Bristol-based Mi (pronounced "My") In-Car Ltd is developing "Personal Audio", a breakthrough technology that allows multiple people in the same physical area (e.g. in the same car) each to listen to their own choice of audio content, without disturbing others, and without the use of headphones. Aimed initially at the fast-growing market for in-car technology - currently standing at $11.7 billion per annum - Mi expects rapid market uptake for its planned range of Personal Audio enabled products. The market has already shown an eagerness to develop in this direction, for example with a "Dual-Zone" feature being offered by all the major players- Sony, Kenwood, JVC, Pioneer, etc. Dual-Zone simply plays different audio content to the front and back passengers of the car, via separate speakers in the front and back, but the results are - unsurprisingly - just an unpleasant and cacophonous mix of the two audio sources being played. Consumers are not impressed. Mi has started to develop an answer, exploiting its novel and highlyadvanced anti-noise techniques to ensure that each passenger hears only their own audio content, and that content intended for other passengers is cancelled-out. Now, to take the business further, the company requires an R&D Research Project~f_g9~J444 to support an 18 month research project, Q with the aim of delivering a fully-functi~prototype sys~!J:):lhat proves the technologies involved, filing 'IS the fundamental patent applications, and allowmg 1VII to bring to market products exploiting these - innovations. Mi in-car products will initially be sold as aftermarket upgrade systems, to the large established retailers in the sector; and later, as the company grows, directly to car manufacturers. The products will offer a rich
set of multimedia features, competitive with the market leaders. All of the conventional audio sources will be supported - radio (analogue and digital), CD, USB/SO card, Bluetooth, Apple iPod, etc. Each passenger in the car will be able to listen either to the main car audio content (selected by the driver), but at their own volume setting; or "opt-out" completely and choose their own audio content; or even travel in silence whilst other passengers are enjoying the entertainment. Additional benefits are unlocked when
using other types of media. DVD, Btu-Ray, TV, internet and gaming are growing in-car areas, particularly for children travelling in the rear seats, who can watch screens that are embedded in the rear headrests. Mi technology allows these noisy activities to go on without disturbing the front occupants. (Parents will, however, be able to monitor and control all content and volume levels.) The technology eliminates the need to use fiddly headphones, and unlike headphones, it still allows the occupants of the car to talk to
each other. In fact, in-car communication between the occupants can actually be nhanced, particularly between front and rear passengers, because the hardware naturally supports a high-fidelity in-car intercom option. There are other benefits too. For example, hands-free phone-calls can be handled such that only the person in the car who is actually placing/receiving the call can hear the other end of the line,
improving call privacy and reducing annoyance to the other passengers. Sat-Nav spoken instructions can be announced just to the driver, so that other car occupants are not disturbed. Additionally, the latest Dual View technology will be offered in the product range, allowing a single screen in the centre-front console of the car to display one image to the driver, and another image to the front passenger. They key word
underpinning the Mi products is "personal" - personal audio, personal video, personal choice. The Mi solution brings further consumer benefits, too, in the form of improved audio quality, on account of the fact that the Mi solution embeds speakers into the seat headrests. This allows delivery of a balanced stereo image to all occupants, and reduces frequency-response colouration due to acoustic scattering by
the cabin interior (this technique is known as "near-field monitoring"). Furthermore, the power consumed by the speakers is reduced by a factor of between 10 and 50 times compared to conventionally-located car speakers, due to a commensurate reduction in acoustic path loss, reducing alternator loading, and hence fuel consumption and carbon emissions. Beyond cars, the technology could have other uses too.
It is applicable wherever multiple people are seated, and so it can be used in, for example, public transport of any type - road, rail, air, or sea. Premium seats could offer this feature, for instance. The in-car technology market is believed by the industry to be on the brink of an innovative convergence revolution. Last month, for example, Microsoft devoted most of their presence at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas (the world's largest electronics event) to promoting their Microsoft Auto
operating system, in conjunction with their lead customers Ford, Fiat and Kia. Mi is poised for rapid growth into this exciting multi-billion dollar market. With an ultra-low cost base, a quick-tum and flexible technology platform built from standard components, and experienced management, Mi offers a radical advance that has not been foreseen by the large players. However, to found the business the new
company requires grant funding to complete 18 months of initial research, for which total costs are projected to be £156,440 (£148, 140 of internal costs, £8,300 of external costs). A Research Project grant of £93,444 is needed for this activity, supplemented by £62,996 from the founders- see reference [2].