Virtual Reality Control for the Home. New PLATO for Windows Home Control
software links personal computers to lights, appliances and other
electrical devices throughout the home without special wiring.

Costa Mesa, CA, Nov. 7, 1994 -- Home Automation Systems, Inc. a leading
mail-order supplier of automation equipment for the home announces that it
is shipping its PLATO for Windows ver. 1.01 software.

This software for IBM compatible PCs makes it possible to control lights,
appliances, heating/cooling, audio/video equipment and other electrical
devices directly from the familiar Microsoft Windows environment. With a
mouse click the user can dim lights at the other end of the home, close
drapes, turn on the plant watering system, change temperature, light the
fireplace, unlock the door, change radio stations and more. In fact
virtually any electrical device can be controlled through the many
optional interface devices available.

Icons representing the devices to be controlled can be placed over
floorplans, 3 dimensional drawings, or even scanned photographs. With the
right collection of backgrounds, a virtual reality environment can be
created. The user can move from room to room controlling devices as if
he/she were there. A slider bar on the lamp icons allows the user to dim
or brighten lights. A sample set of backgrounds and icons is provided. The
user can easily import other backgrounds and icons.

PLATO for Windows provides homeowners with the convenience of being able to
control electrical devices throughout the home from one central location.
Advanced scheduling features can cut energy costs by automatically turning
off unnecessary lights, appliances. The security mode can make an
unoccupied house look truly lived-in by randomly controlling not only the
lights throughout the house, but also drapery openers, music and the TV.

PLATO for Windows can be used to program up to 128 separate timed events. A
"Sunset + offset" and "Sunrise + offset" feature allows schedules to
automatically track changing daylight hours. Vacation, guest and user
definable schedules allow the user to quickly switch to completely
different sets of timed schedules.

The software provides this control through an X10 Home Automation interface
unit (sold separately from the software) which plugs into a serial port on
the PC. The X10 Home Automation interface has built-in memory &
intelligence that stores the schedules that are programmed through PLATO
for Windows. This enables it to automatically control devices at the
scheduled times even when the computer is off.

The interface communicates with other compatible electrical devices in the
house via a coded signal that is sent over the existing 110V wiring. No
special rewiring is neccessary. The signal used is the popular X10 home
automation protocol. Over a million homes in the US and Canada already
have devices that are compatible with this signal.

To make a lamp or other device controllable, inexpensive X10 plug-in
modules or X10 compatible switches are used (all sold separately). The
plug-in modules can be installed in seconds by virtually anyone. The
switches are a direct replacement for existing light switches and come in
a variety of styles (and colors) including the popular designer paddle
switch style. Other modules available are HVAC (heating/cooling) control
modules, infra-red signal modules (for audio/video system control),
contact closure modules (for controlling garage door openers, electric
door locks, watering systems etc.)

PLATO for Windows requires Microsoft Windows 3.1 and an IBM compatible
computer 286 or faster with a hard drive.

 PLATO for Windows software has a retail price of $49.95.
 (item # HAS-1600)

 The X10 Home Automation Interface unit has a retail price of $49.95
 (item # HAS-1130)

Home Automation Systems, Inc.
151 Kalmus Dr. Ste. M6
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
(800) SMART-HOME  (800-762-7846)   (US only)
(714) 708-0610

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