Automatic presence simulator for security systems

• US 10,410,492 B2
• Filed: 09/18/2017
• Issued: 09/10/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Inventors: Garg, Amit, Woundy, Richard
• Primary Examiner(s): Pope, Daryl C
• Application Number:
  US15/707,407
• Publication Number:
  US 20190088099A1
• Time in Patent Office: 722 Days
• Field of Search: 340501, 340506, 340 31, 3405391, 34053911, 34053913
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2642 Domotique, domestic, home control, automation, smart house
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/16 Sound input; Sound output speech processing G10L
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 15/002 with occupancy simulation
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/14 Central alarm receiver or annunciator arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2227/003 Digital PA systems using, e.g. LAN or internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2430/01 Aspects of volume control, not necessarily automatic, in sound systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 27/00 Public address systems circuits for preventing acoustic reaction H04R3/02; circuits for distributing signals to loudspeakers H04R3/12; monitoring or testing arrangements for public address systems H04R29/007; amplifiers H03F
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 29/00 Monitoring arrangements; Testing arrangements for hearing aids H04R25/30; detection of loudspeaker connection H04R5/04; sound-field adaptation dependent on speaker detection H04S7/308

Abstract

Methods, systems and computing devices are described herein for monitoring a premises when residents or other users are present in order to detect patterns of activity at the premises. Such patterns may comprise, for example, a typical schedule indicating usage of one or more devices by one or more users of the premises. When a user is away or otherwise inactive, commands may be sent to various user devices to make it appear (e.g., to those outside the premises) as if the user is present by simulating and/or recreating the patterns that were previously detected.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a computing device at a premises and while a premises security system is in a first mode, audio data comprising audio emitted by one or more media devices;

determining, based on the audio data, a usage pattern of the one or more media devices; and

controlling, based on a determination that the premises security system is in a second mode, the one or more media devices to simulate the usage pattern.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the usage pattern of the one or more media devices comprises:

detecting, based on the audio data, a plurality of events; and

determining one or more common properties of at least two of the plurality of events.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising determining properties of each of the plurality of events based on analyzing the audio data.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the audio data is received from a plurality of listening devices, further comprising:

causing the plurality of listening devices to record the audio emitted by the one or more media devices.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the usage pattern comprises classifying events detected in the audio data.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein determining the usage pattern further comprises estimating rooms in which the events occurred.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the usage pattern further comprises detecting at least two pairs of events, wherein a first event of each pair of the at least two pairs is associated with a first classification and a second event of each pair of the at least two pairs is associated with a second classification.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein controlling the one or more media devices comprises sending at least one command to the one or more media devices, and further comprising:

determining, based on additional audio data received after the audio data, whether the at least one command was successfully executed by the one or more media devices.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein determining whether the at least one command was successfully executed comprises determining whether the additional audio data indicates successful execution of the command.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein determining whether the at least one command was successfully executed comprises detecting whether a volume associated with the additional audio data satisfies a threshold.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the second mode is an armed mode indicating that residents of the premises are not within the premises.

12. A system comprising:

a premises controller and a media device,

wherein the premises controller comprises;

one or more first processors; and

memory storing first computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the one or more first processors, cause the premises controller to;

receive, while a premises security system is in a first mode, audio data comprising audio emitted by one or more media devices;

determine, based on the audio data, a usage pattern of the one or more media devices; and

control, based on a determination that the premises security system is in a second mode, the one or more media devices to simulate the usage pattern;

wherein the media device comprises;

one or more second processors; and

memory storing second computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the one or more second processors, cause the media device to receive a command from the premises controller.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the first computer-readable instructions, when executed by the one or more first processors, further cause the premises controller to:

detect, based on the audio data, a plurality of events; and

determine one or more common properties of at least two of the plurality of events.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the first computer-readable instructions, when executed by the one or more first processors, further cause the premises controller to determine properties of each of the plurality of events based on analyzing the audio data.

15. A premises controller comprising:

one or more processors; and

memory storing computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the premises controller to;

receive, while a premises security system is in a first mode, audio data comprising audio emitted by one or more media devices;

determine, based on the audio data, a usage pattern of the one or more media devices; and

control, based on a determination that the premises security system is in a second mode, the one or more media devices to simulate the usage pattern.

16. The premises controller of claim 15, wherein the computer-readable instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the premises controller to:

detect, based on the audio data, a plurality of events; and

determine one or more common properties of at least two of the plurality of events.

17. The premises controller of claim 16, wherein the computer-readable instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the premises controller to determine properties of each of the plurality of events based on analyzing the audio data.

18. The premises controller of claim 15, wherein the computer-readable instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the premises controller to receive the audio data by receiving the audio data from a plurality of listening devices, and wherein the computer-readable instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the premises controller to cause the plurality of listening devices to record the audio emitted by the one or more media devices.

19. The premises controller of claim 15, wherein the computer-readable instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the premises controller to determine the usage pattern by classifying events detected in the audio data.

20. The premises controller of claim 19, wherein the computer-readable instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the premises controller to determine the usage pattern by estimating rooms in which the events occurred.