Crouther
Myles Crouther
Researched Proposal Problem: Solution
TOPIC:
Home automation’s beneficial technological impact on homeowners
THESIS:
Home automation has the potential to bring modern conveniences to disabled or elderly people currently in need of assistances or security to homeowner property.
AUDIENCE:
Security hardware system engineers focused in home automation and computer scientist interested in promoting an open-source solution for home automation systems designed to ease the responsibilities of caregivers.
WORD COUNT: 1600/1600
INTRODUCTION:
The majority of modern home automation systems work independently from one another. These systems utilize decade old communication protocols such as XMPP (Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol), or build their own proprietary languages and standards for accessing their system. While they leverage common wireless platforms such as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, interconnectivity is not supported. Each system offers users different ways for their mobile devices and beacons to interact with one another. However, these closed platforms make it incredibly difficult across multiple screens such as the web, mobile devices, and desktop/laptop computers. The unification of this market has the potential to stimulate small business and corporate growth within the technology industry by increasing the quality of life in disabled and elderly persons with modern conveniences.
BACKGROUND:
The first home automation systems were built in the early 1960’s when computing was just being developed too. While less complex, the basis behind home automation has existed in previous centuries. Nikola Tesla originally patented the concept of remote control vehicles back in 1898 (U.S. Patent No. 613,809, 1898). This idea of wireless communication is the foundation of networks we use today. In the past decade, interest has grown within the field causing a revival in open messaging formats to build closed systems to connect a web of devices.
Current home automation services have begun adopting the older messaging standard XMPP, previously known as Jabber. Jabber was a communication protocol developed by the Jabber open-source community in 1999. This cloud based collaborative service is deployed throughout the web for instant messaging (IM), voice chat, and video conferencing. Although acquired by Cisco in 2008, the source code has remain open. Corporations such as Microsoft, Google, and IBM use XMPP for handling real-time messaging and communication software.
PROBLEM:
Each company has their own platform and a select set of partners to support their home automation system software suite.
SOLUTION:
Although many of the platforms have accepted the old messaging machine to machine (M2M) communication standard XMPP, they have built their own proprietary API’s for accessing their devices and central console. Their central processing unit that handles all communication within their home automation network requires other applications to specifically call functions they have written to interact with their hardware rather than universal function any application could write to access sensors, mobile devices, or separate automated platforms.
PROBLEM:
Privacy and trust is a major concern. With recent leaks of heavy government surveillance and big data constantly being collected by corporations, users need faith their home habits won’t be recorded.
SOLUTION:
Open source software development offers transparency for customers as well as encourages third party adaptation. Thus, stimulating the emerging market and creating a foundation for innovation.
PROBLEM:
Beacons for home automation systems constantly drain battery while awake raising electricity consumption.
SOLUTION:
The installment of solar panels on each beacon allows for the transformation of light energy to be stored as power for battery usage later while at night when the sun is not out.
PROBLEM:
Sunlight energy is not always available, either due to overcast or other various conditions.
SOLUTION:
The instillation of a motion sensor on each beacon provides the device with user awareness. If the device knows when the homeowner is presence it can more efficiently stay activated when needed or off whenever unnecessary. For example, if the consumer generally works from 9am-5pm. While the sun is out during the day, it can collect light and remain off. However, during lunch hours or after hours, when the user stops by the house it can reactivate itself and address the tasks at hand.
PROBLEM:
Indoor beacons lack exposure to natural sunlight, offering no alternative energy source.
SOLUTION:
If the room has windows, the placement of beacons near windows accompanied with automated blinds/shutters could provide natural light as an efficient alternative power source for the beacon.
PROBLEM:
Infrared light based motion detectors require a “line of sight”, or a clear view of the room to accurately detect a user’s presence.
SOLUTION:
As an alternative to motion detection using inferred light, a beacon could ping the users’ location via a smartphone’s location services and built in GPS.
PROBLEM:
How should the beacon handle the battery when it drains below 20% and the beacon won’t last the rest of the day?
SOLUTION:
Change is not always required unless provoked by the user or an unidentified trespasser. A combination of user location awareness and motion detection implemented has the capability of strengthening home security.
PROBLEM:
Heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) units constantly run unless operated by the end user.
SOLUTION:
Through the use of location based services and a module strategically placed between the electrical controls wiring of embedded devices and a power source, any HVAC system can be controlled remotely via a smartphone, or mobile device through a home automation system. The use of simple signal based switch using radio frequencies could awaken a central HVAC unit to heat, cool, or humidify a house moments before user arrives.
PROBLEM:
Mobile global positioning systems (GPS) can be battery consuming and if the device’s GPS is currently being utilized, updating the home console of the device’s location can become energy inefficient.
SOLUTION:
If the user is currently using location services and the home needs the user’s location in order to prepare the house for the custom settings designed by the homeowner, a ping system is an efficient alternative to persistent location metadata. For example, while the user receives direction home, each turn, as the navigation system updates the directions, a ping, or quick message, is sent to give location metadata to the home.
PROBLEM:
According to the FBI approximately 8.6 million property crime offenses occurred in America over the past year.
SOLUTION:
Privacy is an incredibly practical use case for home automation. Automatic outdoor lights could greatly reduce the temptation for break-ins and robberies by criminals. Lighting in combination with blind/shutter control to prevent burglars from scouting out a home.
PROBLEM:
Motion detection lights exist today and already consumer accessible.
SOLUTION:
Various home security systems implement motion detection lights differently. When triggered to illuminate this information is not shared with the homeowner. Thus making the light only a warning to the burglar, not the end user. A beacon to report this motion detection system’s activities has the capacity to greatly enhance the security of a home.
PROBLEM:
Lights on in unoccupied rooms are energy inefficient and may go unnoticed by the homeowner, raising their electricity bills.
SOLUTION:
The use of lighting control systems have the makings to create a smart grid within the home. A smart grid would allow the user to view all active devices in one’s home and remotely power off wasteful appliances.
PROBLEM:
Most smart light bulbs are expensive creating a cost barrier and produce high wattage light which some complain are harsh to visually impaired/sensitive.
SOLUTION:
Due to the nature of LED lights, developers have the potential to modify brightness, glare, and color. With these options given to end users, the consumer, rooms can easily become more approachable to visually impaired people.
PROBLEM:
In multi-leveled houses, elderly can have difficulties communicating with other housemates due to movement limitations.
SOLUTION:
Intercom systems are an independent communication system within a house or build from a home telephone. They were invented in the early 1850’s by a French electrical engineer. If repurposed in modern homes today, their electrical system could be used as room consoles for all home automation devices. Each device could communicate with the intercom and disabled or elderly end users would have the ability to access all automated conveniences and communication with others from one central location.
PROBLEM:
Independent communication systems not connected to the home telephone service can’t contact emergency numbers.
SOLUTION:
Although intercom systems are generally used for communication within one’s house, the addition of RJ-45 cables could connect an intercom system to the internet. Allowing voice over IP (VoIP) services such as Google Voice or Vonage to contact the police or hospital for you. VoIP is an internet based phone service has offer a cheap alternative to traditional communication services such as a home telephone or smartphone cellular service. VoIP services offer convenient international communication as well as advance voice messaging or video calling. Any broadband internet plan has the capacity to handle VoIP services without any significant increase in data usage.
PROBLEM:
VoIP services uses the internet rather than standard public switched telephone networks (PSTN). Internet traffic can easily be accessed and monitored by unwanted guest or hackers.
SOLUTION:
The addition of end-to-end security between all devices within the home automated network would allow encrypted communication between all users. Securing both the message parties in the chat session.
CONCLUSION:
Without common wireless platforms such as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth home automation systems could not communicate. The communication protocols most networks use is XMPP (Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol). Foolishly rather than working together corporations build their own proprietary languages and standards for accessing their system. Each system offers a user different ways for their mobile devices and beacons to interact with one another. This makes interconnectivity difficult across multiple platforms such as the web, mobile devices, and desktop/laptop computers. The slow unification of each home automation system will bring this industry into a huge market for innovation and new technologies for consumers at home.
References
Cisco Announces Definitive Agreement to Acquire Jabber. (2008, September 19). Retrieved
December 1, 2014, from http://newsroom.cisco.com/dlls/2008/corp_091908.html
Gerhart, J. (1999). Home automation and wiring. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Kushnick, B. (2013, January 7). What Are the Public Switched Telephone Networks, 'PSTN' and
Why You Should Care? Retrieved December 5, 2014, from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bruce-kushnick/public-switched-telephone-netwhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/bruce-kushnick/public-switched-telephone-networks_b_2377773.htmlorks_b_2377773.html
Property Crime. (2014, September 8). Retrieved December 5, 2014, from
http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/ucr/crime-in-the-u.s/2013/crime-in-the-u.s.-2013/property-crime/property-crime-topic-page/propertycrimemain_final
Tesla, Nikola. (1898). U.S. Patent No. 613,809. Washington, DC: U.S. Patent and
Trademark Office.