Research Overview

Harmonization of International Standards and Architecture around the Vehicle Platform is a process through which various stakeholders, vehicle and equipment manufacturers, standards organizations, and governments work together to agree on common standards.

The vision is for the ITS JPO, in partnership with National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, to participate in international standards harmonization activities focusing on standards "around the vehicle platform:" that is, any standards needed to provide connectivity between vehicles and between vehicles and infrastructure.

Research Goals

• To globally harmonize connected vehicles technologies by taking an active role in developing and harmonizing standards and architecture around the vehicle platform.
• To provide the standardization necessary for vehicles and infrastructure to communicate using widely available, affordable, and interoperable technologies that maximize safety and efficiency.

Research Approach

Overview

The objective of the Standards Harmonization research program is to work with the international standards community to harmonize standards and architecture in order to increase vehicle connectivity. Harmonization facilitates interoperability between products and systems, which can benefit transportation management agencies, vehicle manufacturers, equipment vendors, and others. By overcoming institutional and financial barriers to technology harmonization, stakeholders could realize lower life-cycle costs for the acquisition and maintenance of systems.
Efforts under this research program include collaboration with standards development organizations (SDOs), original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), and other stakeholders to seek agreement and provide appropriate incentives.

Program Tracks

The program uses a multi-track approach to address the range of activities required for research:

• Track 1: Establish a U.S. DOT working group, including NHTSA, ITS JPO, and other appropriate representatives.
• Track 2: Develop a program of work identifying specific harmonization efforts that require negotiation with relevant global authorities.
• Track 3: Engage global authorities to seek agreement on the selection of standards requiring harmonization and provide appropriate Federal Government support (possibly funding) for these efforts.
• Track 4: Provide appropriate Federal government support to ensure maintenance of standards.
• Track 5: Monitor ongoing and future global activities to identify harmonization/standardization opportunities.

As a global industry, it is critical to reduce barriers to standardization and achieve a broad agreement on harmonization that can benefit both the public and the motor vehicle industries. To that end, the Department has established a Joint Declaration of Intent on Research Cooperation in Cooperative Systems with the European Union (EU). The purpose of the agreement is to advance cooperation on research for information and communication technologies, as applied to transportation. The U.S. DOT/RITA and the European Commission Information Society and Media Directorate intend to identify the research areas that would benefit from a harmonized approach and which should be addressed by coordinated or joint research. In particular, the parties intend to make efforts to preclude the development and adoption of redundant standards and to support and accelerate the deployment and adoption of Cooperative Systems.

Research Outcomes

Vehicle connectivity through harmonization of standards and architecture will reduce costs to industry and consumers in that hardware and/or software development costs will be spread over a larger user base, resulting in reduced unit costs.  Differences between vehicles manufactured for different markets will also be minimized, allowing private-sector markets to have a greater set of global opportunities.

Resources

• ITS JPO and European Commission Issue Joint Statement on the Harmonization of Core Safety Message Sets and the Commitment to a Vienna ITS World Congress Showcase that Demonstrates Our Collaborative Work Together

Research Contact

To learn more about this research, contact:

Steve Sill
Program Manager, Vehicle Safety Technology, ITS Architecture and Standards
ITS Joint Program Office
Research and Innovative Technology Administration
(202) 366-1603
steve.sill@dot.gov