Location Trigger

[simplextech]

Can I get some more details around triggers with PHLocation?

In the manual it has this:

The "New Location" trigger type will fire whenever user type device is updated with a new location. Select New Location as the trigger type and select a user type device on which to trigger.

Will this only work with a Tracking/Position user or with a GeoFence user?

Will this fire off anytime the Location changes? Can this be enhanced to when location changes and becomes?

I'm trying to see if I can use this for detecting "Home" status for opening the Garage Door for the family. Yes, one user I can do that with IFTTT, but with multiple users and them not technical it becomes problematic with trying to get them to setup accounts etc etc. Easier if I just install EgiGeoZone on their phones and pull a configuration. (wonder if I can push it?? check that later).

Anyways, how can PHLocation be used for triggering Home/Away type events and not fire on every location change?

[randy]

Can I get some more details around triggers with PHLocation?

In the manual it has this:



Will this only work with a Tracking/Position user or with a GeoFence user?

Will this fire off anytime the Location changes? Can this be enhanced to when location changes and becomes?

I'm trying to see if I can use this for detecting "Home" status for opening the Garage Door for the family. Yes, one user I can do that with IFTTT, but with multiple users and them not technical it becomes problematic with trying to get them to setup accounts etc etc. Easier if I just install EgiGeoZone on their phones and pull a configuration. (wonder if I can push it?? check that later).

Anyways, how can PHLocation be used for triggering Home/Away type events and not fire on every location change?

The New Location trigger is only for location devices, not fence devices.

Are you using iOS, Android or something else?

We use iOS. I use iBeacons in every vehicle. These will let me know what person is in which vehicle. For each person I use a home outer fence at 1500 meters and a home fence at 300 meters. For opening a garage door it must be the correct person in the correct vehicle, they must have just
triggered the home inner fence and there must be motion on the driveway.

With a location device, you will have childe devices for city/town, postal code, address, driving distance from known locations, etc. These give you a great deal of flexibility in designing events. With a simple geofence application, you only know if someone just entered or just left a predefined radius around a geographical location.

[simplextech]

The New Location trigger is only for location devices, not fence devices.

Are you using iOS, Android or something else?

We use iOS. I use iBeacons in every vehicle. These will let me know what person is in which vehicle. For each person I use a home outer fence at 1500 meters and a home fence at 300 meters. For opening a garage door it must be the correct person in the correct vehicle, they must have just
triggered the home inner fence and there must be motion on the driveway.

With a location device, you will have childe devices for city/town, postal code, address, driving distance from known locations, etc. These give you a great deal of flexibility in designing events. With a simple geofence application, you only know if someone just entered or just left a predefined radius around a geographical location.

Chalk it up to being a newbie, I was reading the manual and didn't bother to look for "devices" in the possible options. I then went digging around after posting and did see and realize that oh looky here all those devices that were created are listed and have values and I created a couple test events and things are working as hoped.

I don't have any idevices we're all Android. However I was testing the iBeacons concept a few weeks ago. I tested with having beacons in the cars and using raspberry pi's as the "tracker" sending data to MQTT and inside the house it was good, but outside the iBeacons weren't strong enough to be picked up reliably... they would bounce from present/not-present and that was annoying having automations randomly happening. What beacons are you using? What are you using to pick up the signal? I've intrigued now

[randy]

What beacons are you using? What are you using to pick up the signal? I've intrigued now

I am using Twocanoes USB beacons, powered through accessory power in the cars and the motorcycles. I am using the GeoFency app on my phone, which triggers on predefined locations and iBeacons. It posts directly to the PHL server through port forwarding. They are totally reliable and I have never had one fail to trigger or drop out while in proximity. They are at high power, giving them a range of 30-40 feet. Since they are powered off when the cars or bikes are, they only advertise when we are driving. Unfortunately, the Twocanoes iBeacons are no longer sold, but there are others. I like the USB powered as they advertise constantly. The button cell powered devices have a variable advertisement rate and lower power. They were very flakey for me. For iOS we use native iCloud support for location services.

I think EGIGeoZone for the Android supports iBeacons. I am not sure what else there is.

[simplextech]

I am using Twocanoes USB beacons, powered through accessory power in the cars and the motorcycles. I am using the GeoFency app on my phone, which triggers on predefined locations and iBeacons. It posts directly to the PHL server through port forwarding. They are totally reliable and I have never had one fail to trigger or drop out while in proximity. They are at high power, giving them a range of 30-40 feet. Since they are powered off when the cars or bikes are, they only advertise when we are driving. Unfortunately, the Twocanoes iBeacons are no longer sold, but there are others. I like the USB powered as they advertise constantly. The button cell powered devices have a variable advertisement rate and lower power. They were very flakey for me. For iOS we use native iCloud support for location services.

I think EGIGeoZone for the Android supports iBeacons. I am not sure what else there is.

So you use your phones to detect and send the iBeacon signal from the beacon in your car/bike that you are in/on?

I suppose I'm not getting the whole picture of how the iBeacons fit into the picture if the phone and iBeacon are in the same location all the time during "time of use" for doing Geofencing.

[cheeryfool]

So you use your phones to detect and send the iBeacon signal from the beacon in your car/bike that you are in/on?

I suppose I'm not getting the whole picture of how the iBeacons fit into the picture if the phone and iBeacon are in the same location all the time during "time of use" for doing Geofencing.

For my case, which I believe is the same as Randy's (as I absolutely plagiarised his solution) my presence in the vehicle, which is determined by my iPhone being near to the iBeacon in my car, is sent to HS3 by Geofency. I use that as an event condition when I cross a Geofence approaching my house to open the garage door and do other stuff

e.g.

IF I enter my local Geofence
AND IF I am in my car (iPhone local to iBeacon)
Then Open Garage door
Then Do other stuff if required

[randy]

So you use your phones to detect and send the iBeacon signal from the beacon in your car/bike that you are in/on?

I suppose I'm not getting the whole picture of how the iBeacons fit into the picture if the phone and iBeacon are in the same location all the time during "time of use" for doing Geofencing.

Car A iBeacon
Car B iBeacon
User M GeoFence
User R Geofence

If User R is in Car B and enters the home fence and motion is triggered in the driveway, the door is opened.

If user R walks up to the garage or arrives in a different vehicle the door does not open.

The iBeacon is to identify who is in what vehicle. My event logic looks at the iBeacon, user fence, driveway motion and door status (including how long it has been closed). The door will not open again unless it has been closed for at least 5 minutes. Without the iBeacon, the logic would have to open the door whenever I arrive home and trigger driveway motion, regardless of whether or what I am driving.

Most of this is for the motorcycles. If it is raining and arrive home, the door opens for me. If I drive away on a motorcycle, the door will close as soon as I leave my home fence. For security, the door will be closed after 5 minutes and after there has been no driveway or garage motion for 5 minutes.

[Rvtravlr]

We, too, borrowed Randy’s solution. When he wrote about having two fences, one close to home and one further out, it made things so much easier when writing event logic.

Also, with GeoFency, sometimes are iOS phones would skip out of our home fence, set at 50 meters. With the added condition of having an iBeacon paired with the phone, we can assure ourselves that the garage door won’t open “accidentally”.

We live in a PUD and so do not have long driveways. We use PHLocation iCloud and GeoFency, and Blue Iris to trigger our event with conditions similar to Randy’s. The garage door usually opens as we approach our driveway.

When it doesn’t, our 4 year old granddaughter claps her hands and says “Nana, make it open!” As a side note, we got her a clapper for her bedroom and she loves it!

[simplextech]

Car A iBeacon
Car B iBeacon
User M GeoFence
User R Geofence

If User R is in Car B and enters the home fence and motion is triggered in the driveway, the door is opened.

If user R walks up to the garage or arrives in a different vehicle the door does not open.

The iBeacon is to identify who is in what vehicle. My event logic looks at the iBeacon, user fence, driveway motion and door status (including how long it has been closed). The door will not open again unless it has been closed for at least 5 minutes. Without the iBeacon, the logic would have to open the door whenever I arrive home and trigger driveway motion, regardless of whether or what I am driving.

Most of this is for the motorcycles. If it is raining and arrive home, the door opens for me. If I drive away on a motorcycle, the door will close as soon as I leave my home fence. For security, the door will be closed after 5 minutes and after there has been no driveway or garage motion for 5 minutes.

Ok, got it. Neat solution with the double fencing and using the iBeacons as root for the vehicle. I may copy this as well.

First baby steps... figuring out HS3 more to make a go/no-go purchase decision. Things are looking better all the time though.