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EP-3759907-B1 - MONITORING OF PET STATUS DURING UNATTENDED DELIVERY

EP3759907B1EP 3759907 B1EP3759907 B1EP 3759907B1EP-3759907-B1

Inventors

  • BEDELL, JEFFREY A.
  • KINNEY, ABRAHAM JOSEPH
  • Bauer, Jace Jawn
  • CORRENTI, Matthew Daniel
  • PICARDI, Robert Nathan

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20190228

Claims (16)

  1. A monitoring system that is configured to monitor a residential facility (102), the monitor system comprising: a sensor (110, 114, 111, 520, 530, 580, 586, 588, 590) that is located at the residential facility (102) and that is configured to generate sensor data; and a monitor control unit (142) that is configured to receive a first indication that a resident of the residential facility (102) will be receiving a delivery during a delivery time, using a machine-learning model and based on the sensor data and during the delivery time, determine that a pet that resides at the residential facility (102) has been restrained, provide, to a delivery person (148), a second indication that the pet at the residential facility (102) has been restrained and that the residential facility (102) is safe for entering, in response to providing, to the delivery person, the second indication that the pet at the residential facility (102) has been restrained, receive, after the delivery person has arrived at the residential facility (102), a notification from the delivery person confirming that the pet in the residential facility (102) is restrained, based on receiving the notification from the delivery person confirming that the pet in the residential facility (102) is restrained, store the sensor data and data indicating a restrained pet, and update the machine-learning model used to determine whether a pet is restrained based on sensor data using the stored sensor data and the stored data indicating a restrained pet.
  2. The system of claim 1, wherein: the sensor is a camera and the sensor data is image data, and the monitor control unit is further configured to determine that the pet has been restrained by: receiving, from a smart collar (588) connected to the pet, smart collar data; and based on the smart collar data and the image data, determining that the pet has been restrained in the residential facility (102).
  3. The system of claim 2, wherein the monitor control unit is configured to: receive data indicating that an additional pet resides at the residential facility (102); and based on the image data and the smart collar data, determine that the pet and the additional pet have been restrained.
  4. The system of claim 2, wherein the monitor control unit is configured to: receive data indicating that an additional pet resides at the residential facility (102); based on the image data and the smart collar data, determine that at least one of the pet and the additional pet have not been restrained; and provide, to the resident or the other resident of the residential facility (102), a notification indicating that at least one of the pet or the additional pet have not been restrained.
  5. The system of claim 1, wherein the monitor control unit is configured to: receive a third indication that the resident of the residential facility (102) will be receiving an additional delivery during an additional delivery time; based on the sensor data, determine that no pets reside at the residential facility (102); and provide, to the delivery person, a third indication that no pets reside at the residential facility (102).
  6. The system of claim 1, wherein the monitor control unit is configured to: determine that the pet is located within an electronic pet fence at the residential facility (102) during the delivery time; before the delivery time, adjust a boundary of the electronic pet fence to generate a safe zone that restricts pet movement into the safe zone and that provides the delivery person access to the residential facility (102); determine that the delivery person has accessed and vacated the residential facility (102); and in response to determining that the delivery person has accessed and vacated the residential facility (102), adjust the boundary of the electronic pet fence to provide the pet access to the safe zone.
  7. The system of claim 1, wherein the monitor control unit is configured to: receive a third indication that the resident of the residential facility (102) will be receiving an additional delivery during an additional delivery time; based on the sensor data and before the delivery time, determine that the pet is not restrained; based on determining that the pet is not restrained, provide a notification to a smart collar (588) of the pet to encourage the pet to vacate a safe zone that is defined by an electronic pet fence at the residential facility (102), wherein the safe zone provided the delivery person access to the residential facility (102); adjust a boundary of the electronic pet fence to generate the safe zone; determine that the delivery person has accessed and vacated the residential facility (102); and in response to determining that the delivery person has accessed and vacated the residential facility (102), adjust the boundary of the electronic pet fence to provide the pet access to the safe zone, and optionally wherein the notification provided to the smart collar (588) comprises at least one of a vibration, a noise, and a shock.
  8. The system of claim 1, wherein the monitor control unit is configured to: based on determining that the pet resides at the residential facility (102), determine that the residential facility (102) will likely be unoccupied during the delivery time; and provide, to the resident or another resident of the residential facility (102), an instruction to restrain the pet before the delivery time.
  9. A computer-implemented method comprising: receiving, by a monitoring system that is configured to monitor a residential facility (102), a first indication that a resident of the residential facility (102) will be receiving a delivery during a delivery time; receiving, by the monitoring system, sensor data from a sensor (110, 114, 111, 520, 530, 580, 586, 588, 590) that is located at the residential facility (102); using a machine-learning model and based on the sensor data, determining, by the monitoring system that a pet that resides at the residential facility (102) has been restrained; providing, by the monitoring system and to a delivery person, a second indication that the pet at the residential facility (102) has been restrained and that the residential facility (102) is safe for entering, in response to providing, to the delivery person, the second indication that the pet at the residential facility (102) has been restrained, receiving, by the monitoring system and after the delivery person has arrived at the residential facility (102), a notification from the delivery person confirming that the pet in the residential facility (102) is restrained; based on receiving the notification from the delivery person confirming that the pet in the residential facility (102) is restrained, storing, by the monitoring system, the sensor data and data indicating a restrained pet; and updating, by the monitoring system, a machine-learning model used to determine whether a pet is restrained based on sensor data using the stored sensor data and the stored data indicating a restrained pet.
  10. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein: the sensor is a camera and the sensor data is image data, and determining that the pet has been restrained comprises: receiving, from a smart collar (588) connected to the pet, smart collar data; and based on the smart collar data and the image data, determining that the pet has been restrained in the residential facility (102).
  11. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, comprising: receiving, by the monitoring system, data indicating that an additional pet resides at the residential facility (102); and based on the image data and the smart collar data, determining, by the monitoring system, that the pet and the additional pet have been restrained.
  12. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, comprising: receiving, by the monitoring system, data indicating that an additional pet resides at the residential facility (102); based on the image data and the smart collar data, determining, by the monitoring system, that at least one of the pet and the additional pet have not been restrained; and providing, to the resident or the other resident of the residential facility (102), a notification indicating that at least one of the pet or the additional pet have not been restrained.
  13. The system of claim 2 or the computer-implemented method of claim 10, wherein the smart collar data comprises an identifier of the smart collar, a GPS coordinate of the smart collar, and an indication of whether the smart collar (588) is attached to the pet.
  14. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, comprising: receiving, by the monitoring system, a third indication that the resident of the residential facility (102) will be receiving an additional delivery during an additional delivery time; based on the sensor data, determining, by the monitoring system, that no pets reside at the residential facility (102); and providing, by the monitoring system and to the delivery person, a third indication that no pets reside at the residential facility (102).
  15. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, comprising: determining, by the monitoring system, that the pet is located within an electronic pet fence at the residential facility (102) during the delivery time; before the delivery time, adjusting, by the monitoring system, a boundary of the electronic pet fence to generate a safe zone that restricts pet movement into the safe zone and that provides the delivery person access to the residential facility (102); determining, by the monitoring system, that the delivery person has accessed and vacated the residential facility (102); and in response to determining that the delivery person has accessed and vacated the residential facility (102), adjusting, by the monitoring system, the boundary of the electronic pet fence to provide the pet access to the safe zone.
  16. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, comprising: receiving, by the monitoring system, a third indication that the resident of the residential facility (102) will be receiving an additional delivery during an additional delivery time; based on the sensor data and before the delivery time, determining, by the monitoring system, that the pet is not restrained; based on determining that the pet is not restrained, providing, by the monitoring system, a notification to a smart collar (588) of the pet to encourage the pet to vacate a safe zone that is defined by an electronic pet fence at the residential facility (102), wherein the safe zone provided the delivery person access to the residential facility (102); adjusting, by the monitoring system, a boundary of the electronic pet fence to generate the safe zone; determining, by the monitoring system, that the delivery person has accessed and vacated the residential facility (102); and in response to determining that the delivery person has accessed and vacated the residential facility (102), adjusting, by the monitoring system, the boundary of the electronic pet fence to provide the pet access to the safe zone.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD This specification relates generally to pet monitoring during unattended delivery. BACKGROUND Many companies offer unattended deliveries to a residential area, such as a house or apartment, where the delivery person gains access to the residential area when the owner is not present in order to deliver packages within the residency. In some residential areas, pets are present and often unrestrained, posing a threat to the delivery person or simply disrupting the delivery process. US 2008/223300 A1 describes a computer-aided training and management system that uses a computer or other processor in wireless communication with an instrumented dog collar and/or one or more dog interaction devices, such as, video monitors, loudspeakers, video cameras, training toys, an animatronics trainer, a treat dispenser, a food dispensing and monitoring device, a water dispensing and monitoring device, tracking devices, a dog door, dog-monitoring doghouse, a dog-monitoring dog toilet. US 2008/223300 A1 discloses a system that uses video cameras to determine whether a dog performs a desired action and uses multiple inputs to determine the dog's location and whether it moves near a specified boundary. WO 2009/105243 A2 describes a pet's collar including a stimulation module and a pet's location monitoring system defining a "safe-zone", wherein the collar sends location information. CN 202 602 813 U describes a camera and GPS information being used to determine pet's distance and location. US 9 668 459 B2 describes an animal worn device sending location information to a central unit. US 2017/360004 A1 describes pet collars notifying a central computer about collar status and location. US 8 908 034 B2 describes using images to monitor animals so that they stay within a user specified area. SUMMARY Many companies offer a service for a delivery person to deliver mail to the property of an individual when the property is unattended. The service includes the delivery person gaining access to the property when the resident is not present and delivering the package within the residency. However, some complications arise when the home poses a threat to the delivery person or simply disrupts the delivery process. For example, some properties can include pets that are present and often unrestrained during the delivery person's unattended delivery. An unidentified intruder (e.g., the delivery person) can alarm some pets and who may seek to attack the unidentified intruder, thus interrupting the delivery process. In order to avoid such complications, a home monitoring system can monitor the status of household pets using digital communication processes between the resident, the property, and the delivery person. The invention is defined in the claims. The subject matter of the present disclosure is related to techniques of an integrated security environment for monitoring pet status during an unattended delivery at a residential facility. The residential facility may include one or more pets, such as dogs, birds, cats, that require restraining during the unattended delivery of package at the residential facility. In addition, the integrated security environment can include one or more devices that properly monitor the status of the pets in order to provide an indication to the delivery person to indicate a safety level for entering the property to deliver the package. In one general aspect, a method is defined in claim 9. The method can be performed by one or more computers of a monitoring system. Other embodiments of this and other aspects of the disclosure include corresponding systems, apparatus, and computer programs, configured to perform the actions of the methods, encoded on computer storage devices. A system of one or more computers can be so configured by virtue of software, firmware, hardware, or a combination of them installed on the system that in operation cause the system to perform the actions. One or more computer programs can be so configured by virtue having instructions that, when executed by data processing apparatus, cause the apparatus to perform the actions. Implementations may include one or more of the following features. In some implementations, the method further includes wherein the sensor is a camera and the sensor data is image data, and comprising: determining that the pet has been restrained by: receiving, from a smart collar connected to the pet, smart collar data; and based on the smart collar data and the image data, determining that the pet has been restrained in the residential facility. In some implementations, the method further includes receiving data indicating that an additional pet resides at the residential facility; and based on the image data and the smart collar data, determining that the pet and the additional pet have been restrained. In some implementations, the method further includes receiving data indicating that an additional pet resides at the residential facility; base