System And Method For Controlling Devices At A Location

• US 20080279345A1
• Filed: 07/29/2008
• Published: 11/13/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Enzmann, Mark J., Zellner, Samuel N., Moton, Robert T. JR.
• Granted Patent: US 8,074,269 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1094 Inter-user-equipment sessions transfer or sharing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1096 Supplementary features, e.g. call forwarding or call holding systems providing special services or facilities to telephony subscribers H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/1016 Telecontrol
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42 Systems providing special services or facilities to subscribers specially adapted for wireless communication networks H04W4/00

Abstract

A system and method for controlling, by an outside entity, one or more devices associated with a location. A representative embodiment of the system architecture comprises an internal computer system through which a device may be remotely controlled by the outside entity during a communication session between the outside entity and the internal computer system through an external computer network. The external computer network can be the Internet. When the outside entity is requested to control the device, the outside entity'"'"'s identity information is authenticated before the communication session is established. In a preferred embodiment, the internal computer system is protected by a firewall. The firewall allows the outside entity to access the internal computer system to control the device if the outside entity can provide proper identity information. The identity information of the outside entity may be a password that is recognized by the firewall. In the preferred embodiment, the identity information is a digital certificate issued to the outside entity by a certificate authority. In preferred embodiments, after the communication session is established, only the outside entity can terminate the communication session.

Claims

1. A monitoring and control apparatus at a location, the apparatus comprising:

an internal computer system associated with the location;

an interface to a sensing element to monitor a location;

a communication processor to communicate with an outside entity via a communications network wherein the communications network utilizes a secure link and the outside entity is authenticated;

a control module allowing the outside entity to control the operations of a device at the location associated with a local area network upon detection of a triggering event.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein communication between the communication processor and the outside entity utilizes quality of service.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the outside entity is granted multiple levels of security to control the operation of the device.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the communications conveys multimedia information.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the location is associated with a moving object.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the moving object is a vehicle.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the vehicle is an automobile.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the triggering event is detected at the location by the sensing element.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the device is a VoIP capable device.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the device is a video camera, the outside entity is public safety answering point (PSAP), the PSAP controlling the video camera to obtain video from the location.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the PSAP provides the video to another device associated with an individual responding to the location.

12. A method for monitoring and controlling a device at a location, the method comprising:

monitoring a location through a sensing element;

communicating with an outside entity over a communications network via a communication processor, wherein the communications network utilizes a secure link and the outside entity is authenticated; and

allowing an outside entity to control operations of the device at the location associated with a local area network upon detection of a triggering event.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein communication between the communication processor and the outside entity utilizes quality of service.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the outside entity is granted multiple levels of security to control the operations of the device.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the communications conveys multimedia information.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the location is associated with a moving object.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the moving object is a vehicle.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the vehicle is an automobile.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein the triggering event is detected at the location by the sensing element.

20. The method of claim 12, wherein the device is a VoIP capable device.