Total Conversation The tool for equal opportunities in telecommunications

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Total ConversationThe tool for equal
opportunities in telecommunications

• Gunnar HellströmOmnitor AB
• June 2002
• Gunnar.Hellstrom_at_omnitor.sewww.omnitor.se

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Total conversation combines three features
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A Total Conversation user interface
Example of a Total Conversation user interface
Call control
Tal
Voice
Sign language
Text in multimedia call.
Teckenspråk
Also for Text Telephony
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Typical use between deaf users
Deaf Deaf
Video for Sign Language
Text for phone numbers, addresses
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Typical use with hard-of-hearing user
Hard-of-hearing Hearing
Voice
Speech-reading
Text when needed
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Typical use between deaf and hearing users
Deaf Hearing
Text for the conversation
Video for recognition
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Total Conversation usability increase in
personal communication

• The combination of video, text and voice in
  conversation is a very strong accessible service
  of value for all.
• Deaf
• Hard-of-hearing
• Speech impairments
• Deaf-blind
• Aphasia
• Older
• People in noisy environments
• People in environments requiring silence
• When submitting a booking number, and address
  etc.
• When taking a language course on distance
• All

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ITU-T T.140, the common base for text conversation

• Extremely simple text chat protocol
• Unicode UTF-8 coding
• Included in all Multimedia protocol standards for
  fixed and mobile networks.

What is the street address?
Alameda 34
Example of T.140 display
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Total Conversation -a complete standardized
familyETSI, ITU, IETF, 3GPP approved
IETF SIP
Voice
and
T.140
video
RTP
SDP
IP
Network
transmission
GSM text
IP
H.248 Text - aware Gateway (Annex F)
Total Conversation service defined in ITU-T F.703
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Video quality for sign language and lip reading
a prerequisite

• Video communication quality level needed for
  signing and lip reading.
• Requirements are documented in an ITU document.
  (ITU-T Series H, Suppl 1 )

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Video quality for sign language and lip reading
is good for all
Smoothness of motion enough for rapid motion in fingerspelling. gt 20 pictures per second. 25 in practice.
Sharpness enough for small details fingers, eye-direction, mouth... gt 240 200 pixels in the picture. 352288 in practice, CIF.
Latencyshort enough for undisturbed turn-taking. lt 400 ms from camera to receivers screen

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Service Level

• The Total Conversation service is defined in
  ITU-T F.703 Multimedia conversational service
  description
• The mobile corresponding definition is in 3GPP
  22.226 Global Text and Total conversation service
• Text telephony is a limited subset of Total
  Conversation, also defined in the same specs.

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Transport Level

• Each Multimedia environment needs its own
  transport standards for the media streams.
• Available now for
• IP for ITU-T H.323
• IP for IETF SIP, also used in 3GPP Mobile IP
  Multimedia
• Circuit switched in H.324 and in 3G.324
• ISDN in H.320
• Mobile voice channel CTM modem in 3GPP
• Text telephony
• Gatewaying is also specified in ITU-T H.248 Annex
  F

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Total Conversation Implementations

• Allan-10 from Omnitor was the first Total
  Conversation product. for ISDN
• Allan-10 now makes communication easy for many
  deaf users at work.
• Tandberg videoconferencing units for ISDN now
  support Total Conversation
• Allan eC from Omnitor is the first product for IP
  based Total Conversation.

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Allan eC

• Lets you communicate in all languages signed,
  typed, spoken

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Allan eC features

• IP Total Conversation through H.323
• Good video quality
• PC based
• Univergsal alerting system connection
• Multifunction opportunity text telephone in the
  same user interface
• Gateway configuration IP text telephony PSTN
  text telephony (V.18).
• Powered by eConf from France Telecom
• The initial base for an eTEN proposal.

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Allan eC text telephony interoperability
PSTN
V.18 modem
IP
Multifunction terminal mode
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Allan eC text telephony interoperability
H.323 Total Conversation terminal
Allan eC H.323 / V.18 Text gateway
PSTN
V.18 modem
IP
IP
Text gateway mode
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Voice telephony interoperability
IP Total Conversation terminal
IP networks
PSTN
IP Telephony gateway
IP Voice telephone
IP Total Conversation terminal
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Conclusion

• Total Conversation is a standardised concept.
• Total Conversation brings equal opportunities to
  telecommunication
• Total Conversation is designed for all
• Total Conversation is a smooth way to
  harmonization and interoperability
• Total Conversation is ready to use
• Total Conversation is ready for rollout in an
  eTen project

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eTEN-project

• TEN TransEuropean Networks
• From Technical Validation
• through
• Organisational Coordination
• Business Models confirmation
• to
• Service Provision

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Vision

•  Everyone, everywhere should be able to
  communicate seamlessly in Europe with everyone
  else and to access information services in
  his/her preferred mode of expression to a price
  comparable to todays telephone costs.

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• Application areas in the eTEN project
• Social contacts
• Hearing impaired, deaf, deaf-blind, aphasia, all
• Elderly care and harmony in ageing
• Care service centres, older people, relatives
• E-learning
• Personal contacts in distance education. E.g.
  Language courses.
• Mediated personal communication
• Sign language relay services and distant
  interpreting
• Speech to speech with visual support
• Text relay services
• Government agencies accessible for all
• Serve all citizens in the media that suits both
  parties.

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Partner roles

• Co-ordinator
• Technology providers
• Broadband, Wireless and 3G Operators
• Care providers
• E-learning providers
• Mediated service providers
• Accessible authority providers
• Evaluation and assessment

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Time schedule

• Project outline June Sep 2002
• Partner search June - Oct 2002
• Draft description Nov Dec 2002
• Call Nov 2002
• Application deadline January 2003
• Evaluation Feb-Mar 2003
• Negotiations Apr May 2003
• Project start June -July 2003