In-residence track and alert

• US 9,621,959 B2
• Filed: 08/27/2014
• Issued: 04/11/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: EchoStar Technologies International Corporation (Echostar Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Echostar UK Holdings Ltd (Echostar Corporation)
• Inventors: Mountain, Dale Llewelyn
• Primary Examiner(s): Pendleton, Brian T
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gee, Alexander
• Application Number:
  US14/470,352
• Publication Number:
  US 20160066046A1
• Time in Patent Office: 958 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2503/08 Elderly
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0022 Monitoring a patient using a global network, e.g. telephone networks, internet
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/33 Arrangements for monitoring the users' behaviour or opinions
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/237 Communication with additional data server
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/254 Management at additional data server, e.g. shopping server, rights management server arrangements for maintenance or administration in data networks H04L41/00; network services using third party service providers H04L67/53
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4131 home appliance, e.g. lighting, air conditioning system, metering devices home automation data switching networks exchanging configuration information on appliance services H04L12/2807
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42202 environmental sensors, e.g. for detecting temperature, luminosity, pressure, earthquakes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4223 Cameras H04N23/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4227 Providing Remote input by a user located remotely from the client device, e.g. at work
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4753 for user identification, e.g. by entering a PIN or password cryptographic authentication protocols H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/485 End-user interface for client configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6131 involving transmission via a mobile phone network wireless downlink channel access H04W74/006
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6137 : involving transmission via a telephone network, e.g. POTS
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/814 : comprising emergency warnings arrangements specially adapted for emergency or urgency in broadcast systems H04H20/59; arrangements for providing alarms, notifications, alerts to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1895
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/106 : for domestic distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/162 : Authorising the user terminal, e.g. by paying; Registering the use of a subscription channel, e.g. billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/165 : Centralised control of user terminal subsequent to an upstream request signal H04N7/17345; Registering at central by two-way working H04N7/17309

Abstract

Monitoring, via a network of sensors each communicatively coupled to a home gateway system, movement and location of one or more individuals within their own residence. The home gateway system may also respond to inquiries as to a potential or probable or possible status of the one or more individuals within the residence.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

detecting, by a television receiver, a command to display programming from a television provider;

receiving, by the television receiver, a data signal corresponding to the programming;

outputting, by the television receiver for display by a display device, a first audio-video output signal including the programming;

outputting, by the television receiver for display by the display device, a second audio-video output signal corresponding to a user interface including options relating to reporting of a status of an individual associated with a residence including the television receiver;

receiving, by the television receiver, input corresponding to a change in the options;

modifying, by the television, a configuration of the television receiver according to the change in the options;

receiving, by the television receiver, a configuration profile from a remote television receiver, wherein the configuration profile relates to reporting of the status of the individual associated with the residence;

modifying, by the television, the configuration of the television receiver according to the configuration profile;

detecting, by the television receiver, an in-bound telephone call from a calling device that is different from the remote television receiver;

determining, by the television receiver, that a calling party associated with the in-bound telephone call is authorized to access a message that provides an indication of the status of the individual associated with the residence including the television receiver, wherein the television receiver serves as a gateway of a home automation system of the residence;

retrieving, by the television receiver, data from a number of sensors associated with the home automation system and positioned within the residence;

deriving, by the television receiver, the status of the individual using the data;

determining, by the television receiver, the message that provides the indication of the status of the individual;

playing-back, by the television receiver for the calling party, the message that provides the indication of the status of the individual;

detecting, by the television receiver, input corresponding to a selection made by the calling party to instantiate an emergency response alert;

instantiating, by the television receiver, the emergency response alert;

transmitting, by the television receiver, a notification to the remote television receiver for display of the notification on a remote display device associated with the remote television receiver, wherein the notification includes the status of the individual;

detecting, by the television receiver, an additional in-bound telephone call from an additional calling device that is different from the remote television receiver;

determining, by the television receiver, that an additional calling party of the additional in-bound telephone call is unauthorized to access the message; and

rolling, by the television receiver, the additional in-bound telephone call to voicemail.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

prompting the calling party to enter a passcode to determine whether the calling party is authorized to access the message.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

analyzing a telephone number associated with the in-bound telephone call to determine whether the calling party is authorized to access the message.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

answering, by the television receiver, the in-bound telephone call following a particular ring count.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

retrieving, by the television receiver, additional data from sensors associated with the home automation system and positioned external to the residence, wherein deriving the status of the individual includes deriving the status of the individual using the data and the additional data.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the message includes identifying data from at least one of the sensors to include as at least a portion of content of the message.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

periodically generating, by the television receiver, content for insertion into the message based on data retrieved by the television receiver from each of the number of sensors.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating, by the television receiver in response to a command received by the television receiver over a network connection from a remote television receiver, content for insertion into the message based on data retrieved by the television receiver from each of the number of sensors.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the television receiver, a definition to authorize the calling party to access the message; and

storing the definition to a persistent storage medium of the television receiver.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the emergency response alert includes disabling or turning off one or more appliances at the residence to address a possible emergency situation at the residence.

11. A television receiver, comprising:

at least one processor;

a network interface communicatively coupled with the at least one processor and operable to establish network connections with sensors associated with a home automation system of a residence;

an output interface communicatively coupled with the at least one processor and operable to generate audio-video output signals for use by display devices; and

at least one memory element communicatively coupled with and readable by the at least one processor and having stored therein processor-readable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform operations including;

detecting a command to display programming from a television provider;

receiving a data signal corresponding to the programming;

outputting a first audio-video output signal including the programming using the output interface;

outputting a second audio-video output signal using the output interface, wherein the second audio-video output signal corresponds to a user interface including options relating to reporting of a status of an individual associated with the residence, the residence including the television receiver;

receiving input corresponding to a change in the options;

modifying a configuration of the television receiver according to the change in the options;

receiving a configuration profile from a remote television receiver, wherein the configuration profile relates to reporting of the status of the individual associated with the residence;

modifying the configuration of the television receiver according to the configuration profile;

detecting an in-bound telephone call from a calling device that is different from the remote television receiver;

determining that a calling party associated with the in-bound telephone call is authorized to access a message that provides an indication of the status of the individual associated with the residence including the television receiver, wherein the television receiver serves as a gateway of the home automation system of the residence;

retrieving data from a number of sensors associated with the home automation system and positioned within the residence;

deriving the status of the individual using the data;

determining the message that provides the indication of the status of the individual; and

playing-back, for the calling party, the message that provides the indication of the status of the individual;

detecting input corresponding to a selection made by the calling party to instantiate an emergency response alert;

instantiating the emergency response alert;

transmitting a notification to the remote television receiver for display of the notification on a remote display device associated with the remote television receiver, wherein the notification includes the status of the individual;

detecting an additional in-bound telephone call from an additional calling device that is different from the remote television receiver; and

determining that an additional calling party of the additional in-bound telephone call is unauthorized to access the message; and

rolling the additional in-bound telephone call to voicemail.

12. The television receiver of claim 11, wherein deriving the status of the individual includes:

identifying a first state associated with the number of sensors at a first time;

identifying a second state associated with the number of sensors at a second time after the first time; and

determining a change between the first state and the second state, wherein the change is associated with the status of the individual.

13. The television receiver of claim 11, wherein the operations further include:

prompting the calling party to enter a passcode to determine whether the calling party is authorized to access the message.

14. The television receiver of claim 11, wherein the operations further include:

analyzing a telephone number associated with the in-bound telephone call to determine whether the calling party is authorized to access the message.

15. The television receiver of claim 11, wherein the operations further include:

answering the in-bound telephone call following a particular ring count.

16. The television receiver of claim 11, wherein the operations further include:

transmitting, to a remote television receiver, an indicator of the status of the individual;

receiving, from the remote television receiver, a command to obtain additional sensor data from one or more of the number of sensors; and

transmitting the additional sensor data to the remote television receiver.

17. The television receiver of claim 11, wherein the operations further include:

generating, in response to a command received by the television receiver from a remote television receiver over a network connection, content for insertion into the message based on data retrieved by the television receiver from each of the number of sensors.

18. A method, comprising:

detecting, by a television receiver, a command to display programming from a television provider;

receiving, by the television receiver, a data signal corresponding to the programming;

outputting, by the television receiver for display by a display device, an audio-video output signal including the programming;

outputting, by the television receiver for display by the display device, a second audio-video output signal corresponding to a user interface including options relating to reporting of a status of an individual associated with a residence including the television receiver;

receiving, by the television receiver, input corresponding to a change in the options;

modifying, by the television, a configuration of the television receiver according to the change in the options;

receiving, by the television receiver, a configuration profile from a remote television receiver, wherein the configuration profile relates to reporting of the status of the individual associated with the residence;

modifying, by the television, the configuration of the television receiver according to the configuration profile;

detecting, by the television receiver, an in-bound telephone call from a calling device that is different from the remote television receiver;

analyzing, by the television receiver, a telephone number associated with the in-bound telephone call as a primary security measure to determine whether a calling party associated with the in-bound telephone call is authorized to access a message that provides an indication of a status of an individual associated with a residence including the television receiver, wherein the television receiver serves as a gateway of a home automation system of the residence;

authenticating, by the television receiver, the telephone number to determine that the calling party is authorized to access a secondary security measure to determine whether the calling party is authorized to access a message;

receiving, by the television receiver, input corresponding to a determination of a passcode entered by the calling party;

analyzing, by the television receiver, the passcode entered as the secondary security measure to determine whether the calling party is authorized to access the message;

authenticating, by the television receiver, the passcode to determine that the calling party is authorized to access the message;

retrieving, by the television receiver, data from a number of sensors associated with the home automation system and positioned within the residence;

deriving, by the television receiver, the status of the individual based upon the data;

determining, by the television receiver, the message that provides the indication of the status of the individual;

playing-back, by the television receiver for the calling party, the message that provides the indication of the status of the individual;

detecting, by the television receiver, input corresponding to a selection made by the calling party to instantiate an emergency response alert;

instantiating, by the television receiver, the emergency response alert

transmitting, by the television receiver, a notification to the remote television receiver for display of the notification on a remote display device associated with the remote television receiver, wherein the notification includes the status of the individual;

detecting, by the television receiver, an additional in-bound telephone call from an additional calling device that is different from the remote television receiver;

determining, by the television receiver, that an additional calling party of the additional in-bound telephone call is unauthorized to access the message; and

rolling, by the television receiver, the additional in-bound telephone call to voicemail.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein determining the message includes identifying data from at least one of the sensors to include as at least a portion of content of the message.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein deriving the status of the individual includes identifying a location of the individual within the residence using data from at least one of the sensors;

and wherein the message includes the location.