Remote sensors for detecting alert conditions and notifying a central station

• US 9,847,008 B2
• Filed: 02/21/2017
• Issued: 12/19/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Hunter, Charles Eric, Ballou, Bernard L., Hebrank, John, Fallon, James, Summer, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): POPE, DARYL C
• Application Number:
  US15/438,235
• Publication Number:
  US 20170162023A1
• Time in Patent Office: 301 Days
• Field of Search: 3405391, 34053911, 34053913, 4554041, 4554042, 4555501
• 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: G08B 21/12 responsive to undesired emission of substances, e.g. pollution alarms
• 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 27/00 Alarm systems in which the alarm condition is signalled from a central station to a plurality of substations
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 7/06 using electric transmission , e.g. involving audible and visible signalling through the use of sound and light sources
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 27/00 Combined visual and audible advertising or displaying, e.g. for public address
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/00 User notification, e.g. alerting and paging, for incoming communication, change of service or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/50 for emergency connections

Abstract

A method for disseminating emergency notification content from an emergency originating source. The method comprising: delivering the emergency notification content from the emergency originating source to at least one transmitting party; selecting a subset of users from among a set of users for dissemination of the emergency notification content based on the subject matter of the emergency notification content; and delivering the emergency notification content from the at least one transmitting party to a device corresponding to each user from the selected subset of users.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a monitoring device being disposed at a location and communicatively coupled to a communications network, the monitoring device including a sensor module that is configured to;

sense an environmental parameter at the location; and

generate sensor data that characterizes the environmental parameter;

a host facility being communicatively coupled to the communications network, the host facility being configured to maintain information related to the monitoring device, the information including a device identifier of the monitoring device; and

software executing on a handheld computing device that is communicatively coupled to the communications network;

wherein the monitoring device and/or the host facility is configured to apply an algorithm to the sensor data to detect when an alert condition exists;

wherein, upon detection of the alert condition, the monitoring device and/or the host facility is configured to transmit, via the communications network, alert notification content that corresponds to the alert condition;

wherein the software is configured to cause the handheld computing device to output a visual or audible representation of the alert notification content so as to notify a user of the alert condition.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the environmental parameter is light and the sensor data includes electrical signals outputted by a photosensor of the sensor module responsive to sensing light.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the photosensor is constructed of silicon.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the alert condition is movement of an object and the algorithm is applied so as to detect in the electrical signals outputted by the photosensor a pattern that corresponds with movement of an object.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the alert condition is movement of an object;

the environmental parameter is infrared radiation (IR);

the sensor module includes an IR sensor;

the sensor data includes electrical signals outputted by the IR sensor responsive to sensing IR; and

the algorithm is applied so as to detected in the electrical signals outputted by the IR sensor a pattern that corresponds with an object moving within range of the IR sensor.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the alert condition is fire, freezing temperatures, or smoke;

the environmental parameter is heat or particulate;

the sensor module includes a temperature sensor or a particle sensor;

the sensor data includes electrical signals outputted by the temperature sensor responsive to sensing heat or by the particle sensor responsive to sensing particulate; and

the algorithm is applied so as to detect in the electrical signals outputted by the temperature sensor a pattern that corresponds with fire, freezing temperatures, or smoke.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the alert condition is a dangerous amount of a hazardous gas, organic contaminant, or water;

the environmental parameter includes various chemical elements or compounds;

the sensor module includes a chemical sensor;

the sensor data includes electrical signals outputted by the chemical sensor responsive to sensing one or more of the various chemical elements or compounds; and

the algorithm is applied so as to detect in the electrical signals outputted by the chemical sensor a pattern that corresponds with the dangerous amount of the hazardous gas, organic contaminant, or water.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the alert condition is a dangerous amount of water concurrent with freezing or soon-to-be freezing temperatures, wherein the detected pattern corresponds with a trend indicating that the location will soon drop below freezing, wherein the alert notification advises an emergency contact to enter the location prior to a water pipe rupturing due to the freezing temperatures.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the alert condition is sound having a sound signature known to correspond with an event;

the environmental parameter is sound;

the sensor module includes a sound measurement sensor;

the sensor data includes electrical signals outputted by the sound measurement sensor responsive to sensing sound; and

the algorithm is applied so as to detect in the electrical signals outputted by the sound measurement sensor a pattern that corresponds with the sound signature known to correspond with the event.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the software executing on the handheld computing device is further configured to cause the handheld computing device to:

obtain user feedback related to the alert notification; and

transmit, via the communications network, the user feedback for receipt by the host facility;

wherein the user feedback confirms that the user has received the alert notification, or wherein the user feedback confirms or denies the existence of the alert condition at the location.

11. A system, comprising:

means for monitoring being disposed at a location and configured to;

sense an environmental parameter at the location; and

generate sensor data that characterizes the environmental parameter; and

a host facility being remote from, and capable of communication with, the means for monitoring, the host facility being configured to maintain information related to the means for monitoring, the information including an identifier of the means for monitoring;

wherein the means for monitoring and/or the host facility is configured to apply an algorithm to the sensor data to detect when an alert condition exists;

wherein, upon detection of the alert condition, the means for monitoring and/or the host facility is configured to output alert notification content that notifies a user of the alert condition.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the user is notified of the alert condition when a user device of the user receives the outputted alert notification content.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the means for monitoring includes a photosensor, wherein environmental parameter is light and the sensor data includes electrical signals outputted by the photosensor responsive to sensing light.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the alert condition is movement of an object and the algorithm is applied so as to detect in the electrical signals outputted by the photosensor a pattern that corresponds with movement of an object.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein:

the alert condition is movement of an object;

the environmental parameter is infrared radiation (IR);

the means for monitoring includes an IR sensor;

the sensor data includes electrical signals outputted by the IR sensor responsive to sensing IR; and

the algorithm is applied so as to detect in the electrical signals outputted by the IR sensor a pattern that corresponds with an object moving within range of the IR sensor.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein:

the alert condition is fire, freezing temperatures, or smoke;

the environmental parameter is heat or particulate;

the means for monitoring includes a temperature sensor or a particle sensor;

the sensor data includes electrical signals outputted by the temperature sensor responsive to sensing heat or by the particle sensor responsive to sensing particulate; and

the algorithm is applied so as to detect in the electrical signals outputted by the temperature sensor a pattern that corresponds with fire, freezing temperatures, or smoke.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein:

the alert condition is a dangerous amount of a hazardous gas, organic contaminant, or water;

the environmental parameter includes various chemical elements or compounds;

the means for monitoring includes a chemical sensor;

the sensor data includes electrical signals outputted by the chemical sensor responsive to sensing one or more of the various chemical elements or compounds; and

the algorithm is applied so as to detect in the electrical signals outputted by the chemical sensor a pattern that corresponds with the dangerous amount of the hazardous gas, organic contaminant, or water.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the alert condition is a dangerous amount of water concurrent with freezing or soon-to-be freezing temperatures, wherein the detected pattern corresponds with a trend indicating that the location will soon drop below freezing, wherein the alert notification content advises an emergency contact to enter the location prior to a water pipe rupturing due to the freezing temperatures.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein:

the alert condition is sound having a sound signature known to correspond with an event;

the environmental parameter is sound;

the means for monitoring includes a sound measurement sensor;

the sensor data includes electrical signals outputted by the sound measurement sensor responsive to sensing sound; and

the algorithm is applied so as to detect in the electrical signals outputted by the sound measurement sensor a pattern that corresponds with the sound signature known to correspond with the event.

20. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

software executing on a handheld computing device of a user, the software being configured to cause the handheld computing device to;

obtain user feedback related to the alert notification content; and

transmit, via a communications network, the user feedback for receipt by the host facility, wherein the user feedback confirms that the user has received the alert notification, or wherein the user feedback confirms or denies the existence of the alert condition at the location.