NXP, Continental reveal NFC concept car
21 February, 2011
category: NFC
German automotive supplier Continental has teamed up with NXP Semiconductors to create a concept car built on the seamless integration of NFC technology.
Introduced at the Mobile World Congress last week, the car uses NFC to enable drivers access to a variety of new interactions. For starters, the driver can open their car door by simply presenting their NFC-enabled phone, triggering an authentication cycle between the phone’s secure element and the car. The car gives the driver a personal welcome message and automatically sets his or her comfort preferences, i.e. seat orientation and climate control.
Once inside the car, the driver places the phone in a dock on the dashboard, where it provides a selection of personal music choices, facilitates audio streaming and sets up hands-free calling. The phone can also start the engine and receive important diagnostic data such as fuel consumption, mileage and service data to be viewed away from the car at a later time.
Using GPS, the location coordinates of the car can also be sent to the phone via NFC, enabling drivers to easily locate their vehicles in a new city or large parking lot.
Andreas Wolf, head of the body and security business unit, Continental, comments: “With NFC we will help car manufacturers worldwide connect future cars more smoothly to fast, evolving consumer electronics. We will see totally new functions facilitated by the NFC-based connections between cars and mobile phones.”