Digital fingerprint tracking

• US 10,325,469 B2
• Filed: 05/14/2018
• Issued: 06/18/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2014
• 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): Trieu, Van T
• Application Number:
  US15/978,368
• Publication Number:
  US 20180261064A1
• Time in Patent Office: 400 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/00 Burglar, theft or intruder alarms
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19697 Arrangements wherein non-video detectors generate an alarm themselves
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 15/00 Identifying, scaring or incapacitating burglars, thieves or intruders, e.g. by explosives
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/02 Alarms for ensuring the safety of persons
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0205 Specific application combined with child monitoring using a transmitter-receiver system
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0225 Monitoring making use of different thresholds, e.g. for different alarm levels
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0277 Communication between units on a local network, e.g. Bluetooth, piconet, zigbee, Wireless Personal Area Networks [WPAN]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/6418 Hybrid transport

Abstract

Techniques are described for tracking intruders of a monitored property by the unique identifying characteristics or “digital fingerprints” of electronic devices carried by the intruders. A system detects an alarm event at a monitored property based on output from at least one sensor located at the monitored property. In response to detecting the alarm event at the monitored property, the system initiates a process to gather electronic identifiers for mobile electronic devices located within the monitored property at a time corresponding to the detected alarm event. The system determines electronic identifiers for the mobile electronic devices located within the monitored property at a time corresponding to the detected alarm event. The system stores in electronic storage, information indicating the determined electronic identifiers for the mobile electronic devices located within the monitored property at a time corresponding to the detected alarm event.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

detecting, using a sensor of a wireless monitoring network, an event at a property monitored by the wireless monitoring network;

determining, by a processor of the wireless monitoring network, a location associated with the event;

identifying, by the processor, a device detector that is located the shortest distance from the location associated with the event from among a plurality of sensors of the wireless monitoring network located at the property;

controlling the device detector to transmit one or more requests to one or more mobile electronic devices within the property;

receiving one or more response messages from the one or more mobile electronic devices, respectively;

extracting, by the processor and from the one or more response messages, device identifications associated with the one or more mobile electronic devices; and

determining, by the processor, that one of the extracted device identifications associated with the one or more mobile electronic devices is likely a device of an intruder by;

comparing the extracted device identifications associated with the one or more mobile electronic devices with device identifications of electronic devices associated with the property; and

determining that one of the extracted device identifications associated with the one or more mobile electronic devices is likely a device of an intruder in response to one of the extracted device identifications not matching one of the device identifications of the electronic devices associated with the property.

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

determining a location associated with the event comprises one of;

determining a location of the sensor that detected the event;

or

determining a likely location of a security breach event at the property; and

identifying a device detector that is located the shortest distance from the location associated with the event comprises;

identifying a device detector that has (i) a distance between the device detector and the location associated with the event that is less than a distance between the location associated with the event and other device detectors at the property, and (ii) a location within a geographical area associated with the property.

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

triggering a camera to record a video of the monitored property at the location associated with the event simultaneously while controlling the device detector to transmit the one or more requests to the one or more mobile electronic devices within the property.

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

in response to determining that one of the extracted device identifications associated with the one or more mobile electronic devices is likely a device of an intruder, performing at least one of;

generating and transmitting a report to a security server, the report including an indication of the detected event and instructions to dispatch security personnel to the property;

or

generating and transmitting a report to an electronic device associated with an owner of the property, the report including an indication of the detected event and a likely presence of the intruder in the property.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein extracting the device identifications associated with the one or more mobile electronic devices comprises extracting, for each of the one or more mobile electronic devices, a media access control (MAC) address of the mobile electronic device.

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

the event comprises a fire event, an alarm event, or a security breach event; and

the wireless monitoring network comprises a wireless local area network and a wireless wide area network.

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

determining a mobile electronic profile for the property based on device identifications of mobile electronic devices previously present in the property, and, for each of the mobile electronic devices previously present in the property, at least one time and day when the mobile electronic device was present in the property; and

selecting a particular alarm response based on the mobile electronic profile and the extracted device identifications associated with the one or more mobile electronic devices in response to determining that one of the extracted device identifications associated with the one or more mobile electronic devices is likely a device of an intruder.

8. A system comprising:

one or more computers; and

one or more storage devices storing instructions that are operable, when executed by the one or more computers, to cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising;

detecting, using a sensor of a wireless monitoring network, an event at a property monitored by the wireless monitoring network;

determining a location associated with the event;

identifying a device detector that is located the shortest distance from the location associated with the event from among a plurality of sensors of the wireless monitoring network located at the property;

controlling the device detector to transmit one or more requests to one or more mobile electronic devices within the property;

receiving one or more response messages from the one or more mobile electronic devices, respectively;

extracting, from the one or more response messages, device identifications associated with the one or more mobile electronic devices; and

determining that one of the extracted device identifications associated with the one or more mobile electronic devices is likely a device of an intruder by;

comparing the extracted device identifications associated with the one or more mobile electronic devices with device identifications of electronic devices associated with the property; and

determining that one of the extracted device identifications associated with the one or more mobile electronic devices is likely a device of an intruder in response to one of the extracted device identifications not matching one of the device identifications of the electronic devices associated with the property.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein:

determining a location associated with the event comprises one of;

determining a location of the sensor that detected the event;

or

determining a likely location of a security breach event at the property; and

identifying a device detector that is located the shortest distance from the location associated with the event comprises;

identifying a device detector that has (i) a distance between the device detector and the location associated with the event that is less than a distance between the location associated with the event and other device detectors at the property, and (ii) a location within a geographical area associated with the property.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise:

triggering a camera to record a video of the monitored property at the location associated with the event simultaneously while controlling the device detector to transmit the one or more requests to the one or more mobile electronic devices within the property.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise:

in response to determining that one of the extracted device identifications associated with the one or more mobile electronic devices is likely a device of an intruder, performing at least one of;

generating and transmitting a report to a security server, the report including an indication of the detected event and instructions to dispatch security personnel to the property;

or

generating and transmitting a report to an electronic device associated with an owner of the property, the report including an indication of the detected event and a likely presence of the intruder in the property.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein extracting the device identifications associated with the one or more mobile electronic devices comprises extracting, for each of the one or more mobile electronic devices, a media access control (MAC) address of the mobile electronic device.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein:

the event comprises a fire event, an alarm event, or a security breach event; and

the wireless monitoring network comprises a wireless local area network and a wireless wide area network.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining a mobile electronic profile for the property based on device identifications of mobile electronic devices previously present in the property, and, for each of the mobile electronic devices previously present in the property, at least one time and day when the mobile electronic device was present in the property; and

selecting a particular alarm response based on the mobile electronic profile and the extracted device identifications associated with the one or more mobile electronic devices in response to determining that one of the extracted device identifications associated with the one or more mobile electronic devices is likely a device of an intruder.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions, which, when executed by one or more computers, cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising:

detecting, using a sensor of a wireless monitoring network, an event at a property monitored by the wireless monitoring network;

determining a location associated with the event;

identifying a device detector that is located the shortest distance from the location associated with the event from among a plurality of sensors of the wireless monitoring network located at the property;

controlling the device detector to transmit one or more requests to one or more mobile electronic devices within the property;

receiving one or more response messages from the one or more mobile electronic devices, respectively;

extracting, from the one or more response messages, device identifications associated with the one or more mobile electronic devices; and

determining that one of the extracted device identifications associated with the one or more mobile electronic devices is likely a device of an intruder by;

comparing the extracted device identifications associated with the one or more mobile electronic devices with device identifications of electronic devices associated with the property; and

determining that one of the extracted device identifications associated with the one or more mobile electronic devices is likely a device of an intruder in response to one of the extracted device identifications not matching one of the device identifications of the electronic devices associated with the property.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein:

determining a location associated with the event comprises one of;

determining a location of the sensor that detected the event;

or

determining a likely location of a security breach event at the property; and

identifying a device detector that is located the shortest distance from the location associated with the event comprises;

identifying a device detector that has (i) a distance between the device detector and the location associated with the event that is less than a distance between the location associated with the event and other device detectors at the property, and (ii) a location within a geographical area associated with the property.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise:

triggering a camera to record a video of the monitored property at the location associated with the event simultaneously while controlling the device detector to transmit the one or more requests to the one or more mobile electronic devices within the property.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise:

in response to determining that one of the extracted device identifications associated with the one or more mobile electronic devices is likely a device of an intruder, performing at least one of;

generating and transmitting a report to a security server, the report including an indication of the detected event and instructions to dispatch security personnel to the property;

or

generating and transmitting a report to an electronic device associated with an owner of the property, the report including an indication of the detected event and a likely presence of the intruder in the property.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein extracting the device identifications associated with the one or more mobile electronic devices comprises extracting, for each of the one or more mobile electronic devices, a media access control (MAC) address of the mobile electronic device.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining a mobile electronic profile for the property based on device identifications of mobile electronic devices previously present in the property, and, for each of the mobile electronic devices previously present in the property, at least one time and day when the mobile electronic device was present in the property; and

selecting a particular alarm response based on the mobile electronic profile and the extracted device identifications associated with the one or more mobile electronic devices in response to determining that one of the extracted device identifications associated with the one or more mobile electronic devices is likely a device of an intruder.