PointSafe

Safe positioning service

Proven technology already in use on millions of kms of roads

Certified for safety-critical applications: ASIL B (ISO 26262) and SOTIF (ISO 21448)
Best-in-class performance for accuracy, integrity, and availability
Natively supported by u-blox A9 functional safe GNSS chip and u-safe end-to-end safe positioning solution
Flexibility to support automotive grade components; usable as a standalone option for customer solutions
Ideally suited for ADAS L3 and above autonomous driving applications

PointSafe overview and key benefits

PointSafe is a safe positioning service composed of an ISO 26262-certified safe correction service and safe on-board position engine software that are already on the road today, delivering high performance and trusted positioning for next- generation autonomous driving vehicles.

PointSafe meets the ASIL-B (ISO 26262) and SOTIF (ISO 21448) standards for Safety-Critical Applications and is among the few services available in the market today to meet standards for the functional safety of road vehicles. PointSafe comes with SOTIF features, which means that SOTIF (ISO 21448) compliance is possible depending on customer requirements. PointSafe is exactly suited for Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) defined by the automotive industry, and directly suited to the SAE Levels 3-5. Our focus is positioning, integrity, and functional safety, always considering the needs of customers and applications.

u-blox and GMV joined forces to deliver cutting-edge safe positioning solutions for automotive applications.

graphic presenting components of u-safe solution

Features	Details
Technology	High-accuracy SSR corrections
Horizontal accuracy	< 10 cm RMS
Target integrity risk (TIR)	Up to 10 ^-7 per hour
Convergence time (cold start)	< 30 s (reconvergence within seconds)
Protection level	2 to 5 m
Service availability	> 99.9 %
Time to alert (TTA)	< 5 s
Position, velocity, heading	up to 10 Hz
Coverage	Europe, contiguous United States, and Canada; other regions planned
Delivery	Direct-to-Vehicle or Service-to-Service via OEM backend
Communication	SSR corrections encapsulated in binary large objects (BLOBs) and published via Internet using MQTT protocol
GNSS signal support	GPS: ASIL-B Galileo: ASIL-B BeiDou: 1Q24

Safe position engine

Sensor fusion (IMU, Wheel ticks, etc.)
Correction service integration
PVT + Protection level calculation
Integrated on host processor or on u-blox module
ASIL B output available (ISO 26262)
Integrity layer (ISO 21448 – SOTIF)
Cybersecurity mechanisms

Safe correction service

Field-proven PPP-RTK technology
Multi-constellation and multi-frequency
Integrity data processing through SSR
ISO 26262
Fast convergence
Coverage including Europe and contiguous United States; other regions planned

Proven technology

PointSafe’s safe correction service and safe on-board position engine are on the road today, delivering high performance and trusted positioning for automotive Tier 1’s and OEMs. This proven technology has been tested over millions of miles and is part of first safe solutions on public roads. Years of research and development have culminated in a mature and proven solution ready for the market.

Safety-critical certified

PointSafe meets the ASIL-B standards for Safety-Critical Applications. ASIL refers to Automotive Safety Integrity Level, a risk classification system defined by the ISO 26262 standard for the functional safety of road vehicles. Integrity + Functional Safety is recognized as a critical capability for ADAS SAE L3-5; therefore, the service complies with the following standards:

ASIL-B (ISO 26262 – ISO 21448) Standards for Safety- Critical Applications
ISO 21448 (SOTIF Safety of The Intended Function)
A-SPICE CL3 (Automotive SPICE® Capability Level 3)

Best-in-class performance

Achieving a sufficient performance requires a holistic solution based on GNSS hardware, software, and service. PointSafe provides best-in-class performance for accuracy, integrity, and availability:

Horizontal Accuracy* < 10 cm RMS
Target Integrity Risk up to 10-7/h
Service Availability (SLA) > 99,9 %
Convergence time < 30 s with reconvergence in seconds

* Nominal accuracy achieved with a mass-market automotive and GNSS receiver under open sky conditions

Highly flexible

Natively supported by best-in-class u-blox A9 functional safety chipsets and modules and in adding customized integration support, PointSafe is a core component of u-safe end-to-end safe positioning solution, providing a proven one-stop-shop for advanced driving. PointSafe also offers the configurability and flexibility to support non-u-blox automotive grade components and is usable as a standalone option for customer solutions.