IP phone intruder security monitoring system

• US 20060219473A1
• Filed: 03/31/2005
• Published: 10/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Avaya Technology Corporation Miami Lakes FLA US
• Inventors: McNamara, Paul Thomas, Choy, Jonathan R. Yee-Hang, Boland, Simon Daniel
• Granted Patent: US 8,107,625 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 181/139
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1672 using sonic detecting means, e.g. a microphone operating in the audio frequency range
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/08 using communication transmission lines G08B13/19658, G08B21/0286, G08B25/016 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0861 using biometrical features, e.g. fingerprint, retina-scan cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using biological data H04L9/3231
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1408 by monitoring network traffic monitoring network traffic per se H04L43/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/04 with alarm systems, e.g. fire, police or burglar alarm systems

Abstract

A voice communications terminal is provided that includes:

a microphone 208 operable to receive an audio stream; and

a voice activity detector 220 operable to (a) determine whether the audio stream comprises voice signals and (b) when the audio stream comprises voice signals, at least one of (i) notify a communications server 110 and (ii) provide at least a portion of the audio stream to the communications server 110.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

a voice communications terminal receiving an audio stream through a microphone;

the voice communications terminal determining whether the audio stream comprises nonbackground audio signals; and

when the audio stream comprises nonbackground audio signals, at least one of (i) notifying a communications server and (ii) providing at least a portion of the audio stream to the communications server.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, in the determining step, the terminal performs voice activity detection on the audio stream, wherein the voice communications terminal is a telephone, wherein the communications server includes a call controller, and further comprising:

the communications server receiving the notification from the voice communications terminal; and

the communications server transmitting an alarm notification to a security provider.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

forwarding at least a portion of the audio stream to the communications server.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

the voice communications terminal receiving at least one of a text and audio message from the communications server; and

the voice communications terminal broadcasting the at least one of a text and audio message through a speaker;

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

the communications server receiving a user identification signal in response to the broadcasting step; and

when the user identification signal identifies a subscriber, the communications server disregards the notification; and

at least one of when the user identification signal does not identify a subscriber and when no user identification signal is received within a selected period of time, the communications server transmitting an alarm notification to a security provider.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a physical location of the voice communications terminal transmitting the notification; and

providing the physical location to a security provider.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

the voice communications terminal receiving a command from the communications server;

the voice communications terminal authenticating the communications server;

when the voice communications terminal is unsuccessfully authenticated, not performing the command; and

when the voice communications terminal is successfully authenticated, performing the command, wherein the command is at least one of enable voice activity detection and disable voice activity detection.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein, in a monitoring mode, the voice communications terminal performs the steps of claim 1, and, in a communications mode, the voice communications terminal does not perform the steps of claim 1.

9. A computer readable medium comprising instructions to perform the steps of claim 1 and wherein the nonbackground signal is a voice signal.

10. A logic circuit operable to perform the steps of claim 1.

14. The terminal of claim 1, further comprising:

an audio broadcasting agent operable to receive at least one of a text and audio message from the communications server and broadcast the at least one of a text and audio message through a speaker.

11. A voice communications terminal, comprising:

a microphone operable to receive an audio stream; and

a voice activity detector operable to (a) determine whether the audio stream comprises nonbackground signals and (b) when the audio stream comprises nonbackground signals, at least one of (i) notify a communications server and (ii) provide at least a portion of the audio stream to the communications server.

12. The terminal of claim 11, wherein a detected nonbackground signal is a voice signal wherein, in the determining operation, a voice activity detection engine performs voice activity detection on the audio stream, wherein the voice communications terminal is a telephone, wherein the communications server includes a call controller and an alarm agent, and wherein the alarm agent is operable to receive the notification from the voice communications terminal and transmit an alarm notification to a security provider.

13. The terminal of claim 11, further comprising:

an audio sending agent operable to forward at least a portion of the audio stream to the communications server.

15. The terminal of claim 11, further comprising:

an authentication agent operable to authenticate a command from the communications server.

16. The terminal of claim 11, wherein, in a monitoring mode, the voice communications terminal performs the operations of claim 11, and, in a communications mode, the voice communications terminal does not perform the operations of claim 11.

17. A voice communications terminal, comprising:

means for receiving an audio stream; and

voice activity detector means for (a) determining whether the audio stream comprises voice signals and (b) when the audio stream comprises voice signals, at least one of (i) notifying a communications server and (ii) providing at least a portion of the audio stream to the communications server.

18. The terminal of claim 17, wherein, in the determining function, a voice activity detection engine performs voice activity detection on the audio stream, wherein the voice communications terminal is a telephone, and wherein the communications server includes a call controller and alarm agent means for receiving the notification from the voice communications terminal and transmitting an alarm notification to a security provider.

19. The terminal of claim 17, further comprising:

audio sending means for sending at least a portion of the audio stream to the communications server.

20. The terminal of claim 17, further comprising:

audio broadcasting means for receiving at least one of a text and audio message from the communications server and broadcast the at least one of a text and audio message through a speaker.

21. The terminal of claim 17, further comprising:

authentication means for authenticating a command from the communications server.

22. The terminal of claim 17, wherein, in a monitoring mode, the voice communications terminal performs the functions of claim 17, and, in a communications mode, the voice communications terminal does not perform the functions of claim 17.