A multi-channel remote controller for home and office appliances

This paper presents the design and implementation of a multi-channel remote controller (MCRC) for home and office appliances. The aim of this work is to integrate several existing remote controller channels in a common platform. The proposed controller supports access to controlled environment via Web Page, Smart-Phone (SP), PDA, GSM network and telephone lines. The suggested controller is more reliable than conventional ones especially during emergency condition such as main server failure and interruption in GSM or Internet network. The suggested system enables easy and flexible access to controlled devices. The hardware part of the controller contains a home server which is built upon PC and auxiliary microcontrollers. The feasibility of this architecture has been demonstrated with a prototype implementation and presented in details.