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

• US 20140372811A1
• 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 10,275,999 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 714/49
• 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 armed and after a zone fault event, and not receiving a disarm notification prior to expiration of a preset entry delay.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving state information of a remote network node by a server over a first network connection;

determining that a loss of communication has occurred between the remote network node and the server over the first network connection; and

in response to the determining, transmitting a message to a second remote device over a second network connection, wherein the content of the message is defined by the state information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the remote network node is a security, monitoring and automation controller.

3. The method of claim 2, comprising:

receiving one or more of a sensor event notification message and an entry delay timer initiation notification message from the remote network node, wherein the receiving the one or more of the sensor event notification message and entry delay timer initiation message occurs prior to the loss of communication; and

if the state information indicates that the remote network node is armed, then starting a delay window timer upon receiving the entry delay timer initiation notification message or the sensor event notification message, and defining the content of the message to the second remote device as an alarm message, if the delay window timer expires prior to receiving state information of the remote network node indicating that the remote network node is disarmed.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the second remote device comprises an alarm monitoring central station, if the state information indicates that the remote network node is armed and the delay window timer expires prior to receiving state information of the remote network node indicating that the remote network node is disarmed.

5. The method of claim 3, comprising defining the delay window timer value to correspond to a customer service tier associated with an end user of the remote network node.

6. The method of claim 3, comprising defining the delay window timer value in accord with a value purchased by an end user of the remote network node.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein the second remote device comprises one or more of a portal server, a mobile network device, and a remote user'"'"'s computer.

8. The method of claim 2, comprising defining the content of the message as an information message, if the state information indicates that the remote network node is not armed, wherein the information comprises one or more of the received state information of the remote network device and the status of the first network connection.

9. An apparatus comprising:

a first communication interface, coupled to a first network connection, and configured to receive state information of a remote network node over the first network connection;

a second communication interface, coupled to a second network connection, and configured to communicate with a second remote device over the second network connection;

a processor, coupled to the first and second communication interfaces, and configured to determine that a loss of communication has occurred between the remote network node and the apparatus, and in response to the determining, generate a message comprising data defined by the state information, and transmit the message to the second remote device using the second communication interface.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the remote network node is a security, monitoring and automation controller.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, comprising:

the first communication interface configured to receive one or more of a sensor event notification message and an entry delay timer initiation notification message from the remote network node, wherein the one or more of the sensor event notification message and the entry delay timer initiation message are received prior to the loss of communication;

if the state information indicates that the remote network node is in an armed state, the processor is configured to start a delay window timer upon the receipt of the entry delay timer initiation notification message or the sensor event notification message, and define the content of the message as an alarm message, if the delay window timer expires prior to receipt of state information from the remote network node indicating that the remote network node is disarmed.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the second remote device comprises an alarm monitoring central station, if the state information indicates that the remote network node is armed and the delay window timer expires prior to receiving state information of the remote network node indicating that the remote network node is disarmed.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, comprising the processor configured to use the delay window timer value defined to correspond to a customer service tier associated with an end user of the remote network node.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, comprising the processor configured to use the delay window timer value defined in accord with a value purchased by an end user of the remote network node.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the second remote device comprises one or more of a portal server, a mobile network device, and a remote user'"'"'s computer.

16. The apparatus of claim 10, comprising the processor configured to define the content of the message as an information message, if the state information indicates that the remote network node is not in an armed state, wherein the information comprises one or more of the received state information of the remote network device and the status of the first network connection.

17. A system comprising:

a remote network node coupled to a server by a first network connection, wherein the remote network node is configured to transmit state information to the server using the first network connection;

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

the server configured to determine that a loss of communication has occurred between the remote network node and the server over the first network connection, and in response to the determining, generate a message comprising content defined by the state information, and transmit the message to the second remote device.

18. The system of claim 17, comprising:

the remote network node comprising a security, monitoring and automation controller and configured to transmit one or more of a sensor event notification message and an entry delay timer initiation notification message to the server prior to the loss of communication;

the server configured to if the state information indicates that the remote network node is armed, then start a delay window timer upon receiving the entry delay timer notification message or the sensor event notification message, and, if the delay window timer expires prior to receiving state information from the remote network node indicating that the remote network node is disarmed, define the content of the message as an alarm message.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the second remote device comprises an alarm monitoring central station, if the state information indicates that the remote network node is armed and the delay window timer expires prior to receiving state information of the remote network node indicating that the remote network node is disarmed.

20. The system of claim 18, comprising the processor configured to define the content of the message as an information message, if the state information indicates that the remote network node is not armed, wherein the information comprises one or more of the received state information of the remote network device and the status of the first network connection.

21. A remote system comprising:

communication equipment coupled to a security, monitoring and automation (SMA) system that is configured to monitor a premises; and

at least one server configured to perform operations comprising;

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

analyzing signals of the communication; and

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

wherein the communication equipment comprises a first communication channel and a second communication channel configured to communicate with the at least one component of the SMA system, wherein the communication with the at least one component of the SMA system comprise exchanging, through the first communication channel, signals with the at least one component of the SMA system.

22. A method comprising:

establishing communication between a remote server and at least one component of a security, monitoring and automation (SMA) system that is configured to monitor a premises;

analyzing signals of the communication; and

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

wherein the communication uses at least one of a first communication channel and a second communication channel between the remote server and the at least one component of the SMA system, wherein the communication with the at least one component of the SMA system comprises exchanging, through the first communication channel, signals with the at least one component of the SMA system.

23. A remote system comprising:

communication equipment coupled to a security, monitoring and automation (SMA) system that is configured to monitor a premises; and

at least one server configured to perform operations comprising;

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

analyzing signals of the communication; and

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

wherein the analyzing comprises monitoring for communication 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.

24. A method comprising:

establishing communication between a remote server and at least one component of a security, monitoring and automation (SMA) system that is configured to monitor a premises;

analyzing signals of the communication; and

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

wherein the analyzing comprises monitoring for communication 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; 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 meeting a threshold.

25. An offsite system comprising:

communication equipment coupled to a security, monitoring and automation (SMA) system that is configured to monitor a premises; and

at least one server configured to perform operations comprising;

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

analyzing signals of the communication;

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.

26. A method comprising:

establishing communication between a remote server and at least one component of a security, monitoring and automation (SMA) system that is configured to monitor a premises;

analyzing signals of the communication;

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.