Visitor feedback to visitor interaction with a doorbell at a smart-home

• US 9,953,514 B2
• Filed: 12/31/2014
• Issued: 04/24/2018
• 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): Casillashernandez, Omar
• Application Number:
  US14/587,966
• Publication Number:
  US 20150109128A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,210 Days
• Field of Search: 340540
• 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 27/005 with transmission via computer network
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 3/10 using electric transmission; using electromagnetic transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/77 between a recording apparatus and a television camera

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 an entryway to a structure of a smart environment that comprises a plurality of smart devices using a computing system communicatively coupled to the plurality of smart devices, the method comprising:

detecting visitor information associated with the visitor at the entryway to the smart environment using a first smart device of the plurality of smart devices;

analyzing the detected visitor information using the computing system for determining whether the identification of the visitor is known by a user of the smart environment; and

based on the analyzing, providing an output from the computing system, wherein;

the output is operative to generate feedback;

the feedback is operative to be perceived by the visitor at the entryway to the smart environment as an indication to the visitor that an occupant of the smart environment is being notified of the visitor'"'"'s presence at the entryway to the smart environment;

when it is determined that the identity of the visitor is known by the user, the providing the output comprises outputting a first type of information via a second smart device of the plurality of smart devices;

when it is determined that the identity of the visitor is not known by the user, the providing the output comprises outputting a second type of information via a third smart device of the plurality of smart devices;

the second type of information is different than the first type of information;

the third smart device is different than the second smart device;

the second type of information comprises an audible message provided via an output component of the third smart device;

the output component of the third smart device is positioned inside the structure of the smart environment such that the audible message provided via the output component of the third smart device is provided inside the structure and is operative to generate feedback that is perceived by the visitor to have been generated inside the structure when the visitor is outside the structure at the entryway to the smart environment; and

the first type of information is provided via an output component of the second smart device that is positioned outside the structure.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

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

the entryway interface smart device comprises;

a sensing component operative to detect the visitor information; and

a doorbell component operative to be interacted with by the visitor for generating a request to contact at least one occupant of the smart environment; and

the providing the output is in response to detecting the visitor interacting with the doorbell component.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising, based on the analyzing, providing a notification from the computing system to the occupant of the smart environment via a fourth smart device of the plurality of smart devices.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the provided notification is different than the feedback.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein:

the feedback comprises an audible output; and

the notification comprises an inaudible output from the fourth smart device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the outputting the first type of information via the second smart device is operative to generate first feedback that does not imply occupancy at the smart environment; and

the outputting the second type of information via the third smart device is operative to generate second feedback that implies occupancy at the smart environment.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the outputting the first type of information via the second smart device is operative to generate first feedback that is not operative to increase the perception of the visitor that an animal is present at the smart environment; and

the outputting the second type of information via the third smart device is operative to generate second feedback that is operative to increase the perception of the visitor that an animal is present at the smart environment.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the feedback generated by the first type of information is more indicative than the feedback generated by the second type of information with respect to a current status of the user of the smart environment.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the outputting the second type of information via the third smart device is operative to increase the perception of occupancy at the smart environment to the visitor.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first smart device and the second smart device is an entryway interface smart device positioned at the entryway to the smart environment.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the second smart device is an entryway interface smart device positioned at the entryway to the smart environment; and

the entryway interface smart device comprises;

an output component of the second smart device operative to output the first type of information to the visitor when it is determined that the identity of the visitor is known by the user; and

a doorbell component operative to be interacted with by the visitor for generating a request to contact an occupant of the smart environment.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the third smart device is a smart doorknob device comprising;

a visitor handle portion disposed on an external side of a closed door at the entryway to the smart environment that is external to the structure of the smart environment; and

a user handle portion disposed on an internal side of the closed door that is internal to the structure of the smart environment;

the user handle portion comprises the output component of the third smart device; and

the audible message is provided via the output component of the third smart device to the visitor when the visitor is external to the structure of the smart environment proximate the external side of the closed door at the entryway to the smart environment.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein:

the first smart device is the entryway interface smart device positioned at the entryway to the smart environment; and

the entryway interface smart device further comprises;

a sensing component operative to detect the visitor information.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the detected visitor information at least partially comprises information generated based on the visitor interacting with the doorbell component.

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

25. The method of claim 1, wherein the outputting the second type of information via the third smart device further comprises activating a light emitting component of the third smart device.

26. The method of claim 1, wherein the outputting the second type of information via the third smart device comprises emitting a sound within the structure of the smart environment beyond the entryway for inciting an animal within the structure to make a noise.

16. A system for handling a visitor at a closed door at an entryway to a structure of 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 a first smart device of the plurality of smart devices, wherein the visitor data is associated with the visitor at the closed door at the entryway of the smart environment;

process at least a portion of the received visitor data to determine whether the identity of the visitor is known by a user of the smart environment; and

based on the processed visitor data, when it is determined that the identity of the visitor is not known by the user, provide an output from the computing system via a second smart device of the plurality of smart devices, wherein;

the second smart device is a smart doorknob device comprising;

a visitor handle portion disposed on an external side of the closed door at the entryway to the smart environment that is external to the structure of the smart environment; and

a user handle portion disposed on an internal side of the closed door that is internal to the structure of the smart environment;

the user handle portion comprises an audio output component of the second smart device; and

the output provided via the second smart device comprises a sound provided via the audio output component of the second smart device when the visitor is external to the structure of the smart environment proximate the external side of the closed door at the entryway to the smart environment.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein

the first smart device is an entryway interface smart device positioned at the entryway;

and

the entryway interface smart device comprises;

a doorbell component operative to be interacted with by the visitor for generating a request to contact an occupant of the smart environment.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein:

the entryway interface smart device further comprises at least one sensing component operative to detect the visitor data.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the output is operative to generate feedback within the structure of the smart environment beyond the entryway that is operative to be perceived by the visitor outside of the structure at the entryway as an indication to the visitor that the structure is occupied.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the sound provides at least a portion of the feedback.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein the output comprises light emitted from the second smart device that is operative to provide at least a portion of the feedback.

22. The system of claim 16, wherein the computing system is further operative to generate a notification for a user of the smart environment based on the processed visitor data.

23. The system of claim 19, wherein the sound is operative to incite an animal within the structure to generate the feedback.

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

detecting visitor information associated with a visitor at an entryway to a structure of 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 for determining whether the visitor is known by a user of the smart environment; and

based on the analyzing, automatically providing feedback from the computing system to the visitor via a particular smart device of the plurality of smart devices, wherein;

when it is determined that the identity of the visitor is not known by the user and when it is determined that an animal is present within the structure, the providing feedback is operative to increase the perception of occupancy at the smart environment to the visitor by emitting via the particular smart device a sound within the structure of the smart environment beyond the entryway; and

the emitted sound is not detectable by the user outside the structure at the entryway but is operative to incite the animal within the structure to make a noise.