Traveler 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 Basic Toll/Parking Payment
'Vehicle Basic Toll/Parking Payment' includes the traditional on–board systems that pay for tolls and parking electronically. It includes the in–vehicle equipment that communicates with the toll/parking plaza and an optional interface to a carry–in payment device. See also 'Vehicle Payment Services', which provides a broader range of payment services.
Functional Object: Vehicle Control Automation
'Vehicle Control Automation' provides lateral and/or longitudinal control of a vehicle to allow 'hands off' and/or 'feet off' driving, automating the steering, accelerator, and brake control functions. It builds on the sensors included in 'Vehicle Safety Monitoring' and 'Vehicle Control Warning' and uses the information about the area surrounding the vehicle to safely control the vehicle. It covers the range of incremental control capabilities from driver assistance systems that take over steering or acceleration/deceleration in limited scenarios with direct monitoring by the driver to full automation where all aspects of driving are automated under all roadway and environmental conditions.
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 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 Platoon Operations
'Vehicle Platoon Operations' provides the capability for vehicles to operate in cooperative platoons with short fixed gaps and a designated lead vehicle. These capabilities are provided by systems on board the vehicle that coordinate with other vehicles and regulate acceleration and braking and provide higher–level functions that enable vehicles to join and depart from vehicle platoons.