Parcel theft deterrence for A/V recording and communication devices

• US 10,510,232 B2
• Filed: 08/04/2017
• Issued: 12/17/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Modestine, John, Lemberger, Elliott, Siminoff, James, Roth, Joshua
• Primary Examiner(s): Senfi, Behrooz M
• Application Number:
  US15/669,817
• Publication Number:
  US 20180075718A1
• Time in Patent Office: 865 Days
• Field of Search: 348151
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10016 Video; Image sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10024 Color image
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30232 Surveillance
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/13 Edge detection
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/246 using feature-based methods, e.g. the tracking of corners or segments
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/254 involving subtraction of images
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/60 Analysis of geometric attributes
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/70 Determining position or orientation of objects or cameras camera calibration G06T7/80
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/196 using television cameras
• 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 13/19695 Arrangements wherein non-video detectors start video recording or forwarding but do not generate an alarm themselves
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/63 by using electronic viewfinders
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/147 Communication arrangements, e.g. identifying the communication as a video-communication, intermediate storage of the signals selecting H04Q
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/186 Video door telephones

Abstract

Parcel theft deterrence for audio/video (A/V) recording and communication devices, such as video doorbells and security cameras. When an A/V recording and communication device captures image data that includes a parcel, a parcel boundary may be created for monitoring the parcel within. In various embodiments, when the parcel is removed from the parcel boundary, a user alert may be generated to notify a user of a client device associated with the A/V recording and communication device that the parcel has been removed.

Claims

1. A method for a client device associated with an audio/video (A/V) recording and communication device having a camera, the client device including a processor, a communication module, and a display, the method comprising:

receiving, by the processor using the communication module, image data representing images recorded by the camera, the images depicting a parcel present in a field of view of the camera;

displaying the images on the display of the client device;

receiving, by the processor based on the images displayed on the display of the client device, an input including a first selection of a parcel boundary defining a location within the field of view of the camera for monitoring the parcel within the parcel boundary, and a second selection of a monitoring action to be executed in response to the parcel being moved from within the parcel boundary; and

generating and transmitting, by the processor based on the input, using the communication module, parcel monitoring rules comprising the parcel boundary and the monitoring action, to the A/V recording and communication device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the images on the display includes one of displaying a video, displaying a still image, and displaying a frame of a video.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the input of the first selection includes selecting an automatic detection mode for automatically creating the parcel boundary.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the automatic detection mode includes:

using object detection to detect the size, shape, and location of the parcel in the images; and

generating the parcel boundary around the parcel.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the monitoring action is at least one of sounding an alarm, activating the camera to record, and generating a user alert.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising, in response to the parcel being removed from the parcel boundary, receiving, by the processor, using the communication module, a user alert.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising displaying the user alert on the display of the client device.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the user alert includes at least one of an indication that the parcel has been removed from the parcel boundary, information about a person who removed the parcel from the parcel boundary, and at least one frame captured by the camera during a time the parcel was removed from the parcel boundary.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the input of the first selection includes drawing the parcel boundary around the parcel on the display.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the input of the first selection includes fitting a selected shape around the parcel as the parcel boundary on the display.

9. A non-transitory machine-readable medium storing a computer program application embodied in code executable by at least one processor of a client device associated with an audio/video (AN) recording and communication device having a camera, which when executed causes the client device to:

receive image data representing images recorded by the camera, the images depicting a parcel present in a field of view of the camera;

display the images on a display of the client device;

receive, based on the images displayed on the display of the client device, an input including a first selection of a parcel boundary defining a location within the field of view of the camera for monitoring the parcel within the parcel boundary;

receive a second selection of a monitoring action to be executed in response to the parcel being moved from within the parcel boundary; and

generate and transmit, based on the input, parcel monitoring rules comprising the parcel boundary and the monitoring action to the A/V recording and communication device.

10. The client device of claim 9, wherein the display of the images on the display of the client device includes one of displaying a video, displaying a still image, and displaying a frame of a video.

11. The client device of claim 9, wherein the input of the first selection includes selecting an automatic detection mode for automatically creating the parcel boundary.

12. The client device claim 11, wherein the automatic detection mode includes:

using object detection to detect the size, shape, and location of the parcel in the images; and

generating the parcel boundary around the parcel.

13. The client device of claim 9, wherein the monitoring action is at least one of sounding an alarm, activating the camera to record, and generating a user alert.

14. The client device of claim 9, wherein in response to the parcel being removed from the parcel boundary, the computer program application is further embodied in code, that when executed causes the client device to receive, a user alert.

15. The client device of claim 14, wherein in response to receiving the user alert, the computer program application is further embodied in code, that when executed causes the client device to display the user alert on the display of the client device.

16. The client device of claim 14, wherein the user alert includes at least one of an indication that the parcel has been removed from the parcel boundary, information about a person who removed the parcel from the parcel boundary, and at least one frame captured by the camera during a time the parcel was removed from the parcel boundary.

19. The client device of claim 9, wherein the input of the first selection includes drawing the parcel boundary around the parcel on the display.

20. The client device of claim 9, wherein the input of the first selection includes fitting a selected shape around the parcel as the parcel boundary on the display.