In-Car Navigation

PDT for In-Vehicle Imaging Gives You a Better View of How to Reach Your Destination

The automobile industry is going through a technological evolution driven by advances in the Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) marketplace. In-vehicle navigation has evolved into an effective means to reduce traffic congestion, reduce pollution, and improve safety, comfort, and peace of mind. Vehicle makers are deploying telematics hardware in increasing numbers of vehicles. The total telematics market is projected by Global Information Inc. to reach $5.6 billion by 2008.

In-vehicle navigation systems use an LCD screen to display moving maps that can show detailed, digital representations of road networks, turn-by-turn route guidance and other important navigational information such as street names, address ranges and points of interest. Unfortunately, the value and use of these navigational cues and surrounding landmarks is being limited by the LCD screen size. It is currently a challenge for the driver to "zoom in" on the detail they need without losing the context of their surroundings, or without restricting their ability to "look ahead" at upcoming services and routes. To address the "screen real-estate problem," IDELIX Software has introduced a user interface solution entitled Pliable Display Technology (PDT).

PDT enables users to view self-selected areas of detail without loosing site of navigational cues and surrounding landmarks on a moving LCD screen. Using a variety of lenses and focal shapes, PDT is capable of presenting an "elastic" visualization effect that results in magnified detail appearing to "jump out" of the screen while still remaining seamless and connected to the rest of the landmarks and surroundings. When embedded within your in-vehicle navigation system, PDT will increase the confidence of your users and add more value to the existing presentation of screen information. PDT is applicable to both local and online presentation of mapping images and other high information density data.

Benefits

• Improve In-Vehicle Navigation Capabilities
  The key advantage of Pliable Display Technology (PDT) is that PDT enables detail-in-context viewing, thereby preserving a view of the surrounding image and the navigational cues associated with it. Viewers will not have to rely on inefficient zooming, panning or inset viewing to effectively view details or manage multiple images.
• Device, operating system and application independent.
  PDT is easily integrated and adds value to the presentation of information on many different hardware types, from compact handheld and wireless devices through to PC's with large monitors.
• Increased Product Value
  Detail-in-context viewing with PDT makes in-car navigation systems easier for drivers to use and understand. Ease of use adds value to existing consumers and is an order-winning factor for new potential consumers.

Features

• Improves LCD screen presentation of navigation routes.
• Allows users to perform typical browser/viewer navigation tasks better with real-time, dynamic detail-in-context viewing capability.
• Supercedes existing and ineffective pan and zoom technologies.
• Complete set of image viewing functions including multi-lens library, multiple lens capability, in-place editing, lens characteristic controls and industry standard image formats and documentation.
• Ability to quickly view and navigate high-resolution images.
• PDT detail-in-context viewing maintains coordinate accuracy and distance.
• Synchronized viewing of side-by-side images for comparison.
• User interface independent and supports the leading operating systems.
• Can be tailored for optimal performance on various devices.
• Complements existing wireless and wireline browser technology.
• Structured API supports easy integration with existing applications. Easy to customize, create, or enhance a vertical application.

Find out more

For a list of the Features and Benefits of PDT, see the PDT Product Sheet. For more technical detail on PDT, read our White Papers or Technical Descriptions.