BT Near frustration

[coyote1]

I'm trying to utilize Tasker to do the following: when any paired Bluetooth comes within range of the Android tablet running Tasker, then Tasker starts a task. The tablet is always on, with the screen always lit.

I don't want to have to manually do anything. A paired phone in my pocket, for instance, should be detected by the tablet as I approach it and the task should be triggered. Yet it's not happening!

Am I misunderstanding how this utility is supposed to work? Or are there settings (& perhaps other plugins) that will make this work as desired?

Btw, the task is to have Smartthings automatically turn on the porch light. It works if I turn bluetooth off on my phone, and then turn it back on a couple minutes later. And I can trigger that in Tasker via Bluetoith AutoConnect by turning on the display, and it catches the light from outside occasionally. I wa hoping for better....

 

[coyote1]

Just a bit more detail: the ultimate goal is to have the light go on, and the (schlage connect) lock auto-open, when my wife arrives. She goes for a walk with her 4th generation iPod touch, and I'd like the door to unlock as she walks up the walkway without her having to enter a code. She comes back from shopping in her bluetooth connected car, and I'd like the front door to auto-unlock so she doesn't have to fiddle with the lock while carrying bags of groceries. Both the car and the ipod have been paired to an android tablet.

My thought is that this tablet, sitting near the front door, should be able to 'ping' the bluetooth world for its paired devices every few seconds and, when it sees one has arrived nearby, take an action.
(Secondarily I'd also like it if when the tablet no longer sees one of those paired devices nearby, it takes another action.)

But it's not working out that way.

 

[Brian Russell]

OK, Problem 1 is getting the tablet to "ping" the outside world. Problem 2 is getting it to do the Smartthings things when it detects a certain device. Problem 3 is doing something when disconnected from a certain device. You say you've solved Problem 2 ("It works if I turn bluetooth off on my phone, and then turn it back on a couple minutes later.").

Problem 1 (basic solution)
The tablet will seek a connection using Bluetooth Auto Connect when BT is turned on, so let's turn it off & on at regular intervals with Tasker. With the setup below, Tasker will see BT is on, wait 5 seconds, turn it off, wait 5 seconds, turn it on... You'll want to play with the wait intervals to work in the real world (connecting may take >5seconds), but it's an easy starting framework.

1. Create a new task: BT Loop
   1. Task->Wait->5 seconds
   2. Net->Bluetooth->Set Off
   3. Task->Wait->5 seconds
   4. Net->Bluetooth->Set On
2. Create a new profile: State->Net->BT Status->On
   1. Select BT Loop as the task to run for this profile.

Problem 3
We want to set things up so that having the iPod connected triggers action/inaction.

1. Create a new task: Empty Wait
   1. Tasker->Wait->1 second
2. Create a new profile: iPod Connected
   1. State->Net->BT Connected->[Use the magnifying glass next to Name or Address with BT on to be able to select from a list of paired devices]->Select the device
   2. Select Empty Wait as the task to run.

Problem 3a
If you want to keep bluetooth on as long as the tablet is connected to the iPod, make BT Loop run if BT is on and iPod Connected isn't active.

1. Long-press on the BT Status On condition in BT Loop to add a condition.
2. State->Tasker->Profile Active->[Use the magnifying glass to select iPod Connected]->Invert

Problem 3b
To have other things happen when iPod connects, set up profiles that trigger tasks when iPod Connected is active.

Problem 3c
To have other things happen when iPod disconnects, set up profiles that trigger tasks when iPod Connected is active. Use Empty Wait for the primary task, then create & select other tasks as exit tasks. This way tasks won't just run willy-nilly when iPod isn't connected, but they'll be triggered when iPod Connected becomes inactive.

I hope this is helpful. I obviously can't cover everything you want to do click-by-click, but this should get you going. Doing this for multiple devices may get a little complicated, but you can work out the conditions needed for various profiles that would trigger BT Loop.

Good luck!