Bridge between security system and appliances

• US 9,460,610 B2
• Filed: 09/16/2014
• Issued: 10/04/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ademco Inc. (Resideo Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Okeefe, Mark Douglas, Kruger, Matt S., Lizza, Alfred M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Khan, Omer S
• Application Number:
  US14/487,470
• Publication Number:
  US 20150002289A1
• Time in Patent Office: 749 Days
• Field of Search: 340/501
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/008 Alarm setting and unsetting, i.e. arming or disarming of the security system
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/14 Central alarm receiver or annunciator arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 29/16 Security signalling or alarm systems, e.g. redundant systems
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link

Abstract

A system and method for controlling an appliance are provided. The system includes a plurality of sensing devices and a plurality of appliance control devices. The sensing devices are locatable in a selected area with each device wirelessly transmitting a first status message and a second status message. Each of the plurality of appliance control devices has a wireless receiver that continuously monitors a transmission spectrum for wireless status messages, has a decryption device that decrypts any received encrypted messages, provides an ON and OFF output, and provides one of the ON and OFF outputs upon receiving a first status message and the other of the ON and OFF outputs upon receiving a second status message.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a plurality of sensing devices locatable in a selected area with at least one of the plurality of sensing devices being an intrusion sensor that detects intruders within the selected area

a control panel that monitors the plurality of sensing devices, wherein, upon entering an armed state, the control panel wirelessly transmits an armed status message to the plurality of sensing devices indicating the armed state of the control panel and requesting a status of each of the plurality of sensing devices, and, upon entering a disarmed state, the control panel wirelessly transmits a disarm status message to the plurality of sensing devices indicating the disarmed state of the control panel and requesting the status of each of the plurality of sensing devices, wherein each of the plurality of sensing devices wirelessly transmits a first status message indicating activation of a respective one of the plurality of sensing devices when the respective one of the plurality of sensing devices is activated and each of the plurality of sensing devices wirelessly transmits a second status message indicating deactivation of the respective one of the plurality of sensing devices when the respective one of the plurality of sensing devices is deactivated, and wherein, upon detection of an intruder, an alarm message is sent to a central monitoring station; and

a plurality of appliance control devices, each of the plurality of appliance control devices comprising;

a wireless receiver that continuously monitors a transmission, spectrum to receive the armed status message from the control panel intended for the plurality of sensing devices, the disarm status message from the control panel intended for the plurality of sensing devices, the first status message sent by the at least one of the plurality of sensing devices intended for the control panel, and the second status messages sent by the at least one of the plurality of sensing devices intended. for the control panel;

a decryption device that decrypts the received armed status message, the received disarm status message, the received first status message, and the received second status message; and

a status processor that provides ON and OFF outputs to a connected appliance based on the received armed status message, the received disarm status message, the received first status message, and the received second status message, wherein each of the plurality of appliance control devices provides a first of the ON and. OFF outputs upon receiving the second status message and the armed status message, wherein each of the plurality of appliance control devices provides a second of the ON and OFF outputs upon receiving the disarm status message from the control panel, and wherein each of the plurality of appliance control devices provides neither of the ON and OFF outputs upon receiving the first status message and the armed status message.

3. The system as in claim 1 further comprising the at least one of the plurality of sensing devices wirelessly transmitting the second status message indicating deactivation of the at least one of the plurality of sensing devices when the at least one of the plurality of sensing devices is deactivated in response to the control panel transmitting the disarm status message.

4. The system as in claim 1 further comprising the connected appliance activated by one of the plurality of appliance control devices.

5. The system as in claim 4 wherein the connected appliance further comprises a heating unit.

6. The system as in claim 1 wherein at least some of the plurality of appliance control devices include a thermostat.

7. The system as in claim 6 wherein the thermostat is coupled to at least one of a fan, a lighting control unit, a heating unit, or an air conditioning unit.

2. The system as in claim I further comprising the at least one of the plurality of sensing devices wirelessly transmitting the first status message indicating activation of the at least one of the plurality of sensing devices when the at least one of the plurality of sensing devices is activated in response to the control panel transmitting the armed status message.

8. A system comprising:

at least one sensing device locatable within a selected area that detects intruders within the selected area;

a control panel that monitors the at least one sensing device and notifies a central monitoring station of an intrusion, wherein, upon entering an armed state, the control panel wirelessly transmits an armed status message to the at least one sensing device indicating the armed state of the control panel and requesting a status of the at least one sensing device, and, upon entering a disarmed state, the control panel wirelessly transmits a disarm status message to the at least one sensing device indicating the disarmed state of the control panel and requesting the status of the at least one sensing device;

a wireless transmitter of the at least one sensing device that wirelessly transmits a first status message associated with activation of the at least one sensing device and a second status message associated with deactivation of the at least one sensing device, wherein the at least one sensing device transmits either the first status message or the second status message to the control panel in response to the armed status message or the disarm status message transmitted by the control panel requesting the status of the at least one sensing device; and

an appliance control device having a wireless receiver, a first output, and a second output, wherein the appliance control device continuously monitors a transmission spectrum to receive the armed status message from the control panel intended for the at least one sensing device, the disarm status message from the control panel intended for the at least one sensing device, the first status message sent by the at least one sensing device intended for the control panel, and the second status messages sent by the at least one sensing device intended for the control panel, wherein the appliance control device provides the first output upon receiving the armed status message from the control panel and the second status message and provides the second output upon receiving the disarm status message from the control panel, and wherein the appliance control device provides neither of the first output or the second output upon receiving the first status message and the armed status message.

9. The system as in claim 8 wherein the appliance control device further comprises a thermostat controlling a temperature of the selected area.

10. The system as in claim 9 further comprising an appliance activated by the appliance control device.

11. The system as in claim 10 wherein the appliance further comprises at least one of a heater, an air conditioner, or a fan.

12. A method comprising:

providing a control panel and a plurality of sensing devices within a selected area;

upon entering an armed state, the control panel wirelessly transmitting an armed status message to the plurality of sensing devices indicating the armed state of the control panel and requesting a status of each of the plurality of sensing devices;

upon entering a disarmed state, the control panel wirelessly transmitting a disarm status message to the plurality of sensing devices indicating the disarmed state of the control panel and requesting the status of each of the plurality of sensing devices;

the plurality of sensing devices transmitting status messages including at least a first status message indicating that one of the plurality of sensing devices is activated and a second status message indicating that the one of the plurality of sensing devices is deactivated, the plurality of sensing devices including at least one intrusion sensor that, upon detecting an intruder within the selected area, notifies a central monitoring station of an intrusion;

providing an appliance control device that continuously monitors a selected transmission spectrum to receive the armed status message from the control panel intended for the plurality of sensing devices, the disarm status message from the control panel intended for the plurality of sensing devices, the first status message sent by the plurality of sensing devices intended for the control panel, and the second status messages sent by the plurality of sensing devices intended thr the control panel; and

providing an appliance associated with the selected area and controlled by the appliance control device, the appliance entering a low energy consuming mode in response to the appliance control device receiving the armed status message from the control panel and the second status message, and the appliance entering a high energy consuming mode in response to the appliance control device receiving the disarm status message from the control panel, wherein, when the appliance is in the high energy consuming mode, the appliance does not switch to the low energy consuming mode in response to the appliance control device receiving the armed message from the control panel and the first status message.

13. The method as in claim 12 wherein the appliance control device comprises a thermostat.

14. The method as in claim 12 wherein the appliance comprises at least one of a heating unit, a fan, or a cooling unit.