The Idea
As cellphones, personal digital assistants (pda) and other wireless device technologies progress, the overall goal is consolidation. This can be seen in the fact that cell phones have standard technologies, such as cameras, music playing devices, bluetooth and video capabilities. It also shows up in the fact that mobile devices are running operating systems such as mobile windows and supporting wireless connections such as the internet. The integration of all these technologies into a single device shows that future devices will simply incorporate even more technologies into a device.
The motivation of this project is to take the next step in cellphone integration and consolidation technology by establishing communication between the user’s cellphone and vehicle. Currently many vehicles have wireless unlocking mechanisms that operate on radio frequencies. But the problem with this device is that it is another piece of hardware to fit into the drivers limited pocket space, along with the cellphone, pda, music player, etc. Hence the goal of this project is to establish communication between a cellphone and vehicle, hence integrating the cellphone and wireless vehicle remote.
The idea of integrating a cellphone and vehicle is not limited to simply locking and unlocking functions but could also be extended to features such as:
- Lights and horn—find function built into many RF transmitters
- Defogger- for cold mornings to defog windows
- Auto headlight on/off function—don’t run down battery
- Crank vehicle from inside house
- Control heating or air conditioning functions
- Theft deterrent –can shutdown vehicle if stolen
- Power windows- release heat during summer
The Lunchbox