Home automation sound detection and positioning

• US 9,729,989 B2
• Filed: 03/27/2015
• Issued: 08/08/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: EchoStar Technologies International Corporation (Echostar Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Echostar Technologies LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Inventors: Marten, Neil
• Primary Examiner(s): Jerez Lora, William A
• Application Number:
  US14/671,299
• Publication Number:
  US 20160286327A1
• Time in Patent Office: 865 Days
• Field of Search: 381 56, 381 58, 381124
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1672 using sonic detecting means, e.g. a microphone operating in the audio frequency range
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 19/00 Alarms responsive to two or more different undesired or abnormal conditions, e.g. burglary and fire, abnormal temperature and abnormal rate of flow
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 29/008 Visual indication of individual signal levels visual indication of stereophonic sound image H04S7/40

Abstract

Systems, methods, devices, non-transitory computer-readable mediums, and apparatuses are presented for detecting and positioning sound in a home automation system. Indications of sounds and timestamps may be received from various home automation devices. Using the received indications, a sound magnitude for the sound and whether the sound originated inside or outside of the structure can be determined. The sound magnitude may be compared to an inside sound threshold level if the sound was determined to originate inside the structure or compared to an outside sound threshold level if the sound was determined to originate outside the structure. Sound information corresponding to the sound may be logged if the sound was determined to originate inside and the sound magnitude exceeds the inside sound threshold level or the sound was determined to originate outside and the sound magnitude exceeds the outside sound threshold level.

Claims

1. A method for detecting and positioning sound in a home automation system installed at a structure, the method comprising:

receiving, from a first home automation device by a home automation host system, a first indication of a sound and a first timestamp, wherein the first indication is indicative of a first measured sound magnitude and the first home automation device is located within the structure;

receiving, from a second home automation device by the home automation host system, a second indication of the sound and a second timestamp, wherein the second indication is indicative of a second measured sound magnitude and the second home automation device is located outside the structure;

receiving, from a third home automation device by the home automation host system, a third indication of the sound and a third timestamp, wherein the third indication is indicative of a third measured sound magnitude;

determining, by the home automation host system, using the first indication, the second indication, the third indication, the first timestamp, the second timestamp, and the third timestamp, a location of the sound, a sound magnitude for the sound and whether the sound originated inside or outside of the structure, wherein;

the sound magnitude is extrapolated based on the determined location of the sound; and

at least one home automation device of the first home automation device, the second home automation device, and the third home automation device is located within the structure;

comparing, by the home automation host system, the sound magnitude to an inside sound threshold level if the sound was determined to originate inside the structure or comparing, by the home automation host system, the sound magnitude to an outside sound threshold level if the sound was determined to originate outside the structure; and

logging, by the home automation host system, sound information corresponding to the sound if;

the sound was determined to originate inside and the sound magnitude exceeds the inside sound threshold level;

or the sound was determined to originate outside and the sound magnitude exceeds the outside sound threshold level.

2. The method for detecting and positioning sound in the home automation system installed at the structure of claim 1, the method further comprising:

transmitting, to a user mobile device from the home automation host system, a notification of the sound if the sound was determined to originate inside and the sound magnitude exceeds the inside sound threshold level, or the sound was determined to originate outside and the sound magnitude exceeds the outside sound threshold level, the outside sound threshold level being greater than the inside sound threshold level.

3. The method for detecting and positioning sound in the home automation system installed at the structure of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first indication, the second indication, and the third indication comprises a recording of the sound, the method further comprising:

storing, by the home automation host system, the recording of the sound if the sound was determined to originate inside and the sound magnitude exceeds the inside sound threshold level, or the sound was determined to originate outside and the sound magnitude exceeds the outside sound threshold level.

4. The method for detecting and positioning sound in the home automation system installed at the structure of claim 1, wherein determining whether the sound originated inside or outside of the structure comprises:

determining, by the home automation host system, a direction from which the sound originated.

5. The method for detecting and positioning sound in the home automation system installed at the structure of claim 3, further comprising:

comparing, by the home automation host system, the recording of the sound to one or more stored recordings of sounds previously logged;

determining, by the home automation host system, the recording of the sound matches the one or more stored recordings of sounds previously logged; and

storing, by the home automation host system, an indication of a recurring sound based on the recording of the sound being determined to match the one or more stored recordings of sounds previously logged.

6. The method for detecting and positioning sound in the home automation system installed at the structure of claim 5, further comprising:

outputting, by the home automation host system, via a display device, an interface that presents entries corresponding to logged sound information.

7. The method for detecting and positioning sound in the home automation system installed at the structure of claim 6, wherein the interface, for the logged sound information, indicates:

a direction from which the sound originated;

an indication of whether the sound originated inside or outside of the structure; and

an option to playback the recording of the sound.

8. The method for detecting and positioning sound in the home automation system installed at the structure of claim 7, wherein the interface, for the logged sound information, further indicates:

a number of times sounds similar to the logged sound information has been logged.

9. The method for detecting and positioning sound in the home automation system installed at the structure of claim 7, wherein determining, by the home automation host system, using the first indication, the second indication, and the third indication, whether the sound originated inside or outside of the structure, comprises performing, by the home automation host system, a time-of-flight analysis using the first timestamp, the second timestamp, and the third timestamp.

10. The method for detecting and positioning sound in the home automation system installed at the structure of claim 1, wherein the first home automation device is located on an exterior of the structure and the second home automation device and the third home automation device are located inside the structure.

11. The method for detecting and positioning sound in the home automation system installed at the structure of claim 1, wherein the first home automation device, the second home automation device, and the third home automation device have a primary purpose other than collecting sound for identifying environmental sound sources.

12. A home automation system for detecting and positioning sound at a structure, the home automation system comprising:

a first home automation device, located within the structure;

a second home automation device, located outside the structure; and

a home automation host device, configured to;

receive, from the first home automation device, a first indication of a sound and a first timestamp, wherein the first indication is indicative of a first measured sound magnitude;

receive, from the second home automation device, a second indication of the sound and a second timestamp, wherein the second indication is indicative of a second measured sound magnitude;

determine, using the first indication, the second indication, the first timestamp, and the second timestamp, a location of the sound, a sound magnitude for the sound and whether the sound originated inside or outside of the structure, wherein the sound magnitude is extrapolated based on the determined location of the sound;

compare the sound magnitude to an inside sound threshold level if the sound was determined to originate inside the structure or compare the sound magnitude to an outside sound threshold level if the sound was determined to originate outside the structure; and

log sound information corresponding to the sound if;

the sound was determined to originate inside and the sound magnitude exceeds the inside sound threshold level;

or the sound was determined to originate outside and the sound magnitude exceeds the outside sound threshold level.

13. The home automation system for detecting and positioning sound at the structure of claim 12, wherein the home automation host device further configured to:

transmit, to a user mobile device, a notification of the sound if the sound was determined to originate inside and the sound magnitude exceeds the inside sound threshold level, or the sound was determined to originate outside and the sound magnitude exceeds the outside sound threshold level, the outside sound threshold level being greater than the inside sound threshold level.

14. The home automation system for detecting and positioning sound at the structure of claim 12, wherein at least one of the first indication and the second indication comprises a recording of the sound, the home automation host device further configured to:

store the recording of the sound if the sound was determined to originate inside and the sound magnitude exceeds the inside sound threshold level, or the sound was determined to originate outside and the sound magnitude exceeds the outside sound threshold level.

15. The home automation system for detecting and positioning sound at the structure of claim 12, wherein the home automation host device determining whether the sound originated inside or outside of the structure comprises the home automation host device being configured to determine a direction from which the sound originated.

16. The home automation system for detecting and positioning sound at the structure of claim 14, wherein the home automation host device is further configured to:

compare the recording of the sound to one or more stored recordings of sounds previously logged;

determine the recording of the sound matches the one or more stored recordings of sounds previously logged; and

store an indication of a recurring sound based on the recording of the sound being determined to match the one or more stored recordings of sounds previously logged.

17. The home automation system for detecting and positioning sound at the structure of claim 16, wherein the home automation host device is further configured to:

output, to a display device, an interface that presents entries corresponding to logged sound information.

18. The home automation system for detecting and positioning sound at the structure of claim 17, wherein the interface output to the display device by the home automation host device indicates:

a direction from which the sound originated;

an indication of whether the sound originated inside or outside of the structure; and

an option to playback the recording of the sound.

19. The home automation system for detecting and positioning sound at the structure of claim 17, wherein the interface output to the display device by the home automation host device indicates:

a number of times sounds similar to the logged sound information has been logged.

20. A non-transitory processor-readable medium, comprising processor-readable instructions configured to cause one or more processors to:

receive, from a first home automation device, a first indication of a sound and a first timestamp, wherein the first indication is indicative of a first measured sound magnitude and the first home automation device is located within a structure;

receive, from a second home automation device, a second indication of the sound and a second timestamp, wherein the second indication is indicative of a second measured sound magnitude and the second home automation device is located outside the structure;

receive, from a third home automation device, a third indication of the sound and a third timestamp, wherein the third indication is indicative of a third measured sound magnitude;

determine, using the first indication, the second indication, the third indication, the first timestamp, the second timestamp, and the third timestamp, a location of the sound, a sound magnitude for the sound, and whether the sound originated inside or outside of the structure, wherein the sound magnitude is extrapolated based on the determined location of the sound;

compare the sound magnitude to an inside sound threshold level if the sound was determined to originate inside the structure or compare the sound magnitude to an outside sound threshold level if the sound was determined to originate outside the structure; and

log sound information corresponding to the sound if;

the sound was determined to originate inside and the sound magnitude exceeds the inside sound threshold level;

or the sound was determined to originate outside and the sound magnitude exceeds the outside sound threshold level.