NB-IoT (Narrowband Internet of Things), known for its low power consumption, low cost, and extensive coverage, serves as a perfect solution for low-energy-consuming devices that rely on batteries to transmit small amounts of data. Its growing popularity in the IoT industry is largely due to advancements in indoor coverage, reduced device costs, and decreased energy usage. The smart home industry has also begun exploring NB-IoT applications, recognizing its potential. On July 27th, Haier took the initiative to host the "New Things, New Scenarios, New Ecology - Smart Home Industry NB-IoT Application Promotion Summit Forum," where they formulated the first smart home NB-IoT standard and unveiled the NB-IHome Solution, the first NB-IoT solution in the smart home sector. This solution covers three sets of smart home appliances, smart communities, and commercial appliances, and will soon be available on-site. To understand how NB-IoT integrates into smart homes, let’s hear from Fan Jiqing, Director of U+ Development at Haier.
First, let’s discuss the technical background. Director Fan Jiqing began by explaining the evolution of NB-IoT technology. He noted that wireless communication has rapidly advanced in recent years due to its convenience and inherent advantages, finding widespread use in both commercial and military sectors. As internet services have grown more diverse, so too have the information processing capabilities of communication terminals, making mobile办公 and mobile shopping a reality. Smart home appliances have similarly become a part of everyday life. Among various wireless communication technologies like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Zigbee, and cellular mobile communication, these are commonly used in smart home appliances. However, with increasing demands for intelligence, the number of connected devices is rising, and the requirements are becoming more varied. High-rate 3G and 4G systems meet higher-rate needs, while medium-rate uses can be covered by 2G communication. Yet, low-rate, low-power cellular application standards are still incomplete. Existing technologies like 4G, 3G, and 2G fail to satisfy the demands for low power consumption, low cost, wide coverage, and large capacity. Technologies such as Lora, Sigfox, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and ZigBee also have limitations regarding information security, mobility, coverage, and capacity.
To meet the needs of IoT development, the narrow-band IoT communication standards were established.
A comparison of common wireless communication technologies for smart home appliances is shown in the table below:
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Second, the challenges facing the smart home industry during its development:
Currently, China's smart home market has reached a certain scale. However, most consumers view the convenience brought by smart homes as an added bonus. Director Fan Jiqing summarized the main challenges facing the current development of the smart home industry, which he believes consist of four key areas:
(a) Operational Convenience:
The goal of smart homes is to make life easier and more enjoyable. However, due to technical characteristics, most smart home appliances, networks, and bindings involve a certain degree of complexity. What was meant to simplify life has instead become cumbersome, significantly impacting user experience. Simplifying operations and making functions more user-friendly is the first challenge facing the industry.
(II) Network Capacity and Signal Coverage:
The home environment varies greatly. When the number of smart devices increases, communication between them can be disrupted, affecting their normal use. Achieving network coverage in large homes like duplexes or villas poses a significant challenge for the smart home industry. Devices like water heaters and washing machines located in the corners of wireless networks, such as balconies and bathrooms, often struggle to network or communicate effectively.
(c) Security Risks:
Network security is a concern across the communications industry, and smart homes are no exception. Balancing usability with security is a challenge every manufacturer must address.
(d) Lack of Uniform Standards:
With an immature standard system, smart home appliances from different brands cannot recognize or communicate with each other. Smart home appliances are devices in users' homes, apps in users' hands, and part of a complex cloud platform service system. Designing and developing smart home appliances is a massive undertaking, making it difficult to achieve results quickly. Thus, it presents a significant challenge for smaller enterprises, requiring substantial investment, long cycles, and numerous problems.
Director Fan Jiqing believes that addressing these challenges, overcoming difficulties, and designing smart home appliances that are simple and easy to use is a shared issue for the entire industry.
Third, the NB-IoT solution – NB-UHomeKit:
The emergence of NB-IoT technical standards offers an excellent solution for low-rate, low-power, wide-area network applications and complements existing device access technologies. Based on the technical features of NB-IoT, Haier U+ has designed and completed the NB-IoT integrated access solution, NB-UHomeKit, for future years.
Director Fan provided a detailed introduction to Haier's NB-UHomeKit open-source application solution. He mentioned that NB-UHomeKit is a solution of Haier U+ smart life platform for accessing U+ platforms using NB-IoT technology and implementing smart home appliances and home design applications. Agreement standards include:
NB-UHomeKit consists of: device-side SDK, client SDK, and M2M access gateway;
The NB-UHomeKit system framework is as follows:
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The NB-UHomeKit technical advantages include the following five points:
1) Special compression algorithm: Solve the contradiction between the small NB-IoT technology traffic and the demand for smart home big data;
2) Special data acquisition algorithm: Solve the contradiction between the low rate of NB-IoT technology and the real-time requirements of smart homes;
3) Standard protocol: Solve the problem of interconnection and interoperability;
4) National Security Standards: Solve the conflict between security requirements and ease of use;
5) Standard Development Kit: Reduce development investment, shorten development cycle, and shorten time to market.
Fourth, solution examples:
Director Fan also introduced Haier's practical application cases of the solution. He said that after the NB-IoT standard freeze in June 2016, Haier actively engaged in technical communication and strategy with companies like Huawei, Qualcomm, Telecom, Mobile, and China Unicom. By the end of 2016, Haier U+ completed the NB-IoT standard for smart home applications; in July 2017, Telecom achieved nationwide full coverage of the NB-IoT network. Haier U+ completed the NB-UHomeKit solution design R&D and technology implementation by the end of June 2017. In July, the NB-UHomeKit solution was used to enable smart air conditioners, smart door locks, and smart community washing machines to access the U+ platform with NB-IoT technology in a short period.
U+ has now completed the access of three types of equipment, providing complete three major commercial solutions:
Household Appliances - Home Air Conditioner
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1) Easy access using the optimized NB-UHomeKit device, APP, and cloud;
2) Communication data decompression technology meets the data requirements of the APP;
3) No distribution network is required;
4) Easy to use, scan code manipulation;
5) Stable connection anywhere, anytime.
Battery-powered Devices - Smart Door Locks
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1) Reduce power consumption using the optimized device-side NB-UHomeKit;
2) Ensure the safety of the door lock using U+ security SDK;
3) NB-IoT lock, power-on scan code binding;
4) Strong signal coverage in stairwells;
5) Ultra-low power consumption, two-year battery replacement;
6) Real-time SMS lock notification, home security, anytime;
7) Reliable communication and worry-free after-sales support.
Commercial Appliances - Community Washing Machines
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1) Monitor the status of the washing machine using the optimized NB-UHomeKit on the device side;
2) Standard API interface, no need to modify the APP;
3) The washing machine is ready for use, implementing monitoring of machine status and income control at any time;
4) Wide signal coverage and low application cost.
Through Director Fan Jiqing’s introduction, the reporter truly felt that Haier U+, as a leader in the smart home industry, remains at the forefront in the field of smart homes. Through collaboration with various leading companies in the industry, the company has explored smart home industry application solutions based on NB-IoT. Haier released the first NB-IoT open-source application solution, NB-UHomeKit, in the smart home industry, offering the industry fast access, cloud integration, secure and reliable, communication standard NB-IoT solutions. This promotes the deep integration of NB-IoT and smart homes, enabling companies to quickly access NB-IoT and build a smart home ecosystem based on NB-IoT-adapted intelligent products. The reporter believes that with the implementation and application of NB-UHomeKit, China’s home appliance sector will see a breakthrough in improving NB-IoT application capabilities, occupying the international commanding heights in IoT technology applications, and China’s smart home appliance industry willè¿Žæ¥ a new boom.
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