Open In-vehicle API

An open standard for successive APIs

The rapidly increasing complexity of automotive features will lead to the introduction of Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) and thereby reduce overall complexity. Three main APIs will emerge.

1) Cloud-to-DigitalTwin API
2) Vehicle-to-Cloud API
3) Signal-to-Service API

All three APIs will be based on the open COVESA standard. In the following section we will focus on the Signal-to-Service API.

Open, safe real-time APIs

The Signal-to-Service API must also meet high vehicle requirements. In particular, these include security aspects and fast response times. The API should be able to make functions portable without massively impairing the response time requirements of control algorithms.

We are cooperating with COVESA and AUTOSAR to establish an open, global standard for this API. Thanks to an open API, the vision of a secure and access-protected “smartphone on wheels” can become a reality. The open standard foresees an access rights concept so that the respective software blocks can only read the signals for which they are enabled. Unauthorized writing access is also controlled and blocked if necessary, so that the driver has the steering wheel safely under control even on the freeway.

The open, secure, and fast API is an essential building block for future vehicle software and brings us a good deal closer to the wide range of software we know from smartphones.