Alexa.TimeHoldController Interface 3

Implement the Alexa.TimeHoldController interface in your Alexa cooking add-on so that users can pause a variety of devices. For example, you can pause a microwave while it’s cooking. You must use the Alexa.TimeHoldController interface in conjunction with the Alexa.Cooking interface. For details about cooking add-ons, see Build Smart Home Add-ons for Cooking Appliances. For the list of languages that the Alexa.TimeHoldController 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.TimeHoldController interface uses the pre-built voice interaction model. The following examples show some customer utterances:

English (All)

After the customer says one of these utterances, Alexa sends a corresponding directive to your add-on.

Reportable properties

The Alexa.TimeHoldController interface uses the holdStartTime and holdEndTime properties as the primary properties. Specify the properties in UTC strings in ISO 8601 format, YYYY-MM-DDThh:mm:ssZ.

Discovery

You describe endpoints that support Alexa.TimeHoldController by 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. For the full list of display categories, see display categories. To let Alexa know the health of your device, also implement the Alexa.EndpointHealth interface.

Configuration object

In addition to the usual discovery response fields, for TimeHoldController, include a configuration object that contains the following fields.

Field	Description	Type
`allowRemoteResume`	True if Alexa can restart the operation on the device. When false, Alexa doesn’t send the `Resume` directive. Instead, Alexa prompts the user to push start on the device.	Boolean

Discover response example

The following example shows a Discover.Response message for a microwave that supports the Alexa.TimeHoldController interface.

{
    "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": "Description to be shown in the Alexa app",
                "friendlyName": "Microwave",
                "displayCategories": ["MICROWAVE"],
                "cookie": {},
                "capabilities": [{
                        "type": "AlexaInterface",
                        "interface": "Alexa.TimeHoldController",
                        "version": "3",
                        "properties": {
                            "supported": [{
                                    "name": "holdStartTime"
                                },
                                {
                                    "name": "holdEndTime"
                                }
                            ],
                            "proactivelyReported": true,
                            "retrievable": true
                        },
                        "configuration": {
                            "allowRemoteResume": true
                        }
                    },
                    {
                        "type": "AlexaInterface",
                        "interface": "Alexa.Cooking",
                        "version": "3",
                        "properties": {
                            "supported": [{
                                    "name": "cookingMode"
                                },
                                {
                                    "name": "foodItem"
                                },
                                {
                                    "name": "cookingTimeInterval"
                                }
                            ],
                            "proactivelyReported": true,
                            "retrievable": true
                        },
                        "configuration": {
                            "supportsRemoteStart": false,
                            "supportedCookingModes": ["REHEAT", "DEFROST", "PRESET", "OFF"]
                        }
                    },
                    {
                        "type": "AlexaInterface",
                        "interface": "Alexa.EndpointHealth",
                        "version": "3",
                        "properties": {
                            "supported": [{
                                "name": "connectivity"
                            }],
                            "proactivelyReported": false,
                            "retrievable": true
                        }
                    },
                    {
                        "type": "AlexaInterface",
                        "interface": "Alexa",
                        "version": "3"
                    }
                ]
            }]
        }
    }
}

Directives

Alexa sends the following Alexa.TimeHoldController interface directives to your add-on.

Hold directive

Support the Hold directive so that customers can pause an action that a device is doing. The following example shows a customer utterance:

English (All)

Hold directive example

The following example illustrates a Hold directive that Alexa sends to your add-on.

{
  "directive": {
    "header": {
      "namespace": "Alexa.TimeHoldController",
      "name": "Hold",
      "messageId": "Unique version 4 UUID",
      "correlationToken": "Opaque correlation token",
      "payloadVersion": "3"
    },
    "endpoint": {
      "scope": {
        "type": "BearerToken",
        "token": "OAuth2.0 bearer token"
      },
      "endpointId": "Endpoint ID",
      "cookie": {}
    },
    "payload": {}
  }
}

Hold response

If you handle a Hold directive successfully, respond with an Alexa.Response event. In the context object, include the values of all relevant properties. The following example shows a response to a Hold directive.

{
    "event": {
        "header": {
            "namespace": "Alexa",
            "name": "Response",
            "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.TimeHoldController",
                "name": "holdStartTime",
                "value": "2018-05-31T14:30:00.00Z",
                "timeOfSample": "2018-05-31T23:30:02.32Z",
                "uncertaintyInMilliseconds": 0
            },
            {
                "namespace": "Alexa.TimeHoldController",
                "name": "holdEndTime",
                "value": "2018-05-31T14:40:00.00Z",
                "timeOfSample": "2018-05-31T23:30:02.32Z",
                "uncertaintyInMilliseconds": 0
            }
        ]
    }
}

Hold directive error handling

If you can’t handle a Hold directive successfully, respond with an Alexa.ErrorResponse event. If your device supports cooking, you can also respond with an Alexa.Cooking.ErrorResponse event when appropriate.

Resume directive

Support the Resume directive so that customers can restart an action that a device is doing. The following example shows a customer utterance:

English (All)

Resume directive example

The following example illustrates a Resume directive that Alexa sends to your add-on. The payload for the Resume directive is empty.

{
  "directive": {
    "header": {
      "namespace": "Alexa.TimeHoldController",
      "name": "Resume",
      "messageId": "Unique version 4 UUID",
      "correlationToken": "Opaque correlation token",
      "payloadVersion": "3"
    },
    "endpoint": {
      "scope": {
        "type": "BearerToken",
        "token": "OAuth2.0 bearer token"
      },
      "endpointId": "Endpoint ID",
      "cookie": {}
    },
    "payload": {}
  }
}

Resume response

If you handle a Resume directive successfully, respond with an Alexa.Response event. In the context object, include the values of all relevant properties. The following example shows a response to a Resume directive.

{
    "event": {
        "header": {
            "namespace": "Alexa",
            "name": "Response",
            "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": {}
}

Resume directive error handling

If you can’t handle a Resume directive successfully, respond with an Alexa.ErrorResponse event. If your device supports cooking, you can also respond with an Alexa.Cooking.ErrorResponse event when appropriate.

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.TimeHoldController",
         "name": "holdStartTime",
         "value": "2018-05-31T14:30:00.00Z",
         "timeOfSample": "2018-08-31T23:30:00Z",
         "uncertaintyInMilliseconds": 0
      },
      {
         "namespace": "Alexa.TimeHoldController",
         "name": "holdEndTime",
         "value": "2018-05-31T14:40:00.00Z",
         "timeOfSample": "2018-08-31T23:30:00Z",
         "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": "PERIODIC_POLL"
        },
        "properties": [
          {
             "namespace": "Alexa.TimeHoldController",
             "name": "holdStartTime",
             "value": "2018-05-31T14:02.32Z",
             "timeOfSample": "2018-05-31T23:30:02.32Z",
             "uncertaintyInMilliseconds": 0
          },
          {
             "namespace": "Alexa.TimeHoldController",
             "name": "holdEndTime",
             "value": "2018-05-31T14:02.32Z",
             "timeOfSample": "2018-05-31T23:30:02.32Z",
             "uncertaintyInMilliseconds": 0
          }
        ]
      }
    }
  },
  "context": {
    "namespace": "Alexa.EndpointHealth",
    "name": "connectivity",
    "value": {
      "value": "OK"
    },
    "timeOfSample": "2018-05-31T23:25:02.32Z",
    "uncertaintyInMilliseconds": 500
  }
}

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Developer Reference

Alexa.TimeHoldController Interface 3

Utterances

Reportable properties

Discovery

Configuration object

Discover response example

Directives

Hold directive

Hold directive example

Hold response

Hold directive error handling

Resume directive

Resume directive example

Resume response

Resume directive error handling

State reporting

StateReport response example

Change reporting

ChangeReport event example

​Utterances

​Reportable properties

​Discovery

​Configuration object

​Discover response example

​Directives

​Hold directive

​Hold directive example

​Hold response

​Hold directive error handling

​Resume directive

​Resume directive example

​Resume response

​Resume directive error handling

​State reporting

​StateReport response example

​Change reporting

​ChangeReport event example

​Related topics

Utterances

Reportable properties

Discovery

Configuration object

Discover response example

Directives

Hold directive

Hold directive example

Hold response

Hold directive error handling

Resume directive

Resume directive example

Resume response

Resume directive error handling

State reporting

StateReport response example

Change reporting

ChangeReport event example

Related topics