Alarm probability

• US 9,978,255 B1
• Filed: 05/01/2017
• Issued: 05/22/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alarm.com Inc. (Alarm.com Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Alarm.com Inc. (Alarm.com Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Trundle, Stephen Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): Previl, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US15/583,082
• Time in Patent Office: 386 Days
• Field of Search: 340506, 340511, 3405731, 340517, 340521, 340541, 3405391, 34053911, 34053912, 340522, 340552
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/00 Burglar, theft or intruder alarms
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/001 Alarm cancelling procedures or alarm forwarding decisions, e.g. based on absence of alarm confirmation
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 29/02 Monitoring continuously signalling or alarm systems
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 29/188 Data fusion; cooperative systems, e.g. voting among different detectors

Abstract

Alarm system technology, in which an alarm event is detected at a property monitored by an alarm system when the alarm system was set in an armed state. Based on detection of the alarm event, an alarm probability score that indicates a likelihood of the alarm event being an emergency situation is determined and the alarm event is handled based on the determined alarm probability score.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method comprising:

detecting, by a monitor control unit, an alarm event at a property monitored by an alarm system when the alarm system is in an armed state;

based on detecting the alarm event, determining an alarm probability score by performing heuristics on received weather data, crime data, and historical alarm data;

comparing the determined alarm probability score with one or more thresholds;

determining that the probability score exceeds at least one of the one or more thresholds

based on determining that the probability score exceeds at least one of the one or more thresholds, providing, to a user device of a resident of the property, a notification of the alarm event, the notification including image data of an area of the property associated with the alarm;

receiving an indication that the user selected an option to handle the alarm event as an emergency event; and

based on receiving an indication that the user selected an option to handle the alarm event as an emergency event, generating an audible alarm at the monitored property.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein comparing the determined alarm probability score with one or more thresholds comprises:

comparing the alarm probability score to a first threshold; and

determining whether the alarm probability score is lower than the first threshold.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

assigning a low priority based on a determination that the alarm probability score is lower than the first threshold.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein comparing the determined alarm probability score with one or more thresholds comprises:

comparing the alarm probability score to a first threshold;

determining whether the alarm probability score is lower than the first threshold;

based on a determination that the alarm probability score is higher than the first threshold, comparing the determined alarm probability score to a second threshold; and

determining whether the alarm probability score is lower than the second threshold.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

assigning a medium priority based on a determination that the alarm probability score is higher than the first threshold and lower than the second threshold.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

assigning a high priority based on a determination that the alarm probability score is higher than the second threshold.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

communicating, to an external central monitoring server, the detected alarm event and the alarm probability score associated with the detected alarm event; and

receiving confirmation from the external central monitoring server that emergency services is dispatched to the property.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein determining an alarm probability score by performing heuristics on received weather data, crime data, and historical alarm data comprises:

accessing weather data that describes weather conditions at the property at a time associated with the alarm event;

accessing crime data that describes crime activity in a vicinity of the property;

accessing historical alarm data from a period of time before the alarm event; and

evaluating whether the historical alarm data, the weather data, and the crime data indicate that the alarm event is indicative of an emergency situation.

9. A monitoring system that is configured to monitor a property, the monitoring system comprising:

one or more sensors that are located at the property; and

a monitor control unit that is configured to;

detect an alarm event at a property monitored by an alarm system when the alarm system is in an armed state;

based on detecting the alarm event, determine an alarm probability score by performing heuristics on received weather data, crime data, and historical alarm data;

compare the determined alarm probability score with one or more thresholds;

determine that the probability score exceeds at least one of the one or more thresholds

based on determining that the probability score exceeds at least one of the one or more thresholds, provide, to a user device of a resident of the property, a notification of the alarm event, the notification including image data of an area of the property associated with the alarm;

receive an indication that the user selected an option to handle the alarm event as an emergency event; and

based on receiving an indication that the user selected an option to handle the alarm event as an emergency event, generate an audible alarm at the monitored property.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein comparing the determined alarm probability score with one or more thresholds comprises:

comparing the alarm probability score to a first threshold; and

determining whether the alarm probability score is lower than the first threshold.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising:

assigning a low priority based on a determination that the alarm probability score is lower than the first threshold.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein comparing the determined alarm probability score with one or more thresholds comprises:

comparing the alarm probability score to a first threshold;

determining whether the alarm probability score is lower than the first threshold;

based on a determination that the alarm probability score is higher than the first threshold, comparing the determined alarm probability score to a second threshold; and

determining whether the alarm probability score is lower than the second threshold.

13. The system of claim 12, further comprising:

assigning a medium priority based on a determination that the alarm probability score is higher than the first threshold and lower than the second threshold.

14. The system of claim 12, further comprising:

assigning a high priority based on a determination that the alarm probability score is higher than the second threshold.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium encoded with a computer program, the program comprising instructions that when executed by a data processing apparatus cause the data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

detecting, by a monitor control unit, an alarm event at a property monitored by an alarm system when the alarm system is in an armed state;

based on detecting the alarm event, determining an alarm probability score by performing heuristics on received weather data, crime data, and historical alarm data;

comparing the determined alarm probability score with one or more thresholds;

determining that the probability score exceeds at least one of the one or more thresholds

based on determining that the probability score exceeds at least one of the one or more thresholds, providing, to a user device of a resident of the property, a notification of the alarm event, the notification including image data of an area of the property associated with the alarm;

receiving an indication that the user selected an option to handle the alarm event as an emergency event; and

based on receiving an indication that the user selected an option to handle the alarm event as an emergency event, generating an audible alarm at the monitored property.

16. The medium of claim 15, wherein comparing the determined alarm probability score with one or more thresholds comprises:

comparing the alarm probability score to a first threshold; and

determining whether the alarm probability score is lower than the first threshold.

17. The medium of claim 16, further comprising:

assigning a low priority based on a determination that the alarm probability score is lower than the first threshold.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein comparing the determined alarm probability score with one or more thresholds comprises:

comparing the alarm probability score to a first threshold;

determining whether the alarm probability score is lower than the first threshold;

based on a determination that the alarm probability score is higher than the first threshold, comparing the determined alarm probability score to a second threshold; and

determining whether the alarm probability score is lower than the second threshold.

19. The medium of claim 18, further comprising:

assigning a medium priority based on a determination that the alarm probability score is higher than the first threshold and lower than the second threshold.