eHome Digital Tools Web help
Main-Index Installation Client-Office Client-Kitchen Client-AVOD Client-Other Screen-Designer Admin Adding Content How-To
Document Release 1 - ALPHA!
- Introduction -
eHome Digital Tools is a Windows based software package for the average computer enthusiast to create the smart home the always wanted. It is a set of programs and tools that allow you to setup one to many touch screen computers in your house that make it easy to take control of your home in an easy and fun way. Included in the package is an AVOD (Audio and Video on demand) system, games, contact list, calendar, recipe list, shopping list, kitchen timers and much more with direct home automation support via the mature Powerhome interface. You can also add your own programs and customize many function with the built in VB script. All this in an easy to use package that your whole family can use with very little training.
- A Simple Interface -
Touch the picture of the function you want to use. Lets look at the buttons at the very top of the client screen. These buttons will stay consistent throughout the eHome client application. In other words, you will see the top buttons on each and every eHome screen. From left to right we have...
- Simple to use -
 | Back - Goes back 1 screen. (Just like an Internet browser BACK button) |
| Monitor Off - Turns the touch screen monitor off. |
| Mute - Mute the local or remote computer. (You can see in the picture the volume is muted) |
| Volume Up - Turns the volume up. |
| Volume Down - Turns the volume down. |
Actions specific to the main menu - In the lower right is the weather preview icon. If you touch the screen here you will go to the main weather screen. Now touch the BACK button and your are back at the main menu. If the date is underlined then there is something to-do on the office scheduler for the day. That's it! That's you complete main menu!
- Technical overview -
eHome Digital Tools is a distributed system. Programs and content do not have to reside on the same computer and more than one touch screen client can connect to another computer. You could have an eHome music server in the kitchen (and this is also still a client) and 3 eHome clients that connect to it. The same eHome clients can connect to 2 different Video servers and can have different browser bookmarks and different menus. Your touch screen computer in the hallway can show the camera video that is connected to the front door. The vision here is not one single touch screen in your home but three... or five and each one tailored to its own location.
- Features -
| Designed from the ground up as a touch screen application. |
| Custom HA screens with the Powerhome screen designer. |
| Mouse gesture support (swipe your finger left and right to change pages) |
| Clients can connect to multiple servers. Servers can have multiple clients. |
| Programmable events via VBScript. |
| Direct embedded Interface for Powerhome CC and DS remote controllers. |
| Homeseer support via built in Browser. |
| Built in support for different screen resolutions (800*600, 1024*768, 800*480) |
| Completely skin-able to match any décor in your home (includes 9 skins) |
| All icons and colors can be changed to suite your tastes. |
| Add your own programs to the main menu. (Web pages, EXE's or use VBScript) |
| Socket Server for remote control of all AVOD functions and the screen designer.. |
| Custom 2-way AVOD remote control via Pocket PC 2003. |
| Shopping list bar code scanner. (When its empty? Scan it!) |
- Typical whole house setup -
| Location - Kitchen |
| Client menus - TV, Audio, Video, Web, Office, HA, Kitchen |
| Servers running - Audio, Video |
| Computer type - Wall mounted Touch Screen |
| Location - Bedroom |
| Client menus - Audio, Video, Web, Office, HA |
| Servers running - Audio |
| Computer type - Tablet Touch Screen |
| Location - Entryway |
| Client menus - Audio, HA |
| Servers running - none |
| Computer type - Wall mounted Touch Screen |
| Location - Living room |
| Client menus - Audio, Video |
| Servers running - Audio, Video |
| Computer type - Old P3 laptop hooked up to your TV |
| PPC AVOD remote used for control |
| Location - Garage |
| Client menus - Audio, Office, HA, TV |
| Servers running - Audio |
| Computer type - Wall mounted Touch Screen |
| Cheap TV remote used for control |
| Location - Home Office |
| Client menus - none |
| Servers running - No eHome servers, Powerhome |
| Computer type - Standard PC, this is used for content ripping, administration and Powerhome screen building |
All computers mentioned above can be purchased off of eBay for around $1,500 - $2,000 Add in another $500 for X10 and home control equipment and you have a home of the future for under $2500
- What kind of computers and what
configuration should be used to run eHome -
eHome Digital tools is a light MS Windows based
system. It will run on Windows 2000 or XP (Vista support soon) and if you are
not playing video then you can use a P2-400 with 128MEG of RAM although a faster
computer with more RAM would be better. (But this DOES work) We recommend P3 class machines with
around a 1Ghz processor with at least 256MEG of RAM. This configuration runs
eHome extremely well.
All computers should auto login on the same username and password and be on administrator accounts with the C drive shared. Remember, eHome is the ONLY front end running on your embedded Touch Screens computers and you setup the eHome browser to go to trusted sites and content you pre-define. You should have a firewall but not on the eHome computers... Your firewall should be on your internet connection.
- How errors are handled -
All errors (and debug messages) are written to disk in a text file on a day by day basis. We try NOT to stop the eHome from running as a single part of the system might not work but the rest of the system is still functioning. (Old error or log files over 14 days old are removed automatically)