Wireless phone-interface device

• US 7,054,414 B2
• Filed: 05/01/2001
• Issued: 05/30/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: GE Security Incorporated (Carrier Global Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Interactive Technologies, Inc. (Fiserv Incorporated)
• Inventors: Bergman, John Todd, Lee, Thomas Anthony, Lofstad, Eric W., Seemann, Brian Karl, Hasselfeldt, Kurt
• Primary Examiner(s): Ramakrishnaiah, Melur
• Application Number:
  US09/845,768
• Publication Number:
  US 20020163997A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,855 Days
• Field of Search: 379/37, 379/38, 379/39, 379 40- 45, 379/49, 379/93.36, 340/506, 340/531, 340/539, 340/426
• US Class Current: 379/37
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/008 Alarm setting and unsetting, i.e. arming or disarming of the security system
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways

Abstract

A phone-interface device receives a wireless signal from a control panel. The wireless signal encodes information regarding a system condition that has occurred in a facility. The phone-interface device communicates the system condition to a monitoring station. The phone-interface device receives its electrical power from the telephone line or from an energy storage device. In another aspect, the phone-interface device receives a provisional-alarm signal command from a control panel. The phone-interface device determines whether a disarm command has been received from the control panel. When a disarm command has not been received before expiration of a period of time, the phone-interface devices sends an alarm condition to a monitoring station.

Claims

1. A method at a phone-interface device, comprising:

receiving a provisional-alarm report;

determining whether a disarm command has been received subsequent to receipt of the provisional-alarm report;

when a disarm command has not been received before expiration of a period of time, sending a system condition to a monitoring station including seizing a telephone line;

calling the monitoring station via the telephone line;

determining whether the calling element is successful, and when the calling element is not successful, sending the alarm condition to the monitoring station via an alternative communications link; and

determining whether a trouble condition exists at the phone interface device and if it exists, communicating the trouble condition to the control panel via a transmitter located at the phone interface device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the provisional-alarm report is received via a wireless signal.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the wireless signal is a radio frequency signal.

4. A phone-interface device, comprising:

a receiver to receive a wireless signal from a control panel, wherein the wireless signal encodes information regarding a system condition;

a transmitter to transmit data via wireless communication about trouble conditions to a receiver at the control panel; and

a phone port to connect to a communications link, wherein the phone port is to dial a telephone number of a monitoring station in response to receiving the wireless signal and the communications link is at least one of an ISDN line and wireless.

5. The phone-interface device of claim 4, wherein the communications link is a telephone line.

6. A phone-interface device, comprising:

a phone port to draw electrical energy from a phone line, wherein the phone port is part of a premise phone system, and wherein the electrical energy drawn from the phone line is within a current and voltage profile of the premise phone system; and

a transmitter to transmit data via wireless communication about trouble conditions to a receiver at a control panel.

7. The phone-interface device of claim 6, further comprising:

an energy storage device, wherein the electrical energy drawn from the phone line charges the energy storage device.

8. The phone-interface device of claim 7, wherein the energy storage device is a battery.

9. The phone-interface device of claim 7, wherein the energy storage device is a capacitor.

10. The phone-interface device of claim 7, wherein the electrical energy is drawn from the phone line during a phone line state of ringing.

11. The phone-interface device of claim 7, wherein the electrical energy is drawn while a premise phone is off-hook.

12. The phone-interface device of claim 7, wherein the electrical energy is drawn while the phone port checks the line for proper voltages and currents.

13. The phone-interface device of claim 7, wherein the electrical energy is drawn while the phone port is dialing.

14. The phone-interface device of claim 7, wherein the electrical energy is drawn during a connected call.

15. The phone-interface device of claim 7, wherein the electrical energy is drawn after an off-premise call has hung up.

16. A security system, comprising:

a control panel to receive a sensor event from a security device, to translate the sensor event into a system condition, and to transmit a wireless signal to a phone-interface device, wherein the wireless signal encodes information regarding the system condition; and

a phone-interface device comprising a receiver to receive the wireless signal from the control panel and a transmitter to transmit data via wireless communication about trouble conditions to said control panel receiver, wherein the phone-interface device is packaged separately from the control panel,

wherein the phone-interface device receives direct electric current from an energy storage device.

17. The security system of claim 16, wherein the phone-interface further comprises a phone port to connect to a telephone line, wherein the phone port is to dial a telephone number of a monitoring station in response to receiving the wireless signal.

18. The security system of claim 16, wherein the control panel receives alternating electric current.

19. The security system of claim 16, wherein the energy storage device comprises a battery.

20. The security system of claim 16, wherein the energy storage device comprises a capacitor.

21. The security system of claim 16, wherein the phone-interface device receives electrical power from a telephone line.

22. The security system of claim 16, wherein the phone-interface is mounted in a separate enclosure from the control panel.

23. The security system of 16, wherein the phone-interface device is mounted in a separate enclosure from an input device.

24. The security system of 16, wherein the phone-interface device is mounted in a separate enclosure from a siren.

25. A program product comprising a signal-bearing media bearing instructions, which when read and executed by a processor, comprise:

determining whether a trouble condition exists at a phone interface device and if it exist, communicating the trouble condition to a control panel via a transmitter located at the phone interface device;

receiving a provisional-alarm report at the phone interface device;

determining whether a disarm command has been received subsequent to receipt of the provisional-alarm report;

when a disarm command has not been received before expiration of a period of time, sending a system condition to a monitoring station including seizing a telephone line, and calling the monitoring station via the telephone line; and

determining whether the calling is successful, and when the calling is not successful, sending the alarm condition to the monitoring station via an alternative communications link.

26. The program product of claim 25, wherein the provisional-alarm report is received via a wireless signal.

27. The program product of claim 26, wherein the wireless signal is a radio frequency signal.