LITTLE ROCK — There are big aspirations for the tiny key fob, the device on key chains that unlocks cars at the touch of a button.
Delphi Holdings LLP, by adding a tiny chip, can turn a key fob into a conduit between a driver’s cell phone and vehicle.
With a special application, a motorist still at the office can use a cell phone to remotely start his car or truck, adjust the temperature, confirm the vehicle is locked, detect an intruder, check the fuel level and make sure the tires are properly inflated.
If the gas tank is running low, a couple of taps on the phone’s screen locates a gas station and downloads directions, so the navigation system is programmed and ready when the driver reaches the car parked blocks away.
The key fob system is being well received by automakers, but Delphi declined recently to talk about any pending contracts.
The beauty of the system is that it works on any smart phone, with any vehicle, and sends commands remotely, said Bob Schumacher, Delphi’s general director of advanced product and business development. Many connectivity platforms in cars now sync up a phone from inside the vehicle or require a system to be embedded in the car’s computer.
In a world where consumers are passionate about their cell phones, being able to provide safe and seamless connectivity in their vehicle is a key competitive advantage.
The wireless connectivity of Bluetooth is prevalent today, but the future is the smart phone that goes further by offering Internet access, as well as the ability to retrieve and exchange data and use applications, or apps.
Bluetooth is almost a must today, said Chris Preuss, president of General Motors Co.’s OnStar unit. Ninety percent of 2011 GM models will have Bluetooth capability, he said.
Delphi has spent the past year working on two approaches to car connectivity; both systems piggyback on the capabilities of smart phones.
The two-way key fob connects the phone to the body computer in a vehicle that controls all functions and diagnoses any problems.
The second initiative links the phone directly to the vehicle, via Delphi’s new computing platform. Phone apps appear on a large screen in the car’s center console, replacing the traditional stack with the radio, navigation system, and heating and cooling controls.
Any app can be run when the vehicle is in park. A few continue to operate when the vehicle is in motion, such as Google Maps, which provides a sophisticated navigation system with satellite and street views.
The direction fits with the overall trend of leveraging Bluetooth and smart-phone power and popularity to deliver what people want, said Doug Newcomb, senior technology editor with the auto website Edmunds.com in Santa Monica, Calif.
“People just need a smart phone and an app,” Newcomb said.
Business, Pages 20 on 06/21/2010