MPhilMore and more functionally complex digital consumer devices are becoming
embedded or scattered throughout the home, networked in a piecemeal fashion and
supporting more ubiquitous device services. For example, activities such as watching
a home video may require video to be streamed throughout the home and for multiple
devices to be orchestrated and coordinated, involving multiple user interactions via
multiple remote controls.
The main aim of this project is to research and develop a service-oriented multidevice
framework to support user activities in the home, easing the operation and
management of multi-device services though reducing explicit user interaction. To do
this, user contexts i.e., when and where a user activity takes place, and device
orchestration using pre-defined rules, are being utilised.
A service-oriented device framework has been designed in four phases. First, a simple
framework is designed to utilise OSGi and UPnP functionality in order to orchestrate
simple device operation involving device discovery and device interoperability.
Second, the framework is enhanced by adding a dynamic user interface portal to
access virtual orchestrated services generated through combining multiple devices.
Third the framework supports context-based device interaction and context-based task
initiation. Context-aware functionality combines information received from several
sources such as from sensors that can sense the physical and user environment, from
user-device interaction and from user contexts derived from calendars. Finally, the
framework supports a smart home SOA lifecycle using pre-defined rules, a rule
engine and workflows