Alarm system utilizing wireless communication path

• US 4,993,059 A
• Filed: 02/08/1989
• Issued: 02/12/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Cableguard, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Cableguard, Inc.
• Inventors: Smith, James L., Howison, Gregory M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ng, Jin F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chan, Wing F.
• Application Number:
  US07/308,188
• Time in Patent Office: 734 Days
• Field of Search: 379/2, 379/32, 379/33, 379/37-40, 379/42-44, 379/46-51, 379/59, 379/60, 379/63, 455/33, 455/56
• US Class Current: 379/39
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/04 with alarm systems, e.g. fire, police or burglar alarm systems

Abstract

An alarm system for a protected premises includes an alarm sensor for generating an alarm signal in the event of an alarm condition. A cellular-type radio/telephone transceiver is located at the protected premises and includes circuitry for generating and transmitting a unique identification number of the transceiver and a send signal for wireless communication with a cellular site. Structure is provided for connecting the alarm signal line to the cellular-type radio/transceiver such that upon receipt of the alarm signal, the cellular-type radio/transceiver will transmit the unique identification number and the send signal to the cellular site with no transmission of the telephone number of an alarm monitoring station to thereby enable the cellular site to transmit the alarm condition to the alarm monitoring station.

Claims

1. An alarm system for a protected premises, comprising:

an alarm sensor for generating an alarm signal in the event of an alarm condition at the protected premises, said alarm sensor including communication means to communicate said alarm condition to an alarm monitoring station;

a cellular-type radio transceiver located at the protected premises including means for generating a unique identification number for wireless communication with a cellular site; and

means for connecting said communication means to said cellular-type radio transceiver, such that upon generation of the alarm signal, said cellular-type radio transceiver will transmit said unique identification number and said send signal to the cellular site with no transmission of a telephone number of an alarm monitoring station to thereby enable the cellular site to establish a communication path between said communication means and said alarm monitoring station to allow the alarm condition to be communicated to the alarm monitoring station via said cellular-type radio-transceiver.

2. The alarm system of claim 1 wherein generation of the alarm signal causes said cellular-type radio transceiver to go off-hook in response to signals received from said communication means to thereby generate said unique identification number.

3. The alarm system of claim 1 wherein said unique identification number comprises a mobile identification number and serial number of said cellular-type radio transceiver.

4. An alarm system for a protected premises comprising:

an alarm sensor for generating an alarm signal in the event of an alarm condition at the protected premises, said alarm sensor including communication means for establishing a communication link with an alarm monitoring station over a telephone line for communication of the alarm condition to said alarm monitoring station in response to the generation of said alarm signal;

a cellular-type radio/telephone communication system having a cellular-type radio station transceiver located at the protected premises and connected to said alarm signal line to provide wireless communication to a mobile cellular-type switching center, said mobile cellular-type switching center being linked with a local telephone central office via telephone lines;

said cellular-type radio station transceiver including means for automatically generating a unique identification signal in response to detection of signals from said communication means indicating an attempt by said communication means to establish a communication link with said alarm monitoring station; and

sending means for enabling said cellular-type radio station transceiver to transmit said unique identification signal to said mobile cellular-type switching center without transmission of a telephone number, said mobile cellular-type switching center thereafter communicating with the local telephone central switching office via telephone lines.

5. The alarm system of claim 4 wherein said unique identification number comprises a mobile identification number and serial number of said cellular-type radio station transceiver.

6. A redundant alarm system for a protected premises, comprising:

an alarm sensor for generating an alarm signal along an alarm signal line in the event of an alarm condition at the protected premises;

a telephone communicator system located at the protected premises connected to a telephone subscriber line of a telephone exchange system for communication with a monitoring station, said telephone system further being connected to said alarm signal line;

said telephone communicator system including means for automatically dialing the telephone number of the monitoring station upon receipt of said alarm signal on said alarm signal line for placing a telephone call via the telephone exchange system to the monitoring station in order to identify the protected premises having the alarm condition and communicate the alarm condition to the monitoring station;

a cellular-type radio/telephone communication system, having a cellular-type radio station transceiver located at the protected premises and interfaced with said alarm signal line to provide wireless communication to a mobile cellular-type switching center, said mobile cellular-type switching center being linked to the monitoring station via said telephone exchange system;

said cellular-type radio station transceiver including means for automatically generating a unique identification signal to said mobile cellular-type switching center;

means responsive to said alarm signal for detecting a failure in said telephone system located at the protected premises or for detecting a failure of said subscriber line and for generating a failure signal;

sending means for enabling said cellular-type radio station transceiver upon detection of said failure signal to thereby transmit said unique identification signal to said mobile cellular-type switching center to thereby identify the protected premises having the alarm condition without transmission of the telephone number of the monitoring station, said mobile cellular type switching center thereafter communicating with the monitoring station via the telephone exchange system.

7. The redundant alarm system for claim 6 wherein said failure signal disables said telephone system located at the protected premises.

8. The redundant alarm system of claim 6 wherein said unique identification number comprises a mobile identification number and the serial number of said cellular-type radio station transceiver.

9. The redundant alarm system of claim 6 wherein said failure signal causes said cellular-type radio station transceiver to go off-hook to thereby generate said unique identification number.

10. An alarm interface unit for interfacing between an alarm system and the public telephone system, the alarm system operable to access an alarm monitoring station through the public telephone system by outputting a call to the alarm monitoring station followed by access signals for transmission over the public telephone system, failure to access the alarm monitoring station by the alarm system resulting in repeated generation of the call on a periodic basis by the alarm system, the alarm interface comprising:

a communication port for receiving the outgoing calls from the alarm system which are directed to the alarm monitoring station, which outgoing calls are generated by the alarm system in response to an alarm condition being present;

priority communication means for communicating between the alarm system and the alarm monitoring station via the public telephone system in response to access signals from the alarm system;

secondary communication means for communicating between the alarm system and the alarm monitoring station via the public telephone system in response to access signals from the alarm system and the presence of a failure signal, said priority communication means inhibited during the presence of said failure signal; and

detection circuitry for detecting a predetermined number of access attempts by the alarm system through said priority communication means to access the alarm monitoring station via the public telephone system, said detection circuitry generating said failure signal in response to the detection of said predetermined number of access attempts.

11. The alarm interface unit of claim 10 wherein the alarm system interfaces with the public telephone system through a telephone output and said communication port comprises a telephone port for receiving the telephone output of the alarm system.

12. The alarm interface unit of claim 11 wherein said priority communication means and said secondary communication means comprise:

a switch having an input connected to the telephone port of the alarm interface and having first and second outputs;

a first output port including means for interfacing with the public telephone system and for receiving the first output of said switch;

a second output port for receiving the second output of said switch and including means for interfacing with the public telephone system; and

switch control circuitry for switching said switch to said second output in response to the generation of said failure signal by said detection circuitry and for switching said switch to the first output thereof in response to the absence of said failure signal output from said detection circuitry.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein said means for interfacing associated with said second port comprises:

a cellular-type radio/telephone communication system having a cellular-type radio station transceiver located at the premises with the alarm system to provide a wireless communication to a mobile cellular-type switching center, said mobile cellular-type switching center being linked with the public telephone system via telephone lines; and

means for interfacing said cellular-type radio station transceiver with the telephone output of the alarm system when said switch is controlled to connect the second output thereof to the output thereof.

14. An alarm interface unit for interfacing between an alarm system and the public telephone system, the alarm system interfacing with the public telephone system through a telephone output, comprising:

a telephone port for receiving outgoing calls from the alarm system, which outgoing calls are generated in response to an alarm condition being present;

a switch having an input connected to said telephone port and having first and second outputs;

a first output port including means for interfacing with the public telephone system and for receiving the first output of said switch to allow communication between the alarm system and an alarm monitoring station via the public telephone system in response to access signals from the alarm system;

a second output port for receiving the second output of said switch;

a cellular-type radio/telephone communication system interfaced with said second output port and having a cellular-type radio station transceiver located at the premises with the alarm system to provide a wireless communication to a mobile cellular-type switching center, said mobile cellular-type switching center being linked with the public telephone system via telephone lines; and

means for interfacing said cellular-type radio station transceiver with the telephone output of the alarm system when said switch is controlled to connect the second output thereof to the input thereof, said cellular-type radio station transceiver including;

means for automatically generating a unique identification signal in response to detection of said access signals from said alarm system indicating an attempt by the alarm system to establish a communication link with the alarm monitoring station, and

sending means for enabling said cellular-type radio station transceiver to transmit said unique identification signal to said mobile cellular-type switching center without transmission of a telephone number, said mobile cellular-type switching center thereafter communicating with the public telephone system via telephone lines;

detection circuitry for detecting a failure of communication between the alarm system through said first output port and the alarm monitoring station via the public telephone system and said detection circuitry generating said failure signal in response to the detection of the failure; and

switch control circuitry for switching said switch to said second output in response to the generation of said failure signal by said detection circuitry and for switching said switch to the first output thereof in response to the absence of said failure signal output from said detection circuitry.

15. The alarm interface of claim 14 wherein said detection circuitry includes:

off-hook detect circuitry for determining when the telephone output of the alarm system has gone from an on-hook state to an off-hook state; and

means for detecting the timing of intervals between subsequent transitions from an on-hook state to an off-hook state by the telephone output of the alarm system and generating said failure signal when the sequence of transitions from an on-hook state to an off-hook state fit a predetermined pattern.

16. An alarm interface unit for interfacing between the telephone output of an alarm system and the public telephone system, comprising:

a telephone input port for receiving outgoing calls from the telephone output of the alarm system;

a switch having an input and first and second outputs and normally having the input thereof switched to said first output;

first interface means for interfacing with the first output of said switch and the public telephone system;

second interface means for interfacing between the second output of said switch and the public telephone system;

off-hook detect circuitry for detecting when the telephone output of the alarm system goes off-hook;

detect circuitry for detecting the transitions between an on-hook condition and an off-hook condition of said off-hook detect circuitry; and

means for comparing the pattern of the occurrences of the transitions between an off-hook condition and an on-hook condition with a predetermined pattern and generating a failure signal when a true comparison is made, said failure signal causing said switch from said first output to switch to said second output.

17. The alarm interface unit of claim 16 wherein said second interface means comprises:

a cellular-type radio/telephone communication system having a cellular-type radio station transceiver located at the premises with the alarm system to provide a wireless communication to a mobile cellular-type switching center, said cellular-type switching center being linked to the public telephone system via telephone lines;

interface circuitry for interfacing between the telephone output of the alarm system and said cellular-type radio station transceiver when the input of said switch is connected to the second output thereof; and

sending means for enabling said cellular-type radio station transceiver to effect a communication link through the public telephone system in response to access signals received from the alarm system.

18. The alarm interface unit of claim 17 wherein said cellular-type radio station transceiver includes means for automatically generating a unique identification signal in response to detection of signals from the telephone output of the alarm system indicating an attempt by the alarm system to establish a communication link with the public telephone system;

said sending means being operable to transmit said unique identification signal to said mobile cellular-type switching center without transmission of a telephone number, said mobile cellular-type switching center thereafter communicating with a predetermined telephone number over the public telephone system by telephone lines.

19. An alarm interface unit for interfacing between an alarm system and the public telephone system, the alarm system having a telephone output for interfacing with the public telephone system, the alarm interface comprising:

a telephone port for receiving outgoing calls from the alarm system, which outgoing calls are generated in response to an alarm condition being present;

priority communication means for communicating between the alarm system and an alarm monitoring station via the public telephone system in response to access signals from the alarm system;

secondary communication means for communicating between the alarm system and the alarm monitoring station via the public telephone system in response to access signals from the alarm system and the presence of a failure signal, said priority communication means inhibited during the presence of said failure signal; and

detection circuitry for detecting a failure of communication between the alarm system through said priority communication means and the alarm monitoring station via the public telephone system and generation of said failure signal in response to the detection of the failure; and

said detection circuitry including;

off-hook detect circuitry for determining when the telephone output of the alarm system has gone from an on-hook state to an off-hook state; and

means for detecting the timing of intervals between subsequent transitions from an on-hook state to an off-hook state by the telephone output of the alarm system and generating said failure signal when the sequence of transitions from an on-hook state to an off-hook state fit a predetermined pattern.