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This publication TIC4.0 2021.1 contains the semantic, dataset roadmap, data model and 25 definitions on the topic of Power Source and Activity. It is a very extensive publication with the aim to give the reader a clear overview (from managers to developers) of the standards.

These 25 definitions are part of the ongoing work to develop a vocabulary for the cargo handling industry. The total and growing list of definitions can be accessed on the digital platform of TIC4.0. The links are provided in the Dictionary.

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1 TIC 4.0 scope

The purpose of TIC4.0 is to define a common language that can be represented in an understandable format, including data and information elements suitable for digitization.

With the definitions and language any reality (equipment or process) in a port terminal environment can be uniquely described. The vocabulary needs to work for any equipment, process and protocol (digital or human). The typical elements that make up the port terminal activities are cargo handling equipment (any kind of machine within the terminal that performs a job or task), external vehicles (trucks, vessels, trains), terminal infrastructure (berth, yard, gate), or auxiliary elements (energy, light, refuelling…).

For data driven terminal operations the subject of standardization concerns the data and information elements linking the digital solutions to the physical equipment and hardware.

To achieve the above goal TIC4.0 have developed a Semantic set of rules (based on human language) which helps in the creation process of the definitions/vocabulary. The definitions/vocabulary can be considered as the building bricks and together with the TIC4.0 semantic rules, allow the user to define any reality in a specific, unambiguous way, irrespective of the level of technology used in a terminal.

The vocabulary is managed in a Data Set, which is basically a one-dimensional database list. This list is not static but will grow exponentially when TIC4.0 continues to work on more and more segments and areas of a terminal.

The work of TIC4.0 is to define the individual entries of the Dictionary, focusing on a logical group or theme. In the Dictionary the user can see the status of each entry and which entries are published and a link to the definition is provided.

To apply the words in several digital protocols, a Data Schema is needed. TIC 4.0 will propose one for each of the most common protocols, but any protocol could be used. For the examples, TIC 4.0 usually use JSON as it is very easy human readable.

2 Semantic

The semantic combines 6 basic elements: HEADER, SUBJECT, CONCEPT, OBSERVED PROPERTY, POINT OF MEASUREMENT and VALUE to represent a unique reality.

HEADER identifies the message in origin, (destination), time of reference for the message and unique reference.

SUBJECT (who) is the entity that is doing or being the CONCEPT.

CONCEPT (what is-does) refers always to a particular subject (or subject-subsystem) specifying what the subject is (status) or does (action-event)

OBSERVED PROPERTY (how much) is the magnitude of the concept (status, pieces, length, volume, weight, energy, time, speed, power, duration, acceleration…) represented in the value.

POINT OF MEASUREMENT (where) defines where in place and time (past, present, future) the value representing the concept observed property of the subject is measured and represented.

VALUE is the actual measured result for a specific combination of time of measurement + subject+ concept + observed property + point of measurement. The same value can be represented in several units.

The combination of a SUBJECT with multiple combinations of CONCEPTs, OBSERVED PROPERTies and POINT OF MEASUREMENTs give us a unique meaning of a VALUE.

TIC 4.0 aims to define each of these elements.

An extensive detailed explanation of this semantic can be found in TIC 4.0 Semantic

3 Data set

The Data Set is just the database that contains the well-defined by TIC 4.0 list of data (a piece of reality). We represent this data as a combination of subject+concept+observed property, indicating what possible point of measurements and units are valid.

Data: represented in a flat format
Subject: including subject and sub-subjects
Concept: represented by the concept id
Observed Property (Obs Property)
Point of Measurement (PoM)
Value: possible units to be used for the data representation
Link to the definition: hyperlink to the definition template for each component of the data.
Workflow status (status): what is the status within the TIC 4.0 workflow
Version: expressed in “year.version”
Release: date of realising in “yyymmdd” format
Short Description: for a fast understanding of the data. This short definition is not enough to fully understand the data.

We have divided it by main subjects (CHE, TOS, Terminals…) and topics to make surfing easier. Also, the digi-book has a very powerful tool to search for keywords.

The data set can be found in https://tic40.atlassian.net/l/c/FxmCAXxr

Road Map

This data set is in growing very fast as the reality is complex. The data set contains not only the published data definition (status = published) but also the ones in draft status to allow the developers to have a brought visibility and to program and prepare in advance the systems.

The Data set will always match the data model, both of them are just a different representation of the same data (flat vs structured).

2021.1 Dataset

Within 2020.1 realise TIC 4.0 has focus its effort in two topics of the Dataset for CHE: Activity and PowerSouce. Activity represents the “status” of the CHE and the PowerSource contains the most relevant data of any kind of powersource (engine) of the CHE.

The fast link to these topics can be found below:

https://tic40.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/CRT/pages/493387794/TIC+4.0+Definitions+List+Agenda+2020#ACTIVITY

https://tic40.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/CRT/pages/493387794/TIC+4.0+Definitions+List+Agenda+2020#POWERSOURCE

4 Data model

For the digital formating of the semantic and data set we need a data model to structure the data and a data schema to define the details of the content like the validity of the format or the type of data (boolean, entire, real etc), what data is mandatory or could be omitted etc.

For the 2021.1 realise the data model has been defined based on the RDF https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resource_Description_Framework using the subject->predicate->object schema.

Following the semantic web standard (subject: object) the model has 3 main components: header, asset description and measurement.

SUBJECT creates the hierarchy tree structure (we have sub-subjects) that helps to identify the boundary of the value. The hierarchy is fixed by TIC 4.0 for each kind of subject (CHE, TOS, Terminal) and can mix any type of subjects (ie: machine.process = che.move). The subjects conform to an array defined by the (concept) metadata so many subjects identical but with different metadata (id or name or location or…) can be sent in the same message. (1 message with several CHEs or one CHE with several spreaders).

The CONCEPTs metadata defines “what is” and the CONCEPT “what does”. Both are flat (no hierarchy, no arrays) and we can use as many as necessary. Also, two concepts can be combined with “and” or “or” creating a new concept that in fact is the condition that makes both true. ie “hoisting_and_trolleying” that represents the action of hoisting at trolleying at the same time (both status must be true).

OBSERVED PROPERTies defines the magnitudes of the CONCEPT, is flat (no hierarchy) and we can be used as many as necessary per CONCEPT.

For each OBSERVED PROPERTies an array created by the combination of the different POINT OF MEASUREMENTs in time (actual, estimated, etc), place (input, iinput, ioutput, output), timestamps and the differents Units will give an array (a list) of VALUEs. The array could be as long as necessary per each message. The length will depend on the relation between the data frequency and the message frequency and also the amount of different POINT OF MEASUREMENTs that needs to be represented.

Below one example of one message with 3 subjects (1 subject and 2 sub-subjects), 3 metadata per subject, 2 different concepts that apply to several subjects and 3 observed properties that affect all the subjects.

A detailed definition of the data model can be found in https://tic40.atlassian.net/l/c/XBT1vEBA

The Data Schema is pending for 2021.3 release.

The Data Set is the content of the data model, a flat version without hierarchy or rules. Data Set is used for humans but the machines need the Data Model and the Data Schema to translate it to a digital format.

2021.1 DataModel example

Based on the 2020.1 Data Set road map an extensive Json example has been complete with all possible data that can be used following the standards. This JSON will be extended as soon as would be required to represent new subjects, concepts or observed properties.

5 Definitions

The bricks that build the data set are made by individual elements that are defined by TIC 4.0 following a template. The below is an exmpale of the TIC4.0 concepts.