Technology that will redefine driver connectivity and interaction with their car. MyFord and MyFord Connect� will be available this year on the 2011 Ford Edge, and it goes global with availability on 2012 Ford Focus. MyLincoln Touch will be standard equipment on new Lincolns beginning with the 2011 Lincoln MKX
- New MyFord� driver connect technology redesigns the driver�s interface with the car, matching modern consumer electronics screens and controls that have become the standard for ease-of-use and rich graphic displays
- MyFord Touch� organizes functions and settings with minimal menu layering for quick access � including personalization of relevant information to minimize driver distraction
- MyFord Touch interface and graphics are powered by the next generation of Ford SYNC�, built on Microsoft�s Windows Embedded Auto platform. Advances include improved voice recognition, more connectivity ports including SD Card slot and WiFi capability
- Lincoln to receive MyLincoln Touch technology as standard equipment on future models beginning this year with the 2011 Lincoln MKX
LAS VEGAS, The new MyFord TouchTM driver connect technology announced today at the 2010 International CES is designed to be powerful yet intuitive for drivers, blending strengths of the most proven interfaces in consumer electronics � including MP3 players and mobile phones � with a new generation of Ford�s award-winning SYNC� system.
�MyFord Touch, combined with new SYNC functionality, creates an experience that will cause people to fall in love with their vehicles again,� said Derrick Kuzak, Ford group vice president, Global Product Development. �It�s not just a technology; it�s an experience � one we hope will have people across the globe looking forward to spending time behind the wheel of their vehicle.�
MyFord, which will be branded as MyLincoln Touch and MyMercury Touch on respective Lincoln and Mercury brand products, redesigns the in-car interface, mirroring how consumers interact with most devices in their lives using touch-sensitive buttons, touch screens, thumb-wheel controls and voice recognition.
In that respect, MyFord is instantly familiar. Using reconfigurable displays and simplified voice commands, though, MyFord also can present multiple layers of information, just as the driver wants it.
�MyFord really is about managing information,� said Jason Johnson, Ford user interface design engineer. �Driving is the priority when you�re behind the wheel, so we�ve made it possible to simplify the content management so customers can drive with minimal distraction. In the end, what MyFord displays is really up to the driver.�
MyFord Touch instrument panel view
MyFord Touch retains the traditional car interior layout that has existed for decades � instrument cluster in front of the driver, center stack dividing the dashboard � and adds even more voice control plus full-color LCD screens for much of the visual information presentation. The information presented is customizable by the driver using a combination of voice controls, touch-screen technology and five-way cell phone-style buttons mounted on the steering wheel.
MyFord Touch displays information using two 4.2-inch full-color LCD screens flanking an analog speedometer and an 8-inch touch-screen LCD at the top of the center stack. A five-way switch on each side of the steering wheel crossbar � similar to the one found on most mobile phones and MP3 players � controls the information displayed on the corresponding instrument panel screens.
MyFord Touch center stack with 8-inch touch-screen and capacitive switches
The left display, which is controlled by the left five-way controller, features information and settings for the vehicle: fuel economy, mechanical status, safety features.
The right display, controlled by the right five-way controller, contains infotainment information: audio settings, climate control, phone communications and navigation menus.
Those same right-hand functions also appear in the vehicle�s center stack, now augmented with capacitive switches and touch-screen technology, which subtly replaces most traditional knobs and switches.
Lincoln center stack applications will take touch-sensitive technology to the next level with fingertip �slider� controls for audio volume and fan speed. Occupants will slide a finger along the touch-sensitive slider bar to adjust settings as an LED chaser gives a visual representation of volume or fan speed.
Available touch-screen display
The 8-inch touch-screen center stack display is the key interface on MyFord Touch. Designers employed a four-corner solution for its layout, representing the four activities most important to customers: phone, navigation, climate and audio/entertainment functions.
Eight-inch LCD center stack screen showing four-corner layout
With the four-corner layout, functions are where they�re expected to be, and they�re always visible on the screen, so it�s clear and easy for users to understand where they are in the system.
Color also is used to give drivers intuitive visual cues between the central 8-inch MyFord Touch display and the instrument-panel-mounted 4.2-inch display. Phone and communications functions always are presented with an orange background, navigation with a green background, climate control with a blue background and audio/entertainment functions with a red background.
SYNC � behind the scenes
Behind the displays of MyFord Touch driver connect technology, the next generation of Ford�s award-winning SYNC system runs the show, built using the Microsoft Windows Embedded Auto software platform.
Behind the displays of MyFord Touch driver connect technology, the next generation of Ford�s award-winning SYNC system runs the show, built using the Microsoft Windows Embedded Auto software platform.
SYNC has evolved from a standalone module providing voice-activated control for mobile devices to a fully integrated platform for Ford vehicles with MyFord � a technology that will become the global interior architecture for all future Ford products.
�With more than a million SYNC-equipped cars on the road already, it�s exciting to see Ford continue to push the envelope and explore new applications for Microsoft�s Windows Embedded automotive software,� said Kevin Dallas, general manager for Microsoft�s Windows Embedded Business division. �The car is returning to the place where consumers go to see high tech innovation.�
Features available through MyFord Touch, powered by SYNC include:
Media Hub |
|
Internet Connectivity |
|
Phone |
|
Voice Recognition |
|
Navigation |
|
Climate Control |
|
Audio |
|
Vehicle Setting Personalization |
|
SYNC Apps & Services |
|
Built using the latest technology from the Windows Embedded Business at Microsoft, the second generation of SYNC has been designed from the outset to be expandable, allowing it to grow and add new features without requiring new hardware. By employing a Media Hub for interfacing with external devices and media, Ford has helped ensure compatibility with future innovations.
�The Media Hub is really the key to SYNC�s new upgradability,� said User Interface Design Engineer Johnson. �Take navigation: In the past, map data was stored on a hard drive and updates took hours to load from DVD. With SYNC and MyFord Touch, if you need a map update, you take the old SD card out of the Media Hub and pop in a new one. It�ll be the first time an automaker will offer something that competes with the cost and ease of personal navigation devices.�
The system also has been configured for global deployment from the start, using one hardware package in all regions worldwide. The identical global SYNC hardware will be outfitted with branding, languages and regionally appropriate applications while the host vehicle is on the assembly line, all using WiFi technology.
MyFord technology will not be exclusive to high-end products. As new and refreshed Ford, Lincoln, and Mercury models continue to arrive on the world stage, all will be outfitted with an implementation of MyFord driver connect technology.
�MyFord will become part of the global DNA of Ford products,� said Kuzak. �Across different models, different trim levels, even different countries, drivers immediately will know they�re behind the wheel of a Ford vehicle equipped with the technology, safety and convenience features they expect.�
0 comments:
Post a Comment