Appliance device integration with alarm systems

• US 10,553,098 B2
• Filed: 07/09/2014
• Issued: 02/04/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ooma Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Ooma Incorporated
• Inventors: Hart, Douglas E., Farrand, Tobin E., Bryan, David A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Quang
• Application Number:
  US14/327,163
• Publication Number:
  US 20160012702A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,036 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/043 detecting an emergency event, e.g. a fall
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0461 integrated or attached to an item closely associated with the person but not worn by the person, e.g. chair, walking stick, bed sensor
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/18 Status alarms G08B21/02 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/001 Alarm cancelling procedures or alarm forwarding decisions, e.g. based on absence of alarm confirmation
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/016 Personal emergency signalling and security systems emergency non-personal manually actuated alarm activators G08B25/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]

Abstract

Systems, methods, and software for allowing interaction between consumer appliance devices and security systems are provided herein. An exemplary method may include allowing various interactions of a user with a consumer appliance device to generate n signal, such as a panic signal, causing various forms of security systems to escalate the signal to obtain help. Another exemplary method involves allowing the device, when placing the panic signal, to involve back end systems related to the security system to provision access to an emergency service provider (i.e., 911 provider) “just in time,” eliminating the need for costly pre-provisioning. Another exemplary method involves various sensors of the security system to communicate with consumer appliance devices to improve the performance, usability, or efficiency of the consumer appliance device or related systems.

Claims

1. A method for notifying first responders of an emergency situation at a structure comprising:

receiving, by at least one of an appliance device located at the structure and a processing entity, an alarm indicating a presence of the emergency situation;

providing, by the at least one of the appliance device and the processing entity, a notification to a mobile device of a user, the notification including indicia of the emergency situation;

when a user confirmation of the emergency situation, in response to receiving the notification, is received by the at least one of the appliance device and the processing entity within a predetermined amount of time;

initiating, by the at least one of the appliance device and the processing entity, first communications between the mobile device and a public-safety answering point (PSAP); and

when the user confirmation of the emergency situation, in response to receiving the notification, is not received by the at least one of the appliance device and the processing entity within the predetermined amount of time;

initiating, by the at least one of the appliance device and the processing entity, second communications between the PSAP and an announcement server to notify a PSAP operator associated with the PSAP an emergency announcement with a location associated with the structure, the second communications providing the location associated with the structure to the PSAP.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the processing entity is at least one of a remote server box, a local server or multi-function base unit, an alarm system in the structure, and a remote monitoring service.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the mobile device is one or more of a desktop computer, a notebook computer, a tablet computer, a phablet, and a smart phone, the mobile device using one or more applications for the notification and the user confirmation.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the appliance device determines the presence of the emergency situation using one or more sensors, the one or more sensors sensing at least one of a panic indication from the user, smoke, a predetermined temperature greater than 117°

F., and carbon monoxide.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving the alarm, providing the notification, and receiving the user confirmation each use at least one of a short message service (SMS) text message, a push notification, an email, an audio message, a video message, plain old telephone service (POTS), T1, wireless broad band, and voice over internet protocol (VoIP) phone network.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the appliance device is at least one of a thermostat, an intercom, a light switch, a door bell, a telephone handset, a garage door control system, and an environmental sensor incorporating a mechanism allowing the user to interact with the appliance device to indicate a panic situation.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the structure is at least one of a commercial and a residential structure.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the appliance device and the processing entity is communicatively coupled to the mobile device using at least one of a public computer network, the Internet, a local computer network, a wireless computer network, WiFi, a wired computer network, Bluetooth, ZigBee, ZWave, DECT, plain old telephone service, T1, Voice over IP (VoIP) phone network, a cellular network, and a proprietary network connection.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the emergency situation is at least one of a door and/or window is open, an intruder is present, smoke is detected, water is detected, and carbon monoxide is detected.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the processing entity is at least one of a cloud server, a cloud-based computing system, and a cloud-based monitoring service.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

when receiving a user indication that the alarm is a false alarm by the at least one of the appliance device and the processing entity, canceling emergency process.

12. A system for notifying first responders of an emergency situation at a structure, the system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory coupled to the processor, the memory storing instructions executable by the processor to perform a method comprising;

receiving, by at least one of an appliance device associated with the structure and a processing entity, an alarm indicating a presence of the emergency situation;

providing, by the at least one of the appliance device and the processing entity, a notification to a mobile device of a user, the notification including indicia of the emergency situation;

when a user confirmation of the emergency situation, in response to receiving the notification, is received by the at least one of the appliance device and the processing entity within a predetermined amount of time;

initiating, by, the at least one of the appliance device and the processing entity, first communications between the mobile device and a public-safety answering point (PSAP); and

when the user confirmation of the emergency situation, in response to receiving the notification, is not received by the at least one of the appliance device and the processing entity within the predetermined amount of time;

initiating, by the at least one of the appliance device and the processing entity, second communications between the PSAP and an announcement server to notify a PSAP operator associated with the PSAP an emergency announcement with a location associated with the structure, the second communications providing the location associated with the structure to the PSAP.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the processing entity is at least one of a remote server box, a local server or multi-function base unit, an alarm system in the structure, and a remote monitoring service.

14. The system of claim 12 wherein the mobile device is one or more of a desktop computer, a notebook computer, a tablet computer, a phablet, and a smart phone, the mobile device using one or more applications for the notification and the user confirmation.

15. The system of claim 12 wherein the appliance device determines the presence of the emergency situation using one or more sensors, the one or more sensors sensing at least one of a panic indication from the user, smoke, a predetermined temperature greater than 117°

F., and carbon monoxide.

16. The system of claim 12 wherein receiving the alarm, providing the notification, and receiving the user confirmation each use at least one of a short message service (SMS) text message, a push notification, an email, an audio message, a video message, plain old telephone service (POTS), T1, wireless broad band, and voice over internet protocol (VoIP) phone network.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the appliance device is at least one of a thermostat, an intercom, a light switch, a door bell, a telephone handset, a garage door control system, and an environmental sensor incorporating a mechanism allowing the user to interact with the appliance device to indicate a panic situation.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein at least one of the appliance device and the processing entity is communicatively coupled to the mobile device using at least one of a public computer network, the Internet, a local computer network, a wireless computer network, WiFi, a wired computer network, Bluetooth, ZigBee, ZWave, DECT, plain old telephone service, T1, Voice over IP (VoIP) phone network, a cellular network, and a proprietary network connection.

19. The system of claim 12, wherein the emergency situation is at least one of a door and/or window is open, an intruder is present, smoke is detected, water is detected, and carbon monoxide is detected.

20. The system of claim 12 wherein the processing entity is at least one of a cloud server, a cloud-based computing system, and a cloud-based monitoring service.

21. The system of claim 12 wherein the system comprises a cloud-based computing system.

22. A non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium having embodied thereon a program, the program being executable by a processor to perform a method for notifying first responders of an emergency situation at a structure, the method comprising:

receiving, by at least one of an appliance device associated with the structure and a processing entity, an alarm indicating a presence of the emergency situation;

providing, by the at least one of the appliance, device and the processing entity, a notification to a mobile device of a user, the notification including indicia of the emergency situation;

when a user confirmation of the emergency situation, in response to receiving the notification, is received by the at least one of the appliance device and the processing entity within a predetermined amount of time;

initiating, by the at least one of the appliance device and the processing entity, first communications between the mobile device and a public-safety answering point (PSAP); and

when the user confirmation of the emergency situation, in response to receiving the notification, is not received by the at least one of the appliance device and the processing entity within the predetermined amount of time;

initiating, by the at least one of the appliance device and the processing entity, second communications between the PSAP and an announcement server to notify a PSAP operator associated with the PSAP an emergency announcement with a location associated with the structure, the second communications providing the location associated with the structure to the PSAP.

23. The non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium of claim 22 wherein the processing entity is at least one of a cloud server, a cloud-based computing system, and a cloud-based monitoring service.