Security system with networked touchscreen

• US 9,306,809 B2
• Filed: 12/17/2013
• Issued: 04/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: iControl Networks, Inc. (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: iControl Networks, Inc. (Comcast Corporation)
• Inventors: Wales, Carolyn, Dawes, Paul J., Fulker, Jim
• Primary Examiner(s): Hussain, Tauqir
• Application Number:
  US14/108,774
• Publication Number:
  US 20140359101A1
• Time in Patent Office: 840 Days
• Field of Search: 709/225
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/003 Address allocation methods and details
• 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 25/009 Signalling of the alarm condition to a substation whose identity is signalled to a central station, e.g. relaying alarm signals in order to extend communication range
• 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: H04L 41/18 Delegation of network management function, e.g. customer network management [CNM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/28 Restricting access to network management systems or functions, e.g. using authorisation function to access network configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227
• 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

Abstract

An integrated security system integrates broadband and mobile access and control with conventional security systems and premise devices to provide a tri-mode security network that with remote connectivity and access. The integrated security system includes a touchscreen providing security keypad functionality as well as content management and presentation, and is used as a security system interface and an interface for interacting with a network. The integrated security system delivers remote premise monitoring and control functionality to conventional monitored premise protection and complements existing premise protection equipment. The integrated security system integrates into the premise network and couples wirelessly with the conventional security panel, enabling broadband access to premise security systems. Automation devices can be added, enabling users to remotely see live video or pictures and control home devices via a personal web portal, mobile phone, or other client device. Users can receive notifications of detected events via electronic message.

Claims

1. A security system comprising:

a monitoring system configured to monitor a premises, the monitoring system including a sensor installed at the premises and configured to detect sensor events, wherein the monitoring system is coupled to a central monitoring station via a first communication channel; and

a remote device coupled to the central monitoring station via a second communication channel and including applications that, when run on the remote device, perform operations comprising;

performing a synchronization to associate the remote device with the monitoring system;

based on the synchronization, receiving by the remote device one or more data communications descriptive of the sensor events detected by the monitoring system;

transmitting event data of the sensor events to the central monitoring station over the secondary communication channel;

displaying on the remote device a status interface that includes status information related to the monitoring system based on the received one or more data communications;

displaying on the remote device a control interface configured to receive user input to control the monitoring system;

receiving at the control interface user input defining a control operation for the monitoring system; and

based on the user input and the synchronization, initiating one or more control communications that cause the monitoring system to perform the control operation.

2. The security system of claim 1, wherein the remote device includes a touchscreen device coupled to a local network at the premises, wherein the status interface and the control interface are displayed via the touchscreen.

3. The security system of claim 2, wherein the touchscreen device includes a gateway.

4. The security system of claim 1, wherein the remote device includes a cellular telephone.

5. The security system of claim 1, wherein the remote device includes one or more of a personal computer, a personal digital assistant, and a mobile computing device.

6. The security system of claim 1, wherein the remote device is coupled to a remote server via a broadband channel.

7. The security system of claim 1, wherein the touchscreen is coupled to a remote server via a cellular channel.

8. The security system of claim 1, wherein the remote device is coupled to a remote server via a remote network that includes at least one of a broadband network and a cellular network.

9. The security system of claim 8, wherein the remote server includes at least one of a security server and a central monitoring station.

10. The security system of claim 8, wherein the remote device is configured to interact with content of the remote network.

11. The security system of claim 8, wherein the content includes at least one of the applications installed on the remote device.

12. The security system of claim 10, wherein the remote device integrates the content with the status information of the monitoring system.

13. The security system of claim 10, wherein the control interface is configured to receive user input to transfer the content over the remote network.

14. The security system of claim 10, wherein the remote device is configured to interact with network devices coupled to a local network at the premises.

15. The security system of claim 14, wherein the status information includes information of the network devices coupled to the local network.

16. The security system of claim 14, wherein the control interface is configured to receive user input to control the network devices.

17. The security system of claim 8, wherein the monitoring system comprises a plurality of security system components, wherein at least one of the status interface and the control interface is configured to provide communication and control of the plurality of security system components.

18. The security system of claim 8, wherein the remote device comprises a security system control panel of the monitoring system.

19. The security system of claim 8, wherein the applications provide interactivity with a plurality of devices via the remote device.

20. The security system of claim 19, wherein the plurality of devices includes a plurality of devices coupled to the remote device.

21. The security system of claim 19, wherein the plurality of devices includes a plurality of devices coupled to the monitoring system.

22. The security system of claim 19, wherein the plurality of devices includes a plurality of devices coupled to a local network at the premises.

23. The security system of claim 19, wherein the applications control interactions between the plurality of devices.

24. The security system of claim 19, wherein a device of the plurality of devices is a security device.

25. The security system of claim 19, wherein a device of the plurality of devices is a sensor.

26. The security system of claim 19, wherein a device of the plurality of devices is an Internet Protocol (IP) device.

27. The security system of claim 19, wherein a device of the plurality of devices is a camera.

28. The security system of claim 19, wherein a device of the plurality of devices is a controller that controls an attached device.

29. The security system of claim 8, wherein the remote device includes a rules component that manages rules of interaction with the monitoring system.

30. The security system of claim 8, wherein the event data comprises changes in device state of the sensor, data of the sensor, and data received by the sensor.

31. The security system of claim 8, wherein the secondary communication channel includes a broadband channel.

32. The security system of claim 8, wherein the secondary communication channel includes a cellular channel.

33. The security system of claim 8, wherein the remote device transmits messages comprising the event data to other remote devices via the secondary communication channel.

34. The security system of claim 8, wherein the remote device receives control data for control of the monitoring system from other remote devices via the secondary communication channel.

35. The security system of claim 1, wherein the remote device comprises a mobile device that includes at least one of a cellular telephone and a tablet computer.

36. The security system of claim 35, wherein the remote device is provided separately from the monitoring system by a company that is different than a company that provides the monitoring system.

37. The security system of claim 35, wherein at least one of the applications is custom-built for the remote device.

38. The security system of claim 35, wherein at least one of the applications is transferred to the remote device over a network coupled to the remote device.

39. The security system of claim 35:

wherein the monitoring system is integrated with a monitoring system server that is located remote from the premises and that is configured to receive, over a network, data communications descriptive of sensor events detected by the sensor included in the monitoring system; and

wherein performing the synchronization to associate the mobile device with the monitoring system comprises coordinating with the monitoring system server to synchronize with the monitoring system.

40. The security system of claim 7, wherein coordinating with the monitoring system server to synchronize with the monitoring system comprises synchronizing with the monitoring system server over the network, such that the mobile device exchanges, with the monitoring system server over the network, data communications descriptive of sensor events detected by the monitoring system.

41. The security system of claim 35, wherein receiving one or more data communications descriptive of sensor events detected by the monitoring system comprises receiving one or more data communications indicating that the monitoring system has detected an alarm event at the premise;

and

wherein displaying a status interface that includes status information related to the monitoring system comprises;

overriding a first application operating on the mobile device at a time of receipt of the one or more data communications, when the first application has been determined to have a lower priority than the alarm event, and

displaying an alert that includes a description of the alarm event detected by the monitoring system, the alert replacing at least a portion of the first application content being displayed by the first application at a time of receipt of the one or more data communications.

42. The security system of claim 41, wherein the displaying the control interface comprises displaying an input control that corresponds to a security operation that causes the monitoring system to perform an operation related to the alarm event;

and

wherein the receiving user input comprises receiving input corresponding to the security operation that causes the monitoring system to perform the operation related to the alarm event; and

wherein initiating the one or more control communications that cause the monitoring system to perform the control operation comprises;

sending one or more control communications that cause the monitoring system to perform the alarm control operation defined by the received user input; and

resuming, on the mobile device, operation of the first application after receiving the user input activating the input control.