Alarm arming with open entry point

• US 9,569,943 B2
• Filed: 12/30/2014
• Issued: 02/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Peterson, Kevin Charles, Le Guen, Sophie, Veron, Maxime, Modi, Yash, Au, Lawrence, Malhotra, Mark Rajan, DeIuliis, Julia
• Primary Examiner(s): Flores, Leon
• Application Number:
  US14/585,226
• Publication Number:
  US 20160189506A1
• Time in Patent Office: 777 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/02 Measuring direction or magnitude of magnetic fields or magnetic flux G01R33/20 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/08 by opening, e.g. of door, of window, of drawer, of shutter, of curtain, of blind
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/24 by interference with electromagnetic field distribution
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/008 Alarm setting and unsetting, i.e. arming or disarming of the security system

Abstract

A magnet and magnetometer may be integrated into a smart home environment and allow it to be placed into an away mode of operation despite an entry point being semi-open. The disclosed implementations can detect a magnetic field strength and determine, based on the detected field strength, an approximate distance that a moveable partition is open. In some configurations, the presence of a second magnetic source can be detected. A notice may be generated based on one or more signals received from the magnetometer. The notice may be sent to a controller, a remote system, a remote device, and/or a client device as disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A system, comprising

a magnet fixed to an enclosure of a moveable partition;

and

a processor configured to;

receive a magnetometer signal;

determine that the magnetometer signal indicates a magnetic field strength less than a magnetic field strength corresponding to a closed moveable partition position and greater than a threshold magnetic field strength corresponding to a semi-open moveable partition position;

receive a request to place a home security system into an away mode; and

based on the determination that the magnetometer signal indicates a magnetic field strength less than a magnetic field strength corresponding to the closed moveable partition position and greater than a threshold magnetic field strength corresponding to a semi-open moveable partition position, place the home security system into the away mode.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the moveable partition comprises a door and the enclosure comprises a doorjamb.

3. The system of claim 1, the processor further configured to generate a notice that indicates the home security system is in the away mode.

4. The system of claim 1, the processor further configured to detect movement of the moveable partition subsequent to the home security system being placed into the away mode.

5. The system of claim 4, the processor further configured to generate a response to the movement of the moveable partition.

6. The system of claim 4, the processor further configured to determine the magnetic field strength is still above the threshold level.

7. The system of claim 6, the processor further configured to generate a response to the movement.

8. The system of claim 4, the processor further configured to:

determine the magnetic field strength is below the threshold level; and

dispatch an intrusion alarm.

9. A computer implemented method, comprising:

receiving a magnetometer signal;

determining that the magnetometer signal indicates a magnetic field strength less than a magnetic field strength corresponding to a closed moveable partition and greater than a threshold magnetic field strength corresponding to a semi-open moveable partition position;

receiving a request to place a home security system into an away mode; and

placing the home security system into the away mode, based on the determination that the magnetometer signal indicates a magnetic field strength less than a magnetic field strength corresponding to the closed moveable partition position and greater than a threshold magnetic field strength corresponding to the semi-open moveable partition position.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the moveable partition comprises a door.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising generating a notice that indicates the home security system is in the away mode.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising detecting movement of the moveable partition subsequent to the home security system being placed into the away mode.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising generating a response to the movement of the moveable partition.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising determining the present magnetic field strength is still above the threshold magnetic field strength.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising generating a response to the movement.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

determining the present magnetic field strength is below the threshold magnetic field strength; and

dispatching an intrusion alarm.

17. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

determining a home security system of a home is in a home mode that allows movement through an entry point of the home, wherein the home security system comprises a magnetometer and a magnet associated with the entry point of the home, wherein the magnetometer is configured to detect a magnetic field of the magnet when the magnetometer is within a threshold distance from the magnet;

receiving a request to place the home security system into an away mode that detects intrusion into the entry point of the home and defines a response to the intrusion;

receiving a magnetometer signal from the magnetometer indicating a magnetic field strength;

determining a distance the entry point is open based on the magnetic field strength detected by the magnetometer;

determining that the distance the entry point is open is within the threshold distance based on the magnetometer signal that indicates a magnetic field strength less than a magnetic field strength corresponding to a closed moveable partition position and greater than a threshold magnetic field strength corresponding to a semi-open moveable partition position; and

placing the home security system into the away mode based on the determination that the distance the entry point is open within the threshold distance.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising generating a response to the request to place the home security system into the away mode.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the response is selected from the group consisting of a notice, an auditory cue, and a visual cue.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

detecting movement of a moveable partition at the entry point;

determining the distance the entry point is open is not within the threshold distance; and

dispatching an alarm.

21. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

detecting a second magnetic field; and

providing an indication of the second magnetic field.

22. A home security system, comprising:

a magnetometer and a magnet associated with an entry point of a home, wherein the magnetometer is configured to a detect a magnetic field of the magnet when the magnetometer is within a threshold distance from the magnet; and

a processor configured to;

determine the system of a home is in a home mode, wherein the home mode allows movement through an entry point of the home without dispatching an alarm;

receive a request to place the system into an away mode that detects intrusion into the entry point of the home and defines a response to the intrusion;

receive a magnetometer signal from the magnetometer indicating a magnetic field strength;

determine a distance the entry point is open based on the magnetic field strength detected by the magnetometer;

determine that the distance the entry point is open is within the threshold distance based on the magnetometer signal that indicates a magnetic field strength less than a magnetic field strength corresponding to a closed moveable partition position and greater than a threshold magnetic field strength corresponding to a semi-open moveable partition position; and

place the home security system into the away mode based on the determination that the distance the entry point is open is within the threshold distance.

23. A system, comprising

a magnet fixed to a moveable partition that is surrounded by an enclosure;

and

a processor configured to;

receive a magnetometer signal;

determine that the magnetometer signal indicates a magnetic field strength less than a magnetic field strength corresponding to a closed moveable partition position and greater than a threshold magnetic field strength corresponding to a semi-open moveable partition position;

receive a request to place a home security system into an away mode; and

based on the determination that the magnetometer signal indicates a magnetic field strength less than a magnetic field strength corresponding to the closed moveable partition position and greater than a threshold magnetic field strength corresponding to a semi-open moveable partition position, place the home security system into the away mode.