ISO/IEC 20382-1:2017

Information technology - User interfaces - Face-to-face speech translation - Part 1: User interface

ISO/IEC 20382-1:2017 specifies face-to-face speech translation designed to interoperate among multiple translation systems with different languages. It also specifies the speech translation features, general requirements and functionality, thus providing a framework to support a convenient speech translation service in face-to-face situations. ISO/IEC 20382-1:2017 is applicable to user interfaces for speech translation and communication protocols for setting up a translation session among users. ISO/IEC 20382-1:2017 is not applicable to defining the speech translation engine itself.

Technologies de l'information — Interface utilisateur — Face-à-face discours traduction — Partie 1: Interface utilisateur

General Information

• Status: Published
• Publication Date: 23-Oct-2017
• ICS: 35.240.30 - IT applications in information, documentation and publishing
• Technical Committee: ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 35 - User interfaces
• Drafting Committee: ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 35/WG 5 - Cultural and linguistic adaptability
• Current Stage: 9093 - International Standard confirmed
• Start Date: 16-Dec-2024
• Completion Date: 30-Oct-2025

Overview

ISO/IEC 20382-1:2017 - "Information technology - User interfaces - Face-to-face speech translation - Part 1: User interface" defines a standardized framework for face-to-face speech translation user interfaces. The standard specifies features, general requirements and functionality to enable interoperable speech-translation sessions among multiple systems and languages in close-range, in-person situations. It applies to user interfaces and communication protocols for session setup, but does not define the speech translation engine itself.

Key topics and technical requirements

• Scope & purpose: Support convenient, interoperable face-to-face speech translation using mobile and wearable devices while reflecting user characteristics (speech style, emotion, etc.).
• Service flow: Defines typical steps - local speech capture, on-device speech recognition, translation request to a translation server, return of translated text, short-range wireless communication (SRWC) to peer device, and speech synthesis (TTS) output.
• Service types: Two-way (two participants) and multi-way (three or more participants).
• Service modes: Open, Protected (privacy-controlled), Automatic, and Manual - to suit public vs. private and automatic vs. user-controlled scenarios.
• Functional requirements:
  • User communication: Minimal steps to start a session (e.g., start with fewer than 3 operations).
  • User interface: Requirements for setup, correction/selection of recognition results, and representation of translated messages.
  • User device: Roles for mobile devices and wearable devices (microphone/speaker), SRWC pairing, and message exchange.
  • Accessibility: Multi-modal input/output, voice input/output, simple/controlled language support and other accessibility features.
• Functional components & protocols: Defines protocol interactions among components, session connection/disconnection sequences, end conditions, and device-level functions (pairing, wearable control).
• Terminology: Key terms include SRWC (short range wireless communication), F2F (face-to-face), TTS, AI/VI indicators, MD (mobile device), WD (wearable device).

Applications and practical value

ISO/IEC 20382-1 is practical for:

• Real-time multilingual communication in tourism, healthcare, customer service, emergency response, and business meetings.
• Designing mobile and wearable translation apps that must interoperate across vendors and languages.
• Implementing privacy modes and accessibility features for inclusive face-to-face interactions.

Who should use this standard

• UI/UX designers and product managers for speech-translation apps
• System architects and developers integrating ASR/TTS with translation servers
• Wearable and mobile device manufacturers
• Service providers offering on-site multilingual communication solutions
• Accessibility specialists ensuring inclusive speech-translation interfaces

Related standards

• ISO/IEC 20382-2:2017 - Information technology - User interface - Face-to-face speech translation - Part 2: System architecture and functional components (normative reference for architecture and component details).

Standards Content (Sample)

INTERNATIONAL ISO/IEC
STANDARD 20382-1
First edition
2017-10
Information technology — User
interfaces — Face-to-face speech
translation —
Part 1:
User interface
Technologies de l'information — Interface utilisateur — Face-à-face
discours traduction —
Partie 1: Interface utilisateur
Reference number
©
ISO/IEC 2017
© ISO/IEC 2017, Published in Switzerland
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, no part of this publication may be reproduced or utilized otherwise in any form
or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, or posting on the internet or an intranet, without prior
written permission. Permission can be requested from either ISO at the address below or ISO’s member body in the country of
the requester.
ISO copyright office
Ch. de Blandonnet 8 • CP 401
CH-1214 Vernier, Geneva, Switzerland
Tel. [phone]
Fax [phone]
[e-mail]
www.iso.org
ii © ISO/IEC 2017 – All rights reserved

Contents Page
Foreword .iv
Introduction .v
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms and definitions . 1
4 Abbreviated terms . 2
5 Overview of face-to-face speech translation . 2
5.1 General . 2
5.2 Service flow . 3
5.3 Service types . 4
5.4 Service mode. 4
5.5 Service situation . 4
6 Functional requirements . 4
6.1 User communication requirements . 4
6.1.1 General. 4
6.1.2 Required . 4
6.1.3 Optional . 4
6.2 User interface requirements . 5
6.2.1 General. 5
6.3 User device requirements . 5
6.3.1 General. 5
6.4 Accessibility requirements . 5
6.4.1 General. 5
7 Functional components of face-to-face speech translation . 6
7.1 Service protocol among functional components . 6
7.2 User communication functional block . 7
7.2.1 General. 7
7.2.2 Steps for user communication . 7
7.2.3 Translation session connection. 8
7.2.4 Translation session disconnection . 9
7.2.5 Translation session end condition . .10
7.3 User interface functional block .11
7.3.1 General.11
7.3.2 Setup of the initial translation environments .11
7.3.3 Correction/selection function of speech recognition results: .12
7.4 User device functional block .12
7.4.1 General.12
7.4.2 SRWC pairing function for search for users and VI control .12
7.4.3 Wearable device functions .12
7.4.4 Communication between devices and message representation .13
7.5 Accessibility functional block .13
7.5.1 General.13
7.5.2 Multi-modal input functions .13
7.5.3 Multi-modal output functions .13
7.5.4 Voice input and output functions .13
7.5.5 Accessibility functions for the application user interface (UI) .13
7.5.6 Simple language, or controlled language function .13
Annex A (informative) Comparison of standardization activities for speech translation .14
Bibliography .15
© ISO/IEC 2017 – All rights reserved iii

Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) and IEC (the International Electrotechnical
Commission) form a specialized system for worldwide standardization. National bodies that are
members of ISO or IEC participate in the development of International Standards through technical
committees established by the respective organizations to deal with particular fields of technical
activity. ISO and IEC technical committees collaborate in fields of mutual interest. Other international
organizations, governmental and non-governmental, in liaison with ISO and IEC also take part in the
work. In the field of information technology, ISO and IEC have established a joint technical committee,
ISO/IEC JTC 1.
The procedures used to develop this document and those intended for its further maintenance are
described in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1. In particular the different approval criteria needed for
the different types of documents should be noted. This document was drafted in accordance with the
editorial rules of the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2 (see www.iso.org/directives).
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject
of patent rights. ISO and IEC shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent
rights. Details of any patent rights identified during the development of the document will be in the
Introduction and/or on the ISO list of patent declarations received (see www.iso.org/patents).
Any trade name used in this document is information given for the convenience of users and does not
constitute an endorsement.
For an explanation on the voluntary nature of standards, the meaning of ISO specific terms and
expressions related to conformity assessment, as well as information about ISO's adherence to the
World Trade Organization (WTO) principles in the Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) see the following
URL: www.iso.org/iso/foreword.html.
This document was prepared by Technical Committee ISO/IEC JTC 1, Information technology,
Subcommittee SC 35, User interfaces.
A list of all parts in the ISO/IEC 20382 series can be found on the ISO website.
iv © ISO/IEC 2017 – All rights reserved

Introduction
It is important to consider people with special requirements to ensure that they can gain the same
benefits from ICT. One of those special requirements is to help people to avoid language barriers in
global environments. Automatic speech translation systems have existed for a long time, but they have
functional limitations as well as technical ones with regard to usability and accessibility.
One reason for these limitations is the diversity of the languages currently used. It is difficult to support
many languages by one or several speech translation systems. A flexible and interoperable standardized
framework is needed to work with all different languages, utilizing many speech translation systems
already developed in many countries. Other considerations to make a natural and usable speech
translation service possible include applying users’ characteristics within the system, such as emotion,
speech style, gender type and other attributes. To reflect those characteristics in the output speech
translation, a standardized user interface should reflect the input and output data and transfer them to
the user’s device.
The main purpose of this document is to help users of different languages by providing speech
translation service in easier and more convenient ways with a standardized user interface for face-to-
face speech translation.
© ISO/IEC 2017 – All rights reserved v

INTERNATIONAL STANDARD ISO/IEC 20382-1:2017(E)
Information technology — User interfaces — Face-to-face
speech translation —
Part 1:
User interface
1 Scope
This document specifies face-to-face speech translation designed to interoperate among multiple
translation systems with different languages. It also specifies the speech translation features, general
requirements and functionality, thus providing a framework to support a convenient speech translation
service in face-to-face situations. This document is applicable to user interfaces for speech translation
and communication protocols for setting up a translation session among users. This document is not
applicable to defining the speech translation engine itself.
2 Normative references
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their content
constitutes requirements of this document. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For
undated references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.
ISO/IEC 20382-2:2017, Information technology — User interface — Face-to-face speech translation —
Part 2: System architecture and functional components
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the following terms and definitions apply.
The ISO and IEC maintain terminological databases for use in standardization at the following
addresses:
— IEC Electropedia: available at http://www.electropedia.org/;
— ISO Online browsing platform: available at http://www.iso.org/obp
3.1
face-to-face
arrangement where two users are physically in the same location
3.2
short range wireless communication
SRWC
wireless transmission that uses signals that travel from a few centimetres to several metres
EXAMPLE Bluetooth.
© ISO/IEC 2017 – All rights reserved 1

4 Abbreviated terms
AI audio indicator
F2F face-to-face
TTS text to speech
VI video indicator
WD wearable device
MD mobile device
5 Overview of face-to-face speech translation
5.1 General
A face-to-face speech translation system enables users of different languages to communicate with each
other with spoken languages in a face-to-face situation by providing machine translation results (as in
Figure 1). (For standardization activities for speech translation, see Annex A). In a face-to-face speech
translation system, mobile de
...