Bridge between security system and appliances

• US 8,872,625 B2
• Filed: 11/19/2010
• Issued: 10/28/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ademco Inc. (Resideo Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Okeefe, Mark Douglas, Kruger, Matt S., Lizza, Alfred M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Khan, Omer S
• Application Number:
  US12/950,075
• Publication Number:
  US 20120126935A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,439 Days
• Field of Search: 340/5.2, 340/5.7, 340/539.1, 340/7.32, 340/7.33, 340/7.36, 307/116, 236/49.3, 236/51
• US Class Current: 340/7.36
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/008 Alarm setting and unsetting, i.e. arming or disarming of the security system
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/14 Central alarm receiver or annunciator arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 29/16 Security signalling or alarm systems, e.g. redundant systems
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link

Abstract

A method and apparatus for controlling an appliance. The method includes the steps of a security system within a secured area, said security system having a wireless transmitter transmitting status messages including at least a first encrypted message that the security system in armed and a second encrypted message that the security system is disarmed, an appliance control device having a wireless receiver and a decryption unit, the wireless receiver receiving the first and second encrypted messages, the decryption unit decrypting the first encrypted message to recover the armed status message and decrypting the second encrypted message to recover the disarmed status message and an appliance associated with the secured area and controlled by the appliance control device, the appliance entering a relatively low energy consuming mode in response to the appliance control device receiving the armed message and the appliance entering a relatively high energy consuming mode in response to the appliance control device receiving the disarmed message.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a security system within a secured area, said security system having a wireless transmitter transmitting wireless status messages including at least a first encrypted message indicating that the security system is armed and a second encrypted message indicating that the security system is disarmed wherein the first encrypted message further comprises an armed status message and the second encrypted message further comprises a disarmed status message;

an appliance control device provided as a separate control module, the appliance control device has a wireless receiver and a decryption unit, the wireless receiver continuously monitors a transmission spectrum of the security system for the wireless status messages, the appliance control device receiving any of the first and second encrypted messages, the decryption unit decrypting the first encrypted message to recover the armed status message and decrypting the second encrypted message to recover the disarmed status message; and

an appliance associated with the secured area and controlled by the appliance control device, the appliance entering a relatively low energy consuming mode in response to the appliance control device receiving the armed status message and the appliance entering a relatively high energy consuming mode in response to the appliance control device receiving the disarmed status message, wherein the appliance control device causes the appliance to;

enter the relatively low energy consuming mode upon receipt of any transmitted first encrypted message from the security system and recovering the armed status message indicating that the security system is armed, and to enter the relatively high energy consuming mode upon receipt of any transmitted second encrypted message from the security system and recovering the disarmed status message indicating that the security system is disarmed.

2. The system as in claim 1 wherein the appliance further comprises an air conditioning unit.

3. The system as in claim 1 wherein the appliance further comprises a heating unit.

4. The system as in claim 1 wherein the appliance further comprises a set-back thermostat controlling at least one of an air conditioner and a heating unit.

5. The system as in claim 1 wherein the appliance further comprises lighting.

6. The system as in claim 1 wherein the appliance control device further comprises a plurality of appliance control devices each of the plurality of appliance control devices receiving the first and second encrypted messages and each of the plurality of appliance control devices controlling a respective appliance.

7. The system as in claim 6 wherein the respective appliance further comprises a plurality of ceiling fans.

8. A system comprising:

a security system within a secured area that wirelessly transmits a first encrypted status message indicating that the security system is armed and a second encrypted status message indicating that the security system is disarmed wherein the first encrypted status message further comprises an armed status message and the second encrypted status message further comprises a disarmed status message; and

an appliance control device provided as a separate control module having a wireless receiver, a decryption unit and providing a first output and a second output, the appliance control device continuously monitors a transmission spectrum of the security system for the wirelessly transmitted first and second encrypted status messages from the security system;

wherein the appliance control device receiving any of the first and second encrypted status messages, the decryption unit decrypting the first encrypted message to recover the armed status message and decrypting the second encrypted message to recover the disarmed status message and provides one or another of the first and second outputs to a controlled appliance based upon receipt of the first and second encrypted status messages, the appliance control device provides one of the first and second outputs upon receiving the armed status message from the security system and the other of the first and second outputs upon receiving the disarmed status message, wherein the appliance control device provides the one of the first and second outputs upon receipt of the transmitted first encrypted status message from the security system indicating that the security system is armed and provides the other of the first and second outputs upon receipt of the transmitted second encrypted status message from the security system indicating that the security system is disarmed;

wherein the appliance control device is controlling an appliance associated with the secured area, the appliance entering a relatively low energy consuming mode in response to the appliance control device receiving the armed status message and the appliance entering a relatively high energy consuming mode in response to the appliance control device receiving the disarmed status message;

wherein the appliance control device causes the appliance to;

enter the relatively low energy consuming mode upon receipt of any transmitted first encrypted status message from the security system and recovering the armed status message indicating that the security system is armed, and to enter the relatively high energy consuming mode upon receipt of any transmitted second encrypted status message from the security system and recovering the disarmed status message indicating that the security system is disarmed.

9. The system as in claim 8 wherein the appliance further comprises an air conditioning unit.

10. The system as in claim 8 wherein the appliance further comprises a heating unit.

11. The system as in claim 8 wherein the appliance further comprises a set-back thermostat controlling at least one of an air conditioner and a heating unit.

12. The system as in claim 8 wherein the appliance further comprises lighting.

13. The system as in claim 8 wherein the appliance control device further comprises a plurality of appliance control devices each of the plurality of appliance control devices receiving the first and second status messages and each of the plurality of appliance control devices controlling a respective appliance.

14. The system as in claim 13 wherein the respective appliance further comprises a ceiling fan.

15. A system comprising:

a security system within a secured area that wirelessly transmits wireless status messages including an encrypted first status message indicating that the security system is armed and an encrypted second status message indicating that the security system is disarmed wherein the encrypted first status message further comprises an armed status message and the encrypted second status message further comprises a disarmed status message; and

a plurality of appliance control devices, each of the plurality of appliance control devices is provided as a separate control module, has a wireless receiver that continuously monitors a transmission spectrum of the security system for the wireless status messages, has a decryption device that decrypts the encrypted first and second status messages from the security system, has a first output and a second output, and provides one or another of the first and second outputs to a respective appliance in response to the decrypted first and second status messages, wherein each of the plurality of appliance control devices provides the one of the first and second outputs upon receipt of the transmitted encrypted first status message from the security system indicating that the security system is armed and to provides the other of the first and second outputs upon receipt of the transmitted encrypted second status message from the security system indicating that the security system is disarmed;

the respective appliance associated with the secured area and controlled by each of the plurality of the appliance control devices, the respective appliance entering a relatively low energy consuming mode in response to each of the plurality of the appliance control devices receiving the armed status message and the respective appliance entering a relatively high energy consuming mode in response to each of the plurality of the appliance control devices receiving the disarmed status message, wherein each of the plurality of the appliance control devices causes the respective appliance to;

enter the relatively low energy consuming mode upon receipt of any transmitted encrypted first status message from the security system and recovering the armed status message indicating that the security system is armed, and to enter the relatively high energy consuming mode upon receipt of any transmitted encrypted second status message from the security system and recovering the disarmed status message indicating that the security system is disarmed.

16. The system as in claim 15 wherein one of the plurality of appliances further comprises an air conditioning unit.