DiscVision, Paderborn, Germany and a number of partners of the project UHCI (Universal Home Control Interface) are presenting the first results of a long term initiative for the development of technologies that aim to develop universal home control user interfaces. The vision of this R&D project is to develop technologies which allow to setup interactive user interfaces that have a common look & feel for different types of end devices. Thus, if the user is able to control a certain application on one platform or a certain service it should be very easy to control such a service also on another platform or even control other services.

The project unites a number of partners in their vision such as ART+COM, Connected Living, Fraunhofer IDMT, Loewe, UMAN, Technical University of Berlin and some others. The demonstration at the CeBIT starting in Hannover on March 10th presents the first results of this joint effort. DiscVision is one of the exhibiting partners there and demonstrates the use of UHCI technologies for the control of a Smart Home from the TV set. Here a popular home control system (HomeMatic) is integrated with a Digital Satellite Receiver and the user is able to control the actors and sensors of this house from the Satellite Receiver. Another application that DiscVision is showing on the CeBiT this year, is the use of a satellite receiver to adapt the sound signal to the hearing capabilities of the end user. Together with the partner institute Fraunhofer IDMT from Oldenburg, Germany a number of efficient algorithms were implemented on the STB platform that allow for an online adaptation of the sound level. This technology has not only applications for elderly or hearing-impaired persons but can also adapt the sound of any audio visual system to the general hearing capabilities of the user and in this way improve the access to audio visual information. DiscVision and the overall team of the UHCI project welcome visitors at the booth of the BMWI (Federal Ministry for Ecnomoic Affairs and Energy) in hall 9 booth E24. To arrange a visit and a special tour through the exhibition please send mail to office@discvision.com. More information is available at www.discvision.com and on the project page www.connected-living.org/projects/uhci/