How to define a condition, where a state did not happen for a specific duration?

Configuration
1

I would like to use write an automation that uses a not-condition including a state-condition with a specific duration. This is not working. Home Assistant is always claiming that the not-condition would be true.

Here is a example:

alias: test-oral-b
description: ""
trigger:
  - platform: state
    entity_id:
      - sensor.io_series_7_8_53f9_toothbrush_state
    from: charging
condition:
  - condition: not
    conditions:
      - condition: state
        entity_id: sensor.io_series_7_8_53f9_toothbrush_state
        state: running
        for:
          hours: 20
          minutes: 0
          seconds: 0
action:
  - service: notify.alexa_media_echo_og_bad
    data:
      message: Example sentence.
mode: single

I am aware that I could solve the problem with the help of a toggle-helper controlled by another automation. But I am writing a more complex automation that later is planned to become a blueprint a want to publish. I don’t want the users of my blueprint to add helpers be themself. That could be a showstopper for less experienced users.

I could also solve this problem with using the state-condition in a way that doesn’t require a negation. But this wouldn’t work in my use case because the device in question can have more than just two states and I am looking for a condition were a specific state didn’t happen for a given duration.

Another solution would be, if I could use a and-condition combining all possible states but the one in question. But then I have the problem that Home Assistant doesn’t seem to have the option to give a combined duration time for all state-conditions inside a and-condition.

Is this maybe an already known bug/limitation of Home Assistant?
Is there a way to solve this problem?

2

It’s certainly not a bug, but it’s outside the scope of what’s possible in the way you’re doing it due to what’s stored in the State object.

I’d create a trigger-based template sensor that triggers when your toothbrush changes from running to something else and records the current time in its state. Then use that in your condition.

3

Thank you very much for the quick answer. I would like to avoid the creation of a trigger-based template sensor, since my final goal is the creation of a blueprint.

In the history of the sensor I can see all the changes of the state. Is there a way to access this information directly for a condition?

4

No. These is the closest you can get, but all will require an additional sensor. Happy to be proven wrong, but I don’t think I will be.