Systems and devices for broadband communication with an alarm panel

• US 8,149,105 B2
• Filed: 05/27/2008
• Issued: 04/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Pumpelly, John Albert, Reed, James Keith
• Primary Examiner(s): Crosland, Donnie
• Application Number:
  US12/127,321
• Publication Number:
  US 20080224851A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,407 Days
• Field of Search: 340/538
• US Class Current: 340/538
• 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 25/06 using power transmission lines
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/08 using communication transmission lines G08B13/19658, G08B21/0286, G08B25/016 take precedence

Abstract

A communications system for an alarm panel including: an alarm panel adaptor in operable communication with the alarm panel generating analog alarm signals; a first powerline communications device in operable communication with a the alarm panel adaptor converting the analog alarm signals to powerline alarm signals; a second powerline communications device receiving the powerline alarm signals over an electrical grid and converting the powerline alarm signals to internet protocol alarm signals; and a broadband connection in operable communication with the second powerline communications device for transmitting the internet protocol alarm signals to a remote central control station.

Claims

1. A method of providing a communications system for an alarm panel, the method comprising:

providing an alarm panel adaptor in operable communication with the alarm panel generating analog alarm signals, the analog alarm signals for transmission over a telephone network;

providing a first powerline communications device in operable communication with the alarm panel adaptor converting the analog alarm signals to powerline alarm signals;

providing a second powerline communications device receiving the powerline alarm signals over an electrical grid and converting the powerline alarm signals to internet protocol alarm signals; and

providing a broadband connection in operable communication with the second powerline communications device for transmitting the internet protocol alarm signals to a remote central control station.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the alarm panel communicates with the remote central control station through the broadband connection.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the local electrical grid has a voltage of approximately one hundred and twenty volts and has a frequency of approximately sixty hertz.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and the second powerline communication devices utilize orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing to communicate over the local electrical grid.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and the second powerline communication devices utilize frequency-shift keying to communicate over the local electrical grid.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the broadband connection is

a cable modem connection.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the alarm panel adaptor and the first powerline communications device are disposed in a single device.

8. A method for enabling an alarm panel to communicate over a broadband connection, the method comprising:

providing a first communications port for communicating an analog alarm signal with the alarm panel, the analog alarm signal for transmission over a telephone network;

providing a processor in operable communication with the first communications port receiving and relaying the analog alarm signal;

providing a first powerline communications device in operable communication with the processor for converting the analog alarm signal into a powerline alarm signal; and

providing a second communications port communicating the powerline alarm signal over a local electrical grid.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the powerline alarm signal is formed using orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the powerline alarm signal is a frequency-shift keyed signal.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the first communications port is a standard telephone jack.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the second communications port is a standard AC power connector.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the local electrical grid has a voltage of approximately one hundred and twenty volts and has a frequency of approximately sixty hertz.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the broadband connection is

a T1 connection.

15. A method for enabling an alarm panel for use over a broadband connection, the method comprising:

connecting the alarm panel to a first powerline communications device;

converting analog alarm signals for transmission over a telephone network from the alarm panel to powerline alarm signals for transmission on an electrical grid;

connecting the first powerline communications device to a local electrical grid;

connecting a second powerline communications device to the broadband connection; and

connecting the second powerline communications device to the local electrical grid wherein the alarm panel is able to communicate with the broadband connection through the local electrical grid.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the local electrical grid has a voltage of approximately one hundred and twenty volts and has a frequency of approximately sixty hertz.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the first and the second powerline communication devices utilize orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing to communicate over the local electrical grid.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the first and the second powerline communication devices utilize frequency-shift keying to communicate over the local electrical grid.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the broadband connection is

a DSL connection.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the alarm panel adaptor and the first powerline communications device are disposed in a single device.