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Naming Convention

Key Principles⚓︎

  1. Simple and Natural Language: Voice commands should feel natural and intuitive (e.g., “Turn on the kitchen lights”).

  2. Unique but Consistent: Every device must have a unique name, but the format should be consistent across the house or site.

  3. Scalable: The system should work for 10 or 1000 devices.

  4. Easy to Recognize: Names should be easy for anyone (guests, new users) to understand and use.

  5. Room & Device Type First: Prioritize location and device function.

  6. No Abbreviations (unless universally obvious): Keep it easy for voice assistants to recognize.

  7. Avoid Special Characters: Voice assistants don’t like them.

Format:

Format

[Room/Area] [Location in the Room/Area] [Device Type/Function] [Number/Description]

  • [Room/Area]: Main location (Kitchen, Master Bedroom, Living Room, etc.)

  • [Location in the Room/Area]: Ceiling, wall, etc

  • [Device Type/Function]: Light, Fan, AC, Plug, Speaker, Blind, Camera, etc.

  • [Number/Description]: If more than one similar device per room (e.g., “1”, “2”, “Left”, “Right”)

Examples:⚓︎

Device Type Example Name Voice Command Example
Light Living Room Ceiling Light “Turn on the living room ceiling light”
Light Kitchen Island Light “Turn off the kitchen island light”
Plug Master Bedroom Plug “Turn off the master bedroom plug”
Thermostat Hallway Thermostat “Set the hallway thermostat to 22”
Blind Office Window Blind “Open the office window blind”
AC Guest Room AC “Turn on guest room AC”
Camera Garage Camera “Show the garage camera”
Speaker Dining Room Speaker “Play music on the dining room speaker”

Detailed Examples (Multiple Devices):⚓︎

  • Living Room Wall Light Left

  • Living Room Wall Light Right

  • Kitchen Under Cabinet Light

  • Bedroom 1 Ceiling Fan

  • Garage Door Opener

Special Cases⚓︎

Groups/Scenes:⚓︎

  • Format: [Room/Area] [Group/Scene Name]

    • “Living Room All Lights”

    • “Kitchen Morning Scene”

Multi-zone Devices:⚓︎

  • Format: [Room/Area] [Zone] [Device Type]

    • “Garden Zone 1 Light”

    • “Living Room Left Speaker”

Summary Table⚓︎

Element Examples
Room/Area Kitchen, Living Room, Bedroom 1
Device Type Light, Plug, Fan, AC, Blind, Camera
Description Ceiling, Wall, Left, Right, Window
Scene/Group All Lights, Morning, Movie

Voice Command Examples⚓︎

  • “Hey Siri, turn on the kitchen island light.”

  • “Alexa, open the office window blind.”

  • “Ok Google, turn off the living room wall light right.”

If it feels natural and voice assistants recognize it.

Template for Documentation⚓︎

Device Name Location Type Description Example Voice Command
Living Room Ceiling Light Living Room Light Ceiling “Turn on the living room ceiling light”
Kitchen Plug Kitchen Plug – “Turn off the kitchen plug”
Master Bedroom Fan Master Bedroom Fan – “Turn on the master bedroom fan”
Garage Camera Garage Camera – “Show the garage camera”