I found several devices with that name

[kohai]

OK, so you guys got me interested enough to try a dot.  Several commands worked, but when I tried to add my office lights, I get a wonderful error from Alexa:  I found several devices with that name.  No matter what I say, she can't figure out what I'm doing.

 

My spoken text is:

 

Alexa, turn office lights off

Alexa, turn office lights on

 

If I delete one, the remaining one starts to work.  I've tried using the word "den" instead of "office" and it doesn't matter.  I've told it to forget devices and rediscover them between changes.  I've tried removing "lights" from the phrase and it doesn't matter.

 

I have 5 isy programs setup to be callable from the echo dot.

 

Any tips?

[stusviews]

That's not unusual. I repeat the command, enunciating very clearly the second time around. Sometimes, placing the verb before the spoken helps, for example, "turn off the office lights."

 

BTW, are you controlling only programs?

[kohai]

That's not unusual. I repeat the command, enunciating very clearly the second time around. Sometimes, placing the verb before the spoken helps, for example, "turn off the office lights."

 

BTW, are you controlling only programs?

 

I've tried reversing the phrasing too.  So far, I've only tried programs.  The ISY can trigger my lighting system (Centralite) via a network resource (centralite serial via a serial-ethernet device).  Since the lights don't show up as devices, I've only tried programs.  

[Harvvm]

If you have more than one device with the same last word "lights" it will confuse the Echo. Try renaming the device as "lights office" "lights bedroom" etc. 

[kohai]

If you have more than one device with the same last word "lights" it will confuse the Echo. Try renaming the device as "lights office" "lights bedroom" etc. 

 

I'll give that a try.  In looking in the app under settings, I can see what it thought I said.  It's interesting that sometimes it has the exact phrase I have for my spoken word but doesn't know what to do with it.

[stusviews]

If you have more than one device with the same last word "lights" it will confuse the Echo. Try renaming the device as "lights office" "lights bedroom" etc. 

 

I have bunches of spokens that end with "light." Not a problem.

[kohai]

It doesn't matter what I call the program in the ISY, right?  It isn't looking at that name, just the spoken text entry I put in, right?

[stusviews]

It doesn't matter what I call the program in the ISY, right?  It isn't looking at that name, just the spoken text entry I put in, right?

 

That's correct.

[nadler]

In the spoken mapping in the portal instead of "office lights" or "office light"  just put in "office".  You can still tell Alexa to "turn on the office lights" or turn off the office lights".  I eliminated the word light or lights in all my portal mappings and Alexa now works reliably.  Before I  had the same problem you are now having.

[stusviews]

Each of my accounts is for a different room. I just use "light" in each of these rooms (i.e, "Alexa, turn the light on."). Each room also has "dim light" and "bright light."

[Papa C]

I have a similar problem with my fanlincs and Alexa.  I have 5 (Master bedroom, back bedroom, front bedroom, Living room, Dining room.)  the Master bedroom speeds are all named:

Master fan High

Master fan Medium

Master fan Low

Master fan off.

 

99.5% of the time  I can say "Alexa, turn on Master fan XXX"  and it works fine.  Once in a while she'll respond with "I found multiple devices with that name, which one did you want?".  You respond with "Master Fan XXX" and it will work.

 

In the Dining room same thing, "Dining Room Fan High" or "Dining room fan Low" work probably 85% of the time.  Medium or Off more often responds with the "several devices with that name..."

 

ALL  the others, Living Room, Frond and Back bedrooms ALWAYS respond with "Several devices, which one"....  All of them have Master Light, Living Room Light, Dining room light, front bedroom light, never question, The kitchen, garage, workbench, bar, entry, front or back porch lights EVER question.  ONLY the fans.

 

All of the fans are set up in identical scenes ISY, the portal, and Alexa app.  I've tried changing names to Dining Fan, but didn't' change anything. I started with the Master Fan, followed by Dining and Living room.  As I remember it was ok when I did those.  They went in and the problem started shortly after the V2 upgrade.

 

Thoughts?  I'm thinking about adding a spoken like mentioned above, trying "Fan Diningroom" but that sure seems backward sounding.

[Papa C]

One other issue that has popped up recently.  From the get go I've always had a group in the Alexa app for "All Lights".  As I've added lights and switches to isy control I've also added them to this group.  

Recently, when giving the command "Alexa, turn off all lights" as she's going down the list turning them off she will announce "That command doesn't work on that device!".....  All the lights go off (or on if issuing the on command) but she just says command doesn't work.

 

I went through deleting and slowly adding devices to the group trying to find the offending device.  What I found is it doesn't matter which device, as long as there are nine or less.  When I add a tenth device I get that announcement.  

 

Thoughts?   Anybody else see anything like this?

[G W]

I know a guy in Arkansas that has that same problem.

 

B.R.I.A.D.A.

Best regards,

Gary Funk

[Michel Kohanim]

Hi Papa C,

 

I personally have over 30 devices/scenes + over 10 programs in my Echo. I occasionally have this problem but in almost 100% of the cases, what I say is NOT equal to what Echo hears. Have you looked to make sure that Echo is hearing what you are commanding it?

 

With kind regards,

Michel

[larryllix]

Almost every device I have out of about 75 devices ends in "lights" without "several devices" reports anymore. I did have a lot of that until I took out many shorter forms of the names.

 

I had many options for some devices

eg. "Kitchen lights", "Kitchen bar lights", "Bar lights"

This seemed to confuse the parsing algorithm, as it also finds the same words in a longer vocal phrase. Taking some of the shorter ones out resolve the problem for me.

 

 

I found the phrasing "Alexa. Turn on xxxxxx" is much more reliable than the verb last, also. Using "the xxxxxx" works just as well as "the" seems to be an ignorable word.

 

I have also found talking above a horizontal line to Alexa's side grills gets a lot of confusion, as well as talking to the corded side, both make her very deaf.