IP Library Granted Patent US 10,873,728
Granted Patent B2
US 10,873,728 · App. 16/539,114 · Granted Dec 22, 2020

Home automation system-initiated calls

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,873,728
App. No.
16/539,114
Granted
Dec 22, 2020
Kind
B2
Abstract

Methods, apparatuses, and techniques for security and/or automation systems are described. In one embodiment, the method may include receiving a call initiation instruction at a video monitoring component of a home automation system. The method may further include analyzing the call initiation instruction, and communicating a call request from the video monitoring component of the home automation system to a first remote user based at least in part on the received call initiation instruction.

Claims (57)

1. A method for wireless communication, comprising:

receiving a tactile input at a stand-alone camera of a home automation system;

identifying, via the stand-alone camera, a characteristic associated with the tactile input;

determining, based at least in part on the tactile input, that a gesture is in queue;

detecting the gesture performed by a person in line-of-sight of the stand-alone camera;

analyzing the gesture based at least in part on determining the gesture is in queue;

identifying, based at least in part on the identified characteristic, the analyzed gesture, or a combination thereof, a contact from a contact database; and

establishing a wireless communication link between the stand-alone camera and a remote device associated with the identified contact.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the tactile input comprises:

an indication that the person intends to initiate a call with a remote device, and wherein identifying the contact further comprises identifying a contact from a set of contacts in the contact database based on the gesture.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein identifying the characteristic comprises:

determining that the tactile input has been received a predetermined number of times, has been received during a predetermined duration, or a combination thereof.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein identifying the characteristic comprises:

comparing the tactile input with a predefined tactile input sequence during a time period; and

identifying the characteristic based at least in part on the comparing.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the predefined tactile input sequence is user-defined, system-defined, is associated with a user profile, or a combination thereof.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

identifying a preconfigured user behavior corresponding to the person;

determining that the tactile input, the gesture, or both, deviate from the preconfigured user behavior; and

determining, based at least in part on the determined deviation, that a communication from the person is urgent, wherein establishing the wireless communication link between the stand-alone camera and the remote device is based at least in part on the determining that the communication is urgent.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein establishing the wireless communication link further comprises:

initiating the wireless communication link immediately upon determining that the communication from the person is urgent.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein identifying the contact from the contact database further comprises:

identifying an emergency contact, based at least in part on determining that the communication form the person is urgent.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the tactile input and the gesture are performed by the person simultaneously.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the tactile input is performed by the person prior to the gesture.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the gesture is performed by the person prior to the tactile input.

12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

identifying a set of predetermined contacts in the contact database, each predetermined contact of the contact database having a unique correlation with a characteristic of a respective tactile input, wherein the identified contact is one of the set of predetermined contacts having a respective unique correlation with the identified characteristic of the tactile input.

13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

comparing the gesture with a database of gestures, each gesture in the database of gestures having a unique correlation with a contact in the contact database, wherein the identified contact is one of the contacts in the contact database having a unique correlation with a gesture in the database of gestures.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the gesture comprises a hand gesture.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the gesture comprises an interactive physical motion captured as a still image, a video, or a combination thereof.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the tactile input comprises a tap, a double tap, a drag, a flick, a rotation, a spreading motion, a pinching motion, or a combination thereof.

17. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining, via the stand-alone camera, an identify of the person perform the tactile input based at least in part on the gesture, detected user information, or a combination thereof.

18. A stand-alone camera for wireless communication, comprising:

a processor;

memory in electronic communication with the processor; and

instructions stored in the memory, the instructions being executable by the processor to:

receive a tactile input at a stand-alone camera of a home automation system;

identify, via the stand-alone camera, a characteristic associated with the tactile input;

determine, based at least in part on the tactile input, that a gesture is in queue;

detect the gesture performed by a person in line-of-sight of the stand-alone camera;

analyze the gesture based at least in part on determining the gesture is in queue;

identify, based at least in part on the identified characteristic, the analyzed gesture, or a combination thereof, a contact from a contact database; and

establish a wireless communication link between the stand-alone camera and a remote device associated with the identified contact.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the tactile input comprises:

an indication that the person intends to initiate a call with a remote device, and wherein identifying the contact further comprises identifying a contact from a set of contacts in the contact database based on the gesture.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-executable code, the code executable by a processor to:

receive a tactile input at a stand-alone camera of a home automation system;

identify, via the stand-alone camera, a characteristic associated with the tactile input;

determine, based at least in part on the tactile input, that a gesture is in queue;

detect the gesture performed by a person in line-of-sight of the stand-alone camera;

analyzing the gesture based at least in part on determining the gesture is in queue;

identify, based at least in part on the identified characteristic, the analyzed gesture, or a combination thereof, a contact from a contact database; and

establish a wireless communication link between the stand-alone camera and a remote device associated with the identified contact.

Assignments (6)
AFTER-ACQUIRED INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Feb 27, 2025
From: VIVINT LLC; SMART HOME PROS, INC.; VIVINT AMIGO, INC.
To: DEUTSCHE BANK TRUST COMPANY AMERICAS, AS PRIORITY COLLATERAL TRUSTEE
Reel/Frame 070349/0816 →
TERMINATION AND RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS RECORDED AT REEL 067456, FRAME 0729 Recorded Nov 11, 2024
From: WILMINGTON TRUST, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: VIVINT, INC.
Reel/Frame 069334/0165 →
RELEASE (REEL 057434 / FRAME 0591) Recorded Nov 1, 2024
From: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A.
To: VIVINT LLC (F/K/A VIVINT, INC.)
Reel/Frame 069289/0529 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 18, 2024
From: CHILD, MICHAEL D.; MAHAR, MATTHEW; EYRING, MATTHEW J.; GORDON-CARROLL, CLINT HUSON; WARREN, JEREMY BRUCE; NYE, JAMES ELLIS; LYMAN, JEFFERSON HUHTA; ZUNDEL, MICHELLE
To: VIVINT, INC.
Reel/Frame 068940/0569 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded May 17, 2024
From: VIVINT, INC.
To: WILMINGTON TRUST, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 067456/0729 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT SUPPLEMENT NO. 2 Recorded Jul 12, 2021
From: VIVINT, INC.
To: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A.
Reel/Frame 057434/0591 →