Systems and methods of detection with active infrared sensors

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10794606-B2
Application number	US-201715806985-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 8, 2017
Priority date	May 20, 2015
Publication date	Oct 6, 2020
Grant date	Oct 6, 2020

Abstract

Systems and methods of using active infrared (AIR) sensors to map a room of a home or building and determine whether an external portal (e.g., window and/or door) of the room is open or closed are provided. In particular, the systems and methods include outputting infrared (IR) light from an IR light source of an active infrared (AIR) sensor, receiving reflected IR light with a light sensor, and determining, with a processor coupled to the light sensor, whether a window of a room is open according to the received reflected IR light.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
outputting infrared (IR) light from an IR light source of an active infrared (AIR) sensor;
receiving reflected IR light from an object in a room with a light sensor;
mapping, by the processor, features of the room based on the received reflected IR light to form a three dimensional map; and
determining, with a processor coupled to the light sensor, whether the object in the room is a person and has moved based on the received reflected IR light and based on the formed three dimensional map.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining, by the processor, a security event based on an operating mode of a security system coupled to the processor and based on a determined movement of the object based on the received reflected IR light.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
transmitting a notification based on the operating mode of the security system and the determination that the object has moved.

4. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
controlling, by the processor, an alarm device to output an alarm based on the operating mode of the security system and the determined movement of the object.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the outputting infrared (IR) light from the IR light source comprises:
forming a tripwire from the outputted light from the IR light source and the received reflected IR light; and
determining whether the tripwire has been triggered by the person based on an interruption of the reflected IR light being received by the light sensor.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:
determining, by the processor, a security event based on an operating mode of a security system coupled to the processor and based on the determined triggering of the tripwire.

7. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:
transmitting a notification based on the operating mode of the security system and the determined triggering of the tripwire.

8. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:
controlling, by the processor, an alarm device to output an alarm based on the operating mode of the security system and the determined triggering of the tripwire.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining whether the object in a room has moved comprises:
when the object is a gas burner on a stove based on the received reflected IR light, determining whether a flame is being emitted from the burner;
determining, at the processor, whether the person has not been in the room for a predetermined period of time based on the received reflected IR light when it is determined that a flame is being emitted from the burner; and
outputting, at the processor, a notification when the person is determined to not be in the room for the predetermined period of time and the flame is being emitted from the burner.

10. A system comprising:
an IR light source of an active infrared (AIR) sensor to output infrared (IR) light;
a light sensor to receive reflected IR light from an object in a room; and

a processor, coupled to the light sensor, to map features of the room based on the received reflected IR light to form a three dimensional map, and determines whether the object in the room is a person and has moved i-s-based on the received reflected IR light and based on the formed three dimensional map.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the processor determines a security event based on an operating mode of a security system that is coupled to the processor, and based on a determined movement of the object based on the received reflected IR light.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the processor transmits a notification based on the operating mode of the security system and the determined movement of the object.

13. The system of claim 11 , further comprising:
an alarm device coupled to the processor,
wherein the processor controls the alarm device to output an alarm based on the operating mode of the security system and the determined movement of the object.

14. The system of claim 10 , wherein a tripwire is formed from the outputted light from the IR light source and the received reflected IR light, and
wherein the processor determines whether the tripwire has been triggered by the person based on an interruption of the reflected IR light being received by the light sensor.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the processor determines a security event based on an operating mode of a security system coupled to the processor and based on the determined trigger of the tripwire.

16. The system of claim 14 , wherein the processor transmits a notification based on the operating mode of the security system and the determined trigger of the tripwire.

17. The system of claim 14 , further comprising:
an alarm device coupled to the processor,
wherein the processor controls the alarm device to output an alarm based on the operating mode and the determined trigger of the tripwire.

18. The system of claim 10 , wherein when the object is determined to be a gas burner on a stove based on the received reflected IR light, the processor determines whether a flame is being emitted from the burner, determines whether the person has not been in the room for a predetermined period of time based on the received reflected IR light when it is determined that a flame is being emitted from the burner, and outputs a notification when the person is determined to not be in the room for the predetermined period of time and the flame is being emitted from the burner.

Assignees

• Google Llc

Inventors

• Rabb Laura
• Colaco Andrea
• Kirmani Ghulam A
• Purohit Aveek Ravishekhar
• Villaran Luis
• Herman Kenneth Louis
• James Bryan
• Davis Casey Mills
• Modi Yash

Classifications

• F24F11/64

  using pre-stored data · CPC title

• F24F11/56

  Remote control · CPC title

• F24F11/52

  Indication arrangements, e.g. displays · CPC title

• F24F11/46 Primary

  Improving electric energy efficiency or saving · CPC title

• F24F11/30 Primary

  for purposes related to the operation of the system, e.g. for safety or monitoring · CPC title