An acoustic system and method is disclosed for providing spatial and temporal classification of a range of different types of sound producing targets in a geographical area. The system includes an optical signal transmitter arrangement for repeatedly transmitting, at multiple instants, interrogating optical signals into each of one or more optical fibres distributed across the geographical area and forming at least part of an installed fibre-optic communications network. An optical signal detector arrangement receives, during an observation period following each of the multiple instants, returning optical signals scattered in a distributed manner over distance along the one or more of optical fibres. A processing unit demodulates acoustic data from the optical signals, processes the acoustic data and classifies it in accordance with the target classes or types to generate a plurality of datasets including classification, temporal and location-related data, and a storage unit stores the datasets in parallel with raw acoustic or optical data which is time and location stamped so that it can be retrieved for further processing.

The present invention includes a self-sounding theft prevention tag that issues one of two different sounds, that is, a first alarm or a second alarm in the event of theft, so that an abnormal state where a theft has occurred is detected with sound in a remote location without being interrupted by electromagnetic noise.

A gunshot detection system includes gunshot sensor units with microphones for detecting gunshots and capturing audio data depicting the detected gunshots and other ambient sounds, an environmental board with various environmental sensors for generating environmental data indicating environmental conditions. The audio data, environmental data, and position information can be stored locally on local nonvolatile storage of the gunshot sensor unit for later retrieval by law enforcement entities. In one embodiment, the gunshot sensor units include a wired and/or wireless data transfer interface for transferring the audio data, environmental data and/or position information to handheld units of law enforcement entities. The gunshot sensor unit can also stream live captured audio data for live monitoring by a control panel, and might also include speakers for providing audio playback of audio data from the control panel.

An acoustic system and method is disclosed for providing spatial and temporal classification of a range of different types of sound producing targets in a geographical area. The system includes an optical signal transmitter arrangement for repeatedly transmitting, at multiple instants, interrogating optical signals into each of one or more optical fibres distributed across the geographical area and forming at least part of an installed fibre-optic communications network. An optical signal detector arrangement receives, during an observation period following each of the multiple instants, returning optical signals scattered in a distributed manner over distance along the one or more of optical fibres. A processing unit demodulates acoustic data from the optical signals, processes the acoustic data and classifies it in accordance with the target classes or types to generate a plurality of datasets including classification, temporal and location-related data, and a storage unit stores the datasets in parallel with raw acoustic or optical data which is time and location stamped so that it can be retrieved for further processing.

Methods, systems, and media for providing information are provided. In some implementations, a method for providing information is provided, the method comprising: associating a first recording device of a group of recording devices located in an environment of a user with a trigger term; receiving, from a user device, a query that includes the trigger term; in response to receiving the query, determining that audio data is to be transmitted from at least one recording device from the group of recording devices in the environment of the user; identifying the first recording device based on the inclusion of the trigger term in the received query; receiving the audio data from the first recording device; identifying a characteristic of an animate object in the environment of the user based on the received audio data; and presenting information indicating the characteristic of the animate object on the user device.

A criminal act detection system may include a device processor; and a non-transitory computer readable medium including instructions executable by the device processor to perform the following steps: receiving data from a plurality of geographically distributed personal electronic devices; determining, based on the data received from the personal electronic devices, that conduct consistent with a criminal act has occurred; and sending information pertaining to the conduct consistent with a criminal act to one or more of the personal electronic devices.

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for reduction of false detections using an ultrasound emitter. One of the methods includes obtaining sensor data captured by a sensor of a property monitoring system; detecting an object represented by the sensor data; determining that the object represented by the sensor data is likely a non-object of interest and being detected as an object of interest; and in response to determining that the object represented by the sensor data is likely the non-object of interest and being detected as the object of interest, sending, to an ultrasound emitter, a command to cause the ultrasound emitter to emit ultrasonic sound around the sensor.

A system and method may detect one or more shooting sounds and provide guidance to one or more evacuating people when an active shooting event has occurred indoors, thereby minimizing a secondary damage. The system comprises: a plurality of stations configured to detect one or more shooting sounds and transmit detection of the one or more shooting sounds; and a response server configured to receive the detection of one or more shooting sounds over a communication network, to generate action commands, respectively corresponding to each of the stations, based on the detection of the one or more shooting sounds, and to transmit the respective action commands to the each of the corresponding stations over the communication network.

A portable alarm device connected to a mobile device, the portable alarm including a main body having a hand held size, at least one sensor disposed on and within at least a portion of the main body to illuminate a color in response to detecting movement within a predetermined distance therefrom, and a communication unit disposed on and within at least a portion of the main body to transmit an alert signal from the at least one sensor to the mobile device in response to the at least one sensor detecting movement within the predetermined distance.

Various aspects of the disclosure relate to monitoring a physical location to determine and/or predict anomalous activities. One or more machine learning algorithms may be used to analyze inputs from one or more sensors, cameras, audio recording equipment, and/or any other types of sensors to detect anomalous measurements/patterns. Notifications may be sent one or more devices in a network based on the detection.