Controlling data routing among networks

• US 8,825,871 B2
• Filed: 08/25/2008
• Issued: 09/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: iControl Networks, Inc. (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: iControl Networks, Inc. (Comcast Corporation)
• Inventors: Baum, Marc, Dawes, Paul J., DeCenzo, Chris, Gutt, Gerry, Raji, Reza, Wood, Aaron
• Primary Examiner(s): Shin, Kyung H
• Application Number:
  US12/198,060
• Publication Number:
  US 20090070477A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,199 Days
• Field of Search: 709/230, 709/231, 709/218, 709/238, 709/245, 709/227, 340/531, 370/389
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/954 Navigation, e.g. using categorised browsing
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19656 Network used to communicate with a camera, e.g. WAN, LAN, Internet
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/003 Address allocation methods and details
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2809 indicating that an appliance service is present in a home automation network monitoring functionality H04L43/0817; discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services, H04L67/51
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2818 from a device located outside both the home and the home network access arrangements H04L12/2856; for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025; arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless eletrical link G08C17/00; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with remote control systems H04M11/007
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2841 Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2843 Mains power line
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2575 using address mapping retrieval, e.g. simple traversal of user datagram protocol through session traversal utilities for NAT [STUN]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2582 through control of the NAT server, e.g. using universal plug and play [UPnP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/029 Firewall traversal, e.g. tunnelling or, creating pinholes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/166 at the transport layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/025 for remote control or remote monitoring of applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2187 Live feed
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

An integrated security system integrates broadband and mobile access and control with conventional security systems and premise devices to provide a tri-mode security network having remote connectivity and access. The integrated security system delivers remote premise monitoring and control functionality to conventional monitored premise protection and complements existing premise protection equipment. The integrated security system integrates into the premise network and couples wirelessly with the conventional security panel, enabling broadband access to premise security systems. Automation devices can be added, enabling users to remotely see live video or pictures and control home devices via a personal web portal or other client device. Camera management enables automatic configuration and management of cameras in the premise network. The camera management extends to remote control and monitoring from outside the firewall of the premise network to include routing of images or video from a streaming source device to a requesting client device.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a gateway located at a first location, the gateway comprising a processor coupled to a memory;

a plurality of camera devices installed at the first location and coupled to the gateway via a secure network, wherein applications running on a processor of the gateway establish the secure network at the first location among the plurality of camera devices, wherein the gateway separately controls communications between the gateway and each camera device over the secure network, the establishing comprising provisioning at least one of identifiers and passwords to the plurality of camera devices;

a firewall coupled between the gateway and a wide area network (WAN);

a server coupled to the gateway via the WAN, the server located at a second location;

the gateway and the server communicating to control routing of a video stream from at least one camera device of the plurality of camera devices to a client device in response to a request for live video received from the client device, wherein the routing uses a network protocol selected from a plurality of network protocols in response to capabilities of the firewall, wherein the client device is remote to the first location and the second location and is outside the secure network.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the network protocol is Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) port forwarding, wherein the UPnP opens a port of the firewall.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein, if UPnP port forwarding fails, the gateway and the server use Simple Traversal of User Datagram Protocol (UDP) through Network Address Translators (NAT) (STUN) to bypass the firewall and establish a peer-to-peer coupling.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein, if STUN fails, the server relays the video stream.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the video stream is encrypted.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the gateway encrypts the video stream received from the camera devices.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein a format of the video stream is automatically selected by at least one of the gateway and the server.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the format is one of Motion Picture Experts Group (MPEG)-4 (MPEG-4)/Real-Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP) format, a MPEG-4 over Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) format, and a Motion Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG) (MJPEG) format.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the format is selected based on a capability of the client device.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the format is selected based on a capability of the camera device.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the format is selected based on an authentication requirement of the client device.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein the format is selected based on a privacy requirement of the client device.

13. The system of claim 7, wherein the format is selected based on a determined capability of the WAN, wherein the determined capability is determined by at least one of the gateway and the server.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the determined capability is relative success among a plurality of routings of the video stream.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the determined capability is relative success of Universal Plug and Play port forwarding.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the determined capability is relative success of peer-to-peer routing.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the determined capability is bandwidth availability of the client device.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein the determined capability is processing capability of the client device.

19. The system of claim 13, wherein the determined capability is bandwidth availability of the camera devices.

20. The system of claim 7, wherein the format of the video stream is automatically selected according to a priority.

21. The system of claim 1, wherein the client device includes one or more of a personal computer, a personal digital assistant, a cellular telephone, and a mobile computing device.

22. The system of claim 1, wherein the gateway is coupled via a wireless coupling to a security system installed at the first location, the security system including security system components, wherein the gateway forms a security network that integrates communications and functions of the security system components into the security network via the wireless coupling.

23. The system of claim 22, comprising an interface coupled to the security network, wherein the interface allows control of the functions of the security network via the client device.

24. The system of claim 22, wherein the gateway automatically discovers the security system components.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the gateway includes protocols of the security system from the server and uses the protocols to discover the security system components.

26. The system of claim 24, wherein the gateway requests and receives protocols of the security system from the server, wherein the gateway uses the protocols received to discover the security system components.

27. The system of claim 22, wherein the gateway automatically establishes and controls the communications with the security system components.

28. The system of claim 22, wherein the gateway automatically establishes a coupling with the security system including the security system components.

29. The system of claim 22, wherein the gateway manages rules of interaction between the gateway and the security system components.

30. The system of claim 22, wherein the gateway includes definitions of the security system components.

31. The system of claim 22, wherein the security system is coupled to a central monitoring station via a primary communication link, wherein the gateway is coupled to the central monitoring station via a secondary communication link that is different than the primary communication link, wherein the central monitoring station is located at a third location different from the first location and the second location.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein the gateway transmits event data of the security system components to the central monitoring station over the secondary communication link.

33. The system of claim 32, wherein the event data comprises changes in device states of the security system components, data of the security system components, and data received by the security system components.

34. The system of claim 32, wherein the event data comprises changes data and information of the plurality of camera devices.

35. The system of claim 31, wherein the secondary communication link includes a broadband coupling.

36. The system of claim 31, wherein the secondary communication link includes a cellular coupling.

37. The system of claim 31, wherein the gateway transmits messages comprising event data of the security system components to the client device over the secondary communication link.

38. The system of claim 37, wherein the event data comprises changes in device states of the security system components, data of the security system components, and data received by the security system components.

39. The system of claim 31, wherein the gateway receives control data for control of the security system components from the client device via the secondary communication link.

40. A system comprising:

a gateway located at a first location, the gateway comprising a processor coupled to a memory;

a plurality of Internet Protocol (IP) devices installed at the first location and coupled to the gateway via a private network, wherein the private network is segregated from any other network at the first location, wherein applications running on a processor of the gateway automatically establish the private network with the plurality of IP devices and separately control traffic over the private network from other network traffic transiting the gateway, wherein the gateway separately controls communication between the gateway and each IP device, the establishing comprising provisioning at least one of identifiers and passwords to the plurality of IP devices;

a router coupled between the gateway and a wide area network (WAN), the router providing WAN access to the gateway and the plurality of IP devices; and

a server coupled to the gateway, the server located at a second location different from the first location.

41. The system of claim 40, wherein the gateway is coupled via a wireless coupling to a security system installed at the first location, the security system including security system components, wherein the gateway forms a security network that integrates communications and functions of the security system components into the security network via the wireless coupling.

42. The system of claim 41, comprising an interface coupled to the security network, wherein the interface allows control of the functions of the security network via a client device remote to the first location and the second location.

43. The system of claim 41, wherein the gateway automatically discovers the security system components.

44. The system of claim 43, wherein the gateway includes protocols of the security system from the server and uses the protocols to discover the security system components.

45. The system of claim 43, wherein the gateway requests and receives protocols of the security system from the server, wherein the gateway uses the protocols received to discover the security system components.

46. The system of claim 41, wherein the gateway automatically establishes and controls the communications with the security system components.

47. The system of claim 41, wherein the gateway automatically establishes a coupling with the security system including the security system components.

48. The system of claim 41, wherein the gateway manages rules of interaction between the gateway and the security system components.

49. The system of claim 41, wherein the gateway includes definitions of the security system components.

50. The system of claim 41, wherein the security system is coupled to a central monitoring station via a primary communication link, wherein the gateway is coupled to the central monitoring station via a secondary communication link that is different than the primary communication link, wherein the central monitoring station is located at a third location different from the first location and the second location.

51. The system of claim 50, wherein the gateway transmits event data of the security system components to the central monitoring station over the secondary communication link.

52. The system of claim 51, wherein the event data comprises changes in device states of the security system components, data of the security system components, and data received by the security system components.

53. The system of claim 51, wherein the event data comprises changes data and information of the plurality of IP devices.

54. The system of claim 50, wherein the secondary communication link includes a broadband coupling.

55. The system of claim 50, wherein the secondary communication link includes a cellular coupling.

56. The system of claim 50, wherein the gateway transmits messages comprising event data of the security system components to a client device over the secondary communication link, wherein the client device is remote to the first location and the second location.

57. The system of claim 56, wherein the event data comprises changes in device states of the security system components, data of the security system components, and data received by the security system components.

58. The system of claim 50, wherein the gateway receives control data for control of the security system components from a client device via the secondary communication link, wherein the client device is remote to the first location and the second location.

59. The system of claim 40, wherein the gateway and the server communicate to control routing of a data stream from at least one IP device of the plurality of IP devices to a client device in response to a request for the data stream received from the client device, wherein the routing uses a network protocol selected from a plurality of network protocols in response to capabilities of the firewall, wherein the client device is remote to the first location and the second location.

60. The system of claim 59, wherein the network protocol is Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) port forwarding, wherein the UPnP opens a port of the firewall.

61. The system of claim 60, wherein, if UPnP port forwarding fails, the gateway and the server use Simple Traversal of User Datagram Protocol (UDP) through Network Address Translators (NAT) (STUN) to bypass the firewall and establish a peer-to-peer coupling.

62. The system of claim 61, wherein, if STUN fails, the server relays the data stream.

63. The system of claim 59, wherein the data stream is encrypted.

64. The system of claim 63, wherein the gateway encrypts the data stream received from the IP devices.

65. The system of claim 59, wherein a format of the data stream is automatically selected by at least one of the gateway and the server.

66. The system of claim 65, wherein the format is selected based on a capability of the client device.

67. The system of claim 65, wherein the format is selected based on a capability of the IP device.

68. The system of claim 65, wherein the format is selected based on an authentication requirement of the client device.

69. The system of claim 65, wherein the format is selected based on a privacy requirement of the client device.

70. The system of claim 65, wherein the format is selected based on a determined capability of the WAN, wherein the determined capability is determined by at least one of the gateway and the server.

71. The system of claim 70, wherein the determined capability is relative success among a plurality of routings of the data stream.

72. The system of claim 71, wherein the determined capability is relative success of Universal Plug and Play port forwarding.

73. The system of claim 71, wherein the determined capability is relative success of peer-to-peer routing.

74. The system of claim 70, wherein the determined capability is bandwidth availability of the client device.

75. The system of claim 70, wherein the determined capability is processing capability of the client device.

76. The system of claim 70, wherein the determined capability is bandwidth availability of the IP devices.

77. The system of claim 65, wherein the format of the data stream is automatically selected according to a priority.

78. A system comprising:

a gateway located at a first location and coupled to a wide area network (WAN), the gateway comprising a processor coupled to a memory;

a plurality of Internet Protocol (IP) devices installed at the first location and coupled to the gateway via a private network, wherein the private network is segregated from any other network at the first location, wherein applications running on a processor of the gateway automatically establish the private network with the plurality of IP devices and separately control traffic over the private network from other network traffic transiting the gateway, wherein the gateway separately controls communication between the gateway and each IP device, the establishing comprising provisioning at least one of identifiers and passwords to the plurality of IP devices;

a router coupled between the gateway and a local area network (LAN) of the first location, the gateway providing WAN access to the plurality of IP devices and the LAN; and

a server coupled to the gateway, the server located at a second location different from the first location.