IP Library Granted Patent US 12,236,772
Granted Patent B2
US 12,236,772 · App. 17/990,950 · Granted Feb 25, 2025

Handling duress input

Inventors: Rose Blais Alexander (McLean, VA); Rebecca Elisabeth Davenport (Falls Church, VA); Alison Jane Slavin (Falls Church, VA)
Assignee: Alarm.com Incorporated
G08B25/016G08B25/008G08B25/14G08B15/001
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,236,772
App. No.
17/990,950
Granted
Feb 25, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

Techniques are described for handling duress input. For example, techniques are described for handling duress input provided to a mobile application that controls a monitoring system located at a fixed property.

Claims (44)

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a device that controls one or more operations of a monitoring system at a property, user input that indicates a user providing the user input is involved in a duress situation; and

in response to determining that the user input is a duress user input that indicates a user providing the duress user input is involved in a duress situation:

disarming the monitoring system or canceling an alarm of the monitoring system; and

obtaining, by a microphone connected to the device, audio from the property that is different data from the duress user input.

2. The method of claim 1 , comprising:

sending data indicating a second alarm to a central system in response to determining that the user input is a duress user input.

3. The method of claim 2 , comprising:

in response to receiving data indicating the second alarm, causing dispatch of emergency services to a location of the property.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein disarming the monitoring system or canceling the alarm of the monitoring system occurs at least partially concurrently while sending the data indicating the second alarm to the central system.

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein the data indicating the second alarm includes data indicating a location of the monitoring system for the dispatch of the emergency services.

6. The method of claim 1 , comprising:

in response to disarming the monitoring system or canceling the alarm of the monitoring system, presenting, using an interface of the device, an indication that the monitoring system has been disarmed or the alarm has been canceled.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the user input includes one or more of a passcode, gesture, or biometric input.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the device that controls one or more operations of the monitoring system is located at the property.

9. The method of claim 1 , comprising:

in response to determining that the user input is a duress user input, providing the obtained audio to an operator device to assess the duress situation at the property.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein obtaining the audio comprises:

obtaining the audio for a threshold period of time to assist with the duress situation at the property.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the threshold period of time is 30 seconds.

12. The method of claim 1 , comprising:

in response to determining that the user input is a duress user input, determining, using one or more rules and data for the duress user input and from a plurality of actions, to (i) disarm the monitoring system or cancel the alarm of the monitoring system and (ii) obtain the audio from the property,

wherein disarming the monitoring system or canceling an alarm of the monitoring system and obtaining, by a microphone connected to the device, audio data for the property are responsive to determining, using the one or more rules and the data for the duress user input and from a plurality of actions, to (i) disarm the monitoring system or cancel the alarm of the monitoring system and (ii) obtain the audio data.

13. A method comprising:

receiving, by a system that communicates with a monitoring system at a property, user input that indicates a user providing the user input is involved in a duress situation; and

in response to determining that the user input is a duress user input that indicates a user providing the duress user input is involved in a duress situation, sending, to a device for the monitoring system, a command to cause the device to capture audio that is different data from the duress user input;

receiving, from the device, the audio; and

providing at least a portion of the audio for presentation.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein providing at least the portion of the audio for presentation comprises:

sending the portion of the audio to a terminal of an operator assigned to handle the duress situation.

15. The method of claim 13 , comprising:

contacting emergency services in response to determining that the user input is a duress user input.

16. The method of claim 13 , comprising:

in response to determining that the user input is a duress user input, sending, to the device for the monitoring system, a command to disarm the monitoring system or cancel an alarm of the monitoring system.

17. The method of claim 13 , comprising:

in response to determining that the user input is a duress user input, sending, to the device for the monitoring system, a command to present, using an interface of the device, an indication that the monitoring system has been disarmed or an alarm has been canceled.

18. The method of claim 13 , comprising:

providing information related to the monitoring system to a contact of the user.

19. A system comprising one or more computers and one or more storage devices on which are stored instructions that are operable, when executed by the one or more computers, to cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising:

receiving, by a device that controls one or more operations of a monitoring system at a property, user input that indicates a user providing the user input is involved in a duress situation; and

in response to and after determining that the user input is a duress user input that indicates a user providing the duress user input is involved in a duress situation:

disarming the monitoring system or canceling an alarm of the monitoring system; and

obtaining, by a sensor connected to the device, sensor data for the property, where the sensor data is different data from the duress user input.

20. The system of claim 19 , wherein the sensor comprises a camera or a microphone.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 22, 2022
From: ALEXANDER, ROSE BLAIS; DAVENPORT, REBECCA ELISABETH; SLAVIN, ALISON JANE
To: ALARM.COM INCORPORATED
Reel/Frame 061849/0354 →
Continuity (9)
Continuation 17019826 · Sep 14, 2020
Continuation 16720784 · Dec 19, 2019
Continuation 16293056 · Mar 5, 2019
Continuation 16102284 · Aug 13, 2018
Continuation 15798141 · Oct 30, 2017
Continuation 15612660 · Jun 2, 2017
Continuation 14533203 · Nov 5, 2014
Provisional Application 61899907 · Nov 5, 2013
Related Publication 20230080485A1 · Mar 16, 2023
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