DIGITAL FINGERPRINT TRACKING

• US 20160189510A1
• Filed: 12/30/2015
• Published: 06/30/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alarm.com Inc. (Alarm.com Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Alarm.com Inc. (Alarm.com Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hutz, David James
• Granted Patent: US 9,536,410 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/00 Burglar, theft or intruder alarms
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19697 Arrangements wherein non-video detectors generate an alarm themselves
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 15/00 Identifying, scaring or incapacitating burglars, thieves or intruders, e.g. by explosives
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/02 Alarms for ensuring the safety of persons
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0205 Specific application combined with child monitoring using a transmitter-receiver system
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0225 Monitoring making use of different thresholds, e.g. for different alarm levels
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0277 Communication between units on a local network, e.g. Bluetooth, piconet, zigbee, Wireless Personal Area Networks [WPAN]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/6418 Hybrid transport

Abstract

Techniques are described for tracking intruders of a monitored property by the unique identifying characteristics or “digital fingerprints” of electronic devices carried by the intruders. A system detects an alarm event at a monitored property based on output from at least one sensor located at the monitored property. In response to detecting the alarm event at the monitored property, the system initiates a process to gather electronic identifiers for mobile electronic devices located within the monitored property at a time corresponding to the detected alarm event. The system determines electronic identifiers for the mobile electronic devices located within the monitored property at a time corresponding to the detected alarm event. The system stores in electronic storage, information indicating the determined electronic identifiers for the mobile electronic devices located within the monitored property at a time corresponding to the detected alarm event.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

detecting an alarm event at a monitored property based on output from at least one sensor located at the monitored property;

in response to detecting the alarm event at the monitored property, initiating a process to gather electronic identifiers for mobile electronic devices located within the monitored property at a time corresponding to the detected alarm event;

based on the process to gather electronic identifiers for mobile electronic devices located within the monitored property at a time of the detected alarm event, determining electronic identifiers for the mobile electronic devices located within the monitored property at a time corresponding to the detected alarm event; and

storing, in electronic storage, information indicating the determined electronic identifiers for the mobile electronic devices located within the monitored property at a time corresponding to the detected alarm event.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining electronic identifiers for the mobile electronic devices located within the monitored property at a time corresponding to the detected alarm event comprises:

transmitting, by a device detector located at the monitored property and through a wireless communication protocol, a request for responses from mobile electronic devices at the monitored property, wherein each response includes the electronic identifier for the mobile electronic device that received the request.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining electronic identifiers for the mobile electronic devices located within the monitored property at a time corresponding to the detected alarm event comprises:

accessing stored information indicating electronic identifiers for mobile electronic devices detected within the monitored property before the alarm event was detected.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic identifiers include media access control (MAC) addresses.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting an alarm event at a monitored property based on output from at least one sensor located at the monitored property comprises:

detecting a security breach at the monitored property based on output from a door sensor that indicates a door is opened when a security system is armed.

6. The method of claim 1, comprising:

determining, from among multiple types of alarm events, a type of the detected alarm event;

based on the determined type of the detected alarm event, selecting, from among multiple electronic device detection procedures, an electronic device detection procedure appropriate for the determined type of the detected alarm event; and

executing the selected electronic device detection procedure.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the type of the detected alarm event comprises a fire event and the electronic device detection procedures includes determining known mobile electronic devices within the monitored property and providing an alert that indicates the known mobile electronic devices determined to be within the monitored property.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the type of the detected alarm event comprises a security breach event and the electronic device detection procedures includes determining unknown mobile electronic devices within the monitored property and providing an alert that indicates the unknown mobile electronic devices determined to be within the monitored property.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the process to gather electronic identifiers for mobile electronic devices located within the monitored property at a time corresponding to the detected alarm event comprises:

determining a location, within the monitored property, that is associated with the alarm event;

identifying a device detector located closest or within a threshold distance of the location that is associated with the alarm event;

triggering the identified device detector to transmit a request for responses from mobile electronic devices at the monitored property;

receiving the responses from the mobile electronic devices at the monitored property; and

extracting, from each response, an electronic identifier for the mobile electronic device that provided the response.

10. The method of claim 1, comprising:

evaluating the determined electronic identifiers for the mobile electronic devices located within the monitored property at a time corresponding to the detected alarm event against one or more rules;

based on the evaluation, determining an alarm response for the alarm event that is appropriate for the mobile electronic devices located within the monitored property at a time corresponding to the detected alarm event; and

handling the detected alarm event based on the determined alarm response for the alarm event that is appropriate for the mobile electronic devices located within the monitored property at a time corresponding to the detected alarm event.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein determining an alarm response for the alarm event that is appropriate for the mobile electronic devices located within the monitored property at a time corresponding to the detected alarm event comprises:

in response to determining the mobile electronic devices include an unknown mobile electronic device, determining an alarm response corresponding to detection of an unknown mobile electronic device.

12. The method of claim 1, comprising:

determining that an electronic identifier received corresponds to an electronic identifier of a mobile electronic device known for the monitored property;

identifying a user associated with the mobile electronic device known for the monitored property;

identifying an alarm response corresponding to the user associated with the mobile electronic device known for the monitored property; and

triggering the identified alarm response corresponding to the user associated with the mobile electronic device known for the monitored property.

13. A system comprising:

one or more computers; and

one or more storage devices storing instructions that are operable, when executed by the one or more computers, to cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising;

detecting an alarm event at a monitored property based on output from at least one sensor located at the monitored property;

in response to detecting the alarm event at the monitored property, initiating a process to gather electronic identifiers for mobile electronic devices located within the monitored property at a time corresponding to the detected alarm event;

based on the process to gather electronic identifiers for mobile electronic devices located within the monitored property at a time of the detected alarm event, determining electronic identifiers for the mobile electronic devices located within the monitored property at a time corresponding to the detected alarm event; and

storing, in electronic storage, information indicating the determined electronic identifiers for the mobile electronic devices located within the monitored property at a time corresponding to the detected alarm event.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein determining electronic identifiers for the mobile electronic devices located within the monitored property at a time corresponding to the detected alarm event comprises:

transmitting, by a device detector located at the monitored property and through a wireless communication protocol, a request for responses from mobile electronic devices at the monitored property, wherein each response includes the electronic identifier for the mobile electronic device that received the request.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein determining electronic identifiers for the mobile electronic devices located within the monitored property at a time corresponding to the detected alarm event comprises:

accessing stored information indicating electronic identifiers for mobile electronic devices detected within the monitored property before the alarm event was detected.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the electronic identifiers include media access control (MAC) addresses.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein detecting an alarm event at a monitored property based on output from at least one sensor located at the monitored property comprises:

detecting a security breach at the monitored property based on output from a door sensor that indicates a door is opened when a security system is armed.

18. A computer-implemented method comprising:

monitoring, over time, mobile electronic device identifiers present within the monitored property;

monitoring, over time, system data for the monitored property;

determining a mobile electronic device profile for the monitored property based on the monitored mobile electronic device identifiers and the monitored system data; and

taking action based on the determined mobile electronic device profile.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the monitored system data comprises one or more of system status data or sensor data.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein taking action based on the determined mobile electronic device profile comprises identifying mobile electronic device identifiers for mobile electronic devices frequently detected within the monitored property and providing an alert when a mobile electronic device identifier not identified as for a mobile electronic devices frequently detected within the monitored property is detected within the monitored property.