Patent Grant
9214082
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/491,604, filed May 31, 2011.
The present disclosure is directed to alarm systems and more particularly to a system and method to detect and report tampering with security alarms.
Existing security alarm systems, including premise alarm systems and vehicle alarms, consist primarily of a panel or controller that houses an electronic controller (typically referred to as the “panel” in premise alarm systems), and sensors distributed throughout the monitored premise or vehicle but connected back to the security system controller, or panel, for the purpose of detecting an intrusion event, or other reportable event, whereupon the security system controller reports the event to a centralized alarm monitoring system or gateway to centralized alarm monitoring system via wired or wireless communications channels.
Using a premise alarm system as an example only, one method of defeating such typical security alarm systems is for an intruder to quickly enter the premises and destroy the premise's security system controller panel before the intrusion event can be reported. This is commonly referred to in the trade as “crash and smash”. This is possible because typical alarm panels delay reporting an entry event for a period of time to permit an authorized person to cancel the intrusion event by entering an authorized code into a keypad associated with the panel. U.S. Pat. No. 7,619,512 (the '512 patent) illustrates an existing method to attempt to address the crash and smash issue. Rather than delaying the sending of an intrusion event, the system described by the '512 patent immediately sends the intrusion event signal and if the user enters a valid cancellation code into a keypad within an allotted time then the alarm event is canceled at the remote alarm receiver. In other words, an immediate intrusion signal is sent and if it isn't followed by a deactivation within a set time, then the alarm panel is assumed to have been attacked. One problem with the system described by the '512 patent is that the security premise alarm system panel tampering is an assumption, leaving open the opportunity for false alarms, which can be costly and wasteful for both the user and the civil authorities.
The concepts described herein improve upon prior art by providing explicit detection and reporting of a crash and smash tampering attempt upon a security premise alarm system panel, thereby mitigating the possibility of false alarms.
In an embodiment of an alarm system according to the present invention, an alarm system is described that includes a plurality of intrusion sensors and a security alarm panel in communication with each of the plurality of intrusion sensors and also in communication with a central station, the central station monitoring the status of the alarm system. A tamper sensor monitors the condition of the security alarm panel and is operable to send a tamper alert to the central station if tampering is detected at the security alarm panel.
In another embodiment, a method of detecting and reporting tampering with an alarm system is described. The method includes detecting an intrusion signal from one of a plurality of intrusion sensors, the intrusion signal sent to an alarm gateway by a security alarm panel monitoring the intrusion sensors. The method further includes monitoring the security alarm panel for indications of tampering, and sending an alarm condition to a central monitoring station upon detection of tampering at the security alarm panel.
In yet another embodiment an alarm system is described that includes a plurality of intrusion sensors and a security alarm panel in communication with each of the plurality of intrusion sensors. An alarm gateway is in communication with the security alarm panel, and monitors the status of the security alarm panel for indications of tampering. A central station is in communication with the alarm gateway and monitors the status of the alarm system, where the alarm gateway sends an alarm condition to the central station when tampering at the security alarm panel is detected.
The foregoing has outlined rather broadly the features and technical advantages of the present invention in order that the detailed description of the invention that follows may be better understood. Additional features and advantages of the invention will be described hereinafter which form the subject of the claims of the invention. It should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the conception and specific embodiment disclosed may be readily utilized as a basis for modifying or designing other structures for carrying out the same purposes of the present invention. It should also be realized by those skilled in the art that such equivalent constructions do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims. The novel features which are believed to be characteristic of the invention, both as to its organization and method of operation, together with further objects and advantages will be better understood from the following description when considered in connection with the accompanying figures. It is to be expressly understood, however, that each of the figures is provided for the purpose of illustration and description only and is not intended as a definition of the limits of the present invention.
For a more complete understanding of the present invention, reference is now made to the following descriptions taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
Preferred embodiments of a system according to the concepts described herein enables explicit detection of security alarm panel tampering by incorporating combinations of event communications, tamper sensors and a query and response communications method that uniquely mitigates the possibility of a false alarm crash and smash tamper notification. While such concepts are described using a premise alarms an example only, the concepts can be applied to any type of alarm system including vehicle and other similar alarm systems.
Referring now to
In preferred embodiments of system 100, if alarm gateway 106 has first received an intrusion alarm signal and subsequently received a tamper alarm event signal, the situation may be considered to be a “crash and smash” and then the security alarm panel 101 forwards an alarm event denoting that case to the receiver 108 located at central station 109 via communications channel 107. A typical reaction of operators at central station 109 would be to dispatch civil authorities to investigate the monitored premises and/or also send other types of notifications, including, but not limited to text messages, such as SMS messages, email messages, voice messages, either live or recorded, via commercial communications services 112 or private communications network 113.
Referring now to
Sensor inputs 208 receive inputs from all of the remote alarm sensors monitored by security alarm panel 101, such as door sensor 110 from
Microprocessor 201 is also operable to control other aspects of the security system, such as siren interface 205 which, when present, activates and deactivates an audible siren, and remote keypad 207 which allow the installation of other keypads to control the alarm systems from other areas of the premises, such as a back door. Auxiliary input 206 can be a port that allows other devices, sensors, controllers, diagnostic equipment, etc., to be connected to security alarm panel 101. Power module 212 provides the connection to an external power source for security alarm panel 101. A backup power source, such as a battery, can also be included. Ethernet port 213 allows security alarm panel 101 to be connected to a local area network for control, diagnostic and programming purposes.
Security alarm panel 101 also preferably includes one or more communication interfaces such as communications path 103 from
Referring now to
Referring now to
If a response from security alarm panel 101 is not promptly received by alarm gateway 106 within a predetermined time for example 5 seconds, then security alarm panel 101 is deemed to have been tampered with and central station 109 will be alerted in the same manner as previously described as shown by block 406. The alarm condition can then be reported to authorities or the owners of the alarm as represented by block 407.
The system and method described herein can also incorporate multiple conditions for a contact signal to be sent to a central station by a remote server or controller. In an embodiment, the system is armed and a signal is sent to an intermediate server. An intrusion zone, for example a door sensor, window sensor, motion detector or the like, is triggered and a signal is sent to an intermediate server. The remote server begins monitoring the network (GSM, broadband, VoIP, . . . ) registration of the device, and if the device registration is lost before a disarm signal is received, or if there is a signal indicating loss of AC power received before disarm signal then the tamper alert is issued to the central server indicating a “smash and crash” event.
In another embodiment, a contact ID signal is sent to a central station by a remote server when the system is armed and a signal is sent to our intermediate server and there is an intrusion zone triggered. A signal is sent to our intermediate server, and the remote server begins polling the device on a regular frequency (every 5, 10, 20, 30 seconds . . . ). If the device response to the polling is late by a selected time period (such as for example, 20 seconds) and the disarm signal has not been received, the tamper alert is sent to the central server. Another embodiment could also be network specific like a GPRS session between the intermediate server and the device was ended or interrupted based on a device side condition.
In yet another embodiment, a contact ID signal is sent to a central station by our remote server where the system is armed and a signal is sent to our intermediate server and an intrusion zone is triggered and a signal is sent to the intermediate server. The device sends a status signal over the network to the intermediate server on a regular basis, (for example, 5, 10, 20, 30 seconds . . . ). The server monitors the timing of the signals and if the status signal is late by a selected time period (i.e. 20 seconds) and the disarm signal has not been received then the tamper alert signal is sent to the central station.
Other embodiments can include any physical tamper sensors or signals, physical motion/shock sensors or signals, loss of AC power sensors or signals.
Although the present invention and its advantages have been described in detail, it should be understood that various changes, substitutions and alterations can be made herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. Moreover, the scope of the present application is not intended to be limited to the particular embodiments of the process, machine, manufacture, composition of matter, means, methods and steps described in the specification. As one of ordinary skill in the art will readily appreciate from the disclosure of the present invention, processes, machines, manufacture, compositions of matter, means, methods, or steps, presently existing or later to be developed that perform substantially the same function or achieve substantially the same result as the corresponding embodiments described herein may be utilized according to the present invention. Accordingly, the appended claims are intended to include within their scope such processes, machines, manufacture, compositions of matter, means, methods, or steps.
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