Subject: [secdir] [new-work] WG Review: Relay User Machine (rum)

From: The IESG <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 08 Mar 2019 13:16:39 -0800

A new IETF WG has been proposed in the Applications and Real-Time Area. The
IESG has not made any determination yet. The following draft charter was
submitted, and is provided for informational purposes only. Please send your
comments to the IESG mailing list ([email-masked]) by 2019-03-18.

Relay User Machine (rum)
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Current status: Proposed WG

Chairs:
  Brian Rosen <[email-masked]>
  Paul Kyzivat <[email-masked]>

Assigned Area Director:
  Adam Roach <[email-masked]>

Applications and Real-Time Area Directors:
  Adam Roach <[email-masked]>
  Ben Campbell <[email-masked]>
  Alexey Melnikov <[email-masked]>

Mailing list:
  Address: [email-masked]
  To subscribe: https://www.ietf.org/mailman/listinfo/rum
  Archive: https://mailarchive.ietf.org/arch/browse/rum/

Group page: https://datatracker.ietf.org/group/rum/

Charter: https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/charter-ietf-rum/

Many current instances of Video Relay Service (VRS), sometimes called Video
Interpretation Service, use the Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) and other
IETF multimedia protocols. VRS is used by deaf/hard-of-hearing persons and by
persons with speech impairments to communicate with hearing persons.  The
deaf, hard-of-hearing, or speech-impaired person (D-HOH-SI) uses a SIP-based
video phone to connect with an interpreter, and the interpreter places a
phone call to the hearing person. The hearing person can also reach D-HOH-SI
individuals in the same manner as calling any hearing user.  The D-HOH-SI
person uses sign language and possibly real-time text with the interpreter
and the interpreter uses spoken language with the hearing person, providing
on-line, real-time, two-way communication.

Having a standard interface between the end-user device and the VRS provider
allows vendors and open-source developers to build devices that work with
multiple service providers; devices can also be retained when changing
providers.  In this instance, “device” could be a purpose-built videophone or
could be downloadable software on a general purpose computing platform or
mobile phone. To ensure interoperability of the key features of this service,
certain aspects (e.g., codecs, media transport, addressing and SIP features)
must be specified as mandatory-to-implement for SIP-based VRS devices. These
specified features effectively form a profile for SIP and the media it
negotiates.

This working group will produce a single document: a profile of SIP and media
features for use with video relay services (which includes video, real time
text, and audio), and other similar interpretation services that require
multimedia.  It will reference the IETF’s current thinking on multimedia
communication, including references to work beyond SIP (e.g., WebRTC and
SLIM).  No protocol changes are anticipated by this work.

Often, the hearing user is on the PSTN, and RUM will include interoperability
specifications for that use, including the use of telephone numbers.  RUM
will not assume hearing users are on the PSTN.

While WebRTC could be used to implement a profile to fulfill RUM's
requirements, the group’s work will focus on the device-to-provider
interface.  The working group will consider ways for WebRTC based services to
interwork with a RUM-compliant provider, but is not required to make such
interwork possible.

RUM devices will be expected to be able to place emergency calls conforming
to the current IETF emergency call recommendations.

The scope of the work includes mechanisms to provision the user’s device with
common features such as speed dial lists, provider to contact, videomail
service interface point and similar items.  These features allow users to
more easily switch providers temporarily (a feature known as “dial around”)
or permanently, while retaining their data.

Devices used in VRS can be used to place point-to-point calls where both
communicating parties use sign language.  When used for point-to-point
calling where the participants are not served by the same VRS provider, or
when one provider provides the originating multimedia transport environment,
but another provides the interpreter (“dial-around call”), the call traverses
two providers.  Both of these uses impose additional requirements on a RUM
device and are in scope for this work.

Although the interface between providers also requires standardization to
enable multi-provider point-to-point and dial-around calls, that  interface
has already been defined in a SIP Forum document and is thus out of scope for
RUM.

Milestones:

  Dec 2019 - Submit a profile of SIP and media features for use with video
  relay services to the IESG for publication

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