Initially detecting a visitor at a smart-home

• US 9,881,474 B2
• Filed: 12/31/2014
• Issued: 01/30/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google LLC (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): Zimmerman, Brian
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lau, Kevin
• Application Number:
  US14/587,485
• Publication Number:
  US 20150116107A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,126 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0631 Resource planning, allocation, distributing or scheduling for enterprises or organisations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/083 Shipping
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 19/005 combined burglary and fire alarm systems
• 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 handling a visitor at a smart environment that comprises a plurality of smart devices, the method comprising:

detecting visitor information associated with the visitor at the smart environment using an entryway interface smart device of the plurality of smart devices;

analyzing the detected visitor information using a computing system that is communicatively coupled to the entryway interface smart device;

based on the analyzing, automatically adjusting a functionality of a particular smart device of the plurality of smart devices using the computing system, wherein the adjusting comprises locking an unlocked entryway to a portion of the smart environment;

after the adjusting, determining that the visitor has left the smart environment; and

after the determining, unlocking the entryway to the portion of the smart environment.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the analyzing comprises confirming the presence of the visitor at the smart environment.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the analyzing does not comprise determining the identification of the detected visitor.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the entryway interface smart device comprises:

a first sensing component operative to detect the visitor information; and

a doorbell component operative to be touched by a user for generating a request to contact an occupant of the smart environment.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the analyzing comprises analyzing the detected visitor information in combination with information indicative of the current time of day.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the analyzing comprises analyzing the detected visitor information in combination with information indicative of a current operation of an electronic device at the smart environment.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the analyzing comprises analyzing the detected visitor information in combination with information indicative of the occupancy of the smart environment.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the analyzing comprises analyzing the detected visitor information in combination with a current mode of the smart environment.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the current mode is indicative of at least one of the following:

a current location of a user of the smart environment;

an estimated future location of a user of the smart environment;

a current availability of a user of the smart environment; and

an estimated future availability of a user of the smart environment.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the adjusting comprises increasing the safety of the visitor.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the adjusting comprises increasing the security of the environment.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the particular smart device is the entryway interface smart device.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the adjusting comprises increasing the perception of occupancy at the smart environment to the visitor.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the adjusting further comprises increasing the ability of another particular smart device to detect additional visitor information associated with the visitor.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the increasing comprises at least one of the following:

increasing a sampling rate of a sensing component of the other particular smart device;

increasing a sensing range of a sensing component of the other particular smart device; and

activating a sensing component of the other particular smart device.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the particular smart device is the entryway interface smart device.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the adjusting further comprises conveying a message to the visitor via an output component of another particular smart device.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the message instructs the visitor to do at least one of the following:

position at least a portion of the visitor in a particular manner with respect to a sensing component of the other particular smart device;

position at least a portion of an identification object of the visitor in a particular manner with respect to a sensing component of the other particular smart device; and

input identification information using an input component of the other particular smart device.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the particular smart device is a smart doorknob device.

20. A system for handling a visitor at a smart environment, the system comprising:

a plurality of smart devices at the smart environment; and

a computing system operative to;

receive visitor data from at least one sensor of an entryway interface smart device of the plurality of smart devices, wherein the visitor data is associated with the presence of the visitor at the smart environment;

process at least a portion of the received visitor data;

based on the processed visitor data, adjust a functionality of a particular smart device of the plurality of smart devices, wherein the functionality adjustment comprises locking an unlocked entryway to a portion of the smart environment;

after the unlocked entryway has been locked, determine that the visitor has left the smart environment; and

based on the determination, readjust a functionality of the particular smart device, wherein the functionality readjustment comprises unlocking the entryway to the portion of the smart environment.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the particular smart device is the entryway interface smart device.

22. The system of claim 20, wherein the entryway interface smart device comprises:

the at least one sensor operative to detect the visitor data; and

a doorbell component operative to be touched by a user for generating a request to contact an occupant of the smart environment.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the at least one sensor is operative to detect the visitor data by at least one of:

sensing physical data of the visitor;

sensing a particular active physical interaction by the visitor with the entryway interface smart device;

receiving a digital communication from an electronic device of the visitor; and

receiving data from an invitation presented by the visitor.

24. The system of claim 20, wherein the functionality adjustment further comprises an adjustment that comprises increasing a sampling rate of a sensing component of the particular smart device.

25. The system of claim 20, wherein the functionality adjustment increases the security of the environment.

26. The system of claim 20, wherein the functionality adjustment increases the perception of occupancy at the environment to the visitor.

27. The system of claim 20, wherein the functionality adjustment increases the ability of the particular smart device to detect additional visitor data associated with the presence of the visitor at the smart environment.

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

detecting visitor information associated with a visitor at a smart environment using an entryway interface smart device of the smart environment;

analyzing the detected visitor information using a computing system that is communicatively coupled to the entryway interface smart device;

based on the analyzing, automatically adjusting a functionality of a particular smart device of the smart environment using the computing system, wherein the adjusting comprises locking an unlocked entryway to a portion of the smart environment;

after the unlocked entryway has been locked, determining that the visitor has left the smart environment; and

based on the determining, readjusting a functionality of the particular smart device, wherein readjusting comprises unlocking the entryway to the portion of the smart environment.