The mission of the Geolocation Working Group, part of the Ubiquitous Web Applications Activity, is to define a secure and privacy-sensitive interface for using client-side location information in location-aware Web applications.
| End date | 31 December 2015 |
|---|---|
| Confidentiality | Proceedings are public |
| Initial Chairs | To be named |
| Initial Team Contact | Dominique Hazaël-Massieux (FTE %: TBD) |
| Usual Meeting Schedule | Teleconferences: as needed Face-to-face: 2-3 per year |
The number of Web enabled devices that are location-aware has increased markedly as of late. These devices are very common and include mobile phones with cell triangulation or Global Positioning System (GPS) capabilities, laptops with Wi-Fi triangulation capabilities and GPS receivers. The Geolocation WG was created in response to requests from the community for W3C to develop a standardized, secure and privacy-sensitive interface so that Web applications may gain access to location information. The Geolocation WG was created in September of 2008 and has since taken the Geolocation API to Proposed Recommendation status.
The objective of this Geolocation WG charter is to continue to work on access to the user's location information via standardized interfaces. The Working Group's scope now includes the addition of geofencing capability and indoor location enhancements to the Geolocation API.
Under the Working Group's first charter, the group developed the first version of the DeviceOrientation Event API. This new charter will allow the group to bring this API to Recommendation status as well as work on additional new deliverables.
The Working Group will continue development of Recommendation Track documents that define interfaces for making location information available within the User-Agent. These interfaces should be usable regardless of the source of location information, and should be consistent across location technologies. The interface may be specified in a language independent manner, the Recommendation will include a normative ECMAScript form.
The Working Group will determine use cases the interfaces need support and use these to derive requirements. Requirements for security and privacy protection must be included. At the time of publication of Working Drafts of Recommendation Track documents, the current use cases and requirements will be included as an Appendix.
Each Recommendation-track deliverable will have a comprehensive test suite, with a set of documented, functional tests for each assertion in the specification, before it becomes a Recommendation.
The Geolocation Working Group may wish to continue working on additional aspects of location-aware Web applications in future charters.
The Working Group will deliver the following documents:
The Working Group may also develop a primer, tutorial or other educational materials relating to Geolocation and the Web.
The Working Group will include in all interface Recommendations an appendix that describes use cases and requirements.
The Working Group will develop a suite of tests and accompanying documentation that shall be used when determining if the implementation criteria for exiting Candidate Recommendation have been met, as mentioned above and in the W3C Process Document.
| Note: The group will document significant changes from this initial schedule on the group home page. See milestone list on the Working Group homepage. | |||||
| Specification | FPWD | LC | CR | PR | Rec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Device Orientation Events | Q2 2011 | Q1 2014 | Q3 2014 | Q1 2015 | Q2 2015 |
| Geolocation API Level 2 (Geofencing) | Q1 2014 | Q2 2014 | Q1 2015 | Q3 2015 | Q4 2015 |
| Geolocation API Level 2 (Indoor Location) | Q2 2014 | Q4 2014 | Q2 2015 | Q3 2015 | Q4 2015 |
The Working Group may be involved in Workshops, the details of which will be listed on the Working Groups home page as information becomes available.
The Geolocation Working Group will request document reviews from the following groups:
Furthermore, Geolocation Working Group expects to follow these W3C Recommendations:
To be successful, the Geolocation Working Group is expected to have 10 or more active participants for its duration. Effective participation to Geolocation Working Group is expected to consume one fifth of a full-time employee for each participant; two fifths of a full-time employee for editors. The Geolocation Working Group will allocate also the necessary resources for building Test Suites for each specification.
Participants are reminded of the Good Standing requirements of the W3C Process.
This group primarily conducts its technical work on the public mailing list at public-geolocation@w3.org (with an archive available).
There is also a member-only list to be used for administrative purposes at member-geolocation@w3.org (with an archive available). The member-only list may also be used, at the discretion of the Chair, for discussions in special cases when a member requests such a discussion.
Information about the group (deliverables, participants, face-to-face meetings, teleconferences, etc.) is available from the Geolocation Working Group home page.
As explained in the Process Document (section 3.3), this group will seek to make decisions when there is consensus. When the Chair puts a question and observes dissent, after due consideration of different opinions, the Chair should record a decision (possibly after a formal vote) and any objections, and move on.
This Working Group operates under the W3C Patent Policy (5 February 2004 Version). To promote the widest adoption of Web standards, W3C seeks to issue Recommendations that can be implemented, according to this policy, on a Royalty-Free basis.
For more information about disclosure obligations for this group, please see the W3C Patent Policy Implementation.
This charter for the Geolocation Working Group has been created according to section 6.2 of the Process Document. In the event of a conflict between this document or the provisions of any charter and the W3C Process, the W3C Process shall take precedence.
This charter replaces the previous Geolocation Working Group charter.
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