Technologies for Next Generation Home Networking

Abstract

With the advancement of image and information system terminal devices, home networks have been increasingly constructed involving various types of home equipment so as to enhance the control of component devices and access to the content information. The linkage between types of terminal devices installed within homes in the future and also the linkage between the terminal devices and out-of-home networks are expected to be further increased. Under such circumstances, studies on the home networks that connect types of home equipment have been conducted intensively, along with the active discussions by ITU-T for the standardization of home networks. As for the out-of-home carrier networks, technologies to support NGN are being increasingly proposed and developed. A new challenge for realizing the establishment of connection with NGN from in-home terminals has also been recognized. Mitsubishi Electric has been conducting R&D activities aiming at constructing the next generation network centering on the home gateway. Mitsubishi Electric plans to realize the next generation home network through the implementation of the Open Service Gateway Initiative (OSGi) framework that enables interconnection of various types of terminals and the introduction of the SIP adaptation function that enables value-added services to be provided to users.