Home automation communication system

• US 10,043,361 B2
• Filed: 04/17/2017
• Issued: 08/07/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vivint Incorporated (NRG Energy, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Vivint Incorporated (NRG Energy, Inc.)
• Inventors: Eyring, Matthew J., Warren, Jeremy B., Nye, James E.
• Primary Examiner(s): TRIEU, VAN THANH
• Application Number:
  US15/489,274
• Publication Number:
  US 20170287296A1
• Time in Patent Office: 477 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/28 the pass enabling tracking or indicating presence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19645 Multiple cameras, each having view on one of a plurality of scenes, e.g. multiple cameras for multi-room surveillance or for tracking an object by view hand-over
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19695 Arrangements wherein non-video detectors start video recording or forwarding but do not generate an alarm themselves
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0269 System arrangements wherein the object is to detect the exact location of child or item using a navigation satellite system, e.g. GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/22 responsive to presence or absence of persons
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/14 Central alarm receiver or annunciator arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0861 using biometrical features, e.g. fingerprint, retina-scan cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using biological data H04L9/3231

Abstract

A method for security and/or automation systems, comprising determining a presence of a first occupant in a first room at a predefined location, the first room communicatively coupled to a first electronic device capable of receiving input; receiving a request for communication with the first occupant by a remote computer system; sending a response to the request for communication with the first occupant; and establishing a communications link between the first electronic device and the remote computer system.

Claims

1. An apparatus for an automation system comprising:

a processor;

memory in electronic communication with the processor;

a wireless communication interface coupled with the processor;

instructions stored in the memory, the instructions being executable by the processor to;

determine, by the processor, a presence of a first occupant in a first room at a predefined location based at least in part on receiving input from a first sensor associated with the first room;

transmit, by the processor, a visual floorplan of the predefined location, wherein the visual floorplan is overlaid with indicators indicative of an inventory of occupants determined to be present at the predefined location based at least in part on determining the presence of the first occupant;

receive a request for communication with the first occupant from a remote computer system based at least in part on transmitting the visual floorplan;

send, by the processor, a response to the request for communication with the first occupant; and

establish, by the processor, a communications link between a first electronic device located in the first room and the remote computer system.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to identify the first occupant by identifying an electronic signature associated with a portable electronic device associated with the first occupant.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein, if the first occupant moves into a second room, the instructions further cause the processor to:

determine, by a second sensor associated with the second room, the presence of the first occupant within the second room; and

establish communication, by the remote computer system, with the second sensor based on determining the first occupant is located within the second room.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:

determine a presence of a second occupant in a third room at the predefined location, the third room communicatively coupled with a third sensor associated with the third room; and

provide, to the remote computer system, an indication of location of both the first occupant and the second occupant.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein when the instructions cause the processor to determine the presence of the first occupant, the instructions further cause the processor to provide the indications of location in text form on a display device coupled with the remote computer system.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein providing the indications of location of the first occupant and the second occupant further comprises providing a first visual display of a first video feed of the first occupant and a second visual display of a second video feed of the second occupant on a display device coupled with the remote computer system.

7. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-executable code for an automation system, the code executable by a processor to:

determine a presence of a first occupant in a first room at a predefined location by a first sensor located in the first room;

transmit, by the processor, a visual floorplan of the predefined location, wherein the visual floorplan is overlaid with indicators indicative of an inventory of occupants determined to be present at the predefined location based at least in part on determining the presence of the first occupant;

receive a request for communication with the first occupant from a remote computer system based at least in part on transmitting the visual floorplan;

send a response to the request for communication with the first occupant; and

establish a communications between a first electronic device located in the first room and the remote computer system.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein the code is further executable by the processor to determine whether the first occupant is authorized based at least in part on pre-determined user preferences.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the code is further executable by the processor to:

determine a presence of a second occupant in a third room at the predefined location, the third room communicatively coupled with a third sensor located in the third room; and

providing, to the remote computer system, an indication of location of both the first occupant and the second occupant.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein, when the processor determines the presence of the first occupant, the code is further executable by the processor to receive a personal identification number (PIN) associated with the first occupant.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the code is further executable by the processor to:

capture biometric information of the first occupant;

determine whether the first occupant is authorized based at least in part on comparing the PIN with the biometric information to identify a match; and

send an alert to the remote computer system regarding the authorization of the first occupant.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein, if the first occupant moves into a second room, the code is further executable by the processor to:

determine, by a second sensor located in the second room, the presence of the first occupant within the second room; and

establish communication with the remote computer system based on determining the first occupant is located within the second room.

13. A method for operating an automation system, comprising:

determining, using a processor, a presence of a first occupant in a first room at a predefined location based at least in part on receiving input from a first sensor associated with the first room;

receiving, using the processor, a request for communication with the first occupant by a remote computer system;

transmitting, by the processor, a visual floorplan of the predefined location, wherein the visual floorplan is overlaid with indicators indicative of an inventory of occupants determined to be present at the predefined location based at least in part on determining the presence of the first occupant;

receiving a request for communication with the first occupant from a remote computer system based at least in part on transmitting the visual floorplan;

establishing, using the processor, a communications link between a first electronic device located in the first room and the remote computer system.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

identifying the first occupant by identifying an electronic signature associated with a portable electronic device associated with the first occupant.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

determining the presence of the first occupant within a second room; and

establishing communication with a second sensor based on determining that the first occupant is located within the second room.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

determining a presence of a second occupant in a third room at the predefined location, the third room communicatively coupled with a third sensor associated with the third room; and

providing an indication of location of both the first occupant and the second occupant.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

providing the indications of location in text form on a display device coupled with the remote computer system based at least in part on determining the presence of the first occupant.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein providing the indications of location of the first occupant and the second occupant comprises providing a first visual display of a first video feed of the first occupant and a second visual display of a second video feed of the second occupant on a display device.