DYNAMIC LINKING OF SECURITY SYSTEMS

• US 20140266681A1
• Filed: 03/14/2014
• Published: 09/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vivint Incorporated (NRG Energy, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Vivint Incorporated (NRG Energy, Inc.)
• Inventors: Dunn, Alex J., Harris, Christopher Lee, Ehlers, Bruce, Santiago, Todd M., Nye, James E., Warren, Jeremy B., Thomas, Jeffrey G.
• Granted Patent: US 9,589,453 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/517
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/00 Burglar, theft or intruder alarms
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 26/00 Alarm systems in which substations are interrogated in succession by a central station

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to methods, systems, and apparatuses for dynamically linking a first security system and a second security system. A method may include selectively linking a first security system and a second security system based on one or more link conditions. The method may further include receiving one or more first sensor event messages from the first security system and sending at least a portion of the one or more first sensor event messages to the second security system. The method may also include receiving one or more second sensor event messages from the second security system, and sending at least a portion of the one or more second sensor event messages to the first security system. In one aspect, the method may include selectively de-linking the first security system and the second security system based on one or more de-link conditions.

Claims

1. A security system comprising:

a first security system comprising a first control unit and a plurality of first sensors communicatively connected to the first control unit;

a second security system comprising a second control unit and a plurality of second sensors communicatively connected to the first control unit;

wherein the first control unit is configured to automatically link to the second control unit upon the occurrence of one or more link conditions such that one or more first system alarm condition messages for alarm conditions detected by the first sensors are available through the second control unit, and wherein the first control unit is configured to automatically de-link with the second control unit upon the occurrence of one or more de-link conditions.

2. The security system of claim 1, wherein the second control unit is configured to automatically link to the first control unit upon the occurrence of the one or more link conditions such that one or more second system alarm condition messages for alarm conditions detected by the second sensors are available through the first control unit.

3. The security system of claim 1, wherein the first control unit is configured to send the first system alarm condition messages directly to the second control unit.

4. The security system of claim 1, wherein the first control unit is configured to send the first system alarm condition messages to a remote monitoring system, and wherein the second security system retrieves the first system alarm condition messages from the remote monitoring system.

5. The security system of claim 1, wherein the second control unit is configured to display the one or more first system alarm condition messages on a display of the second control unit.

6. The security system of claim 1, wherein the second control unit further comprises:

a video conference module configured for establishing a video and audio communication session with at least one other electronic device; and

a communication interface for receiving and transmitting audio and video data over a network based on the established video and audio communication session.

7. The security system of claim 6, wherein the at least one other electronic device comprises the first control unit, and wherein the established video and audio communication session with the first control unit enables a first user of the second control unit to communicate with a second user of the first control unit.

8. The security system of claim 1, wherein the first control unit is further configured to receive one or more second system commands originating from the second security system and execute the one or more second system commands on the first security system.

9. The security system of claim 8, wherein the first control unit receives the one or more second system commands from at least one of the second control unit or a remote monitoring system.

10. A link module that links a first security system and a second security system, the link module configured to:

selectively link the first security system and the second security system based on one or more link conditions;

receive one or more first system sensor event messages generated by a first security system separate from the link module;

receive one or more first system commands generated by the first security system;

send one or more second system sensor event messages generated by a second security system for the first security system; and

send one or more second system commands of the second security system for the first security system.

11. The link module of claim 10, further configured to selectively link de-link the first security system and the second security system based on one or more de-link conditions.

12. The link module of claim 10, wherein the link module is implemented in at least one of a first control unit for the first security system, a second control unit for the second security system, or a monitoring system associated with the first security system and the second security system.

13. The link module of claim 10, further configured to filter the one or more first system sensor event messages received from the first security system such that only a subset of the one or more first system sensor event messages is sent to the second security system.

14. The link module of claim 13, wherein the link module sends only sensor event messages associated with first system alarm condition messages to the second security system.

15. The link module of claim 10, wherein the link module is configured perform at least one of:

receiving the one or more first system sensor event messages generated by the first security system from a monitoring system communicatively connected to the first security system and the second security system;

or

send the one or more second system sensor event messages and the second system commands to the monitoring system communicatively connected to the first security system and the second security system.

16. A method comprising:

selectively linking a first security system and a second security system based on one or more link conditions;

receiving one or more first sensor event messages from the first security system;

sending at least a portion of the one or more first sensor event messages to the second security system that is separate from the first security system;

receiving one or more second sensor event messages from the second security system; and

sending at least a portion of the one or more second sensor event messages to the first security system.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

selectively de-linking the first security system and the second security system based on one or more de-link conditions.

18. The method of claim 16, further unit for the second security system at least a portion of comprising displaying on a second control the one or more first sensor event messages received from the first security system.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising displaying on a first control unit for the first security system at least a portion of the one or more second sensor event messages received from the second security system.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising sending one or more first commands for the second security system, which first commands originate with the first security system, to the second security system.