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 by Allen Jones Home Operations and Management Systems, LLC Most of the subsystems and devices in and around the home can be connected and automated on a home network. Soon, even appliances will communicate on the home network. In the near future appliances and devices will be manufactured with intelligence built-in so that they will send status information on the home network. There has been a lot written on whole house automation in the past; however, there has been an evolution in this industry and the market is expanding rapidly. So, the first part of this article will provide some background about the changes in the home automation industry and overlapping areas within other technologies. Home automation is currently defined by the Home Automation Association (HAA) as "a process or system (using different methods or equipment) which provides the ability to enhance one's lifestyle, and make a home more comfortable, safe and efficient. " A home automation system requires limited or no user intervention for functions within the home environment to occur whereby events within or outside the home may trigger a predefined response. Home Automation has been evolving as technologies converge and new communication, interoperability and wiring standards are implemented. Home Automation involves the management and operation of smart appliances, devices and systems in a Home Network, and the application of converging technologies in a Home Network. A home network has also evolved beyond the connection and communication between computers to mean the connection and communication between all appliances, devices, and systems in a home. This extension of the home networking term is possible since control and status information can be sent along the power line or other structured wiring of the home (including audio/video and IR) and even through wireless means. This implies that the wiring and communication infrastructure in the home is included with the term home network. Even the power supplied to the house and distributed to all of the components will provide information to be used for Energy Management. Many types of Service Providers will be able to use the home network to deliver and service their products through a Gateway. A Gateway can be defined simply as the intercommunication of outside services with devices, appliances and systems in the home network. This is the reason why a whole house automation system should consider the extended use of the home network that is installed as the infrastructure to automate the home's environment. What can be automated and networked? Most of the subsystems and devices in and around the home can be connected and automated on a home network. Soon, even appliances will communicate on the home network. In the near future appliances and devices will be manufactured with intelligence built-in so that they will send status information on the home network. The most common types of home networks today are Powerline, RF, PhoneLine, Security, IR, Digital Audio/Video, HVAC, RS232, RS485, USB and Ethernet. There are several standards available today that provide a communications protocol for these home networks. There are several more protocols in development to make it simpler to take advantage of these networks. We will cover these later in this article. The following lists some of the most common subsystems and devices that can be automated in the home environment: Now, we have the background to understand what a Whole House Automation System has become. This includes internal and external automation systems, devices and appliances networked for the use of whole house control, monitoring, security, convenience, entertainment and future gateway services. A whole house automation system must be designed for the interoperability of the home's devices, systems, and networks. The following diagram depicts the whole house automation system concept: 
What are the benefits? Simplicity, access, convenience, personalized control over the environment, proactive maintenance/servicing, communications, home management, and security. Since need, societal influences, industrial standards and economics all play a part in the establishment of a market, a consideration of these factors will help to understand the real benefits gained for implementing a whole house automation system. Building codes, technological standards and public needs are changing the home building industry. A home built on past wiring standards is becoming incomplete since the subsystems and devices the home contains are smarter and services can not be obtained through these older standards. The lifestyles of people are diverse and different then past generations so that the needs of people have become dynamic. Society has become more complex resulting in the utilization of more sophisticated tools that can be used in simple ways. The benefits of implementing a whole house automation system can be seen by the practicality in what the system will do for a particular home owner. Home Devices will be installed easily with minimal if any configuration. Services from various providers will be added without additional installation or configuration. Access to information will be instantaneous and ubiquitous. These benefits can be achieved when a whole house automation system is implemented correctly. The remainder of this article will deal with the issues and technology that need to be considered when installing a whole house automation system to achieve these benefits. Why some people don't seem to feel a need for it? Society and the timing of technology implementation (new versus established - and fear of obsolescence, complexity, and $$). These attitudes and economics will be overcome once the standards in home automation become stable and the convergence of technologies and service providers are established. The transition to a new age of the "automated home" will become common place and the dynamics of lifestyles, technological advancements, and societal factors will be absorbed. A phased-cycle approach to whole house automation It is important to understand the phases involved in the implementation of a whole house automation project to better analyze the time, material and resources necessary to bid and complete the project successfully. In addition, upgrades and servicing of a customer's system can be more efficient and profitable. Since the construction phases (framing, mechanical & plumbing, high voltage elecrical, trim out,) drive the installation of the automation systems, timing is critical when planning a whole house automation installation. Using a cyclic approach to the implementation of a whole house automation system will aid you to project and manage the time, material and resources required when you are involved in multiple projects at one time. It will also help identify the critical path necessary to complete the job. The phased-cycle approach depicts that home services (telecommunications, cable, satellite, Internet, power) and customer's needs (Home Automation & Entertainment Conveniences, Home Security, Computer-Internet, Types of Access to the system) will drive the type of automation systems to be installed and integrated. The following diagram illustrates the Implementation of a Whole House Automation System in relations to the Construction Phases. However, even in an existing home with existing systems, this phased-cyclic approach will apply.  New Home Construction and Home Retrofits (with existing systems) DESIGNING A WHOLE HOUSE AUTOMATION SYSTEM Since there are many ways to do the same thing and different home automation systems have different strengths and weaknesses, choose the systems that account for the needs of the home owner, are compatible technologies based on standards, and are simplest to install with options to upgrade. To expedite the sell of your systems, design base packages that are application specific with defined upgrade paths. This will simplify your sell to a home owner or builder and also decrease the design time in the cyclic approach. Since lifestyles differ, there is no simple solution to solve individual problems; however, technologies are available that help to manage each individual's environmental situation while helping to control utility usage and enable a more peaceful enjoyment of life. Moreover, these technologies can be combined into an integrated system capable of performing many mundane household tasks and enabling the homeowner the control of their environment. Since, organization is the key to successfully manage the circumstances of each individual and their environment, the technologies must be capable of helping the individual or family to perform the following functions:
There are also many ways to access the home automation systems but these are dependent upon the home networking capabilities in the home. Consideration of the home services and customer needs must be analyzed prior to determining the home automation systems and access to these systems. In the previous illustration of the phased-cycle approach, the home services (telecommunications, cable, satellite, Internet, power) and customer's needs (Home Automation & Entertainment Conveniences, Home Security, Computer-Internet, Types of Access to the system drive the type of automation systems to be installed and integrated. Therefore the access system or device must be supported by the home automation system or additional components may need to be purchased to perform the access function. The following are the common types of access available. Types of system access:
Access to the system's functions should be controlled by the use of passwords, biometrics recognition, card access, and/or privilege settings where authorized entry may be necessary. Use access control systems to control physical access into the home using a card reader , wireless RF device, or biometrics reader. Access Control Systems can log users entry time & date. |
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