Implementation of a Smartphone-Based Platform for the Operation of Home Electrical Appliances and Verification of Its Feasibility

Today, to operate a home electrical appliance, the user needs to operate a remote control unit dedicated to it. As multi-functional mobile phones, i.e., smartphones, become widespread, it has become possible to exploit their processing power and built-in sensors. These enable them to serve as an interface for operating a variety of home appliances in a way suitable for the user's particular state and preferences. This paper proposes a smartphone-based platform that provides a means of implementing a wide range of operations for home electrical appliances, and also describes verification of its feasibility. It first describes the design and implementation of a networked remote control unit, the key component of the platform, which receives operation commands from a smartphone, and transmits infrared signals that control the required appliance. It then presents a home appliance operation application that has been implemented on a smartphone to verify the feasibility of the proposed platform. The application works with either the touch screen or the built-in acceleration sensor of the smartphone, and also with an external sensor via Bluetooth communication.