Hands on the Wheel

Johnson Controls takes hands-free conversations to the next level in its options for automobiles

Most drivers value the freedom afforded by cellular phones.

But no one is an unabashed fan of the safety issues that can crop up when a driver tries to safely maneuver a moving vehicle while using a cell phone.

Happily, Johnson Controls has taken steps to address those safety concerns. The company recently announced that the United States Patent Office has awarded Johnson Controls two new patents on an innovative, wireless connectivity technology for use in vehicles.

The technology relies on the Bluetooth communications protocol to provide wireless connection of a cellular phone to an in-vehicle audio system. This enables the driver or other vehicle occupant to place and receive calls in a “hands-free” manner using a vehicle’s voice recognition and audio systems.

The system offers a wide range of features connected to and enabled through the driver’s personal mobile phone. The BlueConnect hands-free system works with a Bluetooth-enabled cellular phone, which can be placed anywhere in the vehicle. It includes an electronic control module and microphone. The module contains a voice recognition system, noise cancellation system and Bluetooth chipset.

The system has been tested at the Johnson Controls WAVE acoustics laboratory in Holland, Michigan, U.S.A., where in-vehicle evaluations of the voice transmission quality of the product have been conducted. It has also been evaluated at the company’s radio frequency test facility, the first of its kind to receive Federal Communications Commission (FCC) certification in North America.

Works with All Carriers
Even better, the BlueConnect hands-free system is carrier-independent and service-independent. As it requires no monthly subscription fees, the only charge consumers pay is their regular monthly cellular phone bill, making greater vehicle safety all the more affordable.

Johnson Controls has commercialized this unique technology in the United States market -- and in other countries -- under the BlueConnect® trademark. Its first U.S. patent for this technology was awarded in August 2007.

Other patent applications related to the technology currently are pending in the United States and Europe.