METHOD, SYSTEM AND APPARATUS FOR ACTIVATION OF A HOME SECURITY, MONITORING AND AUTOMATION CONTROLLER

• US 20100277302A1
• Filed: 01/22/2010
• Published: 11/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2009
• Status: Active Application

• Current Assignee: iControl Networks, Inc. (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: iControl Networks, Inc. (Comcast Corporation)
• Inventors: Johnson, James A., Cohn, Alan Wade, Faulkner, Gary Robert, Quain, Corey Wayne, Proft, David Leon, Kitchen, James Edward, Dial, John Degraffenreid IV
• Application Number:
  US12/691,992
• Publication Number:
  US 20100277302A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/514
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2642 Domotique, domestic, home control, automation, smart house
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0736 in functional embedded systems, i.e. in a data processing system designed as a combination of hardware and software dedicated to performing a certain function testing or monitoring of automated control systems G05B23/02
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0757 by exceeding a time limit, i.e. time-out, e.g. watchdogs
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/00 Burglar, theft or intruder alarms
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 19/005 combined burglary and fire alarm systems
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/001 Alarm cancelling procedures or alarm forwarding decisions, e.g. based on absence of alarm confirmation
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/004 Alarm propagated along alternative communication path or using alternative communication medium according to a hierarchy of available ways to communicate, e.g. if Wi-Fi not available use GSM
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/008 Alarm setting and unsetting, i.e. arming or disarming of the security system
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/08 using communication transmission lines G08B13/19658, G08B21/0286, G08B25/016 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/10 using wireless transmission systems G08B25/009 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/14 Central alarm receiver or annunciator arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 29/02 Monitoring continuously signalling or alarm systems
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 29/08 Signalling of tampering with the line circuit
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 29/16 Security signalling or alarm systems, e.g. redundant systems
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 3/10 using electric transmission; using electromagnetic transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2807 Exchanging configuration information on appliance services in a home automation network arrangements for maintenance or administration involving network analysis for automatically determining the actual topology of a network H04L41/12; hardware or software tools for network management using graphical user interfaces H04L41/22; address allocation H04L61/50
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2809 indicating that an appliance service is present in a home automation network monitoring functionality H04L43/0817; discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services, H04L67/51
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2816 Controlling appliance services of a home automation network by calling their functionalities arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station; in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom H04Q9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2818 from a device located outside both the home and the home network access arrangements H04L12/2856; for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025; arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless eletrical link G08C17/00; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with remote control systems H04M11/007
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2825 : Reporting to a device located outside the home and the home network access arrangements H04L12/2856; for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with telemetering systems H04M11/002
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2827 : Reporting to a device within the home network; wherein the reception of the information reported automatically triggers the execution of a home appliance functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2832 : Interconnection of the control functionalities between home networks single bridge functionality H04L12/4625
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2834 : Switching of information between an external network and a home network access arrangements H04L12/2856
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/025 : for remote control or remote monitoring of applications
• 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: H04L 67/125 : involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/26 : Special purpose or proprietary protocols or architectures network applications for proprietary or special purpose networking environments H04L67/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/28 : for reactive routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/34 : Modification of an existing route
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/50 : for emergency connections

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention provide a single platform that provides controller functionality for each of security, monitoring and automation, as well as providing a capacity to function as a bidirectional Internet gateway. Embodiments of the present invention provide such functionality by virtue of a configurable architecture that enables a user to adapt the system for the user'"'"'s specific needs. Embodiments of the present invention further provide for a software-based installation workflow to activate and provision the controller and associated sensors and network.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for configuring a security, monitoring and automation (SMA) system, said method comprising:

configuring a network in a domain comprising an SMA controller, wherein said configuring is performed using the SMA controller;

configuring one or more of security sensors, monitoring devices, and home area network devices having an automation interface to communicate with the SMA controller, wherein said configuring is performed using the SMA controller; and

testing a communication path between the SMA controller and a remote server.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

executing a script by the SMA controller, wherein

the script guides a user of the SMA controller through said configuring the network, said configuring the one or more of security sensors, monitoring devices and home area network devices, and said testing the alarm communication path.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein said executing the script displays a series of user interfaces on a display coupled to the SMA controller.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

configuring one or more zones, wherein each zone is associated with a security sensor of the one or more security sensors; and

testing an alarm communication path.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the alarm communication path comprises:

a link between a security sensor of the one or more security sensors and the SMA controller; and

a network link between the SMA controller and the remote server.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the alarm communication path further comprises a link between the remote server and an alarm central station.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein said testing the alarm communication path further comprises:

receiving an sensor fault event signal from the security sensor by the SMA controller; and

transmitting information related to the sensor fault event signal to the remote server in response to said receiving the sensor fault event signal when the SMA controller is in an armed state, wherein

said transmitting is performed by the SMA controller, and

said transmitting is performed using the network link.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the information related to the sensor fault event signal comprises an identifier of the security sensor.

9. The method of claim 4 wherein said configuring the one or more security sensors to communicate with the SMA controller comprises:

searching for each of the one or more security sensors by the SMA controller;

displaying, on a display coupled to the SMA controller, information corresponding to each found security sensor of the one or more security sensors; and

pairing each found sensor.

10. The method of claim 4 wherein the one or more security sensors communicate wirelessly with the SMA controller.

11. The method of claim 4 wherein said configuring the one or more zones comprises:

selecting a zone of the one or more zones; and

editing information associated with the selected zone.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein said configuring the network in the domain comprising the SMA controller comprises:

locating a network router in the domain;

securing the network router; and

creating a secure network, wherein

the secure network comprises the SMA controller and the network router, and

said securing the network router and creating the secure network are performed in response to commands transmitted from the SMA controller to the network router.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein said configuring the network further comprises:

performing a connectivity test between the SMA controller and the remote server, wherein

said performing the connectivity test is performed using the secure network.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein the secure network is a WiFi network.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein said configuring the network further comprises:

locating a cellular network for which the SMA controller is provisioned; and

performing a connectivity test between the SMA controller and the remote server, wherein

said performing the connectivity test is performed using the cellular network.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein said configuring the network in the domain comprising the SMA controller comprises:

locating a power-line network adapter; and

securing the power-line network adapter, wherein

said securing the power-line network adapter is performed in response to commands transmitted from the SMA controller to the power-line network adapter.

17. A device comprising:

one or more communication interfaces, each for communication with one or more of security sensors, monitoring devices, and home area network devices having an automation interface, respectively;

a network communication interface for communication with a network router in a domain comprising the device and the network router;

a processor, coupled to the one or more communication interfaces, network communication interface and a memory, and configured to execute instructions stored in the memory; and

the memory storing instructions configured to provide a workflow for activating the device, wherein the workflow comprises

configuring a network in the domain using the network communication interface, wherein

said configuring is performed by the device in communication with the network router,

configuring one or more of the security sensors, the monitoring devices, and the home area network devices having an automation interface to communicate with the device using the respective communication interfaces; and

testing a communication path between the device and a remote server using the network communication interface.

18. The device of claim 17 wherein the instructions configured to provide the workflow comprise instructions for executing a script, wherein the script guides a user of the device through said configuring the network, said configuring the one or more of the security sensors, monitoring devices and home area network devices, and said testing the alarm communication path.

19. The device of claim 18 further comprising:

a display, coupled to the processor, and configured to display a series of user interfaces in response to said executing the script.

20. The device of claim 17 wherein the instructions configured to provide the workflow comprise instructions for:

configuring one or more zones, wherein

each zone is associated with a security sensor of the one or more security sensors, and

testing an alarm communication path using the network communication interface.

21. The device of claim 20 wherein the alarm communication path comprises:

a link between a security sensor of the one or more security sensors and the device;

a network link between the device and the network router;

a network link between the network router and a remote server; and

a link between the remote server and an alarm central station.

22. The device of claim 20 further comprising:

a display coupled to the processor; and

wherein the workflow for said configuring the one or more security sensors to communicate with the device further comprises

searching for each of the one or more security sensors,

displaying, on the display, information corresponding to each found security sensor of the one or more security sensors, and

pairing each found sensor.

23. The device of claim 20 wherein the workflow for said configuring the one or more zones further comprises:

selecting a zone of the one or more zones; and

editing information associated with the selected zone.

24. The device of claim 17 wherein said workflow for configuring the network in the domain further comprises:

locating the network router;

securing the network router; and

creating a secure network, wherein

the secure network comprises the device and the network router, and

said securing the network router and creating the secure network are performed in response to commands transmitted from the device to the network router.

25. The device of claim 24 further comprising:

a cellular communication interface for communication with a cellular network for which the device is provisioned; and

wherein said workflow for configuring the network further comprises locating the cellular network, and

performing a connectivity test between the device and a remote server, wherein

said performing the connectivity test is performed using the cellular network.

26. The device of claim 17 wherein said workflow for configuring the network in the domain further comprises:

locating a power-line network adapter; and

securing the power-line network adapter, wherein

said securing the power-line network adapter is performed in response to commands transmitted from the device to the power-line network adapter.