Connected scale device

• US 10,267,668 B1
• Filed: 04/12/2018
• Issued: 04/23/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alarm.com Inc. (Alarm.com Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Alarm.com Inc. (Alarm.com Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Slavin, Alison Jane, Jutras, Bret, Roberts, Aaron Lee
• Primary Examiner(s): Blount, Eric
• Application Number:
  US15/951,952
• Time in Patent Office: 376 Days
• Field of Search: 3405681
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 19/002 for postal parcels and letters
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 19/005 with electric or electronic computing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0832 Special goods or special handling procedures, e.g. handling of hazardous or fragile goods
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0833 Tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1472 with force or weight detection

Abstract

A monitoring system that is configured to monitor a property includes a connected scale device that is configured to receive a package, determine a weight of the package, and after determining the weight of the package, arm the connected scale device, and a monitoring control unit that is configured to receive, from the connected scale device, data indicating that the connected scale device received the package and the connected scale device is armed, and based on receiving the data indicating that the connected scale device received the package and the connected scale device is armed, communicate, to a user device of a resident of the property, a notification indicating that the connected scale device received the package.

Claims

1. A monitoring system that is configured to monitor a property, comprising:

a connected scale device that is configured to;

receive a package;

determine a weight of the package; and

after determining the weight of the package, arm the connected scale device;

detect a change in a weight reading of the connected scale device for a period of time;

determine that the change in the weight reading does not satisfy a weight threshold or that the period of time does not satisfy a time threshold; and

based on determining that the change in the weight reading does not satisfy the weight threshold or determining that the period of time does not satisfy the time threshold, maintain an armed state without generating an alarm; and

a monitoring control unit that is configured to;

receive, from the connected scale device, data indicating that the connected scale device received the package and the connected scale device is armed; and

based on receiving the data indicating that the connected scale device received the package and the connected scale device is armed, communicate, to a user device of a resident of the property, a notification indicating that the connected scale device received the package.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the monitoring control unit is further configured to;

receive, from an external server, shipping data that specifies the weight of an item that is expected to be delivered to the property;

receive, from the connected scale device, data indicating the weight of the package;

compare the weight of the package to the weight of the item that is expected to be delivered to the property;

determine that the weight of the package is within a threshold weight of the weight of the item that is expected to be delivered to the property; and

wherein the notification further indicates that the package is likely the item that is expected to be delivered to the property.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the connected scale device is configured to:

receive, from the monitor control unit, the shipping data that specifies the weight of the item that is expected to be delivered to the property;

detect a person approaching the connected scale device; and

output an audible message indicating instructions for delivering the item that is expected to be delivered to the property based on (i) detecting the person approaching the connected scale device and (ii) receiving the shipping data that includes the weight of the item that is expected to be delivered to the property.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the monitoring control unit is configured to:

receive a disarm code;

compare the disarm code to a stored disarm code; and

disarm the connected scale device based on the received disarm code matching the stored disarm code.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the monitoring control unit is configured to:

compare the received disarm code to the stored disarm code by comparing the received disarm code to a disarm code that disarms the monitoring system while the monitoring system is in an armed state, and

disarm the connected scale device based on the received disarm code matching the disarm code that disarms the monitoring system while the monitoring system is in an armed state.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the monitoring control unit is configured to:

compare the received disarm code to the stored disarm code by comparing the received disarm code to a disarm code that disarms the connected scale device and that does not disarm the monitoring system while the monitoring system is in an armed state, and

disarm the connected scale device based on the received disarm code matching the disarm code that disarms the connected scale device and that does not disarm the monitoring system while the monitoring system is in an armed state.

7. The system of claim 4, wherein the connected scale device is configured to receive by a monitor control unit of the monitoring system, the disarm code.

8. The system of claim 4, wherein the monitoring control unit is configured to receive from a monitoring system application running on the user device of the resident of the property, the disarm code.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the monitoring control unit is configured to:

receive a biometric identifier;

compare the received biometric identifier to a stored biometric identifier; and

disarm the connected scale device based on the received biometric identifier matching the stored biometric identifier.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the monitoring control unit is configured to:

receive a biometric identifier by, receiving, at a finger print scanner, a finger print;

compare the received biometric identifier to a stored biometric identifier by comparing the received finger print to a stored finger print; and

disarm the connected scale device based on the received biometric identifier matching the stored biometric identifier by disarming the connected scale device based on the received finger print matching the stored finger print.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the monitoring control unit is configured to:

receive a biometric identifier by, receiving, from a camera in the vicinity of the connected scale device, an image;

compare the received biometric identifier to a stored biometric identifier by comparing the received image to a stored image; and

disarm the connected scale based on the received biometric identifier matching the stored biometric identifier by disarming the connected scale device based in the received image matching the stored image.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the monitoring control unit is configured to:

receive biometric identifier by, receiving, at microphone, a voice sample;

compare the received biometric identifier to a stored biometric identifier by comparing the received voice sample to a stored voice sample; and

disarm the connected scale device based on the received biometric identifier matching the stored biometric identifier by disarming the connected scale device based on the received voice sample matching the stored voice sample.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the connected scale device is configured to;

detect a short-range radio device in a vicinity of the connected scale device; and

determine that the short range radio device is a known short-range radio device, and

the monitoring control unit it configured to;

receive, from the connected scale device, data indicating that the connected scale device detected the known short-range radio device; and

based on receiving data indicating that the connected scale device detected the known short-range radio device, disarm the connected scale device.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the short-range radio device is a Bluetooth capable device.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the connected scale device is configured to:

determine that the connected scale device is located outside of a threshold distance of the property; and

generate an audible alarm based on determining the connected scale device is located outside of the threshold distance of the property.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the connected scale device is configured to:

detect an additional change in a weight reading of the connected scale device for a second period of time;

determine that the additional change in the weight reading satisfies the weight threshold;

determine that the second period of time satisfies the time threshold; and

based on determining that the additional change in the weight reading satisfies the weight threshold and determining that the second period of time satisfies the time threshold, generate an alarm.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein:

the connected scale device is configured to;

communicate, to the monitor control unit, data indicating that the connected scale device generated the alarm based on determining that the additional change in the weight reading satisfies the weight threshold and determining that the second period of time satisfies the time threshold, and

the monitor control unit is configured to;

receive, from the connected scale device, the data indicating that the alarm; and

based on receiving the data indicating the alarm, perform an action.

21. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the connected scale device is configured to;

receive an additional package while the connected scale device is armed and the package is on the connected scale device;

determine a weight of the second package and the package, and

the monitoring control unit is configured to;

receive, from the connected scale device, data indicating that the connected scale device received the additional package; and

based on receiving data indicating that the connected scale received the additional package, communicate, to the user device of the resident of the property, a notification indicating that the connected scale device received the additional package.

22. The system of claim 17, wherein the monitoring control unit is configured to:

receive, from the connected scale device, data indicating the change in the weight reading of the connected scale device for the period of time;

receive weather data for the period of time and for an additional period between the weight reading change and receipt of the package;

based on the weather data for the period of time and for the additional period between the weight reading change and the receipt of the package, determine that weather likely caused the change in the weight reading; and

based on determining that the weather likely causes the change in the weight reading, deactivating the alarm.

23. The system of claim 17, wherein the monitoring control unit is configured to:

based on the alarm, generate and transmit an instruction for a camera in a vicinity of the connected scale device to capture image data.

18. The system of 17, wherein the monitor control unit it configured to:

perform an action by sounding an audible alarm.

19. The system of 17, wherein the monitor control unit it configured to:

perform an action by flashing one or more lights on or off.

20. The system of 17, wherein:

the monitor control unit is configured to;

perform an action by deploying an autonomous drone to search an area around the property, and

the drone includes a camera that is configured to capture image data, and is configured to communicate the captured image data to the monitor control unit.

24. A computer implemented method, comprising:

receiving, by a connected scale device, a package;

determining, by the connected scale device, a weight of the package;

after determining the weight of the package;

arming the connected scale device; and

communicating, by the connected scale device, a notification indicating that the connected scale device received the package;

detecting, by the connected scale device, a change in a weight reading of the connected scale device for a period of time;

determining, by the connected scale device, that the change in the weight reading does not satisfy a weight threshold or that the period of time does not satisfy a time threshold; and

based on determining that the change in the weight reading does not satisfy the weight threshold or determining that the period of time does not satisfy the time threshold, maintaining, by the connected scale device, an armed state without generating an alarm.