IP Library Granted Patent US 11,855,991
Granted Patent B1
US 11,855,991 · App. 17/110,189 · Granted Dec 26, 2023

Management of a smart home automation community

Inventors: Harrison Taylor Jenkins (Salt Lake City, UT); Jeffrey Evans (Provo, UT)
Assignee: VIVINT, INC.
H04L63/102H04L12/2816H04L12/2827H04L63/08
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,855,991
App. No.
17/110,189
Granted
Dec 26, 2023
Kind
B1
Abstract

Methods, systems, and devices for property manager are described. A device may transmit a request to access information from a control panel of a property associated with a smart home automation community. The request may include credentials specific to a property management personnel. In response to the transmitted request, the device may retrieve the information from the control panel of the property based in part on an authentication of the credentials. The authentication of the credentials may include receiving, from an additional device of an occupant of the property, an acknowledgement message to the request. Once the information is retrieved from the control panel, the device may generate an account associated with the control panel of the property based in part on the information, where the account grants a level of access to the property management personnel.

Claims (69)

1. A method for a smart home automation community, the method being performed by a computing device comprising at least one processor, the method comprising:

receiving a request for a property search of the smart home automation community, the request comprising a set of search parameters;

identifying a vacant property of the smart home automation community based at least in part on the request, the vacant property satisfying at least one search parameter of the set of search parameters;

transmitting a request to access information from a control panel of the vacant property associated with the smart home automation community, the request comprising credentials specific to a property management personnel associated with the smart home automation community, wherein:

the smart home automation community comprises a plurality of properties within a geographic coverage area of each other, and each having at least one control panel in communication with the computing device; and

the credentials specific to the property management personnel provide access to a control panel of multiple of the plurality of properties of the smart home automation community;

retrieving the information from the control panel of the vacant property based at least in part on an authentication of the credentials, wherein the authentication of the credentials comprises receiving, from a device of an occupant of the vacant property, an acknowledgement message to the request;

generating an account associated with the control panel of the vacant property based at least in part on the information, wherein the account grants a level of access to the property management personnel; and

generating a temporary access code for access to the vacant property.

2. The method of claim 1 ,

wherein the set of parameters comprises a property type, a habitable square-footage associated with the property search, a neighborhood type associated with the property search, or a combination thereof.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

transmitting, to the device of the occupant, a message comprising a selectable option to select the vacant property from a set of vacant properties, wherein selecting the vacant property from the set of properties comprise receiving, from the device of the occupant, a message comprising an indication of the selected vacant property from the set of vacant properties.

4. The method of claim 3 ,

wherein the temporary access code is valid for a temporal period and triggers the computing device to transmit a survey to the device of the occupant based at least in part on a usage of the temporary access code.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

transmitting, to the device of the occupant, a message comprising instructions to download an application associated with the smart home automation community, wherein the account is accessible via the application, the message comprising a short message service (SMS) message comprising a universal resource locator (URL) directing the device to an interface to download the application.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

removing previous information from the control panel based at least in part on generating the account associated with the control panel of the vacant property, the previous information being associated with a previous occupant of the vacant property; and

configuring the control panel to a default state based at least in part on the removing.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:

configuring one or more home automation components to a default state based at least in part on configuring the control panel to the default state, wherein the one or more home automation components comprises a standalone camera, a smart thermostat, a smart appliance, a smart lighting system, or a heating ventilation air control (HVAC) system, or a combination thereof, wherein the previous information comprises a setting history associated with the one or more home automation components.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

adding the control panel of the vacant property to the smart home automation community based at least in part on the retrieving, wherein generating the account associated with the control panel of the vacant property is further based at least in part on adding the control panel of the vacant property to the smart home automation community.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

configuring a set of parameters associated with the account of the vacant property based at least in part on the information, wherein configuring the account grants the level of access to the property management personnel; and

storing the information of the vacant property in a relational database associated with the smart home automation community.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein:

the level of access comprises assigning a capability for the property management personnel to unlock or lock one or more barriers associated with the vacant property based at least in part on an emergency occasion; and

the level of access comprises assigning a restriction on the account for the property management personnel, the restriction being an inability for the property management personnel to access the control panel or one or more home automation components associated with the vacant property.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein configuring the set of parameters further comprises:

configuring the control panel to periodically or periodically receive or retrieve activity from one or more home automation components associated with the vacant property;

configuring the control panel to generate a report based at least in part on the activity, the activity comprising a sensor activation or deactivation from one or more home automation components, a battery status associated with the one or more home automation components, wherein the reporting further comprises occurrences of service personnel visiting the vacant property, occurrences of the property management personnel accessing or altering a feature on the account, or both; and

uploading the report to the account, wherein the report is viewable to the occupant and the property management personnel.

12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

granting an administrative management personnel access to the account, the access being less than or equal to the level of access granted to the property management personnel, wherein the level of access is further based at least in part on the granting.

13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving, from the control panel or the device of the occupant, a service request;

identifying a schedule associated with the occupant based at least in part on the service request, wherein the service request provides an indication to plan a service with or without the occupant being present at the vacant property; and

automatically scheduling a service personnel to visit the vacant property and perform the service based at least in part on the service request and the schedule associated with the occupant.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:

transmitting, to a device of the service personnel, a message indicating the service request, wherein the message comprises at least one of payment information, geolocation information of the vacant property, access information of the vacant property, contact information of the occupant or the management personnel, or any combination thereof.

15. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:

transmitting, to a device of the service personnel, access information to the vacant property at a temporal period associated with the scheduled service, wherein the access information comprises a digital identification number associated with a digital lock of a barrier to the vacant property.

16. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:

configuring the control panel to transmit a notification message to the device of the occupant or display the notification message at the control panel, wherein the notification message comprises an indication of the service performed, an entry time of the service personnel to the vacant property, or an exit time of the service personnel out of the vacant property, or a combination thereof.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the control panel is associated with a subscription service provider.

18. An apparatus for a smart home automation community, the method:

a processor, memory in electronic communication with the processor; and

instructions stored in the memory and executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to:

receive a request for a property search of the smart home automation community, the request comprising a set of search parameters;

identify a vacant property of the smart home automation community based at least in part on the request, the vacant property satisfying at least one search parameter of the set of search parameters;

transmit a request to access information from a control panel of the vacant property associated with the smart home automation community, the request comprising credentials specific to a property management personnel associated with the smart home automation community, wherein:

the smart home automation community comprises a plurality of properties within a geographic coverage area of each other, and each having at least one control panel in communication with the computing device; and

the credentials specific to the property management personnel provide access to a control panel of multiple of the plurality of properties of the smart home automation community;

retrieve the information from the control panel of the vacant property based at least in part on an authentication of the credentials, wherein the authentication of the credentials comprises receiving, from a device of an occupant of the vacant property, an acknowledgement message to the request;

generate an account associated with the control panel of the vacant property based at least in part on the information, wherein the account grants a level of access to the property management personnel; and

generate a temporary access code for access to the vacant property.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 ,

wherein the set of parameters comprises a property type, a habitable square-footage associated with the property search, a neighborhood type associated with the property search, or a combination thereof.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing code for a smart home automation community, the method being performed by a computing device comprising at least one processor, the method comprising, the code comprising instructions executable by a processor to:

receive a request for a property search of the smart home automation community, the request comprising a set of search parameters;

identify a vacant property of the smart home automation community based at least in part on the request, the vacant property satisfying at least one search parameter of the set of search parameters;

transmit a request to access information from a control panel of the vacant property associated with the smart home automation community, the request comprising credentials specific to a property management personnel associated with the smart home automation community, wherein:

the smart home automation community comprises a plurality of properties within a geographic coverage area of each other, and each having at least one control panel in communication with the computing device; and

the credentials specific to the property management personnel provide access to a control panel of each of multiple of the plurality of properties of the smart home automation community;

retrieve the information from the control panel of the vacant property based at least in part on an authentication of the credentials, wherein the authentication of the credentials comprises receiving, from a device of an occupant of the vacant property, an acknowledgement message to the request;

generate an account associated with the control panel of the vacant property based at least in part on the information, wherein the account grants a level of access to the property management personnel; and

generate a temporary access code for access to the vacant property.

Assignments (7)
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: JENKINS, HARRISON TAYLOR; EVANS, JEFFREY
To: VIVINT, INC.
Reel/Frame 068941/0449 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded May 17, 2024
From: VIVINT, INC.
To: WILMINGTON TRUST, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 067456/0729 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 17, 2023
From: JENKINS, HARRISON TAYLOR; EVANS, JEFFREY
To: VIVINT, INC.
Reel/Frame 065598/0186 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT SUPPLEMENT NO. 2 Recorded Jul 12, 2021
From: VIVINT, INC.
To: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A.
Reel/Frame 057434/0591 →
Cited By (2)
US 12,212,574 US 12,219,173