Method and system for mitigating invasion risk associated with stranger interactions in a security system environment
First Claim
1. A system for providing security comprising:
- an alarm interface for connecting to one or more sensors disposed at a premises;
a user interface for receiving entries from a user;
a communication interface for remote communication; and
a processor that is connected to the alarm interface to receive signals from the one or more sensors, to the user interface to receive the entries from the user, and to the communication interface for off-premises communication;
wherein the processor is operable to;
determine if a first user entry indicates an interaction with a person posing a potential security risk;
if the first user entry indicates the interaction with the person posing the potential security risk, then monitor for a second user entry indicating that the person does not pose an actual security risk; and
if the second user entry is not detected within a specified time period, then transmit an alarm notification to the communication interface.
11 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A security system can mitigate invasion risk faced by a homeowner or other person responding to a stranger who is seeking to interact with the responder or to gain premises access, for example when a supposed deliveryman approaches the front door. The homeowner can make an entry into a user interface of the security system in preparation for interacting with the stranger, such as to answer the front door. If the user does not make a second entry within a specified period of time indicating that the interaction was safely completed, the security system can raise an alarm or otherwise dispatch help. If the stranger turns out to be an intruder and forces the homeowner to make the second, all-clear entry, the homeowner can make a duress entry that appears to be an all-clear entry but in fact triggers a silent alarm or otherwise summons help.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A system for providing security comprising:
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an alarm interface for connecting to one or more sensors disposed at a premises; a user interface for receiving entries from a user; a communication interface for remote communication; and a processor that is connected to the alarm interface to receive signals from the one or more sensors, to the user interface to receive the entries from the user, and to the communication interface for off-premises communication; wherein the processor is operable to; determine if a first user entry indicates an interaction with a person posing a potential security risk; if the first user entry indicates the interaction with the person posing the potential security risk, then monitor for a second user entry indicating that the person does not pose an actual security risk; and if the second user entry is not detected within a specified time period, then transmit an alarm notification to the communication interface. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. An intermediary server comprising:
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a first interface for communicating with a security system disposed at a premises; a second interface for communicating with a central station; and a processor that is connected to the first and second interfaces and that is operable to; determine if a first message received via the first interface indicates an interaction at the premises between a stranger and a user; if the first message indicates the interaction, then monitor for a second message indicating that the user has assessed the stranger as not posing a security threat; and if the second message is not detected within a specified time period, then transmit an alarm notification to the second interface. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A system comprising:
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a computer-based processor that is connected to an interface for communicating with a security system and to a memory for executing instructions stored in the memory; and computer-executable instructions stored in the memory for performing the steps of; determining if a first message received via the interface is about an approach by a person that a user has deemed to pose a potential security threat; if the first message is about the approach, then monitoring for a second message indicating that the user has determined that the potential security threat is not an actual security threat; and if the second message is not detected within a specified time period, then deeming that the potential security threat is the actual security threat. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification