Monitoring system which tracks and analyzes characteristics of a mobile device that monitors a property with a monitoring application

• US 8,988,215 B1
• Filed: 01/07/2013
• Issued: 03/24/2015
• 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: Trundle, Stephen Scott, Slavin, Alison Jane
• Primary Examiner(s): HOFSASS, JEFFERY A
• Application Number:
  US13/735,193
• Time in Patent Office: 806 Days
• Field of Search: 340/425.5, 340/426.1, 340/426.13, 340/426.14, 340/539.11, 340/539.13, 340/540, 700/276, 455/404.1, 715/736, 709/202, 709/203, 709/219, 709/223, 709/224
• US Class Current: 340/539.11
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/00 Burglar, theft or intruder alarms
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19602 Image analysis to detect motion of the intruder, e.g. by frame subtraction
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19656 Network used to communicate with a camera, e.g. WAN, LAN, Internet
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19684 Portable terminal, e.g. mobile phone, used for viewing video remotely
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19691 Signalling events for better perception by user, e.g. indicating alarms by making display brighter, adding text, creating a sound
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/08 using communication transmission lines G08B13/19658, G08B21/0286, G08B25/016 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/10 using wireless transmission systems G08B25/009 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/14 Central alarm receiver or annunciator arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 29/02 Monitoring continuously signalling or alarm systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring
• 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: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

Techniques are described for providing control of a monitoring system (e.g., a home alarm or security system) using one or more mobile devices. In some implementations, a native mobile device application enables use of a mobile device as a security/automation system keypad and controller for a home security system. In these implementations, the mobile device, using the native mobile device application, checks real time status of system and sensors, arms/disarms system, turns lights on/off, looks in on live video of security cameras, reviews history of system events, reviews saved video clips, monitors/changes thermostat settings, and performs other features of a traditional security keypad in a home security system.

Claims

1. A system for monitoring a property, the system comprising:

a monitoring system that is configured to monitor a property and includes one or more sensors that are installed at the property and that are configured to sense attributes of the property;

a native mobile device monitoring application loaded onto a mobile device that is provided separately from the monitoring system, the native mobile device monitoring application including instructions that, when executed by the mobile device, cause the mobile device to perform operations comprising;

causing display, on a display device of the mobile device, of a control interface area that enables a user to provide user input to control the monitoring system;

receiving user input defining a control operation for the monitoring system based on the control interface area and

based on the received user input, sending one or more control communications that cause the monitoring system to perform the control operation defined by the received user input,

wherein the monitoring system is configured to perform operations comprising;

tracking one or more characteristics of the mobile device that operates the native mobile device monitoring application;

analyzing the tracked one or more characteristics with respect to a set of one or more rules;

determining whether to perform an operation related to the tracked one or more characteristics based on the analysis; and

performing the operation related to the tracked one or more characteristics in response to a determination to perform the operation.

2. The system of claim 1:

wherein tracking one or more characteristics of the mobile device that operates the native mobile device monitoring application comprises tracking a battery level of the mobile device that operates the native mobile device monitoring application;

wherein analyzing the tracked one or more characteristics with respect to a set of one or more rules comprises comparing the battery level of the mobile device to a threshold;

wherein determining whether to perform an operation related to the tracked one or more characteristics based on the analysis comprises determining to send an alert related to the battery level of the mobile device when the comparison reveals that the battery level of the mobile device is below the threshold; and

wherein performing the operation related to the tracked one or more characteristics in response to a determination to perform the operation comprises sending an alert indicating that the battery level of the mobile device has reached a relatively low level in response to a determination to send the alert related to the battery level of the mobile device.

3. The system of claim 1:

wherein tracking one or more characteristics of the mobile device that operates the native mobile device monitoring application comprises tracking a geographic location of the mobile device that operates the native mobile device monitoring application relative to the property monitored by the monitoring system;

wherein analyzing the tracked one or more characteristics with respect to a set of one or more rules comprises comparing the geographic location of the mobile device to a control area defined proximate to the property;

wherein determining whether to perform an operation related to the tracked one or more characteristics based on the analysis comprises determining to send an alert related to the geographic location of the mobile device when the comparison reveals that the geographic location of the mobile device is outside of the control area defined proximate to the property; and

wherein performing the operation related to the tracked one or more characteristics in response to a determination to perform the operation comprises sending an alert indicating that the geographic location of the mobile device has moved outside of the control area defined proximate to the property in response to a determination to send the alert related to the geographic location of the mobile device.

4. The system of claim 1:

wherein tracking one or more characteristics of the mobile device that operates the native mobile device monitoring application comprises tracking an ability of the mobile device that operates the native mobile device monitoring application to communicate, using a short range wireless communication protocol, with a component of the monitoring system located at the property;

wherein analyzing the tracked one or more characteristics with respect to a set of one or more rules comprises determining whether the mobile device has the ability to communicate, using the short range wireless communication protocol, with the component of the monitoring system located at the property;

wherein determining whether to perform an operation related to the tracked one or more characteristics based on the analysis comprises determining whether to send data from the component of the monitoring system located at the property to the mobile device over a long range network-based communication protocol based on the determination of whether the mobile device has the ability to communicate, using the short range wireless communication protocol, with the component of the monitoring system located at the property; and

wherein performing the operation related to the tracked one or more characteristics in response to a determination to perform the operation comprises sending data from the component of the monitoring system located at the property to the mobile device over the long range network-based communication protocol in response to a determination that the mobile device does not have the ability to communicate, using the short range wireless communication protocol, with the component of the monitoring system located at the property.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein tracking one or more characteristics of the mobile device that operates the native mobile device monitoring application comprises periodically checking each of the tracked one or more characteristics and storing data reflecting the tracked one or more characteristics over time.

9. The system of claim 1:

wherein analyzing the tracked one or more characteristics with respect to a set of one or more rules comprises evaluating the tracked one or more characteristics against one or more thresholds to determine whether an automatic control operation is needed;

wherein determining whether to perform an operation related to the tracked one or more characteristics based on the analysis comprises determining to perform the automatic control operation based on the analysis; and

wherein performing the operation related to the tracked one or more characteristics in response to a determination to perform the operation comprises automatically, without user intervention, controlling the mobile device based on the determination to perform the automatic control operation.

10. The system of claim 1:

wherein analyzing the tracked one or more characteristics with respect to a set of one or more rules comprises evaluating the tracked one or more characteristics against one or more thresholds to determine whether an automatic control operation is needed;

wherein determining whether to perform an operation related to the tracked one or more characteristics based on the analysis comprises determining to perform the automatic control operation based on the analysis; and

wherein performing the operation related to the tracked one or more characteristics in response to a determination to perform the operation comprises automatically, without user intervention, controlling a component of the monitoring system based on the determination to perform the automatic control operation.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein tracking one or more characteristics of the mobile device that operates the native mobile device monitoring application comprises tracking a geographic location of the mobile device that operates the native mobile device monitoring application relative to the property monitored by the monitoring system.

5. A method for monitoring a property, the method comprising:

causing display, on a display device of a mobile device that has loaded a native mobile device monitoring application that is provided separately from a monitoring system that is configured to monitor a property and includes one or more sensors that are installed at the property and that are configured to sense attributes of the property, of a control interface area that enables a user to provide user input to control the monitoring system;

receiving user input defining a control operation for the monitoring system based on the control interface area;

based on the received user input, sending one or more control communications that cause the monitoring system to perform the control operation defined by the received user input;

tracking one or more characteristics of the mobile device that operates the native mobile device monitoring application;

analyzing the tracked one or more characteristics with respect to a set of one or more rules;

determining whether to perform an operation related to the tracked one or more characteristics based on the analysis; and

performing the operation related to the tracked one or more characteristics in response to a determination to perform the operation.

6. The method of claim 5:

wherein tracking one or more characteristics of the mobile device that operates the native mobile device monitoring application comprises tracking a battery level of the mobile device that operates the native mobile device monitoring application;

wherein analyzing the tracked one or more characteristics with respect to a set of one or more rules comprises comparing the battery level of the mobile device to a threshold;

wherein determining whether to perform an operation related to the tracked one or more characteristics based on the analysis comprises determining to send an alert related to the battery level of the mobile device when the comparison reveals that the battery level of the mobile device is below the threshold; and

wherein performing the operation related to the tracked one or more characteristics in response to a determination to perform the operation comprises sending an alert indicating that the battery level of the mobile device has reached a relatively low level in response to a determination to send the alert related to the battery level of the mobile device.

7. The method of claim 5:

wherein tracking one or more characteristics of the mobile device that operates the native mobile device monitoring application comprises tracking a geographic location of the mobile device that operates the native mobile device monitoring application relative to the property monitored by the monitoring system;

wherein analyzing the tracked one or more characteristics with respect to a set of one or more rules comprises comparing the geographic location of the mobile device to a control area defined proximate to the property;

wherein determining whether to perform an operation related to the tracked one or more characteristics based on the analysis comprises determining to send an alert related to the geographic location of the mobile device when the comparison reveals that the geographic location of the mobile device is outside of the control area defined proximate to the property; and

wherein performing the operation related to the tracked one or more characteristics in response to a determination to perform the operation comprises sending an alert indicating that the geographic location of the mobile device has moved outside of the control area defined proximate to the property in response to a determination to send the alert related to the geographic location of the mobile device.

12. The method of claim 5:

wherein tracking one or more characteristics of the mobile device that operates the native mobile device monitoring application comprises tracking an ability of the mobile device that operates the native mobile device monitoring application to communicate, using a short range wireless communication protocol, with a component of the monitoring system located at the property;

wherein analyzing the tracked one or more characteristics with respect to a set of one or more rules comprises determining whether the mobile device has the ability to communicate, using the short range wireless communication protocol, with the component of the monitoring system located at the property;

wherein determining whether to perform an operation related to the tracked one or more characteristics based on the analysis comprises determining whether to send data from the component of the monitoring system located at the property to the mobile device over a long range network-based communication protocol based on the determination of whether the mobile device has the ability to communicate, using the short range wireless communication protocol, with the component of the monitoring system located at the property; and

wherein performing the operation related to the tracked one or more characteristics in response to a determination to perform the operation comprises sending data from the component of the monitoring system located at the property to the mobile device over the long range network-based communication protocol in response to a determination that the mobile device does not have the ability to communicate, using the short range wireless communication protocol, with the component of the monitoring system located at the property.

13. The method of claim 5, wherein tracking one or more characteristics of the mobile device that operates the native mobile device monitoring application comprises periodically checking each of the tracked one or more characteristics and storing data reflecting the tracked one or more characteristics over time.

14. The method of claim 5:

wherein analyzing the tracked one or more characteristics with respect to a set of one or more rules comprises evaluating the tracked one or more characteristics against one or more thresholds to determine whether an automatic control operation is needed;

wherein determining whether to perform an operation related to the tracked one or more characteristics based on the analysis comprises determining to perform the automatic control operation based on the analysis; and

wherein performing the operation related to the tracked one or more characteristics in response to a determination to perform the operation comprises automatically, without user intervention, controlling the mobile device based on the determination to perform the automatic control operation.

15. The method of claim 5:

wherein analyzing the tracked one or more characteristics with respect to a set of one or more rules comprises evaluating the tracked one or more characteristics against one or more thresholds to determine whether an automatic control operation is needed;

wherein determining whether to perform an operation related to the tracked one or more characteristics based on the analysis comprises determining to perform the automatic control operation based on the analysis; and

wherein performing the operation related to the tracked one or more characteristics in response to a determination to perform the operation comprises automatically, without user intervention, controlling a component of the monitoring system based on the determination to perform the automatic control operation.

16. The method of claim 5, wherein tracking one or more characteristics of the mobile device that operates the native mobile device monitoring application comprises tracking a geographic location of the mobile device that operates the native mobile device monitoring application relative to the property monitored by the monitoring system.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by at least processor, cause the at least processor to perform operations comprising:

causing display, on a display device of a mobile device that has loaded a native mobile device monitoring application that is provided separately from a monitoring system that is configured to monitor a property and includes one or more sensors that are installed at the property and that are configured to sense attributes of the property, of a control interface area that enables a user to provide user input to control the monitoring system;

receiving user input defining a control operation for the monitoring system based on the control interface area;

based on the received user input, sending one or more control communications that cause the monitoring system to perform the control operation defined by the received user input;

tracking one or more characteristics of the mobile device that operates the native mobile device monitoring application;

analyzing the tracked one or more characteristics with respect to a set of one or more rules;

determining whether to perform an operation related to the tracked one or more characteristics based on the analysis; and

performing the operation related to the tracked one or more characteristics in response to a determination to perform the operation.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17:

wherein analyzing the tracked one or more characteristics with respect to a set of one or more rules comprises evaluating the tracked one or more characteristics against one or more thresholds to determine whether an automatic control operation is needed;

wherein determining whether to perform an operation related to the tracked one or more characteristics based on the analysis comprises determining to perform the automatic control operation based on the analysis; and

wherein performing the operation related to the tracked one or more characteristics in response to a determination to perform the operation comprises automatically, without user intervention, controlling the mobile device based on the determination to perform the automatic control operation.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17:

wherein analyzing the tracked one or more characteristics with respect to a set of one or more rules comprises evaluating the tracked one or more characteristics against one or more thresholds to determine whether an automatic control operation is needed;

wherein determining whether to perform an operation related to the tracked one or more characteristics based on the analysis comprises determining to perform the automatic control operation based on the analysis; and

wherein performing the operation related to the tracked one or more characteristics in response to a determination to perform the operation comprises automatically, without user intervention, controlling a component of the monitoring system based on the determination to perform the automatic control operation.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein tracking one or more characteristics of the mobile device that operates the native mobile device monitoring application comprises tracking a geographic location of the mobile device that operates the native mobile device monitoring application relative to the property monitored by the monitoring system.