Adjustable dwell time for motion detector based on activity

1. A motion detector, comprising:

a detector for detecting a presence of a person in an area;

a memory for storing processor-executable instructions and a dwell time, the dwell time comprising a time period during which “motion detection” signals from the motion detector are disabled;

a transmitter for transmitting the motion detection signals; and

a processer coupled to the detector, the memory and the transmitter, for executing the processor-executable instructions that causes the motion detector to:

determine movement in the area over time;

automatically adjust the dwell time to a new dwell time based on the detected movement in the area over time; and

store the new dwell time in the memory for use in deciding whether or not to transmit subsequent motion detection signals.

2. The motion detector of claim 1 , wherein the processor-executable instructions further comprise instructions that causes the motion detector to:

determine that no movement has been detected for a time greater than a first predetermined time period;

wherein the processor-executable instructions that causes the motion detector to automatically adjust the dwell time comprises instructions that causes the motion detector to decrease the dwell time by a first predetermined amount when no movement has been detected for a time greater than the first predetermined time period.

3. The motion detector of claim 1 , wherein the processor-executable instructions that causes the motion detector to determine movement in the area over time comprise further instructions that causes the motion detector to:

determine that movement has been detected at least twice with a first predetermined time period;

wherein the processor-executable instructions that cause the motion detector to adjust the dwell time comprises instructions that causes the motion detector to increase the dwell time by a second predetermined amount when movement has been detected at least twice within the first predetermined time period.

4. The motion detector of claim 3 , wherein the second predetermined time period and the first predetermined time period are equal in time to each other.

5. The motion detector of claim 1 , wherein the processor-executable instructions that causes the motion detector to automatically adjust the dwell time to a new dwell time comprise further instructions that causes the motion detector to:

continuously increase the dwell time at a first predetermined rate so long as no movement is detected.

6. The motion detector of claim 1 , wherein the processor-executable instructions that causes the motion detector to automatically adjust the dwell time to a new dwell time comprise further instructions that causes the motion detector to:

continuously decrease, by the processor, the dwell time at a first predetermined rate as long as movement is detected.

7. The motion detector of claim 1 , wherein the processor-executable instructions that causes the motion detector to automatically adjust the dwell time to a new dwell time comprise further instructions that causes the motion detector to:

limit the new dwell time to a predetermined minimum dwell time.

8. The motion detector of claim 1 , wherein the processor-executable instructions that causes the motion detector to automatically adjust the dwell time to a new dwell time comprise further instructions that causes the motion detector to:

limit the new dwell time to a predetermined maximum dwell time.

9. The motion detector of claim 1 , wherein the processor-executable instructions that causes the motion detector to determine movement in the area over time comprise further instructions that causes the motion detector to:

count a number of times that movement is detected over a predetermined time frame.

10. The motion detector of claim 1 , wherein the processor-executable instructions that causes the motion detector to determine movement in the area over time comprise further instructions that causes the motion detector to:

calculate an activity level based on the movement in the area over time; and

assign a value to the activity level;

wherein the processor-executable instructions that causes the motion detector to automatically adjust the dwell time to a new dwell time comprise further instructions that causes the motion detector to:

automatically adjust the dwell time to the new dwell time when the value of the activity level exceeds a predetermined threshold.

11. A method for automatically adjusting a dwell time of a motion sensor, comprising:

determining movement in the area over time;

automatically adjusting the dwell time to a new dwell time based on the detected movement in the area over time; and

storing the new dwell time for use in deciding whether or not to transmit subsequent motion detection signals.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

determining that no movement has been detected for a time greater than a first predetermined time period;

wherein automatically adjusting the dwell time comprises decreasing the dwell time by a first predetermined amount when no movement has been detected for a time greater than the first predetermined time period.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein determining movement in the area over time comprises:

determining that movement has been detected at least twice with a first predetermined time period; and

adjusting the dwell time comprises increasing the dwell time by a second predetermined amount when movement has been detected at least twice within the first predetermined time period.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the second time predetermined period and the first predetermined time period are equal in time to each other.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein automatically adjusting the dwell time to a new dwell time comprises:

continuously increasing the dwell time at a first predetermined rate so long as no movement is detected.

16. The method of claim 11 , wherein automatically adjusting the dwell time to a new dwell time comprises:

continuously decreasing the dwell time at a first predetermined rate as long as movement is detected.

17. The method of claim 11 , wherein automatically adjusting the dwell time to a new dwell time comprises:

limiting the new dwell time to a predetermined minimum dwell time.

18. The method of claim 11 , wherein automatically adjusting the dwell time to a new dwell time comprises:

limiting the new dwell time to a predetermined maximum dwell time.

19. The method of claim 11 , wherein determining movement in the area over time comprises:

counting a number of times that movement is detected over a predetermined time frame.

20. The method of claim 11 , wherein determining movement in the area over time comprises:

calculating an activity level based on the movement in the area over time; and

assigning a value to the activity level;

wherein automatically adjusting the dwell time to a new dwell time comprises:

adjusting the dwell time to the new dwell time when the value of the activity level exceeds a predetermined threshold.