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Home Office release ‘One Box’ criteria
The ‘One Box’ project led by ACPO Intelligent Transport Systems and funded by the Home Office Centre for Applied Science and Technology, was created with the aim of deploying a single standard for the future fitment of technology in police vehicles.
The Home Office’s ‘One Box: Single Vehicle Architecture’ (SVA) document outlines the standards relating to SVA required by ACPO and the National Association of Police Fleet Managers.
Currently there is no one standard for fitting police and other emergency vehicles with equipment; they are simply adapted for purpose and use varying different forms of the same technology. The criteria set out in this document hopes to change this, so that every police vehicle follows a common standard, ensuring a commonality of approach, providing a ‘safe and efficient working environment for officers’ whilst simultaneously reducing costs across the police department.
In future, all ACPO fleet vehicles will be required to comply with criteria laid out in the document. The OBSVA Criteria however will not specify individual systems as ‘nominated’ or accredited, but instead indicates standard protocols for specific components. The example given in the report is the instalment of a CAN (Controller Area Network) wired LAN (local area network):
‘There will be a managed power supply and standard connection points at key locations in the vehicle. There will also be a managed system to provide the capability for switching and operating emergency service equipment, such as emergency lights. This switching system will operate on a similar principle to a vehicle CAN bus….will be known as esCAN and will have industry standard connectors that will be common to all vehicle, system and component manufacturers.’
CAN bus interfaces connect devices in Electronic Control Units (ECUs) on vehicles. This reduces the amount of wiring needed when fitting a device, therefore reducing manufacturing costs.
Co-operation with vehicle manufacturers will be essential in deploying the criteria laid out by One Box, and this will be instigated through ‘connection with relevant OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturers) where applicable, through agreed access points via the…firewall’
Once a system has been confirmed as meeting the necessary requirements, it will be acknowledged on ‘The List’; a Notification List of recognised, accredited systems:
‘Systems will be entered onto the list and they will be described as having full or partial compliance…Systems that fail the accreditation process will not be entered’.
The List is intended as a guide for potential buyers and manufacturers so that they can check the status of a particular system. The systems are classified by the extent to which they fit OBSVA criteria and are then listed as such. If the system only partially complies, it is offered a ‘partial compliance certification’ to ‘recognise manufacturers working towards a compliant system’ allowing their progress to be monitored and acknowledged.
The partial compliance certification however is only a temporary measure, intended to be phased out as systems manufacturers gradually meet more criteria. If a system is only partially compliant, it will be listed for a maximum of twelve months, but will then be removed and must re-apply for testing in order to be entered again.
Systems will be reviewed on their performance in the following areas: safety; operation; effectiveness; interference (with vehicle systems and emergency service equipment); human-machine interface; distraction; reliability; ease of use; power management and data management.
The method of evaluation for the systems is extensive, the full details of which are explained in the report. The first stage is a questionnaire backed up with supporting documentation from the applicant, followed by in-depth inspections over four phases depending on whether or not the system has been created by the vehicle manufacturer or an outside supplier. At the end of each phase there will be a full evaluation indicating the level of compliance for that particular phase.
There is an emphasis on giving constructive feedback to unsuccessful applicants: ‘If failures and non-compliances arise during a test, the Applicant shall be approached with details of the failures and provided with a summary describing the nature of the failure, the root cause and the corrective action to be taken to eliminate the failure’. By taking this approach to failed and partially compliant systems it is hoped that partial certification can be phased out within 24 months of the criteria being released.
Based on a system that is fully compliant and with all the necessary documentation and support supplied by the Applicant, the evaluation process is expected to take approximately four to six weeks.
OBSVA compliance will become mandatory for all relevant police vehicles and equipment by September 2012.
Click here to view the full report.
