Chinese firm tips Android-based automotive computer
Jul 1, 2013 | Eric BrownChinese Android development firm Borqs announced an in-vehicle infotainment (IVI) system based on Android 4.1. The Borqs Smart Vehicle Mounted Terminal incorporates navigation technology from Beidou and a wireless data cloud from TD-LTE, and supports applications including navigation, multimedia, and video calling.
Beijing-based Borqs is better known for an Android clone called OPhone, which was used on China Mobile phones in 2009 and 2010. OPhone was also known as OMS (Open Mobile System), and is currently sold by Borqs in versions tailored to particular cellular technologies as Android+. Borqs recently joined the Linux Foundation.
It’s unclear whether the Android 4.1 build offered in the Smart Vehicle Mounted Terminal is based on standard Android or on Android+, for which Borqs offers a cloud-based Android+ Service Platform (illustrated below). The firmware is also said to support HTML5 and IPv6.
Borqs Android+ Service Platform
(click image to enlarge)
The company offered few details on the voice-enabled system, which it says offers navigation, videophone calls, web browsing, HD video on demand, and online 3D games. The device incorporates network-assisted positioning technologies from Borqs, as well as satellite positioning and inertial navigation technology provided by Beidou. Meanwhile, TD-LTE has contributed a “high-speed wireless data cloud, providing users with dynamic and intelligent navigation,” says Borqs. The system is also available with cloud computing and safety control features, says the company.
Borqs has partnered with Chinese automotive firms FAW, Chang’an Automobiles, the GAC Group, and GEELY, to provide a variety of features on the system. These are said to include in-vehicle-mounted communication, recorded media entertainment, information services, route guidance, safety assistance, and car maintenance tips for vehicle monitoring, navigation, and entertainment.
In addition, Borqs is working on a related Smart Background Vehicle Management System for small-scale fleet management. The system is said to enable simultaneous monitoring, supervision, and dispatching of up to two passenger vehicles and one hazardous cargo vehicle in real time.
No details were offered on the pricing or availability of the Smart Vehicle Mounted Terminal. More information may eventually be found at the Borqs website.