Using the Television to Wash Your Clothes?

Using the Television to Wash Your Clothes?

September 13, 2007

    GENEVA, Sept. 13 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- The washing
machine and the refrigerator are going to start
"talking" to the television thanks to a new
standard about to be published by the Geneva-based IEC.
This new ability to network traditional household
appliances with personal computers and audio-visual
equipment will offer such possibilities as your television
screen displaying the fact that the washing machine has
finished washing your clothes or turning on an air
conditioner from your personal computer.

    The new standard links the two different communications
networks established for the household appliances and
audio-visual equipment. These were set up separately
largely because of the different product lifecycles for the
fast-moving audiovisual equipment and computers compared
with slower-changing household appliances which tend to
stay in use over periods of several years.

    This specification, Home Network Communication Protocol
over IP for Multimedia Household Appliances (IEC 62457), has
several key advantages:

    -- It can be used with existing home networking
standards;
    -- Both Home Network nodes with TCP/IP Layer and
without can coexist
       under the same Home Network Middleware;
    -- Household appliances can communicate with
audiovisual equipment,
       PCs and PC-related equipment, and vice-versa,
without requiring any
       gateway;
    -- Household appliances can handle text and audiovisual
data;
    -- Audiovisual equipment, PCs and PC-related equipment
can handle
       household appliances data; and
    -- Household appliances can freely select a suitable
lower-layer
       medium from various lower-layer media below TCP/IP.

    The new standard is due to be published in October 2007
and some products applying its specifications are now on the
market in Japan.

    The new specification is from the IEC Technical
Committee 100, Audio, video and multimedia systems and
equipment. Media wishing to address the project leader for
this new specification are kindly requested to contact:


    For technical questions:
    Mr. Norimasa Minami
    IEC TC 100 Assistant Secretary
    Tel:   [phone]
    Email: [e-mail]
    
    For general media:
    Mr. Dennis Brougham
    Communications Manager
    IEC Central Office
    Geneva
    Switzerland
    Tel:   [phone]
    Email: [e-mail]