Parcel theft deterrence for Audio/Video recording and communication devices

• US 10,388,131 B2
• Filed: 08/04/2017
• Issued: 08/20/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: A9.com Incorporated (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Siminoff, James, Roth, Joshua
• Primary Examiner(s): Tabatabai, Abolfazl
• Application Number:
  US15/669,092
• Publication Number:
  US 20180047266A1
• Time in Patent Office: 746 Days
• Field of Search: 382103
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10016 Video; Image sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30204 Marker
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30232 Surveillance
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/246 using feature-based methods, e.g. the tracking of corners or segments
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19602 Image analysis to detect motion of the intruder, e.g. by frame subtraction
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19604 involving reference image or background adaptation with time to compensate for changing conditions, e.g. reference image update on detection of light level change
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19608 Tracking movement of a target, e.g. by detecting an object predefined as a target, using target direction and or velocity to predict its new position
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19656 Network used to communicate with a camera, e.g. WAN, LAN, Internet
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1966 Wireless systems, other than telephone systems, used to communicate with a camera
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19684 Portable terminal, e.g. mobile phone, used for viewing video remotely
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19693 using multiple video sources viewed on a single or compound screen
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19695 Arrangements wherein non-video detectors start video recording or forwarding but do not generate an alarm themselves
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/025 Door telephones adapted for television H04N7/186
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/77 between a recording apparatus and a television camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/185 from a mobile camera, e.g. for remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/186 Video door telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/188 Capturing isolated or intermittent images triggered by the occurrence of a predetermined event, e.g. an object reaching a predetermined position signal generation from motion picture films H04N5/253
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0209 in terminal devices terminal devices per se H04W88/02
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 : in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Methods for audio/video (A/V) recording and communication devices including a camera, are provided. One such method comprises determining that a parcel has been left within an area about the A/V recording and communication device, determining that the parcel has been removed from the area about the A/V recording and communication device, determining whether removal of the parcel from the area about the A/V recording and communication device was authorized, and when the removal of the parcel from the area about the A/V recording and communication device is determined to have been unauthorized, generating an alert.

Claims

1. A method for an audio/video (A/V) recording and communication device, the device including a camera, the method comprising:

determining that a parcel has been left within an area about the A/V recording and communication device;

determining that the parcel has been removed from the area about the A/V recording and communication device;

determining whether removal of the parcel from the area about the A/V recording and communication device was authorized; and

when the removal of the parcel from the area about the A/V recording and communication device is determined to have been unauthorized, generating an alert.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the parcel has been left within the area about the A/V recording and communication device comprises comparing video frames recorded by the camera of the A/V recording and communication device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the parcel has been left in the area about the A/V recording and communication device comprises receiving information from a carrier that delivered the parcel.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the parcel has been left within the area about the A/V recording and communication device comprises automatic identification and data capture (AIDC).

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the AIDC comprises at least one of a barcode, a matrix code, a bokode, and radio frequency identification (RFID).

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the parcel has been removed from the area about the A/V recording and communication device comprises comparing video frames recorded by the camera of the A/V recording and communication device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the parcel has been removed from the area about the A/V recording and communication device comprises automatic identification and data capture (AIDC).

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the AIDC comprises radio frequency identification (RFID).

9. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether removal of the parcel from the area about the A/V recording and communication device was authorized comprises detecting a direction of movement of the parcel.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether removal of the parcel from the area about the A/V recording and communication device was authorized comprises automatic identification and data capture (AIDC).

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the AIDC comprises at least one of a barcode, a matrix code, a bokode, radio frequency identification (RFID), a smart card, a magnetic stripe, optical character recognition (OCR), biometrics, voice recognition, facial recognition, three-dimensional facial recognition, and skin texture analysis.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising comparing information received through the AIDC to information about one or more persons.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the one or more persons comprise at least one perpetrator of one or more parcel thefts.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the one or more parcel thefts occurred within a defined radius about the A/V recording and communication device.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the alert comprises an alert signal sent to a client device.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the alert comprises an audible alarm emitted from a speaker of the A/V recording and communication device.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the alert comprises an announcement emitted from a speaker of the A/V recording and communication device, the announcement comprising a warning that the area about the A/V recording and communication device is being recorded.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising identifying the parcel.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein identifying the parcel comprises the camera of the A/V recording and communication device capturing an image of an identifying mark on the parcel.

20. A method for an audio/video (A/V) recording and communication device, the device including a camera, the method comprising:

determining that a parcel has been left within an area about the A/V recording and communication device;

after the parcel has been left within the area about the A/V recording and communication device, detecting a person within the area about the A/V recording and communication device;

recording, with the camera of the A/V recording and communication device, video images of the person within the area about the A/V recording and communication device; and

emitting an alert from the speaker of the A/V recording and communication device.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the alert comprises an audible alarm.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the alert comprises an announcement warning the detected person that he or she is being recorded.

23. A method for an audio/video (A/V) recording and communication device, the device including a camera, the method comprising:

determining that a parcel has been left within an area about the A/V recording and communication device, wherein determining that the parcel has been left within the area about the A/V recording and communication device comprises comparing video frames recorded by the camera of the A/V recording and communication device;

determining that the parcel has been removed from the area about the A/V recording and communication device, wherein determining that the parcel has been removed from the area about the A/V recording and communication device comprises comparing video frames recorded by the camera of the A/V recording and communication device;

determining whether removal of the parcel from the area about the A/V recording and communication device was authorized, wherein determining whether removal of the parcel from the area about the A/V recording and communication device was authorized comprises automatic identification and data capture (AIDC); and

when the removal of the parcel from the area about the A/V recording and communication device is determined to have been unauthorized, generating an alert.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the AIDC comprises at least one of radio frequency identification (RFID) and biometrics.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein the AIDC comprises the camera of the A/V recording and communication device capturing an image of a person in the area about the A/V recording and communication device.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the image of the person comprises an image of the person'"'"'s face.

27. The method of claim 25, further comprising comparing the image of the person to at least one image of at least one other person.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the removal of the parcel from the area about the A/V recording and communication device is determined to have been unauthorized when there is a match between the image of the person captured by the camera of the A/V recording and communication device and the at least one image of the at least one other person.

29. A method for an audio/video (A/V) recording and communication device, the device including a processor and a camera, the device being communicatively connected to at least one network device, the method comprising:

determining that a parcel has been left within an area about the A/V recording and communication device, wherein determining that the parcel has been left within the area about the A/V recording and communication device comprises the processor of the A/V recording and communication device comparing video frames recorded by the camera of the A/V recording and communication device;

determining that the parcel has been removed from the area about the A/V recording and communication device, wherein determining that the parcel has been removed from the area about the A/V recording and communication device comprises the processor of the A/V recording and communication device comparing video frames recorded by the camera of the A/V recording and communication device;

determining whether removal of the parcel from the area about the A/V recording and communication device was authorized, wherein determining whether removal of the parcel from the area about the A/V recording and communication device was authorized comprises automatic identification and data capture (AIDC); and

when the removal of the parcel from the area about the A/V recording and communication device is determined to have been unauthorized, generating an alert.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the AIDC comprises at least one of radio frequency identification (RFID) and biometrics.

31. The method of claim 29, wherein the AIDC comprises the camera of the A/V recording and communication device capturing an image of a person in the area about the A/V recording and communication device.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the image of the person comprises an image of the person'"'"'s face.

33. The method of claim 31, further comprising the at least one network device receiving the image of the person.

34. The method of claim 33, further comprising the at least one network device comparing the image of the person to at least one image of at least one other person.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the removal of the parcel from the area about the A/V recording and communication device is determined to have been unauthorized when there is a match between the image of the person captured by the camera of the A/V recording and communication device and the at least one image of the at least one other person.