Smart Home Communication Technologies and Applications: Wireless Protocol Assessment for Home Area Network Resources

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Energies
2015
, 
8
, 7279-7311; doi:10.3390/en8077279 
energies
 
ISSN 1996-1073 
www.mdpi.com/journal/energies 
Review 
Smart Home Communication Technologies and Applications: 
Wireless Protocol Assessment for Home Area Network Resources 
Tiago D. P. Mendes 
1,†
, Radu Godina 
1,†
, Eduardo M. G. Rodrigues 
1,†
, João C. O. Matias 
1,†
 and
João P. S. Catalão 
1,2,†,
* 
1
Department of Electromechanical Engineering, University of Beira Interior, 6201-001 Covilha, 
Portugal; E-Mails: [e-mail] (T.D.P.M.); [e-mail] (R.G.); 
[e-mail] (E.M.G.R.); [e-mail] (J.C.O.M.) 
2
Instituto de Engenharia de Sistemas e Computadores, Investigação e Desenvolvimento em Lisboa 
(INESC-ID), Instituto Superior Técnico (IST), University of Lisbon, 1049-001 Lisbon, Portugal 
†
These authors contributed equally to this work.
 
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed; E-Mail: [e-mail];  
Tel.: [phone]; Fax: [phone]. 
Academic Editor: Thorsten Staake
 
Received: 13 March 2015 / Accepted: 6 July 2015 / Published: 20 July 2015 
Abstract:
The paper discusses Home Area Networks (HAN) communication technologies 
for smart home and domestic application integration. The work is initiated by identifying 
the application areas that can benefit from this integration. A broad and inclusive home 
communication interface is analysed utilizing as a key piece a Gateway based on
machine-to-machine (M2M) communications that interacts with the surrounding 
environment. Then, the main wireless networks are thoroughly assessed, and later,
their suitability to the requirements of HAN considering the application area is analysed. 
Finally, a qualitative analysis is portrayed.