Garage Door Control

[aaronw]

I just installed the Insteon garage door controller but I don't see how it is integrated into Google Home. I would like to be able to do things like say, "OK Google, is the garage door open?" or "Hey Google, close the garage door". Does anyone know how to get this working?

[larryllix]

I just installed the Insteon garage door controller but I don't see how it is integrated into Google Home. I would like to be able to do things like say, "OK Google, is the garage door open?" or "Hey Google, close the garage door". Does anyone know how to get this working?

Easiest way is to subscribe to  the ISY Portal. The setup page allows vocals to convert to programs, devices, variable, or scenes inside the ISY. Then Echo or Home can attach to these vocals.

[aaronw]

I have done so and subscribed. That's how I have everything working. I have it configured as spoken "garage door" but it seems to be treated like a light.

 

Google Home does not seem to understand when I say "garage door" at all. It keeps referring to garage door stores if I ask if it's on, off, open, closed or tell it to turn on or off.

Edited July 23, 2017 by aaronw

[fasttimes]

You can tell if the door is open via a subscription? Does this work for Alexa?

[fasttimes]

Easiest way is to subscribe to  the ISY Portal. The setup page allows vocals to convert to programs, devices, variable, or scenes inside the ISY. Then Echo or Home can attach to these vocals.

How can you setup something to tell the device status? For example, "Alexa, is the garage open" and get a "Yes/No" response.

[larryllix]

How can you setup something to tell the device status? For example, "Alexa, is the garage open" and get a "Yes/No" response.

I have never done this. I believe in using more home automation style and haven't had much need.

 

There was a thread here, with a complete description of the technique to do it, about six months ago.

[stusviews]

The Insteon skiil allows querying devices when you tell Alexa to ask Izzy for the status. But, you cannot query a scene nor a program.

[Dewie]

Old thread I realize but related to The garage door opener and Google Home.

 

I was able to add the relay for my garage door opener as a device in Google Home, I was even able to program it so I could say "Open the Garage Door" - I discovered a minor setback last night though: When I said "Turn off the lights in the Garage" it toggled the garage door relay as it seems to treat it as a light switch within Google Home. 

 

I haven't done ANY research beyond looking here yet, and I realize we're dealing with this integration in its infancy, but has anyone else experienced similar? I assume there is plans to be able to distinguish between different linked ISY device types in the future within Google Home?

[Dewie]

Old thread I realize but related to The garage door opener and Google Home.

 

I was able to add the relay for my garage door opener as a device in Google Home, I was even able to program it so I could say "Open the Garage Door" - I discovered a minor setback last night though: When I said "Turn off the lights in the Garage" it toggled the garage door relay as it seems to treat it as a light switch within Google Home. 

 

I haven't done ANY research beyond looking here yet, and I realize we're dealing with this integration in its infancy, but has anyone else experienced similar? I assume there is plans to be able to distinguish between different linked ISY device types in the future within Google Home?

 

Annnnd 30s later I see this thread: http://forum.universal-devices.com/topic/22178-room-devices/

 

I am not alone  

[ExDvtch]

On 8/18/2017 at 6:32 AM, Dewie said:

Old thread I realize but related to The garage door opener and Google Home.

 

I was able to add the relay for my garage door opener as a device in Google Home, I was even able to program it so I could say "Open the Garage Door" - I discovered a minor setback last night though: When I said "Turn off the lights in the Garage" it toggled the garage door relay as it seems to treat it as a light switch within Google Home. 

 

I haven't done ANY research beyond looking here yet, and I realize we're dealing with this integration in its infancy, but has anyone else experienced similar? I assume there is plans to be able to distinguish between different linked ISY device types in the future within Google Home?

Can you share the setup that you used to allow you to say "Open the Garage Door" and "Close the Garage Door"?  I'm still stuck saying "Turn On Garage Door" for both open and close because my isy portal is passing it on as a switch.

I could set it up with IFTTT i guess and Webhooks but then i wouldn't retain Status in the home app.

[adamthp]

2 hours ago, ExDvtch said:

Can you share the setup that you used to allow you to say "Open the Garage Door" and "Close the Garage Door"?  I'm still stuck saying "Turn On Garage Door" for both open and close because my isy portal is passing it on as a switch.

I could set it up with IFTTT i guess and Webhooks but then i wouldn't retain Status in the home app.

You could set up a routine in the Google Home app to say whatever you want to trigger the garage door open/close. 

Edited February 25, 2019 by adamthp

[ExDvtch]

10 hours ago, adamthp said:

You could set up a routine in the Google Home app to say whatever you want to trigger the garage door open/close. 

That does allow me to change the phrase i use to trigger, but then i'm just setting up two commands, "open" and "close" to do the same thing that my current command does ("turn on garage door"). Currently i'm using Switch in the isy portal for the google home category. i'm still lost on how/if I can get google to have unique open/close commands.

 

[adamthp]

Ah, I got you now. You could use an ISY program to Open (runThen), or close (runElse). In the portal setup your program  to have a GH spoken you aren't likely to say, like 'Garage Door Control', and set the device to switch. 

In the GH app use the routines commands 'open garage' to run on the ‘garage door control switch’, and ‘close garage’ to turn off the ‘garage door control switch’. You ca also setup the routine to respond with a custom message, or not respond at all.

 

[sanders2222]

21 hours ago, ExDvtch said:

That does allow me to change the phrase i use to trigger, but then i'm just setting up two commands, "open" and "close" to do the same thing that my current command does ("turn on garage door"). . .. i'm still lost on how/if I can get google to have unique open/close commands.

I just asked GH to open the pod bay doors.  It responded "I can't do that. But there's a key under the flower pot next to the air lock and you can open it yourself!"?

[Bumbershoot]

13 hours ago, sanders2222 said:

I just asked GH to open the pod bay doors.  It responded "I can't do that. But there's a key under the flower pot next to the air lock and you can open it yourself!"?

Ask Alexa the same thing: "I'm sorry, Dave.  I can't do that.  I'm not Hal and we're not in space".  +1 for Google Home.

[larryllix]

42 minutes ago, Bumbershoot said:

Ask Alexa the same thing: "I'm sorry, Dave.  I can't do that.  I'm not Hal and we're not in space".  +1 for Google Home.

Alexa routines allow the user to set these up very easily. Wife likes this one!

Alexa, Alexa, on the wall, who is the fariest of them all?

.....hmmmmm... according to google....far, far away  in a little town called xxxxxx , at the top of a hill, there is a woman named yyyyyyyy!

[apostolakisl]

I use my Elk to control my garage door with Elk Rules that check the current status of the door and do the right thing.  I would have done this in ISY, but at the time there was no ISY Elk module.  If I were to redo it I would use ISY.

1) You need to know the state of the garage door.  In other words, an alarm system style door contact.  It would also be nice to know if the garage door is currently and moving and which direction, but that has proven to be difficult.  There is a thread on that in here.

2) Write a program in ISY that for closing the garage door.

Program close garage door
If
status of whatever device you are using to monitor door contactor is open
Then
close contact on garage door button relay for 1 second

3) write the same program for opening but check for contactor closed

4) Write two more programs for triggering these

If
blank
Then
run close garage door program if
Else
Blank

5) In the portal, set google home to run the trigger program on the words "close the garage door" and the same thing for open garage door.

6) Now you would say to google, "ok googe, turn close the garage door on".  That will then check to see if the garage door is open and if so, close it.  The caveat to this is if the door is currently in motion it will not get it right.

I don't know of any way to get google home to run a program using any words aside from turn on (runs then) or turn off (runs else).  If so, you could make it more intuitive by just saying "close the garage door".

[adamthp]

1 hour ago, apostolakisl said:

I use my Elk to control my garage door with Elk Rules that check the current status of the door and do the right thing.  I would have done this in ISY, but at the time there was no ISY Elk module.  If I were to redo it I would use ISY.

1) You need to know the state of the garage door.  In other words, an alarm system style door contact.  It would also be nice to know if the garage door is currently and moving and which direction, but that has proven to be difficult.  There is a thread on that in here.

2) Write a program in ISY that for closing the garage door.

Program close garage door
If
status of whatever device you are using to monitor door contactor is open
Then
close contact on garage door button relay for 1 second

3) write the same program for opening but check for contactor closed

4) Write two more programs for triggering these

If
blank
Then
run close garage door program if
Else
Blank

5) In the portal, set google home to run the trigger program on the words "close the garage door" and the same thing for open garage door.

6) Now you would say to google, "ok googe, turn close the garage door on".  That will then check to see if the garage door is open and if so, close it.  The caveat to this is if the door is currently in motion it will not get it right.

I don't know of any way to get google home to run a program using any words aside from turn on (runs then) or turn off (runs else).  If so, you could make it more intuitive by just saying "close the garage door".

 

You can use GH routines to have it do anything in response to any custom commands. Open or close the garage door would work. Just set up the routine to turn on or turn off either the switch the garage door is linked to, or to run the then or else of a program. 

[apostolakisl]

43 minutes ago, adamthp said:

 

You can use GH routines to have it do anything in response to any custom commands. Open or close the garage door would work. Just set up the routine to turn on or turn off either the switch the garage door is linked to, or to run the then or else of a program. 

Heck, now that you mention it, I realize I knew that and in fact have one setup for leaving or returning home. Just to annoy my wife, I can say "raise shields" or "lower shields" to my Android phone and it runs all the home away or home returning programs.  In fact, it closes any and all of the garage doors if open, but it does so via ISY triggering and Elk rule.  As I mentioned the elk rule was already in place and works, so no need to redo it.  I do have the issue with if I mindlessly first hit the regular garage door open/close button first, it screws up the garage door.  That is why I was hoping to figure a reasonable way to monitor garage door movement.

[adamthp]

1 hour ago, apostolakisl said:

Heck, now that you mention it, I realize I knew that and in fact have one setup for leaving or returning home. Just to annoy my wife, I can say "raise shields" or "lower shields" to my Android phone and it runs all the home away or home returning programs.  In fact, it closes any and all of the garage doors if open, but it does so via ISY triggering and Elk rule.  As I mentioned the elk rule was already in place and works, so no need to redo it.  I do have the issue with if I mindlessly first hit the regular garage door open/close button first, it screws up the garage door.  That is why I was hoping to figure a reasonable way to monitor garage door movement.

I think a tilt sensor and some programs would do the trick. Plenty of z wave options out there if you into that.