2008 IEEE Asia-Pacific Services Computing Conference

An SDR-based Wireless Communication Gateway for Vehicle Networks

Boncheol Gu, Junyoung Heo, Sangchul Oh, Namhoon Park, Gwangil Jeon, and Yookun Cho Electronics and Korea Polytechnic Seoul National Seoul National University Telecommunications University University Research Institute {bcgu, jyheo}@os.snu.ac.kr {scoh, nhpark}@etri.re.kr gijeon@kpu.ac.kr ykcho@snu.ac.kr Abstract
As telematics and infotainment services are becoming more and more prevalent on the roadway, modern vehicles need to be equipped to support various wireless communication standards. The conventional ways for implementing those standards are dependent on their dedicated hardware chips, and thus in order to add a new standard or change an obsolete standard, a new dedicated hardware chip should be installed. Software defined radio (SDR) technology enables software components running on a generic hardware platform to perform signal processing instead of hardware chips. Thus, it is possible to support multi-standard, multi-band and multi-mode solutions and easy to enhance and reconfigure wireless communication. In this paper, we propose an SDR-based wireless communication gateway for vehicle networks. It integrates multiple wireless devices into one single wireless gateway reducing maintenance costs of hardware chips and improving flexibility, adaptability and connectivity of wireless communication. In order to provide the proof of concept, we present its application to digital multimedia broadcasting service. electronics [5]. Generally, these wireless protocols are implemented in the corresponding dedicated hardware chips which have some disadvantages such as increased maintenance costs of multiple wireless devices. Support of new wireless technologies is expensive in terms of deploying time and costs. Configuring wireless communication require unavoidable modification of hardware. This hardware dependent implementation has been a hindrance to the adoption of telematics and infotainment services. Software defined radio (SDR) is the next generation radio communication technology which offers several benefits to traditional wireless communication systems, enabling multi-band and multi-standard solutions. Many of the signal processing is moved from hardware chips such as ASIC (application-specific integrated circuits) to software components running on a generic hardware platform. In this way, SDR equipment and network devices can be controlled by programming its waveform software and be reconfigured and updated in order to improve its features, security protocols, performance and services. In this paper, we propose a novel wireless communication gateway for vehicle networks. It is based on SDR technologies to support wireless communication occurring in vehicles. The proposed gateway can reduce the maintenance costs of multiple wireless devices and improve flexibility, adaptability, portability and connectivity of wireless communication services. In order to provide the proof of concept, we present its application to digital multimedia broadcasting service. The remainder of this paper is organized as follows. Section 2 introduces AMI-C, which is one of the representative modern vehicle network standards, and presents an overview of the SDR technology. Section 3 describes the proposed wireless communication gateway based on SDR technology for vehicle networks. Section 4 provides the proof of concept for
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1. Introduction
As telematics and infotainment services become more and more prevalent, vehicle networks need to extend their communication range out of local vehicle devices [1]. Among those services, wireless communication protocols play an important role [2] [3]. For example, long-range wireless protocols such as Mobile WiMAX and HSDPA are essential for one to connect to the internet; short-range wireless protocols such as WAVE and DSRC implement vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicleto-roadside communication [4]; and Zigbee and Bluetooth are popular wireless protocols to make connection among in-vehicle devices and consumer
978-0-7695-3473-2/08 $25.00 2008 IEEE DOI 10.1109/APSCC.2008.61

vehicle networks integrated with the proposed wireless gateway, considering a usage scenario of DMB (digital multimedia broadcasting) service. Finally, conclusions are given in Section 5.

2. Related Works
In this section, we will introduce vehicle network standards designed by automotive multimedia interface collaboration (AMI-C) [6] [7] [8]. Many of the current vehicle network standards, including the AMI-C and VCSI (Vehicle Consumer Services Interface) [9] [10], define a uniform set of interfaces to services offered by modules in the vehicle systems to provide high degree of flexibility in tailoring systems [11] [12]. Our main concern is those service-oriented vehicle networks. y

2.1. Automotive Multimedia Collaboration (AMI-C)

Interface

AMI-C is one of the largest collaborative efforts, involving worldwide automotive OEMs and suppliers, to provide standardized interfaces to in-vehicle modules and to promote multimedia services for vehicle telematics. It has released a complete series of technical specifications for vehicle communication networks. Its primary goals is to promote the standardization of common automotive information and entertainment system interfaces, and assist vehicle networks to be easily integrated with the emerging telematics and infotainment services. Fig. 1 shows the AMI-C specified vehicle networks, which is composed of the following components: y Vehicle interface (VI) plays a central role as an in-vehicle gateway to unify the services of invehicle modules and to provide their service interfaces for external multimedia devices, such as vehicle services, power management services, HMI services, and audio service. VI should accommodate currently deployed in-vehicle network protocols.

AMI-C networks consist of two types of networks, i.e. in-vehicle networks and multimedia networks. VI connects in-vehicle networks to a manufacturers proprietary services and multimedia networks to multimedia devices such as car navigation system and bluetooth hands-free kit. AMI-C host is a computing platform that can execute software other than embedded software that is provided with the device. An AMI-C host is a host that contains a specific software architecture that enables it to execute generic AMI-C application software. The software architecture provides a common execution environment that allows application to be written to run on the host platforms. The AMI-C software architecture is based on the capability of Java to provide a platform independent program execution environment and its software interfaces are defined in Java. In addition to using Java, AMI-C has chosen to specify the OSGi framework as part of the execution environment.

Currently, AMI-C has declared its mission met and has been dissolved. All AMI-C technical specifications have been transferred to the other standards organizations.

2.2. Software Defined Radio (SDR)

Software Defined Radio (SDR) is an emerging technology particularly within the wireless industry, which has great potential to be used amongst a wide range of applications. In terms of the communication requirements posed by the different applications such as the military, civil and commercial, SDR offers inexpensive and efficient solutions to constraints and financial viability present in current hardware-based systems [13]. SDR moves lots of signal processing, previously implemented in dedicated hardware chips, to waveform software components running on a generic hardware platform equipped with one or more programmable processors such as GPP (General Purpose Processor), DSP (Digital Signal Processor) or FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array). SDR equipment and network devices can be controlled using dynamic programming of its waveform software, and can be reconfigured and updated in order to improve its features, security protocols, performance and services. SCA (Software Communication Architecture) provides SDR platform developers with an open common specification standard and component-based software framework. It facilitates waveform portability between different platforms and supports commercial standards, frameworks, and architectures to reduce

Figure 1. AMI-C Network Overview

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development cost and improve reuse [14]. Fig. 2 shows an SDR platform based on the SCA framework.

Figure 2. SDR Platform Overview The SDR platform requires one or more programmable processor such as GPP, DSP and FPGA. SCA core framework (CF) is based on CORBA (Common Object Request Broker Architecture) middleware and POSIX real-time operating systems. The CF is the essential set of open application-layer interfaces and services to provide an abstraction of the underlying software and hardware layers for software application designers. A waveform software application of SCA means a software application that manipulates input data and determines the output of the system. Wireless protocols, such Mobile WiMAX, DSRC, Bluetooth and so on, are implemented as the waveform software applications.

Figure 3. SDR-based Wireless Communication Gateway In order to accomplish those goals, the proposed gateway transfers major communications functions such as waveform generation, encryption and signal processing, previously performed in hardware chips, to waveform software applications by exploiting the SDR technology. Fig. 3 describes the overview of the SDRbased wireless communication gateway. Different wireless standards are implemented in a same hardware platform, in the form of SCA waveform software applications. They are easy to install, update and remove. POSIX real-time operating systems support multithreading so that it is possible to run waveform software applications simultaneously.

3. SDR-based Wireless Communication Gateway for Vehicle Networks

In this section, we propose an SDR-based wireless communication gateway for vehicle networks. Conventional wireless communication services are dependent on the particular hardware chips dedicated to the corresponding wireless protocols. This dependency incurs significant costs of the employment of new wireless protocols and the reconfiguration of the currently installed chips. In order to resolve these problems, we propose an SDR-based wireless communication gateway, which fulfils the following goals: y To provide external devices with an uniform interface to wireless communication services y To support multiple wireless communication services simultaneously y To dynamically install, update and remove wireless communication services y To guarantee robust and seamless wireless communication links in the mobile vehicular environment

Figure 4. Communication between The Gateway and External Devices As described in Fig. 4, the SDR-based wireless communication gateway communicates with external devices, i.e. an application host, in order to provide them with the wireless communication services, as which we define waveform services. Every external device should implement a uniform set of waveform service APIs, which is used to communicate with the waveform server through the SDR message set. Virtual communication channels, called streams, are established to transfer waveform data such as audio,

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video and data. Those streams are implemented based on OSI transport layer protocols, e.g. TCP or UDP. y The waveform server is located on an SDRbased wireless communication gateway. It manipulates stream objects to realize the streams to be used for waveform data transfer. Each stream object is linked with the corresponding waveform software through ports. The waveform server also manages waveform software components, i.e. instantiation, revocation, start, stop and configuration. y Waveform Service APIs are implemented in external devices. They offer the waveform service interfaces to telematics software. E.g., waveform proxy objects are available from the APIs to make waveform data transfer with the desired steam objects located in the gateway. Telematics software uses the waveform proxy object to implement their wireless communication services. y The SDR Message Set is a uniform set of network messages exchanged between external devices and waveform servers. Its primary goal is to provide external devices with the desired waveform services. CORBA and RMI can be used to support SDR message transactions between AMI-C hosts and external devices by implementing the functionalities as a set of methods and objects.

benefits: it facilitates incorporation of new wireless communication standards with minimum, or even without, modification of hardware; it achieves true mobility enabling to seamlessly roam across operator boundaries and optimally tune parameters of wireless communication; it improves vehicle connectivity for mobile consumer electronics such PDAs and cell phones through flexible support of new emerging wireless technologies; it provides ability to reconfigure its waveform software components or itself over the air; and it reduces wireless devices and improves reuse of a single wireless hardware platform, resulting in decreased maintenance costs.

4. Proof of Concept
In this section, we consider a usage scenario of DMB (Digital Multimedia Broadcasting) services to provide the proof of concept. DMB [15] is one of the existing mobile TV technologies in Korea that use the one-way dedicated broadcast network. It can transmit multimedia stream to mobile devices via digital radio transmission while moving at high speed. DMB Part 10 (H.264) is used for video codec and MPEG-4 Part 3 BSAC or HE-AAC V2 is used for audio codec in DMB. Audio and video is multiplexed in MPEG-2 TS and is broadcast. It has two kinds of transmission mode: SDMB and T-DMB. S-DMB uses satellite while TDMB uses terrestrial transmission.

Figure 6. Usage Scenario of DMB service Let us consider the usage scenario of DMB service shown in Fig. 6. A vehicle using DMB service is traveling from the urban area to the suburbs. In the urban area, a T-DMB wireless protocol is exploited to provide the vehicle with DMB service. However, in rural areas where there is no base station around the vehicle, the quality of the service provided by T-DMB deteriorates. S-DMB can offer better quality of service, because satellites have a better line of sight to transmit their DMB data stream. This usage scenario shows that the vehicle selectively uses T-DMB or S-DMB according to the environment: T-DMB is mainly used

Figure 5. AMI-C Networks Incorporated with SDR-based Wireless Communication Gateway

Fig. 5 describes the AMI-C networks incorporated with an SDR-based wireless communication gateway. The wireless devices providing telematics services are replaced with telematics software applications and waveform software applications, running on the AMIC host and the wireless gateway respectively. As a result, the proposed gateway brings the following

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in the urban areas and S-DMB is used in the suburbs. By using two kinds of DMB services adaptively, we can increase the quality of the service.

When the vehicle enters into the suburbs, an S-DMB waveform application, which will be a substitute for that of T-DMB, is instantiated and started. Seamless substitution is accomplished by a series of operations: the wireless gateway disconnects the DMB data streams from the T-DMB waveform application, connects the streams with that of S-DMB, and configures its properties in accordance with that of TDMB.

Figure 7. Architectural Overview of DMB service Fig. 7 illustrates the architectural overview of the DMB service integrated with the SDR-based wireless communication gateway under the usage scenario. Available resources of display, HMI (Human Machine Interface) and audio devices, already fitted to the vehicle, are allocated to the AMI-C host by the AMI-C vehicle interface. In order to control a DMB application on the AMI-C host, a user uses HMI devices such as buttons or touchscreens. After the DMB application is started, it accesses the wireless gateway to execute a T-DMB, or selectively S-DMB, waveform software application. These waveform software applications transmit DMB multimedia stream to the DMB application, which in turn delivers it to in-vehicle display and audio devices The usage scenario comprises two procedures: starting a DMB application and substituting S-DMB for T-DMB. Each procedure contains several transactions of AMI-C common messages [16] and SDR reference messages. Fig. 8 and 9 show UML sequence diagrams describing the messages exchanged during those two procedures respectively. The AMI-C host fetches the list of waveform applications and decides which waveform application to be exploited, i.e. T-DMB in this scenario. The TDMB waveform application is instantiated and started in the wireless gateway, and its properties are configured. Subsequently, the AMI-C host occupies resources of in-vehicle display and audio devices and connects them with the DMB data streams.

Figure 8. Starting DMB service

Figure 9. Seamless substitution of T-DMB by SDMB

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5. Conclusion
Wireless systems are becoming more and more diverse in terms of their standards and the frequency bands they exploit. However, their hardware-dependent implementation and the long lifetime of vehicles have been hindrances to an integration of those systems into vehicles at a proper time. In this paper, we proposed an SDR-based wireless communication gateway, which removes the hardware dependency by exploiting software-implemented wireless communication protocols. This approach helps integrate multiple wireless devices into one single wireless gateway and improve flexibility, adaptability, portability and connectivity of vehicular wireless communication. We expect that this will result in the decreased costs and promote vehicular telematics and infotainment services.

[12] B. LaRose, The need for an electrical open architecture, June, 2007. [13] M.N.O. Sadiku and C.M. Akujuobi, Software-defined radio: a brief overview, IEEE Potentials, October 2004, 23(4), pp. 14-15 [14] D.K. Murotake, An open architecture SCA reference platform, presented at the SDR Forum Technical Conference, 2007. [15] DMB Portal, http://t-dmb.org [16] AMI-C Common Message Set. [Online]. Available: http://www.amic.org/sendspecification.asp?filename=2002.ZIP

6. References
[1] Y. Zhao, Telematics: safe and fun driving, IEEE Intelligent Systems. 17(1), January, 2002, pp. 10-14 [2] T. Mikko, K. Kimmo, K. Harri, and A. Jarmo, Trends in vehicle communication and consumer electronics connectivity, presented at the 14th World Congress on ITS, Beijing, China, 2007. [3] T. Nolte, H. Hansson, and L. L. Bello, Automotive communications-past, current and future, in 2005 Proc. 10th IEEE Conf. Emerging Technologies and Factory Automation, 2005. vol.1, pp. 985-992. [4] S. Tsugawa, Issues and recent trends in vehicle safety communication systems, IATSS Research, February, 2005, 29(1), pp. 7-15 [5] T. Nolte and H. Hansson, Wireless automotive communications, presented at the Euromicro Conference on Real-Time Systems, Palma de Mayorca, 2005. [6] AMI-C, http://ami-c.org/ [7] L. Guglielmetti, Standardizing automotive multimedia interfaces, IEEE Multimedia. April, 2003, 10(2), pp. 76-78 [8] Y. Nakajima, T. Fujimoto, H. Ishii, M. Noda, H. Kumamoto, K. Sato, and T. Sawai, AMI-C specification standardization activities and development of proof-of-concept implementation, SEI TECHNICAL REVIEW, 2004, pp. 12-17 [9] E. C. Nelson, K. V. Prasad, V. Rasin, and C. J. Simonds, An embedded architectural framework for interaction between automobiles and consumer devices, in 2004 Proc. 10th IEEE Real-Time and Embedded Technology and Applications Symposium, 2004, pp. 192-199. [10] C. Simonds, Software for the next-generation automobile, IT Professional, November, 2003, 5(6), pp. 7-11 [11] E. C. Nelson, Defining Interfaces as Services in Embedded Vehicle Software, in 2004 Proc. Automotive Software Workshop, San Diego, CA, USA, 2004, pp. 10-12.

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