VoIP Softphone

[mparks]

In an ongoing effort to power off as many things as I can find in my home and home office. I have switched my hardware phone to a VoIP softphone, I am currently using CounterPath Bria as my softphone, ( full disclosure; I use to sell Business and Residential VoIP lines, hardware and service plans. ) Anyways, I did not see any VoIP related feature request so I figured I would submit one.

Is there a way to use Vox to control a VoIP softphone to make and receive calls. I have been using the paid version from CounterPath called Bria but it functions just the same as the free version called x-lite (http://www.counterpath.com/x-lite.html). I am not sure if there is an API for the free version, I would need to do some more digging. But do you think there might be a way to control it with Vox. Or is there any other softphones that someone can recommend that would be a better candidate for Vox control.

[Kalle]

In an ongoing effort to power off as many things as I can find in my home and home office. I have switched my hardware phone to a VoIP softphone, I am currently using CounterPath Bria as my softphone, ( full disclosure; I use to sell Business and Residential VoIP lines, hardware and service plans. ) Anyways, I did not see any VoIP related feature request so I figured I would submit one.

Is there a way to use Vox to control a VoIP softphone to make and receive calls. I have been using the paid version from CounterPath called Bria but it functions just the same as the free version called x-lite (http://www.counterpath.com/x-lite.html). I am not sure if there is an API for the free version, I would need to do some more digging. But do you think there might be a way to control it with Vox. Or is there any other softphones that someone can recommend that would be a better candidate for Vox control.

I'm not sure it is the same, but you can use skype with VC.
Bria Soft has a API interface - http://www.counterpath.com/assets/files/189/Bria_3_for_Windows_API_R4.pdf, but I have no plan to use it 
If the software has some hotkeys or you can control it over keyboard, you have a good chance with command "InputKey.send" or DxInput plugin in VC to control it vwith your voice.

Kalle

[jitterjames]

actually I think that x-lite has a few command line parameters that you can use to send simple commands to the program to dial, pickup, hangup etc.  You should be able to use the launch command.

[jitterjames]

this is from a Bria api pdf:

[mparks]

Good find on the API. Thank you.
I do use skype but with skype you can not use your own VoIP provider so it is not a good choice for me. I use Bria because it works as a good home phone and works perfect in an office environment with more than one extension, something skype is just not meant for. I don't call long distance but I make and receive a lot of local calls, which is just not practical on a cell phone unless your plan has unlimited day time minuets, so this is were a VoIP line comes in handy for me.

The Plantronics headset I bought has become a lifesaver now that I am using a softphone. If I'm on a cell phone call I can still answer skype or the softphone just by pressing the enter button on the keyboard. The headset will switch to the active call and put the other on hold.  My next step is to find a way to use Vox to also control the softpone. I am not tied to any softphone brand so I have been looking around to see what else is out there.

Update: As a test I tried "C:\Program Files (x86)\CounterPath\CounterPath Bria Professional\BriaProfessional.exe" -dial=sip:(phone number here) ...  it launched and dialed the number so that's a good start. I guess I can use keyboard input with vox to press the enter key on incoming calls to answer them. This is getting exciting....

[jitterjames]

you mean you tried it from VC?  Did it work with the regular launch command?  I'm not having any luck with x-lite but maybe it doesn't support command line.

edit: it looks like maybe they removed this capability from x-lite as of version 4.  Sigh...  well anyway it's easy enough to make an action that will focus x-lite and then use input keys to dial a number.  The hardest part then will probably be managing your contacts in a way that they can easily be exported and converted to a payloadXML for voice dialing.

[jitterjames]

here's a group with sample commands for x-lite

- call a number
- hang up (ctrl-e)

[mparks]

I have manage to get Vox to dial phone numbers using my VoIP program
Launch.RawParam: {Path} C:\Program Files (x86)\CounterPath\CounterPath Bria Professional\BriaProfessional.exe {Parameters} dial="{1}"

For dial="{1}", I use the payload ( payloadDictation: Spelling ) to get this to work I say the phrase " Computer dial this number 8665551234 "
All is working well. So here is my question...

I need to figure out how to dial by name....example "  Computer dial Jason's Mobile number "

Is there a way to create an XML of all my contacts and have Vox find Jason's Mobile number then insert it into dial="{1}"

[Kalle]

I have manage to get Vox to dial phone numbers using my VoIP program
Launch.RawParam: {Path} C:\Program Files (x86)\CounterPath\CounterPath Bria Professional\BriaProfessional.exe {Parameters} dial="{1}"

For dial="{1}", I use the payload ( payloadDictation: Spelling ) to get this to work I say the phrase " Computer dial this number 8665551234 "
All is working well. So here is my question...

I need to figure out how to dial by name....example "  Computer dial Jason's Mobile number "

Is there a way to create an XML of all my contacts and have Vox find Jason's Mobile number then insert it into dial="{1}"

Yes, you can create a payload.xml with the name to you want to call and the number as parameter.
Do you need a example xml?

Kalle

[mparks]

Yes, please and thank you. I would like the option to have more than one number per contact, so that I can say " call john's business phone" or " call John's cell phone"

[Kalle]

Yes, please and thank you. I would like the option to have more than one number per contact, so that I can say " call john's business phone" or " call John's cell phone"

10 min please 

[mparks]

 I also would like to expand this contact.xml for more things down the road, for example.. I would like to have Vox look up the contacts address and email information if needed and use TTS to read the address back to me, or tell vox to add a contact to the contact.xml file. but for now, just dialing by name would be great.

[Kalle]

Import the VCgrp_Voip.xml in VC editor and the voipnametonumber.xml in the payload folder.

this is a example payload, you can say: "call" -"jason mobile"
You must enable the DxInput-plugin and set the delay to 50 millisec.
With an double click on voipnametonumer.xml you can edit it easy by your self. I think James has a better idea for this command, but for first I hope it work  
I don't know how fast the briasoft load, so you must play a little bit with the VC.pause action (1000 = 1 second)
I test some logic blocks with this command (if - process running then ...)  
Let me know how it work.

Kalle

[mparks]

Wow, thank you very much and for your speedy response, I will play with this as soon as I get home.

[Kalle]

Wow, thank you very much and for your speedy response, I will play with this as soon as I get home.

don't mention it, this was easy  
Here is the command with a logic block.
Example: when you say - call jason mobile - VC checks whether the process is running (BriaProfessional).
If the process running, VC dial direct the number - otherwise VC launch it before dial.
You must check the name of the process in taskmanager (I don't know his name) control+shift+esc

Kalle