= Use Case Brain Storm =

Please add new ideas to this page!

 * SpecificIdeasFromEric
 * JamieAndEricsDiscussion
 * Design

== Use Cases ==
 * energy saving
   * turn out lights based on motion
   * set AC to powersave (turn up temperature in summer, down in winter) while everyone is away
 * use system to locate lost items
 * game (there has to be some game that can take advantage of this system)
 * cell phone based control
   * as Chung was describing
   * universal remote
   * away from home (fire, burglar, etc.)
 * notifications
   * phone ringing message, new mail, etc. displayed on TV and other devices
 * TV can control devices like TVs, speakers, lights
 * video camera sends video directly to TV or computer
 * base station based control
   * provides cell phone and web based control
 * both poll and event (aka, push v. pull) based communication
   * difference between time left on microwave and fire alarm

== Relevant Non Functional Aspects ==
 * security
 * cost
   * installation
     * communication in a big house will be more difficuilt in a large house - range of wireless, etc.
   * maintanence
   * use
 * ease
   * installation
   * maintanence
   * use
     * a big house would need the interfaces to be able to scale (scrolling through 100+ devices would not be fun)
     * form queries to "search" through available devices
       * devices can share metadata:
         * room
         * category (entertainment, security, etc.)
       * use metadata to sort through devices (can order devices in different ways - akin to the different ways songs can be sorted on your iPod)
 * extensibility

== Available Architectures ==
 * centralized (aka. one base station)
 * fault-tolerant centralized (aka. one base station, but backups available)
   * ''EA: I don't actually know what this means to us.''
 * distributed (aka. no central base station - all devices can communicate directly with all other devices)

== Devices ==
 * TV, stereo, home entertainment system
 * refigerator
 * computer
 * cell phone
 * lights
 * security cameras
 * tub
   * schedule it to fill up the tub with X° water to Y height
 * kitchen sink
   * we need to come up with a use case for this - it would be great to say "everything and the kitchen sink"

== Communication Possibilities ==
 * 802.11 (wireless)
 * Ethernet
 * USB
 * Bluetooth
 * IR
 * electric outlets