Abstract
This paper describes reference architecture of consumer electronic and assistive appliances and services designed to improve the quality of life of the elderly. The architecture serves as a foundation for the identification, definition and standardization of internal and external interfaces of such appliances. It is a basis for component-based design and supports a framework for building different types of appliance, and different versions of each type, by integrating configurable and evolvable components in a systematic, verifiable way. © 2005 IEEE.