Blue&Me integrates mobile phones, digital media players, and other portable devices with in-vehicle systems, Fiat has said.
According to Fiat, the system "is completely integrated with the steering wheel controls and information display, [and] allows customers who own a Bluetooth mobile phone to use the phone even when it is in the pocket of a jacket or in a handbag, without having to take your hands off the wheel."
Blue&Me includes both automatic speech recognition and text-to-speech engines for hands-free operation of in-vehicle devices, according to Nuance. Functions provided include voice-activated dialing by name or number, readout of SMS messages, and media player control. Phone conversations and messages are transmitted through the vehicle's stereo system.
"Thanks to the advanced voice recognition system, it immediately displays and reads incoming SMS messages out loud, without the need for a voice learning phase," Fiat said.
A USB port in the glove compartment allows a user to connect a media player or USB mass storage device to play back music through the car's stereo system. The media player can be controlled by voice commands, according to Fiat.
Blue&Me is claimed to be compatible with most mobile phones that have Bluetooth hands-free technology. The system is currently available in nine languages: Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Brazilian Portuguese, German, Polish, UK English, Danish, and French.
Fiat Auto plans to roll out the system across all vehicles in its Fiat, Lancia, Alfa Romeo, and Fiat Commercial Vehicle brands. The system was first demonstrated at last month's
Geneva Motorshow, and again earlier this month at CeBIT in Hannover.
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