Abstract: Techniques are described for providing remote device (e.g., thermostat, lighting, appliance, etc.) control and/or energy monitoring. A system monitors sensor data captured by one or more sensors that sense attributes relevant to user presence at one or more monitored properties and status of one or more energy consuming devices associated with the one or more monitored properties. The system analyzes the monitored sensor data and the monitored device status with respect to a set of one or more rules and performs an operation related to controlling the one or more energy consuming devices based on the analysis of the monitored sensor data and the monitored device status with respect to the set of one or more rules.

Abstract: A monitoring system is configured to monitor a property. The system includes a sensor that is configured to generate sensor data that reflects an attribute of the property. The system further includes an HVAC system that is configured to generate and provide conditioned air to the property and that is configured to generate HVAC system data that reflects an attribute of the HVAC system. The system includes a monitor control unit that is configured to determine that the HVAC system is likely malfunctioning. The control unit is configured to receive the sensor data. The control unit is configured to determine that the HVAC system is likely operating correctly. The control unit is configured to determine a cause of the HVAC system transitioning from likely malfunctioning to likely operating correctly. The control unit is configured to update a model that is configured to identify causes of HVAC system malfunctions.

Abstract: Techniques are described for energy scoring of a monitored property and users of the monitored property. A system provides users with information related to the efficiency of the monitored property and aggregates data over multiple monitored properties. The system computes and outputs a score for a monitored property that reflects efficiency of the property and/or the users of the property. The system may track how that score changes through time, and how it relates to neighboring properties. The score may be expressed as both a number and a percentile.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a non-transitory computer storage medium, for receiving user-defined routes, each user-defined route including a tripwire of multiple tripwires and a direction, where each user-defined route includes an action of multiple actions executed by a sub-system of a home monitoring system, detecting a first signal at a first tripwire including a first direction, determining a set of user-defined routes including the first tripwire and the first direction, detecting a second signal at a second tripwire including a second direction, determining a particular user-defined route of the set of user-defined routes including the first tripwire and the first direction and the second tripwire and the second direction, determining an action executed by a sub-system of the home monitoring system for the particular user-defined route traversed by a user, and triggering execution of the action based on the second signal at the second tripwire.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs, for a monitoring system that is configured to hail a car from a ride-sharing service. The method comprises determining, based on sensor data from one or more sensors at the property, that a person located at the property is preparing to leave the property, based on historical sensor data, an estimated time that the person will depart the property, determining, based on the estimated time that the person will depart the property, whether a suitable vehicle from a ride-sharing service will be within a predetermined vicinity of the property within a predetermined amount of time of the estimated time that the person will depart the property, receiving data indicating that the person is leaving the property and based on receiving the data indicating that the person is leaving the property, notifying the person that the suitable vehicle is available pick the person up.

Abstract: A monitoring system is configured to monitor a property. The system includes a sensor that is configured to generate sensor data that reflects an attribute of the property. The system further includes an HVAC system that is configured to generate and provide conditioned air to the property and that is configured to generate HVAC system data that reflects an attribute of the HVAC system. The system includes a monitor control unit that is configured to determine that the HVAC system is likely malfunctioning. The control unit is configured to receive the sensor data. The control unit is configured to determine that the HVAC system is likely operating correctly. The control unit is configured to determine a cause of the HVAC system transitioning from likely malfunctioning to likely operating correctly. The control unit is configured to update a model that is configured to identify causes of HVAC system malfunctions.

Abstract: Techniques are described for providing remote device (e.g., thermostat, lighting, appliance, etc.) control and/or energy monitoring. A system monitors sensor data captured by one or more sensors that sense attributes relevant to user presence at one or more monitored properties and status of one or more energy consuming devices associated with the one or more monitored properties. The system analyzes the monitored sensor data and the monitored device status with respect to a set of one or more rules and performs an operation related to controlling the one or more energy consuming devices based on the analysis of the monitored sensor data and the monitored device status with respect to the set of one or more rules.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a non-transitory computer storage medium, for receiving user-defined routes, each user-defined route including a tripwire of multiple tripwires and a direction, where each user-defined route includes an action of multiple actions executed by a sub-system of a home monitoring system, detecting a first signal at a first tripwire including a first direction, determining a set of user-defined routes including the first tripwire and the first direction, detecting a second signal at a second tripwire including a second direction, determining a particular user-defined route of the set of user-defined routes including the first tripwire and the first direction and the second tripwire and the second direction, determining an action executed by a sub-system of the home monitoring system for the particular user-defined route traversed by a user, and triggering execution of the action based on the second signal at the second tripwire.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, are described for implementing a smart firearm safety device. The safety device attaches to a firearm having a trigger and a slot for receiving a magazine. The safety device includes a locking mechanism that attaches to the trigger to preclude depressing a trigger of the firearm and a sensor that determines an orientation of the firearm or a relative motion of the firearm to indicate detected movement of the firearm. The safety device also includes a radio device that receives parameter signals from the sensor indicating movement of the firearm. The radio device communicates with a component of a property monitoring system to receive a command to engage the locking mechanism to preclude depressing the trigger of the firearm based on parameter signals indicating a particular type of detected movement of the firearm.

Abstract: Techniques are described for distributing, to a distributed network of central stations, alarm events detected in monitoring system data collected by sensors included in monitoring systems located at monitored properties. A system receives monitoring system data collected by sensors included in monitoring systems located at monitored properties, tracks alarm events detected within the monitoring system data, and generates, for central station servers in a distributed network of central stations, load profiles that reflect a volume of alarm events being handled at each of the central station servers at a particular period of time. The system determines capacities to handle additional alarm events for the central station servers, determines relative priorities for the central station remote servers based on the determined capacities, and directs subsequent alarm events to the central station servers based on the relative priorities.

Abstract: Video monitoring and alarm verification technology, in which a first connection is established between a first device and a camera located in a monitored property associated with a user of the first device and image data captured by the camera is received over the first connection and at the first device. A determination is made to establish a second connection with a second device that enables sharing of the received image data with the second device and, in response to the determination, the second connection is established between the first device and the second device. The received image data is shared with the second device over the second connection and the second device is restricted from directly accessing image data captured by the camera located in the monitored property.

Abstract: Alarm system technology, in which an alarm event is detected at a property monitored by an alarm system when the alarm system was set in an armed state. Based on detection of the alarm event, an alarm probability score that indicates a likelihood of the alarm event being an emergency situation is determined and the alarm event is handled based on the determined alarm probability score.

Abstract: Techniques are described for handling an event where a control panel or an alarm signaling device is tampered with or destroyed by a disablement tactic, e.g., a “crash and smash intrusion.

Abstract: Systems and techniques are described for monitoring screen activity of a computing device and performing designated system actions based on the monitored activity. In some implementations, activity data indicating usage of a computing device by a user within a property over a particular time period is obtained. Sensor data collected by a monitoring system that monitors the property over the particular time period is then obtained. An activity monitoring rule that specifies (i) one or more conditions associated with usage of the computing device by the user, and (ii) an action to perform in response to satisfaction of the one or more conditions is identified. A determination that the activity data and the sensor data satisfy the one or more conditions specified by the activity monitoring rule is made. The action specified by the activity monitoring rule is then performed in response to the determination.

Abstract: Video monitoring and alarm verification technology, in which a first connection is established between a first device and a camera located in a monitored property associated with a user of the first device and image data captured by the camera is received over the first connection and at the first device. A determination is made to establish a second connection with a second device that enables sharing of the received image data with the second device and, in response to the determination, the second connection is established between the first device and the second device. The received image data is shared with the second device over the second connection and the second device is restricted from directly accessing image data captured by the camera located in the monitored property.

Abstract: In some implementations, a system can be used to selectively transmit bandwidth-intensive data over a cellular network based on dynamically determining resource availability over the cellular network. Monitoring system data to be transmitted to a remote server can initially be obtained by a component of a monitoring system. One or more network performance tests may be performed on a carrier network associated with the monitoring system. One or more network performance parameters can be computed based on results of the one or more network performance tests. The one or more network performance parameters can then be evaluated in relation to transmission requirements associated with the monitoring system data. A particular transmission strategy to use in transmitting the monitoring system data to the remote server can then be selected from among multiple transmission strategies. The monitoring system data is then transmitted to the server in accordance with the particular transmission strategy.

Abstract: Alarm system technology, in which an alarm event is detected at a property monitored by an alarm system when the alarm system was set in an armed state. Based on detection of the alarm event, an alarm probability score that indicates a likelihood of the alarm event being an emergency situation is determined and the alarm event is handled based on the determined alarm probability score.

Abstract: A system and method provide for the immediate transmission of a potential alarm to a remote alarm signal escrow site and from the escrow site to a host station in the event where a control panel or an alarm signaling device is tampered with or destroyed by a disablement tactic, e.g., a “crash and smash intrusion.” A system and method may also send an alarm signal during such an attack by using predictive analysis of real-time events.

Abstract: Techniques are described for using sensor data derived from a monitoring system to drive personalized content. Sensor data captured by a monitoring system may be used to determine attributes of users of the monitoring system and/or attributes of a property monitored by the monitoring system. The determined attributes may be used to select content to present to users of the monitoring system. Content presentation may be made through the monitoring system and may be triggered based on events detected by the monitoring system.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on storage devices, for drone-augmented emergency response services. In one aspect, a monitoring system, comprising: a plurality of monitoring control units, and a monitoring application server, wherein the monitoring application server includes a network interface, one or more processors, and one or more storage devices that include instructions to perform operations. The operations include receiving an emergency event notification from a first monitoring control unit of the plurality of monitoring control units, determining a type of emergency event, and a location associated with the emergency event notification, identifying one or more drones that can be deployed to the location associated with the emergency event, and transmitting an instruction to a monitoring station server associated with a drone base station to deploy the one or more identified drones to the location associated with the emergency event.