FORWARDING AND FALL BACK MONITORING IN AN ALARM SYSTEM
First Claim
1. A method of monitoring the status of an alarm or security system installed at a facility, the system comprising at least one sensor responsive to the occurrence of a predetermined condition to go into an alarm state and provide an indication thereof, and means for communicating information about the status condition of the sensor, comprising:
- transmitting status condition information about the at least one sensor from the means for communicating to a first monitoring site, the first monitoring site processing information about the status condition and determining what action, if any, needs to be taken in response thereto;
forwarding the status condition information from the first monitoring site to a second monitoring site for the second monitoring site to process the information about the status condition and determining what action, if any, needs to be taken in response thereto; and
,the first monitoring site first sending a protocol message to the second monitoring site querying whether or not the second monitoring site is available to receive forwarded status condition information, and for forwarding the status condition information to the second monitoring site only if the second monitoring site responds affirmatively to the message, the first monitoring site otherwise retaining the received status condition information and not forwarding the information to the second monitoring site.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method of monitoring the status of an alarm or security system (10) installed at a facility (F). A sensor (S) responds to the occurrence of a predetermined condition by going into alarm and an indication thereof is communicated to a call center (CC) which forwards the information to a monitoring site (M1-Mn). The monitoring site then processes the information about the status condition and determines what action is to be taken in response thereto. Before forwarding the information to the monitoring site, the call center first sends a protocol message to the monitoring site querying whether or not the monitoring site is available to receive forwarded status condition information. The information is forwarded only if the monitoring site responds affirmatively to the message. Otherwise, the call center either retains and processes the received status condition information, or forwards it to a second monitoring site.
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Citations
17 Claims
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1. A method of monitoring the status of an alarm or security system installed at a facility, the system comprising at least one sensor responsive to the occurrence of a predetermined condition to go into an alarm state and provide an indication thereof, and means for communicating information about the status condition of the sensor, comprising:
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transmitting status condition information about the at least one sensor from the means for communicating to a first monitoring site, the first monitoring site processing information about the status condition and determining what action, if any, needs to be taken in response thereto; forwarding the status condition information from the first monitoring site to a second monitoring site for the second monitoring site to process the information about the status condition and determining what action, if any, needs to be taken in response thereto; and
,the first monitoring site first sending a protocol message to the second monitoring site querying whether or not the second monitoring site is available to receive forwarded status condition information, and for forwarding the status condition information to the second monitoring site only if the second monitoring site responds affirmatively to the message, the first monitoring site otherwise retaining the received status condition information and not forwarding the information to the second monitoring site. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 17)
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13. A method of monitoring the status of an alarm or security system installed at a facility, the system comprising a plurality of sensors each of which is responsive to the occurrence of a predetermined condition to go into an alarm state and a control panel to which the sensors are connected and which provides status condition information about the sensors to a monitoring site, comprising:
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transmitting the information about the sensors to a first monitoring site which site processes the information about the status condition of the sensors and determines what action, if any, needs to be taken in response thereto; forwarding the information from the first monitoring site to a second monitoring site for the second monitoring site to process the information and determine what action, if any, needs to be taken in response thereto, the first monitoring site first sending a protocol message to the second monitoring site querying whether or not the second monitoring site is available to receive forwarded status condition information, and for forwarding the status condition information to the second monitoring site only if the second monitoring site responds affirmatively to the message within a predetermined time interval, the first monitoring site otherwise retaining and processing the received status condition information and not forwarding the information to the second monitoring site; and
.the first monitoring site functioning as a fall back site for receiving and processing the status condition information if, after the information is forwarded to the second monitoring site, the second monitoring site is subsequently unable to continue processing the information. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16)
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Specification