Smart Rules

Smart rules act as the brains of your system.  They tell the system what to do if certain conditions exist.  The table below helps illustrate some of the possibilities.

If This Occurs:

  • Certain time of day
  • Mode is home/away/night
  • Alarm siren/strobe/both turn on/off
  • Someone arrives/leaves
  • Button is held/pressed
  • Contact sensor is opened/closed
  • CO is detected/cleared/tested
  • Door is opened/closed
  • Lock is locked/unlocked
  • Humidity goes above/below/equal to value
  • Motion sensor detects motion / motion ends
  • Switch turns on/off
  • Temperature goes above/below/equal to value
  • Water sensor becomes wet/dry
  • Valve is opened/closed

While This Is True/False:

  • Time is before/after specific value
  • Time is before/after sunrise/sunset
  • Day of the week is
  • Mode is home/away/night
  • Alarm siren/strobe/both are on/off
  • Button is held/pressed
  • Contact sensor is open/closed
  • CO sensor is detecting/clear/testing
  • Light is on/off
  • Door is open/closed
  • Humidity is above/below/equal to value
  • Lock is locked/unlocked
  • Motion sensor is/is not detecting motion
  • Switch is on/off
  • Temperature is above/below/equal to value
  • Water sensor is wet/dry
  • Valve is open/closed

Then Do This:

  • Run a routine
  • Change mode
  • Notify via SMS/push notification
  • Turn a switch on/off or flash it
  • Turn alarm siren/strobe/both on/off
  • Take a picture with a camera
  • Open/close a door
  • Lock/unlock a lock
  • Speak text with a speech synthesizer
  • Beep a tone device
  • Open/close a valve

 

Sample Rules

Here are just a few of the types of rules that can be integrated into your system.

Alerts

  • Arrival/Departure Alerts: receive an alert such as “Jane Jones has left home” when your loved one leaves their residence.
  • Absence Alert: receive an alert such as “Jane Jones has been away from home for an extended period” if your loved one fails to return home within a specified period of time.
  • Inactivity Alert: receive an alert such as “Jane Jones has been inactive for an extended period” if there has been no activity at your loved one’s home within a specified amount of time during a specified period of the day.
  • Bathroom Alert: receive an alert such as “Jane Jones has not returned from bathroom” if your loved one does not return from the bathroom within a certain amount of time.
  • Door Unopened Alert: receive an alert such as “Jane Jones has not open the refrigerator ” if the door not opened by certain time of day.
  • Door Not Closed Alert: receive an alert such as “The freezer door has been left open at Jane Jones’ home” if the door is not closed within a specified period.
  • Temperature Alert: receive an alert such as “The temperature has dropped below 60 degrees” if the temperature in the home drops below or rises above a specified temperature.
  • Water Alert: receive an alert such as “Water detected in Jane Jones’ basement” should a moisture sensor detect moisture.
  • Intrusion Alert: receive an alert such as “Potential intruder at Jane Jones’ home” should motion be detected when your loved one is away from home.
  • Vibration Alert: receive an alert such as “The sump pump has been activated at Jane Jones’ home” or “The washing machine has finished its cycle” should a sensor detect a vibration change.
  • Voice Alert: play a pre-defined message such as “Call your son as soon as possible”, repeating on a defined schedule, when a virtual switch is activated.

Automation

  • Time-Based Lights: automatically turn on and turn off lights at specific times of the day.
  • Motion-Based Lights: automatically turn on lights if motion is detected.
  • Presence-Based Lights: automatically turn on exterior and interior lights when you arrive home.
  • Flash Lights: automatically flash exterior lights if security system detects an intrusion.
  • Garage Door: automatically close garage door after specified period of time if left open accidentally.
  • Lock Door: automatically lock the door after a specified period of time.
  • Sound Effects: automatically play the sound of barking dogs if security system detects an intrusion.

Voice Commands

  • Light Control: tell Alexa to turn on or off the lights.
  • Thermostat Control: ask Alexa to set the thermostat to a specific temperature.
  • Music Control: ask Alexa to play songs on your smart speaker.

Exception Versus Confirmation Alerts

Most times, people only want to receive an alert for an exception situation (e.g., mom failed to get out of bed, she failed to return from the bathroom, etc.).  However, some people prefer to receive confirmation alerts when something happens (e.g., mom opened her medicine cabinet, she got out of bed this morning, etc.).  When type of alert you want to receive is up to you.