Digital Emblems provide a mechanism for conveying a set of attributes bound to an asset that is presented to a validator and asserted by an issuer.
The DIEM WG seeks to define a standard architecture, set of emblem types, and presentation methods that will provide a cohesive approach to creating, displaying, and interpreting emblems across applications and platforms.
There are three dimensions to digital emblems: Asset Type, Emblem Type, and Validator Relationship. Assets bound to digital emblems can be analog (e.g., a vehicle) or digital (e.g., a web server). They differ in the initial interaction between the asset and the validator. Digital Emblems can fall into multiple types (e.g., self-signed, attested, etc.) that will affect how a validator interprets and trusts the assertions made within the emblem. The relationship between the asset and the validator will influence requirements on how validators retrieve digital emblems for the asset. These three dimensions will be key drivers in the development of a digital emblem architecture.
The working group will focus its initial work on assets that are discovered by use of digital communication as the primary interaction method that have the unique challenge of the validator remaining unknown to the operator of the asset. Other use cases for future consideration may also cover assets that lack this requirement or even require separate digital discovery. The WG will ensure maximum reuse of work for emblem representation and binding. A discovery mechanism for the initial work will only be specified by this group after the initial emblem binding protocol is completed (see the Deliverables section below).”
The working group is tasked with developing: 1) use cases and requirements related to the initial scope, 2) an architecture that captures the relationships between entities utilizing digital emblems, 3) a specification on binding digital emblems to assets, and 4) a specification for discovery mechanisms supported by the initial scope.
The working group will liaise with appropriate organizations and relevant IETF WGs when defining emblem formats, validation, and discovery mechanisms to facilitate re-use of existing protocols and capabilities.
The DIEM WG will work on the following milestones for the defined scope:
- Use cases and requirements for the initial target scenarios (Informational)
- Architecture document containing a taxonomy and overall information flows (Informational)
- A protocol specification describing the binding of emblems to assets (Proposed Standard or Experimental)
- A protocol specification describing the emblem discovery mechanism for the initial use cases (Proposed Standard or Experimental)