Dynamic Adaptability for Smart Environments

Abstract

Abstract. Software reuse and hardware integration are key factors to offer flexible, low-cost smart environments. Until now, we have been using a static process called the SCD-process to allow a tool-supported realization of such smart environments. The SCD-process is comprised of three different phases: specification, configuration, and deployment. As an initially specified environment is expected to change during runtime and the user may wish to influence certain aspects of the configuration, the static process had to be adapted. This paper describes a new process that supports continuous specification activities and allows for an automated adaptation of the smart home's configuration based on a model-driven approach. We enriched the specification of services with binding policies and constraints to allow for a flexible reconfiguration and a service-specific adaptation. The new configuration mechanism facilitates dynamic reconfiguration based on context information and the extended service specification. In addition, we present a visual tool, which is used to assist the developer and the end-user.

Privacy-Friendly Smart Environments

“…Our approach is based a the configuration graph which holds the current composition information for each service in an eHome, for more details on the configuration graph we refer to [6]. Assuming that the eHome administrator trusts the specifications of the services he installs in his eHome, a service gets bindings only to those services which are necessary for its functionality.…”

Dependency Management in Smart Homes

“…Besides an editor for service specification the eHome Tool Suite also comprises a graphical editor for managing the runtime phase of the eHome system. Runtime management is implemented according to the so-called SCD Process [2] which consists of the three phases specification, configuration, and deployment. The specification can be modified by the user at any time using the graphical editor, e. g. moving services from one location to another or by manually adjusting service bindings.…”