Alarm system with two-way voice

• US 20080311879A1
• 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 7,920,842 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/404.1
• 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 enabling a notification recipient to establish a voice communication session with an alarm system in response to the alarm system detecting an event, the method comprising:

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

subsequent to receiving the data indicating the event, identifying a notification recipient to be notified of the event;

accessing communication information configured for use in establishing a voice communication session between a communications device associated with the notification recipient and the wireless communication module included in the alarm system; and

enabling establishment, over a wireless voice channel that is decoupled from the wireless data channel, of a voice communication session between the device associated with the notification recipient and the wireless communication module included in the alarm system based on the accessed voice communication information.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the alarm system is a security system installed in a building, the security system being configured to receive a signal from at least one sensor and detect an event based on the received signal, and

enabling establishment, over the wireless voice channel that is decoupled from the wireless data channel, of the voice communication session between the device associated with the notification recipient and the wireless communication module includes enabling establishment of a voice communication session with the security system to enable the notification recipient to listen in on an area in the building and communicate with a person who is in the area in the building.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein enabling establishment, over the wireless voice channel that is decoupled from the wireless data channel, of the voice communication session between the device associated with the notification recipient and the wireless communication module included in the alarm system based on the accessed voice communication information includes:

transmitting a data communication to the device associated with the notification recipient;

receiving, from the device associated with the notification recipient, a command to initiate a voice communication session between the device associated with the notification recipient and the wireless communication module, the command being transmitted by the device associated with the notification recipient based on the device receiving the data communication; and

forwarding the command to the wireless communication module to cause the wireless communication module to place a call, over the wireless voice channel, to the device associated with the notification recipient.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein enabling establishment, over the wireless voice channel that is decoupled from the wireless data channel, of the voice communication session between the device associated with the notification recipient and the wireless communication module included in the alarm system based on the accessed voice communication information includes:

placing an automated phone call to the device associated with the notification recipient;

receiving a command, as part of the automated phone call, from the device associated with the notification recipient, the command being transmitted by the device associated with the notification recipient in response to user input provided by the notification recipient interacting with a call script of the automated phone call;

forwarding the command to the wireless communication module to cause the wireless communication module to place a call, over the wireless voice channel, to the device associated with the notification recipient.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein enabling establishment, over the wireless voice channel that is decoupled from the wireless data channel, of the voice communication session between the device associated with the notification recipient and the wireless communication module included in the alarm system based on the accessed voice communication information includes:

transmitting, to the device associated with the notification recipient, a number and a passcode associated with the wireless communication module to enable the notification recipient to place a call to the wireless communication module using the number and to be authenticated by the wireless communication module using the passcode, and

transmitting the passcode to the wireless communication module to enable the wireless communication module to authenticate a call from the notification recipient based on the passcode.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein enabling establishment, over the wireless voice channel that is decoupled from the wireless data channel, of the voice communication session between the device associated with the notification recipient and the wireless communication module included in the alarm system based on the accessed voice communication information includes:

placing an automated phone call to the device associated with the notification recipient;

receiving a command, as part of the automated phone call, from the device associated with the notification recipient, the command being transmitted by the device associated with the notification recipient in response to user input provided by the notification recipient interacting with a call script of the automated phone call and the command requesting transfer of the automated phone call to the wireless communication module;

accessing a number associated with the wireless communication module; and

transferring the automated phone call to the wireless communication module using the accessed number.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein enabling establishment, over the wireless voice channel that is decoupled from the wireless data channel, of the voice communication session between the device associated with the notification recipient and the wireless communication module included in the alarm system based on the accessed voice communication information includes:

identifying the alarm system based on the received data;

determining that the identified alarm system has a two-way voice feature;

waiting for an automated phone call from the wireless communication module in response to determining that the identified alarm system has a two-way voice feature;

receiving an automated phone call from the wireless communication module;

accessing a number for the device associated with the notification recipient; and

transferring the automated phone call to the device associated with the notification recipient based on the accessed number.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein enabling establishment, over the wireless voice channel that is decoupled from the wireless data channel, of the voice communication session between the device associated with the notification recipient and the wireless communication module included in the alarm system based on the accessed voice communication information includes:

placing a first automated phone call to the device associated with the notification recipient, the first automated phone call being placed by an automated phone system;

receiving a command, as part of the first automated phone call, from the device associated with the notification recipient, the command being transmitted by the device associated with the notification recipient in response to user input provided by the notification recipient interacting with a call script of the first automated phone call and the command requesting a voice communication session with the wireless communication module;

transmitting, to the wireless communication module, a command to initiate a call to the automated phone system;

maintaining the first automated phone call with the device associated with the notification recipient;

receiving, from the wireless communication module, a second automated phone call that is different from the first automated phone call, the second automated phone call being received by the automated phone system; and

connecting the first automated phone call with the second automated phone call to establish a voice communication session between the device associated with the notification recipient and the wireless communication module.

9. A system for enabling a notification recipient to establish a voice communication session with an alarm system in response to the alarm system detecting an event, the system comprising:

an alarm system including;

a wireless communication module,

at least one of a contact sensor, a motion sensor, a glass breaker sensor, a temperature sensor, a smoke sensor, a carbon monoxide sensor, or a panic button sensor,

a speaker positioned within audible range of an area proximate to the at least one sensor, and

a microphone positioned within audible range of the area proximate to the least one sensor;

a recipient mobile device configured to exchange wireless communications, the recipient mobile device being associated with a notification recipient; and

an alarm server, remote from the alarm system and the recipient mobile device, the alarm server being configured to exchange wireless communications with the recipient mobile device and the wireless communication module included in the alarm system, wherein;

the alarm system is configured to;

receive a signal from the at least one sensor,

detect an event based on the received signal, and

control the wireless communication module to transmit data, to the alarm server, over a wireless data channel, the data indicating the event;

the alarm server is configured to;

receive, over the wireless data channel, the data indicating the event,

identify the alarm system based on the received data,

identify the event based on the received data,

identify the notification recipient based on the identified alarm system and the identified event,

access communication information associated with the identified notification recipient, the communication information including communication information for the recipient mobile device, and

transmit a wireless communication to the recipient mobile device based on the

accessed communication information, the wireless communication indicating the event, the recipient mobile device is configured to;

receive, from the alarm server, the wireless communication indicating the event,

render a display of information associated with the event based on the received wireless communication,

receive user input, from the notification recipient, the user input indicating a desire of the notification recipient to establish a voice communication session with the alarm system based on the notification recipient perceiving the information associated with the event, and

transmit, to the alarm server, a message, the message indicating the desire of the notification recipient to establish the voice communication session with the alarm system, the alarm server is further configured to;

receive, from the recipient mobile device, the message, and

in response to receiving the message, transmit, over the wireless data channel, a command to the wireless communication module to initiate a voice call to the recipient mobile device, and

the alarm system is further configured to;

receive, from the alarm server, the command, and

in response to receipt of the command;

access a phone number associated with the recipient mobile device,

place, over the wireless voice channel that is decoupled from the wireless data channel, a voice call to the recipient mobile device using the accessed number; and

establish, over the wireless voice channel, a voice communication session with the recipient mobile device based on the voice call, the voice communication session enabling the notification recipient to listen in on the area proximate to the least one sensor using the microphone and speak to a person in the area proximate to the least one sensor using the speaker.