Transitioning of devices from their primary function to providing security system functionality

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2024078527-A1
Application number	US-202318234540-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 16, 2023
Priority date	Aug 28, 2013
Publication date	Mar 7, 2024
Grant date	—

Abstract

A point of sale (POS) security system includes a POS device including a non-transitory memory, one or more hardware processors, and one or more environment sensors. A plurality of POS instructions are located on the non-transitory memory in the POS device and executable by the one or more hardware processors in the POS device to provide a POS engine that is configured to receive and transmit payment information for conducting a payment transaction associated with a purchase. A plurality of security instructions are located on the non-transitory memory in the POS device and are executable by the one or more hardware processors in the POS device to provide a security engine that is configured to receive environment signals from the one or more environment sensors in the POS device and analyze those environment signals to determine a security breach.

First claim

1 . (canceled)

2 . A method for using customer devices for providing security in residential and office environments, comprising:
monitoring, based on one or more security detection settings, a plurality of environment signals using a first user device and a second user device, wherein the first user device and the second user device comprise personal computing devices within a wireless environment, wherein the first user device and the second user device are configured to perform said monitoring while conducting non-security operations; detecting that first environment signals from a first environment sensor of the first user device and second environment signals from a second environment sensor of the second user device are indicative of a potential security breach in a vicinity of one or more of the first user device or the second user device; responsive to detecting that the first or second environment signals are indicative of the potential security breach, executing security instructions to analyze the first environment signals and the second environment signals; determining, based at least on the analyzing, an indication of an actual security breach in the vicinity of the first user device and the second user device; and determining whether to end the executing the security instructions and return to monitoring the plurality of environmental signals after the indication is determined.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the vicinity of the one or more of the first user device or the second user device includes a physical location that is bound by a plurality of physical walls, where at least one of the physical walls can be breached during a security breach.

4 . The method of claim 2 , wherein said monitoring the first environment signals or the second environmental signals comprises receiving signals from one or more peripheral environment sensors.

5 . The method of claim 2 , wherein one or more of the first user device and the second user device is coupled to one or more peripheral devices that are configured to respectively communicate the first environmental signals or the second environmental signals.

6 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
transmitting a communication to a management device to cause the management device to display, in a user interface of the management device, a location in the vicinity of the one or more of the first user device or the second user device, of the potential security breach.

7 . The method of claim 2 ,
wherein said monitoring the plurality of environmental signals comprises receiving audio information provided by the first user device or a peripheral device coupled with the first user device in response to an audio signal generated by the second user device a peripheral device coupled with the second user device; and wherein analyzing the first environment signals and the second environment signals comprises analyzing the audio information to detect motion that is indicative of the security breach.

8 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the first user device is configured to execute a portion of the security instructions in a background of an operating system of the first user device while executing the non-security operations.

9 . The method of claim 2 , wherein at least one of the first user device or the second user device is a general purpose device purposed for non-security operations including general residential or office use, and wherein the monitoring is performed during the non-security operations.

10 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
responsive to determining the indication of the actual security breach, providing security breach information to a one or more security providers.

11 . A device, comprising:
a non-transitory memory storing instructions; and a processor configured to execute the instructions to cause the device to:
monitor, based on one or more security detection settings, a plurality of environment signals received from one or more of the device and another device, wherein the device and the other device comprise personal computing devices located within a physical area, wherein the device is configured to perform said monitoring while conducting non-security operations at the physical area;
determine that one or more of first environment signals from a first environment sensor of the device and second environment signals from a second environment sensor of the other device are indicative of a potential security breach within the physical area;
in response to the determination that the first or second environment signals are indicative of the potential security breach, perform an analysis of the first environment signals and the second environment signals by executing security instructions;
determine, based at least on the analysis, an occurance of an actual security breach within the physical area; and
return to monitoring the plurality of environmental signals after processing the occurance of the actual security breach.

12 . The device of claim 11 , wherein said receiving the first environment signals or the second environmental signals comprises receiving signals from one or more peripheral environment sensors.

13 . The device of claim 11 , wherein one or more of the device and the other device is coupled to one or more peripheral devices that are configured to respectively communicate the first environmental signals or the second environmental signals.

14 . The device of claim 11 , wherein at least one of the device and the other device is a user device purposed for general residential use within the physical area.

15 . The device of claim 11 , wherein the device is configured to execute a portion of the security instructions in a background of an operating system of the device while executing the non-security operations.

16 . The device of claim 11 , wherein executing the instructions further causes the device to display, in a user interface a location in the physical area of the potential security breach.

17 . A non-transitory machine-readable medium having instructions stored thereon, the instructions executable to cause performance of operations comprising:
monitoring a plurality of environment signals received from a first user device and a second user device, wherein the first user device and the second user device comprise personal computing devices within a physical area in proximity of the first user device and the second user device, wherein the first user device and the second user device are configured to perform said monitoring while conducting non-security operations at the physical area; determining that first environment signals from a first environment sensor of the first user device and second environment signals from a second environment sensor of the second user device are indicative of a potential security breach within the physical area; in response to the determination that the first or second environment signals are indicative of the potential security breach, analysing the first environment signals and the second environment signals by executing security instructions; determining, based at least on the analysis, an occurance of an actual security breach in the the physical area; and return to monitoring the plurality of environmental signals while conducting the non-security operations after processing the occurance of the actual security breach.

18 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 17 , wherein said monitoring the first environment signals or the second environmental signals comprises

Assignees

• Paypal Inc

Inventors

• Nichols Timothy C
• Khanna Ramaneek
• Chatterton Geoffrey W

Classifications

• G06Q20/20 Primary

  Point-of-sale [POS] network systems · CPC title

• G06Q20/4016

  involving fraud or risk level assessment in transaction processing · CPC title

• G07G3/00

  Alarm indicators, e.g. bells · CPC title