Leading developer of wireless technologies, services and products, Qualcomm Incorporated, and leading provider of telematics solutions Hughes Telematics, Inc. (HTI), successfully showcased recently the needed data transmission technology for the future pan-European, in-vehicle emergency call (eCall) standard. The two companies made the demonstration at the 12th eSafety Forum Plenary meeting, “eCall Summit,” in Brussels, Belgium, over a commercial wireless network.

According to the duo, the eCall use for emergency assistance deployments is aimed at saving lives, while the creation of eCall standards and requirements has been initiated by the eSaftety Forum. The eCall can be generated either manually or automatically through the activation of in-vehicle sensors, as son as an accident occurs. The eCall-enabled vehicle system will then create a 112-voice connection with the relevant Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP). Additionally, the PSAP operator will also receive a Minimum Set of Data, including location, time, vehicle description.

“Safety and security is the cornerstone of our telematics offering,” said Erik Goldman, president of Hughes Telematics, Inc. “Working with Qualcomm to support this initiative in Europe confirms our commitment to the global industry to enhance driver safety and provide a timely and efficient response during emergency situations.”

The technology the two companies delivered, including an eCall in-band modem, has been used for the creation of a call to a prototype of an eCall-enabled PSAP located in Germany. The Minimum Set of Data was delivered through the eCall in-band modem as soon as the voice call was established. The chipset embedded in the unit used in the demonstration was a Qualcomm QSC6270, which fully integrated the eCall modem.

“Qualcomm has spent the last several years developing eCall technology and standards to further the public objective of helping to save lives on roads,” explains Ed Tiedemann, senior vice president of engineering at Qualcomm. “We are pleased to collaborate with Hughes Telematics on developing and demonstrating an eCall solution that will ultimately enable automakers to integrate this capability in all vehicles.”