HoNeS - arquitetura para suporte de aplicações ubíquas em redes domésticas centradas em TV digital

Abstract

This work proposes and evaluates an architecture to support ubiquitous applications in digital TV-centric home networks. The computational power and support for communication with other devices in home networks, incorporated by digital TV, create new possibilities and opportunities for research and promote the development of new types of services and applications. Currently, a significant amount of computational devices is part of human environment, however, the interaction with these devices, depends frequently on some process of learning due to differences found in interfaces and ways to configure and operate each one. Potential applications may use the TV set for interaction with domestic appliances, as the TV has a central role in many people's daily entertainment. It seems natural and relevant that functionalities of digital TV sets may be used to develop an architecture to support applications that require intercommunication between devices, with the aim of making transparent and accessible in several places of a residence the services offered by domestic appliances. The proposed architecture consists of a protocol layer for automatic discovery of devices and a new set of services whose aim is to facilitate the implementation of ubiquitous applications in home network that has the TV as a central element of interaction with other devices. HoNeS (Home Network Services) is the name of the architecture presented in this work. For the design and implementation of HoNeS, technologies for digital TV environments and home networking were investigated, beyond its current state of the art. As a proof of concept, the proposed services were effectively implemented. The set of protocols Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) was chosen for automatic discovery and control of devices, and Ginga, the middleware of the Brazilian digital TV system, used as digital TV environment.