Connected/Automated Vehicles - Vehicle OBE Functionality

Subsystem Description

The Vehicle On–Board Equipment (OBE) provides the vehicle–based sensory, processing, storage, and communications functions that support efficient, safe, and convenient travel. The Vehicle OBE includes general capabilities that apply to passenger cars, trucks, and motorcycles. Many of these capabilities (e.g., see the Vehicle Safety service packages) apply to all vehicle types including personal vehicles, commercial vehicles, emergency vehicles, transit vehicles, and maintenance vehicles. From this perspective, the Vehicle OBE includes the common interfaces and functions that apply to all motorized vehicles. The radio(s) supporting V2V and V2I communications are a key component of the Vehicle OBE. Both one–way and two–way communications options support a spectrum of information services from basic broadcast to advanced personalized information services. Route guidance capabilities assist in formulation of an optimal route and step by step guidance along the travel route. Advanced sensors, processors, enhanced driver interfaces, and actuators complement the driver information services so that, in addition to making informed mode and route selections, the driver travels these routes in a safer and more consistent manner. This physical object supports all six levels of driving automation as defined in SAE J3016. Initial collision avoidance functions provide 'vigilant co–pilot' driver warning capabilities. More advanced functions assume limited control of the vehicle to maintain lane position and safe headways. In the most advanced implementations, this Physical Object supports full automation of all aspects of the driving task, aided by communications with other vehicles in the vicinity and in coordination with supporting infrastructure subsystems.

Functional Object: Vehicle Cooperative Cruise Control

'Vehicle Cooperative Cruise Control' uses V2V communications to share speeds and coordinate maneuvers with adjacent vehicles in the same lane (a CACC 'string'), maintaining vehicle speed and a safe gap with the predecessor vehicle. It provides the capability for vehicles to cluster into strings of CACC–equipped vehicles with compatible performance characteristics and share speed, location, acceleration/deceleration, path predictions (e.g., intended acceleration/deceleration) with other vehicles in the string. These capabilities are provided by systems on board the vehicle that coordinate with other vehicles and control acceleration and braking. In advanced implementations, the capability to coordinate with the infrastructure to support more advanced clustering strategies and use infrastructure provided target speed and traffic control information to improve performance.

Functional Object: Vehicle Eco-Driving Assist

'Vehicle Eco–Driving Assist' provides customized real–time driving advice to drivers, allowing them to adjust behaviors to save fuel and reduce emissions. This advice includes recommended driving speeds, optimal acceleration and deceleration profiles based on prevailing traffic conditions, and local interactions with nearby vehicles, i.e., processing Basic Safety Messages (BSMs) to determine position and speed of vehicles that are between the host vehicle and the intersection. When approaching and departing signalized intersections, it uses intersection geometry information, the relative position and speed of vehicles ahead of it, and signal phase movement information to provide speed advice to the driver so that the driver can adapt the vehicle's speed to pass the next traffic signal on green, decelerate to a stop in the most eco–friendly manner, or manage acceleration as the vehicle departs from a signalized intersection. It also provides feedback to drivers on their driving behavior to encourage them to drive in a more environmentally efficient manner. It may also support vehicle–assisted strategies, where the vehicle automatically implements the eco–driving strategy (e.g., changes gears, switches power sources, or reduces its speed in an eco–friendly manner as the vehicle approaches a traffic signal or queue).

Functional Object: Vehicle Gap Assist

'Vehicle Gap Assist' uses V2I communications to collect traffic gap information and associated alerts and warnings that are displayed to the driver who is navigating a stop–sign controlled intersection with a major road.

Functional Object: Vehicle Interactive Traveler Information

'Vehicle Interactive Traveler Information' provides drivers with personalized traveler information including traffic and road conditions, transit information, maintenance and construction information, multimodal information, event information, and weather information. The provided information is tailored based on driver requests. Both one–time requests for information and on–going information streams based on a submitted traveler profile and preferences are supported.

Functional Object: Vehicle Intersection Warning

'Vehicle Intersection Warning' uses V2V and V2I communications to monitor other connected vehicles at intersections and support the safe movement of the vehicle through the intersection. Driver warnings are provided and the application may also optionally take control of the vehicle to avoid collisions. The application will also notify the infrastructure and other vehicles if it detects an unsafe infringement on the intersection.

Functional Object: Vehicle Location Determination

'Vehicle Location Determination' receives current location of the vehicle and provides this information to vehicle applications that use the location information to provide ITS services.

Functional Object: Vehicle Map Management

'Vehicle Map Management' supports map updates and makes current map and geometry data available to other applications. It manages map data on–board and provides map data to end–user applications that provide location–based services.

Functional Object: Vehicle Queue Warning

'Vehicle Queue Warning' detects vehicle queues and reports queues to other vehicles using V2V communications and to the infrastructure using V2I communications. Vehicle–based queue warning builds on the exchange of vehicle location and motion and maneuvers that supports connected vehicle safety applications. This application also receives information about downstream queues using I2V communications. Individualized queue warnings and queue characteristics relevant to the vehicle are provided to the driver.

Functional Object: Vehicle Rail Crossing Warning

'Vehicle Rail Crossing Warning ' uses I2V communications to receive alerts of trains entering HRIs and to provide warnings to drivers regarding the trains. The warning can include second train warning (meaning the HRI gates are about to lower, or remain lowered due to the arrival of a second train). The application can also provide vehicle infringement warnings by using the alert information along with vehicle trajectory information to determine that the vehicle will infringe upon a crossing that is (or will be) occupied by a train.

Functional Object: Vehicle Restricted Lanes Application

The 'Vehicle Restricted Lanes Application' monitors and reports its own operating parameters and communicates with roadside equipment to safely enter, operate within, and exit eco–lanes and other controlled–access lanes.

Functional Object: Vehicle Roadside Information Reception

'Vehicle Roadside Information Reception' receives advisories, vehicle signage data, and other driver information and presents this information to the driver using in–vehicle equipment. Information presented may include fixed sign information, traffic control device status (e.g., signal phase and timing data), advisory and detour information, warnings of adverse road and weather conditions, travel times, and other driver information.

Functional Object: Vehicle Safety Monitoring

'Vehicle Safety Monitoring' monitors critical components of the vehicle and warns the driver of safety issues. These capabilities are provided by on–board sensors that monitor vehicle condition and performance, including steering, braking, acceleration, emissions, fuel economy, engine performance, etc.

This functional object can also monitor the driver's condition and warn the driver of potential safety issues. It includes sensors and behavior monitoring capabilities that assess the suitability of the driver (e.g., fitness and alertness) to assume or maintain manual control of the vehicle.

Functional Object: Vehicle Secure Area Access System

'Vehicle Secure Area Access System' provides access to secure areas such as shipping yards, warehouses, airports, transit–only ramps, parking gates and other areas. It accepts inputs from the vehicle driver that include the necessary identity information and uses this information to generate the request to activate a barrier to gain access to the area.

Functional Object: Vehicle Situation Data Monitoring

'Vehicle Situation Data Monitoring' is the highest–level representation of the functionality required to collect traffic and environmental situation data by monitoring and storing the experience of the vehicle as it travels through the road network. Collected data is aggregated into snapshots that are reported when communications is available and with flow control based on parameters provided by the infrastructure. Note that this functional object supports collection of data for areas remote from RSEs or other communications infrastructure.

Functional Object: Vehicle Speed Management Assist

'Vehicle Speed Management Assist' assists the driver in operating the vehicle within the current speed limit. It monitors current vehicle speed and communicates with the infrastructure to receive current speed limits and associated road configuration change notifications. Driver warnings are issued when unsafe or excessive speeds are detected based on the provided speed limits and current conditions.

Functional Object: Vehicle Support Services

'Vehicle Support Services' provides foundational functions that support data collection, management, and distribution. It coordinates with Support subsystems to maintain necessary registrations with respect to location and scope.

Functional Object: Vehicle Traveler Information Reception

'Vehicle Traveler Information Reception' provides the capability for drivers to receive general transportation information including traffic and road conditions, traffic regulations, incident information, maintenance and construction information, event information, transit information, parking information, weather information, and broadcast alerts.

Functional Object: Vehicle Trip Planning and Route Guidance

'Vehicle Trip Planning and Route Guidance' includes the in–vehicle system that coordinates with a traveler information center to provide a personalized trip plan to the driver. The trip plan is calculated by the Transportation Information Center (TIC) based on preferences and constraints supplied by the driver and provided to the driver for confirmation. Reservations and advanced payment may also be processed to confirm the trip plan. Coordination with the TIC may continue during the trip so that the route plan can be modified to account for new information. Many equipment configurations are possible including in–vehicle systems that provide a basic trip plan to the driver as well as more sophisticated systems that can provide turn by turn guidance to the driver along the route.