Monitoring security

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11367341-B2
Application number	US-201916685872-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 15, 2019
Priority date	Aug 10, 2016
Publication date	Jun 21, 2022
Grant date	Jun 21, 2022

Abstract

Methods are disclosed that, in some aspects, provide for the determination of alarm events or non-alarm events based on data received from various sensors monitoring one or more entry points of a premises. Non-alarm events may, for example, include a seismic event or a knock event. Determining whether the data received from the various sensors is an alarm or non-alarm event may be based on data received from two or more sensors monitoring two or more entry points of the premises. Further, data related to the non-alarm event that occurred at the premise may be compared to data related to non-alarm events that occurred at other premises and, based on the comparison, one or more authorities may be alerted to the non-alarm event.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
receiving, by a first computing device and from a second computing device located at a premises associated with a geographic region, a notification that indicates an occurrence of a seismic event at the premises;
determining, by the first computing device, a quantity of received notifications, associated with the geographic region, that indicate occurrences of seismic events at other premises;
determining, based on the quantity of the received notifications being less than a threshold, to trigger an alarm for the premises; and
based on determining to trigger the alarm, causing the alarm to be triggered for the premises.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the quantity of the received notifications being less than the threshold indicates that the seismic event is not associated with an earthquake or other natural seismic event.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the threshold corresponds to one or more of: occurrence of a natural seismic event, or an absence of a premises break in.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein a seismic event comprises one or more of:
an earthquake;
high winds;
a tornado;
another type of natural occurrence that shakes a premises;
a detonation of an explosive device; or
another type of man-made occurrence that shakes a premises.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
based on one or more additional notifications that indicate one or more additional seismic events, sending, to an authority associated with the geographic region, an indication of the one or more additional seismic events.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining one or more of:
a strength of the seismic event; or
a length of time associated with the seismic event.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the notification that indicates the occurrence of the seismic event comprises one or more of:
data received from one or more sensors associated with one or more entry points of the premises;
one or more time stamps associated with sensor data;
a seismic event identifier; or
a seismic event confidence value.

8. A method comprising:
receiving, by a first computing device and from a second computing device located at a premises associated with a geographic region, a notification that indicates an occurrence of a potential natural seismic event;
determining, by the first computing device, a quantity of received notifications, associated with the geographic region, that indicate occurrences of seismic events;
determining, based on the quantity of the received notifications being less than a threshold, that a natural seismic event did not occur; and
based on determining that the natural seismic event did not occur, causing an alarm to be triggered for the premises.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the threshold corresponds to one or more of: occurrence of a natural seismic event, or an absence of a premises break in.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein a potential natural seismic event comprises one or more of:
an earthquake;
high winds;
a tornado; or
another type of natural occurrence that shakes the premises.

11. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
based on one or more additional notifications that indicate one or more additional potential natural seismic events, sending, to an authority associated with the geographic region, an indication of the one or more additional potential natural seismic events.

12. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
determining one or more of:
a strength of the potential natural seismic event; or
a length of time associated with the potential natural seismic event.

13. The method of claim 8 , wherein the notification that indicates the occurrence of the potential natural seismic event comprises one or more of:
data received from one or more sensors associated with one or more entry points of the premises;
one or more time stamps associated with sensor data;
a seismic event identifier; or
a seismic event confidence value.

14. An apparatus comprising:
one or more processors; and
memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to:
receive, from a computing device located at a premises associated with a geographic region, a notification that indicates an occurrence of a seismic event at the premises;
determine a quantity of received notifications, associated with the geographic region, that indicate occurrences of seismic events at other premises;
determine, based on the quantity of the received notifications being less than a threshold, to trigger an alarm for the premises; and
based on determining to trigger the alarm, cause the alarm to be triggered for the premises.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the quantity of the received notifications being less than the threshold indicates that the seismic event is not associated with an earthquake or other natural seismic event.

16. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the threshold corresponds to one or more of: occurrence of a natural seismic event, or an absence of a premises break in.

17. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein a seismic event comprises one or more of:
an earthquake;
high winds;
a tornado;
another type of natural occurrence that shakes a premises;
a detonation of an explosive device; or
another type of man-made occurrence that shakes a premises.

18. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to:
based on one or more additional notifications that indicate one or more additional seismic events, send, to an authority associated with the geographic region, an indication of the one or more additional seismic events.

19. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to:
determine one or more of:
a strength of the seismic event; or
a length of time associated with the seismic event.

20. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the notification that indicates the occurrence of the seismic event comprises one or more of:
data received from one or more sensors associated with one or more entry points of the premises;
one or more time stamps associated with sensor data;
a seismic event identifier; or
a seismic event confidence value.

21. An apparatus comprising:
one or more processors; and
memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to:
receive, from a computing device located at a premises associated with a geographic region, a notification that indicates an occurrence of a potential natural seismic event;
determine a quantity of received notifications, associated with the geographic region, that indicate occurrences of seismic events;
determine, based on the quantity of the received notifications being less than a threshold, that a natural seismic event did not occur; and
based on determining that the natural seismic event did not occur, cause an alarm to be triggered for the premises.

22. The apparatus of claim 21 , wherein the threshold corresponds to one or more of: occurrence of a natural seismic event, or an absence of a premises break in.

23. The apparatus of claim 21 , wherein a potential natural seismic event comprises one or more of:
an earthquake;
high winds;
a tornado; or
another type of natural occurrence that shakes the premises.

Assignees

• Comcast Cable Comm Llc

Inventors

• Rodolico Joseph Thomas
• Stone Christopher
• Gilson Ross

Classifications

• G08B13/1663

  using seismic sensing means · CPC title

• G08B21/10

  responsive to calamitous events, e.g. tornados or earthquakes · CPC title

• G08B13/08

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

• G08B25/008

  Alarm setting and unsetting, i.e. arming or disarming of the security system · CPC title

• G08B13/19697

  Arrangements wherein non-video detectors generate an alarm themselves · CPC title