System and method for home security monitoring using a television set-top box

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9258593-B1
Application number	US-201213357760-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Jan 25, 2012
Priority date	Jan 25, 2012
Publication date	Feb 9, 2016
Grant date	Feb 9, 2016

Abstract

Techniques disclosed herein enable automated home security monitoring via a television connected to a set-top box, such as a cable set-top box. Such techniques integrate the television with a home security system. A television viewer can use the television to control, interact, and automatically receive information about home security events in real-time. A television viewer can control lighting, and room temperature, and arm/disarm sensors in the home such as door sensors, motion detectors, cameras, etc, as well as access camera images. Events from such sensors can be monitored or viewed on the television set when they are triggered. For example, when triggered, an icon representing the sensor can be shown on the television screen, or in case of a camera, an image or video can be shown that cause the triggered event.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A computer-implemented method of home security monitoring, the computer-implemented method comprising:
receiving configuration input at a television set-top box via a television interface of a television connected to the television set-top box, the configuration input affecting configuration settings of a home security detection system, the home security detection system including a control panel and multiple wireless sensor devices installed in a corresponding home, the television set-top box being configured to receive a television signal from an external source, and to convert the television signal into television content deliverable to the television;
transmitting the configuration settings of the home security detection system from the television set-top box to a proxy server over a cable television (CATV) network through a cable modem termination system (CMTS), the proxy server being disposed between the television set-top box and a home security server, the television set-top box and the proxy server being communicably coupled within the CATV network, the CATV network having a cable headend including the CMTS, the proxy server being in communication with the home security server, and the home security server being in communication with the control panel installed in the corresponding home;
receiving, at the television set-top box over the CATV network through the CMTS from the proxy server, home security information corresponding to home security events detected by one or more of the wireless sensor devices installed in the corresponding home, the home security information being provided to the proxy server by the home security server, the home security information being received, substantially in real-time, in response to a connection trigger from the proxy server that is compliant with a predetermined application platform for the television set-top box; and
delivering the home security information from the television set-top box to the television such that the television displays the home security information.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein receiving home security information corresponding to home security events comprises omitting data corresponding to predetermined home sensors such that home security events from less than a total number of installed home sensors are received at the television set-top box.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein receiving home security information corresponding to home security events comprises receiving a redacted version of home security events received at the proxy server from the home security server.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein receiving home security information corresponding to home security events includes at least one home security event triggered by a motion detection sensor.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:
wherein delivering the home security information from the television set-top box to the television such that the television displays the home security information includes displaying an alert on the television corresponding to a given home security event;
receiving selection input, via the television, that selects the displayed alert; and
in response to receiving the selection input, displaying additional information corresponding to the given home security event, the additional information retrieved from the proxy server.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5 , wherein displaying the additional information includes displaying one or more images captured by a home security camera corresponding to the given home security event.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6 , wherein the one or more images have been transcoded at the proxy server prior to being transmitted to the television set-top box.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the television set-top box is a cable television set-top box receiving a cable television signal from a cable television provider in addition to receiving home security events from the proxy server.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 , wherein the cable television signal is received at the television set-top box via a hybrid fiber-coaxial (HFC) network, and wherein the television set-top box is executing OpenCable Application Platform (OCAP).

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:
performing each of the transmitting of the configuration settings to the proxy server and the receiving of the home security information from the proxy server over the CATV network through the CMTS, using a two-way communication mechanism of encoded messages between the television set-top box and the proxy server.

11. A television set-top box, comprising:
a processor; and
a memory coupled to the processor, the memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the television set-top box to perform the operations of:
receiving configuration input via a television interface of a television connected to the television set-top box, the configuration input affecting configuration settings of a home security detection system, the home security detection system including a control panel and multiple wireless sensor devices installed in a corresponding home, the television set-top box being configured to receive a television signal from an external source, and to convert the television signal into television content deliverable to the television;
transmitting the configuration settings of the home security detection system to a proxy server over a cable television (CATV) network through a cable modem termination system (CMTS), the proxy server being disposed between the television set-top box and a home security server, the television set-top box and the proxy server being communicably coupled within the CATV network, the CATV network having a cable headend including the CMTS, the proxy server being in communication with the home security server, and the home security server being in communication with the control panel installed in the corresponding home;
receiving, at the television set-top box over the CATV network through the CMTS from the proxy server, home security information corresponding to home security events detected by one or more of the wireless sensor devices installed in the corresponding home, the home security information being provided to the proxy server by the home security server, the home security information being received, substantially in real-time, in response to a connection trigger from the proxy server that is compliant with a predetermined application platform for the television set-top box; and
delivering the home security information from the television set-top box to the television such that the television displays the home security information.

12. The television set-top box of claim 11 , wherein the memory stores instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the television set-top box to perform each of the operations of transmitting the configuration settings to the proxy server and receiving the home security information from the proxy server over the CATV network through the CMTS, using a two-way communication mechanism of encoded messages between the television set-top box and the proxy server.

13. A computer-implemented method of home security monitoring, the computer-implemented method comprising:
receiving, at a proxy server over a cable television (CATV) network through a cable modem termination system (CMTS) from a television set-top box, configuration settings of a home security detection system, the home security detection

Assignees

• Chen John Anthony
• Filippi Geoff
• Yu Jian
• Time Warner Cable Entpr Llc

Inventors

• Chen John Anthony
• Filippi Geoff
• Yu Jian

Classifications

• H04N21/814

  comprising emergency warnings (arrangements specially adapted for emergency or urgency in broadcast systems H04H20/59; arrangements for providing alarms, notifications, alerts to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1895) · CPC title

• H04L12/2827

  Reporting to a device within the home network; wherein the reception of the information reported automatically triggers the execution of a home appliance functionality · CPC title

• H04L12/2823

  Reporting information sensed by appliance or service execution status of appliance services in a home automation network (device-related reporting H04L43/065; arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom H04Q9/00) · CPC title

• H04L12/2801

  Broadband local area networks · CPC title

• G08B25/008

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