Automatic system access using facial recognition

• US 10,235,822 B2
• Filed: 10/11/2017
• Issued: 03/19/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vivint Incorporated (NRG Energy, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Vivint Incorporated (NRG Energy, Inc.)
• Inventors: Nye, James E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Nam V
• Application Number:
  US15/730,501
• Publication Number:
  US 20180047230A1
• Time in Patent Office: 524 Days
• Field of Search: 340 553, 725 10, 726 3, 726 28
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30201 Face
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/246 using feature-based methods, e.g. the tracking of corners or segments
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/166 using acquisition arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/168 Feature extraction; Face representation
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/172 Classification, e.g. identification
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2209/04 Access control involving a hierarchy in access rights
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00563 using personal physical data of the operator, e.g. finger prints, retinal images, voicepatterns
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/37 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voice recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/38 with central registration
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/008 Alarm setting and unsetting, i.e. arming or disarming of the security system
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/282 based on user interaction within the home receiver circuitry for displaying additional information being controlled by a remote control apparatus H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2827 Reporting to a device within the home network; wherein the reception of the information reported automatically triggers the execution of a home appliance functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2829 involving user profiles according to which the execution of a home appliance functionality is automatically triggered

Abstract

Methods and systems are described for automatic system access using facial recognition. According to at least one embodiment, an apparatus for automatic system access using facial recognition includes a processor, a memory in electronic communication with the processor, and instructions stored in the memory which are executable by a processor to identify faces of a plurality of persons relative to a premises, and determine, based at least in part on the identifying, a first person from the plurality of persons satisfies a frequent occupant threshold. The instructions are executable recognize the first person at the premises after determining the first person from the plurality of persons satisfies the frequent occupant threshold and initiate a change of state of a security and/or automation system based at least in part on the recognizing.

Claims

1. A method for security and/or automation systems, comprising:

identifying faces of a plurality of persons relative to a premises;

determining a count associated with a first person based at least in part on a number of times the first person is detected at the premises in relation to a predetermined time period;

determining, based at least in part on the identifying and the determined count, the first person from the plurality of persons satisfies a frequent occupant threshold;

recognizing the first person at the premises after determining the first person from the plurality of persons satisfies the frequent occupant threshold; and

initiating a change of state of a security and/or automation system based at least in part on the recognizing.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the first person is an authorized user of the security and/or automation system based at least in part on the recognizing.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein recognizing the first person is based at least in part on a facial recognition of the first person.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the facial recognition comprises:

detecting a face of the first person in a camera'"'"'s field of view;

identifying one or more facial features of the first person; and

tracking the face as the first person moves in the camera'"'"'s field of view using the one or more facial features.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

tracking actions of the first person to develop a first predetermined profile associated with the first person.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

retrieving a predefined list of user preferences from the first predetermined profile associated with the first person; and

initiating the change of state of the security and/or automation system based at least in part on the predefined list of user preferences.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, based at least in part on the identifying, a second person from the plurality of persons fails to satisfy the frequent occupant threshold; and

generating an alarm upon determining the security and/or automation system is armed and the second person is in the premises.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein initiating the change of state of the security and/or automation system further comprises:

setting the security and/or automation system in an armed state based at least in part on determining the first person is a last person to exit the premises; and

updating a status of one or more devices associated with the security and/or automation systems based at least in part on the first person exiting the premises.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the first person comprises:

upon detecting the first person at the premises, incrementing the count associated with the first person and stored in a database; and

comparing the incremented count to the frequent occupant threshold.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein capturing the first image comprises:

determining a frequency at which the first person is detected at the premises in relation to the predetermined time period; and

comparing the determined frequency to a frequency threshold.

11. An apparatus for security and/or automation systems, comprising:

a processor;

memory in electronic communication with the processor; and

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

identify faces of a plurality of persons relative to a premises;

determine a count associated with a first person based at least in part on a number of times the first person is detected at the premises in relation to a predetermined time period;

determine, based at least in part on the identifying and the determined count, the first person from the plurality of persons satisfies a frequent occupant threshold;

recognize the first person at the premises after determining the first person from the plurality of persons satisfies the frequent occupant threshold; and

initiate a change of state of a security and/or automation system based at least in part on the recognizing.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the instructions further executable by the processor to:

determine that the first person is an authorized user of the security and/or automation system based at least in part on the recognizing.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein recognizing the first person is based at least in part on a facial recognition of the first person.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the instructions further executable by the processor to:

detect a face of the first person in a camera'"'"'s field of view;

identify one or more facial features of the first person; and

track the face as the first person moves in the camera'"'"'s field of view using the one or more facial features.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the instructions further executable by the processor to:

track actions of the first person to develop a first predetermined profile associated with the first person.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the instructions further executable by the processor to:

retrieve a predefined list of user preferences from the first predetermined profile associated with the first person; and

initiate the change of state of the security and/or automation system based at least in part the predefined list of user preferences.

17. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the instructions further executable by the processor to:

determine, based at least in part on the identifying, a second person from the plurality of persons fails to satisfy the frequent occupant threshold; and

generate an alarm upon determining the security and/or automation system is armed and the second person is in the premises.

18. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the instructions further executable by the processor to:

set the security and/or automation system in an armed state based at least in part on determining the first person is a last person to exit the premises; and

update a status of one or more devices associated with the security and/or automation systems based at least in part on the first person exiting the premises.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-executable code, the code executable by a processor to:

identify faces of a plurality of persons relative to a premises;

determine a count associated with a first person based at least in part on a number of times the first person is detected at the premises in relation to a predetermined time period;

determine, based at least in part on the identifying and the determined count, the first person from the plurality of persons satisfies a frequent occupant threshold;

recognize the first person at the premises after determining the first person from the plurality of persons satisfies the frequent occupant threshold; and

initiate a change of state of a security and/or automation system based at least in part on the recognizing.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the code further executable by a processor to:

determine that the first person is an authorized user of the security and/or automation system based at least in part on the recognizing.