SERVER-BASED NOTIFICATION OF ALARM EVENT SUBSEQUENT TO COMMUNICATION FAILURE WITH ARMED SECURITY SYSTEM

• US 20140368331A1
• Filed: 01/21/2014
• Published: 12/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: iControl Networks, Inc. (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Alan Wade Cohn, Corey Wayne Quain, David Leon Proft, Gary Robert Faulkner, James Edward Kitchen
• Inventors: COHN, Alan Wade, FAULKNER, Gary Robert, KITCHEN, James Edward, PROFT, David Leon, QUAIN, Corey Wayne
• Granted Patent: US 11,284,331 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/501
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2642 Domotique, domestic, home control, automation, smart house
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0736 in functional embedded systems, i.e. in a data processing system designed as a combination of hardware and software dedicated to performing a certain function testing or monitoring of automated control systems G05B23/02
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0757 by exceeding a time limit, i.e. time-out, e.g. watchdogs
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/00 Burglar, theft or intruder alarms
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 19/005 combined burglary and fire alarm systems
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/001 Alarm cancelling procedures or alarm forwarding decisions, e.g. based on absence of alarm confirmation
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/004 Alarm propagated along alternative communication path or using alternative communication medium according to a hierarchy of available ways to communicate, e.g. if Wi-Fi not available use GSM
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/008 Alarm setting and unsetting, i.e. arming or disarming of the security system
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/08 using communication transmission lines G08B13/19658, G08B21/0286, G08B25/016 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/10 using wireless transmission systems G08B25/009 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/14 Central alarm receiver or annunciator arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 29/02 Monitoring continuously signalling or alarm systems
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 29/08 Signalling of tampering with the line circuit
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 29/16 Security signalling or alarm systems, e.g. redundant systems
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 3/10 using electric transmission; using electromagnetic transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2807 Exchanging configuration information on appliance services in a home automation network arrangements for maintenance or administration involving network analysis for automatically determining the actual topology of a network H04L41/12; hardware or software tools for network management using graphical user interfaces H04L41/22; address allocation H04L61/50
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2809 indicating that an appliance service is present in a home automation network monitoring functionality H04L43/0817; discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services, H04L67/51
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2816 Controlling appliance services of a home automation network by calling their functionalities arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station; in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom H04Q9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2818 from a device located outside both the home and the home network access arrangements H04L12/2856; for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025; arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless eletrical link G08C17/00; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with remote control systems H04M11/007
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2825 : Reporting to a device located outside the home and the home network access arrangements H04L12/2856; for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with telemetering systems H04M11/002
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2827 : Reporting to a device within the home network; wherein the reception of the information reported automatically triggers the execution of a home appliance functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2832 : Interconnection of the control functionalities between home networks single bridge functionality H04L12/4625
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2834 : Switching of information between an external network and a home network access arrangements H04L12/2856
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/025 : for remote control or remote monitoring of applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 : specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 : involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/26 : Special purpose or proprietary protocols or architectures network applications for proprietary or special purpose networking environments H04L67/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/28 : for reactive routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/34 : Modification of an existing route
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/50 : for emergency connections

Abstract

A server-based environment for reporting a status of a security, monitoring and automation controller is provided. Detecting cessation of an always-on persistent network connection between the SMA controller and the server is also provided. Reporting the cessation of the network connection to an end user and defined others is further provided. A further aspect provides for automatically reporting an alarm event to a central station, the end user, and others, in the event the cessation of the network connection occurs while the SMA controller is aimed and after a zone fault event, and not receiving a disarm notification prior to expiration of a preset entry delay.

Claims

1-20. -20. (canceled)

21. A system comprising:

a controller coupled to a server by a first network connection and configured to exchange with the server signals of a persistent communication protocol, wherein the controller is at a location remote from the server;

a remote device coupled to the server by a second network connection;

wherein the server is configured to determine a state of the controller using data of at least one of the signals and an absence of the signals, and transmit a message to the remote device, wherein content of the message corresponds to the state of the controller.

22. An apparatus comprising:

a first communication interface configured to receive signals of a controller via a first channel, wherein the controller is at a location remote from the first communication interface, wherein the signals are signals of persistent communication between the controller and the first communication interface;

a second communication interface configured to communicate with a remote device via a second channel;

a processor coupled to the first and second communication interfaces and configured to determine a state of the controller using data of at least one of the signals and an absence of the signals, and transmit a message to the remote device, wherein content of the message corresponds to the state of the controller.

23. A method comprising:

receiving signals of a controller at a first remote server via a first coupling, wherein the signals are signals of persistent communication between the controller and the first remote server;

determining a state of the controller using data of at least one of the signals and an absence of the signals; and

transmitting a message to a second server over a second coupling, wherein content of the message corresponds to the state of the controller.

24. A remote system comprising:

communication equipment configured to exchange signals with at least one component of a security, monitoring and automation (SMA) system that is configured to monitor a premises, the at least one component being located at the premises and the remote system being located at a remote location separate from the premises; and

at least one server configured to perform operations comprising;

establishing, through the communication equipment, persistent communications with the at least one component of the SMA system;

analyzing signals of the persistent communications; and

handling destruction detection for the SMA system based on the analysis,

wherein the communication equipment comprises a first communication module configured to communication over the Internet with a first component of the SMA system and a second communication module configured to communication over a cellular network with a second component of the SMA system; and

wherein the persistent communications with the at least one component of the SMA system comprise exchanging, through the first communication device, signals with the first component of the SMA system.

25. A method comprising:

establishing, through communication equipment configured to exchange signals with at least one component of a security, monitoring and automation (SMA) system that is configured to monitor a premises, persistent communications with the at least one component of the SMA system, the at least one component being located at the premises and the communication equipment being located at a remote location separate from the premises;

analyzing, by at least one server, signals of the persistent communications; and

handling, by at least one server, destruction detection for the SMA system based on the analysis,

wherein the communication equipment comprises a first communication module configured to communication over the Internet with a first component of the SMA system and a second communication module configured to communication over a cellular network with a second component of the SMA system; and

wherein the persistent communications with the at least one component of the SMA system comprise exchanging, through the first communication device, signals with the first component of the SMA system.

26. A remote system comprising:

communication equipment configured to exchange signals with at least one component of a security, monitoring and automation (SMA) system that is configured to monitor a premises, the at least one component being located at the premises and the remote system being located at a remote location separate from the premises; and

at least one server configured to perform operations comprising;

establishing, through the communication equipment, persistent communications with the at least one component of the SMA system;

analyzing signals of the persistent communications; and

handling destruction detection for the SMA system based on the analysis,

wherein the analyzing comprises monitoring for communications expected to have been received from the at least one component of the SMA system and tracking a time of a most recent communication received from the at least one component of the SMA system; and

wherein the handling comprises detecting an SMA system destruction event based on the tracked time of the most recent communication received from the at least one component of the SMA system meeting a threshold.

27. A method comprising:

establishing, through communication equipment configured to exchange signals with at least one component of a security, monitoring and automation (SMA) system that is configured to monitor a premises, persistent communications with the at least one component of the SMA system, the at least one component being located at the premises and the communication equipment being located at a remote location separate from the premises;

analyzing, by at least one server, signals of the persistent communications; and

handling, by the at least one server, destruction detection for the SMA system based on the analysis,

wherein the analyzing comprises monitoring for communications expected to have been received from the at least one component of the SMA system and tracking a time of a most recent communication received from the at least one component of the SMA system; and

wherein the handling comprises detecting an SMA system destruction event based on the tracked time of the most recent communication received from the at least one component of the SMA system meeting a threshold.

28. An offsite system comprising:

communication equipment configured to exchange signals with at least one component of a security, monitoring and automation (SMA) system that is configured to monitor a premises, the at least one component being located at the premises and the offsite system being located at a remote location separate from the premises; and

at least one server configured to perform operations comprising;

establishing, through the communication equipment, persistent communications with the at least one component of the SMA system;

analyzing signals of the persistent communications; and

handling destruction detection for the SMA system based on the analysis, wherein the handling comprises resetting a start of an escrow period each time a communication is properly exchanged and detecting a destruction event when the escrow period expires.

29. A method comprising:

establishing, through communication equipment configured to exchange signals with at least one component of a security, monitoring and automation (SMA) system that is configured to monitor a premises, persistent communications with the at least one component of the SMA system, the at least one component being located within the premises and the communication equipment being located at a remote location separate from the premises;

analyzing, by at least one server, signals of the persistent communications; and

handling, by at least one server, destruction detection for the SMA system based on the analysis, wherein the handling comprises resetting a start of an escrow period each time a communication is properly exchanged and detecting a destruction event when the escrow period expires.