JTC1 SC35 WG8 User Interfaces for Remote Interaction

Working group convener: TBD

Universal Remote Console Standard

Working Group 8 of ISO/IEC JTC1 SC35 User Interfaces is currently developing a 5-part international standard on a Universal Remote Console framework.

• ISO 24752-1: Information technology -- User interfaces - Universal remote console -- Part 1: Framework
• ISO 24752-2: Information technology -- User interfaces - Universal remote console -- Part 2: User Interface Socket Description
• ISO 24752-3: Information technology -- User interfaces - Universal remote console -- Part 3: Presentation Template
• ISO 24752-4: Information technology -- User interfaces - Universal remote console -- Part 4: Target Description
• ISO 24752-5: Information technology -- User interfaces - Universal remote console -- Part 5: Resource Description

Editor of ISO 24752 is Dr. Gottfried Zimmermann.

Executive Summary

ISO 24752 on Universal Remote Console (URC) enables full functioned remote operation of products. It also allows operation of products through intermediate devices and intelligent agents. The URC standard builds on existing network and communication standards, adding components and capabilities as necessary to allow for user interface descriptions that are standardized, flexible and versatile.

The URC standard is network neutral; it works with diverse networking and control technologies including Universal Plug and Play, Java-Jini, etc. The standard describes methods a product can use to provide user interface information for any remote console or artificial agent. This information is sufficient to construct a full-function user interface for the product without any prior knowledge of the product or product type. The methods also allow direct access to the functionality of the product; an individual can execute a specific command without having to walk menus in order to get to it. Entirely visual, entirely audio, or natural language interfaces can all be constructed from the information provided by the product. URC devices with little or no visual display, including devices with speech input and output capabilities, can be used, or URCs can make full use of Digital TV home theater displays.

The URC standard also allows companies to project very custom user interfaces, specific to a particular device (e.g. a color Palm Pilot) or any URC-capable device of their choice.

Meetings

The next meeting of WG8 will be during the SC35 plenary meeting on Feb. 13-17, 2006, in Berlin, Germany.

Additional Information

Five American standards on Universal Remote Console have been released under ANSI. The current drafts of 24752 are based on these ANSI standards. See MyURC server for a list of these standards.

A white paper on the ANSI URC standards is available from the MyURC server.

The URC Simulation Environment is a Java applet based application that simulates some target devices and how they are controlled through a Universal Remote Console.

Last updated: Gottfried Zimmermann, 2005-10-11