Private VoIP network for security system monitoring

• US 7,593,512 B2
• Filed: 09/14/2005
• Issued: 09/22/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Numerex Corporation (Sierra Wireless Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Next Alarm, Inc.
• Inventors: Elliot, Harvey Alexander, Elliot, Daniel
• Primary Examiner(s): Tieu; Binh K
• Application Number:
  US11/226,857
• Publication Number:
  US 20060067484A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,469 Days
• Field of Search: 379/33, 379/37, 379/39, 379/40, 379 42- 44, 379/45, 379 47- 49, 370352-356, 340/506, 340/508, 340/531, 340/533
• US Class Current: 379/33
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/08 using communication transmission lines G08B13/19658, G08B21/0286, G08B25/016 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/04 for emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/1205 where the types of switching equipement comprises PSTN/ISDN equipment and switching equipment of networks other than PSTN/ISDN, e.g. Internet Protocol networks

Abstract

Security systems typically communicate with alarm monitoring centers using a telephone connection. Security systems will check in with the alarm monitoring center with a diagnostic signal at a predetermined interval—typically once per day. When a security system is connected to a Voice-over-IP service (using Broadband Internet), rather than a standard telephone line, the opportunity exists to poll in real-time the status of the connection, and alert the owner (or alert the alarm monitoring center) that the customer'"'"'s connection has been broken. The present invention offers a system and technique for monitoring a security system connected using a Voice-over-IP connection, in real time, and alerting the owner of the security system, or the alarm-monitoring center, when the connection is broken. This alert can be used, for example, to issue a telephone call to the police, informing them of the breach of line integrity and possible compromise of the premise.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring over the Internet an existing alarm system having an analog telephone interface for outputting alarm signals, said method comprising the steps of:

connecting the analog telephone interface from the existing alarm system to a dedicated Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) module connected to the Internet,

establishing a continuous VoIP connection from the dedicated VoIP module to an alarm monitoring server connected to the Internet through a digital Internet interface,

monitoring the existing alarm system at the alarm-monitoring server connected to the Internet through a digital internet interface, and

indicating at the alarm monitoring server, when the continuous VoIP connection between the alarm-monitoring server and the existing alarm system is broken.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

transmitting from the existing alarm system to the alarm-monitoring server, an alarm signal over the Internet, when an alarm condition is indicated by the existing alarm system, and

indicating, from the alarm-monitoring server, that an alarm condition has been reported by the existing alarm system.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising the step of:

sending to a consumer from the alarm-monitoring server, a signal indicative that an alarm condition has been reported by the existing alarm system.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the signal sent to the consumer is a telephone call.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the signal sent to the consumer is an e-mail message.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the signal sent to the consumer is a text message.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

sending to a consumer from the alarm-monitoring server, a signal indicative that connection between the alarm-monitoring server and the existing alarm system is broken.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the signal sent to the consumer is a telephone call.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the signal sent to the consumer is an e-mail message.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the signal sent to the consumer is a text message.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

logging into the alarm-monitoring server by a consumer to access the existing alarm system, and

receiving input from the consumer to perform one or more of;

setting the existing alarm system, deactivating the existing alarm system, checking existing alarm system status, canceling an alarm on the existing alarm system, and programming the existing alarm system.

12. An alarm monitoring system comprising:

an existing alarm system having an analog telephone interface for outputting alarm signals;

a dedicated Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) module connecting the analog telephone interface from the existing alarm system to the Internet by establishing a continuous VoIP connection from the dedicated VoIP module to an alarm monitoring server connected to the Internet through a digital internet interface,

the alarm-monitoring server connected to the Internet through a digital Internet interface, for receiving signals from at least one existing alarm system, the alarm-monitoring server including;

a digital Internet interface for receiving signals from the at least one existing alarm system from the Internet,

a monitoring system for detecting when continuous VoIP connection from the alarm-monitoring server to the at least one existing alarm system is broken, and

a reporting system for reporting at least one of an alarm reported by the existing alarm system and when a connection from the alarm-monitoring server to the at least one alarm existing alarm system is broken.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the alarm-monitoring server further includes:

a communications system for sending a signal to a consumer indicative that an alarm condition has been reported by the existing alarm system.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the signal sent to the consumer is a telephone call.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the signal sent to the consumer is an e-mail message.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the signal sent to the consumer is a text message.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the alarm monitoring-server further includes:

a communications system for sending a signal to a consumer indicative that connection between the alarm-monitoring server and the existing alarm system is broken.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the signal sent to the consumer is a telephone call.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the signal sent to the consumer is an e-mail message.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the signal sent to the consumer is a text message.

21. The system of claim 12, wherein the alarm-monitoring server further includes:

a consumer interface allowing a consumer to log into the alarm-monitoring server by a consumer to access the existing alarm system, and receive input from the consumer to perform one or more of;

setting the existing alarm system, deactivating the existing alarm system, checking existing alarm system status, canceling an alarm on the existing alarm system, and programming the existing alarm system.

22. A method of redirecting a communication path from an existing alarm system having an analog telephone interface for outputting alarm signals to communicate with an alarm company, comprising the steps of:

disconnecting the existing alarm system having an analog telephone interface for outputting alarm signals from a telephone line,

connecting the existing alarm system analog telephone interface to a dedicated Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) module programmed to communicate with an alarm-monitoring server, and

connecting the dedicated VoIP module in a continuous VoIP connection from the dedicated VoIP module to an alarm monitoring server connected to the Internet through a digital Internet interface t,

wherein the existing alarm system communicates with the alarm-monitoring server through the module over the Internet connection.