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Your smartphone, the key of the future for your car
Unlocking the car and starting it just by bringing the smartphone closer has become a reality. The Car Connectivity Consortium (CCC) has just released specifications for what will be the first version of the digital key of the future. A technology called Digital Key, which is already techsupportreviews in stage 1.0, is stable enough to be implemented in any car.
So why carry more stuff in your pocket when you can carry it all on your phone? In an increasingly interconnected environment, you can now control your home lighting or air conditioner from your device without even reaching it. You can also make payments without having a wallet with you. Why not also control access to your vehicle? This is the CCC's goal for the next few years.
Your smartphone will be the key to the futureConnected cars are already
among us. Although at the moment, most brands are developing their models using
technologies designed solely to improve the multimedia and navigation aspects.
But this trend is changing to expand the functions that you can control with
your mobile phone.
In addition, some brands are
already distributing their own smartphone apps that can be used to carry out
daily car-related tasks from checking maintenance to determining battery levels,
especially in the burgeoning EV market.
And the next natural step is
to use the phone as a key to open the car door or even turn it on. A task aimed
at standardizing CCC with the development of a common protocol for all
manufacturers. The challenge, first of all, is to simplify the life of the
consumer, avoiding the technological fragmentation that entails many
simultaneous projects, and this is where the market is located.
Currently, each manufacturer
is working on their own communication systems. And this leads to hidden
differences that lead the driver to anticipate changes and the associated
learning curve. With this technological centralization, it will also favor building
a more reliable and secure protocol that serves everyone. For now, auto
companies will continue to decide for themselves what options they will offer
the driver.
This first version of the CCC the digital key will manage authorization to open and close the car based on proximity, starting the engine, recognizing you as a user, or even handing over the key to another person you want to lend or rent a car to. You can even set time limits for the use of shared keys. It will also, make it easier to allocation ownership when you decide to list your vehicle for sale.
Tesla and Mercedes,
predecessors.
You are wondering when this
technology will start to be used. it is a matter of time. However, there are
already cars on the market with in-house developed systems that allow you to
open or run via a mobile phone. This is an example of Tesla and some models of
Mercedes house. Even Volvo has implemented a similar protocol in its new XC40,
whereby you can lend or rent your car to third parties through a mobile app.
Among the examples that you
can already find on the market, the predominant use of the NFC mobile phone to
open the car when approaching the terminal. This is how the technology
developed by Mercedes works, for example. However, in Tesla's case, the car will
recognize your smartphone through your carrier's network. It is this
fragmentation that should be avoided by standardizing a secure, reliable, and,
above all, common protocol.
NFC or Bluetooth to transmit
orders to the car
According to the new specifications
of the Consortium, the mobile phone will communicate with the car via NFC or
Bluetooth, depending on proximity factors. Therefore, it is enough to bring the
device to the vehicle sensor to open it or start it. Something very similar to
the electronic keys you've been using for several years in some of the more
technologically advanced models. The only alteration is that it will be included in your mobile phone. And if it is
lost or stolen, you can easily revoke access and switch to a new terminal. You
also don’t have to worry about where you kept your keys the night before, since
you don’t need them anymore.
The importance of the safety standard
In any case, the goal of the Consortium is to increase
security on a common front. Well, the development, widely supported by car and
mobile device manufacturers, will help to counter any possible external attack
faster.
At a time when a crime is finding new ways to express itself
via the Internet, the current technological fragmentation will only exacerbate
the potential risks. Instead, developing a robust common protocol could solve
many of these problems by quickly updating the schedule.
In fact, just released version 1.0 of the dongle, CCC is
already announcing its second generation in which it works. From this
organization, they believe that Digital Key 2.0 will be ready for presentation
during the first quarter of 2019.
Major sector support
The Automotive Connectivity Consortium (translated as
Automotive Connectivity Consortium) is an organization created by mobile phone
and vehicle manufacturers that is already behind other technologies such as
MirrorLink, which you can find in the models of several very popular brands
such as Citroën, Seat, or Peugeot. This is the first approach to connecting
between smartphones and vehicles through a protocol that simplifies the
presentation of the content of the former on the screens of the latter.
As mentioned, this is the first communication phase to focus
on the multimedia aspects of driving. And the new dongle goes deeper into
security.
In this CCC enjoys the support of the major car companies.
Audi, BMW, Volkswagen, General Motors, and Hyundai, among others, have already
demonstrated their commitment to the Consortium and have joined the development
of version 2.0 of this Digital Key. The same is happening with technology
brands such as LG, Panasonic, or Samsung, which are doing the same in the development
of software and the production of smartphones that are compatible with this
protocol.
Overall, the organization responsible for programming this
digital key is supported by more than 70 firms representing 70% of the global
automotive market and 60% of technology companies focused on the
commercialization of smartphones.
In conclusion, if you are thinking of purchasing a new car,
you will soon find yourself in the market with the first cars to apply this
technology in their electronic systems. Well, the digital key is closer to the
future than you think.
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