Delivery to In-Car Systems

In-car systems share the connectivity limitations of mobile phones and the same compression schemes are likely to be used in an automotive environment. Compressed MSP 2.0 using compression scheme X with schema set Y is called CMSP 2.0/X-Y.

One of the defining characteristics of in-car systems and some smart phones and PDAs is the availability of significant onboard computing power, RAM, and read-write non-volatile storage. This allows a number of strategies that minimize data communications including onboard caching and the sync-and-go mode of operation. In sync-and-go, the client requests that the server determine the information resources required forn the device to travel autonomously. In the sync phase this information is packaged by the server and delivered to the client. Once delivered, the client then goes ahead with the travel, connecting to the service provider on when traveling beyond the scope of the onboard information.

NSP delivery to in-car system

The onboard application contains all of the code needed to perform the entire application and client-server interactions focus on information transfer and planning rather than direct computation. In order to reduce the cost of in-car systems, the client capabilities have to be scaled back. This can be done with a lot of flexibility when the application is build on top of the MSP 2.0 API. This allows the system developer to make choices about whether the functionality is implemented in the client itself or remoted to the NSP. Technology and market trends are moving in the direction of reducing parts and parts cost in the car as in-car systems become more common. Several manufacturers have stated the goal of equipping all of their models with basic onboard equipment – positioning and data communications – within the next two years.

There is another consideration that has produced a different trend, however. One of the problems with building state-of-the-art devices into cars is that the automotive design cycle is very long (several years) and testing requirements quite strict. This means that relatively old designs show up in new cars and it is not feasible to make mass-market retro-fits. In addition to the long development cycle, car manufacturers are expected or required to provide support and parts for as long as ten years after their cars are sold. The result is that manufacturers are often in the position of supporting components in cars that are a human generation old. As a result, some manufacturers are exploring ways that small devices, mobile phones, PDAs, or special-purpose electronics, can be "docked" in a car in such a way that they connect with some onboard systems but are otherwise easily removable and accompany the user rather than the vehicle.

Both of these trends make development on a service platform that can be implemented in different ways a very attractive strategy.

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