Alarm system for use over satellite broadband
First Claim
1. A system, comprising:
- an alarm system operative to;
detect data path characteristics;
retrieve stored data path parameters corresponding to the detected data path characteristics;
compensate for a data path latency by applying the stored data path parameters corresponding to the detected data path characteristics to at least a portion of communications protocols of the alarm system;
generate a handshake tone over a satellite communication link comprising a Dual Tone Multiple Frequency ‘
A’
tone for at least 100 milliseconds; and
wait for an acknowledge tone for 5 seconds based on the data path latency; and
a monitoring center operative to generate the acknowledge tone comprising a Dual Tone Multiple Frequency ‘
D’
for at least 100 milliseconds.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention allows an alarm monitoring to use satellite broadband services as a data link for communication between an alarms system and a monitoring station, middleware provider, individual user, or other alarm monitor. Standard alarm system protocols are modified to make the communication protocol compatible with the features of satellite broadband. These modifications compensate for the time delay in data transmission inherent in satellite communications, as well as other limitations of satellite communications. In particular, the “handshake” tone, instead of “1400 hz for 100 ms, silence for 100 ms, 2300 hz for 100 ms”, is changed to “DTMF ‘A’ for at least 100 milliseconds”. In a preferred embodiment the receiver transmits the DTMF A tone for 250 milliseconds. In addition, the delay for “wait for the Acknowledge tone” is extended from 1.25 seconds, to 5 seconds. The “acknowledge” tone, instead of “1400 hz for 400 ms”, is changed to “DTMF ‘D’ for at least 100 milliseconds”. In a preferred embodiment, the receiver transmits the DTMF D tone for 250 milliseconds.
130 Citations
24 Claims
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1. A system, comprising:
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an alarm system operative to; detect data path characteristics; retrieve stored data path parameters corresponding to the detected data path characteristics; compensate for a data path latency by applying the stored data path parameters corresponding to the detected data path characteristics to at least a portion of communications protocols of the alarm system; generate a handshake tone over a satellite communication link comprising a Dual Tone Multiple Frequency ‘
A’
tone for at least 100 milliseconds; and
wait for an acknowledge tone for 5 seconds based on the data path latency; anda monitoring center operative to generate the acknowledge tone comprising a Dual Tone Multiple Frequency ‘
D’
for at least 100 milliseconds. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A satellite compatible alarm system capable of communicating via a satellite communication link, comprising:
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means for detecting data path characteristics; means for retrieving stored data path parameters corresponding to the detected data path characteristics; means for determining a data path latency associated with the satellite communication link; means for compensating for the data path latency by applying the stored data path parameters corresponding to the detected data path characteristics to at least a portion of communications protocols of the alarm system; means for generating a handshake tone over the satellite communication link comprising a Dual Tone Multiple Frequency ‘
A’
tone for at least 100 milliseconds in accordance with the data path latency;means for waiting for an acknowledge tone for 5 seconds in accordance with the data path latency; and means for detecting the acknowledge tone comprising a Dual Tone Multiple Frequency ‘
D’
for at least 100 milliseconds in accordance with the data path latency. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method for communicating between an alarm system and a monitoring center via a satellite communication link, the method comprising the steps of:
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detecting communication path characteristics, wherein detecting the communication path characteristics comprises; sending a test signal over a communication path that comprises the satellite communication link; receiving the test signal sent over the communication path; and determining latency for the communication path based on timing between the sending step and the receiving step; retrieving stored communication path parameters corresponding to the detected communication path characteristics; and compensating for the determined communication path latency by modifying at least one alarm system protocol based on the determined latency, wherein the at least one alarm system protocol is modified by applying the stored communication path parameters to at least a portion of communication protocols of the alarm system protocol, and wherein applying the stored communication path parameters to at least the portion of the communication protocols comprises; generating a handshake tone comprising a Dual Tone Multiple Frequency ‘
A’
tone for at least 100 milliseconds in accordance with the modified at least one alarm system protocol;waiting for an acknowledge tone for 5 seconds in accordance with the modified at least one alarm system protocol; and receiving the acknowledge tone comprising a Dual Tone Multiple Frequency ‘
D’
for at least 100 milliseconds in accordance with the modified at least one alarm system protocol. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17)
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18. A method, for selecting a handshake protocol for an alarm system, comprising the steps of:
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by the alarm system, detecting data path characteristics, wherein detecting the data path characteristics comprises; by the alarm system, sending a test signal on a data path that extends from the alarm system to a station that receives the test signal and resends the test signal back to the alarm system, wherein the station is remote from the alarm system; by the alarm system, receiving the test signal from the data path after the station receives and resends the test signal; by the alarm system, determining latency of the data path based on delay between the sending of the test signal by the alarm system and the receiving of the test signal by the alarm system; by the alarm system, determining whether the data path comprises a satellite data path based on comparing the determined latency to a threshold; by the alarm system, retrieving stored data path parameters corresponding to the detected communication path characteristics; if the data path is determined to comprise the satellite data path, then, by the alarm system, selecting a handshake protocol for the satellite data path or else selecting a different handshake protocol; and by the alarm system, compensating for the latency of the satellite data path by applying the stored data path parameters corresponding to the data path characteristics of the satellite data path to at least a portion of the selected handshake protocol. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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Specification