Remote sensors for detecting alert conditions and notifying a central station

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10540878-B2
Application number	US-201816051781-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 1, 2018
Priority date	Oct 10, 2001
Publication date	Jan 21, 2020
Grant date	Jan 21, 2020

Abstract

A method for disseminating emergency notification content from an emergency originating source. The method comprising: delivering the emergency notification content from the emergency originating source to at least one transmitting party; selecting a subset of users from among a set of users for dissemination of the emergency notification content based on the subject matter of the emergency notification content; and delivering the emergency notification content from the at least one transmitting party to a device corresponding to each user from the selected subset of users.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of monitoring, comprising:
determining, by a host facility communicatively coupled to a communications network, an alert condition associated with a monitoring device, the monitoring device including a sensor module that is configured to sense an environmental parameter at a location where the monitoring device is disposed and generate sensor data that characterizes the environmental parameter, wherein the host facility maintains information related to the monitoring device including a device identifier of the monitoring device, and wherein the determining the alert condition includes the monitoring device and/or the host facility detecting the alert condition based on the sensor data; and
upon determining the alert condition, transmitting, by the host facility and via the communications network, alert notification content that corresponds to the alert condition, wherein the transmitting causes a handheld computing device to output a visual or audible representation of the alert notification content of the alert condition so as to notify a user of the alert condition.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the environmental parameter is motion.

3. The method of claim 1 , the method further comprising:
receiving, by the host facility and using the communication network, the monitoring information from the monitoring device.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the monitoring device includes a motion sensor, and wherein the environmental parameter is motion sensed by the motion sensor.

5. The method of claim 1 , the method further comprising:
receiving, by the host facility, a verification that the user received the alert content notification.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the environmental parameter is smoke or carbon monoxide.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the environmental parameter is sound having a sound signature known to correspond with an event.

8. A system for monitoring, the system comprising:
a host facility that is communicatively coupled to a communications network, the host facility being configured to:
determine an alert condition associated with a monitoring device, the monitoring device including a sensor module that is configured to sense an environmental parameter at a location where the monitoring device is disposed and generate sensor data that characterizes the environmental parameter, wherein the host facility maintains information related to the monitoring device including a device identifier of the monitoring device, and wherein the determination of the alert condition includes the monitoring device and/or the host facility detecting the alert condition based on the sensor data; and
upon the determination of the alert condition, transmit, using the communications network, alert notification content that corresponds to the alert condition, wherein the transmission causes a handheld computing device to output a visual or audible representation of the alert notification content of the alert condition so as to notify a user of the alert condition.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the environmental parameter is motion.

10. The system of claim 8 , wherein the host facility is configured to:
receive, using the communication network, the monitoring information from a monitoring device.

11. The system of claim 10 , the system further comprising:
the monitoring device that includes a motion sensor, and wherein the environmental parameter is motion sensed by the motion sensor.

12. The system of claim 8 , wherein the host facility is configured to:
receive a verification that the user received the alert content notification.

13. The system of claim 8 , wherein the environmental parameter is smoke or carbon monoxide.

14. The system of claim 8 , wherein the environmental parameter is sound having a sound signature known to correspond with an event.

15. A computing device configured as a host facility for monitoring, the computing device communicatively coupled to a communications network and configured to:
determine an alert condition associated with a monitoring device, the monitoring device including a sensor module that is configured to sense an environmental parameter at a location where the monitoring device is disposed and generate sensor data that characterizes the environmental parameter, wherein the host facility maintains information related to the monitoring device including a device identifier of the monitoring device, and wherein the determination of the alert condition includes the monitoring device and/or the host facility detecting the alert condition based on the sensor data; and
upon the determination of the alert condition, transmit, using the communications network, alert notification content that corresponds to the alert condition, wherein the transmission causes a handheld computing device to output a visual or audible representation of the alert notification content of the alert condition so as to notify a user of the alert condition.

16. The computing device of claim 15 , wherein the environmental parameter is motion.

17. The computing device of claim 15 , wherein the computing device is configured to:
receive, using the communication network, the monitoring information from the monitoring device.

18. The computing device of claim 17 , wherein the monitoring device includes a motion sensor, and wherein the environmental parameter is motion sensed by the motion sensor.

19. The computing device of claim 15 , wherein the computing device is configured to:
receive a verification that the user received the alert content notification.

20. The computing device of claim 15 , wherein the environmental parameter is smoke or carbon monoxide.

21. The computing device of claim 15 , wherein the environmental parameter is sound having a sound signature known to correspond with an event.

Assignees

• Google Llc

Inventors

• Hunter Charles Eric
• Ballou Bernard L
• Hebrank John
• Fallon James
• Summer Robert

Classifications

• G08B19/00

  Alarms responsive to two or more different undesired or abnormal conditions, e.g. burglary and fire, abnormal temperature and abnormal rate of flow · CPC title

• H04W4/90

  Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS] · CPC title

• G08B25/016

  Personal emergency signalling and security systems (emergency non-personal manually actuated alarm activators G08B25/12) · CPC title

• H04W76/50

  for emergency connections · CPC title

• H04W68/00

  User notification, e.g. alerting and paging, for incoming communication, change of service or the like · CPC title