Method, system and apparatus for automated reporting of account and sensor zone information to a central station

• US 8,836,467 B1
• Filed: 09/28/2010
• Issued: 09/16/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: iControl Networks, Inc. (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: iControl Networks, Inc. (Comcast Corporation)
• Inventors: Cohn, Alan Wade, Faulkner, Gary Robert, Kitchen, James Edward, Proft, David Leon, Quain, Corey Wayne
• Primary Examiner(s): BROWN, VERNAL U
• Application Number:
  US12/892,303
• Time in Patent Office: 1,449 Days
• Field of Search: 340/3.32, 340/3.31, 340/3.43, 340/4.61, 340/5.1
• US Class Current: 340/3.32
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/003 Address allocation methods and details
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/007 Details of data content structure of message packets; data protocols
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/014 Alarm signalling to a central station with two-way communication, e.g. with signalling back
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/10 using wireless transmission systems G08B25/009 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/14 Central alarm receiver or annunciator arrangements
• 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 12/2825 Reporting to a device located outside the home and the home network access arrangements H04L12/2856; for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with telemetering systems H04M11/002
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network

Abstract

A mechanism is provided for receiving sensor configuration information from a remote security, monitoring and automation (SMA) controller, storing that sensor configuration information, and transmitting the sensor configuration information to a remote central station alarm monitoring system in a form usable by the remote central station. In addition, a mechanism is provided for receiving account configuration information from a remote node, storing that account configuration information, and transmitting the account configuration information to the remote central station in a form usable by that remote central station. In this manner, inefficiencies during installation and modification of a security system using the SMA controller can be avoided through automated provision of the information.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, over a first network coupling, sensor configuration information from a remote security, monitoring and automation (SMA) controller, wherein the sensor configuration information comprises one or more sensor identifiers and one or more zones associated with the one or more sensor identifiers, wherein the one or more zones is associated with a response of the SMA controller;

storing the sensor configuration information;

receiving, over a third network coupling, account configuration information from a remote server;

associating the sensor configuration information with the account configuration information and translating the sensor configuration information and the account configuration information to a format compatible with a remote central station alarm monitoring system; and

transmitting, over a second network coupling, the translated sensor configuration information and account configuration information to the remote central station alarm monitoring system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the storing comprises storing the sensor configuration information using a database record associated with an account identifier, wherein the account identifier identifies a subscriber associated with the SMA controller.

3. The method of claim 2, comprising:

translating the account identifier associated with the SMA controller to an account identifier configured on the remote central station alarm monitoring system; and

transmitting, over the second network coupling, the translated account identifier in association with the transmitting the translated sensor configuration information.

4. The method of claim 1, comprising performing the transmitting the translated sensor configuration information to the remote central station alarm monitoring system using a web service, wherein the translating comprises formatting and assembling the sensor configuration information to data usable by the remote central station alarm monitoring system.

5. The method of claim 1, comprising:

receiving the account configuration information from a remote network node;

storing the account configuration information;

translating the account configuration information to a format compatible with the remote central station alarm monitoring system; and

transmitting, over the second network coupling, the translated account configuration information to the remote central station alarm monitoring system.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the account configuration information comprises:

an account identifier;

one or more account configuration parameters; and

an SMA controller identifier associated with the account identifier.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the account configuration parameters comprise one or more of account passwords, account secret words, and emergency contact information.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the storing the account configuration information comprises:

creating a new record for the account identifier, if the account configuration information is for an account identifier not previously stored; and

modifying a previously stored record for the account identifier, if the account configuration information is for an account identifier previously stored.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the storing the account configuration information comprises storing the account configuration information in a database record.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the translating the account configuration information comprises including a new account create parameter for the remote central station alarm monitoring system, if the account configuration information is for an account identifier not previously stored.

11. A system comprising:

a security, monitoring and automation (SMA) controller comprising a memory storing sensor configuration information associated with a plurality of security sensors coupled to the SMA controller, and a SMA controller network interface coupled to a first network coupling and configured to transmit the sensor configuration information using the first network coupling, wherein the sensor configuration information comprises a plurality of sensor identifiers each associated with a corresponding security sensor of the plurality of security sensors coupled to the SMA controller, wherein the sensor configuration information includes one or more zones associated with the plurality of sensor identifiers, wherein the one or more zones is associated with a response of the SMA controller; and

a first computing node comprising a first network interface coupled to the first network coupling and configured to receive the sensor configuration information from the SMA controller, a storage volume storing the sensor configuration information, a third network interface coupled to a third network coupling and configured to receive account configuration information from a remote network node, wherein the first computing node associates the sensor configuration information with the account configuration information, and a second network interface coupled to a second network coupling and configured to transmit the sensor configuration information and account configuration information to a remote central station alarm monitoring system, wherein the sensor configuration information and account configuration information is in a format usable by the remote central station alarm monitoring system.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the storage volume comprises a database storing the sensor configuration information in association with an account identifier, wherein the account identifier identifies a subscriber associated with the SMA controller.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the first computing node comprises:

a processor coupled to the first and second network interfaces and the storage volume;

a memory coupled to the processor storing instructions executable by the processor, the instructions configured to translate the account identifier associated with the SMA controller to an account identifier configured on the remote central station alarm monitoring system; and

the second network interface is configured to transmit the translated account identifier in association with transmitting the sensor configuration information.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the first computing node comprises:

a third network interface coupled to a third network coupling and configured to receive account configuration information from a remote network node;

the storage volume storing the account configuration information; and

the second network interface configured to transmit the account configuration information to the remote central station alarm monitoring system, wherein the account configuration information is in a format usable by the remote central station alarm monitoring system.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the account configuration information comprises:

an account identifier;

one or more account configuration parameters comprising one or more of account passwords, account secret words, and emergency contact information; and

an SMA controller identifier associated with the account identifier.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the first computing node comprises:

a processor coupled to the first, second and third network interfaces and the storage volume;

a memory coupled to the processor storing instructions executable by the processor, the instructions configured to perform the storing of the account configuration information using instructions configured to create a new database record for the account identifier, if the account configuration information is for an account identifier not previously stored, and

modify a previously stored database record for the account identifier, if the account configuration information is for an account identifier previously stored.

17. An apparatus comprising:

a first network interface coupled to a first network coupling and configured to receive sensor configuration information from a remote security, monitoring and automation (SMA) controller, wherein the sensor configuration information comprises one or more sensor identifiers and one or more zones associated with the one or more sensor identifiers, wherein the one or more zones is associated with a response of the SMA controller;

means for storing the sensor configuration information;

means for receiving, over a third network coupling, account configuration information from a remote server;

means for associating the sensor configuration information with the account configuration information and translating the sensor configuration information and the account configuration information to a format compatible with a remote central station alarm monitoring system; and

a second network interface coupled to a second network coupling and configured to transmit the translated sensor configuration information and account configuration information to the remote central station alarm monitoring system.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, comprising means for storing the sensor configuration information using a database record associated with an account identifier, wherein the account identifier identifies a subscriber associated with the SMA controller.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, comprising:

means for translating the account identifier associated with the SMA controller to an account identifier configured on the remote central station alarm monitoring system; and

the second network interface configured to transmit the translated account identifier in association with the transmitting the translated sensor configuration information.

20. The apparatus of claim 17, comprising:

a third network interface coupled to a third network coupling and configured to receive account configuration information from a remote network node, wherein the account configuration information comprises an account identifier;

means for storing the account configuration information;

means for translating the account configuration information to a format compatible with the remote central station alarm monitoring system; and

the second network interface configured to transmit the translated account configuration information to the remote central station alarm monitoring system.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the means for storing the account configuration information comprises:

means for creating a new record for the account identifier, if the account configuration information is for an account identifier not previously stored; and

means for modifying a previously stored record for the account identifier, if the account configuration information is for an account identifier previously stored.

22. A method comprising:

receiving by a first network node, over a first network coupling, account configuration information including an account identifier from a remote network node coupled to the first network coupling;

storing the account configuration information in a memory coupled to the first network node;

selecting a subset of the account configuration information to transmit to a remote central station alarm monitoring system, wherein the subset of the account configuration information is sufficient to create a new subscriber account at the remote central station alarm monitoring system;

transmitting, over a second network coupling, the selected subset of the account configuration information to the remote central station alarm monitoring system coupled to the second network coupling;

receiving, over a third network coupling, sensor configuration information from a remote security, monitoring and automation (SMA) controller coupled to the third network coupling, wherein the sensor configuration information comprises one or more sensor identifiers and one or more zones associated with the one or more sensor identifiers, wherein the one or more zones is associated with a response of the SMA controller;

associating the sensor configuration information with the account configuration information;

storing the sensor configuration information in the memory in association with the account identifier; and

transmitting, over the second network, the associated account identifier and at least a portion of the sensor configuration information to the remote central station alarm monitoring system.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the account configuration information comprises one or more account configuration parameters comprising one or more of account passwords, account secret words, and emergency contact information.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the storing the account configuration information comprises:

creating a new record for the account identifier, if the account configuration information is for an account identifier not previously stored; and

modifying a previously stored record for the account identifier, if the account configuration information is for an account identifier previously stored.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein the account configuration information is received by the first network node as data entered by one or more of an agent or an end user.