Verifying occupancy of a building

• US 10,522,012 B1
• Filed: 07/10/2018
• Issued: 12/31/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vivint Incorporated (NRG Energy, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Vivint Incorporated (NRG Energy, Inc.)
• Inventors: Nye, James E., Warren, Jeremy B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Previl, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US16/031,937
• Time in Patent Office: 539 Days
• Field of Search: 340565, 340522, 340541, 34042615, 340566, 34053911, 3406866, 3404255
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/02 Mechanical actuation
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/04 by breaking of glass
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1672 using sonic detecting means, e.g. a microphone operating in the audio frequency range
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 29/188 Data fusion; cooperative systems, e.g. voting among different detectors

Abstract

A method for detecting occupancy of a building is described. In one embodiment, the method includes using a microphone to monitor for sounds at a building, detecting a sound via the microphone, and determining whether the sound is made by a human or made by an animal. In some cases, the microphone is a glass break sensor microphone.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

detecting, via a home automation system, a motion associated with a premises;

receiving one or more sounds based at least in part on detecting the motion associated with the premises;

determining whether an entity associated with the one or more sounds is a human or an animal based at least in part on receiving the one or more sounds, wherein the determining comprises comparing the one or more sounds with sound profiles of the home automation system; and

initiating an alarm based at least in part on determining the entity associated with the one or more sounds.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a location of the entity relative to the premises, wherein initiating the alarm is based at least in part on the location of the entity.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein initiating the alarm is based at least in part on a status of a setting of the home automation system.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the motion is detected via a glass break sensor of the home automation system.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether the entity is associated with the premises, wherein initiating the alarm is based at least in part on determining that the entity is not associated with the premises.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

generating a notification based at least in part on determining the entity associated with the one or more sounds; and

transmitting the notification to a user of the home automation system based at least in part on determining that the entity is not associated with the premises.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

transmitting the notification to a third-party based at least in part on determining that the entity is not associated with the premises.

8. An apparatus, comprising:

a processor;

memory in electronic communication with the processor, wherein the memory stores computer executable instructions that when executed by the processor cause the processor to perform steps of;

detecting, via a home automation system, a motion within a premises;

receiving one or more sounds based at least in part on detecting the motion within the premises;

determining whether an entity associated with the one or more sounds is a human or an animal based at least in part on receiving the one or more sounds, wherein the determining comprises comparing the one or more sounds with sound profiles of the home automation system; and

initiating an alarm based at least in part on determining the entity associated with the one or more sounds.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the instructions executed by the processor cause the processor to perform the steps of:

determining a location of the entity relative to the premises, wherein initiating the alarm is based at least in part on the location of the entity.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein initiating the alarm is based at least in part on a status of a setting of the home automation system.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the instructions executed by the processor cause the processor to perform the steps of:

determining whether the entity is associated with the premises, wherein initiating the alarm is based at least in part on determining that the entity is not associated with the premises.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the instructions executed by the processor cause the processor to perform the steps of:

generating a notification based at least in part on determining the entity associated with the one or more sounds; and

transmitting the notification to a user of the home automation system based at least in part on determining that the entity is not associated with the premises.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the instructions executed by the processor cause the processor to perform the steps of:

transmitting the notification to a third-party based at least in part on determining that the entity is not associated with the premises.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing computer executable instructions that when executed by a processor cause the processor to perform the steps of:

detecting, via a home automation system, a motion within a premises;

receiving one or more sounds based at least in part on detecting the motion within the premises;

determining whether an entity associated with the one or more sounds is a human or an animal based at least in part on receiving the one or more sounds, wherein the determining comprises comparing the one or more sounds with sound profiles of the home automation system; and

initiating an alarm based at least in part on determining the entity associated with the one or more sounds.

15. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein initiating the alarm is based at least in part on a status of a setting of the home automation system.