Cellphones update car navigation systems in South Korea

South Korea's Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI) has developed a technology that will help consumers to easily update information on their car navigation system via cellphones.
The state-run laboratory disclosed that new method uses homegrown WiBro and CDMA mobile phones to gain access to the Internet and directly download changes to maps stored in the navigation systems. The technology is optimized to only update changed data, which could enhance the input speed.

ETRI said the new technology, which took two years to develop, requires a specialized server that can send changed map and address information to handsets and a database management system to help the input process. A total of five patents have been requested including an international one for the technology.

Most car navigation products require users to download updated information on roads and addresses on a separate PC and transfer to the navigation system. An ETRI researcher commented that the conventional process is complicated and inconvenient since car navigation is now widely used and that some drivers may not be familiar with computers.

SK Energy Co., Navteq Korea and Themap Co. took part in research and development of the mobile update technology, which is set to be tested and put to practical use on Jeju Island.