Security system health monitoring

• US 9,406,215 B2
• Filed: 12/08/2015
• Issued: 08/02/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• 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): BLOUNT, ERIC
• Application Number:
  US14/962,599
• Publication Number:
  US 20160148497A1
• Time in Patent Office: 238 Days
• Field of Search: 340/514, 340/521, 340/506, 340/500, 340/540, 340/541
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0232 based on qualitative trend analysis, e.g. system evolution
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0235 based on a comparison with predetermined threshold or range, e.g. "classical methods", carried out during normal operation; threshold adaptation or choice; when or how to compare with the threshold
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0272 Presentation of monitored results, e.g. selection of status reports to be displayed; Filtering information to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0283 Predictive maintenance, e.g. involving the monitoring of a system and, based on the monitoring results, taking decisions on the maintenance schedule of the monitored system; Estimating remaining useful life [RUL] preventive maintenance, i.e. planning maintenance according to the available resources without monitoring the system G06Q10/06
• 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 29/04 Monitoring of the detection circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 29/14 checking the detection circuits

Abstract

An apparatus and method for determining at least one operational condition of a premises based system including at least one premises device. The apparatus includes a processor configured to perform a diagnostic procedure. The diagnostic procedure includes determining operational data of the premises based system, the operational data indicating at least one of a premises device and the apparatus is operating outside a failure range and performing predictive analysis based at least in part on the received operational data. The predictive analysis indicates whether the at least one of premises device and apparatus is likely to operate within the failure range within a predefined period of time. The diagnostic procedure includes causing a notification alert to be transmitted to at least one of a user interface device and remote monitoring center based on the predictive analysis.

Claims

1. An apparatus for monitoring a premises based system including at least one premises device, the apparatus comprising:

a communication element, the communication element configured to receive sensor data from the at least one premises device; and

a processor, the processor configured to;

determine at least one behavioral characteristic of the premises based system, the at least one behavioral characteristic corresponding to at least one of an operation and function of the premises based system that has been previously one of triggered and armed a plurality of instances during a predefined time range;

determine whether the sensor data meets the at least one behavioral characteristic; and

in response to determining the sensor data fails to meet the at least one behavioral characteristic, initiate at least one diagnostic procedure.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one behavioral characteristic indicates that the premises based system has been previously armed the plurality of instances during the predefined time range.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one behavioral characteristic indicates that a sensor has been previously armed the plurality of instances during the predefined time range.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one behavioral characteristic indicates that a sensor has been previously triggered the plurality of instances during the predefined time range.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one diagnostic procedure includes a threshold diagnostic procedure, the threshold diagnostic procedure including:

determining operational data of the premises based system, the operational data indicating at least one performance level of the premises based system;

comparing the operational data to at least one operational alert threshold; and

determining that an issue with the premises based system exists if the operational data meets the at least operational alert threshold.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one diagnostic procedure includes a predictive diagnostic procedure, the predictive diagnostic procedure including:

determining operational data of the premises based system, the operational data indicating at least one of a current performance level and past performance level of at least one of the apparatus and the at least one premises device;

performing predictive analysis based at least in part on the received operational data, the predictive analysis indicating whether at least one of the apparatus and the at least one premises device is likely to operate within the failure range within a predefined time window; and

causing a notification alert to be transmitted to at least one of a user interface device and remote monitoring center based on the predictive analysis.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the communication element includes:

a local wireless communication element supporting a plurality of wireless communication protocols, the local wireless communication element configured to provide wireless communications with at least one user interface device and the at least one premises device;

a remote communication element configured to provide remote communications with a monitoring center; and

the processor being further configured to;

use the local wireless communication element to communicate with the at least one user interface device to receive local control and configuration data;

determine whether an unauthorized user interface device of the at least one user interface device has connected to the premise based system via the local wireless communication element; and

in response to the unauthorized user interface device connecting to the premises based system, modify at least one setting of the local wireless communication element.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the modification of at least one setting of the local wireless communication element includes disabling the local wireless communication element.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the modification of at least one setting of the local wireless communication element includes reducing a radio frequency (RF) power of the local wireless communication element.

10. A method for monitoring a premises based system including at least one premises device, the method comprising:

receiving sensor data from the at least one premises device;

determining at least one behavioral characteristic of the premises based system, the at least one behavioral characteristic corresponding to at least one of an operation and function of the premises based system that has been previously one of triggered and armed a plurality of instances during a predefined time range;

determining whether the sensor data meets the at least one behavioral characteristic; and

in response to determining the sensor data fails to meet the at least one behavioral characteristic, initiating at least one diagnostic procedure.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the at least one behavioral characteristic indicates the premises based system has been previously armed the plurality of instances during the predefined time range.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the at least one behavioral characteristic indicates that a sensor has been previously armed the plurality of instances during the predefined time range.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the at least one behavioral characteristic indicates that a sensor has been previously triggered the plurality of instances during the predefined time range.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the at least one diagnostic procedure includes a threshold diagnostic procedure, the threshold diagnostic procedure including:

determining operational data of the premises based system, the operational data indicating at least one performance level of the premises based system;

comparing the operational data to at least one operational alert threshold; and

determining that an issue with the premises based system exist if the operational data meets the at least operational alert threshold.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the at least one diagnostic procedure includes a predictive diagnostic procedure, the predictive diagnostic procedure includes:

determining operational data of the premises based system, the operational data indicating at least one of a current performance level and past performance level of at least one of the apparatus and the at least one premises device;

performing predictive analysis based at least in part on the received operational data, the predictive analysis indicating whether at least one of the apparatus and the at least one premises device is likely to operate within the failure range within a predefined time window; and

causing a notification alert to be transmitted to at least one of a user interface device and remote monitoring center based on the predictive analysis.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the communication element includes:

supporting, by a local wireless communication element, a plurality of wireless communication protocols, the local wireless communication element configured to provide wireless communications with at least one user interface device and at least one premises device;

providing, by a remote communication element, remote communications with a monitoring center;

using the local wireless communication element to communicate with the at least one user interface device to receive local control and configuration data;

determining whether an unauthorized user interface device of the at least one user interface device has connected to the premises based system via the local wireless communication element; and

in response to the unauthorized user interface device connecting to the premises based system, modifying at least one setting of the local wireless communication element.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the modification of at least one setting of the local wireless communication element includes disabling the local wireless communication element.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the modification of at least one setting of the local wireless communication element includes reducing a radio frequency (RF) power of the local wireless communication element.

19. An apparatus for monitoring a premises based system including at least one premises device, the apparatus comprising:

a local wireless communication element supporting a plurality of wireless communication protocols, the local wireless communication element configured to receive sensor data from the at least one premises device and provide wireless communications with at least one user interface device and at least one premise device;

a remote communication element configured to provide remote communications with a monitoring center; and

a processor in communication with the local wireless communication element and the remote communication element, the processor configured to;

use the local wireless communication element to communicate with the at least one user interface device to receive local control and configuration data;

determine whether an unauthorized user interface device of the at least one user interface device has connected to the premise based system via the local wireless communication element; and

in response to the unauthorized user interface device connecting to the premises based system, modify at least one setting of the local wireless communication element;

determine at least one behavioral characteristic of the premises based system, the at least one behavioral characteristic corresponding to at least one of an operation and function of the premises based system that has been previously one of triggered and armed a plurality of instances during a predefined time range;

determine whether the sensor data meets the at least one behavioral characteristic; and

in response to determining the sensor data fails to meet the at least one behavioral characteristic, initiate at least one diagnostic procedure.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the at least one diagnostic procedure includes a predictive diagnostic procedure, the predictive diagnostic procedure includes:

determining operational data of the premises based system, the operational data indicating at least one of a current performance level and past performance level of at least one of the apparatus and the at least one premises device;

performing predictive analysis based at least in part on the received operational data, the predictive analysis indicating whether at least one of the apparatus and at least one premises device is likely to operate within the failure range within a predefined time window; and

causing a notification alert to be transmitted to at least one of a user interface device and remote monitoring center based on the predictive analysis.