Auto Answer and dial?

[eid3tic]

Hello,

A little bit of background first: I live in a gated community that requires a card to get in. The card is also used for access to things like pool/fitness center/etc. So when any one person takes the car out to go somewhere, no one else can use the card to access any of those places.

However, there is an intercom outside the gate with the option to dial in. I was thinking about using Google Voice for this. Simply dial my number and then buzz myself in with my cell phone. But then I thought of the Obihai.

Is there a way to set up the Obihai to automatically answer the phone and then dial a certain number (i.e. to buzz me into the gate)?

I know this sounds like a strange question, especially since I have omitted some details in the interest of brevity, but I thought it would be a cool setup if it's possible. Any help or ideas would be appreciated. Thanks!

[Lavarock7]

My friend lived in a gated community whereby you gave them your home number and when someone came to the fate and buzzed your code, it called your house. You would then press a button on the phone to open the gate for them.

She used her cell phone instead. If you have multiple people in the house, maybe a new googlevoice number and have all the cell phones configured to ring simultaneously.

[ianobi]

I'm not sure why this is better than calling direct from your cell phone, but I may have missed the point! Here is how to do what I think you want:

Put this in the relevant X_InboundCallRoute

{yyyyyyyyyyy:aa(zzzzzzzzzzz)}

Where yyyyyyyyyyy is your cell number zzzzzzzzzzz is the number to be called. If you hang up before the Auto Attendant answers, the Auto Attendant will initiate a call to zzzzzzzzzzz using its PrimaryLine.

[eid3tic]

Thanks for the replies.

Yeah, I have a Google Voice number all set up for this dedicated purpose. My plan was to use it only for purposes of opening the gate. So I wanted to set it up with the Obi, such that when the Obi receives a call, it will automatically answer the call and then dial any number I program it to.

So for example, say the code to open my gate is 71. I wanted a setup where dialing my apartment at the gate would automatically have the Obi answer the phone and buzz me in by dialing 71 all on its own. Is this something that the Obi can do?

[ianobi]

I do not know how your door entry system is wired. Assuming that it acts like a normal phone, then an Obi110 could have its Line Port wired to the entry system.

Put this in the relevant X_InboundCallRoute

{yyyyyyyyyyy:aa(71)}

Where yyyyyyyyyyy is your cell number. If you hang up before the Auto Attendant answers, the Auto Attendant will dial 71 after a delay of ten seconds using the Line Port of the Obi110. Line Port is the default option for the Obi110. The ten second delay is configurable.

[eid3tic]

Yeah I suppose that would work.

But I have a Obi100, and my whole idea was for me to get into the gate without having to pick up my phone at all. I think it would be a bit counterproductive if I had to pick up the phone and hang up to have the Obi dial the code.

If there's no way to accomplish this, that's fine. I was just wondering.

[Rick]

Yeah I suppose that would work.

But I have a Obi100, and my whole idea was for me to get into the gate without having to pick up my phone at all. I think it would be a bit counterproductive if I had to pick up the phone and hang up to have the Obi dial the code.

If there's no way to accomplish this, that's fine. I was just wondering.

I guess I'm missing something.  Your plan allows EVERYONE that comes to the gate to get it automatically by putting in your number, since you want to automatically open the gate.  Doesn't that make the whole idea of the gate superfluous?

Since the gate is calling your GV number, all you have to do is go to Google Voice and setup a Group that is that number, and have it forward to your cell.  Your cell rings, you see the number, and you answer the call and push the button to open the gate.  This allows you to CONTROL who gets in (i.e. if it's not you then you actually talk to them and verify their identity).  However, keep in mind that this also means that EVERYONE that comes to the gate will generate a call on your cell.  So, if you're at work and someone comes to visit your kid, then when they try to get buzzed in you'll get the call and your kid won't buzz them in - you'll have to.

A much simpler idea is to have your cell as one of the forwarding numbers in GV that receives all the calls, so that both your house phone AND your cell ring, and therefore you can buzz yourself in.  Unless of course you have a GV number for your OBi and a SECOND GV number for the gate only.  In which case you need to use the Group function on GV to have the gate number forward to your cell (and house if you want it to ring there). 

Seems like answering a call and pushing a button isn't very hard, and your plan totally violates the security function of your community.

Or, you could get another pass from the admin office...