4.4. Increasing comfort

If you want to increase comfort with an integrated home system, you can act on a number of levels. The first item that we take to hand is reducing the number of operations that the user has to perform to achieve something. An example: with a traditional installation, every evening we have to put a few dimmer controlled light circuits to the desired setting in order to watch television. If there are 4 lighting circuits for example, we must bring all four dimmers to a certain setting. With an integrated home system we can program a “watch TV” button. When we press this button (one operation by the user) not only will the 4 lighting circuits go to the right dimmed setting, but the TV will also come on and go to the preferred channel at a certain sound level. Furthermore, the roll-down shutter will close or open depending on whether it is light or dark outside. This is an example of the use of single button operation in order to create local “atmospheres”. In the living room for example we can place buttons to receive guests, play with the children, read a good book, or a button for a romantic evening.

We will not only use single button operations locally but also generally. An example of this is the “all out” button at the front door and the garage door. The last person who leaves the home presses it such that all clients go to the off state. The user no longer has to check whether all lights are off and all roll-down shutters are down (or up).

Single button operation to reduce the number of operations. (Illustration source: Agora Press)

A second way of increasing comfort is to increase user friendliness. This can be done for example by ensuring a similar method of operation throughout the home. The general lighting in each room can for example be the top left pushbutton on an operating panel. An “all off” for every room is then placed at the bottom right of the operating panel. Roll-down shutter up/down can for example be the top right pushbutton of the operating panel. Remote controls can also help increase user convenience. Preferably multifunctional remote controls that have a touch screen so that the user can see with icons or text buttons what function he will operate.

Example of the Philips Pronto remote control, with a touch screen. Icons and text buttons make the operation user friendly. (Illustration source: Niko)

The automation of certain functions is a third way of increasing comfort. We can consider of the use of conditions, in particular. Depending on whether it is light or dark outside, the outside lighting comes on for a while when the “all out” button is pressed when leaving the home. With automation, it is important to ensure that the home is not over-automated. Integrated home systems do not control a production process that is always the same and which is a candidate for “unravelling”. The residents of an automated home must never, but never, have the feeling that their lives are being ruled by the laws (controllers) of the integrated home system. The end user must always be able to intervene in what can be controlled in the home at a certain time.