Nokia has revealed that it intends to accelerate the development of mobile phone in-vehicle control capabilities, with the upcoming release of the Nokia Car Mode app (video posted below).

This app makes it easy and intuitive for drivers and passengers to access maps, satellite navigation (provided by Nokia Drive), traffic updates, and music and voice calls, whilst driving in their cars. According to the Finnish phone giant, this will eliminate the need to own a separate music player or satellite navigation system.

Users also do not have to familiarise themselves with a completely new and foreign interface, as their own mobile device’s features and services are displayed on the car’s multimedia display, which also assists in avoiding driver distraction. The latter is because the driver doesn’t have to focus on driving the car, as well as trying to operate his mobile phone, since he can access its functionality via his car’s multimedia infotainment system.

This application will be available for download from Nokia's Ovi Store during Q4 2011 for the Nokia 600, Nokia 700, Nokia 701, as well as other smartphones that have been updated to Nokia’s forthcoming Symbian Belle mobile operating system (OS). It will also be available for the company’s MeeGo-operating Nokia N9 smartphone.

Nokia Car Mode is the first solution supporting the MirrorLink standard (previously known as Terminal Mode), which enables an enhanced manner of connecting smartphones with in-car displays, satellite controls on a car’s steering wheel as well as its speaker system. MirrorLink is a standard smartphone-to-car connectivity platform, driven by over 20 major global brands from across different industries, within the Car Connectivity Consortium (CCC).

“MirrorLink is a big leap forward in allowing car drivers to access their favourite smartphone stuff,” said Floris van de Klashorst, director of Automotive Services in Nokia’s Location & Commerce business.

“Users have maps, music and plenty of other features on their phones; MirrorLink unlocks them for when they’re in their cars.”

In related news patent licencing firm MOSAID Technologies also recently announced that it  acquired Core Wireless Licensing, along with a portfolio of 400 patent families, consisting of around 2000 of Nokia’s wireless patents and patent applications.