e.Digital Corporation (fka EDIG)

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Chip Set for Hands-Free Cellular Being Used by Motorola and CellPort

LAS VEGAS (Jan. 3, 2000) -- Lucent's Microelectronics Group today announced a chip set for hands-free cellular phone products that eliminates the need for manually dialing and reduces background noise so drivers can be heard more clearly.

The announcement is being made during this week's Consumer Electronics Show here.

CellPort Systems of Boulder, Colorado, will use Lucent's digital signal processor (DSP)-based chip set in the company's universal hands-free system, scheduled to be introduced in the first quarter. The Telematics Communications Group of Motorola will use the chip set in its hands-free phone systems slated for use in Motorola's embedded telematics systems, which they expect to be available by 2001.

"Lucent's high-powered DSP definitely does a much better job of suppressing the multitude of in-cabin automobile background noises, such as wind, passenger movement, and echo, than the several other DSP chips we tested," said Doug Daniels, vice president, marketing and sales, CellPort Systems. "The Lucent solution helps the driver using a hands-free cellular phone talk in a more normal voice without needing to speak unnaturally, as is typical with other systems available today.

"Most people limit their cell phone sound volumes to avoid echoes," added Daniels. "Lucent's echo cancellation also allows drivers to listen to the far side speaker at high volume levels without annoying howling or echoes."

Targeted for use in the range of hands-free markets, including automotive telematics, embedded cell phone hands-free kits, and completely portable hands-free kits, Lucent's DSP operates at 100 million instructions per second. On a single DSP chip, Lucent can simultaneously enable voice recognition; hands-free, full-duplex speakerphone functions including adaptive acoustic echo cancellation, line echo cancellation, and noise suppression; simultaneous voice and data; and voice memo recording functions.

Because of its DSP horsepower, Lucent reduces the chips typically required for such functions from three to one, thereby reducing overall circuit board and component costs for its customers. "We know of no other company that can offer as many simultaneous hands-free cellular phone functions on one DSP," said Daniels.

The Advanced Communications Technology Center of Bell Labs developed several key software algorithms for the Lucent DSP offering. The algorithms were fine-tuned for the hands-free application, tapping Bell Labs' extensive experience in speech, audio, and other communications technologies.

Lucent's entry into this automotive market draws on capabilities from other areas of the company's communications integrated circuits business, such as wireless, access, and computing systems.

"This new market pursuit shows yet again how focused we are on communications semiconductor applications, where we are the world leader," said Rob Franzo, director of the Automotive Products Group within Lucent's Microelectronics Group. "As communications technology and automotive electronics converge, Lucent will be positioned to provide solutions to the automotive market."

There is worldwide momentum driving the hands-free cellular phone market. Twenty countries, including England, Australia and Brazil, currently have laws requiring use of hands-free cellular phones in automobiles; Hawaii, New Jersey, New York, and 11 other U.S. states have introduced legislation to implement hands-free cellular phone laws. Brooklyn, Ohio has already passed a local hands-free law.

Approximately 45% of wireless subscribers in 1999 purchased or planned to purchase hands-free kits, which equals close to 13 million units in the United States alone, according to the Yankee Group 1999 Mobile User Survey. "Hands-free is quickly becoming the most popular wireless phone accessory, eclipsed today only by carrying cases and extra batteries," said Phillip Redman, associate director of wireless/mobile communications. "As more data-oriented applications emerge augmented by more accurate speech recognition systems on wireless networks, using phones hands-free will become critical and provide subscribers a greater ease of use and added safety."

Hands-free functions are used more often in wireless phones than any other features, including message waiting indicator, last number redial, and spell dial, according to a 1998 Yankee Group study of approximately 1,000 wireless phone users.

Lucent's offering consists of the DSP1627 and DSP1629, both of which operate at 100 MIPS and 2.7 volts. The DSP1627 has 32 kilowords of read only memory (ROM) and 6 kilowords of random access memory (RAM). The DSP1629 has 48 kilowords of ROM and 16 kilowords of RAM on chip. A complementary part of the offering is Lucent's CSP1027 coder/decoder (codec) chip.

Lucent's complete chip set solutions, based on both the DSP1627 and DSP1629, are now available in sample quantities, and in high volumes in the first quarter of 2000. The DSP1629-based chip set is priced under $17 in quantities of 100,000, with a feature rich complement of software functionality and two linear codecs.

Both chips can be used in the various global wireless standards including Global System for Mobile (GSM) Communications, code division multiple access (CDMA), time division multiple access, and advanced mobile phone system.

For more product information, customers may call the Microelectronics Group Customer Response Center, 1-800-372-2447, Dept. #N25 (in Canada, 1-800-553-2448); fax number [phone] (especially for callers outside of North America) or write to Lucent Technologies, Room 30L-15P-BA, 555 Union Boulevard, Allentown, Pa. 18103.

Lucent's Microelectronics Group designs and manufactures integrated circuits and optoelectronic components for the computer and communications industries.

Additional information about the Microelectronics Group is available from its web site at <http://www.lucent.com/micro/handsfree>.

Additional information about Motorola's automotive telematics systems is available at <http://www.telematics.motorola.com>.

CellPort Systems, Inc., is a Boulder, Colorado-based, privately held company that develops and markets mobile, wireless connectivity products for cellular phone, Telematics, Intelligent Transport Systems and mobile "infotainment" systems. The company provides technical solutions for voice applications through its CellPort Universal Hands-Free Connectivity System. For vehicle-based data network and wireless connectivity, the company's CP2100 represents the industry's first off-the-shelf product to provide an open technical architecture that combines server, router and wireless gateway functionality. CellPort is a member of the IDB Forum and Telematics Supplier Consortium. More information about CellPort can be found at <http://www.cellport.com>.