System and method to monitor a person in a residence with use of a set-top box device

• US 9,247,292 B2
• Filed: 02/01/2013
• Issued: 01/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Belz, Steven, Pratt, James, Van Vleck, Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Hofsass, Jeffery
• Application Number:
  US13/757,193
• Publication Number:
  US 20130145386A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,089 Days
• Field of Search: 340/573.1, 3405391-53915, 340/540, 340/500, 702/182, 348143-159, 725/133, 725/141, 725/153
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0423 detecting deviation from an expected pattern of behaviour or schedule
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0476 Cameras to detect unsafe condition, e.g. video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0492 Sensor dual technology, i.e. two or more technologies collaborate to extract unsafe condition, e.g. video tracking and RFID tracking
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44218 Detecting physical presence or behaviour of the user, e.g. using sensors to detect if the user is leaving the room or changes his face expression during a TV program methods or arrangements for recognising human body or animal bodies or body parts G06V40/10; methods or arrangements for acquiring or recognising human faces, facial parts, facial sketches, facial expressions G06V40/16; methods or arrangements for recognising movements or behaviour G06V40/20; arrangements for identifying users in broadcast systems H04H60/45

Abstract

A particular method includes receiving, at a set-top box device, an activation request from a monitoring service associated with activation of a video camera coupled to the set-top box device. The activation request is received when one or more alert conditions are satisfied. The method further includes activating the video camera based on a response to a prompt.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory accessible to the processor, the memory including instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations including;

determining whether an alert condition is satisfied based on data received from a set-top box device; and

sending, to the set-top box device, an activation request upon determining that the alert condition is satisfied, wherein the activation request enables the set-top box device to initiate a prompt, and wherein activation of a video camera coupled to the set-top box device is based on a response to the prompt.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the prompt is presented at an output device coupled to the set-top box device.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the memory further comprises a profile associated with the set-top box device, and wherein the operations further include determining whether the alert condition is satisfied based on the profile.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the data received from the set-top box device includes location information indicating a location of a monitoring device and a time stamp associated with the location information.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the data received from the set-top box device includes a time stamp associated with the location information.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the data received from the set-top box device includes biological information, the biological information associated with a biosensor coupled to an entity being monitored by a monitoring device.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further include:

determining whether the response is associated with an unsatisfactory input received via the set-top box device; and

sending a first notification to a third party based on determining that the response is associated with the unsatisfactory input.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further include:

determining whether the response was received via the set-top box device during a response time period; and

sending a second notification to a third party based on determining that the response was not received during the response time period.

9. A method comprising:

receiving, at a set-top box device, an activation request from a monitoring service, the activation request associated with activation of a video camera coupled to the set-top box device, wherein the activation request is received based on determining that an alert condition is satisfied; and

activating the video camera based on a response to a prompt, wherein the prompt is presented by the set-top box device in response to receiving the activation request.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising presenting the prompt at an output device coupled to the set-top box device.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

determining whether the response includes a correct code; and

blocking activation of the video camera based on determining that the response includes the correct code.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving an input from a location system associated with the set-top box device, wherein the location system is operable to identify a location of a monitoring device; and

prior to receiving the activation request, sending location data based on the input to the monitoring service.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein a location system associated with the set-top box device comprises a radio frequency identification emitter configured to be coupled to an entity to be monitored.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the location system includes a plurality of radio frequency identification detectors associated with the set-top box device.

15. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving a first input from a location system associated with the set-top box device, wherein the first input identifies a first location of a monitoring device at a first time;

receiving a second input from the location system, wherein the second input identifies a second location of the monitoring device at a second time, the second time subsequent to the first time; and

sending first data to the monitoring service, wherein the first data is based on the first input and the second input.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

determining whether the first location matches the second location based on the first input and the second input; and

sending second data to the monitoring service, wherein the second data includes an indication of whether the first location matches the second location.

17. A computer-readable storage device storing instructions, the instructions executable by a processor to cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

determining whether alert conditions are satisfied based on data received from a set-top box device; and

sending, to the set-top box device, an activation request based on determining that the alert conditions are satisfied, wherein the activation request enables the set-top box device to initiate a prompt, and wherein activation of a video camera coupled to the set-top box device is based on a response to the prompt.

18. The computer-readable storage device of claim 17, wherein the alert is associated with a location of an entity being monitored, a change in a movement pattern of the entity, a deviation from an anticipated movement pattern of the entity, a lack of movement of the entity, biological data associated with the entity, or a combination thereof.

19. The computer-readable storage device of claim 17, wherein the operations further comprise comparing the data to information associated with the alert conditions.

20. The computer-readable storage device of claim 17, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving a request from a third party based on determining that the alert conditions are satisfied; and

sending a signal to the set-top box device based on the request, wherein the signal enables an adjustment of the video camera.