System and method for providing configurable security monitoring utilizing an integrated information system

• US 20020143934A1
• Filed: 04/03/2001
• Published: 10/03/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vivint Incorporated (NRG Energy, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Vig Acquisitions Ltd LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Barker, Geoffrey T., Alexander, Bruce, Andersen, Claire, Bahneman, Liem
• Granted Patent: US 7,627,665 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0893 Assignment of logical groups to network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0894 Policy-based network configuration management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/18 Delegation of network management function, e.g. customer network management [CNM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/10 Active monitoring, e.g. heartbeat, ping or trace-route
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0227 Filtering policies mail message filtering H04L51/212
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0263 Rule management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1408 by monitoring network traffic monitoring network traffic per se H04L43/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1416 Event detection, e.g. attack signature detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/025 for remote control or remote monitoring of applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/08 specially adapted for terminal emulation, e.g. Telnet
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A system and method for implementing an integrated information system are provided. A premises server is in communication with a variety of information sources that produce monitoring data for a premises. The premises server collects, presents, and transmits the monitoring device data to a central server capable of processing data from multiple premises servers. The central server receives the data and traverses one or more logical rule sets to determine whether the inputted data violates the rules. Based on an evaluation of the rules, the central server generates outputs in the form of communication to one or more authorized users via a variety of communication mediums and devices and/or the instigation of a variety of acts corresponding to the evaluation of the rules.

Claims

1. A method for providing an integrated information system in a system having at least one monitoring device, the method comprising:

obtaining monitoring device data from the at least one monitoring device;

obtaining one or more rules corresponding to the at least one monitoring device, wherein the one or more rules establish a threshold for the monitoring device data;

processing the monitoring device data according to the monitoring rules; and

generating an output corresponding to the processing of the monitoring device data, wherein the output may include no output.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein processing the monitoring device data according to the rules includes determining whether the monitoring device data exceeds the rule threshold.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising characterizing the monitoring device data as asset data, resource data or event data;

wherein asset data includes data from an identifiable object that is not capable of independent action;

wherein resource data includes data from an object capable of independent action; and

wherein event data includes data from a device having a defined state.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the monitoring device data is characterized as asset data and device data.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the monitoring device data is characterized as resource data and device data.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein obtaining one or more rules corresponding to the at least one monitoring device includes:

obtaining asset rules if the monitoring device data is characterized as asset data;

obtaining resource rules if the monitoring device data is characterized as resource data; and

obtaining device rules if the monitoring device data is characterized as device data.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the device rules establish a state threshold for a rule violation, and wherein processing the monitoring device data according to the device rules includes determining whether the monitoring device data indicates a particular state.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the monitoring device data is motion detection data and wherein the device rule threshold is the detection of motion.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein characterizing the monitoring device data comprises determining whether the monitoring device data includes data identifying a monitoring device generating the data.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein characterizing the monitoring device data as asset data further includes comparing the data identifying the monitoring device generating the monitoring device data to a set of known assets.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the set of known assets are maintained in a database.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein characterizing the monitoring device data as resource data further includes comparing the data identifying the monitoring device generating the monitoring device data to a set of known resources.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the set of known resources are maintained in a database.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein generating an output corresponding to the processing of the monitoring device data includes generating a communication to one or more designated users.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein generating an output to one or more designated users includes:

obtaining a schedule of preferred notification methods; and

selecting a notification method from the schedule of notification methods.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the schedule of preferred notification methods includes an indication of one or more preferred communication methods based on a time of day.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein each designated user is associated with a schedule of preferred notification methods.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein generating a communication to one or more designated users includes generating a wireless communication to a designated user.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein generating on an output corresponding to the processing of the monitoring device data includes initiating an action.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the action includes activating a physical device within a monitored premises.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the physical device generates a an output in a tangible medium.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the physical device is an audible alarm.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein the physical device is a microphone and speaker assembly.

24. The method of claim 1, wherein generating an output corresponding to the processing of the monitoring device data includes processing one or more additional monitoring device rules prior to generating an output.

25. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one monitoring device includes a network access monitor and wherein the monitoring device includes data identifying one or more users logged into a computer network.

26. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one monitoring device includes a movement sensor and wherein the monitoring device data includes data identifying whether an individual has passed through a monitored area.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the monitoring device data further includes data identifying a particular individual passing through the monitored data.

28. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one monitoring device includes a number of monitoring devices and wherein the monitoring device data includes data identifying the location of individuals within a premises.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the monitoring device data further identifies the identities of individuals within the premises.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein generating an output corresponding to the processing of the monitoring device data includes generating an output dedicated to a particular individual identified within the premises.

31. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining monitoring device data from at least one monitoring device includes obtaining the monitoring device data from a distributed communication network.

32. A computer readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing the method recited in claim 1.

33. A computer system having a processor, a memory and an operating environment, the computer system operable to perform the method recited in claim 1.

35. The system as recited in claim 34 further comprising at least one premises server in communication with at least one of the monitoring devices and with the central processing server, wherein the premises server is operable to obtain the monitoring device data from the monitoring device and to transmit the monitoring device data to the central processing server.

36. The system as recited in claim 35, wherein the at least one premises server includes two or more premises servers connected in parallel to each other.

37. The system as recited in claim 34, wherein the one or more monitoring devices are characterized as asset data, resource data or event data;

wherein asset data includes data from an identifiable object that is not capable of independent action;

wherein resource data includes data from an object capable of independent action; and

wherein event data includes data from a device having a defined state.

38. The system as recited in claim 37 further comprising one or more rules databases for maintaining the monitoring device rules

39. The system as recited in claim 38, wherein the one or more rules databases include an event rules database for maintaining monitoring device rules corresponding to event data.

40. The system as recited in claim 38, wherein the one or more rules databases include an asset rules database for maintaining monitoring device rules corresponding to asset data.

41. The system as recited in claim 38, wherein the one or more rules databases include a resource rules database for maintaining monitoring device rules corresponding to resource data.

42. The system as recited in claim 34 further comprising one or more output devices in communication with the central processing server, wherein the output devices are operable to obtain an output from the central processing server.

43. The system as recited in claim 42, wherein the output devices include an audible alarm.

44. The system as recited in claim 42, wherein the output devices include a speaker and microphone assembly.

45. The system as recited in claim 34, wherein one or more of the monitoring devices communicate with the central processing server via a data network.

46. The system as recited in claim 45, wherein the data network is the Internet.

47. The system as recited in claim 45, wherein the data network is a distributed data network.

49. The system as recited in claim 48 further comprising data communication means in communication with at least one monitoring device and with the central processing means, wherein the data communication means obtains monitoring device data from the monitoring device and transmits the data to the central processing means.

50. The system as recited in claim 49, wherein the communications means include parallel processing means obtaining and for data transmitting.

51. The system as recited in claim 48, wherein the one or more monitoring devices are characterized as asset data, resource data or event data;

wherein asset data includes data from an identifiable object that is not capable of independent action;

wherein resource data includes data from an object capable of independent action; and

wherein event data includes data from a device having a defined state.

52. The system as recited in claim 51 further comprising means for maintaining the monitoring device rules

53. The system as recited in claim 52, wherein the means for maintaining the monitoring device rules include means for maintaining monitoring device rules corresponding to event data.

54. The system as recited in claim 52, wherein the means for maintaining the monitoring device rules include means for maintaining monitoring device rules corresponding to asset data.

55. The system as recited in claim 52, wherein the means for maintaining the monitoring device rules include means for maintaining monitoring device rules corresponding to resource data.

56. The system as recited in claim 48 further comprising one or more output device means for obtaining outputs from the central processing means.

57. The system as recited in claim 48, wherein one or more of the monitoring devices communicate with the central processing means via data network means.

58. The system as recited in claim 57, wherein the data network means include a distributed data network means.

34. A system for implementing an integrated information system, the system comprising:

one or more monitoring devices operable to transmit monitoring device data; and

a central processing server, the central processing server operable to obtain the monitoring device data from the one or more monitoring devices;

wherein the central processing server processes the monitoring device data according to one or more monitoring device rules and generates an output corresponding to the processing, wherein the output may include no output.

48. A system for implementing an integrated information system, the system comprising:

one or more monitoring devices operable to transmit monitoring device data; and

central processing means for obtaining the monitoring device data from the one or more monitoring devices, processing the monitoring device data according to one or more monitoring device rules and generating outputs corresponding to the processing, wherein the outputs may include no output.