I’m starting to work on using NFC + PLEG + Virtual Devices + Tasker + AutHomation + NFC Retag to automate my Home Security & Occupancy.
While not 100% passive, it is simple and less work than using a traditional security keypad.
Each doorway will have an NFC tag. Users will scan the tag when entering/exiting, and the logic in Vera will handle “tracking” the users and determining when to enable/disable Security and Occupancy modes.
Would love to get feedback on approach, user experiences doing this type of thing, etc.
thx!
initial thoughts around structure…
Required:
Tasker with Vera Plugin (Authomation/AutoVera) - to read the NFC tag and send command to Vera, different for each doorway
PLEG - for logic to
VERA VIRTUAL DEVICES for tracking
vHome[name]
… Virtual Device tracking Home/Away for each person separately, one for each phone
… stores if person isHome/Away (true/false)
vOccupied
… Virtual Device, one device to track if Home is Occupied/Empty (true/false)
SCENE WORKFLOW
NFC tag trigger (different URL for each tag - determines which entry, and what doors to unlock when entering)
Tasker checks status of vHome[name]
IF vHome[name] = True (Leaving Home)
Set vHome[name] = False
PLEG check all vHOME devices
Set vOccupied = True if any vHome devices are True
IF vOccupied = True, end scene
IF vOccupied = False THEN trigger Scene LEAVING
IF vHome[name] = False (Returning Home)
Set vHome[name] = True
trigger Scene RETURNING (tag variable)
PLEG check all vHOME devices
Set vOccupied = True if any vHome devices are True
Scenarios
Travel On Foot
Front Door
… Leaving scene
… Returning scene + Front Door Unlock
Laundry Room Door
… Leaving scene
… Returning scene + Laundry Room Door Unlock
Travel by Car
Laundry Room Door
… Leaving scene
… Returning scene + Laundry Room Door Unlock
How did you achieve this? I have the Yale Touchscreen version and I cannot find settings when setting up a trigger that specifies locked or unlocked from the outside vs. inside. I would really like the ability to tell and base triggers off it.
Here are the options I see in my Vera Lite Firmware1.5.622
A door is locked or unlocked
-Device is opened
-Device is closed
Bas PIN Code entered
A PIN Code is entered
Lock Button is pressed
Lock Fails to operate
User code entered outside of valid date
Low Battery
Very low battery
Battery level goes below
A code was changed using the lock keypad
Just to add a bit of clarity on this comment, this plugin uses iCloud information using httpS ( so encrypted communication ) and basic authentication (therefore encrypted as on a SSL channel ) using the user specific email & password. Also it does not require any client side ( phone ) applicaton. so overall, not really sure what there is unsecure about this. But I do realize this is not a universal method to determine if someone is home or not. it is obviously limited to people using apple device and accepting the phone reports there location. that could be a reason not to use it, but I am not sure security is a concern here.
i currently working on something similar, where the subject is the trigger command and the body is used for authentication.
(but this running on my imac for now … which i dont really like)
well i will get me a old appletv or somethings to store some other things like datamine in mysql and so on.
install postfix on it to this things on a more permanent base, since the vera is pretty much useless for anything except consuming electricity.