Method and system for processing motion event notifications

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10140827-B2
Application number	US-201514736134-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 10, 2015
Priority date	Jul 7, 2014
Publication date	Nov 27, 2018
Grant date	Nov 27, 2018

Abstract

The disclosed embodiments include a system for processing motion events. The system obtains a video stream from a camera, the video stream corresponding to a field of view of the camera and obtains identification of a spatial zone, the spatial zone corresponding to at least a portion of the field of view of the camera. For each motion event detected in the video stream: (1) the system determines whether the motion event involves the spatial zone; and (2), in accordance with a determination that the motion event involves the spatial zone, the system suppresses a first user notification for the motion event.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of processing motion events, the method comprising:
at a server system having one or more processors and memory, wherein the server system is configured to process motion events for each of a plurality of smart home environments remote from the server system, each smart home environment of the plurality of smart home environments corresponding to a distinct set of one or more cameras, registered users, and client devices:
for a first smart home environment of the plurality of smart home environments, wherein the first smart home environment corresponds to a first set of one or more cameras, a first set of one or more registered users, and a first set of one or more client devices:
obtaining a video stream from a camera of the first set of cameras, the video stream corresponding to a field of view of the camera;
obtaining, on a client device of the first set of client devices, identification of a user-defined spatial zone corresponding to a portion of the field of view of the camera; and
for a motion event detected in the video stream subsequent to obtaining the identification of the user-defined spatial zone:
determining whether the motion event involves the spatial zone;
characterizing motion of the motion event, including analyzing any portion of the motion that occurred within the spatial zone;
storing video information of the motion event at the server system, including storing the characterization of the motion and one or more images of the motion event;
in accordance with a determination that the motion event involves the spatial zone, suppressing a first user notification for the motion event; and
in accordance with a determination that the motion event does not involve the spatial zone:
 generating a second user notification for the motion event; and
 sending the second user notification to the first set of registered users via the first set of client devices.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining whether the motion event involves the spatial zone includes determining whether a respective event mask of the motion event overlaps with the spatial zone by at least a predetermined overlap factor.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein suppressing the first user notification for the motion event includes forgoing generating a user alert for the motion event.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein suppressing the first user notification for the motion event includes forgoing including notification of the motion event on an event timeline.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the user-defined spatial zone comprises a zone hand-drawn by a user on a display of the client device.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein obtaining identification of the spatial zone includes obtaining category information for the spatial zone, the category information denoting the spatial zone as a spatial zone in which user notifications are suppressed.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the obtained category information includes information regarding whether user notifications for the spatial zone are disabled.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
obtaining identification of a second spatial zone; and
for the subsequent motion event detected in the video stream:
in accordance with a determination that the motion event involves the second spatial zone, identifying the second spatial zone in the second user notification for the motion event.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein obtaining identification of the spatial zone comprises:
receiving a user selection corresponding to a first portion of the camera's field of view; and
defining the spatial zone so as to exclude the first portion of the camera's field of view.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
detecting motion in the video stream, including detecting an amount of motion;
determining whether the amount of motion detected meets predefined criterion; and
in accordance with a determination that the amount of motion detected meets the predefined criterion, designating the motion as a motion event.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein determining whether the amount of motion detected meets the predefined criterion includes determining whether the amount of motion detected exceeds a motion amount threshold.

12. A motion processing system, comprising:
one or more processors; and
memory storing one or more programs to be executed by the one or more processors, the one or more programs comprising instructions for processing motion events for each of a plurality of smart home environments remote from the motion processing system, each smart home environment of the plurality of smart home environments corresponding to a distinct set of one or more cameras, registered users, and client devices, the processing including, for a first smart home environment of the plurality of smart home environments:
obtaining a video stream from a camera of the first set of cameras, the video stream corresponding to a field of view of the camera;
obtaining, on a client device of the first set of client devices, identification of a user-defined spatial zone corresponding to a portion of the field of view of the camera; and
for a motion event detected in the video stream subsequent to obtaining the identification of the user-defined spatial zone:
determining whether the motion event involves the spatial zone;
characterizing motion of the motion event, including analyzing any portion of the motion that occurred within the spatial zone;
storing video information of the motion event at the server system, including storing the characterization of the motion and one or more images of the motion event;
in accordance with a determination that the motion event involves the spatial zone, suppressing a first user notification for the motion event; and
in accordance with a determination that the motion event does not involve the spatial zone:
generating a second user notification for the motion event; and
sending the second user notification to the first set of registered users via the first set of client devices.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein suppressing the first user notification for the motion event includes forgoing generating a user alert for the motion event.

14. The system of claim 12 , wherein suppressing the first user notification for the motion event includes forgoing including notification of the motion event on an event timeline.

15. The system of claim 12 , wherein the user-defined spatial zone comprises a zone hand-drawn by a user on a display of the client device.

16. The system of claim 12 , the one or more programs further comprising instructions for:
obtaining identification of a second spatial zone; and
for the subsequent motion event detected in the video stream:
in accordance with a determination that the motion event involves the second spatial zone, identifying the second spatial zone in the second user notification for the motion event.

17. The system of claim 12 , wherein obtaining identification of the spatial zone comprises:
receiving a user selection corresponding to a first portion of the camera's field of view; and
defining the spatial zone so as to exclude the first portion of the camera's field of view.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing one or more programs, the one or more programs comprising instructions, which, when executed by a server system with one or more processors, cause the server system to process motion events for each of a plurality of smart home environments remote from the serv

Assignees

• Google Llc

Inventors

• Laska Jason N
• Nelson Greg R
• Duffy Greg
• Hill Cameron
• Davidsson Martin

Classifications

• G06F3/167

  Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback · CPC title

• H04N7/181 Primary

  for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources · CPC title

• G08B13/1961

  Movement detection not involving frame subtraction, e.g. motion detection on the basis of luminance changes in the image · CPC title

• G08B13/19691 Primary

  Signalling events for better perception by user, e.g. indicating alarms by making display brighter, adding text, creating a sound · CPC title

• H04N7/188

  Capturing isolated or intermittent images triggered by the occurrence of a predetermined event, e.g. an object reaching a predetermined position (signal generation from motion picture films H04N5/253) · CPC title