Parcel theft deterrence for A/V recording and communication devices

• US 10,650,650 B2
• Filed: 04/30/2018
• Issued: 05/12/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ring Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: A9.com Incorporated (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Siminoff, James, Roth, Joshua, Modestine, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Bantamoi, Anthony
• Application Number:
  US15/967,097
• Publication Number:
  US 20180261060A1
• Time in Patent Office: 743 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/20 in augmented reality scenes
• 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 13/19613 Recognition of a predetermined image pattern or behaviour pattern indicating theft or intrusion
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19628 of wide angled cameras and camera groups, e.g. omni-directional cameras, fish eye, single units having multiple cameras achieving a wide angle view
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19684 Portable terminal, e.g. mobile phone, used for viewing video remotely
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/08 using communication transmission lines G08B13/19658, G08B21/0286, G08B25/016 take precedence

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 network device comprising:

one or more processors;

a communication component; and

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

receiving, using the communication component, image data from an audio/video (A/V) recording and communication device installed at a property;

based at least in part on the image data, determining that a parcel has been delivered to the property;

after determining that the parcel has been delivered to the property, transmitting, using the communication component and to a client device, a first message indicating that the parcel has been delivered to the property;

determining that the property has been unoccupied for a threshold period of time;

based at least in part on the parcel being delivered to the property and the property being unoccupied for the threshold period of time, transmitting, using the communication component and to the client device, a second message representing a request to place the A/V recording and communication device in a package protection mode;

receiving, using the communication component and from the client device, a third message instructing the network device to place the A/V recording and communication device in the package protection mode; and

after receiving the third message, transmitting, using the communication component, a command to the A/V recording and communication device to cause the A/V recording and communication device to operate in the package protection mode.

2. The network device of claim 1, wherein determining that the parcel has been delivered to the property comprises:

analyzing the image data; and

based at least in part on analyzing the image data, determining that the image data depicts the parcel.

3. The network device of claim 1, wherein the image data is first image data, and wherein the non-transitory machine-readable memory stores 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 component, second image data generated by the A/V recording and communication device,

wherein determining that the property has been unoccupied for the threshold period of time comprises determining, using the second image data, that a first person has left the property at a first time and at least one of the first person or a second person has not entered the property between the first time and a second time.

4. The network device of claim 1, the non-transitory machine-readable memory 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 component, motion data generated by one or more sensors associated with the property;

wherein determining that the property has been unoccupied for the threshold period of time comprises determining, using the motion data, that motion has not been detected within the property for the threshold period of time.

5. The network device of claim 1, the non-transitory machine-readable memory 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 component, audio data generated by one or more sensors associated with the property,

wherein determining that the property has been unoccupied for the threshold period of time comprises determining, using the audio data, that an occupant is not present.

6. The network device of claim 1, the non-transitory machine-readable memory 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 the parcel is not removed from a delivery location after a period of time,

wherein transmitting the second message is further based at least in part on the parcel not being removed from the delivery location after the period of time.

7. The network device of claim 1, wherein the request is first request and the client device is a first client device, and wherein the non-transitory machine-readable memory stores further instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform further operations comprising:

determining that a predetermined period of time has elapsed since transmitting the second message to the first client device; and

after determining that the predetermined period of time has elapsed, transmitting, using the communication component, a fourth message to a second client device, the fourth message representing a second request to place the A/V recording and communication device in the package protection mode.

8. The network device of claim 1, wherein:

the third message indicates one or more rules associated with the package protection mode; and

wherein the non-transitory machine-readable memory stores further instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform further operations comprising transmitting, using the communication component and to the A/V recording and communication device, the one or more rules associated with the package protection mode.

9. The network device of claim 1, wherein:

the third message indicates a boundary associated with the package protection mode; and

wherein the non-transitory machine-readable memory stores further instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform further operations comprising transmitting, using the communication component and to the A/V recording and communication device, the boundary associated with the package protection mode.

10. A method comprising:

receiving, by a network device, image data from an audio/video (A/V) recording and communication device;

based at least in part on the image data, determining, by the network device, that a parcel has been delivered to a property;

determining, by the network device, that a security system associated with the property is operating in a mode;

based at least in part on the parcel being delivered to the property and the security system operating in the mode, transmitting, by the network device, a first message to a client device, the first message representing a request to place the A/V recording and communication device in a package protection mode;

receiving, by the network device, a second message instructing the network device to place the A/V recording and communication device in the package protection mode; and

after receiving the second message, transmitting, by the network device, a command to the A/V recording and communication device to cause the A/V recording and communication device to operate in the package protection mode.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein determining that the parcel has been delivered to the property comprises determining that the image data represents the parcel.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the image data is first image data, and wherein the method further comprises:

receiving, by the network device, second image data generated by the A/V recording and communication device; and

determining, using the second image data, that the property is unoccupied,

wherein transmitting the first message occurs after determining that the property is unoccupied.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving, by the network device, motion data generated by one or more sensors associated with the property; and

determining, using the motion data, that the property is unoccupied,

wherein transmitting the first message occurs after determining that the property is unoccupied.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving, by the network device, audio data generated by one or more sensors associated with the property; and

determining, using the audio data, that the property is unoccupied,

wherein transmitting the first message occurs after determining that the property is unoccupied.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the A/V recording and communication device is a first A/V recording and communication device and the command is a first command, and wherein the method further comprises, after receiving the second message, transmitting, by the network device, a second command to a second A/V recording and communication device to cause the second A/V recording and communication device to operate in the package protection mode.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the A/V recording and communication device is a first A/V recording and communication device and the request is a first request, and wherein the method further comprises:

determining, before receiving the second message, that a predetermined period of time has passed since transmitting the first message; and

transmitting, by the network device, a third message to a second client device, the third message representing a second request to place the A/V recording and communication device in the package protection mode.

17. A method comprising:

transmitting, by a client device, location data to a network device, the location data indicating that the client device is outside of a property;

receiving, by the client device, a user alert from at least one of the network device or an audio/video (A/V) recording and communication device, the user alert indicating that a parcel has been delivered to the property;

displaying, by the client device, the user alert;

receiving, by the client device, a notification indicating that the A/V recording and communication device is operating in a mode other than a package protection mode;

displaying, by the client device, the notification;

receiving, by the client device, a selection of one or more rules associated with the package protection mode; and

after receiving of the selection, transmitting by the client device, a message to the network device, the message indicating the one or more rules associated with the package protection mode.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

receiving, by the client device, image data generated by the A/V recording and communication device; and

displaying, by the client device, an image represented by the image data, the image representing the parcel.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the A/V recording and communication device is a first A/V recording and communication device and the message is a first message, and wherein the method further comprises, after receiving the selection, transmitting by the client device, a second message to the network device, the second message indicating to place a second A/V recording and communication device in the package protection mode.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

receiving, by the client device, image data generated by the A/V recording and communication device; and

displaying, by the client device, an image represented by the image data, the image representing the parcel,

wherein receiving the selection comprises receiving, by the client device, an indication of a boundary around the parcel, the one or more rules including at least the boundary.