Re: X10/Room Occupancy/SWMBO acceptance

[Andy Laurence <andy@xxxxxxx>]

> > My SWMBO already uses the Pronto, so, if she switches off the TV
or
> > whatever it is easy just to hit her "bed button",
problem solved. Your
>
> Yeah, but SWMBO is going to bed because I am watching some crap
TiVo
> recorded.
> She doesn't need to use a pronto or any other remote for that matter
in
> order to go to bed - so why should she in the 'improved' automated
home?

What does she do now?  Probably nip upstairs, turn the light on, get
into 
bed and turn it off again.  This way she could click a button on
pronto, 
or hit the 'goodnight' button conveniently placed on the headboard. 
This 
would set the room to auto-lights-on=0 so she wasn't woken up by the cat
or whatever.  If she wants the light on, she just hits the
lightswitch.  
By my reckoning, that's one thing *less* she has to do as the bedroom 
lights will turn on for her as she walks in, and she turns them off 
manually.

> Maybe once you are fully automated then the "hassle" of
picking up the
> remote and pressing "Nite Nite SWMBO" is more than
compensated for by
> the fact that all the required lights come on in front of swmbo and
go
> out behind her and the electric blanket warms the bed etc etc
> automagically, but until then, it would be an extra unnecessary (to
her)
> step and why should she have to do it?

The same reason she has to turn a light off now.

> But to make it a s transparent as possible, you NEED to be able to
> manually override it.

Without a doubt.

> I don't want to end up having to hand out crib sheets to guests on
what
> they should and should not do - DON'T close the curtains manually,
Don't
> use the switch built into the bedside lamp, use this keyfob/stick
on
> switch/wave your arms about.

You'd be mad to remove the lightswitches so people can't turn lights 
on/off.  Surely the automatic lighting would run seperately to the
manual 
on/off lightswitches?

> If I can have a light come on automatically and pleasantly surprise
a
> guest/SWMBO the fine - but I also want it to work if they use the
wall
> switch out of ignorance/fear/whatever of the auto activation....

Yup, I'd agree with that.  You'd probably want a degree of automation
on 
that though.  If someone manually turns a light on, then the light
will 
turn off again after x minutes of inactivity.

> I was thinking that once SWMBO turns off the light that it would not
be
> automatically activated again that evening on the basis that she's
> asleep and if she needs a p*sh, she'll probably want to do it in
the
> dark rather than blind both of us with lights!

Yup, I'd go with that option.  Probably turn the landing half on or
something like that though.  Just keep the bedroom dark to not disturb
the 
other person.

> > In order for any automation system to act it needs to be
> > "told" what to
> > do, therefore, to have events run differently at different times
or
> > based on whether (for example as in this case) someone is in
> > bed or not
> > the controller needs to know that the person has indeed gone to
bed.
> > Somehow you have to tell it that!
>
> Yes, but if I forget to tell it anything, I don't want to find that
I
> now can't turn on the light because the house doesn't think I should
be
> able to or whatever.

IMO, that'd be poor programming.  You should have your system
programmed 
so everything works as it does without automation.  You then add 
automation techniques to add usability and/or efficiency to the current
system.  For example, the lights turn on when you walk in the room so
you 
don't need to hit the switch.

> This is one reaosn I'm only looking at 'simple'
> automation of a few devices rather than full blown don't touch a
thing,
> the house does it all type automation.

Surely that's the point of it.  You want to go to bed, so you hit the
'bed' button which switches off lights as you leave the room, and arms the
alarm.  That's easier than before, and doesn't interfere with anything
else.

> Who was it mentioned on the list a few months back about the house
> sitter who dared to manually close the curtains, resulting in the
house
> getting totally confused and closing them during the day and
opening
> them again at night?   This is the sort of scenario I Want
to avoid, so
> I will not be automating my curtains!

That's a bit OTT, IMO.  Because someone had a problem with their
curtains, 
you'll not install them?  Do you only fly with Quantas?

> > IME (bitter), doing this using times or basing it on device
status is
> > far, far to unreliable and results in errors which is
ultimately
> > self-defeating as then SWMBO will view the system as
fundamentally
> > flawed from the get-go.
>
> What I'm trying to avoid if possible!

That's the holy grail.  Even Tivo has had some flaws such as cutting
off 
ends of recordings (bloody BBC), and it causes me to watch more TV! 
SWMBO 
loves being able to go shopping at any time and still watch Eastenders 
though.  We rarely watch live TV now.

Andy
-- 
Building a community network for Bristol
http://consume.andylaurence.co.uk
- updated 04/08
4x4 in town - bog brush for your teeth
NB: Alternate E-Mail - andylaurence at yahoo dot co dot uk

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