Detection of authorized user presence and handling of unauthenticated monitoring system commands

• US 10,546,486 B2
• Filed: 12/03/2018
• Issued: 01/28/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 11/23/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alarm.com Inc. (Alarm.com Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Alarm.com Inc. (Alarm.com Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kinney, Abraham Joseph, Kerzner, Daniel Todd, Hutz, David James
• Primary Examiner(s): Murillo Garcia, Fabricio R
• Application Number:
  US16/207,262
• Publication Number:
  US 20190180603A1
• Time in Patent Office: 421 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/52 Surveillance or monitoring of activities, e.g. for recognising suspicious objects recognising microscopic objects G06V20/69
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/10 Human or animal bodies, e.g. vehicle occupants or pedestrians; Body parts, e.g. hands
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00 Individual registration on entry or exit
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00571 operated by interacting with a central unit
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00904 for hotels, motels, office buildings or the like
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1965 the vehicle being an aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19656 Network used to communicate with a camera, e.g. WAN, LAN, Internet
• 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: G08B 19/00 Alarms responsive to two or more different undesired or abnormal conditions, e.g. burglary and fire, abnormal temperature and abnormal rate of flow
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/008 Alarm setting and unsetting, i.e. arming or disarming of the security system
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 29/02 Monitoring continuously signalling or alarm systems
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/22 Procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 17/22 Interactive procedures; Man-machine interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/223 Execution procedure of a spoken command

Abstract

Techniques are described for detecting and handling unauthenticated commands in a property monitoring system. In some implementations, a monitoring system may include sensors located throughout a property, a monitoring control unit, and an input device. The monitoring control unit may be configured to receive data collected by the sensors, as well as an input command detected by the input device. For an input command that does not include authentication information, the monitoring control unit may generate property state information based on the sensor data, then analyze the property state data and the input command against one or more rules that relate to authorization of unauthenticated commands. Based on the analysis, the monitoring control unit may determine whether to perform the action corresponding to the input command or whether to perform another action, for example, generating and providing a notification or authorization request to a user.

Claims

1. A monitoring system that is configured to monitor a property, the monitoring system comprising:

a camera that is located at the property and that is configured to generate image data;

an electronic device that is configured to receive a voice command that is uttered by a user located inside the property, that is to adjust an attribute of the property, and that does not include authentication information; and

a monitor control unit that is configured to;

receive, from the electronic device, data identifying the voice command that is to adjust the attribute of the property and that does not include the authentication information, data identifying the voice command, and the image data;

based on the image data and the voice command that is to adjust the attribute of the property and that does not include the authentication information, determine whether to authorize the input command that is to adjust the attribute of the property and that does not include the authentication information by;

determining that the image data includes an image of the user who uttered the voice command; and

determining that the user is authorized to issue the voice command; and

based on determining whether to authorize the voice command that is to adjust the attribute of the property and that does not include the authentication information, instruct the electronic device to adjust the attribute of the property based on determining that the user is authorized to issue the voice command.

2. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the monitor control unit is configured to:

determine whether to authorize the voice command that is to adjust the attribute of the property and that does not include the authentication information by;

based on a security impact of the voice command, generating a request to instruct the electronic device to adjust the attribute of the property;

providing, for output and to the resident of the property, the request to instruct the electronic device to adjust the attribute of the property; and

receiving, from the resident of the property, an authorization to instruct the electronic device to adjust the attribute of the property.

3. The monitoring system of claim 1, comprising:

a sensor that is located at the property and that is configured to generate sensor data,

wherein the monitor control unit is configured to determine whether to authorize the voice command that is to adjust the attribute of the property and that does not include the authentication information by;

based on the sensor data, determining an activity pattern of a resident of the property; and

based on the activity pattern of the resident of the property and based on the voice command that is to adjust the attribute of the property and that does not include the authentication information, determining whether to authorize the voice command that is to adjust the attribute of the property and that does not include the authentication information.

4. The monitoring system of claim 1, comprising:

a sensor that is located at the property and that is configured to generate sensor data,

wherein the monitor control unit is configured to determine whether to authorize the voice command that is to adjust the attribute of the property and that does not include the authentication information by;

based on the sensor data, determining an energy consumption of the property; and

based on the energy consumption of the property and based on the voice command that is to adjust the attribute of the property and that does not include the authentication information, determining whether to authorize the voice command that is to adjust the attribute of the property and that does not include the authentication information.

5. The monitoring system of claim 4, wherein the monitor control unit is configured to determine whether to authorize the voice command that is to adjust the attribute of the property and that does not include the authentication information further based on conditions that are in or near the property and that include weather, daylight level, or air quality.

6. The monitoring system of claim 1, comprising:

a sensor that is located at the property and that is configured to generate sensor data,

wherein the voice command is a command to arm the monitoring system, deactivate a light of the property, lock a door of the property, or adjust a thermostat of the property, and

wherein the monitor control unit is configured to;

determine whether to authorize the voice command that is to adjust the attribute of the property and that does not include the authentication information by;

based on the sensor data, determining that a resident of the property is leaving the property; and

based on determining that the resident of the property is leaving the property and based on the voice command being a command to arm the monitoring system, deactivate the light of the property, lock the door of the property, or adjust the thermostat of the property, determining to authorize the voice command.

7. The monitoring system of claim 1, comprising:

a sensor that is located at the property and that is configured to generate sensor data,

wherein the voice command is a command to disarm the monitoring system, activate a light of the property, unlock a door of the property, adjust a thermostat of the property, or activate an appliance in the property, and

wherein the monitor control unit is configured to;

determine whether to authorize the voice command that is to adjust the attribute of the property and that does not include the authentication information by;

based on the sensor data, determining that a resident of the property is arriving at the property; and

based on determining that the resident of the property is arriving at the property and based on the voice command being a command to disarm the monitoring system, activate the light of the property, unlock the door of the property, adjust the thermostat of the property, or activate the appliance in the property, determining to authorize the voice command.

8. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving, by a monitoring system that is configured to monitor a property and from an electronic device that is configured to receive a voice command that is uttered by a user located inside the property, that is to adjust an attribute of the property, and that does not include authentication information, data identifying the voice command that is to adjust the attribute of the property and that does not include the authentication information and data identifying that the input command;

receiving, by the monitoring system and from a camera that is located at the property, image data;

based on the image data and the voice command that is to adjust the attribute of the property and that does not include the authentication information, determining, by the monitoring system, whether to authorize the input command that is to adjust the attribute of the property and that does not include the authentication information by;

determining that the image data includes an image of the user who uttered the voice command; and

determining that the user is authorized to issue the voice command; and

based on determining whether to authorize the voice command that is to adjust the attribute of the property and that does not include the authentication information, instructing, by the monitoring system, the electronic device to adjust the attribute of the property based on determining that the user is authorized to issue the voice command.

9. The method of claim 8, comprising:

determining whether to authorize the voice command that is to adjust the attribute of the property and that does not include the authentication information by;

based on a security impact of the voice command, generating a request to instruct the electronic device to adjust the attribute of the property;

providing, for output and to the resident of the property, the request to instruct the electronic device to adjust the attribute of the property; and

receiving, from the resident of the property, an authorization to instruct the electronic device to adjust the attribute of the property.

10. The method of claim 8, comprising:

receiving, by the monitoring system and from a sensor that is located at the property and that is configured to generate sensor data,

wherein determining whether to authorize the input command that is to adjust the attribute of the property and that does not include the authentication information comprises;

based on the sensor data, determining an activity pattern of a resident of the property; and

based on the activity pattern of the resident of the property and based on the voice command that is to adjust the attribute of the property and that does not include the authentication information, determining whether to authorize the voice command that is to adjust the attribute of the property and that does not include the authentication information.

11. The method of claim 8, comprising:

receiving, by the monitoring system and from a sensor that is located at the property and that is configured to generate sensor data,

wherein determining whether to authorize the voice command that is to adjust the attribute of the property and that does not include the authentication information comprises;

based on the sensor data, determining an energy consumption of the property; and

based on the energy consumption of the property and based on the voice command that is to adjust the attribute of the property and that does not include the authentication information, determining whether to authorize the voice command that is to adjust the attribute of the property and that does not include the authentication information.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein determining whether to authorize the voice command that is to adjust the attribute of the property and that does not include the authentication information is further based on conditions that are in or near the property and that include weather, daylight level, or air quality.

13. The method of claim 8, comprising:

receiving, by the monitoring system and from a sensor that is located at the property and that is configured to generate sensor data,

wherein the voice command is a command to arm the monitoring system, deactivate a light of the property, lock a door of the property, or adjust a thermostat of the property, and

wherein the method comprises;

determining whether to authorize the voice command that is to adjust the attribute of the property and that does not include the authentication information by;

based on the sensor data, determining that a resident of the property is leaving the property; and

based on determining that the resident of the property is leaving the property and based on the voice command being a command to arm the monitoring system, deactivate the light of the property, lock the door of the property, or adjust the thermostat of the property, determining to authorize the voice command.

14. The method of claim 8, comprising:

receiving, by the monitoring system and from a sensor that is located at the property and that is configured to generate sensor data,

wherein the voice command is a command to disarm the monitoring system, activate a light of the property, unlock a door of the property, adjust a thermostat of the property, or activate an appliance in the property, and

wherein the method comprises;

determining whether to authorize the voice command that is to adjust the attribute of the property and that does not include the authentication information by;

based on the sensor data, determining that a resident of the property is arriving at the property; and

based on determining that the resident of the property is arriving at the property and based on the voice command being a command to disarm the monitoring system, activate the light of the property, unlock the door of the property, adjust the thermostat of the property, or activate the appliance in the property, determining to authorize the voice command.