Entry/Exit Zones & Assumed Presence

Entry/Exit zones and Assumed Presence work together to provide smarter occupancy detection. This feature tracks when people enter or leave a room, and maintains occupancy state even when targets move out of sensor range.

Note: This feature is only available for Everything Presence Lite (EPL).

The Problem This Solves

Standard mmWave detection has a limitation: if someone sits very still or moves to a position the sensor can't see, occupancy may drop to "unoccupied" even though someone is still in the room.

Entry/Exit detection solves this by:

1. Tracking when someone enters through a doorway

2. Tracking when someone exits through a doorway

3. Maintaining "assumed presence" until an exit is detected

How It Works

1. Entry Zone - A zone placed at a doorway or entry point

2. Entry Detection - When a target crosses into the entry zone from outside, an "entry" event fires

3. Exit Detection - When a target crosses out of the entry zone to outside, an "exit" event fires

4. Assumed Presence - After an entry, the room is considered occupied until an exit occurs (or timeout)

Setting Up Entry Zones

Step 1: Create an Entry Zone

1. Open the Zone Editor

2. Click Add Zone

3. Draw a zone covering the doorway area

4. In the zone properties, set Type to Entry

Step 2: Position the Zone Correctly

The entry zone should:

• Cover the full width of the doorway

• Extend far enough into the room to detect crossing

• Not overlap with other zones

Tip: Make entry zones larger than the physical door opening to ensure reliable detection.

Step 3: Save to Device

Click Save to Device to push the entry zone configuration to your EPL.

Understanding Entry/Exit Events

Entry Event

Triggered when:

• A target appears in the entry zone

• The target was not previously tracked (came from outside sensor range)

Exit Event

Triggered when:

• A target leaves the entry zone

• The target moves toward the outside (away from room center)

• The target disappears from tracking while in the entry zone

Assumed Presence

Assumed Presence keeps the room marked as "occupied" based on entry/exit counting rather than live detection.

Assumed Presence Entity

The EPL exposes an entity for assumed presence:

• binary_sensor.[device]_assumed_presence

Use this in automations for more reliable occupancy detection.

Configuration Options

Assumed Presence Timeout

Maximum time to maintain assumed presence without detecting any movement. Acts as a safety net in case an exit was missed.

Default: 30 minutes

Setting this value:

• Too short: Room may show empty while still occupied

• Too long: Room may show occupied after everyone left (if exit was missed)

• Recommended: 30-60 minutes for most rooms

Use Cases

Reliable Bathroom Occupancy

Problem: Someone sits still in the bathroom and occupancy drops

Solution:

1. Place entry zone at bathroom door

2. Use Assumed Presence entity for automations

3. Lights stay on until exit is detected

Living Room with Blind Spots

Problem: Couch is partially hidden from sensor

Solution:

1. Entry zone at room entrance

2. Assumed Presence maintains occupancy when someone is on the couch

3. Regular zones cover the visible areas

Office Room with Multiple Entry Points

Setup:

1. Place entry zones at each door

2. All entries/exits are tracked

3. Room shows occupied until everyone leaves

Combining with Regular Zones

For best results, use entry zones alongside regular zones:

Entities Created

Troubleshooting Entry/Exit

Next Steps

• Zone Editor - Create and configure zones

• Troubleshooting - More help with zone issues