Network Working Group D. Liu
Internet-Draft Q. An
Intended status: Experimental Alibaba Group
Expires: May 3, 2017 October 30, 2016
Problem Statement for Smart Home Device Vocabulary
draft-liu-t2trg-ps-smart-home-vocabulary-00
Abstract
This document provides an overview of the issues associated with the
IoT device information model of smart home applications and systems.
Requirements Language
The key words "MUST", "MUST NOT", "REQUIRED", "SHALL", "SHALL NOT",
"SHOULD", "SHOULD NOT", "RECOMMENDED", "MAY", and "OPTIONAL" in this
document are to be interpreted as described in RFC 2119 [RFC2119].
Status of This Memo
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provisions of BCP 78 and BCP 79.
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This Internet-Draft will expire on May 3, 2017.
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Internet-Draft Smart Home Vocabulary Problem Statement October 2016
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Table of Contents
1. Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
2. Problem Statement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
2.1. Device Information Model Vocabulary Fragmentation . . . . 3
2.2. Standardization of Information Model . . . . . . . . . . 3
3. Proposed Solution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
4. IANA Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
5. Security Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
6. Acknowledgements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
7. Normative References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Authors' Addresses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
1. Introduction
Smart home is one of vertical applications of Internet of Things
(IoT). The deployment of smart home applications and systems often
requires various types of devices (for example, home appliances) from
different device manufacturers, and each device requires multiple
properties and/or methods (for example, switch, mode, etc.)
supported.
Now, many consortiums are working on device models to descibe the
properties and methods of IoT devices, like information model to
describe the data produced by device, and interaction model to define
how to interact with device. However, simply relying on device model
still cannot guarantee the semantic interoperability.
Current device information model vocabularies for smart home are
often tightly coupled to limited number of device manufacturers, thus
resulting in relatively rigid and static device vocabularies. The
static nature of such device vocabularies greatly reduces and, in
many cases, limits the ability of a smart home service provider to
introduce new or modify existing device properties and/or methods.
This document outlines the problems encountered with existing device
information model vocabularies for smart home, and provides the
requirement that is necessary to solve the problem.
2. Problem Statement
The following points describe aspects of existing smart home device
vocabularies that are problematic.
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2.1. Device Information Model Vocabulary Fragmentation
Device information model vocabularies are often coupled to specific
device manufacturers. Even for same kind of device type, the
information model's properties and command are different. For
example, for the air conditioner, manufacturer A may define its
switch feature as "on", and define value 1 as "switch on" and value 0
as "switch off"; whereas, manufacturer B may define the switch
feature as "open", and define value 1 as "switch on" and value 0 as
"switch off".
Such Fragmentation imposes constraints on smart home deployment,
potentially inhibiting the smart home service provider from providing
smart device interaction function for customers, and reduces
flexibility because it would be difficult to support devices from new
manufacturers.
One possible solution is to define an unified information model
specification. Each device manufacturer can map its private device
information model, thus helping to bridge between different device
information model. This information model could be implemented on
the IoT service platform in the cloud or locally on the smart home
appliacne. If implemented on Intrnet server, it is easy for device
manufacturers to configure the mapping, but it may bring extra cost
to IoT service platform as well as increase its complexity. If
implemented locally, it could bring better user experience since the
briding is completed locally, but the updating of device information
model would be difficult.
2.2. Standardization of Information Model
Even though many consortiums are working on defining an universal
device information model for smart home, there is still no dominant
standard that can cover the requirements of most manufacturers.
ZigBee Alliance is working on "ZigBee Cluster Library", which defines
the device model as well as the detailed device vocabulary for smart
home. But it is only limited to ZigBee environment.
OCF is working on "Smart Home Device Specification", which defines
the device model and vocabulary for smart home. But the vocabulary
is very basic, thus cannot satisfy the requirement of samrt home
implementation.
W3C is also woring on TD (Things Description) standards.
However, those information model related standards only trying to
standardize the way of describing the IoT device's property and its
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command. The difficulty is that there is no common "vocabulary" for
the information model of the IoT device. Although the information
model could be standardized, it is still impossible to interoperate
in this case.
3. Proposed Solution
Define an unified "vocabulary" standards for the information model of
smart home. This standards could be crucial to enable interoperate
for smart home appliance.
4. IANA Considerations
TBD
5. Security Considerations
TBD
6. Acknowledgements
TBD
7. Normative References
[RFC2119] Bradner, S., "Key words for use in RFCs to Indicate
Requirement Levels", BCP 14, RFC 2119,
DOI 10.17487/RFC2119, March 1997,
<http://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc2119>.
Authors' Addresses
Dapeng Liu
Alibaba Group
Beijing
Beijing
Phone: +86-1391788933
Email: maxpassion@gmail.com
Qing An
Alibaba Group
Beijing
Beijing
Phone: +86-13810495624
Email: anqing.aq@alibaba-inc.com
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