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Multi-user integration environments

PostPosted: Mon Feb 18, 2013 12:50 pm
by Denebius
Hey guys, I'm new to the forums and Mobilinc, but I'm having a TON of fun using it and really want to see Tasker integration happen.

Here's what I would like to see, and one of my concerns:

My big concern is multi-user environments. What I mean by that, is, it's common for areas to have multiple people who would be users in that location. For instance, my sister lives with my parents, and they all have smartphones. They have a system in their place with some Insteon, an ISY and some other fun stuff (automated door locks that work with the mobilinc/ISY, etc.)

Here's my suggestion for a cool use, as requested by the mods in this area of the forums:
I want to be able to use tasker's location tool to cause a series of actions to occur using the NFC plugin. BUT ONLY if certain circumstances exist.

Let me extrapolate by examples:

My Mom gets home late at night, no one else is home as they are out and about doing things. I want the system to check if ANY device is within a geofence of, say, 200m or so (this may be a tasker event), and IF no one else is nearby (IE no one else is home), then when she swipes her phone over the NFC tag I'll put in her car, the system unlocks the garage door, turns selected lights on, raises the thermostat (in winter/lowers in summer), etc.

As another, related idea, I know I can use tasker to detect if she, or anyone else, leaves that geofence, meaning she goes more than 200m from the home. I then want the system to CHECK to see if ANY of the registered devices are within 200m of the home. If NONE of them are (she is the last one to leave the house), then I will have tasker automatically lower/raise the thermostat, turn off all lights (except maybe a slow rotation to make someone appear at home for security), and lock all the doors. Again tho, it is critical that this action ONLY engages if she is the LAST device to leave the area. Otherwise, it would be quite annoying to be sitting in the living room, reading a book, and the lights go off, and randomly rotate.

I know this is a complex request, but I have absolutely ZERO question that it can be done. And I do know that this may be a multi-user issue with Tasker to get it all working correctly...

But, consider... How often are areas like this multi-user? More often than not, I'd wager. We're going to need certain actions to be able to take place or NOT take place depending, perhaps, on if the device that triggers is the 1st, last, etc device to leave/enter that area.

Just some things to think about. I canNOT wait for this plugin/integration, Mobilinc! Let's get it going. I can think of some VERY cool things to do once we have it!

Thanks all!

Re: Multi-user integration environments

PostPosted: Mon Feb 18, 2013 7:54 pm
by ryanwagner
Denebius - This is the kind of stuff that I want to do, and the reason I requested the ability to update variable values:
viewtopic.php?f=58&t=2569

One recommendation I have for you is that it sounds like you are looking to have Tasker handle a lot of the processing, whereas I think you should have the ISY handle it. For example, keeping variables for each person set on the ISY to indicate whether they are within the 200m radius you described. That way all Tasker has to do is send ONE command when the person leaves the radius, and ONE when they return.

For the NFC question I'd probably have the Tasker integration execute a program that is on the ISY, which will check each of the variables to figure out who is in range. If the correct conditions are met then that program will call another program which will control the thermostat, change the lights, and lock the doors. Again, it would only take one call from the phone to the ISY to trigger all of this to happen, instead of multiple calls for each different action. Not to mention the fact that future management would be easier since you can control what happens with the NFC by updating the programs on the ISY instead of needing to get access to your mom's phone to make the changes.

I'm pretty sure you can accomplish everything you want with this kind of thinking. That would also mean that their Tasker plugin would only need to handle a minimal amount of things (variable manipulation, program execution, and device control).

Just some ideas for you to think about. Offloading a lot of that stuff to the ISY would be both more battery friendly and easier to manage.

Re: Multi-user integration environments

PostPosted: Tue Feb 19, 2013 11:41 am
by AdminWes
Hi folks,

ryanwagner is correct, variable updating is really what you need here to minimize the transactions MobiLinc is doing to your ISY. For that reason, we've included getting variables supported in MobiLinc/Android for our Tasker release.

You should be able to use variables like "people" flags and consolidate your logic into the ISY to make decisions on what to do with lighting/garage/alarm/etc based on your "people" variable flags.

Wes

Re: Multi-user integration environments

PostPosted: Wed Feb 20, 2013 1:24 pm
by Denebius
That's fantastic information and wonderful news!

Thanks to both of you for the replies on this. I'm pretty new to tasker/ISY/Mobilinc (have only been using about 1 whole week now :-)) but I'm already loving it. And the idea that these things that I mentioned I want to do, should be possible, is VERY exciting to me!

I cannot wait for tasker implementation!

Thanks again!

Re: Multi-user integration environments

PostPosted: Wed Jul 24, 2013 11:00 pm
by suman
whatever you said its pretty cool. but i never used the tasker and not even awar of it. i want to used it but dont know where to start i have the smartphone ... can u explain it step by step that hoe to used it?

Re: Multi-user integration environments

PostPosted: Thu Jul 25, 2013 5:55 am
by AdminWes