SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PERFORMING SECURITY TASKS

• US 20100117849A1
• Filed: 11/10/2008
• Published: 05/13/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Schroeter, Horst, Chang, E-Lee, Roberts, Linda, Khandelwal, Madhur, CLAYTON, DARNELL
• Granted Patent: US 8,823,793 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/691.600
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/10 Protecting distributed programs or content, e.g. vending or licensing of copyrighted material protection in video systems or pay television H04N7/16 ; Digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/554 involving event detection and direct action
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/577 Assessing vulnerabilities and evaluating computer system security
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2101 Auditing as a secondary aspect
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2119 Authenticating web pages, e.g. with suspicious links
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19682 Graphic User Interface [GUI] presenting system data to the user, e.g. information on a screen helping a user interacting with an alarm system
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/14 Central alarm receiver or annunciator arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1016 IP multimedia subsystem [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/611 for multicast or broadcast systems for broadcast or conference H04L12/18; arrangements for broadcast or distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/00; arrangements for broadcast applications with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time H04H60/00; selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS], H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/131 Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4131 home appliance, e.g. lighting, air conditioning system, metering devices home automation data switching networks exchanging configuration information on appliance services H04L12/2807
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42202 environmental sensors, e.g. for detecting temperature, luminosity, pressure, earthquakes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42203 sound input device, e.g. microphone
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4882 for displaying messages, e.g. warnings, reminders arrangements for providing short real-time information to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1895

Abstract

A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, an avatar engine having a controller to retrieve a profile of a user, present the user an avatar having characteristics that correlate to the profile, detect one or more responses of the user during a communication exchange between the avatar and the user, identify a request of the user to apply a security protocol to a task identified in the request, retrieve the security protocol, engage in the task according to the security protocol, detect while engaged in the task a breach in the security protocol, identify a communication device of the user to engage in a communication session with the user, establish a communication session with the communication device, and present by way of the communication device the avatar describing the security breach. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. An avatar engine, comprising a controller to:

retrieve a profile of a user;

present the user an avatar having characteristics that correlate to the profile;

detect one or more responses of the user during a communication exchange between the avatar and the user;

identify a request of the user to apply a security protocol to a task identified in the request;

retrieve the security protocol;

engage in the task according to the security protocol;

detect while engaged in the task a breach in the security protocol;

identify a communication device of the user to engage in a communication session with the user;

establish a communication session with the communication device; and

present by way of the communication device the avatar describing the security breach.

2. The avatar engine of claim 1, wherein the controller is adapted to identify the communication device from presence information associated with the user.

3. The avatar engine of claim 1, wherein the task corresponds to one of securing a home or business establishment of the user, and monitoring a child under the care of the user.

4. The avatar engine of claim 1, comprising a plurality of web cameras coupled to the avatar engine, wherein the web cameras are located in a plurality of locations of a home or business establishment of the user, wherein the controller is adapted to:

retrieve image information or audio information from the plurality of web cameras; and

detect the security breach from an analysis of the image information or audio information of at least one of the plurality of web cameras.

5. The avatar engine of claim 1, comprising at least one of infrared motion sensors, ultrasonic sensors for detecting shattered glass, and magnetic sensors for detecting an opening of a window or door located in a plurality of locations of a home or business establishment of the user, each communicatively coupled to the avatar engine, wherein the controller is adapted to detect the security breach from a trigger signal received from at least one of said sensors.

6. The avatar engine of claim 1, wherein the security breach comprises one of a detection of an intruder at a home or business establishment of the user, a detection of a break and entry event at the home or business establishment of the user, a child under the care of the user requesting assistance, the child engaged in a forbidden activity, and the child leaving the home of the user.

7. The avatar engine of claim 1, wherein the security protocol corresponds to one of a first protocol for securing a home or business establishment of the user, and a second protocol for monitoring a child under the care of the user.

8. The avatar engine of claim 1, wherein the controller is adapted to present by way of on one or more presentation devices of the user at least one of a visual or audible presentation of the avatar to mitigate the security breach.

9. The avatar engine of claim 8, wherein the controller is adapted to present an audible message to one of a detected intruder or a child under the care of the user being monitored.

10. The avatar engine of claim 1, wherein the controller is adapted to:

establish another communication session with a security center; and

notify the security center of the security breach.

11. The avatar engine of claim 10, wherein the controller is adapted to present the avatar to the security center to describe the security breach.

12. The avatar engine of claim 1, wherein the avatar engine operates in one of a network element of a communication system, and a communication device of the user.

13. The avatar engine of claim 12, wherein the communication system comprises one of an Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) communication system, an interactive cable TV communication system, and an interactive satellite TV communication system.

14. The avatar engine of claim 12, wherein the communication device comprises one of a set-top box, a mobile phone, a fixed-line phone, and a computer.

15. A computer-readable storage medium, comprising computer instructions for:

presenting a user an avatar having characteristics that correlate to a profile of the user;

identifying a request to apply a security protocol to a task from a communication exchange between the user and the avatar;

engaging in the task according to the security protocol;

detecting a breach in the security protocol while engaged in the task; and

notifying the user of the security breach by way of the avatar.

16. The storage medium of claim 15, comprising computer instructions for:

retrieving presence information associated with the user;

identifying a communication device of the user from presence information;

establishing a communication session with the communication device; and

presenting the user the avatar by way of the communication device.

17. The storage medium of claim 15, wherein the task corresponds to one of securing a home or business establishment of the user, and monitoring a person.

18. The storage medium of claim 15, comprising computer instructions for:

retrieving image information or audio information from a plurality of web cameras located in a home or business establishment of the user; and

detecting the security breach from an analysis of the image information or audio information retrieved from at least one of the plurality of web cameras.

19. The storage medium of claim 15, comprising computer instructions for detecting the security breach from a trigger signal received from at least one of a plurality of motion sensors located in a home or business establishment of the user.

20. The storage medium of claim 15, comprising computer instructions for presenting an audible message to one of a detected intruder or a person being monitored.

21. The storage medium of claim 15, comprising computer instructions for:

establishing a communication session with a security center; and

presenting by way of the security center the avatar to notify personnel of said security center of the security breach.

22. In an avatar engine, a method, comprising engaging in a task according to a security protocol responsive to detecting a request to engage in the task from a communication exchange between a user and an avatar.

23. The method of claim 22, comprising generating the avatar by way of an avatar engine, wherein the avatar is correlated to a profile of the user.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the task corresponds to one of securing a home or business establishment of the user, and monitoring a person, and wherein the security protocol corresponds to one of a first protocol for securing the home or business establishment of the user, and a second protocol for monitoring the person, and wherein the avatar engine operates in one of a network element of a communication system, and a communication device of the user, wherein the communication device comprises one of a set-top box, a mobile phone, a fixed-line phone, and a computer, and wherein the communication system comprises one of an Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) communication system, an interactive cable TV communication system, and an interactive satellite TV communication system.

25. The method of claim 22, comprising:

detecting an activity that breaches the security protocol;

notifying the user or a third party entity of the security breach by way of the avatar;

receiving an instruction from the user or the third party entity that overrides or supplements the security protocol; and

executing the instruction.