Virtual Presence after Security Event Detection

• US 20120001755A1
• Filed: 07/01/2011
• Published: 01/05/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Richard Paul Conrady
• Original Assignee: Richard Paul Conrady
• Inventors: Conrady, Richard Paul
• Application Number:
  US13/174,961
• Publication Number:
  US 20120001755A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/540
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 15/002 with occupancy simulation
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 3/10 using electric transmission; using electromagnetic transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/186 Video door telephones

Abstract

A virtual presence of an resident or owner of a monitored premise (home, office, etc.) is provided by automatic detection of the presence of a visitor, automatic establishment of a video feed to a remote device of the resident or owner, and automatic establishment of two-way audio communications between the remote device and a door intercom at the monitored presence. Using the video feed and the two-way communications, the resident or owner can communicate to the visitor as if the resident or owner were actually in the monitored presence viewing the visitor through a peep-hole or security camera, thereby providing the illusion to the visitor that the premise is actually occupied. Additionally, the resident or owner is provided a remote capability to activate an alarm or disarm and alarm, according to the conditions of the visit and the user'"'"'s wishes.

Claims

1. A method for providing remote communications of a monitored facility comprising:

receiving by a communications integrator an initiation event message, the initiation event message being responsive or indicative of a detected event at a facility monitored by an alarm system;

responsive to the receipt, providing to a user one or more communications with the monitored facility;

causing a representation of an alarm control keypad to be provided on a user'"'"'s terminal device; and

responsive to user selections on the representation of the alarm control keypad, causing the alarm system to perform an action or execute a command similar to an action or command as if the user had operated an alarm keypad co-located with the alarm system;

wherein the user'"'"'s terminal device is remotely located from the monitored facility, and wherein an electronic communications system is disposed between the user'"'"'s terminal device and the communications integrator.

2. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the one or more communications are selected from the group consisting of a cellular telephone text message, a cellular phone multimedia message, a voice telephone call, a voice message, and a video stream from a camera at the facility.

3. The method as set forth in claim 2 wherein the one or more communications comprises a voice telephone call, and wherein the telephone call is half-duplex, thereby permitting audio monitoring of the facility.

4. The method as set forth in claim 2 wherein the one or more communications comprises a voice telephone call, and wherein the telephone call is full-duplex, thereby permitting two-way communications with one or more persons located at the facility.

5. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the initiation event represents triggering of one or more sensors selected from the group consisting of an infrared motion detector, a pressure sensitive mat, a radar motion detector, an acoustic event detector, a video frame analyzer, a bark detector, a voice recognizer, and a door bell.

6. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the user'"'"'s terminal device comprises at least one device selected from the group consisting of a cellular telephone, a smart wireless phone, a plain-old-telephone-system telephone, a personal digital assistant, a pad device with wireless communications, and a personal computer.

7. The method as set forth in claim 1 further comprising providing the communications integrator integral to and cooperative with a premise equipment alarm panel.

8. The method as set forth in claim 1 further comprising providing the communications integrator integral to and cooperative with a central office alarm monitoring system.

9. The method as set forth in claim 1 further comprising providing the communications integrator integral to and cooperative with the user'"'"'s terminal device.

10. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the causing the alarm system to perform an action or execute a command similar to an action or command as if the user had operated an alarm keypad co-located with the alarm system comprises causing at least one action selected from the group consisting of arming the alarm system, disarming the alarm system, operating a panic function of the alarm system, muting the alarm system, initiating a two-way audio communications a door panel, beginning recording audio from the facility, stopping recording audio from the facility, beginning recording video from the facility, and stopping recording video from the facility.

11. A computer program product for providing remote communications of a monitored facility comprising:

one or more computer readable, tangible memory devices; and

computer program instructions stored by the memory device, configured to cause a processor to;

receive by a communications integrator an initiation event message, the initiation event message being responsive or indicative of a detected event at a facility monitored by an alarm system;

responsive to the receipt, provide to a user one or more communications with the monitored facility;

cause a representation of an alarm control keypad to be provided on a user'"'"'s terminal device; and

responsive to user selections on the representation of the alarm control keypad, cause the alarm system to perform an action or execute a command similar to an action or command as if the user had operated an alarm keypad co-located with the alarm system;

wherein the user'"'"'s terminal device is remotely located from the monitored facility, and wherein an electronic communications system is disposed between the user'"'"'s terminal device and the communications integrator.

12. The computer program product as set forth in claim 11 wherein the one or more communications are selected from the group consisting of a cellular telephone text message, a cellular phone multimedia message, a voice telephone call, a voice message, and a video stream from a camera at the facility.

13. The computer program product as set forth in claim 12 wherein the one or more communications comprises a voice telephone call, and wherein the telephone call is half-duplex, thereby permitting audio monitoring of the facility.

14. The computer program product as set forth in claim 12 wherein the one or more communications comprises a voice telephone call, and wherein the telephone call is full-duplex, thereby permitting two-way communications with one or more persons located at the facility.

15. The computer program product as set forth in claim 11 wherein the initiation event represents triggering of one or more sensors selected from the group consisting of an infrared motion detector, a pressure sensitive mat, a radar motion detector, an acoustic event detector, a video frame analyzer, a bark detector, a voice recognizer, and a door bell.

16. The computer program product as set forth in claim 11 wherein the user'"'"'s terminal device comprises at least one device selected from the group consisting of a cellular telephone, a smart wireless phone, a plain-old-telephone-system telephone, a personal digital assistant, a pad device with wireless communications, and a personal computer.

17. The computer program product as set forth in claim 11 wherein the computer program instructions further comprise instructions to provide the communications integrator integral to and cooperative with a premise equipment alarm panel.

18. The computer program product as set forth in claim 11 wherein the computer program instructions further comprise instructions to provide the communications integrator integral to and cooperative with a central office alarm monitoring system.

19. The computer program product as set forth in claim 11 wherein the computer program instructions further comprise instructions to provide the communications integrator integral to and cooperative with the user'"'"'s terminal device.

20. The computer program product as set forth in claim 11 wherein the instructions to cause the alarm system to perform an action or execute a command similar to an action or command as if the user had operated an alarm keypad co-located with the alarm system comprise instructions to cause at least one action selected from the group consisting of arming the alarm system, disarming the alarm system, operating a panic function of the alarm system, muting the alarm system, initiating a two-way audio communications a door panel, beginning recording audio from the facility, stopping recording audio from the facility, beginning recording video from the facility, and stopping recording video from the facility.

21. A communications integration system for providing remote communications of a monitored facility comprising:

a initiation event receiver for receiving an initiation event message, the initiation event message being responsive or indicative of a detected event at a facility monitored by an alarm system;

a communications output which, responsive to the receipt, provides to a user one or more communications with the monitored facility;

a user terminal interface which causes a representation of an alarm control keypad to be provided on a user'"'"'s terminal device; and

a remote commander which, responsive to user selections on the representation of the alarm control keypad, causes the alarm system to perform an action or execute a command similar to an action or command as if the user had operated an alarm keypad co-located with the alarm system;

wherein the user'"'"'s terminal device is remotely located from the monitored facility, and wherein an electronic communications system is disposed between the user'"'"'s terminal device and the communications integrator.

22. The system as set forth in claim 21 wherein the one or more communications are selected from the group consisting of a cellular telephone text message, a cellular phone multimedia message, a voice telephone call, a voice message, and a video stream from a camera at the facility.

23. The system as set forth in claim 22 wherein the one or more communications comprises a voice telephone call, and wherein the telephone call is half-duplex, thereby permitting audio monitoring of the facility.

24. The system as set forth in claim 22 wherein the one or more communications comprises a voice telephone call, and wherein the telephone call is full-duplex, thereby permitting two-way communications with one or more persons located at the facility.

25. The system as set forth in claim 21 wherein the initiation event represents triggering of one or more sensors selected from the group consisting of an infrared motion detector, a pressure sensitive mat, a radar motion detector, an acoustic event detector, a video frame analyzer, a bark detector, a voice recognizer, and a door bell.

26. The system as set forth in claim 21 wherein the user'"'"'s terminal device comprises at least one device selected from the group consisting of a cellular telephone, a smart wireless phone, a plain-old-telephone-system telephone, a personal digital assistant, a pad device with wireless communications, and a personal computer.

27. The system as set forth in claim 21 wherein the communications integrator system is integral to and cooperative with a premise equipment alarm panel.

28. The system as set forth in claim 21 wherein the communications integrator system is integral to and cooperative with a central office alarm monitoring system.

29. The system as set forth in claim 21 wherein the communications integrator system is integral to and cooperative with the user'"'"'s terminal device.

30. The system as set forth in claim 21 wherein the remote commander causes the alarm system to perform an action or execute a command similar to an action or command as if the user had operated an alarm keypad co-located with the alarm system comprises causing at least one action selected from the group consisting of arming the alarm system, disarming the alarm system, operating a panic function of the alarm system, muting the alarm system, initiating a two-way audio communications a door panel, beginning recording audio from the facility, stopping recording audio from the facility, beginning recording video from the facility, and stopping recording video from the facility.