Service portability of networked appliances

This document outlines an approach for delivering services to networked appliances using techniques that allow mobility of these services both in a conventional location-independent sense and between physical devices. Key requirements to address this market are identified and the document then goes on to present a technical solution to meet these requirements together with worked examples. It concludes with suggestions for further work     

Providing network connectivity for small appliances: a functionallyminimized embedded Web server

There is a strong trend toward embedding Internet capabilities into electronics and everyday appliances. We introduce the results from a research project where we have been working toward implementing a functionally minimized Web server on silicon. Although most embedded Internet appliances will use a microcontroller and software to enable TCP/IP and HTTP support, we argue that there are many applications where a hardware-based approach is more suitable. Our WebChip approach is a family of IPv6-compatible solutions toward the realization of embedded and minimized Web systems. The core parts of the implementation are a C-code library and VHDL code implementation. The solution is tested with an FPGA and can be later embedded into various ASIC chips. We argue that this approach is also commercially viable since the VHDL code can be delivered as an intellectual property block     

Using pen and paper to control networked appliances

User interfaces to control networked household appliances are often inadequate. Either they are too simplistic or they are too complex and complicated relying on a PC-based interface. Therefore, a user interface that supports complex functionalities and is easy to use is required. In this article digital pen and paper are presented as a suitable interface. Digital pens are only marginally larger than their traditional counterparts, and digital paper is ordinary paper with an almost invisible unique pattern printed on it. Pen and paper are well known to users and thus an important barrier to the acceptance of networked appliances is removed. The approach is integrated with an open services gateway initiative (OSGi) gateway, thus allowing for flexibility with respect to the protocol used to communicate with the appliance. It is also shown how the approach can be applied to other appliances in and beyond the home     

Remote advisory services: a NEAT approach

The Networked Expertise, Advice and Tuition (NEAT) project has produced and evaluated a networked computer-based system that lets students contact and communicate remotely with help desk staff, tutors, or advisors over the Internet. The system uses public domain technology that facilitates video, audio, and text-based communication, whiteboarding, and application sharing. We discuss the system requirements, architecture, evaluation and usability     

Evolution of the Internet QoS and support for soft real-time applications

The past few years have witnessed the emergence of many real-time networked applications on the Internet. These types of applications require special support from the underlying network such as reliability, timeliness, and guaranteed delivery, as well as different levels of service quality. Unfortunately, this support is not available within the current "best-effort" Internet architecture. In this paper, we review several mechanisms and frameworks proposed to provide network- and application-level quality of service (QoS) in the next-generation Internet. We first discuss the QoS requirements of many of the above-mentioned real-time applications, and then we categorize them according to the required service levels. We also describe the various building blocks often used in QoS approaches. We briefly present asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) and Internet Protocol precedence. Then, we present and compare two service architectures recently adopted by the Internet Engineering Task Force, called integrated services (IntServ) and differentiated services (DiffServ), for providing per-flow and aggregated-flow service guarantees, respectively. We focus on DiffServ because it is a candidate QoS framework to be used in next-generation Internet along with multiprotocol label switching and traffic engineering. We also examine several operational and research issues that need to be resolved before such frameworks can be put in practice.     

A discrete multitone transceiver at the heart of the PHY layer of an in-home power line communication local-area network

A networked home is a micro-version of the Internet, connecting home appliances, PCs, and other smart devices not only to one another but also to a globally connected world through the Internet. For consumers to embrace home networking, a solution that utilizes the existing infrastructure within the home, such as electrical wiring, is significant. However, the use of power lines as a home networking platform presents quite a troublesome and noisy environment that fluctuates with varying load impedance and time, and is also plagued by impulse noise. The latest developments in VLSI and DSP technologies have enabled power line communication (PLC) networks to compensate for the impairments of the environment. This article discusses the use of discrete multitone technology at the PHY layer of an in-home PLC network, particularly with reference to bit-loading techniques.     

Do appliances threaten Internet innovation?

The world is evolving from one in which almost all access to the Internet comes through personal computers, to one in which so-called Internet appliances are expected to make up a growing share of end user equipment. Focusing on consumer-oriented appliances, we consider whether this shift has implications for the pace of Internet innovation. We conclude that given the starting point of the current Internet, certain of the proposed business models for Internet appliances are not likely to be viable, and this very fact protects the Internet's characteristically rapid pace of innovation     

The Disruptive User - Internet Appliances and the Management of Complexity

Bringing networked computing to new users and new contexts entails a disruptive decrease in the level of user patience for complexity. This paper discusses the tensions involved in making devices as easy to use as traditional appliances, within the context of the open and rapidly changing Internet. It distinguishes class 1 appliances, whose function is fixed by the manufacturer, from class 2 appliance, whose functionality is determined by an associated service provider, and posits a third class of appliance that would achieve true ease of use by leaving control with the user while simultaneously automating much of the complexity associated with that control.     

NRST及其在需求过程调度中的应用

网络式软件作为基于Internet这一开放环境运行的软件的一个典型代表,其全开放运行机制使得需求过程的自动调度尤为重要.为此,首先将网络式软件的需求状态(NRS)划分为6个状态,并利用网络式软件需求状态跟踪(NRST)图刻画出了各个需求状态之间的转化.最后,利用NRST,有效地实现了网络式软件需求过程的自动转换与调度,使得整个需求分析过程能够在Internet网上无须人的过多干预,而由计算机自动完成.     

Video multicast over the Internet

Multicast distribution of video is an important component of many existing and future networked services. The Internet lacks support for quality of service (QoS) assurance, which makes the transmission of real-time traffic challenging. In addition, the heterogeneity of the Internet's transmission resources and end-systems makes it extremely difficult, if not impossible, to agree on acceptable traffic characteristics among multiple receivers of the same video stream. We survey techniques that have been proposed for transmitting video in this environment. These generally involve adaptation of video traffic carried over the network to match receiver requirements and network conditions. In addition to their applicability to the near-term capabilities of the Internet, they also are of relevance to a future, QoS-aware Internet environment. We first consider source-based techniques in which the source adjusts the video stream traffic to match some consensus among the receivers about its desired characteristics. These techniques can result in an unfair treatment for receivers, especially those whose capability is significantly above or below the group consensus. We then consider techniques that aim to improve the fairness among the receivers by sending the video in multiple (layered or replicated) streams. We also discuss several error control mechanisms, using timely retransmission of missing data to further improve the quality of the received video. Finally, we discuss some of the issues in the development of Internet video multicast protocols     

Embedded interactive systems: back to the real world

The maturing of reliable wireless communication technologies for local and personal area networks, the broad availability of miniaturized sensor and actuator hardware technologies, and the tremendous growth of global networks like the Internet over the past years have accelerated the emergence of “networked embedded systems”. So called “smart appliances”, i.e. ad-hoc networked, mobile, autonomous, special purpose computing appliances have appeared, usually interacting with their environment implicitly via a variety of sensors on the input side, and actuators on the output side. With the embedding of invisible technology into everyday things and architectural spaces, things and spaces also become the interface to “hidden” or “invisible” computational services. Embedded interactive systems allow to mediate between the physical and digital (or virtual) world via natural interaction — away from the desktop displays and keyboards. The embedding of sophisticated sensor, actuator and wireless communication technologies, together with novel interface concepts for situated interaction (tangible interfaces, attentive interfaces) give rise for bringing the interaction with computers “back to the real world”.     

Networked appliances and their peer-to-peer architecture AMIDEN

To connect appliances directly to each other and to let them cooperate with each other, a standard architecture for appliance networking is indispensable. Appliances with networking capabilities are called networked appliances. A networked appliance architecture called AMIDEN is being developed to realize networked appliances. AMIDEN is a peer-to-peer architecture that enables appliance networking and direct appliance interworking without a network server such as a PC. Using AMIDEN a digital still camera and a printer can form a network and cooperate with each other. The design philosophy and architecture of AMIDEN are discussed in detail     

Constraint-based routing in the internet: Basic principles and recent research

Novel routing paradigms based on policies, quality of service (QoS) requirements, and packet content have been proposed for the Internet over the last decade. Constraint-based routing algorithms select a routing path satisfying constraints that are either administrative-oriented (policy routing) or service-oriented (QoS routing). The routes, in addition to satisfying constraints, are selected to reduce costs, balance network load, or increase security. In this article, we discuss several constraint-based routing approaches and explain their requirements, complexity, and recent research proposals. In addition, we illustrate how these approaches can be integrated with Internet label switching and QoS architectures. We also discuss examples of application-level routing techniques used in today's Internet.     

The brave new world of online digital home entertainment

The emergence of widespread broadband home Internet connectivity is leading to a change in patterns of home user online behavior. Innovative networked applications (e.g., online multimedia and gaming) are making their mark. Will the next killer Internet applications be new forms of online digital home entertainment? Can the Internet support a widespread explosion in the use of such applications? In this article we explore potential problems in running interactive multimedia and game applications over existing Internet and home access network infrastructures. We also discuss the issues both network and application developers should consider when designing new Internet entertainment applications such that widespread usage becomes a possibility.     

基于FPGA的远程信息家电监控系统

为了适应家电系统的要求和针对现有的MCU、ARM监控系统设计的不利扩展性和设计的复杂性,提出了基于GPRS、Internet和SOPC家电远程监控系统的方案。采用FPGA设计了基于NiOSⅡ软核处理器和IP组件的家庭网关硬件系统;并在NiosⅡ处理器上移植uClinux操作系统、采用嵌入式C语言编写了CGI程序实现动态Web服务器交互式访问。系统实现了GPRS无线接入和Internet有线接入访问Web服务器,系统真正意义实现了SOPC。     

通用即插即用服务自动发现技术

随着数字家电的普及，家庭网络技术呈现出越来越广阔的市场应用前景。为了实现家庭网络互联设备的操作控制和信息共享，需要采用通用即插即用（UPnP）技术。UPnP充分重用包括IP、传输控制协议（TCP）、数据报协议（UDP）、超文本传输协议（HTTP）和可扩展标记语言（XML）在内的互联网技术标准，提供服务的跨平台自动发现和远程控制。采用UPnP可实现灵活而强大的业务发现能力，能将复杂的网络设备驱动变为简单的远程网络控制，同时还能提供互联设备的操作控制和信息共享。     

A survey of congestion control schemes for multicast video applications

Congestion control for IP multicast on the Internet has been one of the main issues that challenge a rapid deployment of IP multicast. In this article, we survey and discuss the most important congestion control schemes for multicast video applications on the Internet. We start with a discussion of the different elements of a multicast congestion control architecture. A congestion control scheme for multicast video possesses specific requirements for these elements. These requirements are discussed, along with the evaluation criteria for the performance of multicast video. We categorize the schemes we present into end-to-end schemes and router-supported schemes. We start with the end-to-end category and discuss several examples of both single-rate multicast applications and layered multicast applications. For the router-supported category, we first present single-rate schemes that utilize filtering of multicast packets by the routers. Next we discuss receiver-based layered schemes that rely on routers group?flow control of multicast sessions. We evaluate a number of schemes that belong to each of the two categories.     

Internet of Things Cloud Framework for Smart Homes

Smart appliances and renewable energy resources are becoming an integral part of smart homes. Nowadays, home appliances are communicating with each other with home gateways, using existing short-range home area network communication protocols such as ZigBee, Bluetooth, RFID, and WiFi. A Gateway allows homeowners and utilities to communicate remotely with the appliances via long-range communication networks such as GPRS, WiMax, LTE, and power liner carrier. This paper utilizes the Internet of Things (IoT) concepts to monitor and control home appliances. Moreover, this paper proposes a framework that enables the integration and the coordination of Human-to-Appliance, Utility-to-Appliance, and Appliance-to-Appliance. Utilizing the concepts of Internet of Things leads to one standard communication protocols, TCP/IPV6, which overcomes the many diverse home area networks and neighborhood area networks protocols. This work proposes a cloud based framework that enables the IoTs integration and supports the coordination between devices, as well as with device-human interaction. A prototype is designed, implemented, and tested to validate the proposed solution.     

Multimedia-friendly server and communication design

We report on a set of projects to: design, implement, and evaluate software frameworks for providing performance assurances in emerging Internet services and real-time applications with a focus on multimedia; and design and evaluate video-on-demand (VOD) servers as an application. First we describe the Adaptware project, which investigates adaptive software for server platforms. A complementary project addresses reliable transmission of QoS-sensitive data over packet switched networks. Together, these two prongs compose an end-to-end approach to achieving flexible QoS guarantees for future Internet applications. We discuss VOD servers as a potential application of this two-pronged approach     

Peer-to-peer streaming for networked consumer electronics [Peer-to-Peer Multimedia Streaming]

Applications such as multimedia communications and entertainment make media streaming a key feature for peer-to-peer (P2P) technology embedded in networked consumer electronics. In this article, we discuss some key issues that are relevant to enabling peer-to-peer streaming in networked consumer electronics and address possible technical solutions to the issues of interoperability, NAT/firewall traversal, and codec inflexibility. We also address how to improve overall system performance by introducing a notion of node coordinates into the discovery of services on a P2P network and confirm the effectiveness of our approach using simulation. We conclude with a discussion of our prototype CE-oriented P2P streaming system.