Enhanced cargo and vehicle monitoring

• US 10,789,789 B1
• Filed: 12/26/2018
• Issued: 09/29/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alarm.com Inc. (Alarm.com Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Alarm.com Inc. (Alarm.com Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Edman, Kara
• Primary Examiner(s): Alharbi, Adam M
• Application Number:
  US16/232,773
• Time in Patent Office: 643 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/30 for imaging, photography or videography
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/37 Charging when not in flight
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3407 specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0094 involving pointing a payload, e.g. camera, weapon, sensor, towards a fixed or moving target
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/101 specially adapted for aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/12 Target-seeking control
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/0092 for cargo, freight or shipping containers and applications therefore in general
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0808 Diagnosing performance data testing of vehicles G01M17/00; testing of electrical installation on vehicles G01R31/005
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/085 using electronic data carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00896 specially adapted for particular uses
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/40 using a wireless architecture
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/823 where the data is sent when the measured values exceed a threshold, e.g. sending an alarm
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom

Abstract

A monitoring system is configured to monitor a vehicle and perform the action of receiving first sensor data that reflects an environmental condition in the vehicle. The monitoring system is configured to perform the action of determining that the environmental condition in the vehicle satisfies an environmental condition threshold. The monitoring system is configured to perform the action of, based on determining that environmental condition in the vehicle satisfies an environmental condition threshold, identifying, by the monitoring system, a second sensor that is located on a travel path of the vehicle. The monitoring system is configured to perform the action of transmitting, to the second sensor, instructions to capture second sensor data that is associated with the vehicle. The monitoring system is configured to perform the action of receiving, from the second sensor, the second sensor data.

Claims

1. A monitoring system that is configured to monitor a vehicle, the monitoring system comprising:

a first sensor that is configured to generate first sensor data that reflects an environmental condition in the vehicle;

a location sensor that is configured to generate location data that reflects a geographical location of the vehicle;

a processor that is configured to;

receive the first sensor data and the location data;

determine that the environmental condition in the vehicle satisfies an environmental condition threshold; and

based on determining that environmental condition in the vehicle satisfies an environmental condition threshold, transmit, to a monitoring server, data indicating the location of the vehicle and the environmental condition in the vehicle; and

the monitoring server that is configured to;

receive the data indicating the location of the vehicle and the environmental condition in the vehicle;

based on the location of the vehicle and the environmental condition in the vehicle, identify a second sensor that is located on a travel path of the vehicle;

transmit, to the second sensor, instructions to capture second sensor data that is associated with the vehicle;

receive, from the second sensor, the second sensor data; and

based on the second sensor data, perform a monitoring system action.

2. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the first sensor is a humidity sensor, thermometer, lock sensor, camera, or microphone.

3. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the second sensor is a camera that is configured to capture image data of a property that is located on the travel path of the vehicle.

4. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein:

the second sensor is attached to an autonomous drone, and

the instructions to capture second sensor data that is associated with the vehicle comprise instructions to navigate to a location of the vehicle.

5. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the monitoring server is configured to perform the monitoring system action by generating and transmitting a message indicating that environmental condition in the vehicle is within or is outside of a specified environmental condition range.

6. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the monitoring server is configured to perform the monitoring system action by generating and transmitting, to an additional vehicle, instructions to configure the additional vehicle for additional environmental conditions of the second sensor.

7. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein:

the processor is configured to determine that the environmental condition in the vehicle satisfies an environmental condition threshold by determining that a temperature inside the vehicle is equal to an outdoor temperature, and

the monitoring server is configured to;

transmit instructions to capture second sensor data that is associated with the vehicle by transmitting instructions to capture an image of the vehicle; and

perform a monitoring system action by generating and transmitting a message that includes the image of the vehicle.

8. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to:

determine that the environmental condition in the vehicle satisfies an environmental condition threshold by determining that a temperature of an inside of the vehicle is equal to an outdoor temperature;

capture, using a camera located on the vehicle, an image of the inside of the vehicle; and

transmit, to a monitoring server, the image of the inside of the vehicle.

9. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving, by a monitoring system that is configured to monitor a vehicle, first sensor data that reflects an environmental condition in the vehicle;

determining, by the monitoring system, that the environmental condition in the vehicle satisfies an environmental condition threshold;

based on determining that environmental condition in the vehicle satisfies an environmental condition threshold, identifying, by the monitoring system, a second sensor that is located on a travel path of the vehicle;

transmitting, to the second sensor and by the monitoring system, instructions to capture second sensor data that is associated with the vehicle;

receiving, from the second sensor and by the monitoring system, the second sensor data; and

based on the second sensor data, performing, by the monitoring system, a monitoring system action.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the first sensor is a humidity sensor, thermometer, lock sensor, camera, or microphone.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the second sensor is a camera that is configured to capture image data of a property that is located on the travel path of the vehicle.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein:

the second sensor is attached to an autonomous drone, and

the instructions to capture second sensor data that is associated with the vehicle comprise instructions to navigate to a location of the vehicle.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein performing the monitoring system action comprises generating and transmitting a message indicating that environmental condition in the vehicle is within or is outside of a specified environmental condition range.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein performing the monitoring system action comprises generating and transmitting, to an additional vehicle, instructions to configure the additional vehicle for additional environmental conditions of the second sensor.

15. The method of claim 9, comprising:

determining that the environmental condition in the vehicle satisfies an environmental condition threshold by determining that a temperature inside the vehicle is equal to an outdoor temperature;

transmitting instructions to capture second sensor data that is associated with the vehicle by transmitting instructions to capture an image of the vehicle; and

performing a monitoring system action by generating and transmitting a message that includes the image of the vehicle.

16. The method of claim 9, comprising:

determining that the environmental condition in the vehicle satisfies an environmental condition threshold by determining that a temperature of an inside of the vehicle is equal to an outdoor temperature; and

capturing, using a camera located on the vehicle, an image of the inside of the vehicle.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing software comprising instructions executable by one or more computers which, upon such execution, cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising:

receiving, by a monitoring system that is configured to monitor a vehicle, first sensor data that reflects an environmental condition in the vehicle;

determining, by the monitoring system, that the environmental condition in the vehicle satisfies an environmental condition threshold;

based on determining that environmental condition in the vehicle satisfies an environmental condition threshold, identifying, by the monitoring system, a second sensor that is located on a travel path of the vehicle;

transmitting, to the second sensor and by the monitoring system, instructions to capture second sensor data that is associated with the vehicle;

receiving, from the second sensor and by the monitoring system, the second sensor data; and

based on the second sensor data, performing, by the monitoring system, a monitoring system action.

18. The medium of claim 17, wherein the first sensor is a humidity sensor, thermometer, lock sensor, camera, or microphone.

19. The medium of claim 17, wherein the second sensor is a camera that is configured to capture image data of a property that is located on the travel path of the vehicle.

20. The medium of claim 17, wherein:

the second sensor is attached to an autonomous drone, and

the instructions to capture second sensor data that is associated with the vehicle comprise instructions to navigate to a location of the vehicle.