Leveraging neighborhood to handle potential visitor at a smart-home

• US 9,711,036 B2
• Filed: 12/31/2014
• Issued: 07/18/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Matsuoka, Yoky, Veron, Maxime, Guenette, Isabel, Honjo, Shigefumi, McGaraghan, Scott A., Plitkins, Michael, Sloo, David, Fadell, Anthony Michael, Rogers, Matthew Lee
• Primary Examiner(s): Barakat, Mohamed
• Application Number:
  US14/587,663
• Publication Number:
  US 20150154850A1
• Time in Patent Office: 930 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063 Operations research, analysis or management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/083 Shipping
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 5/36 using visible light sources
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 6/00 Tactile signalling systems, e.g. personal calling systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks

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 potentially handling a visitor in a system comprising a computing system communicatively coupled to a first smart environment and a second smart environment, wherein the first smart environment comprises a first smart device and a first structure located at a first location, wherein the first structure is operative to shelter a first user, wherein the first smart device is operative to provide at least one security objective for the first structure, wherein the second smart environment comprises a second smart device and a second structure located at a second location distinct from the first location, wherein the second structure is operative to shelter a second user, and wherein the second smart device is operative to provide at least one security objective for the second structure, the method comprising:

receiving, at the computing system, first visitor identification data generated by the first smart device that is indicative of the visitor being detected at the first location at a first time;

analyzing, using the computing system, at least a first portion of the received first identification data to determine that the visitor is one of the following types of visitor;

a suspected criminal;

a solicitor;

a missing person;

a missing pet;

a missing item; and

a package deliverer;

processing, using the computing system, at least a second portion of the received first identification data to determine that the first location is within a particular distance of the second location; and

automatically adjusting, using the computing system, a functionality of the second smart device of the second smart environment based on the analyzing and based on the processing.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the adjusting the functionality of the second smart device comprises one of the following:

turning on a light at the second smart environment; and

outputting a sound at the second smart environment.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the adjusting the functionality of the second smart device comprises disabling at least a portion of a functionality of a doorbell smart device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the adjusting the functionality of the second smart device comprises conveying information via an entryway interface smart device of the second smart environment that a doorbell user interface of the entryway interface smart device is disabled.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the second smart device comprises a smart doorknob device of a door at an entry point to a portion of the second smart environment; and

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

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the adjusting comprises increasing the security of the second smart environment.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the adjusting comprises increasing the ability of the second smart device to detect visitor information associated with the visitor when the visitor is at the second smart environment.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the second smart device comprises a sensing component, and wherein the increasing the ability of the second smart device to detect visitor information associated with the visitor when the visitor is at the second smart environment comprises one of the following:

increasing a sampling rate of the sensing component of the second smart device;

increasing a sensing range of the sensing component of the second smart device; and

activating the sensing component of the second smart device.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein:

the second smart device comprises a smart doorbell device positioned proximate to a door at an entry point to a portion of the second smart environment; and

the smart doorbell device comprises a doorbell component operative to be interacted with for generating a request to contact an occupant of the second smart environment.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the analyzing comprises determining a particular behavior of the visitor with respect to the first location.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the analyzing comprises determining the identification of the visitor.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising, automatically communicating, using the computing system, information indicative of the received first visitor identification data to a remote entity based on the analyzing, wherein the remote entity comprises one of:

a social network entity;

a law enforcement entity;

a package delivery entity; and

a security entity.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the first location is a first plot of land within a neighborhood; and

the second location is a second plot of land within the neighborhood that is distinct from the first plot of land.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the analyzing comprises determining the identification of the visitor;

the method further comprises, prior to the adjusting, sharing information indicative of the identification of the visitor from the computing system to the second smart system; and

the adjusting comprises prioritizing the use of the shared information indicative of the identification of the visitor by the second smart device to attempt to identify the visitor at the second location.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the first smart device of the first smart environment comprises a smart doorbell device positioned proximate to a door at an entry point to a portion of the first smart environment; and

the smart doorbell device comprises;

a doorbell component operative to be interacted with for generating a request to contact an occupant of the first smart environment; and

at least one sensing component operative to detect the first visitor identification data.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the method further comprises, prior to the receiving, detecting second visitor identification data using a portable electronic device of a user associated with the first smart environment in communication with the computing system;

the receiving further comprises receiving the second visitor identification data at the computing system from the portable electronic device; and

the analyzing comprises analyzing, using the computing system, at least a portion of the second visitor identification data and the at least a first portion of the received first identification data.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

after the adjusting, receiving, at the computing system, second visitor identification data indicative of the visitor being detected at a third location time that is after the first time; and

processing, using the computing system, the received first identification data in combination with the received second identification data to track a known path of the visitor.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising automatically communicating, using the computing system, information indicative of the tracked known path to a remote entity based on the processing, wherein the remote entity comprises one of:

an academic entity;

a law enforcement entity;

a package delivery entity; and

a security entity.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising automatically predicting, using the computing system based on the tracked known path, the likelihood that a future path of the visitor will reach the second smart environment.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising automatically updating, using the computing system, a functionality of at least one other smart device of the second smart environment based on the predicting.

21. A system comprising:

a first smart environment comprising;

a first structure located at a first location, wherein the first structure is operative to shelter a first user; and

a first smart device located at the first location, wherein the first smart device is operative to;

provide at least one security objective for the first structure;

detect a visitor at the first location; and

generate visitor identification data indicative of the visitor being detected at the first location;

a second smart environment comprising;

a second structure located at a second location distinct from the first location, wherein the second structure is operative to shelter a second user; and

a second smart device located at the second location, wherein the second smart device is operative to provide at least one security objective for the second structure; and

a computing system operative to;

receive the generated visitor identification data from the first smart device;

analyze at least a portion of the received identification data to determine that the visitor is of interest to the computing system; and

based on the determination that the visitor is of interest, adjust a functionality of the second smart device.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the computing system is operative to

analyze the at least a portion of the received identification data to determine that the visitor is of interest to the computing system by determining that the visitor is one of the following types of visitor:

a suspected criminal;

a solicitor;

a missing person;

a missing pet;

a missing item; and

a package deliverer.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein

the first smart device is an entryway interface smart device positioned at an entryway to a portion of the first smart environment;

and

the entryway interface smart device comprises;

a doorbell component operative to be interacted with for generating a request to contact an occupant of the first smart environment; and

at least one sensing component operative to detect the visitor.

24. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising computer readable instructions recorded thereon for:

receiving, at a computing system, first visitor identification data indicative of a visitor being detected at a first location at a first time;

analyzing, using the computing system, at least a portion of the received first identification data to determine that the visitor is of interest to a smart environment, wherein;

the smart environment comprises;

a structure located at a second location distinct from the first location; and

at least one smart device located at the second location;

the structure is operative to shelter at least one user;

the at least one smart device is communicatively coupled to the computing system and operative to provide at least one security objective for the structure; and

the analyzing determines that the visitor is of interest to the smart environment by determining that the visitor is one of the following types of visitor;

a suspected criminal;

a solicitor;

a missing person;

a missing pet;

a missing item; and

a package deliverer;

processing, using the computing system, at least a portion of the received first identification data to determine that the first location is within a predetermined distance of the second location; and

automatically adjusting, using the computing system, a functionality of the at least one smart device of the smart environment based on the analyzing and based on the processing.