LUKE GRYMEK, SATNAM SINGH, AND KRISHNA PATTIPATI

ADDS TO TELEMATICS ALLURE

VEHICULAR DEPENDENCE

PHOTOSPIN, STOCKBYTE, ARTVILLE

LIKE IT OR NOT, OUR LIVES ARE intricately woven with our automobiles in numerous ways. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, there are 84 million Americans who are driving a collective 500 million hours a week with every motorist spending nearly six hours per week in a car. This dependence on automobiles provides an excellent opportunity for automobile manufacturers to enhance the overall driving experience. On the manufacturing side, the automotive industry has become stagnant, and manufacturers are looking to add new features to be competitive. Telematics is the solution for injecting the automotive industry with new life and technology while greatly

enhancing the driving experience. Telematics is the convergence of telecommunications and information processing for automation in vehicles. Currently an emerging technology, telematics has yet to see the true scope of its potential. Figure 1 shows the bright prospects for telematics, which tend to be geared toward either the driver or the passengers. How does telematics work? In a nutshell, telematics deals with wireless communications between a moving vehicle and an outside, location-based service. It enhances the experience of being in an automobile for the driver as well as the passenger by efficiently managing information among diverse sources. Data produced by the telemat-

ics device is sent to appropriate servers where actions are taken to benefit the driver and passengers. Similarly, the telematics unit also provides the capability of receiving information in the car from outside sources. Telematics is an evolving field that consists of key technologies such as local Yellow Book listings, global positioning system (GPS) navigation, realtime vehicle performance data, and distress-signal transmission. To project the direction in which this emerging technology is heading, it is crucial to have a comprehensive understanding of the current state and goals of telematics. In this article, we take a snapshot of telematics in its current state and develop a picture of what telematics services

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will look like in the near future. We present a succinct review of existing technical and business literature about telematics along with the key technological challenges to the future growth of telematics.

Driver-Oriented Features

Route Assistance Emergency Help

TELEMATICS AFTERMARKET

Real-Time Performance Data

While telematics is immature, it is growing at a rapid rate. In Boekes MBA dissertation, Voice Recognition numerous indicators are idenTraffic Info Interface tified that suggest a strong upward trend in telematics growth. There are several reaShop Online sons why this field is destined to grow both technologically Telematics Opportunities and economically. First, GPS receiver chips have become inexpensive. As a result, they will be readily available to automobile users. Email Gaming Second, telematics deals with wireless technology; therefore, its growth is Television/DVD quite promising with the increased usage of cellular phones and Internet Passenger-Oriented Features access. Telematics provides a new opportuFig. 1 Automotive telematics opportunities nity where telecommunications companies can use already existing networks to receive more returns on their bile are mostly aimed at passengers to investments. General Motors (GM) is GOALS OF TELEMATICS make the car journey more enjoyable. planning to offer advanced features in Telematics is an application of wireAnother goal of telematics is to suptheir OnStar navigation units and less networks in automobiles. As disport and improve automotive vehicle intends to make them standard in all cussed by A. Karimi et al., there are maintenance. Many automobile manutheir vehicles by 2007. five major goals for telematics: 1) navifacturers plan to have electronic conZhao predicted that by the end of gation and accessibility, 2) safety and trol units (ECUs) for fault detection 2007, 55.5% of new vehicles will be security, 3) infotainment/entertainment, and diagnosis (FDD) in their vehicles. equipped with telematics-ready units, 4) vehicle maintenance, and 5) producThe FDD system uses advanced statisticompared to 7.5% in 2001. Also, within tivity. These goals may support one cal techniques to detect, identify, and the same time frame, the world revanother. For example, being able to isolate vehicle faults. As these electronenue from the telematics field is easily maintain the vehicle can reduce ic units become more prevalent, a expected to increase to US$14.4 bilthe chance of unexpected vehicle telematics unit can increase the ease of lion. The number of vehicle manufacbreakdowns, thus increasing comfort, vehicle maintenance by using the turers and vehicle models offering safety, and security. The goals may also information obtained by the FDD systelematics has been steadily growing, contradict one another. For example, tem and communicating this informawhile the average cost of telematics adding more entertainment features tion to the driver and vehicle maintehas been shrinking. All of these are may distract the driver, thus reducing nance operators. positive indicators of a strong future safety or productivity. for telematics. Telematics can enhance navigation While GM and Ford may be the lead and information access capabilities for Telematics services manufacturers of telematics services in the driver by providing a means to Currently, telematics systems are the United States, telematics services in communicate with the outside world. available in high-end vehicles or as a other countries, Japan in particular, Through a wireless network, the telemcostly option in mid-level vehicles. have achieved greater growth. Japan atics unit has access to valuable and OnStar and Wingcast are the current alone is predicted to see US$11.2 billion useful information for the driver. telematics services leaders in the United in revenue by 2010. In October 2002, Telematics also increases the safety and States, which are owned by GM and Toyota released its own telematics sersecurity of the automobile for the driver Ford, respectively. For the cost of initial vice unit in Japan called the G-Book. and passengers. For instance, if adverse hardware and a monthly fee, these Since its initial release, Toyota vehicles driving conditions are approaching, a companies provide some selective equipped with the G-Book have been telematics unit can inform the driver telematics services. Those services able to offer many telematics services and then suggest an alternate course of include GPS navigation, information that only recently have become availaction. The goals of enhancing the infolistings, such as Yellow Book, and disable in the United States. tainment/entertainment in an automotress signal transmission capability

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through an electronic unit embedded in the vehicles dashboard.

Distress signal
A feature of the telematics unit with significant consumer interest is the distress signal. Upon a breakdown or severe accident, the driver is able to quickly contact an emergency service using the distress signal and address the situation. By having the distress signal service, the driver doesnt need to worry when he is stranded in the middle of a desert in Nevada or alone after a near-fatal accident. A distress signal uses a cell-phone communication link and the GPS data. The signal can be sent either manually by the automobile user or automatically by an electronic unit embedded in the dashboard. Automatic signals are sent when a particular sensor is triggered, such as if windows break or air bags go off. When that happens, the GPS unit will send the vehicles location information and the vehicle identification number (VIN) to the emergency service providers.

GPS navigation
With the GPS unit, a driver can

obtain reasonably accurate information about his/her location. By typing in the desired destination, the driver can learn an optimal route to take. Based on the drivers input, the onboard telematics unit will provide listings for the local area Yellow Book using the GPS data and local maps. Current navigation telematics is also blending real-time traffic data with historical data to provide the driver with the best route to his/her destination. In Japan, Vehicle Information Communication System (VICS) is a prominent provider of traffic information telematics services. An onboard VICS unit can provide accurate highway information for freeways up to 200 km away and accurate local road information for roads up to 30 km away. VICS obtains its traffic information either by radio wave or infrared beacons. The telematics unit uses voice directions to navigate the driver on the route. For every turn, the telematics unit can explain associated distances and approximate times based on the current speed and distance. Figure 2 illustrates an advanced navigation scenario. The vehicle is originally on the shortest and quickest

route to its destination (Route A). However, there has been an accident; traffic is backed up, and Route A is no longer the quickest route. The telematics system detects the traffic hold up and redirects the driver onto Route B, thereby providing the safest and quickest route to the desired destination.

Yellow pages listings

In addition to traffic navigation, the onboard telematics also informs the driver of nearby ATMs, gas stations, and local restaurants. The driver can interact with local listings (e.g., make a reservation at the restaurant, prepay for a product at a store, etc.) through the telematics services. One such telematics service is provided by Toyota, which is referred in its G-Books Yellow Book listings as Live Navigation. The Live Navigation service aims to create a dynamic driving experience where the onboard unit anticipates driver interests by suggesting appropriate dining locations and events. Figure 3(a) exemplifies ideal human voice interaction with the telematics unit. Figure 3(b) displays how several integrated telematics services can be beneficial to the driver. When the telematics system recognizes low fuel levels, the GPS system with local maps and yellow book listings informs the driver of how to alleviate the situation. A new telematics service is expected to be available in the near future for parking space availability notification. XM Satellite Radio is collaborating with electronic sensor companies and parking garage owners so that drivers can view the percentages of available parking spots located within the vicinity of their destination. Several business offices, sports and concert venus, and airports plan to install the parking notification telematics service in the near future.

Vehicle is initially on route A to destination. Traffic service informs driver and suggests alternate route.

Rou

Traffic service is informed of traffic holdup due to an accident.

te A

Enhanced real-time data

Currently, automobile maintenance can be considered either preventive or reactive. A preventive maintenance strategy is characterized by the operator adhering to maintenance schedules consisting of fluid and part replacement as well as routine check ups. The preventive strategy fails when tasks required by the maintenance schedule are unnecessary; a part may be replaced despite still being functional. The end result is loss of money and

Rou

te B

Destination

Fig. 2 Advanced navigation system in automobiles

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I'm starving, is there any restaurant within 10 miles where I can get a meal for under $10?

Along your current route, there will be a Taco Bell in about 6 minutes and if you want to turn off the route, there is a Subway in 5 minutes.

You have just fallen under a quarter of a tank of gas, at current rate you can travel up to 50 more miles. A Mobil gas station in 11 miles has the cheapest gas on your route at $2.75 a gallon.

(a) Fig. 3 (a) Advanced voice recognition and (b) advanced FDD and voice recognition

(b)

time. Reactive maintenance refers to measures taken where there is a direct need. The reactive maintenance strategy also is inefficient because faults occur before the operator realizes their existence, which results in higher repair costs and longer time without the vehicle. Telematics provides a third strategy with remote diagnostics. Telematics can allow distant servers to have access to the ECU information. Consequently, the servers can execute the remote diagnostic techniques to do a better assessment of maintenance requirement without being too reactive or preventive. Such condition-based maintenance efficiency will have tremendous consumer support because maintenance accounts for approximately 40% of a vehicles lifetime costs. OnStar recently made available its own real-time data assessment service. The service is available only to GM vehicles manufactured in the past three years. Using this service, the manufacturer or dealer would have access to real-time vehicle and driving data to assess how the vehicle is performing and to make appropriate service reservations. A recent experimental application of onboard diagnostic and prognostic systems is the carbon dioxide emissions control in California. The wireless monitoring system keeps an eye on the emissions system of a vehicle. Based on the diverse data sets, the automobile maintenance service determines if the vehicle emission system is faulty. The driver can be encouraged to fix the problem before an excess of harmful emissions are released into the air.

Superior human machine interface

As the quantity and complexity of the telematics services continue to rise, a safe driver-friendly interface is also becoming vital. The voice-based user interface appears to be the most promising means for effective communication between the driver, passengers, and the telematics system. An example of voicebased user interface is the G-Books My Request telematics service, which provides access to information through simple operations or voice commands. The resulting information is read to the driver by a synthesized voice.

TECHNOLOGICAL CHALLENGES
When looking toward the future opportunities of telematics, there are roadblocks that must be overcome to make progress. The Telematics Research Group has shown that a fundamental technological challenge is the slow processor speed of the telematics hardware units. The telematics processors lag behind personal computer processing units by an astounding four to six years. For example, a 2007 telematics microprocessor unit will have the performance comparable to that of a 2002 Pentium 4 microprocessor of about 1 GHz. This delay in hardware capabilities will hinder the development of an advanced telematics system. Another hardware issue associated with telematics is the fact that the electronics and the automobiles have entirely different life spans and development cycles. Developing a vehicle takes between five and six years, and the vehicle life tends to be seven to ten years. On the other hand, the life of a

modern telematics unit tends to be one to two years. Hence, many manufacturers are hesitant to put modern telematics units on their vehicles that will quickly become obsolete. A solution to this issue could be the standardization of the signal processing, information flow, and information management within the telematics system. A safe human-machine interface is required for a fully integrated telematics unit. It would be inefficient and unsafe to have a separate unit for every telematics service. By adding additional wiring to accommodate more telematics services, weight is added to the vehicle, and it becomes more difficult to adhere to standards and reliability. Leen and Heffernan suggest potential solutions to the integration problem that include a domestic data bus, Bluetooth, mobile media link, flex ray, and a time-triggered controller area network (CAN). A specific problem currently faced by the telematics developers is the integration of portable music players with a vehicle and its telematics unit. Cellport Systems is trying to tackle this integration challenge. They have been successful in providing a vehicle docking station where operators can put their personal digital assistant (PDAs), iPODs, and cell phones to operate through the vehicle interface. A final technological challenge is to secure the telematics data. Especially if financial transactions are made over the telematics system, it is crucial that only authorized users can access it. Manipulation of the telematics information by unauthorized sources can be detrimental and harmful.

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CONCLUSIONS
Telematics services are very promising, and they have the potential to significantly enhance the automobile driving experience. However, despite all the potential a telematics system has to offer, its growth depends upon consumers and manufacturers. The telematics aftermarket will determine which services will be included in the future vehicles. Providing diverse and advanced telematics services requires collaboration among the companies that specialize in vastly different enterprises, such as location-based traffic centers, Yellow Book listings, wireless network providers, and automobile manufacturers.

of the REU program in the ECE department at UConn.

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READ MORE ABOUT IT

J. Boeke, European car telematics who will capture most value?, MBA dissertation, Judge Institute of Management, Univ. Cambridge, England, 2001. A. Karimi, J. Olsson, and J. Rydell, A software approach to remote vehicle diagnostics, M.S. thesis, Dept. Informatics, Univ. Gteborg, Gteborg, Sweden, 2004. T. Titsworth, Telematics might steer your car into the future, IEEE Multimedia, vol. 9, no. 3, pp. 910, Jul.Sept. 2002. G. Leen and D. Heffernan, Expanding automotive electronic systems, Computer, vol. 35, no. 1, pp. 8893, Jan. 2002. Telematics Research Group, [Online]. Available: www.telematicsresearchgroup.com D.E. Zoia, XM to roll out real time-parking info system, Aug. 2006. [Online]. Available: http://www.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Luke Grymek is an undergraduate student in electrical engineering at Columbia University, New York. He is a Student Member of IEEE. This was his first research experience, which was through the REU program at the University of Connecticut. His research interest are controls and optimization. Satnam Singh is a Ph.D. student at the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, the University of Connecticut. He has been a reviewer for IEEE Potentials magazine for the past three years and has served as the president of the IEEE Student Branch at University of Connecticut during 20032004. Krishna Pattipati is a professor of electrical and computer engineering at the University of Connecticut. His research has been primarily in the application of systems theory and optimization techniques to complex systems. He is a Fellow of the IEEE.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This work was supported by National Science Foundation as part of the Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program at the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) in the University of Connecticut, Storrs. The authors would like to thank Eric Donkor, coordinator

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