Continuing from the previous article in Allion’s Smart Home series, when purchasing Smart Home appliances, it is important to pay attention to whether they are marked with the Works With Alexa (WWA) logo. Despite containing the WWA logo, the product may encounter problems.
Asynchronous Usage Status problems between Smart Home applications
In previous articles, the three main elements of building an Alexa smart home were discussed: Alexa Built-In Devices (ABI), Alexa Connected Devices, and Alexa Skills. When all three elements are in place and have executed the scenarios Allion has prepared, it still encounters problems. Allion’s Research Team observed asynchronous usage status issues that occurred between the following appliances after conducting multiple experiments:
Test bed 1: Amazon Echo Show smart speaker
Test bed 2: A smart light bulb from Brand P that carries the WWA logo
Test bed 3: Application installed on the phone used for controlling/displaying the light bulb’s status.
- App 1: Amazon Alexa app
- App2: Brand P app
Scenario
The user verbally commands Amazon Echo Show, instructing Brand P’s light bulb to adjust its brightness to 0%. In response, the Alexa smart speaker reports that the brightness has been adjusted to 0%.
Asynchronization Issue
- Amazon Alexa app displays that the brightness of Brand P’s light bulb was reduced to 0%.
- Brand P’s app displays the light bulb’s brightness as reduced to 5%.
When this problem occurs, the asynchronous status of the two applications confuses users. Users set their light bulb to 0% brightness with Alexa, but when checking Brand P’s app, it shows 5%. This inconsistency leaves users unsure which application’s status reflects the true state of the bulb. The consequence of this problem is, when setting brightness verbally with Alexa, there’s no guarantee that Brand P’s light bulb will be set to the correct percentage.
Consider a scenario where a user intends to save electricity by dimming their light bulb to 0%. However, due to the unclear status, there may still be residual light, preventing effective energy conservation. Conversely, imagine the user is away from home but wants to control their home lighting via Alexa through voice commands. They want to turn on the lights at night to create the impression that someone is home. The asynchronous status between Alexa and Brand P’s applications may result in the commands being inaccurately executed, thus failing to meet the user’s needs.
Allion specializes in building comprehensive application ecosystems for smart homes
To address the problems addressed in this article, Allion has established a comprehensive smart home verification application ecosystem that may effectively alleviate your concerns. In addition to smart light bulbs, our smart home verification application ecosystem is capable of being applied to various other categories of smart home devices, including: smart plugs, smart witches, smart door locks for opening and closing, adjusting air conditioning temperatures, taking pictures and videos with cameras, and controlling the percentage curtains open. We are committed to assisting customers in proactively mitigating risks in consumer usage while saving time and costs in overall product development and implementation! The ‘Allion Smart Home Ecosystem’ consulting service ensures that your team enjoys a faster, easier, and better service experience.
Why choose Allion as your Smart Home Product Testing Consultant
Allion is committed to providing its clients with a faster, easier, and better high-quality service experience. In addition to assisting clients in launching their products on schedule, Allion may also give you confidence and peace of mind when you hand your products over to your consumers.
Faster
Allion provides clients with fast and accurate evaluations that effectively shorten certification timelines. We have complete testing equipment in our laboratories, providing the greatest quality control for our clients.
Easier
By implementing AI and automation solutions, Allion ensures that every test is “qualitative, quantitative, and reproducible”, assisting our clients in improving product performance in a more efficient manner.
Better
With expertise extending over 30 years that includes a specialized technical team in addition to comprehensive testing environments and equipment, Allion is committed to providing clients with an improved quality of service based on extensive experience of User Scenario Testing.
For those looking for further reading on the problems observed during experiments with Alexa smart home device applications, Allion explores the key issues in“Smart Home Ecosystem Consultant Team”.
If you have any questions about display devices or their ecosystems, please feel free to contact us through the online form.