System and method for connecting security systems to a wireless device

• US 6,965,313 B1
• Filed: 10/14/2003
• Issued: 11/15/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Alarm.com Inc. (Alarm.com Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Alarm.com Inc. (Alarm.com Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Slavin, Alison, Martin, Jean-Paul Hugues, Saylor, Michael J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Toan N.
• Application Number:
  US10/683,299
• Time in Patent Office: 763 Days
• Field of Search: 340/539.18, 340/539.1, 340/539.11, 340/539.13, 340/506, 340/517, 340/531, 340/540, 340/5.33
• US Class Current: 340/539.18
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/001 Alarm cancelling procedures or alarm forwarding decisions, e.g. based on absence of alarm confirmation
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/006 Alarm destination chosen according to type of event, e.g. in case of fire phone the fire service, in case of medical emergency phone the ambulance
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/016 Personal emergency signalling and security systems emergency non-personal manually actuated alarm activators G08B25/12
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/10 using wireless transmission systems G08B25/009 takes precedence

Abstract

The present invention provides a personal security network where an individual'"'"'s system or systems of security devices may be connected to a central security network. The central security network of the present invention may monitor a system'"'"'s status and alert the individual when an alert situation occurs. The present invention provides a security network where a user may set up personalized alarms and alert services; identify various methods of contact; order at which to be contacted; individuals and entities to be contacted; type of situations to be alerted of and other relevant security and other information. The present invention may further provide a personalized web interface where authorized individuals may view current and historical security device status. A user may generate personalized reports based on aggregated historical data based on various user-defined factors. The reports may be displayed to the user in various formats, such as maps, graphs, statistics, and others.

Claims

1. A system for automatic notification of security information to subscribed users based on user specified information wherein the security information is communicated over at least one wireless communication path from security devices associated with the subscription comprising:

a user profile storage system for storing user profile information based on a user subscription wherein profile information comprises notification preferences; and

a security control system that receives wireless communications that include security device information associated with one or more remote security devices associated with a subscribed user, processes the security device information from the one or more remote security devices and automatically notifies the subscribed user associated with the remote security devices when an alarm event satisfying the user notification preferences is received from the one or more remote security devices.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein notification preferences comprise providing alarm notification via a wireless device through a wireless channel.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the wireless device comprises one or more of mobile phone, pager, email and PDA.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the user is presented with one or more option responses which comprise one or more of confirmation of the alarm and cancellation of the alarm.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein option responses are selected via a voice portal where the user navigates through one or more voice menus.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein alarm information comprises one or more of nature of the alarm, date, location, and device that triggered the alarm.

7. The system of claim 2 wherein alarm notification is executed via a voice portal wherein a voice message provides alarm information.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the remote security devices communicate wirelessly with a local control panel.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the local control panel communicates the security device information wirelessly to the server control system.

10. The system of claim 1 further comprising an alarm database for storing information associated with the alarm event.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein the notification preferences comprises order of contact devices.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein the server system continues executing alarm notification until a user responds.

13. The system of claim 1 further comprising a report generator wherein aggregated data is used to generate one or more reports based on user defined factors.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein aggregated data comprises other security systems registered with the central security network.

15. The system of claim 13 wherein user defined factors comprise security events.

16. The system of claim 1 further comprising a report generator wherein a graphic of a user defined location displays user selected information based on aggregated data.

17. The system of claim 1 further comprising an application controller for monitoring one or more appliances.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the wireless channel is used to monitor the one or more appliances comprising one or more of television, external lights, internal lights, video recorder, DVD player, oven, air conditioning, heating, ventilation, and water heater.

19. A user system through which a user accesses security information for one or more remote security devices over at least one wireless communication path comprising:

a user profile module for providing user profile information wherein profile information comprises notification preferences;

a data access module to access a server control system that receives wireless communication including security device information associated with one or more remote security devices associated with a user, processes the security device information from the one or more remote security devices and automatically notifies the user associated with the remote security devices when an alarm event satisfying the user notification preferences is received; and

a display for displaying status information related to one or more remote devices.

20. The user system of claim 19 further comprising a notification module for assigning notification methods for user defined alarm events wherein the user is contacted via a wireless device through a wireless channel.

21. The user system of claim 20 wherein the notification module enables the user to assign at least one function to each remote security device.

22. The user system of claim 19 wherein a user confirms user identity information via one or more of PIN and password.

23. A method for automatic notification of security information to subscribed users based on user specified information wherein the security information is communicated over at least one wireless communication path from security devices associated with the subscription comprising the steps of:

storing user profile information based on a user subscription wherein profile information comprises notification preferences;

receiving wireless communications that include security device information associated with one or more remote security devices associated with a subscribed user;

processing the security device information from the one or more remote security devices; and

automatically notifying the subscribed user associated with the remote security devices when an alarm event satisfying the user notification preferences is received from the one or more remote security devices.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein notification preferences comprise providing alarm notification via a wireless device through a wireless channel.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein the wireless device comprises one or more of mobile phone, pager, email and PDA.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein the user is presented with one or more option responses which comprise one or more of confirmation of the alarm and cancellation of the alarm.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein option responses are selected via a voice portal where the user navigates through one or more voice menus.

28. The method of claim 27 wherein alarm information comprises one or more of nature of the alarm, date, location, and device that triggered the alarm.

29. The method of claim 24 wherein alarm notification is executed via a voice portal wherein a voice message provides alarm information.

30. The method of claim 23 wherein the remote security devices communicate wirelessly with a local control panel.

31. The method of claim 30 wherein the local control panel communicates the security device information wirelessly to the server control system.

32. The method of claim 23 further comprising a step of storing information associated with the alarm event.

33. The method of claim 23 wherein the notification preferences comprises order of contact devices.

34. The method of claim 23 further comprising a step of continuing execution of the alarm notification until a user responds.

35. The method of claim 23 further comprising a step of generating a report wherein aggregated data is used to generate one or more reports based on user defined factors.

36. The method of claim 35 wherein aggregated data comprises other security systems registered with the central security network.

37. The method of claim 35 wherein user defined factors comprise security events.

38. The method of claim 23 further comprising a step of generating a report wherein a graphic of a user defined location displays user selected information based on aggregated data.

39. The method of claim 23 further comprising a step of monitoring one or more appliances.

40. The method of claim 39 wherein the wireless channel is used to monitor the one or more appliances comprising one or more of television, external lights, internal lights, video recorder, DVD player, oven, air conditioning, heating, ventilation, and water heater.

41. A user method through which a user accesses security information for one or more remote security devices over at least one wireless communication path comprising:

providing user profile information wherein profile information comprises notification preferences;

accessing a server control system that receives wireless communication including security device information associated with one or more remote security devices associated with a user, processes the security device information from the one or more remote security devices and automatically notifies the user associated with the remote security devices when an alarm event satisfying the user notification preferences is received; and

displaying status information related to one or more remote devices.

42. The user method of claim 41 further comprising a step of assigning notification methods for user defined alarm events wherein the user is contacted via a wireless device through a wireless channel.

43. The user method of claim 41 wherein a user confirms user identity information via one or more of PIN and password.

44. The user method of claim 42 further comprising a step of assigning at least one function to each remote security device.