwiOC1Cu0EVuNNQjWnVXJpDcR-FIYDt4gerWR2bJdfc1p2-a8Q15l-X7g/s1600/scott_pennock.jpg" /></a></div>Since February 2011, QNX Software Systems has been leading an <a href="http://www.itu.int/en/ITU-T/focusgroups/distraction/Pages/default.aspx">international standards effort</a> to help drivers interact safely with applications and services. And not just apps on phones, but apps running in the cloud, in roadside infrastructure systems, in the car itself, and other locations.<br /><br />If you jump to the end of this post, you’ll find a list of use cases being targeted by this effort. For now, let’s look at Use Case 2, Scenario A (arbitration of external message), which illustrates how we are working towards a comprehensive framework for managing distraction and workload.<br /><br /><span style="color: #073763;"><b>Keeping priorities straight</b></span><br />In this user scenario, a navigation maneuver is given priority over a social media status update message. The blue call-out boxes indicate where the ITU-T recommendations under development can enable safe interaction between the driver and applications. For instance, ITU-T recommendation G.SAM will define mechanisms for prioritizing navigation, while G.V2A will define the communications interface between the app and the driver-vehicle interface (DVI), and P.UIA will recommend characteristics of the auditory social media message. <br /><br />Remember that the focus here isn't on how to implement social media in the car, but rather, on how best to manage workload and distraction.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwEfao_hRE7Whfq1IUHA5xT3j7vgYUTfLw1h_H7IEdaa79xI7lXPAJN66pB4mRj-6obIOJG3I6YI93iii6LfpkKccE67x_ROpSX1F5E3cB_16CtqG0VDZrBuVDgd48L_5a54gHezqiW_I/s1600/fg_driver_distraction_usecase2_scenarioa_600px.gif" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwEfao_hRE7Whfq1IUHA5xT3j7vgYUTfLw1h_H7IEdaa79xI7lXPAJN66pB4mRj-6obIOJG3I6YI93iii6LfpkKccE67x_ROpSX1F5E3cB_16CtqG0VDZrBuVDgd48L_5a54gHezqiW_I/s1600/fg_driver_distraction_usecase2_scenarioa_600px.gif" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Giving a navigation maneuver priority over a social media status update message</i></span></b></span><br /><br />Often, I am asked how this effort differs from the <a href="http://www.mirrorlink.com/">MirrorLink</a> standard being developed by the Car Connectivity Consortium. The simple answer is that MirrorLink addresses only some of the use cases listed below. For instance, the scope of MirrorLink is limited to applications and services running on nomadic devices. Furthermore, adaptation of the driver-vehicle interface and external applications and services in the current MirrorLink solution uses a simple two-state approach, driving or not driving, which limits the ability of the vehicle to control the timing and modality of communications with the driver. Also, MirrorLink doesn’t adequately address arbitration or integration of communications with all external applications and services.<br /><br /><span style="color: #073763;"><b>In for the long haul</b></span><br />At QNX Software Systems, our aim is to:<br /><ol><li>Work with the relevant parties to identify solutions to the problem of technology-related driver distraction and workload. These parties include automotive, telecommunications, and consumer electronics organizations; standards development groups; academia; and government agencies.</li><li>Determine which aspects of the solution should be standardized, then help drive this standardization.</li><li>Align QNX product roadmaps as solutions develop.</li></ol>To be clear, this is a longer term strategy that will take years to realize. Both the standardization process and the time it takes to deploy technology in vehicles must be factored in. Therefore, we are also pursuing shorter term solutions, some of which I hope to cover in future posts.<br /><br /><span style="color: #073763;"><b>The end of the beginning</b></span><br />The first major milestone in this effort was achieved at the closing plenary of the ITU-T Study Group 12 meeting, held on March 28 in Geneva. Here, <a href="http://www.itu.int/en/ITU-T/focusgroups/distraction/Pages/default.aspx">the final report and 4 deliverables</a> of the ITU-T Focus Group on Driver Distraction were approved. There was also approval of a liaison statement communicating these results to a large list of organizations working on this topic.<br /><br />This marks the end of the focus group, but is really just the beginning for QNX and ITU-T efforts in this area. In future posts, I will explore various aspects of this comprehensive strategy.<br /><br /><hr /><br /><b><span style="color: #073763;">Use cases and user scenarios targeted by ITU-T recommendations</span></b><br /><br /><b>Use Case 1: Interaction with external application/service </b><br />   a) Application on nomadic device<br />   b) Application on cloud-based server <br />   c) Downloaded Application <br />   d) Broadcast of roadway information <br />   e) Tethering <br /><b>Use Case 2: Arbitration and integration of external message</b> <br />   a) Arbitration of messages <br />   b) Integration of messages <br />   c) Both arbitration and integration of messages <br />   d) E-call <br /><b>Use Case 3: Negotiation of network Quality of Service (QoS) </b><br />   a) Application selects network <br />   b) Application suspends interaction <br />   c) Application availability due to roaming <br /><b>Use Case 4: Management of multiple dialogues </b><br />   a) Opening/closing an application <br />   b) Switching between applications <br />   c) Interaction with background application <br /><b>Use Case 5: Adaptation of DVI (driver-vehicle interface) and external applications/services to driver abilities </b><br />   a) Driver with disability <br />   b) Dynamically changing driver capabilities <br />   c) Detection of impaired driver state <br /><b>Use Case 6: Adaptation of DVI and external applications/services to roadway situation </b><br />   a) Driver busy notification <br />   b) Delay of message delivery in demanding driving situation <br />   c) Change message format based on road conditions <br />   d) Interruption of driver interaction <br /><b>Use Case 7: Adaptation of DVI and external applications/services to vehicle status </b><br />   a) Vehicle enters safe operating condition (e.g., park gear, < 5 m.p.h., etc.) <br />   b) Driver adjusts vehicle controls (e.g., climate control, etc.) <br />   c) Suppression of hazard alert due to safe speed <br /><b>Use Case 8: Adaptation of DVI and external applications/services to local regulations </b><br />   a) Application blocked <br />   b) Application suspended <br />   c) Interface modality disabled <br />   d) Age restriction <br />   e) Content restriction <br /><br />For details on these use cases, download the <a href="http://www.itu.int/en/ITU-T/focusgroups/distraction/Documents/deliverables/FG%20Distraction%20-%20Report%20on%20Use%20Cases.pdf"><b>FG Distraction Use Cases report</b></a>. <br /><br />

Enabling drivers to interact safely with applications and services

Since February 2011, QNX Software Systems has been leading an international standards effort to help drivers interact safely with applicati...

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Jamming on a theme of connectivity at Automotive Megatrends 2013

<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiu_z28o6nR1DBwKky75PBw8db6iXcyFsjvc0YsxytEZS3FRFB5ex4EMnQcIqxfHVaw3SaBOJJPwfoScCt7BO7rvHkKiSsCnT60_9JsslDwRopzs3jXrz7f1z-rNPRjO8tRolEqA3oWKc/s1600/justin_moon_qnx_photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiu_z28o6nR1DBwKky75PBw8db6iXcyFsjvc0YsxytEZS3FRFB5ex4EMnQcIqxfHVaw3SaBOJJPwfoScCt7BO7rvHkKiSsCnT60_9JsslDwRopzs3jXrz7f1z-rNPRjO8tRolEqA3oWKc/s320/justin_moon_qnx_photo.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr align="left"><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Justin Moon</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><i>"The only time I really don’t feel connected is when I am driving in my car.” </i><br /><br />You can always tell you’ve had a successful conference if you come away with a few “ah ha” or “oh no” moments. The above quote, which I cannot take credit for, was my “ah ha” moment at <a href="http://amusa2013.automotiveworld.com/">Automotive Megatrends 2013</a>. The conference saw leaders and forward thinkers in the automotive industry come together and discuss (or debate) three technology streams: powertrain, safety, and the stream I participated in, connectivity.<br /><br />The day began with a panel discussing the Big Picture of in-vehicle connectivity. Five panelists presented their views on business model pros and cons, where connectivity is headed, how it could change consumer expectations, and steps for ensuring success. Following the panelists’ presentations, the floor was opened for questions and dialogue with the audience. It was a great introduction and it set the stage for the rest of the day.<br /><br />After a brief “networking” break, a panel discussing hardware and the effects associated with connectivity began. The format continued as before: each panelist spoke on their area of interest or expertise, then the audience joined the conversation. I was intrigued by the state of persistent storage in infotainment systems, including the problems and potential solutions for maintaining performance and reliability.<br /><br />Lunch was just as engaging as the panels and discussions. I participated in a lively table-wide discussion with several analysts and industry thinkers on how the connection in my vehicle needs to become a seamless part of my lifestyle, just like my smartphone or the connected entertainment equipment in my home. This discussion was a great lead-in to the panel I had the pleasure of participating in — Software and Apps.<br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Clearing a path</b></span><br />The panel followed the same format as the others. Panelists discussed the role of the software platform and where application models fit into the future of the connected vehicle. One engaging panelist, after a rousing lunch discussion, explored how ubiquitous connectivity will clear a path for bigger possibilities with ecological initiatives, safety strategies, and making the vehicle a part of the connected lifestyle consumers already relate to and expect.<br /><br />The final panel of the day was about wireless networks and had some industry big thinkers jam about infrastructure requirements, futures, and business models.<br /><br />All in all, my experience at Automotive Megatrends was very positive and I look forward to doing it again next year.<br /><br />

Jamming on a theme of connectivity at Automotive Megatrends 2013

Justin Moon "The only time I really don’t feel connected is when I am driving in my car.” You can always tell you’ve had a successful ...

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Traveling on reserve power

<b><i>Or how a new kind of electro-mobility can be fun. A guest post from Thomas Fleischmann of Elektrobit Automotive.</i></b><br /><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgofCPtKjGiwAnaln28ghQEqF3KRw41pD-gLjQymYMlfVENdl3kHVASwouFjTB1xFvgzPMjChEfM80rAsIZNwzV0EZSy36CBktdZ2jibLSSgaawNfVYKI95Xfeb_0AqtnoFckMNEw3YK9s/s1600/thomasf_elektrobit_crop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgofCPtKjGiwAnaln28ghQEqF3KRw41pD-gLjQymYMlfVENdl3kHVASwouFjTB1xFvgzPMjChEfM80rAsIZNwzV0EZSy36CBktdZ2jibLSSgaawNfVYKI95Xfeb_0AqtnoFckMNEw3YK9s/s320/thomasf_elektrobit_crop.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Thomas Fleishmann</b></td></tr></tbody></table>Imagine you are always driving on reserve power. You find this difficult? Get used to it — and welcome to the new era of electro-mobility! Vehicles like the Chevy Volt, with its secondary combustion engine, are already addressing this challenge — but having to support two types of driving technology can be challenging and costly.<br /><br />So how can electro-mobility, which is supported by software, be implemented meaningfully? And how do we get drivers to accept it? Certainly not by abandoning the driver with nothing but a nicely animated display of the car’s battery condition. <br /><br />Let's assume you live in a big city. You don’t even own a car. Instead, you subscribe to a certain number of hours of travel time with your favorite car brand. In addition to your S or XL subscription for four weeks a year, you get access to a fossil-fuel engine for your vacation in another state or country twice a year. <br /><br />In the morning you find and reserve a car with your BlackBerry phone and get into it at a nearby charge-point. The HMI adapts to your profile settings automatically — your friends, contacts, addresses, and music are already there. The navigation system is your energy consultant; it tells you, based on traffic conditions and topography, how far you can drive with this car and, at the appropriate time, suggests an available electric socket within easy reach. Or the system warns you to turn back soon if you want to arrive home safely. After parking the car successfully, your smartphone guides you for the last few kilometers by bus or subway to your destination — it knows the way and easily adopts the data of your navigation system. <br /><br />Using software solutions like <a href="http://automotive.elektrobit.com/home/infotainment-software/hmi/eb-guide-products.html">EB GUIDE</a> or <a href="http://automotive.elektrobit.com/home/infotainment-software/navigation-software/eb-street-director.html">EB street director</a> and frameworks like the <a href="http://www.qnx.com/products/qnxcar/">QNX CAR application platform</a> you can concentrate on creating the end-user experience and transform the journey on reserve power into something fun and convenient — suddenly an electric vehicle becomes a smart mobility concept. <br /><br />Check this out; I fried it last week. The yellow center represents the area in which you can drive and go back home. The white area represents the range you can drive, depending on traffic or topography:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC9FPOTEfOksSj4yXCXDQ1KkZvPxpgHPYf44ZWnQskFWevtkGp3bMKwacAeZgc3CQJuTkb4ws6n-ZekDCNFgfIErhbePODnr239_fgoKBTWWexgSGdEfyJVg_AHZp9nKhyrCBXp-Q0tuM/s1600/egg_image_for_elektrobit_electro_post.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC9FPOTEfOksSj4yXCXDQ1KkZvPxpgHPYf44ZWnQskFWevtkGp3bMKwacAeZgc3CQJuTkb4ws6n-ZekDCNFgfIErhbePODnr239_fgoKBTWWexgSGdEfyJVg_AHZp9nKhyrCBXp-Q0tuM/s1600/egg_image_for_elektrobit_electro_post.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><hr /><br /><i>Thomas Fleischmann is Senior Product Manager at <a href="http://www.elektrobit.com/">Elektrobit Automotive</a> responsible for the HMI solution EB GUIDE. Contact him at <a href="mailto:Thomas.Fleischmann@elektrobit.com">Thomas.Fleischmann@elektrobit.com</a>.<br /></i><br /><br />

Traveling on reserve power

Or how a new kind of electro-mobility can be fun. A guest post from Thomas Fleischmann of Elektrobit Automotive. Thomas Fleishmann Imagine y...

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Hello, Bentley: Using Sensory speech technology to create a natural user experience

<i><b>By Bernard Brafman, Sensory Inc., and Justin Moon, QNX Software Systems</b></i><br /><br />In-vehicle infotainment systems are becoming more and more complex, and integral to the overall driving experience. As this trend continues, it will become increasingly important to create systems that support multiple forms of user interaction. If you’re driving, the last thing you want to do is enter a destination manually, or search for your favorite artist in a playlist by using a touch screen, jog wheel, or other manual input method. Drivers want and require a user experience that is both simple and natural; integration of speech recognition technology goes a long way toward achieving that goal.<br /><br />In fact, speech recognition is a key component of the latest <a href="http://qnxauto.blogspot.ca/2013/01/its-bentley-guided-tour-of-new-qnx.html">QNX technology concept car</a>, a modified Bentley Continental GT. The speech rec system lets you plot a route or select your favorite artist using natural speech, but it goes even further by letting you simply ask the car to perform an action. Leveraging Sensory’s FluentSoft SDK, more specifically the <a href="http://www.sensoryinc.com/products/trulyhandsfreevoicecontrol.html">TrulyHandsfree</a><small>^TM</small> Voice Control technology, the QNX concept development team implemented keyword spotting techniques to interact with the vehicle.<br /><br />So how does this work? Well, let’s say you’re in Vegas and need directions to the Wynn Casino. To engage the cloud-based Watson speech system, you simply say “Hello Bentley” — no need to push a button. You then complete the request by saying “Take me to the Wynn Casino.” FluentSoft, along with the architecture of the advanced speech recognition system included in the <a href="http://www.qnx.com/products/qnxcar/index.html">QNX CAR platform</a>, allowed the team to create this seamless, easily implemented, and well-executed voice interaction experience.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6eJyUCkLUKIeZrN1MoheZMFav6gkhAHxm0l9bP8zwW5eLt3BtaTef4KlTV-JniWGnY2AhVzoLMH1BOxpnh4-ZS2r_vlOWH5PefmEGEQgUggDonAT-LKgriVtcRRBPC74Oz1hS-MGdcmY/s1600/bentley_speech_rec_activated.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6eJyUCkLUKIeZrN1MoheZMFav6gkhAHxm0l9bP8zwW5eLt3BtaTef4KlTV-JniWGnY2AhVzoLMH1BOxpnh4-ZS2r_vlOWH5PefmEGEQgUggDonAT-LKgriVtcRRBPC74Oz1hS-MGdcmY/s1600/bentley_speech_rec_activated.jpg" /></a> <br /><b>When you say “Hello Bentley,” the QNX concept car displays a visual prompt at the top of the screen, indicating that the speech rec system is now listening for natural speech or directed commands.</b><br /><br /><b>Multiple triggers</b><br />The team plans to further utilize Sensory technology in future concept car releases. The current implementation has the single “Hello Bentley” trigger, which engages the speech system. But TrulyHandsfree Voice Control supports multiple active triggers as well as a robust recognition vocabulary to create a rich command-and-control user experience that doesn’t require prompts or pauses. Thus, it’s possible to create a hybrid system that is seamless and transparent to the user. For instance, “Hello Bentley air 68 degrees” or “Hello Bentley what time is it in Tokyo?” can both be executed flawlessly, regardless of which speech rec system is engaged.<br /><br /><b>A matter of choice</b><br />For an even more personalized experience, this technology can allow drivers to create their own custom trigger with a simple one-time enrollment process that verifies their identity as a voice password or identifies one of several previously enrolled. This creates a custom experience not only by letting you choose your own trigger phrases (come on now, who hasn’t named their car at some point?), but also by recalling individual preferences such as seat position, steering wheel position, and multimedia presets.<br /><br />Look for these enhanced features in concept cars to come!<br /><br /><hr /><br /><i>Bernard Brafman is vice president of business development for Sensory, Inc., responsible for strategic business partnerships. He received his MSEE from Stanford University. Contact Bernard at <a href="mailto:bbrafman@sensoryinc.com">bbrafman@sensoryinc.com</a><br /><br />Justin Moon is a global technical evangelist for the automotive business development team at QNX Software Systems. </i><br /><br />

Hello, Bentley: Using Sensory speech technology to create a natural user experience

By Bernard Brafman, Sensory Inc., and Justin Moon, QNX Software Systems In-vehicle infotainment systems are becoming more and more complex, ...

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