An Internet application for home automation

Describes an Internet application that allows local and remote monitoring and control of a home. The application adopts an object-oriented philosophy, in which every home automation device is represented by an object. This leads to an integrated view of the home, with a common look-and-feel across all the devices, while supporting various methods of actuation and sensing. The application runs on a PC with a Web server. The user interface is implemented through a standard browser using common HTML pages or Java applets. The interaction with the home control system(s) is done through specific hardware or standard PC interfaces such as the serial port or USB, or by LAN. The application offers a powerful way of controlling and programming the behavior of the home, using scripts. For the common user, a simpler version of a script - a scenario - may be used. A scenario consists of a set of devices in a particular state and can be activated directly by the user, by a time stimulus or by any event in the home.