ISO/IEC 23093-3:2022

Overview

ISO/IEC 23093-3:2022 - "Information technology - Internet of media things - Part 3: Media data formats and APIs" specifies how media-capable devices (“media things”) describe and exchange media-related data. The standard defines the syntax and semantics of description schemes for data exported by media sensors, actuators and analysers, and it standardizes the APIs to exchange that data between devices. It focuses on interfaces and data formats (interoperability), not on how sensing or analysis algorithms are implemented.

Key topics and requirements

• Description schemes: Formal syntax and semantics for representing media data exchanged by IoMT devices.
• API specifications: Standardized API interfaces for exchanging data among media sensors, actuators and analysers to enable interoperable communications.
• Class abstractions: Core classes such as MSensor, MActuator, and MAnalyser define common properties and operations across device types.
• Extensive device coverage: APIs for a wide range of media devices are listed (examples from the standard include microphone, camera variants, RFID reader, GPS/global positioning, temperature, heart-rate and many more).
• Schema documents & prefixes: Guidance on schema document organization, use of prefixes, terms and abbreviated terms to ensure consistent modeling and naming.
• Scope limits: The standard explicitly defines interfaces and data formats; it does not specify sensor implementations, signal processing algorithms, or how analysis is performed.

Practical applications

ISO/IEC 23093-3:2022 is aimed at improving interoperability and accelerating development across media-rich IoT ecosystems. Typical applications include:

• Smart cities & surveillance: Standardized camera, audio and sensor APIs simplify integration of heterogeneous devices into analytics platforms.
• Broadcast & streaming workflows: Consistent media metadata and APIs between capture devices and processing nodes.
• Automotive & transportation: Harmonizing sensor and camera data exchange for ADAS, telematics and in-vehicle multimedia.
• AR/VR and immersive media: Unified descriptions of spatial sensors, gaze tracking and multi-point interaction devices.
• Healthcare & wearables: Interoperable interfaces for body sensors, heart-rate and physiological data used in monitoring and telemedicine.
• IoMT platform developers & integrators: Easier device onboarding and cross-vendor interoperability for media analytics and storage.

Who should use it: device manufacturers, firmware and API designers, IoT platform architects, systems integrators, multimedia software developers, and standards committees seeking consistent media data formats and device interfaces.

Related standards

• ISO/IEC 23093 (other parts in the Internet of media things series) - use in conjunction with other parts of the series for broader system and architectural guidance.