Intelligent Transport Systems

Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) include telematics and all types of communications in vehicles, between vehicles (e.g. car-to-car), and between vehicles and fixed locations (e.g. car-to-infrastructure). However, ITS are not restricted to Road Transport - they also include the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) for rail, water and air transport, including navigation systems.

In general, the various types of ITS rely on radio services for communication and use specialized technologies.

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Automotive systems

Currently, there are currently the following projects related to automotive ITS:

• Dedicated Short-Range Communications (DSRC) provide communications between the vehicle and the roadside in specific locations (for example toll plazas). Applications such as Electronic Fee Collection (EFC) will operate over DSRC.
• Wireless Communications Systems dedicated to Intelligent Transport Systems and Road Transport and Traffic Telematics will provide network connectivity to vehicles and interconnect them. Using radio bands requires adequate Harmonized Standards which are under development for the bands 5 GHz and 63 GHz.
• Continuous Air interface Long and Medium range (CALM) provides continuous communications between a vehicle and the roadside using a variety of communication media, including cellular, 5 GHz, 63 GHz and infra-red links. CALM will provide a range of applications, including vehicle safety and information, as well as entertainment for driver and passengers.

These technological projects form part of wider initiatives on matters such as road safety (for example the European Commission's eSafety initiative) and road tolling.

Railway systems

The railways industries have agreed to use GSM for the signalling on high speed railways, as well as for conventional railways when interoperating across national boarders. Within Europe, interoperability of high-speed railways is a regulatory requirement, addressed by the European Commission's Directive 96/48/EC.

Aeronautical and maritime systems

Aeronautical applications extend from professional services, such as air traffic control systems, to services for passengers, such as onboard telephony, and ETSI is responsible for specifying many of them.

Maritime applications support routine maritime operations, including navigation, as well as safety purposes. ETSI is responsible for producing a range of technical standards and reports concerning radio equipment and system for maritime and inland waterways use.

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NEWS OCTOBER 2011

During the October ETSI ITS meetings in ETSI the TR 102 862 on STDMA Performance and a number of new work items for transition of Technical Specifications to ENs were approved in order to take forward the commitment to the EC standardization Mandate M//453. Furthermore, a technical specification on management information base had been approved by Remote Consensus.

TC ITS also agreed to a release oriented approach for the elaboration and publication of standards on ITS. The 1st release will include a consistent set of standards for the initial deployment of Cooperative ITS as provided in the response to the European Commission Mandate M/453. An ETSI Technical Report will outline which standards are part of this Release 1. Along with this, TC ITS will agree on an overview of the standards to be developed for Release 2.

Application Requirements and facility layer standards

TC ITS approved the following technical specifications:

The following new work items had been adopted

• Revision of TS 102 868-2 CAM TSS&TP
• Revision of TS 102 868-3 CAM ATS
• Revision of TS 102 869-2 DENM TSS&TP
• Revision of TS 102 869-3 DENM ATS
• Revision of TR 102 638 Basic set of Applications definitions
• Revision of TS 102 637-1 BSA Functional Requirements

Architecture and Cross Layer

The following new work items adopted:

• Revision of EN 302 665 on ITS Communications Architecture 

Transport and Network

The following new work item had been adopted:

• Revision and conversion to an EN of TS 102 636-1 on GeoNetworking- Requirements

• Revision and conversion to an EN of TS 102 636-2 on GeoNetworking - Scenarios

• Revision and conversion to an EN of TS 102 636-3 on GeoNetworking - Network Architecture

• Revision and conversion to an EN of TS 102 636-4-1 on GeoNetworking-Media independent functionalities

• Revision and conversion to an EN of TS 102 636-5-1 on GeoNetworking - Basic transport protocols

• Revision and conversion to an EN of TS 102 636-6-1 on GeoNetworking – Internet integration

Media and Media related topics

WG4 has planned to start the work on conversion of the European profile standard on ITS G5 (ES 202 663) into an EN. This work will take place in parallel with the final adoption of the changes of IEEE 802.11 which is envisaged to be finalized in March 2012.

TC ITS approved the following Technical specification:

• TR 102 862 on STDMA Performance for publication
• TR 102 861 on STDMA parameter setting will be submitted to the remote consensus

Coexistence ad hoc group:

• Two measurement campaigns and initial simulations have been conducted with positive results. TR 102 960 with results ready for approval. Results to be included in TS 102 792. Final simulations to be conducted in January 2012. 

Security

Activities in line with the Mandate M/453 plans.

Other topics

A joint CEN/ETSI progress report in response of the EC Standardization Mandate M/453 will be forwarded to the European Commission in November 2012. The report will be made available on the ETSI TC ITS web site.

The following Specialist Task Forces are still ongoing within ETSI:

• STF 395 ITS Radio Channel, phase 2 finalized – STF completion awaiting the results of the co-existence ad hoc group
• STF 420 G5 radio channel
• STF 421 Test G5 radio
• STF 422 Test Euro Toll
• STF 423 ITS security
• STF 424 ITS test platform

3 new STFs have been suggested by ETSI TC ITS:

• Local Dynamic Map (LDM) Standardisation for vehicle ITS Station. This activity is expected to be developed in coordination with a similar CEN Project Team
• GeoNetworking media-dependent specification
• Test suite for IPv6 networking protocols for Cooperative ITS (C-ITS)
  Final approval from European Commission is still pending

Furthermore an STF proposal for test bed for general C-ITS standard conformant equipment was considered but not approved by the TC ITS. Based on improvement and explanation of the background of the document possible solutions for EU/EFTA funding will be negotiated.

ETSI TC ITS Work Items

ETSI TC ITS is currently developing 124 work items.

European Commission Mandate M/453

The European Commission has issued a Standardization Mandate on cooperative ITS on 6 October 2009.

The Mandate is an important element in the European Commission ITS action plan and is a strong political support to the ITS standardization work with requirements to ETSI and CEN/CENELEC to produce a minimum set of standards in the field of cooperative systems to ensure interoperability for vehicle to vehicle communications (V2V), for vehicle to infrastructure communications (V2I) and for communications between infrastructure operators. The standardization activities should be divided into communication, information and security standards. 

The Mandate requires EN standards (European Norm based on national votes) but also related technical specifications and Reports to cover also test specifications for the standards to be developed. Special focus on the EC Decision for the 5,9 GHz spectrum for ITS safety related applications is underlined in the Mandate.

The Mandate requires a minimum set of standards (EN) for interoperability and ETSI has committed itself to develop 65 standards across the whole communication architecture before mid 2012. So fare 27 of the required technical specifications and standards have been developed and approved. 

Global Standardization activities

The political initiative to harmonize standards and applications has been progressed in meetings between stakeholders as well as within the EU-US-JP task force. In particular interregional discussions have taken place in connection with the revision and conversion of the technical specifications on CAM and DENM messages to ENs. 

ITS Workshop in Doha, February 2012

Based on the successful ETSI TC ITS workshop in Venice February 2011 with more than 140 participants from a variety of stakeholders and with representatives for all over the world next year's workshop is now being planned.

ETSI TC ITS agreed on the agenda and the session outlines for the workshop scheduled for 07-09 February 2012 in Doha, Qatar. It is envisaged that this particular location and the extensive program will attract participants from Asia, Africa and Europe as well as USA and Canada. Call for papers and contributions are now available on the ETSI TC ITS web site.

ETSI Interoperability Event 2011/2012

TC ITS supports the plug tests/interoperability event on cooperative ITS 14-18 November in Helmond, Netherlands and the following events in May/June 2012 hosted by IFSTTAR in Versailles nearby Paris. The events are arranged in close cooperation between ETSI CTI and ERTICO.

Future activities

• ETSI TC ITS working group meetings 16-19 January 2012 in Sophia Antipolis, France
• ITS#10 meeting 23-27 April 2012 in Sophia Antipolis, France
• ETSI TC ITS working group meetings 19-21 June 2012 in Sophia Antipolis
• ITS#11 meeting is planned in connection with the ITS World Congress in Vienna  (15-19 October 2012) 

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