SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR REDUCING FALSE ALARMS USING THE GPS LOCATION OF A MOBILE DEVICE

• US 20170116847A1
• Filed: 10/21/2015
• Published: 04/27/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ademco Inc. (Resideo Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Ferro, Philip J., Kern, James, Landi, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 9,892,627 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/001 Alarm cancelling procedures or alarm forwarding decisions, e.g. based on absence of alarm confirmation
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/14 Central alarm receiver or annunciator arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 29/185 Signal analysis techniques for reducing or preventing false alarms or for enhancing the reliability of the system
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 29/188 Data fusion; cooperative systems, e.g. voting among different detectors

Abstract

Systems and methods for reducing false alarms and providing a central station with information regarding occupants in a monitored region using the GPS location of a mobile device are provided. Some methods can include receiving a first signal indicative of a detected alarm condition in a monitored region, responsive to receiving the first signal, transmitting a second signal to a mobile device, receiving a third signal from a mobile device indicative of a location of the mobile device, and based on a location of the monitored region and the third signal indicative of the location of the mobile device, determining a likelihood of whether the detected alarm condition is real or false. Additionally or alternatively, some methods can include receiving a signal from a mobile device indicative of a location of the mobile device at predetermined periodic time intervals and irrespective of any detected alarm condition in the monitored region.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a first signal indicative of a detected alarm condition in a monitored region;

responsive to receiving the first signal, transmitting a second signal to a mobile device;

receiving a third signal from a mobile device indicative of a location of the mobile device; and

based on a location of the monitored region and the third signal indicative of the location of the mobile device, determining a likelihood of whether the detected alarm condition is real or false.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving the first signal includes receiving the first signal from a sensor device in the monitored region or from a control panel device in the monitored region.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein transmitting the second signal includes transmitting the second signal directly to the mobile device or transmitting the second signal to the mobile device via a control panel device in the monitored region.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving the third signal includes receiving the third signal directly from the mobile device or via a control panel device in the monitored region.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising transmitting a fourth signal to a central station device indicative of the detected alarm condition and the location of the mobile device.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the third signal includes a time stamp indicative of a time when the third signal is transmitted.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein determining the likelihood of whether the detected alarm condition is real or false includes comparing the location of the monitored region and the location of the mobile device.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising determining that the detected alarm condition is likely real when the location of the mobile device is greater than a predetermined distance away from the location of the monitored region.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein determining the likelihood of whether the detected alarm condition is real or false includes displaying, on a user interface device, a graphical or textual representation of the location of the monitored region and the location of the mobile device, and receiving, via the user interface device, user input indicative of the likelihood of whether the detected alarm condition is real or false.

10. A method comprising:

receiving a first signal from a mobile device indicative of a location of the mobile device;

receiving a second signal indicative of a detected alarm condition in a monitored region; and

based on a location of the monitored region and the first signal indicative of the location of the mobile device, determining a likelihood of whether the detected alarm condition is real or false.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein receiving the first signal from the mobile device includes receiving the first signal from the mobile device at predetermined periodic time intervals.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein the first signal includes a time stamp indicative of a time when the first signal is transmitted.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein receiving the first signal includes receiving the first signal directly from the mobile device or via a control panel device in the monitored region.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising transmitting a third signal to a central station device indicative of the detected alarm condition and the location of the mobile device.

15. The method of claim 10 wherein receiving the second signal includes receiving the second signal from a sensor device in the monitored region or from a control panel device in the monitored region.

16. The method of claim 10 wherein determining the likelihood of whether the detected alarm condition is real or false includes comparing the location of the monitored region and the location of the mobile device.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising determining that the detected alarm condition is likely real when the location of the mobile device is greater than a predetermined distance away from the location of the monitored region.

18. The method of claim 10 wherein determining the likelihood of whether the detected alarm condition is real or false includes displaying, on a user interface device, a graphical or textual representation of the location of the monitored region and the location of the mobile device, and receiving, via the user interface device, user input indicative of the likelihood of whether the detected alarm condition is real or false.

19. A system comprising:

a central station device monitoring a region; and

at least one mobile device,

wherein, upon receiving a first signal indicative of a detected alarm condition in the region, the central station device identifies a location of the mobile device, and

wherein, based on a location of the region and the location of the mobile device, the central station determines a likelihood of whether the detected alarm condition is real or false.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein the central station receives a second signal from the mobile device, directly or via a control panel device in the region, indicative of the location of the mobile device.