Uniformly described user stories and use cases form the basis of the collaboration in almost all parts of the programme. Generic use cases created in the project and gathered from other relevant standardisation bodies are stored by the DKE in a Use Case Management Repository (UCMR). They are used as the basis for defining the cross-system interoperability requirements. A suitable procedure is to be developed for testing this in the project. Generic use cases also represent the basis for gap analyses of the standardisation requirements for interoperability, information security and data protection.

Key Points for Use Cases

The following basic agreements were reached regarding the design and use of use cases:

• The use cases elaborated in conjunction with the companies - that have a clear market relevance - are described on a cross-domain basis and in a uniform format. In order to launch this process a suitable template was devised and the first user stories made available by the project partners Kellendonk/EEBus Initiative and Connected Living. Following this, the companies involved provided further user stories at the "Smart Home 2013" project conference in Berlin and also via the online dialogue platform of the DDI. The Use Case Management Repository will also be available to all registered users via the DKE once the project is complete.
  
  
• The use cases derived from the companies' user stories are condensed by experts to create generic use cases that are then used to carry out a gap analysis on missing interface descriptions and standards.
  
  
• Detailed use case descriptions (up to and including sequence diagrams) also serve as the basis for defining the requirements of cross-system interoperability and IT security in a smart home which are used to develop suitable test procedures and the corresponding test structures.