Motion Sensors as occupany sensors

[glacier991]

I have a number of motion sensors throughout the house,and would like to devise some stretegy in a program to determine an "occupancy" status. The problems is of course how long is long enough for no motion to make a determination of "no occupancy" and is is not a hard and fast thing. What sorts of parameters are others using doing the same thing?It would be helpful to know. Thanks.

[paulbates]

The simplest conceptually is waiting X number of minutes after the last one saw motion.

Occupancy Program
If
        'Sensor1' Status is Off
 and 'Sensor2' Status is Off
and 'Sensor3' Status is Off
and 'Sensor4' Status is Off
and 'Sensor...N' Status is Off
 

Then
     wait xx minutes 
     $Occupancy  = 0
 
Else
        $Occupancy  = 1

This assumes you have the sensors set up for sending on and off commands (not "Send on commands only). You'll have to adjust the wait to how many sensors and how long each sensor is programmed to wait before sending an off. You'll have to play with it a little. 

Paul

 

[glacier991]

Thanks Paul. I realize it is likely an individual matter and potentially related to unique factors in every case, but what kinds of "wait" times are foks using with success?

[paulbates]

It was > 1 hour for me for a couple of reasons. I only have a few sensors internally with specific jobs for stairway and hallway lights. Also, there are chronic health issues here an not seeing motion for a while doesn't necessarily mean everyone's left the house.. could be sleeping on the couch or in bed. Having the wait time too short means a false "away" is triggered, the furnace gets turned down and the interior lights start randomly, intermittently turning on and off at night... as they are programmed to in "away" mode. Unfotuntately somebody is still home.

I've switched to using the ISY portal and the locative app. When all phones are > 15 miles from home, I set "away" mode. I also have a keypad key to press for away by the back door when we leave. But when one of phones is within 15 miles, "home" mode is set automatically. Also the driveway and back lights go on at night when we drive a few hundred yards from the house.

There was a guy on Homeseer named Jim Doolittle that had a program for X10 sensors that could make sense out of the order of sensors tripping and going off to imply leaving vs coming. I've not seen something like that recently and would probably be a lot of work in ISY programs.

Paul

[glacier991]

Wow... terrific information Paul. Thank you. I had played around a little at my last home with locative and geofences, just enough to annoy my wife. Then things got crazy as I was retiring and we had a planned move 1000 miles away... so, we moved. Now I am installing HA in our "new" home and I guess I am not thinking "out of the box" at all. I had never considered using locative and geofences.  Appeciate your input and thoughts!Definitely would want to know more about locative and the portal as you are using them.