Sensor-data sub-contracting during environmental monitoring

• US 10,078,865 B2
• Filed: 04/30/2015
• Issued: 09/18/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Leeo, Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Leeo, Incorporated
• Inventors: Joshi, Nina S., Gettings, Adam M., Chan, Eddy Y., Stevens, Andrew G., Ivers, Lucas D., Hovland, Bjorn H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ly, Anh-Vu
• Application Number:
  US14/701,421
• Publication Number:
  US 20160072891A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,237 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1393 characterised by the use of electric means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0793 Remedial or corrective actions recovery from an exception in an instruction pipeline G06F9/3861; by retry G06F11/1402; for recovering from a failure of a protocol instance or entity H04L69/40
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3409 for performance assessment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3452 Performance evaluation by statistical analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/52 during program execution, e.g. stack integrity ; Preventing unwanted data erasure; Buffer overflow
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0252 based on events or environment, e.g. weather or festivals
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0631 Item recommendations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/163 Real estate management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/08 Monitoring or testing based on specific metrics, e.g. QoS, energy consumption or environmental parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/53 using third party service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/68 : Payment of value-added services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 : Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

An interface mechanism in a system receives a service request for a service associated with an environment from an electronic device of an entity. In response to the service request, a control mechanism in the system identifies an environmental monitoring device within the environment, where the environmental monitoring device provides sensor data that represents an environmental condition in the environment, and the environmental monitoring device is associated with a second entity that is different from the entity and a third entity associated with the system. Moreover, the control mechanism provides, via the interface mechanism, a data request for the sensor data to the environmental monitoring device. Furthermore, in response to the data request, the interface mechanism receives the sensor data from the environmental monitoring device. Then, the control mechanism provides the service to the entity based on the environmental condition.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

an interface-circuit configured to communicate with electronic devices; and

a control circuit, coupled to the interface circuit, configured to;

receive, via the interface circuit, a service request for a service associated with an environment from an electronic device of an entity;

identify an environmental monitoring device within the environment in response to the service request, wherein the environmental monitoring device provides sensor data that represents an environmental condition in the environment, and wherein the environmental monitoring device is associated with a second entity that is different from the entity and a third entity associated with the system;

provide, via the interface circuit, a data request for the sensor data to the environmental monitoring device;

receive, via the interface circuit, the sensor data from the environmental monitoring device in response to the data request; and

provide the service to the entity based at least in part on the environmental condition, wherein the service is other than providing the sensor data to the entity; and

wherein the service comprises insurance for one of;

an item in the environment;

a portion of the environment; and

the environment.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the service is associated with a type of the sensor data;

and

wherein the environmental monitoring device is identified based at least in part on the type of the sensor data.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the control circuit is configured to analyze the sensor data;

and

wherein the service is provided based at least in part on the analyzed sensor data.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the service request comprises compensation to the third entity for the service.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the second entity comprises a service provider;

and

wherein the data request comprises compensation to the second entity for the sensor data.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the second entity comprises a partner of the third entity;

and

wherein the sensor data is received without compensation to the second entity for the sensor data.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the control circuit is configured to provide an instruction to a regulator device in the environment to modify the environmental condition;

wherein the regulator device is associated with one of;

the second entity; and

a fourth entity that is different from the entity, the second entity and the third entity; and

wherein the instruction comprises compensation for modifying the environmental condition.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the compensation is for one of:

modifying the environmental condition on a per-event basis; and

modifying the environmental condition during at least a time interval.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the service is provided on a one-time basis.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the service is selectively provided as a function of time based at least in part on the environmental condition.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein, when at least one of necessary sensor data and analyzed sensor data associated with the service request are unavailable for the environment, performing the service involves one of:

downloading software for the environmental monitoring device that, when executed by the environmental monitoring device, performs the service; and

remotely enabling a software module in the environmental monitoring device that, when executed by the environmental monitoring device, performs the service.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the control circuit comprises:

a processor coupled to the interface mechanism; and

memory, coupled to the processor, which stores a program module, wherein, when executed by the processor, the program module causes the system to receive the service request, identify the environmental monitoring device, provide the data request, receive the sensor data and provide the service.

20. The system of claim 1, wherein the environmental monitoring device is identified based at least in part on a type of sensor data that provides feedback about an occurrence of a risk mechanism that can adversely impact an insured value of an item in the environment.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the service is associated with a type of the sensor data;

and

wherein the environmental monitoring device is identified based at least in part on the type of the sensor data.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium for use in conjunction with a system, the computer-readable storage medium storing a program module to provide a service, wherein, when executed by the system, the program module causes the system to:

receive, via an interface circuit in the system, a service request for the service associated with an environment from an electronic device of an entity;

identify an environmental monitoring device within the environment in response to the service request, wherein the environmental monitoring device provides sensor data that represents an environmental condition in the environment, and wherein the environmental monitoring device is associated with a second entity that is different from the entity and a third entity associated with the system;

provide, via the interface circuit, a data request for the sensor data to the environmental monitoring device;

receive, via an interface circuit, the sensor data from the environmental monitoring device in response to the data request; and

provide the service to the entity based at least in part on the environmental condition, wherein the service is other than providing the sensor data to the entity; and

wherein the service comprises insurance for one of;

an item in the environment;

a portion of the environment; and

the environment.

14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the service is associated with a type of the sensor data;

and

wherein the environmental monitoring device is identified based at least in part on the type of the sensor data.

15. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the second entity comprises a service provider;

and

wherein the data request comprises compensation to the second entity for the sensor data.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the second entity comprises a partner of the third entity;

and

wherein the sensor data is received without compensation to the second entity for the sensor data.

17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein, when executed by the system, the program module causes the system to provide an instruction to a regulator device in the environment to modify the environmental condition;

wherein the regulator device is associated with one of;

the second entity; and

a fourth entity that is different from the entity, the second entity and the third entity; and

wherein the instruction comprises compensation for modifying the environmental condition.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the compensation is for one of:

modifying the environmental condition on a per-event basis; and

modifying the environmental condition during at least a time interval.

19. A method for providing a service in a system, wherein the method comprises:

by the system;

receiving, via an interface circuit in the system, a service request for the service associated with an environment from an electronic device of an entity;

identifying an environmental monitoring device within the environment in response to the service request, wherein the environmental monitoring device provides sensor data that represents an environmental condition in the environment, and wherein the environmental monitoring device is associated with a second entity that is different from the entity and a third entity associated with the system;

providing, via the interface circuit, a data request for the sensor data to the environmental monitoring device;

receiving, via the interface circuit, the sensor data from the environmental monitoring device in response to the data request; and

providing the service to the entity based at least in part on the environmental condition, wherein the service is other than providing the sensor data to the entity; and

wherein the service comprises insurance for one of;

an item in the environment;

a portion of the environment; and

the environment.