Alarm report call rerouter

• US 6,366,647 B1
• Filed: 05/03/1999
• Issued: 04/02/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Unicom Monitoring LLC
• Original Assignee: Unicom Monitoring LLC
• Inventors: Webb, Richard S
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz, Curtis
• Assistant Examiner(s): Eng, George
• Application Number:
  US09/304,036
• Time in Patent Office: 1,065 Days
• Field of Search: 379/37, 379/39-40, 379/42-44, 379/46-47, 379/49-51, 379/93.01, 379/106.08, 379/210-213, 379/221, 379/355-356, 379/379, 379/33, 379/106.03, 379/106.11
• US Class Current: 379/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/04 with alarm systems, e.g. fire, police or burglar alarm systems

Abstract

A device for rerouting the report call of an alarm system to another telephone number through the interruption of the alarm system'"'"'s out-dialing process, includes two electronically controlled switching devices that allow the device to momentarily isolate the alarm from the phone line. Switches are operated under microprocessor control, for causing dialing of the new phone number by the generation of DTMF tones by a DTMF generator operating under microprocessor control. Triggering of the report call rerouting process is keyed to the presence of two conditions: one being loss of voltage from the handset lines, and the other being presence of dialing activity, either DTMF tones or pulse-dialing pulses on the telephone line. The device will reset itself after the telephone has been held in the on-hook condition for a predetermined interval by the alarm system, to allow the device to reroute subsequent report call attempts if initial attempts to connect are unsuccessful.

Claims

1. A device for connection between a telephone line and an existing alarm system to reroute an alarm report through the telephone line, from a preprogrammed central it monitoring station of the existing alarm system to a desired central monitoring station, said device comprising:

a detector for detecting activation of the existing alarm system through the telephone line, for generating an initiating signal;

a microprocessor responsive to the initiating signal for outputting a switch signal and a dial signal;

a switch responsive to the switch signal for reversibly isolating the existing alarm system from the telephone line; and

a dialer connected to the telephone line and responsive to said dial signal for dialing a telephone number of the desired central monitoring station on said telephone line, whereupon the switch reconnects the existing alarm system to the telephone line to implement rerouting of the alarm report from the existing alarm system.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein said microprocessor includes:

a programmable memory means for storing a plurality of telephone numbers, and a set of programmable instructions for implementing operation of said microprocessor; and

selecting means operatively associated with the memory means for selecting one of the plurality of telephone numbers to be used for dialing a desired central monitoring station.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein:

the detector being further adapted for detecting a voltage change across a telephone handset line connected to the existing alarm system and the presence of dialing activity of said existing alarm system on the telephone line; and

the switch being further adapted for momentarily returning the telephone line to an on-hook condition to re-establish a dial tone prior to activation of the dialer.

4. The device of claim 1, further including:

power supply means for providing electrical power to said device, said power supply means including a rechargeable battery recharged by power from said telephone line during a standby mode of operation.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein said switch includes:

a first relay operable for hanging up said telephone line; and

a second relay operable for isolating the existing alarm system from said telephone line.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein said dialer includes a dual-tone multiple frequency generator with input means connected to said microprocessor for receiving the dial signal from the microprocessor to implement dialing of the telephone number of the desired central monitoring station.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein said detector includes:

a handset isolation detector means for discriminating normal operating handset line condition and isolated handset line condition on a telephone handset line connected to the alarm system;

a loop current detector means for detecting one of on-hook and off-hook current conditions and pulse dialing activity on the telephone line; and

a tone detector means for detecting one of sixteen valid dual-tone multiple frequency tones on said telephone line.

8. In an alarm system, a method for rerouting alarm reports from a previously programmed central monitoring station to a desired central monitoring station without reprogramming the alarm system, said method comprising the steps of:

detecting the isolation of a telephone handset line;

detecting the dialing activity of the alarm system;

activating a first switching means for hanging up an associated telephone line;

deactivating said first switching means to create an off-hook condition to re-acquire dial tone on said telephone line;

activating a second switching means for isolating the alarm system from said telephone line to prevent interruption by said alarm system as it may continue to dial its previously programmed central monitoring station;

generating DTMF or pulse dialing sequence signals while confirming no dialing activity by the alarm system; and

deactivating said second switching means, in response to cessation of dialing activity by the alarm system, to reconnect the alarm system to said telephone line to permit the transfer of data from said alarm system to said desired central monitoring station.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said detecting isolation of a telephone handset line step includes the step of:

measuring the time average of a voltage drop across said telephone handset line.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein said detecting dialing activity step includes the steps of:

counting a threshold number of DTMF digits or pulse dialing digits.

11. The method of claim 8, further including the steps of:

detecting an on-hook condition for a predetermined amount of time;

detecting dialing activity of said alarm system; and

resetting a microprocessor controller programmed to carry out said steps.

12. The method of claim 8, further including the steps of:

detecting line voltage across said handset line for a continuous predetermined amount of time; and

switching a microprocessor controller programmed to carry out said steps to a standby mode.