Successful eCall demonstration by Qualcomm and Hughes Telematics
20 Nov 2009
Qualcomm Incorporated, a leading developer and innovator of advanced wireless technologies products and services, and Hughes Telematics, Inc., a leader in providing next generation telematics solutions, have successfully demonstrated the data transmission technology of the upcoming pan-European, in-vehicle emergency call (eCall) standard over commercial wireless networks at the 12th eSafety Forum Plenary meeting, "eCall Summit", held in Brussels, Belgium on October 29, 2009.
The use of eCall to deploy emergency assistance will save lives and reduce the social burden of road accidents. The creation of eCall standards and requirements has been triggered by the eSafety Forum, an initiative of the relevant stakeholders, brought togethter by the European Commission. An eCall is generated either manually by vehicle occupants, or automatically via activation of in-vehicle sensors, in the case when an accident occurs. When activated, the eCall-enabled, in-vehicle system establishes a 112-voice connection directly with the relevant Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP). At the same time, a Minimum Set of Data, including key information about the accident such as time, location and vehicle description - is sent to the PSAP operator receiving the voice call.
Technology provided by Hughes Telematics and Qualcomm, including an eCall in-band modem, was used to make a call to a prototype of an eCall-enabled PSAP located in Germany. Once the voice call was established, the eCall in-band modem protocol was used to transmit the Minimum Set of Data to the PSAP. The eCall modem was fully integrated on the Qualcomm QSC6270(TM) chipset embedded in the demonstration unit.
"Safety and security is the cornerstone of our telematics offering," said Erik Goldman, president of Hughes Telematics, Inc. "Working with Qualcom to support this initiative in Europe confirms our commitment to the global industry to enhance driver safety and provide a timely and efficient response during emergency situations."
"Qualcomm has spent the last several years developing eCall technology and standards to further the public objective of helping to save lives on roads," explains Ed Tiedemann, senior vice president of engineering at Qualcomm. "We are pleased to collaborate with Hughes Telematics on developing and demonstrating an eCall solution that will ultimately enable automakers to integrate this capability in all vehicles".