This week at the 2012 International CES, in Las Vegas, CSR plc (LSE: CSR; NASDAQ: CSRE) will be demonstrating SiRFprimaII, its latest location aware multimedia SoC (System on Chip) aimed at the entry level automotive navigation market, that now includes VNC® technology. This announcement comes as a result of CSR, a leading supplier of connectivity, location, audio and SoC technologies to the automotive market, selecting RealVNC, the original developer and provider of VNC, to supply VNC Automotive, the solution behind mobile to vehicle connectivity.
VNC Automotive, enables automatic detection, access and control of virtually any mobile device from a vehicle's touch-screen or fixed input devices such as steering wheel switches and head unit buttons and menus. CSR will introduce an additional innovation in the demo at CES, using Wi-Fi to connect the mobile phone and vehicle; a first for the automotive market. The solution also enables connections to be established via USB, Bluetooth™ and 2G/3G/4G/LTE. In practice Wi-Fi connectivity allows a mobile device to be detected and a connection established as the driver approaches the vehicle, displaying mobile content in-vehicle before the driver even fastens their seatbelt.
CSR was able to easily integrate VNC Automotive onto the location aware multimedia SoC device, the SiRFprimaII, and exploit its rich native features. The SiRFprimaII enables crisp replication of the mobile screen on the head unit with no lag or loss of quality, promising an outstanding user experience. The use of Wi-Fi to transmit the mobile content to the in-vehicle system adds another transport option, offering additional flexibility for customers' designs.
“Adding RealVNC support to the Prima-II platform really enhances our platform product offering for our aftermarket and OEM customers building entry level navigation systems. Smartphone adoption is ever rising and consumers expect to use their smartphones even in the vehicle, taking advantage of the music, navigation, hands free calling and other built-in smartphone features as well as 3rd party apps like internet radio and traffic while driving,” said Thomas Carmody, Head of Connectivity Marketing with the Automotive Business Group at CSR. “Deploying RealVNC's, VNC Automotive enables CSR, with our Prima-II platform, to leverage these smartphone features and apps in the vehicle in a safe and convenient manner. Safe use of these technologies while driving is essential; with VNC Automotive the smartphone functions available while driving can be tailored by the system designers to ensure drivers keep their eyes and focus on the road.”
“Our work with the automotive industry is resulting in widespread adoption of VNC Automotive as a connectivity standard and we are delighted to announce another hardware partner in CSR,” said Tom Blackie, Vice President Mobile of RealVNC. “There is no doubt that drivers want access to the content and applications on their mobile devices in-vehicle, and CSR is in a great position to deliver this capability to its OEM customers.”
VNC Automotive is available as an SDK for partners to easily integrate into their own product or service. The technology uses the very latest RFB4 protocol and also provides backward support for legacy RFB3 variants, including MirrorLink (formally Terminal Mode) and iPod Out.
To learn more about VNC Automotive and watch a demonstration, visit www.realvnc.com/services/automotive or see a live demonstration by visiting CSR, Booth 30337, at CES.
About RealVNC
RealVNC's software solutions are used by hundreds of millions of people around the world in both desktop and mobile platforms for remote access and control. The technology is used in every sector of industry, commerce, government and education. Founded by the original inventors of VNC, RealVNC is the only organization able to offer a commercial license to embed VNC remote access capability in third-party products and offerings. www.realvnc.com
About CSR
CSR is a global provider of innovative silicon and software solutions for the location-aware, media-rich, cloud-connected world. Our platforms are optimised for the automotive navigation and infotainment, digital cameras and imaging, connected home infotainment and wireless audio markets. We provide solutions to complex problems in the audio-visual, connectivity and location technology domains across a broad range of markets, with a technology portfolio that includes GPS/GNSS systems, Bluetooth®, Wi-Fi®, FM, NFC, aptX® and CVCTM audio codecs, JPEG, MPEG, H.264 imaging, IPS printing, microcontrollers, DSPs and broadband receivers. CSR's technology solutions and market platforms enable its customers to deliver a superior user experience and are adopted by leaders in the auto, computer, home and mobile markets. www.csr.com
VNC is a registered trademark of RealVNC Ltd. in the US and in other countries.