Re: Draft Charter for Audio Working Group

Hi Doug,

I'm sorry for taking so long to reply, but I have a few comments about the
draft you've created.  First of all, I want to thank you for the time and
effort you've put into this so far.  I'm really excited to see this moving
forward!  I think what you've written is really good, but I wanted to offer
some suggestions on how I think the text could be improved.  I've included
my proposed changes in red below.  Most of the changes are really just
relating to terminology which I believe is in more common use.  For example:

* using the words *processing* and *synthesis* instead of *reading* and *
writing*
*
*
** *using *PCM audio stream* instead of *raw audio data*

I hope you will consider my suggestions and look forward to seeing these
audio features move towards standardization.

Cheers,
Chris


---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


   Audio Working Group Charter

*DRAFT: for review only.*

The *mission* of the Audio Working Group <http://www.w3.org/2010/audio/>,
part of the Rich Web Client Activity<http://www.w3.org/2006/rwc/Activity.html>,
is to define a client-side script API adding more advanced audio
capabilities than are currently offered by <audio>.   The API will support
the features required by advanced interactive applications including the
ability to process and synthesize audio streams directly in script.

The HTML5 specification introduces the <audio> and <video> media elements,
including an API to play back prerecorded audio and video files and to get
limited information about the media, such as duration. The Audio Working
Group will build upon and expand that basic functionality.


Scope

The audio API will provide methods to create sounds, and perform client-side
audio processing and synthesis with minimal latency.  It will also add
programmatic access to the PCM audio stream for low-level manipulation
directly in script. This API can be used for interactive applications,
games, 3D environments, musical applications, educational applications, and
for the purposes of accessibility.  It includes the ability to synchronize,
visualize, or enhance sound information when used in conjunction with
graphics APIs. Sound synthesis can be used to enhance user interfaces, or
produce music. The addition of advanced audio capabilities to user agents
will present new options to Web developers and designers, and has many
accessibility opportunities and challenges that this working group will keep
in mind.

Two existing experimental audio APIs are currently being developed in
different browsers. The Mozilla Firefox browser provides simple read-write
access to the audio stream, relying on script to perform real-time audio
algorithms; the WebKit implementation in Apple Safari and Google
Chromeprovides an additional higher-level graph-based API, which
performs some
common functions in the native browser implementation. This charter does not
dictate which approach the Audio Working Group will follow.

This working group is a result of deliberation by the W3C Audio Incubator
Group <http://www.w3.org/2005/Incubator/audio/> which preceded it, and will
address the use cases and requirements developed by that incubator group,
which are currently under final development.

The scope of this working group includes:

   - Developing a client-side script API for processing and synthesizing PCM
   audio streams directly in script.
   - Access to audio device inputs, such as for microphones or other audio
   inputs, and multi-channel speakers or other audio outputs

This working group will take into account common work-flows for sound
creators, including considerations for common audio formats. This group will
also liaise with other groups for direct connection to audio inputs, such as
microphones.

This working group is expected to collaborate with other groups, such as the
HTML Working Group, Device APIs and Policy Working Group, Web Real-Time
Communications Working Group, or their successors, to define an API for
accessing system devices such as microphones, speakers, and audio processors
and channels. If work does not proceed elsewhere in a timely fashion, this
group may define an API for audio device access.

Success Criteria

In order to advance beyond Candidate Recommendation, each specification is
expected to have at least two independent implementations of each of feature
defined in the specification.

On Mon, Nov 29, 2010 at 12:19 AM, Doug Schepers <schepers@w3.org> wrote:

> Hi, folks-
>
> Here is my rough first pass at a charter for the proposed Audio WG. Please
> review it, let me know what I should add or take out or fix. This is public,
> so feel free to share it around.
>
>  http://www.w3.org/2010/12/audio-wg-charter.html
>
> I drew liberally from the Audio XG charter, and some of it may not be as
> appropriate for the Audio WG, but I thought much of it was still relevant.
>
> I would really like this incubator group to help produce a report on some
> use cases and requirements, to help clarify our goals in designing an audio
> API, if possible.
>
> (Note that for this initial charter period, the proposed Audio WG would
> deliver only an audio API, not any of the other things that might also
> useful later, such as music markup.)
>
> Regards-
> -Doug Schepers
> W3C Team Contact, SVG, WebApps, and Web Events WGs
>
>