Security system having segregated operating software

• US 9,117,349 B2
• Filed: 03/17/2014
• Issued: 08/25/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The ADT Security Corporation (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: ADT US Holdings, Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Shapiro, Steven, North, Raymond, Rader, Timothy Albert, Perdomo, Jorge, Rouse, Anne-Marie, Black, James Timothy
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Tai T
• Application Number:
  US14/216,177
• Publication Number:
  US 20140197949A1
• Time in Patent Office: 526 Days
• Field of Search: 340/539.1, 340/539.22, 340/506, 340/517, 340/640, 340/541, 340/567, 340/628, 340/632, 340/40
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/30 Means for acting in the event of power-supply failure or interruption, e.g. power-supply fluctuations for resetting only G06F1/24
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3234 Power saving characterised by the action undertaken
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19684 Portable terminal, e.g. mobile phone, used for viewing video remotely
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/02 Alarms for ensuring the safety of persons
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/004 Alarm propagated along alternative communication path or using alternative communication medium according to a hierarchy of available ways to communicate, e.g. if Wi-Fi not available use GSM
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/08 using communication transmission lines G08B13/19658, G08B21/0286, G08B25/016 take precedence
• 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: G08B 29/181 due to failing power supply
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 3/10 using electric transmission; using electromagnetic transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 9/002 in which a reserve is maintained in an energy source by disconnecting non-critical loads, e.g. maintaining a reserve of charge in a vehicle battery for starting an engine
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2838 Distribution of signals within a home automation network, e.g. involving splitting/multiplexing signals to/from different paths adaptations of television systems for transmission by electric cable for domestic distribution H04N7/106; hybrid transport H04L12/6418; home network arrangements specially adapted for distribution of digital video signals H04N7/24

Abstract

A control apparatus for a premises based system is provided. The control apparatus has an improved memory and processor configuration for separate operation of the life safety and life style code so that the operation of the life style code may be changed without changing the operation of the life safety code, such as through the use of a virtual machine or code running at a single operating system layer. The memory may store life safety code in a first partition and life style code in a second partition. The life style code may be updated while life safety code continues to run.

Claims

1. A control apparatus for a premises based system, the control apparatus comprising:

a memory configured to store life safety code and life style code;

a processor configured to;

operate the life safety code, the life safety code relating to code that manages a response of the system to at least one harmful premises condition; and

operate the life style code, the life style code relating to code that manages a response of the system to at least one non-harmful premises condition; and

the memory and processor are configured for separate operation of the life safety and life style code for changing the operation of the life style code without changing the operation of the life safety code, a virtual machine being configured to provide the separate operation of the life safety code and life style code on the processor.

2. The control apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine resource usage for life style functions associated with life style code;

determine whether resource usage exceeds a predefined resource threshold; and

if the resource usage is determined to exceed the predefined resource threshold, shut down at least one life style function.

3. The control apparatus of claim 2, wherein resource usage includes at least one of memory usage and computing resource usage.

4. The control apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a wireless communication element configured to support a plurality of wireless communication protocol radios;

a premises power supply, the premises power supply configured to supply power to the control apparatus;

a backup power supply, the backup power supply configured to provide power to the control apparatus during failure of the premises power supply; and

the processor being further configured to;

determine if the premises power supply has failed; and

shut down at least one life style function and corresponding wireless communication protocol radio in response to the determined failure of the premises power supply.

5. The control apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a wireless communication element configured to support a plurality of wireless communications protocols, the wireless communication element including a plurality of wireless communication protocol radios, the plurality of wireless communication radios including at least one life safety radio and at least one life style radio;

and

the processor is further configured to;

activate all wireless communication radios;

determine an amount of interference between the at least one life style radio and at least one life safety radio; and

generate an alert if the amount of interference exceeds a predefined interference threshold.

6. The security control apparatus of claim 1, further comprising at least one socket for communicating between life style code and life safety code;

and

the processor is further configured to close down the at least one socket during the changing of life style code.

7. A control apparatus for a premises based system, the control apparatus comprising:

a memory configured to store life safety code and life style code;

a processor configured to;

operate the life safety code, the life safety code relating to code that manages a response of the system to at least one harmful premises condition; and

operate the life style code, the life style code relating to code that manages a response of the system to at least one non-harmful premises condition;

the memory and processor are configured for separate operation of the life safety and life style code for changing the operation of the life style code without changing the operation of the life safety code, wherein the life style code is stored in a first partition in the memory and the life safety code is stored in a second partition in the memory different from the first partition, the processor is further configured to modify at least a portion of the life style code in the first partition; and

the modification of the life style code includes;

receiving updated life style code;

storing the updated life style code to a third partition in the memory;

installing the updated life style code into a fourth partition in the memory;

shutting down and unmounting the life style code from the first partition; and

mounting the installed updated life style code for operation by the processor.

8. The control apparatus of claim 7, wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine resource usage for life style functions associated with life style code;

determine whether resource usage exceeds a predefined resource threshold; and

if the resource usage is determined to exceed the predefined resource threshold, shut down at least one life style function.

9. The control apparatus of claim 8, wherein resource usage includes at least one of memory usage and computing resource usage.

10. The control apparatus of claim 7, further comprising:

a wireless communication element configured to support a plurality of wireless communication protocol radios;

a premises power supply, the premises power supply configured to supply power to the control apparatus;

a backup power supply, the backup power supply configured to provide power to the control apparatus during failure of the premises power supply; and

the processor being further configured to;

determine if the premises power supply has failed; and

shut down at least one life style function and corresponding wireless communication protocol radio in response to the determined failure of the premises power supply.

11. The control apparatus of claim 7, further comprising a wireless communication element configured to support a plurality of wireless communications protocols, the wireless communication element including a plurality of wireless communication protocol radios, the plurality of wireless communication radios including at least one life safety radio and at least one life style radio;

and

the processor is further configured to;

activate all wireless communication radios;

determine an amount of interference between the at least one life style radio and at least one life safety radio; and

generate an alert if the amount of interference exceeds a predefined interference threshold.

12. The security control apparatus of claim 7, further comprising at least one socket for communicating between life style code and life safety code;

and

the processor is further configured to close down the at least one socket during the changing of life style code.

13. A method for a control apparatus of a premises based system, the method comprising:

storing life safety code in a first partition in memory, the life safety code relating to code that manages a response of the system to at least one harmful premises condition;

storing life style code in a second partition in memory different from the first partition, the life style code relating to code that manages a response of the system to at least one non-harmful premises condition; and

causing the operation of the life style code to be changed while the operation of the life safety code remains unchanged, the changing of the operation of the life style code includes;

receiving updated life style code;

storing the updated life style code to a third partition in the memory;

installing the updated life style code into a fourth partition in the memory;

shutting down and unmounting the stored life style code; and

mounting the installed updated life style code for operation by the processor.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

determining resource usage for life style functions associated with life style code; and

determining whether resource usage exceeds a predefined resource threshold; and

if the resource usage is determined to exceed the predefined resource threshold, shutting down at least one life style function.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein resource usage includes at least one of memory usage and computing resource usage.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the control apparatus includes:

a wireless communication element configured to support a plurality of wireless communication protocol radios;

a premises power supply, the premises power supply configured to supply power to the control apparatus; and

a backup power supply, the backup power supply configured to provide power to the control apparatus during failure of the premises power supply; and

the method further comprising;

determining if the premises power supply has failed; and

shutting down at least one life style function and corresponding wireless communication protocol radio in response to the determined failure of the premises power supply.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the control apparatus includes a wireless communication element having at least one life safety radio and at least one life style radio;

and

the method further comprises;

activating at least one life safety radio and at least one life style radio;

determining an amount of interference between the at least one life style radio and at least one life safety radio; and

generating an alert if the amount of interference exceeds a predefined interference threshold.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the control apparatus includes at least one socket for communicating between life style code and life safety code;

and

wherein the changing of life style code includes closing down the at least one socket.

19. A system, the system comprising:

a remote server, the remote sever configured to store updated life style code configured to support life style features; and

a premises based control apparatus, the control apparatus including;

a remote communication element, the remote communication element configured to receive at least a portion of the updated life style code from the remote server;

a memory configured to store life safety code relating to code that manages a response of the system to at least one harmful premises condition and life style code relating to code that manages a response of the system to at least one non-harmful premises condition;

a processor configured to operate the life safety code and life style code; and

the memory and processor are configured for separate operation of the life safety and life style code for changing the operation of the life style code based at least in part on the received updated life style code without changing the operation of the life safety code.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the life style code is stored in a first partition in memory and the life safety code is stored in a second partition in the memory;

and

the changing is based at least in part on the updated life style code includes;

storing the updated life style code to a third partition in the memory;

installing the updated life style code into a fourth partition in the memory;

shutting down and unmounting the life style code from the first partition; and

mounting the installed updated life style code for operation by the processor.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine resource usage for life style functionality associate with life style code, the resource usage including at least one of memory usage and computing resource usage;

determine whether resource usage exceeds a predefined resource threshold; and

if the resource usage is determined to exceed the predefined resource threshold, shut down at least one life style function.

22. The system of claim 19, wherein the control apparatus further comprises at least one socket for communicating between life style code and life safety code;

and

the processor is further configured to close down the at least one socket during the updating of life style code.

23. The system of claim 19, wherein the control apparatus further comprises a wireless communication element supporting a plurality of wireless communications protocols, the wireless communication element including a plurality of wireless communication protocol radios, the plurality of wireless communication radios including at least one life safety radio and at least one life style radio;

and

the processor is further configured to;

activate all wireless communication radios;

determine an amount of interference between the at least one life style radio and at least one life safety radio; and

generate an alert if the amount of interference exceeds a predefined interference threshold.