Automated, remotely-verified alarm system with intrusion and video surveillance and digital video recording

• US 9,208,666 B2
• Filed: 07/03/2014
• Issued: 12/08/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CheckVideo, LLC (Kastle Systems International LLC)
• Original Assignee: CheckVideo, LLC (Kastle Systems International LLC)
• Inventors: Jackson, Randall R.
• Primary Examiner(s): POPE, DARYL C
• Application Number:
  US14/323,624
• Publication Number:
  US 20140321706A1
• Time in Patent Office: 523 Days
• Field of Search: 340/506, 340/517, 340/521, 340/539.1, 340/539.11, 340/539.25, 340/539.26, 340/541, 340/6.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/70 Determining position or orientation of objects or cameras camera calibration G06T7/80
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/196 using television cameras
• 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 13/19663 Surveillance related processing done local to the camera
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19669 Event triggers storage or change of storage policy
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19684 Portable terminal, e.g. mobile phone, used for viewing video remotely
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19695 Arrangements wherein non-video detectors start video recording or forwarding but do not generate an alarm themselves
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/008 Alarm setting and unsetting, i.e. arming or disarming of the security system
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/009 Signalling of the alarm condition to a substation whose identity is signalled to a central station, e.g. relaying alarm signals in order to extend communication range
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 29/00 Checking or monitoring of signalling or alarm systems; Prevention or correction of operating errors, e.g. preventing unauthorised operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/76 Television signal recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast

Abstract

An automated self-monitored alarm verification solution including at least a premises portion, a server portion, and an end user device portion. Alarm verification includes capturing by an image capture device at least one image in response to a detection event, and transmitting a first data signal including the image to a local signal processing device. The signal processing device transmits a second signal including at least a portion of the image to a remote hosted server according to at least a first set of predetermined parameters. After receiving the second signal, the server transmits a third signal including at least a portion of the image from the hosted server to a user device. Using the user device, a user views the image and indicates a validity status of the alarm based at least in part on the content of the image. Based at least upon either the validation status indicated by the user, or upon a failure to receive a message including a validation status from the user within a predetermined duration of time, the server portion may send an alarm signal to an emergency response service.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

an image analysis module implemented in at least one of a memory or a processing device, the image analysis module configured to receive image data associated with a monitored premise, the image analysis module configured to analyze the image data according to a set of configuration parameters to automatically detect an event; and

a signal transmission module configured to send a signal associated with the event and in accordance with a set of user-defined transmission parameters in response to the event being from a set of predetermined events such that a user can view an image associated with the event using a user device remote from the monitored premise,

the signal transmission module configured to send a representation of the imae data to a storage module to be stored for a time period such that the user can access the representation of the image data during the time period.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the image data is captured by an image capture device separate from the image analysis module.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the signal transmission module is configured to modify the user-defined transmission parameters based at least in part on and in response to a signal received and associated with the user.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the image data or the signal is encrypted.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the signal associated with the event is a first signal, the signal transmission module configured to send a second signal associated with the event in response to a request from the user device.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the signal represents at least one of an image associated with the event, a time associated with the event, or an image capture device identifier associated with the event.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the signal is a first signal, the signal transmission module configured to send the first signal via a first tranmission method in accordance with the set of user-defined transmission parameters, the signal transmission module configured to send a second signal associated with the event via a second transmission method different from the first transmission method in accordance with the set of user-defined transmission parameters.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the signal transmission module is configured to send the signal via at least one of a short message service (SMS) message or an electronic mail (e-mail) message.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the signal represents auditory data associated with the monitored premise.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the image data is first image data, the event is a first event, the signal is a first signal,

the image analysis module configured to receive the first image data at a first time, the image analysis module configured to receive, at a second time after the first time, second image data associated with the monitored premise, the image analysis module configured to analyze the second image data according to the set of configuration parameters to automatically detect a second event different than the first event;

the signal transmission module configured to send a second signal associated with the second event and in accordance with the set of user-defined transmission parameters in response to the second event being from the set of predetermined events such that the user can view an image associated with the second event using the user device remote from the monitored premise.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the image data is encrypted, the signal represents at least one of (1) an image associated with the event, (2) a time associated with the event, or (3) an image capture device identifier associated with the event, the signal transmission module configured to send the signal via at least one of a short message service (SMS) message or an electronic mail (e-mail) message.

12. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

an image capture device configured to capture the image data, the image capture device configured to send the image data to the image analysis module via a network.

13. A non-transitory processor-readable medium storing code representing instructions to be executed by a processor, the code comprising code to cause the processor to:

receive, from an image capture device, image data associated with a monitored premise;

analyze the image data according to a set of configuration parameters to automatically detect an event;

send a signal associated with the event to notify a user of the event such that the user can view a notification of the event using a user device remote from the monitored premise and in accordance with a set of user-defined transmission parameters in response to the event being from a set of predetermined events; and

send to a storage module remote from the user device- representation of the image data associated with the monitored premise to be stored for a time period such that a user can access the representation of the image data during the time period.

14. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the signal represents motion sensed at the monitored premise.

15. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the code to cause the processor to send the signal associated with the event includes code to cause the processor to send the signal via at least one of a short message service (SMS) message or an electronic mail (e-mail) message.

16. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the signal represents at least one of an image associated with the event, a time associated with the event, or an identifier of the image capture device associated with the event.

17. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the signal includes at least a portion of the image data associated with the monitored premise.

18. A method, comprising:

receiving, (1) at an image analysis module implemented in at least one or a memory or a processing device, and (2) from an image capture device, image data associated with a monitored premise;

analyzing the image data according to a set of configuration parameters to automatically detect an event from a set of predetermined events;

sending a signal associated with an image captured during the event such that a user can access a representation of the image captured during the event using a user device remote from the monitored premise; and

sending a representation of the imagine data associated with the monitored premise to a storage module to be stored for a time period such that the user can access the representation of the image data during the time period.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the sending the signal includes sending the signal via at least one of a short message service (SMS) message or an electronic mail (e-mail) message.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the image data associated with the monitored premise is encrypted, the method further comprising:

sending a signal representing auditory data associated with the monitored premise.

21. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

receiving a request for a current image associated with the monitored premise; and

sending, in response to the receiving the request, a substantially current image associated with the monitored premise.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein the sending the signal includes sending the signal such that the user can verify the event using the representation of the image.