Electronic monitoring system implementing coordinated waking of wireless battery-powered monitoring devices

1 . An electronic monitoring system for monitoring an environment, the electronic monitoring system comprising:

a first battery-powered monitoring device that monitors a first zone within the environment;

a second battery-powered monitoring device that monitors a second zone within the environment;

wherein:

each of the first and second battery-powered monitoring devices defines:

an imaging device configured to capture images and/or video and transmit corresponding image and/or video data within the system;

a sleep state with a sleep state power usage value;

an awake state with an awake state power usage value that is greater than the sleep state power usage value; and

each of the first and second battery-powered monitoring devices is configured to:

detect an in-zone triggering event in the one of the first and second zones as an initial detection zone in which the respective monitoring device is arranged and to awaken from the sleep state to the awake state as an initially awakened device and perform an in-zone response action that includes capturing images and/or video in the initial detection zone upon the detection of the triggering event;

cause a peer-wake signal to be transmitted to awaken the other one of the first and second battery-powered monitoring devices as a subsequently awakened device from the sleep state to the awake state in the other one of the first and second zones as an initial non-detection zone and prepare the subsequently awakened device to perform a subsequent response action that includes capturing images and/or video upon detection of a subsequent triggering event in the initial non detection zone; and

transmit an ongoing activity signal through the system to maintain the subsequently awakened device in the awake state in the initial non-detection zone upon a determination of a continued duration of the triggering event or a detection of a subsequent event in the initial detection zone.

2 . The electronic monitoring system of claim 1 , wherein each of the first and second battery-powered monitoring devices comprises at least one circuitry element that is configured to:

enter a reduced functionality state to provide the sleep state; and

enter an enhanced functionality state to provide the awake state.

3 . The electronic monitoring system of claim 2 , wherein the active state is one of at least two active states, including:

an awake-active state with the corresponding one of the first and second battery-powered monitoring devices performing a response action based on its detection of the in-zone triggering event; and

an awake-ready state in which operation of the corresponding one of the first and second battery-powered monitoring devices is fully enabled such that the corresponding one of the first and second battery-powered monitoring devices is ready to perform the response action upon detection of a subsequent in-zone triggering event by the corresponding one of the first and second battery-powered monitoring devices.

4 . The electronic monitoring system of claim 3 , wherein the response action during awake-active state includes at least one of:

capturing images and/or video;

transmitting image and/or video data within the system;

capturing sound;

transmitting sound data within the system;

activating a light;

providing an audible alert; and

transmitting alert information to a user device.

5 . The electronic monitoring system of claim 1 , further comprising a third battery-powered monitoring device that monitors a third zone, and wherein each of the monitoring devices is configured to transmit a peer-awaken signal to all other monitoring devices upon detection of a triggering event.

6 . The electronic monitoring system of claim 1 , wherein the system includes at least three battery-powered monitoring device ands, wherein each of the monitoring devices is configured to transmit a peer-awaken signal to less than all other monitoring devices upon detection of a triggering event.

7 . The electronic monitoring system of claim 1 , wherein the triggering event is one of the detection of activity with the zone monitored by the corresponding monitoring device or the receipt of a command from a user device or third party device.

8 . An electronic monitoring system for monitoring an environment, the electronic monitoring system comprising:

at least three battery-powered imaging devices that monitor corresponding zones within the environment so that each battery-powered imaging device monitors a respective monitored zone, wherein:

during an absence of a triggering event within the environment, each of the battery-powered imaging devices is configured to maintain a sleep state with a first, relatively low power usage value, and wherein

each of the battery-powered imaging devices, during an occurrence of a triggering event within the respective monitored zone, is configured to:

detect an in-zone triggering event in the respective monitored zone as an initial detection zone;

awaken from the sleep state as an initially awakened device to an awake state with a second power usage value that is higher than the first power usage value and perform an in-zone response action in the initial detection zone;

cause a peer-wake signal to be transmitted to wake at least one other battery-powered imaging device as a subsequently awakened device from a sleep state to an awake state in a different one of the monitored zones as an initial non-detection zone in preparation of performing a subsequent response action upon detection of a subsequent triggering event in the initial non-detection zone; and

cause an ongoing activity signal to be transmitted to the subsequently awakened device and maintain the subsequently awakened device in the awake state in the initial non-detection zone upon a determination of a continued duration of the triggering event or a detection of a subsequent event in the initial detection zone.

9 . The electronic monitoring system of claim 8 , wherein each of the battery-powered imaging devices includes at least one circuitry element that is configured to:

enter a reduced functionality state to provide the sleep state; and

enter an enhanced functionality state to provide the awake state.

10 . The electronic monitoring system of claim 9 , wherein:

the battery-powered imaging device that detects the triggering event in its respective monitored zone enters an awake-active state for performing a response action in response to detection of the triggering event; and

at least one of the battery-powered imaging devices that did not detect the triggering event enters an awake-ready state in which the imaging device is fully capable of performing the response action upon detection of a subsequent triggering event in its respective zone.

11 . The electronic monitoring system of claim 10 , wherein:

a respective one of the battery-powered imaging devices that detects the in-zone triggering event defines an initial event-detecting device;

the initial event-detecting device is configured to determine when a duration of inactivity within the respective zone exceeds a designated duration of an inactivity time threshold,

in response to exceeding the duration of the inactivity time threshold, the at least one circuitry element of the initial event-detecting device is configured to enter the reduced functionality state.

12 . A method for operating multiple battery-powered imaging devices within an electronic monitoring system for monitoring an environment, the method comprising:

detecting a first triggering event in a first zone with a first battery-powered imaging device;

waking the first imaging device from a sleep state to an awake state and perform a first response action in response to detection of the triggering event in the first zone;

transmitting a peer-wake signal in response to the detection of the triggering event by the first imaging device;

receiving the peer-wake signal with a second battery-powered imaging device in a second zone; and

transitioning the second imaging device from a sleep state to an awake state in response to receiving the peer-wake signal and in preparation of performing a second response action upon detection of a second triggering event in the second zone;

detecting an ongoing duration of the triggering event or a subsequent event with the first imaging device in the first zone;

transmitting an ongoing activity signal in response to the detected ongoing triggering event or subsequent event; and

maintaining the second imaging device in the awake state in response to receiving the ongoing activity signal in the first zone.

13 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising:

detecting the triggering event with the first battery-powered imaging device in a first zone of the monitored environment; and

receiving the peer-wake signal with the second battery-powered imaging device in a second zone of the monitored environment.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein:

the first and second zones of the monitored environment are defined within a first group of zones within the monitored environment; and

a second group of zones is defined within the monitored environment, and the method further comprises:

performing a coordinated waking event by the transmitting the peer-wake signal and receiving peer-wake signal by respective battery-powered imaging devices in at least one of the first and second groups of zones of the monitored environment.

15 . The method of claim 12 , wherein:

the monitored environment includes multiple groups of zones;

a coordinated waking event is defined by:

the transmitting of the peer-wake signal;

the receiving of the peer-wake signal by respective battery-powered imaging devices; and

the transitioning of the respective battery-powered imaging devices from the sleep state to the awake state; and

the method further comprises:

performing the coordinated waking event in fewer than all of the groups of zones in the monitored environment based on a location of the zone in which the triggering event was detected.