GENEVA, USA: IEC Technical Committee 100, audio, video and multimedia systems and equipment company, is introducing new standards to link the two different communications networks established for the household appliances and audio visual equipment.

This new ability will network traditional household appliances with personal computers and audio-visual equipment, which will offer such possibilities as your television screen displaying the fact that the washing machine has finished washing your clothes or turning on an air conditioner from your personal computer.

This specification, Home Network Communication Protocol over IP for Multimedia Household Appliances (IEC 62457), has several key advantages: It can be used with existing home networking standards; Both Home Network nodes with and without TCP/IP Layer  can co-exist under the same Home Network Middleware; Household appliances can communicate with audiovisual equipment, PCs and PC-related equipment, and vice-versa, without requiring any gateway; Household appliances can handle text and audiovisual data; Audiovisual equipment, PCs and PC-related equipment can handle household appliances data.

The standard is developed by IEC Technical Committee 100, Audio, video and multimedia systems and equipment, a group responsible for the standardization of emerging technologies and consumer products, from plasma technology and mobile communications to smart homes.

The new standard is due to be published in October 2007 and some products applying its specifications are now in the market in Japan.