IP Library › Granted Patent US 10,650,666
Granted Patent B1
US 10,650,666 · App. 16/429,940 · Granted May 12, 2020

Method for using a drone to test monitoring system sensors

Inventors: Gary Franklin Bart (Weston, FL); Dean Constantine (Ft. Lauderdale, FL)
Assignee: Alarm.com Incorporated
G08B29/145B64C39/024B64C2201/126B64C2201/146
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,650,666
App. No.
16/429,940
Granted
May 12, 2020
Kind
B1
Abstract

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a storage device, for using a drone to test a sensor. In one aspect, the method includes actions of detecting a message (i) broadcast by the drone and (ii) indicating that the drone is going to administer a test of a sensor, determining, by the monitoring system and based on the message and (i) sensor data generated by the sensor in response to the administration of the test, by the drone, within a predetermined period of time of the message or (ii) a lack of sensor data generated by the sensor in response to the administration of the test, by the drone, within a predetermined period of time of the message, whether the sensor is functioning properly, and in response to a determination that the sensor is not functioning properly, storing data indicating that the sensor is not functioning properly.

Claims (63)

1. A monitoring system for using a drone to test monitoring system sensors, the system comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more storage devices that include instructions that are operable, when executed by the one or more processors, to cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

detecting, by the monitoring system, that a test of a monitoring system sensor that is located at a property has been initiated by the drone;

determining, by the monitoring system and based on the test of the monitoring system sensor initiated by the drone, whether the monitoring system sensor is functioning properly; and

in response to determining whether the monitoring system sensor is functioning properly, storing, by the monitoring system, data indicating whether the monitoring system sensor is functioning properly.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein:

determining whether the monitoring system sensor is functioning properly comprises determining that the monitoring system sensor is not functioning properly, and

storing the data indicating whether the monitoring system sensor is functioning properly comprises storing data indicating that the monitoring system sensor is not functioning properly.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein:

determining whether the monitoring system sensor is functioning properly comprises determining that the monitoring system sensor is functioning properly,

the operations further comprise:

in response to determining that the monitoring system sensor is functioning properly, disregarding, by the monitoring system, sensor data generated by the monitoring system sensor within a predetermined period of time of determining that the monitoring system sensor is functioning properly, and

storing the data indicating whether the monitoring system sensor is functioning properly comprises storing data indicating that the monitoring system sensor is functioning properly.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the operations comprise:

detecting, by the monitoring system, a message (i) broadcast by the drone and (ii) indicating that the drone has completed the test of the monitoring system sensor.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein determining whether the monitoring system sensor is functioning properly comprises:

determining, by the monitoring system, whether the monitoring system sensor is functioning properly based on a period of time after detecting the message indicating that the drone has completed administration of the test of the monitoring system sensor.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein determining whether the monitoring system sensor is functioning properly comprises:

determining that sensor data generated by the monitoring system sensor includes sensor data that was not expected, by the monitoring system, to be generated in response to of the test; and

based on determining that the sensor data generated by the monitoring system sensor includes sensor data was not expected to be generated in response to the test, determining that the monitoring system sensor is not functioning properly.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein determining whether the monitoring system sensor is functioning properly comprises:

determining that sensor data generated by the monitoring system sensor includes sensor data that was expected, by the monitoring system, to be generated in response to the test; and

based on determining that the sensor data generated by the monitoring system sensor includes sensor data was expected to be generated in response to the test, determining that the monitoring system sensor is functioning properly.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein:

the monitoring system sensor includes a motion sensor, and

the test includes the drone navigating through a portion of the property that is within range of the motion sensor.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein:

the monitoring system sensor includes a glass break sensor, and

the test includes the drone using a speaker to output, within range of the glass break sensor, audio signals having a frequency that is sufficient to trigger the glass break sensor.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein:

the monitoring system sensor includes a smoke detector, and

the test includes the drone outputting smoke within range of the smoke detector.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the operations comprise:

transmitting, by the monitoring system and to the drone, an instruction to test one or more sensors.

12. A method for using a drone to test monitoring system sensors, the method comprising:

detecting, by a monitoring system, that a test of a monitoring system sensor that is located at a property has been initiated by the drone;

determining, by the monitoring system and based on the test of the monitoring system sensor initiated by the drone, whether the monitoring system sensor is functioning properly; and

in response to determining whether the monitoring system sensor is functioning properly, storing, by the monitoring system, data indicating whether the monitoring system sensor is functioning properly.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein:

determining whether the monitoring system sensor is functioning properly comprises determining that the monitoring system sensor is not functioning properly, and

storing the data indicating whether the monitoring system sensor is functioning properly comprises storing data indicating that the monitoring system sensor is not functioning properly.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein:

determining whether the monitoring system sensor is functioning properly comprises determining that the monitoring system sensor is functioning properly,

the method comprises:

in response to determining that the monitoring system sensor is functioning properly, disregarding, by the monitoring system, sensor data generated by the monitoring system sensor within a predetermined period of time of determining that the monitoring system sensor is functioning properly, and

storing the data indicating whether the monitoring system sensor is functioning properly comprises storing data indicating that the monitoring system sensor is functioning properly.

15. The method of claim 12 , comprising:

detecting, by the monitoring system, a message (i) broadcast by the drone and (ii) indicating that the drone has completed the test of the monitoring system sensor.

16. The method of claim 12 , wherein determining whether the monitoring system sensor is functioning properly comprises:

determining that sensor data generated by the monitoring system sensor includes sensor data that was not expected, by the monitoring system, to be generated in response to of the test; and

based on determining that the sensor data generated by the monitoring system sensor includes sensor data was not expected to be generated in response to the test, determining that the monitoring system sensor is not functioning properly.

17. The method of claim 12 , wherein determining whether the monitoring system sensor is functioning properly comprises:

determining that sensor data generated by the monitoring system sensor includes sensor data that was expected, by the monitoring system, to be generated in response to the test; and

based on determining that the sensor data generated by the monitoring system sensor includes sensor data was expected to be generated in response to the test, determining that the monitoring system sensor is functioning properly.

18. The method of claim 12 , wherein:

the monitoring system sensor includes a motion sensor, and

the test includes the drone navigating through a portion of the property that is within range of the motion sensor.

19. The method of claim 12 , wherein:

the monitoring system sensor includes a smoke detector, and

the test includes the drone outputting smoke within range of the smoke detector.

20. The method of claim 12 , comprising:

transmitting, by the monitoring system and to the drone, an instruction to test one or more sensors.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 12, 2019
From: BART, GARY FRANKLIN; CONSTANTINE, DEAN
To: ALARM.COM INCORPORATED
Reel/Frame 049440/0678 →
Cited By (1)
US 12,209,879