Presence Detection - How do you do it? How do you want to?

I've been thinking about Presence Detection lately, as I've been working on my miniUniFI plugin. For a single device/user, it's pretty easy. But not with multiple devices. For example, usually if my phone leaves the house, then I'm gone. But not if I'm out for a power walk, when I might only bring my watch (which has cellular capability).

On the other hand, what if you want to track multiple people, so some things only occur when ALL residents are absent? The logic gets complex in a hurry.

So how to do it? Complex Indigo triggers and/or schedules? Custom scripts?

I might get motivated to write a plugin to make this easier.

Right now I've got a very limited system in HomeKit using automations. It does certain things when my wife and I leave the house and when we return. This is based on when our iPhones both leave or any one of them returns.

This is all done by HomeKit, not Indigo itself other than the things being affected are all indigo devices like lights and fans.

I'm the same: just testing for phone presence is adequate for my purposes. On the very rare occasion when there are no people but a phone remains, it's not important that 'presence' is incorrect. I'm using it for energy efficiency measures (ie turning stuff off) though; I wouldn't use this method for security.

I turn on an interior camera when the wife and I are both gone. Tested yesterday with version .12 while shopping, works fine.


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I use HomeKit too - works but a bit of a hot mess with my indigo integration - I have a virtual device that turns on or off when my phone is away - that light change kicks off all of the things I want to happen within Indigo - same for my return. I have my fingers crossed that maybe when Apple Airtags come out this will somehow get easier.....

Followup on post in this thread: viewtopic.php?f=123&t=24513

For in-home, per-room type occupancy detection, I'm thinking of a model where each room or area is a "occupancy" device and the user specifies one or more sensors that indicate the area is occupied. Then you could create triggers that identify a room and either an occupied or unoccupied state (and possibly a delay value) which would then trigger actions.

Would that accomplish the goals?

What I do currently (but don't like) is each sensor sets its own variable and a room master variable on trigger. Then depending on what kind of device (motion, door) it then starts a timeout witch at the end clears its own variable, and checks if all others are cleared and if so clears the master. On master being cleared, I then do whatever needs done as no occupancy. This gets very complicated if I have more then three devices, and if they are of different type. As I have to take care of motions reporting no motion, doors being left open, and any re-entries during the timeouts. Really messy.

For instance, (and I never got it right) the garage has door to the house, the main door (for cars) and a side door. I also have two motion detectors, but one is a z-wav and one is from the alarm. (alarms clears instantaneously where z-wave after a short time). So what I would want, is if any door is opened the garage is occupied, if any motion is detected within certain time (10 min for example) then its occupied. If any event happens within the waiting time, I want to reset back to beginning. So if I'm doing something in the garage for a longer time, I don't want the light to be going on and off. I also have a camera that takes a picture (and sends it to me) at the beginning of occupancy, but I don't want that happening continuously if I'm working in the garage. I tried to do this using triggers timers and variables, but never got it quite right, and annoyed my self and more importantly my wife. So I gave up and returned it back to basic light on motion. But then, if I don't move enough I end up with light off (usually in the most inopportune moment ).

I need suggestions for a name for the plugin. I'm currently using "Where am I", but that's a little unwieldy.

My 2 cents:

A. you need reliable sensors
B. if the sensors are not 100% reliable you need a time gate

A. reliability:
1. iBeacons as close to 100% as I can see, I do not recall a false positive or negative in the last 3 years -- only when the battery is empty or I have a bug in the program.
2. BLE connect does a bluetooth ping to iPhone, seems reliable, I would say 95% +
3. fingscan, unifi w AP get a quick (1 sec to 5 sec) UP signal but you need > 10 minutes timer to let them go to down when signal is not there any more as ie iPhones go to sleep and do not say good bye, they simply disappear for several minutes (can be 15+) depending on battery level and if they are on AC power

B. timegate:
use as a time gate: eg door sensors: only x secs before and y secs after door state changes changes for the "sensor" are accepted.
So you get an away state when the iPhone disappears when a door has opened x secs before the iPhone goes to down or you get a home state when the iPhone shows up x secs before or y secs after the door opens. -- That is what the home-away plugin does

There are now really thin bluetooth beacons available: They look like a credit card 1.5 .. 1.8 mm thick = 1.5 - 2 credit cards thick. You can put them into your wallet or stick them on your iPhone case or cut a rectangular hole into the case and fit them in.

I have my iPhone always with me and with this solution I now have a 100% solution to indicate that i am at home... unfortunately my wife sometimes leaves her phone at home and does not want a beacon ..

As I have an RPi in almost all rooms I know also in which room I am ~ 90+% reliable -- have build this now just in case that in the future I don't know where I am any more ..

Karl

I need suggestions for a name for the plugin. I'm currently using "Where am I", but that's a little unwieldy.

Who’s Home?
Occupado
Presence
Present
Resident
Gone
Here



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Who’s Home?
Occupado
Presence
Present
Resident
Gone
Here

OK, some good ideas there. Thanks.

Of all the ideas out there, these are certainly some of them.

I've decided to go with "Occupatum", a Latin riff on one of your suggestions.

[jay (support)]

Sounds vaguely....vulgar? Maybe like someone is trying to be clever when someone knocks on an occupied bathroom door...

Sounds vaguely....vulgar? Maybe like someone is trying to be clever when someone knocks on an occupied bathroom door...

Well, if they knew there was some in there, they wouldn't need to knock.