Motion sensor adjustment

• US 10,140,848 B2
• Filed: 04/26/2017
• Issued: 11/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Modi, Yash, Purohit, Aveek Ravishekhar, Herman, Kenneth Louis
• Primary Examiner(s): Heard, Erin F
• Application Number:
  US15/497,448
• Publication Number:
  US 20170229007A1
• Time in Patent Office: 580 Days
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2120/10 Occupancy
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19 using infrared-radiation detection systems G08B13/194 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/001 Alarm cancelling procedures or alarm forwarding decisions, e.g. based on absence of alarm confirmation
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 29/183 Single detectors using dual technologies G08B13/1672, G08B13/2448, G08B13/2494 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 29/185 Signal analysis techniques for reducing or preventing false alarms or for enhancing the reliability of the system
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 29/188 Data fusion; cooperative systems, e.g. voting among different detectors
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 29/26 by updating and storing reference thresholds

Abstract

Systems and techniques are provided for motion sensor adjustment. A signal indicating that motion was detected by a motion sensor may be received. A status of an HVAC system may be received from a computing device that controls the operation of vents of the HVAC system. The status of the HVAC system may include times vents of the HVAC system are operating. Using the status of the HVAC system, it may be determined that a vent of the HVAC system located in an area visible to the motion sensor was operating during the time period in which the motion sensor detected motion by correlating the time period in which the motion sensor detected motion with the times the vent was operating as indicated by the status of the HVAC system. The signal indicating that motion was detected may be ignored as a false alert and no alert may be generated.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method performed by a data processing apparatus comprising:

receiving a signal indicating that motion was detected by a motion sensor over a time period;

receiving a status of an HVAC system from a computing device that controls the operation of vents of the HVAC system, wherein the status of the HVAC system comprises HVAC status times that are times when vents of the HVAC system are conveying air;

determining whether one of the vents of the HVAC system is located in an area visible to the motion sensor;

when one of the vents is determined to be located in the area visible to the motion sensor, determining that an HVAC status time for the one of the vents and the time period are correlated when the HVAC status time indicates that the one of the vents was conveying air during the time period; and

ignoring the signal indicating that motion was detected over the time period as a false alert and not generating an alert based on the HVAC status time being correlated to the time period.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining an adjustment to the motion sensor based on the ignoring of the signal indicating that motion was detected; and

sending the adjustment to the motion sensor.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the adjustment comprises reducing the sensitivity of a passive infrared sensor of the motion sensor to moving heat sources.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the one of the vents is in proximity to a window curtain.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, wherein the HVAC status further comprises the location of the window curtain.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the motion detected by the motion sensor occurred in proximity to the one of the vents and a window curtain.

7. A computer-implemented system for motion sensor adjustment comprising:

a motion sensor comprising a passive infrared sensor, the motion sensor located in a room;

an HVAC system comprising a computing device adapted to control the operation of at least one vent;

a hub computing device adapted to receive a signal indicating that motion was detected by the motion sensor over a time period, receive a status of the HVAC system from the HVAC system, wherein the status of the HVAC system comprises HVAC status times that are times when vents of the HVAC system are conveying air, determine whether the at least one vent of the HVAC system is located in an area visible to the motion sensor, when the at least one of vent is determined to be located in the area visible to the motion sensor, determine that an HVAC status time for the at least one vent and the time period are correlated when the HVAC status time indicates that the at least one vent was conveying air during the time period, and ignore the signal indicating that motion was detected over the time period as a false alert and not generating an alert based on the HVAC status time being correlated to the time period.

8. The computer-implemented system of claim 7, wherein the hub computing device is further adapted to determine an adjustment to the motion sensor based on the ignoring of the signal indicating that motion was detected, and send the adjustment to the motion sensor.

9. The computer-implemented system of claim 8, wherein the adjustment comprises reducing the sensitivity of a passive infrared sensor of the motion sensor to moving heat sources.

10. The computer-implemented system of claim 7, wherein the hub computing device is further adapted to determine that the at least one vent is in proximity to a window curtain.

11. The computer-implemented system of claim 10, wherein the HVAC status further comprises the location of the window curtain.

12. The computer-implemented system of claim 7, wherein the hub computing device is further adapted to determine that the motion detected by the motion sensor occurred in proximity to the at least one vent and a window curtain.

13. A system comprising:

one or more computers and one or more non-transitory storage devices storing instructions which are operable, when executed by the one or more computers, to cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising;

receiving a signal indicating that motion was detected by a motion sensor over a time period;

receiving a status of an HVAC system from a computing device that controls the operation of vents of the HVAC system, wherein the status of the HVAC system comprises HVAC status times that are times when vents of the HVAC system are conveying air;

determining whether one of the vents of the HVAC system is located in an area visible to the motion sensor;

when one of the vents is determined to be located in the area visible to the motion sensor, determining that an HVAC status time for the one of the vents and the time period are correlated when the HVAC status time indicates that the one of the vents was conveying air during the time period; and

ignoring the signal indicating that motion was detected over the time period as a false alert and not generating an alert based on the HVAC status time being correlated to the time period.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the instructions further cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising:

determining an adjustment to the motion sensor based on the ignoring of the signal indicating that motion was detected; and

sending the adjustment to the motion sensor.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the adjustment comprises reducing the sensitivity of a passive infrared sensor of the motion sensor to moving heat sources.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the instructions further cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising:

determining that the one of the vents is in proximity to a window curtain.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the HVAC status further comprises the location of the window curtain.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein the instructions further cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising:

determining that the motion detected by the motion sensor occurred in proximity to the one of the vents and a window curtain.