ALARM SYSTEM CALL-BACK NUMBER PROVISION AND RETRIEVAL

• US 20130281044A1
• Filed: 04/24/2012
• Published: 10/24/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Johnson Controls Tyco IP Holdings LLP (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Original Assignee: Tyco Safety Products Canada Limited (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Inventors: Patel, Jitendra, Smith, Derek C., Evans, Robert N.
• Granted Patent: US 8,744,399 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/404.1
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/006 Alarm destination chosen according to type of event, e.g. in case of fire phone the fire service, in case of medical emergency phone the ambulance
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/014 Alarm signalling to a central station with two-way communication, e.g. with signalling back
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/04 with alarm systems, e.g. fire, police or burglar alarm systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]

Abstract

A control panel of an alarm system at a premises stores call-back numbers/addresses and provides these to a monitoring center, as required. In embodiments, the call-back numbers/address may be provided along with the signalling of an alarm condition. In other embodiments, call-back numbers/addresses may be retrieved from the panel at the request of an operator or installer, or periodically. Call-back numbers/address may be stored or updated at the panel by installers or occupants, or automatically.

Claims

1. A method of operating a monitoring center and an alarm panel that signals sensed alarm conditions at a premises to the monitoring center over a packet switched data network, said method comprising:

storing at least one call-back address to be contacted in case of an alarm condition at said alarm panel;

maintaining at said monitoring center a record identifying said alarm panel, said record including a field for storing a call-back address;

providing said stored call-back address from said alarm panel to said monitoring center over said packet switched data network;

storing said stored call-back address as provided by said panel at said monitoring center in said field, for later retrieval and call-back of said stored call-back address in the event of an alarm condition signalled to said monitoring center.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said call-back address is provided in response to sensing an alarm at the premises.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said call-back address is provided in response to a query from said monitoring center.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said call-back address is provided concurrently with a message signalling a sensed alarm condition to said monitoring center.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said call-back address comprises a cellular telephone number, stored at said panel, automatically after connecting to a cellular network.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said call-back address comprises a PSTN telephone number, or an internet address.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising retrieving said call-back address from said record and placing a telephone call to said call-back address, for two-way communication between said panel and said monitoring center, in response to having received a reported alarm condition.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said telephone call is received as a voice over internet protocol (VoIP) call.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein said record includes at least one field for storing multiple call-back addresses, and wherein said method further comprises storing said multiples call-back addresses at said panel, and providing said multiple stored call-back addresses from said alarm panel to said monitoring center over said packet switched network.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising contacting said multiple call-back addresses form said monitoring center in a defined order in response to an alarm condition.

9. An alarm system for signalling sensed alarm conditions at a premises to a monitoring center over a packet switched data network, said alarm system comprising:

a processor;

a network interface, for interconnecting said alarm system to said packet switched data network;

processor readable memory storing;

at least one call-back address to be contacted in case of an alarm condition at said alarm panel; and

software to provide said stored call-back address from said alarm panel to said monitoring center over said packet switched data network, in response to a query from said monitoring center over said packet switched data network.

10. The alarm system of claim 9, wherein said processor readable memory further stores software to establish two-way communication between said panel and said monitoring center.

11. The alarm system of claim 9, wherein said software provides said stored call-back address in response to sensing an alarm at the premises.

12. (canceled)

15. A method of maintaining a list of call-back addresses associated with an alarm panel at a user premises, comprising:

storing said list of call-back addresses at an alarm monitoring center for retrieval at said monitoring upon receipt of an alarm notification from said panel;

maintaining a version of said list of call-back addresses at said panel;

retrieving said version of said list of call-back addresses from said panel over a packet switched network;

updating said list of call back addresses at said alarm monitoring center, to correspond said version of said list of call-back addresses at said panel.

16. A method of operating a monitoring center that receives signals indicative of sensed alarm conditions at a premises from an alarm panel over a packet switched data network, said method comprising:

maintaining at said monitoring center a record identifying said alarm panel, said record including a field for storing a call-back address;

receiving a stored call-back address stored at said panel, said stored call-back address to be contacted in case of an alarm condition at said alarm panel, and signalled from said alarm panel to said monitoring center over said packet switched data network;

storing said stored call-back address as provided by said panel at said monitoring center in said field, for later retrieval and call-back of said stored call-back address in the event of an alarm condition signalled to said monitoring center.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein said call-back address is received in response to a query from said monitoring center.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein said call-back address comprises a cellular telephone number, stored at said panel, automatically after connecting to a cellular network.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising retrieving said call-back address from said record and placing a telephone call to said call-back address, for two-way communication between said panel and said monitoring center, in response to having received a reported alarm condition.