# Work Plan for Diverse Audio Capturing System for UEs (DaCAS)

## Introduction

This document presents the work plan for the DaCAS (Diverse audio CApturing System for UEs) work item, which was agreed at SA4#130 (S4-242262) and approved at SA#106 (SP-241962). The output will be TS 26.533 specification.

## Timeline and Key Milestones

### SA4#131 (Geneva, February 17-21, 2025)

**Initial Framework Establishment:**
- Agreement on DaCAS work plan
- Begin definition of potential target devices
- Agreement on initial template for potential target devices
- Begin definition of minimum performance requirement/objective criteria for raw/compensated microphone signals
- Begin definition of requirements for signals for common database
- Agreement on template for setup of recording scenarios
- Agreement on initial template for common database, including legal framework for copyright issues
- Begin discussion of performance requirements and performance evaluation methodologies for example solutions
- Begin discussion of deliverables of example solutions
- Begin collection of potential target devices

### Telco-1 (March 10, 2025)

**Template Progression:**
- Progress templates for potential target devices, recording scenarios, and common database
- Continue collection of potential target devices

### Telco-2 (March 31, 2025)

**First Target Device Definition:**
- Agreement on definition of first target device(s) based on template
- Revision of templates for potential target devices and common database
- Continue collection of potential target devices
- Begin work on legal framework for database

### SA4#131-bis-e (April 11-17, 2025)

**Version 1.0 Templates and Legal Framework:**
- Agreement on three templates version 1.0
- Legal framework for common database for legal review
- Agreement on new potential target devices
- Begin collection of common databases for first target devices
- Continue work on performance requirements, evaluation methodologies, and collection of potential target devices

### Telco (April 28, 2025)

**Framework Agreements:**
- Continue collection of common databases for first target devices
- Agreement on legal framework for common database
- Agreement on three templates version 2.0
- Agreement on minimum performance requirement/objective criteria for raw microphone signals
- Agreement on requirements for signals for common database
- Begin verification of common database proposals for first target devices

### SA4#132 (Fukuoka, May 19-23, 2025)

**Initial Specification Versions:**
- Continue updates for templates, databases, and requirements
- Agreement on common database for subset target devices
- Agreement on three templates for collecting basic common database
- Agreement on permanent documents version 0.1 for target devices, databases, test methods and requirements
- **TS 26.533 version 0.1.0**

### Telco (June 16, 2025)

**Database and Test Method Development:**
- Continue collection of common databases
- Definition of minimum performance requirements for raw microphone signals
- Definition of test methods for example solutions
- Definition of performance requirements for example solutions
- Package definition of example deliverables
- Agreement on collection of legal text for common databases

### SA4#133-e (July 18-25, 2025)

**Test Method and Requirements Refinement:**
- Continue definition of test methods for example solutions
- Updates of TS 26.533
- Common databases of target devices
- Definition of minimum performance requirements for raw microphone signals
- Definition of mandatory recording scenarios

### Telco (September 15, 2025)

**Requirements Agreements:**
- Continue work on test methods, TS 26.533 updates, databases, and package definitions
- Agreement on minimum performance requirements for raw microphone signals
- Agreement on definition of mandatory recording scenarios

### Telco (October 27, 2025)

**Continued Development:**
- Continue work on test methods, TS 26.533 updates, databases, performance requirements, and package definitions

### SA4#134 (November 17-21, 2025)

**Example Solutions Development:**
- Continue work on common database for target devices
- Deliverables of example solutions for target devices
- Evaluation process for example solutions (TS 26.533), binary interfaces
- Work on DaCAS-1, DaCAS-2, DaCAS-3

### Telco (December 9, 2025)

**Example Solutions Continuation:**
- Continue work on common database, deliverables of example solutions, and DaCAS-1/2/3

### Telco (January 13, 2026)

**Pre-Submission Phase:**
- Continue work on common database and DaCAS-1/2/3
- Discuss deliverables of example solutions
- Indications to submit example solution(s)
- Indications to perform evaluation and verification of example solution(s)

### SA4#135 (India, February 9-13, 2026)

**First Major Milestone:**
- Continue work on common database, evaluation procedure and framework, example solution deliverables, and DaCAS-1/2/3
- [Submission of example solution(s) for target devices]
- Begin evaluation and verification
- **Agree on TS 26.533 v1.0.0 to be sent to SA plenary for information**

### SA#111 (Japan, March 10-13, 2026)

**Plenary Presentation:**
- **Present Draft TS 26.533 v1.0.0 for information**
- Continue work on common database and DaCAS-1/2/3
- Agreement on evaluation procedure and framework
- Agreement on example solution deliverables
- Indications to submit and evaluate example solutions

### SA4#135-bis-e (April 13-17, 2026)

**Example Solutions Collection:**
- Start collection of example solutions
- Continue evaluation results and report
- Begin drafting of example solution(s) that meet performance requirements
- Begin crosschecking example solutions by interested proponents

### SA4#136 (Montreal, May 11-15, 2026)

**Example Solutions Finalization:**
- Finalize collection of example solutions
- Review verification results
- Continue crosschecking
- Agreement on example solution specifications
- Continue drafting of example solutions
- **Agree on TS 26.533 v2.0.0 to be sent to SA plenary for approval**

### SA#112 (Singapore, June 9-12, 2026)

**Approval Milestone:**
- **Present TS 26.533 v2.0.0 for approval**

### SA4#137-bis-e (August 24-28, 2026)

**Verification Continuation:**
- Review verification results
- Continue crosschecking and drafting of example solutions
- **Agree on TS 26.533 v1.0.0 to be sent to SA plenary for information**

### SA#109 (Beijing, September 16-19, 2026)

**Plenary Information:**
- **Present TS 26.533 v1.0.0 for information**

### SA4#138 (Calgary, November 16-20, 2026)

**Final Specification:**
- Agreement on example solution specifications
- **Agree on TS 26.533 v2.0.0 to be sent to SA plenary for approval**

### SA#110 (Baltimore, December 9-12, 2026)

**Final Approval:**
- **Present TS 26.533 v2.0.0 for approval**

## Main Goals of the Work (Annex A)

### Overall Intention
Provision of immersive audio capture normative example solutions to speed up deployment of a fully end-to-end IVAS ecosystem.

### Part 1: Target Device and Database Definition

**Target Device Specifications:**
- Definition of a set of target devices or target device types
- Definition of minimum performance requirement/objective criteria for raw microphone signal performance and characteristics
- Definition of requirements for signals based on target devices or target device types
- Collection of a set of target devices or target device types
- Collection of common database for target devices

### Part 2: Example Solutions Development

**Solution Development and Evaluation:**
- Development of immersive audio capture example solutions for target devices
- Evaluation of available immersive audio capture example solutions based on relevant sending side terminal audio quality test methods defined in TS 26.260
- Verification and potential revision of minimum performance requirements based on example solution performance under TS 26.260 test methods
- Specification of suitable example solutions
- Potential alignment with TS 26.260 and 26.261

### DaCAS Example Solution Input Requirements

**Minimum Input Requirements:**
- Raw/compensated microphone signals
- Target device configuration information (TBD)
- Capture configuration parameters (TBD)

**Open Issues:**
- Note 1: Clarifications required on required/optional raw microphone compensation
- Note 2: If microphone compensation is required/provided, clarification required whether example solution can use both raw and compensated microphone signals or only compensated signals

## Notes

The time plan defines milestones for first target device(s). Parallel development of additional target devices can have corresponding milestones later than indicated in this plan.