A SOA-based middleware concept for in-vehicle service discovery and device integration

Abstract

We present a novel middleware approach for invehicle service discovery and device integration that is based on the concept of Service-oriented Architectures (SOA). In order to be able to identify a suitable SOA system, we define a series of criteria the SOA platform should fulfill. These criteria take into account the specific requirements of the automotive domain. Based on these criteria we compare nine different SOA standards and show why the Device Profile for Web Services (DPWS) standard is most suitable as the middleware of an in-car infotainment and communication system. Furthermore, we present a prototypical implementation of an in-vehicle network based on the DPWS middleware. Hence, we enable the integration of nomadic devices by providing their functionalities within the network and consequently including their graphical output into the in-vehicle Human Machine Interface (HMI). Due to the system design it is also possible to use nomadic devices as an additional display to present the HMI. Finally, an in-vehicle controller is included into our SOA and therefore available to all other devices within our system.

A lightweight middleware framework for vehicle networking application

“…It provides a high-level interface to network communication and may be deployed with a combination of heterogeneous components within a dynamic network. Eichhorn et al [25] present a novel middleware approach for in-vehicle service discovery and device integration that is based on the concept of service-oriented architectures. It is mainly designed for an in-car infotainment and communication systems.…”

Developing self-adaptive automotive systems

“…The necessity of using relatively powerful hardware limits the field of application of these two approaches to for example the infotainment system of a vehicle. The papers [12] by Eichhorn et al and [8], written by Bohn et al, are describing systems basing on the Device Profile for Web Services (DPWS). DPWS is very interesting for our problem scenario as it is tailored to be used on embedded systems.…”

“…Additionally, the messages exchanged between the Services are based on XML files which produces a huge amount of traffic considering the transfer rates of automotive networks. Besides, [12] does only allow static, never changing configurations. The two approaches described by Xu and Yan in [39] and Ragavan et al in [33] are focusing on a different scenario.…”