HARDWARE CONFIGURABLE SECURITY, MONITORING AND AUTOMATION CONTROLLER HAVING MODULAR COMMUNICATION PROTOCOL INTERFACES

• US 20100280637A1
• Filed: 04/30/2010
• Published: 11/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: iControl Networks, Inc. (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: iControl Networks, Inc. (Comcast Corporation)
• Inventors: Johnson, James A., Cohn, Alan Wade, Faulkner, Gary Robert, Quain, Corey Wayne, Proft, David Leon, Kitchen, James Edward
• Granted Patent: US 10,674,428 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/90
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2642 Domotique, domestic, home control, automation, smart house
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0736 in functional embedded systems, i.e. in a data processing system designed as a combination of hardware and software dedicated to performing a certain function testing or monitoring of automated control systems G05B23/02
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0757 by exceeding a time limit, i.e. time-out, e.g. watchdogs
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/00 Burglar, theft or intruder alarms
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 19/005 combined burglary and fire alarm systems
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/001 Alarm cancelling procedures or alarm forwarding decisions, e.g. based on absence of alarm confirmation
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/004 Alarm propagated along alternative communication path or using alternative communication medium according to a hierarchy of available ways to communicate, e.g. if Wi-Fi not available use GSM
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/008 Alarm setting and unsetting, i.e. arming or disarming of the security system
• 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: G08B 29/02 Monitoring continuously signalling or alarm systems
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 29/08 Signalling of tampering with the line circuit
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 29/16 Security signalling or alarm systems, e.g. redundant systems
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 3/10 using electric transmission; using electromagnetic transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2807 Exchanging configuration information on appliance services in a home automation network arrangements for maintenance or administration involving network analysis for automatically determining the actual topology of a network H04L41/12; hardware or software tools for network management using graphical user interfaces H04L41/22; address allocation H04L61/50
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2809 indicating that an appliance service is present in a home automation network monitoring functionality H04L43/0817; discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services, H04L67/51
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2816 Controlling appliance services of a home automation network by calling their functionalities arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station; in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom H04Q9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2818 from a device located outside both the home and the home network access arrangements H04L12/2856; for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025; arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless eletrical link G08C17/00; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with remote control systems H04M11/007
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2825 : Reporting to a device located outside the home and the home network access arrangements H04L12/2856; for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with telemetering systems H04M11/002
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2827 : Reporting to a device within the home network; wherein the reception of the information reported automatically triggers the execution of a home appliance functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2832 : Interconnection of the control functionalities between home networks single bridge functionality H04L12/4625
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2834 : Switching of information between an external network and a home network access arrangements H04L12/2856
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/025 : for remote control or remote monitoring of applications
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 : involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/26 : Special purpose or proprietary protocols or architectures network applications for proprietary or special purpose networking environments H04L67/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/28 : for reactive routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/34 : Modification of an existing route
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/50 : for emergency connections

Abstract

A single platform for controller functionality for each of security, monitoring and automation, as well as providing a capacity to function as a bidirectional Internet gateway, is provided. Embodiments of the present invention provide such functionality by virtue of a configurable architecture that enables a user to adapt the system for the user'"'"'s specific needs. Embodiments of the present invention further provide such functionality by providing for installation of removable, modular communication adapters for communication with a variety of devices external to the security, monitoring and automation controller.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

a bus coupled to a processor;

a first communication module configured to communicate with one or more security sensors, wherein the first communication module is removably coupled to the bus; and

the processor configured to interpret an event signal received via the first communication module from a first security sensor of the one or more security sensors.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the bus is one of a serial peripheral interface bus and a universal serial bus.

3. The device of claim 1 further comprising:

a second communication module configured to communicate with one or more external devices, wherein

the second communication module is removably coupled to the bus, and

the one or more external devices comprise one of radio frequency devices and devices tethered to the second communication module.

4. The device of claim 3 further comprising:

the one or more external devices comprise one or more home area network devices having an automation interface to communicate with the second communication module; and

the processor is further configured to

interpret an event signal received via the second communication module from a first home area network device of the one or more home area network devices, and

generate a control signal to transmit via the second communication module to a second home area network device of the one or more home area network devices.

5. The device of claim 3 further comprising:

the one or more external devices comprise a second set of security sensors; and

the processor is further configured to interpret a second event signal received via the second communication module from a second security sensor of the second set of security sensors.

6. The device of claim 1 further comprising:

a second communication module configured to communicate with a controller of a previously-installed security system, wherein the second communication module is removably coupled to the bus.

7. The device of claim 1 further comprising:

a second communication module configured to communicate with one or more digital enhanced cordless telecommunications (DECT) devices.

8. The device of claim 1 further comprising:

a memory, coupled to the processor, and storing a driver for the first communication module.

9. The device of claim 8 further comprising:

a communication interface, coupled to the processor, for communication with a remote server and configured to receive the driver for the first communication module.

10. The device of claim 8 wherein the driver for the first communication module is received from a second memory removably coupled to the processor.

11. A method comprising:

removably coupling a first communication module to a bus, wherein

the first communication module is configured to communicate with one or more security sensors, and

the bus is coupled to a processor;

receiving an event signal from a first security sensor of the one or more security sensors, wherein said receiving is performed by the first communication module; and

interpreting the event signal, wherein said interpreting is performed by the processor.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the bus is one of a serial peripheral interface bus and a universal serial bus.

13. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

removably coupling a second communication module to the bus, wherein

the second communication module is configured to communicate with one or more external devices, and

the one or more external devices comprise one of radio frequency devices and devices tethered to the second communication module.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

receiving a second event signal via the second communication module, wherein

the one or more external devices comprise one or more home area network devices having an automation interface to communicate with the second communication module, and

the second event signal is received from a first home area network device of the one or more home area network devices;

interpreting the second event signal; and

generating a control signal to transmit via the second communication module to a second home area network device of the one or more home area network devices.

15. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

receiving a second event signal via the second communication module, wherein

the one or more external devices comprise a second set of security sensors, and

the second event signal is received from a second security sensor of the second set of security sensors; and

interpreting the second event signal, wherein said interpreting the second event signal is performed by the processor.

16. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

removably coupling a second communication module to the bus, wherein

the second communication module is configured to communicate with a controller of a previously-installed security system.

17. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

removably coupling a second communication module to the bus, wherein

the second communication module is configured to communicate with one or more DECT devices.

18. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

storing a driver for the first communication module in a memory coupled to the processor.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising:

receiving the driver for the first communication module from a remote server.

20. The method of claim 18 receiving the driver for the first communication module from a second memory removably coupled to the processor.

21. An apparatus comprising:

means for interpreting an event signal received from a first security sensor of one or more security sensors; and

means for communicating with the one or more security sensors, wherein the means for communicating is removably coupled to the means for interpreting the event signal.

22. The apparatus of claim 21 further comprising:

means for communicating with one or more external devices, wherein the one or more external devices comprise one or more of home area network devices having an automation interface, a second set of security sensors, and a controller of a previously-installed security system; and

means for interpreting signals from the one or more external devices, wherein the means for communicating with the one or more external devices is removably coupled to the means for interpreting signals from the one or more external devices.