VisionAIR Trials: Kenniswijk

Broadcast Video

"Broadcast" video is the name for the service that allows the user to watch video programs or television channels on their TV-set like they used to do via cable TV. Besides technical differences, there is one essential difference in this user service. The quality of the audio and video is much higher. The quality is aimed to be equal to or better than DVD quality. The most essential technical difference is that the signal is transported over the Kenniswijk optical infrastructure and is converted to an analog signal in the Set-Top Box, which passes it to the TV-set. Via this STB the user can tune to a program. VisionAIR will try to offer different types of content. One type is a live stream that originates from known TV broadcasting stations, for instance Discovery Channel or MTV. Another type is own content that is broadcasted at announced times, like mayor speeches for example.

Video-on-Demand

Like the previous service, Video-on-Demand (VOD) is a service that offers high quality video programs via the Kenniswijk optical infrastructure and the STB to the user's TV-set. The main difference is that the user can start, stop and skip through the program at their request/command. VisionAIR will try to find interesting content providers. Furthermore, the users can offer their own video material (e. g. an analog or digital video tape) to the video administrator that can put it on the VOD server.

Telephony

The objective of the Telephony service is to let the end-users be able to make and receive telephone calls over their broadband access connection so that they can talk to other people via the Internet. These other people may be dialling from another Internet telephony client or from the public switched telephony network (PSTN) with a normal telephone. Additional voice services are call forwarding, voice mail, answering machine and conference calls. Important benefits are that calls between Internet telephony clients can be free of charge and a separate telephony line may become superfluous.

Video Conferencing

The videoconferencing service enables videoconferencing between end-users on top of the Telephony service. So the end-users will be able to hear and see each other simultaneously while using these services.

One of the applications of this service is tele-assistance. A doctor consultation can take place without a physical meeting between doctor and patient.

Another application is tele-education. Students can follow courses while at home.

Home Control

Home Control introduces new types of services that facilitate households and considerably improve their lifestyle. A computer-controlled automation system can control many home functions such as lighting, heating and other appliances. This system is called a Home Automation or a Home Control System.

The Home Control System will be installed on the premises of the trial users. They can benefit from this new type of service in different ways:

Lifestyle

The 'intelligent home' is a concept that has been introduced in the early 70's. Unfortunately, the cost of installing such a system in an average house was too expensive making it unavailable for common users. These days, due to the tendency of the technology market becoming more and more open, the situation has changed. Now the application of Home Automation systems grows rapidly making our life easier and more comfortable. This has considerable impact on the people, changing their lifestyle and opening new possibilities in the domestic environment.

The Level of Control

A main advantage is an extension of the user's control capability, currently typical only for the TV set, to the many other devices in the home. From now on, also the lighting and the heating system can be controlled without standing up, walking toward the device and pushing the button manually. The remote access to different in-home appliances is granted also from outside the house. For the first time this concept, mainly based on Internet technology, is being introduced and provided to the user.

The Safety

Another important factor is the monitoring function delivered by the Home Automation System. From now on a user can be provided with the capability to view the status of the most important household appliances. If the light or electrical device is switched on and it is not supposed to be like that the user can always turn it off remotely. This gives the user a feeling that he or she is really in charge of what is happening in the house. No one has to worry any more about energy consumption of household devices or any danger of fire from those devices.

This is a list of basic Home Control capabilities given to the user:

1. Heating System
   • Read the temperature
   • Set the temperature
   • Set the switch-on time
   • Set the triggers to start and stop the Heating System
2. Lighting System
   • Switch On the light
   • Switch Off the light
   • Program the switch-on and switch-off time
   • Set the intensity of the light
   • Control and view the status of the light in several rooms in the house

Security Service

The purpose of the security service is to protect the house of the trial users against fire and burglary. Fire/smoke detectors must be installed in the house. They can indicate the start of a fire so that the system can take appropriate action. Additionally, motion/contact sensors must be installed. These devices can detect that an uninvited person has entered the house, upon which the system takes appropriate action.

There are two possible actions that the system can take upon an alarm:

1. send an SMS to the user's mobile phone to inform him and request for action, and
2. send a message to a security company that can follow-up on the event by notifying the neighbours, the building owner, the police or the fire department.

High-Speed Internet Access

High-Speed Internet Access typically provides a convenient way of using the currently available Internet services such as web browsing, peer-to-peer networking, file exchange, e-mail, etcetera. The advantage over small-band Internet is that waiting time for content to be displayed or downloaded is largely reduced. Some broadband applications like high quality web video are only accessible with such a broadband Internet Connection.

Network Overview