What is a Reference Model?
A reference model[1] in systems, enterprise, and software engineering is an abstract framework or domain-specific ontology consisting of an interlinked set of clearly defined concepts produced by an expert or body of experts in order to encourage clear communication. A reference model can represent the component parts of any consistent idea, from business functions to system components, as long as it represents a complete set. This frame of reference can then be used to communicate ideas clearly among members of the same community.
Reference models are often illustrated as a set of concepts with some indication of the relationships between the concepts.
The AR Reference Model
The purpose of the Augmented Reality Reference Model (AR RM) is to state a vision, framework and terminology and to include multiple points of view for AR, including but not limited to 3D graphics, video, geospatial and other constructs.
The methodology for developing the AR Reference Model is that which is described in two International standards for software architecture: IEEE 1471 and ISO/IEC 10746. The AR RM will use the architectural viewpoints defined in ISO/IEC 10746 Reference Model for Open Distributed Processing (RM-ODP): Enterprise, Information, Computation and Engineering.
In contrast with the five viewpoints defined in ISO/IEC 10746, this reference model will not specify a Technology (implementation) viewpoint.
At the conclusion of the 100th MPEG meeting, the MPEG committee announced that it has begun development of ISO/IEC 23000-14 (Augmented Reality Reference Model).
MPEG assigned two editors for ISO/IEC 23000-14. The editors have taken three public documents (the AR RM 19 March, 2012 draft, the AR Glossary 3 May 2012 draft and the AR Use cases 13 March, 2012 draft) developed by and for the AR community and published on the AR Standards portal, and have prepared the first draft working document. For more background on the history of the work on the AR RM, please see the appendix of this document.
The text and figures provided to SC29 as initial material to the AR RM has been reviewed by their authors (Timo Engelke, Ben Butchart, Christine Perey, Neil Trevett, George Percivall, and others) and these authors have agreed to transfer the copyright to SC29 WG11 without restrictions. Material that was previously contributed for the AR RM and for which permission to include was not granted has been identified and excluded.
Collaborative Project
The ISO/IEC JTC1 SC29 proposes that the AR RM be developed collaboratively with ISO/IEC JTC1 SC24 in face-to-face meetings and through remote collaborations. For example, Marius Preda, one of the SC29 WG 11 appointed co-editors of AR RM, will attend the SC24 WG 9 meeting August Brussels 2012, and the chair of SC24 WG9 has been invited to attend the SC29 WG11 meeting in Stockholm, Sweden in July 2012.
Both SC29 WG11 and SC24 WG 9 are invited to the upcoming AR Standards Community meeting July 23-24 in Geneva for the purpose of collaboration on the AR RM.
In addition to collaboration with SC 24 WG9, the Web3D Consortium, Khronos Group, OGC, OMA, W3C, and ITU-T are invited to contribute to the AR RM. The final and official version of the AR RM will be the responsibility of the SC 29 WG 11 who will ensure that the processes leading to the approval of an ISO/IEC Technical Report complies with all ISO rules.
The AR RM will be available for community review and comment. At the end of each MPEG meeting, the document, in the form approved by the meeting, will be made public. In addition, the document will be sent to ISO/IEC JTC1 SC24, Web3D Consortium, Khronos Group, OMA, W3C, ITU-T, AR Standards Community, OGC and other groups as appropriate, using the liaisons mechanism. The letter will invite all SDOs to contribute to the process of developing ISO/IEC 23000-14.
How to provide feedback
Inputs and feedback to working drafts of ISO/IEC 23000-14 can be made by:
- written input contributions from MPEG members via their delegations,
- written input contributions from SDOs who have liaisons with SC29/WG 11,
- in personal contributions at upcoming SC 29/WG 11 meetings,
- in person contributions at upcoming AR Standards Community meetings at which one or more ISO/IEC 23000-14 editors are present submitted as registered contributions to and discussed at MPEG meetings.
Anticipated Steps and Timeline
- On approximately July 7 and prior to the 101st meeting of ISO/IEC JTC1 SC29 WG11 (16 July, 2012), a public draft will be released by the ISO/IEC 23000-14 co-editors.
- During the101st meeting of ISO/IEC JTC1 SC29 WG11 (16 July, 2012), the editors will discuss and integrate the inputs received via the MPEG members, the SDOs who have liaisons with SC 29 WG11 and those present at the 101st meeting AR RM editing sessions.
- July 23rd during the AR Standards Community meeting, the ISO/IEC JTC1 SC29 WG11, the document will be considered. This is an opportunity for inputs to be prepared for the 102nd meeting of ISO/IEC JTC1 SC29 WG11.
- The current schedule is that the working draft will be promoted to Draft Technical Report (DTR) at the end of the 102nd meeting of SC29/WG 11 in Shanghai on 15 October, 2012.
- Once the document has been voted on by the ISO/IEC JTC1 SC 29 National Bodies, the same document will be available for publication by other SDOs following their respective procedures with only their cover page being different (unique to the SDO).
No Technological Implementations
It must be made clear that the AR RM is a framework based on four viewpoints:
- Enterprise,
- Information,
- Computation and
- Engineering.
The ISO/IEC23000-14 will have no position on the technological implementations of the framework. It will be technologically neutral. It will also follow clearly established ISO rules about creating a joint document between two or more subcommittees sharing interest in the same topic.
Appendix
The Augmented Reality Reference Model (AR RM), on which work began during the third community meeting June 2011, is one of the AR Standards Community's resources. The 100th meeting input document m25211 contained references to all the most current community-authored content for the AR RM in slide format, as of 19 March, 2012 (upon conclusion of the fifth AR Standards Community meeting).
It is the opinion of the community that the AR RM should be a specification developed by the community of AR experts in collaboration with interested SDOs to include an AR glossary, description of common AR use cases, AR actors and from at least four view points. Unfortunately, AR community members have been unable to identify a qualified editor under whom significant advances of the AR RM would be made.
On 30 April, 2012 PEREY Research & Consulting issued a contribution to ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 29 [m25211]. The contribution was prepared in an effort:
· to pool know-how and/or resources and identify one or more qualified editors for the AR RM,
· to have the appointed editor(s) accelerate the development of the AR RM,
· to ensure that an AR RM is published in accordance with processes approved by the International Standards Organization (ISO) and
· to have a single AR RM published without royalties such that it may serve many interested and relevant SDOs in their standards development activities.
The contribution also reviewed the current AR RM status.