Communication path integrity supervision in a network system for automatic alarm data communication

• US 6,255,945 B1
• Filed: 03/13/2000
• Issued: 07/03/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Rick A. Britton
• Original Assignee: Rick A. Britton
• Inventors: Britton, Rick A.
• Primary Examiner(s): POPE, DARYL C
• Application Number:
  US09/524,166
• Time in Patent Office: 477 Days
• Field of Search: 340/506, 340/507, 340/505, 340/825.52, 340/286.02, 340/511, 340/514, 340/516, 340/825.06, 340/825.07, 340/825.08, 340/539
• US Class Current: 340/539.24
• 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: H04M 11/04 with alarm systems, e.g. fire, police or burglar alarm systems

Abstract

A communication path integrity supervision system is provided in a network system that allows communication of automatic alarm data. This involves a network, needless to say, in which a plurality of automatic alarm data transmitters are linked by diverse paths with at at least one central receiver on the network for receiving the automatic alarm data. In this integrity supervision system, the responsibility for carrying out the integrity supervision functions have been largely shifted onto the remote transmitters—each responsible for its own path or paths—and shifted away from the central receiver to the extent required by the prior art “receiver-polling” protocol. That is, each transmitter includes circuits for generating and sending to the central receiver a succession of “next promised check-in” messages, to be on schedule as promised. The central receiver responds to the reception of each such message by updating a table of such messages, scheduling or rescheduling the promised occurrence for the next check-in message as applicable to that particular remote transmitter. The central receiver is further configured with an alert signal for signaling whenever any remote transmitter fails to meet its scheduled or rescheduled next promised check-in. Given the foregoing, the integrity of the communication paths are supervised.

Claims

1. A method of communication path integrity supervision for a network system of automatic alarm data communication, comprising the steps of:

providing a network of communication paths;

providing a plurality of automatic alarm data communicators for dispatching alarm messages and linking the communicators onto the network;

providing at least one receiver on the network for receiving the message traffic of the communicators; and

,

providing any communicator participating in said method with a process for self-empowering the communicator to periodically test its ability to establish a link to the receiver by;

generating a message of a next-appointed “

check-in;

”

dispatching such message of a next-appointed “

check-in”

over the network; and

,

before the expiration of the “

next-appointed check-in, returning to the above step of generating a message, hence generating a succeeding message of a successor “

next-appointed check-in;

”

providing the receiver with a process for organizing the “

check-in”

message traffic from the communicators in an appointment schedule by;

for each received unscheduled “

check-in”

message, establishing an appointment record for the dispatching communicator in the appointment schedule and scheduling that communicator for a next-appointed “

check-in”

corresponding to that received “

check-in”

message;

for each timely-received scheduled “

check-in”

message, update the appointment record for that particular communicator in the appointment schedule and reschedule it for a succeeding next-appointed “

check-in”

corresponding to that particular received “

check-in”

message; and

monitoring the appointment schedule for any unmet appointment, and if so then generating an “

alert;

”

whereby such an “

alert”

signifies that a certain communicator failed to communicate a timely “

check-in”

message, which presumptively indicates that such certain communicator would likely have problems communicating alarm messages as well and requires further attention.

2. The method of communication path integrity supervision of claim 1 wherein generally each remote communicator is associated with a protected premise and is combined with circuitry including alarm-event sensors for generating data responsive to detection of alarm events.

3. The method of communication path integrity supervision of claim 1 wherein each remote communicator includes means for encoding the “

next-appointed check-in”

message with a time factor that allows the receiver to measure when the succeeding next check-in from that communicator is due.

4. The method of communication path integrity supervision of claim 3 wherein the time factor includes both a set of values signifying intervals of time as well as a null factor signifying that the sending communicator checks off from the system, and hence thereby nullify the receiver'"'"'s step of monitoring as applied to that particular communicator.

5. The method of communication path integrity supervision of claim 4 wherein the communicator is configured to dispatch each succeeding “

next-appointed check-in”

message about a minute before such lapse of the interval of time that was signified by the preceding “

next-appointed check-in”

message.

6. The method of communication path integrity supervision of claim 1 wherein the appointment schedule for the at least one receiver is configured in computer-implemented memory with a table data structure for tabulating communicators against their next-appointed check-in times.

7. A method of communication path integrity supervision for a network system of automatic alarm data communication, comprising the steps of:

providing a network of communication paths;

providing a plurality of automatic alarm data transmitters on the network for transmitting alarm messages;

providing at least one receiver on the network for receiving the message traffic of the transmitters; and

,

providing any transmitter participating in said method with a process for self-empowering the transmitter to periodically test its ability to establish communication with the receiver by;

generating a message of a next-appointed “

check-in;

”

transmitting such message of a next-appointed “

check-in”

over the network; and

,

before the expiration of the “

next-appointed check-in,”

returning to the above step of generating a message, hence generating a succeeding message of a successor “

next-appointed check-in;

”

providing the receiver with a computer-implemented process for organizing the “

check-in”

message traffic from the transmitters in an appointment schedule by;

for each received “

check-in”

message, scheduling or rescheduling an appointment in the appointment schedule for this transmitting transmitter for a next- appointed “

check-in”

corresponding to this received “

check-in”

message; and

monitoring the appointment schedule for any occurrence of an unmet appointment, which signifies problems with integrity.

8. The method of communication path integrity supervision of claim 7 wherein generally each transmitter is associated with a protected premise and is combined with circuitry including alarm-event sensors for generating messages responsive to detection of alarm events.

9. The method of communication path integrity supervision of claim 7 wherein each transmitter includes means for encoding the “

next-appointed check-in”

message with a time factor that corresponds to the timeliness of the reception due of the successor next-appointed check-in message for that transmitter.

10. The method of communication path integrity supervision of claim 9 wherein the time factor includes both a set of values signifying intervals of time as well as a null factor signifying that the transmitting transmitter checks off from the system, and hence thereby nullify the receiver monitoring thereof as applied to that particular transmitter.

11. The method of communication path integrity supervision of claim 7 wherein the receiver monitoring step further includes responding to instances when any transmitter fails to meet its scheduled or rescheduled next-appointed check-in, with an alert signal.

12. The method of communication path integrity supervision of claim 7 wherein the diverse communication paths comprise one of a substantially homogenous network of cables, a substantially homogenous network of radio links, or a conglomerate network including both cables and radio links.

13. The method of communication path integrity supervision of claim 7 wherein the appointment schedule for the receiver is configured in computer-implemented memory with a table data structure for tabulating transmitters against their next scheduled check-in appointment.

14. A method of communication path integrity supervision for a network system of automatic alarm data communication, comprising the steps of:

providing a network of communication paths;

providing a plurality of automatic alarm transmitters on the network for messaging alarm data;

providing at least one receiver on the network for receiving the message traffic of the transmitters; and

,

providing any transmitter participating in said method of communication path integrity supervision with means for self-empowering that transmitter to periodically test its ability to establish communication with the receiver by having that transmitter;

generating a message of a next “

check-in;

”

transmitting such message of a next “

check-in”

over the network; and

,

before the due of the “

next check-in,”

returning to the above step of generating a message, hence generating a succeeding message of a successor “

next check;

”

providing the receiver with computer-implemented memory and means for organizing the “

check-in”

message traffic from the transmitters in the memory by having it, the receiver;

for each received “

check-in”

message, entering a record or updating the record for that transmitting transmitter in the memory of the next due “

check-in”

time; and

monitoring the records for any tardy next “

check-in”

message, and if so then generating an “

alert”

which signifies that presumptively a certain transmitter is likely having problems communicating over the network and hence requires further attention.

15. The method of communication path integrity supervision of claim 14 wherein generally each transmitter is associated with a protected premise and is combined with circuitry including alarm-event sensors for generating data responsive to detection of alarm events.

16. The method of communication path integrity supervision of claim 14 wherein the step of generating a message of a next “

check-in”

further comprises plural modes for automatically generating the next “

check-in”

message, such that one mode causes generation at regularly spaced time intervals and that the other mode causes generation at randomly chosen time intervals ranging between a value greater than zero and a larger value which is finite.

17. The method of communication path integrity supervision of claim 14 wherein the memory for the at least one receiver is configured with a table data structure for tabulating transmitters against their next due check-in.

18. A method of communication path integrity supervision for a network system of automatic alarm data communication of the type having a network of communication paths, a plurality of automatic alarm data transmitters on the network for transmitting alarm messages, at least one receiver on the network for receiving the message traffic of the transmitters, wherein any transmitter participating in said method is provided with a process for self-empowering the transmitter to periodically test its ability to establish communication with the receiver by:

generating a message of a next check-in,

transmitting such message of next check-in over the network, and,

before the expiration of the next check-in, returning to the above step of generating a message, hence generating a succeeding message of a successor next check-in, said method comprising the steps of;

providing the receiver with a computer-implemented process for organizing the check-in message traffic from the transmitters in an appointment schedule by;

for each received check-in message, scheduling or rescheduling an appointment in the appointment schedule for this transmitting transmitter for a next check-in corresponding to this received check-in message; and

monitoring the appointment schedule for any occurrence of an unmet appointment, which signifies problems with integrity.

19. The method of communication path integrity supervision of claim 18 wherein generally each transmitter is associated with a protected premise and is combined with circuitry including alarm-event sensors for generating messages responsive to detection of alarm events.

20. The method of communication path integrity supervision of claim 18 wherein each transmitter includes means for encoding the next check-in message with a time factor that corresponds to the timeliness of the reception due of the successor next check-in message for that transmitter.

21. The method of communication path integrity supervision of claim 20 wherein the time factor includes both a set of values signifying intervals of time as well as a null factor signifying that the transmitting transmitter checks off from the system, and hence thereby nullify the receiver monitoring thereof as applied to that particular transmitter.

22. The method of communication path integrity supervision of claim 18 wherein the receiver monitoring step further includes responding to instances when any transmitter fails to meet its scheduled or rescheduled next check-in with an alert signal.

23. The method of communication path integrity supervision of claim 18 wherein the appointment schedule for the receiver is configured in computer-implemented memory with a table data structure for tabulating transmitters against their next scheduled check-in appointment.

24. The method of communication path integrity supervision of claim 18 wherein the step of generating a message of a next check-in further comprises plural modes for automatically generating the next check-in message, such that one mode causes generation at regularly spaced time intervals and that the other mode causes generation at randomly chosen time intervals ranging between a value greater than zero and a larger value which is finite.

25. An alarm-message receiver according to the receiver of claim 18.

26. A method of communication path integrity supervision for a network system of automatic alarm data communication of the type having a network of communication paths, a plurality of automatic alarm data transmitters on the network for transmitting alarm messages including check-in messages, at least one receiver on the network for receiving the message traffic of the transmitters, which receiver is provided with a computer-implemented process for organizing the check-in message traffic from the transmitters in an appointment schedule by:

for each received check-in message, scheduling or rescheduling an appointment in the appointment schedule for this transmitting transmitter for a next check-in corresponding to this received check-in message; and

monitoring the appointment schedule for any occurrence of an unmet appointment, which signifies problems with integrity;

said method comprising the steps of;

providing any transmitter participating in said method with a process for self-empowering the transmitter to periodically test its ability to establish communication with the receiver by;

generating a message of a next check-in;

transmitting such message of next check-in over the network; and

,

before the expiration of the next check-in, returning to the above step of generating a message, hence generating a succeeding message of a successor next check-in;

whereby the receiver may correspond the occurrence of any unmet appointment with problems with integrity.

27. The method of communication path integrity supervision of claim 26 wherein generally each transmitter is associated with a protected premise and is combined with circuitry including alarm-event sensors for generating messages responsive to detection of alarm events.

28. The method of communication path integrity supervision of claim 26 wherein each transmitter includes means for encoding the next check-in message with a time factor that corresponds to the timeliness of the reception due of the successor next check-in message for that transmitter.

29. The method of communication path integrity supervision of claim 28 wherein the time factor includes both a set of values signifying intervals of time as well as a null factor signifying that the transmitting transmitter checks off from the system, and hence thereby nullify the receiver monitoring thereof as applied to that particular transmitter.

30. The method of communication path integrity supervision of claim 26 wherein the receiver monitoring step further includes responding to instances when any transmitter fails to meet its scheduled or rescheduled next check-in with an alert signal.

31. The method of communication path integrity supervision of claim 26 wherein the diverse communication paths comprise one of a substantially homogenous network of cables, a substantially homogenous network of radio links, or a conglomerate network including both cables and radio links.

32. The method of communication path integrity supervision of claim 26 wherein the appointment schedule for the receiver is configured in computer-implemented memory with a table data structure for tabulating transmitters against their next scheduled check-in appointment.

33. The method of communication path integrity supervision of claim 26 wherein the step of generating a message of a next check-in further comprises plural modes for automatically generating the next check-in message, such that one mode causes generation at regularly spaced time intervals and that the other mode causes generation at randomly chosen time intervals ranging between a value greater than zero and a larger value which is finite.

34. An alarm-message transmitter according to the transmitter of claim 26.