Remote location monitoring

• US 8,154,398 B2
• Filed: 01/06/2009
• Issued: 04/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: La Crosse Technology IP Holdings LLC
• Original Assignee: La Crosse Technology IP Holdings LLC
• Inventors: Rolf, Haupt, McCormick, Allan
• Primary Examiner(s): Tweel, Jr., John A
• Application Number:
  US12/349,231
• Publication Number:
  US 20090243852A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,190 Days
• Field of Search: 340/506, 340 101- 103, 368/21, 368/47, 702/3
• US Class Current: 340/506
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 7/00 Indicating measured values
• CPC Class Codes: G01W 1/00 Meteorology
• CPC Class Codes: G01W 1/02 Instruments for indicating weather conditions by measuring two or more variables, e.g. humidity, pressure, temperature, cloud cover or wind speed G01W1/10 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01W 1/10 Devices for predicting weather conditions computers per se G06; display devices G09
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/08 using communication transmission lines G08B13/19658, G08B21/0286, G08B25/016 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/14 Central alarm receiver or annunciator arrangements

Abstract

A remote location monitoring system, for example, a home monitoring or weather monitoring system may include one or more sensors and/or receivers at a remote location such as a residence or business to be monitored. The sensors and receivers may communicate with a central server via a gateway device, and may be controlled by users locally or remotely via the server. Users may register to receive remote notifications of weather events and other home monitoring events. Users may also access remotely sensors and receivers to configure alerts, notifications, and automatic responses for the devices and integrated appliances at the remote location.

Claims

1. A server, comprising:

a processor controlling at least some operations of the server; and

memory storing computer executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the server to perform a method comprising;

receiving detection data via a computer network corresponding to a detection reading from a detector device at a remote location;

identifying a detector type associated with the received detection data;

retrieving detection parameters based on the detector type and associated with the remote location;

comparing the detection data to the retrieved detection parameters;

determining whether or not to notify one or more registered users associated with the remote location based on the comparison;

identifying one or more notification addresses associated with the remote location; and

transmitting a notification to each of the one or more notification addresses, said notifications indicating the detection reading from the detector device at the remote location.

2. The server of claim 1, wherein at least one of the notification addresses comprises a source web page stored at the server and said transmitting comprises updating the source web page to reflect the detection reading from the detector device at the remote location.

3. The server of claim 2, wherein the detection reading corresponds to weather data from a weather detector at the remote location, and wherein the server is configured to receive weather data from a plurality of weather detection devices at a plurality of geographically separate remote locations.

4. The server of claim 3, wherein the source web page comprises a user interface displaying weather data detection readings from each of the plurality of remote locations.

5. The server of claim 1, wherein the one or more notification addresses comprises at least one of a phone number, a pager number, an email address, and an instant messaging address, and wherein said transmitting comprises at least one of a telephone call, a page, a text message, an email, and an instant message.

6. The server of claim 1, wherein the received detection data comprises at least one of temperature data from a temperature sensor, wind data from a wind sensor, humidity data from a humidity sensor, rain data from a rain sensor, motion data from a motion detector, electricity consumption data from a power sensor, and alarm data from an alarm detector.

7. The server of claim 1, wherein the received detection data comprises data from an audio detector indicating that sounds from at least one of a smoke detector, fire alarm, or burglar alarm were detected at the remote location.

8. The server of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

starting a timer corresponding to the receipt of the detection data;

identifying a time duration associated with the detector device corresponding to the detection data;

determining that the timer has reached the time duration associated with the detector device without receiving additional detection data corresponding to the detector device; and

transmitting a notification to one or more notification addresses, said notification indicating that the detector device at the remote location has failed to report data in the time duration.

9. A method comprising:

receiving detection data via a computer network corresponding to a detection reading from a detector device at a remote location;

identifying a detector type associated with the received detection data;

retrieving detection parameters based on the detector type and associated with the remote location;

comparing the detection data to the retrieved detection parameters;

determining whether or not to notify one or more registered users associated with the remote location based on the comparison;

identifying one or more notification addresses associated with the remote location; and

transmitting a notification to each of the one or more notification addresses, said notifications indicating the detection reading from the detector device at the remote location.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein at least one of the notification addresses comprises a source web page and said transmitting comprises updating the source web page to reflect the detection reading from the detector device at the remote location.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the detection reading corresponds to weather data from a weather detector at the remote location, and wherein the method further comprises receiving weather data from a plurality of weather detection devices at a plurality of geographically separate remote locations.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the source web page comprises a user interface displaying weather data detection readings from each of the plurality of remote locations.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the one or more notification addresses comprises at least one of a phone number, a pager number, an email address, and an instant messaging address, and wherein said transmitting comprises at least one of a telephone call, a page, a text message, an email, and an instant message.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the received detection data comprises at least one of temperature data from a temperature sensor, wind data from a wind sensor, humidity data from a humidity sensor, rain data from a rain sensor, motion data from a motion detector, electricity consumption data from a power sensor, and alarm data from an alarm detector.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the received detection data comprises data from an audio detector indicating that sounds from at least one of a smoke detector, fire alarm, or burglar alarm were detected at the remote location.

16. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

starting a timer corresponding to the receipt of the detection data;

identifying a time duration associated with the detector device corresponding to the detection data;

determining that the timer has reached the time duration associated with the detector device without receiving additional detection data corresponding to the detector device; and

transmitting a notification to one or more notification addresses, said notification indicating that the detector device at the remote location has failed to report data in the time duration.