Subject: [XCON] Interactive text scenarios for the conference scenarios draft

From: "Arnoud van Wijk" <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 14 May 2004 17:04:21 +0200

Hello everybody,

I promised to give the xconners here a few scenarios for the conference
scenarios draft (draft-ietf-xcon-conference-scenarios-00.txt).

And this also explains in what way Interactive text is used in the
conference. If you have questions.. Shoot!

Text conference:

Interactive text as described in RFC 2793.

Real time text (interactive text) should be available in the main conference
as well in the sidebar.

The nature of Interactive text is real-time, character by character and in
real-time. Since it uses RTP (as described in RFC 2793 and 2793-bis), there
is no problem to add interactive text to the conference call. 

This fits perfectly to the Total Conversation, where Audio, Video and
Interactive text are available for the user. 

Scenarios for the main conference:

Interactive text acting as subtitles of the voice in the conference, this is
useful for non native speakers of the language used in the conference. In
this way those users will be able to follow the conference and fall back to
the interactive text if they do not understand a phrase or for
clarification.

Another group of users will be the hearing impaired and speech impaired
users. In this way, they can fully participate to the conference. All the
voice conversations will be available in text. Conversation typed in
interactive text can be transcoded into audio conversation using a text to
speech application.

Users needing to participate to 2 conference calls simultaneoulsy, can opt
for one conference in audio/video and one only in Interactive text. This
allows the user to focus on the main conference with the audio and track the
second conference in text.

Users who are at the time of the conference in a public place and do not
want the surrounding people to be disturbed (or eavedrop the conference) can
decide to continue part or the whole conference call in interactive text.
For example receiving audio and video and sending interactive text instead
of sending audio.

Or when there is too much background noise, also choose to receive
interactive text.

Scenarios for Text Chat messaging in Chat rooms and conference sidebars

During a conference call, there is sometimes a need for discussing items
with one or more conference attendees separately. To avoid distractions from
the main conference, such sidebar conversation is most likely text based.

The Sidebar text chat can be Instant Messaging like and Interactive text
like. Depending on the user preferences.

Interactive text to IM can be fully transparant. IM to Interactive text is a
bit more complicated due the difference of text delivery (streaming versus a
block of text). If the latter is done, thus IM to Interactive text, some
indicator should be given to the Interactive text user that the text will
come in bursts.

Most likely sidebar users start by default in IM mode and when the IM
session becomes more a conversation, both users can deside to switch to
Interactive text.

Suggested additions in the conference scenarios draft
(draft-ietf-xcon-conference-scenarios-00.txt) in addition to the above
scenarios:

3.5 Advanced conference features. (page 6)

Add:

Changing media anytime during the conference., during the course of a
conference, a participant may be able to choose a different media stream in
addition to the media streams currently present in the conference. For
example, a participant initially joined the conference and discovers that he
or she is unable to understand the language properly. (non native speaker or
hearing impaired). The participant then requests an Interactive text stream
with the same conversation found in the audio stream, same language or an
alternative language (for transcription and/or closed captions).

It must be possible to invoke a transcoding service in the conference if the
participant requires one. The transcoding service can for example be speech
to text and vice versa as well speech to video signlanguage and vice versa.

Page 7: Change in the fragment describing sideconference/sidebars (3rd
paragraph). Last line, Or an audio or video conference may have a text
sidebar using RFC 2793 Interactive texting OR Instant messaging. Depending
on the preference of the conference participant.

4. Scenarios for media policy control (page 8)

Add: The scenarios apply to audio conference as well as to total
conversation conferences where video and interactive text are included in
the conference.

4.3 Conference sidebar scenario (page 10)

Add: (2nd paragraph) User invites participants...

If the new participant uses a transcoded media stream in the main
conference, this media stream must be available in the sidebar if it belongs
to the sidebar selected media. For example when an English audio stream is
moved to the sidebar, the transcoded Spanish text stream must also move to
the sidebar. Even if the sidebar creator selected the main conference
English audio stream.

Add: (after  the 4th paragraph) Sidebar participants with the right
authorization must be able to use interactive text in addition to or
replacing the audio stream in the sidebar. If desired. Even if the main
conference did not use a transcoded  interactive text stream.

4.7 (page 12), change: last line:

Note that a real-time transcription/closed captioning service can provide a
similar window in which audio media is converted to text.

Into: Note that a real-time transcription/closed captioning service can
provide a similar window in which audio media is converted into interactive
text.

4.9 Text Sidebars (page 12)

My advice is to make a distinction between the 2 forms of text
communication. Interactive text and Instant messaging.

Change: 'Text or instant messaging sidebars' 

Into: 'Interactive text or Instant Messaging sidebars'

Change: 'For example, a conference which is providing anonymity/

   aliases to participants can also provide anonymous/alias sidebars.  A

   text sidebar can also benefit from other security/logging/recording

   services provided by the focus.'

Into: For example, ... provided by the focus. And another use of a text
sidebar is a text only conversation/discussion between 2 or more conference
participants while at the same time following the main conference without
being distracted by additional audio.

 

Drs. Arnoud A. T. van Wijk
Viataal
Research & Development
Afdeling RDS
Theerestraat 42
5271 GD Sint-Michielsgestel
The Netherlands. 
Mobile: +31651921948
International text telephone: +31735588408