Security system providing a localized humanly-perceivable alert for identifying a facility to emergency personnel

• US 9,349,262 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2014
• Issued: 05/24/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vivint Incorporated (NRG Energy, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Vivint Incorporated (NRG Energy, Inc.)
• Inventors: Henrie, James B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Blount, Eric
• Application Number:
  US14/211,275
• Publication Number:
  US 20140266764A1
• Time in Patent Office: 802 Days
• Field of Search: 340540-542, 340/691.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/04 by breaking of glass
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 5/38 using flashing light
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 7/064 indicating houses needing emergency help, e.g. with a flashing light or sound

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for guiding emergency personnel to a location in a facility proximate to an alarm that has been generated. In one aspect, a method may include detecting an alarm condition at a facility protected by a security system and determining a location at the facility of the alarm condition. The method may further include causing at least one indicator at the facility, which is proximate to the determined location of the alarm condition, to generate an identifying alert that is humanly perceivable from an exterior of the facility such that emergency personnel can identify the facility based at least in part on the identifying alert. In some aspects, the method may also include notifying a security representative of the alarm condition, and receiving a notification from the security representative indicating that emergency personnel are dispatched to the facility.

Claims

1. A security and automation system comprising:

a sensor, at a premises, configured to generate an alarm condition message in response to an alarm condition;

a control unit, at the premises, communicatively coupled to the sensor and to at least one indicator, the control unit configured to;

receive the alarm condition message from the sensor;

determine a location of the alarm condition based at least in part on the alarm condition message; and

send the alarm condition message to a remote monitoring service, wherein the remote monitoring service filters out false alarms from received alarm condition messages;

receive a command from the remote monitoring service, the command identifying a specific light at the premises and including an instruction to turn on the specified light, wherein the command is based at least in part on sending the alarm condition to the remote monitoring service;

execute the command from the remote monitoring service to turn on the specified light;

receive, from the remote monitoring service, a dispatch notification indicating that emergency personnel are dispatched to the premises in response to the remote monitoring service contacting the emergency personnel.

2. The security system of claim 1, further comprising a controller communicatively coupled to the control unit and to the at least one indicator, wherein the control unit is further configured to:

send an identification message to the controller for at the least one indicator; and

wherein the controller is configured to;

receive the identification message from the control unit; and

send a control message to the at least one indicator proximate to the location of the alarm condition in response to receiving the identification message, the control message causing the at least one indicator to generate an identifying alert.

3. The security system of claim 2, wherein the control unit further comprises an indication module, wherein the indication module is configured to:

determine the location of the alarm condition based on the alarm condition message;

determine at least one of the at least one indicators that is proximate to the location of the alarm condition; and

cause the at least one indicators determined to be proximate to the location of the alarm condition to generate the identifying alert.

4. The security system of claim 2, wherein the identifying alert is at least one of a visual alert visible from the exterior of the premises or an audible alert perceivable from the exterior of the premises.

5. The security system of claim 1, wherein the at least one indicator comprises one or more existing elements within the premises.

6. The security system of claim 5, wherein the at least one indicator comprises at least one of an interior light of the premises or an exterior light of the premises.

7. The security system of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of sensors, wherein each of the plurality of sensors is configured to generate an alarm condition message in response to an alarm condition.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that when executed by a processor cause the processor to perform the instructions, the instructions comprising:

receiving an identification message indicating an occurrence of an alarm condition at a premises associated with a security system;

sending the alarm condition message to a remote monitoring service, wherein the remote monitoring service filters out false alarms from received alarm condition messages;

receiving a command from the remote monitoring service, the command identifying a specific light at the premises and including an instruction to turn on the specified light, wherein the command is based at least in part on sending the alarm condition to the remote monitoring service;

executing the command from the remote monitoring service to turn on the specified light; and

receiving, from the remote monitoring service, a dispatch notification indicating that emergency personnel are dispatched to the premises in response to the remote monitoring service contacting the emergency personnel.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, the instructions further comprising:

causing an identifying alert that identifies the premises associated with the security system based at least in part on the received identification message, the identifying alert being proximate to the alarm condition and being perceivable from an exterior of the premises; and

determining a location of a sensor that detected the alarm condition, and wherein causing the identifying alert proximate to the alarm condition is based at least in part on the determined location of the sensor that detected the alarm condition.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein causing the identifying alert comprises sending a control message to at least one indicator.

11. A method comprising:

detecting an alarm condition at a premises protected by a security system;

determining a location at the premises of the alarm condition;

sending an alarm condition message to a remote monitoring service, the alarm condition message being based on the detected alarm condition, wherein the remote monitoring service filters out false alarms from received alarm condition messages;

receiving a command from the remote monitoring service, the command identifying a specific light at the premises and including an instruction to turn on the specified light, wherein the command is based at least in part on sending the alarm condition to the remote monitoring service;

executing the command from the remote monitoring service to turn on the specified light;

receiving, from the remote monitoring service, a notification of a dispatch of emergency personnel to the premises protected by the security system in response to the remote monitoring service contacting the emergency personnel.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the at least one indicator comprises at least one of an exterior light fixture visible from an exterior of the premises or an interior light fixture visible from the exterior of the premises.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

alternating the at least one exterior or interior light fixture between an off state and an on state such that the at least one exterior or interior light fixture presents a flashing pattern.

14. The method of claim 11, comprising:

causing at least one indicator at the premises to generate an identifying alert, wherein the identifying alert is perceivable from an exterior of the premises such that the emergency personnel can identify the premises based at least in part on the identifying alert, the at least one indicator being proximate to the determined location of the alarm condition, and wherein the identifying alert is based at least in part on a type of the alarm condition.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising terminating the identifying alert in response to the emergency personnel arriving at the premises.