VoIP security monitoring & alarm system

• US 20040086093A1
• Filed: 10/29/2003
• Published: 05/06/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Paul Steven Schranz
• Original Assignee: Paul Steven Schranz
• Inventors: Schranz, Paul Steven
• Application Number:
  US10/694,678
• Publication Number:
  US 20040086093A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/37
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1895 for short real-time information, e.g. alarms, notifications, alerts, updates
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/06 Management of faults, events, alarms or notifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0811 by checking connectivity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1416 Event detection, e.g. attack signature detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]

Abstract

The present invention deals with a Voice/Video over IP (VoIP) security monitoring and alarm system. I claim the priority of provisional patent application 60/421849 submitted Oct. 29, 2002. The system includes a plurality of peripheral devices located around a building that communicate bi-directionally with a system control module (SCM). The SCM is connected to the Internet via ADSL or Cable modem, or by cellular phone with a Bluetooth interface. The peripheral devices detect an event and notify the SCM, the SCM establishes a VoIP call to a remote user in the Internet, PSTN or cellular networks. The remote user using a multimedia device will hear ambient audio and see video images from the peripheral device in the location of the alarm. The remote user issues DTMF commands to the SCM to control the audio, initiate conference calls and other functions. The call transfers without being interrupted between peripheral devices based on detection of events. Email and Instant Messaging notification are also used.

Claims

1. A method for notifying a remote person or computer server of an alarm event or intrusion by establishing a voice and/or video communication call between the location of the event and the location of the person or computer server by using Voice over Internet Protocols (VoIP), comprising:

(a) providing an event detection means that detects the event to be notified of,

(b) providing a peripheral device means to receive voice and/or video information from and transmit voice and/or video information to the area the event took place,

(c) providing a computing platform means that operates as a system control module running a control program,

(d) providing a means to connect the said computing platform means to the Internet,

(e) providing an event detection interconnection means to connect the said event detection means to the said computing platform means to exchange control and data information,

(f) providing a peripheral device interconnection means to connect the said peripheral device means to the said computing platform means to exchange control and data information,

whereby the said computing platform detects an event from the said event detection means using the said event detection interconnection means, and

whereby the said computing platform upon event detection establishes a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) communication call such that voice and/or video information is exchanged between the said peripheral device means and the said computing platform means using the said peripheral device interconnection means, and between the said computing platform means and the remote person or server using the said Internet connection means.

3. The method for notifying a remote person or computer server of claim 1 wherein the Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) used to establish, modify and terminate the voice and/or video communication call is the Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) developed by the Internet Engineering Task Force.

4. The method for notifying a remote person or computer server of claim 1 wherein the Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) used to deliver voice and/or video information between the said computing platform and remote person or server is the Real-Time Transport Protocol (RTP) developed by the Internet Engineering Task Force.

5. The method for notifying a remote person or computer server of claim 1 wherein the Presence feature of the Session Initiation Protocol is used to identify the remote person'"'"'s location in real-time for the purpose of establishing the Voice over Internet Protocol communication call to the device the remote person prefers.

6. The method for notifying a remote person or computer server of claim 1 wherein the remote person or server can be notified of the event by the Instant Messaging feature of the Session Initiation Protocol.

7. The method for notifying a remote person or computer server of claim 1 wherein the remote person can initiate a conference call by sending Dual Tone Multi Frequency (DTMF) digits to the control program on said computing platform for the purpose of initiating another Voice over Internet Protocol communication call to another party.

8. The method for notifying a remote person or computer server of claim 1 wherein the Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) communication call terminates in the Internet domain, or the Public Switched Telephone Network domain, or the Cellular domain.

9. The method for notifying a remote person or computer server of claim 1 wherein a Web portal application is used to control the said computing platform means and control program so that a person can control and monitor the alarm system remotely over the Internet.

2. An alarm monitoring and notification apparatus for notifying a remote person or computer server of an alarm event or intrusion by establishing a voice and/or video communication call between the location of the event and the location of the person or computer server by using Voice over Internet Protocols (VoIP), comprising:

(a) an event detection means that detects the event to be notified of,

(b) a peripheral device means to receive voice and/or video information from and transmit voice and/or video information to the area the event took place,

(c) a computing platform means that operates as a system control module running a control program,

(d) a means to connect the said computing platform means to the Internet,

(e) an event detection interconnection means to connect the said event detection means to the said computing platform means to exchange control and data information,

(f) a peripheral device interconnection means to connect the said peripheral device means to the said computing platform means to exchange control and data information,

whereby the said computing platform detects an event from the said event detection means, and

whereby the said computing platform upon event detection establishes a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) communication call such that voice and/or video information is exchanged between the said peripheral device means and the said computing platform means using the said peripheral device interconnection means and between the said computing platform means and the remote person or server using the said Internet connection means.

10. The alarm monitoring and notification apparatus of claim 2 wherein the said peripheral device interconnection means is the Bluetooth wireless standard.

11. The alarm monitoring and notification apparatus of claim 2 wherein said means of connecting said computing platform to the Internet includes Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) modem, Cable modem or Cellular modem.

12. The alarm monitoring and notification apparatus of claim 2 wherein the said peripheral device operates as an Intercom device.

13. The alarm monitoring and notification apparatus of claim 2 wherein the said peripheral device operates as a doorbell Intercom device.

14. The alarm monitoring and notification apparatus of claim 2 wherein the said peripheral device operates as an audio only device, or a video device only, or an audio and video device only, or any of these combinations with the event detection means as well.