Nokia Readies Remote Home Automation Control by Mobile Phone

Coming next year, Nokia’s Home Automation and Remote Control system uses open-source Universal Plug and Play standards to let a cellphone work as a single controller, said Mikael Latvala, Nokia’s principal R&D engineer. At the system’s heart is a device like an Internet Wi-Fi router that connects by RJ-11 wires, Ethernet, Wi-Fi or USB cables to run appliances, lighting, climate controls, security systems and other devices in the home, Latvala told reporters. The router takes commands by Wi-Fi from a Nokia N-series cellphone with software displaying graphic menus on the handset’s screen.

When a device is plugged into the router, its name goes onto the phone’s menu, enabling the phone to control it or run macros controlling several devices. For example, the macro “I am now at home” turns on air conditioning and lights. “I am now leaving” turns them off. A key feature is that the router recognizes X10, ZigBee, Zwave, KNX, LonWorks and CEBus and all over major proprietary standard devices, translating commands from the remote control into the appropriate standard language for linked devices, Latvala said, who bristled when asked how the system will cope with TV and AV remote controls. IR relays could be used, or the router could generate video signals and transfer them to the TV set. Latvala wouldn’t divulge how, saying it remains confidential.

The system likely will go on sale next year in the form of a starter kit of a router and cellphone software. Nokia is talking with electronics makers eager to sell an automation product that cuts confusion caused by conflicting standards, Latvala said. “People will be able to buy home automation devices from different brands without worrying about what standard they are,” he said. “The system talks to all proprietary technologies and translates to their languages.”

Nokia also is working with Visa to make cellphones work as credit or debit cards, using near field communication. The phone, Visa-certified, has a built-in “secure element” in the form of a chip like those in credit cards. Someday the secure element will be combined with a cellphone’s SIM. When the a correct PIN code is entered into the phone, it enables an ISO standard Near Field Communication transmitter for 60 to 90 seconds, during which the phone functions like a payment card, authorizing payment when swiped over or onto a reader.

A Nokia project called “Shoot to Translate” combines optical character recognition software with a camera phone. When a user aims the phone’s lens at a foreign-language food menu and shoots a picture, the software translates the text for display in viewfinder. The prototype we saw can cope with 8,800 Chinese words and 600 Japanese, with near instant translation into English.

“Smart Connectivity” is another Nokia work in progress. A cellphone automatically detects and selects the optimal way of communicating, whether through a cellular network or by Wi-Fi, then seamlessly switches accordingly. “The owner does not need to think about it,” said Nokia engineer Kaisu Laurila-Seluska. She declined to comment on how cell operators are likely to react to the revenue loss, such as in areas like Oulu where the city provides free Wi-Fi. “We are in dialogue all the time,” Laurila-Seluska said. “But it’s confidential.”

Other products and services in development include a cellphone with sensors able to measure pollution and send the data to a central location. If all phones had such sensors, wide areas could be monitored, Nokia said. “Indoor Positioning,” another project, involves loading a phone with a plan of a mall, concert or festival venue or other indoor setting. Users could employ any Internet connection, Wi-Fi or cellular, to exchange the map marked with their positions marked on it.

Also on the drawing board is a camera phone that takes photos when sent a text message, automatically sending the photos to an Internet site for retrieval. The point of text messaging is to operate the concealed camera when it’s out of range of infrared or other wireless remotes, Nokia said. One use would be to put a camera near nest birds that would be unlikely to allow photographer to approach. Seamier uses abound, such as near celebrity residences or in spa and gym locker rooms. “Its use will be subject to privacy concerns, and with permission of course,” said Tero Ojanpera, Nokia’s chief technology officer.

“Point and find,” due next year, will let a use point a camera phone at an object in a shop window or catalog, with optical recognition steering the user to a Web site to learn more or buy. Pointing the phone at a film poster calls up a trailer from the Internet. Aiming it at a location on a city guide calls up a list of nearby restaurants, with directions to them.