User-friendly software for residential environments
HomeTalk has designed an intelligent user-friendly residential environment that is connected to a broadband network and is equipped with advanced domestic appliances. Additionally, it is controlled via power-line by a multifunctional residential gateway/controller and can communicate with the residents through a natural voice interface. Located within the core of the HomeTalk platform is Hermes, a software package that offers data, voice control and video related services. It is able to integrate controlled home devices with data networks elements, voice elements and management entities. The entities are abstracted as virtual nodes with specific access methods and node profiling. The real devices are then accessed via node like drivers. Hermes can also run internal programs written in a special language called CAL which is useful in implementing simple independent services or sections of more complex services. It provides clients with a sound interface via its control and notification features. Subsequently, clients can handle the in-house devices though the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), the standard protocol for the World Wide Web. The Hermes software tool supports a variety of access methods including an HTML browser, a Voice XML browser, and a Java OSGi agent.
