Voice Commands

Devices and Events

Click here for Messaging and Phone Voice Commands
Click here for information on how to format voice recognition commands in events and scripts

There are many different voice control commands available in HomeSeer.  Before discussing the device, event, and reminder specific commands, there are some time modifiers that apply to each of those which should be discussed first.  In all of the format descriptions listed here, words or phrases enclosed in brackets ([ and ]) are optional.  Multiple choices of required words or phrases are shown enclosed in < and > symbols.  For example, the phrase diagram "Turn [the] light <on | off>" indicates that you can speak Turn the light on, Turn light on, Turn the light off, or Turn light off.

The General tab of the Setup pages has three settings related to voice commands and are:

Speak Recognized Voice Commands
When this option is set to Yes, commands that you speak are spoken back to you by HomeSeer.  This is not a confirmation, the command is carried out, but this will let you know if HomeSeer heard what you wanted it to hear.

Confirm "All" type voice commands (e.g. Turn On All Family Room Lights)
If this option is set to Yes, you will get a confirmation question prior to HomeSeer carrying out any "All" location device commands.

"Confirm "In" and "On" voice commands even if the device confirmation is turned off
When this option is set to "Yes", a command such as "In 20 minutes turn on the kitchen light" will be confirmed even if the kitchen light device is not set for voice recognition confirmation.

Time Command Modifiers

Many of the commands the system supports allow you to delay the start of the command or provide a time period until the command is reversed.  These are time modifiers and take one of these forms:

Future Time Period

in <1|2|3|4|5|6|7|8|9|10|11|12|13|14|15|16|17|18|19|20|30|40|50|60|70|80|90> <seconds|second|minutes|minute|hours|hour|days|day>

Example:  in 20 minutes
  in 2 hours

Duration

for <1|2|3|4|5|6|7|8|9|10|11|12|13|14|15|16|17|18|19|20|30|40|50|60|70|80|90> <seconds|second|minutes|minute|hours|hour|days|day>

Example: for 15 minutes
for 1 hour

Future Day

[next] <today|tomorrow|Monday|Tuesday|Wednesday|Thursday|Friday|Saturday|Sunday>

• Your computer's globalization settings will replace the above day names with the ones used on your system.

Example:  tomorrow
 Next Wednesday

Future Time

at <1|2|3|4|5|6|7|8|9|10|11|12> [<oh clock|oh>] [<1|2|3|4|5|6|7|8|9|10|11|12|13|14|15|16...58|59>]
<AM|PM|In The Morning|In The Afternoon|In The Evening>

Example: at 6 oh 4 in the evening               (means: 6:04 PM)
 at 3 oh clock in the afternoon      (means: 3:00 PM)
 at 11 45 PM                               (means: 11:45 PM)

Future Date

[<this month|next month> [on]] [on <January|February|March|April...December>] [the] <first|second|third|fourth...thirtieth|thirty first>

• Your computer's globalization settings will replace the above month names with the ones used on your system.

Example: next month on the twentieth
 on April first
 this month on the twenty second

Device Commands

In the device properties for each device, enable this option (checkmark visible) if you want to be able to control the device by voice.  A voice command will be created in the following formats (Note: You can also specify confirmation of voice commands per device on the device properties page.)

For all devices:

[<turn|shut>] [on] [off] [the] [<device location|device location2|device location location2>] name [on] [off]

Example: turn on the master bedroom light
 turn the master bedroom light on
 shut off the family room reading lamp
 turn off the first floor family room reading lamp

For dimmable devices

[set] [dim] [bright] [raise] [the] [<device location|device location2|device location location2>] name [by] [to]
<1|2|3|4|5|6|7|8|9|10|11|12|13|14|15|16|17|18|19|20|25|30|35|40|45|50|55|60|65|70|75|80|85|90|95|100> [percent]

Example: set the master bedroom light to 50 percent
  raise the family room light to 55 percent
  increase the front porch light by 10 percent

For all devices - Status

get [the] status of [the] [<device location|device location2|device location location2>] name

or

<check|what is|what's> [the] status of [the] [<device location|device location2|device location location2>] name

or

<check|what is|what's> [the] [<device location|device location2|device location location2>] name <at|status>

Example: get the status of family room light
  what's the status of the family room light
  what is the the family room light status
  what's the security system at

For all locations - All Lights

<turn|shut> <on|off> all <device location|device location2|device location location2> lights

or

<turn|shut> [all] [the] <device location|device location2|device location location2> lights <on|off>

Example: shut off all family room lights
 turn off all first floor lights
 turn off all first floor family room lights
 shut all master bedroom lights off

Event Commands

Events allow you to configure the voice command for the event in the event properties.  You can trigger an event to be run by speaking the event trigger command, or using the syntax below with the event name.  Events do not have to have a voice command, but if you wish to command them by voice or by voice using the event name, then the event must be enabled for voice command via microphone, telephone, or both.  If you enable an event for voice command by microphone but do not enter a voice command, you will still be able to run the event by voice using the event name.

By event command

event command string

By event name

run event event name

Reminder Commands

Reminders use the dictation capabilities of the voice recognition engine to allow you to speak anything after the reminder keyword(s).  You should be aware, however, that the VR dictionary will not have some words that you may wish to be spoken such as proper names.  For example, the dictation engine would not recognize 'George', and although they sound alike, the name Harry would be recognized as hairy.  HomeSeer Technologies may provide a way for you to add words to the dictionary at a later date.  Reminders only work with the time modifiers above - they cannot be spoken by themselves.  Here is the syntax for a reminder without the time modifier:

<reminder|remind me> [<to|that>] dictation list

Example: remind me to go to the store
      remind me to pick up the dry cleaning
      reminder take the garbage to the curb

Using the "Voice Reminders" configuration page, you can set up reminder labels and associated destination remind methods.  For example, you can create a reminder method where the label is "my wife via phone" and configure it to deliver the reminder via a phone call.  If this is set up, then the syntax for reminders becomes:

<reminder for label|reminder|remind label|remind me> [<to|that>] dictation list
('label' in the above is replaced with one of the voice reminder names/labels that you created on the Voice Reminders page.)

          Example: remind my wife via phone that it is time for the appointment
               reminder for Karen to please stop at the store and get some eggs

Cancel Commands

When a time modifier is used with a device or event command, it will result in an event being created in HomeSeer to carry out the command.  These events are created in the "Delayed Voice Actions" group.  You can use the HomeSeer Web UI to delete these events or run them earlier, but to cancel the future commands for a device or event by voice, use the cancel commands described here.  These commands will only cancel future device and event commands that were created with a voice command (i.e. Only the events in the Delayed Voice Actions group.)

cancel [the] [delayed] [action] [for] [the] event event name

or

cancel [the] [delayed] [action] [for] [the] [event] event command

or (for devices)

cancel [the] [delayed] [action] [for] [the] [<device location|device location2|device location location2>] name

Example: (assume an event called "Party Mode Start" has a trigger command of "Let's get the party started"
  cancel the event Party Mode Start
  cancel Let's get the party started
  cancel the delayed action for master bedroom light

Putting It All Together

The device, device all, and event commands all operate standalone as well as with certain time modifiers.  The reminders only work with a time modifier.  Here is the list of all of the commands with the time modifiers they can work with - this is the list of all of the voice command types supported in the system (telephone voice recognition adds voice commands for working with mailboxes and messaging and are listed elsewhere).

Messaging and Phone Voice Commands

If you have HomeSeer Phone installed, there are additional commands available to work with voicemail messages and to place calls using the information in your HomeSeer Phone Address Book.

When you are using voice recognition via the telephone, there is an additional command available that is not available via the microphone, and that is "help" - speak this to get a list of the basic commands you can use while accessing HomeSeer via the phone.

After accessing HomeSeer via the phone using the local-access method (pick up a phone in the house and press the pound [#] key) or from a phone outside the house (* and # when you hear your greeting, then enter a mailbox passcode when prompted), here are the commands available to you: