ALARM SIGNAL CONVERSION FOR TRANSMISSION OVER PACKET-BASED NETWORKS

• US 20140256281A1
• Filed: 03/11/2013
• Published: 09/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cellco Partnership, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cellco Partnership, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: BATES, Peter C., GRUSKIN, Edward, OZA, Nishit
• Granted Patent: US 9,215,579 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/404.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]

Abstract

A computing device is configured to receive an analog alarm signal from an alarm receiving device; convert the analog alarm signal into a packet-based message having information equivalent information as the analog alarm signal; and provide the packet-based message to a server device associated with an alarm monitoring station. The packet-based message may contain information that is used to identify the alarm signal or used to respond to the alarm signal.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

providing, by a computing device, a synchronization signal to an alarm receiving device;

receiving, by the computing device, an analog alarm signal from the alarm receiving device based on providing the synchronization signal to the alarm receiving device;

converting, by the computing device, the analog alarm signal into a packet-based message having equivalent information as the analog alarm signal; and

providing, by the computing device, the packet-based message to a server device associated with an alarm monitoring station,

the packet-based message containing information that is used to identify the analog alarm signal or used to respond to the analog alarm signal.

2. The method of claim 1, where the analog alarm signal is a dual-tone multi-frequency signal.

3. The method of claim 1, where the packet-based message is provided to the server device via a packet-based network.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a call instruction from the alarm receiving device; and

determining that the call instruction includes a telephone number associated with the alarm monitoring station,

where providing the synchronization signal is based on determining that the call instruction includes the telephone number associated with the alarm monitoring station.

5. The method of claim 1, where the synchronization signal directs the alarm receiving device to provide the analog alarm signal.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that an entire portion of the analog alarm signal has been received based on an audio pattern of the analog alarm signal; and

providing a sign-off signal based on determining that the entire portion of the analog alarm signal has been received,

the sign-off signal preventing the alarm receiving device from resending at least the entire portion of the analog alarm signal.

7. The method of claim 6, where the sign-off signal is provided in the form of an audible burst of sound to indicate the sign-off signal.

8. The method of claim 1, where receiving the analog alarm signal is based on the alarm receiving device receiving an electrical signal via one or more terminals of the alarm receiving device.

9. The method of claim 1, where the analog alarm signal includes information identifying a type of alarm, a zone associated with the analog alarm signal, or an account number of a facility associated with the alarm receiving device or the computing device.

10. A computing device comprising:

a processor to;

provide a synchronization signal to an alarm receiving device;

receive an analog alarm signal from the alarm receiving device based on providing the synchronization signal to the alarm receiving device,

the analog alarm signal being received as a dual-tone multi-frequency signal;

convert the analog alarm signal into a packet-based message having equivalent information as the analog alarm signal; and

provide the packet-based message to a server device associated with an alarm monitoring station,

the packet-based message being provided via a packet-based network,

the packet-based message containing information that is used to identify the analog alarm signal or used to respond to the analog alarm signal.

11. The computing device of claim 10, where the analog alarm signal includes information identifying a type of alarm, a zone associated with the analog alarm signal, or an account number of a facility associated with the alarm receiving device or the computing device

12. The computing device of claim 10, where, when providing the synchronization signal, the processor is to:

receive a call instruction from the receiving device;

determine that the call instruction includes a telephone number associated with the alarm monitoring station; and

provide the synchronization signal based on determining that the call instruction includes the telephone number associated with the alarm monitoring station.

13. The computing device of claim 10, where the synchronization signal directs the alarm receiving device to provide the analog alarm signal.

14. The computing device of claim 10, where the processor is further to:

determine that an entire portion of the analog alarm signal has been received based on an audio pattern of the analog alarm signal; and

provide a sign-off signal based on determining that the entire portion of the analog alarm signal has been received,

the sign-off signal preventing the alarm receiving device from resending at least the entire portion of the analog alarm signal.

15. The computing device of claim 12, where the call instruction is provided by the alarm receiving device after the alarm receiving device receives an electrical signal via one or more terminals of the alarm receiving device.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions, the instructions comprising:

a plurality of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors associated with a computing device, cause the one or more processors to;

provide a synchronization signal to an alarm receiving device;

receive an analog alarm signal from the alarm receiving device based on providing the synchronization signal to the alarm receiving device,

the analog alarm signal being a dual-tone multi-frequency (DTMF) signal,

the alarm receiving device providing the analog alarm signal based on receiving an electrical signal from a sensing device via one or more terminals of the alarm receiving device,

the sensing device providing the electrical signal based on detecting an occurrence of an event at a facility;

convert the analog alarm signal into a packet-based message having equivalent information as the analog alarm signal; and

provide the packet-based message to a server device associated with an alarm monitoring station,

the packet-based message being provided via a packet-based network,

the packet-based message containing information that is used to identify the analog alarm signal or used to respond to the analog alarm signal.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, where the analog alarm signal includes an account number of a facility associated with the alarm receiving device or the computing device.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, where one or more instructions, of the plurality of instructions, to provide the synchronization signal comprise:

one or more instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to;

receive a call instruction from the alarm receiving device;

determine that the call instruction includes a telephone number associated with the alarm monitoring station; and

provide the synchronization signal to the alarm receiving device based on determining that the call instruction includes the telephone number associated with the alarm monitoring station,

the synchronization signal directing the alarm receiving device to provide the analog alarm signal.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, where the instructions further comprise:

one or more instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to;

determine that an entire portion of the analog alarm signal has been received based on an audio pattern of the analog alarm signal; and

provide a sign-off signal based on determining that the entire portion of the analog alarm signal has been received,

the sign-off signal preventing the alarm receiving device from resending at least the entire portion of the analog alarm signal.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, where one or more instructions, of the plurality of instructions, to provide the synchronization signal comprise:

one or more instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to;

receive a call instruction from the alarm receiving device after the alarm receiving device receives a signal from a sensor device that identifies an occurrence of an event at a facility,

answer a call associated with the call instruction, and

provide the synchronization signal based on answering the call.

17. (canceled)