System and method for analyzing faulty event transmissions

• US 8,077,027 B2
• Filed: 02/27/2009
• Issued: 12/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Johnson Controls Tyco IP Holdings LLP (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Original Assignee: Tyco Safety Products Canada Limited (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Inventors: Foisy, Stephane
• Primary Examiner(s): Previl, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US12/394,738
• Publication Number:
  US 20100219970A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,019 Days
• Field of Search: 340/521, 340/531, 340/605, 340/606, 340/616, 340/618, 340/533, 340/534, 340/525, 340/538.11, 340/538.15, 340/539.1, 340/539.21, 340/539.22
• US Class Current: 340/521
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/10 using a centralized architecture
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/823 where the data is sent when the measured values exceed a threshold, e.g. sending an alarm
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/86 Performing a diagnostic of the sensing device
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom

Abstract

A system and method are disclosed for recording and evaluating faults in event transmissions between security system components. A panel in a monitored building may send event signals to a receiver located in a central monitoring facility. Event signals may represent a status of individual alarms or sensors in the building, or they may provide a status of the system as a whole. If the quality of the transmission is substandard or in a format that is unacceptable to the receiver, the signal data associated with the event is recorded for analysis. Recording is controlled by a line card associated with the receiver, and the signal data is stored in local or remote memory. Signal data can be manually or automatically analyzed to determine the source of the fault. In addition, recorded signal data can be used to build customized software to recognize signals from previously unrecognized or faulty panels.

Claims

1. A method for identifying event transmissions, comprising:

at a receiver at a second location, receiving event signal data from a panel at a first location;

processing the event signal data at the receiver;

recording the event signal data in memory associated with the receiver;

determining whether the event signal data conforms to a predefined parameter or protocol;

identifying the recorded event signal data as data to be overwritten if the event signal is recognized by the receiver;

identifying the recorded event signal data as data to be saved if the event signal is not recognized by the receiver.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of providing an indication that recorded event signal data is available for review.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the indication comprises an alert sent to a system operator.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first location is a monitored building, and the event signal data is representative of an alarm condition sensed by at least one sensor located within the monitored building.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first location is a monitored building, and the event signal data is representative of a status of an alarm system associated with the monitored building.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first location is a monitored building and the second location is a central monitoring facility located geographically remote from the monitored building.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of receiving event signal data comprises receiving data over a communications link selected from the list consisting of an analog telephone line, a digital telephone line, and a wireless connection.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of recording the event signal data comprises recording data representative of at least one of debug data, time stamp data, and raw error code data.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising adjusting a characteristic of the receiver based on the recorded event signal data.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising modifying the predefined parameter or protocol, or generating an additional parameter or protocol for judging the acceptability of the event signal data, based on the recorded event signal data.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of recording the event signal data comprises recording signal data at a plurality of locations within the receiver.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of recording the event signal data comprises recording audio signals.

13. A system for identifying faulty event transmissions for use with a system comprising a plurality of alarms and an alarm panel associated with a monitored building, a receiver associated with a central monitoring facility, and a machine-readable storage medium encoded with a computer program code that, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to perform a method comprising:

receiving event signal data from the alarm panel;

processing the event signal data at the receiver;

recording the event signal data in memory associated with the receiver;

determining whether the event signal data conforms to a predefined parameter or protocol;

identifying the recorded event signal data as data to be overwritten if the event signal is recognized by the receiver; and

identifying the recorded event signal data as data to be saved if the event signal is not recognized by the receiver.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the method performed by the processor further comprises providing an indication that recorded event signal data is available for review.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the indication comprises an alert to a system operator.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the event signal data is representative of an alarm condition sensed by at least one sensor located within the monitored building.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the event signal data is representative of a status of an alarm system associated with the monitored building.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein the monitored building and the central monitoring facility are connected via a communications link.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the communications link selected from the list consisting of an analog telephone line, a digital telephone line, and a wireless connection.

20. The system of claim 13, wherein the event signal data comprises at least one of audio data, debug data, time stamp data, and raw error code data.

21. The system of claim 13, further comprising adjusting a characteristic of the receiver based on the recorded event signal data.

22. The system of claim 13, wherein the method performed by the processor further comprises modifying the predefined parameter or protocol, or generating an additional parameter or protocol for judging the acceptability of the event signal data based on the recorded event signal data.

23. The system of claim 13, wherein the step of recording the event signal data comprises recording signal data at a plurality of locations within the receiver.

24. The system of claim 13, wherein the step of recording the event signal data comprises recording audio signals.

25. A system for identifying faulty event transmissions for use with a system comprising a plurality of alarms and an alarm panel associated with a monitored building, a receiver associated with a central monitoring facility, and a machine-readable storage medium encoded with a computer program code that, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to perform a method comprising:

receiving event signal data from the alarm panel;

processing the event signal data at the receiver;

recording the event signal data in memory associated with the receiver;

identifying the recorded event signal data as data to be overwritten if the event signal is recognized by the receiver; and

identifying the recorded event signal data as faulty if the event signal is not recognized by the receiver, and identifying the faulty event signal data as data to be saved.