Alexa.TemperatureSensor Interface 3

Implement the Alexa.TemperatureSensor interface in your Alexa add-on for devices that sense the current temperature, such as thermostats. Typically you use the Alexa.TemperatureSensor interface in conjunction with the Alexa.ThermostatController interface. For more details about smart home add-ons, see Connect Your Device Cloud with Smart Home Add-ons. If you want to sense the current temperature of a cooking appliance, such as an oven, use the Alexa.Cooking.TemperatureSensor interface instead. If you want to sense the current temperature of a food that is cooking, use the Alexa.Cooking.FoodTemperatureSensor interface instead. For the list of languages that the Alexa.TemperatureSensor interface supports, see List of Alexa Interfaces and Supported Languages. For the definitions of the message properties, see Alexa Interface Message and Property Reference.

Utterances

The Alexa.TemperatureSensor interface doesn’t have any user utterances.

Reportable properties

The Alexa.TemperatureSensor interface uses temperature as the primary property. The property is defined as a temperature.

Discovery

You describe endpoints that support Alexa.TemperatureSensor using the standard discovery mechanism described in Alexa.Discovery. Set retrievable to true for the properties that you report when Alexa sends your add-on a state report request. Set proactivelyReported to true for the properties that you proactively report to Alexa in a change report. Use TEMPERATURE_SENSOR for the display category. For the full list of display categories, see display categories. Sensor devices must also implement Alexa.EndpointHealth.

Discover response example

The following example shows a Discover.Response message for a thermostat that supports the Alexa.TemperatureSensor and Alexa.ThermostatController interfaces. In this example, the endpoint is a dual-setpoint thermostat, with three modes, and that doesn’t support scheduling.

{
  "event": {
    "header": {
      "namespace": "Alexa.Discovery",
      "name": "Discover.Response",
      "payloadVersion": "3",
      "messageId": "Unique identifier, preferably a version 4 UUID"
    },
    "payload": {
      "endpoints": [
        {
          "endpointId": "Unique ID of the endpoint",
          "manufacturerName": "Manufacturer of the endpoint",
          "description": "Smart Thermostat by Thermostat Maker",
          "friendlyName": "Hallway Thermostat",
          "displayCategories": ["THERMOSTAT", "TEMPERATURE_SENSOR"],
          "cookie": {},
          "capabilities": [
            {
              "type": "AlexaInterface",
              "interface": "Alexa.TemperatureSensor",
              "version": "3",
              "properties": {
                "supported": [
                  {
                    "name": "temperature"
                  }
                ],
                "proactivelyReported": true,
                "retrievable": true
              }
            },
            {
              "type": "AlexaInterface",
              "interface": "Alexa.ThermostatController",
              "version": "3.1",
              "properties": {
                "supported": [
                  {
                    "name": "targetSetpoint"
                  },
                  {
                    "name": "lowerSetpoint"
                  },
                  {
                    "name": "upperSetpoint"
                  },
                  {
                    "name": "thermostatMode"
                  }
                ],
                "proactivelyReported": true,
                "retrievable": true
              },
              "configuration": {
                "supportedModes": [ "HEAT", "COOL", "AUTO" ],
                "supportsScheduling": false
              }
            },
            {
              "type": "AlexaInterface",
              "interface": "Alexa.EndpointHealth",
              "version": "3",
              "properties": {
                "supported": [
                  {
                    "name":"connectivity"
                  }
                ],
                "proactivelyReported": true,
                "retrievable": true
              }
            },
            {
              "type": "AlexaInterface",
              "interface": "Alexa",
              "version": "3"
            }
          ]
        }
      ]
    }
  }
}

Directives

The Alexa.TemperatureSensor interface doesn’t define any directives.

State reporting

Alexa sends a ReportState directive to request information about the state of an endpoint. When Alexa sends a ReportState directive, you send a StateReport event in response. The response contains the current state of all retrievable properties in the context object. You identify your retrievable properties in your discovery response. For details about state reports, see Understand State and Change Reporting.

StateReport response example

{
  "event": {
    "header": {
      "namespace": "Alexa",
      "name": "StateReport",
      "messageId": "Unique identifier, preferably a version 4 UUID",
      "correlationToken": "Opaque correlation token that matches the request",
      "payloadVersion": "3"
    },
    "endpoint": {
      "scope": {
        "type": "BearerToken",
        "token": "OAuth2.0 bearer token"
      },
      "endpointId": "Endpoint ID"
    },
    "payload": {}
  },
  "context": {
    "properties": [
      {
        "namespace": "Alexa.TemperatureSensor",
        "name": "temperature",
        "value": {
          "value": 19.9,
          "scale": "CELSIUS"
        },
        "timeOfSample": "2024-01-06T09:00:00.05Z",
        "uncertaintyInMilliseconds": 1000
      },
      {
        "namespace": "Alexa.ThermostatController",
        "name": "thermostatMode",
        "value": "HEAT",
        "timeOfSample": "2024-01-01T08:00:00.05Z",
        "uncertaintyInMilliseconds": 500
      },
      {
        "namespace": "Alexa.ThermostatController",
        "name": "targetSetpoint",
        "value": {
          "value": 20.0,
          "scale": "CELSIUS"
        },
        "timeOfSample": "2024-01-01T08:00:00.05Z",
        "uncertaintyInMilliseconds": 500
      },
      {
        "namespace": "Alexa.EndpointHealth",
        "name": "connectivity",
        "value": {
          "value": "OK"
        },
        "timeOfSample": "2024-01-06T09:00:00.05Z",
        "uncertaintyInMilliseconds": 0
      }
    ]
  }
}

Change reporting

You send a ChangeReport event to report changes proactively in the state of an endpoint. You identify the properties that you proactively report in your discovery response. For details about change reports, see Understand State and Change Reporting.

ChangeReport event example

{  
  "event": {
    "header": {
      "namespace": "Alexa",
      "name": "ChangeReport",
      "messageId": "Unique identifier, preferably a version 4 UUID",
      "payloadVersion": "3"
    },
    "endpoint": {
      "scope": {
        "type": "BearerToken",
        "token": "OAuth2.0 bearer token"
      },
      "endpointId": "Endpoint ID"
    },
    "payload": {
      "change": {
        "cause": {
          "type": "PHYSICAL_INTERACTION"
        },
        "properties": [
          {
            "namespace": "Alexa.ThermostatController",
            "name": "targetSetpoint",
            "value": {
              "value": 18.0,
              "scale": "CELSIUS"
            },
            "timeOfSample": "2017-02-03T16:20:50.52Z",
            "uncertaintyInMilliseconds": 500
          }
        ]
      }
    }
  },
  "context": {
    "properties": [
      {
        "namespace": "Alexa.TemperatureSensor",
        "name": "temperature",
        "value": {
          "value": 19.1,
          "scale": "CELSIUS"
        },
        "timeOfSample": "2017-02-03T16:20:50.52Z",
        "uncertaintyInMilliseconds": 1000
      },
      {
        "namespace": "Alexa.ThermostatController",
        "name": "thermostatMode",
        "value": "COOL",
        "timeOfSample": "2017-02-03T16:20:50.52Z",
        "uncertaintyInMilliseconds": 500
      },
      {
        "namespace": "Alexa.EndpointHealth",
        "name": "connectivity",
        "value": {
          "value": "OK"
        },
        "timeOfSample": "2017-02-03T16:20:50.52Z",
        "uncertaintyInMilliseconds": 0
      }
    ]
  }
}

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Developer Reference

Utterances

Reportable properties

Discovery

Discover response example

Directives

State reporting

StateReport response example

Change reporting

ChangeReport event example

​Utterances

​Reportable properties

​Discovery

​Discover response example

​Directives

​State reporting

​StateReport response example

​Change reporting

​ChangeReport event example

​Related topics

Utterances

Reportable properties

Discovery

Discover response example

Directives

State reporting

StateReport response example

Change reporting

ChangeReport event example

Related topics