The General Motor Corporation was founded, although at the time it was called "Olds Motor Vehicle Company Inc. Founded father, Samuel L. Smith produced the first Oldsmobile named the Curveu Dash Oldsmobile which sold for a sticker price of $650.00. Since that time, The General Motors Corporation has made some serious advancement in vehicle design, performance and technology.
In 2006, General Motors was ranked by Fortune 500 as being the world’s fifth largest corporation, with revenues exceeding $192 million.
1. Exxon Mobil
2. Wal-Mart Stores
3. Royal Dutch Shell
4. BP
5. General Motors
6. Chevron
7. DaimlerChrysler
8. Toyota Motor
9. Ford Motor
10. ConocoPhillips
OnStar's in-vehicle safety, security, and information services use Global Positioning System (GPS) satellite and cellular technology to link the vehicle and driver to the OnStar Center. At the OnStar Center, advisors offer real-time, personalized help 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.One of OnStar’s many features is the vehicle emergency safety response option, where communications between the vehicle’s operator and the OnStar communication center is established upon vehicle impact. A gentleman and his wife from Truro Nova Scotia indicated that when their vehicle was struck in an intersection, the vehicle’s airbag was deployed and an OnStar agent was communicating with them before the vehicle came to a resting position. Luckily no one was injured during the accident. Stories of rescues initiated by the OnStar communications center were frequent in the office of General Motors. In California, a vehicles airbag was deployed and the communication’s center attempted contact with the occupant. When communications failed, the OnStar employee utilized the vehicle’s GPS system and located the vehicle in the Ocean. The Coast Guard was immediately contacted and rescued the occupant.
GM Advanced Automatic Crash Notification System (AACN)
Figure 1: The GM advanced automatic crash notification (AACN) system uses front and side sensors as well as the sensing capabilities of the Sensing and Diagnostic Module (SDM) itself. The accelerometer located within the SDM measures the crash severity.
Figure 2: In the event of a moderate to severe frontal or side-impact crash, data is transmitted from the affected sensors to the SDM. The SDM sensor also can identify a rear impact of sufficient severity. Regardless of whether the air bags deploy, the SDM transmits crash information to the vehicle's OnStar module.
Figure 3: Within seconds of a moderate to severe crash, the OnStar module will send a message to the OnStar Call Center (OCC) through a cellular connection, informing the advisor that a crash has occurred. A voice connection between the advisor and the vehicle occupants is established. The advisor then can conference in 911 dispatch or a public safety answering point (PSAP), which determines if emergency services are necessary. If there is no response from the occupants, the advisor can provide the emergency dispatcher with the crash information from the SDM that reveals the severity of the crash. The dispatcher can identify what emergency services may be appropriate. Using the Global Positioning System (GPS) satellite, OnStar advisors are able to tell emergency workers the location of the vehicle.
Number and location of sensors and SDM may vary depending on vehicle model.
These are the features of the new generation of the OnStar systems. Which won OnStar the Popular Science’s “2006 Best of What’s New Award”
The Directions & Connections plan provides OnStar’s safety, security, and convenience services including:
· OnStar Turn-by-Turn Navigation
· OnStar Vehicle Diagnostics
· Information and Convenience Services
· Automatic Notification of Air Bag Deployment
· Advanced Automatic Crash Notification
· Emergency Services
· OnStar Hands-Free Calling
· Remote Door Unlock
· Stolen Vehicle Location Assistance
· Roadside Assistance
· Accident Assist
· Remote Horn and Lights
I have personally only used the OnStar system once in my life. I had one of GM’s distributors call me in a panic because our warehouse facility had shorted them on product that was desperately needed. Apparently they had a customer at their counter requiring the product ASAP. If GM used an RDIF system in the warehousing operations, I would have been able to check our systems for the error and availability of the product. As it was, I went to the warehouse grabbed the missing product and headed out to the distributor’s facility. I was not aware that the customer had constructed a new building and had moved locations. I established communications with an OnStar representative and she was able to direct me to the customer, she actually stayed in contact with me until I reached my destination and indicated every time I was to turn, in which direction, and told me when I was going to cross a railway track.
