Method and system for automatically providing alternate network access for telecommunications

• US 8,451,986 B2
• Filed: 04/23/2007
• Issued: 05/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: iControl Networks, Inc. (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: iControl Networks, Inc. (Comcast Corporation)
• Inventors: Cohn, Alan Wade, Battles, Ronald E., Proft, David, Shumate, Scott William
• Primary Examiner(s): Gauthier, Gerald
• Assistant Examiner(s): King, Simon
• Application Number:
  US11/738,862
• Publication Number:
  US 20080261515A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,227 Days
• Field of Search: 709/224, 709/238, 709/217, 370/352, 379/325, 379/40, 379/42, 379/220.01, 340/539.14, 455/404.1
• US Class Current: 379/40
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/004 Alarm propagated along alternative communication path or using alternative communication medium according to a hierarchy of available ways to communicate, e.g. if Wi-Fi not available use GSM
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/12 Arrangements for remote connection or disconnection of substations or of equipment thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2801 Broadband local area networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2856 Access arrangements, e.g. Internet access asynchronous transfer mode networks H04L12/5601; broadband local area networks H04L12/2801; optical access or distribution networks H04Q11/0067; access to open networks H04L12/5691; digital subscriber line end-user equipment and bit-level processing of data on a PSTN-based network H04M11/00; home network gateways H04L12/2834; wireless access networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2898 Subscriber equipments DSL modems H04M11/062; cable modems H04L12/2801
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/04 with alarm systems, e.g. fire, police or burglar alarm systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0025 Provisions for signalling
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/042 Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/50 in wire-line communication networks, e.g. low power modes or reduced link rate

Abstract

A communications unit is provided that can be coupled to a building'"'"'s telecommunication wiring to provide an automated mechanism for isolating the building'"'"'s wiring from a PSTN, while also providing a telecommunications connection to an alternative communications network via, for example, broadband or cellular networks. The communications unit can further be configured to be coupled to an alarm controller unit of a security system, thereby permitting the security system to communicate with a remote server system without loss of alarm data. The communications unit can also be configured to permit the legacy security system to provide normal disconnect functionality of building telephones from an outgoing telecommunications line while an alarm condition is present.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a processor coupled to a security system and configured to receive information from the security system;

a first interface to a public switched telephone network (PSTN) coupled to a first switch configured to be controlled by the processor;

a second interface to a building telephone wiring coupled to the first switch and a second switch, wherein the processor is configured to isolate the building telephone wiring from the PSTN by placing the switch in an open state in response to the processor receiving communication configuration information, wherein the processor is configured to couple the building telephone wiring to the processor by placing the second switch in the closed state in response to the processor receiving the communication configuration information; and

a network interface coupled to the processor and coupled to a network and configured to receive communication configuration information from a remote server located external to the building and coupled to the network, wherein the processor is further configured to transmit the information from the security system to the remote server using a selected one of the network interface, the first interface, and a cellular interface coupled to the processor.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, comprising:

an analog telephone adapter (ATA) configured to convert information in analog signals received by the second interface for transmission on the network; and

the network interface is coupled to the ATA and is configured to transmit the converted information on the network.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, comprising the cellular interface coupled to the second interface and configured to transmit information provided in analog signals received by the second interface to a cellular network.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to convert the information received from the security system to a form appropriate for the selected transmission interface.

5. An apparatus comprising:

a first interface to a public switched telephone network (PSTN);

a second interface to a building telephone wiring;

means for receiving communication configuration information from a network, wherein the communication information is transmitted by a remote server located external to the building;

means for converting information in analog signals received by the second interface for transmission on a network;

means for automatically isolating the building telephone wiring from the PSTN, wherein the isolating is performed in response to the communication configuration information;

means for automatically coupling the building telephone wiring to the means for converting, wherein the coupling is performed in response to the communication configuration information;

means for receiving information from a security system; and

means for transmitting the information from the security system to the remote server using one of an interface to the network, the first interface, and a means for transmitting to a cellular network.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, comprising means for transmitting the converted signals to the network.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, comprising means for transmitting information contained in analog signals received by the second interface to a cellular network.