Classification and Evaluation of Middleware Collaboration Architectures for Converging MHP and OSGi in a Smart Home

If Interactive Digital Television (IDTV) and Residential Service Gateway (RG) converge, i.e. to share services and resources, add-on values or new services could be created. We assume that a user will have an IDTV instance and an RG instance. These two can be implemented on a single machine or each on a separate machine connected by a network. Collaboration architectures of IDTV and RG support the converged IDTV and RG services. We first make a classification of the collaboration architectures to be: RG based on IDTV, IDTV based on RG, or networked IDTV-RG implementations. Secondly, we propose the use of Proxy design pattern for collaboration between IDTV and RG. Thirdly, we implemented the Proxy design pattern for all collaboration architectures. Finally, we evaluated (1) their required efforts in lines of code modified/enhanced, (2) quantitative performance metrics, such as memory usage, system startup time, object registry time and method invocation time, and (3) qualitative metrics, such as bilateral call, dynamic upgrade, cohesion, and coupling. The experimental target IDTV middleware was DVB/ MHP Java Profile, and the Residential Gateway middleware was Open Service Gateway initiative (OSGi).