Alarm system call-back number provision and retrieval

• US 8,744,399 B2
• Filed: 04/24/2012
• Issued: 06/03/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Johnson Controls Tyco IP Holdings LLP (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Original Assignee: Tyco Safety Products Canada Limited (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Inventors: Smith, Derek C., Evans, Robert N., Patel, Jitendra
• Primary Examiner(s): MILLER, BRANDON J
• Application Number:
  US13/454,254
• Publication Number:
  US 20130281044A1
• Time in Patent Office: 770 Days
• Field of Search: 4554041-4042, 455/414.1, 455418-420, 455/466, 455/414.2
• US Class Current: 455/404.1
• 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 25/014 Alarm signalling to a central station with two-way communication, e.g. with signalling back
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/04 with alarm systems, e.g. fire, police or burglar alarm systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]

Abstract

A control panel of an alarm system at a premises stores call-back numbers/addresses and provides these to a monitoring center, as required. In embodiments, the call-back numbers/address may be provided along with the signalling of an alarm condition. In other embodiments, call-back numbers/addresses may be retrieved from the panel at the request of an operator or installer, or periodically. Call-back numbers/address may be stored or updated at the panel by installers or occupants, or automatically.

Claims

1. A method of maintaining a list of call-back addresses associated with an alarm panel at a user premises, comprising:

storing said list of call-back addresses at an alarm monitoring center for retrieval at said monitoring center upon receipt of an alarm notification from said panel;

maintaining a version of said list of call-back addresses at said panel;

initiating from said monitoring center retrieval of said version of said list, and retrieving to said monitoring center said version of said list of call-back addresses from said panel over a packet switched network;

updating said list of call back addresses at said alarm monitoring center, to correspond said version of said list of call-back addresses at said panel.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said list of call-back addresses is retrieved from said panel automatically at scheduled intervals.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said list of call-back addresses comprises a cellular telephone number.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said list of call-back addresses comprises a PSTN telephone number, or an internet address.

5. A method of operating a monitoring center that receives signals indicative of sensed alarm conditions at a premises from an alarm panel over a packet switched data network, said method comprising:

maintaining at said monitoring center a record identifying said alarm panel, said record including a field for storing a call-back address;

initiating at said monitoring center retrieval from said panel of a call-back address stored at said panel and retrieving from said panel said call-back address stored at said panel, said call-back address to be contacted in case of an alarm condition at said alarm panel, and signalled from said alarm panel to said monitoring center over said packet switched data network;

storing said call-back address as retrieved from said panel at said monitoring center in said field, for later retrieval and call-back of said call-back address in the event of an alarm condition signalled to said monitoring center.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said call-back address comprises a cellular telephone number, stored automatically at said panel after said panel connects to a cellular network.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising retrieving said call-back address from said record and placing a telephone call to said call-back address, said telephone call for two-way communication between said panel and said monitoring center, in response to having received a reported alarm condition.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said telephone call is a voice over internet protocol (VoIP) call.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein said call-back address comprises a PSTN telephone number, or an internet address.

10. The method of claim 5, wherein said record includes at least one field for storing multiple call-back addresses, and wherein said method further comprises storing said multiple call-back addresses at said panel, and providing said multiple stored call-back addresses from said alarm panel to said monitoring center over said packet switched network.

11. The method of claim 5, further comprising contacting said multiple call-back addresses from said monitoring center in a defined order in response to an alarm condition.