back_garden_README.md

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Back Garden Package Documentation

The back garden package covers two things: shed security and one light-level blind helper. It logs shed door decisions, alerts on unexpected motion in a closed shed, and opens Leo's bedroom blinds when back-garden brightness has dropped below the configured direct-sun threshold.

Quick Summary

For non-technical users, the important behavior is:

Area	What Happens
Shed door	When the shed door closes, the system logs whether the conservatory camera should stay on because of alarm or conservatory-door context.
Shed motion	Motion inside the shed while the shed door is closed sends a direct notification.
Light-level blinds	If back-garden illuminance stays below the configured threshold for 10 minutes, Leo's bedroom blinds may open before children's bedtime.

Package Contents

File	Purpose	Contents
back_garden.yaml	Shed security and back-garden light-level response	3 automations

How The Back Garden Decides What To Do

flowchart TB
    ShedDoor[binary_sensor.shed_door] --> DoorClosed[Shed: Door Closed]
    ShedMotion[binary_sensor.shed_motion] --> MotionAlert[Shed: Motion Detected When Door Is Closed]
    Alarm[alarm_control_panel.house_alarm] --> DoorClosed
    ConservatoryDoor[binary_sensor.conservatory_door] --> DoorClosed
    LightLevel[sensor.back_garden_motion_illuminance] --> Sunlight[Back Garden: Below Direct Sun Light]
    Threshold[input_number.close_blinds_brightness_threshold] --> Sunlight
    Bedtime[input_datetime.childrens_bed_time] --> Sunlight
    BlindThreshold[input_number.blind_closed_position_threshold] --> Sunlight

    DoorClosed --> Log[Home log]
    MotionAlert --> Notify[Direct notification]
    Sunlight --> LeoBlinds[cover.leos_bedroom_blinds]

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User Controls

Entity	Plain-English Purpose
input_number.close_blinds_brightness_threshold	Outdoor brightness threshold used to detect when direct sunlight has dropped.
input_number.blind_closed_position_threshold	Position threshold used to decide whether blinds count as closed enough to open.
input_datetime.childrens_bed_time	Latest time the Leo blind-opening helper can run.

Everyday Behavior

Shed Security

Automation	Trigger	Result
Shed: Door Closed	binary_sensor.shed_door changes from on to off	Logs why the conservatory camera should stay on or can be turned off.
Shed: Motion Detected When Door Is Closed	binary_sensor.shed_motion changes from off to on while the shed door is off	Sends a direct notification that motion was detected in the shed while shut.

Power-user note: Shed: Door Closed currently logs the camera decision only. It does not call a camera service.

flowchart TD
    Closed[Shed door closed] --> Armed{Alarm disarmed?}
    Armed -->|No| KeepAlarm[Log: keep camera on because alarm is armed]
    Armed -->|Yes| Conservatory{Conservatory door open?}
    Conservatory -->|Yes| KeepDoor[Log: keep camera on because conservatory door is open]
    Conservatory -->|No| CanOff[Log: turning conservatory camera off]

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Light-Level Blind Helper

Back Garden: Below Direct Sun Light triggers when sensor.back_garden_motion_illuminance stays below input_number.close_blinds_brightness_threshold for 10 minutes.

Condition	Result
cover.bedroom_blinds current position is below input_number.blind_closed_position_threshold and it is before input_datetime.childrens_bed_time	Opens cover.leos_bedroom_blinds.
Either condition is false	Only logs the brightness event.

Power-user note: the condition checks the current_position attribute on cover.bedroom_blinds, but the action opens cover.leos_bedroom_blinds.

Power-User Details

Automation	ID	Mode	Notes
Shed: Door Closed	1618158789152	single	Uses ordered choose branches for alarm and conservatory-door context.
Shed: Motion Detected When Door Is Closed	1618158998129	single	Requires shed door state off.
Back Garden: Below Direct Sun Light	1660894232445	single	No season condition; runs whenever the brightness trigger fires.

Entity Reference

Entity	Purpose
binary_sensor.shed_door	Shed door contact.
binary_sensor.shed_motion	Shed motion sensor.
alarm_control_panel.house_alarm	Alarm state used in shed-door logging.
binary_sensor.conservatory_door	Conservatory door state used in shed-door logging.
sensor.back_garden_motion_illuminance	Back-garden brightness sensor.
cover.bedroom_blinds	Position reference used before opening Leo's blinds.
cover.leos_bedroom_blinds	Blind opened by the back-garden light-level helper.
script.send_to_home_log	Shared logging script.
script.send_direct_notification	Shared direct notification script.

Troubleshooting

Issue	Check
Shed motion alert did not fire	Confirm binary_sensor.shed_motion changed from off to on while binary_sensor.shed_door was off.
Shed camera decision looks wrong	Check alarm_control_panel.house_alarm and binary_sensor.conservatory_door states at the time the shed door closed.
Leo's blinds did not open	Check brightness was below threshold for 10 minutes, time was before input_datetime.childrens_bed_time, and cover.bedroom_blinds position was below the closed threshold.