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

• US 6,650,238 B1
• Filed: 05/12/2001
• Issued: 11/18/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/1997
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rick A. Britton
• Original Assignee: Rick A. Britton
• Inventors: Britton, Rick A.
• Primary Examiner(s): POPE, DARYL C
• Application Number:
  US09/854,136
• Time in Patent Office: 920 Days
• Field of Search: 340/539.1, 340/506, 340/507, 340/505, 340/825.52, 340/286.02, 340/511, 340/514, 340/516, 340/3.1
• US Class Current: 340/539.1
• 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 for a network of automatic alarm data transmissions. A plurality of alarm data transmitters are linked by diverse paths with a central receiver for such automatic alarm data, wherein the responsibility for carrying out integrity supervision has 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. Hence each transmitter generates and sends to the central receiver a succession of check-in messages. The central receiver responds to each such message by updating a table of such messages, scheduling or rescheduling the next check-in as applicable to that particular remote transmitter. An alert is signaled whenever any remote transmitter fails to meet its scheduled or rescheduled check-in. Given the foregoing, the integrity of the communication paths are supervised.

Claims

1. A method of communication path integrity supervision for a system of automatic alarm data communication of the type having a communications network, a plurality of automatic alarm data transmitters on the network for transmitting alarm messages including check-in messages of which some are check-off messages that a transmitter utilizes to quit until further notice from continuing participation in said method of communication path integrity supervision, at least one receiver on the network for receiving the message traffic of the transmitters, a check-in protocol shared by the receiver and transmitters which establishes a time interval for the scheduling of each next-due check-in message, wherein said 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, determining if it is a check-off message, otherwise scheduler rescheduling an appointment in the appointment schedule for this transmitting transmitter for a next-due check-in based upon the check-in protocol'"'"'s time interval; 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 check-in message;

transmitting such check-in message over the network; and

,

before expiration of a next-due check-in message as determined according to the check-in protocol'"'"'s time interval, returning to the above step of generating a message, hence generating a succeeding check-in message; and

thereby the receiver may correspond the occurrence of any unmet appointment with problems with integrity;

whereby said method liberates the receiver from having to poll the participating transmitters by address for response in order to test each'"'"'s ability to get through with communications.

2. The method of communication path integrity supervision of claim 1 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.

3. The method of communication path integrity supervision of claim 1 wherein the time interval is a given constant of a definite non-zero value.

4. The method of communication path integrity supervision of claim 1 wherein check-off messages are typically generated and transmitted at the instance of service personnel removing a transmitter from continuing participation in said method of communication path integrity supervision until further notice as for service reasons, which check-off message thereby nullifies the receiver'"'"'s monitoring thereof as applied to that particular transmitter.

5. The method of communication path integrity supervision of claim 1 wherein the receiver monitoring step further includes responding to instances when any transmitter fails to meet its scheduled or rescheduled next-due check-in with an alert signal.

6. The method of communication path integrity supervision of claim 1 wherein the communications network is configured as capable of carrying at least e-mail format communications.

7. The method of communication path integrity supervision of claim 1 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.

8. An alarm-message transmitter according to the transmitter of claim 1.

9. A method of communication path integrity supervision for a system of automatic alarm data communication of the type having a communications network, 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, a check-in protocol shared by the receiver and transmitters which establishes a time interval for the scheduling of each next-due check-in message, wherein said 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-due check-in based upon the check-in protocol'"'"'s time interval; 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 check-in message;

transmitting such check-in message over the network; and

,

before expiration of a next-due check-in message as determined according to the check-in protocol'"'"'s time interval, returning to the above step of generating a message, hence generating a succeeding check-in message; and

thereby the receiver may correspond the occurrence of any unmet appointment with problems with integrity;

whereby said method liberates the receiver from having to poll the participating transmitters by address for response in order to test each'"'"'s ability to get through with communications.

10. The method of communication path integrity supervision of claim 9 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.

11. The method of communication path integrity supervision of claim 9 wherein the time interval is a given constant of a definite non-zero value.

12. The method of communication path integrity supervision of claim 9 further comprising a process of check-off messages which any transmitter may utilize to communicate to the receiver that such a particular transmitter quits until further notice from continuing participation in said method of communication path integrity supervision, whereby said check-off messages are typically utilized at the instance of service personnel removing a transmitter from continuing participation in said method until further notice as for service reasons, said check-off messages thereby nullifying the receiver'"'"'s monitoring thereof as applied to that particular transmitter.

13. The method of communication path integrity supervision of claim 9 wherein the receiver monitoring step further includes responding to instances when any transmitter fails to meet its scheduled or rescheduled next-due check-in with an alert signal.

14. The method of communication path integrity supervision of claim 9 wherein the communications network is configured as capable of carrying at least e-mail format communications.

15. The method of communication path integrity supervision of claim 9 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.

16. An alarm-message transmitter according to the transmitter of claim 9.

17. A method of communication path integrity supervision for a system of automatic alarm data communication of the type having a communications network, 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, a check-in protocol shared by the receiver and transmitters which establishes a time interval for the scheduling of each next-due check-in message, 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 check-in message;

transmitting such check-in message over the network; and

,

before expiration of a next-due check-in message as determined according to the check-in protocol'"'"'s time interval, returning to the above step of generating a message, hence generating a succeeding check-in message;

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-due check-in based upon the check-in protocol'"'"'s time interval; and

monitoring the appointment schedule for any occurrence of an unmet appointment, which signifies problems with integrity, whereby the receiver may correspond the occurrence of any unmet appointment with problems with integrity; and

whereby said method liberates the receiver from having to poll the participating transmitters by address for response in order to test each'"'"'s ability to get through with communications.

18. The method of communication path integrity supervision of claim 17 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.

19. The method of communication path integrity supervision of claim 17 wherein the time interval is a given constant of a definite non-zero value.

20. The method of communication path integrity supervision of claim 17 further comprising a process of check-off messages which any transmitter may utilize to communicate to the receiver that such a particular transmitter quits until further notice from continuing participation in said method of communication path integrity supervision, whereby said check-off messages are typically utilized at the instance of service personnel removing a transmitter from continuing participation in said method until further notice as for service reasons, said check-off messages thereby nullifying the receiver'"'"'s monitoring thereof as applied to that particular transmitter.

21. The method of communication path integrity supervision of claim 17 wherein the receiver monitoring step further includes responding to instances when any transmitter fails to meet its scheduled or rescheduled next-due check-in with an alert signal.

22. The method of communication path integrity supervision of claim 17 wherein the communications network is configured as capable of carrying at least e-mail format communications.

23. The method of communication path integrity supervision of claim 17 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. An alarm-message receiver according to the receiver of claim 17.