Parcel theft deterrence for Audio/Video recording and communication devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10388131-B2
Application number	US-201715669092-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 4, 2017
Priority date	Aug 12, 2016
Publication date	Aug 20, 2019
Grant date	Aug 20, 2019

Abstract

Methods for audio/video (A/V) recording and communication devices including a camera, are provided. One such method comprises determining that a parcel has been left within an area about the A/V recording and communication device, determining that the parcel has been removed from the area about the A/V recording and communication device, determining whether removal of the parcel from the area about the A/V recording and communication device was authorized, and when the removal of the parcel from the area about the A/V recording and communication device is determined to have been unauthorized, generating an alert.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for an audio/video (A/V) recording and communication device, the device including a camera, the method comprising:
determining that a parcel has been left within an area about the A/V recording and communication device;
determining that the parcel has been removed from the area about the A/V recording and communication device;
determining whether removal of the parcel from the area about the A/V recording and communication device was authorized; and
when the removal of the parcel from the area about the A/V recording and communication device is determined to have been unauthorized, generating an alert.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining that the parcel has been left within the area about the A/V recording and communication device comprises comparing video frames recorded by the camera of the A/V recording and communication device.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining that the parcel has been left in the area about the A/V recording and communication device comprises receiving information from a carrier that delivered the parcel.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining that the parcel has been left within the area about the A/V recording and communication device comprises automatic identification and data capture (AIDC).

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the AIDC comprises at least one of a barcode, a matrix code, a bokode, and radio frequency identification (RFID).

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining that the parcel has been removed from the area about the A/V recording and communication device comprises comparing video frames recorded by the camera of the A/V recording and communication device.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining that the parcel has been removed from the area about the A/V recording and communication device comprises automatic identification and data capture (AIDC).

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the AIDC comprises radio frequency identification (RFID).

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining whether removal of the parcel from the area about the A/V recording and communication device was authorized comprises detecting a direction of movement of the parcel.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining whether removal of the parcel from the area about the A/V recording and communication device was authorized comprises automatic identification and data capture (AIDC).

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the AIDC comprises at least one of a barcode, a matrix code, a bokode, radio frequency identification (RFID), a smart card, a magnetic stripe, optical character recognition (OCR), biometrics, voice recognition, facial recognition, three-dimensional facial recognition, and skin texture analysis.

12. The method of claim 10 , further comprising comparing information received through the AIDC to information about one or more persons.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the one or more persons comprise at least one perpetrator of one or more parcel thefts.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the one or more parcel thefts occurred within a defined radius about the A/V recording and communication device.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the alert comprises an alert signal sent to a client device.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the alert comprises an audible alarm emitted from a speaker of the A/V recording and communication device.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the alert comprises an announcement emitted from a speaker of the A/V recording and communication device, the announcement comprising a warning that the area about the A/V recording and communication device is being recorded.

18. The method of claim 1 , further comprising identifying the parcel.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein identifying the parcel comprises the camera of the A/V recording and communication device capturing an image of an identifying mark on the parcel.

20. A method for an audio/video (A/V) recording and communication device, the device including a camera, the method comprising:
determining that a parcel has been left within an area about the A/V recording and communication device;
after the parcel has been left within the area about the A/V recording and communication device, detecting a person within the area about the A/V recording and communication device;
recording, with the camera of the A/V recording and communication device, video images of the person within the area about the A/V recording and communication device; and
emitting an alert from the speaker of the A/V recording and communication device.

21. The method of claim 20 , wherein the alert comprises an audible alarm.

22. The method of claim 20 , wherein the alert comprises an announcement warning the detected person that he or she is being recorded.

23. A method for an audio/video (A/V) recording and communication device, the device including a camera, the method comprising:
determining that a parcel has been left within an area about the A/V recording and communication device, wherein determining that the parcel has been left within the area about the A/V recording and communication device comprises comparing video frames recorded by the camera of the A/V recording and communication device;
determining that the parcel has been removed from the area about the A/V recording and communication device, wherein determining that the parcel has been removed from the area about the A/V recording and communication device comprises comparing video frames recorded by the camera of the A/V recording and communication device;
determining whether removal of the parcel from the area about the A/V recording and communication device was authorized, wherein determining whether removal of the parcel from the area about the A/V recording and communication device was authorized comprises automatic identification and data capture (AIDC); and
when the removal of the parcel from the area about the A/V recording and communication device is determined to have been unauthorized, generating an alert.

24. The method of claim 23 , wherein the AIDC comprises at least one of radio frequency identification (RFID) and biometrics.

25. The method of claim 23 , wherein the AIDC comprises the camera of the A/V recording and communication device capturing an image of a person in the area about the A/V recording and communication device.

26. The method of claim 25 , wherein the image of the person comprises an image of the person's face.

27. The method of claim 25 , further comprising comparing the image of the person to at least one image of at least one other person.

28. The method of claim 27 , wherein the removal of the parcel from the area about the A/V recording and communication device is determined to have been unauthorized when there is a match between the image of the person captured by the camera of the A/V recording and communication device and the at least one image of the at least one other person.

29. A method for an audio/video (A/V) recording and communication device, the device including a processor and a camera, the device being communicatively connected to at least one network device, the method comprising:
determining that a parcel has been left within an area about the A/V recording and communication device, wherein determining that the parcel has been left within the area about the A/V

Assignees

• Ring Inc
• Amazon Tech Inc

Inventors

• Siminoff James
• Roth Joshua

Classifications

• G06T7/246

  using feature-based methods, e.g. the tracking of corners or segments · CPC title

• G08B13/19656

  Network used to communicate with a camera, e.g. WAN, LAN, Internet · CPC title

• H04N7/186

  Video door telephones · 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

• G08B13/19604

  involving reference image or background adaptation with time to compensate for changing conditions, e.g. reference image update on detection of light level change · CPC title