International Journal
on Marine Navigation
and Safety of Sea Transportation
Volume 6
Number 3
September 2012
421
1 INTRODUCTION
Dynamic development of the modern information
technologies applied to all the activities in transport,
generally called as intelligent transport systems
(ITS) becomes possible thanks for growing accessi-
bility to ICT solutions. But really just the broadened
accessibility to information becomes crucial for
great progress in the discussed area. Information, be-
ing beside energy and technical means an indispen-
sable factor for realization of the all transport tasks,
may have a decisive meaning for high effectiveness
achievement. It is easy to observe, that in the last
tens of years, thanks to new technological possibili-
ties appeared not noticed former access to huge
amount of ready or possible to obtain information.
At the same time, in provided information emerge
also considerable content or volume redundant, and
even false or erroneous specimens, what obviously
reduce effectiveness of the transport activities based
on such information and certainly – even all the in-
formation processing tasks.
Generally observed growth of information
meaning, resulted from progress of ability and
possibility of it’s intensified usage allowing all
human activities improvement, caused even
development of the research over this peculiar good,
headed toward further improvement of it’s usage.
Among others there are conducted research on
information evaluation, reduction of the redundancy
and incidentality, extraction of the valuable parts,
mainly these indispensable. It combines with the
necessity of developing proper rules for broadly
understood information management, what
particularly concerns transport branch. Just there
exists a need to work out standards (in meaning of
mediocre type, pattern, model) and norms, which
could be applied in particular areas of information
applications in transport. It should improve the
effectiveness of operations of various transport
systems, level of the cohesion of transport activities
and – may be first of all – it’s security.
With reference to existing state of ITS resulted by
spontaneous and incidental development (Wydro
2006), it should mean ordering of information
management and processing according to it’s
content, what should give possibility to remove it’s
redundant part and processing of this part, but
mainly considerable gains coming from more
effective systems operations, (as at actual state
Information in Transport Processes
K. B. Wydro
University College of Technology and Business in Warsaw, Poland
ABSTRACT: A paper concerns the problems of information ordering in intelligent transport systems accord-
ingly their role and meaning for various transport processes. There is given an attempt to rules of classifica-
tion of information, their standardisation questions, reduction of redundancy and false specimens. All these
questions are of great importance from the information accessibility, usefulness and reliability point of view.
Also are discussed problems of the information selection, it’s protection, and it’s evaluation as a factors influ-
encing possible improvement of the transport decisions making. Finally, some outline of standardisation rules
are presented.
422
systems are weakly co-ordinated or not co-ordinated
at all as a result of compatibility lack). Actually even
information exchange between systems and
equipment made by various producers and providers
– often necessary – leads to additional costs and
lower reliability of ITS as a whole. It became also a
big obstacle for introduction to systems the new
functionalities; it’s extension or improvement. In
particular, emerging in last time tendencies for
creation of multi-modal transport structures, rising
the security level, providing better transport
conditions with information services to millions of
individual recipients with very diversified needs
profiles, requires efficient systems co-operation an –
in some extend – it’s mutual replacements or
functional substitutions (Harems & Obcowski 2008,
NTCIP 2009). That’s just what a need of
information operations ordering and rational
management on the basis of exchanged information
systematising and content selection, becomes an
urgent and important task.
In many cases such procedures already are
executed, nevertheless in numerous ITS applications
areas lack of the proper information management
and regulations can be observed. It is a result of
various reasons, among which lack of necessary or
desirable cohesion of the ITS as a whole is one of
most important. Elimination of this and other
shortcomings requires firstly to identify and
systematize information users types (as well human
as machines ones) and their needs, then making
classification of the types of information, their
features, considering even their dimensions and
utilitarian meanings. Even defining of the features of
technical means necessary or useful for information
processing, exchange and presentation is needed. IT
is to point that in the last mentioned area, one of
main elements influencing system’s cohesion and
compatibility becomes protocols for inner- and inter-
systems communications and interfaces to systems
users and surroundings. Such a need can be superbly
illustrated by the shortcomings resulted by traffic
management systems incompatibility or variety of
electronic fee collections along the international
routes, from one side, and idea of internationally
unified safety supporting eCall system – in other.
2 INFORMATION IN TRANSPORT
STRUCTURE
Intensifying and improving quality of the transport
related information requires – from technical side –
creation and installation of various more advanced
devices and programs for information gathering,
distribution, processing and usage for inner systems
needs and proper improving interoperability between
particular systems. Interoperability – first of all –
means inclusion by common communication rules
the information provision for all of users and
operators of all transport systems, enabling
distribution of actual, useful and reliable information
which can be collected from all possible sources and
provided for usage by all interested users, possibly
suitably to theirs expectations. It causes a need to
pay special attention to information content flowing
in telematic systems and between them, especially
ensuring optimal solutions applied for execution of
these flowing.
Is to be underlined, that optimisation problems
are always mostly related to quality of information
content, i.e. it’s adequacy to time and place of
origin, validity and importance, but not as much to
technical features of processing and distribution of
information.
From the ITS needs point of view, the systems
inner information decides about the state and activity
of given kind of transport, but important role plays
even outside generated information, describing
circumstances and conditions influencing actions of
this kind of transport. Of course, for assuring a
proper and effective realisation of the transport
tasks, there is also need to reach sets of information
describing relatively constant (quasi-static) states
and circumstances as well as dynamics of occurring
processes (Wydro 2009).
It is obvious, that the total amount of information
appearing in the system depends on system’s
dimension, i.e. on numbers of it’s elements and
processes in it occurring, theirs distraction and
geographic locations, on dynamics of these
processes and changes in surrounding, but also on
types and tasks of the information systems utilizing
this information. Also it is reasonable to take for
analysis as an area of reference a road transport,
which due to its specificity characterized by
complexity of roads network with diversity of
classes and conditions, states but even managing
entities, bearing intensive traffic with high
randomness and dependence on environmental
conditions, even an area with richest range and
diversity of implemented telematic applications,
ensures possibly comprehensive analyse of
information management problem.
Also, it have to be remembered, that as a result
still emerging new technological possibilities, beside
new user needs stimulating constructors invention,
variety of new telematic applications still is rising,
and existing ones use to be essentially upgraded –
423
what together strongly increases demand for
information amount and it’s improved quality
(Report 2009, Wydro 2003). Obviously it broadens
also areas of above-mentioned analysis.
With information management questions are also
related problems of information transmission
(understandable as carrying in space and/or time).
What’s important, in more and more transport cases,
the information have to be delivered to moving
objects. Besides, for the sake of required level of the
reliability and resistance to possible interferences,
some protections means are to be applied, what
naturally expands the volume of transmitted
information. Such a circumstances brings some
difficulties for creation of the information systems,
but have to be considered at information
categorisation (i.e. problem of confidentiality).
In fact, for various modes of transport can – or
may – be applied specialised teleinformatic systems,
but, as a rule it's basic structures remains similar,
what have some reflection in ITS architectures. Also
particular basic applications for information
exchange and processing may be equal, what in turn
arise legitimacy and need of technical
standardisation activity in transport telematics
domain. But these last said so far concerns the forms
of information, not interfering their contents
17
. If yet
the devices should be active with reference to
information’s content or essence, functioning of
such a devices should even be embraced by some
defined rules and principles. Also, from infologic
point of view, in electronic communications area the
kind of transmission technical means is not
important, although choice among accessible kinds
may have some meaning for reliability, transmission
capabilities and costs. Important is however so that
information was transmitted in agreed formats
(patterns) ensuring mutual understandable
communication of system’s elements. Having in
mind that in telematic solutions becomes needs of
communication among:
− Vehicles and infrastructure’s teleinformatic
equipment,
− Various vehicles,
− Vehicles and informatic and service points or
centres,
− Infrastructure’s teleinformatic equipment and
service points or centres,
17
Regulations related to the form of information concerning tech-
nical parameters have been known long ago as a “standards” and are
properly advanced.
− Drivers and related informatic surrounding,
− Informatically co-operating parts of particular ve-
hicles,
may be expected, that will be continued works on
integration not only means of information exchange,
but even on the manners of these exchange in ITS as
a whole and firstly – on information transmission
content-oriented protocols and selection and
distribution of information methods with striving to
more and more necessary automatic languages
translations, as well as building personally tailored
and dedicated information packages (Gut & Wydro
2010).
2.1 Information sources
In each of information-operated system can be
distinguished two main areas of information origin.
These are the observed objects and processes
delivering basic information and sources of various
supporting, already processed information. In
transport system as such can be pointed the
informational equipment of the transport
infrastructure, transport means and entities (persons
and institutions) participating in these processes. As
examples of infrastructure’s equipment delivering
primary basic information may be mentioned
vehicles detectors or other measuring devices (as
photo-radars or weights), weather stations and other
environmental sensors, observation systems
(cameras), pedestrians detectors, security systems
elements and alike. In turn, vehicle’s information
generating equipment embraces elements of such
systems as warning, positioning, emergency (i.e.
eCall), movement registration or even specialised
measuring equipment (Floating Car Data). It is
worth to underline that contemporary cars use to be
equipped with various driver-supporting solutions,
as ABS (Anti-lock Braking System), ACC (Adaptive
Cruise Control), EBS (Electronic Brake Assist
System), ESC, LDWS (Lane Departure Warning
Systems), WLDW (Wireless Local Danger
Warning) and others (2). These systems actually
undergoes to operational integration and delivers
information partially used at the time internally in
the vehicle, partially transmitted for the outside use,
both, in extend appropriate to needs, registered for
future use. Next, information delivered by entities
participating in transport processes are these
generated by persons – individual, corporative or
institutional – moving or causing movements of
some transport objects.
As mentioned, centres for gathering and
processing of raw temporary information, which
later is supporting various users of information, form
424
another important group of information sources. By
the information processed here is understood
operational information used in currently realised
transport processes, as well as analytic or reporting
ones as for example results of short-, middle- ors
long-time analysis. These can be i.e. data from
control centres, databases, or managing entities. A
good example are sets of information passed to
infrastructure’s roadside equipment i.e. concerning
or applied to traffic control elements as traffic lights
or variable message signs, radio announcements and
other actual communiqués. Similarly is with
information for travellers.
Next, information creating strategies of traffic
control in various areas (town, village, roads
between inhabited areas) and current circumstances,
methods of reaction to particular types of incidents,
fleet management and alike, may be numbered
among information coming from middle-time
analysis. To this class can be included also
information collected from observations and
registrations of the vehicle’s pictures with register
plates recognition or points of truck weighing.
Hoverer for example prognosis of the traffic flows
spread stands for long-time analysis. Distinction
between duration of the validity of forecasts
important for determination of the sampling
frequency of observed processes and observation of
it’s information content irregularity, seems to be
important for information classification patterns.
2.2 Information recipients
Essentially, set of types of information recipients
and users is the most meaningful classification
criterion for transport information ordering pur-
pose, as types of recipients determines what kind
(in meaning of content) and of which quality in-
formation is to him needed and when and where
have to be delivered. Among information users
can be distinguished following main categories
(Wydro 2009):
− Rescue services and systems,
− Information and communication systems,
− Administrative institutions,
− Drivers and travellers,
− Corporate operators,
− Research and educational institutions,
− Financial institutions,
− Legal institutions.
Theirs needs decides about basic content
structures of used information and schedules as well
as conditions of information delivering.
3 INFORMATION STANDARDISATION
PREMISES
In the last years in ITS development frames emerged
few projects comprising some elements of
information content ordering and standardisation. As
examples can be mentioned:
− Conception of the Minimal Set of Data (MSD) in
eCall system,
− National Transportation Communications for ITS
Protocol (NTCIP) project,
− Transport Protocol Expert Group (TPEG) project,
− Open Communication Interface for Road Traffic
Control Systems (OCIT) project.
Minimal Set of Data (MSD) brings information
necessary to inform rescue services about place,
time, circumstances and nature of occurred incident
or accident. This information is passed automatically
or manually through emergency number 112 to
nearest so called Public Safety Access Point (Gut,
Wydro 2010) initiating rescue action.
The NTCIP (NTCIP 2009) is a name of American
group of standards for communications in transport,
specifying open, based on the project participants’
agreement, suitable for this communications profiles
and protocols as well as common data definitions.
These standards allow fulfil all the conditions
resulting from needs of communications in the areas
of traffic control and transport managements centres.
However TPEG Forum (TPEG), is an European
organisation of the group of experts in information
technologies, aiming elaboration of the methods and
techniques of the collection and delivering for
various users – by the broadcasting means (radio,
Internet) – information for traffic control and
travellers. Here is assumed forming of hierarchically
structured information, which recipient will get and
will be able to use in various technical means of
information processing and also – language
independently – by humans. It has to be also
information useful for multi-modal transport
systems.
Other important accepted assumption is that in
information systems structures are not foreseen
necessity of building big auxiliary databases,
especially in users receiving devices. Forum tends to
develop modular set of tools in prospect
standardised by ISO and CEN, taking into
consideration possibility of contemporary or future
use for various informatic applications.
In traffic management systems particularly
important for data exchange organisation are
communications protocols. This exchange, usually
425
essential for co-operation of devices and systems
provided by various producers, often needs extra
investments for building appropriate interfaces and
software, what brings significant complications for
co-ordination of the systems operations, but even for
new functionalities and applications implementation
in traffic management structures. In such a cases, as
generally in various others information systems,
applies a rule of application of “open” protocols. It
means application of the protocols worked out and
standardised so, that system could work with any
device independently of it producer and possess
feature of “scalability”.
Such a solution presents OCIT protocol (Haremza
& Obcowski 2008) being a German standard, but in
last years applied in other European countries as an
open interface for communication between traffic
control systems. OCIT standards are defined for two
applications groups. First one, called OCIT-
Outstation, pertain communication between local
equipment (i.e. traffic lights controllers, measuring
stations, VMS) and managing centres. Second one,
OCIT-Instation, concerns exchange of information
between various applications and systems on the
central level of control or management.
Of course an important role in ordering of
information areas plays standardisation institutions,
mainly international ones like CEN and ISO (ISO).
In both of them activities in ITS (telematic
systems) areas are performed by special Technical
Committees (TC), each of which is divided between
Working Groups (WG), in both cases thematically
almost similarly structured. On the basis of
commonly accessible information concerning
structures of the can be supposed, that in each of
Group can be found some elements connected with
transport information treatment rules.
4 STANDARDISATION RULES OUTLINE
IT is obvious that basic group of features
characterising information used in each well
working system are these which can be recognized
as determining their utility. Usually assumes (Wydro
2008) that each information in the system have to
be:
− Essentially and operationally adjusted to recipi-
ent’s needs,
− Possibly exhaustive as it concern meaning, com-
pleteness and conciseness,
− Ascribed to the time and place,
− Articulated, and in case of transport – easy to
language translation,
− Possibly most up-to-dated,
− Verifiable.
As it mentioned earlier, ordering in information
management area have first of all to be captured in
some classifications frames, what make possible
better identification and more convenient operations
with their elements. Below are presented
fundamental premises for the formation of the
frames for content standardisation and information
ordering for their more efficient management and
usage.
Generally can be accepted, that division of the
information features into groups mostly distinctive
from the infologic point of view is a proper approach
(Wydro 2008). These are features:
− Phenomenological, i.e. universal in relation to
any area of application or analysis,
− Social and economic, related to utility in econom-
ic or social activity,
− Operational, significant from the point of view of
information managing operator or information
user.
A an example of phenomenological classification
may be quoted a division of information according
the following criterions:
− Type of source: inner – external, primary – deriv-
ative, public – private
− Kind: quantitative – qualitative, formal – not
formal,
− Time: former – actual – future,
− Frequency of occurring: continuous – periodical –
incidental,
− Usage: planning – control – decision-making –
concluding,
− Level of usage: strategic – tactical – operational,
− Detail level: detailed – summarized – general,
− Presentation form: written – oral – visual.
As economic and social features may be
mentioned: a direct market value of information,
utilitarian value for economy, accessibility, utility
for social activities in various dimensions – cultural,
military etc.
From our research matter point of view, the most
important is the set of operational features, however
others can be also discussed. Analysis of the
research matter shows, that legitimated is proposal
of classification in two dimensions:
− Areas of applications (utilising),
− Conditions of usage.
Acceptance of the area of applications as the
basic classification criterion results from the
426
primacy of meaning and role of information in
transport (similarly in any case as in each other
branch). For ITS such areas are to be determined by
the character of services provided by given system
for which given information is necessary. Groups of
systems with similar service tasks makes up
separated areas of applications. It is to point, that on
systems qualifications in some extend influences
also technical solutions applied in particular cases,
which are often unique from the construction point
of view, but shows some universality as can be used
in various systems for various goals (i.e. vision
systems use to be applied for security levering,
traffic control or vehicle recognition). As the
systems usually are not mono-functional, ascription
them to areas of applications are even not
unambiguous. Similarly not unambiguous are
qualifications of the areas of applications. These are
also qualifications and ascriptions of arbitrary types,
even changing with the time. Nevertheless currently
these qualifications are quit stable, what seems to be
i.e. reflected in the names of Working Groups in
relevant Committees of standardisation institutions
or research works and papers concerning ITS, as
well as in used commonly terminology in
professional communication.
What concerns of the formal usage conditions, it
easy to state that can be distinguished three
categories of obtained or distributed information:
− Obligatory,
− Contacted,
− Free.
It combines with legal rights to information and
it’s availability, but also with formal conditions
related to technical means for information collection,
distribution and presentation (Gut, & Wydo 2010).
Undoubtedly it is a factor essential for
information operation and requires to be considered
in assumption of rules and standards of information
operation processes. For completeness of
standardisations needs, it is also necessary to give
for information (communiqués) some ordered
structural form.
4.1 Application areas
Among already numerous telematic systems may be
distinguished (Report 2009) basic ones, designed for
the provision of single service or fulfilling some
particular function (when it work in broader system)
and complex ones (integrated) for servicing more
complex transport processes on i.e. separated
geographical area, mode of transport or tasks group.
Systems of the basic type are numerous and
supported on various technical solutions. A good
illustration to variety of such a systems, classified on
the basis of users needs and contemporary
technological possibilities gives list of real service
systems presented – among others – in (Wydro
2006), where additionally the systems were grouped
with respect to applications areas, though it have to
be pointed that the list is not closed as with the time
emerges new solutions resulted by new
technological possibilities, constructor’s invention
and users expectations.
Next, as the examples of complex systems can be
pointed sets or sub-sets of the basic systems,
completed for realization of the complementary
functions for fulfilment of the tasks for which they
was build. Such a systems are usually ascribed to
some given functionality (servicing) areas (IST-
FRAME 2004).
According to said above, in particular complex
system with well-defined tasks may be distinguished
specialised parts, being components of the system as
a whole. It is to underline, that specialised systems
can in many cases fulfil some additional functions,
for example deliver information to other systems.
In proposed standardisation concept assumes that
formal classification of the information should be
related to concrete telematic systems, with strong
consideration of their role in the system and co-
operation in functionality area frames, but also with
consideration of it’s capability to co-operation with
other systems, with simultaneous preservation of the
development openness and scalability.
Obviously, real classification of the systems from
the point of view of information standardisation
needs much more deeper analysis.
4.2 Structural requirements
As it was mentioned earlier, there is a need to give
to information communiqués defined structural
form. It is particularly important when are
exchanged information between technical devices
and even – in some cases – in transmission of the
communiqués which have to be of high
completeness and precision, as for example it is in
the eCall system. Structurally ordered information
makes also all the operations concerned with
information storage in databases, processing,
surveying and analysing. Even transmission of
information in agreed formats inside each of systems
ensures unambiguous mutual articulation between its
elements as well as is necessary for compatibility of
different systems. It’s the reason for tendency to
427
operations on the ordered sets of dialogs and
communiqués and ordered sets and allowed ranges
of data, thanks for what not only information users
but even telematic system’s constructors could
communicate in mutually comprehensible and
unambiguous manner. It is also obvious need to
complete communiqués and other information mails
with data pointing place and time of the incident
described in this information, and – if it concerns
some process - also defining a proper frequency of
taking of samples describing a following states of
this process (Wydro 2008).
Foregoing remarks allows to state, that in fact the
description of the structural form of information
means creation of the corresponding meta-
information i.e. information about information,
which supports, among others, convenience of the
identification, absorption and usage of information
(Wydro 2008). It suggests elaboration of the system
of markers, each of which could be ascribed to
particular category of information and which
interpretation would be stored in some database. It
could create a convenient in operations, shortened
form of above-mentioned description.
4.3 ACCESSIBILITY CONDITIONS
The second classification dimension having valid
operational meaning is the accessibility status. As
mentioned earlier, may be distinguished information,
which has to be provided obligatory and cost of
which bears operators or administrators of the infra-
structure, who bears also responsibility, concerned
with regularity of these information and correct de-
livering. Such obligatory information is for example
road signs content, among them – these modern like
VMS – or broadcasted by radio or Internet official
information. Such ones have to be properly format-
ted and pass a proper verification procedure, as us-
age of it may result in material or legal consequenc-
es of high significance.
Another category makes information exchanged
between partners contracting services containing
information as content of the service itself or as a
factor influencing essence of the service. Exchange
is fulfilled on the basis of the contract (agreement)
between provider and recipient. As an example may
be pointed delivering of roads condition pictures or
parking accessibility, performed on the aid of
infrastructure administration by some external
professional entities. Here also the ranges and
formats of information are established, and some
legal aspects concerns nor the contents of delivery,
but rather assurance of keeping on agreed frequency
and continuity of delivery.
At last, there exists also a huge area of free
information exchange and provision. As example
can be mentioned positioning data (non-
professional) delivered by the satellite systems or
information broadcasted by CB-radio (even other
radios or Internet). In such a cases there is in fact no
any formal constrains, and if a recipient undertakes
soma decisions or actions based on those
information, does it on the own responsibility.
5 CONCLUSIONS
Elaboration of the rules (standards) allowing to order
activities in area of obtaining, exchange and usage of
the context valuable information should create an
important circumstance facilitating functioning, but
even construction of the ITS solutions. Such a
conclusion comes from survey of contemporary
implemented telematic systems as well as from
direct discussions in involved professional
environment – technicians, researchers as
constructors. In many areas of information users
such a ordering are in scope of interest of
administrations in sense of development and
modernizing activities in transport. Therefore
elaboration and putting to practice broadly accepted
methods of coherent manners of information
exchange in transport branch as whole and in ITS
particularly, is an urgent question. It should lead to
formation of the rational system of operation on
content-selected ordered information in transport
area.
An important part of above defined task requiring
to be researched broadly is a problem of transport
meta-information creation and manners of
information verification, especially these of high
importance for the systems. Other important tasks
are reduction of redundancy existing in information
by the nature and also caused by information
replication, and elimination of unimportant
information. Possible solution in these last tasks
needs of advanced research with methods of
semantic selection (Wydro 2008).
Fulfilling of the pointed expectations may be
done by adequate research and development entities
working in proper interdisciplinary structures and
co-operating with international ones. Achieved
results in a broader depiction could also make a
contribution to methodology of electronic
communications systematising and rationalising in
other branches of economy, what can be exploited at
construction of various development plans in
broadly understood electronic communication in
information society.
428
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