G-Book is a telematics

Telematics

Telematics typically is any integrated use of telecommunications and informatics, also known as ICT...

 subscription service currently provided by Toyota Motor Corporation

Toyota Motor Corporation

, , , commonly known simply as Toyota and abbreviated as TMC, is a multinational automaker headquartered in Toyota, Aichi, Japan. In 2010, Toyota Motor Corporation employed 317,734 people worldwide, and was the world's largest automobile manufacturer by production.The company was founded by...

 in Japan for its Toyota- and Lexus

Lexus

is the luxury vehicle division of Japanese automaker Toyota Motor Corporation. First introduced in 1989 in the United States, Lexus is now sold globally and has become Japan's largest-selling make of premium cars. The Lexus marque is marketed in over 70 countries and territories worldwide, and has...

-branded vehicles. G-Book allows users to link with cellphones (such as the Toshiba T003 cellphone ), personal digital assistants (PDA

PDA

A PDA is most commonly a Personal digital assistant, also known as a Personal data assistant, a mobile electronic device.PDA may also refer to:In science, medicine and technology:...

)'s, personal computers (PC) and G-Book equipped cars across Japan. It is based on the former GAZOO infrastructure (renamed Toyota Media Service Corporation) of Toyota's membership-based information service and membership system, and it provides interactive information services via vehicle installed touch-screen wireless communication terminals. Plans are in the works to possibly control home appliances and home security systems from inside the vehicle. A proprietary service with additional functions for the Lexus division, G-Link, debuted on Japan-market Lexus models starting in model year 2006. Toyota made available G-Book devices as optional equipment in all Japanese domestic market Toyota, Daihatsu and Lexus vehicles starting with model year 2007. An article posted by "Response.jp" stated in an article on July 15, 2009 that Toyota was introducing G-Book in a specially identified Toyota Camry to be sold in Beijing, China. As of November 2009 the G-Book-equipped Camry is available in Shanghai

Shanghai

Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...

 as well. G-Book was also introduced on Lexus models in China in 2009.

Technology

There are three versions of G-Book currently being offered; G-Book mX (and G-Book mX Pro), G-Book Alpha (and G-Book Alpha Pro) and G-Book.

Some of the services G-Book offers are a Safety and Security service, which aids in requesting a tow truck and vehicle location service, Live Navigation where an operator gives turn-by-turn directions, Information Service which provides news, weather forecasts and stock market information, Communication Service that offers the ability to send and receive web based e-mail, and post and read on message boards, E-commerce Service, that allows merchandise to be purchased from the GAZOO Shopping Mall, and a live operator is available through OSS (Operator Support Service) for various issues.
One of the features offered exclusively on G-Book mX is Probe Communication Traffic Information. According to the press release from Toyota dated April 10, 2007, "This unique Toyota traffic information service gathers driving data – such as speed and position – from vehicles equipped with G-Book mX to provide drivers with alternate routes for avoiding traffic congestion. Because it makes use of the on-board DCM (data communications module), the information gathering capability of this service is superior to similar systems, which rely solely on cell phones, and efficiently stores information about traffic congestion in real time at the G-Book Center. In this way the Probe Communication Traffic Information service supplements Vehicle Information and Communication System

Vehicle Information and Communication System

Vehicle Information and Communication System is a technology used in Japan for delivering traffic and travel information to road vehicle drivers.It can be compared with the European TMC technology.It can be transmitted using:* Infrared...

 (VICS) information with updates on traffic congestion, providing drivers with highly accurate predictions about the current traffic situation and suggestions for the best alternate routes to take." This feature is being marketed as an ability to drive eco-friendly, by helping to avoid pollution created by cars idling in traffic and allowing the driver to reach their destination sooner, and affording the opportunity to turn the car off, limiting emissions being added to the atmosphere.

The wireless communications for Japan-market cars are handled by the DCM and transmits and receives information on the wireless network owned by Japanese telecommunications provider KDDI Corporation

KDDI

is a Japanese telecommunications operator formed in October 2000 through the merger of DDI Corp., KDD Corp., and IDO Corp. It has its headquarters in the Garden Air Tower in Iidabashi, Chiyoda, Tokyo....

 headquartered in Okinawa. The cellular platform used is the CDMA2000

CDMA2000

CDMA2000 is a family of 3G mobile technology standards, which use CDMA channel access, to send voice, data, and signaling data between mobile phones and cell sites. The set of standards includes: CDMA2000 1X, CDMA2000 EV-DO Rev. 0, CDMA2000 EV-DO Rev. A, and CDMA2000 EV-DO Rev. B...

 1x (CDMA 1X) method, and it is possible to receive up to 144kbit/s data. The same DCM is used for China-market models, thus the network provider for China-market G-Book services is China Telecom

China Telecom

China Telecom Corp. Ltd. is a Chinese state-owned telecommunication company. It is the largest fixed line service and 3rd largest mobile telecommunication provider in the People's Republic of China.-Sectors:...

. Currently map updates and music downloads are not available for China-market G-Book-enabled cars, and traffic information is only available in Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen.

G-Book Alpha Pro, mX Pro DCM-only, as well as CDMA2000 1xEV-DO (CDMA 1X WIN) can send up to 2.4Mbit/s of data, and the DCM supports hands-free calls. The DCM model is also equipped with its own GPS receiver and features, to track a stolen vehicle, and it also has an emergency notification ability to transmit the location of airbag deployment.

Secure Digital (SD) card-compatible terminal

According to a press release from Toyota dated August 28, 2002 "Navigational maps and the on-board terminal's basic software are stored in a Secure Digital (SD) card. The card can be inserted into "E-TOWER" terminals at convenience stores and other locations to download local or new maps or to upgrade the on-board terminal's basic software. Music and games can also be downloaded, and the SD card is compatible with commercially available audio players, digital cameras and PDAs that use SD cards, making it possible to share content such as music files, images and games." E-Tower locations can be found at numerous locations, including Circle K

Circle K

Circle K is an international chain of convenience stores, founded in 1951, in El Paso, Texas, United States. It is owned and operated by the Canadian-based Alimentation Couche-Tard.-Overview:...

 of Japan.

G-Link

Offered at Lexus' Japanese domestic market launch in 2005, G-Link is the proprietary Lexus telematics system for the Japanese market. G-Link has a different software configuration versus G-Book, particularly in its link to the 24-hour Lexus Owner's Desk hotline, and is offered standard for the first three years of ownership. Other aspects of the system at its 2005 launch were based on G-Book Alpha capabilities. The G-Link software runs off of the vehicle's hard disc drive navigation system and song library, and includes traffic updates, HelpNet compatibility, and the G-Security service. The G-Security service includes cellphone notification of vehicle lock and position status. A G-Sound music distribution service offers samples and downloading to the vehicle's hard disc drive of MP3

MP3

MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 Audio Layer III, more commonly referred to as MP3, is a patented digital audio encoding format using a form of lossy data compression...

s from different genres. A U.S. equivalent of the G-Link system with similar but not identical functionality, called Lexus Enform with Safety Connect, was launched in 2009.

In 2006, Japanese media reported that a Lexus-branded cellphone was also being produced with compatibility for the G-Link system. This cellphone would be produced in conjunction with the KDDI

KDDI

is a Japanese telecommunications operator formed in October 2000 through the merger of DDI Corp., KDD Corp., and IDO Corp. It has its headquarters in the Garden Air Tower in Iidabashi, Chiyoda, Tokyo....

 telecommunications service provider.

Related versions

Toyota is currently working with other Japanese car manufacturers, such as Mitsubishi, Subaru and Daihatsu to provide the service in the Japanese language. Mazda has also agreed to offer the service in Japan, with an intent to install the service starting with the 2005 model. Competing services are called "Nissan Car Wings", and Internavi

Internavi

Internavi is a vehicle telematics service offered by the Honda Motor Company to drivers in Japan. It provides mobile connectivity for on-demand traffic information services and internet provided maps displayed inside select Honda vehicles. The service began August 1997 and was first offered in the...

 "Internavi Premium Club (Japanese)" by Honda. In the U.S., the Safety Connect

Safety Connect

Safety Connect is a subscription-based telematics system introduced by Toyota Motor Corporation in 2009 for its Toyota-branded and Lexus models. The system provides communications, roadside assistance, car safety, remote diagnostics, and other services...

 system was produced based on the G-Book system architecture, with similar functionality, along with an expanded Lexus Enform service.

The G-Book feature is similar to "W44T" offered in Japan by Toshiba, and "Pipit" in an agreement with Toyota and Willcom

Willcom

is a Japanese PHS operator, offering flat-rate wireless network data transmission and flat-rate voice calls for its subscribers.The company was formerly known as DDI Pocket, a subsidiary of KDDI. In 2004, the Carlyle Group acquired a majority stake from KDDI and changed the name of the company in...

 in Japan.

See also

• MyFord Touch
  MyFord Touch
  MyFord Touch is an in-car communications and entertainment system developed by the Ford Motor Company and Microsoft. The technology comes factory installed with Ford's product offerings and is based on the Microsoft Auto 4.0 software platform. It is regarded as the next-generation of Ford Sync...
  
  
• Ford Sync
  Ford Sync
  Ford SYNC is a factory-installed, integrated in-vehicle communications and entertainment system that allows users to make hands-free telephone calls and control music and other functions using voice commands...
  
  
• Microsoft Auto
  Microsoft Auto
  Windows Embedded Automotive is an embedded operating system based on Windows CE for use on computer systems in automobiles...
  
  
• Bluetooth
  Bluetooth
  Bluetooth is a proprietary open wireless technology standard for exchanging data over short distances from fixed and mobile devices, creating personal area networks with high levels of security...
  
  
• OnStar
  OnStar
  OnStar Corporation is a subsidiary of General Motors that provides subscription-based communications, in-vehicle security, hands free calling, turn-by-turn navigation, and remote diagnostics systems throughout the United States, Canada and China. A similar service is known as ChevyStar in Latin...
  
  
• Kia UVO
  Kia UVO
  Kia UVO is an in-car infotainment system with advanced voice- and touch-activated features. Kia UVO, short for 'Your Voice,' provides simple and quick access to vehicle's multimedia and infotainment systems. It is much like Ford Sync and is developed by Microsoft and Kia and is be available on new...
  
  
• BMW Assist
  BMW Assist
  BMW Assist is a cellular based automotive roadside assistance service offered by BMW. BMW Assist is similar to GM's OnStar or Mercedes-Benz services as they both use the cellular network and Global Positioning telemetry to locate or guide the vehicle...
  
  
• Fiat Blue&Me
  Blue&Me
  Blue&Me is an infotainment system for Fiat Group cars based on Microsoft Auto and developed in a partnership between Magneti Marelli and Microsoft Corporation. The system is based on modular structure which allows installation and use of arbitrary services. The system offers Bluetooth and USB...
  
  
• MSN Direct
  MSN Direct
  MSN Direct is an FM radio-based digital service which allows 'SPOT' portable devices to receive information from MSN services. Devices that support MSN Direct include wristwatches, desktop clocks, in-car GPS satellite navigation units, and even small appliances such as coffee makers...
  
  
• Mercedes COMAND
  Comand APS
  Cockpit Management and Data system - COMAND for short - acts as a “command center” for all audio, telematics and telecommunications functions on Mercedes-Benz vehicles...
  
  

External links

• G-Book - official website (Japanese)
• G-Book listing - list of all Toyota vehicles that have G-Book offered as an option (Japanese)
• Lexus G-Link - official website for the Lexus telematics service (Japanese)
• G-Link listing - list of Lexus vehicles and Bluetooth compatibility with G-Link (Japanese)