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Total Conversation

The tool for equal opportunities in telecommunications

Gunnar HellströmOmnitor AB

June 2002

Gunnar.Hellstrom@omnitor.sewww.omnitor.se

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Total Conversation combines features of video telephony, text telephony and voice telephony

Video telephony

Text telephony

Voice telephony

Total Conversation for all in video, text and voice.

A standardised concept for telecommunication for all.

Total conversation combines three features

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Tal

Teckenspråk

Example of a Total Conversation user interface

Voice

Sign language

Also for Text Telephony

Text in multimediacall.

Call control

A Total Conversation user interface

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Typical use between deaf users

Deaf DeafVideo 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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Deaf Hearing

Text for the conversation

Video for recognition

Typical use between deaf and hearing users

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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 family

ETSI, ITU, IETF, 3GPP approved

H.248 Text - aware Gateway (Annex F)

V.18

Text telephony

Transparent

Equalizer for legacy

T.140

PSTN

H.223

V.34/V.80

AL1 H.245

H.324

T.140Voiceand

video

PSTN

T.124GCC

T.134

T.120 Dataconferencing

T.123

T.140

DATACONF.

H.323

H.225.0

Networkaccess

T.140

RTP H.245

Voiceand

video

IP

H.221

Networkaccess

H.320

H.224

T.140Voiceand

video

ISDN

3G.324Mobile system

H.223

Mobiletransmission

Voiceand

video

AL1 H.245

T.140

CS MMMobile

RTP

IETF SIP

SDP

IP

Networktransmission

Voiceand

videoT.140

IP

GSMMobile system

CTM

Audio coding

Mobiletransmission

voiceT.140

GSM text

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.

> 20 pictures per second. 25 in practice.

Sharpness:enough for small details – fingers, eye-direction, mouth...

> 240 * 200 pixels in the picture. 352*288 in practice, ”CIF”.

Latency:short enough for undisturbed turn-taking.

< 400 ms from camera to receiver´s 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…

Min mail-adress är amanda@kx.se

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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

V.18 modem PSTN

IP

Multifunction terminal mode

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Allan eC text telephony interoperability

V.18 modem PSTN

IP

Text gateway mode

Allan eC H.323 / V.18

Text gatewayIP

H.323 Total Conversation terminal

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Voice telephony interoperability

IP Telephony gateway PSTN

IP Voice telephone

IP Total Conversation terminal

IP Total Conversation terminal

IP networks

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

Partner roles

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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