IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,579,878
Granted Patent B1
US 12,579,878 · App. 18/820,875 · Granted Mar 17, 2026

Event-detection confirmation by voice user interface

Inventors: Mara Clair Segal (Palo Alto, CA); Robert Waverly Zehner (Sunnyvale, CA)
Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
G08B21/0469G08B21/0476G10L13/027G10L15/22G10L2015/223G10L2015/225
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,579,878
App. No.
18/820,875
Granted
Mar 17, 2026
Kind
B1
Abstract

Systems and methods for event-detection confirmation are disclosed. For example, a sensing device may generate sensor data, such as from radar, and the sensor data may be utilized to determine if a predefined event as occurred. Event-confirmation operations may then be performed, such as by utilizing acoustic-event detection techniques and/or natural language understanding techniques. When occurrence of an event is confirmed, such as to a certain confidence level, one or more actions may be taken, such as sending a notification to another device and/or establishing a communication channel with another device, such as a device associated with emergency services, family members, friends, and/or neighbors.

Claims (50)

1 . A method comprising:

receiving, at a first device and from a second device disposed in an environment of the first device, first sensor data;

receiving, at the first device and from a third device disposed in the environment, second sensor data, wherein the first sensor data is associated with a first sensor and the second sensor data is associated with a second sensor that differs from the first sensor;

generating input data from the first sensor data and the second sensor data, the input data configured to be utilized by an on-device model of the first device to detect a fall event in the environment;

querying the on-device model, utilizing the input data, for a determination of whether the fall event has occurred; and

selecting at least one of the second device or the third device to perform an action associated with detection of the fall event by the on-device model of the first device.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the first device, the second device, and the third device are co-located in the environment;

the second device is a wearable device; and

the third device is a communal device.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the first sensor data comprises data indicating that the second device has moved in a manner corresponding to the fall event; and

the second sensor data comprises audio data received from the environment indicating an acoustic event associated with a fall.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the on-device model comprises a machine learning model configured to receive the input data in a form of a query and to generate output data indicating the determination of whether the fall event has occurred.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the first sensor data comprises data indicating that the second device has moved in a manner corresponding to the fall event; and

the second sensor data comprises image data received from the environment indicating depiction of a person that has fallen.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the first sensor data comprises data indicating that the second device has moved in a manner corresponding to the fall event; and

the second sensor data comprises radar data received from the environment indicating the fall event.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the action includes outputting a notification, and the method further comprises causing the notification to be output by causing a component of the second device to vibrate.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the action includes automatically establishing a communication channel between the second device and an emergency service.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the action includes outputting a notification by causing display of a user interface on the second device requesting confirmation that the fall event occurred.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the action includes outputting a notification by causing output of audio on the third device requesting speech input confirming that the fall event occurred.

11 . A first device comprising:

one or more processors; and

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

receiving, at the first device and from a second device disposed in an environment of the first device, first sensor data;

receiving, at the first device and from a third device disposed in the environment, second sensor data, wherein the first sensor data is associated with a first sensor and the second sensor data is associated with a second sensor that differs from the first sensor;

generating input data from the first sensor data and the second sensor data, the input data configured to be utilized by an on-device model of the first device to detect a fall event in the environment;

querying the on-device model, utilizing the input data, for a determination of whether the fall event has occurred; and

selecting at least one of the second device or the third device to perform an action associated with detection of the fall event by the on-device model of the first device.

12 . The first device of claim 11 , wherein:

the first device, the second device, and the third device are co-located in the environment;

the second device is a wearable device; and

the third device is a communal device.

13 . The first device of claim 11 , wherein:

the first sensor data comprises data indicating that the second device has moved in a manner corresponding to the fall event; and

the second sensor data comprises audio data received from the environment indicating an acoustic event associated with a fall.

14 . The first device of claim 11 , wherein the on-device model comprises a machine learning model configured to receive the input data in a form of a query and to generate output data indicating the determination of whether the fall event has occurred.

15 . The first device of claim 11 , wherein:

the first sensor data comprises data indicating that the second device has moved in a manner corresponding to the fall event; and

the second sensor data comprises image data received from the environment indicating depiction of a person that has fallen.

16 . The first device of claim 11 , wherein:

the first sensor data comprises data indicating that the second device has moved in a manner corresponding to the fall event; and

the second sensor data comprises radar data received from the environment indicating the fall event.

17 . The first device of claim 11 , wherein the action includes outputting a notification, and the operations further comprise causing the notification to be output by causing a component of the second device to vibrate.

18 . The first device of claim 11 , wherein the action includes automatically establishing a communication channel between the second device and an emergency service.

19 . The first device of claim 11 , wherein the action includes outputting a notification by causing display of a user interface on the second device requesting confirmation that the fall event occurred.

20 . The first device of claim 11 , wherein the action includes outputting a notification by causing output of audio on the third device requesting speech input confirming that the fall event occurred.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 30, 2024
From: SEGAL, MARA CLAIR; ZEHNER, ROBERT WAVERLY
To: AMAZON TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Reel/Frame 068452/0046 →
Continuity (2)
Continuation 17492086 · Oct 1, 2021
Continuation 16455149 · Jun 27, 2019
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