Presence sensor for TV auto-shutoff

[telinal]

Hello everyone, I have what I think should be a fairly simple application question for any of you automation gurus...

The application I need is to be able to turn off a device (for example a TV) after everyone in the room has left (and forgot to turn the TV off!). In order to do that I was thinking about using the existing motion detector in the room to integrate it with some sort of device which could control sending an RF command to turn the TV off after a certain amount of time has passed. What I am hoping is that I could use the existing alarm system motion detector to reset the timer as long as there is movement in the room.

Any ideas how and if this type of "integration" can be achieved, and what other HW/SW would I need to put all this together?

I gave it some thought, and approached it from a "local solution" by wiring directly at the IR sensor in the room, or a more elegant "cetralized" solution and to integrate at the DSC832 alarm panel box as input, for example, to an Ocelot to control the sending of the on-off command (via IR, X10 or ??)....

Thank you in advance,

Frank

 

[bfisher]

Welcome to CocoonTech.

I have performed similar activities to what you are looking for, but with a different approach - maybe this will help...

- I do not turn the TV off based on motion. Suppose someone is watching a movie and doesn't move? Or falls asleep - I don't want to turn off the TV and wake them up.

- I have a timer inside my HVPro that monitors channels changing, volume adjustments, TiVo fast forward, etc. This let's me know someone is active with the TV.

- When I want to turn off the TV, I use IR - not X10 (actually, I don't use X10 anywhere - I use UPB - but just to answer your question above)

- The only times I will automatically turn off the TV: the house goes into Away or Vacation mode (different, but have similar logic for the electronics); or the house goes into Goodnight mode. Otherwise, if the TV is on - leave it on.

Hope these ideas help you think of some ways of handling your logic. As for the hardware side, I use Xantach IR (have a receiver and emitter on each TV) and HomeVision Pro to manage it (it knows all my IR - so it can tell when a TV is turned on/off, volume adjusted, channels changed, etc). My motion sensors are Caddx, tied into HVPro via Serial connection.

Hope it helps.

<edit: sorry - should have told you why I have IR emitters on each TV. Besides controlling power, my HVPro also can control what is on the TV. For example, in babysitter mode - the TV will automatically switch inputs to the Satellite receiver instead of our TiVo (too hard to teach a babysitter how to use our TiVo, etc). Also, if there is an alert in my HVPro (such as garage door is open, or doorbell rung, or garbage night, etc), it can automatically display that on the TVs PIP, etc. >

 

[electron]

I wouldn't use motion sensors either. I would use pressure sensors (such as the SureAction Pulsor series) if you have access to the joists, or maybe a good occupancy sensor, but those can be pretty expensive.

 

[upstatemike]

A more appropriate sensor for this application would probably be an Electric Field Proximity Sensor similiar to this one.

 

[elcano]

While I have concrete floors, I have considered installing SureAction's Pulsors in the frame of my bed. Installing them in the HT sofa would be a good idea too. I would combine it with the motion sensor, since my wife says that she can see the TV while cleaning the house. I dont know how she can.

 

[Guy Lavoie]

I would combine it with the motion sensor, since my wife says that she can see the TV while cleaning the house. I dont know how she can.

In that case, use conditional logic that allows the TV to stay on if the room is unoccupied and the central vac is running! B)

 

[telinal]

[/QUOTE] In that case, use conditional logic that allows the TV to stay on if the room is unoccupied and the central vac is running! biggrin.gif

You should give Guy´s advice some serious thought to insure a high WAF !!

Thank you all for the advice. I am impressed to see how a relatively simple project got so many options for me to consider in such a short time. Becoming a member of Cocoon was definitely worth the time. Now comes the fun part: choose a solution and implement it. I´ll let you know how it turns out.

Rgds, Frank

BTW: I live way down south, in Chile. So I have a few additional "challenges" such as getting the right products for a 220VAC 50Hz power grid!

 

[Mike C]

A more appropriate sensor for this application would probably be an Electric Field Proximity Sensor similiar to this one.

I wonder if there is a retail version of this? It would make a great HA product unless its finicky and requires constant attention..

 

[WayneW]

I don't know (or don't remember) why he chose/had to take it off the market. It was popular back in '97 or so. I think it got pulled in late 2000. As I recall it was a bit finicky and had to be carefully adjusted for each install, but it did work.

 

[upstatemike]

I don't know (or don't remember) why he chose/had to take it off the market. It was popular back in '97 or so. I think it got pulled in late 2000. As I recall it was a bit finicky and had to be carefully adjusted for each install, but it did work.

I have one in my basement that I never even took out of the box. Still plan to try it out someday. I don't think he stopped offering it for any technical reason. I think the sales volume just wasn't enough to justify the support hassle.