Photo courtesy OnStar Corporation Being in a car accident is a nightmare -- you're often disoriented, upset and unsure of what to do once the actual crash is over. But if your car is equipped with GM's OnStar service, you don't even have to find your cell phone. The system can get help for you. It can also check your e-mail hands-free, make hotel reservations, and unlock your car if you've locked your keys inside, among other things. OnStar is the most popular telematics service available in North America. But what is a telematics service? How does OnStar know where you are, and how can your car let the OnStar Call Center know that you've been in an accident? In this article, we'll explore the technology behind OnStar, find out how to use it, and learn about some of the controversy associated with it. Instead of trying to find your cell phone, you push a button on a console and are instantly connected with an OnStar advisor.

The advisor can pinpoint your exact location and relay your problem to emergency services. If you're in an accident, your car can "tell" OnStar without you having to do a thing. Most people still associate OnStar with emergencies, but today's OnStar offers a host of services, from helping you find a good local restaurant to giving you the latest stock quotes. OnStar is a telematics service. The word telematics is a combination of telecommunication and informatics: a telematics service is one that provides information to a mobile source, like a cell phone, PDA or car. Today telematics often describes vehicle systems that combine GPS and cellular technologies with onboard electronics. They can include safety, communication, vehicle diagnostic and entertainment features. Cars equipped with OnStar have a small panel located in the rearview mirror, the dashboard or an overhead console, depending on the model. The blue OnStar button allows you to contact a live or virtual advisor. The red button with the cross on it is for emergencies, and the phone or "white dot" button allows you to make phone calls just as if you were using a cell phone.

The only way to get OnStar is to buy a car that already has the system installed. The cost of OnStar depends on the make and model of the car. Once you purchase the car, all you have to do is press the blue "OnStar" button on the console to subscribe to one of the service plans. OnStar is available on more than 50 models of GM brands, including Chevrolet, Pontiac, GMC, Buick, Saturn and Hummer as well as other manufacturers such as Audi®, Isuzu® and Volkswagen®. Some models come standard with OnStar, while others include OnStar as part of an add-on "safety" package. GM plans to make OnStar a standard feature on all of its 2007 vehicles. In February 2006, OnStar announced plans to incorporate a real-time driving navigation system, called Turn by Turn, in select Buick and Cadillac models. An additional 1 million 2007 GM models will include Turn by Turn, and by 2010, it will be a standard service on all cars equipped with OnStar.

Next, we'll learn about the technology behind OnStar. OnStar began as location-based technology developed by a team at ExtremeBlue, an IBM internship program for graduate students in software development and business administration. GM introduced the service in 1996 as an option on some Cadillac models. OnStar's cellular system was analog at first, then progressed to analog/digital-ready. Most OnStar systems are now dual mode, with the capability to use both analog and digital communications systems. By 2008, GM plans to make all-digital cellular systems. Currently there are no plans to make upgrade packages available for older, analog-only models. All of the services that OnStar provides are a result of one or more of these technologies working together. OnStar's cellular service is voice-activated and hands-free. The console contains a built-in microphone and uses the car speakers. To make a call, you speak a phone number or a previously stored name associated with a phone number. The console is connected to a Vehicle Comm and samsung galaxy repairs brisbane Interface Module (VCIM), which uses a cellular antenna on top of the car to transmit signals to OnStar's cellular network.

0.6 watts. With some OnStar plans, you can also use the cellular service just as you would a regular cell phone plan. For calls to the advisor, OnStar uses voice recognition software similar to that already used in some hand-held cell phones. However, one of OnStar's unique features is the ability to "surf the Web" using the Virtual Advisor automated system. For this service, OnStar uses text-to-voice technology called VoiceXML. When you ask for information, such as "weather," the software translates your request into XML (Extensible Markup Language) and matches it to settings in your OnStar profile. Then it translates the information into VoiceXML and reads it to you. The GPS receiver is called OnCore, and it is part of the VCIM (older OnStar-equipped vehicles have separate modules for the cell phone and GPS system). A GPS receiver uses the amount of time that it takes for a radio signal to get from satellites to a specific location to calculate distance.

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