Kickin' Macros
Macros, Room Scenes, and House Modes (cont.)
On the other hand, if Macros are to be triggered by voice, we need to think carefully about the phrase, and ensure that it is unique enough that it will not be unintentionally triggered.
For example, the phrase “How Are You” and “Who Are You” are very similar, and it would not be a good idea to try and use both phrases to trigger different macros. The likelihood of HAL misunderstanding these two and triggering the wrong response is quite high.
There are cases when we might intentionally use similar sounding trigger phrases. If we want to trigger the same actions from different but similar phrases, and want to increase the odds that a given phrase will be recognized, we might use two different trigger macros. We might, for example, program “Lets Watch the T V” , “Lets Watch Tee Vee”, and “Lets Watch Television” to all trigger the same set of actions. This allows us to compensate slightly for normal variations in how a given command might be spoken and thus improve operation. Use this tactic with care however. It is a good idea to keep the recognition list as short as possible. A long recognition list results in slower response and an increased likelihood of errors.
The third part of the macro is the action-list. The action list is a sequence of events that are executed inexorably once the Macro is triggered.
Macros can also be triggered by touch-tone sequences. This can be a powerful solution for triggering commands in a noisy environment. However it has limits.
You can pick up any phone and hit the # key, wait for HAL to answer and then quickly enter a three digit number instead of a voice command. HAL will execute the macro fairly reliably, with less recognition ambiguity than voice phrases. The only problem is that if the environment is truly noisy, the noise will likely confuse HAL and cause the DTMF command to be missed as well.
Touch-tone sequences are always three digits, and are unique for each macro. Since it is difficult to remember random numbers, developing a plan whereby related macros always start with the same sequence will help. A little thought beforehand will make numbered commands easier to remember.
Macros have two distinctly different uses. One is to gather a group of related, sequential actions together in one place, so they may be called from other macros and/or rules. This has the advantage of placing often-used actions in a single place where they may be easily managed. When defining a Macro to be used this way, uncheck the “Allow Voice Access” box in the Add Group Task screen, and also uncheck the “Available on Homenet” box. These options prevent the Macro from being triggered other than being called or scheduled.
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