Moving asset location tracking

• US 8,531,294 B2
• Filed: 05/18/2010
• Issued: 09/10/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alarm.com Inc. (Alarm.com Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Alarm.com Inc. (Alarm.com Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Slavin, Alison Jane, Martin, Jean-Paul, Ramos, Daniel
• Primary Examiner(s): Lim, Steven
• Assistant Examiner(s): BURGDORF, STEPHEN R
• Application Number:
  US12/782,668
• Publication Number:
  US 20100289644A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,211 Days
• Field of Search: 3405391-53919, 340/541, 340/568.1, 340571-5729, 340/573.1, 340/573.4, 340/3.1, 340/8.1, 379 37- 39, 455/456.1, 701468-469, 701/519, 701/521
• US Class Current: 340/568.1
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2402 Electronic Article Surveillance [EAS], i.e. systems using tags for detecting removal of a tagged item from a secure area, e.g. tags for detecting shoplifting mechanical aspects of the tags, e.g. related to locking E05B73/0017; RFID readers G06K7/00; RFID tags G06K19/00; access control systems G07C9/00; anti-theft control in point of sale systems G07G3/003; security seals G09F3/03
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2462 Asset location systems combined with EAS inventory, tracking, logistic G06Q10/00; entrance control systems G07C9/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2491 Intrusion detection systems, i.e. where the body of an intruder causes the interference with the electromagnetic field
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/18 Status alarms G08B21/02 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/008 Alarm setting and unsetting, i.e. arming or disarming of the security system
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/14 Central alarm receiver or annunciator arrangements

Abstract

Techniques are described for moving asset location tracking and monitoring system technology. A system monitors for events related to a monitoring system that monitors a fixed property and the system detects an event related to the monitoring system based on the monitoring. The system performs an operation that leverages geographic location tracking of at least one mobile asset associated with the fixed property based on the detected event.

Claims

1. A system for processing sensor data captured for a fixed property defined by a first zone in combination with geographic location tracking data of one or more mobile assets associated with the fixed property, the system comprising:

a monitoring system for the fixed property defined by the first zone that includes one or more sensors that are installed at the fixed property and that is configured to detect alarm events at the fixed property and report detected alarm events to a central monitoring station that dispatches emergency services based on reported alarm events;

mobile devices that are configured to track and report geographic location data for mobile assets associated with the fixed property, the mobile devices including at least a first mobile device of a first user associated with the fixed property and a second mobile device of a second user associated with the fixed property; and

a monitoring application server that is configured to electronically receive, either directly or via a network communications module, data communications based on sensor data captured by the one or more sensors installed at the fixed property and that is configured to receive data communications from the mobile devices that are configured to track and report geographic location data, the monitoring application server being configured to perform operations comprising;

detecting a condition related to providing a reminder to arm the security system based on a time of day and a level of activity within the fixed property measured by the one or more sensors that are installed at the fixed property;

based on detecting the condition related to providing the reminder to arm the security system, determining geographic locations of all users that reside at the fixed property based on geographic location data reported by the mobile devices;

based on the determined geographic locations of all users that reside at the fixed property, determining whether any of the users that reside at the fixed property are within a second zone defining an arming reminder decision zone, the second zone defining the arming reminder decision zone being different from the first zone defining the fixed property;

based on a determination that at least one of the users that reside at the fixed property are within the second zone defining the arming reminder decision zone, determining not to provide a reminder to arm the security system, and

based on a determination that all of the users that reside at the fixed property are outside of the second zone defining the arming reminder decision zone, determining to provide a reminder to arm the security system.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining that the determined geographic location of the second mobile device of the second user corresponds to the fixed property defined by the first zone; and

based on the determination that the determined geographic location of the second mobile device of the second user corresponds to the fixed property, determining a location of the second user within the fixed property based on fixed sensors that are installed at the fixed property, the fixed sensors being stationary relative to the fixed property,

wherein generating the notification of the detected event that combines a description of the detected event with the determined geographic location of the second mobile device of the second user associated with the fixed property comprises generating a notification of the detected event that combines a description of the detected event with the determined location of the second user within the fixed property.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the fixed property defined by the first zone is a private home, the first user and the second user reside in the private home, and the monitoring system is configured to monitor the private home.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the monitoring application server is configured to perform operations comprising:

monitoring for events related to the monitoring system that monitors the fixed property defined by the first zone;

detecting an event at the fixed property defined by the first zone based on the monitoring;

based on the detected event, determining to send a notification of the detected event to the first mobile device of the first user associated with the fixed property;

determining a geographic location of the second mobile device of the second user associated with the fixed property;

generating a notification of the detected event that combines a description of the detected event with the determined geographic location of the second mobile device of the second user associated with the fixed property; and

sending, to the first mobile device of the first user associated with the fixed property, the generated notification that combines the description of the detected event with the determined geographic location of the second mobile device for the second user associated with the fixed property.

5. The system of claim 4:

wherein detecting the event at the fixed property defined by the first zone comprises detecting, based on data from a contact sensor that is included in the monitoring system and that senses whether a door or a window of the fixed property is oriented in an open or closed position, a user leaving the fixed property;

wherein the operations further comprise;

determining an identity of the user associated with the door or the window of the fixed property through which the user exited;

identifying a mobile device assigned to track a mobile asset associated with the determined identity; and

increasing frequency of geographic location tracking for the identified mobile device assigned to track the mobile asset associated with the determined identity.

6. The system of claim 4:

wherein detecting the event at the fixed property defined by the first zone comprises detecting, based on data from a contact sensor that is included in the monitoring system and that senses whether a door or a window of the fixed property is oriented in an open or closed position, a user leaving the fixed property;

wherein the operations further comprise;

determining an identity of the user based on analysis of image data captured by a camera that is included in the monitoring system and that captures images of an area proximate to the door or the window of the fixed property through which the user exited;

identifying a mobile device assigned to track a mobile asset associated with the determined identity; and

increasing frequency of geographic location tracking for the identified mobile device assigned to track the mobile asset associated with the determined identity.

7. The system of claim 4:

wherein detecting the event at the fixed property defined by the first zone comprises detecting activity of a user within the fixed property;

wherein the operations further comprise;

tracking, based on fixed contact and motion sensors that are installed at the fixed property, the detected activity within the fixed property based on the detected activity, the fixed sensors being stationary relative to the fixed property;

combining the tracked activity data within the fixed property with location tracking data collected by a mobile device assigned to track a mobile asset associated with the user;

determining a location-based activity profile for the user using the combined tracked activity data and location tracking data; and

performing an operation that leverages the location-based activity profile for the user.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein determining the location-based activity profile for the user using the combined tracked activity data and location tracking data comprises:

including, in the location-based activity profile, finer scale tracking data collected by the monitoring system when the user is detected as being located at the fixed property and

including, in the location-based activity profile, larger scale tracking data collected by the mobile device assigned to track the mobile asset associated with the user when the user is detected as being away from the fixed property.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein determining the location-based activity profile for the user using the combined tracked activity data and location tracking data comprises:

determining the location-based activity profile for the user using location tracking data collected by each of multiple mobile devices assigned to track multiple mobile assets associated with the user and

including, in the location-based activity profile, an indication of which of the multiple mobile assets associated with the user is tracked.

10. The system of claim 4:

wherein detecting the event at the fixed property defined by the first zone comprises detecting an event that triggers consideration of whether an automatic control operation for the monitoring system should be performed; and

wherein the operations further comprise;

accessing geographic location tracking data for at least one mobile asset associated with the fixed property, the geographic location tracking data being for tracking at least one of the mobile devices;

determining whether to perform the automatic control operation for the monitoring system based on the accessed geographic location tracking data;

in response to a determination to perform the automatic control operation for the monitoring system, causing performance of the automatic control operation for the monitoring system; and

in response to a determination not to perform the automatic control operation for the monitoring system, maintaining a state of the monitoring system without causing performance of the automatic control operation for the monitoring system.

11. The system of claim 10:

wherein detecting the event that triggers consideration of whether the automatic control operation for the monitoring system should be performed comprises detecting an absence of all activity within the fixed property defined by the first zone while the monitoring system is in a disarmed state that triggers consideration of whether the monitoring system should be automatically set to an armed state in which a security alarm is generated in response to detected entry into the fixed property;

wherein determining whether to perform the automatic control operation for the monitoring system based on the accessed geographic location tracking data comprises;

determining whether at least one of multiple users that reside at the fixed property is within a threshold distance of the fixed property based on the accessed geographic location tracking data,

in response to a determination that at least one of the multiple users that reside at the fixed property is within the threshold distance of the fixed property, determining to maintain the monitoring system in the disarmed state, and

in response to a determination that at least one of the multiple users that reside at the fixed property is not within the threshold distance of the fixed property, determining to automatically set the monitoring system to the armed state;

wherein causing performance of the automatic control operation for the monitoring system comprises automatically, without human intervention, setting the monitoring system to the armed state in response to a determination to automatically set the monitoring system to the armed state; and

wherein maintaining a state of the monitoring system without causing performance of the automatic control operation for the monitoring system comprises maintaining the monitoring system in the disarmed state in response to a determination to maintain the monitoring system in the disarmed state.

12. The system of claim 4:

wherein detecting the event at the fixed property defined by the first zone comprises detecting an event at the fixed property related to a notification rule that defines conditions for selecting one or more recipients of the notification;

wherein the operations further comprise;

accessing geographic location tracking data for at least one mobile asset associated with the fixed property, the geographic location tracking data being for tracking at least one of the mobile devices;

determining a geographic location for each of multiple, possible recipients of the notification based on the accessed geographic location tracking data;

analyzing the determined geographic location for each of multiple, possible recipients of the notification with respect to the conditions for selecting one or more recipients of the notification defined by the notification rule; and

selecting a subset of the multiple, possible recipients of the notification based on the analysis.

13. The system of claim 4:

wherein detecting the event at the fixed property defined by the first zone comprises detecting an event at the fixed property related to a notification rule that defines conditions for determining whether or not to send the notification;

wherein the operations further comprise;

accessing geographic location tracking data for at least one mobile asset associated with the fixed property, the geographic location tracking data being for tracking at least one of the mobile devices;

determining a geographic location for at least one possible recipient of the notification based on the accessed geographic location tracking data;

analyzing the determined geographic location for the at least one possible recipient of the notification with respect to the conditions for determining whether or not to send the notification defined by the notification rule; and

determining whether or not to send the notification to the at least one possible recipient based on the analysis;

sending the notification to the at least one possible recipient in response to a determination to send the notification to the at least one possible recipient, and

withholding the notification from the at least one possible recipient in response to a determination not to send the notification to the at least one possible recipient.

14. The system of claim 4, wherein determining to send a notification of the detected event to the first mobile device of the first user associated with the fixed property defined by the first zone comprises:

determining a set of potential recipients of the notification, each of the potential recipients residing at the fixed property, each of the potential recipients being associated with at least one of the mobile devices that are configured to track and report geographic location data for mobile assets associated with the fixed property, and the potential recipients including the first user;

determining a location of each of the potential recipients based on geographic location data reported by the mobile devices; and

selecting, from among the set of potential recipients, a subset of the potential recipients to receive the notification.

15. The system of claim 4, wherein the operations further comprise determining a location of a third user within the fixed property defined by the first zone based on fixed sensors that are installed at the fixed property, the fixed sensors being stationary relative to the fixed property,

wherein determining the geographic location of the second mobile device of the second user associated with the fixed property comprises determining a geographic location of the second mobile device of the second user that is outside of the fixed property;

wherein generating the notification of the detected event that combines a description of the detected event with the determined geographic location of the second mobile device of the second user associated with the fixed property comprises generating a notification of the detected event that combines a description of the detected event with the determined geographic location of the second mobile device of the second user that is outside of the fixed property and the determined location of the third user within the fixed property.

16. The system of claim 15:

wherein determining the location of the third user within the fixed property defined by the first zone comprises determining a room of the fixed property in which the third user is located; and

wherein generating the notification of the detected event that combines a description of the detected event with the determined geographic location of the second mobile device of the second user that is outside of the fixed property and the determined location of the third user within the fixed property comprises generating a notification of the detected event that combines a description of the detected event with the determined geographic location of the second mobile device of the second user that is outside of the fixed property and the determined room of the fixed property in which the third user is located.

17. The system of claim 4:

wherein determining the geographic location of the second mobile device of the second user associated with the fixed property defined by the first zone comprises determining geographic locations of all users that reside at the fixed property based on geographic location data reported by the mobile devices, the users that reside at the fixed property including the first user, the second user, and at least one other user; and

wherein generating the notification of the detected event that combines a description of the detected event with the determined geographic location of the second mobile device of the second user associated with the fixed property comprises generating a notification of the detected event that combines a description of the detected event with the determined geographic locations of all users that reside at the fixed property other than the first user.

18. The system of claim 4, wherein determining the geographic location of the second mobile device of the second user associated with the fixed property defined by the first zone comprises:

inferring that the second user was involved in the event at the fixed property based on sensor data captured by one or more fixed sensors that are installed at the fixed property, the fixed sensors being stationary relative to the fixed property;

determining to provide, in the notification, the geographic location of the second mobile device of the second user based on the inference that the second user was involved in the event at the fixed property; and

determining the geographic location of the second mobile device of the second user based on the determination to provide, in the notification, the geographic location of the second mobile device of the second user.

19. The system of claim 18:

wherein the second mobile device of the second user is a mobile device installed in a vehicle associated with the second user; and

wherein determining to provide, in the notification, the geographic location of the second mobile device of the second user based on the inference that the second user was involved in the event at the fixed property comprises determining to track a geographic location of the vehicle associated with the second user based on the inference that the second user was involved in the event at the fixed property.

20. The system of claim 4:

wherein monitoring for events related to the monitoring system that monitors the fixed property defined by the first zone comprises monitoring for alarm events at the fixed property;

wherein detecting an event at the fixed property based on the monitoring comprises detecting an alarm event at the fixed property based on the monitoring;

wherein determining to send the notification of the detected event to the first mobile device of the first user associated with the fixed property comprises;

determining to send a notification of the detected alarm event to the first mobile device of the first user that resides at the fixed property, and

determining to report the detected alarm event to a central monitoring station that dispatches emergency services for the fixed property;

wherein generating the notification of the detected event that combines a description of the detected event with the determined geographic location of the second mobile device of the second user associated with the fixed property comprises;

generating a notification of the detected alarm event that combines a description of the detected alarm event with the determined geographic location of the second mobile device of the second user associated with the fixed property, and

generating a report message for the detected alarm event that includes a description of the detected alarm event and identification information that enables the central monitoring station to identify the fixed property;

wherein sending, to the first mobile device of the first user associated with the fixed property, the generated notification that combines the description of the detected event with the determined geographic location of the second mobile device of the second user associated with the fixed property comprises;

sending, to the first mobile device of the first user, the generated notification that combines the description of the detected alarm event with the determined geographic location of the second mobile device of the second user associated with the fixed property, and

sending, to the central monitoring station, the generated report message for the detected alarm event that includes the description of the detected alarm event and the identification information that enables the central monitoring station to identify the fixed property.

21. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

based on a determination not to provide a reminder to arm the security system;

continuing to track locations of the users that reside at the fixed property while the condition related to providing the reminder to arm the security system remains,

based on the continued tracking, determining that the tracked locations of the users that reside at the fixed property have all become outside of the second zone defining the arming reminder decision zone while the condition related to providing the reminder to arm the security system remains, and

providing a reminder to arm the security system based on the determination that the tracked locations of the users that reside at the fixed property have all become outside of the second zone defining the arming reminder decision zone while the condition related to providing the reminder to arm the security system remains.

22. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

based on a determination to provide a reminder to arm the security system;

determining a set of potential recipients of the reminder to arm the security system, each of the potential recipients residing at the fixed property, each of the potential recipients being associated with at least one of the mobile devices that are configured to track and report geographic location data for mobile assets associated with the fixed property, and the potential recipients including the first user;

determining a location of each of the potential recipients based on geographic location data reported by the mobile devices;

based on the location of each of the potential recipients, selecting, from among the set of potential recipients, a subset of the potential recipients to receive the reminder to arm the security system; and

providing the reminder to arm the security system to the selected subset of the potential recipients.