In-home event intercom and notifications

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12406562-B2
Application number	US-202318142451-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 2, 2023
Priority date	May 3, 2022
Publication date	Sep 2, 2025
Grant date	Sep 2, 2025

Abstract

Techniques are disclosed for in-home health intercom and notification. In one example, a first device receives a message comprising a description of an event of a first person in an environment from a first user device using a first transmission protocol. The first device detects that the message is an event message. The first device transmits the event message to the second computing device in the environment using a second transmission protocol, where the first device and the second device are in operable communication using a local area network. The first device receives, using the second transmission protocol, a response from the second device that the second computing device has transmitted the event message to a second user device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:
receiving, by a first computing device, a message comprising a description of an event of a first person in an environment from a first user device and via a first transmission protocol;
detecting, by the first computing device, that the message is an event message;
transmitting, by the first computing device, the event message to a second computing device in the environment using a second transmission protocol, the second transmission protocol being used based at least in part on detecting that the message is the event message, the first computing device and the second computing device being in operable communication using a local area network; and
receiving, by the first computing device and using the second transmission protocol, a response from the second computing device indicating that the second computing device has transmitted the event message to a second user device.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:
initiating, in response to receiving the event message, a virtual assistant to ask whether the first person wants assistance;
receiving a message from the virtual assistant comprising a response as to whether the first person wants assistance; and
transmitting the event message to the second computing device based at least in part on the response as to whether the first person wants assistance.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the event message further comprises an identity of a user account associated with the first user device, and a location of the first user device in the environment.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the response from the second computing device comprises a confidence score calculated by the second computing device, and wherein the confidence score describes a probability that a second person is present in proximity to the second user device.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein detecting that the message is the event message comprises detecting an event message identifier.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:
detecting the second computing device and a third computing device in the environment,
wherein transmitting the event message to the second computing device comprises transmitting, to the second computing device and the third computing device, the event message and an identity of the second computing device and the third computing device.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:
detecting a fourth computing device based at least in part on an account of a smart home platform, wherein the fourth computing device is outside the environment; and wherein transmitting the event message to the second computing device comprises transmitting, to the second computing device and the fourth computing device, the event message and an identity of the second computing device and an identity of the fourth computing device.

8. A first computing device comprising:
a processor; and
a computer-readable medium including instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:
receiving a message comprising a description of an event of a first person in an environment from a first user device and via a first transmission protocol;
detecting that the message is an event message;
transmitting the event message to a second computing device in the environment using a second transmission protocol, the second transmission protocol being used based at least in part on detecting that the message is the event message, the first computing device and the second computing device being in operable communication using a local area network; and
receiving, using the second transmission protocol, a response from the second computing device indicating that the second computing device has transmitted the event message to a second user device.

9. The computer system of claim 8 , wherein the instructions further cause the processor to perform operations comprising:
initiating, in response to receiving the event message, a virtual assistant to ask whether the first person wants assistance; receive a message from the virtual assistant comprising a response as to whether the first person wants assistance; and
receiving a message from the virtual assistant comprising a response as to whether the first person wants assistance; and
transmitting the event message to the second computing device based at least in part on the response as to whether the first person wants assistance.

10. The computer system of claim 9 , wherein the event message further comprises an identity of a user account associated with the first user device, and a location of the first user device in the environment.

11. The computer system of claim 9 , wherein the response from the second computing device comprises a confidence score calculated by the second computing device, and wherein the confidence score describes a probability that a second person is present in proximity to the second user device.

12. The computer system of claim 9 , wherein detecting that the message is the event message comprises detecting an event message identifier.

13. The computer system of claim 9 , wherein the instructions that, when executed by the processor, further cause the processor to perform operations comprising:
detecting the second computing device and a third computing device in the environment; and
detecting the second computing device and the third computing device in the environment,
wherein transmitting the event message to the second computing device comprises transmitting, to the second computing device and the third computing device, the event message and an identity of the second computing device and the third computing device.

14. The computer system of claim 9 , wherein the instructions that, when executed by the processor, further cause the processor to perform operations comprising:
detecting a fourth computing device based at least in part on an account of a smart home platform, wherein the fourth computing device is outside the environment; and wherein transmitting the event message to the second computing device comprises transmitting, to the second computing device and the fourth computing device, the event message and an identity of the second computing device and an identity of the fourth computing device.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon a sequence of instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:
receiving a message comprising a description of an event of a first person in an environment from a first user device and via a first transmission protocol;
detecting that the message is an event message;
transmitting the event message to a second computing device in the environment using a second transmission protocol, the second transmission protocol being used based at least in part on detecting that the message is the event message, a first computing device and the second computing device being in operable communication using a local area network; and
receiving, using the second transmission protocol, a response from the second computing device indicating that the second computing device has transmitted the event message to a second user device.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the instructions further cause the processor to perform operations comprising:
initi

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Deshpande Kshitij S

Classifications

• H04M9/001

  Two-way communication systems between a limited number of parties · CPC title

• H04M9/00

  Arrangements for interconnection not involving centralised switching · CPC title

• H04W68/10

  using simulcast notification · CPC title

• G08B21/0476

  Cameras to detect unsafe condition, e.g. video cameras · CPC title

• G16H40/67 Primary

  for remote operation · CPC title