We may well say that the development of smartphones has been accompanying the process in which technology has been changing our lives over the past ten plus years.

However, in recent years, the homogeneity of mobile phones seems to have become more and more serious. Most mainstream models feature a nearly standardized configuration, such as ultra-large screens, facial recognition, 5G, and high-resolution long-zoom cameras, which appears to be difficult to distinguish.

Having said that, as a matter of fact, the application of many new technologies, though not so intuitive, has been changing the experience of how we use the mobile phone in an ongoing way.

The UWB feature of the mobile phone is exactly a typical example.

UWB (Ultra Wide Band), as a wireless carrier communication technology, determines the distance between the positioning tag and the positioning base station through TDOA (Time Difference Of Arrival), mainly for localization, boasting the advantages of low system complexity, low power spectral density (PSD) of the transmitted signal, insensitivity to channel fading, low probability of interception (LPI), high positioning accuracy, etc., especially suitable for high-speed wireless access in dense multipath environments such as indoor areas.

Devices equipped with UWB technology are able to accurately perceive similar devices within a certain range, thus realizing the interaction of information, files and other contents in an efficient, fast and secure way. Compared with Bluetooth, a mainstream near-field connection method, UWB demonstrates significant advantages in accuracy, security, and transmission rate, hence a good realization method in scenarios like indoor navigation, smart home, AR (augmented reality), and near-field payment. 

When it launched iPhone 11, Apple had already put UWB technology into mass production, while in the Android camp, top manufacturers such as Xiaomi, Huawei and Samsung have also started to apply the technology.

Obviously, in the IoE (Internet of Everything) era, it has started to become a new trend.

But what you may not know is that it has even started to exert an influence over the experience of intelligent vehicles (IVs).

If your understanding of IVs still stays at the level of mobile phone connected to IVI to play music, CarPlay or remote start, etc., then some of the following features may subvert your perception.

As a leading IoV service provider in China, PATEO CONNECT+ has developed the "Point" feature based on the UWB technology for mobile phones, thus upgrading the experience in many vehicle usage scenarios. In fact, smart watches that support UWB can also achieve the same function.

Just by listening to the name, we can easily come to understand that this feature is to complete the human-vehicle interaction through the simple action of “Pointing” the phone at the vehicle.

From an ergonomic perspective, "Pointing" is also one of actions that are most in line with human intuition and usage habits.

For the user, if the traditional way of interaction is simplified to the simple pointing, the vehicle usage experience will definitely be significantly improved. In my opinion, technology-based innovation is also far more practical than jamming various features into the car.

Now, let me show you a few examples: 

Outside the car, through the “Point” feature, the user only needs to take out the cell phone and point it at the specific part of the vehicle, remote control of front / rear trunks, a specific door, and charging port lid cover, among others can be realized.

● Front / rear trunks: point the mobile phone / watch at the front or rear trunk, to unlock / open it with one touch

● Vehicle door: point the mobile phone / watch at the left rear door, to unlock / open it with one touch

● Charging: point the mobile phone / watch at the charging port lid cover, to open it with one touch, start charging when the charging gun is connected, and close it with one touch when it is open but the charging gun is not connected

Giving careful thought to the charging scenario, you’ll find that it has always been heavily / griped about by the user due to the cumbersome steps. Although opening the charging port lid cover seems simple, during the whole interaction process, there are two extra steps that require contact with the vehicle. After using “Point” to control the opening, closing and charging features, not only is the operation process simplified and efficiency lifted, but also the user’s perception of "science and technology" gets enhanced, so it is definitely a practical, cool and amazing feature.

When it comes to inside the vehicle, the application scenario of the “Point” feature is even more abundant. At present, it has been able to control hardware features, such as A/C, seats, door locks, sunroof, and windows.

The passenger only needs to point their mobile phone in a specific direction, then they can operate these features based on the cards that pop up automatically on the phone. Especially for rear seat passengers, these "Boss Button" features that were previously only equipped on luxury cars are popularized through the application of the new technology, allowing convenient control of various features inside the vehicle, which can not only effectively reduce disturbance to the driver, but also offer a more consistent ride experience to all users in the cabin.

● A/C control: the passenger in the vehicle uses the mobile phone to remotely control the A/C mode, temperature and fan speed

● Seat control: the passenger in the vehicle uses the mobile phone to remotely control seat heating, cooling and backrest angle adjustment

● Door lock control: the passenger in the parked vehicle uses the mobile phone to unlock / lock car doors

● Window / sunroof control: the passenger in the vehicle uses the mobile phone to remotely open and close car windows / sunroof

Besides, the “Point” feature also allows the passenger to conveniently control the entertainment features of the IVI; in addition to adjusting the volume and controlling multimedia playback, they can even view the navigation route, search for POIs and sync the navigation directly through the phone.

This seemingly small function point is actually very practical. In our everyday cognition, it has become an almost "mechanical" process to set the navigation destination before departure. During driving, it’s always somewhat risky for the driver to change the navigation or search for a destination. Realizing this function through the passenger's mobile phone not only effectively guarantees driving safety, but also makes the whole car usage experience more flexible, thus meeting the various needs of the passenger for “changing the destination on the spur of the moment”. 

● Volume control: the passenger in the vehicle uses the mobile phone to remotely control the volume

● Multimedia control: the passenger in the vehicle uses the mobile phone to remotely control multimedia playback

● Navigation control: the passenger in the vehicle uses the mobile phone to view navigation destination and route planning, supporting searching for a POI and syncing it to the center console for navigation, or adding it as a waypoint

Technology has never existed as an independent entity. Only when it is applied to the right place, can it benefit the user to the greatest extent. Although UWB technology may seem "insignificant" for the time being, it has greatly improved the human-vehicle interaction experience. During the evolution of IVs, there are many more such examples, which are worth looking forward to. You are also welcome to contact us to discuss cooperation.