Patent Grant
9049307
The present invention relates generally to security systems between a premise security system and a central monitoring service, and in particular to a security system supporting digital and audio communications.
Currently, various types of security systems are employed in both residential and business locations where a control panel sends signals containing an alarm or other status reporting information to a central monitoring station. The central monitoring station acts as the link between a home or business and police, fire, and other emergency response authorities. In addition, premise security systems now include the ability to allow two-way voice communication between a control panel and the central monitoring station.
To support these applications, the infrastructure of a conventional security system typically includes a control panel, which includes one of the following possible communication modules to communicate with the central monitoring station: (1) a traditional plain old telephone system (POTS) communication module to access the public switched telephone network (PSTN), (2) a wireless RF communication module to access a digital cellular or digital personal communications service (PCS) network, or (3) an IP communication module to access the Internet. In a conventional security system employing a POTS Dialer module, alarm and/or other status reporting information are reported to the central monitoring station by way of the PSTN network. During the reporting period, two-way voice communication between a control panel and the central monitoring station is possible since the POTS line is in use (a channel which allows transmitting digital status report and handle 2 way voice audio communication). When POTS line are used, physical wires are required between the control panel and a telephone jack thus resulting in an increase in the installation time and costs as well as limiting the placement of the control panel within the premise.
In a conventional security system employing traditional alarm communications protocol alarm and/or status data transfer is not reliable via the current voice over global system mobile communication (GSM) network. This is because GSM providers fail to reliably transfer dual tone multi-frequency (dtmf) oriented digital reports due to latency and timing changes introduced by inferior telecommunications equipment. The only reliable alarm reporting is limited to the digital portion of the GSM's general packet radio services (GPRS) channel, which does not allow traditional analog 2-way voice communication.
In a conventional security system employing a POTS digital dialer communication module, the analog port on the modem of a VOIP communication path is utilized for transmitting digital alarm and/or status reports and two-way voice audio communication. However, some VoIP providers do not allow reliable alarm or other status information reporting and voice communications between the control panel (or keypad) and the central monitoring station. This is because VOIP providers fail to reliably transfer dual tone multi-frequency (dtmf) oriented digital reports due to latency and timing changes introduced by inferior telecommunications equipment.
Hence, there is a need for an apparatus, system and/or process employed in premise security systems to allow a reliable method to deliver alarm and/or status reports) and also establish 2 way voice communication link between a control panel and the central monitoring station. Also, in some instances it may be desirable to also have an apparatus, system and/or process, which support both digital and two-way voice communications simultaneously. Moreover, it is desirable to achieve this communications goal wirelessly between the control panel and the POTS line, the analog port on the VoIP modem and/or both IP and Analog port, in order to remove the need for running a physical wire between the control panel and these mediums.
The present invention provides a system for interfacing digital and audio communications in a security system.
Specifically, the present invention provides a system for interfacing digital and audio communications in a security system, comprising a control panel having one or more first radio transceivers and one or more remote alarm sensors coupled to the control panel, the control panel receiving one or more digital reports from each one or more remote alarm sensors, a wireless interface device having one or more second radio transceivers for receiving one or more digital reports from the control panel, one or more telephone devices coupled to the wireless interface device for communicating with a plain old telephone system (POTS), and an IP network modem device coupled to the wireless interface device and an IP network, wherein, the wireless interface device includes a communication processing device for controlling a transmission of one or more digital reports to a monitoring service via the IP network and for establishing a two-way voice communication between the control panel and the monitoring service and for establishing two-way voice communication between the control panel and the wireless interface device.
The communication processing device is locally controlled or remotely via a monitoring service.
The communication processing device is adapted for disconnecting each one or more telephone devices from a voice connection and seizes the voice connection as required either while sending one or more digital reports or while establishing the two-way communication between the control panel and the monitoring service.
One or more first and second radio transceivers provides digital and audio communications via a WiFi, a Bluetooth™ or a Zibee radio standard.
The security system can further comprises an IP router disposed between the IP network modem device and the wireless interface device.
Alternatively, a wireless interface device for communicating digital and audio communications in a security system is provided comprising, one or more radio transceivers for establishing two-way voice communication between the wireless interface device and a control panel, a first port for transmitting one or more digital reports to a monitoring service via an IP network, a second port for receiving and transmitting two-way voice communications, a third port for connection one or more telephones to the wireless interface device, and a communication processor for controlling the transmitting of the one or more digital reports via the IP network and transmitting and receiving two-way voice communications and for interfacing the control panel and the monitoring service.
Alternatively, a wireless interface device for communicating digital and audio communications in a security system, comprising, one or more radio transceivers for establishing two-way voice communication between the wireless interface device and a control panel, a first port for transmitting one or more digital reports and transmitting two-way voice communications on a plain old telephone system (POTS) phone line, a second port for connection one or more telephones to the wireless interface device, and a communication processor for controlling the transmitting and receiving the digital reports over POTS and transmitting and receiving two-way voice communications and for interfacing the control panel and a monitoring service.
Alternatively, a wireless interface device for communicating digital and audio communications in a security system, comprising, one or more radio transceivers for establishing two-way voice communication between the wireless interface device and a control panel, a first port for transmitting one or more digital reports and transmitting two-way voice communications via an analog port of a broadband modem, a second port for connection of one or more telephones to the wireless interface, and a communication processor for controlling the transmitting and receiving the digital reports over the analog port of the broadband modem and transmitting and receiving two-way voice communications and for interfacing the control panel and a monitoring service.
The present invention also provides a method of interfacing digital and audio communications in a security system, comprising the steps of sending one or more digital reports from one or more remote sensors in the security system to a control panel at a predetermined interval, re-sending wirelessly the received one or more digital reports to a wireless interface device, the wireless interface device coupled to an IP network for forwarding the one or more digital reports to a monitoring service, receiving by the wireless interface device a two-way voice communication request from the monitoring service, and establishing two-way voice communication between the control panel and the monitoring service.
Alternatively, while performing the step of re-sending wirelessly the received one or more digital reports to a wireless interface device, the wireless interface device is not coupled to an IP network modem device and instead coupled directly to a plain old telephone system (POTS) phone line via a rj31x jack.
Alternatively, A system for interfacing digital and audio communications in a security system, comprising, a control panel having one or more first radio transceivers and one or more remote alarm sensors coupled to the control panel, said control panel receiving one or more digital reports from each the one or more remote alarm sensors, a wireless interface device having one or more second radio transceivers for receiving the one or more digital reports from the control panel, one or more telephone devices coupled to the wireless interface device for communicating with a plain old telephone system (POTS), and a plain old telephone system (POTS) phone jack coupled to the wireless interface device and an public switched telephone network (PSTN), wherein, the wireless interface device includes a communication processing device for controlling a transmission of the one or more digital reports to a monitoring service via said PSTN and for establishing a two-way voice communication between the control panel and the monitoring service and for establishing two-way voice communication between the control panel and the wireless interface device.
The monitoring service can locally or remotely controls the communication processing device.
The communication processing device is adapted for disconnecting each said one or more telephone devices from a voice connection and seizes said voice connection as required either while sending said one or more digital reports or while establishing said two-way communication between said control panel and said monitoring service.
An additional object of the present invention is to provide a program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform the above-described method for interfacing digital and audio communications in a security system.
An additional object of the present invention is to provide a wireless means to improve installation speed by removing the necessity for running a physical wire (such as a phone line or cat5 cable) between the control panel and the point of entry of this communication medium, either POTS and/or IP via broadband modem.
The invention is further described in the detailed description that follows, by reference to the noted drawing by way of non-limiting illustrative embodiments of the invention, in which like reference numerals represent similar parts throughout the drawings. As should be understood, however, the invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown.
These and other features, benefits and advantages of the present invention will become apparent by reference to the following text figures, with like reference numbers referring to like structures across the views, wherein:
As known to those skilled in the art, control panel 110 may additionally include a built-in microphone and speaker (not shown) as well as support circuitry for the purpose of annunciating all human voice discussions (listening and talking) between on-premise persons (typically the homeowner) and the central monitoring operators. This ensures that central monitoring operators can listen to events as they transpire on-premise during the commission of a crime, or other emergency. Additionally the microphone circuitry allows on-premise persons the ability to communicate back to the central station operator. Further, the control panel 110 may support an additional 2 way voice standalone station, either wired or wireless via COM port 114 for this same purpose as discussed above (voice discussions during a 2 way voice session between operator and on-premise persons).
The status of the alarm or security system is maintained in storage (not shown) in the control panel 110. Periodic status event reports and alarm reports are generated by a processor 113 (microprocessor/controller, or FPGA, or the like) in digital format for example, Full Contact ID or ADEMCO high-speed reporting formats. Other digital alarm reporting formats can be utilized by the present invention as known to those skilled in the art.
Communications between the control panel 110 and the wireless interface device 120 are wireless by means of radio transceivers 112 and 122. Such emerging radio standards as WiMax™, WiFi, ZiBee, Bluetooth™ and the like can be utilized for communications as well as others known in the art. As known to those skilled in the art, radio transceiver 112 can be either an integral part of the control panel 110 (e.g. couple to PCB), or it could be a standalone module which is either mounted on a control panel PCB, or mounted inside a common enclosure with the control panel 110 but a separate PCB. In addition, radio transceiver 112 could be mounted on a PCB outside a control panel enclosure.
Generic Internet modem 130 is a generic Internet modem, which can access the Internet, such as a DSL modem which connects via an IP network port (not shown) and as an rj45 patch or via a fiber optics connection. Alternatively, generic Internet modem 130 can be a cable modem accessible to the Internet via a co-axial cable connection cable, or generic Internet modem 130 can be a WiMax antenna or the like capable accessing the Internet via a hot spot as known to those skilled in the art. As shown in
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In the event of an alarm report, the central monitoring service 180 may initiate two-way voice with control panel 110. That is, the central monitoring service 180 may send a control signal to the communication controller 127 in response to an alarm report via the POTS and/or IP network. Various call back scheme can be employed as known to those skilled in the art such as a generalize call back scheme or a call back scheme triggered by a specific event code reported (e.g. contact ID format). The present invention is not limited to any specific call back scheme.
Next, a control signal sent from the central monitoring service 180 would trace back through the generic Internet modem 130 to the wireless interface device 120 via IP by way of port 134 to port 124 via a path cable. The communication controller 127 will in response to the control signal seize the POTS connection, which will have the effect of disconnecting telephones 140-140n from the POTS and send an ACK signal back to the central monitoring service 180. At the same time communication controller 127 will also send a second control signal to processor 113 in the control panel 110 via RF radio transceivers 122 to RF radio transceiver 112. The second control signal will establish a communication channel between the control panel 110 or a keypad attached to the control panel 110 (e.g. wireless keypad 150) to allow the transferring of audio communications to port 125 of the wireless interface device to port 135 of the generic Internet modem 130 thereby providing an audio path from the central monitoring station which initiated the requested audio communication (two-way voice communication).
The method of interfacing digital and audio communications in an alarm or security system according to the first embodiment of the present invention comprises the following four steps. First, one or more digital reports are sent from one or more remote sensors 155 to control panel 110 at a predetermined interval. As noted above these digital reports are periodic status event reports and alarm reports generated by a processor 113 in control panel 110 in a digital report format. The second step requires that the communication controller 127 send via IP each digital report received by the wireless interface device 120 from the control panel 110 via an IP network to a central monitoring service 180.
In the third step, the central monitoring service 180 sends a control signal to wireless interface device 120 to establish two-way voice communication which the communication processor 127 acknowledges so that voice communications may be established between the generic Internet modem 130 and the wireless interface device 120 via analog port 125 on wireless interface device 120, and analog port 135 on generic interne modem 130 and the control panel 110 via RF radio transceivers. The communication processor 127 is remotely controlled by the central monitoring service 180.
The present invention provides an apparatus, system and/or process employed in a premise alarm and security systems to supports both digital and audio communications. In particular, digital reports are transmitted via an IP network and two-way voice communications via the audio section of the IP or via POTS allowing a reliable method to deliver status report (e.g. alarm or trouble report etc) and also establishing 2-way voice communication between a control panel 110 and the central monitoring service 180. Moreover, the present invention eliminates the need for wires between the control panel 110 and an Internet modem 130 while providing reliable status and alarm reporting to a central monitoring service 180.
While there has been shown and described what is considered to be preferred embodiments of the invention, it will, of course, be understood that various modifications and changes in form or detail could readily be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. It is therefore intended that the scope of the invention not be limited to the exact forms described and illustrated, but should be construed to cover all modifications that may fall within the scope of the appended claims.
As will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, the method of interfacing digital and audio communications of the invention can be realized in hardware, or as some combination of hardware and software. Any kind of computer/server system(s)—or other apparatus adapted for carrying out the methods described herein—is suited. A typical combination of hardware and software could be a general-purpose computer system with a computer program that, when loaded and executed, carries out methods described herein. Alternatively, a specific use computer, containing specialized hardware for carrying out one or more of the functional tasks of the invention, could be utilized.
Moreover, the present invention or aspects of the invention can also be embodied in a computer program product, which comprises all the respective features enabling the implementation of the methods described herein, and which—when loaded in a computer system—is able to carry out these methods. Computer program, software program, program, or software, in the present context mean any expression, in any language, code or notation, of a set of instructions intended to cause a system having an information processing capability to perform a particular function either directly or after either or both of the following: (a) conversion to another language, code or notation; and/or (b) reproduction in a different material form.
The present invention can also be embodied as a program on a computer-readable recording medium. Examples of the computer-readable recording medium include but are not limited to Compact Disc Read-Only Memory (CD-ROM), Random-Access Memory (RAM), floppy disks, hard disks, and magneto-optical disks.
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