A gateway-based solution for remote accessing to residential UPnP services networks

Home networks comprise very heterogeneous devices interconnected through the residential gateway. They deploy complex services networks within the home environment using technologies such as Universal Plug and Play (UPnP). This technology provides the home network clients with a standard for device auto-discovery and transparent interoperability. However, the UPnP standard has an important constraint. It is designed to be used in local networks, so it is not suitable for service sharing among home networks. This article solves this limitation proposing a small footprint, low latency and non intrusive solution, capable of deploying a common UPnP services network between several residential environments. The proposed system consists of a software module installable over OSGi-based gateways, which applies identity theft and NAT techniques to allow the interoperation between UPnP devices from different subnets. It is based on SIP and UPnP IGD technologies, as well as on an extension of the UPnP standard fully described in this article. As a result, a prototype has been implemented, in order to check the successful operation of the complete system.