SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ALARM SIGNALING DURING ALARM SYSTEM DESTRUCTION

• US 20100052890A1
• Filed: 11/10/2009
• Published: 03/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alarm.com Inc. (Alarm.com Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Alarm.com Inc. (Alarm.com Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Martin, Jean Paul, Slavin, Alison, Trundle, Stephen Scott
• Granted Patent: US 8,395,494 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/506
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/002 Generating a prealarm to the central station
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/10 using wireless transmission systems G08B25/009 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 29/00 Checking or monitoring of signalling or alarm systems; Prevention or correction of operating errors, e.g. preventing unauthorised operation
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 29/02 Monitoring continuously signalling or alarm systems
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 29/046 prevention of tampering with detection circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 29/16 Security signalling or alarm systems, e.g. redundant systems
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 29/185 Signal analysis techniques for reducing or preventing false alarms or for enhancing the reliability of the system
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks

Abstract

A system and method provide for the immediate transmission of a potential alarm to a remote alarm signal escrow site and from the escrow site to a host station in the event where a control panel or an alarm signaling device is tampered with or destroyed by a disablement tactic, e.g., a “crash and smash intrusion.” A system and method may also send an alarm signal during such an attack by using predictive analysis of real-time events.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for providing an alarm signal using real-time expected event analysis, the method comprising the steps of:

gathering monitor data from one or more remote sensors located at a location;

forwarding the monitor data to a monitoring server;

waiting for a notification message within a predetermined period of time that indicates an occurrence of the at least one or more expected events;

determining that the alarm signal generation or transmission equipment has been disabled or destroyed; and

generating and sending an alarm signal via a second alarm signaling communication path.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the alarm signal generation or transmission equipment has been disabled comprises a nonoccurrence of the notification message within the predetermined period of time.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the monitor data is communicated via one or more of wireless communication, powerline-based, and broadband communication.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the remote sensors comprise one or more of a sensor, a contact, a motion detector, a video recorder, or a combination thereof.

5. The product of claim 1, wherein the location compromises multiple locations.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the gathering and forwarding the monitor data is provided by a security control panel or other messaging hub.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the control panel or messaging hub is local to the sensors.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the control panel or messaging hub is remote from the sensors.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the control panel or messaging hub buffers the monitor data to facilitate data transmission.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein forwarding the monitor data is provided by the one or more sensors.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the one or more expected events is provided by a computer software program.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the stored data comprises sensor and system event sequences data.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the stored data is stored in one or more databases.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more expected events in real-time comprises at least of a proper disarmament of an alarm.

15. An alarm system for providing an alarm signal using real-time expected event analysis compromising:

one or more remote sensors for gathering monitor data from a location; and

a monitoring server for receiving and gathering the monitor data, identifying one or more expected events by comparing the monitor data against stored data, waiting for a notification message within a predetermined period of time that indicates an occurrence of the at least one or more expected events, determining that the alarm signal generation equipment or one or more alarm signaling communication paths have been disabled, and sending an alarm signal via an alternative alarm signaling communication path from an escrow site.

16. A computer implemented method for providing an alarm signal using real-time expected event analysis comprising:

receiving and gathering monitor data;

identifying one or more expected events by comparing the monitor data against stored data from one or more databases;

waiting for a notification message within a predetermined period of time that indicates an occurrence of the at least one or more expected events;

determining that alarm signal generation equipment or one or more alarm signaling communication path have been disabled; and

sending an alarm signal via an alternative alarm signaling communication path from an escrow site;

wherein determining that the one or more alarm signaling communication paths have been disabled comprises a nonoccurrence of the notification message within the predetermined period of time.