Audio monitoring and sound identification process for remote alarms

• US 9,202,363 B1
• Filed: 05/29/2015
• Issued: 12/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company (State Farm)
• Original Assignee: State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company (State Farm)
• Inventors: Grant, Rosemarie Geier
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Tai T
• Application Number:
  US14/725,229
• Time in Patent Office: 186 Days
• Field of Search: 340/506, 340/508, 340/521, 340/628, 340/692, 340/539.11
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 1/08 using electric transmission ; transformation of alarm signals to electrical signals from a different medium, e.g. transmission of an electric alarm signal upon detection of an audible alarm signal
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/10 using wireless transmission systems G08B25/009 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 29/126 of annunciator circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 29/20 Calibration, including self-calibrating arrangements

Abstract

In a method for remote monitoring of alarms, a user interface of a mobile computing device enables a user to enter an alarm descriptor associated with an alarm device, and indicate timing of triggering the alarm device. After the timing is indicated, a microphone of the mobile computing device is utilized to detect an audio test signal generated by the alarm device. The audio test signal is processed to generate alarm identification data, and the alarm descriptor and alarm identification data are transferred to an alarm monitoring system. At the alarm monitoring system, when the alarm device generates an audio signal in response to detecting an alarm condition, the audio signal is sensed and processed to identify the alarm device using the alarm identification data and the alarm descriptor. A notification that the alarm device has been triggered is caused to be sent to one or more individuals or entities.

Claims

1. A method for remote monitoring of alarms, the method comprising:

providing, by one or more processors of a mobile computing device, a user interface to a user of the mobile computing device, the user interface enabling the user to (i) enter an alarm descriptor associated with an alarm device, and (ii) indicate timing of triggering the alarm device;

after the timing of triggering the alarm device is indicated by the user via the user interface, utilizing, by the one or more processors of the mobile computing device, a microphone of the mobile computing device to detect an audio test signal generated by the alarm device;

processing, by the one or more processors of the mobile computing device, the audio test signal to generate alarm identification data;

transferring (i) the alarm descriptor, and (ii) the alarm identification data, from the mobile computing device to an alarm monitoring system;

sensing, by a sensor of the alarm monitoring system, an audio signal that was generated by the alarm device in response to detecting an alarm condition;

processing, by one or more processors of the alarm monitoring system and using an audio recognition technique, the audio signal to identify the alarm device that generated the audio signal, wherein processing the audio signal to identify the alarm device that generated the audio signal includes identifying the alarm device that generated the audio signal using (i) the alarm identification data and (ii) the alarm descriptor; and

causing, by the one or more processors of the alarm monitoring system, a notification that the identified alarm device has been triggered to be sent to one or more individuals or entities.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the alarm device is a first alarm device, the alarm descriptor is a first alarm descriptor, the audio test signal is a first audio test signal, and the alarm identification data is first alarm identification data, and wherein:

providing a user interface to the user of the mobile computing device includes providing a user interface enabling the user to (i) enter the first alarm descriptor, (ii) indicate the timing of triggering the first alarm device, (iii) enter a second alarm descriptor associated with a second alarm device, and (iv) indicate a timing of triggering the second alarm device.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

after the timing of triggering the second alarm device is indicated by the user via the user interface, utilizing, by the one or more processors of the mobile computing device, the microphone of the mobile computing device to detect a second audio test signal generated by the second alarm device;

processing, by the one or more processors of the mobile computing device, the second audio test signal to generate second alarm identification data; and

transferring (i) the second alarm descriptor, and (ii) the second alarm identification data, from the mobile computing device to the alarm monitoring system.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein processing the audio signal to identify the first alarm device includes identifying the first alarm device using (i) the first alarm identification data, (ii) the first alarm descriptor, and (iii) data associating the first alarm identification data with the first alarm descriptor.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein providing a user interface to the user of the mobile computing device includes providing a user interface enabling the user to (i) enter the alarm descriptor associated with the alarm device, and (ii) indicate when the alarm device is about to be triggered.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein transferring the alarm descriptor, and the alarm identification data, from the mobile computing device to the alarm monitoring system includes transferring the alarm descriptor, and the alarm identification data, from the mobile computing device to the alarm monitoring system via either (i) a WiFi network, or (ii) a wired connection.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein processing the audio signal to identify the alarm device that generated the audio signal includes processing the audio signal to identify (i) a smoke detector located at a residence of the user, (ii) a carbon monoxide detector located at the residence of the user, (iii) a water leak detector located at the residence of the user, (iv) a home security system located at the residence of the user, (v) a door alarm device located at the residence of the user, (vi) a window alarm device located at the residence of the user, or (vii) mechanical equipment located at the residence of the user.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein causing a notification that the identified alarm device has been triggered to be sent to one or more individuals or entities includes causing at least one of (i) an electronic mail message indicating that the identified alarm device has been triggered to be sent to the user, (ii) a text message indicating that the identified alarm device has been triggered to be sent to the user, (iii) an outbound telephone alert to be sent to the user, or (iv) a social media alert to be sent to the user.

9. A method for remote monitoring of alarms, the method comprising:

providing, by one or more processors of a mobile computing device, a user interface to a user of the mobile computing device, the user interface enabling the user to (i) enter an alarm descriptor associated with an alarm device, and (ii) indicate timing of triggering the alarm device;

after the timing of triggering the alarm device is indicated by the user via the user interface, utilizing, by the one or more processors of the mobile computing device, a microphone of the mobile computing device to detect an audio test signal generated by the alarm device;

recording, by the one or more processors of the mobile computing device, the audio test signal;

transferring (i) the alarm descriptor, and (ii) the recorded audio test signal, from the mobile computing device to an alarm monitoring system;

sensing, by a sensor of the alarm monitoring system, an audio signal that was generated by the alarm device in response to detecting an alarm condition;

processing, by one or more processors of the alarm monitoring system and using an audio recognition technique, the audio signal to identify the alarm device that generated the audio signal, wherein processing the audio signal to identify the alarm device that generated the audio signal includes identifying the alarm device that generated the audio signal using (i) the recorded audio test signal and (ii) the alarm descriptor; and

causing, by the one or more processors of the alarm monitoring system, a notification that the identified alarm device has been triggered to be sent to one or more individuals or entities.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the alarm device is a first alarm device, the alarm descriptor is a first alarm descriptor, and the audio test signal is a first audio test signal, and wherein:

providing a user interface to the user of the mobile computing device includes providing a user interface enabling the user to (i) enter the first alarm descriptor, (ii) indicate the timing of triggering the first alarm device, (iii) enter a second alarm descriptor associated with a second alarm device, and (iv) indicate a timing of triggering the second alarm device.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

after the timing of triggering the second alarm device is indicated by the user via the user interface, utilizing, by the one or more processors of the mobile computing device, the microphone of the mobile computing device to detect a second audio test signal generated by the second alarm device;

recording, by the one or more processors of the mobile computing device, the second audio test signal; and

transferring (i) the second alarm descriptor, and (ii) the recorded second audio test signal, from the mobile computing device to the alarm monitoring system.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein processing the audio signal to identify the first alarm device includes identifying the first alarm device using (i) the recorded first audio test signal, (ii) the first alarm descriptor, and (iii) the data associating the recorded first audio test signal with the first alarm descriptor.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein providing a user interface to the user of the mobile computing device includes providing a user interface enabling the user to (i) enter the alarm descriptor associated with the alarm device, and (ii) indicate when the alarm device is about to be triggered.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein transferring the alarm descriptor, and the recorded audio test signal, from the mobile computing device to the alarm monitoring system includes transferring the alarm descriptor, and the recorded audio test signal, from the mobile computing device to the alarm monitoring system via either (i) a WiFi network, or (ii) a wired connection.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein processing the audio signal to identify the alarm device that generated the audio signal includes processing the audio signal to identify (i) a smoke detector located at a residence of the user, (ii) a carbon monoxide detector located at the residence of the user, (iii) a water leak detector located at the residence of the user, (iv) a home security system located at the residence of the user, (v) a door alarm device located at the residence of the user, (vi) a window alarm device located at the residence of the user, or (vii) mechanical equipment located at the residence of the user.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein causing a notification that the identified alarm device has been triggered to be sent to one or more individuals or entities includes causing at least one of (i) an electronic mail message indicating that the identified alarm device has been triggered to be sent to the user, (ii) a text message indicating that the identified alarm device has been triggered to be sent to the user, (iii) an outbound telephone alert to be sent to the user, or (iv) a social media alert to be sent to the user.