Using pressure sensors in a security system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10593176-B2
Application number	US-201816190209-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 14, 2018
Priority date	Sep 26, 2014
Publication date	Mar 17, 2020
Grant date	Mar 17, 2020

Abstract

A security system for a building comprises a pressure sensor and a computer system communicatively coupled with the pressure system. The pressure sensor coupled to a movable portion of a window in the building. The computer system is configured to: receive a first pressure measurement from the pressure sensor; compare the first pressure measurement to a reference pressure measurement; and based on the comparison, detect that the movable portion of the window has moved.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A security system for a building, the security system comprising:
a pressure sensor coupled to a movable portion of a window in the building and configured to measure atmospheric pressure; and
a computer system communicatively coupled with the pressure sensor and configured to:
receive a first pressure measurement from the pressure sensor, wherein the first pressure measurement provides atmospheric pressure at the pressure sensor;
compare the first pressure measurement to a reference pressure measurement, wherein the reference pressure measurement is measured by a source other than the pressure sensor; and
based on the comparison, detect that the movable portion of the window has moved.

2. The security system of claim 1 , wherein the computer system is further configured to:
determine an amount of opening of the movable portion of the window based on a magnitude of a difference between the first pressure measurement and the reference pressure measurement.

3. The security system of claim 2 , wherein the computer system is further configured to:
trigger an alarm in response to the amount of opening of the movable portion of the window exceeding a threshold.

4. The security system of claim 2 , wherein the computer system is further configured to:
allow arming of the security system for the building based on the amount of opening not exceeding a threshold; and
disallow arming of the security system for the building based on the amount of opening exceeding the threshold.

5. The security system of claim 1 , wherein the computer system is further configured to:
responsive to detecting that the movable portion of the window has moved, activate an inertial sensor coupled to the moving portion of the window;
receive an inertial measurement from the inertial sensor; and
responsive to the inertial measurement indicating movement of the movable portion of the window, validate the detection that the movable portion of the window has moved.

6. The security system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a second pressure sensor coupled with a non-moving portion of the window and configured to measure atmospheric pressure at the second pressure sensor; and
wherein the reference pressure measurement comprises a second pressure measurement received by the computer system from the second pressure sensor.

7. The security system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a second pressure sensor coupled with a second window that is different from the window, wherein the second pressure sensor is configured to measure atmospheric pressure at the second pressure sensor; and
wherein the reference pressure measurement comprises a second pressure measurement received by the computer system from the second pressure sensor.

8. The security system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a plurality of additional pressure sensors associated with the building, wherein each of the plurality of additional pressure sensors is configured to measure atmospheric pressure at its respective location; and
wherein the computer system is configured to select at least one of the plurality of additional pressure sensors to provide the reference pressure measurement.

9. The security system of claim 1 , further comprising:
wherein the reference pressure measurement is based on pressure measurements received by the computer system from a plurality of pressure sensors in the building, wherein each of the plurality of pressure sensors is configured to measure atmospheric pressure at its respective location.

10. The security system of claim 1 , wherein the reference pressure measurement comprises a second pressure measurement received from an electronic device located remotely from the window.

11. The security system of claim 1 , wherein the computer system comprises an electronic device located remotely from the window.

12. A method of detecting movement of a movable portion of a window in a building, the method comprising:
receiving, by a computer system, a first pressure measurement from a pressure sensor coupled with the movable portion of the window, wherein the first pressure measurement provides atmospheric pressure at the pressure sensor;
comparing, by the computer system, the first pressure measurement to a reference pressure measurement, wherein the reference pressure measurement is measured by a source other than the pressure sensor; and
based on the comparison, detecting that the movable portion of the window has moved.

13. The method as recited in claim 12 , further comprising:
determining, by the computer system, an amount of opening of the movable portion of the window based on a magnitude of difference between the first pressure measurement and the reference pressure measurement.

14. The method as recited in claim 13 , further comprising:
responsive to the amount of opening of the movable portion of the window exceeding a threshold, triggering an alarm.

15. The method as recited in claim 13 , further comprising:
based on the amount of opening not exceeding a threshold, allowing arming of a security system for the building; and
based on the amount of opening exceeding the threshold, disallowing arming of the security system for the building.

16. The method as recited in claim 12 , further comprising:
responsive to the detecting that the movable portion of the window has moved, activating, by the computer system, an inertial sensor coupled to the moving portion of the window;
receiving an inertial measurement from the inertial sensor; and
responsive to the inertial measurement indicating movement of the window, validating the detection that the movable portion of the window has moved.

17. The method as recited in claim 12 , wherein the comparing the first pressure measurement to a reference pressure measurement comprises:
determining, by the computer system, a difference between the first pressure measurement and the reference pressure measurement, wherein the reference pressure measurement comprises a stored pressure measurement previously received from the pressure sensor.

18. The method as recited in claim 12 , wherein the comparing the first pressure measurement to a reference pressure measurement comprises:
determining, by the computer system, a difference between the first pressure measurement and the reference pressure measurement, wherein the reference pressure measurement comprises a second pressure measurement received by the computer system from a second pressure sensor coupled with a non-moving portion of the window and configured to measure atmospheric pressure at the second pressure sensor.

19. The method as recited in claim 12 , wherein the comparing the first pressure measurement to a reference pressure measurement comprises:
determining, by the computer system, a difference between the first pressure measurement and the reference pressure measurement, wherein the reference pressure measurement comprises a second pressure measurement received by the computer system from a second pressure sensor that is configured to measure atmospheric pressure at the second pressure sensor and is coupled with a second window that is different from the window.

20. The method as recited in claim 12 , wherein the comparing the first pressure measurement to a reference pressure measurement comprises:
determining, by the computer system, a difference between the first pressure measurement and the reference pressure measurement, wherein the reference pressure measurement is obtained by the computer system

Assignees

• Invensense Inc

Inventors

• Gangumalla Vamshi
• Dayal Sankalp
• Miclaus Calin
• Katingari Karthik
• Dick Rob
• Schreier Paul

Classifications

• G08B13/20 Primary

  Actuation by change of fluid pressure · CPC title

• G01L19/02

  Arrangements for preventing, or for compensating for, effects of inclination or acceleration of the measuring device; Zero-setting means (for aneroid barometers G01L7/14) · CPC title

• G08B13/08

  by opening, e.g. of door, of window, of drawer, of shutter, of curtain, of blind · CPC title

• G01L19/12

  Alarms or signals · CPC title

• G08B29/24

  Self-calibration, e.g. compensating for environmental drift or ageing of components · CPC title