Information management network for automated delivery of alarm notifications and other information

• US 6,829,478 B1
• Filed: 11/16/2000
• Issued: 12/07/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Vivint Incorporated (NRG Energy, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Pamela G. Layton
• Inventors: Crawford, Keith D., Jacobs, Jack H., Gadboys, Jeffrey A., Layton, Pamela G.
• Primary Examiner(s): TRAN, CONGVAN
• Application Number:
  US09/714,841
• Time in Patent Office: 1,482 Days
• Field of Search: 455/426.2, 455/428, 455/426.1, 455/418, 455/419, 455/420, 455/432, 455/404.1, 455/414, 455/424, 370/244, 370/242, 370/243
• US Class Current: 455/428
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/003 Address allocation methods and details
• 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: G08B 25/005 Alarm destination chosen according to a hierarchy of available destinations, e.g. if hospital does not answer send to police station
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/007 Details of data content structure of message packets; data protocols
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/10 using wireless transmission systems G08B25/009 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/14 Central alarm receiver or annunciator arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/04 with alarm systems, e.g. fire, police or burglar alarm systems

Abstract

A remote Information Management Network routing system located either at an independent hosting facility or at a central station monitoring facility that receives event and alert information from a security or premise monitoring system and sequentially transmits interactive notifications about the event and alert information to wired and wireless devices specified in a user profile within the Information Management Network.

Claims

1. An information management network system for routing information to one or more recipients, said network system comprising:

a) means for receiving information from a monitoring system;

b) one or more user profiles, each of the one or more user profiles comprising one or more specified notification contact data entries and a specified notification contact flow sequence;

c) means for selecting a single user profile corresponding to the monitoring system and for retrieving the selected single user profile;

d) means for extracting from the selected single user profile the one or more specified notification contact data entries and the specified notification contact flow sequence;

e) means for identifying from each of the one or more notification contact data entries one or more communication receiving devices and for each such device a device-specific format, each of said communication receiving devices being configured both to receive messages in device-specific formats and to transmit a response message back to the information monitoring network;

f) means for generating from the information received from the monitoring system and from each of the one or more notification contact data entries one or more interactive event notifications, each in a device-specific format corresponding to each of the one or more configured communication receiving devices;

g) means for transmitting said one or more interactive event notifications in device-specific formats to each of the one or more configured communication receiving devices either sequentially or simultaneously according to the specified notification contact flow sequence;

h) means for receiving from each of the one or more communication receiving devices, either sequentially or simultaneously according to the specified notification contact flow sequence, additional information or instructions containing specified subsequent actions to be taken by the network;

i) means for altering the specified notification contact flow sequence according to the specified subsequent actions contained in the additional information or instructions received from each of the one or more configured communication receiving devices; and

j) means for carrying out subsequent actions to be taken by the network according to the altered specified notification contact flow sequence.

2. The information management network system of claim 1 wherein the monitoring system is a premises monitoring system.

3. The information management network system of claim 1 wherein the information received from a monitoring system comprises an alarm or event notification.

4. The information management network system of claim 2 wherein the premises monitoring system is located remotely from the network system at a remote premises.

5. The information management network system of claim 1 wherein the user is a customer of an entity maintaining the information management network system.

6. The information management network system of claim 1 additionally comprising a premises monitoring system.

7. The information management network system of claim 1 additionally comprising

a) one or more event logs corresponding to the one or more user profiles; and

b) means for storing in the event log information comprising the information received from the monitoring system and information regarding the one or more interactive event notifications sent by the network.

8. The information management network system of claim 7 additionally comprising means for the user to access and retrieve information stored in the event log.

9. The information management network system of claim 1 additionally comprising:

a) means for enabling a user to remotely access the user'"'"'s user profile and the corresponding event log; and

b) means for enabling the user, after having accessed the user'"'"'s profile, to change the specified notification contact data entries and the specified notification contact flow sequence, thereby changing the order and manner in which event notifications are transmitted to the one or more configured communication receiving devices.

10. The information management network system of claim 9 wherein the means for enabling a user to remotely access the user'"'"'s user profile and the corresponding event log is either a telephone interface or an internet interface.

11. The information management network system of claim 1 in which the one or more configured communication receiving devices to which interactive event notifications are directed are selected from the group:

cell phone, e-mail, pager, land line phone, text messaging device, short messaging system, facsimile machine, and all combinations thereof.

12. The information management network system of claim 1 in which at least one of the one or more configured communication receiving devices is located at a staffed central station, and in which the device-specific format is a security industry data format, whereby the staffed central station is enabled to notify emergency authorities of the information received from the monitoring system.

13. The information management network system of claim 12 in which the staffed central station is enabled to send notification of an event to the user'"'"'s home and to route a notification to the user at another location either concurrently with the notification to the home or sequentially.

14. The information management network system of claim 1 additionally comprising a means for voice telephone conferencing.

15. The information management network system of claim 1 additionally comprising means for sending out messages to users reminding them to update their user profiles.

16. The information management network system of claim 15 wherein the means for sending out messages to users comprises via email providing a link whereby to the web site for users can update their user profiles.

17. The information management network system of claim 15 wherein the means for sending out messages to users comprises a telephone interface, whereby the user is enabled to use the telephone key pad to update the user'"'"'s user profile.

18. A method of routing information to one or more recipients comprising the steps of:

a) receiving information from a monitoring system;

b) storing one or more user profiles, each of the one or more user profiles comprising one or more specified notification contact data entries and a specified notification contact flow sequence;

c) selecting a single user profile corresponding to the monitoring system

d) retrieving the selected single user profile;

e) extracting from the selected single user profile the one or more specified notification contact data entries and the specified notification contact flow sequence;

f) identifying from each of the one or more notification contact data entries one or more communication receiving devices and for each such device a device-specific format, each of said communication receiving devices being configured both to receive messages in device-specific formats and to transmit a response message back to the information monitoring network;

g) generating from the information received from the monitoring system and from each of the one or more notification contact data entries one or more interactive event notifications, each in a device-specific format corresponding to each of the one or more configured communication receiving devices;

h) transmitting said one or more interactive event notifications in device-specific formats to each of the one or more configured communication receiving devices either sequentially or simultaneously according to the specified notification contact flow sequence;

i) receiving from each of the one or more communication receiving devices, either sequentially or simultaneously according to the specified notification contact flow sequence, additional information or instructions containing specified subsequent actions to be taken by the network;

j) altering the specified notification contact flow sequence according to the specified subsequent actions contained in the additional information or instructions received from each of the one or more configured communication receiving devices; and

carrying out subsequent actions to be taken by the network according to the altered specified notification contact flow sequence.