Abstract
Keywords Software-intensive systems, open application platform, software reuse, Java/OSGi, multimedia and telematics
Abstract According to facts and trends in the automotive area an increase of software-based functions, increased interaction between individual functions of different vehicle do-mains and flexible integration of new functions and devices during the vehicle life-time can be expected. Therefore, automotive suppliers will have to deal with complex software-intensive systems which imply longer and less predictable development cycles. To cope with this problem future automotive systems should be based on an open software architecture which allows a high reuse of software components, a high degree of flexibility and usage of components of the shelf.
An open software architecture is defined as a component-based architecture with standardised software interfaces and a standardised run-time environment. Key benefits of this architec-tural approach for terminal manufacturers are shorter product development cycles, reduction of the development costs and risks, manageable software-intensive systems, a common architecture for different product generations/lines, provision of additional functionalities during the vehicle life-time and easier market deployment.
A potential software technology which fulfils the addressed requirements is the Java-based application platform specified by the Open Service Gateway Initiative (OSGi). The platform was originally conceived for home automation applications as a remotely managed black-box solution and provides a common and standardised environment for the dynamic management of software components. Additional functionalities with respect to system operation, configuration, maintenance, security and networking must be considered in an automotive environment.
This paper presents a potential approach for future automotive systems based on an open software architecture, existing software technologies and public standards with a focus on the multimedia and telematics domains. The potential of the considered system concept is described on the bases of dedicated use cases partially been evaluated in cooperation with automobile manufactures and service providers within several European R&D projects.