Private BLE Device Tracking

S.C.O.R.E. → Convenience → DeviceControl

Overview

This capability addresses the challenge of tracking Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) devices that frequently change their MAC addresses, ensuring consistent connectivity and monitoring. It provides homeowners with peace of mind by allowing them to maintain awareness of their BLE devices, enhancing home capability and security.

Benefits

• Improved tracking of BLE devices for better home capability integration.
• Enhanced security by monitoring the presence of potentially misconfigured or rogue devices.
• Convenience of managing multiple BLE devices without the hassle of constantly updating MAC address configurations.

Intent

The purpose of this capability is to simplify the management of BLE devices that frequently change their MAC addresses, enabling users to monitor and interact with these devices seamlessly. The outcome achieved is a reliable connection and tracking system for BLE devices within the home network.

Preconditions

• Home Assistant installed and configured.
• BLE devices that change MAC addresses frequently.
• Bluetooth / BLE integration enabled in Home Assistant.
• Integration available and authenticated: UniFi.
• Device installed and reachable: Unifi Networks.

Actors

• Homeowner
• Family member
• Guest

Trigger

The capability is triggered when a BLE device is detected by the system, prompting it to check for any MAC address changes.

Workflow Diagram

flowchart TD
    A[BLE Device Detected] -->|check MAC| B{{Is MAC address known?}}
    B -->|Yes| C[Track Device]
    C --> D[Update Device Status]
    B -->|No| E[Add New Device]
    E --> D

Workflow Description

1. Detect BLE Device

The system identifies a BLE device in range and initiates tracking.

2. Check MAC Address

The system checks if the detected MAC address is already known in the database.

3. Update Device Status

If the MAC address is known, the status of the device is updated to reflect its current state.

4. Add New Device

If the MAC address is not recognized, the system adds it as a new device for tracking.

5. Notify Homeowner

The homeowner receives a notification of the new device presence or status change.

Postconditions

After the capability completes, the system maintains an updated list of all tracked BLE devices, ensuring accurate monitoring and control.

Optional Enhancements

• Implement alerts for unauthorized BLE devices.
• Integrate with smart home routines based on BLE device presence.
• Provide a dashboard for visual representation of device status.

Recommended Components

Source Examples

• 2026.1: Home is where the dashboard is ?? – Home Assistant (homeassistant)