SECURITY APPARATUS AND METHOD

• US 20130057405A1
• Filed: 09/01/2011
• Published: 03/07/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ecolink Intelligent Technology Inc. (Universal Electronics, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Ecolink Intelligent Technology Inc. (Universal Electronics, Inc.)
• Inventors: Seelman, George, Bailey, Michael, Stone, Jay, Lamb, Michael, Chang, Stephen
• Granted Patent: US 9,142,108 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/545.2
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/08 by opening, e.g. of door, of window, of drawer, of shutter, of curtain, of blind
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 29/185 Signal analysis techniques for reducing or preventing false alarms or for enhancing the reliability of the system

Abstract

A security method and apparatus is disclosed. In one embodiment, a security method comprises storing one or more data points representing an alarm condition in a memory, generating an electronic signal from a motion sensor in response to movement of the door or window, comparing the electronic signal to the data points, and detecting an alarm condition of the door or window if the electronic signal substantially matches the data points.

Claims

1. A method for providing an alarm for a door or a window by a security apparatus, comprising:

storing one or more data points representing an alarm condition in a memory;

generating an electronic signal from a motion sensor in response to movement of the door or window;

comparing the electronic signal to the data points; and

detecting an alarm condition of the door or window if the electronic signal substantially matches the data points.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the alarm condition comprises movement of the door or window.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the alarm condition comprises further opening of the door or window from an initial, open position.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the alarm condition comprises movement of the door or window in a predetermined direction, the method further comprising:

determining a direction of movement of the door or window;

comparing the direction of movement to the predetermined direction; and

determining the alarm condition if the direction of movement matches the predetermined direction.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more data points comprises a waveform, and detecting the alarm condition comprises:

comparing the electronic signal to the waveform; and

determining that the alarm condition has occurred if the electronic signal substantially matches the waveform.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining whether a false alarm has been detected, comprising:

storing one or more false alarm data points in the memory representing the false alarm;

comparing the electronic signal to the false alarm data points; and

determining that the alarm condition has not occurred if the electronic signal substantially matches the false alarm data points.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the data points comprise a first threshold and a second threshold, the first threshold related to a level and the second threshold related to a time period, and detecting an alarm condition of the door or window comprises:

comparing the electronic signal to the first and second thresholds; and

determining that the alarm condition has occurred if the electronic signal exceeds the first threshold for a time period exceeding the second threshold.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a signal to disable the security apparatus while a movable portion of the door or window is moved; and

re-enabling the security apparatus after the movable portion of the door or window has been moved.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the alert condition comprises the door or window exceeding a maximum permissible door or window opening, the method further comprising:

storing a predetermined position indicative of the maximum permissible door or window opening in the memory;

determining a position of the door or window;

comparing a position of the door or window to the position stored in the memory; and

determining that the alert condition has occurred if the calculated position of the door or window exceeds the maximum permissible door or window opening.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the electronic signal comprises an acceleration signal, and determining the position of the door or window comprises:

determining a duration of the acceleration signal; and

calculating a door or window position based on an amplitude of the acceleration signal over a duration of the acceleration signal.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the door or window is in a closed position; and

resetting a calculated door or window position to a base value in response to determining that the door or window is in a closed position.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein determining that the door or window is in a closed position comprises:

determining movement of a movable portion of the door or window;

determining that the movable portion of the door or window is moving in a predetermined direction;

comparing the electronic signal to data points representing a door or window closure; and

determining that the movable portion of the door or window is in a the closed position if the electronic signal substantially matches the data points and the movable portion has traveled in the predetermined direction.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the motion sensor comprises an accelerometer and a gyroscope.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the electronic signal comprises an angular velocity relating to the door or window, the method further comprising:

generating an initial motion signal by the accelerometer and providing it to the gyroscope; and

receiving the initial motion signal and, in response, determining the angular velocity by the gyroscope.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the electronic signal comprises a door or window position, the method further comprising:

generating an initial motion signal by the accelerometer and providing it to the gyroscope;

receiving the initial motion signal and, in response, determining an angular velocity of the door or window by the gyroscope; and

determining the door or window position using the angular velocity.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein storing one or more data points representing an alarm condition in a memory comprises:

entering a data point learn mode;

generating an electronic signal by the motion sensor as the door or window is moved;

storing a representation of the electronic signal in the memory while in the learning mode; and

exiting the learning mode.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing one or more data points representing a door or window shut event;

comparing the electronic signal to the one or more window or door shut data points;

detecting a door or window shut event if the electronic signal substantially matches the one or more window or door shut data points; and

resetting a calculated door or window position to a base value in response to determining the door or window shut event;

wherein subsequent window position calculations are based relative to the closed position.

18. A method for providing an alarm for a door or a window by a security apparatus, comprising:

entering a learning mode;

determining that a window or door has been placed into a user-selected maximum allowed position while in the learning mode;

storing the user-selected maximum allowed position in the memory while in the learning mode;

exiting the learning mode;

determining a current position of the door or window; and

detecting an alarm condition if the current position of the door or window exceeds the user-selected maximum allowed position stored in the memory.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

determining that the door or window is in a closed position; and

resetting a calculated door or window position to a base value in response to determining that the door or window is in a closed position;

wherein subsequent window position calculations are based relative to the closed position.

20. An apparatus for providing an alarm for a door or a window, comprising:

a memory for storing a set of processor-executable instructions and data points representing an alarm condition;

a motion sensor for detecting movement of the door or window and for generating an electronic signal representative of the door or window movement; and

a processor for executing the set of processor-executable instructions, comprising instructions for;

comparing the electronic signal to the data points; and

detecting an alarm condition of the door or window if the electronic signal substantially matches the data points.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the alarm condition comprises movement of the door or window.

22. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the alarm condition comprises further opening of the door or window from an initial, open position.

23. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the alarm condition comprises movement of the door or window in a predetermined direction, and the processor-executable instructions further instruct the processor to:

determine a direction of movement of the door or window;

compare the direction of movement to the predetermined direction; and

determine the alarm condition if the direction of movement matches the predetermined direction.

24. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the one or more data points comprises a waveform, and the processor-executable instructions further instruct the processor to:

compare the electronic signal to the waveform; and

determine that the alarm condition has occurred if the electronic signal substantially matches the waveform.

25. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the processor-executable instructions further instruct the processor to determine whether a false alarm has been detected, comprising instructions for the processor to:

store one or more false alarm data points in the memory representing the false alarm;

compare the electronic signal to the false alarm data points; and

determine that the alarm condition has not occurred if the electronic signal substantially matches the false alarm data points.

26. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the data points comprise a first threshold and a second threshold, the first threshold related to a level and the second threshold related to a time period, and the processor-executable instructions further instruct the processor to detect an alarm condition of the door or window by:

comparing the electronic signal to the first and second thresholds; and

determining that the alarm condition has occurred if the electronic signal exceeds the first threshold for a time period exceeding the second threshold.

27. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the processor-executable instructions further instruct the processor to:

receive a signal to disable the security apparatus while a movable portion of the door or window is moved; and

re-enable the security apparatus after the movable portion of the door or window has been moved.

28. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the alert condition comprises the door or window exceeding a maximum permissible door or window opening, and the processor-executable instructions further instruct the processor to:

store a predetermined position indicative of the maximum permissible door or window opening in the memory;

determine a position of the door or window;

compare a position of the door or window to the position stored in the memory; and

determine that the alert condition has occurred if the calculated position of the door or window exceeds the maximum permissible door or window opening.

29. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the electronic signal comprises an acceleration signal, and the processor-executable instructions further instruct the processor to determining the position of the door or window by:

determining a duration of the acceleration signal; and

calculating a door or window position based on an amplitude of the acceleration signal over a duration of the acceleration signal.

30. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the processor-executable instructions further instruct the processor to:

determine that the door or window is in a closed position; and

reset a calculated door or window position to a base value in response to determining that the door or window is in a closed position.

31. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein the processor-executable instructions further instruct the processor to determine that the door or window is in a closed position by:

determining movement of a movable portion of the door or window;

determining that the movable portion of the door or window is moving in a predetermined direction;

comparing the electronic signal to data points representing a door or window closure; and

determining that the movable portion of the door or window is in a the closed position if the electronic signal substantially matches the data points and the movable portion has traveled in the predetermined direction.

32. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the motion sensor comprises an accelerometer and a gyroscope.

33. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the electronic signal comprises an angular velocity relating to the door or window, and the processor-executable instructions further instruct the processor to:

generate an initial motion signal by the accelerometer and providing it to the gyroscope; and

receive the initial motion signal and, in response, determining the angular velocity by the gyroscope.

34. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the electronic signal comprises a door or window position, and the processor-executable instructions further instruct the processor to:

generate an initial motion signal by the accelerometer and providing it to the gyroscope;

receive the initial motion signal and, in response, determining an angular velocity of the door or window by the gyroscope; and

determine the door or window position using the angular velocity.

35. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the processor-executable instructions further instruct the processor to store one or more data points representing an alarm condition in a memory by:

entering a data point learn mode;

generating an electronic signal by the motion sensor as the door or window is moved;

storing a representation of the electronic signal in the memory while in the learning mode; and

exiting the learning mode.

36. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the memory is further for storing one or more data points representing a door or window shut event and the processor-executable instructions further instruct the processor to:

compare the electronic signal to the one or more window or door shut data points;

detect a door or window shut event if the electronic signal substantially matches the one or more window or door shut data points; and

reset a calculated door or window position to a base value in response to determining the door or window shut event;

wherein subsequent window position calculations are based relative to the closed position.

37. An apparatus for providing an alarm for a door or a window by a security apparatus, comprising:

a user interface for receiving an indication from a user of the security apparatus to enter a learning mode and to exit the learning mode;

a memory for storing a set of processor-executable instructions and a user-selected maximum allowed door or window position;

a motion sensor for detecting movement of the door or window and for generating an electronic signal representative of the door or window movement; and

a processor for executing the set of processor-executable instructions, comprising instructions for;

determining that a window or door has been placed into a user-selected maximum allowed position while in the learning mode based on the electronic signal;

storing the user-selected maximum allowed position in the memory while in the learning mode;

exiting the learning mode;

determining a current position of the door or window based on the electronic signal; and

detecting an alarm condition if the current position of the door or window exceeds the user-selected maximum allowed position stored in the memory.

38. The apparatus of claim 37, wherein the processor-executable instructions further instruct the processor to:

determine that the door or window is in a closed position; and

reset a calculated door or window position to a base value in response to determining that the door or window is in a closed position;

wherein subsequent window position calculations are based relative to the closed position.