For the latter, Chrysler is partnering with Autonet Mobile and Mopar to offer aftermarket in-vehicle Internet connectivity on all Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep vehicles, beginning in August.

Chrysler has used the UConnect identity for hands-free Bluetooth connectivity for some time. Mopar offers an aftermarket system, and Chrysler will offer a factory installed version on the Chrysler 300, Aspen, PT Cruiser, Sebring and Town & Country; Dodge Avenger, Grand Caravan, Caliber, Challenger, Charger, Dakota, Durango, Journey, Nitro, and Ram, and the Jeep Grand Cherokee, Commander, Compass, Liberty, and Patriot.

UConnect phone will automatically download up to 1,000 phone book entries from supported phones. It recognizes three languages, and is capable of learning. Voice commands can be used to manage onboard phone book entries, select radio stations, and access voice mail. The microphone in the rearview mirror can also be used to record and store up to three 30-second voice memos. On select vehicles, UConnect phone will also include an iPod interface (Universal Customer Interface connector).

Similar to MyGIG, UConnect tunes includes a 30-gigabyte hard drive for ripping up to 6,700 songs from CD or USB memory devices in MP3, AAC or WMA file formats. It can also store photos, and show movies while the vehicle is in Park. It will be available on the Chrysler 300, Aspen, Sebring and Town & Country; Dodge Avenger, Caliber, Grand Caravan, Challenger, Charger, Journey, Nitro and Ram 1500, and the Jeep Commander, Compass, Grand Cherokee, Liberty and Patriot

Chrysler’s navigation/real-time traffic system, UConnect gps, will be available on the Chrysler 300, Aspen, Sebring and Town & Country; Dodge Avenger, Caliber, Grand Caravan, Challenger, Charger, Journey, Nitro and Ram; Jeep Commander, Compass, Grand Cherokee, Liberty and Patriot. It will feature a touch screen, and a voice recognition system with a 100,000-word vocabulary, so users can enter destinations while the vehicle is moving.

UConnect studios refers to SIRIUS Backseat TV and SiRIUS satellite radio, which offer three channels of family TV fare and 130 channels of music, information and entertainment respectively. The two can be taken together or separately. Programming is available for front seat viewing on UConnect tunes or UConnect GPS screens when the vehicle is in Park. The TV feature, which now includes 9-inch screens that swivel, is available for the Chrysler 300, Aspen and Town & Country; Dodge Grand Caravan, Charger, Durango, Journey and Ram 1500, and the Jeep Commander and Grand Cherokee. SIRIUS satellite radio is available for all Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep vehicles.

Mopar will offer UConnect Web at a suggested retail price of $449 plus $35-50 for installation. Autonet Mobile offers service at $29 per-month plus a $35 activation fee. The service promises to transform a vehicle into a mobile hot spot with a 100-foot radius. WiFi-enabled devices will be able to connect with the Internet wherever cellular service is available. The service runs over integrated 3G and 2.5G (EVDO, 1xRTT) cellular data networks. Internet access speeds are said to range from 400-800 Kbps/sec., with upload speeds averaging 400 Kbps/sec. The WiFi connection is secured with WEP encryption, MAC address restriction,or WAN port restriction.

J.D. Power surveyed more than 19,000 U.S. consumers in April to gauge their level of interest in 20 emerging automotive technologies before and after specifying average market prices.

Premium sound and heated/cooled front seats proved more popular than collision mitigation, enhanced adaptive cruise control and lane departure warning systems. Premium sound and heated/cooled seats ranked sixth and seventh before their respective $500 and $700 prices were revealed. They slipped to eighth and twelfth place respectively after their prices were known. Collision mitigation, with an average price of $1,500, dropped from #11 to #17; enhanced adaptive cruise control, priced at $800, held steady in thirteenth place, and lane departure warning, at $500, stepped up from #18 to #14.

J.D. Power defined collision mitigation as an automated safety system that monitors external conditions around the vehicle and uses visual, physical and audible cues to warn the driver of a potential collision before automatically applying the braking system, tightening seat belts and moving the driver’s seat into the optimal crash position. The firm described an enhanced adaptive cruise control system as one able to bring the vehicle to a stop if necessary to avoid a collision.

Satellite and HD radio both gained consumer interest when their prices ($12.95 per-month and $200 respectively) were known. Satellite radio climbed from #14 to #7, while HD jumped from #15 to #6.

Prior to revealing the average market price, consumers said they are either “definitely” or “probably” interested in features as follows:

Blind spot detection 76%, backup assist 74%, navigation system 73%, active cornering headlight system 73%, hybrid-electric capability 72%, premium surround sound 67%, heated/cooled front seats 67%, central control unit 67%, personal assistance safety devices 65%, portable navigation device 65%, collision mitigation system 62%,

remote vehicle diagnostics 61%, enhanced adaptive cruise control 60%, satellite radio 58%, HD radio 57%, wireless connectivity system 57%, in-vehicle Internet 54%, lane departure warning system 46%, rear-seat entertainment system 43%, and clean diesel engine 37%.

The rank order after prices were known was backup assist; active cornering headlight system; wireless connectivity system; blind spot detection; remote vehicle diagnostics; HD radio; satellite radio; a three-way tie among central control unit, premium surround sound and hybrid electric capability; personal assistance safety services; heated/cooled front seats; enhanced adaptive cruise control; a tie among portable navigation device, lane departure warning system, and clean diesel engine; collision mitigation system; navigation system; in-vehicle Internet, and rear-seat entertainment.

Mike Marshall, the firm’s director of automotive emerging technologies, noted that hybrid-electric powertrain technology in vehicles garners high interest among consumers both before and after the average market price ($5,000) is revealed. Consumer interest of 72% before the price is known is considerably higher than 58% reported in the 2005 study. Interest remains high at 46% in the current study after the price is revealed.

“High consumer interest in hybrid-electric powertrain technology may be reflective of not only rising gas prices but also a heightened effort among consumers to be more environmentally conscious,” said Marshall.

“Clean diesel technology, however, garners relatively low interest in comparison. One explanation for this may derive from a lack of education with the technology. Many consumers cannot differentiate between clean diesel and traditional diesel fuel—which in the past had a negative connotation with unpleasant vehicle emissions. As consumers become more educated in the benefits of clean diesel through increased product offers launching later this year, interest in the technology may increase.”

“Wireless connectivity, in particular, makes a considerable jump in the rankings after the average price point of $200 is revealed,” Marshall added. “Consumer interest is likely heightened by the fact that more states may prohibit the use of cell phones while driving. Wireless connectivity will potentially become a necessity rather than a luxury as time goes on.”

Marshall said the rapid acceleration of interest in non-safety features was the biggest surprise in this year’s survey. He attributed relatively low consumer interest in clean diesel technology to lack of awareness and latent misconceptions about diesel technology currently available. He suggested that OEMs planning to launch diesel vehicles would do well to educate potential buyers.

“OEMs also need to start looking at vehicle interiors and infotainment as an extension of a consumer’s lifestyle,” he said. “They need to ask themselves what consumers do – how they are informed and entertained, and how they communicate – and then enable consumers to do those same things when they are in their vehicles while maintaining a safe environment.

“The automotive industry is facing incredible challenges in this regard,” Marshall continued, “and if anything, those challenges are going to get worse due to the speed at which consumer technology is changing. Developers have to move away from a focus on specific devices and look at the functions – information, entertainment and communication – and how to accommodate them.”

Ford plans to offer a blind spot mirror and a cross traffic alert with blind-spot monitoring system on MY2009 and future Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles.

Derrick Kuzak, Ford group vice president, Global Product Development, said the blind spot mirror will be standard equipment on many vehicles. He described it as an outside rearview mirror with a secondary convex spotter in the top outer corner aimed at the driver’s blind spot. The blind spot mirror, which uses one continuous glass surface, unlike some aftermarket offerings, will replace traditional sideview mirrors.

The optional cross traffic alert with blind spot monitoring system is a radar-based blind spot detection system that can help customers back out of a parking space when traffic is approaching from the sides. The feature uses the blind spot detection system’s two multiple beam radar modules, which are located in the vehicle’s rear quarter panels. An indicator light on the corresponding sideview mirror is illuminated when another vehicle enters the defined blind spot. Cross traffic alert uses the radar when in reverse to pick up moving objects within a 65-foot range from either the left or right side of the vehicle. The radar also works when backing out of angled parking spaces.

Ford also offers a reverse sensing system and a rearview camera.

Chrysler’s rear cross path system warns drivers who are backing out of parking spaces of traffic moving toward their vehicle, but outside the driver’s field of vision. Drivers are notified of vehicle(s) crossing behind their vehicle via an illuminated icon on the sideview mirror, and with an audible chime. Rear Cross Path operates any time the vehicle is in Reverse. The feature will be available on the 2009 Chrysler Town & Country and Dodge Grand Caravan.

Chrysler’s blind spot monitoring system uses an illuminated icon on the sideview mirror to warn drivers when changing lanes if being passed by vehicles or when vehicles are positioned in the blind spot zone. If the turn signal is operated, an audible chime can act as an additional warning. The blind spot monitoring system uses dual ultra-wideband radar sensors and it’s active whenever the vehicle is moving forward. The feature will be available on the 2009 Chrysler Town & Country and Dodge Grand Caravan.

Frank Klegon, executive vice president, product development, said Chrysler is working on an in-vehicle wireless Internet connectivity system that will combine WiFi and 4G connectivity and transform the vehicle into a “hot spot” to deliver Internet and e-mail access, and movie and music download capability directly to the vehicle. An aftermarket in-vehicle “hot-spot” wireless Internet capability is planned for introduction later this year through Mopar (www.mopar.com) .

An active transfer case and front-axle disconnect combination seamlessly transitions between rear-wheel drive and all-wheel drive with no driver intervention. When all-wheel-drive is not required, the system automatically disconnects the front axle and opens the transfer case from the drivetrain to reduce friction and rotational mass. The system provides optimal traction, performance, safety and an improvement in fuel economy of one mile per gallon. The feature will be available on the 2009 Chrysler 300 and Dodge Charger.

Chrysler has also enhanced its rear-seat entertainment system for 2009 with a swivel third-row screen to allow passengers facing to the rear of the vehicle, via Chrysler’s Swivel ‘n Go seating system, to view the screen. Chrysler’s Vehicle Entertainment System includes dual DVD players and screens that deliver a variety of programming choices, with ports to connect games and portable media players. The driver and front-seat passenger can access all video sources on the front-passenger screen. The third-row rear-seat swivel screen is available on the 2009 Chrysler Town & Country and Dodge Grand Caravan. The Chrysler Vehicle Entertainment System is available on the 2009 Chrysler Aspen, 300, Sebring, Jeep(R) Grand Cherokee, Commander and Dodge Durango, Charger, Ram, Journey, Avenger and Nitro.

Chrysler’s UConnect Bluetooth hands-free system can now download up to 1,000 phone book entries per phone, automatically. The 2009 Chrysler voice-activated system is available on the 2009 Chrysler Aspen, 300, Sebring, Town & Country, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Commander, Liberty, Patriot, Compass and Dodge Grand Caravan, Charger, Challenger, Nitro, Durango, Dakota, Ram, Caliber, Avenger and Journey. Full iPod integration into the audio system is available on the 2009 Chrysler Town & Country, 300, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Commander, Compass, Patriot and Dodge Grand Caravan, Challenger, Charger and Journey.

Klegon also said Chrysler’s product development team has created a proprietary knowledge-based engineering system to speed vehicle development time. Engineers used it to develop the Dodge Challenger in 21 months, slicing several months off the normal vehicle development time.

Meanwhile, ICO Global Communications’ launched its ICO G1 geosynchronous satellite to cover North America. IMS Research analyst Helena Perslow calls it the first deployment of the DVB-SH (digital video broadcast – satellite service to handhelds) mobile video standard in the U.S.

“DVB-SH is expected to be one of the dominant mobile TV standards, and the one showing the most rapid growth over the next few years,” Perslow said. “In a large and spread-out country such as the U.S., satellite broadcasting may be the key to such mobile video applications as in-car TV.”

ICO expects to start its alpha trials later this year and to launch commercially in 2009. According to Perslow’s report, although in-car broadcast TV till now has not been a significant market in the U.S., such new mobile digital video applications as ICO’s will stimulate tremendous growth in the coming years. “Beginning in 2009, sales of in-car satellite TV receivers will almost double in one year and treble over two years.”

Simulink Verification and Validation software (www.mathworks.com/products/simverification/) version 2.3 automatically evaluates and verifies system models for compliance with those standards as well as with DO-178B. New model-checking features also extend the existing support available within Simulink Verification and Validation for customer-developed modeling guidelines.

Engineering organizations use modeling guidelines as a best practice to improve readability, increase maintainability, and encourage reuse, while guarding against modeling errors. Typically, modeling guidelines are verified through visual inspection of models and related documentation during design reviews. According to The MathWorks, organizations can reduce or eliminate time-consuming and error-prone manual verification by using Simulink Verification and Validation to capture their internal guidelines and automatically check their models.

The Model Advisor also checks for other attributes, such as model consistency and code-generation compatibility. Engineers can use the customization API in Simulink Verification and Validation to develop their own modeling checks, using MATLAB scripts, and register them with Model Advisor for automatic execution.

“Modeling-standards compliance is crucial to the overall development process,” said Jon Friedman, aerospace, defense, and automotive marketing manager at The MathWorks. “Many users already employ Simulink Verification and Validation to check their designs against their own modeling guidelines as a core part of their development process. Now, engineers can use the same tools to ensure that their models meet the DO-178B, IEC-61508, and MAAB standards for data types, diagnostics, code generation, and safety, without having to spend critical staff-hours on repetitive manual review work.”

Information on version 2.0 of the MAAB’s Control Algorithm Modeling Guidelines for MATLAB, Simulink and Stateflow is available at www.mathworks.com/industries/auto/maab.html/. “By leveraging these guidelines and extending them with company- or project-specific rules, automotive engineering teams can build and manage models for specification exchange, simulation, automatic code generation, documentation, and test definition,´Friedman explained. “Teams can generate designs that are reusable, easy to integrate, and consistent with proprietary or industry-standard guidelines.”

AUTOSAR enhancements in the R2008a releases of Simulink and Real-Time Workshop Embedded Coder eliminate the need for engineers to introduce new blocksets or tools in order to support AUTOSAR. Software Component descriptions generated by AUTOSAR authoring tools, such as DaVinci Tool Suite from Vector Informatik, can be automatically imported into Simulink to design and implement the functionality of the component. No structural changes to the model are needed. As a result, a single Simulink model can be used as a golden reference throughout the development process for simulation, rapid prototyping, and production code generation in both AUTOSAR and non-AUTOSAR environments.

After the component is modeled and designed, AUTOSAR compliant code can be automatically generated using the newest release of Real-Time Workshop Embedded Coder. To validate the generated code and test it against the reference model behavior, software-in-the-loop testing is supported by automatically configuring and generating an interface to the code that routes the simulation data using the AUTOSAR Runtime Environment API calls.

Friedman said that in addition to the component, an updated AUTOSAR Software Component description is automatically generated, enabling the component to be integrated with the AUTOSAR Runtime Environment (RTE) and AUTOSAR Basic Software.

Jon Friedman, automotive industry marketing manager at The MathWorks, says that many errors originate somewhere between requirements and specifications in the design process, so it follows that verification tools should link requirements documents to specifications and verify that the specification meets the requirements. That’s one of the fundamental principles that underlie The MathWorks new Simulink Design Verifier. Another is the importance of formal – mathematically provable – verification to complement simulation and functional verification in assuring that the requirements on which a model is based are met.

Based on a formal methods engine – Prover Technology’s Prover Plug-in – the Simulink Design Verifier automates test generation and property proving for Simulink and Stateflow models. It generates test cases and counterexamples automatically and performs proofs by using automated mathematical reasoning to explore model execution paths.

Friedman says the Simulink Design Verifier removes the monotony and the heavy lifting from the process of creating test cases to cover all possible usage scenarios and workflows, after which production code can be generated from the verified model using Real-Time Workshop Embedded Coder.

For applications like human machine interface and body electronics, the problem facing test engineers is the sheer number of potential inputs and values. There may be a smaller number of variables in safety and powertrain applications, but the margin for error is also less.

What’s been your experience with testing and verification?