CasaWorks showcased the Cielo Home Management Gateway at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, in January 2004. The Windows CE based device serves as the hub of a comprehensive home management system that provides the functions of traditional high-end home control and automation systems, but in an easy-to-use and affordable manner, according to CasaWorks.

The system enables homeowners to control their household electronics, including lighting, climate, security, and entertainment systems, using a PDA, PC Web browser, Web Pad, or wireless programmable remote control.

The Cielo Home Gatweay

The heart (and brain) of the Cielo Home Management System is the Cielo Home Gateway, which can optionally be installed in a 19-inch rack. The gateway unit is based on a compact PC-compatible embedded motherboard with an Intel Celeron processor.


Windows CE based Cielo Home Gateway
(Click image for a larger view)

Interfaces include a 1024x768 SVGA video controller with LCD and TV display outputs, USB, 4 serial ports, two 10/100Base-T Fast Ethernet ports, and AC-97 2.2 3D-audio. A CompactFlash Type II slot is used for Flash memory and other expansion functions, and modular PC/104 expansion is also provided. The Cielo Home Gateway runs Microsoft's Windows CE .NET as its embedded software platform.

Cielo supports a variety of wireless and wired standards, including infrared, X10, TCP/IP, HTTP, UPnP, S-Link , Z-Wave, WiFi (802.11b), and Bluetooth, X10, RS-232, RS-422, and RS-485. Additionally, Cielo works with a variety of sensors, including temperature, humidity, light level, water detection, water level, heat, CO2 detection, and passive infrared sensors, CasaWorks says.

Capabilities

Cielo can interface with -- and control -- several popular security panels, and the device lets users select Home and Away arming modes from any supported user interface. The unit monitors user access, and sends an email notification when the system is armed or disarmed. Security can be controlled from a simple integrated user interface via a Web browser.

Cielo combines camera control and viewing with motion detection and object tracking, and can send video from a security camera or other type of camera to various supported user interfaces. Hardwired and wireless sensors are used to sense position and movement. It supports integrated motion-activated video surveillance, with the video source supplied by standard CCD cameras. Cielo includes object tracking with digital video recording and searchable playback of events.

Cielo can also interface with a variety of home lighting systems, and can combine lighting with security systems, so all the lights inside a house can turn on and the outdoor lights can flash when an alarm event occurs.

Cielo can control thermostats from various thermostat makers. Users can set temperature points for when the house is occupied and unoccupied, and turn off the HVAC system automatically in case any smoke is detected. Multiple thermostats and temperature sensors can be combined on the CasaWorks SenseNet control network and be controlled and monitored from a single user interface.

Cielo can also play a key role in home entertainment. The system integrates with CasaWorks's Medio S-Series Digital Media Server and Medio Client Modules to provide multi-room distributed audio and video over CAT5/6 wiring. Additionally, CasaWorks's MedioCafe media manager software can be used to provide a media database that automatically catalogs CDs, DVDs, MP3s, and other media; content can be streamed video to any Ethernet-enabled device, such as a Web Pad, Web Tablet, or personal computer, on a LAN or across the Internet.

Customizable

According to CasaWorks, Cielo's standard functionality can be easily customized with little or no programming knowledge. User interfaces are implemented using standard HTML and linked to behaviors that interface with the home's components and systems.

As shipped, the Cielo Home Management System will include selections for most typical home automation tasks. The software facilitates network transparency and provides autodiscovery of system components, allowing seamless updates from a laptop computer or over the Internet. Software updates can be performed automatically without having to reboot the system, CasaWorks says.

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