Putting a computer under the hood is one thing. Putting it in the hands of the driver is another. In-car computing has become a thriving business with applications that support a wide range of users, from police officers to overnight delivery services.

   One thing that these systems have in common is their ruggedness. Average PCs and laptops would last about a week on the road, and mobile users can’t worry about the reliability of the devices they depend upon. Deployment of in-car computers can range from purchasing rugged laptops and adding software to them, to requiring extensive additions to a vehicle, including configuring a wireless network for real-time communication and setting up one or more servers at a central site to coordinate a fleet of vehicles.

   In-car systems can operate in standalone mode, in conjunction with mobile devices near the vehicle, or more likely as part of a wireless network. In many cases, an in-car computer may employ all three modes. Because of the complexity of these systems, they tend to be limited to large organizations with special needs. Typical uses include asset management and easier servicing.

Getting Real Time

There are advantages to using a real-time wireless in-car system. Putting a rugged PC in the trunk of a car isn’t enough, since many applications, such as the entire vehicle database for the Department of Transportation, that these PCs require need to be maintained daily. Plus, the security of such an important database could be in jeopardy if it’s not behind a firewall. Maintaining the database at a central fixed site with remote access is more efficient and wise.xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

            Radios and cellular telephone equipment make remote access possible, but it is only part of the puzzle. Software must be customized for the devices to be used in the field. Initially, agencies relied upon rugged PCs or laptops. Now there are a growing number of specialized devices emerging, including barcode scanner terminals and LCD touchscreen tablets.

            Applications often need to be designed to use more check boxes and fewer mouse clicks so data can be entered quickly using a stylus instead of a keyboard and mouse. For example, package pickup for overnight delivery services may include filling out an air-bill at a pickup site. A tablet-style PC can present the information and allow selection of items such as the type of shipment and type of delivery to perform. Signatures are recorded as digital ink.

            Early in-car systems often used custom products unique to a particular vendor. Many systems still employ custom hardware, but there is a movement toward standards-based solutions that provide access to more mainstream devices. Wireless standards like 802.11b, for instance, can easily provide a wireless network within and around vehicles.

Hitting the Road

In-car computers can be found wherever there is a large fleet of vehicles, such as police cars, local delivery vans, and even long-distance 18-wheelers. The vehicles may look different, but the systems that run inside them are quite similar. Most have PC-style architectures and user-interface devices that are both ruggedized as well as customized. Touchscreens are also very common, with voice and even videoconferencing support. The latter requires a higher bandwidth wireless connection between a vehicle and a central site, but with the advent of 3G services these will soon be a reality.

            Cellular- and satellite-based solutions are the norm for long distance operations, where vehicles may be roaming throughout the country. Local operations such as police, fire, and rescue vehicles tend to employ their own wireless communication systems, which makes sense because their coverage areas tend to be well defined. Cellular-based communication is fine for cities, areas around interstate highways, and other well-traveled routes, but outlying areas are not usually covered. This would not do for emergency workers, who must be able to move to any point within their area to provide support.

Security is Key

Beyond the PC

Vehicle-based systems can be handled by conventional PC-style applications, so a police officer can use a central database to look up the status of a vehicle that has been pulled over. In this case, a screen and keyboard is the usual user interface.

            There are other things vehicle-based systems can do that a normal PC cannot be used for. For example, an in-car computer can be connected to liquid level sensors in an oil tanker. The system can track the amount of liquid left at each delivery point, and a central management system could reroute trucks based on need and capacity.

            A similar sensor could track a delivery truck’s fuel tank level. This would let the system determine whether a stop needs to be made to refuel when planning the next several routes. If one or two more deliveries can be made per day based on more efficient monitoring, the return on investment will be high.

            Vehicle location devices that take advantage of the Global Positioning System (GPS) are great for letting central offices know where vehicles are at all times. This capability allows an ambulance dispatcher to send the nearest vehicle to an emergency location instead of having multiple drivers determine who is the closest. Location information is also handy when moving additional resources to support a vehicle, such as a police car that is the first to the scene of an accident. Often, a report of an accident via phone only provides a relative location. A vehicle at the location can provide this information automatically, allowing other officers near the scene to respond promptly if needed.

Wireless Wheels

Vehicles often carry an inventory that may grow and shrink based upon stops that they make. Using barcode scanners that either have a wireless connection to the vehicle or sync information once dropped back in a cradle, the inventory system can be linked to a central site to determine whether a particular vehicle has enough merchandise for its next stop. The system could then notify a dispatcher or another vehicle to handle that stop if necessary.

            Real-time links within vehicles are also handy for credit card verification. It is possible to use cellular technology if the number of transactions is low, but using an in-vehicle computer with a real-time link is easier and more reliable for higher volume sales.

            Of course, a real-time connection is not always available. That is why having a PC within a vehicle makes sense. Operators can continue updating inventory and store it locally on the PC. This information can then be sent to a central site once the vehicle moves within range of a wireless coverage area.

            Not surprisingly, most in-vehicle systems have premium prices compared to conventional laptops and PCs because they need to be very reliable. This means rugged exteriors, devices that can withstand extreme temperatures, and configurations that make replacing a system as painless as possible. With in-car computing, the ability to replace a keyboard or sensor within one working day is as important to a vehicle’s health as the engine or transmission. Imagine an ambulance driving around without a working defibrillator.

            For in-vehicle systems, rugged is in. Cheap is out.

Rugged PCs

A pair of products from Panasonic are representative of the kinds of rugged devices available off the shelf. These include the Toughbook 72 and the Toughbook 07 ($3,948) with Mobile Data Wireless Display (MDWD). The two are often used together using 802.11b networking. The MDWD uses this wireless link to communicate with an adapter in the Toughbook 07.

            The Toughbook 72 ($3,239 base price) comes in a magnesium alloy case with an integrated handle. If it looks like an armored laptop, it is. It contains the usual collection of notebook options such as a 1.6-GHz Intel Mobile Pentium 4 processor and a 13.3-inch 1024 x 768 TFT active matrix color LCD screen with a built-in touchscreen sensor. The screen is bright and sports an anti-reflective coating so the unit can be used outdoors.

            In addition to 802.11b support, the Toughbook 72 can be equipped with wide-area wireless links such as Cellular Digital Packet Data (CDPD), Motient Network’s DataTAC, Mobitex from Cingular Wireless, Global Systems for Mobile communication/General Packet Radio Service (GSM/GPRS), and Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA).

            The ruggedness of the system is apparent from the protection given to the floppy, DVD-ROM player, and hard drive. The hard drive is shock mounted and designed to handle rough use. All peripheral ports such as Universal Serial Bus (USB) have rubber covers to keep out dirt and moisture when the connections are not in use.

            The Panasonic Toughbook 07 with MDWD is a strange bird. The Toughbook 07’s magnesium alloy case looks like a metallic brick. It contains a 300-MHz Mobile Pentium III processor and 802.11b designed to communicate with the MDWD, and it can also be used to connect to other 802.11b devices within range such as the similarly equipped Toughbook 72 or a vehicle-based PC. The Toughbook 07 and the MDWD have their own lithium-ion batteries that should provide up to four hours of operation.

            The interesting part of the system is the 1.5-pound MDWD. Its 8.4-inch 800 x 600 transflective TFT LCD screen can be read in daylight and the touchscreen can be used with the attached stylus. The MDWD contains its own processor but it is simply a remote client for the copy of Windows 2000 running in the Toughbook 07. All stylus actions are sent to the “brick” and the results are displayed on the MDWD. By using Windows 2000 Terminal Server, the “brick” can be carried on a belt or left in a nearby location while the user moves around with only the MDWD.

            The Toughbook 07 can also be left in the vehicle while the MDWD is used outside the vehicle. For example, a police officer can have a person sign a ticket using the MDWD, just like many digitized credit card systems at department stores. The difference is that the MDWD is mobile.

            Additional devices that can be attached to the MDWD include a scanner. This allows a user to perform sophisticated inventory and data collection operations that a simple scanner would not be able to do. When used in conjunction with an in-car system, the user also has access to real-time information through a vehicle’s wireless link.

            While the Toughbooks provide mobility, there are times when a PC needs to be built into the vehicle. Companies such as Kontron Mobile Computing, Inc. have systems specifically designed for such environments. The Kontron EnVoy (starting at $5,495) is one such solution. The CPU unit contains a 700-MHz or 1.6-GHz Pentium III processor that can be mounted anywhere within the vehicle. It can also be linked via wireless connections to a central site. The 12.1-inch touchscreen display is mounted separately in either a fixed position or on a movable arm. The keyboard looks like a typical PC keyboard, but it has four brightness levels, allowing it to be used at night without the need for additional illumination.

            Kontron also has a specialized rugged laptop named the ReVolution (starting at $5,095). True to its name, it takes only seconds to turn the ReVolution into a Tablet PC by rotating and flipping the touchscreen. This device is extremely flexible because it can both be mounted and used as a PC within a vehicle, or it can be removed from the car and used as a tablet. The unit’s C-Span construction protects internal subsystems from shock and vibration, and the transflective display is easily legible in sunlight.

Complete Systems

Symbol Technologies is well known for its barcode scanners. These are used in fixed locations such as stores, but they can also be attached to in-car systems or mobile systems that communicate with a vehicle’s PC. For example, a representative for an overnight delivery service can use a barcode scanner to read the barcode on an air-bill for a package that is being picked up. Additional information such as the destination zip code, size, and weight can be entered using another device so an application at the central site will know that a new shipment has been added to the mix. Its delivery is then scheduled automatically. All this requires minimal work by the representative, when compared to manual methods used in years past.

            For dedicated environments, Symbol Technologies has the WSS1040 Wearable Scanning System ($4,935). It features a full-powered CPU with screen and keypad worn on the back of the wrist and a bar code scanner worn as a ring. Both FedEx and UPS use these systems to sort overnight mail. But Symbol Technologies is also big in the in-car market as well. The company’s Mobile Gateway Plus system has a J1708 bus interface for direct vehicle monitoring. The J1708 bus is found on many vehicles and is used for engine control. This allows an application to send monitoring information back to a central site. The application at the central site can then keep track of the health of each vehicle in the fleet.

            The Mobile Gateway Plus vehicle system ($1,400) also has an integrated Global Positioning System (GPS) for locating a vehicle. This information can be used for a variety of purposes such as last-minute schedule changes, location of vehicles in need of repair, and traffic control at a warehouse facility.

            The vehicle system has the usual complement of peripherals such as ports for keyboard and a terminal cradle. There is a built-in micro-access point for LAN communication, and long distance communication is accomplished via an RF modem supporting RAM, ARDIS, Mobitex, CDPD, GSM, circuit switch cellular, and even satellite communication.

            The hardware is only part of the puzzle. The Mobile Gateway Plus software covers both the vehicle system as well as application support at the central site. This is not surprising since the wireless link between the vehicle and the central site is a very important shared resource.

            Mobile Automation’s Mobile Automation 2000 Enterprise Edition is another system-based solution that has been used by organizations like the Seattle Police Department. Mobile Automation takes a system-wide approach to mobile workforce management with prepackaged applications. The primary Command Server costs $10,000 while the desktop/laptop client agent costs $90 per node. The handheld client agent costs $45 per node. Having dealt with a number of emergency and security organizations, Mobile Automation can quickly customize the Mobile Automation 2000 for a variety of environments.

            The system provides many benefits that may not be obvious to non-computer professionals. Features such as fault isolation and remote troubleshooting are extremely useful. Even the ability to deliver software packages and updates are of great concern since such systems are really large, distributed networks. Unfortunately, it is extremely important that such changes are done properly.

            Mobile Automation 2000 provides single console management of all devices, which is impressive for a system that supports everything from custom embedded PCs to PDAs. It supports intermittent, low-bandwidth wireless connections as well as real-time connections. Applications are designed to be self-healing. This means that part of the application checks the rest of the system to make sure things run smoothly. Action can then be taken if the system is running improperly. Such watchdog features are found in most industrial embedded systems.

            Like similar products, Mobile Automation 2000 supports standard operating systems like Windows, Windows CE, Pocket PC, and Palm OS. The same is true for network support. Secure communication is important because these systems are just as susceptible to attacks as the typical LAN. Remote control applications are also standard fare on the client. They’re used for real-time support as well as remote diagnostics and training. Fortunately, using standard hardware and software helps keep training costs down. It takes only a couple of days to learn.

            In-vehicle systems are not only becoming more common but more powerful, especially as they incorporate built-in wireless networking. At the moment field workers are getting the most benefit. But before long we’ll be downloading music and movies from media servers in our garage, giving whole new meaning to, “fill’er up.”