Systems and methods for transmitting signals to a central station

• US 20040100374A1
• Filed: 08/13/2003
• Published: 05/27/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/1998
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Inventors: Menard, Raymond J., Quady, Curtis E.
• Application Number:
  US10/640,876
• Publication Number:
  US 20040100374A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/506
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/10 using wireless transmission systems G08B25/009 takes precedence

Abstract

Systems, structures, and methods are provided to transmit signals from a detection system to a central station. The described embodiments use an enhanced wireless system to send a message to alert the central station of an alarm event at a premise. Such message has the ability to be sent to alternative central station if the message cannot be sent to the intended central station.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

an alarm panel to provide an alarm signal;

a transmitter receptive to the alarm signal from the alarm panel; and

at least one look-up table to encode the alarm signal of the alarm panel as one of a plurality of event types into a message, wherein the message includes a code for each event type, and wherein the message includes a destination string.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the transmitter is compatible with either FLEX or ReFLEX protocol.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a network to pass the message of the at least one look-up table; and

a second look-up table to decode the destination string of the message to determine a decoded destination of the message, wherein the network passes the message to the decoded destination of the message.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the network is compatible with either FLEX or ReFLEX protocol.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

at least one central station to receive the message from the network; and

a third look-up table to decode the code of the message, wherein the third look-up table produces a security code from the code of the message.

6. The system of claim 2, wherein the at least one central station further comprises a personal computer to receive the code of the message.

7. A method comprising:

reading an alarm bus by a transmitter for at least one alarm signal; and

encoding the at least one alarm signal into a message by looking up at least one table that is stored in the transmitter, wherein the act of encoding encodes the at least one alarm signal into a code representing one of a plurality of event types into the message, and wherein the act of encoding encodes a destination string into the message.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising classifying priority of the at least one alarm signal when a plurality of alarm signals is presented on the alarm bus.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising decoding the destination string to determine the destination of the message.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising decoding the code representing one of the plurality of event types into a security code.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising passing the security code to an automation system of a central station.

12. A data structure for containing a message to be wirelessly transmitted using a narrow-band personal communication system, the data structure comprising:

an event identifier to identify an occurrence of an alarm event; and

an event descriptor to describe the alarm event in at least one detail.

13. The data structure of claim 12, further comprising a location identifier to identify a location of interest.

14. The data structure of claim 12, wherein the location identifier identifies a premise where the alarm event has occurred.

15. The data structure of claim 12, wherein the event identifier identifies that a burglary event is occurring.

16. The data structure of claim 12, wherein the event identifier identifies that a fire event is occurring.

17. The data structure of claim 12, wherein the event descriptor describes an area within the location of interest where the alarm event is occurring.

18. A data structure for containing a message to be wirelessly transmitted using a narrow-band personal communication system, the data structure comprising:

a destination string to identify at least one destination where the message is to be transmitted;

a location identifier to identify a location of interest;

an event identifier to identify an occurrence of an alarm event at the location of interest; and

an event descriptor to describe the alarm event in at least one detail.

19. The data structure of claim 18, wherein the destination string identifies a primary destination and a secondary destination.

20. The data structure of claim 19, wherein the message is wireless transmitted to the secondary destination if the message cannot be transmitted to the primary destination.

21. The data structure of claim 19, wherein the data structure is formatted to be compatible with Flex or ReFLEX protocol.

22. The data structure of claim 18, wherein the location identifier identifies the location of interest through the use of a capcode.