Continental to Offer Wireless Charging, NFC & Antenna Coupling to Smartphones in the Car
1 October 2014
Automotive supplier Continental has unveiled a multifunctional smartphone terminal (MFST) to improve the integration of smartphones in the car. The system combines wireless charging of the smartphone battery, wireless antenna coupling, and near field communications (NFC). One key advantage is that none of these require a cable connecting the phone to the vehicle.
The system is to go into production in 2015.
Wireless Charging
The wireless charging system meets the "Qi" standard specified by the Wireless Power Consortium (WPC). Continental believes this standard is ideal for use in vehicles. For example, it offers similar charging currents to standard USB charging connections and has similar charging times to those of cable charging systems.
Many smartphones, such as the Samsung Galaxy S5, S4 and S3, the LG G2, and the Nokia Lumia 1020, 925, 820 and 720, can easily be equipped for wireless charging by simply replacing their back covers with a Qi-compatible one.
Qi-compatible cases are also available for iPhones. Some models support the Qi standard right out of the box, without a special back cover, i.e. Nokia Lumia 1520, 930 and 920, Google Nexus 5 and 4, and LG Optimus G Pro.
Continental is also working on supporting other wireless charging standards such as PMA (Power Matter Alliance) or A4WP (Alliance for Wireless Power).
External Antenna
The product also uses wireless technology to connect to an external phone antenna on the vehicle. The system has so-called passive antenna coupling technology, developed by the antenna specialists Kathrein Automotive.
To increase the quality of the network connection to a maximum level, the system is usually equipped with an additional compenser from Kathrein Automotive which compensates the losses of passive antenna coupler and losses in the cable to the external phone antenna (roof-mounted antenna). The benefits for the smartphone user at the wheel include more stable downloads, more reliable streaming and improved voice quality during calls.
NFC
The Continental terminal also connects the smartphone to the vehicle architecture via near field communication (NFC). With NFC, smartphones can be used to authorize coupling processes or as a digital vehicle key.
The technologyy can be used to activate personal presets in the vehicle via smartphone – from favorite radio stations to preferred air conditioning settings to seat positions and mirror settings.
Source http://www.gpsbusinessnews.com/Continental-to-Offer-Wireless-Charging-NFC-Antenna-Coupling-to-Smartphones-in-the-Car_a5082.html
The system is to go into production in 2015.
Wireless Charging
The wireless charging system meets the "Qi" standard specified by the Wireless Power Consortium (WPC). Continental believes this standard is ideal for use in vehicles. For example, it offers similar charging currents to standard USB charging connections and has similar charging times to those of cable charging systems.
Many smartphones, such as the Samsung Galaxy S5, S4 and S3, the LG G2, and the Nokia Lumia 1020, 925, 820 and 720, can easily be equipped for wireless charging by simply replacing their back covers with a Qi-compatible one.
Qi-compatible cases are also available for iPhones. Some models support the Qi standard right out of the box, without a special back cover, i.e. Nokia Lumia 1520, 930 and 920, Google Nexus 5 and 4, and LG Optimus G Pro.
Continental is also working on supporting other wireless charging standards such as PMA (Power Matter Alliance) or A4WP (Alliance for Wireless Power).
External Antenna
The product also uses wireless technology to connect to an external phone antenna on the vehicle. The system has so-called passive antenna coupling technology, developed by the antenna specialists Kathrein Automotive.
To increase the quality of the network connection to a maximum level, the system is usually equipped with an additional compenser from Kathrein Automotive which compensates the losses of passive antenna coupler and losses in the cable to the external phone antenna (roof-mounted antenna). The benefits for the smartphone user at the wheel include more stable downloads, more reliable streaming and improved voice quality during calls.
NFC
The Continental terminal also connects the smartphone to the vehicle architecture via near field communication (NFC). With NFC, smartphones can be used to authorize coupling processes or as a digital vehicle key.
The technologyy can be used to activate personal presets in the vehicle via smartphone – from favorite radio stations to preferred air conditioning settings to seat positions and mirror settings.
Source http://www.gpsbusinessnews.com/Continental-to-Offer-Wireless-Charging-NFC-Antenna-Coupling-to-Smartphones-in-the-Car_a5082.html
