Method and apparatus for remotely monitoring a site
First Claim
1. Apparatus for monitoring a space, comprising:
- a security panel located at the space, said security panel having a plurality of sensors; and
a monitoring system for receiving, in real time, self initiated changes in point sensor status information regarding the space from the security panel over a network using a network protocol, said monitoring system including a graphic interface to display said information in real time as multistate outputs associated with each of said plurality of sensors.
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Abstract
The present invention is directed to providing systems and methods for remotely monitoring sites to provide real time information which can readily permit false alarms to be distinguished, and which can identify and track the precise location of an alarm. In exemplary embodiments, monitoring capabilities such as intrusion/fire detection and tracking capabilities, can be implemented through the use of multistate indicators in a novel interface which permits information to be transmitted using standard network protocols from a remote site to a monitoring station in real-time over preexisting communication networks, such as the Internet. A wireless network can also be established using browser encapsulated communication programs (for example, active X control, Java applets, and so forth) to transmit data packets which comply with any standard wireless local area network protocol. Communications can thereby be established between a web server embedded in a centrally located host monitoring station and a separate security panel deployed in each of the buildings to be remotely monitored. In exemplary embodiments, communications can be handed off from the centrally located host monitoring station to a mobile monitoring station (for example, to a laptop computer in a responding vehicle, such as a police or fire vehicle). The handoff can be such that direct communications are established between a security panel site being monitored and the laptop, or over, for example, a cellular network or indirect communications can be established via the host monitoring station.
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Citations
24 Claims
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1. Apparatus for monitoring a space, comprising:
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a security panel located at the space, said security panel having a plurality of sensors; and
a monitoring system for receiving, in real time, self initiated changes in point sensor status information regarding the space from the security panel over a network using a network protocol, said monitoring system including a graphic interface to display said information in real time as multistate outputs associated with each of said plurality of sensors. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 24)
a remote monitoring system which can access said information.
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13. Apparatus according to claim 1, comprising:
a mobile computer which can access said information.
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14. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said information can be displayed as a hierarchy of display screens, with at least one level of said hierarchy of screen displays showing multiple facilities being monitored, and with at least one additional level of said hierarchy providing access to floor plans for any of said facilities.
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15. Apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said mobile computer includes:
means for accessing information contained within said security panel via use of an encrypted address message broadcast by at least one of said mobile computer and said security panel.
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16. Apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said mobile computer accesses said information via a wireless network.
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17. Apparatus according to claim 16, wherein said wireless network includes a cellular telephone network.
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24. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said monitoring system is a mobile computer which includes:
means for accessing information contained within said security panel via use of an encrypted address message broadcast by at least one of said mobile computer and said security panel.
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18. Method for monitoring a space, comprising the steps:
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locally monitoring outputs from a plurality of sensors located at the space; and
transmitting information associated with a status of said sensors, in real time, over a network using a network protocol, to a supervisory monitoring system, said information graphically representing multistate outputs associated with each of said plurality of sensors, wherein a first of the graphically represented multistate outputs indicates a sensor is in an alarm condition, and a second, different multistate output, indicates that the sensor was recently in an alarm condition. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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Specification