Methods and systems for automatically monitoring user activity

• US 9,942,056 B2
• Filed: 02/19/2015
• Issued: 04/10/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vivint Incorporated (NRG Energy, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Vivint Incorporated (NRG Energy, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lin, Rongbin Lanny, Bunker, Brandon, Davis, Aaron, Liu, Shiwei
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, LEON VIET Q
• Application Number:
  US14/626,774
• Publication Number:
  US 20160248598A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,146 Days
• Field of Search: 340517, 340521, 3405731
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0205 Specific application combined with child monitoring using a transmitter-receiver system
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0291 Housing and user interface of child unit
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0294 Display details on parent unit
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2816 Controlling appliance services of a home automation network by calling their functionalities 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 H04Q9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/282 based on user interaction within the home receiver circuitry for displaying additional information being controlled by a remote control apparatus H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2823 Reporting information sensed by appliance or service execution status of appliance services in a home automation network device-related reporting H04L43/065; 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 H04Q9/00

Abstract

A method for home automation system is described. In one embodiment, the method may include receiving input regarding a list of predetermined activities. The method may further include receiving monitored activity data of at least one authorized user. The method may further include comparing the received monitored activity data with the received input regarding the list of predetermined activities, and operating at least one aspect of the home automation system based, at least in part, on the comparing.

Claims

1. A method for a home automation system, comprising:

receiving input, by the home automation system, regarding a list of predetermined activities;

receiving monitored activity data, by the home automation system, of at least one authorized user;

comparing the received monitored activity data with the received input regarding the list of predetermined activities; and

initiating an action, by the home automation system, the initiation based at least in part on the comparing, and the action associated with a motivator for the at least one authorized user to reach a goal relating to at least one non-virtual activity, wherein the action is initiated prior to reaching the goal and prior to the at least one authorized user attempting to access a reward associated with and distinct from the goal, and wherein the action comprises communicating a message including at least one step for reaching the goal, and wherein the content of the message comprises an indication of the reward.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the input comprises receiving a time limit for at least one of the predetermined activities, and

wherein comparing the received monitored activity data with the received input regarding the list of predetermined activities comprises comparing a duration of time for the received monitored activity data with the received time limit for at least one of the predetermined activities.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the input comprises receiving input regarding a quality threshold for at least one of the predetermined activities, and

wherein comparing the received monitored activity data with the received input regarding the list of predetermined activities comprises comparing the received monitored activity data with the received input regarding the quality threshold for at least one of the predetermined activities.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the monitored activity data comprises monitored activity data of the at least one authorized user, and wherein receiving the monitored activity data further comprises receiving an activity data status request, and

wherein comparing the received monitored activity data with the received input regarding the list of predetermined activities comprises comparing the monitored activity data of the at least one authorized user with the received input regarding the list of predetermined activities;

and

the method further comprising providing an activity data status report based at least in part on the comparing.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing an alert prior to operating the at least one aspect of the home automation system.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the monitored activity data is at least one of reading, or practicing an instrument, or exercising, or playing, or watching television, or playing videogames, or doing chores, or a combination thereof.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one aspect of the home automation system is at least one of turning on or off an appliance, or generating a message or alert, or awarding virtual currency or points, or communicating activity data to the authorized user, or communicating activity data to a second user, or a combination thereof.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the received monitored activity data is received via at least one of a vibration sensor, or a video monitor, or an audio monitor, or a wireless signal detector, or a heart rate detector, or a breathing detector, or a heat sensor, or a motion detector, or a location position sensor, or a global position sensor, or a facial recognition detector, or a combination thereof.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

detecting at least one pattern of activity data; and

adaptively learning an identity of activity data based, at least in part, on the detected at least one pattern.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the monitored activity data is received from a mobile monitoring device, the mobile monitoring device comprising a wearable sensor.

11. An apparatus for a home automation system, comprising:

a processor;

memory in electronic communication with the processor; and

instructions stored in the memory, the instructions being executable by the processor to cause the home automation system to;

receive input regarding a list of predetermined activities;

receive monitored activity data of at least one authorized user;

compare the received monitored activity data with the received input regarding the list of predetermined activities; and

initiate an action based at least in part on the comparing, and the action associated with a motivator for the at least one authorized user to reach a goal relating to at least one non-virtual activity, wherein the action is initiated prior to reaching the goal and prior to the at least one authorized user attempting to access a reward associated with and distinct from the goal, and wherein the action comprises communicating a message including at least one step for reaching the goal, and wherein the content of the message comprises an indication of the reward.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising:

a receiver to receive a time limit for at least one of the predetermined activities, wherein the processor is further operable to;

compare a duration of time for the received monitored activity data to the received time limit for at least one of the predetermined activities; and

initiate the action related to the home automation system, the initiation based at least in part on the comparing the duration of time for the received monitored activity data to the received time limit.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising:

a receiver to receive input regarding a quality threshold of at least one predetermined activity, wherein the processor is further operable to;

compare the received monitored activity data with the received input regarding the quality threshold of the at least one predetermined activity; and

initiate the action related to the home automation system, the initiation based at least in part on the comparing the received monitored activity data with the received input regarding the quality threshold.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising:

a receiver to receive an activity data status request, wherein the processor is further operable to;

compare the monitored activity data of the at least one authorized user with the received input regarding the list of predetermined activities; and

provide an activity data status report based at least in part on the comparing.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the monitored activity data is at least one of reading, or practicing an instrument, or exercising, or playing, or watching television, or playing videogames, or doing chores, or a combination thereof.

16. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the at least one aspect of the home automation system is at least one of turning on or off an appliance, or generating a message or alert, or awarding virtual currency or points, or communicating activity data to the authorized user, or communicating activity data to a second user, or a combination thereof.

17. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the received monitored activity data is received via at least one of a vibration sensor, or a video monitor, or an audio monitor, or a wireless signal detector, or a heart rate detector, or a breathing detector, or a heat sensor, or a motion detector, or a location position sensor, or a global position sensor, or a facial recognition detector, or a combination thereof.

18. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to:

detect at least one pattern of activity data; and

adaptively learn an identity of activity data based, at least in part, on the detected at least one pattern.

19. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the monitored activity data is received from a mobile monitoring device, the mobile monitoring device comprising a wearable sensor.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-executable code, the code executable by a processor to cause the home automation system to:

receive input regarding a list of predetermined activities;

receive monitored activity data of at least one authorized user;

compare the received monitored activity data with the received list of predetermined activities; and

initiate an action based at least in part on the comparing, and the action associated with a motivator for the at least one authorized user to reach a goal relating to at least one non-virtual activity, wherein the action is initiated prior to reaching the goal and prior to the at least one authorized user attempting to access a reward associated with and distinct from the goal, and wherein the action comprises communicating a message including at least one step for reaching the goal, and wherein the content of the message comprises an indication of the reward.