Dear SG16 experts,

The subject contribution has been sent to Mr. Bigi and also placed at the ftp site:

http://standard.pictel.com/ftp/avc-site/0105_por/delayed_Q4_Waseda.zip

Its text version is attached for your quick reading.

Please also be advised that the Launceston meeting report has been sent to Mr. Bigi and placed at the ftp site:

http://standard.pictel.com/ftp/avc-site/0105_por/TDxx-WP2_AVD-2100.zip

Best regards,

OKUBO Sakae ********************************************************* Global Information and Telecommunication Institute (GITI) Waseda University 29-7 Waseda University Bldg. 1-3-10 Nishi-Waseda, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 169-0051 Japan e-mail: okubo@giti.waseda.ac.jp Tel: +81 3 3204 8194 Fax: +81 3 5286 3832 *********************************************************

ITU - Telecommunication Standardization Sector Study Period 2001-2004 Study Group 16 Delayed Contribution D.xxx

Porto Seguro, 28 May - 8 June 2001

Questions: 4/16, C/16

SOURCE*: WASEDA UNIVERSITY TITLE: SOME SCENARIOS FOR THE USE OF INTERNET SERVICES TO ENHANCE VIDEOCONFERENCING AND VIDEOPHONE

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1. Introduction

In response to the request made at the Launceston Rapporteur meeting[1], this contribution provides some scenarios for the utilization of internet services to enhance videoconferencing and videophone that would form a basis to derive technical requirements for the enhanced system.

2. Internet services to be considered

Internet services may be classified into two categories; transport services like multicast and applications services on top of UDP/IP or TCP/IP. This contribution focuses on use of the latter application services that enhance basic audio and video functionalities of videoconferencing and videophone systems. Some possible service scenarios are described from the user's perspective.

3. Example scenarios

A. Retrieval and presentation of web materials

A.1 Use of the web site as a private database

This is an alternative of bringing large amount of paper documents or electronic files to the meeting site that should be referred to during the meeting session.

A.2 Use of web pages for the presentation

We can utilize multimedia contents on the web for persuasive presentation of the meeting subject. There may be a case of presenting the image the presenter has chosen to all the participants and a case of each participant accessing the designated web page.

In case the presented document is to be collaboratively worked out by the meeting participants, the presentation image is shared by all and each participant can add or modify the document from his/her own PC after obtaining the chairperson's permission.

A.3 Integration with reservation of meeting resources such as meeting room and circuit

Reservation systems using web technology are foreseen to prevail. The reservation service and the enhanced services described here can be provided with a unified interface like web browser.

A.4 Automatic response to the incoming telephone call

On behalf of the absent callee, a web server responds to the incoming call from a telephone set with display. One of the menu items can be selected; request of call back, leaving a message, transfer to another telephone, recording of the message, etc [2]. Use of mobile phone as web browser is widely deployed and similar service for the fixed phone (called L-mode) is going to start in June in Japan. Future telephone set will be equipped with a display and internet accessibility.

A.5 Use of browser first to the incoming telephone call

In contrast with the above A.4 case where the callee is absent, a browser can be utilized even in case the callee is present. The incoming call is first responded with a browser phone or PC (acting as secretary), then based on the information regarding the caller, the callee may choose to take a voice conversation, record a message, respond with another phone (call transfer), or reject the call.

B. Instant messaging, chat

B.1 Private communication among meeting participants

Members of the same group (section, division, company, etc) or those in alliance may wish to exchange opinions or information and give and receive instructions during the meeting session. This is an analogy of whispering into colleague's ear or assembling among members during the meeting.

B.2 Private communication with those who are not attending the meeting

The above communication (B.1) may be extended to outside members who are not attending the meeting but supporting those who are in the meeting. They may be experts, managers or group members.

C. E-mail

C.1 Communication with other meeting participants or outside experts

During the meeting session, a meeting participant may exchange views and information with members with inside or outside the meeting.

C.2 Management of pre-meeting mailing list discussion

A tool is desired to make a report of the pre-meeting mailing list discussion. Visualization of who commented what on whose opinion is desirable.

C.3 Assistance to create ad-hoc groups

A tool is desired to easily create an ad-hoc group for discussing a particular topic after the meeting and to register participants.

D. File transfer

D.1 Distribution of meeting documents

In advance of or during the meeting, meeting documents are electronically distributed. This service is already utilized for our ITU-T Rapporteur meetings.

E. Streaming

E.1 Presentation

Instead of presenting motion pictures by using a VCR, audio, video or audiovisual materials stored at the server can be presented during the meeting session.

E.2 Record of the meeting

Meeting scenes are sent to a local or remote server where they are archived together with such metadata as meeting objectives, participants, agenda for later information retrieval.

F. Seamless transition between telephone and multimedia communication

F.1 Starting with mono media (telephone) and multimedia (video, data) being added or removed later as necessary

A call center is accessed by telephone, information retrieval and menu selection are carried out with audio input, then pre-view or pre-listening is given as picture or audio, and finally desired information content (such as a melody for mobile phone "ringing melody") is downloaded.

G. Others

G.1 Integration of electronic documents and handwritten presentations such as diagrams on whiteboard that are created during the meeting

A tool is desired to easily integrate materials handwritten on electronic blackboard or flip chart with a Word or PDF file and distribute it to the meeting participants.

4. Conclusion

This contribution has given some usage scenarios of internet services that can enhance the basic audio and video functionalities of videoconferencing and videophone. As many service scenarios as possible should be collected from user's viewpoints to derive technical requirements for the system design.

Acknowledgements

Draft of this contribution was reviewed by the members of TTC AVS Working Group whose comments, particularly those from Canon, NEC and Oki Electric, have been thankfully incorporated into this contribution.

References

[1] TD-xx (WP2/16), Report of the Launceston meeting, AVD-2100, March 2001 [2] TD-xy (WP2/16), Draft Annex I to H.324 "Usage of HTTP Generic Capability in H.324 terminals" May 2001

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