Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
DETAILED ACTION
Claims 1-20 are presented for examination.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112(b)
The following is a quotation of 35 USC § 112(b) which forms the basis for all indefiniteness rejections:
(The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 14-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 14 is a claim claiming “A method implemented by a system, the system comprising at least one computing device.” See MPEP 2173.05(p) II. Product and Process In The Same Claim (citing IPXL Holdings v. Amazon.com, Inc., 430 F.3d 1377, 1384, 77 USPQ2d 1140, 1145 (Fed. Cir. 2005), in which a system claim that recited "an input means" and required a user to use the input means was found to be indefinite because it was unclear "whether infringement … occurs when one creates a system that allows the user [to use the input means], or whether infringement occurs when the user actually uses the input means."); Ex parte Lyell, 17 USPQ2d 1548 (Bd. Pat. App. & Inter. 1990) (claim directed to an automatic transmission workstand and the method of using it held ambiguous and properly rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112, second paragraph).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103(a) which forms the basis for all
(a) A patent may not be obtained though the invention is not identically disclosed or described as set forth in section 102 of this title, if the differences between the subject matter sought to be patented and the prior art are such that the subject matter as a whole would have been obvious at the time the invention was made to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which said subject matter pertains. Patentability shall not be negatived by the manner in which the invention was made.
The factual inquiries set forth in Graham v. John Deere Co., 383 U.S. 1, 148 USPQ 459 (1966), that are applied for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103(a) are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claims 1-4, and 6-20 are rejected U.S.C. § 103 as being unpatentable over Siminoff, U.S. 2020/0267354 in view of Lyman et al., U.S. 11,361,060.
On claim 1, Siminoff cites except as underlined:
A system, comprising:
at least one computing device comprising:
at least one processor;
figure 1 server 116, storage 118
and
at least one memory storing computing instructions
figure 1, storage 116 and
[0177] The backend API 120 illustrated FIG. 1 may include one or more APIs. An API is a set of routines, protocols, and tools for building software and applications.
that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one computing device to:
receive a recognized person message, the recognized person message
indicating a recognized person has been detected in video captured by a video doorbell device installed proximate a door of a premises, the recognized person message corresponding to a first authentication factor for authenticating the recognized person;
[0288] The process 1400, at block B640, analyzes the image data to determine if an authorized person is present. For example, the processor 452 of the A/V recording and communication doorbell 402 (and/or the processor 502 of the backend server 430 after receiving the image data 460 from the A/V recording and communication doorbell 402 over the user's network 408 and the network (Internet/PSTN) 410) may analyze the image data 460 to determine if an authorized person is present. The determination of whether any of the person(s) in the image data 460 are authorized may be done using computer vision or the like, as described above (e.g., facial recognition, facial detection, etc.). In some of the present embodiments, the image data 460 may be compared to a database of authorized persons. The database of authorized persons may be created by the user/owner of the A/V recording and communication doorbell 402. For example, the user/owner may tag persons from historical image data 460 captured by the A/V recording and communication doorbell 402 (and/or other A/V recording and communication devices installed at the property) as authorized. As another example, the user/owner may upload images of authorized persons using the client devices 404, 406. In another example, authorized persons may be added to the database of authorized persons by third parties (e.g., by a house cleaning service, by a delivery service, etc.), where the third parties may provide services to the user/owner at the property. In such an example, the user/owner may verify the authorized persons of the third parties prior to the authorized persons being added to the database of authorized persons.
(the first authentication factor is the cited different image data disclosed above)
receive a connection message, the connection message indicating a wireless connection has been established between a keypad device for a premises monitoring
system at the premises and a mobile device corresponding to the recognized person, the wireless connection complying with a short-range wireless communication protocol,
[0171] With further reference to FIG. 1, the A/V recording and communication device 100 communicates with a user's network 110, which may be for example a wired and/or wireless network. If the user's network 110 is wireless, or includes a wireless component, the network 110 may be a Wi-Fi network compatible with the IEEE 802.11 standard and/or other wireless communication standard(s). The user's network 110 is connected to another network 112, which may comprise, for example, the Internet and/or a public switched telephone network (PSTN). As described below, the A/V recording and communication device 100 may communicate with a user's client device 114 via the user's network 110 and the network 112 (Internet/PSTN). The user's client device 114 may comprise, for example, a mobile telephone (may also be referred to as a cellular telephone), such as a smartphone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), or another communication device.
[0234] The home automation system may use one or more communication protocols, including either or both of wired and wireless protocols, including but not limited to Wi-Fi, X10, Ethernet, RS-485, 6LoWPAN, Bluetooth LE (BTLE), ZigBee, and Z-Wave.
the connection message corresponding to a second authentication factor for authenticating the recognized person;
And
in response to at least receiving the recognized person message and the
connection message, grant the recognized person access to the premises by at least:
causing the premises monitoring system to disarm;
and
causing an electronic door lock securing the door to unlock.
[0302] In any embodiment, the person on the A/V recording and communication doorbell 402 end of the two-way communication may request that the security monitoring service 418 execute an action 484 and/or an arming action 494. For example, the person may request access to the property (e.g., request that the security monitoring service 418 transmit an unlock request to a lock automation device via the A/V recording and communication doorbell 402, the hub device 412, and/or the backend server 430, and/or request that the security monitoring service 418 transmit a disarm request to the security system 422 via the A/V recording and communication doorbell 402, the hub device 412, and/or the backend server 430).
Regarding the excepted: indicating a wireless connection has been established between a keypad device for a premises monitoring system at the premises and a mobile device corresponding to the recognized person,
Siminoff discloses:
[0292] The person may be the owner of the property where the A/V recording and communication doorbell 402 is located and thus may know that by pressing and holding the button 445 for five seconds (e.g., the threshold period of time), the A/V recording and communication doorbell 402 enters the command input mode.
Also, Siminoff discloses:
[0316] The user interface 806 may include any user interface or presentation elements suitable for a smartphone and/or a portable computing device, such as a keypad, a display screen, a touchscreen, a microphone, and a speaker.
And
[0007] In a first aspect, an audio/video (A/V) recording and communication doorbell including a processor, a button, a communication module, a camera, and a microphone, receives, by the button, an input and generating, by the processor in response to the input
Smirnoff doesn’t disclose a keypad device used for premises monitoring; however, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include into Siminoff an operation in which the doorbell 402 is substituted with a device including the functionalities of the user interface 806 such that the claimed invention is realized.
The cited user interface device is described as a user input, not unlike the AV recording and communication doorbell 402. One of ordinary skill would have substituted the cited keypad-equipped user interface in place of the doorbell. Each known device represents a type of “user input device” and thus, and the results of the substitution of known parts would have realized an embodiment meeting the claimed invention.
Regarding the excepted: the connection message corresponding to a second authentication factor for authenticating the recognized person,
Smirnoff, as discussed above, includes the cited elements causing a connection message, the elements including a first authentication factor using image data, but not including a “second authentication factor.”
In the same art of secured systems, Lyman cites:
Col. 50, lines 53-61, Upon detecting the presence of a person within the threshold distance from the lock component 500, the doorbell camera may be configured to monitor for a first authentication factor from the person, For example, the first authentication factor may be from a device (such as, mobile device) associated with the person. In some cases, the doorbell camera 310 may be configured with functionalities to broadcast a beacon signal based on detecting the presence of the person.
Col 2, lines 16-18 In some cases, the second authentication factor may include the voice command from the person.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include into Siminoff the embodiment disclosed in Lyman where an operation in which the owner’s client device includes voice commands from the user. One of ordinary skill would have included this feature to include a more robust form of security for the system.
On claim 2, Siminoff cites:
The system of claim 1, wherein the short-range wireless communication protocol
with which the connection complies is a BLUETOOTH LOW ENERGY (BLE) protocol.
[0234] The home automation system may use one or more communication protocols, including either or both of wired and wireless protocols, including but not limited to Wi-Fi, X10, Ethernet, RS-485, 6LoWPAN, Bluetooth LE (BTLE), ZigBee, and Z-Wave.
On claim 3, Siminoff cites:
The system of claim 1, wherein computing instructions are further configured to
cause the at least one computing device to receive the connection message from the device for the premises monitoring system via a network.
[0003] For example, sensor information, audio, and/or video captured by a security system, such as by an A/V recording and communication doorbell of a security system, can be uploaded to the cloud and recorded on a remote server.
[0302] In any embodiment, the person on the A/V recording and communication doorbell 402 end of the two-way communication may request that the security monitoring service 418 execute an action 484 and/or an arming action 494. For example, the person may request access to the property (e.g., request that the security monitoring service 418 transmit an unlock request to a lock automation device via the A/V recording and communication doorbell 402, the hub device 412, and/or the backend server 430, and/or request that the security monitoring service 418 transmit a disarm request to the security system 422 via the A/V recording and communication doorbell 402, the hub device 412, and/or the backend server 430).
On claim 4, Siminoff cites:
A system, comprising:
at least one computing device comprising:
at least one processor;
figure 1 server 118
and
at least one memory storing computing instructions that,
figure 1, storage 116 and
[0177] The backend API 120 illustrated FIG. 1 may include one or more APIs. An API is a set of routines, protocols, and tools for building software and applications.
when executed by the at
least one processor, cause the at least one computing device to:
receive a recognized person message indicating a recognized person has
been detected proximate an access location of the premises;
[0288] The process 1400, at block B640, analyzes the image data to determine if an authorized person is present. For example, the processor 452 of the A/V recording and communication doorbell 402 (and/or the processor 502 of the backend server 430 after receiving the image data 460 from the A/V recording and communication doorbell 402 over the user's network 408 and the network (Internet/PSTN) 410) may analyze the image data 460 to determine if an authorized person is present. The determination of whether any of the person(s) in the image data 460 are authorized may be done using computer vision or the like, as described above (e.g., facial recognition, facial detection, etc.). In some of the present embodiments, the image data 460 may be compared to a database of authorized persons. The database of authorized persons may be created by the user/owner of the A/V recording and communication doorbell 402. For example, the user/owner may tag persons from historical image data 460 captured by the A/V recording and communication doorbell 402 (and/or other A/V recording and communication devices installed at the property) as authorized. As another example, the user/owner may upload images of authorized persons using the client devices 404, 406. In another example, authorized persons may be added to the database of authorized persons by third parties (e.g., by a house cleaning service, by a delivery service, etc.), where the third parties may provide services to the user/owner at the property. In such an example, the user/owner may verify the authorized persons of the third parties prior to the authorized persons being added to the database of authorized persons
receive a connection message, the connection message indicating a
wireless connection has been established between a premises monitoring system and a mobile device corresponding to the recognized person;
[0292] With reference to FIG. 14, a person may approach the A/V recording and communication doorbell 402, which may be located beside a door to a house. In response to approaching the A/V recording and communication doorbell 402, the motion sensor 474 and/or the camera 444 of the A/V recording and communication doorbell 402 may detect the motion of the person approaching and generate the motion data 470. The A/V recording and communication doorbell 402 may analyze the motion data 470 to determine that the person is present and, in response, may activate the camera 444 to record the image data 460 in the field of view of the camera 444 (at block B632). The person may approach the door, and provide an input to the button 445 of the A/V recording and communication doorbell 402. The person may be the owner of the property where the A/V recording and communication doorbell 402 is located and thus may know that by pressing and holding the button 445 for five seconds (e.g., the threshold period of time), the A/V recording and communication doorbell 402 enters the command input mode.
[0171] With further reference to FIG. 1, the A/V recording and communication device 100 communicates with a user's network 110, which may be for example a wired and/or wireless network. If the user's network 110 is wireless, or includes a wireless component, the network 110 may be a Wi-Fi network compatible with the IEEE 802.11 standard and/or other wireless communication standard(s). The user's network 110 is connected to another network 112, which may comprise, for example, the Internet and/or a public switched telephone network (PSTN). As described below, the A/V recording and communication device 100 may communicate with a user's client device 114 via the user's network 110 and the network 112 (Internet/PSTN). The user's client device 114 may comprise, for example, a mobile telephone (may also be referred to as a cellular telephone), such as a smartphone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), or another communication device.
And
[0003] Home safety is a concern for many homeowners and renters. Those seeking to protect or monitor their homes often wish to be informed of breaches to the security of their homes and also have video and audio communications with visitors/trespassers, for example, those visiting/trespassing near an external door or entryway. Security systems that include sensors, automation devices, and/or A/V recording and communication devices, such as doorbells, provide this functionality, and can also aid in crime detection and prevention. For example, sensor information, audio, and/or video captured by a security system, such as by an A/V recording and communication doorbell of a security system, can be uploaded to the cloud and recorded on a remote server.
and in response to at least receiving the recognized person message and the
connection message:
cause the premises monitoring system to disarm;
[0302] In any embodiment, the person on the A/V recording and communication doorbell 402 end of the two-way communication may request that the security monitoring service 418 execute an action 484 and/or an arming action 494. For example, the person may request access to the property (e.g., request that the security monitoring service 418 transmit an unlock request to a lock automation device via the A/V recording and communication doorbell 402, the hub device 412, and/or the backend server 430, and/or request that the security monitoring service 418 transmit a disarm request to the security system 422 via the A/V recording and communication doorbell 402, the hub device 412, and/or the backend server 430).
and
cause an electronic door lock securing the access location of the premises to unlock.
[0302] In any embodiment, the person on the A/V recording and communication doorbell 402 end of the two-way communication may request that the security monitoring service 418 execute an action 484 and/or an arming action 494. For example, the person may request access to the property (e.g., request that the security monitoring service 418 transmit an unlock request to a lock automation device via the A/V recording and communication doorbell 402, the hub device 412, and/or the backend server 430, and/or request that the security monitoring service 418 transmit a disarm request to the security system 422 via the A/V recording and communication doorbell 402, the hub device 412, and/or the backend server 430).
Regarding the excepted: the connection message indicating a wireless connection has been established between a premises monitoring system and a mobile device corresponding to the recognized person,
Siminoff discloses:
The person may be the owner of the property where the A/V recording and communication doorbell 402 is located and thus may know that by pressing and holding the button 445 for five seconds (e.g., the threshold period of time), the A/V recording and communication doorbell 402 enters the command input mode.
Additionally, Siminoff cites:
[0288]The database of authorized persons may be created by the user/owner of the A/V recording and communication doorbell 402. For example, the user/owner may tag persons from historical image data 460 captured by the A/V recording and communication doorbell 402 (and/or other A/V recording and communication devices installed at the property) as authorized. As another example, the user/owner may upload images of authorized persons using the client devices 404, 406.
Also,
[0171] With further reference to FIG. 1, the A/V recording and communication device 100 communicates with a user's network 110, which may be for example a wired and/or wireless network. If the user's network 110 is wireless, or includes a wireless component, the network 110 may be a Wi-Fi network compatible with the IEEE 802.11 standard and/or other wireless communication standard(s). The user's network 110 is connected to another network 112, which may comprise, for example, the Internet and/or a public switched telephone network (PSTN). As described below, the A/V recording and communication device 100 may communicate with a user's client device 114 via the user's network 110 and the network 112 (Internet/PSTN). The user's client device 114 may comprise, for example, a mobile telephone (may also be referred to as a cellular telephone), such as a smartphone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), or another communication device.
Smirnoff, while disclosing devices similar to those included in the invention, Smirnoff doesn’t disclose using a signal related to the client device working in conjunction with the door device/A/V recording and communications device to cause the disarming or unlocking of the secured area.
In the same art of secured systems, Lyman cites:
Ol. 50, lines 53-61, Upon detecting the presence of a person within the threshold distance from the lock component 500, the doorbell camera may be configured to monitor for a first authentication factor from the person, For example, the first authentication factor may be from a device (such as, mobile device) associated with the person. In some cases, the doorbell camera 310 may be configured with functionalities to broadcast a beacon signal based on detecting the presence of the person.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include into Siminoff the embodiment disclosed in Lyman where an operation in which the owner’s client device communicates with the A/V premises monitoring device such that the claimed invention is realized. One of ordinary skill would have included this feature to include a more robust form of security for the system.
On claim 6, Siminoff cites except as underlined:
The system of claim 4, wherein the computing instructions are further configured
to cause the at least one computing device to receive the connection message from the mobile device via a network.
Siminoff cites:
[0288] The process 1400, at block B640, analyzes the image data to determine if an authorized person is present. For example, the processor 452 of the A/V recording and communication doorbell 402 (and/or the processor 502 of the backend server 430 after receiving the image data 460 from the A/V recording and communication doorbell 402 over the user's network 408 and the network (Internet/PSTN) 410) may analyze the image data 460 to determine if an authorized person is present. The determination of whether any of the person(s) in the image data 460 are authorized may be done using computer vision or the like, as described above (e.g., facial recognition, facial detection, etc.). In some of the present embodiments, the image data 460 may be compared to a database of authorized persons. The database of authorized persons may be created by the user/owner of the A/V recording and communication doorbell 402. For example, the user/owner may tag persons from historical image data 460 captured by the A/V recording and communication doorbell 402 (and/or other A/V recording and communication devices installed at the property) as authorized. As another example, the user/owner may upload images of authorized persons using the client devices 404, 406.
And
[0171] The A/V recording and communication device 100 may also communicate with one or more remote storage device(s) 116 (may be referred to interchangeably as “cloud storage device(s)”), one or more servers 118, and/or a backend API (application programming interface) 120 via the user's network 110 and the network 112 (Internet/PSTN). While FIG. 1 illustrates the storage device 116, the server 118, and the backend API 120 as components separate from the network 112, it is to be understood that the storage device 116, the server 118, and/or the backend API 120 may be considered to be components of the network 112.
And
[0171] The A/V recording and communication device 100 may also communicate with one or more remote storage device(s) 116 (may be referred to interchangeably as “cloud storage device(s)”), one or more servers 118, and/or a backend API (application programming interface) 120 via the user's network 110 and the network 112 (Internet/PSTN).
[0238] In addition, in some embodiments, the backend servers 430 and backend APIs 428 may be similar in structure and/or function to the server 118 and the backend API 120 (FIG. 1), respectively.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Siminoff’s embodiment disclosed in figure 1 such that the claimed invention is realized.
Figure 1 shows user’s client device 114 coupled to network 112 and server 118. As discussed above, the user’s client device used to upload authorized person images to where any incoming images of visiting personnel are compared against a database to the network. One of ordinary skill would have used the connection of uploading images from the user’s client device to the network server as an alternative avenue in which to record security events to the remote server for later review.
On claim 7, Siminoff cites:
The system of claim 4, wherein the computing instructions are further configured
to cause the at least one computing device to receive the connection message from a device of the premises monitoring system via a network.
[0171] The A/V recording and communication device 100 may also communicate with one or more remote storage device(s) 116 (may be referred to interchangeably as “cloud storage device(s)”), one or more servers 118, and/or a backend API (application programming interface) 120 via the user's network 110 and the network 112 (Internet/PSTN).
[0238] In addition, in some embodiments, the backend servers 430 and backend APIs 428 may be similar in structure and/or function to the server 118 and the backend API 120 (FIG. 1), respectively.
On claim 8, Siminoff cites:
The system of claim 4, wherein the computing instructions are further configured
to cause the at least one computing device to receive the connection message from a user interface premises device of the premises monitoring system via a network.
[0171] The A/V recording and communication device 100 may also communicate with one or more remote storage device(s) 116 (may be referred to interchangeably as “cloud storage device(s)”), one or more servers 118, and/or a backend API (application programming interface) 120 via the user's network 110 and the network 112 (Internet/PSTN)
On claim 9, Siminoff cites except as underlined:
The system of claim 4, wherein the computing instructions are further configured
to cause the at least one computing device to receive the connection message from a keypad device of the premises monitoring system via a network.
Regarding the excepted claim limitations, Siminoff discloses:
[0292] The person may be the owner of the property where the A/V recording and communication doorbell 402 is located and thus may know that by pressing and holding the button 445 for five seconds (e.g., the threshold period of time), the A/V recording and communication doorbell 402 enters the command input mode.
Also, Siminoff discloses:
[0316] The user interface 806 may include any user interface or presentation elements suitable for a smartphone and/or a portable computing device, such as a keypad, a display screen, a touchscreen, a microphone, and a speaker.
And
[0007] In a first aspect, an audio/video (A/V) recording and communication doorbell including a processor, a button, a communication module, a camera, and a microphone, receives, by the button, an input and generating, by the processor in response to the input
Smirnoff doesn’t disclose a keypad device used for premises monitoring; however, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include into Siminoff an operation in which the doorbell 402 is substituted with a device including the functionalities of the user interface 806 such that the claimed invention is realized.
The cited user interface device is described as a user input, not unlike the AV recording and communication doorbell 402. One of ordinary skill would have substituted the cited keypad-equipped user interface in place of the doorbell. Each known device represents a type of “user input device” and thus, and the results of the substitution of known parts would have realized an embodiment meeting the claimed invention.
On claim 10, Siminoff cites:
The system of claim 4, wherein the recognized person message corresponds to
media data captured by a doorbell premises device of the premises monitoring system.
[0288] The process 1400, at block B640, analyzes the image data to determine if an authorized person is present. For example, the processor 452 of the A/V recording and communication doorbell 402 (and/or the processor 502 of the backend server 430 after receiving the image data 460 from the A/V recording and communication doorbell 402 over the user's network 408 and the network (Internet/PSTN) 410) may analyze the image data 460 to determine if an authorized person is present. The determination of whether any of the person(s) in the image data 460 are authorized may be done using computer vision or the like, as described above (e.g., facial recognition, facial detection, etc.). In some of the present embodiments, the image data 460 may be compared to a database of authorized persons. The database of authorized persons may be created by the user/owner of the A/V recording and communication doorbell 402. For example, the user/owner may tag persons from historical image data 460 captured by the A/V recording and communication doorbell 402 (and/or other A/V recording and communication devices installed at the property) as authorized. As another example, the user/owner may upload images of authorized persons using the client devices 404, 406. In another example, authorized persons may be added to the database of authorized persons by third parties (e.g., by a house cleaning service, by a delivery service, etc.), where the third parties may provide services to the user/owner at the property. In such an example, the user/owner may verify the authorized persons of the third parties prior to the authorized persons being added to the database of authorized persons.
On claim 11, Siminoff cites:
The system of claim 9, wherein the recognized person message corresponds to
media data captured by a camera of the premises monitoring system.
[0007] In a first aspect, an audio/video (A/V) recording and communication doorbell including a processor, a button, a communication module, a camera, and a microphone, receives, by the button, an input and generating, by the processor in response to the input
On claim 12, Siminoff cites:
The system of claim 10, wherein the recognized person message is received via a network from a computing environment that provides remote data storage for a premises device of the premises monitoring system.
[0288] The process 1400, at block B640, analyzes the image data to determine if an authorized person is present. For example, the processor 452 of the A/V recording and communication doorbell 402 (and/or the processor 502 of the backend server 430 after receiving the image data 460 from the A/V recording and communication doorbell 402 over the user's network 408 and the network (Internet/PSTN) 410) may analyze the image data 460 to determine if an authorized person is present.
On claim 13, Siminoff cites:
The system of claim 4, wherein the wireless connection is established using a
short-range wireless communication protocol.
[0234] The home automation system may use one or more communication protocols, including either or both of wired and wireless protocols, including but not limited to Wi-Fi, X10, Ethernet, RS-485, 6LoWPAN, Bluetooth LE (BTLE), ZigBee, and Z-Wave.
On claim 14, Siminoff cites except as underlined:
A method implemented by a system, the system comprising at least one
computing device, the method comprising:
receiving a recognized person message indicating a recognized person has been detected proximate an access location of the premises;
[0288] The process 1400, at block B640, analyzes the image data to determine if an authorized person is present. For example, the processor 452 of the A/V recording and communication doorbell 402 (and/or the processor 502 of the backend server 430 after receiving the image data 460 from the A/V recording and communication doorbell 402 over the user's network 408 and the network (Internet/PSTN) 410) may analyze the image data 460 to determine if an authorized person is present. The determination of whether any of the person(s) in the image data 460 are authorized may be done using computer vision or the like, as described above (e.g., facial recognition, facial detection, etc.). In some of the present embodiments, the image data 460 may be compared to a database of authorized persons. The database of authorized persons may be created by the user/owner of the A/V recording and communication doorbell 402. For example, the user/owner may tag persons from historical image data 460 captured by the A/V recording and communication doorbell 402 (and/or other A/V recording and communication devices installed at the property) as authorized. As another example, the user/owner may upload images of authorized persons using the client devices 404, 406. In another example, authorized persons may be added to the database of authorized persons by third parties (e.g., by a house cleaning service, by a delivery service, etc.), where the third parties may provide services to the user/owner at the property. In such an example, the user/owner may verify the authorized persons of the third parties prior to the authorized persons being added to the database of authorized persons.
receiving a connection message, the connection message indicating a wireless connection has been established between a premises monitoring system and a mobile device corresponding to the recognized person; and
in response to at least receiving the recognized person message and the connection message:
causing the premises monitoring system to disarm; and
causing an electronic door lock securing the access location of the premises to unlock.
[0302] In any embodiment, the person on the A/V recording and communication doorbell 402 end of the two-way communication may request that the security monitoring service 418 execute an action 484 and/or an arming action 494. For example, the person may request access to the property (e.g., request that the security monitoring service 418 transmit an unlock request to a lock automation device via the A/V recording and communication doorbell 402, the hub device 412, and/or the backend server 430, and/or request that the security monitoring service 418 transmit a disarm request to the security system 422 via the A/V recording and communication doorbell 402, the hub device 412, and/or the backend server 430).
On the excepted: receiving a connection message, the connection message indicating a wireless connection has been established between a premises monitoring system and a mobile device corresponding to the recognized person,
Siminoff discloses:
The person may be the owner of the property where the A/V recording and communication doorbell 402 is located and thus may know that by pressing and holding the button 445 for five seconds (e.g., the threshold period of time), the A/V recording and communication doorbell 402 enters the command input mode.
Additionally, Siminoff cites:
[0288]The database of authorized persons may be created by the user/owner of the A/V recording and communication doorbell 402. For example, the user/owner may tag persons from historical image data 460 captured by the A/V recording and communication doorbell 402 (and/or other A/V recording and communication devices installed at the property) as authorized. As another example, the user/owner may upload images of authorized persons using the client devices 404, 406.
Also,
[0171] With further reference to FIG. 1, the A/V recording and communication device 100 communicates with a user's network 110, which may be for example a wired and/or wireless network. If the user's network 110 is wireless, or includes a wireless component, the network 110 may be a Wi-Fi network compatible with the IEEE 802.11 standard and/or other wireless communication standard(s). The user's network 110 is connected to another network 112, which may comprise, for example, the Internet and/or a public switched telephone network (PSTN). As described below, the A/V recording and communication device 100 may communicate with a user's client device 114 via the user's network 110 and the network 112 (Internet/PSTN). The user's client device 114 may comprise, for example, a mobile telephone (may also be referred to as a cellular telephone), such as a smartphone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), or another communication device.
Smirnoff, while disclosing devices similar to those included in the invention, Smirnoff doesn’t disclose using a signal related to the client device working in conjunction with the door device/A/V recording and communications device to cause the disarming or unlocking of the secured area.
In the same art of secured systems, Lyman cites:
Ol. 50, lines 53-61, Upon detecting the presence of a person within the threshold distance from the lock component 500, the doorbell camera may be configured to monitor for a first authentication factor from the person, For example, the first authentication factor may be from a device (such as, mobile device) associated with the person. In some cases, the doorbell camera 310 may be configured with functionalities to broadcast a beacon signal based on detecting the presence of the person.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include into Siminoff the embodiment disclosed in Lyman where an operation in which the owner’s client device communicates with the A/V premises monitoring device such that the claimed invention is realized. One of ordinary skill would have included this feature to include a more robust form of security for the system.
On claim 15, Siminoff and Yee cites:
The method of claim 14, further comprising
in response to receiving the recognized person message, initiating a timer for receiving the connection message; and
causing the premises monitoring system to disarm and cause the electronic door lock to unlock further in response to receiving the connection message before the timer expires.
See the rejection of claim 5, which discloses the same subject matter as claim 15, and is rejected for the same reasons.
On claim 16, Siminoff cites:
The method of claim 14, further comprising one of:
causing the at least one computing device to receive the connection message from the mobile device via a network;
[0288] The process 1400, at block B640, analyzes the image data to determine if an authorized person is present. For example, the processor 452 of the A/V recording and communication doorbell 402 (and/or the processor 502 of the backend server 430 after receiving the image data 460 from the A/V recording and communication doorbell 402 over the user's network 408 and the network (Internet/PSTN) 410) may analyze the image data 460 to determine if an authorized person is present. The determination of whether any of the person(s) in the image data 460 are authorized may be done using computer vision or the like, as described above (e.g., facial recognition, facial detection, etc.). In some of the present embodiments, the image data 460 may be compared to a database of authorized persons. The database of authorized persons may be created by the user/owner of the A/V recording and communication doorbell 402. For example, the user/owner may tag persons from historical image data 460 captured by the A/V recording and communication doorbell 402 (and/or other A/V recording and communication devices installed at the property) as authorized. As another example, the user/owner may upload images of authorized persons using the client devices 404, 406. In another example, authorized persons may be added to the database of authorized persons by third parties (e.g., by a house cleaning service, by a delivery service, etc.), where the third parties may provide services to the user/owner at the property. In such an example, the user/owner may verify the authorized persons of the third parties prior to the authorized persons being added to the database of authorized persons.
causing the at least one computing device to receive the connection message from a device of the premises monitoring system via a network;
See previous,
[00288] For example, the processor 452 of the A/V recording and communication doorbell 402 (and/or the processor 502 of the backend server 430 after receiving the image data 460 from the A/V recording and communication doorbell 402 over the user's network 408 and the network (Internet/PSTN) 410)
causing the at least one computing device to receive the connection message from a user interface premises device of the premises monitoring system via a network;
see previous above.
or causing the at least one computing device to receive the connection message from a keypad device of the premises monitoring system via a network.
On claim 17, Siminoff cites:
The method of claim 14, wherein the recognized person message corresponds to
media data captured by a doorbell premises device of the premises monitoring system.
[0288] The process 1400, at block B640, analyzes the image data to determine if an authorized person is present. For example, the processor 452 of the A/V recording and communication doorbell 402 (and/or the processor 502 of the backend server 430 after receiving the image data 460 from the A/V recording and communication doorbell 402 over the user's network 408
On claim 18, Siminoff cites:
The method of claim 14, wherein the recognized person message corresponds to
media data captured by a camera of the premises monitoring system.
[0007] In a first aspect, an audio/video (A/V) recording and communication doorbell including a processor, a button, a communication module, a camera, and a microphone, receives, by the button, an input and generating, by the processor in response to the input
[0288] The process 1400, at block B640, analyzes the image data to determine if an authorized person is present. For example, the processor 452 of the A/V recording and communication doorbell 402 (and/or the processor 502 of the backend server 430 after receiving the image data 460 from the A/V recording and communication doorbell 402 over the user's network 408
On claim 19, Siminoff cites:
The method of claim 14, wherein the recognized person message is received via
network from a computing environment that provides remote data storage for a premises device of the premises monitoring system.
[0288] The process 1400, at block B640, analyzes the image data to determine if an authorized person is present. For example, the processor 452 of the A/V recording and communication doorbell 402 (and/or the processor 502 of the backend server 430 after receiving the image data 460 from the A/V recording and communication doorbell 402 over the user's network 408 and the network (Internet/PSTN) 410) may analyze the image data 460 to determine if an authorized person is present.
On claim 20, Siminoff cites:
The method of claim 14, wherein the wireless connection is established using a
short-range wireless communication protocol.
[0234] The home automation system may use one or more communication protocols, including either or both of wired and wireless protocols, including but not limited to Wi-Fi, X10, Ethernet, RS-485, 6LoWPAN, Bluetooth LE (BTLE), ZigBee, and Z-Wave.
Claims 5 are rejected U.S.C. § 103 as being unpatentable over Siminoff, U.S. 2020/0267354 in view of Lyman et al., U.S. 11,361,060 and Yee et al., U.S. 11,821,236.
On claim 5, Siminoff cites except as underlined:
The system of claim 4, wherein the computing instructions are further configured
to cause the at least one computing device to:
in response to receiving the recognized person message, initiate a timer for receiving the connection message; and
cause the premises monitoring system to disarm and cause the electronic door lock to unlock further in response to receiving the connection message before the timer expires.
[0302] In any embodiment, the person on the A/V recording and communication doorbell 402 end of the two-way communication may request that the security monitoring service 418 execute an action 484 and/or an arming action 494. For example, the person may request access to the property (e.g., request that the security monitoring service 418 transmit an unlock request to a lock automation device via the A/V recording and communication doorbell 402, the hub device 412, and/or the backend server 430, and/or request that the security monitoring service 418 transmit a disarm request to the security system 422 via the A/V recording and communication doorbell 402, the hub device 412, and/or the backend server 430).
As discussed above, Siminoff doesn’t disclose the excepted claim limitations. In the same art of security systems, Yee discloses:
Col. 14, lines 59-64 At (9), the processing device 110 can monitor a timeout based on determining the door was opened. Based on determining that the timeout has elapsed, at (10), the processing device 110 can provide a lock command to the lock actuator 210.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include into Siminoff the timeout locking feature disclosed in Yee such that the claimed invention is realized. Yee discloses a known embodiment that includes a timeout feature wherein if a door is unlocked subsequent to an unlocking command and if a user doesn’t act upon the door being unlocked after a preset timeframe, the door is automatically locked. One of ordinary skill would have included this feature into Siminoff’s system to increase security of the system.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CAL EUSTAQUIO whose telephone number is (571)270-7229. The examiner can normally be reached on 8am-5pm. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner's supervisor, Brian Zimmerman, can be reached at (571) 272-3059. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the Patent Application lnformation Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for published applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR. Status information for unpublished applications is available through Private PAlR only. For more information about the PAlR system, see http:/lpair-direct.uspto.gov. Should you have questions on access to the Private PAlR system, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative or access to the automated information system, call 800-786-91 99 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/CAL J EUSTAQUIO/Examiner, Art Unit 2686
/BRIAN A ZIMMERMAN/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2686