# US 12,217,597 B2 · Detecting abnormal events for a monitoring system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,217,597 B2 - Document ID: US12217597B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/746,507 - Filed: 2022-05-17 - Published: 2022-09-01 - Granted: 2025-02-04 - Earliest claimed: 2019-06-12 - Assignees: Comcast Cable Communications, LLC - Applicants: Comcast Cable Communications, LLC - Inventors: Zhen Zhao - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12217597B2 ## CPC - G08B 21/24: Reminder alarms, e.g. anti-loss alarms - G06F 16/219: {Managing data history or versioning (querying versioned data G06F16/2474; querying temporal data G06F16/2477)} - G08B 13/08: by opening, e.g. of door, of window, of drawer, of shutter, of curtain, of blind - G08B 25/008: {Alarm setting and unsetting, i.e. arming or disarming of the security system} - G08B 13/00: Burglar, theft or intruder alarms - G08B 25/14: Central alarm receiver or annunciator arrangements - G08B: SIGNALLING SYSTEMS, e.g. PERSONAL CALLING SYSTEMS; ORDER TELEGRAPHS; ALARM SYSTEMS - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract Systems, apparatuses, and methods are described for detecting a state transition for sensors of a monitoring system, and determining whether the state transition is abnormal such that further action is warranted. The determination may be based on a history of state transitions in the monitoring system, and may be based on whether the same state transition has previously occurred at a corresponding time in the history, whether the new state has previously occurred following the corresponding time in the history, and other factors. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method comprising: maintaining, by a computing device, historical sensor state values indicating historical states of a plurality of sensors; determining: a current state transition time; a first set of current sensor state values indicating states of the plurality of sensors prior to the current state transition time; and a second set of current sensor state values indicating states of the plurality of sensors after the current state transition time; and sending an anomalous activity alert, wherein the sending is based on: a first plurality of historical sensor state values, of a first set of historical sensor state values, matching the first set of current sensor state values; a second plurality of historical sensor state values, of a second set of historical sensor state values, matching the second set of current sensor state values; and a time, associated with the current state transition time, corresponding to a time window associated with the first plurality of historical sensor state values and the second plurality of historical sensor state values. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: determining a first time window centered at a time that is aligned with the time associated with the current state transition time; and determining second time windows located before and after the first time window, respectively, wherein the sending is further based on a determination of whether the first plurality of historical sensor state values and the second plurality of historical sensor state values occur in the first time window or one of the second time windows. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: determining a duration of a first time window centered at a time that is aligned with the time associated with the current state transition time, wherein the sending is further based on the duration matching the time window associated with the first plurality of historical sensor state values and the second plurality of historical sensor state values. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: determining a first time window centered at a time that is aligned with the time associated with the current state transition time; and determining two second time windows located immediately before and after the first time window, respectively, wherein the two second time windows comprise same durations. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the sending the anomalous activity alert is further based on: a state transition score associated with prior sensor state transitions. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the historical sensor state values comprise recorded times associated with prior sensor state transitions. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: applying one or more weighted scores to the first plurality of historical sensor state values and the second plurality of historical sensor state values, wherein the one or more weighted scores decrease for time windows that are farther, in time, from a time that is aligned with the time associated with the current state transition time. ### Claim 8 An apparatus comprising: one or more processors; and memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to: maintain historical sensor state values indicating historical states of a plurality of sensors; determine: a current state transition time; a first set of current sensor state values indicating states of the plurality of sensors prior to the current state transition time; and a second set of current sensor state values indicating states of the plurality of sensors after the current state transitions time; and send an anomalous activity alert based on: a first plurality of historical sensor state values, of a first set of historical sensor state values, matching the first set of current sensor state values; and a second plurality of historical sensor state values, of a second set of historical sensor state values, matching the second set of current sensor state values; a time, associated with the current state transition time, corresponding to a time window associated with the first plurality of historical sensor state values and the second plurality of historical sensor state values. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to: determine a first time window centered at a time that is aligned with the time associated with the current state transition time; determine second time windows located before and after the first time window, respectively; and send the anomalous activity alert further based on a determination of whether the first plurality of historical sensor state values and the second plurality of historical sensor state values occur in the first time window or one of the second time windows. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to: determine a duration of a first time window centered at a time that is aligned with the time associated with the current state transition time; and send the anomalous activity alert further based on the duration matching the time window associated with the first plurality of historical sensor state values and the second plurality of historical sensor state values. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to: determine a first time window centered at a time that is aligned with the time associated with the current state transition time; and determine two second time windows located immediately before and after the first time window, respectively, wherein the two second time windows comprise same durations. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to: send the anomalous activity alert further based on a state transition score associated with prior sensor state transitions. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the historical sensor state values comprise recorded times associated with prior sensor state transitions. ### Claim 14 (depends on 8) The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to: apply one or more weighted scores to the first plurality of historical sensor state values and the second plurality of historical sensor state values, wherein the one or more weighted scores decrease for time windows that are farther, in time, from a time that is aligned with the time associated with the current state transition time. ### Claim 15 A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions, when executed, cause: maintaining historical sensor state values indicating historical states of a plurality of sensors; determining: a current state transition time; a first set of current sensor state values indicating states of the plurality of sensors prior to the current state transition time; and a second set of current sensor state values indicating states of the plurality of sensors after the current state transition time; and sending an anomalous activity alert based on: a first plurality of historical sensor state values, of a first set of historical sensor state values, matching the first set of current sensor state values; a second plurality of historical sensor state values, of a second set of historical sensor state values, matching the second set of current sensor state values; and a time, associated with the current state transition time, corresponding to a time window associated with the first plurality of historical sensor state values and the second plurality of historical sensor state values. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause: determining a first time window centered at a time that is aligned with the time associated with the current state transition time; determining second time windows located before and after the first time window, respectively; and sending the anomalous activity alert further based on a determination of whether the first plurality of historical sensor state values and the second plurality of historical sensor state values occur in the first time window or one of the second time windows. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause: determining a duration of a first time window centered at a time that is aligned with the time associated with the current state transition time; and sending the anomalous activity alert further based on the duration matching the time window associated with the first plurality of historical sensor state values and the second plurality of historical sensor state values. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause: determining a first time window centered at a time that is aligned with the time associated with the current state transition time; and determining two second time windows located immediately before and after the first time window, respectively, wherein the two second time windows comprise same durations. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause: sending the anomalous activity alert further based on a state transition score associated with prior sensor state transitions. ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the historical sensor state values comprise recorded times associated with prior sensor state transitions. ### Claim 21 (depends on 15) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause: applying one or more weighted scores to the first plurality of historical sensor state values and the second plurality of historical sensor state values, wherein the one or more weighted scores decrease for time windows that are farther, in time, from a time that is aligned with the time associated with the current state transition time.