Smart home robot assistant

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10464206-B2
Application number	US-201715593475-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 12, 2017
Priority date	Oct 31, 2014
Publication date	Nov 5, 2019
Grant date	Nov 5, 2019

Abstract

Methods and systems are described for robot transportation of objects into or out of a home automation system. One example may include determining, by a mobile robotic device, that an object is available to cross a boundary of the home automation system. The method may include deactivating at least a portion of the home automation system. The method also include retrieving, by the mobile robotic device, the object and transporting, by the mobile robotic device, the object across the boundary. The method further includes leaving, by the mobile robotic device, the object at a drop-off location. The method may also include reactivating at least the portion of the home automation system.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for robotic delivery in a home automation system, comprising:
determining a time window for delivery of a delivery package;
identifying, via one or more sensors of a mobile robotic device, that the delivery package is located outside a boundary of a home automation system during the time window and is available to cross the boundary of the home automation system;
deactivating at least a portion of the home automation system by deactivating a security lock or alarm system for a door associated with the home automation system;
retrieving, by the mobile robotic device, the delivery package;
transporting, by the mobile robotic device, the delivery package across the boundary of the home automation system through the door;
leaving, by the mobile robotic device, the delivery package at a drop-off location; and
reactivating at least the portion of the home automation system.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
detecting, by the mobile robotic device, the delivery package via the one or more sensors of the mobile robotic device.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving, at the mobile robotic device, a notification from the home automation system identifying the delivery package,
wherein determining that the delivery package is available to cross the boundary of the home automation system is based at least in part on the notification.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving, at the mobile robotic device, an instruction from the home automation system to retrieve the delivery package.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining that the delivery package has been delivered via tracking information.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining the drop-off location for the delivery package based at least on a name on the delivery package, a type of one or more items delivered, a code on the delivery package, tracking information, instructions from the home automation system, instructions from an administrator of the home automation system, or combinations thereof.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
providing an alert to an administrator of the home automation system that the delivery package has arrived;
requesting an authorization to deactivate the portion of the home automation system based at least in part on an arrival of the delivery package;
receiving the authorization to temporary deactivate at least the portion of the home automation system;
wherein deactivating at least the portion of the home automation system is only performed upon receiving the authorization.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
providing an alert to the administrator based at least in part on the deactivating.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
performing a safety inspection of the delivery package, wherein transporting the delivery package across the boundary is only performed when the delivery package passes the safety inspection.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the delivery package is a package to be delivered, garbage, recycling, one or more plants, a pet, or an item requested by a user of the home automation system.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
detecting the drop-off location as a clear space to place the delivery package.

12. A mobile robot device, comprising:
one or more sensors or devices configured to:
determine a time window that a delivery package is expected to arrive based on tracking information;
identify, using sensor data, that the delivery package is located outside a boundary of a home automation system during the time window and is available to cross a boundary of the home automation system;
deactivate at least a portion of the home automation system;
retrieve the delivery package;
transport the delivery package across the boundary;
leave the delivery package at a drop-off location; and
reactivate at least the portion of the home automation system.

13. A home automation system apparatus, comprising:
one or more sensors to detect that the delivery package is available to cross a boundary of the home automation system;
a processor to:
determine a time window that the delivery package is expected to arrive based on tracking information;
identify the delivery package using sensor data during the time window;
determine action instructions for a mobile robotic device to retrieve the delivery package; and
temporarily deactivate at least a portion of a security system of the home automation system apparatus during a duration of the retrieval; and
a transmitter to communicate the action instructions to the mobile robotic device that causes the mobile robotic device to retrieve the delivery package, transport the delivery package across the boundary of the home automation system, and leave the delivery package at a drop-off location.

14. The home automation system apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the one or more sensors to detect that the delivery package is available further comprises:
scan a delivery area with one or more cameras;
detect a new object within the scanned delivery area; and
determine that the new object is the delivery package.

15. The home automation system apparatus of claim 13 , the processor to further:
request an authorization from an administrator of the home automation system to temporarily deactivate at least the portion of the security system of the home automation system apparatus for retrieval of the delivery package;
receive the authorization to temporarily deactivate at least the portion of the security system; and
temporarily deactivate at least the portion of the security system only in response to receiving the authorization.

16. The home automation system apparatus of claim 13 , the processor to further:
determine a door of a building associated with the home automation system for which the delivery package should pass through;
deactivate the security system for the door;
monitor a location of the mobile robotic device; and
reactivate the security system for the door once the mobile robotic device has crossed the door with the delivery package.

17. The home automation system apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the processor is further to:
determine a drop-off location for the delivery package based on one or more of the tracking information or information located on the delivery package; and
include the drop-off location in the action instructions.

Assignees

• Vivint Inc

Inventors

• Frisby Wes
• Matsuura Craig
• Davis Aaron

Classifications

• G05B2219/39001

  Robot, manipulator control · CPC title

• G05B2219/25168

  Domotique, access through internet protocols · CPC title

• G05B2219/25011

  Domotique, I-O bus, home automation, building automation · CPC title

• E05F15/611

  for swinging wings · CPC title

• E05F1/002

  controlled by automatically acting means (for powered-operated mechanisms E05F15/70) · CPC title