Cloud-based method and apparatus for configuring a fire panel

• US 10,074,254 B2
• Filed: 11/20/2013
• Issued: 09/11/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tyco Fire & Security GmbH (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Original Assignee: Tyco Fire & Security GmbH (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Inventors: Piccolo, III, Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Zhang, Shirley
• Application Number:
  US14/084,721
• Publication Number:
  US 20150142898A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,756 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 17/00 Fire alarms; Alarms responsive to explosion
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/003 Address allocation methods and details
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/14 Central alarm receiver or annunciator arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/282 based on user interaction within the home receiver circuitry for displaying additional information being controlled by a remote control apparatus H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/165 following a pre-assigned programmed sequence; Logic control [LC]
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/17 Operational modes, e.g. switching from manual to automatic mode or prohibiting specific operations

Abstract

An alarm panel configuration system for facilitating cloud-based configuration of the alarm panel is provided. The configuration system may include a remote server providing a remotely accessible configuration file modification interface, the configuration file modification interface configured to compile a configuration file and transmit the configuration file to a mobile device, and an alarm panel configured to receive the configuration file from the mobile device.

Claims

1. A cloud-based method for configuring an alarm panel, the method comprising:

sending, from the alarm panel, a job database, wherein the job database is stored in the alarm panel and the job database includes a file defining settings encoded in a configuration file;

receiving, at a mobile device, the configuration file from a remote server as an attachment to an email, the configuration file compiled from the job database and including configuration parameters associated with points connected to the alarm panel;

establishing a connection between the alarm panel and the mobile device; and

transferring the configuration file from the mobile device to the alarm panel in order to modify information associated with at least one of the points connected to the alarm panel.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving at the mobile device the job database; and

transmitting the job database from the mobile device to the remote server.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

providing instructions to the remote server, the instructions including indications of modifications to make to the job database.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein providing instructions to the remote server comprises:

accessing a configuration file modification interface on the remote server;

making at least one change to the job database using the configuration file modification interface; and

causing the configuration file to be compiled on the remote server from the changed job database.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the at least one change is selected from the group consisting of a label change, disabling a point, enabling a point, updating a map, changing an alarm condition, or changing an alarm action.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein transmitting the job database from the mobile device to the remote server comprises transmitting the job database as an attachment to an email.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein establishing a connection between the alarm panel and the mobile device comprises establishing a wireless connection between the alarm panel and the mobile device.

8. A method of providing a configuration file for an alarm panel comprising:

sending a job database from an alarm panel, wherein the job database is stored in the alarm panel and the job database includes a file defining settings encoded in a configuration file;

receiving instructions from a mobile device, the instructions including indications of modifications to make to the job database;

making at least one change to the job database based on the received instructions;

compiling the configuration file from the changed job database, the configuration file including configuration parameters associated with points connected to the alarm panel; and

transmitting the configuration file as an attachment to an email, wherein the configuration file is transmitted to the mobile device.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the job database is received at a remote server from either the mobile device or directly from the alarm panel.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein receiving instructions from the mobile device comprises:

making a configuration file modification interface available to the mobile device; and

receiving an indication of at least one change from the mobile device.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the configuration file modification interface is made available over a TCP/IP connection.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the at least one change is selected from the group consisting of a label change, disabling a point, enabling a point, updating a map, changing an alarm condition, or changing an alarm action.

13. The method of claim 8, receiving, at the remote server the job database from the mobile device connected to the alarm panel comprises receiving the job database as an attachment to an email.

14. A cloud-based alarm panel configuration system comprising:

a remote server providing a remotely accessible configuration file modification interface, the configuration file modification interface configured to compile a configuration file as an attachment to an email and transmit the configuration file to a mobile device; and

an alarm panel configured to store and send a job database and to receive the configuration file from the mobile device, the configuration file compiled from the job database and including configuration parameters associated with points connected to the alarm panel, wherein the job database includes a file defining settings encoded in the configuration file.

15. The cloud-based alarm panel configuration system of claim 14, the alarm panel further configured to establish a wireless connection with the mobile device for purposes of receiving the configuration file.

16. The cloud-based alarm panel configuration system of claim 15, the alarm panel further configured to transmit to the mobile device the job database and the remote server further configured to receive the job database from the mobile device.

17. The cloud-based alarm panel configuration system of claim 16, the remotely accessible configuration file modification interface comprising:

an interface component to facilitate indicating making at least one change to the job database; and

an interface component to facilitate causing the remote server to compile the configuration file from the changed job database.

18. The cloud-based alarm panel configuration system of claim 17, wherein the at least one change is selected from the group consisting of a label change, disabling a point, enabling a point, updating a map, changing an alarm condition, or changing an alarm action.

19. The cloud-based alarm panel configuration system of claim 16, wherein the job database is transmitted to the remote server as an attachment to an email.

20. An alarm panel configurable from a cloud-based configuration system, the alarm panel comprising:

a memory for storing a configuration file and a job database;

a connection component for establishing a connection to a mobile device and for sending the job database from the alarm panel, wherein the job database includes a file defining settings encoded in a configuration file; and

a configuration file receipt component for receiving the configuration file from the mobile device, where the configuration file is compiled on the remote server based on the job database, the configuration file including parameters associated with points connected to the alarm panel.

21. The alarm panel of claim 20, the connection component further configured to transmit the job database to the mobile device, wherein the job database is such that the configuration file may be compiled therefrom.

22. The alarm panel of claim 20, wherein the connection component is configured to establish a wireless connection to the mobile device.

23. The alarm panel of claim 21, wherein the wireless connection is a Bluetooth connection or a WIFI connection.