Randomly issuing commands

[Bray90820]

I have Voxcommando set to prefix mode and at random times even when the room is silent Voxcommando will fire off a command using windows 10 with a Jabra 410 Microphone/Speaker

[Kalle]

Hi Bray90820,

this can have many reasons - it would be nice you can post the voxlog.txt file in which the executed command is displayed.

http://voxcommando.com/mediawiki/index.php?title=Log

http://voxcommando.com/mediawiki/index.php?title=Getting_support


Kalle

[jitterjames]

VoxCommando is built upon the Windows Speech Recognition engine and is dependent on your hardware and how you have set it up.

We have integrated every conceivable tool to try to help make it possible for you to configure VoxCommando in a way that will work for you in your environment and with the hardware you have but it is not magic.

Most likely there are things you can do to prevent this issue, but maybe you just need to adjust your expectations of what is possible with a microphone that is always listening when we don't have special hardware with built in keyword detection and an array microphone.

Providing us with a log file is always a good place to start, especially when you are not willing to elaborate on your problem beyond a single sentence.  This makes it easier for us to guess what is actually happening.  The log file would make it easier for us to determine if you are actually in standby mode, and what your prefix is and what commands are being triggered.

Here are some of the more likely reasons for your issue. It could be one thing or a combination of these things.

1 You are not in standby mode.  Prefix mode requires that you be in standby mode to work.
2 The commands being triggered are set as "always on" (these commands work even in standby without a prefix)
3 Your prefix is too short. Make sure it is 3 syllables or more (e.g. "Alexa", "OKAY Google")
4 The command being triggered is too short (e.g. "up")
5 Your input volume is set too high
6 Your microphone has automatic gain control turned on (this turns the input level up extremely high when the room is silent)
7 Your mic has acoustic echo cancellation turned on (this can sometimes create odd audio artifacts)
8 Your required confidence is set too low
9 Your required prefix confidence is set too low
10 Your silent room is not really silent.  (Fans, motors, dogs barking, cars driving by an open windows, furniture the microphone is on gets bumped, etc.)
11 Your list of commands is too short.  If you only have a few voice commands then it is much more likely to trigger false positives.

Some possible solutions other than addressing the issues above:

1 - Create a new blank speech profile in Windows advanced speech settings.
2 - Turn VoxCommando OFF completely when not using it, instead of putting it in standby.  VC can be turned back on using various methods such as presence detection (e.g. a motion sensor) or with a remote control, keyboard or mouse event etc.

There is an action in VoxCommando called VcAdvanced.SaveRecoWav
 see: http://voxcommando.com/mediawiki/index.php?title=Actions#SaveRecoWav

You can put this action into commands that are being triggered when the room is "silent" and then listen to the wav file to know what VC is actually hearing when it triggers this command.

[jitterjames]

Of course all of this has already been covered in the forum and on the wiki.

Here's one good forum post that covers a lot of the same info:
http://voxcommando.com/forum/index.php?topic=1321.0

[Bray90820]

After further testing it seems to be going off without the prefix being used. I have an led that turns on when the prefix is triggered yet one of my commands to change the TV channel to OWN was triggered without the LED turning on my required prefix confidence is 55% and a link to my log is posted below

https://pastebin.com/raw/9JxpWaL0

[Kalle]

Did you tried to set up any point from above?


Point 9 is a good start.

[jitterjames]

If the command is actually being executed and no prefix is being recognized then it is point 1 or 2 above.

[jitterjames]

After further testing it seems to be going off without the prefix being used. I have an led that turns on when the prefix is triggered yet one of my commands to change the TV channel to OWN was triggered without the LED turning on

In general we ask people up send us complete logs since only we are qualified to know what is relevant information.

What happens before your log begins is a mystery, and we cannot for example know what mode VC is in or what type of commands and groups you are using, or if there was a TTS action that sounded similar to the voice command that was recognized, but in the log you posted I am seeing only one command that is being executed and that command contains the prefix "Jarvis".

I find it extremely difficult to believe though, that VC is hearing the command "Jarvis Turn On OWN" in a silent room.  I would need to hear the recording of what VC is hearing.  See my previous post about the action VcAdvanced.SaveRecoWav

[Bray90820]

The only thing I can think of that would set it off iare computer fans  because other than that the room is silent and After countless hours trying to get VcAdvanced.SaveRecoWav to save my audio files I have almost given up
The only thing I can think of that would set it off is a computer fan

below is my complete log for the commands that are run in a silent room and VcAdvanced.SaveRecoWav

Silent room log - https://www.dropbox.com/s/j8tb9j8zgsv8u6i/VC1.log?dl=0
VcAdvanced.SaveRecoWav log - https://www.dropbox.com/s/9aljojkcaz9iw5w/VC2.log?dl=0

[jitterjames]

SaveRecoWav takes a path to a wav file, not a path to a folder.

For example a valid path to a wav file would be:

test.wav

or

c:\my folder\recording.wav

Admittedly it would be better if the error provided by VC were more precise about why it was unable to write the file.  Invalid file path or something.

Other than that, I'm not sure what is going on in the log file.  What are we supposed to be looking for?  What were you doing when you created this log file?  It is hard to know what to look for in the log file if we are not given any other information.

[Bray90820]

Now that I have a proper wav and log file Hopefully this will be my last post at 12:32 while the room was silent Voxcommando recognized the speech turn on family net and I came back to my TV on a different channel than when I left my entire log is from when the room was silent and the wav file seems to be nearly silent as well

Log - https://www.dropbox.com/s/35zrra7d2zfhzqb/VC3.log?dl=0
WAV - https://www.dropbox.com/s/a7mqufitho2oadu/reco.wav?dl=0

6/12/2018 12:32:15 PM   723   Something was recognized
6/12/2018 12:32:15 PM   723   Rulename: root    # Semantics: 2
6/12/2018 12:32:15 PM   723   Group: Channels    Speech: Jarvis Turn On Family Net
6/12/2018 12:32:15 PM   740   semanticID: 1449
6/12/2018 12:32:15 PM   741   kvp: prefix | Jarvis
6/12/2018 12:32:15 PM   741   kvp: command | 1449
6/12/2018 12:32:15 PM   745   semanticID: 1449
6/12/2018 12:32:15 PM   745   kvp: prefix | Jarvis
6/12/2018 12:32:15 PM   745   kvp: command | 1449
6/12/2018 12:32:15 PM   745   alternate:Jarvis Turn On Family Net
6/12/2018 12:32:15 PM   761   A prefix is required to execute this command.
6/12/2018 12:32:15 PM   762   addHistoryItem [vcevent] VC.Prefix.End

6/12/2018 12:32:15 PM   763   doCommand:Family Net
6/12/2018 12:32:15 PM   763   Action claims to be threadsafe.
6/12/2018 12:32:15 PM   764   action repeat set to: 1
6/12/2018 12:32:15 PM   764   Action:  Launch.CMD
6/12/2018 12:32:15 PM   764   Param1:sh C:\Users\Aaron\Documents\Harmony\Channels\Family_Net.sh
6/12/2018 12:32:15 PM   764   addHistoryItem [action] Launch.CMD:sh C:\Users\Aaron\Documents\Harmony\Channels\Family_Net.sh

[jitterjames]

That wav file is not from the command you are talking about (" Jarvis Turn On Family Net"). 

From what I can see, VoxCommando is working correctly.  The problem you are having is with the Windows Speech recognition engine and your microphone, and may be exacerbated by the way you have VC configured.  But looking at the log I don't see any signs that VC is doing something that it should not be doing.

Please make a backup from the VC File menu and send me the .zip file that is created.

In the meantime do ALL of the following.  If you don't know how to do something, tell us.  Don't just skip it.

1 - Create a new speech recognition profile in Windows advanced speech settings.  Delete all other speech recognition profiles. 
Note: when you create a new profile Windows will try to get you to set up your microphone.  Hit CANCEL at this point.

2 - Go into VoxCommando options and change your prefix to something other than Jarvis.  Try it with Alexa.

3 - Do not use a command that tells VC to listen which uses the prefix as the phrase for that command.  You currently have a command where just saying "Jarvis" will turn VC on and "Jarvis" is also your prefix.  This is not recommended.  The phrase should be something like "pay attention".  If it's anything shorter than 3 syllables then make sure this command is NOT set to always on, so you will need to say "Alexa pay attention" in order to go into "VC.On" mode.

4 - Turn your microphone down as low as you possibly can and still have it recognize you from a reasonable distance.  If you are trying to give commands from more than 6 to 8 feet away, it may just be that you are expecting too much here with the microphone you are using.  As I mentioned a while back in my long list of possible issues, make sure that automatic volume (gain) control is turned OFF.

Step 1 is really important because I think that perhaps Windows has "learned" the sound of your semi-silent room (fans or whatever) and has especially learned that these sounds mean Jarvis.

By the way, are you also using Cortana or any other voice recognition at the same time?

[Bray90820]

While I work on all 4 steps you gave me here is the zip file you asked for and about the audio file while it might not be executing the command it was created during the time the command was run the only other thing I am using is an Echo Dot

https://www.dropbox.com/s/7ic993p44dbwx3r/VOX.zip?dl=0

[jitterjames]

Are you using VoxWav?

Do you us VC to control MediaMonkey?  Because your MediaMonkey commands are very odd.

[Bray90820]

While my main speaker is a Jabra 410 I have VoxWav setup to use in other rooms and I am still figuring out how media monkey works so that's why those two commands are so strange also I tried the 4 steps you told me to do and it seemed to make no difference

[jitterjames]

No difference?  Wow.  I am amazed.  That is truly shocking.

I don't know what is going on with your computer then.  It makes no sense.  Using a new blank speech profile will always make some kind of difference.  Are you sure you created a new blank speech profile and set Windows to use it?  Are you sure you changed your profile?

What is the new prefix you are using?

What command are you using to tell VC to listen?

What was your microphone input level before and what did you set it to?

I don't know what volume your microphone is, or whether this mic is any good.

I don't know whether VoxWav is currently active, but I'm not seeing signs of it in the log.  Still this could in some cases explain why a command was executed if VoxWav was on and you didn't know it.  By default VoxWav does not require a prefix.

You should remove those MediaMonkey commands until you learn to make a voice command because right now your phrasing makes no sense and is using dictation.

Your "required prefix confidence" and "required confidence" are both set much too low in options.

Your command to change channels should not be using "turn on XYZ".  "Turn on" is used for your lights.

All of your channel changing commands should be put into a single command that uses a payloadXML instead of having a whole bunch of different commands that all do the same thing.  I recommend the phrase be something like "change (or switch) channel to XYZ".  I can help with this.

If you want I can connect to your computer with TeamViewer to try to help you fix things up, but it seems as though your computer might be possessed by an evil spirit and I don't have a lot of experience in that area.

[Bray90820]

Connecting with TeamViewer would be great even if it probably won't do much and I tried a new prefix "Alexa please do the following" and it was still experiencing the same shitty results