GMV's Precise, Safe Positioning: Enhancing Your Rearview Mirror Experience

The technology multinational GMV has reached another milestone in automated driving by integrating its safe, high-precision and reliable positioning technology as a key component of the BMW Personal Pilot L3 function, the new feature available for order in the new BMW 7 Series.

SAE Level 3 automated driving represents a significant advancement in autonomous vehicle technology. The vehicle automatedly manages specific driving tasks within defined conditions, requiring human intervention only when the system encounters challenges beyond its capabilities. This is a noteworthy departure from more driver-dependent levels, enabling users to disengage under specified circumstances while helping to enhance both comfort and safety on public roads.

The unveiling of Level-3 functionality in BMW 7 Series models establishes the BMW Group as a pioneer in the industry. This accomplishment is a source of pride for GMV, as a significant contributor to it. This signifies a substantial progression from mere driving test trials or proofs of concept to the realization of a fully developed and commercially available solution.

GMV’s proprietary positioning solution consists of two components: the onboard Safe Positioning Engine software (SPE) and a Safe GNSS Correction Service (SCS). 

The SCS and SPE have been implemented and tested with the added goal of compatibility with third-party implementations. However, when they are used together, they achieve full potential in terms of safety, required in Level 3 automated driving applications, as all GMV GSharp^® elements contribute to the overall automated driving solution.

The Safe Correction Service (SCS) provides BMW Group vehicles with corrections to the Broadcast Ephemeris across various GNSS constellations, augmentation data for mitigating local atmospheric effects, and safety-related information for computing a reliable user position. The Safe Positioning Engine (SPE) integrated in the vehicles’ on-board unit also uses these corrections, together with GNSS signals and information from other sensors, to compute a reliable vehicle position, speed, and heading.

This production launch milestone adds the ADL3 function to GMV’s positioning solution market portfolio, consolidating GMV as one of the primary worldwide suppliers of GNSS‑based high‑accuracy positioning solutions.

A wealth of experience and proven expertise

GMV has more than 30 years of experience in the GNSS domain, dedicating over 20 years to the development of safe and precise positioning systems. The company has also accrued more than 18 years of experience in supplying software for the automotive sector, working with both automotive OEMs and Tier-1 suppliers.

The safe and precise GNSS positioning solution, GMV GSharp^®, for Automotive delivers high‑accuracy, safe and reliable positioning information (position, velocity, and heading), which is later combined with automated driving functions. The safety of the positioning solution relies on satellite navigation (GNSS) technologies, complemented by a hybridization with other in-vehicle sensors like Inertial Measurement Units, Wheel Speed sensors, or Odometers. GMV has engineered a Positioning Engine software embedded in the vehicle, complemented by the Correction Service– a server-based component that broadcasts augmentation data to the Positioning Engine over the Internet.

The Correction Service and Positioning Engine are developed in accordance with the ISO 26262 and ISO 21448 standards, ensuring adherence to safety requirements. The solution also aligns with the security-from-design principle outlined in ISO 21434, incorporating essential countermeasures in both the software and system, particularly in GNSS‑related attack detection (anti-spoofing and anti-jamming schemes). The development process adheres to the most rigorous automotive project management practices and meets the stringent industry standards for software engineering (A-SPICE CL3).