IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,260,742
Granted Patent B2
US 12,260,742 · App. 18/500,677 · Granted Mar 25, 2025

Contextual calibration of connected security device

Inventors: James Nicholas Murray (Chelmsford, GB); Tarik Safir (Derbyshire, GB); Sam Harris (Billericay, GB); Hasan Akoglu (Brentwood, GB); Julian Aaron Abentheuer (London, GB); Gabriel Mitchell (London, GB)
Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
G08B29/24G08B29/185
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,260,742
App. No.
18/500,677
Granted
Mar 25, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A vehicle determines that a vehicle alarm system has been engaged and determines a local context applicable to the vehicle alarm system. The vehicle obtains an alarm system configuration mapping applicable in light of the local context. The vehicle changes sensitivity of one or more sensors associated with the alarm system based on the configuration mapping.

Claims (31)

1. A vehicle comprising:

one or more processors configured to:

determine that a vehicle alarm system has been set to a first sensitivity level lower than a highest possible sensitivity level;

detect a trigger event, predesignated as an event that relates to increasing a sensitivity level, under at least a first context defined in conjunction with the trigger event;

analyze the event to determine if at least the first context is met; and

responsive to at least the first context being met, increase the first sensitivity level to a higher sensitivity level than the first sensitivity level, including expansion of at least one sensor zone associated with at least one vehicle sensor to enable the sensor to sense activity at a greater distance than prior to the expansion.

2. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the higher sensitivity level is the highest possible sensitivity level.

3. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein detected trigger event is the sound of a vehicle alarm detectable by the vehicle and wherein, responsive to detecting the alarm the first context is considered met.

4. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the detected trigger event includes a local alarm being triggered, detected based on a wirelessly broadcast notification received by the vehicle, and wherein the analyzing includes communicating with a remote server, predesignated for threat assistance, to obtain information related to the notification.

5. The vehicle of claim 4 , wherein the information related to the notification includes at least a location of the local alarm and wherein the first context is met based on a proximity of the location of the local alarm to a location of the vehicle.

6. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the detected trigger event includes a threat assistance event, detected via received wireless request for assistance and wherein the first context is met based on receiving a second wireless message indicating proximity of a threat.

7. A method comprising:

determining that a vehicle alarm system has been set to a first sensitivity level lower than a highest possible sensitivity level;

detecting a trigger event, predesignated as an event that relates to increasing a sensitivity level, under at least a first context defined in conjunction with the trigger event;

analyzing the event to determine if at least the first context is met; and

responsive to at least the first context being met, increasing the first sensitivity level to a higher sensitivity level than the first sensitivity level, including expanding at least one sensor zone associated with at least one vehicle sensor to enable the sensor to sense activity at a greater distance than prior to the expansion.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the higher sensitivity level is the highest possible sensitivity level.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein detected trigger event is the sound of a vehicle alarm detectable by the vehicle and wherein, responsive to detecting the alarm the first context is considered met.

10. The method of claim 7 , wherein the detected trigger event includes a local alarm being triggered, detected based on a wirelessly broadcast notification received by the vehicle, and wherein the analyzing includes communicating with a remote server, predesignated for threat assistance, to obtain information related to the notification.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the information related to the notification includes at least a location of the local alarm and wherein the first context is met based on a proximity of the location of the local alarm to a location of the vehicle.

12. The method of claim 7 , wherein the detected trigger event includes a threat assistance event, detected via received wireless request for assistance and wherein the first context is met based on receiving a second wireless message indicating proximity of a threat.

13. A non-transitory storage medium storing instructions that, when executed, cause a processor to perform a method comprising:

determining that a vehicle alarm system has been set to a first sensitivity level lower than a highest possible sensitivity level;

detecting a trigger event, predesignated as an event that relates to increasing a sensitivity level, under at least a first context defined in conjunction with the trigger event;

analyzing the event to determine if at least the first context is met; and

responsive to at least the first context being met, increasing the first sensitivity level to a higher sensitivity level than the first sensitivity level, including expanding at least one sensor zone associated with at least one vehicle sensor to enable the sensor to sense activity at a greater distance than prior to the expansion.

14. The storage medium of claim 13 , wherein the higher sensitivity level is the highest possible sensitivity level.

15. The storage medium of claim 13 , wherein detected trigger event is the sound of a vehicle alarm detectable by the vehicle and wherein, responsive to detecting the alarm the first context is considered met.

16. The storage medium of claim 13 , wherein the detected trigger event includes a local alarm being triggered, detected based on a wirelessly broadcast notification received by the vehicle, and wherein the analyzing includes communicating with a remote server, predesignated for threat assistance, to obtain information related to the notification.

17. The storage medium of claim 16 , wherein the information related to the notification includes at least a location of the local alarm and wherein the first context is met based on a proximity of the location of the local alarm to a location of the vehicle.

18. The storage medium of claim 13 , wherein the detected trigger event includes a threat assistance event, detected via received wireless request for assistance and wherein the first context is met based on receiving a second wireless message indicating proximity of a threat.

Continuity (2)
Continuation 17746053 · May 17, 2022
Related Publication 20240062647A1 · Feb 22, 2024
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