Voice Commands not working properly?

[Jemjem787]

Quick note, i don't understand all the different terminology you guys are using, and i am a rookie to this whole smart home environment,  so i will try my best to fully explain it.

 

My goal is to be able to turn the volume of a certain sonos zone up and down, which i have almost completed except the voice part. I am using the https://my.isy.io/website to talk to programs in my universal devices box. When i go to my programs individually from the ISY admin console and run them, they work as intended, but when i try to speak through the my.isy website things get a bet messy. (As i understand you can only talk to the ISY by saying "Alexa turn on/off"). When i try to use the my.isy to say "Alexa turn on play five volume down" it adjusts the volume of alexa, and not the sonos zone. Since i thought it might be getting confused with other words i shortened it to simply "Alexa turn on up" and "Alexa turn on down". When i try to say that, i get a response "sorry which device did you mean", and after that if i say "up" or "down" it works as intended. 

 

So my first question is how do i get alexa to recognize me saying "up" and "down" without having to confirm it?

 

My second question is, is there a list of words that are already registered within alexa that i cannot include in the my.isy programs? It makes sense to me that once you say "Turn On" it searches the list of commands on the my.isy page, and nothing else, but it seems that this is not the case.

 

Another issue i am encountering is that when i remove a voice command from the my.isy page, i find i can still say the same command over again, and it will still work. Even if i remove the program from the isy box, alexa still response "OK" to the command, even though it doesn't work.

 

Also if anybody wants to correct my terminology that would be great.

[jerlands]

For programs... Alexa <program name> On (runs then), Off (runs else)

To remove spoken phrase rediscover devices in alexa app (alexa.amazon.com > settings > connected home > discover devices)

 

 

Jon...

[imagamejunky]

I've posted these suggestions on another thread.  To make this work you need a logitech harmony hub.  It's been working fantastically for me.  You have to say Alexa, trigger ......

Earlier I posted this about controlling Sonos with Echo and the Harmony Hub.

I've made some changes. I thought I would share them because I feel it's working a lot better now.

 

1- install the hub and set up each of your sonos devices in the harmony app

2- create custom activities in the harmony app. The activities have both a start sequence and an end sequence that can be edited in the app.

Example of a start sequence- turn on a sonos play 5, select a sonos favorite (pandora station?), send the play command, send volume up commands (I am sending multiple volume up commands with 1 second delays between each)

 

For an end sequence I recommend using multiple volume down commands with 1 second delays between each before sending a pause command.  This makes sure that the volume is down before another start sequence begins. Sonos will turn on with the volume up if you leave it up!

3- create a recipe in IFTTT that triggers a sonos harmony activity to start when you say a custom phrase to alexa.  You must say "Alexa, trigger...(custom words that you create)"

4- create a recipe in IFTTT that triggers the harmony activity end sequence when you say a different phrase.  I'm using "Alexa, trigger sonos off"

....

 

NOW  I leave the "end sequence" blank for each activity in harmony.  These end sequences were causing sonos to stop playing music when I sent another command (like volume up).

I have many different harmony activities now for sonos that can be controlled from the echo as long as I create an IFTTT recipe for each one.  So far it's working great and I have more control.

 

Example-

Alexa, trigger (room name) sonos (volume up, volume down, play, pause, etc..)

 

Now I can tell alexa to trigger sonos to play a particular pandora station.  Then later I can tell alexa to trigger volume up (or pause, or whatever) without any issues.

 

Hope this helps someone.

Junky

Edited January 31, 2016 by imagamejunky

[stusviews]

One key is the spoken for the program, another is the program. The program name can be entirely different from the spoken.

 

If you have a program where Then turns the volume up and Else turns it down, then you can say, "Alexa, turn <program_name> on," to raise the volume and use 'off' lower it. (Conditions are ignored. If you need a conditional response, then you'll need to invoke the ISY skill.) The Echo reserves the word "volume" for its own volume, so it's best to not use that word in the program name.

 

You need to select Discover devices from the Connected Home menu whenever you make changes. It's also a good idea to refresh from the portal first.

[imagamejunky]

Please educate me on how to control sonos with a program running on the ISY.

Thanks

Junky

[jerlands]

Please educate me on how to control sonos with a program running on the ISY.

Thanks

Junky

 

There's several examples in Wiki detailing how to create network resource for sonos.

 

 

Jon...

[imagamejunky]

Thanks.

I briefly read through the wiki a while back and was under the impression that I would have to be running a PC or RasPi all the time.  I'm trying to avoid having to do this.

Junky

[jerlands]

Thanks.

I briefly read through the wiki a while back and was under the impression that I would have to be running a PC or RasPi all the time.  I'm trying to avoid having to do this.

Junky

 

I don't know but thought jonathanud's solution didn't require it?

a post in the same thread details configuration.

 

 

Jon...