HARMAN Enables Frustration-Free Conversations & Calls In The Car, For The Voice-Enabled Age
It is CES time and these days, the most important players in automotive electronics are the massive OEM technology partners. Harman are now a part of the mighty Samsung corporation and have been hard at work on some really cool stuff to offer to the car makers, launching at the Las Vegas show. This fresh in today, is about that fight between the seat cushions and headlining acoustic absorption of sound, versus needing to holler to be heard in the back seat…
Harman’s new Premium Communications aims to bring an end to raised voices in the car and annoying background noise from in-car calls
A new audio technology that enables clear conversations between occupants in the front and back of the car as well as for incoming phone calls has been announced by HARMAN at CES 2019.
Premium Communications offers three key features to improve in-car conversations. The first, In-Car Communication (ICC), combines microphones, voice processing and in-vehicle audio signal processing to create an ideal environment for conversation within the car cabin, enhancing the sounds you want to hear, and reducing those you don’t. HARMAN’s In-Car Communication allows the driver to communicate directly with passengers in the back seats without needing to turn around or take their eyes off the road. Alternatively, second and third row passengers can now communicate easily with the first row – eliminating the need for them to raise their voice or strain forward in their seats.
The second is ClearChat with Far-End Noise Cancellation: Using world-leading beamforming microphones, echo cancellation and noise reduction algorithms to remove unwanted cabin noise – including air conditioning, road noise or rear seat passengers, for listeners on the receiving end of a call.
The third is Personal Communication Zones. This gives every occupant the freedom to simultaneously interact with their voice assistant of choice or have a phone call with confidence that call recipients won’t hear the music or entertainment from others in the vehicle.
“With the regular use of voice-enabled devices, coupled with consumers’ always-on connected lifestyle, communicating clearly on the go, particularly in your car, is more important than ever before. As a result, in-vehicle communication is evolving to be a critical component of the overall passenger experience,” said Michael Mauser, President, Lifestyle Audio for HARMAN. “HARMAN’s new Premium Communications leverages the latest advancements in smart audio to personalise the sonic environment and improve all communication occurring in vehicles – whether it’s with a voice assistant, someone on the other end of a phone call, or between passengers. At HARMAN, we’re focused on innovating smart, scalable and seamless solutions that provide the personalisation consumers today crave, and Premium Communications is no exception.”
About HARMAN
HARMAN (harman.com) designs and engineers connected products and solutions for automakers, consumers, and enterprises worldwide, including connected car systems, audio and visual products, enterprise automation solutions; and services supporting the Internet of Things. With leading brands including AKG®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon®, Mark Levinson® and Revel®, HARMAN is admired by audiophiles, musicians and the entertainment venues where they perform around the world. More than 50 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and connected car systems. Our software services power billions of mobile devices and systems that are connected, integrated and secure across all platforms, from work and home to car and mobile. HARMAN has a workforce of approximately 30,000 people across the Americas, Europe, and Asia. In March 2017, HARMAN became a wholly-owned subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.