Designation and notifying backup users for location-based monitoring

• US 9,472,090 B2
• Filed: 04/23/2014
• Issued: 10/18/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canary Connect, Inc. (Smartfrog Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Canary Connect, Inc. (Smartfrog Ltd.)
• Inventors: Rill, Christopher I., Sager, Adam D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hunnings, Travis
• Application Number:
  US14/260,264
• Publication Number:
  US 20140320281A1
• Time in Patent Office: 909 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 1/14 Supports; Fastening devices; Arrangements for mounting thermometers in particular locations
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/0004 Gaseous mixtures, e.g. polluted air
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2642 Domotique, domestic, home control, automation, smart house
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19682 Graphic User Interface [GUI] presenting system data to the user, e.g. information on a screen helping a user interacting with an alarm system
• 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 19/005 combined burglary and fire alarm systems
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0208 Combination with audio or video communication, e.g. combination with "baby phone" function
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 23/00 Alarms responsive to unspecified undesired or abnormal conditions
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/00 Alarm systems in which the location of the alarm condition is signalled to a central station, e.g. fire or police telegraphic systems
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/001 Alarm cancelling procedures or alarm forwarding decisions, e.g. based on absence of alarm confirmation
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/003 Address allocation methods and details
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/005 Alarm destination chosen according to a hierarchy of available destinations, e.g. if hospital does not answer send to police station
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/006 Alarm destination chosen according to type of event, e.g. in case of fire phone the fire service, in case of medical emergency phone the ambulance
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/008 Alarm setting and unsetting, i.e. arming or disarming of the security system
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/10 using wireless transmission systems G08B25/009 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 27/001 Signalling to an emergency team, e.g. firemen
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 27/006 : with transmission via telephone network
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 29/188 : Data fusion; cooperative systems, e.g. voting among different detectors
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 : using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 19/00 : Electric signal transmission systems G08C17/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2825 : Reporting to a device located outside the home and the home network access arrangements H04L12/2856; for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with telemetering systems H04M11/002
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2827 : Reporting to a device within the home network; wherein the reception of the information reported automatically triggers the execution of a home appliance functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2841 : Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0803 : Configuration setting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 : using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 : involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 : for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/183 : for receiving images from a single remote source
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/188 : Capturing isolated or intermittent images triggered by the occurrence of a predetermined event, e.g. an object reaching a predetermined position signal generation from motion picture films H04N5/253
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/823 : where the data is sent when the measured values exceed a threshold, e.g. sending an alarm
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 : Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 : Authentication

Abstract

A method of operating a security monitoring system comprises defining a primary user at a location, defining at least one backup user based on input from the primary user, determining that an event has taken place that the primary contact is to be notified of, notifying the primary user of the event, and if the primary user does not respond to the notification in a predetermined period of time, notifying the at least one backup contact of the event. Backup users may be defined based on input from the primary user. Backup contacts may be contacted in an order based on the preferences of the primary user or the location of the backup contacts, for example. The police, a fire department, and/or an ambulance service may be notified if the primary user and the backup contact do not respond to the notifications. Systems are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

defining a primary user associated with a monitored location;

defining at least one backup contact for the monitored location based on input from the primary user;

determining, based on information collected by a security monitoring device at the monitored location, that an event has taken place at the monitored location that the primary user is to be notified of;

sending a first notification of the event to the primary user via a computer-based network; and

if the primary user does not respond to the first notification in a predetermined period of time, sending a second notification of the event to at least one of the primary user-designated backup contacts via the computer-based network,

wherein the security monitoring device comprises;

a housing;

a camera supported by the housing and configured to collect video of the monitored location;

a temperature sensor supported by the housing and configured to detect a temperature associated with the monitored location;

an air quality sensor supported by the housing and configured to sense a quality of air in the monitored location;

a computer-based processing device supported by the housing; and

a Bluetooth antenna,

wherein the security monitoring device is configured to communicate with a remote security processing system that comprises a processor and a database via the computer-based network.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein defining the at least one backup contact based on the input from the primary user comprises defining a plurality of backup contacts based on the input from the primary user;

and

wherein sending the second notification of the event comprises sending the second notification to at least some of the plurality of backup contacts.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

determining a location of one or more of the plurality of backup contacts; and

contacting one of the plurality of backup contacts based on the location of the one or more of the backup contacts.

4. The method of claim 2, comprising:

determining a location of each of the plurality of backup contacts; and

contacting each of the plurality of backup contacts in an order based on the respective locations of each of the plurality of backup contacts.

5. The method of claim 1, comprising:

notifying a police department and/or a fire department and/or an ambulance service if the primary user does not respond to the first notification and none of the backup contacts respond to the second notification.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein notifying the police department, the fire department, and/or the ambulance service, is done by a call center.

7. The method of claim 1, comprising:

contacting the primary user and at least one of the backup contacts by a call center.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one backup contact comprises a plurality of backup contacts, the method comprising contacting each of the plurality of backup contacts in an order defined by preferences of the primary user.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising enabling the primary user to set one or more of the following:

the predetermined time period; and

types of alerts that are escalated, such that only alerts from certain sensors are sent to one of the primary-user designated backup contacts.

10. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

connecting to a social media platform to determine the location of one or more of the backup contacts.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

connecting to a social media platform; and

scanning images of all of the primary user'"'"'s social media contacts at the social media platform.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

asking the primary user whether the social media contacts whose images have been scanned should be designated as backup contacts.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

recognizing, based on the scanned images, the social media contacts whose images have been scanned if they enter the monitored location.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising informing the primary user of who has entered the monitored location.

15. A method comprising:

defining a primary user associated with a monitored location;

defining at least one backup contact for the monitored location based on input from the primary user;

determining, based on information collected by a security monitoring device at the monitored location, that an event has taken place at the monitored location that the primary user is to be notified of;

sending a first notification of the event to the primary user via a computer-based network; and

if the primary user does not respond to the first notification in a predetermined period of time, sending a second notification of the event to at least one of the primary user-designated backup contacts via the computer-based network,

wherein defining the at least one backup contact based on the input from the primary user comprises defining a plurality of backup contacts based on the input from the primary user; and

wherein sending the second notification of the event comprises sending the second notification to at least some of the plurality of backup contacts,

the method further comprising;

connecting to a social media platform to determine a location of each of the one or more or more of the backup contacts; and

contacting each of the plurality of backup contacts in an order based on the respective locations of each of the plurality of backup contacts.

16. A method comprising:

defining a primary user associated with a monitored location;

defining at least one backup contact for the monitored location based on input from the primary user;

determining, based on information collected by a security monitoring device at the monitored location, that an event has taken place at the monitored location that the primary user is to be notified of;

sending a first notification of the event to the primary user via a computer-based network; and

if the primary user does not respond to the first notification in a predetermined period of time, sending a second notification of the event to at least one of the primary user-designated backup contacts via the computer-based network,

the method further comprising;

connecting to a social media platform; and

scanning images of all of the primary user'"'"'s social media contacts at the social media platform.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

asking the primary user whether the social media contacts whose images have been scanned should be designated as backup contacts.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

recognizing, based on the scanned images, the social media contacts whose images have been scanned if they enter the monitored location.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising informing the primary user of who has entered the monitored location.