Alarm system activation platform

• US 7,613,278 B2
• Filed: 09/07/2006
• Issued: 11/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Numerex Corporation (Sierra Wireless Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: NextAlarm International, Inc.
• Inventors: Elliot, Daniel J., Elliot, Harvey Alexander, Field-Elliot, Bryan
• Primary Examiner(s): Ramakrishnaiah; Melur
• Application Number:
  US11/517,025
• Publication Number:
  US 20070081634A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,153 Days
• Field of Search: 379 37- 49, 340/506, 340/531
• US Class Current: 379/37
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/045 using recorded signals, e.g. speech
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/04 for emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/08 Indicating faults in circuits or apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/2227 Quality of service monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0084 Network monitoring; Error detection; Error recovery; Network testing

Abstract

Alarm System Activation Platform (ASAP) is a customer relationship management system for activating and maintaining a large number of alarm monitoring accounts with a minimum of work per account. It differs from standard alarm customer relationship management systems in that it is designed from the ground up to be entirely automated. ASAP eliminates most or all of this partly through automation of account processing and partly through providing tools to the customer to allow “self-service” activation and maintenance. It allows large numbers of accounts to be quickly activated and maintained with only a very small amount of work required per account.

Claims

1. A method for interfacing with an alarm monitoring customer to accumulate alarm monitoring data, comprising the steps of:

receiving, though a customer interface, customer information data;

comparing customer information data with predetermined customer values and determining whether a customer is qualified or disqualified for alarm monitoring service; and

if qualified, generating an activation process, prompting for customer alarm information data,

wherein the activation process further comprises the steps of;

comparing the alarm information data to predetermined alarm values and determining if a customer alarm system can be automatically programmed,

programming the customer alarm system if it is determined that the customer alarm system can he automatically programmed, and

compiling the customer information data and the alarm information data into account data, and forwarding compiled account data to an alarm monitoring service provider to monitor the customer alarm system.

2. A method for interfacing with an alarm monitoring customer to accumulate alarm monitoring data, comprising the steps of:

receiving, though a customer interface, customer information data;

comparing customer information data with predetermined customer values and determining whether a customer is qualified or disqualified for alarm monitoring service; and

if qualified, generating an activation process, prompting for customer alarm information data,

wherein the activation process further comprises the steps of;

comparing the alarm information data to predetermined alarm values and determining if a customer alarm system can be automatically programmed,

programming the customer alarm system if it is determined the customer alarm system can be automatically programmed,

forwarding an alarm redirector to the customer if it is determined that the customer alarm system cannot be automatically programmed, and

compiling the customer information data and the alarm information data into account data, and forwarding compiled account data to an alarm monitoring service provider to monitor the customer alarm system.

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

receiving, through the customer interface from the customer, data to update customer information,

placing the customer information in a customer file for review, and

forwarding updated reviewed customer information to the alarm monitoring service provider.

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

placing account data into an active state after account data has been forwarded to the alarm monitoring service provider,

placing account data into an active awaiting billing state after a first periodic period of time,

returning an account to the active state after a second period of time if a balance on the account has been paid, and

placing account data into a suspended mode after the second period of time if the balance on the account has not been paid.

5. The system of claim 2, further comprising the steps of:

receiving, through a customer interface, a customer request to put the customer alarm system in test mode, and

intercepting, at a middleware provider, alarm signals from the customer alarm system in response to a customer request to put the customer alarm system in test mode.

6. The system of claim 2, further comprising the steps of:

receiving, through a customer interface, a customer request for alarm system data,

receiving, at a middleware provider, alarm signals from the customer alarm system, and

forwarding to a customer, data indicating selected alarm signals received by the middleware provider.

7. A system for interfacing with an alarm monitoring customer to accumulate alarm monitoring data, comprising:

a customer interface for receiving customer information data; and

activation means for comparing customer information data with predetermined customer values and determining whether a customer is qualified or disqualified for alarm monitoring service and if qualified, generating an activation process, prompting for customer alarm information data,

wherein the activation means further comprises;

means for comparing the alarm information data to predetermined alarm values and determining if a customer alarm system can he automatically programmed,

means for programming the customer alarm system if it is determined that the customer alarm system can he automatically programmed, and

means for compiling the customer information data and the alarm information data into account data, and forwarding compiled account data to an alarm monitoring service provider to monitor the customer alarm system.

8. A system A system for interfacing with an alarm monitoring customer to accumulate alarm monitoring data, comprising:

a customer interface for receiving customer information data; and

activation means for comparing customer information data with predetermined customer values and determining whether a customer is qualified or disqualified for alarm monitoring service and if qualified, generating an activation process, prompting for customer alarm information data,

wherein the activation means further comprises;

means for comparing the alarm information data to predetermined alarm values and determining if a customer alarm system can be automatically programmed,

means for programming the customer alarm system if it is determined the customer alarm system can be automatically programmed,

means for forwarding an alarm redirector to the customer if it is determined that the customer alarm system cannot be automatically programmed, and

means for compiling the customer information data and the alarm information data into account data, and forwarding compiled account data to an alarm monitoring service provider to monitor the customer alarm system.

9. The system of claim 8, further comprising:

means for receiving, through the customer interface from the customer, data to update customer information,

means for placing the customer information in a customer file for review, and

means for forwarding updated reviewed customer information to the alarm monitoring service provider.

10. The system of claim 8, further comprising:

means for placing account data into an active state after account data has been forwarded to the alarm monitoring service provider,

means for placing account data into an active awaiting billing state after a first periodic period of time,

means for returning an account to the active state after a second period of time if a balance on the account has been paid, and

means for placing account data into a suspended mode after the second period of time if the balance on the account has not been paid.

11. The system of claim 8, further comprising:

means for receiving, through a customer interface, a customer request to put the customer alarm system in test mode, and

means for intercepting, at a middleware provider, alarm signals from the customer alarm system in response to a customer request to put the customer alarm system in test mode.

12. The system of claim 8, further comprising:

means for receiving, through a customer interface, a customer request for alarm system data,

means for receiving, at a middleware provider, alarm signals from the customer alarm system, and

means for forwarding to a customer, data indicating selected alarm signals received by the middleware provider.