iPhone application for IHC control®
Mobile grænseflader til intelligente bygninger
18 november 2010.
Jesper Plass og Mark Folkenberg
iPhone application for IHC control
The situation then
● The trend within home automation is that easy access to the
system is mandatory.
● Our competitors are launching smart access solutions – if we
want to stay in the game and still be the market leader – we
have to do the same!!!
● This can be solved through touch screens and portable devices
like smart phones.
● This presentation is focusing on iPhones, but future
applications for android and Windows Mobile phones is
easy to implement later.
Schneider Electric - PM – Jesper Plass
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iPhone application for IHC control
Why choosing iPhone application?
The sales of applications for smart phones is growing rapidly and
App store is selling 99,4% of all!!! (Figures from 2009)
Schneider Electric - PM – Jesper Plass
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iPhone application for IHC control
● The IHCRemote application will allow LK IHC Control® owners, to
use their Apple device as a remote to their LK IHC®
installation.
● It will act as an extension to the existing input units in the LK IHC®
installation by triggering them on the IHC Controller/Viewer,
through a wireless connection.
● The application can be used both at home (intranet)
and globaly (internet).
Schneider Electric - PM – Jesper Plass
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iPhone application for IHC control
Objectives:
● Minimize user setup / maximize user friendliness
● Emphasize responsiveness – use local caching.
● Realtime interaction
● Connect through WIFI, 3G, EDGE, GPRS.
● Easy to personalize.
● Hide unnessasary information.
● Simplified interface to the IHC system
Schneider Electric - PM – Jesper Plass
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iPhone application for IHC control
How does it looks like?
Schneider Electric - PM – Jesper Plass
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iPhone application for IHC control
Implementation options
● IHCRemote had two options of implementations:
Karakteristik
Web App
Native App
Hastighed
Langsom
Hurtig
Netværks data
Meget
Medium
AppStore
Nej
Ja
Animation kontrol
Lidt
Fuld
Platforme
De fleste
iOS
Latency
Høj
Lav
Schneider Electric - PM – Jesper Plass
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iPhone application for IHC control
Lessons learned:
● Consider performance from the beginning
● Overhead in the Network Protocol
● Work with the platforms design patterns, and not against.
● Maximize the screen real estate for the purpose at hand;
● Avoid functionalities not regarding the purpose of the current view.
● Use Depth Disclosure instead. The more specific functionality, the
deeper the user must go.
● Be aware of Apple’s approval review.
● An App is not static. It requires ongoing updates and maintenance.
● Be aware of localization of texts. Choose a strategy from the
beginning.
Schneider Electric - PM – Jesper Plass
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iPhone application for IHC control
Next step - Android
● Android has in Q2 2010 overtaken Apple in numbers of sold
devices.
● Be aware of different screen formats and processors.
Schneider Electric - PM – Jesper Plass
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iPhone application for IHC control
Support
LK/Schneider Electrics will handle first level support:
Basic setup and connection problems.
Comet Peole will handle second level support:
Advanced technical issues.
No direct contact to the customer.
Schneider Electric - PM – Jesper Plass
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iPhone application for IHC control
Who is the partner?
● New established company with big experience in gaming business.
● Huge experience within mobile units, real time systems, graphical
programming and GUI design.
● In total more than 20 years professional experience with
software development.
● Experience with launch of iPhone and windows mobile applications.
● The customer portefolio contains CBS, British Chamber Of Commerce
and Thomas Cook Airlines.
● Officiel microsoft partner.
Schneider Electric - PM – Jesper Plass
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iPhone application for IHC control
It’s important to keep it alive!!!
● Regularly updates is better than one big update once a year.
● Listen to the costumers – feedback is very useful
Schneider Electric - PM – Jesper Plass
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