SELF-MONITORED HOME SECURITY SYSTEM USING MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS

• US 20100279664A1
• Filed: 04/30/2009
• Published: 11/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Embarq Holdings Company LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Chalk, Mark
• Granted Patent: US 8,368,526 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/414.1
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/08 using communication transmission lines G08B13/19658, G08B21/0286, G08B25/016 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 29/16 Security signalling or alarm systems, e.g. redundant systems

Abstract

A system and method for providing home security services may include receiving, at a local alarm controller, a cordless sensor signal indicative of an alarm sensor being triggered. The cordless sensor signal may be communicated over one of multiple cordless telephone channels. In response to receiving the sensor signal, a signal indicative of the cordless telephone channel may be communicated to a mobile telephone of a user to notify the user that a sensor associated with the cordless telephone channel was triggered.

Claims

1. A method for providing home security services, said method comprising:

receiving, at a local alarm controller, a cordless sensor signal indicative of an alarm sensor being triggered, the cordless sensor signal being communicated over one of a plurality of cordless telephone channels; and

in response to receiving the sensor signal, communicating a signal indicative of the cordless telephone channel to a mobile telephone of a user to notify the user that a sensor associated with the cordless telephone channel was triggered.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the local alarm controller is integrated with a cordless telephone.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein communicating a signal includes:

accessing a telephone number assigned to the mobile telephone number; and

placing a call to the mobile telephone using the telephone number.

4. The method according to claim 3, further comprising communicating an audible message to the user in response to the user answering the call.

5. The method according to claim 3, further comprising selecting a telephone line from which to place the call.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein communicating a signal includes communicating a text message.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein communicating a signal includes:

accessing a telephone number assigned to a network node; and

calling, by the network node, a telephone number assigned to the mobile telephone.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the network node is further configured to call the mobile telephone from a telephone number that identifies the alarm sensor that is triggered.

9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising communicating a cordless telephone channel identifier to the network node, and wherein the network node is further configured to select a telephone number from among a plurality of telephone numbers to call the mobile telephone.

10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the user does not answer the call; and

communicating the signal to a different mobile telephone to notify the same or different another user that a sensor associated with the cordless telephone channel was triggered.

11. A home security system, comprising:

at least one sensor configured to communicate over respective different cordless telephone channels; and

a local alarm controller configured to communicate with said at least one sensor over the different cordless telephone channels and communicate with a wireless communications device via a communications network in response to receiving a sensor signal from one of the sensors.

12. The home security system according to claim 11, wherein said local alarm controller is integrated into a cordless telephone.

13. The home security system according to claim 11, wherein the communication is a communication to a network node that is configured to communicate an alarm signal to the wireless communications device.

14. The home security system according to claim 11, wherein the communication with the mobile telephone is a telephone call to the wireless communications device and, wherein said local alarm controller is further configured to communicate an audible signal to indicate which sensor was triggered.

15. The home security system according to claim 11, wherein the communication is a text message.

16. A network node for providing home security services, said network node comprising:

an input/output (I/O) unit configured with a plurality of I/O modules, each of the I/O modules configured to communicate over a communications network; and

a processing unit configured to;

in response to receiving a communication from a local alarm controller via said I/O unit, communicate with a wireless communications device of a user via one of the I/O modules.

17. The network node according to claim 16, wherein said processing unit is further configured to:

receive a sensor identifier from the local alarm controller; and

select a telephone number to use for calling or sending a message to the wireless communications device.

18. The network node according to claim 16, further comprising a storage unit configured to store a list of identifiers associated with respective sensor identifiers.

19. The network node according to claim 18, wherein the communication from the local alarm controller includes a sensor identifier, and wherein said processing unit is further configured to communicate a location identifier associated with the sensor identifier to the wireless communications device.

20. The network node according to claim 19, wherein said processing unit is configured to generate an audible signal that includes an indication associated with the location identifier.