Wireless phone-interface device

• US 20020163430A1
• Filed: 05/01/2001
• Published: 11/07/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Security Incorporated (Carrier Global Corporation)
• Original Assignee: GE Security Incorporated (Carrier Global Corporation)
• Inventors: Bergman, John Todd, Lee, Thomas Anthony, Lofstad, Eric W., Seemann, Brian Karl, Hasselfeldt, Kurt
• Granted Patent: US 7,248,157 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/531
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/008 Alarm setting and unsetting, i.e. arming or disarming of the security system

Abstract

In one aspect, a phone-interface device determines whether a problem has occurred at a control panel by determining whether a signal from the control panel has been received, and when a signal has not been received within a period of time, the phone-interface device transmits an error message to a monitoring station. In another aspect, the control panel determines whether a problem has occurred at the phone-interface device by determining whether a signal from the phone-interface device has been received, and when a signal has not been received within a period of time, the control panel transmits an error message to a user. In another aspect, the phone-interface device contains memory to buffer data transferred between the control panel and a monitoring station. In this way, a high-speed connection between the phone-interface and the monitoring station can be accommodated while using a lower-speed connection between the phone-interface device and the control panel.

Claims

1. A phone-interface device, comprising:

a receiver to receive a wireless signal from a control panel, wherein the wireless signal encodes information regarding a sensor event; and

a phone port to connect to a telephone line, wherein the phone port is further to receive configuration data from the monitoring station.

2. The phone-interface device of claim 1, further comprising:

memory to contain data received from the control panel.

3. The phone-interface device of claim 2, further comprising:

a controller to buffer the data in the memory.

4. The phone-interface device of claim 3, wherein the controller is to buffer the data in the memory when a first data-rate between the phone-interface device and the control panel is too slow to accommodate a second data-rate between the phone-interface device and the monitoring station.

5. The phone-interface device of claim 3, when the controller is to buffer the data in the memory in anticipation of the monitoring station requesting the data.

6. The phone-interface device of claim 1, further comprising:

memory to contain data received from the monitoring station.

7. The phone-interface device of claim 6, further comprising:

a controller to buffer the data in the memory when a data rate between the phone-interface device and the control panel is too slow to accommodate a data-rate between the phone-interface device and the monitoring station.

8. A phone-interface device, comprising:

a phone port to receive configuration data; and

a transmitter to send the configuration data via a wireless signal to a control panel.

9. The phone-interface device of claim 8, further comprising:

memory to store the configuration information for later communication to the control panel.

10. The phone-interface device of claim 8, wherein the transmitter is to send the configuration data to the control panel while the phone port is on-hook.

11. The phone-interface device of claim 8, wherein the transmitter sends the configuration data to the control panel while the phone port is off-hook.

12. The phone-interface device of claim 8, wherein the phone port is to call a designated device to report success or failure of transmission of the configuration data.

14. The phone-interface device of claim 13, wherein the tones are DTMF tones.

15. The phone-interface device of claim 13, wherein the telephone and the phone port are on a same premises.

16. The phone-interface device of claim 14, wherein the telephone is off-premises from the phone-interface device.

18. The phone-interface device of claim 17, further comprising:

a sensor to sense a trouble condition at the phone-interface device;

a transmitter to transmit wireless signals containing data regarding the trouble condition to a control panel.

19. The phone-interface device of claim 18, wherein the trouble condition further comprises phone line removal.

20. The phone-interface device of claim 18, wherein the trouble condition further comprises

cover removal.

21. The phone-interface device of claim 18, wherein the trouble condition further comprises removal from mounting.

22. The phone-interface device of claim 18, wherein the trouble condition further comprises low battery.

23. The phone-interface device of claim 18, wherein the trouble condition further comprises power supply trouble.

26. The control panel of claim 25, wherein the error message is transmitted via a display associated with the control panel.

13. A phone-interface device, comprising:

a phone port to receive tones from a telephone; and

a transmitter to relay the tones to a control panel via a wireless signal.

17. A phone-interface device, comprising:

a phone port to receive tones from a telephone;

a controller to translate the tones into a command; and

a transmitter to send the command to a control panel via a wireless signal.

24. A phone-interface device, comprising:

a controller to determine whether a signal from a control panel has been received, and when a signal has not been received within a period of time, the controller is to transmit an error message to a monitoring station.

25. A control panel, comprising

a controller to determine whether a signal from a phone-interface device has been received, and when a signal has not been received within a period of time, the controller is to transmit an error message to a user.