Monitoring system control technology

• US 9,590,863 B1
• Filed: 08/18/2015
• Issued: 03/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alarm.com Inc. (Alarm.com Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Alarm.com Inc. (Alarm.com Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Martin, Jean-Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Donovan, Lincoln
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mattison, David
• Application Number:
  US14/829,298
• Time in Patent Office: 567 Days
• Field of Search: 315/297
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/048 Monitoring; Safety
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25011 Domotique, I-O bus, home automation, building automation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0803 Configuration setting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/10 Controlling the light source
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/105 in response to determined parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/115 by determining the presence or movement of objects or living beings
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/19 via wireless transmission

Abstract

Systems and techniques are described for providing control of a monitoring system. In some implementations, a monitoring device is located in a building and is configured to monitor at least a portion of the building based on output from one or more sensors. A monitoring server is located remote from the building and is configured to communicate with the monitoring device. The monitoring server may be configured to translate one or more parameters received from a client device into an interpreted monitoring script and a trigger that causes performance of the interpreted monitoring script. The monitoring device may include an interpreter configured to determine that the trigger has been met and initiate performance of the interpreted monitoring script to evaluate a monitoring rule in accordance with one or more configurable parameters.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a monitoring device that is located in a building and that is configured to monitor at least a portion of the building based on output from one or more sensors; and

a monitoring server that is located remote from the building and that is configured to communicate with the monitoring device, wherein the communication between the monitoring server and the monitoring device is based on one or more rule templates that are specific to the monitoring device, and wherein the monitoring sever is configured to create one or more rule templates by;

receiving, by the monitoring server, at least one specification for the monitoring device; and

creating one or more rule templates for the monitoring device based on the received at least one specification;

wherein the monitoring server comprises;

one or more processors,

one or more storage devices configured to store instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to;

receive, from a client device, login information;

based on receipt of the login information, matching the login information to an account registered with the monitoring server, the account being associated with a monitoring system that is located at the building and that includes the monitoring device;

based on matching the login information to the account registered with the monitoring server, determine a configuration of the monitoring system that is located at the building and that includes the monitoring device;

based on the determined configuration of the monitoring system that is located at the building and that includes the monitoring device, identify, from among a set of rule templates, a subset of rule templates specific to the determined configuration of the monitoring system;

present an interface that includes the identified subset of rule templates specific to the determined configuration of the monitoring system;

receive, through the interface, a user selection of a rule template from among the subset of rule templates presented in the interface, the selected rule template having multiple adaptable parameters used to define a rule for the selected rule template;

receive user input defining the multiple adaptable parameters used to define a rule for the selected rule template; and

translate the selected rule template and the received parameters into an interpreted monitoring script and a trigger that causes performance of the interpreted monitoring script, and

a communication device configured to send the interpreted monitoring script to the monitoring device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the monitoring server is configured to determine the configuration of the monitoring system that is located at the building and that includes the monitoring device by determining how many monitoring devices are included in the monitoring system.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the monitoring server is configured to determine the configuration of the monitoring system that is located at the building and that includes the monitoring device by determining types of monitoring devices that are included in the monitoring system.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the monitoring server is configured to determine the configuration of the monitoring system that is located at the building and that includes the monitoring device by determining where monitoring devices are located in the building.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the monitoring server is configured to determine the configuration of the monitoring system that is located at the building and that includes the monitoring device by determining how many and what types of monitoring devices are included in the monitoring system and where those monitoring devices are located within the building.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the monitoring server is configured to determine the configuration of the monitoring system that is located at the building and that includes the monitoring device by determining, for the account, a level of membership with the monitoring server.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the monitoring server is configured to identify, from among the set of rule templates, the subset of rule templates specific to the determined configuration of the monitoring system by determining types of sensors included in the monitoring system that is located at the building and identifying a subset of rule templates based on the determined types of sensors.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the monitoring server is configured to identify, from among the set of rule templates, the subset of rule templates specific to the determined configuration of the monitoring system by determining locations of sensors included in the monitoring system that is located at the building and identifying a subset of rule templates based on the determined locations of sensors.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the monitoring server is configured to identify, from among the set of rule templates, the subset of rule templates specific to the determined configuration of the monitoring system by determining status of monitoring devices included in the monitoring system that is located at the building and identifying a subset of rule templates based on the determined status of monitoring devices.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the monitoring server is configured to identify, from among the set of rule templates, the subset of rule templates specific to the determined configuration of the monitoring system by determining models, locations, and status of monitoring devices included in the monitoring system that is located at the building and identifying a subset of rule templates based on the determined models, locations, and status of monitoring devices.

21. The system of claim 1, wherein the monitoring server is configured to test the one or more rule templates in a virtual environment, and publish each of the one or more rule templates that pass the test in the virtual environment.

11. A method comprising:

receiving, from a client device and by a monitoring server, login information;

based on receipt of the login information, matching, by the monitoring server, the login information to an account registered with the monitoring server, the account being associated with a monitoring system that includes a monitoring device that is located in a building and that is configured to monitor at least a portion of the building based on output from one or more sensors, the monitoring server being located remote from the building and being configured to communicate with the monitoring device;

receiving, by the monitoring server, at least one specification for the monitoring device;

creating, by the monitoring server, one or more rule templates for the monitoring device based on the received at least one specification;

based on matching the login information to the account registered with the monitoring server, determining, by the monitoring server, a configuration of the monitoring system that is located at the building and that includes the monitoring device;

based on the determined configuration of the monitoring system that is located at the building and that includes the monitoring device, identifying, from among a set of rule templates that includes the created one or more rule templates and by the monitoring server, a subset of rule templates specific to the determined configuration of the monitoring system;

presenting, by the monitoring server, an interface that includes the identified subset of rule templates specific to the determined configuration of the monitoring system;

receiving, through the interface and by the monitoring server, a user selection of a rule template from among the subset of rule templates presented in the interface, the selected rule template having multiple adaptable parameters used to define a rule for the selected rule template;

receiving, by the monitoring server, user input defining the multiple adaptable parameters used to define a rule for the selected rule template;

translating, by the monitoring server, the selected rule template and the received parameters into an interpreted monitoring script and a trigger that causes performance of the interpreted monitoring script; and

sending, by the monitoring server, the interpreted monitoring script to the monitoring device.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein determining the configuration of the monitoring system that is located at the building and that includes the monitoring device comprises determining how many monitoring devices are included in the monitoring system.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein determining the configuration of the monitoring system that is located at the building and that includes the monitoring device comprises determining types of monitoring devices that are included in the monitoring system.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein determining the configuration of the monitoring system that is located at the building and that includes the monitoring device comprises determining where monitoring devices are located in the building.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein determining the configuration of the monitoring system that is located at the building and that includes the monitoring device comprises determining how many and what types of monitoring devices are included in the monitoring system and where those monitoring devices are located within the building.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein determining the configuration of the monitoring system that is located at the building and that includes the monitoring device comprises determining, for the account, a level of membership with the monitoring server.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein identifying, from among the set of rule templates, the subset of rule templates specific to the determined configuration of the monitoring system comprises determining types of sensors included in the monitoring system that is located at the building and identifying a subset of rule templates based on the determined types of sensors.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein identifying, from among the set of rule templates, the subset of rule templates specific to the determined configuration of the monitoring system comprises determining locations of sensors included in the monitoring system that is located at the building and identifying a subset of rule templates based on the determined locations of sensors.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein identifying, from among the set of rule templates, the subset of rule templates specific to the determined configuration of the monitoring system comprises determining status of monitoring devices included in the monitoring system that is located at the building and identifying a subset of rule templates based on the determined status of monitoring devices.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein identifying, from among the set of rule templates, the subset of rule templates specific to the determined configuration of the monitoring system comprises determining models, locations, and status of monitoring devices included in the monitoring system that is located at the building and identifying a subset of rule templates based on the determined models, locations, and status of monitoring devices.