Data Models and Ontologies

Data Models and Ontologies


Overview

Responsibilites

The Data Models and Ontologies Pillar shall:

  • host  the Vehicle  Data  Project(VSS)  ensuring  a  consistent  vehicle  data rule  set  & development of a vehicle data catalog

  • discuss and document a personal data model (PDM) and align with best practices of privacy and identity

  • host discussion on vehicle data concepts and related tooling

 

The Data Models and Ontologies Pillar may:

  • discuss interaction with other domain models Includes the following existing activities:•Vehicle Signal Specification project

Activities

Proposals for evolving VSS

The proposals below have been presented along the COVESA activities with the aim of restructuring (or extending) the data modeling tasks at COVESA, with a particular focus on improving and evolving VSS.

Proposal name

Author

Reference resources

Main idea(s)

Proposal name

Author

Reference resources

Main idea(s)

Transforming from a vehicle centric data model to a domain agnostic information model

@Ulf Bjorkengren
(Ford)

Presented at COVESA AMM 
Porto (April 2023)

 

Defining the COVESA data modeling strategy and its associated artifacts

@Daniel Alvarez-Coello
(BMW AG)

Presented at COVESA AMM 
Porto (April 2023)

  • Use the right tool for the job.

    • Do not try to cover multiple domains with only one tree.

    • There are other types of data models that are more expressive than a tree.

  • Use a standard language to express cross-references (e.g., RDF).

  • Use ontologies to handle data integration and the identification of resources.

  • Provide the mechanisms to sync a tree to an ontology, and standardise the steps to follow.

  • Do you need a data model, or are you looking for a use-case specific data schema?

  • For more details, see the extended description.

GraphQL schema as contract

Daniel Wilms

(SPREAD GmbH)

Presented at VSS data modeling group on Aug 1, 2023 

 

Integrating Vehicle Signals with VSS and Metadata

Alan Freedman

(Ford)

Recording of Presentation

 

Passcode: #+wbA5dy

 

 

Vehicle DATA Specification

@Daniel Alvarez-Coello 

(BMW AG)

 

Daniel Wilms

(SPREAD GmbH)

  • Uncovering the current limitations of VSS.

  • A proposal that combines the features of the multiple approaches that have been presented so far into one.

 

VSS modeling language evolution

@Daniel Alvarez-Coello 

Presented during an open discussion with the technical steering team and VSS contributors on Mar 28, 2025 .

  • Evolve the VSS modeling language by doing one of the following:

    • Replace the VSPEC modeling language (custom YAML) by a well-established language (e.g., GraphQL SDL), or

    • Further extend the current language but commit more resources or capacity for the development of the tools