The uptake of in-vehicle telematics, and hence the market for telematics,has not been as rapid as originally anticipated. One of the main reasons for this could be the lack of integration between applications and the consequent multiplicity of basic functionality, such as location determination, timing, vehicle identification, as well as communications. Such repetition of common functionality clearly impacts on the costs of the individualapplication on-board units, making them less attractive to the cost-conscious buyer and/or impacting the profit margins of vehicle manufacturers. From a technical perspective, the lack of such integration drives further the incompatibility of the applications, and their future evolutions, making the desire for essential levels of European interoperability unobtainable. In turn, the market for telematics continues to suffer. The Universal On-Board Unit (UOBU) project, conceived by the Directorate General for Transport and Energy (DG-TREN) of the European Commission, aims to consider the scope for consolidation of on-board applications, particularly those aimed at delivering European transport policies. The idea of the project is to consolidate the immense work that has been put into the arena to date and identify the need, if there is one, for a platform providing common services, such as location, time, identification and communications, to multiple applications. This is developed to define the requirements for such a platform, how it could be deployed on the road, and the benefits of such a platform. This paper describes the technical perspective of the UOBU, including options for its realisation. For the covering abstract see E134653.
Abstract