[xcbf] Initial TC Request

[Phil Griffin <phil.griffin@asn-1.com>]

Here's a complete copy of what I sent to OASIS. 
A few things were changed before it was accepted
and the call for participation went out. But I
thought that you all might like to have a look.
It is essentially our charter.

Phil


Name of the TC

The name of the technical committee is OASIS TC "XML 
Common Biometric Format", usually abbreviated as the 
XCBF TC.

Statement of purpose

This Technical Committee will define a common set of XML
1.0 encodings for the patron formats defined in CBEFF, the
Common Biometric Exchange File Format (NISTIR 6529, available
at http://www.nist.gov/NISTIR-6529-CBEFF). These formats will
be specified in accordance with the ASN.1 schema definitions
published in ANS X9.84:2000 Biometrics Information Management
and Security For The Financial Services Industry© (available
from the ANSI electronic bookstore at http://www.ansi.org).

The Common Biometric Exchange File Format defines a common
set of data elements necessary to support multiple biometric
technologies and to promote interoperability of biometric-
based application programs and systems by allowing for 
biometric data exchange. CBEFF describes a set of "required"
and "optional" data fields, a "domain of use", and "CBEFF
Patron" formats that utilize some combination of these 
standard elements.

Patron formats specify encoding of the data elements and any
additional (non-common) data elements.  The two defined CBEFF
Patron formats are the BioAPI Biometric Identification Record
(BIR) format specified in the BioAPI Consortium BioAPI 
Specification Version 1.0 and the X9.84:2000 BiometricSyntax
type. But all of the encoding formats defined in CBEFF and 
X9.84 are binary encodings, making their use in XML systems
and applications limited or difficult.

A common XML schema that can carry the values in all of the
CBEFF standard elements will promote the ability to exchange 
biometric information, between users of binary patron formats,
and with XML-aware applications and systems.  As new patron
formats are added to CBEFF in future revisions, a common XML
schema based on the X9.84 definitions should make it possible
to exchange data with applications implemented using earlier
versions of CBEFF. 

Common, underlying type definitions will allow information
to be validated and exchanged without ambiguity.  The exact
same values specified in binary encodings will be used in
XML representations of these values.  This feature of the
work will serve to promote interoperable solutions.

The canonical variant of the XML Encoding Rules (CXER) will
produce inputs suitable for cryptographic enhancement of
the XML representations of X9.84 biometric objects, but 
which in that standard are expected to be processed solely
in binary.  All processing and security requirements used
by this TC will be harmonized with standardization of the
XML formats of CMS messages undertaken by ANSI X9F working
groups.

------------------------------------------------------------
Proposed list of deliverables and projected dates

* Published document defining the ASN.1/XML CBEFF schema, an 
  introduction and overview of canonical DER, PER, and XER,
  and the processing and security requirements needed for the
  creation and verification of all cryptographic types defined
  in X9.84, in the form of XML encoded objects

* Published working module including ASN.1 XML Markup Value
  Notation examples of X9.84 biometric types defined in the
  CBEFF standard, along with the underlying ASN.1 schema

* Published example DER, PER and XER encodings of values of
  X9.84 biometric types and equivalent BIR encodings 

* Published documentation of new CBEFF patron formats that
  may become standard during the period of this work, in 
  particular an anticipated smart card patron format

* Initial drafts of all deliverables: May 30 2002
* Draft version of working module: November 2002
* Draft version of example binary encodings of
  XML values: March 2003
* Draft final versions of all remaining deliverables:
  May 2003
* Final versions of any new CBEFF formats: July 2003
* Final versions of all deliverables: November 2003

In order to achieve maximum interoperability between the
efforts of various standards organizations, these XCBF 
deliverables may depend on work being done by ANSI X9F 
working groups and the new INCITS M1 Biometrics TC, so the 
completion of these deliverables may be affected by delays
(if any) in the work of these groups. Though the schedule
extends into November 2003, it is hoped that this work can
be concluded no later than May 2003.

Language in which the TC will conduct business: English. Speakers
of other languages are encouraged to participate.

Date, time, and place of first meeting

Monday March 18 - Conference call at 7:00 pm. All
interested UBL attendees will meet for the call in
the Hotel Barcelona Universal, Barcelona, Spain

Proposed meeting schedule for the first year

* Monday March 18, 2002, 7:00 pm, Barcelona, Spain 
* Thursday, May 16, 2002, Somerset, NJ USA.
* Thursday, August 22, 2002, Net Meeting/conference call
* Tuesday, November 19, 2002, Geneva, Switzerland
  (just prior to the ITU-T SG17 meeting)
* Further dates for 2003 to be announced

Names and email addresses of proposing members

Phillip H. Griffin   phil.griffin@ASN-1.com    Griffin Consulting
John Larmouth        j.larmouth@salford.ac.uk  Larmouth T&PDS Ltd
Bancroft Scott       baos@oss.com              OSS Nokalva
Paul Thorpe          thorpe@oss.com            OSS Nokalva

Name of chair

Phillip H. Griffin, Griffin Consulting, <phil.griffin@ASN.1.com>

Name of meeting sponsors (for both phone and face-to-face meetings)

OSS Nokalva and other participants in conjunction with OASIS.