Video monitoring and alarm verification technology

• US 9,478,112 B1
• Filed: 01/16/2015
• Issued: 10/25/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alarm.com Inc. (Alarm.com Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Alarm.com Inc. (Alarm.com Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Slavin, Alison Jane, McCarthy, Robert J. Jr., Hutz, David James, Trundle, Stephen Scott, Martin, Jean-Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Rao, Andy
• Assistant Examiner(s): EDWARDS, TYLER B
• Application Number:
  US14/598,522
• Time in Patent Office: 648 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19654 Details concerning communication with a camera
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19684 Portable terminal, e.g. mobile phone, used for viewing video remotely
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/04 with alarm systems, e.g. fire, police or burglar alarm systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/183 for receiving images from a single remote source

Abstract

Video monitoring and alarm verification technology, in which a first connection is established between a first device and a camera located in a monitored property associated with a user of the first device and image data captured by the camera is received over the first connection and at the first device. A determination is made to establish a second connection with a second device that enables sharing of the received image data with the second device and, in response to the determination, the second connection is established between the first device and the second device. The received image data is shared with the second device over the second connection and the second device is restricted from directly accessing image data captured by the camera located in the monitored property.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

establishing a first connection between a mobile device and a camera located in a monitored property associated with a user of the mobile device, the mobile device being located outside of the monitored property;

receiving, over the first connection and at the mobile device, video captured by the camera located in the monitored property associated with the user of the mobile device;

detecting an attribute associated with the received video;

identifying one or more users based on the detected attribute;

performing an operation directed to sharing the received video with the identified one or more users by;

identifying a second device associated with at least one of the identified one or more users;

determining, at the mobile device, to establish a second connection with the second device that enables sharing of the received video with the second device;

in response to the determination to establish the second connection with the second device that enables sharing of the received video with the second device, establishing the second connection between the mobile device and the second device; and

sharing, by the mobile device over the second connection, the received video with the second device.

2. The method of claim 1:

wherein detecting the attribute associated with the received video comprises detecting sensor data, sensed by a security system at the monitored property, that triggered the camera at the monitored property to capture the received video; and

wherein identifying one or more users based on the detected attribute comprises identifying one or more users based on the sensor data that triggered the camera at the monitored property to capture the received video.

3. The method of claim 1:

wherein detecting the attribute associated with the received video comprises determining camera identification data for the camera at the monitored property that captured the received video; and

wherein identifying one or more users based on the detected attribute comprises identifying one or more users based on the camera identification data for the camera at the monitored property that captured the received video.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying one or more users based on the detected attribute comprises accessing data defining a network of multiple users that are connected to the user of the mobile device and selecting, from the network of multiple users that are connected to the user of the mobile device, a subset of users based on the detected attribute.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein performing the operation directed to sharing the received video with the identified one or more users comprises displaying, in a list, identification data for each of the identified one or more users to enable the user of the mobile device to select one or more users to share the received video.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein performing the operation directed to sharing the received video with the identified one or more users comprises automatically, without user input, sharing the received video with each of the identified one or more users.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising restricting an ability of the second device to directly access video captured by the camera located in the monitored property.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein restricting the ability of the second device to directly access video captured by the camera located in the monitored property comprises preventing the second device from establishing a connection with the camera located in the monitored property.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein establishing the first connection between the mobile device and the camera located in the monitored property associated with the user of the mobile device comprises establishing a direct connection between the mobile device and the camera located in the monitored property associated with the user of the mobile device.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving user input indicating a desire of the user of the mobile device to record the received video; and

in response to the user input indicating a desire of the user of the mobile device to record the received video, recording, in electronic storage of the mobile device, the received video.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving user input indicating a desire of the user of the mobile device to record the received video; and

in response to the user input indicating a desire of the user of the mobile device to record the received video, recording, in electronic storage of the mobile device, the received video.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the attribute associated with the received video comprises detecting an image, sensed by a security system at the monitored property, that triggered the camera at the monitored property to capture the received video;

and

wherein identifying one or more users based on the detected attribute comprises identifying one or more users based on facial recognition performed on the image.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the attribute associated with the received video comprises detecting sensor identification data including location data, sensed by a security system at the monitored property, that triggered the camera at the monitored property to capture the received video;

and

wherein identifying one or more users based on the detected attribute comprises identifying one or more users based on user data associated with the detected sensor identification data including user location data.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the attribute associated with the received video comprises detecting the attribute at the mobile device.

15. A monitoring system comprising:

a camera located in a monitored property associated with a user; and

a mobile device of the user that includes at least one processor configured to perform operations comprising;

establishing a first connection between the mobile device and the camera, the mobile device being located outside of the monitored property;

receiving, over the first connection and at the mobile device, video captured by the camera located in the monitored property associated with the user of the mobile device;

detecting an attribute associated with the received video;

identifying one or more users based on the detected attribute;

performing an operation directed to sharing the received video with the identified one or more users by;

identifying a second device associated with at least one of the identified one or more users;

determining, at the mobile device, to establish a second connection with the second device that enables sharing of the received video with the second device;

in response to the determination to establish the second connection with the second device that enables sharing of the received video with the second device, establishing the second connection between the mobile device and the second device; and

sharing, by the mobile device over the second connection, the received video with the second device.

16. The system of claim 15:

wherein detecting the attribute associated with the received video comprises detecting sensor data, sensed by a security system at the monitored property, that triggered the camera at the monitored property to capture the received video; and

wherein identifying one or more users based on the detected attribute comprises identifying one or more users based on the sensor data that triggered the camera at the monitored property to capture the received video.

17. The system of claim 15:

wherein detecting the attribute associated with the received video comprises determining camera identification data for the camera at the monitored property that captured the received video; and

wherein identifying one or more users based on the detected attribute comprises identifying one or more users based on the camera identification data for the camera at the monitored property that captured the received video.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein identifying one or more users based on the detected attribute comprises accessing data defining a network of multiple users that are connected to the user of the mobile device and selecting, from the network of multiple users that are connected to the user of the mobile device, a subset of users based on the detected attribute.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein performing the operation directed to sharing the received video with the identified one or more users comprises displaying, in a list, identification data for each of the identified one or more users to enable the user of the mobile device to select one or more users to share the received video.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein establishing the first connection between the mobile device and the camera located in the monitored property associated with the user of the mobile device comprises establishing a direct connection between the mobile device and the camera located in the monitored property associated with the user of the mobile device.