Michael T. Ligayo - NU12 (10th out of 12) Smartphone apps for cars

Prof. Jorge,

Below is my NU12 submission for this week. (10th out of 12)

Regards,
Michael Ligayo

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SMARTPHONE APP FOR THE INTELLIGENT MODERN CAR

How many times have you lost your car key? Or if your car is keyless, how many times did you have to worry about its mechanism? Did it irritated you that either your power lock or power window does not work simply and you had to go to the dealer or your friendly-neighborhood "talyer"  on to find out that the electrical connection between the dashboard and the door has a problem? Did you ever miss schedules of car maintenance causing some poor car performance? Have you gone frustrated on thick manuals and no idea where to look for? Was there ever a time when either your son / daughter borrowed the family car and you have no idea where they went? Was there a situation that you parked your car and you don't remember where you actually parked it? How many times have you left lights on and only found out about it when you can longer start the car?

I would bet a finger that at all of us has experienced at least either one or two of the situations above. And we always have issues on the electrical connections of the car or the mechanisms or simply the schedules of maintenance. And this is for good reason. At least not in any written literature that the electronics and mechanical features of the car has been integrated. The components of a car is being manufactured by several companies and the attempt between these companies to connect or integrate their products remains to be a dream up until this moment, especially since the companies involved are at times competitors of the other. Thus, the technology that is incorporated into the vehicle has never been integrated.

With the rise of the smartphone applications, this can be possible. Car manufacturers can design a downloadable phone application or accessible to the car dealer in which a new car owner can register and personalize. The application can communicate to the car making it a support to what the dashboard can do. Its functions can be connected to the vehicle through technologies like Bluetooth and the Internet. Naturally, settings would have to be personalized and registered. (This is where the unique Vehicle Identification Number can be used.)

It is very important to take note, however, that the car manufacturer should initiate this feature. This is for two reasons: (1) it is only the car manufacturer who would be able to integrate all the mechanisms and technologies that are coming from several companies and (2) there might additional hardware that needs to be added to the car in order for it to be able to communicate with the smartphone.

Here are some of the things that the application can do:

Through Bluetooth, the application can get information from the car to:

1.    Start the car

2.    Put up and down the window

3.    Open the locks

4.    Transfer music and videos to the entertainment system of car

5.    Inform the owner that it is time for a change oil

6.    Change air conditioner settings

7.    Automatically shut-off all lights and other car accessories if there are no people inside

8.    Change music and video settings

Through the Internet, the application can get information from the car to:

1.    Determine its current location

Other features:

1.    An easily accessible electronic manual

2.    Calendar features to remind the owner to change tires, change wiper, have cooling system cleaned or other maintenance activities necessary for the proper and continuous functioning of the vehicle

3.    Maintain a security setting such it will only be known to the owner

4.    Make available the production records of the vehicle (which is available on the car manufacturer)

Obviously, since the Internet is not yet 100% accessible on all location, the power of Bluetooth technology can be harnessed to do much of the features. With these, your smartphone is not only a gadget but also a remote control for the car. Finally, this application would be able to (1) integrate the technologies and features of the car, (2) would give alternatives to the current mechanically-dependent functions and replace it with electronic signals instead and (3) answer the common problems and issues we all encounter in a car using a one-stop-shop deal.4