Method and system for processing motion event notifications

• US 10,140,827 B2
• Filed: 06/10/2015
• Issued: 11/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Laska, Jason N., Nelson, Greg R., Duffy, Greg, Hill, Cameron, Davidsson, Martin
• Primary Examiner(s): Rahman, Mohammad J
• Application Number:
  US14/736,134
• Publication Number:
  US 20160005281A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,266 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/44 Event detection
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/52 Surveillance or monitoring of activities, e.g. for recognising suspicious objects recognising microscopic objects G06V20/69
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1961 Movement detection not involving frame subtraction, e.g. motion detection on the basis of luminance changes in the image
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19691 Signalling events for better perception by user, e.g. indicating alarms by making display brighter, adding text, creating a sound
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/188 Capturing isolated or intermittent images triggered by the occurrence of a predetermined event, e.g. an object reaching a predetermined position signal generation from motion picture films H04N5/253

Abstract

The disclosed embodiments include a system for processing motion events. The system obtains a video stream from a camera, the video stream corresponding to a field of view of the camera and obtains identification of a spatial zone, the spatial zone corresponding to at least a portion of the field of view of the camera. For each motion event detected in the video stream: (1) the system determines whether the motion event involves the spatial zone; and (2), in accordance with a determination that the motion event involves the spatial zone, the system suppresses a first user notification for the motion event.

Claims

1. A method of processing motion events, the method comprising:

at a server system having one or more processors and memory, wherein the server system is configured to process motion events for each of a plurality of smart home environments remote from the server system, each smart home environment of the plurality of smart home environments corresponding to a distinct set of one or more cameras, registered users, and client devices;

for a first smart home environment of the plurality of smart home environments, wherein the first smart home environment corresponds to a first set of one or more cameras, a first set of one or more registered users, and a first set of one or more client devices;

obtaining a video stream from a camera of the first set of cameras, the video stream corresponding to a field of view of the camera;

obtaining, on a client device of the first set of client devices, identification of a user-defined spatial zone corresponding to a portion of the field of view of the camera; and

for a motion event detected in the video stream subsequent to obtaining the identification of the user-defined spatial zone;

determining whether the motion event involves the spatial zone;

characterizing motion of the motion event, including analyzing any portion of the motion that occurred within the spatial zone;

storing video information of the motion event at the server system, including storing the characterization of the motion and one or more images of the motion event;

in accordance with a determination that the motion event involves the spatial zone, suppressing a first user notification for the motion event; and

in accordance with a determination that the motion event does not involve the spatial zone;

 

generating a second user notification for the motion event; and

 

sending the second user notification to the first set of registered users via the first set of client devices.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the motion event involves the spatial zone includes determining whether a respective event mask of the motion event overlaps with the spatial zone by at least a predetermined overlap factor.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein suppressing the first user notification for the motion event includes forgoing generating a user alert for the motion event.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein suppressing the first user notification for the motion event includes forgoing including notification of the motion event on an event timeline.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the user-defined spatial zone comprises a zone hand-drawn by a user on a display of the client device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining identification of the spatial zone includes obtaining category information for the spatial zone, the category information denoting the spatial zone as a spatial zone in which user notifications are suppressed.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the obtained category information includes information regarding whether user notifications for the spatial zone are disabled.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining identification of a second spatial zone; and

for the subsequent motion event detected in the video stream;

in accordance with a determination that the motion event involves the second spatial zone, identifying the second spatial zone in the second user notification for the motion event.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining identification of the spatial zone comprises:

receiving a user selection corresponding to a first portion of the camera'"'"'s field of view; and

defining the spatial zone so as to exclude the first portion of the camera'"'"'s field of view.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting motion in the video stream, including detecting an amount of motion;

determining whether the amount of motion detected meets predefined criterion; and

in accordance with a determination that the amount of motion detected meets the predefined criterion, designating the motion as a motion event.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein determining whether the amount of motion detected meets the predefined criterion includes determining whether the amount of motion detected exceeds a motion amount threshold.

12. A motion processing system, comprising:

one or more processors; and

memory storing one or more programs to be executed by the one or more processors, the one or more programs comprising instructions for processing motion events for each of a plurality of smart home environments remote from the motion processing system, each smart home environment of the plurality of smart home environments corresponding to a distinct set of one or more cameras, registered users, and client devices, the processing including, for a first smart home environment of the plurality of smart home environments;

obtaining a video stream from a camera of the first set of cameras, the video stream corresponding to a field of view of the camera;

obtaining, on a client device of the first set of client devices, identification of a user-defined spatial zone corresponding to a portion of the field of view of the camera; and

for a motion event detected in the video stream subsequent to obtaining the identification of the user-defined spatial zone;

determining whether the motion event involves the spatial zone;

characterizing motion of the motion event, including analyzing any portion of the motion that occurred within the spatial zone;

storing video information of the motion event at the server system, including storing the characterization of the motion and one or more images of the motion event;

in accordance with a determination that the motion event involves the spatial zone, suppressing a first user notification for the motion event; and

in accordance with a determination that the motion event does not involve the spatial zone;

generating a second user notification for the motion event; and

sending the second user notification to the first set of registered users via the first set of client devices.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein suppressing the first user notification for the motion event includes forgoing generating a user alert for the motion event.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein suppressing the first user notification for the motion event includes forgoing including notification of the motion event on an event timeline.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the user-defined spatial zone comprises a zone hand-drawn by a user on a display of the client device.

16. The system of claim 12, the one or more programs further comprising instructions for:

obtaining identification of a second spatial zone; and

for the subsequent motion event detected in the video stream;

in accordance with a determination that the motion event involves the second spatial zone, identifying the second spatial zone in the second user notification for the motion event.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein obtaining identification of the spatial zone comprises:

receiving a user selection corresponding to a first portion of the camera'"'"'s field of view; and

defining the spatial zone so as to exclude the first portion of the camera'"'"'s field of view.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing one or more programs, the one or more programs comprising instructions, which, when executed by a server system with one or more processors, cause the server system to process motion events for each of a plurality of smart home environments remote from the server system, each smart home environment of the plurality of smart home environments corresponding to a distinct set of one or more cameras, registered users, and client devices, the processing including, for a first smart home environment of the plurality of smart home environments:

obtaining a video stream from a camera of the first set of cameras, the video stream corresponding to a field of view of the camera;

obtaining, on a client device of the first set of client devices, identification of a user-defined spatial zone corresponding to a portion of the field of view of the camera; and

for a motion event detected in the video stream subsequent to obtaining the identification of the user-defined spatial zone;

determining whether the motion event involves the spatial zone;

characterizing motion of the motion event, including analyzing any portion of the motion that occurred within the spatial zone;

storing video information of the motion event at the server system, including storing the characterization of the motion and one or more images of the motion event;

in accordance with a determination that the motion event involves the spatial zone, suppressing a first user notification for the motion event; and

in accordance with a determination that the motion event does not involve the spatial zone;

generating a second user notification for the motion event; and

sending the second user notification to the first set of registered users via the first set of client devices.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein determining whether the motion event involves the spatial zone includes determining whether a respective event mask of the motion event overlaps with the spatial zone by at least a predetermined overlap factor.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein suppressing the first user notification for the motion event includes one or more of:

forgoing generating a user alert for the motion event; and

forgoing including notification of the motion event on an event timeline.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the one or more client devices comprise one or more mobile client devices.

22. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the processing further includes, for a second smart home environment of the plurality of smart home environments, wherein the second smart home environment corresponds to a second set of one or more cameras, a second set of one or more registered users, and a second set of one or more client devices:

obtaining a second video stream from a second camera of the second set of cameras, the second video stream corresponding to a field of view of the second camera;

obtaining, via a second client device of the second set of client devices, identification of a second user-defined spatial zone corresponding to a portion of the field of view of the second camera; and

for a second motion event detected in the second video stream subsequent to obtaining the identification of the second spatial zone;

in accordance with a determination that the second motion event involves the second spatial zone;

generating a third user notification for the second motion event; and

sending the third user notification to the second set of registered users via the second set of client devices.

23. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the processing further includes categorizing the motion event based on the characterization of the motion and characterization of one or more objects involved in the motion event.