Safe Lighting Activation for Late Arrivals

S.C.O.R.E. → Safety → Security

Overview

This capability ensures that your home lights up safely and appropriately when you arrive late at night and press the doorbell. It enhances security and comfort by illuminating the entrance area, helping you navigate safely.

Benefits

• Improved safety for homeowners arriving home late
• Enhanced visibility for guests to find their way
• Increased security by deterring potential intruders with lighting

Intent

The purpose of this capability is to automatically activate safe lighting in response to the doorbell being pressed when a late arrival is detected. This results in a well-lit entryway, providing safety and reassurance to the homeowner and guests.

Preconditions

• Smart doorbell (e.g., Ring Video Doorbell 2) installed and operational.
• Smart lighting system (e.g., Philips Hue) configured.
• Home capability platform (e.g., Home Assistant) set up.
• Home Assistant installed and configured.
• Integration available and authenticated: Zigbee2MQTT.
• Device installed and reachable: Ring Video Doorbell 2.

Actors

• Homeowner returning home late
• Guests arriving at the home

Trigger

The event that starts this capability is the pressing of the doorbell button, which signals the system to check the time and activate the lighting sequence.

Workflow Diagram

flowchart TD
    A[Doorbell Pressed] -->|check time| B{{Is it late?}}
    B -->|Yes| C[Activate Safe Lighting]
    C --> D[Illuminate Entryway]
    B -->|No| E[Exit without Action]

Workflow Description

1. Detect Doorbell Press

The system detects the doorbell being pressed using the smart doorbell’s notification.

2. Check Time of Day

The home capability platform checks the current time to determine if it’s considered ‘late’ (e.g., after 9 PM).

3. Activate Safe Lighting

If the time is late, the system sends a command to the smart lighting to turn on the exterior lights.

4. Illuminate Entryway

The entryway lights turn on, providing visibility for the homeowner and guests.

5. Notify Homeowner

Optionally, the system can send a notification to the homeowner’s smartphone confirming the lights have been activated.

Postconditions

The entryway is well-lit, providing a safe and welcoming environment for the homeowner and guests upon arrival.

Optional Enhancements

• Add a delay for lights to turn off after a set period once the entryway is illuminated
• Include a voice announcement via smart speaker confirming the lights are on
• Integrate with security cameras to capture a video clip of the arrival

Recommended Components

Source Examples

• Mark Watt Tech (youtube)
• Mark Watt Tech (youtube)