Adjustable alert tones and operational modes for audio/video recording and communication devices based upon user location

• US 10,497,236 B2
• Filed: 03/26/2018
• Issued: 12/03/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ring Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: A9.com Incorporated (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lemberger, Elliott, Siminoff, James
• Primary Examiner(s): Chevalier, Robert
• Application Number:
  US15/936,399
• Publication Number:
  US 20180286201A1
• Time in Patent Office: 617 Days
• Field of Search: 386228, 386227, 386224, 386226, 386230, 386248
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19606 Discriminating between target movement or movement in an area of interest and other non-signicative movements, e.g. target movements induced by camera shake or movements of pets, falling leaves, rotating fan
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19669 Event triggers storage or change of storage policy
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/04 using triggered events
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals

Abstract

An audio/video (A/V) recording and communication device includes a camera. A method sets a first operational mode for the A/V device. The method determines whether a registered user of the A/V device is within a predetermined proximity of the A/V device. Upon determining that the registered user of the A/V device is not within the predetermined proximity of the A/V device, the method sets a second operational mode for the A/V device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

setting a first security mode for an electronic device;

determining that a client device associated with the electronic device is outside of a predetermined proximity of the electronic device;

after determining that the client device is outside of the predetermined proximity, setting a second security mode for the electronic device, the second security mode being different than the first security mode;

while in the second security mode, detecting possible motion in a field of view of the electronic device; and

sending, to a remote system, data indicating that the possible motion was detected.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving data associated with registering the client device with the electronic device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the client device is outside of the predetermined proximity of the electronic device comprises:

determining a first location of the electronic device;

receiving additional data indicating a second location of the client device; and

determining that the second location is outside of the predetermined proximity of the first location.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the client device is within the predetermined proximity of the electronic device; and

after determining that the client device is within the predetermined proximity, setting the first security mode for the electronic device.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that an additional client device associated with the electronic device is within the predetermined proximity of the electronic device,

wherein setting the second security mode for the electronic device also occurs after determining that the additional client device is within the predetermined proximity of the electronic device.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

while in the first security mode, forgoing from generating first image data using a camera of the electronic device; and

while in the second security mode, generating second image data using the camera.

20. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

while in the first security mode, detecting additional possible motion in the field of view of the electronic device; and

forgoing from transmitting, to the remote system, additional data indicating that the additional possible motion was detected.

21. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that an additional client device is outside of the predetermined proximity of the electronic device; and

after determining that the additional client device is outside of the predetermined proximity of the electronic device, setting a third security mode for the electronic device.

23. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

while in the first security mode, outputting a first sound using at least one speaker of the electronic device; and

while in the second security mode, outputting a second sound using the at least one speaker.

4. A method comprising:

setting a first operational mode for an electronic device;

while in the first operational mode, generating first image data using a camera of the electronic device;

determining that a client device associated with the electronic device is within a predetermined proximity of the electronic device;

after determining that the client device is within the predetermined proximity of the electronic device, setting a second operational mode for the electronic device; and

while in the second operational mode, forgoing generating second image data using the camera.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising receiving registration data associated with registering the client device with the electronic device.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein determining that the client device is within the predetermined proximity of the electronic device comprises:

determining a first location of the electronic device;

receiving location data indicating a second location of the client device; and

determining that the second location is within the predetermined proximity of the first location.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein determining that the client device is within the predetermined proximity of the electronic device comprises:

receiving a signal from the client device; and

after receiving the signal, determining that the client device is within the predetermined proximity of the electronic device.

8. The method of claim 4, wherein the client device is a first client device, and wherein the method further comprises:

determining that a second client device is outside of the predetermined proximity of the electronic device;

after determining that the second client device is outside of the predetermined proximity of the electronic device, setting a third operational mode for the electronic device;

receiving an input associated with a doorbell; and

transmitting, to a remote system, input data indicating the input.

17. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

determining that an additional client device associated with the electronic device is outside of the predetermined proximity of the electronic device,

wherein setting the second operational mode also occurs after determining that the additional client device is outside of the predetermined proximity of the electronic device.

18. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

while in the first operational mode, detecting first possible motion by the electronic device;

transmitting, to a remote system, first data indicating the first possible motion;

while in the second operational mode, detecting second possible motion by the electronic device; and

forgoing transmitting second data indicating the second possible motion.

9. An electronic device, comprising:

a communication interface;

one or more processors; and

one or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising;

setting a first operational mode for the electronic device;

while in the first operational mode, detecting first possible motion;

transmitting, using the communication interface and to a remote system, first data indicating the first possible motion;

determining that a client device is within a predetermined proximity of the electronic device;

after determining that the client device is within the predetermined proximity of the electronic device, setting a second operational mode for the electronic device;

while in the second operational mode, detecting second possible motion; and

forgoing from transmitting second data indicating the second possible motion.

10. The electronic device of claim 9, the one or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing further instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform further operations comprising receiving, using the communication interface, third data associated with registering the client device with the electronic device.

11. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein determining that the client device is within the predetermined proximity of the electronic device comprises:

determining a first location of the electronic device;

receiving, using the communication interface, third data representing a second location of the client device; and

determining that the second location is within the predetermined proximity of the first location.

12. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein determining that the client device is within the predetermined proximity of the electronic device comprises:

receiving, using the communication interface, a signal from the client device; and

after receiving the signal, determining that the client device is within the predetermined proximity of the electronic device.

13. The electronic device of claim 9, further comprising:

a camera,

and wherein determining that the client device is within the predetermined proximity of the electronic device comprises;

receiving, using the communication interface, first image data representing a user associated with the client device;

generating, using the camera, second image data representing a field of view of the camera; and

determining, using the first image data, that the second image data represents the user.

19. The electronic device of claim 9, further comprising a camera, and wherein the one or more non-transitory computer-readable media store further instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform further operations comprising:

while in the first operational mode, generating first image data using the camera; and

while in the second operational mode, forgoing generating second image data using the camera.

22. The electronic device of claim 9, the one or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing further instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform further operations comprising:

determining that an additional client device is outside of the predetermined proximity of the electronic device; and

after determining that the additional client device is outside of the predetermined proximity of the electronic device, setting a third operational mode for the electronic device.