Alarm signaling technology

• US 8,698,614 B1
• Filed: 07/22/2013
• Issued: 04/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alarm.com Inc. (Alarm.com Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Alarm.com Inc. (Alarm.com Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Trundle, Stephen Scott, Slavin, Alison Jane, Martin, Jean-Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Phung
• Application Number:
  US13/947,207
• Time in Patent Office: 267 Days
• Field of Search: 340/506, 340/527, 340/528, 340/539.14, 340/502, 340/505, 340/541, 455/404.1
• US Class Current: 340/507
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/005 Alarm destination chosen according to a hierarchy of available destinations, e.g. if hospital does not answer send to police station
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/006 Alarm destination chosen according to type of event, e.g. in case of fire phone the fire service, in case of medical emergency phone the ambulance
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/008 Alarm setting and unsetting, i.e. arming or disarming of the security system
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 29/02 Monitoring continuously signalling or alarm systems
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 29/046 prevention of tampering with detection circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 29/185 Signal analysis techniques for reducing or preventing false alarms or for enhancing the reliability of the system

Abstract

Techniques are described for handling an event where a control panel or an alarm signaling device is tampered with or destroyed by a disablement tactic, e.g., a “crash and smash intrusion”.

Claims

1. An offsite system comprising:

communication equipment configured to exchange signals with at least one component of an alarm system that is configured to monitor a building, the at least one component being located within the building and the offsite system being located at an offsite location that is physically separate from the building; and

at least one server configured to perform operations comprising;

exchanging, through the communication equipment and over a network, pinging communications with the at least one component of the alarm system;

analyzing the exchanged pinging communications; and

handling alarm system destruction detection for the alarm system based on the analysis of the exchanged pinging communications,

wherein the communication equipment comprises a first communication device configured to exchange communications over a first type of network with a first component of the alarm system and a second communication device configured to exchange communications over a second type of network with a second component of the alarm system, the second type of network being different than the first type of network; and

wherein exchanging pinging communications with the at least one component of the alarm system comprises exchanging, through the first communication device, pinging communications with the first component of the alarm system.

2. An offsite system comprising:

communication equipment configured to exchange signals with at least one component of an alarm system that is configured to monitor a building, the at least one component being located within the building and the offsite system being located at an offsite location that is physically separate from the building; and

at least one server configured to perform operations comprising;

exchanging, through the communication equipment and over a network, pinging communications with the at least one component of the alarm system;

analyzing the exchanged pinging communications; and

handling alarm system destruction detection for the alarm system based on the analysis of the exchanged pinging communications,

wherein handling alarm system destruction detection for the alarm system based on the analysis of the exchanged pinging communications comprises detecting an alarm system destruction event based on a time of a most recent communication received from the at least one component of the alarm system.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein exchanging pinging communications with the at least one component of the alarm system comprises receiving pinging communications initiated by the at least one component of the alarm system.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein exchanging pinging communications with the at least one component of the alarm system comprises initiating pinging communications to the at least one component of the alarm system and monitoring for receipt of acknowledgements of the pinging communications from the at least one component of the alarm system.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein exchanging pinging communications with the at least one component of the alarm system comprises beginning exchange of pinging communications based on a potential alarm event signal.

6. The system of claim 2, wherein exchanging, through the communication equipment and over the network, pinging communications with the at least one component of the alarm system comprises exchanging pinging communications periodically during operation of the alarm system regardless of whether the alarm system has detected a potential alarm event.

7. An offsite system comprising:

communication equipment configured to exchange signals with at least one component of an alarm system that is configured to monitor a building, the at least one component being located within the building and the offsite system being located at an offsite location that is physically separate from the building; and

at least one server configured to perform operations comprising;

exchanging, through the communication equipment and over a network, pinging communications with the at least one component of the alarm system;

analyzing the exchanged pinging communications; and

handling alarm system destruction detection for the alarm system based on the analysis of the exchanged pinging communications,

wherein handling alarm system destruction detection for the alarm system based on the analysis of the exchanged pinging communications comprises detecting an alarm system destruction event based on a number of expected communications that have not been received from the at least one component of the alarm system.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein exchanging pinging communications with the at least one component of the alarm system comprises receiving pinging communications initiated by the at least one component of the alarm system.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein exchanging pinging communications with the at least one component of the alarm system comprises initiating pinging communications to the at least one component of the alarm system and monitoring for receipt of acknowledgements of the pinging communications from the at least one component of the alarm system.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein exchanging pinging communications with the at least one component of the alarm system comprises beginning exchange of pinging communications based on a potential alarm event signal.

11. A method comprising:

exchanging, over a network and through communication equipment configured to exchange signals with at least one component of an alarm system that is configured to monitor a building, pinging communications with the at least one component of the alarm system, the at least one component being located within the building and the communication equipment being located at an offsite location that is physically separate from the building;

analyzing, by at least one server, the exchanged pinging communications; and

handling, by at least one server, alarm system destruction detection for the alarm system based on the analysis of the exchanged pinging communications,

wherein the communication equipment comprises a first communication device configured to exchange communications over a first type of network with a first component of the alarm system and a second communication device configured to exchange communications over a second type of network with a second component of the alarm system, the second type of network being different than the first type of network; and

wherein exchanging pinging communications with the at least one component of the alarm system comprises exchanging, through the first communication device, pinging communications with the first component of the alarm system.

12. A method comprising:

exchanging, over a network and through communication equipment configured to exchange signals with at least one component of an alarm system that is configured to monitor a building, pinging communications with the at least one component of the alarm system, the at least one component being located within the building and the communication equipment being located at an offsite location that is physically separate from the building;

analyzing, by at least one server, the exchanged pinging communications; and

handling, by at least one server, alarm system destruction detection for the alarm system based on the analysis of the exchanged pinging communications,

wherein handling alarm system destruction detection for the alarm system based on the analysis of the exchanged pinging communications comprises detecting an alarm system destruction event based on a time of a most recent communication received from the at least one component of the alarm system.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein exchanging pinging communications with the at least one component of the alarm system comprises receiving pinging communications initiated by the at least one component of the alarm system.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein exchanging pinging communications with the at least one component of the alarm system comprises initiating pinging communications to the at least one component of the alarm system and monitoring for receipt of acknowledgements of the pinging communications from the at least one component of the alarm system.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein exchanging pinging communications with the at least one component of the alarm system comprises beginning exchange of pinging communications based on a potential alarm event signal.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein exchanging, through the communication equipment and over the network, pinging communications with the at least one component of the alarm system comprises exchanging pinging communications periodically during operation of the alarm system regardless of whether the alarm system has detected a potential alarm event.

17. A method comprising:

exchanging, over a network and through communication equipment configured to exchange signals with at least one component of an alarm system that is configured to monitor a building, pinging communications with the at least one component of the alarm system, the at least one component being located within the building and the communication equipment being located at an offsite location that is physically separate from the building;

analyzing, by at least one server, the exchanged pinging communications; and

handling, by at least one server, alarm system destruction detection for the alarm system based on the analysis of the exchanged pinging communications,

wherein handling alarm system destruction detection for the alarm system based on the analysis of the exchanged pinging communications comprises detecting an alarm system destruction event based on a number of expected communications that have not been received from the at least one component of the alarm system.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein exchanging pinging communications with the at least one component of the alarm system comprises receiving pinging communications initiated by the at least one component of the alarm system.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein exchanging pinging communications with the at least one component of the alarm system comprises initiating pinging communications to the at least one component of the alarm system and monitoring for receipt of acknowledgements of the pinging communications from the at least one component of the alarm system.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein exchanging pinging communications with the at least one component of the alarm system comprises beginning exchange of pinging communications based on a potential alarm event signal.