Distributed monitoring sensor networks

• US 10,281,166 B1
• Filed: 06/13/2016
• Issued: 05/07/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alarm.com Inc. (Alarm.com Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Alarm.com Inc. (Alarm.com Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hutz, David James
• Primary Examiner(s): Rahman, S M A
• Application Number:
  US15/180,739
• Time in Patent Office: 1,058 Days
• Field of Search: 709227
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/30 for purposes related to the operation of the system, e.g. for safety or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/49 ensuring correct operation, e.g. by trial operation or configuration checks
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/00 Control inputs relating to air properties
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/10 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/40 Pressure, e.g. wind pressure
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2120/10 Occupancy
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2809 indicating that an appliance service is present in a home automation network monitoring functionality H04L43/0817; discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services, H04L67/51
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2825 Reporting to a device located outside the home and the home network access arrangements H04L12/2856; for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with telemetering systems H04M11/002
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2834 Switching of information between an external network and a home network access arrangements H04L12/2856
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0492 by using a location-limited connection, e.g. near-field communication or limited proximity of entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/02 Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/08 Access restriction or access information delivery, e.g. discovery data delivery signalling during connection H04W76/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

Methods and systems for monitoring multiple sensors over a distributed sensor network to enhance various monitoring operations. In some implementations, an identification of a sensor located in a property and a token that enables the mobile device to obtain data from the sensor are each received by a mobile device from a server. The mobile device is then determined to be within a communication range with the server that is indicated by the identification from the server. In response, data is obtained from the sensor by the mobile device using the token received from the server.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving, by a mobile device and from a server with a first communication protocol, (i) an identification of a sensor located in a property and (ii) a token that enables the mobile device to obtain data collected by the sensor;

determining, by the mobile device, that the mobile device is within a communication range with the sensor based on the identification received by the mobile device;

in response to determining that the mobile device is within the communication range with the sensor based on the identification received by the mobile device;

obtaining, by the mobile device and with a second communication protocol configured for shorter range communication than the first communication protocol, data from the sensor using the token received from the server,

providing, by the mobile device and to the server with the first communication protocol, the data obtained from the sensor, and

receiving, by the mobile device and from the server with the first communication protocol, an indication to perform a maintenance operation corresponding to the sensor that was determined by the server based on the data obtained by the sensor; and

providing, for display on the mobile device, a notification to perform the maintenance operation corresponding to the sensor.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the mobile device is within the communication range with the sensor comprises:

transmitting, by the mobile device and to a plurality of sensors within the communication range, a request to receive identification associated with each of the plurality of sensors; and

identifying the sensor from among the plurality of sensors based at least on comparing identification received from the sensor to the identification received from the server.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the mobile device is within the communication range with the sensor comprises:

receiving, by the mobile device and from the sensor, a broadcast signal that identifies the sensor to the mobile device; and

establishing communications between the sensor and the mobile device based at least on the broadcast signal that identifies the sensor to the mobile device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the token that enables the mobile device to obtain data collected by the sensor becomes invalid upon the mobile device obtaining the data collected by the sensor using the token.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the token that enables the mobile device to obtain data collected by the sensor remains valid for a predetermined time period.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the token that enables the mobile device to obtain data collected by the sensor specifies a predetermined number of times in which the mobile device can use the token received from the server to obtain data from the sensor over a particular period of time.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein:

the token is generated based at least on a seed value that is associated with both the server and the sensor,

the seed value is used as a seed to pseudo-randomly generate the token, and

the mobile device obtains the data from the sensor without obtaining access to the seed value that is associated with both the server and the sensor.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the data obtained from the sensor is encrypted based at least on the token received from the server.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

establishing, by the mobile device, communications with the server;

obtaining, by the mobile device, encrypted data from the sensor;

transmitting, by the mobile device, the obtained encrypted data to the server; and

in response to transmitting the obtained encrypted data, receiving, by the mobile device and from the server, a decrypted form of the transmitted data.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the notification provided for display on the mobile device comprises a user prompt to provide an instruction to the sensor to perform a particular action.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the notification provided for display on the mobile device comprises a user prompt requesting the user to manually perform a particular action associated with the sensor.

12. A system comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one computer-readable storage medium coupled to the at least one processor having stored thereon instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, causes the at least one processor to perform operations comprising;

receiving, by a mobile device and from a server with a first communication protocol, (i) an identification of a sensor located in a property and (ii) a token that enables the mobile device to obtain data collected by the sensor;

determining, by the mobile device, that the mobile device is within a communication range with the sensor based on the identification received by the mobile device;

in response to determining that the mobile device is within the communication range with the sensor based on the identification received by the mobile device;

obtaining, by the mobile device and with a second communication protocol configured for shorter range communication than the first communication protocol, data from the sensor using the token received from the server,

providing, by the mobile device and to the server with the first communication protocol, the data obtained from the sensor, and

receiving, by the mobile device and from the server with the first communication protocol, an indication to perform a maintenance operation corresponding to the sensor that was determined by the server based on the data obtained by the sensor; and

providing, for display on the mobile device, a notification to perform the maintenance operation corresponding to the sensor.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving the data from the sensor in an unencrypted form from the server; and

providing, for display on the mobile device, a notification based on the data from the sensor in the unencrypted form.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein determining that the mobile device is within the communication range with the sensor comprises transmitting, by the mobile device, a request that includes the received identification of the sensor located in a property.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the obtained data collected by the sensor becomes invalid upon the mobile device obtaining the data from the sensor using the token.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the obtained data collected by the sensor remains valid for a predetermined time period.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable storage device encoded with computer program instructions that, when executed by one or more computers, cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising:

receiving, by a mobile device and from a server with a first communication protocol, (i) an identification of a sensor located in a property and (ii) a token that enables the mobile device to obtain data collected by the sensor;

determining, by the mobile device, that the mobile device is within a communication range with the sensor based on the identification received by the mobile device;

in response to determining that the mobile device is within the communication range with the sensor based on the identification received by the mobile device;

obtaining, by the mobile device and with a second communication protocol configured for shorter range communication than the first communication protocol, data from the sensor using the token received from the server,

providing, by the mobile device and to the server with the first communication protocol, the data obtained from the sensor, and

receiving, by the mobile device and from the server with the first communication protocol, an indication to perform a maintenance operation corresponding to the sensor that was determined by the server based on the data obtained by the sensor; and

providing, for display on the mobile device, a notification to perform the maintenance operation corresponding to the sensor.

18. The device of claim 17, wherein:

the sensor collects data identifying a present time indicated by a digital clock located in the property;

the indication received from the server indicates that the present time indicated by the digital clock is incorrect; and

the notification provide for display on the mobile device comprises an instruction to adjust the present time indicated by the digital clock.

19. The device of claim 17, wherein the sensor is incapable of using the first communication protocol for data communication.