Remote monitor system with radio dispatch

• US 7,554,439 B2
• Filed: 10/11/2006
• Issued: 06/30/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lookout Portable Security
• Original Assignee: Lookout Portable Security
• Inventors: Mehaffey, Joseph Sutton
• Primary Examiner(s): TWEEL JR, JOHN ALEXANDER
• Application Number:
  US11/546,211
• Publication Number:
  US 20080088439A1
• Time in Patent Office: 993 Days
• Field of Search: 340/539.18, 340/539.16, 340/505, 379/37, 455/404.1, 455/521
• US Class Current: 340/539.18
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/009 Signalling of the alarm condition to a substation whose identity is signalled to a central station, e.g. relaying alarm signals in order to extend communication range
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/012 using recorded signals, e.g. speech G08B25/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/08 using communication transmission lines G08B13/19658, G08B21/0286, G08B25/016 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/10 using wireless transmission systems G08B25/009 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 27/008 with transmission via TV or radio broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/04 with alarm systems, e.g. fire, police or burglar alarm systems

Abstract

The present invention is directed toward systems and methods for providing a remote monitoring system with radio dispatch. In an exemplary embodiment, the present invention provides a central monitoring unit for receiving a first event signal from a first remote monitoring device, identifying the first remote monitoring device as the originator of the first event signal, accessing a first prerecorded dispatch message associated with the first event signal, and transmitting the first prerecorded dispatch message. The present invention may also include multiple remote monitoring units for detecting events at a plurality of remote monitoring locations. Upon detection, the remote monitoring units transmit an event signal to the central monitoring unit.

Claims

1. A monitoring system comprising:

a first remote monitoring device for detecting a first event condition and transmitting a first event signal;

a second remote monitoring device for detecting a second event condition and transmitting a second event signal;

a central monitoring unit in communication with the first remote monitoring device and the second remote monitoring device for receiving the first event signal and the second event signal;

the central monitoring unit being adapted to broadcast a first prerecorded radio dispatch message over a first radio frequency when the central monitoring unit receives the first event signal and to broadcast a second prerecorded radio dispatch message over a second radio frequency when the central monitoring unit receives the second event signal.

2. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the first remote monitoring device and the central monitoring unit communicate over a telephone line.

3. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein transmitting a first event signal comprises dialing a predetermined telephone number.

4. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the central monitoring unit detects reception of the first event signal by detecting a signal identifying the number that originated a telephone call to the central monitoring unit.

5. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the central monitoring unit detects reception of the first event signal using caller ID information.

6. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the first radio frequency and the second radio frequency are the same radio frequency.

7. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the first prerecorded dispatch message and the second prerecorded dispatch message are the same dispatch message.

8. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the central monitoring unit comprises:

an alarm processor for receiving the first event signal and identifying the first remote monitoring device;

an audio file storage device for storing a plurality of prerecorded dispatch messages, wherein a first prerecorded dispatch message is associated with the first event signal; and

a transmitter for broadcasting the first prerecorded dispatch message when the alarm processor receives the first event signal.

9. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the central monitoring unit only broadcasts the first prerecorded radio dispatch message over the first radio frequency if the central monitoring unit receives the first event signal during a predetermined time period.

10. A monitoring system comprising:

an audio file storage device for storing a plurality of prerecorded dispatch messages, wherein a first prerecorded dispatch message is associated with a first event signal;

a transmitter for transmitting the first prerecorded dispatch message; and

an alarm processor for receiving the first event signal from a first remote monitoring device, identifying the first remote monitoring device as the originator of the first event signal, accessing the first prerecorded dispatch message from the audio file storage device, and transmitting the first prerecorded dispatch message with the transmitter.

11. The monitoring system of claim 10, wherein the alarm processor is further adapted to receive a plurality of second event signals from a plurality of second remote monitoring devices.

12. The monitoring system of claim 10, wherein the first event signal comprises caller ID information.

13. The monitoring system of claim 10, wherein the alarm processor identifies the first remote monitoring device as the originator of the first event signal by comparing received caller ID information with a list of available remote monitoring devices.

14. The monitoring system of claim 10, wherein the prerecorded dispatch message contains information representative of the location of the first remote monitoring device.

15. The monitoring system of claim 10, wherein the transmitter broadcasts the first prerecorded dispatch message over a radio device.

16. The monitoring system of claim 10, wherein the transmitter only transmits the first prerecorded dispatch message if the alarm processor receives the first event signal from the first remote monitoring device during a predetermined time period.

17. A method for broadcasting a dispatch message comprising the steps of:

receiving, in an alarm processor device, a first event signal from a first remote monitoring device;

electronically associating the first event signal with the first remote monitoring device in the alarm processor device;

accessing a first prerecorded dispatch message associated with the first event signal and the first remote monitoring device from an audio storage device associated with the alarm processor device; and

transmitting the first prerecorded dispatch message using a transmitter.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising the steps of:

receiving, in an alarm processor device, a second event signal from a second remote monitoring device;

electronically associating the second event signal with the second remote monitoring device in the alarm processor device;

accessing a second prerecorded dispatch message associated with the second event signal and the second remote monitoring device from an audio storage device associated with the alarm processor device; and

transmitting the second prerecorded dispatch message using a transmitter.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the step of receiving a first event signal from a first remote monitoring device comprises receiving a telephone call.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the step of identifying the first remote monitoring device as the originator of the first event signal comprises comparing received caller ID information with a list of available remote monitoring devices.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein the prerecorded dispatch message contains information representative of the location of the first remote monitoring device.

22. The method of claim 17, wherein the step of transmitting the first prerecorded dispatch message comprises broadcasting a radio signal.