Occupancy Motion Sensors possible for 2 location switching?

[anothaparson]

My customer is looking to control his garage lighting through motion or a digital timer. I recently installed a digital wall switch timer by Sylvania. Check it out I think they are pretty nice!

http://www.hardwareinnovations.com/products.asp?dept_id=1008&product_id=10060

After setting the date, time, and a new feature your zip code the switch will turn on the lights at dusk and keep them on for 2, 4, 6, or even 8 hours while allowing you to manually control them as well. The customer was so impressed with the product they had me install three more.

This product is designed to be used primarily for single pole applications. I am providing a brief description of a 3 way situation in hopes of gaining some knowledge or advice in providing the customer with the best solution.

They have a 3 car garage with a side door entrance to enter the garage, and adjacent to but inside the garage there is also an entrance into the home. These are the locations of the 3 way switches. Is there any way to use either the occ. motion switch or digital wall timer switch in one of the locations without eliminating the 2nd location switch? My first thought is to install a ceiling mounted occupancy motion sensor, and leave the 3 pole switching as is. Is this my best option, unfortunately for the customer it is the more expensive option compared to just adding a switch.

Any thoughts or questions in helping me provide them with the best option for lighting up this garage at night without them having travel to either location would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you in advanced!

 

[gar]

110902-2324 EDT

The first job is to precisely define the circuit logic.

What points are to have what kind of control of the light or lights.

For the moment forget about the concept of 3-way switches. Work on the logic design of the funtions wanted.

Some partial possibilities:
1. Inside the house a pilot light that indicates the state of the light in the garage.
2. Inside the house is a switch that independent of anything else can turn the light on or off.
3. Same kind of switch function at any other points that you want.
4. One or more motion sensors that can turn on the light
5. Motion detection. Motion turns the light on. An off delay timer is initiated by at least one motion detector sensing motion. This turns off the light a timed delay after the last motion is detected.
6. Motion detection is inhibited if the light was manually turned on. Thus, the light stays on indefinitely if not manually turned off. This might have second long delay off timer.

You could write the logic to do anything that was logically consistent.

.

 

[ptonsparky]

At my previous home I had 2 motion detectors connected to two three way switches. They would turn the light on at the garage when sensed and then at the house when motion was sensed there or visa versa. A double flick of either 3way would lock both lights on. Moving either switch so the lights would cycle off for a few seconds, then back would reset them for auto operation. I usually had to do that because the wife could not, or would not, quite grasp the concept. May not be the procedure to sell a customer but it does work.

Otherwise the inexpensive PLCs they sell now make things interesting and open up all sorts of what ifs.

 

[Dennis Alwon]

Unless you use a contactor there is no real way to have it work as a 3 way or 4 way. I have also used two motion sensors as 3 ways but once the motion is activated you need to wait for it to time out. Either side turns it on but they other side cannot turn it off. I bet there are 3 way timers somewhere. I just did a search for 3 way timer and many results came up.