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Specialist Task Force 566:
SAREF extensions for Automotive, eHealth/Ageing-well, Wearables and Water

Who we are:

Team leader:
Team Members:

 

What we do

The STF 566 has the goal of extending the SAREF standard taking into account:

•    Automotive domain use cases and available existing data models, in close collaboration with AIOTI, the H2020 Large Scale Pilots (e.g. AUTOPILOT, SYNCHRONICITY) and other projects on mobility managed by INEA/EASME, ETSI and oneM2M. 
•    eHealth/ Ageing-well domain use cases and available existing data models, in close collaboration with AIOTI, the H2020 Large Scale Pilots, ETSI (in particular EP eHealth and TC SmartBAN) and oneM2M. 
•    Wearables domain use cases and available existing data models, in close collaboration with AIOTI, the H2020 Large Scale Pilots, ETSI (in particular TC SmartBAN) and oneM2M.
•    Water domain use cases and available existing data models, in close collaboration with AIOTI, the H2020 Large Scale Pilots, results of the projects from the ICT4WATER cluster, ETSI and oneM2M.

To that end, the current technical proposal will produce 4 Technical Reports, one for each domain (i.e., Automotive, eHealth/ Ageing-well, Wearables and Water domains), with the scope to determine the requirements from the considered domains, collect use cases and identify available existing data models. Moreover, the current technical proposal will produce 4 Technical Specifications, one for each domain, with the scope to specify an initial extension to SAREF for each of these domains based on the requirements expressed in the corresponding TR.

For more details, see our Terms of Reference

Why we do it

In November 2015, the first version of the SAREF standard for smart appliances was published by ETSI TC SmartM2M (TS 103 264 V1.1.1). This specification subsequently evolved in a new version published in March 2017 (TS 103 264 V2.1.1) and currently includes also TS 103 410, parts 1 (SAREF4ENER), -2 (SAREF4ENVI), -3 (SAREF4BLDG), TS 103 267 (Smart Appliances Application of oneM2M Communication Framework) and the related testing suite in TS 103 268, parts 1 (Methodology), -2 (PICS), -3 (TSS&TP) and -4 (PIXIT).

The standard is based on the Smart Appliance REFerence ontology (SAREF), which was originally created in a standardization initiative launched by the European Commission (EC), DG CNECT, conducted in collaboration with ETSI TC SmartM2M. The EC, as a first step, identified an immediate need of the current market to reduce the energy utilization by managing and controlling Smart Appliances (for example, in a house or an office building) on a system level. In particular, the Industry and the EC raised the need for a common architecture with standardized interfaces and a common data model to assure interoperability. Without these two components, the current market would continue to be fragmented and powerless. Therefore, the development of a reference ontology was targeted as the main interoperability enabler for appliances relevant for energy efficiency, and ETSI accepted to cover the communication aspect and provide the necessary standardization process support.

As a result, following a broad consultation with stakeholders to address clear market needs, the EC financially supported a study to create a language (so-called 'reference ontology') for smart appliances. As a result of the study (SMART 2013/0077) the first version of this reference ontology (SAREF) was completed on April 1st, 2015. The outcomes of the study were then transferred to ETSI, to turn the study outcome into a Technical Specification. This task was executed by ETSI TC SmartM2M, and the specification was published in November 2015 (TS 103 264 V1.1.1).

In 2016, ETSI TC SmartM2M requested a Specialist Task Force (STF) to provide input on the management of SAREF, and identify and create possible SAREF extensions in specific domains. STF 513 was established and developed 3 extensions for SAREF in the energy, environment and building domains. These extensions have been published in January 2017 as follows: 

-    TR 103 411 “SmartM2M; Smart Appliances; SAREF extension investigation”
-    SAREF for Energy (SAREF4ENER): TS 103 410-1 “SmartM2M; Smart Appliances Extension to SAREF; Part 1: Energy Domain”
-    SAREF for Environment (SAREF4ENVI): TS 103 410-2 “SmartM2M; Smart Appliances Extension to SAREF; Part 2: Environment Domain”
-    SAREF for Building (SAREF4BLDG): TS 103 410-3 “SmartM2M; Smart Appliances Extension to SAREF; Part 3: Building Domain”

TR 103 411 describes the use cases covered by the three extensions SAREF4ENER, SAREF4ENVI and SAREF4BLDG, and the requirements from the energy, environment and building domains that were used to build these extensions. TR 103 411 further proposes a strategy for the extension and maintenance of SAREF and its extensions in the future. Furthermore, it identifies additional domains where an extension of SAREF could be beneficial.

STF 513 has additionally developed a new version of SAREF, taking into account the feedback received from the industrial stakeholders since its first release in April 2015. As a result, a new version of SAREF was published in March 2017 (TS 103 264 V2.1.1), which contains the specification of SAREF 2.0, including the changes compared to the previous version, and an updated mapping to the oneM2M base ontology. This mapping was developed by STF 513 in collaboration with the oneM2M experts responsible for the oneM2M base ontology.

The SAREF initiative has been welcomed by the Smart Appliance and IoT Industry which clearly indicated the intention to adopt the SAREF ontology and its related communication framework. As confirmed in the EC Rolling Plan for ICT Standardisation 2017, SAREF is a main ontology standard in the IoT ecosystem, and sets a template and a base for the development of similar standards for the other verticals to unlock the full potential of the IoT.

Since its first creation in 2015, SAREF has gradually become a “brand” to indicate (the network of) standardized semantic models that continues to grow systematically within the SmartM2M TC in ETSI. Currently, the proposal to change the SAREF acronym from the original “Smart Appliances REFerence ontology” to, e.g., “Smart Anything REFerence ontology” is under discussion, to better reflect the fact that SAREF is not limited to smart appliances and energy efficiency, but can serve as upper reference model to enable better integration of data from various vertical domains in the IoT. To that end, requirements are needed from new domains (e.g., Smart Cities, Smart AgriFood, Smart Industry and Manufacturing, Automotive, eHealth/Ageing-well, Wearables) to create new (and reuse existing) semantic models aligned with SAREF, while guaranteeing a consistent cross-domain maintenance and evolution of the network of extensions sprouting from SAREF.

During the work of STF 513, a number of industrial sectors expressed the interest to extend SAREF into their domains in order to fill the gaps of the semantics not yet covered by the first version of the ETSI specification published in 2015 and the extensions created in 2016.

Some organizations, such as organizations involved in the eHealth and Automotive sectors, also suggested that SAREF could additionally cover the domains where they are active, or made explicitly clear that they find it particularly important to be able to make full use of SAREF and its extensions for cross-domain semantic interoperability.

The availability of a network of standardized semantic models that consistently grow and systematically extend SAREF within TC SmartM2M in ETSI will allow not only implementers and manufacturers of Smart Appliances - and more in general IoT devices - to fully support various, multiple and cross-domain use cases for their devices. It will enhance the interoperability between their devices and the devices of other manufacturers and will allow them to broaden their market.

The overall deployment of Smart IoT devices (e.g. in the automotive domain) will directly lead to a quick adoption of the related M2M ETSI standards as developed by oneM2M. These standards potentially address a multi-billion product market.

How we do it

The STF 566 work is split in 5 tasks:
•    Task 1: Project Management
Objectives: Coordination, communication, reporting and leading of the STF team activities, in collaboration with the ETSI secretariat and TC SmartM2M.

•    Task 2: SAREF requirements gathering to result in 4 ETSI TRs
Objectives: This task will gather requirements from the domains interested in a SAREF extension.

•    Task 3: Production of SAREF extensions, SAREF extension development to result in 4 ETSI TS
Objectives: The objective is to include input from the industrial actors of the IoT domains of interest and domain-specific aspects to produce four extensions of SAREF, one for each considered domain, based on the study described in the corresponding Technical Reports.

The STF 566 intends to work in close collaboration with stakeholders from the domains of interest, namely (but not limited to):
-    Automotive, including partners from AIOTI, the H2020 Large Scale Pilots (e.g., AUTOPILOT), ETSI and oneM2M.
-    eHealth/well-ageing, including partners from AIOTI, the H2020 Large Scale Pilots, ETSI (in particular EP eHealth and TC SmartBAN) and oneM2M.
-    Wearables, including partners from AIOTI, the H2020 Large Scale Pilots, ETSI (in particular TC SmartBAN) and oneM2M.
-    Water, including partners from AIOTI, the H2020 Large Scale Pilots, projects from the ICT4WATER cluster , ETSI and oneM2M

The STF 566 will be present for stakeholder consultation and dissemination of results at a number of relevant meetings, workshops and events.

Deliverables

List of deliverables to be produced by the STF:

 Deliverable Work Item code,
Standard number

                    Title and Contents
D1 DTR/SmartM2M-103508, TR 103 508 SmartM2M; SAREF extension investigation; Requirements for Automotive
D2 DTR/SmartM2M-103509, TR 103 509 SmartM2M; SAREF extension investigation; Requirements for eHealth/Ageing-well
D3 DTR/SmartM2M-103510, TR 103 510 SmartM2M; SAREF extension investigation; Requirements for Wearables
D4 DTR/SmartM2M-103547, TR 103 547 SmartM2M; SAREF extension investigation; Requirements for Water
D5 DTS/SmartM2M-103410-7-SRF4AUTO, TS 103 410-7 SmartM2M; Extension to SAREF; Part 7: Automotive Domain. SAREF4AUTO 
D6 DTS/SmartM2M-103410-8-SRF4EHAW, TS 103 410-8 SmartM2M; Extension to SAREF; Part 8: eHealth/Ageing-well Domain.
SAREF4EHAW
D7 DTS/SmartM2M-103410-9-SRF4WEAR, TS 103 410-9 SmartM2M; Extension to SAREF; Part 9: Wearables Domain. SAREF4WEAR
D8 DTS/SmartM2M-103410-10-SRF4WTR, TS 103 410-10 SmartM2M; Extension to SAREF; Part 10: Water Domain. SAREF4WATR

In addition, the STF 566 will produce Progress Reports to SmartM2M TC according to the milestones schedule (see Time plan).

Time plan

This is the expected time scale for the production of the deliverables

Milestone
 Description                Target
Achievement Date
S Start of STF 19 Dec 2018
M1 Early draft TRs (Task 2) for TC review
Start of work on TS (Task 3)
Progress report approved by TC SmartM2M		 19 Apr 2019
M2 Final draft TRs (Task 2) and Progress Report approved by TC SmartM2M
Early drafts TS (Task 3) submitted for TC review		 19 Sep 2019
MA Interim Report draft to ETSI 01 Aug 2019
M3 Final drafts TS (Task 3) approved by TC SmartM2M and publication 19 May 2020
M4 Deliverables published, STF closed 19 Jun 2020
MB Final Report approved by ETSI Secretariat 01 Jun 2020

How to contact us

For further details, or if you wish to be involved in the work of the STF, please contact the STF Leader: Raúl García-Castro at rgarcia@fi.upm.es.

 

This information is based upon STF working assumptions.

The views expressed do not necessarily represent the position of ETSI in this context.