A question to those with voice announcements

[Rupp]

About the caller ID and questions concerning to let the phone ring or not--my experience with caller ID has been that the caller ID info doesn't come in until after the first ring, and sometimes after the second ring. So, are you saying you have a system where it is an option to not let the phone ring unless you recognize the caller ID? If so, how do you do this?

I use HomeSeer with the HomeSeer phone option. It's a powerful package. If you opt for the more expensive Way2Call modem you can event mute the rings until the callerID is recognized.

 

[ano]

About the caller ID and questions concerning to let the phone ring or not--my experience with caller ID has been that the caller ID info doesn't come in until after the first ring, and sometimes after the second ring. So, are you saying you have a system where it is an option to not let the phone ring unless you recognize the caller ID? If so, how do you do this?

I was one of the people that actually worked on the Caller ID spec, many years ago. The caller ID information starts approximatly 1/2 seconds after the first ring completes, and finishes before the second ring starts. It was designed to come AFTER the first ring because the ring signal was used to "wake" cheap battery powered Caller ID boxes up. As Rupp says, there are ways to mute the first ring, and only "ring" should the caller ID be from someone you want to speak with.

 

[IVB]

My plan, which isn't implemented yet, was to disable all the ringers on the phone. Then when the CID data came through, CQC or the Elk could have a rule to send a telephone ringing sound to the HA speakers around the house.

No idea whether it would work, or whether there'd be too much latency.

 

[ano]

My plan, which isn't implemented yet, was to disable all the ringers on the phone. Then when the CID data came through, CQC or the Elk could have a rule to send a telephone ringing sound to the HA speakers around the house.

No idea whether it would work, or whether there'd be too much latency.

Should work. I do an Internet lookup of the number if the name isn't included, and I get the data back before the end of the second ring, and that is about worse case. Just don't disable the ring in a way where the phone won't work if the power goes out.

 

[griffined]

I'm single, so no WAF to worry about, and I have a lot of annoucements for stuff.

I also have a virtual device called QUIET, and if it's on, nothing but security and weather warnings are announced. The LED sign board does continue to display the messages in the den, as long as the house is in AWAKE mode.

My retired father lives with me, and enjoys the Neospeech Kate voice talking to him, reminding him to take pills and eye drops at the proper times. I suppose you could call that FAF?

 

[upstatemike]

I'm single, so no WAF to worry about, and I have a lot of annoucements for stuff.

I also have a virtual device called QUIET, and if it's on, nothing but security and weather warnings are announced. The LED sign board does continue to display the messages in the den, as long as the house is in AWAKE mode.

My retired father lives with me, and enjoys the Neospeech Kate voice talking to him, reminding him to take pills and eye drops at the proper times. I suppose you could call that FAF?

What do you use to drive the LED sign?

 

[griffined]

What do you use to drive the LRD sign?

I'm using the LEDAM plug-in for Homeseer. The sign is hooked to a PC's serial port in my den, and the plug-in's author also wrote a LED Remote app that I use to send the data over my WLAN from the PC running Homeseer in my office. The plug-in supports multiple LED signs.

 

[ano]

I think with Home Automation, you really need both voice and a display or two. I have two LED signs, one in the garage, the other in the kitchen. The signs are for information that is good to know, but something that would be very annoying to speak. I have weather, reminders, news, etc. on the sign. If you want it, its there. It all repeats every three minutes, at most.

Voice is for urgent issues or important ones when you don't want to have to read the sign. XYZ is calling, time to take medicine, door open, alarm tripped, etc. Without a sign and voice, a HA system wouldn't have many options to communicate with you, making it much less useful. I have keypads through the house which I can display a line of text on, but those are worthless.

 

[upstatemike]

I think with Home Automation, you really need both voice and a display or two. I have two LED signs, one in the garage, the other in the kitchen. The signs are for information that is good to know, but something that would be very annoying to speak. I have weather, reminders, news, etc. on the sign. If you want it, its there. It all repeats every three minutes, at most.

Voice is for urgent issues or important ones when you don't want to have to read the sign. XYZ is calling, time to take medicine, door open, alarm tripped, etc. Without a sign and voice, a HA system wouldn't have many options to communicate with you, making it much less useful. I have keypads through the house which I can display a line of text on, but those are worthless.

I agree. I do lots of voice announcements but also like to use the displays on my Squeezebox music players (over a dozen now) to display info from my HA system.

 

[sic0048]

My plan, which isn't implemented yet, was to disable all the ringers on the phone. Then when the CID data came through, CQC or the Elk could have a rule to send a telephone ringing sound to the HA speakers around the house.

No idea whether it would work, or whether there'd be too much latency.

Should work. I do an Internet lookup of the number if the name isn't included, and I get the data back before the end of the second ring, and that is about worse case. Just don't disable the ring in a way where the phone won't work if the power goes out.

Sorry for dragging up such an old thread, but I'm hoping to get more information on this internet telephone lookup. Ano or anyone else, I'd love to hear more information about how you are accomplishing this automatically.

Thanks!