Re: Speech Recognition and Text-to-Speech Javascript API - seeking feedback for eventual standardization

Hi Glen et al.,

I'd like to share two pieces of feedback which came to mind when
reading through the unofficial draft.

1) The primary interfaces are abbreviated as "TTS" and "SpeechReco".
Personally I believe it'd be clearer for authors when these would be
defined as "TextToSpeech" and "SpeechRecognition".  "TTS" may not be
directly obvious for those who have no experience with similar
systems, whereas cutting off in the middle of "Reco | gnition" just
seems a bit odd. Is the benefit this provides being a shorter word, at
the cost of clarity?

2) How does the draft incorporate with the existing <input speech>
API[1]? It seems to me as if it'd be best to define both the attribute
as the DOM APIs in a single specification, also because they share
several events (yet don't seem to be interchangeable) and the
attribute already has an implementation.

Thanks,
Peter

[1] http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/public-xg-htmlspeech/2011Feb/att-0020/api-draft.html

On Thu, Jan 5, 2012 at 07:15, Glen Shires <gshires@google.com> wrote:
> As Dan Burnett wrote below: The HTML Speech Incubator Group [1] has recently
> wrapped up its work on use cases, requirements, and proposals for adding
> automatic speech recognition (ASR) and text-to-speech (TTS) capabilities to
> HTML.  The work of the group is documented in the group's Final Report. [2]
>  The members of the group intend this work to be input to one or more
> working groups, in W3C and/or other standards development organizations such
> as the IETF, as an aid to developing full standards in this space.
>
> Because that work was so broad, Art Barstow asked (below) for a relatively
> specific proposal.  We at Google are proposing that a subset of it be
> accepted as a work item by the Web Applications WG.  Specifically, we are
> proposing this Javascript API [3], which enables web developers to
> incorporate speech recognition and synthesis into their web pages.
> This simplified subset enables developers to use scripting to generate
> text-to-speech output and to use speech recognition as an input for forms,
> continuous dictation and control, and it supports the majority of use-cases
> in the Incubator Group's Final Report.
>
> We welcome your feedback and ask that the Web Applications WG
> consider accepting this Javascript API [3] as a work item.
>
> [1] charter:  http://www.w3.org/2005/Incubator/htmlspeech/charter
> [2] report: http://www.w3.org/2005/Incubator/htmlspeech/XGR-htmlspeech/
> [3]
> API: http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/public-webapps/2011OctDec/att-1696/speechapi.html
>
> Bjorn Bringert
> Satish Sampath
> Glen Shires
>
> On Thu, Dec 22, 2011 at 11:38 AM, Glen Shires <gshires@google.com> wrote:
>>
>> Milan,
>> The IDLs contained in both documents are in the same format and order, so
>> it's relatively easy to compare the two side-by-side. The semantics of the
>> attributes, methods and events have not changed, and both IDLs link directly
>> to the definitions contained in the Speech XG Final Report.
>>
>> As you mention, we agree that the protocol portions of the Speech XG Final
>> Report are most appropriate for consideration by a group such as IETF, and
>> believe such work can proceed independently, particularly because the Speech
>> XG Final Report has provided a roadmap for these to remain compatible.
>>  Also, as shown in the Speech XG Final Report - Overview, the "Speech Web
>> API" is not dependent on the "Speech Protocol" and a "Default Speech"
>> service can be used for local or remote speech recognition and synthesis.
>>
>> Glen Shires
>>
>>
>> On Thu, Dec 22, 2011 at 10:32 AM, Young, Milan <Milan.Young@nuance.com>
>> wrote:
>>>
>>> Hello Glen,
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> The proposal says that it contains a “simplified subset of the JavaScript
>>> API”.  Could you please clarify which elements of the HTMLSpeech
>>> recommendation’s JavaScript API were omitted?   I think this would be the
>>> most efficient way for those of us familiar with the XG recommendation to
>>> evaluate the new proposal.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> I’d also appreciate clarification on how you see the protocol being
>>> handled.  In the HTMLSpeech group we were thinking about this as a
>>> hand-in-hand relationship between W3C and IETF like WebSockets.  Is this
>>> still your (and Google’s) vision?
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Thanks
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> From: Glen Shires [mailto:gshires@google.com]
>>> Sent: Thursday, December 22, 2011 11:14 AM
>>> To: public-webapps@w3.org; Arthur Barstow
>>> Cc: public-xg-htmlspeech@w3.org; Dan Burnett
>>>
>>>
>>> Subject: Re: HTML Speech XG Completes, seeks feedback for eventual
>>> standardization
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> We at Google believe that a scripting-only (Javascript) subset of the API
>>> defined in the Speech XG Incubator Group Final Report is of appropriate
>>> scope for consideration by the WebApps WG.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> The enclosed scripting-only subset supports the majority of the use-cases
>>> and samples in the XG proposal. Specifically, it enables web-pages to
>>> generate speech output and to use speech recognition as an input for forms,
>>> continuous dictation and control. The Javascript API will allow web pages to
>>> control activation and timing and to handle results and alternatives.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> We welcome your feedback and ask that the Web Applications WG consider
>>> accepting this as a work item.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Bjorn Bringert
>>>
>>> Satish Sampath
>>>
>>> Glen Shires
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> On Tue, Dec 13, 2011 at 11:39 AM, Glen Shires <gshires@google.com> wrote:
>>>
>>> We at Google believe that a scripting-only (Javascript) subset of the API
>>> defined in the Speech XG Incubator Group Final Report [1] is of appropriate
>>> scope for consideration by the WebApps WG.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> A scripting-only subset supports the majority of the use-cases and
>>> samples in the XG proposal. Specifically, it enables web-pages to generate
>>> speech output and to use speech recognition as an input for forms,
>>> continuous dictation and control. The Javascript API will allow web pages to
>>> control activation and timing and to handle results and alternatives
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> As Dan points out above, we envision that different portions of the
>>> Incubator Group Final Report are applicable to different working groups "in
>>> W3C and/or other standards development organizations such as the IETF".
>>>  This scripting API subset does not preclude other groups from pursuing
>>> standardization of relevant HTML markup or underlying transport protocols,
>>> and indeed the Incubator Group Final Report defines a potential roadmap such
>>> that such additions can be compatible.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> To make this more concrete, Google will provide to this mailing list a
>>> specific proposal extracted from the Incubator Group Final Report, that
>>> includes only those portions we believe are relevant to WebApps, with links
>>> back to the Incubator Report as appropriate.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Bjorn Bringert
>>>
>>> Satish Sampath
>>>
>>> Glen Shires
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> [1] http://www.w3.org/2005/Incubator/htmlspeech/XGR-htmlspeech/
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> On Tue, Dec 13, 2011 at 5:32 AM, Dan Burnett <dburnett@voxeo.com> wrote:
>>>
>>> Thanks for the info, Art.  To be clear, I personally am *NOT* proposing
>>> adding any specs to WebApps, although others might.  My email below as a
>>> Chair of the group is merely to inform people of this work and ask for
>>> feedback.
>>> I expect that your information will be useful for others who might wish
>>> for some of this work to continue in WebApps.
>>>
>>> -- dan
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> On Dec 13, 2011, at 7:06 AM, Arthur Barstow wrote:
>>>
>>> > Hi Dan,
>>> >
>>> > WebApps already has a relatively large number of specs in progress (see
>>> > [PubStatus]) and the group has agreed to add some additional specs (see
>>> > [CharterChanges]). As such, please provide a relatively specific proposal
>>> > about the features/specs you and other proponents would like to add to
>>> > WebApps.
>>> >
>>> > Regarding the level of detail for your proposal, I think a reasonable
>>> > precedence is something like the Gamepad and Pointer/MouseLock proposals
>>> > (see [CharterChanges]). (Perhaps this could be achieved by identifying
>>> > specific sections in the XG's Final Report?)
>>> >
>>> > -Art Barstow
>>> >
>>> > [PubStatus]
>>> > http://www.w3.org/2008/webapps/wiki/PubStatus#API_Specifications
>>> > [CharterChanges]
>>> > http://www.w3.org/2008/webapps/wiki/CharterChanges#Additions_Agreed
>>> >
>>> > On 12/12/11 5:25 PM, ext Dan Burnett wrote:
>>> >> Dear WebApps people,
>>> >>
>>> >> The HTML Speech Incubator Group [1] has recently wrapped up its work
>>> >> on use cases, requirements, and proposals for adding automatic speech
>>> >> recognition (ASR) and text-to-speech (TTS) capabilities to HTML.  The work
>>> >> of the group is documented in the group's Final Report. [2]
>>> >>
>>> >> The members of the group intend this work to be input to one or more
>>> >> working groups, in W3C and/or other standards development organizations such
>>> >> as the IETF, as an aid to developing full standards in this space.
>>> >> Whether the W3C work happens in a new Working Group or an existing
>>> >> one, we are interested in collecting feedback on the Incubator Group's work.
>>> >>  We are specifically interested in input from the members of the WebApps
>>> >> Working Group.
>>> >>
>>> >> If you have any feedback to share, please send it to, or cc, the
>>> >> group's mailing list (public-xg-htmlspeech@w3.org).  This will allow
>>> >> comments to be archived in one consistent location for use by whatever group
>>> >> takes up this work.
>>> >>
>>> >>
>>> >> Dan Burnett, Co-Chair
>>> >> HTML Speech Incubator Group
>>> >>
>>> >>
>>> >> [1] charter:  http://www.w3.org/2005/Incubator/htmlspeech/charter
>>> >> [2] http://www.w3.org/2005/Incubator/htmlspeech/XGR-htmlspeech/
>>> >>
>>> >> p.s.  This feedback request is being sent to the following groups:
>>> >>  WebApps, HTML, Audio, DAP, Voice Browser, Multimodal Interaction
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>

Received on Thursday, 5 January 2012 10:58:46 UTC