SECURITY SCORING IN A SMART-SENSORED HOME

• US 20150061859A1
• Filed: 09/17/2014
• Published: 03/05/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Matsuoka, Yoky, Sloo, David, Veron, Maxime, Honjo, Shigefumi, Guenette, Isabel, Malhotra, Mark Rajan
• Granted Patent: US 10,332,059 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/501
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/083 Shipping
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 15/002 with occupancy simulation
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 19/005 combined burglary and fire alarm systems
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/002 Generating a prealarm to the central station
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/008 Alarm setting and unsetting, i.e. arming or disarming of the security system
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 27/00 Alarm systems in which the alarm condition is signalled from a central station to a plurality of substations
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 27/003 Signalling to neighbouring houses
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 29/185 Signal analysis techniques for reducing or preventing false alarms or for enhancing the reliability of the system

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 comprising:

receiving, at a computing system, home data from a plurality of network-connected smart devices of a smart-home environment;

processing, with the computing system, the home data received from the plurality of network-connected smart devices of the smart-home environment; and

generating, with the computing system, a security score based on the processed home data, wherein the processed home data comprises at least one of;

capability data indicative of at least one capability of at least one network-connected smart device of the plurality of network-connected smart devices;

opportunity data indicative of at least one opportunity afforded to at least one network-connected smart device of the plurality of network-connected smart devices by at least one influencer of the smart-home environment; and

environmental data indicative of at least one behavioral characteristic of the smart-home environment.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the processed home data comprises capability data indicative of at least one capability of at least one network-connected smart device of the plurality of network-connected smart devices; and

the capability data comprises at least one of;

device capability data indicative of at least one capability of a particular network-connected smart device of the plurality of network-connected smart devices; and

network capability data indicative of at least one capability of a network of at least two network-connected smart devices of the plurality of network-connected smart devices.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the at least one capability is independent of any influencers of the smart-home environment.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the security score comprises a suggestion to update at least a portion of the at least one network-connected smart device.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein:

the capability data comprises device capability data indicative of at least one capability of a particular network-connected smart device of the plurality of network-connected smart devices; and

the at least one capability of the particular network-connected smart device comprises at least one of;

a capability of a battery of the particular network-connected smart device;

a capability of a communication component of the particular network-connected smart device;

a capability of a security component of the particular network-connected smart device;

a capability of a sensing component of the particular network-connected smart device;

a capability of a processing component of the particular network-connected smart device; and

a capability of an output component of the particular network-connected smart device.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein:

the capability data comprises network capability data indicative of at least one capability of a network of at least two network-connected smart devices of the plurality of network-connected smart devices; and

the at least one capability of the network comprises at least one of;

a shared communication capability of the at least two network-connected smart devices; and

a combined sensing capability of the at least two network-connected smart devices.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the processed home data comprises opportunity data indicative of at least one opportunity afforded to at least one network-connected smart device of the plurality of network-connected smart devices by at least one influencer of the smart-home environment; and

the opportunity data comprises at least one of;

device opportunity data indicative of at least one opportunity afforded to a particular network-connected smart device of the plurality of network-connected smart devices by the at least one influencer of the smart-home environment; and

network opportunity data indicative of at least one opportunity afforded to a network of at least two network-connected smart devices of the plurality of network-connected smart devices by the at least one influencer of the smart-home environment.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein:

the opportunity data comprises device opportunity data indicative of at least one opportunity afforded to a particular network-connected smart device of the plurality of network-connected smart devices by the at least one influencer of the smart-home environment; and

the at least one opportunity afforded to the particular network-connected smart device by the at least one influencer of the smart-home environment comprises at least one of;

a power source of the smart-home environment provided for the particular network-connected smart device;

each currently enabled communication protocol of the particular network-connected smart device;

each currently enabled security feature of the particular network-connected smart device;

each currently enabled sensing feature of the particular network-connected smart device;

each currently enabled processing feature of the particular network-connected smart device; and

each currently enabled output feature of the particular network-connected smart device.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein:

the opportunity data comprises device opportunity data indicative of at least one opportunity afforded to a particular network-connected smart device of the plurality of network-connected smart devices by the at least one influencer of the smart-home environment; and

the at least one opportunity afforded to the particular network-connected smart device by the at least one influencer of the smart-home environment comprises a position of the particular network-connected smart device with respect to the smart-home environment.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein:

the opportunity data comprises device opportunity data indicative of at least one opportunity afforded to a particular network-connected smart device of the plurality of network-connected smart devices by the at least one influencer of the smart-home environment; and

the at least one opportunity afforded to the particular network-connected smart device by the at least one influencer of the smart-home environment comprises a position of the particular network-connected smart device with respect to the at least one influencer of the smart-home environment that has an undesirable effect on a sensing functionality of the particular network-connected smart device.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the at least one influencer comprises one of:

a vent;

a fireplace;

a window; and

an animal.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein:

the opportunity data comprises device opportunity data indicative of at least one opportunity afforded to a particular network-connected smart device of the plurality of network-connected smart devices by the at least one influencer of the smart-home environment; and

the at least one opportunity afforded to the particular network-connected smart device by the at least one influencer of the smart-home environment comprises exposure of the particular network-connected smart device to the at least one influencer of the smart-home environment that has an undesirable effect on a security feature of the particular network-connected smart device.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the at least one influencer comprises one of:

a large number of authentication codes activated for the particular network-connected smart device;

a weak authentication code activated for the particular network-connected smart device;

an amount of contact information associated with at least one occupant of the smart-home environment associated with the particular network-connected smart device; and

an amount of time for an occupant to respond to an alarm of the particular network-connected smart device.

14. The method of claim 7, wherein:

the opportunity data comprises network opportunity data indicative of at least one opportunity afforded to a network of at least two network-connected smart devices of the plurality of network-connected smart devices by the at least one influencer of the smart-home environment; and

the at least one opportunity afforded to the network by the at least one influencer of the smart-home environment comprises at least one of;

each currently enabled communication protocol of the network;

each currently enabled security feature of the network;

each currently enabled sensing feature of the network;

each currently enabled processing feature of the network; and

each currently enabled output feature of the network.

15. The method of claim 7, wherein:

the opportunity data comprises network opportunity data indicative of at least one opportunity afforded to a network of at least two network-connected smart devices of the plurality of network-connected smart devices by the at least one influencer of the smart-home environment; and

the at least one opportunity afforded to the network by the at least one influencer of the smart-home environment comprises a position of the network with respect to the at least one influencer of the smart-home environment that has an undesirable effect on a communication functionality of the network.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the environmental data comprises micro-environmental data indicative of at least one behavioral characteristic of the smart-home environment; and

the at least one behavioral characteristic comprises at least one of;

exposure of an environmental object with respect to public view;

security of a dangerous environmental object; and

security feature of an ingress of the smart-home environment.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the environmental data comprises micro-environmental data indicative of at least one behavioral characteristic of the smart-home environment; and

the at least one behavioral characteristic comprises at least one of;

a tendency of an occupant of the smart-home environment;

a food preparation within the smart-home environment; and

a smoking activity within the smart-home environment.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the environmental data comprises macro-environmental data indicative of at least one behavioral characteristic of a macro-environment related to the smart-home environment; and

the at least one behavioral characteristic comprises at least one of;

accessibility to the smart-home environment by an entity of the macro-environment;

current ambient environmental conditions of the macro-environment;

crime rate of the macro-environment; and

the number of other smart-home environments within the macro-environment.

19. A system for protecting a home environment, the system comprising:

a plurality of network-connected smart devices at the home environment; and

a computing system that;

receives home data from the plurality of network-connected smart devices;

processes the home data received from the plurality of network-connected smart devices; and

generates a security score based on the processed home data, wherein the processed home data comprises at least one of;

capability data indicative of at least one capability of at least one network-connected smart device of the plurality of network-connected smart devices;

opportunity data indicative of at least one opportunity afforded to at least one network-connected smart device of the plurality of network-connected smart devices by at least one influencer of the home environment; and

environmental data indicative of at least one behavioral characteristic of the home environment.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising computer-readable instructions recorded thereon for:

receiving, at a computing system, home data from a plurality of network-connected smart devices of a smart-home environment;

processing, with the computing system, the home data received from the plurality of network-connected smart devices of the smart-home environment; and

generating, with the computing system, a security score based on the processed home data, wherein the processed home data comprises at least one of;

capability data indicative of at least one capability of at least one network-connected smart device of the plurality of network-connected smart devices;

opportunity data indicative of at least one opportunity afforded to at least one network-connected smart device of the plurality of network-connected smart devices by at least one influencer of the smart-home environment; and

environmental data indicative of at least one behavioral characteristic of the smart-home environment.