Blinking Lights Automation for Incoming Calls: My Experience and Workaround

General
1

Hey everyone! I wanted to share my experience with setting up an automation to blink the lights when a call comes in. It was a bit more challenging than I initially thought, but I managed to figure it out. Here’s how I did it:

The Goal:
I wanted the lights in my living room to blink when my phone receives a call and then return to their previous state once the call ends. This way, I can easily notice incoming calls even when I’m not near my phone.

The Setup:
I’m using Yeelight color bulbs for this automation. To link my phone with Home Assistant (HA), I used Tasker along with the AutoNotification plugin. These tools allowed me to create a seamless connection between my phone and HA.

The Process:

  1. Define an Input Boolean:
    I created an input_boolean entity called call_in_progress to control the automation. This acts as a switch that triggers the blinking effect.

  2. Create a Custom Effect:
    I defined a custom effect named ‘Call’ that alternates between two colors, creating a blinking effect. This effect is applied to the living room lights when a call is received.

  3. Set Up the Automation:
    The automation is triggered when the call_in_progress boolean switches to ‘on’. It turns on the lights with the ‘Call’ effect and waits for the boolean to switch back to ‘off’. Once it does, the lights return to their previous state.

  4. Linking with Tasker:
    I set up Tasker to detect incoming calls and toggle the call_in_progress boolean accordingly. This ensures the lights start blinking when a call comes in and stop once the call ends.

Challenges and Solutions:
One of the challenges I faced was ensuring the lights return to their original state after the call ends. Initially, the lights would stay on with the last effect applied. To fix this, I used a scene to capture the state of the lights before the call and restore it afterward.

Tips for Others:

  • Make sure to test the automation with different scenarios, like multiple calls in a row or calls while the lights are off.
  • Use scenes to capture the state of your lights before any automation changes them. This ensures a smooth transition back to the original state.
  • If you’re using Tasker, explore the AutoNotification plugin for more advanced call handling options.

Final Thoughts:
This automation has been a great addition to my smart home setup. It’s not just about the convenience of knowing when a call comes in; it’s also about the peace of mind that comes with a reliable system. I hope this guide helps anyone looking to set up something similar!

If anyone has alternative methods or improvements, I’d love to hear about them! Let’s keep the discussion going!

Cheers,
[Your Name]