Alarm system with two-way voice

• US 20080309449A1
• Filed: 10/12/2007
• Published: 12/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alarm.com Inc. (Alarm.com Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Alarm.com Inc. (Alarm.com Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hutz, David James, Trundle, Stephen Scott, Martin, Jean-Paul, Goldfarb, David Saul
• Granted Patent: US 8,022,807 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/3.1
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/00 Burglar, theft or intruder alarms
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/08 using communication transmission lines G08B13/19658, G08B21/0286, G08B25/016 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/10 using wireless transmission systems G08B25/009 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/14 Central alarm receiver or annunciator arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/04 with alarm systems, e.g. fire, police or burglar alarm systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]

Abstract

Techniques are described for establishing a two-way voice communication session with an alarm system. The alarm system may establish a two-way voice communication session with an operator associated with a monitoring service that provides monitoring services for alarm events detected by the alarm system. The alarm system also may establish a two-way voice communication session with a notification recipient that is interested in receiving notifications associated with events detected by the alarm system.

Claims

1. A method of managing identifiers associated with incoming wireless call ports of a monitoring system to establish a voice communication session with an alarm system, the method comprising:

receiving alarm data over a wireless data channel, the alarm data being transmitted from a wireless communication module included in an alarm system in response to the alarm system detecting an alarm event, the alarm data indicating the alarm event;

accessing an available identifier associated with an incoming wireless call port of a monitoring system that is configured to handle the alarm event based on the received alarm data;

generating a signal that enables identification of the accessed identifier;

transmitting, to the monitoring system, the generated signal; and

transmitting, over the wireless data channel to the wireless communication module included in the alarm system, a phone number associated with the identifier to enable the wireless communication module included in the alarm system to place a call, over a wireless voice channel that is decoupled from the wireless data channel, to the phone number associated with the identifier such that the monitoring system enables connection of the call to an operator handling the alarm event based on the generated signal.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein accessing the available identifier associated with the incoming wireless call port includes accessing one of a shelf and slot number and a private branch exchange extension identifier.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein transmitting, to the monitoring system, the generated signal includes transmitting, over a wired connection to the monitoring system, the generated signal.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein:

generating the signal that enables identification of the accessed identifier includes generating a signal that includes the received alarm data and the accessed identifier; and

transmitting, to the monitoring system, the generated signal includes transmitting, to the monitoring system, the generated signal to enable the monitoring system to associate the received alarm data with the accessed identifier such that the monitoring system associates a call received at a phone number associated with the accessed identifier with the received alarm data.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a disconnect message over the wireless data channel, the disconnect message being transmitted from the wireless communication module included in the alarm system in response to disconnection of the call to the phone number associated with the identifier; and

reallocating the accessed identifier as available.