IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,741,766
Granted Patent B2
US 11,741,766 · App. 17/102,376 · Granted Aug 29, 2023

Garage security and convenience features

Inventors: Elliott Lemberger (Santa Monica, CA); John Modestine (Los Angeles, CA); Mark Siminoff (Mountain View, CA); Peter Gerstberger (Laguna Niguel, CA); Spiro Sacre (Los Angeles, CA); Christopher Loew (Palo Alto, CA)
Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
G07C9/00896G06V20/63H04N7/183G07C2009/00928
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,741,766
App. No.
17/102,376
Granted
Aug 29, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

A garage door is controlled to open using an audio/video (A/V) recording and communication device. The device detects a vehicle within an area about the garage door and receives, using a camera, image data representative of an object associated with the vehicle. The device also compares the image data representative of the object associated with the vehicle with previously stored image data and identifies the object based on the comparing of the image data representative of the object with the previously stored image data. The device also authenticates an electronic device within the vehicle that is associated with the object by wirelessly communicating with the electronic device and determines, based at least in part on the authenticating of the electronic device within the vehicle, that the vehicle is an authorized vehicle. The device also transmits an actuation command to the garage door to cause the garage door to open.

Claims (119)

1. An electronic device comprising:

a housing;

an input interface disposed proximate to a surface of the housing;

a camera disposed at least partly within the housing;

one or more network interfaces disposed at least partly within the housing;

one or more processors disposed at least partly within the housing; and

one or more computer-readable media disposed at least partly within the housing, the one or more computer-readable media storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the electronic device to perform operations comprising:

generating input data using the input interface;

determining that the input data represents a code;

determining that the code authorizes actuation of a garage door;

based on the determining that the code authorizes the actuation of the garage door, sending, using the one or more network interfaces and to a controller of the garage door, first data that causes the garage door to open; and

generating first image data using the camera.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the input interface is a keypad, and wherein the generating of the input data representing the code comprises generating the input data representing an alphanumeric code using the keypad.

3. The electronic device of claim 1 , the one or more computer-readable media storing further instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the electronic device to perform further operations comprising:

determining that the code authorizes the actuation of the garage door for a first number of times;

determining that the code has actuated the garage door a second number of times; and

determining that the second number of times is less than or equal to the first number of times,

wherein the sending of the first data is further based at least in part on the second number of times being less than or equal to the first number of times.

4. The electronic device of claim 1 , the one or more computer-readable media storing further instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the electronic device to perform further operations comprising:

determining that the code authorizes the actuation of the garage door during a time period; and

determining that a current time is within the time period,

wherein the sending of the first data is further based at least in part on the determining that the current time is within the time period.

5. The electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising a motion sensor, and wherein the one or more computer-readable media store further instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the electronic device to perform further operations comprising:

generating sensor data using the motion sensor; and

determining, based at least in part on the sensor data, that the motion sensor detected motion,

wherein the generating of the first image data is based at least in part on the motion sensor detecting the motion.

6. The electronic device of claim 1 , the one or more computer-readable media storing further instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the electronic device to perform further operations comprising:

determining that the first image data represents an object;

determining an object type of the object; and

sending, using the one or more network interfaces, first data indicating the object type.

7. The electronic device of claim 1 , the one or more computer-readable media storing further instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the electronic device to perform further operations comprising:

storing second data representing the code; and

determining that the code represented by the input data matches the code represented by the second data,

wherein the determining that the code authorizes the actuation of the garage door is based at least in part on the determining that the code represented by the input data matches the code represented by the second data.

8. An electronic device comprising:

an input interface;

one or more processors; and

one or more computer-readable media storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the electronic device to perform operations comprising:

generating first data using the input interface;

receiving second data from a user device;

determining that the second data authorizes actuation of a garage door;

based at least in part on the first data and the determining that the second data authorizes actuation of the garage door, sending, to a controller of the garage door, third data that causes the garage door to open; and

sending, to another device, fourth data that causes a camera to generate image data.

9. The electronic device of claim 8 , wherein the input interface is a keypad.

10. The electronic device of claim 8 , further comprising a motion sensor, and wherein the one or more computer-readable media store further instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the electronic device to perform further operations comprising:

generating sensor data using the motion sensor; and

determining, based at least in part on the sensor data, that the motion sensor detected motion,

wherein the sending of the fourth data is based at least in part on the motion sensor detecting the motion.

11. The electronic device of claim 8 , the one or more computer-readable media storing further instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the electronic device to perform further operations comprising:

determining that an object has left an area inside a garage associated with the garage door; and

based on the determining that the object has left the area inside the garage associated with the garage door, sending, to the controller, fifth data that causes the garage door to close.

12. The electronic device of claim 8 , the one or more computer-readable media storing further instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the electronic device to perform further operations comprising sending fifth data indicating that the garage door has been open.

13. The electronic device of claim 1 , the one or more computer-readable media storing further instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause electronic device to perform further operations comprising:

determining that the first image data represents an object exiting the garage door; and

based at least in part on the determining that the first image data represents the object exiting the garage door, sending, using the one or more network interfaces and to the controller, data that causes the garage door to close.

14. The electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising:

one or more speakers; and

one or more microphones,

wherein the one or more computer-readable media store further instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause electronic device to perform further operations comprising:

generating first audio data using the one or more microphones;

sending the first audio data using the one or more network interfaces;

receiving second audio data using the one or more network interfaces; and

outputting, using the one or more speakers, sound represented by the second audio data.

15. The electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising:

one or more light emitters; and

one or more motion sensors,

wherein the one or more computer-readable media store further instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause electronic device to perform further operations comprising:

generating sensor data using the one or more motions sensors;

determining, based at least in part on the sensor data, that the one or more motion sensors detected motion; and

based at least in part on the one or more motion sensors detecting the motion, outputting light using the one or more light emitters.

16. The electronic device of claim 8 , the one or more computer-readable media storing further instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the electronic device to perform further operations comprising:

determining that a period of time has elapsed since the sending of the third data; and

based at least in part on the period of time elapsing, sending, to the controller, fifth data that causes the garage door to close.

17. The electronic device of claim 8 , wherein the second data represents a code authorizing actuation of a garage door, and wherein the one or more computer-readable media storing further instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the electronic device to perform further operations comprising receiving, using the one or more network interfaces, fifth data representing the code.

18. The electronic device of claim 8 , wherein the another device is a remote server or a camera device.

19. An electronic device comprising:

a housing;

a camera disposed at least partly within the housing;

one or more network interfaces disposed at least partly within the housing;

one or more processors disposed at least partly within the housing; and

one or more computer-readable media disposed at least partly within the housing, the one or more computer-readable media storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the electronic device to perform operations comprising:

generating sensor data;

determining that the sensor data represents a code;

determining that the code authorizes actuation of a garage door;

based at least in part on the determining that the code authorizes the actuation of the garage door, sending, using the one or more network interfaces and to a controller of the garage door, first data that causes the garage door to open; and

generating first image data using the camera.

20. The electronic device of claim 19 , further comprising a keypad, and wherein:

the generating of the sensor data comprises generating input data using the keypad; and

the determining that the sensor data represents the code comprises determining that the input data represents a numerical code.

21. The electronic device of claim 19 , wherein:

the generating of the sensor data comprises generating second image data using the camera; and

the determining that the sensor data represents the code comprises determining that the second image data represents the code.

22. The electronic device of claim 19 , wherein:

the generating of the sensor data comprises generating third data using the one or more network interfaces; and

the determining that the sensor data represents the code comprises determining that the third image data represents the code.

23. The electronic device of claim 19 , the one or more computer-readable media storing further instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the electronic device to perform further operations comprising:

determining that the image data represents an object exiting the garage door; and

sending, using the one or more network interfaces and to the controller, second data that causes the garage door to close.

24. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the electronic device further comprises an infrared light emitter and an ambient light sensor, and wherein the one or more computer-readable media store instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the electronic device to perform operations comprising:

generating second data using the ambient light sensor; and

based on the second data, causing the infrared light emitter to emit infrared light.

25. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the electronic device further comprises an infrared light emitter and an ambient light sensor, and wherein the one or more computer-readable media store instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the electronic device to perform operations comprising:

generating second data using the ambient light sensor; and

based on the second data, powering off the infrared light emitter.

26. The electronic device of claim 19 ,

wherein the one or more computer-readable media store instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the electronic device to perform operations comprising:

generating second image data using the camera; and

detecting information about an object within the second image data, wherein the code is associated with the object; and

wherein the sending of the first data is based on the detecting information about the object within the second image data.

27. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the electronic device comprises a passive infrared sensor.

28. The electronic device of claim 27 , wherein the electronic device comprises a Fresnel lens arranged to direct infrared light onto the passive infrared sensor.

29. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more computer-readable media store further instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause electronic device to perform further operations comprising:

determining, based on image data generated by the camera, that the garage door is closed; and

based on the determining that the garage door is closed, sending fifth data indicating that the garage door is closed using the one or more network interfaces.

30. The electronic device of claim 19 , wherein the electronic device further comprises an infrared light emitter and an ambient light sensor, and wherein the one or more computer-readable media store instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the electronic device to perform operations comprising:

generating second data using the ambient light sensor; and

based on the second data, causing the infrared light emitter to emit infrared light.

31. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the electronic device comprises a passive infrared sensor, and wherein the electronic device comprises a Fresnel lens arranged to direct infrared light onto the passive infrared sensor.

32. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the code is associated with a delivery, and the one or more computer-readable media store instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the electronic device to perform operations comprising, upon sending the first data that causes the garage door to open, providing a notification to a user device associated with the delivery that the delivery has been completed.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 23, 2020
From: LEMBERGER, ELLIOTT; MODESTINE, JOHN; SIMINOFF, MARK; GERSTBERGER, PETER; SACRE, SPIRO; LOEW, CHRISTOPHER
To: AMAZON TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Reel/Frame 054451/0303 →
Continuity (2)
Continuation 16124859 · Sep 7, 2018
Related Publication 20210209881A1 · Jul 8, 2021