Secure handling of unsupervised package drop off at a smart-home

• US 9,652,912 B2
• Filed: 12/31/2014
• Issued: 05/16/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Fadell, Anthony Michael, Rogers, Matthew Lee, Matsuoka, Yoky, Sloo, David, Honjo, Shigefumi, McGaraghan, Scott A., Plitkins, Michael, Veron, Maxime, Guenette, Isabel
• Primary Examiner(s): BEE, ANDREW W.
• Application Number:
  US14/587,406
• Publication Number:
  US 20150145643A1
• Time in Patent Office: 867 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 29/14 Deposit receptacles for food, e.g. breakfast, milk , or large parcels; Similar receptacles for food or large parcels with appliances for preventing unauthorised removal of the deposited articles , i.e. food or large parcels
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 29/141 comprising electronically controlled locking means
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/206 specially adapted for indoor navigation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063 Operations research, analysis or management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/083 Shipping
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/27 with central registration
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/28 the pass enabling tracking or indicating presence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 19/005 combined burglary and fire alarm systems
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/002 Generating a prealarm to the central station
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/008 Alarm setting and unsetting, i.e. arming or disarming of the security system
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 27/003 Signalling to neighbouring houses
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 29/185 Signal analysis techniques for reducing or preventing false alarms or for enhancing the reliability of the system

Abstract

This patent specification relates to apparatus, systems, methods, and related computer program products for providing home security/smart home objectives. More particularly, this patent specification relates to a plurality of devices, including intelligent, multi-sensing, network-connected devices, that communicate with each other and/or with a central server or a cloud-computing system to provide any of a variety of useful home security/smart home objectives.

Claims

1. A method of securely handling a delivery of a package by a deliverer at a smart environment that comprises a plurality of smart devices, the method comprising:

detecting delivery information associated with at least one of the package and the deliverer at the smart environment using at least an entryway interface smart device of the plurality of smart devices;

analyzing the detected delivery information using a computing system that is communicatively coupled to at least the entryway interface smart device of the plurality of smart devices;

in response to the analyzing the detected delivery information, automatically providing drop-off feedback from the computing system to the deliverer via at least a first smart device of the plurality of smart devices, wherein the providing the drop-off feedback comprises enabling accessibility to a secure area of the smart environment;

in response to the providing the drop-off feedback, detecting a drop-off action using at least a second smart device of the plurality of smart devices;

analyzing the detected drop-off action using the computing system; and

in response to the analyzing the detected drop-off action, disabling the accessibility to the secure area, wherein;

the providing the drop-off feedback comprises distributing an accessory component of the first smart device to the deliverer for coupling the accessory component to the package;

the distributed accessory component defines the secure area of the smart environment; and

the first smart device is operative to detect at least one of the location of the distributed accessory component and movement of the distributed accessory component when the accessory component is coupled to the package.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the analyzing the detected delivery information comprises:

determining, with the computing system, a current mode of the smart environment; and

processing, with the computing system, the detected delivery information in combination with at least one setting of the determined current mode.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the analyzing the detected delivery information comprises

accessing, with the computing system, trusted delivery information from a remote data source that is trusted by the computing system;

and

confirming, with the computing system, the authenticity of at least a portion of the detected delivery information using the accessed trusted delivery information.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the providing the drop-off feedback further comprises conveying an instruction to the deliverer via at least the first smart device to dispose the package at the secure area of the smart environment.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the first smart device is the entryway interface smart device.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein:

the providing the drop-off feedback further comprises adjusting the functionality of at least a third smart device of the plurality of smart devices; and

the adjusting comprises providing the package with the accessibility to the secure area of the smart environment.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein:

the third smart device comprises a smart doorknob device for a door to the secure area; and

the adjusting comprises unlocking the door with the smart doorknob device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the providing the drop-off feedback comprises adjusting the functionality of at least the first smart device; and

the adjusting comprises providing the package with the accessibility to the secure area of the smart environment.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein:

the first smart device comprises a smart doorknob device for a door to the secure area; and

the adjusting comprises unlocking the door with the smart doorknob device.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the secure area comprises one of:

a lobby of a structure; and

an interior of a smart safe appliance.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the providing the drop-off feedback further comprises conveying an instruction to the deliverer via at least the first smart device to dispose the package at the secure area of the smart environment; and

the secure area comprises a sensing area of at least one sensing component of a third smart device of the plurality of smart devices.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the conveying the instruction comprises projecting light from an output component of the first smart device onto a surface of the smart environment for identifying the sensing area with respect to the surface.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the analyzing the detected drop-off action comprises determining that the detected drop-off action comprises the deliverer handling the package in a particular manner.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the analyzing the detected drop-off action comprises determining that the detected drop-off action further comprises no item being removed from the secure area.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising, after the disabling, continuously detecting the disposition of the package in the secure area using at least the second smart device of the plurality of smart devices.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the method further comprises, after the disabling, communicating a drop-off confirmation message using the computing system; and

the communicating the drop-off confirmation message comprises

conveying user drop-off confirmation information from the computing system to a system user associated with the smart environment; and

the user drop-off confirmation information comprises a code for re-enabling accessibility to the secure area of the smart environment.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

detecting the code at the smart environment using at least a third smart device of the plurality of smart devices;

analyzing the detected code using the computing system; and

in response to the analyzing the detected code, automatically re-enabling accessibility to the secure area of the smart environment.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

after the re-enabling, detecting a pick-up action using at least a fourth smart device of the plurality of smart devices;

analyzing the detected pick-up action using the computing system; and

in response to the analyzing the detected pick-up action, communicating a pick-up confirmation message using the computing system, wherein the communicating the pick-up confirmation message comprises conveying deliverer pick-up confirmation information from the computing system to the deliverer.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

after the re-enabling, detecting a pick-up action using at least a fourth smart device of the plurality of smart devices;

analyzing the detected pick-up action using the computing system; and

in response to the analyzing the detected pick-up action, communicating a pick-up confirmation message using the computing system, wherein the communicating the pick-up confirmation message comprises conveying user pick-up confirmation information from the computing system to the system user associated with the smart environment.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the first smart device is operative to detect the location of the distributed accessory component when the accessory component is coupled to the package.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the first smart device is operative to detect movement of the distributed accessory component when the accessory component is coupled to the package.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein the accessory component is operative to wirelessly communicate information with the smart environment to enable the first smart device to detect the at least one of the location of the distributed accessory component and movement of the distributed accessory component when the accessory component is coupled to the package.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein the accessory component is operative to communicate information via a wired communication path with the smart environment to enable the first smart device to detect the at least one of the location of the distributed accessory component and movement of the distributed accessory component when the accessory component is coupled to the package.

24. The method of claim 1, wherein the distributing the accessory component of the first smart device to the deliverer for coupling the accessory component to the package comprises electronically opening a holder of the smart environment for enabling the accessory component to be removed from the holder.

25. The method of claim 1, further comprising triggering a sensing component to heighten monitoring of the package when the smart environment detects any movement of the accessory component above a certain threshold.

26. A smart environment comprising:

a secure area;

a first smart device operative to detect delivery information associated with at least one of a package and a deliverer present at the smart environment;

a second smart device operative to enable accessibility to the secure area based on the detected delivery information by distributing an accessory component of the second smart device to the deliverer for coupling the accessory component to the package, wherein the accessory component defines the secure area, and wherein the second smart device is further operative to detect at least one of the location of the distributed accessory component and movement of the distributed accessory component when the accessory component is coupled to the package;

a third smart device operative to detect a drop-off action when the accessibility is enabled; and

a fourth smart device operative to disable the accessibility based on the detected drop-off action.

27. The smart environment of claim 26, wherein the secure area comprises one of:

a lobby of a structure; and

an interior of a smart safe appliance.

28. The smart environment of claim 27, wherein:

the second smart device comprises a smart doorknob device for a door to the secure area; and

the smart doorknob device is operative to enable the accessibility by unlocking the door based on the detected delivery information.

29. The smart environment of claim 28, wherein the fourth smart device is the smart doorknob device.

30. The smart environment of claim 28, wherein the first smart device is the smart doorknob device.

31. The smart environment of claim 28, wherein the first smart device is a smart doorbell device.

32. The smart environment of claim 26, wherein the drop-off action comprises the package being disposed in the secure area.

33. The smart environment of claim 32, wherein the first smart device is the third smart device.