DEVICES, METHODS, AND ASSOCIATED INFORMATION PROCESSING FOR SECURITY IN A SMART-SENSORED HOME

• US 20140266669A1
• Filed: 03/14/2013
• Published: 09/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Nest Labs Incorporated (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Fadell, Anthony M., Rogers, Matthew L., Matsuoka, Yoky, Sloo, David, Veron, Maxime, Honjo, Shigefumi
• Granted Patent: US 9,208,676 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/501
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 1/00 Compositions of cellulose, modified cellulose or cellulose derivatives
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/042 using digital processors G05B19/05 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2642 Domotique, domestic, home control, automation, smart house
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 5/04 Inference or reasoning models
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 15/002 with occupancy simulation
• 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 27/003 Signalling to neighbouring houses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2825 Reporting to a device located outside the home and the home network access arrangements H04L12/2856; for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with telemetering systems H04M11/002
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/115 by determining the presence or movement of objects or living beings
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/175 by remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/19 via wireless transmission
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

This patent specification relates to apparatus, systems, methods, and related computer program products for providing home security objectives. More particularly, this patent specification relates to a plurality of devices, including intelligent, multi-sensing, network-connected devices, that communicate with each other and/or with a central server or a cloud-computing system to provide any of a variety of useful home security objectives.

Claims

1. A method of calculating and reporting a security score for a home, comprising:

obtaining, by a server, one or more security criterions for assessing security of the home;

obtaining, by the server, security data from the home, the security data comprises a plurality of conditions that were sensed by one or more home devices in the home;

comparing, by the server, the security data obtained from the home devices to the security criterions to determine which of the security criterions are satisfied;

calculating, by the server, the security score for the home based in part on which of the security criterions are satisfied;

generating, by the server, a security log that lists the security criterions and corresponding indications of whether the respective criterions are satisfied; and

outputting, by the server, the security score and the security log.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein outputting the security score and the security log comprises:

providing a description of the security criterions to enhance the usefulness of the security log in making the home more secure.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the corresponding indications of whether the respective criterions are satisfied are binary indicators.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the corresponding indications of whether the respective criterions are satisfied are values indicative of a degree of compliance.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the security criterions include at least one of a proper-sensor-location criterion, a low-sensor-battery criterion, a low-sensor-WiFi-signal criterion, a door-open criterion, a door-closed criterion, a door-locked criterion, a window-open criterion, and a window-locked criterion.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the sensors include at least one of a carbon monoxide sensor, a smoke sensor, and a pressure sensor.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the security score is based on a scale of 0 to 100.

8. A method of creating and using a neighborhood security network to detect security-related conditions and to distribute notifications thereof, comprising:

obtaining, at a server, geographic location information from one or more home devices of one or more residential homes;

grouping, at the server, some of the one or more residential homes into the neighborhood security network based at least in part on the geographic location information;

monitoring, at the server, security-related information received from the home devices of the residential homes in the neighborhood security network to detect a security-related condition in one of the residential homes; and

responsive to detecting the security-related condition in the one of the residential homes, distributing, by the server, a security notification to the home devices of residential homes in the neighborhood security network.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

responsive to detecting the security-related condition in the one of the residential homes, adjusting, by the server, one or more alarm conditions for the residential homes in the neighborhood security network.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the alarm conditions are adjusted to increase sensitivity for detecting conditions related to the security notification.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

sending an opt-in message to the residential homes giving an option of opting into the neighborhood security network.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the home devices are selected from a group consisting of a hazard detector, a thermostat, a wall plug, a light switch, and a doorbell.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the home devices include at least one of a carbon monoxide sensor, a smoke sensor, a motion sensor, a temperature sensor, a light sensor, a sound sensor.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the security notification causes the home devices to perform one or more security responses.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the security responses are selected from a group consisting of locking doors, locking windows, broadcasting an audible alarm, increasing sensitivity, an turning on lights.

16. A method of pre-alarm condition trend detection and notification, comprising:

establishing, at a device, an alarm condition based at least in part on a predetermined amount of a substance in an environment;

establishing, at the device, a pre-alarm condition based at least in part on a predetermined trend in the amount of the substance in the environment;

receiving, at the device, signals from one or more sensors, the signals indicative of the amount of the substance in the environment;

analyzing, at the device, the signals to detect at least one of the alarm condition and the pre-alarm condition; and

responsive to detecting the pre-alarm condition but not the alarm condition, providing a notification of the pre-alarm condition.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the predetermined trend is at least a twenty-percent increase in the amount of the substance over at least a two-week period.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

triggering an alarm in the event the alarm condition is detected, regardless of whether the pre-alarm condition is detected.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the notification of the pre-alarm condition is an electronic message sent to at least one of a home owner, a home occupant, a repair contractor, and a public safety agency.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the substance in the environment is one of carbon monoxide, heat, and smoke.