HomeSeerRemoteLite

About HomeSeerRemoteLite Android App

HomeSeerRemoteLite is a RESTRICTED (see below) version of an app that allows control of your HomeSeer installation from your Android phone.

It is not graphically intense, so no pretty pictures but this means that set up is minimal and screen space is optimally used.

Now with speech recognition and text to speech.

A simple addition to a tablet computer that could replace your remote controls too!


Requirements
HomeSeer (obviously).

The FREE HomeSeer HSPI_SocketCommand plugin.
Plugin is available from HomeSeer and MediaPortal forums and directly from below.
This uses free format text requests through TCP/IP to control HomeSeer.

(Copy the plugin into the HomeSeer directory, restart HomeSeer. enable the plugin in the Setup.)

WiFi on the Android device.


Setup
Install, run the app press the menu key, go into Settings... and set the HomeSeer server (seems to work better with the IP address).

Once installed and configured, exit and restart the app

Done!


Operation
Ensure that WiFi is enabled on the phone/tablet and start the app.

The intial screen is a set of 2 buttons these show -
Request button
Status/Response text
Speak/Select button

Behind the scenes it talks to the HomeSeer plugin to find valid devices etc.


Main Screen
Request button
Short press will send that to HomeSeer to be analysed and executed.
Long press will bring up an editor dialog.

If voice recognition is available and enabled in the settings the second button shows Speak/Select. If not then it will show Filter/Select

Speak/Select button
Short press brings up the voice recognition dialog,
On return it will try to find possible matches.

Filter/Select button
Short press brings up a selector dialog that will
Enable a ‘group’ to be used.

Long press on the active button brings up a select window, showing all the possible entries for that button.


That's about it!


Rationale
The main criteria for this is that it takes free text which means that any way of entering a request (keyboard, list selection, speech) can all use the same communication.

There is nothing artificial and no need to remember exact phrases, the plugin deals with dismantling the request and making sense of it.

This provides a flexible interface to home automation.


Future
An upcoming paid version of the HSPI plugin will allow, essentially free format, time related requests to be entered (turn on at 14:00, at 14:00 switch on , turn on for 2 minutes etc).

Make the Android client into a Service (Intent would probably be AUTOMATION_REQUEST).
This would allow anonymous use from other apps.


Restrictions
Requests limited to 50.
No long click request editing.
Synchronous open (program hang if server not available).


James D Westoby

Email: [email protected]