System and method for providing home awareness

• US 7,342,488 B2
• Filed: 10/13/2004
• Issued: 03/11/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Enseo, LLC (Enseo, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: ‎InnVision Networks, LLC
• Inventors: Wolfe, Edward H., Chisholm, Eric W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee; Benjamin C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Labbees; Edny
• Application Number:
  US10/965,463
• Publication Number:
  US 20060087428A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,245 Days
• Field of Search: 340/539.1, 340/539.14, 340/539.16, 340/539.17, 340/539.22, 340/539.26, 340/525, 340/531, 340/815.4, 340/815.14, 725/9, 725/33, 725/32, 725/81, 725/152, 725/153
• US Class Current: 340/500
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/085 using central distribution transmission lines
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/14 Central alarm receiver or annunciator arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4882 for displaying messages, e.g. warnings, reminders arrangements for providing short real-time information to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1895
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

A system and method for providing home awareness are disclosed. In one embodiment, a sensor is associated with a household amenity. In response to the occurrence of an event, a wireless signal is transmitted to a monitoring unit which, in turn, superimposes a text message indicative of the event onto a video signal. A display unit, such as a television, is connected to the monitoring unit and displays the video signal including the superimposed text message.

Claims

1. A system for providing home awareness, the system comprising:

a sensor associated with a household amenity;

a control signal portion generated at the sensor in response to an event occurrence associated with the household amenity;

a text message generated at the sensor in response to the event occurrence, the text message providing data about the event occurrence in form of values expressed as upper nibbles and lower nibbles;

a wireless signal generated at the sensor, the wireless signal including the control signal portion and the text message;

a database including a representation of a character code table for translating the values expressed as upper nibbles and lower nibbles into characters for display;

a monitoring unit having access to the database, responsive to receiving the wireless signal, for performing one of;

(i) passing an existing video feed through the monitoring unit, the existing video signal originating independently of the sensor and including content differing from the data about the event occurrence, and

(ii) superimposing the characters for display into line 21 of a vertical blanking interval of the existing video signal at a position indicated by the control signal portion; and

a display unit connected to the monitoring unit, the display unit for displaying the existing video signal and the existing video signal with the superimposed characters for display providing the data about the event occurrence.

2. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the household amenity is selected from the group consisting of security alarm systems, garage doors, hot-water heaters, sump pumps, door bells, pet bowls, HVAC systems, and entry points.

3. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the event occurrence is selected from the group consisting of power failures, water leaks, and security breaches.

4. The system as recited in claim 1, further comprising a satellite box that provides the existing video signal to the monitoring unit.

5. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the monitoring unit is integrated with a device selected from the group consisting of cable boxes, satellite boxes, video cassette devices, DVD devices, television receivers, and monitors.

6. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the display unit comprises a television.

7. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the text message comprises data selected from the group consisting of alphanumeric characters, icons, and symbols.

8. A method for providing home awareness, the method comprising:

associating a sensor with a household amenity;

passing an existing video feed through the monitoring unit to a television, the existing video feed originating independently of the first and second sensors and including content differing from data about an event occurrence at the household amenity;

detecting an occurrence of the event at the household amenity;

generating a control signal at a sensor associated with the household amenity;

generating a text message at the sensor, the text message providing data about the event occurrence in form of values expressed as upper nibbles and lower nibbles;

sending a wireless signal from a sensor associated with the household amenity, the wireless signal including the control signal and the text message;

receiving the wireless signal at a monitoring unit;

accessing a database including a representation of a character code table for translating the values expressed as the upper nibbles and the lower nibbles into characters for display;

superimposing the characters for display into line 21 of a vertical blanking interval of the existing video signal at a position indicated by the control signal portion; and

displaying the text message on the television at the position indicated by the control signal.

9. The method as recited in claim 8, further comprising verifying that the wireless signal originated from the sensor.

10. The method as recited in claim 8, wherein detecting the occurrence of the event further comprises detecting an event selected from the group consisting of power failures, water leaks, and security breaches.

11. A system for providing home awareness, the system comprising:

a first sensor associated with a first household amenity, the first sensor having a first unique identification number being associated therewith;

a second sensor associated with a second household amenity, the second sensor having a second unique identification number being associated therewith;

a wireless signal generated at the first sensor in response to an event occurrence associated with the first household amenity, the wireless signal including a code signal portion which corresponds to a text message which provides data about the event occurrence, the code signal portion being associated with the first unique identification number to identify the first sensor;

a monitoring unit, responsive to receiving the wireless signal, for performing tasks of;

(i) passing an existing video feed through the monitoring unit, the existing video signal originating independently of the sensor and including content differing from the data about the event occurrence, and

(ii) identifying the text message stored at the monitoring unit based on the code signal portion of the wireless signal and superimposing the text message onto the existing video signal; and

a display unit connected to the monitoring unit, the display unit for displaying the existing video signal and the existing video signal with the superimposed text message providing the data about the event occurrence.

12. The system as recited in claim 11, wherein the first household amenity is selected from the group consisting of security alarm systems, garage doors, front doors, hot-water heaters, sump pumps, door bells, pet bowls, HVAC systems, and entry points.

13. The system as recited in claim 11, wherein the event occurrence is selected from the group consisting of power failures, water leaks, and security breaches.

14. The system as recited in claim 11, further comprising a satellite box that provides the existing video signal to the monitoring unit.

15. The system as recited in claim 11, wherein the monitoring unit is integrated with a device selected from the group consisting of cable boxes, satellite boxes, video cassette devices, DVD devices, television receivers, and monitors.

16. The system as recited in claim 11, wherein the display unit comprises a television.

17. The system as recited in claim 11, wherein the text message is inserted into line 21 of a vertical blanking interval of the video signal.

18. The system as recited in claim 11, wherein the text message comprises data selected from the group consisting of alphanumeric characters, icons, and symbols.

19. A method for providing home awareness, the method comprising:

associating a first sensor having a first unique identification number with a first household amenity;

associating a second sensor having a second unique identification number with a second household amenity;

programming a monitoring unit with the first and second unique identification numbers;

associating respective code signals with the first and second unique identification numbers programmed into the monitoring unit, the code signals corresponding to text messages providing data about an event occurrence at one of the first and second sensors;

passing an existing video feed through the monitoring unit to a television, the existing video feed originating independently of the first and second sensors and including content differing from data about the event occurrence;

detecting an occurrence of an event at the first household amenity;

generating a code signal at the first sensor associated with the first household amenity, the code signal being one of the respective code signals corresponding to a text message stored at the monitoring unit providing data about the event occurrence;

sending a wireless signal from the first sensor associated with the household amenity, the wireless signal including the first identification number and the code signal;

receiving the wireless signal at a monitoring unit;

identifying the first sensor based on the first identification number stored at the monitoring unit;

identifying the text message stored at the monitoring unit based on the code signal;

superimposing the text message onto the existing video feed supplied to the television; and

displaying the text message on the television.

20. The method as recited in claim 19, further comprising verifying that the wireless signal originated from the first sensor.

21. The method as recited in claim 19, wherein detecting the occurrence of the event further comprises detecting an event selected from the group consisting of power failures, water leaks, and security breaches.

22. The method as recited in claim 19, wherein superimposing the text message further comprises inserting the text message into line 21 of the vertical blanking interval of the video signal.