Verifying occupancy of a building

• US 10,026,282 B2
• Filed: 09/26/2016
• Issued: 07/17/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vivint Incorporated (NRG Energy, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Vivint Incorporated (NRG Energy, Inc.)
• Inventors: Nye, James E., Warren, Jeremy B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Previl, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US15/276,565
• Publication Number:
  US 20170084145A1
• Time in Patent Office: 659 Days
• Field of Search: 340565, 3404255, 340577, 340566, 340603, 340501, 340517, 340521, 340541, 340522
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/02 Mechanical actuation
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/04 by breaking of glass
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1672 using sonic detecting means, e.g. a microphone operating in the audio frequency range
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 29/188 Data fusion; cooperative systems, e.g. voting among different detectors

Abstract

A method for detecting occupancy of a building is described. In one embodiment, the method includes using a microphone to monitor for sounds at a building, detecting a sound via the microphone, and determining whether the sound is made by a human or made by an animal. In some cases, the microphone is a glass break sensor microphone.

Claims

1. A method for detecting occupancy, comprising:

configuring a processor to detect, via a microphone, broken glass and a sound made by a human, wherein the microphone is associated with a security system;

detecting, via the processor, a sound within a detectable range of the microphone;

analyzing, via the processor, the detected sound;

upon determining, based on the analyzing, the detected sound does not indicate glass breaking or a human making the detected sound, ignoring the detected sound;

upon determining, based on the analyzing, the detected sound indicates glass breaking, triggering an alarm condition;

upon determining, based on the analyzing, the detected sound indicates that a human is making the detected sound, determining an identity of the human;

determining, via the processor, a state of the security system, wherein the state of the security system comprises an activation state of one or more sensors associated with the security system; and

triggering, via the processor, the alarm condition based at least in part on the determined identity of the human and the determined state of the security system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the microphone is a glass break sensor microphone.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying a human footstep from the sound.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying a human voice from the sound.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying an animal footstep from the sound.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying an animal sound from the sound.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting a triggering of a motion sensor; and

analyzing the sound in relation to the triggering of the motion sensor.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

upon detecting the triggering of the motion sensor and determining the sound is made by the animal, ignoring the triggering of the motion sensor.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

upon detecting the triggering of the motion sensor and determining the sound is made by the human, triggering the alarm condition.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether the sound originates within a building or outside the building, the microphone being located within the building.

11. A microphone configured for detecting occupancy, comprising:

a processor;

memory in electronic communication with the processor, wherein the memory stores computer executable instructions that when executed by the processor cause the processor to perform the steps of;

detecting, via a microphone, broken glass and a sound made by a human, wherein the microphone is associated with a security system;

detecting a sound within a detectable range of the microphone;

analyzing the detected sound;

upon determining, based on the analyzing, the detected sound does not indicate glass breaking or a human making the detected sound, ignoring the detected sound;

upon determining, based on the analyzing, the detected sound indicates glass breaking, triggering an alarm condition;

upon determining, based on the analyzing, the detected sound indicates that a human is making the detected sound, determining an identity of the human;

determining a state of the security system, wherein the state of the security system comprises an activation state of one or more sensors associated with the security system; and

triggering the alarm condition based at least in part on the determined identity of the human and the determined state of the security system.

12. The microphone of claim 11, wherein the microphone is a glass break sensor microphone.

13. The microphone of claim 11, wherein the instructions executed by the processor cause the processor to perform the steps of:

identifying a human footstep from the sound.

14. The microphone of claim 11, wherein the instructions executed by the processor cause the processor to perform the steps of:

identifying a human voice from the sound.

15. The microphone of claim 11, wherein the instructions executed by the processor cause the processor to perform the steps of:

identifying an animal footstep from the sound.

16. The microphone of claim 11, wherein the instructions executed by the processor cause the processor to perform the steps of:

identifying an animal sound from the sound.

17. The microphone of claim 11, wherein the instructions executed by the processor cause the processor to perform the steps of:

detecting a triggering of a motion sensor; and

analyzing the sound in relation to the triggering of the motion sensor.

18. The microphone of claim 17, wherein the instructions executed by the processor cause the processor to perform the steps of:

upon detecting the triggering of the motion sensor and determining the sound is made by the animal, ignoring the triggering of the motion sensor; and

upon detecting the triggering of the motion sensor and determining the sound is made by the human, triggering the alarm condition.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing computer executable instructions that when executed by a processor cause the processor to perform the steps of:

detecting, via a microphone, broken glass and a sound made by a human, wherein the microphone is associated with a security system;

detecting a sound within a detectable range of the microphone;

analyzing the detected sound;

upon determining, based on the analyzing, the detected sound does not indicate glass breaking or a human making the detected sound, ignoring the detected sound;

upon determining, based on the analyzing, the detected sound indicates glass breaking, triggering an alarm condition;

upon determining, based on the analyzing, the detected sound indicates that a human is making the detected sound, determining an identity of the human;

determining a state of the security system, wherein the state of the security system comprises an activation state of one or more sensors associated with the security system; and

triggering the alarm condition based at least in part on the determined identity of the human and the determined state of the security system.

20. The computer-program product of claim 19, wherein the microphone is a glass break sensor microphone.