ISO 17261:2012描述了多式联运/多式联运环境中自动车辆和设备识别（AVI/AEI）及支持服务的概念和逻辑架构。 它从较高的层次上展示了AEI多式联运和多式联运系统架构，并描述了关键子系统、其相关接口和交互，以及它们如何适应管理、安全和信息流等全系统功能。 ISO 17261:2012确定了整体AVI/AEI环境中的多式联运/多式联运AEI环境，以及多式联运/多式联运部门IT基础设施的关键外部相互依赖关系和接口。其中包括与多式联运/多式联运系统服务及其相关IT系统的外部和内部用户的接口，与多式联运/多式联运管理系统、现有多式联运/多式联运网络和系统操作的接口，特别是与物资标识和JTC 1/SC 31物资物流国际标准领域的接口。 作为一种体系结构，它被设计为与该领域互补和互锁。 ISO 17261:2012旨在与ISO/TC 104《货运集装箱》的工作相辅相成并保持一致。 它扩展了ISO 14814中确定的概念和通信AVI体系结构，既不特定于频率，也不特定于空中接口协议。它提供了最大的互操作性，具有很高的填充能力，并提供了向上迁移到能力更强的系统的可能性。 它不包括空中接口或任何实现方面，只包括参考体系结构。后续国际标准定义了通用AVI/AEI和特定应用领域的数据结构。

ISO 17261:2012 describes the conceptual and logical architecture for automatic vehicle and equipment identification (AVI/AEI) and supporting services in an intermodal/multimodal environment. It presents a high level view of AEI intermodal and multimodal system architecture, and describes the key sub systems, their associated interfaces and interactions and how they fit into system wide functions such as management, security and information flow. ISO 17261:2012 identifies the context of intermodal/multimodal AEI within the overall AVI/AEI context and key external inter-dependencies and interfaces to the intermodal/multimodal sector IT infrastructure. These include interfaces to the external and internal users of the intermodal/multimodal system services and their associated IT systems, interfaces to intermodal/multimodal management systems, existing intermodal/multimodal networks and system operations, and specifically interfaces to item identification and the domain of JTC 1/SC 31, item logistics International Standards. As an architecture it is designed to be complementary and interlocking to that domain. ISO 17261:2012 is intended to be complementary and consistent with the work of ISO/TC 104, Freight containers. It extends the conceptual and communication AVI architecture determined in ISO 14814 and is neither frequency nor air interface protocol specific. It provides maximum interoperability, has a high population capability, and provides the possibility of upwards migration to more capable systems. It does not include the air interface nor any implementation aspect, only the reference architectures. Subsequent International Standards define data structures for general AVI/AEI and for specific sectors of application.