ALARM SYSTEM IP NETWORK WITH PSTN OUTPUT

• US 20120027010A1
• Filed: 07/30/2011
• Published: 02/02/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sierra Wireless America Incorporated (Sierra Wireless Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Numerex Corporation (Sierra Wireless Incorporated)
• Inventors: Elliot, Harvey Alexander, Field-Elliot, Bryan, Elliot, Daniel
• Granted Patent: US 9,054,893 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 29/02 Monitoring continuously signalling or alarm systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1471 splitting of costs
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40013 Details regarding a bus controller
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/413 with random access, e.g. carrier-sense multiple-access with collision detection [CSMA-CD]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways

Abstract

Alarm customers on VoIP may use an adapter for conversion to Internet Protocol (IP) signals or may have an alarm system that uses IP signals to transmit alarm signals over the Internet. IP signals from alarm customers may go to any monitoring center for alarm system monitoring. IP signals from alarm systems using IP conversion equipment can go only to monitoring centers with specialized receiving equipment specific to the type of transmitting equipment in use at the customer'"'"'s premises. There is a pool of customers, whose dealers would convert to IP and stay with the current monitoring center if the center invested in receiving equipment. For the many small centers who will not or cannot invest in receiving equipment, the present invention will take IP signals from any or all brands of IP transmitting equipment, to a central server then retransmit to any center over POTS to the alarm monitoring center. Thus, an alarm monitoring center need not invest in a number of different IP monitoring systems in order to be IP monitoring compliant.

Claims

1. A method for converting an alarm signal in a first format to an alarm signal in a second format, using a middleware server, the method comprising the steps of:

generating, at a customer'"'"'s alarm system, a customer alarm signal in a first format,

transmitting the customer alarm signal to the middleware server,

receiving, at the middleware server, the customer alarm signal,

converting, a the middleware server, the customer alarm signal in the first format to a monitoring center alarm signal in a second format,

transmitting from the middleware server, to the alarm monitoring center, the monitoring center alarm signal in a second format,

receiving at the alarm monitoring center, the monitoring center alarm signal in a second format,

displaying, at the alarm monitoring center, the monitoring center alarm signal in a second format as an alarm signal message.

2. The method of claim 1, where in the step of generating further comprises the steps of:

generating a customer alarm signal in a POTS (Plain Old Telephone Service) format to produce a POTS customer signal;

converting the POTS customer signal to an IP signal using a VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) converter; and

outputting the customer alarm signal in the first format, where the first format comprises an IP (Internet Protocol) signal.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of generating comprises the step of generating a customer alarm signal in a POTS (Plain Old Telephone Service) format wherein the first format comprises a POTS signal.

4. The method of claim 1, where in the step of generating further comprises the steps of:

generating a customer alarm signal in an IP signal format, where the first format comprises an IP (Internet Protocol) signal.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of converting further comprises the steps of:

looking up a customer number derived from the customer alarm signal, in a database,

determining customer alarm system type, and monitoring center for the customer, and

converting the customer alarm signal in the first format to a monitoring center signal in the second format, based on alarm type and monitoring center for the customer.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the customer alarm signal in a first format comprises an Internet Protocol (IP) alarm signal, and the monitoring center alarm signal in a second format comprises a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) alarm signal.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

looking up a customer number derived from the customer alarm signal, in a database,

determining whether a customer has elected to be directly notified of a customer alarm signal, and

transmitting, from the middleware server to the customer, a signal indicating that a customer alarm signal has been generated.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of converting further comprises the steps of:

looking up a customer number in a database,

determining customer alarm system type, and

converting the customer alarm signal to a PSTN message based on alarm type.

8. A method for monitoring an alarm system generating Internet Protocol (IP) messages, using an alarm monitoring station receiving Public Switch Telephone Network (PSTN) messages, comprising the steps of:

generating, at a customer'"'"'s alarm system, a customer alarm signal as an IP message,

transmitting the IP message over an internet connection to a server,

receiving, at the server, the IP message,

converting, a the server, the IP message into a PSTN message,

calling, from the server, to an alarm monitoring center, using a PSTN phone line,

connecting the server to the alarm monitoring center using the PSTN phone line, and

communicating the PSTN message to the alarm monitoring center.

10. An alarm system for converting an alarm signal in a first format to an alarm signal in a second format, using a middleware server, the system comprising:

at least one customer'"'"'s alarm system generating a customer alarm signal in a first format,

a communication link transmitting the customer alarm signal to the middleware server,

a middleware server receiving the customer alarm signal,

a converter in the middleware server converting the customer alarm signal in the first format to a monitoring center alarm signal in a second format,

a second communication link transmitting from the middleware server, to an alarm monitoring center, the monitoring center alarm signal in a second format,

the alarm monitoring center, receiving the monitoring center alarm signal in a second format,

a display at the alarm monitoring center displaying the monitoring center alarm signal in a second format as an alarm signal message.

11. The system of claim 10, where in the customer'"'"'s alarm system further comprises:

a legacy alarm panel generating a customer alarm signal in a POTS (Plain Old Telephone Service) format to produce a POTS customer signal; and

a VoIP converter, converting the POTS customer signal to an IP signal using a VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) converter and outputting the customer alarm signal in the first format, where the first format comprises an IP (Internet Protocol) signal.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the customer'"'"'s alarm system further comprises a legacy alarm panel generating a customer alarm signal in a POTS (Plain Old Telephone Service) format wherein the first format comprises a POTS signal.

13. The system of claim 10, where in the customer'"'"'s alarm system further comprises:

an IP signal generating alarm panel generating a customer alarm signal in an IP signal format, where the first format comprises an IP (Internet Protocol) signal.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the middleware server further comprises:

a database looking up a customer number derived from the customer alarm signal, in a database, and

a processor programmed to determine customer alarm system type, and monitoring center for the customer, and convert the customer alarm signal in the first format to a monitoring center signal in the second format, based on alarm type and monitoring center for the customer.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the customer alarm signal in a first format comprises an Internet Protocol (IP) alarm signal, and the monitoring center alarm signal in a second format comprises a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) alarm signal.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the middleware server further comprises:

a database looking up a customer number derived from the customer alarm signal, in a database, and

a processor program to determine whether a customer has elected to be directly notified of a customer alarm signal, and transmit, from the server to the customer, a signal indicating that a customer alarm signal has been generated.