Visitor options at an entryway to a smart-home

• US 9,978,238 B2
• Filed: 12/31/2014
• Issued: 05/22/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Fadell, Anthony Michael, Rogers, Matthew Lee, Matsuoka, Yoky, Sloo, David, Honjo, Shigefumi, McGaraghan, Scott A., Plitkins, Michael, Veron, Maxime, Guenette, Isabel
• Primary Examiner(s): Lim, Steven
• Assistant Examiner(s): Littlejohn, Jr., Mancil
• Application Number:
  US14/587,530
• Publication Number:
  US 20150116108A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,238 Days
• Field of Search: 340 224, 340521, 34053922, 34053926-53928, 3405393, 340501, 340567, 340635, 340825, 700291, 700275
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0631 Resource planning, allocation, distributing or scheduling for enterprises or organisations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/083 Shipping
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 19/005 combined burglary and fire alarm systems
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/008 Alarm setting and unsetting, i.e. arming or disarming of the security system
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 27/003 Signalling to neighbouring houses
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 29/185 Signal analysis techniques for reducing or preventing false alarms or for enhancing the reliability of the system

Abstract

This patent specification relates to apparatus, systems, methods, and related computer program products for providing home security/smart home objectives. More particularly, this patent specification relates to a plurality of devices, including intelligent, multi-sensing, network-connected devices, that communicate with each other and/or with a central server or a cloud-computing system to provide any of a variety of useful home security/smart home objectives.

Claims

1. A method of handling a visitor at an entryway to a structure of a smart environment that comprises a plurality of smart devices, the method comprising:

detecting visitor information associated with the visitor at the entryway to the structure of the smart environment using a first smart device of the plurality of smart devices;

analyzing the detected visitor information using a computing system that is communicatively coupled to the first smart device; and

based on the analyzing, providing feedback from the computing system to the visitor via a second smart device of the plurality of smart devices, wherein;

the feedback comprises an option message indicative of at least one option available to the visitor;

the second smart device is an entryway interface smart device positioned at the entryway to the structure of the smart environment;

the entryway interface smart device comprises;

an output component; and

a doorbell component;

the providing the feedback comprises indicating with the output component that the doorbell component is now enabled for receiving a visitor interaction, in response to which the second smart device will notify an occupant of the smart environment that the visitor is at the smart environment; and

the method further comprises, prior to the providing the feedback, while the doorbell component is not enabled for receiving any visitor interaction, indicating with the output component that the doorbell component is not enabled for receiving any visitor interaction.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the option message comprises an indication that the second smart device is operative to record a visitor message by the visitor for communication to a user of the smart environment.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising, after the providing the feedback, recording visitor message information conveyed by the visitor using a sensing component of the second smart device.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising, sharing, using the computing system, the recorded visitor message with a user of the smart environment.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the option message comprises an indication that the second smart device is operative to notify an occupant of the smart environment that the visitor is at the smart environment.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

receiving an instruction from the visitor with a sensing component of the second smart device; and

in response to the receiving, generating a notification for a user of the smart environment.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the providing the feedback comprises indicating with the output component that the second smart device is operative to notify the occupant in response to the visitor interacting with the doorbell component.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the output component and the doorbell component are integrated into a single user interface.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the indicating with the output component that the doorbell component is not enabled comprises utilizing a light transmitting component of the entryway interface smart device.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the analyzing comprises analyzing the detected visitor information in combination with information indicative of the occupancy of the smart environment.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the option message comprises an indication that the second smart device is operative to do one of the following:

notify any occupant of the smart environment that the visitor is at the smart environment; and

notify a particular occupant of the smart environment that the visitor is at the smart environment.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the analyzing comprises analyzing the detected visitor information in combination with information indicative of the occupancy of the smart environment for determining that a first user of the smart environment is available but that a second user of the smart environment is not available; and

the option message comprises an indication that the second smart device is operative to notify the first user but not the second user that the visitor is at the smart environment.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the first smart device and the second smart device are the entryway interface smart device.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the doorbell component is operative to be interacted with by the visitor for generating a request to contact an occupant of the smart environment.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the first smart device is the entryway interface smart device; and

the doorbell component is operative to be interacted with by the visitor for generating a request to contact an occupant of the smart environment.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the detected visitor information at least partially comprises the visitor interacting with the doorbell component.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the analyzing comprises determining the identification of the visitor.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the determining comprises comparing the detected visitor information with at least a portion of a database of entity recognition data.

19. A system for handling a visitor at a smart environment, the system comprising:

a plurality of smart devices at the smart environment; and

a computing system operative to;

receive visitor data from at least one sensor of a first smart device of the plurality of smart devices, wherein the visitor data is associated with the visitor at the smart environment;

determine occupancy data of the smart environment indicative of the current occupancy of the smart environment when the visitor data is received, wherein the determined occupancy data is indicative of at least one specific user being currently available at the smart environment;

process at least a portion of the received visitor data in conjunction with at least a portion of the determined occupancy data; and

based on the processed visitor data and based on the processed occupancy data, provide feedback from the computing system to the visitor via a second smart device of the plurality of smart devices, wherein the feedback comprises an option message indicative of at least one option available to the visitor, and wherein the option message comprises an indication that the second smart device is operative to notify the at least one specific user currently available at the smart environment that the visitor is at the smart environment.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein

the second smart device is an entryway interface smart device positioned at an entryway to a portion of the smart environment;

and

the entryway interface smart device comprises;

an output component operative to provide the feedback to the visitor; and

a doorbell component operative to be interacted with by a user for generating a request to contact an occupant of the smart environment.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein

the first smart device is the entryway interface smart device;

and

the entryway interface smart device further comprises at least one sensing component operative to detect the visitor data.

22. The system of claim 19, wherein the first smart device is the second smart device.

23. The system of claim 19, wherein the option message comprises an indication that the second smart device is operative to notify both a first user of the smart environment and a second user of the smart environment that the visitor is at the smart environment.

24. The system of claim 19, wherein the option message comprises an indication that the second smart device is operative to notify a first user of the smart environment but not a second user of the smart environment that the visitor is at the smart environment.

25. The system of claim 19, wherein the option message comprises an indication that the second smart device is operative to notify an occupant of the smart environment that the visitor is at the smart environment.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the second smart device is operative to:

receive an instruction from the visitor with a sensing component of the second smart device; and

in response to the received instruction, generate a notification for a user of the smart environment.

27. The system of claim 19, wherein an output component of the second smart device is operative to provide the option message at least one of audibly and visually.

28. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising computer readable instructions recorded thereon for:

detecting visitor information associated with a visitor at a smart environment using an entryway interface smart device of the smart environment;

determining occupancy information that is indicative of the current occupancy of the smart environment when the visitor information is detected, wherein the current occupancy information is indicative of a first user of the smart environment being currently available but a second user of the smart environment not being currently available;

analyzing the detected visitor information in combination with the determined occupancy information using a computing system that is communicatively coupled to the entryway interface smart device; and

based on the analyzing, automatically providing feedback from the computing system to the visitor via another smart device of the smart environment, wherein;

the feedback comprises an option message indicative of at least one option available to the visitor;

the option message comprises an indication that the other smart device is operative to notify the first user but not the second user that the visitor is at the smart environment.