[Mark]

BIMMERPOST NEWS

BMW i Connected Mobility. Connect your BMWi with a TV, phone or watch

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Highlights

• Connect your BMW i vehicle to "Smart" devices such as Smart-phones, Smart-watches and even Smart-TVs with your car
• TV can display vehicle's battery status, driving range and calendars
• TV can popup information in the background, such as when the car has reached full charge
• Same functions can be extended to smartphones or smartwatches
• Smartwatch has the added functionality of unlocking the vehicle, going as far as automatically unlocking when the driver approaches the car

Not only is the BMW i3 the first ever premium electric car, but thanks to its standard built-in SIM card it also stands out for its unprecedented level of connectivity. Even today, the BMW i Remote app allows various functions of the BMW i3 to be remote controlled using either a smartphone or a smartwatch. These devices allow the intermodal route guidance started in the BMW i3 to be continued once the driver has left the vehicle. This form of navigation is perfectly tailored to the requirements of urban travel and it factors in both the local public transport options and walking time when searching for the optimum route. At the CES 2015 in Las Vegas, BMW is presenting the BMW i Connected Mobility research application as the next logical progression of this unrivalled functionality.

A direct link with the personal digital appointments calendar, the use of the latest devices such as smart TVs, smartwatches and smartphones, along with the inclusion of preferred means of transport and exact pinpointing of the vehicle’s position, even in large multistorey buildings, further boosts the degree of connectivity between driver, vehicle and the outside world, while also greatly enhancing the benefit to the customer.

The TV in the home is transformed into a mobility dashboard
BMW i Connected Mobility paves the way for a whole new form of journey planning that starts on the TV in the home rather than on the computer. The television, now turned into a smart TV by the addition of an internet connection, can show BMW i Remote functions such as the battery’s state of charge or the vehicle status (e.g. doors locked or unlocked). An exact driving range map can be called up on the TV that instantly shows how far the BMW i3 can travel with its current battery charge. If desired, the application can even flash up messages while the television is being watched, notifying the user for example that the BMW i3 batteries are fully charged.

For the first time, the research application also connects to the user’s stored digital appointments calendar. It synchronises with the calendar and uses the appointments and associated venues to create a personal mobility agenda based on the principle of intermodal route planning. This means that a wide variety of means of transport are taken into account for the purpose of route guidance – from the car to local public transport to walking. The vehicles in the DriveNow car-sharing fleet can also be located, booked and used via a smartphone. Graphics showing the latest traffic reports are displayed in real time along with the possible delays, just as with the Real Time Traffic Information (RTTI) system.

Seamless connectivity for flawless information.
Smartwatches and smartphones make it possible to easily use this mobility dashboard while on the move as well. Like the smart TV, these devices are permanently connected to the BMW ConnectedDrive Server, enabling users to access their personal, fully up-to-date mobility agenda at any time from any of their devices. The route recommendations already shown on the smart TV are also transferred. The application can furthermore be set to give the user a reminder via their smartwatch, smart TV or smartphone when it’s time to leave for the next appointment. BMW i Connected Mobility also monitors for unforeseen events, such as delayed trains or traffic jams. If the traffic situation would prevent the user getting to their next appointment on time, the application prompts them to set off earlier. If the situation is particularly bad, alternative suggested routes for the journey are shown on the smartwatch and can be used directly for navigating. Route guidance on the smartwatch takes place in the form of arrow symbols, maps and navigation instructions. Alternatively, the corresponding BMW i Mobility app on the smartphone shows detailed route information.

When it comes to selecting the means of transport, the research application is adaptive and remembers the user’s previous preferred means of travel: whether, for example, they would rather travel by car on a particular route, even if there are minor traffic jams, or would prefer to take the train instead in this case. BMW i Connected Mobility then applies this information the next time it plans a route.

Gesture control using smartwatch unlocks the BMW i3.
Smartwatches allow direct access to important information without having to use the connected smartphone. BMW i Connected Mobility harnesses the possibilities offered by the smartwatch for advanced BMW i Remote app functions. The car can even be programmed to recognise the driver by their smartwatch. It unlocks the doors as the driver approaches and locks them again when the driver leaves the vehicle, in each case in response to a specific gesture. This type of functionality could complement the use of smartcards as a means of identification for car-sharing services such as DriveNow and offer even greater ease of use.

Sensor system memorises the exact vehicle position.
Whereas navigation instructions used to end at the address of the multistorey car park, a vehicle is now capable for the first time of using its system of sensors to automatically detect a change of storey in large car parks and thereby ascertain exactly where it has been parked, for example. BMW i Connected Mobility uploads this information to the cloud, where it can be accessed wirelessly by the smartwatch via the BMW server. If the smartwatch’s positioning function is activated, the user’s location data can be used together with the data from the BMW backend to navigate the user straight back to their vehicle, with the help of maps, arrows and distance information. This same function could also make the DriveNow car-sharing service more convenient and flexible to use.

BMW i Connected Mobility

[Vervain]

Aww I want to open my regular BMW with a smart watch too...

[wdeerfield]

cant wait to see the ridiculous price bmw sets on the tech package when all this CES stuff becomes available for the rest of their lineup

[e92proper]

I wish bmw would focus more on fixing issues with their existing platforms rather than all this high end junk that realistically many of us will not be using.

How about they design a turbo and waste gate good for over 100k miles, or a decent hpfp, or even trim that doesn't peel! inside or out! how bout free nav upgrades like every other auto manufacturer? Or maybe they can put the "bmw feel" back in all their cars!

[300hp]

Originally Posted by e92proper

I wish bmw would focus more on fixing issues with their existing platforms rather than all this high end junk that realistically many of us will not be using.

How about they design a turbo and waste gate good for over 100k miles, or a decent hpfp, or even trim that doesn't peel! inside or out! how bout free nav upgrades like every other auto manufacturer? Or maybe they can put the "bmw feel" back in all their cars!

Free NAV update, done

[DeeKay]

Originally Posted by 300hp

Free NAV update, done

BOOM! That's what I call effective customer feedback action!

[gds52]

.

[Bigmouth Studio]

BMW finally understand everyone using Android device. Good for BMW.

[GJR]

Originally Posted by e92proper

I wish bmw would focus more on fixing issues with their existing platforms rather than all this high end junk that realistically many of us will not be using.

How about they design a turbo and waste gate good for over 100k miles, or a decent hpfp, or even trim that doesn't peel! inside or out! how bout free nav upgrades like every other auto manufacturer? Or maybe they can put the "bmw feel" back in all their cars!

I love this post!!! I'd be happy with the restoration of real BMW driving feel to their cars and more durability, but I'm dreaming.