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1. Origin:
Special requirements on the origin of information or specification as to which data must be given in
formation on their origin as an attribute.
2. Validity:
The concept of validity involves an attribute of an item of information which is set by the particular
information source. Since no other independent information sources are used for determining this
attribute, it constitutes an “internal variable” of the source. It should be borne In mind that this attrib
ute does not make a statement concerning the “quality” (see below) or “usability” of a piece of infor
mation.
3. Quality
The quality of an item of information is the deciding criterion in assessment of the usability as an in
put for the execution of a certain function. The term “quality” comprises three aspects within the
meaning of this report:
• Accuracy in the sense of a tolerance range within which the “true value” is located, based on the
“determined value”.
• Topicality, i.e. age of an item of information or frequency with which certain information is updated.
• Plausibility: compatibility of an item of information with information from other independent sources.
It must for example be ensured that items of information of the same type from independent sources
do not contradict one another.
4. Harmonisation
This term covers requirements which deal with the joint processing of information from different
sources. It should therefore be required practice, for example, that items of information which are
compared with one another have a uniform reference system.
5. Criticality
Requirements which result from a special “protection need” for a certain item of information; eg pro
hibition on modifying the track section of the current voyage plan presently being followed.
6. Alarm facilities and limit values
List of all necessary limit values and alarm facilities necessary for the information concerned.
7. Representation/display
This criterion initially appears as a break with the underlying functional approach. However, since
the human being still represents an essential link in the navigation process, it is absolutely necessary
to demand an appropriate visual display method for certain data. It is thus inadequate, for example,
to merely request the presence of sea chart information. Its application is always governed by suit
able chart representation in the minimal case. Although evaluation and monitoring are theoretically
conceivable even without graphic display, it is simply not acceptable from the viewpoint of current
navigational practice.
For the purpose of defining the requirements, a “top-down approach” is used. In this instance - apart
from the level of task areas - the data flow diagrams of the model of integrated navigation (see part B)
are analysed and requirements are identified with an increasing degree of concrete description.
This report therefore follows the procedure developed in part A and B of this study for breaking down
the process of integrated navigation into task areas. The particular test requirements are represented
on forms which are orientated to the structuring according to processes, as outlined above (i.e. task