World Academy of Science, Engineering and Technology
International Journal of Electronics and Communication Engineering
Vol:6, No:12, 2012
Intelligent Home: SMS Based Home Security
System with Immediate Feedback
Sheikh I. Azid, and Bibhya Sharma
Abstract—A low cost Short Message System (SMS) based Home
security system equipped with motion, smoke, temperature, humidity
and light sensors has been studied and tested. The sensors are
controlled by a microprocessor PIC 18F4520 through the SMS
having password protection code for the secure operation. The user is
able to switch light and the appliances and get instant feedback. Also
in cases of emergencies such as fire or robbery the system will send
Open Science Index, Electronics and Communication Engineering Vol:6, No:12, 2012 waset.org/Publication/10501
alert message to occupant and relevant civil authorities. The
operation of the home security has been tested on Vodafone- Fiji
network and Digicel Fiji Network for emergency and feedback
responses for 25 samples. The experiment showed that it takes about
8-10s for the security system to respond in case of emergency. It
takes about 18-22s for the occupant to switch and monitor lights and
appliances and then get feedback depending upon the network traffic.
Keywords—Smart Home, SMS, Sensors, Microprocessor.
I. INTRODUCTION
S MART Home’ referred to as ‘Intelligent Home’ or
‘Automated Home’, indicates the automation of daily
tasks with electrical devices used in homes. This could be the
control of lights or more complex chores such as remote
viewing of the house interiors for surveillance purposes. The
emerging concept of smart homes offers a comfortable,
convenient, and safe environment for occupants. Wireless
technologies had some amazing achievements in automating
homes via Bluetooth, ZigBee, and Wi-Fi but had a limited
connectivity range [1-4]. The use of internet is also being
probed to develop automated home technologies [5]. Mobile
phones have become one of the most common communication
devices amongst the people all over the world. SMS became
popular as it provides cheap, convenient and faster method of
communication. Unlike the Internet, SMS is safe from
network security threats and can be operational from
anywhere in the world where there is a mobile network. The
advantage of SMS over ZigBee, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi is that it
is communication range from anywhere in the world where is
mobile network.
The penetration of internet connection for home automation
is the new dimension as technologies continues to grow [5].
Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM) module
was then introduced for home automation [6]. The GSM
module system is battery powered which made home
Sheikh I Azid is with Faculty of Science Technology and Environment,
The University of the South Pacific, Laucala Campus, Fiji (phone: +679
3232859; fax: +679 3231416; e-mail: azid_s@usp.ac.fj).
Bibhya Sharma is with Faculty of Science Technology and Environment,
The University of the South Pacific, Laucala Campus, Fiji (phone: +679
3232069; fax: +679 3231416; e-mail: azid_s@usp.ac.fj).
International Scholarly and Scientific Research & Innovation 6(12) 2012
automation system safer from internet hacks. Home
automation has also further advanced in successfully merging
communication technologies GSM module, internet, and
speech recognition system [5]. The wireless automation
reduces the cost of the system unit as well as it is much easier
to install. The GSM module has advanced to automobiles. It
is interfaced with the car ignition system where the owner
carries the mobile phone rather than to carry around the key
[7]. Recent advances in the automation showed that the billing
system for electricity, gas or water uses GSM module based
SMS metering service rather than assigning person to visit
each house and read the meter readings manually in cases of
South Pacific [8]. However, the GSM module has some
drawbacks as it cannot behave like what the actual mobile
does. GSM module users have to remove the SIM card for
recharge top-up. There is more exposure in using the GSM
network if only the mobile is interfaced rather than GSM
module.
In this paper we present SMS based Smart Home with
feedback response. This system interfaces the mobile phone
with embedded microprocessor PIC18F4520 and sensors
which is based in the intelligent home. The user can use SMS
for monitoring and controlling lights, home appliances and
security sensors and get feedback on the same mobile phone
about the status of different appliances. The entire system is
password protected which can only be changed by the user.
The system is generic as it can work with any mobile network.
The system designed has two way switching properties which
means that the home 240V AC or 110VAC electrical
appliances, lights, appliances and sensors can be switched on
and off by mobile phone and also by the manual switches.
II. CONTROL, ARCHITECTURE AND MANAGEMENT OF THE
SYSTEM
The overall architecture design and networking of the home
system is shown in Fig. 1. The system first it checks the
battery charge level of the mobile phone every cycle of the
coding, that is, about 15 seconds and automatically turns on
the battery charger if battery level is below 30%. It then reads
the message received by the mobile phone interfaced with the
microprocessor. The microprocessor then stores the phone
number from which the message is received for feedback
purpose. If the message indicates low credit, it sends callback
message to user indicating that credit is low (Callback
message is free for Vodafone Fiji Network). The system then
looks for
1428 ISNI:0000000091950263
 World Academy of Science, Engineering and Technology
International Journal of Electronics and Communication Engineering
Vol:6, No:12, 2012

Attention”. Th
“A he interfacingg between thee mobile phonne and
thee microprocesssor is such thhat it can com mmunicate wiith any
moobile phone whichw can bee connected serially
s to mo odems.
Thhe system bassed at home iss generic, thuus any mobile phone
whhich supportts AT com mmand will work withh the
miicroprocessor provided thhey are inteerfaced seriallly. In
adddition, it is noot necessary thhat the user nu
umber be emeergency
nuumber. The user can easily change
c the em
mergency num
mber on
thee unit at hom me. The C laanguage progrram controlliing the
miicroprocessor uses 706.5 K KB of RAM M and 16711.6 68 KB
ROOM.
Open Science Index, Electronics and Communication Engineering Vol:6, No:12, 2012 waset.org/Publication/10501

Fig. 1 Architecture oof Intelligent Hoome system

paassword in thhe message iff password iss wrong it repplies to

orrigin SMS inndicating “inncorrect passw word”. If paassword
m
matches then itt searches forr command too be executedd in the
m
message, does the required ttask and thenn writes the feeedback
inn form of meessage to repply to the seender. The usser can
acctivate any apppliances, lighhts or sensors to check theiir status Fig. 3 Switching from
m low voltage to
o high voltage
inn the house viav SMS usinng any mobiile phone annd from
annywhere wherre there is moobile networkk. If the SMS sent to The lights annd other appliaances controllled in the Inteelligent
hoome does not contain the paassword the home will replyy to the hoome have two--way switchinng system. Onne of the sidess of the
saame number indicating
i “PAASSWORD INCORRECT
I T”. This sw
witching is maanual and thee other side is i controlled by the
paassword can be b only changged by the user from homee. Once miicroprocessor.. Single Pole Double Throow (SPDT) relay is
thhe SMS is receeived, the miccroprocessor (PIC( 18F45200) reads useed to fulfill thhe two way swwitching from
m the microproocessor
it and performss the task direected by the useru and inforrms the sidde. For the two way sw witching systtem, the lighht and
status of light and
a other senssors in the hoome. When an a event apppliances can be b turned on oor off from an
ny side of the switch
occcurs which demands thee microcontro oller’s attentiion, an as shown in Fig. 3.
innterrupt is gennerated, whichh instructs thhe microcontroller to The current from the m microprocessorr is not enou ugh to
stop what it is doing and takke care of the higher prioriity task. sw
witch on the relays.
r Darlinngton array iss used to boo ost the
Inn case of an a interrupt the microproocessor checcks the cuurrent supply to t the relays aas shown in Fig.
F 3. Each channel
c
emmergency moobile number saved by thee user in thee home. forr is rated at 5000 mA and caan withstand peak
p currents of 600
Thhen the microoprocessor wrrites the emergency messaage and mA A. Suppression diodes aare included for inductivee load
seends it to user or relevant ciivil authorities. The messagge to be driiving and thee inputs are ppinned opposiite to the outp puts to
seent is a storedd message staating type off emergency and a the simmplify the boaard layout.
loocation of thhe intelligentt home. Forr example “Smoke “ The microconntroller outputt is 5V whichh drives the reelays to
Detected at 1117 Laucala Bay B Rd, Suvaa” After sendding the control the 2400V AC. Whenn the relay sw witches, the counter
c
m
message the microprocessorr will jump baack to the funnction it eleectromotive force is geenerated that can freezze the
w doing before interrupt.
was miicrocontroller.. An Opto-couupler is used to solve the counter
c
The sensors are calibratedd and program mmed to read physical
p eleectromotive force
f problemm by creatinng a wirelesss zone
status of the inntelligent homme and give feedback.
fe The smoke between the traansmitter andd the receiver sides in the Opto-
deetector is alwways active in the Intelligent Home and is coupler. Infrareed transmitter and receiverr have been used u to
coonnected to thhe Interrupt PIN,
P whereas the motion detector
d design the Opto-coupler.
haas to be turneed on/off by the user. Thee motion deteector is
tuurned on/off by
b either SMS S or manual switch
s locatedd inside
thhe home.
The system uses
u the Lightt Dependent Resistor
R (LDR)) which
deetects the staatus of the ligght and givees an analog output.
Corresponding to the status of the lights the t analoge too digital
coonversion of the LDR outpput is done by b the PIC 188F4520
m
microcontroller r programminng. The AT coommands are used to
coommunicate with
w the mobille phone. AT is i the abbreviaation of

International Scholarly and Scientific Research & Innovation 6(12) 2012 1429 ISNI:0000000091950263
 World Academy of Science, Engineering and Technology
International Journal of Electronics and Communication Engineering
Vol:6, No:12, 2012
Open Science Index, Electronics and Communication Engineering Vol:6, No:12, 2012 waset.org/Publication/10501

Fig. 2 Prog
gramming Flow
wchart of the Sysstem

III. EXPERIMENTA E NETWORK

ATION ON THE tassk using Digiccel Fiji to Vodafone Fiji neetwork. Hence SMS
An experimeent was design to obtain the time tak ken for wiithin the same network workks faster.
Inntelligent homme to perform task given by y the SMS an nd send
feeedback. In Fijji Islands therre are two mobile networkss. These
arre Vodafone Fiji networkk and Digicell Fiji networrk. The
m
mobile phone based
b at the home mobilee uses Vodafo one Fiji
neetwork, as this t networkk provides the t “callback
k” and
“IInsufficient credit”
c featurres which are
a useful for
f the
in
ntelligent hom me design, wh hich is not available
a for Digicel
N
Network currenntly in Fiji.
First a set of 25 SMS were sent from fr the userr using
V
Vodafone Fiji Network andd Digicel Fiji Network to activate
a
annd deactivate the lights, sw witches and sennsors at homee. Fig. 3
Fig. 4 The Tiime taken by saamples between n Vodafone Fijii to
shhows that it taakes an averaage of 20.16s for the user to send
V
Vodafone Fiji Network
N and Diigicel Fiji to Vo
odafone Fiji Nettwork
th
he message to the smart hom me to respond
d to the messaage sent
byy the user andd for the mobille phone based d in the home to give Another expeeriment was ddesigned to geet the time taaken of
feeedback to thee user betweeen Vodafone Fiji F to Vodafo one Fiji 25 samples for the home to send an emeergency SMS to the
neetwork. Moreo over, it takes an average off 20.56s for th
he same useer and approppriate civil auuthority. Emeergency situattion in
thee design inclu
udes smoke ddetected at ho ome and mov vement

International Scholarly and Scientific Research & Innovation 6(12) 2012 1430 ISNI:0000000091950263
 World Academy of Science, Engineering and Technology
International Journal of Electronics and Communication Engineering
Vol:6, No:12, 2012

ouutside home without

w the peermission of the occupant.. Fig. 4 [4] Jin, M.H., Fu, C.J., Yu, C.H., LLai, H.R., Whei, M.
M (2008) “IBM33 Zigbee
Positioning Method
M for Smmart Home App plications”, Interrnational
illlustrates that the user ass well as th he appropriatte civil Journal of Smaart Home. 2(2).
auuthorities willl get an emergency SMS within
w Vodafoone Fiji [5] Yuksekkaya, B., B Kayalar, A.A A., Tonsun, M.BB., Ozean, M.K K., Alkar,
to
o Vodafone FijiF network in i an averagee time of 9.116s and A.Z. (2006) “A GSM, Inteernet and Speecch Controlled Wireless W
9.36s between Digicel
D to Voddafone network. Interactive Home
H Automation System”, IEEE I Transactiions on
Consumer Eleectronics. 52(3).
[6] Zhao, Y., Ye, Z.(2008) “A Low w Cost GSM/GPR RS Based Wireless Home
Security Systeem”, IEEE Trans. Consumer Electtronics. 54(2), 567-572.
[7] Karim, J., Am mat, W.M.A.B.W W., Razak, A.H.A. (2009) “Car Ignition
System via Mobile Phone”,, International Conference on Future
Computer andd Communication.
[8] Ur-Rahman, M.W.,M Ahmed, M.T.,
M Khan, T.H., Kabir, S.M.L L. (2009)
Design of an Intelligent SMS S based Remote Metering System m, IEEE
Conference Infformation and Auutomation. 22-24 4 (2009).
[9] Azid, I.S.,Kum mar, S. (2011) “Analysis and Peerformance of a low l cost
SMS based HomeH security ssystem”, Internattional Journal of
o Smart
Home. 5(3) 155-24
[100] Azid, I.S.,Kum mar, S. (2011) ““Monitoring and Operation of Inntelligent
Home System m Using Password Protected SM MS Service”, Jouurnal of
Intelligence Syystems.
Open Science Index, Electronics and Communication Engineering Vol:6, No:12, 2012 waset.org/Publication/10501

Fig. 5 The Time

T taken by samples
s between Vodafone Fiji to Sheeikh Izzal Azid received his M MSc in the area of o ICT (Communnication,
Vodafone Fiji Neetwork and Dig
V gicel Fiji to Vod
dafone Fiji Netw
work for Nettworking and Seccurity) in 2010 aand BE-Tech in Electrical
E and Eleectronics
emerggency SMS Enggineering from the University of the South Pacific. P Currentlly he is
Asssistant Lecturer in School of Enngineering and Physics
P at the Faaculty of
Sciience Technology y and Environmeent. His research interests includee mobile
IV. CONCLUSION andd wireless com mmunication, em mbedded microoprocessor appllications,
inteelligent system, robotics,
r automatiion, mobile netwo
orks and securityy.
A cost effecctive and SMS operated ho ome security system
haas been desig gned and testeed with the mobile
m networrk. The
Bibbhya N. Sharm ma received his PhD in applied mathematics frrom The
peerformances of o commerciaally availablee sensors weere first Unniversity of the Soouth Pacific, Fiji,, in 2009. He is currently
c a seniorr lecturer
stuudied for theiir feasibility bbefore installattion in the inttelligent in Mathematics in the Faculty of Science, Techno ology and Envirronment,
Unniversity of the Soouth Pacific. He is also the Associate Dean of Learnning and
hoome. The AT A commandss have been used that pro ovide a Teaaching in the Sciience Faculty. Hiis main fields off interest are dynaamics of
fleexible way to control and eexplore the seervices of the mobile.
m nonnlinear systems, robotics, biologgically inspired systems and activities,
a
Th he communiccation with th he home is solely
s through SMS artiificial neural netw
works and matheematics education n, especially in the
t areas
of e-learning
e and m--learning using thhe new technolog gical tools.
w
which has beenn tested with m mobile networrks and is expeected to
w
work on any mobile netw work. The SMS should contain
paassword anyw where in the message for thee home to resp pond. In
caase of no paassword or iincorrect passsword it willl reply
in
ncorrect passwword message.. In case of em mergency the system
w send an emergency SM
will MS to the useer and relevaant civil
auuthority in an n average of 9.16s. This is one of th he most
efffective and in ntelligent dessign to have at a home for security
s
annd safety purpposes. Moreov ver the same design
d can be used in
buusiness and otther importantt places.

ACKNO
OWLEDGMENT
T
Authors wou uld like to thhank The University of thee South
Paacific, Faculty
y of Science Technology and a Environm ment for
fin
nancial suppoort in carrying out this work
k (Grant No. 6C161).

REFFERENCES
[1]] Balasubraman nian , K., Cellaatoglu, A. (20099) “Analysis off Remote
Control Tech hniques Employyed in Home Automation
A and Security
Systems”, IEEEE Transactionss on Consumer Electronics.
E 55 (33), 1681-
1687.
[2]] Tajika, Y., Saito,
S T., Termooto, K., Oosaka, N., Isshiki, M. M (2003)
“Networked Home appliancce system using Bluetooth teechnology
integrating apppliance control//monitoring withh internet servicee”, IEEE
Trans. Consuumer Electron. 499 (4), 1043-1048.
[3]] Gill, K., Yanng, S.H., Yao, F., Lu, X. (2009) “A Zigbee Baseed Home
Automation system”,
s IEEE Transactions
T on Consumer
C Electrronics, 55
(2).

International Scholarly and Scientific Research & Innovation 6(12) 2012 1431 ISNI:0000000091950263