Z-Wave Occupancy Switch - Does it exist?

Has anyone come across a Z-Wave occupancy switch? I really like the stand alone occupancy switches/dimmers since my house has lots of separate rooms but I would like to be able to set up scenes for when they come on and for how long. For example I would want the living room light to stay off when watching a movie or to come on for only a minute when the dogs are moving around in the middle of the night and not for the 20 minutes I normally have it set for.

Does anyone have any ideas? I know I can do this with a separate motion sensor and some z-wave switches but I would really like to have them combined. My idea combination would allow me to use/control the switch and the motion sensor (hard wired so no batteries needed) separately in the same device from Vera.

This patent from Leviton is may be for such a device: US20110282509A1 - Occupancy based switching with advance notification - Google Patents

My guess is since Leviton filed a patent is exactly why no device (other than one from Leviton) might exist. This is why almost all lower-cost Z-wave devices don’t support instant status update (bi-directional communication) except the higher priced ones from Cooper, Leviton, etc since someone has to pay the licensing fees.

An electrical box z-wave motion sensor would indeed be an interesting device to have.

-TC

It appears that the patent application from Leviton may not be granted due (information from the patent file wrapper) due to prior art from this patent to reduce power consumption to an appliance US20040064218A1 - Supporting bracket for external power-management controller and/or at least one external sensor device that cooperate to reduce electrical power consumption of an appliance - Google Patents. The appliance patent was for a vending machine power control system based off of a occupancy sensor.

Hopefully it goes one way or another so this product can end up on the market. I would honestly be fine if someone had just a z-wave line powered occupancy sensor that could be mounted in a electrical box.

Fyi, Lutron holds the patent for the instant status.

  • Garrett