"Intelligent Connected Vehicle Cyber-Physical System Reference Architecture 2.0" released in Beijing

The 8th International Intelligent Connected Vehicle Technology Conference (CICV 2021) was grandly opened at the Beijing YiChuang International Convention and Exhibition Center on May 25, 2021. Li Keqiang, professor of Tsinghua University, chief scientist of the National Intelligent Connected Vehicle Innovation Center, and director of the Expert Committee of the China Intelligent Connected Vehicle Industry Innovation Alliance, officially released the "Intelligent Connected Vehicle Cyber-Physical System Reference Architecture 2.0" (hereinafter referred to as "Reference Architecture 2.0") at the opening ceremony.

Since its release in 2019, the Reference Architecture for Cyber-Physical Systems of Intelligent Connected Vehicles 1.0 has initially constructed a design method and reference framework that supports vehicle-road-cloud collaborative control, is flexible and customizable for business, and is technology-neutral and sustainable. It describes the architecture from four perspectives: industry, function, physics, and communication, and has initially formed a research idea and key technology summary of models, model libraries, and design tools based on the reference architecture. On this basis, in order to address the deficiencies in the research theories and methods of complex large systems in the field of ICV and the new key technologies and difficulties that have emerged in the cross-domain research and development of ICV, the Reference Architecture 2.0, based on the achievements and research ideas of the 1.0 stage, fully refers to the theories and methods of international standards and domestic and foreign military fields in the research of complex large systems, and has made breakthroughs in the theories, methods, and tools of the combined application research of CPS and ICV. It has comprehensively demonstrated the theories and methods of the cyber-physical system of intelligent connected vehicles as a complex large system from different levels, perspectives, and scopes, from system to system, from framework to architecture, and has achieved the rigor and completeness of its own theoretical system. It has laid a solid "theoretical foundation" for further industrial applications and implementation.

At the press conference, Professor Li Keqiang introduced and interpreted the four parts of "Background and Significance", "Working Methods and Progress", "Phase Results" and "Implementation Paths and Suggestions".

The following will introduce some core contents of "Reference Architecture 2.0".

Core content 1: ICV CPS core concept definition

CPS is a comprehensive technical system that supports the deep integration of informatization and industrialization, a rule system for data value enhancement and business process reengineering, and a hierarchical and systematic system form. "Information" embodies control, communication, collaboration, cloudization, computing, and calculation, and can be described as information space. "Physical" can be described as physical space, and further refers to physical entities, referring to the real and visible forms of people, machines, objects, etc. in the physical world. The joint action of information space and physical space, complementing each other, can support the complete realization of CPS.

Considering the entire life cycle of intelligent connected vehicles and the main stakeholders, ICV CPS can be divided into four types according to different stages:

ICV D CPS: Intelligent Connected Vehicle R&D Design Cyber-Physical System

ICV M CPS: Intelligent Connected Vehicle Manufacturing Cyber-Physical System

ICV V CPS: Intelligent Connected Vehicle Cyber-Physical System

ICV OM CPS: Intelligent Connected Vehicle Operation Management Cyber-Physical System

Four categories of ICV CPS

Core content 2: Support methodology and tool chain for the development of complex large systems

ICV CPS is a typical complex large system. The intelligent connected vehicles, intelligent transportation systems, and cloud control systems involved are actually obtained by observing ICV CPS from three different perspectives: automobiles, transportation, and cloud control. Their relationship with the complex large system in which intelligent connected vehicles participate is a "trinity."

Complex large systems (System of Systems, SoS) in which intelligent connected vehicles participate

As a complex large system, ICV CPS presents more new features than traditional fuel vehicles both in terms of technology and industry. The methods and processes required for its development will inevitably challenge the traditional development methods. Referring to the international mainstream standards and the development paradigm of complex large systems, it is proposed to introduce system engineering and system engineering into the development process of ICV CPS. For the first time in the field of ICV, the 7S system architecture framework of intelligent connected vehicles is proposed, and the system-level requirements are captured, sorted and analyzed based on this rule. Then the system-level requirements are transferred to the system-level development process using model-based system engineering (MBSE). After the process of requirements engineering, system modeling and analysis, system simulation and verification, functional and expected functional safety analysis, etc., all model-driven data and model transmission links are finally connected through the digital main line to achieve unified data source and collaborative development. "Reference Architecture 2.0" fully demonstrates the vision of building an ICV CPS Chinese solution, provides a system construction methodology suitable for national conditions, and hopes to lead the innovative development of the industry. At the same time, relying on the methodological innovation of the ICV CPS innovation and development paradigm, we have conceived the construction direction of the full-chain ecology of basic theory-methodology-overall design platform-specific tools, in order to help the industry's innovation and upgrading and enhance international competitiveness.

Development environment platform based on reference architecture

Core content 3: ICV CPS reference architecture

Reference architectures are proposed for ICV R&D and design CPS, ICV vehicle CPS, and ICV operation and management CPS, and the functions, logic, and hierarchical content of each type of ICV CPS are elaborated in detail in terms of functional architecture, logical architecture, and layered architecture. Based on the reference architecture, the design and implementation of ICV CPS are as follows: the 7S architecture framework is used as the input basis for the system layer of ICV CPS design; the MBSE design method is used as the specific design steps; and the digital main line technology connects the four major ICV CPS.

ICV CPS Architecture Framework Based on 7S

Core content 4: ICV CPS key technologies and preliminary application cases

The paper makes an overall conception of the key technical system architecture required for the implementation of ICV CPS, and summarizes the overall technology, supporting technology and core technology of different ICV CPS types. Finally, taking the design of ICV operation management CPS in a typical AVP scenario as an example, the paper preliminarily demonstrates the methodology and application paradigm supporting the design and implementation of ICV CPS.

ICV CPS Technology System

As a comprehensive concept that combines intelligent connected vehicles, intelligent transportation and information-physical systems, the information-physical system of intelligent connected vehicles can achieve safe and reliable collaboration and interoperability between heterogeneous information systems and physical systems through integrated design, research and development, simulation, verification, deployment and operation between products and systems in the automotive, transportation, communication, information and other industries, support reliable, efficient and real-time perception and decision-making control of intelligent connected vehicles, improve driving comfort and convenience, and enhance traffic safety and efficiency. At present, the development of intelligent connected vehicles is at a critical stage and a key breakthrough stage. In order to fully promote the construction of the information-physical system of intelligent connected vehicles in China, it is necessary to rely on a full-chain, full-dimensional and full-range reference architecture, based on the basic theoretical system, break through the key technology system, and accelerate the implementation of ICV CPS demonstration applications.

In the next step, the research team will grasp the pulse of industrial technology development, continuously update and improve the "Intelligent Connected Vehicle Cyber-Physical System Reference Architecture", and support the development of my country's intelligent connected vehicle industry. At the same time, the industry is called on to refer to the key common technology system architecture, concentrate on breaking through related key common technologies, and contribute wisdom to the early implementation of China's intelligent connected vehicle cyber-physical system and serve the industry and society.

Figure: Outlook on the implementation path of ICV CPS