Initiate Scene with Email / Using Find Friends App as Proximity Sensor

Community Playground General Discussions
#1

Is it possible to initiate a scene by sending an email? I realize this sounds weird, but this would allow me to utilize the iPhone’s Find my Friends app as a proximity sensor instead of RFID or other methods. The Find my Friends app can send an email upon arriving / leaving a location. I thought this might work to initiate my Arriving Home / Leaving Home scenes. Since we have our phones with us everywhere we go, this seems like the most logical proximity solution. Any ideas? This would get very close to making the house truly automated.

On a separate note, any suggestions for learning Lua? Books? Websites? I have been looking at the Wiki pages, but didn’t know if there was something better.

Thanks for the help!!

Tim

#2

I don’t know if such support could be built in, but someone could write a program that runs on a PC/home server that receives the email and fires off the device/scene activation to vera over HTTP request.

#3

@timholesjr

Have a look at the Ping Sensor (http://forum.micasaverde.com/index.php/topic,1997.0.html)

That might help.

#4

How do you fire off a device / scene activation over http request? I know how to make a program that can issue an http request, but don’t know how to activate a scene in Vera. Any ideas?

#5

Have a look at lu_invoke

http://veraip:3480/data_request?id=lu_invoke

This will give you a list of device calls you can make via http, I have the one for a scene somewhere I try and dig it out…

#6

Here you go.

http://veraip:49451/data_request?id=lu_action&output_format=xml&serviceId=urn:micasaverde-com:serviceId:HomeAutomationGateway1&action=RunScene&SceneNum=126

In regards to learning how Vera works on a programming level, check out the micasaverde wiki there is a lot there to help get you going…

#7

Could be used perhaps in concert with this service or something similar http://www.email2http.net/

#8

I do not know if there is a tasker like app for the iphone, but on android tasker can do tasks based on emails received then execute home buddy scenes, i do not use it for this but it is one of the features of tasker. i do use taker to execute other homebuddy scenes and it works great. and if there isn’t a tasker like app for the iphone maybe running a cheap android tablet or old phone.

#9

I am in the process of working with a buddy of mine to write an iPhone app that will initiate a scene via http request. I will report back.

Tim

#10

What’s your email address ? I want to unlock your doors :frowning:

#11

@RichardTSchaefer

After thinking though this I can appreciate that something as easily activated as sending an email wouldn’t be the best way to approach this. I was originally trying to avoid having to develop an app for my iPhone. After realizing the vulnerability of this approach, I bit the bullet and enlisted the help of my buddy to create the app. He has extensive experience with Android apps, I just had to coerce him into working on a Mac.