Security system with wireless communication features

• US 7,336,172 B2
• Filed: 11/29/2004
• Issued: 02/26/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ademco Inc. (Resideo Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Govindaraj, Nithyanandhan
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, HUNG T
• Application Number:
  US10/998,790
• Publication Number:
  US 20060125626A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,184 Days
• Field of Search: 340/541, 340/540, 340/506, 340/521, 340/531, 340/539.1, 340/539.13, 340/539.26, 340/539.27, 340/825.36, 340/825.49, 340/825.69, 340/517, 340/825.72
• US Class Current: 340/541
• 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 25/012 using recorded signals, e.g. speech G08B25/08 takes precedence

Abstract

Methods and systems are presented to provide wireless features with a property security system. A detected alarm, which is incapable of being communicated externally by the property security system, is passed to a wireless communication device for processing. In response to the alarm, the wireless communication device communicates an emergency message to an emergency call center service via a wireless transmission.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

detecting that a property security system has raised an alarm;

determining that the property security system is incapable of communicating the alarm through a landline communication service;

processing the alarm via a wireless communication device; and

playing a message for an emergency call center service via the wireless communication device, wherein the message is a voice recorded message custom provided by a user, and wherein the message is acquired from the user via one or more of the following a phone, a processing device interfaced to the property security system, and a World-Wide Web (WWW) Internet connection, and wherein the message is selected from a list of available messages and classified in response to the alarm being associated with one or more of the following;

a break-in, a fire, and a medical help situation, and wherein at least a portion of the message is augmented with an audio snippet automatically and dynamically supplied by the property security system in response to the alarm, the message and the audio snippet assembled dynamically to form a complete audio message that is played as the message for the emergency call center service via the wireless communication device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting further includes identifying an interruption in service on a landline for the landline communication service indicating that the landline has been cut or disconnected.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining further includes attempting to communicate the message via the landline communication service and receiving no response indicating that the security system is incapable of communicating the message though the landline communication service.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein processing further includes passing control of processing the alarm to the wireless communication device, which is associated with the security system.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein sending further includes acquiring a prerecorded audio message as the message from within storage of the security system or the wireless communication device.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein sending further includes dialing an emergency number and once connected to the emergency call center service playing the prerecorded audio message.

7. A method, comprising:

receiving an emergency message, wherein the emergency message is at least partially customized by a user and includes a voice recorded message, and the emergency message is select from a list of available messages in response to an alarm being classified as one or more of the following;

a break-in, a fire, and a medical help situation, and wherein another portion of the emergency message is an audio snippet automatically and dynamically constructed by a security system, the customized portion and the audio snippet dynamically assembled to form the emergency message;

acquiring an emergency number; and

configuring the security system to connect to an emergency call center service accessed through the emergency number to play the message via a wireless communication if the alarm is detect and the security system is incapable of communicating the emergency message via a landline communication service.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein receiving further includes capturing the message from a recording device interfaced to the security system which is accessed by a user, wherein the message is audibly communicated by the user to the recording device.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein receiving further includes receiving a selection from a user interfaced to a control panel of the security system, wherein the selection identifies the message from a selection of available messages.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein receiving further includes receiving the message as a text inputted string supplied by a user interfaced to a control panel of the security system.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the receiving further includes receiving a portion of the message as a location identifier that identifies a property location associated with the security system.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein configuring further includes accessing the wireless communication service via at least one of a code division multiple access (CDMA) transmission and a global system for mobile communication (GSM) service.

13. The method of claim 7, wherein acquiring further includes selecting the emergency call center number from a list of available emergency call center numbers based on a geographical location associated with the security system.

14. A system, comprising:

a property security system; and

a wireless communication device interfaced to the security system, wherein the security system is adapted to pass processing control to the wireless communication system when a landline communication device is unavailable for use by the security system, and wherein the wireless communication device is adapted to connect wirelessly to an emergency call center service when control is passed and play an audible emergency message, and wherein that emergency message was at least partially and previously custom defined by a user and the emergency message includes a voice recorded message, and wherein the message is selected from a list of available messages and in response to an alarm being raised and classified as one or more of the following;

a break-in, a fire, and a medical help situation, and wherein a portion of the audible emergency message is dynamically constructed as an audio snippet dynamically constructed by the property security system in response to the alarm and the property security system dynamically assembles the user supplied portion of the message and the audio snippet to form a complete audio message as the audible emergency message that is played for the emergency call center service.

15. The system of claim 14 further comprising, a recording device interfaced to the security system for receiving the emergency message.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the wireless communication device is also adapted to acquire processing control when the security system fails and is further adapted to connect wirelessly to the emergency call center service and play the emergency message.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the wireless communication device connects to the emergency call center service using at least one of a code division multiple access (CDMA) transmission and a global system for mobile communication (GSM) service.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the wireless communication device accesses a preconfigured emergency number to connect to the emergency call center service.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein the emergency message is configurable by a user.

20. The system of claim 14, wherein the emergency message is stored in at least one the security system and the wireless communication device.

21. A system, comprising:

an emergency message, wherein the emergency message is at least partially defined by a user and includes a voice recorded message, and wherein the emergency message is classified in response to whether it is associated with one or more of the following;

a break-in, a fire, and a medical help situation, and wherein another portion of the emergency message is automatically and dynamically constructed by a property security system in response to an alarm, and the property security system dynamically assembles the emergency message as a complete audio message have the voice recorded message and the audio snippet; and

a wireless communication device, wherein the emergency message is acquired by the wireless communication device when the alarm is detected with the property security system, and wherein the wireless communication device is adapted to play the emergency message for an emergency call center service if the property security system of incapable of externally communicating the emergency message to the emergency call center service.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the emergency message is predefined based on an initial configuration of the property security system.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein the emergency message is configured by a user of the property security system.

24. The system of claim 21, wherein the emergency message is stored within the wireless communication device.

25. The system of claim 21, wherein the emergency message is stored within the property security system.

26. The system of claim 21, wherein the alarm is raised automatically by the property security system when a landline communication service interfaced to the property security system fails.

27. The system of claim 21, wherein the alarm is detected when the wireless communication device detects that communication between the property security system and the wireless communication device fails.

28. The system of claim 21, wherein the wireless communication device is adapted to regularly reattempt to communicate the emergency message to the emergency call center service if some type of interruption or failure occurred with prior attempts.