A Service-Oriented middleware for device interoperation in the smart home

Pervasive computing environments such as our future homes are the prototypical example of a dynamic, complex system where Service-Oriented Computing techniques will play an important role. A home equipped with heterogeneous devices, whose services and location constantly change, needs to behave as a coherent system supporting its inhabitants. Achieving interoperability between devices in such an environment is a challenge. In this thesis we propose the use of a Service-Oriented middleware to face this challenge. We present a fully implemented architecture for domotic applications which uses the concept of a service as its fundamental abstraction. An important component of the architecture of this system is the pervasive layer. The pervasive layer uses a Service-Oriented architecture based on standardized technologies such as OSGi and UPnP to archive interoperability between devices. We will describe the architecture and implementation of the pervasive layer, and evaluate both its usability and its performance. We evaluate the usability of the system using a visualization of simulation environment and the performance using an stress-test tool. We will also briefly describe the other parts of the architecture to give a indication of the value of the system as a whole.