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THE VISION
Combining Telecom, Internet Access and
Automotive experience into a life style is already a
reality.
But doing so without causing Driving
Distraction
safely and inexpensively
represents a huge opportunity.
That’s our focus and 88% of people
that watched a live demonstration agree that we have the
best solution and are willing to purchase it.
Problem & Opportunity
Individuals and businesses have to
stay connected to stay competitive. With cell phone
connectivity, competitiveness is at hand. But so are
accidents caused by cell phone distraction. Harvard Center
for Risk Assessment estimates up to 8,000 deaths per year
330,000 injuries, and 1.5 million instances of property
damage 1 due to cell phone distraction in the U.S. alone. In
2006, 16 of the 50 states registered 6,321 car accidents 5
related to cell phones.
Market Catalyst: legislative & Legal
Legislators world wide moved to
restrict the use of cell phones in the cars, but this
legislative effort requires significant enforcement and does
not tackle the causes of distraction. By mid 2008, 53
Million U.S. drivers will be banned from handling cell
phones, texting, web browsing or using music devices.
With 85% 2 of American drivers
estimated to using phones while driving, the oncoming
legislative ban and the American drivers’ pervasive need for
connectivity, we are presented with a great business
opportunity for the right solution. Another catalyst is
Courts in the U.S. & Overseas are giving harsher sentences
to people causing accidents while using cell phones.
Analysis
A careful look at the cell phone
related accidents show that approximately 43%3 of accidents
are caused by incoming calls at inopportune times. On the
other hand, approximately 32%3 of accidents are caused by
looking away from the road while dialing a number, a
situation similar to texting or reading an email.
The remainder of accidents is caused
by multitasking, such as holding the phone and having an
intense conversation or other unique conditions.
Conclusions
We took a careful look at these causes
in light of two decades of experience and research 4 in the
area of connected driving, and we came up with simple
conclusions to serve as the basis of a solution.
These conclusions are:
1. Do not distract and surprise
drivers at a bad time, while allowing the communication to
go through
2. Do not make drivers look away while
driving, while still allowing them to dial numbers and get
e-mail, text, SMS etc.
3. If drivers get carried away behind
the wheel, temper their activity without banning
connectivity
4. Implement common sense rules in a
computer to help monitor and calibrate the driving
experience, while letting the driver have input into system
behavior using common sense rules tabulated from research.
5. Store their preferences and
experiences on the cell phone so it is always with the
driver, and use their experience and habit to simplify their
activity through solutions that never existed before. |
What our solution doesn’t include
To interact with the driver, we don’t
use speech recognition or a display, because reliable speech
recognition cannot be a cost effective solution in an
automotive environment due to changed road surfaces, aging
vehicles, drivers’ accents and other ambient environmental
conditions. Displays require a driver to look away to see
the necessary information. These are simply outdated
technologies.
Our Solutions
We used the computing power
and cost necessary to implement the old
technologies to monitor the vehicle and the
communication devices. We implemented a relatively low cost
audible menu (Text to Speech), and a proven technology to
provide driver input, (Buttons and Touch Pads) strategically
positioned on the steering wheel at the 10:02 and 9:15).
From these common sense rules and
conclusions, we moved and put together a functional proof
concept to demonstrate the solution.
Our solution, faithfully and reliably,
demonstrates the above conclusions using off the shelf
technologies. Our Buttons and touch pads are termed
“Hands On Wheels
InterfaceTM”
to distinguish our self from the
Free crowd. T
he sensors are used as switches to
drive the audible menu and to desired option.
Proof Of Concept
Our functional Proof Of Concept
demonstrates the following:
-
Answering calls
-
Delaying
calls
-
Putting
calls on hold
-
Getting
voice mail
-
Reading
text message
-
Returning a page
-
Redialing a call
-
Returning a call
-
Placing
a call from your phone directory
-
Visiting
a personal web page to read of interest to the driver
-
Reading
incoming e-mail
-
Single
touch 911 call
-
Automatic prioritization of menu based driver habits
-
Automatic prioritization of menu based emerging
situations
-
Driving
system synchronization based
-
vehicle
activity
-
Driving
System synchronization based driver Non driving activity
-
A host
of additional functionalities can easily added without
compromising safety All of the above can be done without
remembering or uttering a command, looking away or
taking off the road or hands the steering wheel.
IP Protection
We protected our solution by trade
secrets, granted and pending patents in the U.S., EU and
Japan.
The IP package contains a slew of
complimentary Advanced Driver Assistance technologies that
are equally creative, simple and won popular approval.
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Public Opinion Research 6
We have demonstrated the solution to
hundreds of people from various demographics of the U.S. and
abroad and we came up with the following answers:
88% of
those surveyed said that they will definitely or likely
purchase a product. 9% Don’t know and 2% NO.
The
median price bracket was suggested to be $200 to $300
US.
With more
then 200 million vehicles on the road and more then one cell
phone per car, the aftermarket potential is a ripe
opportunity for this solution.
The
estimated market size world wide is about 650 million
vehicles. With four cell phones for each car.
Based on our
global market research and the cost of a car and a cell
phone, we believe that with the proper execution and
partnerships, the market can be in Billions of Dollars.
It is noteworthy to explain that
interviewees were not responding to legislative conditions
or legal conditions, nor where they asked to include any of
these factors, in their willingness to purchase or in their
assessment of usefulness or safety.
Summary
We have created a business opportunity by
addressing the combining of telecommunications, internet and
automotive safely into one system.
The system uses common sense rules from
tabulated research and driver preferences into
KnowledgeWareTM.
The common sense rules are intended to prevent calls in a
bad time from distracting the driver.
This empowers the driver to stay
connected while complying with regulations and staying safe.
88% of people surveyed
Liked the demo and want to
buy it.
Physically, the
system consists of a CPU in a cradle to hold the portable
electronics, a Data and Power connection to the car and a
wireless connection to controls placed on the steering wheel
at 10:02 and 9:15 to monitor the driver’s hands for gestures
in response to an audible menu and for physiological
conditions. This literally puts all vehicles and portable
electronics controls at the finger tip of the driver and
truly creates an Eyes On The Road, Hands On The Wheel
DivingSystemTM.. With the driver physiology being
part of the loop, the system now monitors Man & Machine.
References
1– Cohen,
Joshua T. and John D. Graham. "A Revised Economic Analysis
of Restrictions on the Use of Cell Phones while
Driving.""Risk Analysis 23, no. 1 (February 2003)
2– NHTSA(http://safety.blr.com/display.cfm/id/88705)
3- . National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
• Crash Data Relating to Cellular Telephone Use While
Driving http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/people/injury/research/wireless/c3.htm
• National Police Agency of Japan (1998,August)4- Applied
Computer Technology film footage & research 1985 through
2007.
5- National Conference of State Legislatures . 2006 State
Legislative Update By Matt Sundeen March 2007
6– Commissioned Third Party Survey (KD & Associates)
This is a business proposal. Contents and Context constitute
Intellectual Property and need to be licensed from inventor
to be used. This Intellectual Property is protected by Trade
Mark, Copyrights and Granted and Pending Patents in the
U.S., EU and Japan. Copyright © 1987, 1997-2008 Applied
Computer Technologies Inc. All rights reserved . |
