Product category:
Reference Designs
News Release from: Cambridge Silicon Radio | Subject: RoadRunner Plug-n-Talk
Edited by the Electronicstalk Editorial
Team on 24 October 2006
Blueprint for Bluetooth hands-free
design
RoadRunner Plug-n-Talk provides OEMs and ODMs with a pretested and customisable package from which to create a low-cost Bluetooth hands-free kit.
CSR has announced an initiative which will support the accelerated uptake of Bluetooth based hands-free kits, thus spreading safer and more convenient use of mobile phones by drivers around the world The CSR RoadRunner Plug-n-Talk is the first in a series of ready engineered and fully interoperable automotive solutions from CSR that provides OEMs and ODMs with a pretested and customisable package from which to create a low-cost Bluetooth hands-free kit
This article was originally published on Electronicstalk on 2 Jul 2007 at 8.00am (UK)
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"Recent industry estimates suggest that the market for Bluetooth-enabled vehicles is set to grow annually at a rate of more than 25% from 2005 to 2010", explained Anthony Murray, VP of CSR's Automotive Strategic Business Unit.
"This growth is being driven by global consumer adoption of Bluetooth technology and a desire to be able to use their mobile handsets to make productive use of time in the car, without compromising on safety or personal comfort".
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"The RoadRunner reference design will allow OEMs and ODMs to capitalise on this growth and meet the demands of their customers for low-cost Bluetooth hands-free systems in the car".
The introduction of hands-free driving legislation has also encouraged consumers to invest in hands-free solutions.
In recent years a number of different options have appeared on the market, ranging from expensive, professionally installed systems and simple, wired earpieces to Bluetooth mono headsets which have experienced rapid consumer adoption.
However, a common criticism of the in-car systems, which do not benefit from the mono headset model, which positions the microphone close to the user's mouth, has been the poor audio quality in the automotive cabin environment.
The RoadRunner Plug-n-Talk system features a full hardware reference design, Bluetooth stack, profile suite, hands-free application software and CSR's proprietary Clear Voice Capture (CVC) software.
The addition of CVC to the design improves voice quality by combining advanced echo and noise suppression algorithms which allow the speaker's voice to be more clearly extracted and transmitted to the caller at the other end of the line.
In addition, it includes a demonstration of text-to-speech software from NowSpeak which has been developed specifically for CSR's BlueCore-Multimedia technology.
The system therefore provides all the elements needed to produce a simple, low-cost plug-and-play Bluetooth hands-free kit.
With additional features such as the NowSpeak Mobile text-to-speech software, more complex and superior hands-free functionality can be designed-in with features such as caller ID confirmation and voice prompts during hands-free operation.
This means that drivers can completely control their calls without needing to take their hands off the steering wheel, or their eyes off the road.
Furthermore, by using the configuration tool supplied, designers can change the Flash parameters and modify elements like the MMI, call handling, PIO assignment to buttons and ring tones.
Thus the system allows designers to customise the look, feel and operation of the system without having to change any code or disrupt the pre-established Bluetooth device interoperability.
"With the current global trend towards hands-free driving, we believe that the RoadRunner platform offers after-market designers and car manufacturers alike, the best possible hands-free solution available", added Murray.
"They will also be able to get to market much faster with competitive products which have been pre-tested and fully interoperable with other devices".
"The improved user experience thanks to CVC means there will be even less reason for consumers to be caught driving with a phone to their ears".
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