Remote control of a security system using telephone device

• US 8,077,845 B2
• Filed: 06/27/2007
• Issued: 12/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ademco Inc. (Resideo Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Martin, Christopher D.
• Primary Examiner(s): SMITH, CREIGHTON H
• Application Number:
  US11/769,342
• Publication Number:
  US 20090003564A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,630 Days
• Field of Search: 379/102.01, 379/102.06, 726/2, 726/17
• US Class Current: 379/102.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/04 with alarm systems, e.g. fire, police or burglar alarm systems

Abstract

System and method for remotely controlling at least one local security system from a telephone device. The system includes a reception section for receiving a telephone call, a decoding section for decoding input from a caller and a controller for receiving the information and authenticating the caller based upon the detected information. The system also includes a voice server controlled by the controller for interfacing between the system and the caller. The voice server prompts the caller for information used to authenticate the caller, reports a status of each local security system and prompts the caller to select a particular local security system to control. Furthermore, the system includes a central database that contains subscriber information separated into subscriber records. The subscriber record includes at least one subscriber identifier authorized to control each local security system. The control instruction is transmitted to a selected local security system by a transmission section.

Claims

1. A method of remotely managing at least one security system associated with a subscriber account comprising the steps of:

a) receiving a telephone call from a telephone device;

b) authenticating a caller based on information entered by a caller;

c) retrieving a status for each of said at least one security system based upon said authenticating;

d) relaying said status for each of said at least one security system to the telephone device;

e) receiving a control instruction and control passcode from the telephone device for a selected one of said at least one security system;

f) transmitting the control instruction and control passcode to the selected security system; and

g) executing the control instruction.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein steps (e)-(g) are repeated for each of said at least one security system associated with a subscriber account.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of authenticating the caller based on information regarding the telephone device.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein said information regarding the telephone device is either a caller ID or ANI number and authenticating the caller based on information regarding the telephone device includes comparing the caller ID or ANI number detected from the telephone call with a list of caller IDs or ANI numbers stored in a subscriber database.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein a subscriber identifier is compared with a stored subscriber identifier associated with said telephone device and said subscriber passcode is compared with a stored subscriber passcode associated with a subscriber account that corresponds to a matched subscriber identifier.

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein said telephone call is allowed to proceed past the authenticating steps if said caller ID or ANI number matches a prestored caller ID or ANI number, a subscriber identifier matches a stored identifier and a subscriber passcode matches a stored subscriber passcode and all of the stored matched information is contained in the same subscriber account.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the subscriber account contains a plurality of security systems, where each of said plurality of security systems are located at different locations.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

determining a number of said at least one security system associated with the subscriber account;

assigning at least one a telephone number digit to each determined security system; and

prompting the subscriber to select a particular security system from said at least one security system to control, where each of said security system is identified by a unique name and indicated by the at least one digit on a telephone keypad said prompting including a list of the determined number local security systems.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

transmitting a confirmation from said selected security system; and

relaying the confirmation to said caller.

10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of authorizing the control authority for the caller for the selected security system based upon at least one authorization criterion.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein said at least one authorization criterion is different for each of the at least one security system.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein at least one authorization criterion is a time of day in which said call is received.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein said at least one authorization criterion is an entered control instruction.

14. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of assigning a dealer specific telephone number used by a caller to access said at least one security system using said telephone device.

15. The method according to claim 1, farther comprising the steps of:

maintaining a website that is accessible to a subscriber or dealer, said website adapted for receiving at least one subscriber identifier that the subscriber authorizes to receive control instructions from; and

storing the at least one subscriber identifier number in a central database in a subscriber record.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the subscriber record is modified by a dealer.

23. The method according to claim 1, wherein said entered information is a subscriber identifier and a subscriber passcode.

24. The method according to claim 23, wherein the subscriber identifier is compared with a stored subscriber identifier and said subscriber passcode is compared with a stored subscriber passcode associated with a subscriber account that corresponds to the matched subscriber identifier.

25. The method according to claim 24, wherein said telephone call is allowed to proceed past the authenticating steps if said subscriber identifier matches the stored identifier and the subscriber passcode matches the stored subscriber passcode and the matched information is contained in the same subscriber account.

26. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of authentication a caller based upon voice identification.

27. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of maintaining a history log of caller access, including the time of call, subscriber number, information accessed and control instruction.

17. A network operation center (NOC) comprising:

a reception section for receiving a telephone call from a caller, said caller intending to control at least one security system associated with a subscriber account;

a decoding section for decoding input from a caller using a telephone device;

a controller for receiving decoded information and authenticating the caller based upon detected information;

a voice server controlled by the controller for interfacing between the NOC and the caller, the voice server prompting the caller for information used to authenticate the caller, reporting a status of each of said at least one security system and prompting the caller to select a particular security system to control and input a control instruction;

a central database including subscriber information separated into subscriber records, the subscriber records including at least one subscriber identifier authorized to control each of said at least one security system, the subscriber record also including the status of each of said at least one security system, the voice server and control section are adopted to access the subscriber information from the central database; and

a transmission section for transmitting a control instruction to a selected security system.

18. The NOC of claim 17, further comprising a reception section for receiving a confirmation signal from the selected security system indicating the execution of the control instruction.

19. The NOC of claim 18, wherein the voice server relays the confirmation signal to the caller.

20. The NOC of claim 17, wherein the decoding section is a DTMF decoder.

21. The NOC of claim 17, wherein the decoding section is a voice pattern recognition unit.

22. The NOC of claim 18, further comprising a subscriber web server that maintains a subscriber website that is accessible to a subscriber, the website adapted for receiving at least one subscriber record that the subscriber authorizes to send control instructions, the web server forwards all received information to the central database.