User defined interactions between devices on a 6LoWPAN network for home automation

This paper presents a new concept of interaction among the devices within a 6LoWPAN network. More specifically, this concept defines a set of device classes with specific triggers and actions that can be linked to achieve certain tasks. For example, in home automation, an alarm clock can send a trigger command to a coffee machine and a radio when the alarm is activated. An important aspect of 6LoWPAN home automation network is the power management and security. The 6LoWPAN connects the devices within a network wirelessly at low power while maximizing the diversity and flexibility of the interconnections and communications. The 6LoWPAN neighbor detection allows for a “plug and play” utilization of the devices in the communication range of the network. Integration of 6LoWPAN requires minimal infrastructure modification, and consequently can become the preferred method for home automation. The interactions between the devices can be configured remotely by the user connected to a local network with the access control from other smart devices such as smartphones, tablets, computers or perhaps a server. In this paper, we present the architecture, design flow and implementation of a 6LoWPAN home automation platform to demonstrate the feasibility of the user defined interaction between the devices.