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    True Occupancy Sensor

    Since Insteon first came out I’ve wanted a true occupancy sensor. You see these in many commercial applications to automate lighting and Leviton makes them for residential applications.

    Unlike traditional PIR motion detectors, the occupancy sensor is designed to sense presence. So if you are sitting on the couch, the lights won’t accidentally turn off on you.

    I would like to see a wireless ceiling mount sensor with both passive infrared and ultrasonic sensors.
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    #2
    There is no motion sensor that depends on presence only. All require some motion, although there are some extremely sensitive sensors.

    PIR sensors detect occupants’ presence by sensing the difference between heat emitted by moving people and background heat. Ultrasonic sensors detect the presence of people by sending out ultrasonic sound waves into a space and measuring the speed at which they return. They look for frequency changes caused by a moving person.

    But, I do like your idea of including both sensors which will increase sensitivity.
    Message from Forum Admin: stusviews passed away in April 2018. Stu was a huge fan of Insteon and a huge presence on both the Smarthome and Insteon forums, helping thousands of us along the way (he had nearly 20,000 posts to his name). We thank him for his contributions, dedication, and passion for making the Smart Home a reality. He will truly be missed.
    Saving energy is not always free. Be a world saver.

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      #3
      Originally posted by Nexus View Post
      Since Insteon first came out I’ve wanted a true occupancy sensor. You see these in many commercial applications to automate lighting and Leviton makes them for residential applications.

      Unlike traditional PIR motion detectors, the occupancy sensor is designed to sense presence. So if you are sitting on the couch, the lights won’t accidentally turn off on you.

      I would like to see a wireless ceiling mount sensor with both passive infrared and ultrasonic sensors.


      Perhaps you could have motion sensors that also detect presence of a Bluetooth device like your phone. Then the sensor will know you're movements as well as location

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        #4
        Or perhaps these combination IR and Ultrasound devices would be more accurate. From reading the reviews it looks like they work much better and don't turn the lights off on you if you don't move

        http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003DA4NY8/...5e61312f9646_S
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          #5
          Where does it indicate that they, "don't turn the lights off on you if you don't move?"
          Message from Forum Admin: stusviews passed away in April 2018. Stu was a huge fan of Insteon and a huge presence on both the Smarthome and Insteon forums, helping thousands of us along the way (he had nearly 20,000 posts to his name). We thank him for his contributions, dedication, and passion for making the Smart Home a reality. He will truly be missed.
          Saving energy is not always free. Be a world saver.

          Comment


            #6
            Originally posted by stusviews View Post
            Where does it indicate that they, "don't turn the lights off on you if you don't move?"

            Just from reading the reviews of this type of device:


            5.0 out of 5 stars This is my second, works perfectly, love it!, December 29, 2014
            By
            Scott Turner "EngineerBoy" (Texas, USA) - See all my reviews
            (REAL NAME)




            Verified Purchase(What's this?)
            This review is from: Leviton OSSMT-MDI Ultrasonic/Infrared, Dual-Relay Multi-Technology Wall Switch sensor, 2400 Sq. Ft Major & 400 Sq. Ft Minor Motion Coverage, Ivory (Tools & Home Improvement)
            I have a home office, and for those of you who work remotely you know you're never sure when your work day ends. That means that there's never a 'turn-out-the-lights' moment to my day in the office, and I often ended up leaving my lights on for days at a time, or at least for several hours longer than necessary if I turned them off when shutting down the house for bed time.

            I tried a 'motion sensing' switch from a big box hardware store, but it wasn't sensitive enough to detect my presence in the office if I were sitting relatively still, like if I were concentrating on something for a long time. However, this Leviton unit is able to detect presence in the office almost perfectly.

            Also, this model requires that you have access to the 'neutral' wire at the switch location. This allows it to maintain power to the sensor without 'leaking' current through the line. It also allows this unit to properly support low-voltage (e.g. LED) lighting without any issues. They also sell a version of this occupancy sensor that does not require access to the neutral wire, but it 'leaks' voltage in order to get current for the sensor to operate, which will cause LED and CFL bulbs to potentially glow with faint light, and you may need to leave at least one incandescent bulb in the circuit to allow for enough current draw for proper operation.

            Wiring details aside, this unit works perfectly in day-to-day use. The lights come on instantly when I enter the office, and turn off shortly after I leave (15-20 minutes). There are a lot of settings and options, but what I learned with my first unit at a previous home is that leaving it at the defaults works best for me.

            The unit even has 'walk-through' logic, meaning that if it senses occupancy for a brief period, and then nothing else, it will shut off after a couple of minutes, assuming it was just a temporary walk through the space.

            Bottom line is that if need a sensor that is more accurate than the generic (cheaper) ones at the big box stores, this one works great.

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              #7
              "However, this Leviton unit is able to detect presence in the office almost perfectly," is not the same as your claim, "if you don't move." Almost is not the same as no movement at all.
              Message from Forum Admin: stusviews passed away in April 2018. Stu was a huge fan of Insteon and a huge presence on both the Smarthome and Insteon forums, helping thousands of us along the way (he had nearly 20,000 posts to his name). We thank him for his contributions, dedication, and passion for making the Smart Home a reality. He will truly be missed.
              Saving energy is not always free. Be a world saver.

              Comment


                #8
                I guess another analogy is being *Half Pregnant*. You either are pregnant or your not!
                Teken . . .

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