Set-top box-based home controller

In this paper we present a novel software-based home control platform as an add-on to a set-top box (STB) for digital television. By means of using merely a remote controller, traditional STB users become able to control lights, appliances and media playback in their homes. Intelligence and awareness is achieved with a support for execution of recipes — pre-prepared scripts that define timely actions and respond to triggers obtained from sensors. Software abstraction layer facilitates integration of any desired communication protocol. In our prototype, we supported Zigbee and DMX for light control, X10 for light/appliances control over power line, as well as Ethernet-based optical cameras as motion / presence sensors and UPnP / DLNA based equipment for distributed media playback.