Automated reporting of account and sensor information

• US 9,349,276 B2
• Filed: 09/16/2014
• Issued: 05/24/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: iControl Networks, Inc. (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: iControl Networks, Inc. (Comcast Corporation)
• Inventors: Faulkner, Gary Robert, Proft, David Leon, Quain, Corey Wayne, Cohn, Alan Wade, Kitchen, James Edward
• Primary Examiner(s): BROWN, VERNAL U
• Application Number:
  US14/488,103
• Publication Number:
  US 20150161875A1
• Time in Patent Office: 616 Days
• Field of Search: 340/501
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 sensor configuration information from a remote security, monitoring and automation (SMA) controller;

associating the sensor configuration information with account configuration information received from a remote server;

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

transmitting the modified sensor configuration information and account configuration information to the remote central station alarm monitoring system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the sensor configuration information comprises, for each sensor, at least one of sensor identifier, sensor type, sensor location, sensor zone, and zone function.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the zone function is configured to control a response of the SMA controller.

4. The method of claim 1, comprising storing the sensor configuration information using a database record associated with an account identifier.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the account identifier identifies a subscriber associated with the SMA controller.

6. The method of claim 5, comprising translating the account identifier associated with the SMA controller to an account identifier configured on the remote central station alarm monitoring system.

7. The method of claim 6, comprising transmitting the translated account identifier in association with the transmitting the translated sensor configuration information.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the account configuration information includes at least one of account identifier, subscriber address, subscriber phone number, and associated SMA controller identifier.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the modifying the sensor configuration information and the account configuration information comprises formatting and assembling the sensor configuration information and the account configuration information to data usable by the remote central station alarm monitoring system.

10. The method of claim 1, comprising storing the sensor configuration information in local memory at the SMA controller.

11. The method of claim 10, comprising storing the sensor configuration information at the remote server.

12. The method of claim 1, comprising selecting at least a portion of the sensor configuration information to provide to the remote central station alarm monitoring system.

13. The method of claim 1, comprising selecting at least a portion of the account configuration information to provide to the remote central station alarm monitoring system.

14. The method of claim 1, comprising:

receiving modifications to at least a portion of the sensor configuration information;

selecting at least a portion of the modified sensor configuration information to provide to the remote central station alarm monitoring system.

15. The method of claim 1, comprising:

receiving modifications to at least a portion of the account configuration information;

selecting at least a portion of the modified account configuration information to provide to the remote central station alarm monitoring system.

16. The method of claim 1, comprising configuring a network in a domain comprising the SMA controller, wherein the configuring is performed using the SMA controller.

17. The method of claim 16, comprising configuring one or more of security sensors, monitoring devices, and home area network devices having an automation interface to communicate with the SMA controller, wherein the configuring is performed using the SMA controller.

18. The method of claim 17, comprising configuring one or more zones, wherein each zone is associated with a security sensor of the one or more security sensors.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein each security sensor includes a zone type and each zone type corresponds to a plurality of zone functions, wherein the configuring the one or more zones comprises assigning a zone function of the plurality of zone functions to each security sensor.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the configuring the one or more security sensors to communicate with the SMA controller comprises searching for each of the one or more security sensors by the SMA controller, displaying information corresponding to each found security sensor of the one or more security sensors, and pairing each found sensor.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein the configuring the one or more zones comprises selecting a zone of the one or more zones, and editing information associated with the selected zone.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein the configuring the network in the domain comprising the SMA controller comprises creating a secure network, wherein the secure network comprises the SMA controller and a router, and the securing the router and creating the secure network are performed in response to commands transmitted from the SMA controller to the router.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the configuring the network comprises locating a cellular network for which the SMA controller is provisioned, and performing a connectivity test between the SMA controller and the remote server, wherein the performing the connectivity test is performed using the cellular network.

24. 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 first computing node configured to receive the sensor configuration information from the SMA controller, associate the sensor configuration information with account configuration information received from a remote server, and 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 comprise a format usable by the remote central station alarm monitoring system.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the sensor configuration information comprises, for each sensor, at least one of sensor identifier, sensor type, sensor location, sensor zone, and zone function, wherein the zone function is configured to control a response of the SMA controller.

26. The system of claim 24, comprising storing the sensor configuration information using a database record associated with an account identifier that identifies a subscriber associated with the SMA controller.

27. The system of claim 24, wherein the account configuration information includes at least one of account identifier, subscriber address, subscriber phone number, and associated SMA controller identifier.

28. The system of claim 24, wherein the first computing node is configured to modify the sensor configuration information and the account configuration information to the format.

29. The system of claim 24, wherein the sensor configuration information is stored in local memory at the SMA controller.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein the sensor configuration information is stored at the remote server.

31. The system of claim 24, wherein at least a portion of the sensor configuration information is selected and provided to the remote central station alarm monitoring system.

32. The system of claim 24, wherein at least a portion of the account configuration information is selected and provided to the remote central station alarm monitoring system.

33. The system of claim 24, wherein at least a portion of the sensor configuration information is modified, and at least a portion of the modified sensor configuration information is selected and provided to the remote central station alarm monitoring system.

34. The system of claim 24, wherein at least a portion of the account configuration information is modified, and at least a portion of the modified account configuration information is selected and provided to the remote central station alarm monitoring system.

35. The system of claim 24, wherein the plurality of security sensors are configured using the SMA controller.

36. The system of claim 35, comprising one or more zones, wherein the one or more zones are configured using the SMA controller, wherein each zone is associated with a security sensor of the plurality of security sensors.

37. The system of claim 36, wherein each security sensor includes a zone type and each zone type corresponds to a plurality of zone functions.