Automatic adjusting of day-night sensitivity for motion detection in audio/video recording and communication devices

• US 10,984,640 B2
• Filed: 04/18/2018
• Issued: 04/20/2021
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Siminoff, James
• Primary Examiner(s): McNally, Kerri L
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran, Thang D
• Application Number:
  US15/956,005
• Publication Number:
  US 20180308328A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,098 Days
• Field of Search: 340567
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1895 using light change detection systems G08B13/194 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19 using infrared-radiation detection systems G08B13/194 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19604 involving reference image or background adaptation with time to compensate for changing conditions, e.g. reference image update on detection of light level change
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1961 Movement detection not involving frame subtraction, e.g. motion detection on the basis of luminance changes in the image
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19695 Arrangements wherein non-video detectors start video recording or forwarding but do not generate an alarm themselves
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 29/188 Data fusion; cooperative systems, e.g. voting among different detectors
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 3/10 using electric transmission; using electromagnetic transmission

Abstract

An audio/video (A/V) recording and communication device includes a camera, a passive infrared (PIR) sensor, and a light sensor. A method receives a PIR sensor output signal from the PIR sensor, receives image data from the camera, and receives a light sensor output signal from the light sensor. The method determines, using the light sensor output signal and at least one of the PIR sensor output signal and the image data whether to activate recording of the image data, and upon determining to activate recording of the image data, generates an alert. The method transmits the alert to a client device associated with the A/V recording and communication device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

setting, by an electronic device, a first motion threshold value associated with a motion sensor;

generating, by the electronic device, a first signal using a light sensor;

setting, by the electronic device and based at least in part on the first signal, a second motion threshold value associated with the motion sensor, the second motion threshold value being different than the first motion threshold value;

generating, by the electronic device, a second signal using the motion sensor;

determining, by the electronic device, that a magnitude represented by the second signal satisfies the second motion threshold value;

based at least in part on determining that the magnitude satisfies the second motion threshold value, generating, by the electronic device, image data using a camera; and

transmitting, by the electronic device, the image data to one or more computing devices.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating a third signal using the light sensor,

and wherein setting the first motion threshold value is based at least in part on the third signal.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein:

the magnitude is a first magnitude;

a second magnitude represented by the first signal is greater than a third magnitude represented by the third signal; and

setting the second motion threshold value comprises setting the second motion threshold value by increasing the first motion threshold value based at least in part on the second magnitude being greater than the third magnitude.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein:

the magnitude is a first magnitude;

a second magnitude represented by the first signal is less than a third magnitude represented by the third signal; and

setting the second motion threshold value comprises setting the second motion threshold value by decreasing the first motion threshold value based at least in part on the second magnitude being less than the third magnitude.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the magnitude satisfies the second motion threshold value comprises at least determining that the magnitude is greater than the second motion threshold value.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the magnitude satisfies the second motion threshold value comprises at least determining that the magnitude is less than the second motion threshold value.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating a third signal using the motion sensor;

determining that an additional magnitude represented by the third signal does not satisfy the second motion threshold value; and

based at least in part on determining that the additional magnitude does not satisfy the second motion threshold value, refraining from generating additional image data using the camera.

8. A method comprising:

setting, by an electronic device, a first motion threshold value associated with a motion sensor;

generating, by the electronic device, a first signal using a light sensor;

setting, by the electronic device and based at least in part on the first signal, a second motion threshold value associated with the motion sensor;

generating, by the electronic device, image data using a camera;

generating, by the electronic device, a second signal using the motion sensor;

determining, by the electronic device, that a magnitude represented by the second signal satisfies the second motion threshold value; and

sending, by the electronic device, the image data based at least in part on determining that the magnitude satisfies the second motion threshold value.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

generating additional image data using the camera;

generating a third output signal using the motion sensor;

determining that an additional magnitude represented by the third signal does not satisfy the second motion threshold value; and

refraining from sending the additional image data based at least in part on determining that the additional magnitude does not satisfy the second motion threshold value.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

generating a third signal using the light sensor,

and wherein setting the first motion threshold value is based at least in part on the third signal.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein determining that the magnitude satisfies the second motion threshold value comprises at least determining that the magnitude is greater than the second motion threshold value.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein determining that the magnitude satisfies the second motion threshold value comprises at least determining that the magnitude is less than the second motion threshold value.

13. An audio/video (A/V) device, comprising:

a camera;

a motion sensor;

a light sensor,

a communication component;

one or more processors; and

one or more computer-readable media storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the A/V device to perform operations comprising;

setting a first motion threshold value associated with the motion sensor;

generating a first signal using the motion sensor;

determining that a magnitude represented by the first signal satisfies the first motion threshold value;

based at least in part on determining that the magnitude satisfies the first motion threshold value, generating image data using the camera;

generating a second signal using the light sensor; and

setting, based at least in part on the second signal, a second motion threshold value associated with the motion sensor.

14. The A/V device of claim 13, the one or more computer-readable media storing further instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the A/V device to perform further operations comprising:

determining that the first output signal is above a second magnitude satisfies a third motion threshold value,

wherein generating the image data is further based at least in part on determining that the magnitude satisfies the third motion threshold value.

15. The A/V device of claim 13, the one or more computer-readable media storing further instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the A/V device to perform further operations comprising:

determining that the image data represents movement; and

sending the image data based at least in part on the image data representing the movement.

16. The A/V device of claim 15, the one or more computer-readable media storing further instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the A/V device to perform further operations comprising:

determining a number of changed pixels between a first frame represented by the image data and a second frame represented by the image data, wherein the first frame is different than the second frame,

and wherein determining that the image data represents the movement is based at least in part on the number of changed pixels.

17. The A/V device of claim 13, the one or more computer-readable media storing further instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the A/V device to perform further operations comprising:

generating a third signal using the light sensor,

and wherein setting the first motion threshold value is based at least in part on the third signal.

18. The A/V device of claim 17, wherein:

the magnitude is a first magnitude;

a second magnitude represented by the first signal is greater than a third magnitude represented by the third signal; and

the second motion threshold value is greater than the first motion threshold value based at least in part on the second magnitude being greater than the third magnitude.

19. The A/V device of claim 17, wherein:

the magnitude is a first magnitude;

a second magnitude represented by the first signal is less than a third magnitude represented by the third signal; and

the second motion threshold value is less than the first motion threshold value based at least in part on the second magnitude being less than the third magnitude.

20. The A/V device of claim 13, the one or more computer-readable media storing further instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the A/V device to perform further operations comprising:

generating a third signal using the motion sensor;

determining that an additional magnitude represented by the third signal does not satisfy the second motion threshold value; and

based at least in part on determining that the additional magnitude does not satisfy the second motion threshold value, refraining from generating additional image data using the camera.