Handling duress input

• US 10,229,585 B1
• Filed: 08/13/2018
• Issued: 03/12/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alarm.com Inc. (Alarm.com Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Alarm.com Inc. (Alarm.com Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Alexander, Rose Blais, Davenport, Rebecca Elisabeth, Slavin, Alison Jane
• Primary Examiner(s): Pope, Daryl C
• Application Number:
  US16/102,284
• Time in Patent Office: 211 Days
• Field of Search: 3405391, 34053911, 34053913, 340501, 340506, 340 31
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 15/001 Concealed systems, e.g. disguised alarm systems to make covert systems
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/008 Alarm setting and unsetting, i.e. arming or disarming of the security system
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/016 Personal emergency signalling and security systems emergency non-personal manually actuated alarm activators G08B25/12
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/14 Central alarm receiver or annunciator arrangements

Abstract

Techniques are described for handling duress input. For example, techniques are described for handling duress input provided to a mobile application that controls a monitoring system located at a fixed property.

Claims

1. A system for monitoring a property, the system comprising:

a monitoring server configured to communicate with a monitoring system that is located at the property and provide monitoring of the property at which the monitoring system is located, the monitoring server being remote from the property; and

a mobile device application that is loaded onto a mobile device, that is configured to communicate with the monitoring server, and that is configured to control the monitoring system through communication with the monitoring server,

wherein the mobile device application is configured to;

receive input to disarm the monitoring system that is located at the property, the received input signifying that the situation in which the disarming of the monitoring system is being requested is a duress situation, and

based on receipt of the input that signifies the duress situation, determine a location of the mobile device and transmit, to the monitoring server, a duress code with the determined location,

wherein the monitoring server is configured to;

receive the duress code, and

based on receipt of the duress code;

send a disarm command to a control panel of the monitoring system,

send, to the mobile device, an acknowledgement of receipt and processing of the duress code, and

send, to a central station server, a silent duress alert with the determined location of the mobile device and information related to the property associated with the silent duress alert.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the mobile device application is configured to receive input to disarm the monitoring system that is located at the property by receiving a duress disarm passcode.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the mobile device application is configured to receive input to disarm the monitoring system that is located at the property by receiving gesture input that is used to disarm the monitoring system in duress situations.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the mobile device application is configured to receive input to disarm the monitoring system that is located at the property by receiving biometric input that is used to disarm the monitoring system in duress situations.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the mobile device application is configured to transmit, to the monitoring server, the duress code by requesting the monitoring server to disarm the monitoring system and indicating that a silent alarm should be triggered for the duress situation.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the mobile device application is configured to receive the acknowledgement of receipt and processing of the duress code and update its display screen to signify, in an inconspicuous manner, that the duress code has been received and a silent alert for the duress situation is being processed.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the monitoring server is configured to send, to the central station server, the silent duress alert with the information related to the property associated with the silent duress alert by sending, to the central station server, a silent duress alert with an indication of an address of the property.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the monitoring server is configured to send, to the central station server, the silent duress alert with the information related to the property associated with the silent duress alert by sending, to the central station server, a silent duress alert with information about a state of the property determined from sensor data captured by the monitoring system located at the property.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the monitoring server is configured to send, to the central station server, the silent duress alert with information about the state of the property determined from sensor data captured by the monitoring system located at the property by sending information indicating whether the property is empty.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the monitoring server is configured to send, to the central station server, the silent duress alert with information about the state of the property determined from sensor data captured by the monitoring system located at the property by sending information indicating whether the property has been occupied after disarming of the monitoring system.

11. A method for monitoring a property, the method comprising:

a monitoring server configured to communicate with a monitoring system that is located at the property and provide monitoring of the property at which the monitoring system is located, the monitoring server being remote from the property; and

a mobile device application that is loaded onto a mobile device, that is configured to communicate with the monitoring server, and that is configured to control the monitoring system through communication with the monitoring server,

wherein the mobile device application is configured to;

receiving, by a mobile device application that is loaded onto a mobile device, input to disarm a monitoring system that is located at the property, the received input signifying that the situation in which the disarming of the monitoring system is being requested is a duress situation;

based on receipt of the input that signifies the duress situation, determining a location of the mobile device and transmitting, to a monitoring server, a duress code with the determined location, the monitoring server being configured to communicate with the monitoring system that is located at the property and provide monitoring of the property at which the monitoring system is located, the monitoring server being remote from the property;

receiving, by the monitoring server, the duress code; and

based on receipt of the duress code;

sending a disarm command to a control panel of the monitoring system,

sending, to the mobile device, an acknowledgement of receipt and processing of the duress code, and

sending, to a central station server, a silent duress alert with the determined location of the mobile device and information related to the property associated with the silent duress alert.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein receiving input to disarm the monitoring system that is located at the property comprises receiving a duress disarm passcode.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein receiving input to disarm the monitoring system that is located at the property comprises receiving gesture input that is used to disarm the monitoring system in duress situations.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein receiving input to disarm the monitoring system that is located at the property comprises receiving biometric input that is used to disarm the monitoring system in duress situations.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein transmitting, to the monitoring server, the duress code comprises requesting the monitoring server to disarm the monitoring system and indicating that a silent alarm should be triggered for the duress situation.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising receiving, by the mobile device application, the acknowledgement of receipt and processing of the duress code and updating a display screen of the mobile device to signify, in an inconspicuous manner, that the duress code has been received and a silent alert for the duress situation is being processed.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein sending, to the central station server, the silent duress alert with the information related to the property associated with the silent duress alert comprises sending, to the central station server, a silent duress alert with an indication of an address of the property.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein sending, to the central station server, the silent duress alert with the information related to the property associated with the silent duress alert comprises sending, to the central station server, a silent duress alert with information about a state of the property determined from sensor data captured by the monitoring system located at the property.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein sending, to the central station server, the silent duress alert with information about the state of the property determined from sensor data captured by the monitoring system located at the property comprises sending information indicating whether the property is empty.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein sending, to the central station server, the silent duress alert with information about the state of the property determined from sensor data captured by the monitoring system located at the property comprises sending information indicating whether the property has been occupied after disarming of the monitoring system.