In-Line Services and Intelligent Devices

Article Sections
	Description Of Service / Technology In-Line Service/Intelligent Devices & Home LANs. On July 19, 1996 the term "home LAN" was found to be descriptive terminology representing in-home networks.
	Business Application How intelligent devices are beneficial and profitable. The demand for intelligent devices and technologies will increase as the "information society" grows. The nature of this technology makes it especially useful to the elderly and people with disabilities. Home LANs will give manufacturers a new market for their products.
	Comparison of Existing Technologies The players and devices. Currently, there are three competing standards for home LAN technologies. The most important technical features of smart home technology are the channels that the signals need to travel, the "language" used to communicate and the devices that control them.
	Economic/Cost Impact of Applying Technology Breaking Even and R.O.I.s. Smart home technology has certain features that save money, for many homeowners, a savings of 40% or more is possible. Establishing guidelines for interoperability will help expand the consumer electronics market by introducing new categories of control and communications products and enhance existing products with new network-ready features.
	Strategic/Future Developments of Service or Technology. Market Forecasting. Once standards have been established, integration of intelligent devices will expose a market to upgrade current homes and implementation in new homes. The "plug-and-play" concept is the key to establishing a broad market for home networks.

Description Of Service / Technology.
In-Line Service/Intelligent Devices & Home LANs.

What are "network products" inhomes? "Networks" are formed when two or more thingsconnect or intersect to form, or function as, a common unit.Advanced home electronic products can now connect with each otherthroughout the home to form a Local Area Network (LAN). More andmore homes are integrating such technologies in the familyenvironment as we move into the next century (figure 1). Thefuture of the smart house is very bright. The consumer needexists for the technology, industries have already investedbillions of dollars into the technology that will comprise thesmart house. However, the industry and technology still lacksfirm guidance and standards.

An interactive home network reduces thecost of having more than one computer in the home. It allowsmultiple computers to share data and software with one another,as well as just one central printer, ISP or home PBX. Thesein-home networks are known as home LANs. In a ruling issued bythe United States Patents and Trademarks Office on July 19, 1996the term "home LAN" was found to be descriptiveterminology representing in-home networks and therefore reservedfor public domain use by industry. It is non-protectableterminology.

Though out this article, the terms of"home LAN," "smart home," "intelligenthome," "in-line devices," and "intelligentdevices" will be interchangeable. But it should be noted,such in-line or intelligent devices are applicable in the home,automotive, and commercial environment.

As we draw closer to a new century, wecan look back at the changes in home designs that produce a moreconvenient, comfortable, safer, and efficient way to live.However, the home electrical systems has seen little change inalmost 50 years, that is until now. An automated home can givecontrol over any light or appliance from anywhere in the home.In-line and intelligent devices are among the developingtechnologies that will form a "smart home." Devicesthat allow appliances to be networked to a home LAN system willprovide consumers with conveniences, energy management options,and safety and security, as well as having added benefits fordisabled individuals. Safety features in a smart house mightinclude turning off potentially dangerous appliances and warningthe occupants or service contractors. Energy management featuresin smart houses can help reduce energy bills for the home.

The most important technical features ofa smart house are the channels that the signals need to travel,the "language" used to communicate and the devices thatcontrol them. In a conventional home wiring system there are manyindependent subsystems such as; low voltage for door bells,thermostats, smoke and alarm systems, cable T.V.'S, intercom,telephones and more. By making better use of these subsystems, anautomated home can offer new levels of comfort, convenience,control, safety, security, and energy management.

The demand for intelligent devices andtechnologies will increase as the "information society"grows. There has been an exponential increase in the informationsector of the economy since 1941 while agriculture has decreased(figure 2). There has also been a decline in the industrialsector as technological advances increase productivity in thatsector. These shifts indicate a growing trend for devices andservices that will be expected or standard features in homes andautos of the next century.

The "information age home"premise stems from the current phenomena of the contemporaryworkforce moving towards teleworking. More and more services arebeing out-sourced in today connected society (figure 3).Strategic/future development of information service orteleworking technology is made possible by advances in digitaltechnology.

Security is no longer a standalonesystem. Through the integration of automation interfaces, basicsecurity panels have become home managers rather than homeprotectors. An intelligent security system discourage intrudersand call for help when it is needed. This will helps protect lifeand property from intruders, as well as from such things as fire,flood, radon, monoxide and power outages.

Standard features for homes and carswill be those that support emergency necessities and otherservices that improve the safety of the general public, such asaccess to "911" systems. Automobiles will have suchfeatures as "blind spot" warning devices, thermalimaging heads-up displays and glare elimination as standardfeatures as much as rearview mirrors and backing lights are now.

Automotive systems, such as OnStar byGM, include features such as a geographic database and CPU forroute information, a "mayday " system with satellitelocation, security features that automatically notifies the GMcenter on collision, and remote control car functions from thecenter in event of emergency.

The nature of this technology makes itespecially useful to the elderly and people with disabilities.Because smart houses are automated, they can help people withdisabilities maintain an active and productive life. It can makecommunications with friends, relatives, and doctors easier. Moreand more smart house systems are incorporating telecommunicationsfeatures, which provide the global connectivity between the home,office and auto.

Home LANs will give manufacturers a newmarket for their products. However, to pursue this marketmanufacturers must produce products that inter-operate withproducts made by others.

Currently, there are three competingstandards for home LAN technologies: X-10, CEBus, and LonWorks.There are also many other key players in the industry: AMP,Molex, Echelon, Honeywell, Detroit Edison, IBM, Microsoft,Leviton, Motorola, Toshiba, and Apple Computers. Even thoughintelligent devices and appliances are already possible, they areunlikely to become widespread until a standard is agreed upon.

X-10 was the first module system to cometo the market, but remains very limited in its range of featuresand functions. X-10 can only address up to 256 nodes with limitedfunctions. CEBus (Consumer Electronic Bus) developed by the EIA(Electronic Industries Association) overcomes the lack offunctionality of the X-10 standard by using spread spectrummodulations. CEBus can address up to 4 billion nodes withadvanced functions and features. CEBus is an open standard whichmeans anyone can develop products using this communicationsprotocol. The standard covers communication via 110V AC powerline (PLC), twisted pair (TP) cable, coax cable, RF and Infrared.The primary advantage of CEBus over X10 is the data transmissionspeed. CEBus transmits data at 10,000 bits per second regardlessof the transmission media. This enables devices to stay"on-line" for a much shorter period of time therebyminimizing collisions and producing more instantaneous response.LonWorks systems is very similar to CEBus, but can only addressup to 32,000 nodes.

The most important technical features ofsmart home technology are the channels that the signals need totravel, the "language" used to communicate and thedevices that control them. They range from very slow wiring suchas power-line carriers (PLC) and low voltage wiring to fasterchannels such as coaxial cables, infra-red (IR), radio frequency(RF) and fiber optics. Smart home technologies will need to bemodular and function as plug-and-play systems for integrationinto a home LAN.

Devices and controls that are currentlyincorporated in smart home technologies include sensors, motiondetectors, and remote controls. There are many types of sensorsavailable. Mechanical sensors are typically a magnetic reedswitch and are commonly used for doors and windows. Motiondetectors come in two varieties. The most common type of sensoris the PIR (Passive InfraRed). Another type of motion detector isa sonic or microwave sensor that works like a radar.

Infrared motion detectors can be falselytripped by other heat sources, and they are most sensitive toobjects moving across their path. Sonic motion detectors can befalsely tripped by movements of inanimate objects such asdraperies, and are most sensitive to objects moving toward oraway from them. Consequently, many manufacturers produce motiondetectors which involve both technologies and are often morereliable than either one is on its own.

Wireless sensors are typically easier toinstall and therefore less expensive; however, they are moreconspicuous and they are powered by batteries which must bechanged periodically. Many people choose hardwired sensors whenconvenience and aesthetics are most important, and wirelesssensors when initial cost is most important. Both work well andmost controllers can work with either one.

Security systems are not just designedto detect people. Smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors,freeze, and flooding detectors are also common with many securitysystems, and seismic sensors can be placed outdoors and used todetect approaching vehicles.

The most common type of remote controlsfor smart home and security systems are keypads. Some controllersinclude built-in keypads. Most are designed for external keypadsand other types of remote controls. Hand-held remotes range fromdevices similar in size and style to a television remote, tosmaller remotes which are a component of a key chain or pendentusers can wear around their neck.

The most common communication systemwiring involves basic coax cable such as many homes already haveinstalled. The best communications wiring involves dual coax. Ina dual coax system, each wall plate includes two coax connectors.One is for output from the system to the user devices such astelevisions, computers, and other entertainment equipment, andthe other is for input from the user devices to the system.

Many of the outdoor equipment andsystems can function with a home network. For example,landscaping and parameter lighting are usually controlled withelectronic light switches. With the exception of lighting, themost common outdoor equipment and systems which are involved withan intelligent home include lawn sprinkler systems, pools andspas, and "anti-ice" systems.

There are two types of plumbing in manyhomes: gas and water. Gas plumbing is for primarily provided forHVAC, water heaters, stoves, clothes dryers, and barbequers.These devices can be controlled through the electrical connectionwhich they require, so additional plumbing controls for gasplumbing are seldom necessary. However, gas plumbing isundergoing a few changes in new homes. One of the mostsignificant changes involves the use of an electricallycontrolled shut-off valve where the gas service enters the home.Water plumbing can take advantage of "point-of-use heatingsystems for cost savings in water heating expenses. A burst pipewould result in the water being shut off and the occupants orcontracted repair company being alerted. All of this is possiblebecause of the interconnectedness of the various elements ofintelligent devices.

The Home TEAM (Home Technology Educationand Marketing), a multi-industry cooperative program, has begunto address the issue of an industry-wide standard for homeautomation technology. Home TEAM’s Home IQ is a programunder development to "establish a standard for measuring theintelligence of homes and commercial buildings." Due to therelatively limited distribution and use of smart home technology,there have been no legal implications for the technology so far.As this technology increases, standards across industry lineswill be needed. This includes installation practices and legalpositions concerning damages caused by smart home malfunctions.

Few builders now are familiar with thetechnology, and those that are price it at a premium. There arelicensed smart house dealers, though they are few and farbetween. Currently, it is at least twice as expensive to putthese features into an existing house. However, smart hometechnology has certain features that save money, and are therebyadvantageous. Having smart home technology provides security formost people’s largest investment: their house.

Intelligent products can lower yourutility bills by automatically turning off energy consumingdevices when they are not in use. The amount of savings will varyfrom one home to another and depends largely upon the locationand construction of the home and the habits of the user. However,for many homeowners, a savings of 40% or more is possible, andthe initial cost for controls is recovered within the first fewmonths of use

Intelligent products can enhance theefficiency of home systems, thereby lowering the amount of energywhich must be produced to fulfill the needs of society. Forexample, a 10% reduction in everyone's energy use would alsoeliminate as much pollution and ecological damages. Of all of thesystems in the home, the HVAC and water heater consume the mostenergy. According to figures recently released by the NationalAssociation of Home Builders, 55% of the utility expense is spenton heating and cooling a home and 15% goes to water heating.Smart home technologies provide for energy management that canreduce this cost and save energy.

According to figures published byHoneywell, when intelligent controls are added to the HVACsystem, a simple 10 degree setback twice a day can produce asavings between 18 and 30%. Adding zoned control can increase thesavings another 5 to 10%. The averages of those savings is then24% for the setback and 7.5% for zoned control, or an averagetotal of 31.5%.

Establishment of specifications onstandards for electrical interfacing and protocol communicationswill create new product categories for intelligent communicationsand control devices in the home. Establishing guidelines forinteroperability will help expand the consumer electronics marketby introducing new categories of control and communicationsproducts and enhance existing products with new network-readyfeatures. In-line devices will also create pull through sales ofhigh margin accessories to major purchases such as big screen TVsor PCs. New installation service opportunities - services for DSSand home theater - will be created by consumers desiringprofessional installation and setup of networked products.Additionally, intelligent products will be able to notify theconsumer and the retail service center when they requiremaintenance or repair, generating new service revenueopportunities.

Standards will allow consumers to enjoyall of the benefits of integrated home control and entertainmentsystems which have previously been the exclusive domain of theaffluent. Instead of purchasing a custom designed and installedsystem, consumers will be able to buy network ready products atfamiliar consumer electronics retailers, department stores, andhome improvement centers. They will be able to simply install theproducts into their home using plug-n-play technology. If aconsumer has a PC, it will add another dimension of functionalityas a "manager" of the other systems in the home.Consumers will be able to start with a few products on thenetwork and add new ones as they desire, it won't be necessary tomake large initial investment in equipment.

Currently, there are three competingstandards to send and receive signals on available channels(X-10, CEBus, and LonWorks). Once standards have beenestablished, integration of intelligent devices, appliances andhome LANs will expose a market to upgrade current homes andimplementation in new homes.

In 1984, members of the EIA (ElectronicsIndustry Association) identified a need for standards thatincluded more than ON, OFF, DIM, BRIGHT, ALL LIGHTS ON, and ALLUNITS OFF controls. So for the next six years, engineersrepresenting international companies met on a regular basis anddeveloped a proposed standard. They called this standard CEBus(pronounced "see-bus"), or Consumer Electronic Bus.

The most important technical features ofsmart home technology are the channels that the signals need totravel, the "language" used to communicate and thedevices that control them. In 1992, the engineers released theCEBus standard to the world. In essence, CEBus is an openarchitecture set of specification documents which defineprotocols for how to make products communicate through power linewires, low voltage twisted pairs, coax, infrared, RF, and fiberoptics. Anyone, anywhere can get a copy of the plans and developproducts that work with the CEBus standard.

The "plug-and-play" concept isthe key to establishing a broad market for home networks. It iscritical that consumers be able to purchase network readyproducts at familiar retail outlets, take them home, plug them inor have them professionally installed, and immediately be able toenjoy the benefits of the product. It is also important becauseit allows the consumer to upgrade or add products to theirin-home network as time and budget allow, one product at a time.

CIC (CEBus® Industry Council's) HomePlug and Play Specification (HPnP) is based upon a public domainstandard produced by the Electronic Industries Association (EIA).The language itself is known as the Common Application Language(CAL). When separately published by EIA, then enhanced by CIC'sharmonious application contexts for multiple industry sectors,all manufacturers pursuing the home LAN market can be expected toadopt CIC's HPnP Specification.

An enormous amount of effort has alreadybeen put into developing the specification to its current levelby the original HPnP private sector Task Force. This effort willcontinue as they join CIC's Interoperability Technical Committee(ITC) to complete the Specification.

Since the goal of the Task Force was toenable a mass market for CAL based interoperable home LANproducts, they recognized the need to garner broad support frommultiple industry sectors. As a nonprofit membershiporganization, CIC membership includes the leading consumerelectronics and home systems manufacturers. By joining forceswith CIC, HPnP will be immediately exposed to leaders insecurity, environmental controls, energy management, consumerelectronics, wiring devices & lighting controls, computers,and software. CIC also represents the organization with thegreatest knowledge and expertise in the development and deliveryof networked products for homes.

Research into the protocols andinterconnections of home LAN systems is being conducted byuniversities such as MIT. MIT is working on TIM (TransparentInformation Management) Architecture to coordinate all roomsystems of a smart home in a principled manner. The architecturefeatures a clean interface between the application and theintelligent room to insulates applications from considerations ofreal-time sensing and action and to support portability. At thesame time, the architecture is left open to enable user-writtenagents access to all levels of processing.

TIM has three layers. At the lowest tierare real-time motor-sensor programs that satisfy WHO, WHAT, andWHERE questions regarding room occupants and the room state. Themiddle layer reconciles the sensory motor perceptions. This layerprovides coherent responses to questions such as `WHO said WHAT'and `WHO is pointing WHERE'. Applications sit on the top layer,querying and commanding the lower tier libraries as needed.

When traditional home electronicproducts are outfitted with HPnP "network features,"they can work together to offer a new generation offunctionality. Examples Include:

There will be few companies that canignore this developing technology. High-tech companiesespecially, will need to keep a keen watch on this industry as ittakes shape, else they will end up like the slide rule andtypewriter companies that failed to change their market with thedevelopment of calculators and word processor. Consumer demandsare there, the technology is being developed, and standards arebeing established. Within the next five years, this technologywill be as common as computers are today.