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    Alexa Device Name ?

    This has been mentioned briefly in other threads but I wanted to start a thread to focus on the topic.

    How does one go about getting the Alexa Device Name added to the API so it can be used in a command dialog. Does anyone know if Amazon is planning to add it ?

    The scenario is simple. With an Echo/Dot in every room in the house I want the Echo/Dot to insert it's Device Name as the default in a command. So if I am in the study and say "Alexa lights on" what comes back is "study lights on"

    Of course there are circumstances where you want to turn on a different light in which case you would want to say "Alexa kitchen lights on" and override the default study Alexa device name.

    We know the Alexa Device Name is being sent to the Alexa Service because it's listed in the Settings/History every time. Interested in you views......and any interim alternatives.

    #2
    I am by far an expert on this, but I don't think you can do what you want at this point. Whether Amazon/HS is going to add this feature I don't know. Right now I think the only way to do what you want is by making sure the name is what you want. Ex.: Study lights, so you would say Turn on study lights.

    It would be cool if we could do what you are talking about, and who knows, it might come as this is just the start of controlling devices with Alexa.

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      #3
      I submitted a developer request for this to be added to the Smart Home API (by Amazon). With multiple echo devices in a home you can have several wake up and start listening but in the end only one will do what you requested. Since Amazon knows which device "won" if you will they can expose that to the Smart Home API to be used. There will be additional work on the user's part in that each echo device will have to be assigned a location so the Smart Home API knows where it is in the home.

      The example I used in my write up was "Alexa, turn on the lights" instead of "Alexa, turn on the kitchen lights" if I'm already standing in the kitchen and the "kitchen" echo is the device processing the request. "Alexa, Turn on the kitchen lights" would still work as would "Alexa, turn on the bedroom lights" even if the request was heard by the kitchen echo.

      I called the feature "Explicit vs. Implied Location". Hopefully they'll implement this or something similar in the future

      --Ken
      "if I have seen further [than others], it is by standing on the shoulders of giants." --Sir Isaac Newton (1675)

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        #4
        Ken
        Thanks for the post - you have it exactly as I see it too. I also sent in a request describing the functionality just like you so I do hope they take it on board. I currently have Dots in every room and they behave correctly in terms of which one takes the action so I firmly believe "Explicit vs. Implied Location" should work.

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          #5
          FYI, I have recently added similar functionality to my Alexa helper script so that individual Echo/Dot in use are identified and actions taken as appropriate. This is currently being tested by a few people before release. It has a few caveats (which may not to be some peoples liking) but seems to be working OK. Obviously it would be great if Amazon added this by default to the Smart Home skill.
          Jon

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            #6
            Oh, interesting.....curious how you are managing to identify which Dot is being used ? I do have all my Dots named as the room they are each in which matches the HS device 'Room'.....

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              #7
              Originally posted by naellis View Post
              Oh, interesting.....curious how you are managing to identify which Dot is being used ? I do have all my Dots named as the room they are each in which matches the HS device 'Room'.....
              It parses the Alexa history page in real time.
              Jon

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                #8
                Of course that's the only place to get ! On the caveats you hinted at, is one that you have to say "tell homeseer" or whatever the private skill has been named as, or is there a new way round that...I am using the HA-Bridge btw.

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                  #9
                  The caveat is that you have to keep a browser window open at all times. Whilst it does use the "Tell Homeseer..." skill normally so that you get full interaction with Alexa, it does also have a local mode where no skill or bridge is necessary. Like the Echo location, it also gets the speech from the History page. It's very fast and works fine for triggering, however Alexa will not understand you as she has no skill to work with.

                  Therefore saying, Alexa open the garage door and you have a trigger match on that sentence would open the garage door, however Alexa would say 'I'm not quite sure how to help you with that'.

                  As Echo location is also supported in local mode, you can just say turn on the light and the respective light would be switched on.
                  Jon

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