Server-based notification of alarm event subsequent to communication failure with armed security system

• US 10,275,999 B2
• Filed: 01/21/2014
• Issued: 04/30/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: iControl Networks, Inc. (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: iControl Networks, Inc. (Comcast Corporation)
• Inventors: Cohn, Alan Wade, Faulkner, Gary Robert, Kitchen, James Edward, Proft, David Leon, Quain, Corey Wayne
• Primary Examiner(s): Truong, Loan L. T.
• Application Number:
  US14/159,665
• Publication Number:
  US 20140372811A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,925 Days
• Field of Search: 714 43, 714 49, 340506, 340501
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2642 Domotique, domestic, home control, automation, smart house
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0736 in functional embedded systems, i.e. in a data processing system designed as a combination of hardware and software dedicated to performing a certain function testing or monitoring of automated control systems G05B23/02
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0757 by exceeding a time limit, i.e. time-out, e.g. watchdogs
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/00 Burglar, theft or intruder alarms
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 19/005 combined burglary and fire alarm systems
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/001 Alarm cancelling procedures or alarm forwarding decisions, e.g. based on absence of alarm confirmation
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/004 Alarm propagated along alternative communication path or using alternative communication medium according to a hierarchy of available ways to communicate, e.g. if Wi-Fi not available use GSM
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/008 Alarm setting and unsetting, i.e. arming or disarming of the security system
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/08 using communication transmission lines G08B13/19658, G08B21/0286, G08B25/016 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/10 using wireless transmission systems G08B25/009 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/14 Central alarm receiver or annunciator arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 29/02 Monitoring continuously signalling or alarm systems
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 29/08 Signalling of tampering with the line circuit
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 29/16 Security signalling or alarm systems, e.g. redundant systems
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 3/10 using electric transmission; using electromagnetic transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2807 Exchanging configuration information on appliance services in a home automation network arrangements for maintenance or administration involving network analysis for automatically determining the actual topology of a network H04L41/12; hardware or software tools for network management using graphical user interfaces H04L41/22; address allocation H04L61/50
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2809 indicating that an appliance service is present in a home automation network monitoring functionality H04L43/0817; discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services, H04L67/51
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2816 Controlling appliance services of a home automation network by calling their functionalities arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station; in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom H04Q9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2818 from a device located outside both the home and the home network access arrangements H04L12/2856; for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025; arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless eletrical link G08C17/00; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with remote control systems H04M11/007
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2825 : Reporting to a device located outside the home and the home network access arrangements H04L12/2856; for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with telemetering systems H04M11/002
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2827 : Reporting to a device within the home network; wherein the reception of the information reported automatically triggers the execution of a home appliance functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2832 : Interconnection of the control functionalities between home networks single bridge functionality H04L12/4625
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2834 : Switching of information between an external network and a home network access arrangements H04L12/2856
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/025 : for remote control or remote monitoring of applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 : specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 : involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/26 : Special purpose or proprietary protocols or architectures network applications for proprietary or special purpose networking environments H04L67/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/28 : for reactive routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/34 : Modification of an existing route
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/50 : for emergency connections

Abstract

A server-based environment for reporting a status of a security, monitoring and automation controller is provided. Detecting cessation of an always-on persistent network connection between the SMA controller and the server is also provided. Reporting the cessation of the network connection to an end user and defined others is further provided. A further aspect provides for automatically reporting an alarm event to a central station, the end user, and others, in the event the cessation of the network connection occurs while the SMA controller is armed and after a zone fault event, and not receiving a disarm notification prior to expiration of a preset entry delay.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a computing device and from a node of a security, monitoring, and automation (SMA) system, state information indicative of a state of the node, wherein the computing device is in communication, via a network connection, with the node, and wherein the SMA system is located at a premises and the computing device is located external to the premises;

determining a loss of communication, via the network connection, between the node and the computing device; and

based on the determining the loss of communication and determining that an elapsed time from a time of the receiving the state information complies with a threshold duration, sending, to a remote computing device, a message indicating the state information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the node comprises a controller of the SMA system.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises sending, to another remote computing device, the message, wherein the another remote computing device comprises an alarm monitoring central station.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein based on the state information indicating that the node is not armed, the sending the message is further based on a status of the network connection.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the sending the message is further based on determining a restoration of the communication, via the network connection, between the node and the computing device.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the state of the node comprises an armed state or an unarmed state.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the state of the node comprises a state indicating a sensor event detected by a sensor device of the SMA system.

5. A device comprising:

one or more processors; and

memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the device to;

receive, via a network connection and from a node of a security, monitoring, and automation (SMA) system, state information indicative of a state of the node, wherein the SMA system is located at a premises and the device is located external to the premises;

determine a loss of communication, via the network connection, to the node; and

based on determining the loss of communication and determining that an elapsed time from a time of receiving the state information complies with a threshold duration, send, to a remote computing device, a message indicating the state information.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein the node comprises a controller of the SMA system.

7. The device of claim 5, wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the device to send, to another remote computing device, the message, and wherein the another remote computing device comprises an alarm monitoring central station.

8. The device of claim 6, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the device to send the message further based on a status of the network connection, based on the state information indicating that the node is not in an armed state.

15. The device of claim 5, wherein the state of the node comprises an armed state or an unarmed state.

16. The device of claim 5, wherein the state of the node comprises a state indicating a sensor event detected by a sensor device of the SMA system.

19. The device of claim 5, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the device to send the message further based on determining a restoration of the communication, via the network connection, with the node.

9. A system comprising:

a node of a security, monitoring, and automation (SMA) system, wherein the node is configured to send state information indicative of a state of the node, and wherein the node is located at a premises; and

a computing device located external to the premises and in communication, via a network connection, with the node, wherein the computing device is configured to;

receive, from the node, the state information, and

determine a loss of communication, via the network connection, between the node and the computing device,

based on determining the loss of communication and determining that an elapsed time from a time of receiving the state information complies with a threshold duration, send, to a remote computing device, a message indicating the state information.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the computing device is further configured to send, to another remote computing device, the message, and wherein the another remote computing device comprises an alarm monitoring central station.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the computing device is configured to send the message further based on a status of the network connection, based on the state information indicates indicating that the node is not armed.

17. The system of claim 9, wherein the state of the node comprises an armed state or an unarmed state.

18. The system of claim 9, wherein the state of the node comprises a state indicating a sensor event detected by a sensor device of the SMA system.

20. The system of claim 9, wherein the computing device is configured to send the message further based on determining a restoration of the communication, via the network connection, between the computing device and the node.

21. A method comprising:

receiving, by a computing device and from a controller of a security, monitoring, and automation (SMA) system, state information via a network connection between the computing device and the controller, wherein the state information indicates that the controller is in an armed state, and wherein the SMA system is located at a premises and the computing device is located external to the premises;

determining a loss of communication, via the network connection, between the controller and the computing device;

based on the armed state of the controller, determining that sensor event information was received by the computing device prior to the determining the loss of communication, and determining that an elapsed time from a time of the receiving the state information satisfies complies with a threshold duration;

sending, to a remote computing device, a first message indicating the sensor event information, wherein the sensor event information indicates an event detected by a sensor device of the SMA; and

based on determining that the sensor event information was not received by the computing device prior to the determining the loss of communication, sending, to the remote computing device, a second message indicating the loss of communication.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein at least one of the first message or the second message is further based on the state information.

23. A method comprising:

receiving, by a computing device and from a controller of a security, monitoring, and automation (SMA) system, state information via a network connection between the computing device and the controller, wherein the state information indicates that the controller is in an armed state or an unarmed state, and wherein the SMA system is located at a premises and the computing device is located external to the premises;

determining a loss of communication, via the network connection, between the controller and the computing device;

based on the state information indicating that the controller was in an unarmed state and determining that sensor event information was received by the computing device prior to the determining the loss of communication, sending, to a remote computing device, a first message indicating the loss of communication, wherein the sensor event information is indicative of an event detected by a sensor device of the SMA system; and

based on the state information indicating that the controller was in an armed state and determining that sensor event information was received by the computing device prior to the determining the loss of communication, sending, to a remote computing device, a second message indicating the sensor event information.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein at least one of the first message or the second message is further based on the state information.

25. A device comprising:

one or more processors; and

memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the device to;

receive, from a controller of a security, monitoring, and automation (SMA) system, state information indicating that the controller is in an armed state, wherein the SMA system is located at a premises and the device is located external to the premises;

determine a loss of communication, via a network connection, between the controller and the device;

based on the armed state of the controller, determine that sensor event information was received by the device prior to determining the loss of communication, and determining that an elapsed time from a time of receiving the state information complies with a threshold duration;

send, to a remote computing device, a first message indicating the sensor event information, wherein the sensor event information indicates an event detected by a sensor device of the SMA; and

based on determining that the sensor event information was not received by the device prior to determining the loss of communication, send, to the remote computing device, a second message indicating the loss of communication.

26. The device of claim 25, wherein at least one of the first message or the second message is further based on the state information.