There are four basic components in a smart home as a service application like Qorvo’s Family@Home.

First is a network of sensors in the home. This can be as few as four, depending on the size of the household – mounted in the bedroom and bathroom doorways, as well as in the kitchen and near the front door of the home. Comprised of either position or motion sensors, they can be used to provide a general indication of when and where movement usually occurs in the home. Additional motion and position sensors can provide additional data (i.e. position sensors on doors and windows can indicate whether the house is secure or not). Temperature sensors can help manage the environmental conditions in the home. Leak detectors mounted on appliances can provide early warning of plumbing issues. In addition, individuals in the home can use key fobs to register entering or leaving the house and provide their exact location and movements. Similar fobs can even be used on the family’s pets to keep track of their movements. Wearables with embedded sensors can be used to provide important information for monitoring of health and safety issues.

The information derived from these sensors is then wirelessly collected by a local hub (gateway, set-top box, etc.) and securely transmitted to an intelligent cloud service that collects and analyzes the data and then is able to generate alerts to family members, caregivers and first responders. After the initial installation of the Family@Home sensors linked to the analytics, it only takes a week or two for the algorithm in the cloud to accumulate enough data for the application to “learn” how the family lives and to be able to send alerts when an unexpected event happens or something drastically changes.

Another important component is the consumer’s management app, which can be accessed via a smart phone or any web connected device. The important consideration here is that all the various services need to be consolidated into a single user interface, into one easy-to-use dashboard where the home owner can monitor the state of their home as well as the people and pets inside.

Finally, the service provider is able to handle customer support, billing, subscriber management as well as software and service upgrades and changes.

These four components make the smart home as a service a reality. Not only is it easy to use, simple to manage, and effective in providing the residents with safety, security and comfort, it also serves as a valuable generator of income for the service providers.

Device and system developers need to work together to develop hardware, software and web intelligence to make this dream come true. Yes, this evolution is slow moving as most home owners do not consider major upgrades to their home technology until they decide to move into a new home. However, smart home as a service is the inevitable result. It is what home owners want. It is what service providers and retail businesses need to be successful in this new technology sector.

Two decades ago, automatic window control and door locking were expensive aftermarket add-ons in our cars. Nowadays, almost every car includes those features built in. A couple years ago, back up cameras and sonar were deluxe features, now almost every new car includes it. Decades from now, our children will look back at our “stupid, unconnected” homes, and wonder how we were able to live in such primitive conditions.