Architecture and Components

The Mobility Data Space is established across the networked connectors, meaning that it is not a centralized platform but rather an expandable network of decentralized players. Prior to being transferred to the target connector, the data to be provided is extended by a set of rules, the so-called »usage policy«. It remains in the target connector and is secure against direct access by the data user. If data users want to work with the data, e. g., for purposes of data analysis or fusion, they must access it within the connector via so-called »data apps«. 

These apps are capable of integrating further data, e. g., from user databases that are run outside of the connector. A usage control layer within the connector guarantees compliance with the rules specified by the data app, with the result that only aggregated results will leave the connector.

All steps taken during data use and processing within the data space can be recorded. This way, data providers have complete knowledge of all activities relating to their data.

© Fraunhofer IVI

A decentralized, distributed system requires a central directory in which data sources and services are published and which can be searched either manually or automatically by data users. With different operator and business models, one or more central components for the data space can be offered:

Data Marketplace

A data marketplace (technically, a metadata directory), is used for the publication and displaying of data sources and their terms of use.

Metadata needs to be provided in a machine-readable format so that devices such as automated vehicles,  smartphones and IoT devices will be able to find and use them autonomously.

Vocabulary Provider

It provides the necessary domain knowledge on traffic and mobility data formats (e. g., DATEX II, NeTEx) as well as APIs (e. g., SIRI, TRIAS) in the form of vocabularies and ontologies, thus ensuring the machine-readability and interoperability of data.

Identity Provider

The identity provider is the single point of contact that evaluates the trustworthiness of data providers, data users as well as data and data apps, and it also allows secure communication based on the aforementioned evaluations.

Data App Store

A data app store is used for the easy registering and marketing of data apps (for the processing of data relating to mobility).

Clearing House

The clearing house is the system‘s central logging component and records transactions made within the distributed system in order to make them available to the relevant parties for purposes of billing and quality analysis at a later point in time.