Verifying occupancy of a building

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10522012-B1
Application number	US-201816031937-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Jul 10, 2018
Priority date	Jun 26, 2014
Publication date	Dec 31, 2019
Grant date	Dec 31, 2019

Abstract

A method for detecting occupancy of a building is described. In one embodiment, the method includes using a microphone to monitor for sounds at a building, detecting a sound via the microphone, and determining whether the sound is made by a human or made by an animal. In some cases, the microphone is a glass break sensor microphone.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
detecting, via a home automation system, a motion associated with a premises;
receiving one or more sounds based at least in part on detecting the motion associated with the premises;
determining whether an entity associated with the one or more sounds is a human or an animal based at least in part on receiving the one or more sounds, wherein the determining comprises comparing the one or more sounds with sound profiles of the home automation system; and
initiating an alarm based at least in part on determining the entity associated with the one or more sounds.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining a location of the entity relative to the premises, wherein initiating the alarm is based at least in part on the location of the entity.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein initiating the alarm is based at least in part on a status of a setting of the home automation system.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the motion is detected via a glass break sensor of the home automation system.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining whether the entity is associated with the premises, wherein initiating the alarm is based at least in part on determining that the entity is not associated with the premises.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:
generating a notification based at least in part on determining the entity associated with the one or more sounds; and
transmitting the notification to a user of the home automation system based at least in part on determining that the entity is not associated with the premises.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:
transmitting the notification to a third-party based at least in part on determining that the entity is not associated with the premises.

8. An apparatus, comprising:
a processor;
memory in electronic communication with the processor, wherein the memory stores computer executable instructions that when executed by the processor cause the processor to perform steps of:
detecting, via a home automation system, a motion within a premises;
receiving one or more sounds based at least in part on detecting the motion within the premises;
determining whether an entity associated with the one or more sounds is a human or an animal based at least in part on receiving the one or more sounds, wherein the determining comprises comparing the one or more sounds with sound profiles of the home automation system; and
initiating an alarm based at least in part on determining the entity associated with the one or more sounds.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the instructions executed by the processor cause the processor to perform the steps of:
determining a location of the entity relative to the premises, wherein initiating the alarm is based at least in part on the location of the entity.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein initiating the alarm is based at least in part on a status of a setting of the home automation system.

11. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the instructions executed by the processor cause the processor to perform the steps of:
determining whether the entity is associated with the premises, wherein initiating the alarm is based at least in part on determining that the entity is not associated with the premises.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the instructions executed by the processor cause the processor to perform the steps of:
generating a notification based at least in part on determining the entity associated with the one or more sounds; and
transmitting the notification to a user of the home automation system based at least in part on determining that the entity is not associated with the premises.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the instructions executed by the processor cause the processor to perform the steps of:
transmitting the notification to a third-party based at least in part on determining that the entity is not associated with the premises.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing computer executable instructions that when executed by a processor cause the processor to perform the steps of:
detecting, via a home automation system, a motion within a premises;
receiving one or more sounds based at least in part on detecting the motion within the premises;
determining whether an entity associated with the one or more sounds is a human or an animal based at least in part on receiving the one or more sounds, wherein the determining comprises comparing the one or more sounds with sound profiles of the home automation system; and
initiating an alarm based at least in part on determining the entity associated with the one or more sounds.

15. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 14 , wherein initiating the alarm is based at least in part on a status of a setting of the home automation system.

Assignees

• Vivint Inc

Inventors

• Nye James E
• Warren Jeremy B

Classifications

• G08B13/04

  by breaking of glass · CPC title

• G08B29/188

  Data fusion; cooperative systems, e.g. voting among different detectors · CPC title

• G08B13/02

  Mechanical actuation · CPC title

• G08B13/1672 Primary

  using sonic detecting means, e.g. a microphone operating in the audio frequency range · CPC title