ORA Electronics Patents Telcar Cellular Telephone Interface
6 July 1998
ORA Electronics Receives a U.S. Patent for Telcar Cellular Telephone Vehicular Bus Interface
CHATSWORTH, Calif.--July 6, 1998--ORA Electronics Inc. (OTC BB:ORAE) Monday announced that it has received a United States patent on technology used in its Telcar line of products.Telcar is ORA Electronics' modular cellular telephone interface system designed for use in automotive environments. The Telcar system utilizes a data bus to interface automotive-based electronics systems with cellular phones and other wireless communications devices.
Telcar allows data and voice communications between multiple models of cellular, PCS and other wireless communication devices, and other vehicular-based systems such as automobile sound, security, navigation and visual display systems, as well as other automotive peripherals.
The most common application for the Telcar system has been to allow users "hands-free" operation of cellular telephones in moving vehicles, permitting users to operate cellular phones without taking their eyes off the road. In addition, the automotive sound system is automatically muted when a cellular call is in progress to better allow the user to hear the phone call.
Dialing and other functions can be accessed via conveniently located voice or visual confirmed controls or by using voice recognition systems.
ORA Electronics has recently received orders and recently begun delivery of first generation Telcar-based systems to Nissan Motor Co. More than 1,100 Nissan and Infiniti new car dealerships are now offering new car buyers these systems, known as "cellular docking stations," as a "dealer option" on new model 1998 and 1999 vehicles.
"Our goal is to have a wireless communication handset docking unit, as a standard equipment in every vehicle produced, same as today's automotive sound systems," says Gershon Cooper, ORA Electronics' CEO. "With our technology, existing wireless services subscribers will be able to connect their existing set into their new car."
In other related developments Microsoft Corp. recently announced the Auto PC, a Windows CE-based platform for use in vehicular applications. ORA Electronics, in conjunction with Microsoft and other participating companies, is developing a Telcar version which utilizes this Microsoft platform and universal serial bus (USB) transport.
Clarion, a leading automotive electronics manufacturer, is the first to announce a vehicular radio/control set that will act as an Auto PC operating system server. ORA Electronics' patented Telcar will be a part of the Auto PC system which, when fully configured, can summon police and rescue vehicles in case of emergency, relay automotive diagnostics information, and perform other safety tasks among other functions.
The systems will also be able to communicate with and exchange data via an infrared interface with palmtop computers, laptop computers and other portable computing devices that employ Windows operating systems. Data could also be transmitted via the cellular phone to land-based systems.
ORA Electronics is also developing a Telcar version for other leading manufacturers of automotive sound and entertainment products, as well as several other automotive electronics companies. Automobile manufacturers are not sitting idle either and several have tentatively committed to a Telcar-based system utilizing either Microsoft Auto PC and USB data bus or ORA Electronics' proprietary operating system and data bus system.
ORA is expecting to start shipping Auto PC-based systems later this year, while at the same time continuing to ship ORA's proprietary-based products.
ORA Electronics is a Chatsworth-based developer and supplier of cellular telephone, personal communication systems (PCS) and wireless communications peripheral devices and add-on products. Visit the company's Web site at www.orausa.com
This news release may include statements that constitute "forward-looking" statements, usually containing the words, "believe," "project," "expect," or similar expressions. These statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements inherently involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements. The risks and uncertainties are detailed from time to time in reports filed by the company with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including Forms 8-A, 8-K, 10-Q and 10-K.
