Display de GM

Para mí este tipo de displays son la mejor alternativa, implementa una realidad aumentada que ayuda al conductor sin tener que desviar el campo de visión fuera del camino.

Alerta de control de volvo

Util en viajes largos.

Ford offers customizable interface, MyFord Touch

January 7, 2010 by John Day
Filed under Automotive Electronics News

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The 8-inch touch-screen center stack display is the key interface on MyFord Touch, shown here with audio and entertainment options active.

At the Consumer Electronics Show Ford introduced a new driver interface called MyFord Touch that lets drivers personalize gauges, vehicle settings and information displays. The MyFord Touch interface includes dual 4.2-inch LCD screens with corresponding five-way button steering wheel controls and an 8-inch touch screen, all controlled by simplified SYNC voice commands.

The new interface replaces many of the traditional vehicle buttons, knobs and gauges. With more voice commands, LCD screens that can be customized, and five-way buttons like those on cell phones and MP3 players, drivers can choose which information is front and center through a button click, voice command, or touch-screen tap.

Driver assist settings include:

• Traction control on/off
• Blind Spot Information System (BLIS^®) on/off
• Cross Traffic Alert on/off
• Cruise control, adaptive or normal
• Front Park Assist on/off
• Rear Park Assist on/off
• Trailer Sway Control on/off

Vehicle settings include:

• Autolamp delay in seconds
• Fuel, distance-to-empty and real-time economy
• Locks, autolock and auto-unlock
• Menu control, standard or memory
• Power liftgate, enable/disable
• Remote start climate control activation settings
• Remote start run-time duration
• Windows, remote open/close
• Wipers, courtesy wipe and rain-sensing wiper on/off

Display settings include:

• Gauge display with tachometer; tach and fuel level; or tach, fuel level and water temperature
• Trip display
• Language (English, French, Spanish)
• Distance, miles or kilometers; temperature, degrees in F or C

Sub-menus allow drivers to further personalize their in-car experience. For example, within the remote start menu, the driver can program the system to activate the air conditioning using the climate control submenu and to turn the car off after 10 minutes using the duration submenu.

An 8-inch touch-screen can be personalized using one of three options:

• Quiet: Basic information is shown nested in the four corners, but the majority of the screen is devoted to a driver-selected “wallpaper” image;
• Smart Corners: Predetermined buttons with the most popular top level functions are displayed in each of the quadrants, or
• Shortcuts: The screen is populated with driver-selected “hot buttons” that are fully personalized, and can include hot buttons from nearly any controllable function in the system.

“With MyFord driver connect technology, we realized we were really redefining how customers interacted with their cars,” said Jim Buczkowski, Ford director of Electronics and Electrical Systems Engineering. “We had to look very closely at the evolution of hand-held devices in terms of user interface, connectivity, productivity and entertainment applications. Our goal is to set the benchmark for the automotive user interface, just as we’ve done for device connectivity with SYNC.”

MyFord Touch uses five-way controls on the steering wheel for most functions. The buttons can be controlled by a driver’s thumbs and work similarly to controls on mobile phones, MP3 players and remote controls, providing customers instant familiarity.

Selected user settings can be programmed to individual vehicle keys. If two members of the same household share a car, each can have their particular home screen and personalized settings take effect with his or her unique key. Settings also can be downloaded to a USB drive and exported to another MyFord-equipped vehicle, instantly transferring the driver’s preferences.

Regardless of personalization level, the four main function corners and their respective colors remain the same, helping drivers intuitively navigate the vehicle systems when they need to. “Ford is empowering drivers without demanding their attention,” said John Schneider, chief engineer, HMI, Driver Controls and Infotainment.

“Drivers don’t have to use the personalization features, but there are a wealth of options available to those who do. We’ve made it easy for drivers to get what they want from their displays from the moment the key is turned.”

One-touch climate control

Setting a vehicle’s interior temperature can be reduced to a single button push using the MyTemp feature. Once a driver saves a temperature using MyTemp, any subsequent touch of the MyTemp button will automatically change to this set temperature. If other drivers have used the vehicle and adjusted settings, the driver can quickly return to his or her preferred setting by touching the MyTemp button. Temperature settings also can be stored on multiple drivers’ unique keys as part of MyFord’s personalization features.

Vehicle information

Vehicle information is presented in a 4.2-inch full-color LCD to the left of the centrally mounted speedometer. The display is controlled using a cell phone-style five-way button located on the left side of the steering wheel crossbar, allowing drivers to intuitively access vehicle functions without having to reach for a dash-mounted switch or remove their hands from the wheel.

“Using simple, intuitive controls, MyFord brings the personalization consumers expect from their mobile electronic devices into the realm of the automobile,” Schneider said.

MyFord driver connect technology will launch later this year on the redesigned 2011 Ford Edge before appearing on the 2012 Ford Focus for global markets. By 2015, approximately 80% of Ford’s North American models are expected to have MyFord driver connect technology, with similar percentages predicted for the world market. MyLincoln Touch will be standard equipment on new Lincolns beginning with the 2011 Lincoln MKX.

“Democratization of technology is a key aspect of our product plan,” said Derrick Kuzak, Ford group vice president, Global Product Development. “With MyFord, we didn’t want to create an upscale electronics package and just put it on our highest-end vehicles. This technology will be available across our full range of vehicles: From our small cars to the ultimate Lincoln.” MyFord will also be expanded across world markets.

http://johndayautomotivelectronics.com/?p=1603

Presten especial interes en la intefaz

Top 10 Features Your Next Car Should Have

By Aaron Gold, About.com Guide

Filed In:

1. Help For Car Buyers

Used to be that power windows and locks were the epitomy of luxury. Today they are standard on most econoboxes; technology has gifted us with a great many more goodies and gadgets. Here are ten features and options that will make life with your car a lot easier and safer.

1. Remote keyless entry

Keyless entry systems allow you to unlock your car by pushing a button on a remote. The ability to quickly get into your car without fumbling for the key is an important safety feature, especially in poorly-lit areas. With most remotes, pushing the button once unlocks just the driver's door; you must push twice to unlock other doors, so there's no worry about a hidden intruder jumping into the passenger's side. Most also have a panic button that honks the horn and flashes the lights.

2. OnStar System

With OnStar, help from a real-live person is always just a button-push away. Got a flat tire? Someone following you? Just need to hear a human voice? Push the button. OnStar advisors can summon a tow truck or a cop, or just say hello. If your airbags deploy, they call you. They can even track your car if it's stolen and remotely let you in if you're locked out. OnStar charges a monthly subscription fee; the basic plan gives you the most critical safety benefits and is a bargain at $17/month.

3. Anti-lock brakes (ABS)

Simple physics dictates that a turning wheel has more traction than one that is skidding. Antilock brake systems (ABS) watch individual wheel speeds; if one locks up, they pump the brakes far faster than a human could. Don't worry about giving up control to a computer; if the ABS system goes on the fritz (they rarely do) the brakes work normally. Do-it-yourselfers can still do their own brake jobs (though you must relieve system pressure before removing a brake line; check your repair manual).

4. Electronic stability/skid-control system

ESC systems use the anti-lock brake sensors (which show individual wheel speed), accelerometers, and steering wheel/pedal position sensors to figure out what the car is doing and what the driver wants it to do. If the two don't seem to match up, ESC does what no driver can: It applies the brakes to individual wheels and reduces power as needed to keep the car going where the driver is trying to point it. They are almost transparent and work surprisingly well.

5. Telescoping steering wheel/adjustable pedals

Most new cars have height-adjustable (tilt) steering columns; some cars have steering wheels that telescope (move in and out) and/or electrically adjustable pedals. The latter two not only make finding a comfortable position easier, but they allow shorter drivers to safely position themselves farther from the airbag while still keeping their feet comfortably on the pedals.

6. Rear-seat DVD player

Got kids? Movies-on-the-go can make long trips easier for both you and them. Many rear-seat entertainment systems include wireless headphones, so you can enjoy the stereo (or the peace and quiet). My own children would have TVs surgically implanted in the backs of their hands if they could, so in order to avoid turning them into road-going zombies I generally limit movie watching to long trips. They also make a convenient reward and/or dangling carrot.

7. GPS navigation system

Using the Global Positioning Satellite System and sensors in the car, GPS navigation systems can pinpoint your exact location and give you turn-by-turn directions (via a small video screen, spoken voice, or both) to help you find your way. Most will also guide you to the closest gas station, ATM, hospital or police station. They can steer you out of a bad neighborhood, they can route you around traffic, and no matter how lost you get, they can always help you find your way home.

8. Side airbags

Most cars have at least three feet of crush space at the front and back, but only a few inches of protection at the sides. Federally-mandated door beams help keep the car intact instead of caving in. But there's still the problem of inertia: While the car is being pushed away, your body (particularly your head, which isn't secured by the seat belt) wants to stay still, and it could go right through the side window. Side airbags cushion your noggin and help keep it safely inside the car.

9. Center console with power outlet

Open the center consoles on many new cars and you'll find a power outlet (a.k.a. a cigarette lighter without the lighter). These outlets provide a way to charge your mobile phone while keeping it out of sight. I'm dead-set against talking on the phone while driving (though I sometimes do it anyway), but it's good to know you'll always have juice to make a call in case of an emergency.

10. Roadside assistance

Flat tire? Dead battery? Out of gas? Traditionally, people have turned to AAA (US) or CAA (Canada) for life's little motoring emergencies, but many new cars come with roadside assistance as part of their new-car warranty. Several manufacturers even offer it as part of their "certified used" programs. That said, AAA and CAA memberships are inexpensive; with all the travel discounts they bring, your membership may very likely pay for itself

http://cars.about.com/od/helpforcarbuyers/tp/topten_features.htm

Take a Volvo, you’ll feel better in the morning Read more: http://www.autoweek.com/article/20100503/CARNEWS/100509977#ixzz0n57q5p00

Este artículo no es precisamente de la interfaz pero si mejora como se siente el usuario interactuando con el carro.

Take a Volvo, you’ll feel better in the morning

By IZZI BENDALL

The interior of the Volvo XC 60 is the latest to get an allergy-friendly rating.

Volvo

It’s time to put away the Benadryl and the Claritin--Volvo has its own over-the-counter solution for allergies.

Filters in some Volvos clean the air in the passenger compartment, and they also remove particles that cause allergies.

Because of this, five models--the S80, the V70, the XC60, the XC70 and the S60--are recommended by the Swedish Asthma and Allergy Association.

The development of the allergy-optimized interiors is part of Volvo Cars’ “DRIVe Towards Zero,” which is striving to develop cars that are entirely free from harmful particles and carbon-dioxide emissions.

Volvo researchers are working to develop filters that block even the tiniest particles.

“It is the small particles that are the most dangerous,” said Andreas Andersson, manager of allergy-optimized car interiors at Volvo Cars. “They may not result in immediate symptoms like the larger ones do, which cause allergies to blossom. However, small particles can cause negative health effects in the longer term.”

For more Car news, road tests, photos and insight, click here.

This article was last updated on: 05/03/10, 15:05 et

http://www.autoweek.com/article/20100503/CARNEWS/100509977

An Artificial Eye On Your Driving

An Artificial Eye On Your Driving

Cars are not much different from one another. They all have engines, seats, and steering wheels. But new products are adding another dimension by making cars more intelligent. One such product is the smart camera system by MobilEye, an Israeli startup company. Prof. Avidan was part of the MobilEye technical team that developed a system to detect vehicles and track them in real-time.

by Staff Writers
Tel Aviv, Israel (SPX) Apr 21, 2010
With just a half second's notice, a driver can swerve to avoid a fatal accident or slam on the brakes to miss hitting a child running after a ball. But first, the driver must perceive the danger.

Research shows that a rapid alert system can help mitigate the risks, fatalities and severe injuries from road accidents, says Prof. Shai Avidan of Tel Aviv University's Faculty of Engineering. He is currently collaborating with researchers from General Motors Research Israel to keep cars on the road and people out of hospitals.

An expert in image processing, Prof. Avidan and his team are working to develop advanced algorithms that will help cameras mounted on GM cars detect threats, alerting drivers to make split-second decisions. His research has been published in leading journals, including the IEEE Transaction on Pattern Analysis and Machine Intelligence and featured at conferences in the field.

The challenge, says Prof. Avidan, is to develop a system that can recognize people, distinguishing them from other moving objects - and to create a model that can react almost instantaneously. Ultimately, he is hoping computer vision research will make cars smarter, and roads a lot safer.

An upgrade you can't live without
Cars are not much different from one another. They all have engines, seats, and steering wheels. But new products are adding another dimension by making cars more intelligent. One such product is the smart camera system by MobilEye, an Israeli startup company. Prof. Avidan was part of the MobilEye technical team that developed a system to detect vehicles and track them in real-time.

He is now extending that research to develop the next generation of smart cameras - cameras that are aware of their surroundings. His goal is a camera capable of distinguishing pedestrians from other moving objects that can then warn the driver of an impending accident.

The challenge is in the development of a method that can detect and categorize moving objects reliably and quickly. Prof. Avidan hopes to realize such a method by combining powerful algorithms to recognize and track objects. Such a tool could double check for vehicles in your blind spot, help you swerve when a child runs into the street, or automatically block your door from opening if a cyclist is racing toward you, he says.

Eventually, he hopes cameras will be able to recognize just about anything moving through the physical world, offering a tantalizing vision of applications such as autonomous vehicles. The underlying technology could also be used in computer gaming to track a player's movements, or for surveillance to detect a potential intruder.

An automatic auto response
Previously, detection systems used radar, which is expensive and not particularly sensitive to human beings. A smart camera fuelled by a powerful chip, on the other hand, could detect the activities of people and animals, and prompt the car to react accordingly, braking more or locking the doors, for example.

To date, Prof. Avidan has demonstrated that his technology works on infrared, greyscale, and color cameras. "Cameras are quite dumb machines unless you know how to extract information from them," he says. "Now, as the price of cameras drop and computer power grows, we'll see more exciting applications that will keep us safe and make our lives more comfortable."

http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/An_Artificial_Eye_On_Your_Driving_999.html

Navigator Technology Takes GPS To A New High

Navigator Technology Takes GPS To A New High

NASA Goddard's Navigator team developed a new receiver that allows spacecraft to quickly acquire GPS navigational signals in weak-signal areas. The team includes (from left to right): Bill Bamford, Steve Sirotzky, Greg Heckler, Luke Winternitz, and Rich Butler. Credit: NASA, Bill Hrybyk.

by Staff Writers
Greenbelt MD (SPX) Apr 12, 2010
GPS navigational devices are as ubiquitous as cell phones, freely used by commercial and government users alike to determine location, time, and velocity. These tools, however, are only as good as the signals they receive. Now, NASA engineers have found a way to improve the reception of those signals.

GPS, which stands for the Global Positioning System, is a satellite-based navigation system made up of a network of 24 satellites placed into orbit by the U.S. Department of Defense. GPS originally was intended for military uses, but in the 1980s, the government made the system available for civilian use. GPS systems now are available to users worldwide who need accurate positioning, navigation, and timing services.

Thanks to a team of engineers from the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., spacecraft operating in weak-signal areas - such as geosynchronous orbits where communications and weather satellites typically operate - will be able to acquire and track the weak GPS signals to determine their locations, much like motorists who use GPS to determine where they are.

For their work developing the Navigator GPS receiver, the Goddard team was nominated for the coveted NASA "Invention of the Year" award, a prize reserved for NASA employees who have secured patents for their inventions. An announcement is expected shortly.

Although millions of people rely on GPS receivers today for terrestrial applications, onboard GPS navigation for spaceflight operations has been much more challenging - particularly for spacecraft operating above the GPS constellation, which is about 20,200 kilometers (12,727 miles) above Earth in an area normally referred to as high-Earth orbit.

That is because existing GPS receivers could not adequately pick up the GPS signal, which is transmitted toward Earth, not away from it. As a result, spacecraft above the constellation could not reliably use GPS for tracking and navigational purposes, forcing them to use more expensive ground-tracking assets.

Seeing an opportunity to help lower mission costs, the Navigator team, led by Goddard engineer Luke Winternitz, used Research and Development (R and D) funding to develop algorithms and hardware for a prototype spacecraft GPS receiver that would allow spacecraft to acquire and track weak GPS signals at an altitude of 100,000 km (62,137 miles) - well above the GPS constellation, roughly one quarter of the distance to the moon.

"The R and D investment allowed us to develop the weak-signal Navigator GPS receiver and bring it to fruition," Winternitz says. "Proof of the value of this investment lies in the explosion of flight opportunities and commercialization ventures that have followed."

Since its development, the technology has secured flight opportunities on several new missions. Navigator will serve as the primary navigation sensor on NASA's Global Precipitation Measurement Mission (GPM), which will study global rain and snowfall when it launches in 2013.

It is considered the enabling navigation technology for another Goddard-managed project, the Magnetospheric MultiScale (MMS) mission. The mission is made up of four identically instrumented spacecraft that will fly in formation in a very high-altitude Earth orbit, while measuring the 3-D structure and dynamics of Earth's protective magnetosphere. The mission will rely on the Navigator GPS receiver's improved sensitivity to help the satellites maintain their precise orbital position.

The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) at Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M. is planning to use a Navigator engineering test unit in its "Plug-and-Play" spacecraft, an experimental satellite that can be developed and launched within days because it uses components that hook together in a manner similar to how a computer adds drives or printers via a Universal Serial Bus interface.

The Navigator team also has delivered an engineering test unit to the next-generation weather satellite called GOES-R, which the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration plans to launch in 2015. The contractor developing the spacecraft may use Navigator's signal-processing design in the spacecraft's GPS receiver.

Broad Reach Engineering, an aerospace engineering firm that operates offices in Colorado and Arizona, meanwhile, is pursuing a commercial license for the Navigator signal-processing technology.

It plans to use the technology to build a GPS unit for a U.S. government program currently under development. The company also plans to use Navigator to develop other products that could be used in potential commercial satellite programs or scientific missions, says Dan Smith, a Broad Reach project manager.

And if those successes weren't enough, Navigator proved its mettle during a first-of-its-kind experiment carried out during STS-125, the Hubble Space Telescope Servicing Mission last year.

While astronauts rendezvoused with and grappled the telescope, the experiment used radar measurements of GPS signals that were reflected off the Hubble to provide range estimates during docking and undocking, proving a key relative navigation sensing technology that could potentially be used in a robotic rendezvous with the Hubble in the future.

"No question. The Navigator team has experienced an incredible level of success," says John Carl Adams, an assistant chief of technology for Goddard's Applied Engineering and Technology Directorate's mission engineering and systems analysis division. "I attribute their accomplishment to technical know-how, but also to a healthy entrepreneurial spirit.

"These guys saw a need and developed a solution, which is now driving down mission costs for civilian and military space programs and extending the range of spacecraft GPS sensing to geosynchronous orbits and beyond."

More Advances Planned
The team is now looking to further improve the technology.

Winternitz and his team are developing the next-generation Navigator receiver - one that can acquire the GPS signal even if the spacecraft carrying the receiver is located at lunar distances. Such a capability would reduce mission operational costs because ground controllers could track spacecraft via GPS rather than with expensive ground stations.

"We expect that the evolution of Navigator's capabilities will open up a host of new applications and funding sources, including exploration and high-altitude science missions," Winternitz says. "Navigator's selling points will continue to be that it can offer better navigation performance in weak-signal and highly dynamic environments." Lori Keesey NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center

http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Navigator_Technology_Takes_GPS_To_A_New_High_999.html

Navigation system with Google earth in the Audi A8 2011

The 2011 Audi A8 continues to set the full-size sedan gadget bar higher with the integration of Google Earth and terrain-mapping into its 8-inch LCD screen. Now you can find a Italian Coffee... in 3D!

Audi's system will use a UMTS modem to allow data transfer for the navigation system, downloading maps and integrating Internet search into the multimedia interface so a user can ask it to search for "Cabinet maker" and then pull the results up on the display.

The onboard computer also matches street data with the Google Earth 3D terrain model to provide route guidance over the map.

f

If you want to know more, check out this video:

Tablero de una Range Rover 2010

Creo que tiene muchas funcionalidades que se pueden volver distractores para el conductor, además el volante está saturado de controles para manipular el display digital.

Tablero Virtual de Fujitsu

Creo que esta muy bien logrado este concepto(aunque tiene características que podrían distraer al conductor), se piensa que en un futuro todos los coches podrían incorporar este tipo de tecnología.

Nissan Cooperative Intelligent Transport Technology

Un video de nissan donde se muestran las ventajas de la comunicación entre vehículos como son advertencias de señales, notoficaciones de tráfico, cruise control inteligente.

Audi

Chequen en esta se ve lo que tienen los audis de ahora, basicamente computadora + carro = bueno

http://microsites.audiusa.com/ngw/09/experience/technology/index.html

EuroFOT

EuroFOT es un proyecto que involucra a universidades, ensambladoras de autos y otros fabricantes cuyo propósito es la investigación de tecnologías inteligentes en vehículos. Estas tecnologías permiten al usuario tener sistemas de interacción que retroalimentan de manera precisa y dan sugerencias sobre peligros en el camino (obstáculos, colisiones, puntos ciegos, etc).

U3-X Personal Mobility Prototype

I want this mini segway for my next birthday is really fantastic.

Through the motion of your hips and legs, you can navigate without any problem, is a very simple interface, with these movements in any direction forward, backward, sideways and diagonally and is only weighing nearly 10 kilograms.

Check out this video:

I don't know what will be the final use, while is good to make an office rally :D

Vision y Movimiento en modo integrado

Algunos de los problemas a los que se enfrentan los mecanismos de visión en vehiculos.

Iluminación









Ambiente externo















Finalmente un video del concurso Ground Challenge 2005, un rally en el que vehiculos terrestres autónomos cruzaron 400 kilómetros de recorrido con distintos contextos ambientales lo cual demandaba que se implementaran mecanismos de visión y sensores con algoritmos flexibles y novedosos

Mylincoln Touch Defines Intuitive Driver Experience ni

2011 Lincoln MKX

Based upon the new MyFord Touch driver connect technology announced at the 2010 International CES, MyLincoln Touch is designed to be a powerful yet intuitive interior design for drivers, blending strengths of the most proven interfaces in consumer electronics – including MP3 players and mobile phones – with a new generation of Lincoln’s award-winning SYNC® system.

“MyLincoln Touch, combined with new SYNC functionality, creates an experience that will cause people to fall in love with their vehicles again,” said Derrick Kuzak, Ford group vice president, Global Product Development. “It’s not just a technology; it’s an experience – one we hope will have people across the globe looking forward to spending time behind the wheel of their vehicle.”

MyLincoln Touch redesigns the in-car interface, mirroring how consumers interact with most devices in their lives: touch-sensitive buttons, touch screens, thumb-wheel controls and voice recognition.

In that respect, MyLincoln is instantly familiar. Using reconfigurable displays and simplified voice commands, though, MyLincoln also can present multiple layers of information, just as the driver wants it.

“MyLincoln really is about managing information,” said Jason Johnson, user interface design engineer. “Driving is the priority when you’re behind the wheel, so we’ve made it possible to simplify the content management so customers can drive with minimal distraction. In the end, what MyLincoln displays is really up to the driver.”

MyLincoln Touch layout
MyLincoln Touch retains the traditional car interior layout that has existed for decades – instrument cluster in front of the driver, center stack dividing the dashboard – and adds even more voice control plus full-color LCD screens for much of the visual information presentation. The information presented is customizable by the driver using a combination of voice controls, touch-screen technology and five-way cell phone-style buttons mounted on the steering wheel.

MyLincoln Touch displays information using two 4.2-inch full-color LCD screens flanking an analog speedometer and an 8-inch touch-screen LCD at the top of the center stack. A five-way switch on each side of the steering wheel crossbar controls the information displayed on the corresponding instrument panel screens.

“The steering wheel has all the necessary functions available in a very compact area, right where your hand falls as you grab the wheel,” said Johnson. “The five-way buttons will feel familiar to anyone who has used a mobile phone or MP3 player. Drivers aren’t forced to use a quirky or unfamiliar interface like a joystick or rotary knob.”

The left display, which is controlled by the left five-way controller, features information and settings for the vehicle: fuel economy, mechanical status, safety features.

The right display, controlled by the right five-way controller, contains infotainment information: audio settings, climate control, phone communications and navigation menus.

Those same right-hand functions also appear in the vehicle’s center stack, now augmented with capacitive switches and touch-screen technology, which subtly replaces most traditional knobs and switches.

Lincoln center stack applications will take touch-sensitive technology to the next level with fingertip “slider” controls for audio volume and fan speed. Occupants will slide a finger along the touch-sensitive slider bar to adjust settings as an LED chaser gives a visual representation of volume or fan speed.

Touch-screen display
The 8-inch touch-screen center stack display is the key interface on MyLincoln Touch. Designers employed a four-corner solution for its layout, representing the four activities most important to customers: phone, navigation, climate and audio/entertainment functions.

An 8-inch screen highlights the
MyLincoln Touch(TM) experience in the 2011 Lincoln MKX.

Regardless of what menus customers are viewing, a single touch on the appropriate corner will always bring up the desired functionality, and in most cases, a voice command also can be used to adjust the controls.

With the four-corner layout, functions are where they’re expected to be, and they’re always visible on the screen, so it’s clear and easy for users to understand where they are in the system.

Color is also used to give drivers intuitive visual cues between the central 8-inch MyLincoln Touch display and the instrument-panel-mounted 4.2-inch display. Phone and communications functions always are presented with an orange background, navigation with a green background, climate control with a blue background and audio/entertainment functions with a red background.

SYNC – behind the scenes
Behind the displays of MyLincoln Touch driver connect technology, the next generation of the company’s award-winning SYNC system runs the show, built using the Microsoft Windows Embedded Auto software platform.

SYNC has evolved from a standalone module providing voice-activated control for mobile devices to a fully integrated platform for Lincoln vehicles – a technology that will become the global interior architecture for all future Lincoln products.

Features available through MyLincoln Touch, powered by SYNC, include:

Media Hub

• Additional USB port for a total of two USB 2.0 inputs
• SD Card slot
• RCA A/V input jacks

Internet Connectivity

• Full WiFi capability including Internet “hot spot” connectivity and a built-in browser for use while in “Park” (late availability)
• Integrated browser supports tabbed page navigation, “drag” to pan and scroll and a provides a 3D carousel for bookmark browsing
• Support for on-screen and USB-connected keyboards
• RSS feed aggregator and text-to-voice reader
• Mobile in-car WiFi “hot spot” capability through USB-installed air card or USB mobile broadband modem

Phone

• Phone book contact photo download and 3-D carousel browsing
• Birthday reminders
• Enhanced error correction and reporting

Voice Recognition

• Direct speech commands and “flattened structure” for quicker, more responsive voice control
• Voice-command activation of selected climate control functions
• Voice commands will be available for most radio functions, including AM/FM, HD Radio™ Technology and SIRIUS Satellite Radio
• SIRIUS Game Finder application will facilitate automatic voice tuning for desired sporting events using commands such as “Tune to Detroit Lions game” or “Show NFL games”

Navigation

• Improved visual presentation of SYNC Traffic, Directions & Information app including directional arrows, street names, and distance markers
• Map-based navigation app provided by TeleNav via an optional
• SD Card
• SD Card navigation includes SIRIUS Travel Link™ services such as weather maps, movie listings, gas prices, and sports scores
• SD Card navigation also adds Wcities point-of-interest information including ratings and amenities
  Map data includes 3-D visual landmarks

Climate Control

• MyTemp personalization allows the driver to store a preferred temperature, which is then accessible with a single touch of the MyTemp button
• Different MyTemp settings can be programmed to different keys; multiple drivers in a household can each have unique MyTemp settings

Audio

• AM/FM/CD, SIRIUS Satellite Radio, USB-connected MP3 players and memory sticks
• New HD Radio capability
• Song tagging capability via HD Radio Technology, allowing listeners to identify song information and store it for later use
• Browse tracks by artist, scan lists of tracks with identical names, and browse through devices without having to change audio sources
• 3-D carousel album cover art and photo viewing displays allow easy scanning of available material, especially combined with Gracenote Media Management
• Media player equipped with new “Podcast” source category
• Enhanced Bluetooth® audio support including metadata, which allows additional command and control functions for capable mobile devices

Vehicle Setting Personalization

• Ambient lighting color control using a 3-D carousel browser
• Custom welcome messages
• Saved and transferrable user profiles that can be ported between Lincoln vehicles equipped with MyLincoln Touch
• Door keypad code control using on-screen menus
• Where available, Active Park Assist and Rear View Camera displays
• Image and video uploading via SD card slot or USB 2.0 ports

SYNC Apps & Services

• Traffic, Directions & Information offers personalized traffic reports and routing from INRIX, turn-by-turn directions, business search, sports, news and weather via SYNC and the user’s mobile phone
• Downloadable destinations when coupled with the SD card navigation function; SYNC Service Delivery Network (SDN) will be able to send a destination directly to the vehicle
• Vehicle Health Reports will download service reminders and vehicle information directly to the in-car displays
• Improved 911 Assist™ capability with GPS location can call for help in the event of an air bag deployment

Flexible and upgradable
Built using the latest technology from the Windows Embedded Business at Microsoft, the second generation of SYNC has been designed from the outset to be expandable, allowing it to grow and add new features without requiring new hardware. By employing a Media Hub for interfacing with external devices and media, Ford has helped ensure compatibility with future hardware innovations.

“The Media Hub is really the key to SYNC’s new upgradability,” said Johnson. “Take navigation: In the past, map data was stored on a hard drive and updates took hours to load from DVD. With SYNC and MyLincoln Touch, if you need a map update, you take the old SD card out of the Media Hub and pop in a new one.

“It’ll be the first time an automaker will offer something that competes with the cost and ease of personal navigation devices,” he added.

Source: http://www.ford.com/about-ford/news-announcements/press-releases/press-releases-detail/pr-mylincoln-touch-defines-intuitive-31801