DRAFT Timed-Text Working Group Charter (TTWG)

This charter is written in accordance with section 4.2.2 of the W3C Process Document.

Table of Contents

1. Mission Statement
2. Scope and Deliverables
3. Duration
4. Success Criteria
5. Milestones
6. Confidentiality
7. Dependencies/Relationship with other W3C Activities
8. Coordination with External Groups
9. Communication Mechanisms
10. Voting Mechanisms
11. Participation
12. How to join the PFWG
13. Intellectual Property Rights (IPR)

1. Mission Statement

The mission of the Timed-Text Working Group (TTWG) is to develop an XML based format used for the representation of streamed text synchronized with some other timed media, like audio and video. A typical application being the real time captioning of movies on the Web (e.g. integrated in SMIL).

2. Scope and Deliverables

The scope of the TTWG includes:

• develop a new Timed-Text format that integrates well with other W3C technologies
• ensure the quality and interoperability of the new format in the field
• maintain a requirements document for the new format (what it should do and not do)
  At the time of writing this charter, a draft of these requirements is available.
• develop a rationales document for a new Timed-Text format (why this is needed)
• maintain a list of existing formats in this field and how they relate/differ from the new format being developed at W3C
• coordinate with organizations developping those other formats to get their input on the new format
• coordinate with other W3C groups (e.g. HTML, SMIL, WAI, SVG, CSS) developping technologies related to Timed-Text

Deliverables of TTWG include:

• a rationales and requirements document for the new format
• a report on existing formats for Timed-text and their relations to the new format
• a report on coordination activities outside and within W3C and other WGs.
• a validation tool and a test suite for the new format (in compliance with the W3C QA process)
• a report on existing implementations at CR stage
• a Recommendation for a Timed-Text format (including WD, Last Call, CR, PR phases)

3. Duration

This Working Group is scheduled to last for 24 months, from April 2002 through March 2004.

4. Success Criteria

The main criterion of success for TTWG is that:

• The Timed-Text format becomes a W3C Recommendation in 2003
• The group has achieved consensus in the industry on the relevance and adoption of the new format.

5. Milestones

A tentative schedule of face-to-face meetings and deliverables for 2002 is given here.

Second Quarter 2002

Publish charter and recruit new participants

First f2f meeting

First Public Working Draft of Rationales, Requirements and Coordination activities

Third Quarter 2002

Second f2f meeting

QA Implementation plan made public

First Public Working Draft of Timed-Text format

Fourth Quarter 2002

Second Public Working Draft of Timed-Text format

First Public version of QA tools available

6. Confidentiality

The working group will operate in public.

It will have a public home page and a public mailing list on the W3C site.

The initial set of participants will be generated using the Timed-Text Task Force (www-tt-tf archives) list of participants, but everybody will have to reaffirm their participation commitement and sign up with an IPR statement.

7. Dependencies/Relationship with other W3C Activities

@@Some words about relationship to:

HTML for text part

CSS for layout part

SMIL for integration and timing part

SVG for positioning part maybe

I18N overall

WAI overall

XML overall.

8. Coordination with External Groups

Outside W3C, these and other groups are working on Timed-Text formats.

@@ need to fill up with the list of organizations/format we already know of.

Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE)

9.0 Communication Mechanisms

@@links below are not real yet

9.1 Email

The archived public mailing list is www-tt-wg@w3.org is the primary means of discussion within the group.

9.2 Web

The group maintains a public Home page

9.3 Phone Meetings

The TTWG meets bi-weekly or weekly as needed.

9.4 Face-to-face Meetings

Face to face meetings will be arranged 2 to 3 times a year, rotating location between US West coast, East coast, Europe, and occasionally Pacific/Australia. Meeting details are made available on the W3C Member Calendar and from the TTWG home page.

9.5 Communication with the Public

The TTWG public home page will contain up to date information about the work in progress, and the mailing list will be available too.

10. Voting Mechanisms

The Group works by consensus. In the event of failure to achieve consensus, the Group may resort to a vote as described in the Process Document. Invited experts are allowed to vote.

Escalation: Appeals from Working Group decisions may be made first to the XX Coordination Group (through its chair) and then to the W3C team following the procedures established by the W3C Process Document (first the domain leader and then the director).

11. Participation

The TTWG welcomes participation from W3C Member organizations, and also invites experts from organizations working in the field of captioning, as well as accessibility organizations and research projects, government organizations, and others interested in promoting the development of a standard Web format for Timed-Text.

11.1 Member and Invited Expert participation

Participants are expected to observe the requirements of the Section 3.3.1: W3C Process for Working Groups. The following is an excerpt from that section:

Participation on an ongoing basis implies a serious commitment to the Working Group charter, including:

• attending most meetings of the Working Group.
• providing deliverables or drafts of deliverables in a timely fashion.
• being familiar with the relevant documents of the Working Group, including minutes of past meetings.

For this Working Group, the following commitment is expected:

• Minimum 4 hours per week, including meeting time and reading/responding to mailing list;
• Remain current on the www-tt-wg mailing list and respond in a timely manner to postings on mailing list;
• Participate in teleconference meetings or send regrets to Chair(s);
• Participate in face-to-face meetings or send regrets to the Chair(s);
• Remain aware of related work in the field of Timed-Text.

@@mention who is/are the chair(s) of TTWG.

11.2 W3C Team participation

• @@We need a W3C staff contact, who is going to determine which domain/activity this belongs to.

12. How to join the WG

@@not a real link

Information about how to join the Working Group is available in a separate page.

13. Intellectual Property Rights (IPR)

@@may need to be changed

W3C promotes an open working environment. Whenever possible, technical decisions should be made unencumbered by intellectual property right (IPR) claims. W3C's policy for intellectual property is set out in section 2.2 of the W3C Process document.

Working Group members are expected to disclose any intellectual property they have in the area. This Working Group will work on a royalty-free basis, as defined in the W3C Current Patent Practice document. The Working Group is thus obliged to produce deliverables which rely only on intellectual property available on a royalty-free basis.

If it proves impossible to produce deliverables implementable on a royalty-free basis, then a Patent Advisory Group will be launched as described in the W3C Current Patent Practice document.

Working Group members disclose patent and other IPR claims by sending email to <patent-issues@w3.org> an archived mailing list that is readable by W3C Members and the W3C Team (see archive). Working Group members must disclose all IPR claims to this mailing list, but they may also copy other recipients. IPR disclosures are expected to be made public; Working Group members should specify if their disclosure is confidential.

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