Jan 24, 2008

New Cars to be Filled with Computer Hubs

Today's consumers seem to have an insatiable demand for an ever-increasing array of entertainment and communication options in their vehicles. To feed that need, Delphi Corporation will soon offer a hub that can accommodate multiple consumer interfaces within the car.

A single USB port that serves as an interface between the vehicle's electrical system and external consumer equipment enabling passengers to download MP3 music files from pen-drives and iPods and listen to music files stored on those devices through the vehicle's audio system was, until recently, considered state-of-the-art. But now such a system may not satisfy all passengers, according to John Yurtin of Delphi Electrical/Electronic Architecture.

"Some passengers might want to play video games, look at pictures stored on photo cards or listen to music through headphones without bothering other passengers," he said. "Delphi makes this possible with a hub that allows automakers to locate a variety of consumer interfaces -- standard USB ports for iPods and MP3 players, video and audio jacks for games, DVD players or camcorders, or SD slots for photo cards -- throughout the vehicle."

Automakers determine the number, locations and variety of consumer interfaces included in the vehicle. Interfaces are typically on the dashboard, inside the glovebox, on the console or in the rear-seat passenger compartment. Hubs to accommodate multiple ports or connection of multiple vehicle systems are targeted for model year 2010.