Handling duress input

• US 10,783,770 B1
• Filed: 12/19/2019
• Issued: 09/22/2020
• 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:
  US16/720,784
• Time in Patent Office: 278 Days
• Field of Search: 3405391, 34053911
• 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 multiple monitoring systems and provide monitoring of properties at which the multiple monitoring systems are located, the monitoring server being remote from the properties;

a monitoring system that is located at a property, that is configured to monitor the property, that is configured to communicate with the monitoring server in performing monitoring operations, and that includes one or more sensors that are located at the property and that are configured to sense attributes of the property; and

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

wherein the mobile device application is configured to;

receive user input, and

report, to the monitoring server or the monitoring system, the user input,

wherein the monitoring server or the monitoring system is configured to;

receive, from the mobile device on which the mobile application is loaded, the report of the user input,

access, from electronic storage, one or more rules related to handling user input received through the mobile application, the one or more rules defining actions to be taken in response to user input received through the mobile application and specifying one or more parameters that are evaluated against to determine different types of actions to be taken based on circumstances related to user input received through the mobile application,

determine at least one criterion related to the report of the user input, the determined at least one criterion comprising at least one of;

a type of the user input provided,

a timing of the user input,

a location where the user input was provided, or

a state of the property associated with the user input,

compare the determined at least one criterion related to the report of the user input with the one or more parameters specified by the one or more rules,

based on the comparison, identify, from among the actions to be taken in response to user input received through the mobile application, at least one action defined to be taken for the circumstances of the report of the user input, and

perform the identified at least one action defined to be taken for the circumstances of the report of the user input.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the mobile device application is configured to receive user input by receiving at least one of an alphanumeric code, a gesture recognizable by the mobile device application, a sequence of touch inputs provided to the mobile device, or an audio phrase detected by the mobile device application.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the mobile device application is configured to receive user input by receiving duress user input to signify that a user providing the duress user input is involved in a duress situation.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the mobile device application is configured to receive user input by receiving user input while the mobile device on which the mobile application is loaded is located within the monitored property.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the determined at least one criterion comprises the type of the user input provided, the timing of the user input, the location where the user input was provided, and the state of the property associated with the user input.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the determined at least one criterion comprises the location where the user input was provided and the state of the property associated with the user input.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the determined at least one criterion comprises the timing of the user input.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the monitoring server or the monitoring system is configured to identify, from among the actions to be taken in response to user input received through the mobile application, at least one action defined to be taken for the circumstances of the report of the user input by:

identifying, from among multiple mobile device responses to be taken in response to user input received through the mobile application, at least one mobile device response defined to be taken for the circumstances of the report of the user input, and

identifying, from among multiple monitored property responses to be taken in response to user input received through the mobile application, at least one monitored property response defined to be taken for the circumstances of the report of the user input.

9. The system of claim 1:

wherein the determined at least one criterion comprises the location where the user input was provided; and

wherein the monitoring server or the monitoring system is configured to identify, from among the actions to be taken in response to user input received through the mobile application, at least one action defined to be taken for the circumstances of the report of the user input by;

identifying a first action based on the user input being provided at a location of the monitored property, and

identifying a second action based on the user input being provided at a location away from the monitored property, the second action being different from the first action.

10. The system of claim 1:

wherein the determined at least one criterion comprises the state of the property associated with the user input; and

wherein the monitoring server or the monitoring system is configured to identify, from among the actions to be taken in response to user input received through the mobile application, at least one action defined to be taken for the circumstances of the report of the user input by;

identifying a first action based on the state of the property being occupied, and

identifying a second action based on the state of the property being unoccupied, the second action being different from the first action.

11. A method of handling user input, the method comprising:

receiving, by a mobile device application that is loaded onto a mobile device, user input, wherein;

the mobile device application is configured to communicate with at least one of a monitoring server or a monitoring system and configured to control the monitoring system through communication with at least one of the monitoring server or the monitoring system,

the monitoring system is located at a property, is configured to monitor the property, is configured to communicate with the monitoring server in performing monitoring operations, and includes one or more sensors that are located at the property and that are configured to sense attributes of the property, and

the monitoring server is configured to communicate with multiple monitoring systems and provide monitoring of properties at which the multiple monitoring systems are located, the monitoring server being remote from the properties;

reporting, by the mobile device application that is loaded onto the mobile device, the user input;

receiving, from the mobile device on which the mobile application is loaded, the report of the user input,

accessing, from electronic storage, one or more rules related to handling user input received through the mobile application, the one or more rules defining actions to be taken in response to user input received through the mobile application and specifying one or more parameters that are evaluated against to determine different types of actions to be taken based on circumstances related to user input received through the mobile application,

determining at least one criterion related to the report of the user input, the determined at least one criterion comprising at least one of;

a type of the user input provided,

a timing of the user input,

a location where the user input was provided, or

a state of the property associated with the user input,

comparing the determined at least one criterion related to the report of the user input with the one or more parameters specified by the one or more rules,

based on the comparison, identifying, from among the actions to be taken in response to user input received through the mobile application, at least one action defined to be taken for the circumstances of the report of the user input, and

performing the identified at least one action defined to be taken for the circumstances of the report of the user input.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein receiving, by the mobile device application that is loaded onto the mobile device, user input comprise receiving at least one of an alphanumeric code, a gesture recognizable by the mobile device application, a sequence of touch inputs provided to the mobile device, or an audio phrase detected by the mobile device application.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein receiving, by the mobile device application that is loaded onto the mobile device, user input comprise receiving duress user input to signify that a user providing the duress user input is involved in a duress situation.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein receiving, by the mobile device application that is loaded onto the mobile device, user input comprise receiving user input while the mobile device on which the mobile application is loaded is located within the monitored property.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the determined at least one criterion comprises the type of the user input provided, the timing of the user input, the location where the user input was provided, and the state of the property associated with the user input.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the determined at least one criterion comprises the location where the user input was provided and the state of the property associated with the user input.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the determined at least one criterion comprises the timing of the user input.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein identifying, from among the actions to be taken in response to user input received through the mobile application, at least one action defined to be taken for the circumstances of the report of the user input comprises:

identifying, from among multiple mobile device responses to be taken in response to user input received through the mobile application, at least one mobile device response defined to be taken for the circumstances of the report of the user input, and

identifying, from among multiple monitored property responses to be taken in response to user input received through the mobile application, at least one monitored property response defined to be taken for the circumstances of the report of the user input.

19. The method of claim 11:

wherein the determined at least one criterion comprises the location where the user input was provided; and

wherein identifying, from among the actions to be taken in response to user input received through the mobile application, at least one action defined to be taken for the circumstances of the report of the user input comprises;

identifying a first action based on the user input being provided at a location of the monitored property, and

identifying a second action based on the user input being provided at a location away from the monitored property, the second action being different from the first action.

20. The method of claim 11:

wherein the determined at least one criterion comprises the state of the property associated with the user input; and

wherein identifying, from among the actions to be taken in response to user input received through the mobile application, at least one action defined to be taken for the circumstances of the report of the user input comprises;

identifying a first action based on the state of the property being occupied, and

identifying a second action based on the state of the property being unoccupied, the second action being different from the first action.