False alarm avoidance in security systems

• US 9,466,189 B2
• Filed: 03/10/2014
• Issued: 10/11/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tyco Fire & Security GmbH (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Original Assignee: Tyco Fire & Security GmbH (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Inventors: Patterson, Hap, Hauhn, Joseph E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Girma, Fekadeselassie
• Assistant Examiner(s): MCCORMACK, THOMAS S
• Application Number:
  US14/202,023
• Publication Number:
  US 20150254950A1
• Time in Patent Office: 946 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/00 Burglar, theft or intruder alarms
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19697 Arrangements wherein non-video detectors generate an alarm themselves
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/08 using communication transmission lines G08B13/19658, G08B21/0286, G08B25/016 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/14 Central alarm receiver or annunciator arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 29/188 Data fusion; cooperative systems, e.g. voting among different detectors

Abstract

Embodiments of intrusion detection systems are described and which include an intrusion detection panel that receives binary and metadata sensor data from which the presence of an alarm condition is detected. In addition sensor devices analyze sensor data received from other sensor devices that are in a peer to peer relationship with the corresponding sensor device to validate whether the indicated alarm condition is a valid alarm or a false alarm.

Claims

1. An intrusion detection panel comprises:

a processor device;

a memory in communication with the processor device; and

a storage device that stores a program of computing instructions for execution by the processor using the memory, the program comprising instructions configured to cause the processor to;

receive first sensor data from a first sensor that is of a first sensor type, the first sensor data being of a binary signal type, and which is sent to the intrusion detection panel, which first sensor data is an indication of an forced entry intrusion detected by the first sensor;

receive second sensor data from a second sensor that is of a second, different type the second sensor data sent to the intrusion detection panel, with the second sensor data including an indication of a detection condition and metadata information comprising data regarding a state of an environment within the range of the second sensor, the metadata information provided from processing of the second sensor data by the second sensor;

receive third sensor data from a third sensor that is of a third sensor type that sends the third sensor data to the intrusion detection panel, with the third sensor data being an indication of a perimeter presence detected by the third sensor;

determine that the first sensor indicated the presence of an alarm condition;

upon an assertion that the processor determined the presence of an alarm condition from the first sensor, the processor is further configured to;

analyze the metadata received from the second sensor to validate whether the indicated alarm condition processed from the first sensor is a valid alarm condition or a false alarm condition;

analyze the third sensor data received from the third sensor to validate existence of a perimeter presence at a time coincident with the indication of the alarm condition; and

produce an alarm when the analysis of the metadata from the second sensor and the existence of a perimeter presence validates the assertion of the alarm condition provided from the first sensor.

2. The intrusion detection panel of claim 1, wherein the metadata is calculated data that delineates one or more of approximate or exact object size, position, speed, identity of an individual detected or the lack of identity of an individual detected.

3. The intrusion detection panel of claim 1, wherein the second one of the sensors provides detailed information that is evaluated by the intrusion detection panel.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the instructions further comprise instructions to:

maintain counts of and/or record details regarding false alarms asserted by the one or more sensors;

periodically send information regarding these false alarms to the monitoring station for maintenance purposes.

5. An intrusion detection system comprises:

an intrusion detection panel;

a first plurality of first type sensors each one configured to output to the intrusion detection panel, a binary signal that indicates the presence or absence of an event;

a second plurality of second type sensors configured to output raw sensor data and determined metadata that are sent to the intrusion detection panel, the metadata comprising information resulting from processing of inputs by the second type sensors with the information comprising data regarding a state of an environment within the range of the second type sensors;

a third plurality of third type sensors that send third type sensor data to the intrusion detection panel, with the third type sensor data being an indication of or absence of a perimeter presence detected by one or more of the third plurality of sensors;

the intrusion detection panel coupled to the first, second and third type sensors, the intrusion detection panel comprising circuitry to;

receive binary signals from the first plurality of sensors and raw sensor data and metadata from the second plurality of sensors, and the third type sensor data;

determine that a first one of the first plurality of sensors indicates the presence of an alarm condition;

analyze the metadata received from at least some of the second plurality of sensors to validate whether the indicated alarm condition is a valid alarm or a false alarm;

analyze the third type sensor data received from the one or more of the plurality of third type sensors to validate existence of a perimeter presence at a time coincident with the indication of the alarm condition; and

raise an alarm when the first one of the first plurality of sensors and the at least some of the second plurality of sensors confirm the presence of an alarm condition and the analysis of the third type of sensor data validates existence of a perimeter presence at a time coincident with the indication of the alarm condition.

6. The intrusion detection system of claim 5, wherein the first plurality of sensors are contact switches and glass break sensors that are coupled to the control panel.

7. The intrusion detection system of claim 5, wherein the second plurality of sensors are enhanced motion detectors, video cameras, microphones and/or other sound capturing devices that process inputs to the sensors and produce the metadata that conveys to the intrusion detection panel information regarding the inputs to the sensors.

8. The intrusion detection system of claim 5, wherein the second plurality of sensors are video cameras that comprise a processor and memory and recognition software to process inputs to the camera and produce the metadata to convey information regarding recognition or lack of recognition of an individual captured by the video camera and information regarding characteristic of the recognized individual or unrecognized individual.

9. The intrusion detection system of claim 5, wherein the circuitry in the intrusion detection panel comprises:

a processor device;

a memory in communication with the processor device; and

a storage device that stores a program of computing instructions for execution by the processor using the memory.

10. The intrusion detection system of claim 5, wherein the intrusion detection panel gathers analyzes the environment for the forced entry using a binary signal from conventional contact switches and glass break sensors, for perimeter presence uses metadata to discover whether there were any perimeter intrusions and for the valid interior violation uses web cams that are placed in the interior of a premises supply information that verifies presence of a body within the premises.

11. The intrusion detection system of claim 10, wherein the combination of binary outputs from conventional sensors metadata outputs are analyzed by the intrusion detection panel circuitry to determine whether to assert an alarm condition.

12. The intrusion detection system of claim 9, further comprising:

a monitoring system in communication with multiple intrusion detection systems including the system intrusion detection, and the system intrusion detection sends the alarm condition to the monitoring system.

13. The intrusion detection system of claim 11, wherein the instructions further comprise instructions to:

maintain counts of and/or record details regarding false alarms asserted by the one or more sensors;

periodically send information regarding these false alarms to a monitoring station for maintenance purposes.