Vehicle based computing systems, such as the FORD SYNC system are growing in popularity. Using various sources of vehicle information, driver inputs and connections to vehicle systems, the SYNC system can add a variety of functionality and novelty to the driving experience.
Furthermore, systems such as SYNC can often communicate with remote devices either to gain information from those devices, or to use those devices to access a remote network. For example, in one instance, SYNC can communicate with a cellular phone, and use the cellular phone's ability to communicate with a remote network to send and receive information to and from the remote network. In another example, SYNC can query a GPS navigational device, such as a TOMTOM, and receive navigational information.
In addition to querying a device, such as a TOMTOM to receive navigational information, SYNC can also communicate with the TOMTOM and provide instructions, often comparable to pressing a selection on the TOMTOM's screen, through the SYNC system. The instructions can be provided, for example, by a spoken driver command processed through the SYNC system.