ApplianceHub: A wireless communication system for smart devices (case study: Smart Rice Cooker)

In this paper, authors develop a wireless communication system named ApplianceHub for connecting smart devices. There are three main components of this system, which are the smart device itself, a Node.js based server with MySQL database, and an Android based application as the controller. Communication methods which are used to connect smart devices with ApplianceHub system are Wi-Fi communication protocol and MQTT messaging protocol in JSON data format, encrypted with OpenSSL certificate to ensure security. There are several advantages by using this scheme, which are easiness to deploy smart device at home with Wi-Fi network, easiness to access the system via Android application, low bandwidth and resource usage, and ability to push messages directly to client devices. This communication scheme is then implemented to a Smart Rice Cooker. Server regulates all connected Internet of Things (IoT) devices' message traffic. Android application adjusts various settings like user setting and smart device setting (cooking preferences setting in this case). Hence, the smart device is able to receive command directly from user or other IoT devices to form a smart environment. Results show that Smart Rice Cooker is able to receive command from Android application via server, send report back to Android application via server, and server can handle multiple and concurrent connections.