Transcript HFDH_19 Communication services for deaf - Docbox

Communication services for deaf
people in the multimedia world
The work of STF 267
A project funded by ETSI and the European Union
W J Mellors C.Eng
The Team
 Wally Mellors - STF leader
 Scott Cadzow
 Ed Fitzgerald
 Gunnar Hellstrom
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This presentation
 Describes the problem
 Suggests how to overcome it
 Describes the history of the present situation
 Looks at new opportunities
 Describes what is really needed
 Proposes a solution using open standards
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The problem
 Profoundly deaf, deaf-blind and speechimpaired people are locked out of the
ordinary telephone community.
 Because using the telephone requires the
senses of hearing and speech.
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How to overcome it?
 This can be partly overcome by replacing
spoken conversation with text conversation.
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What is text conversation?
 Text appears at each end character by character as it
is typed
 The two parties have the feeling of being in
continuous contact
 Just as in a spoken conversation
User A
User B
Why do you need character by character
transmission?
Because then you get a feeling of being
continuously in touch
.
Yes, I see, I can almost read your thoughts as
you express them. No waiting. Good!
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But!
 This does not mean that access is then
universal.
 At present there is neither widespread
provision of text terminals nor use of a
common set of standards permitting
worldwide communication between them.
 Until text communication is universally
available, the deaf and speech-impaired
community will remain cut off, unable to
communicate easily with the mainstream
world.
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A bit of history
 Text telephony started in America with old
teletype machines in the 1960s
 Various other Countries started with newer
“improved” terminals
 Unfortunately - There was no harmonisation
 Result – 5 different systems in Europe
 Worse – They can’t talk to one another
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Result
 Deaf users caught up in generally national
systems
 With full text access limited to other deaf
textphone users
 A relay service is needed to translate
between speech and text
 This has privacy problems – how can you
send an intimate message via a third party?
 Most deaf users do not have access to 112
emergency services
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New opportunities?
 The Internet provides a fresh opportunity for the
disabled users to join the mainstream community.
 Design for All could create ICT products and services
which permit the deaf and speech-impaired community
to participate on an equal footing.
 STF 267 is describing how text communication over
the Internet can be improved so as to make it fully
acceptable to most members of the community.
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Even better!
 Multimedia communication can be used to provide a
videophone communication suitable for those who
wish to use sign language or lip reading.
 Communications can be facilitated between all
terminals across all networks.
 STF 267 is describing means to cope with legacy
systems and devices currently in service.
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What is needed
 Simple call set up and clear down
 Progress information in text form
 Conversation in real time by text and voice
 Duplex working (two way simultaneous)
 Provision of relay services
 Access to emergency services
 Provision for signing and lipreading
 Just like an ordinary telephone call
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What is available?
 Texting is becoming more popular with ALL people

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
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E-mail
SMS
Instant messaging
Chatrooms
 VoIP telephony services
 If you can make a VoIP call you should be able to
make a text call
 If you have the bandwidth you should be able to make
a multimedia call
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The DUST vision
 Duplex Universal Speech and Text
 Using the Internet
 Design for all
 Provide text conversation for all
 Make provision for multimedia
 Use only open global standards
 Provide easy call set up
 With emergency facility
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Use existing standards where possible
For IP networks: RFC2793, T.140, SIP
For migration:V.18
For session signalling
H.245, H.225.0
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What to do with existing textphones?
 Three options:

Change all current terminals

Use special conversion box per terminal

Provide Network Gateways
 Chosen Option - Gateways
 But – Who pays?
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The Future?
 Text Conversation available to ALL
 Across all networks
 All standards open standards
 All terminals interwork
 Full legacy support
 Texting anywhere anytime
 With voice available
 And with Video for signing and lipreading
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Is this the future?
Fixed textphone user
Fixed multimedia user
Fixed Network
Cellular Network
Mobile,
text capable
terminals
IP textphone or multimedia
user
IP
network
Cellular Network
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We work towards it
Thank you for listening