US 9,286,781 B2 · Dynamic distributed-sensor thermostat network for forecasting external events using smart-home devices

Abstract

Systems and methods for forecasting events can be provided. A measurement database can store sensor measurements, each having been provided by a non-portable electronic device with a primary purpose unrelated to collecting measurements from a type of sensor that collected the measurement. A measurement set identifier can select a set of measurements. The electronic devices associated with the set of measurements can be in close geographical proximity relative to their geographical proximity to other devices. An inter-device correlator can access the set and collectively analyze the measurements. An event detector can determine whether an event occurred. An event forecaster can forecast a future event property. An alert engine can identify one or more entities to be alerted of the future event property, generate at least one alert identifying the future event property, and transmit the at least one alert to the identified one or more entities.

A smart home system network comprising:

a plurality of smart-home devices that are distributed among a plurality of homes within a geographic region, the plurality of smart-home devices including:
a thermostat that is located in a first home, the thermostat having a primary function of controlling a temperature within the first home;
a smoke detector that is located in a second home, the smoke detector having a primary function of detecting smoke within the second home;
and a camera that is located in a third home, the camera having a primary function of video monitoring for the third home;
wherein:
the thermostat includes a primary sensor that senses conditions related to controlling the temperature of the first home and also includes a secondary sensor that is disposed within the thermostat and that senses conditions that are not related to controlling the temperature of the first home, the secondary sensor of the thermostat being one or more sensors selected from the group consisting of:
a seismic sensor, an audio sensor, an acceleration sensor, and a radiation sensor;
the smoke detector includes a primary sensor that senses conditions related to detecting smoke within the second home and also includes a secondary sensor that is disposed within the smoke detector and that senses conditions that are not related to detecting smoke within the second home, the secondary sensor of the smoke detector being one or more sensors selected from the group consisting of:
a seismic sensor, a temperature sensor, an audio sensor, and a humidity sensor;
and
the camera includes a primary sensor that senses conditions related to video monitoring for the third home and also includes a secondary sensor that is disposed within the camera and that senses conditions that are not related to video monitoring for the third home, the secondary sensor of the camera being one or more sensors selected from the group consisting of:
a temperature sensor, a seismic sensor, an acceleration sensor, and a radiation sensor;
and
an event detection processor programmed and configured to detect an event from sensor measurements gathered within the geographic region from the secondary sensors of the thermostat, the smoke detector, and the camera according to the steps of:
receiving said sensor measurements from said secondary sensors of the thermostat, smoke detector, and camera;
analyzing selected ones of said sensor measurements from said secondary sensors of said thermostat, smoke detector, and camera to determine whether an event has occurred, wherein the event is a geographically distributed event selected from the group consisting of:
an earthquake, a tornado, a power outage, and a local weather event;
and
generating at least one alert identifying the detected event based on said analysis of selected ones of said sensor measurements from said secondary sensors of said thermostat, smoke detector, and camera;
wherein the determination that the event has occurred requires processing of said sensor measurements of said secondary sensors from each of the thermostat, smoke detector, and camera.

17 more elements

Facts

Application

14/677,722Filed 2 Apr 2015 · continuation

Priority

31 Aug 2012

Published

US 2015/0213703 A130 Jul 2015

Granted

15 Mar 2016

Term ends

Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification16 codes

H04Q 9/00
Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from
G05D 23/1902
Characterised by the use of electric means: characterised by the use of a variable reference value
G06N 5/02
Computing arrangements using knowledge-based models: knowledge representation; Symbolic representation
G08B 17/10
Fire alarms; Alarms responsive to explosion: actuation by presence of smoke or gases , e.g. automatic alarm devices for analysing flowing fluid…

Family

Application13/601,890Parent of this continuation · filed 31 Aug 2012

Application14/143,816Parent of this continuation · filed 30 Dec 2013

US 8,620,841 B1Parent of this continuation · filed 31 Dec 2013

US 2015/0213703 A1Pre-grant publication · published 30 Jul 2015

US 2014/0207721 A1Published application

US 9,286,781 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

Dynamic distributed-sensor thermostat network for forecasting external events using smart-home devices

Life of this patent

Dynamic distributed-sensor thermostat network for forecasting external events using smart-home devices

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims7