IP Library Granted Patent US 11,262,311
Granted Patent B1
US 11,262,311 · App. 16/752,940 · Granted Mar 1, 2022

Automated optical device monitoring

Inventors: Daniel Marc Goodman (Needham, MA); Craig Carl Heffernan (Oregon City, OR); Harrison Wayne Donahue (Attleboro, MA)
Assignee: Alarm.com Incorporated
G01N21/66F21V23/0407F24F11/38G01N21/8806F24F11/52
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,262,311
App. No.
16/752,940
Granted
Mar 1, 2022
Kind
B1
Abstract

Techniques are described for using an optical sensor to monitor light produced by an indicator light of a monitoring system. The optical sensors can monitor attributes of the indicator light in order to detect a blink pattern outputted by the indicator light. In some implementations, video data indicating a blink pattern of a device within a property is obtained. One or more attributes of the blink pattern are identified based on processing the obtained video data. A status for the device is determined based at least on the one or more identified attributes. A system action that corresponds to the status is determined. The system action corresponding to the determined status is performed.

Claims (65)

1. A method comprising:

identifying one or more attributes of a blink pattern of a device within a property;

determining a status for the device based at least on the one or more attributes;

determining a system action corresponding to the status; and

providing data indicating the system action for output.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

obtaining sensor data collected by one or more sensors located within the property;

wherein the status for the device is determined based on the sensor data; and

wherein determining the system action corresponding to the status comprises:

identifying a system action predetermined to correspond to the sensor data, and

generating, within a blink pattern repository, a record that assigns the system action to the status.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising performing the system action corresponding to the status.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more attributes comprise at least one of a light emitting diode (LED) color, a blinking frequency, or a time delay between consecutive blinks.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the system action comprises:

accessing a blink pattern repository that identifies multiple predetermined blink patterns, the blink pattern repository comprising, for each of the multiple predetermined blink patterns, (i) one or more reference attributes, and (ii) a corresponding system action;

determining that at least one of the one or more attributes matches a reference attribute for a particular blink pattern from among the multiple predetermined blink patterns; and

selecting a particular system action corresponding to the particular blink pattern based on determining that at least one of the one or more attributes matches the reference attribute for the particular blink pattern.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the status identifies a maintenance operation for the device; and

the system action comprises transmitting, to a computing device of a user associated with the property, a communication identifying data associated with the maintenance operation for the device.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the status identifies a maintenance operation for the device; and

the system action comprises transmitting, to a server system of a service provider of the device, a request to schedule a service appointment at the property.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the status identifies (i) a likelihood of a failure condition for the device will occur, and (ii) a predicted time point for occurrence of the failure condition; and

the system action is performed prior to the predicted time point for occurrence of the failure condition.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

obtaining historical data for multiple properties, the historical data indicating blink patterns for one or more devices within each of the multiple properties; and

generating a blink pattern repository including one or more records for each of the one or more devices, each record identifying (i) one or more attributes of a blink pattern, and (ii) a system action predetermined to correspond to the blink pattern.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein:

the historical data for a particular property from among the multiple properties includes (i) a blink pattern for a particular device within the particular property, and (ii) a maintenance data for the particular device; and

generating the blink pattern repository comprises:

identifying a maintenance operation performed for the particular device within the maintenance data;

determining that the maintenance operation corresponds to the blink pattern for the particular device; and

generating a record for the particular device within the blink pattern repository, the record associating the blink pattern for the particular device and the maintenance operation that is determined to correspond to the blink pattern for the particular device.

11. A system comprising:

one or more computing devices; and

one or more storage devices storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more computing devices, cause the one or more computing devices to perform operations comprising:

identifying one or more attributes of a blink pattern of a device within a property;

determining a status for the device based at least on the one or more attributes;

determining a system action corresponding to the status; and

providing data indicating the system action for output.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein:

the status identifies a maintenance operation for the device; and

the system action comprises transmitting, to a computing device of a user associated with the property, a communication identifying data associated with the maintenance operation for the device.

13. The system of claim 11 , wherein the operations further comprise performing the system action corresponding to the status.

14. The system of claim 11 , wherein the one or more attributes comprise at least one of a light emitting diode (LED) color, a blinking frequency, or a time delay between consecutive blinks.

15. The system of claim 11 , wherein determining the system action comprises:

accessing a blink pattern repository that identifies multiple predetermined blink patterns, the blink pattern repository comprising, for each of the multiple predetermined blink patterns, (i) one or more reference attributes, and (ii) a corresponding system action;

determining that at least one of the one or more attributes matches a reference attribute for a particular blink pattern from among the multiple predetermined blink patterns; and

selecting a particular system action corresponding to the particular blink pattern based on determining that at least one of the one or more attributes matches the reference attribute for the particular blink pattern.

16. At least one non-transitory computer-readable storage device storing instructions that, when executed by one or more computing devices, cause the one or more computing devices to perform operations comprising:

identifying one or more attributes of a blink pattern of a device within a property;

determining a status for the device based at least on the one or more attributes;

determining a system action corresponding to the status; and

providing data indicating the system action for output.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage device of claim 16 , wherein:

the status identifies a maintenance operation for the device; and

the system action comprises transmitting, to a computing device of a user associated with the property, a communication identifying data associated with the maintenance operation for the device.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage device of claim 16 , wherein the operations further comprise performing the system action corresponding to the status.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage device of claim 16 , wherein the one or more attributes comprise at least one of a light emitting diode (LED) color, a blinking frequency, or a time delay between consecutive blinks.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage device of claim 16 , wherein determining the system action comprises:

accessing a blink pattern repository that identifies multiple predetermined blink patterns, the blink pattern repository comprising, for each of the multiple predetermined blink patterns, (i) one or more reference attributes, and (ii) a corresponding system action;

determining that at least one of the one or more attributes matches a reference attribute for a particular blink pattern from among the multiple predetermined blink patterns; and

selecting a particular system action corresponding to the particular blink pattern based on determining that at least one of the one or more attributes matches the reference attribute for the particular blink pattern.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 18, 2020
From: GOODMAN, DANIEL MARC; HEFFERNAN, CRAIG CARL; DONAHUE, HARRISON WAYNE
To: ALARM.COM INCORPORATED
Reel/Frame 051839/0597 →