Embedded web server based home appliance networks

Abstract

Powerful microcontrollers are used as parts of most home and office appliances of today. Integrating web servers to these intelligent devices will aid in controlling such devices over the Internet and also creating user interfaces for them in the form of web pages. Assigning multiple functionalities to a single button help manufacturers economize user interfaces but, this makes them more complicated. Since the cost of web-based interfaces is considerably low, they can be used to provide the infrastructure for the design of simple and more userfriendly interfaces for household appliances. Also, a web page based interface is much easier to change, when needed, as compared to a hardware interface. This paper presents a novel approach to control devices over the Internet and to form device networks such that their components can make use of one another's services and functions while improving on user interfaces. The approach is used to develop our prototype system in which the main contribution is its lightweight design and utilization of widely available network components such as Common Gateway Interface.