ALARM MANAGEMENT SYSTEM HAVING AN ESCALATION STRATEGY

• US 20110316688A1
• Filed: 06/24/2010
• Published: 12/29/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Ranjan, Prabhat, Chetia, Barnali, Tripathy, Mahesh
• Granted Patent: US 8,648,706 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/511
• 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 25/008 Alarm setting and unsetting, i.e. arming or disarming of the security system

Abstract

An alarm management system having an escalation strategy which may be applied to each state of an alarm and increase a level of escalation if a required action has not been taken in response to an alarm. This approach is for avoiding an overlooking of any alarms and for assuring closure of alarms as soon as possible. An alarm may be in one of several intermediate states. Each state may have a threshold which if exceeded escalates an alarm'"'"'s urgency. Alarm notifications may be provided to recipients according to their preferences.

Claims

1. An alarm escalation method comprising:

creating an escalation service;

adding an escalation level to the escalation service;

adding one or more types of thresholds to the escalation level;

specifying time-outs for each threshold; and

configuring a notification rule for each threshold.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the types of thresholds comprise:

time in unacknowledged threshold;

time not in pending threshold;

time in pending threshold; and

frequency of threshold.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the thresholds are individually adjustable.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the notification rule comprises:

one or more recipients of a notification; and

a frequency of the notification.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

finding an alarm from an active alarm pool belonging to the escalation service, which has exceeded a specified threshold; and

determining whether the alarm has been escalated.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein:

if the alarm has been escalated, then increase the escalation level of the alarm; and

if the alarm has not been escalated, then escalate the alarm.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

taking action on the alarm; and

determining whether the alarm is resolved.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

taking no action on the alarm; and

returning the alarm to the active alarm pool.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein:

if the alarm is resolved, then closing the alarm; and

if the alarm is not resolved, then returning the alarm to the active alarm pool.

10. An alarm management system comprising:

an escalation service for alarms; and

wherein;

the escalation service comprises one or more levels;

a level has threshold types; and

each threshold type has a set limit.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the escalation service further comprises an escalation notification rule.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the notification rule indicates:

select recipients; and

select frequency of notification.

13. The system of claim 11, further comprising an escalation background engine.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the escalation background engine is for finding an alarm from an active alarm pool that belongs to the escalation service.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the alarm has exceeded the set limit of a threshold type.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein:

if the alarm is escalated, then an escalation level of the alarm is increased; and

if the escalation level is increased, then a notification is sent to the select recipients.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein:

if the alarm is not escalated, then the alarm is escalated; and

a notification is sent to the select recipients.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein if action is not taken on the alarm, then the alarm is returned to the active alarm pool.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein:

if action is taken on the alarm, then the alarm is either resolved or not resolved;

if the alarm is not resolved, then the alarm is returned to the active alarm pool; and

if the alarm is resolved, then the alarm is closed with an appropriate resolution.

20. An alarm escalation approach comprising:

an unacknowledged alarm appearing from a pool of alarms;

the alarm exceeding an unacknowledged threshold;

the unacknowledged alarm becoming an unacknowledged escalated alarm;

the unacknowledged alarm becoming an acknowledged alarm;

a notification being issued for action to be taken on the alarm;

the acknowledged alarm becoming acknowledged escalated alarm;

the acknowledged escalated alarm becoming a pending alarm;

the alarm exceeding a pending threshold;

the alarm becoming a pending escalated alarm;

the alarm being assigned a resolution; and

the alarm is closed and returned to the alarm pool; and

wherein being escalated means an increase in urgency.