AU2019101322B4 - Alarm Communicator, Signalling Service and Method of Operation - Google Patents

Alarm Communicator, Signalling Service and Method of Operation Download PDF

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Publication number
AU2019101322B4
AU2019101322B4 AU2019101322A AU2019101322A AU2019101322B4 AU 2019101322 B4 AU2019101322 B4 AU 2019101322B4 AU 2019101322 A AU2019101322 A AU 2019101322A AU 2019101322 A AU2019101322 A AU 2019101322A AU 2019101322 B4 AU2019101322 B4 AU 2019101322B4
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AU
Australia
Prior art keywords
alarm
communicator
network
interface
signalling service
Prior art date
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Application number
AU2019101322A
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AU2019101322A4 (en
Inventor
Paul Behr
Wei Bin Chen
Gregory Griffiths
Duncan Harvey
Hewen Li
Yongbin LU
Santit Traithavil
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Rdcco Pty Ltd
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Rdcco Pty Ltd
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Filing date
Publication date
Priority claimed from AU2019902080A external-priority patent/AU2019902080A0/en
Application filed by Rdcco Pty Ltd filed Critical Rdcco Pty Ltd
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Publication of AU2019101322A4 publication Critical patent/AU2019101322A4/en
Priority to AU2022100149A priority Critical patent/AU2022100149A4/en
Publication of AU2019101322B4 publication Critical patent/AU2019101322B4/en
Active legal-status Critical Current
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical

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Classifications

    • G—PHYSICS
    • G08—SIGNALLING
    • G08B—SIGNALLING OR CALLING SYSTEMS; ORDER TELEGRAPHS; ALARM SYSTEMS
    • G08B27/00—Alarm systems in which the alarm condition is signalled from a central station to a plurality of substations
    • G08B27/005—Alarm systems in which the alarm condition is signalled from a central station to a plurality of substations with transmission via computer network
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G08—SIGNALLING
    • G08B—SIGNALLING OR CALLING SYSTEMS; ORDER TELEGRAPHS; ALARM SYSTEMS
    • G08B25/00—Alarm systems in which the location of the alarm condition is signalled to a central station, e.g. fire or police telegraphic systems
    • G08B25/001—Alarm cancelling procedures or alarm forwarding decisions, e.g. based on absence of alarm confirmation
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
    • H04L12/00—Data switching networks
    • H04L12/28—Data switching networks characterised by path configuration, e.g. LAN [Local Area Networks] or WAN [Wide Area Networks]
    • H04L12/2803—Home automation networks
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
    • H04L12/00—Data switching networks
    • H04L12/28—Data switching networks characterised by path configuration, e.g. LAN [Local Area Networks] or WAN [Wide Area Networks]
    • H04L12/2803—Home automation networks
    • H04L12/283—Processing of data at an internetworking point of a home automation network
    • H04L12/2834—Switching of information between an external network and a home network
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
    • H04L41/00—Arrangements for maintenance, administration or management of data switching networks, e.g. of packet switching networks
    • H04L41/08—Configuration management of networks or network elements
    • H04L41/0895—Configuration of virtualised networks or elements, e.g. virtualised network function or OpenFlow elements
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
    • H04L45/00—Routing or path finding of packets in data switching networks
    • H04L45/24—Multipath
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
    • H04L67/00—Network arrangements or protocols for supporting network services or applications
    • H04L67/01—Protocols
    • H04L67/02—Protocols based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
    • H04L67/025—Protocols based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP] for remote control or remote monitoring of applications
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
    • H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
    • H04N21/20—Servers specifically adapted for the distribution of content, e.g. VOD servers; Operations thereof
    • H04N21/21—Server components or server architectures
    • H04N21/218—Source of audio or video content, e.g. local disk arrays
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
    • H04N7/00—Television systems
    • H04N7/18—Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast
    • H04N7/181—Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G08—SIGNALLING
    • G08B—SIGNALLING OR CALLING SYSTEMS; ORDER TELEGRAPHS; ALARM SYSTEMS
    • G08B29/00—Checking or monitoring of signalling or alarm systems; Prevention or correction of operating errors, e.g. preventing unauthorised operation
    • G08B29/02—Monitoring continuously signalling or alarm systems

Abstract

An alarm communicator for providing a constant secure link between a supervised premises and a network signalling service, comprising: an integrated cellular modem 5 configured as an internal Internet Gateway facilitating communication with the network signalling service via at least one network communications pathway; an interface communicable with both the integrated cellular modem and an external alarm panel, the interface being configured to: receive reportable event data from the alarm panel; and communicate the reportable event data to the signalling service via 10 any one of the communications pathways; and an integrated router for providing Internet access to network devices associated with the supervised premises.

Description

Alarm Communicator, Signalling Service and Method of Operation
Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to alarm systems and methods for supervised premises. More particularly embodiments relate to an alarm signalling device that is
configured to securely communicate with a remote signalling service over multiple network pathways and which also provides web-based capabilities for network devices
associated with the supervised premises.
Background
It is common for residential and commercial alarm panels to report events (including alarms) to a centralised alarm monitoring system.
Modern alarm systems will often employ an alarm signalling device (typically referred
to as a "communicator") that connects directly to the alarm panel and which is specifically configured to communicate reportable events to the centralised alarm
monitoring system via a broadband interface, such as a mobile connection, or Ethernet
connection. Such communicators typically receive the event data via a dialler output of the alarm panel.
Modern alarm systems may also employ a remote signalling service that is disposed (in network terms) between the alarm communicator and centralised monitoring system
and which operates to provide a private network over which the reportable events can be securely communicated. The communicator may also be configured to periodically
poll the remote signalling service with the service outputting an alarm if the communicator fails to establish a connection after some predefined time period.
Many centralised monitoring system providers now offer cloud-based monitoring and device configuration services. However, device compatibility is typically a constraint
and if the communicator is manufactured by a third-party, such services will often be limited or completely unavailable.
There is an ongoing need to improve the capabilities of an alarm system as outlined
above, and particularly the communicator, in terms of interoperability, configurability and functionality.
Summary of the Invention
In accordance with a first aspect there is provided an alarm communicator for
providing a constant secure link between a supervised premises and a network signalling service, comprising: an integrated cellular modem configured as an internal
Internet Gateway facilitating communication with the network signalling service via at least one network communications pathway; an interface communicable with both the
integrated cellular modem and an external alarm panel, the interface being configured to: receive reportable event data from the alarm panel; and communicate the
reportable event data to the signalling service via any one of the communications pathways; and an integrated router for providing Internet access to network devices
associated with the supervised premises.
In an embodiment the router is additionally configured to operate as a wireless
hotspot.
In an embodiment the interface is additionally configured to communicate with an external Internet gateway via a WAN port.
In an embodiment the interface is further configured to directly communicate with
external alarm sensors for receiving sensor data and wherein the interface implements
an alarm processing module that is configured to process the sensor data to determine predefined alarm events for reporting.
In an embodiment the interface is configured to directly communicate with the alarm
sensors via a wired or wireless connection.
In an embodiment the interface is further configured to communicate video data output by a video recording device communicatively coupled thereto to a remote
video server.
In an embodiment the video data is communicated via the internal Internet Gateway.
In an embodiment the signalling service is additionally configured to communicate the
reportable event data to at least one of a monitoring service and end user device.
In an embodiment the monitoring service comprises one or more monitoring stations.
In an embodiment the communicator further comprises one or more switched control outputs for controlling external wired devices based on control instructions received
via the internal Internet Gateway.
In an embodiment the communicator further comprises one or more control inputs for
receiving a signal representative of a status of the external wired device(s).
In accordance with a second aspect there is provided an alarm panel, comprising: an integrated cellular modem configured as an internal Internet Gateway facilitating
communication with a network signalling service via at least one network communications pathway; an interface communicable with both the integrated
cellular modem and one or more alarm sensors, the interface being configured to:
receive sensor data from the sensors and generate reportable event data therefrom; and communicate the reportable event data to the signalling service via any one of the
communications pathways; re-send the reportable event data if an acknowledgement has not been received via one of the communications pathways after a predefined period; and an integrated router for providing Internet access to one or more network devices.
In an embodiment the network devices are connected to the alarm panel via at least one of a LAN port; wireless hotspot or external router connected to the alarm panel
via a WAN port.
In an embodiment the alarm panel further comprises one or more switched control
outputs for controlling external wired devices based on control instructions received via the integrated cellular modem.
In an embodiment the alarm panel further comprises one or more control inputs for
receiving a signal representative of a status of the external wired device(s).
In accordance with yet another aspect there is provided an alarm system comprising: a signalling service communicable with an alarm monitoring service; an alarm
communicator for providing communications between an alarm panel and the
signalling service, the communicator comprising: an integrated cellular modem; an interface communicatively coupled to an integrated cellular modem; wherein the
interface is configured to receive reportable event data output by the alarm panel and facilitate communication with the signalling service over at least one of a: (a) a cellular
private pathway established using the integrated cellular modem; (b) a cellular public pathway established using the integrated cellular modem; and (c) a fixed public
pathway via an external Internet gateway; and wherein the communicator is configured to periodically poll the signalling service via a plurality of the respective
pathways and wherein the signalling service outputs an alarm if a polling signal is not
received via any one of the polled pathways within a predefined time of the last successful communication.
In an embodiment the system further comprises an event processing module that is
configured to process the reportable event data to determine a corresponding triggered zone and thereafter evaluate a list of zones that are monitored by video to
determine if the triggered zone is listed and wherein the event processing module is implemented by either the communicator interface or signalling service.
In an embodiment the event processing module is further configured to cause video
data output by one or more video cameras associated with a listed triggered zone to
be fetched for display in association with relevant event.
In an embodiment the video cameras are communicatively coupled to the communicator and wherein the video data is uploaded via the communicator.
In an embodiment the event processing module evaluates the reportable event data
to determine video parameter data which is then communicated to a video server for user in fetching the relevant video data from a video data source.
In an embodiment the video parameter data comprises: a) IP address; b) Port; and c) Video start and end time.
In an embodiment the video source is a cloud server and wherein the video data is
uploaded to the cloud server via either one of the pathways implemented the interface or an external gateway.
In an embodiment the video source is a DVR or NVR connected to the interface and
wherein the video data is fetched via one of the pathways implemented by the
interface or an external gateway.
In an embodiment the alarm communicator and alarm panel are integrated into a
single unit and wherein the communicator further comprises an alarm processing module configured to generate reportable event data from sensors connected thereto.
In an embodiment the reportable event data is transmitted using a standard alarm
protocol, such as contact ID
In an embodiment the alarm system or communicator further comprises a battery
power source configured to power the communicator.
In an embodiment the communicator further comprises a wireless hotspot for connecting network devices to the Internet via the external Internet Gateway.
In an embodiment the communicator further comprises an integrated router for
providing Internet access to network devices associated with the supervised premises.
In an embodiment the network devices are connected to the alarm panel via at least
one of a LAN port; wireless hotspot or external router connected to the alarm panel via a WAN port.
In an embodiment the alarm communicator further comprises one or more switched
control outputs for controlling external wired devices.
In an embodiment the communicator further comprises one or more control inputs for receiving a signal representative of a status of external wired device(s) connected to
the communicator.
In accordance with a still further aspect there is provided a router comprising: an
integrated cellular modem; and one or more switched control outputs for controlling external wired devices based on control instructions received via the integrated cellular modem. The router may further comprise one or more control inputs for receiving a signal representative of a status of the external wired device(s).
In another aspect there is provided a router comprising: an integrated cellular modem; and one or more control inputs for receiving a signal representative of a status of a
switchable external wired device(s) and wherein the switched status is reportable to a remote monitoring device via the integrated cellular modem.
The afore-mentioned router aspects may further comprise an integrated wireless hotspot for providing Internet access to one or more network devices via either the
integrated cellular modem or an external Internet Gateway connected to the router via a WAN port.
According to another aspect there is provided a managed router system, comprising: a
monitoring service; a router in accordance with the router as described in preceding paragraphs, and further comprising: an interface communicatively coupled to the
integrated cellular modem; wherein the interface is configured to periodically poll the
monitoring service over two or more of: (a) a cellular private pathway established using the integrated cellular modem; (b) a cellular public pathway established using
the integrated cellular modem; (c) a fixed public pathway via an external Internet gateway; and wherein the monitoring service outputs an alarm if a polling signal is not
received via any one of the respective polled pathways within a predefined time of the last successful communication.
In another aspect there is provided an alarm panel, comprising: an interface
communicable with one or more alarm sensors operable in the ISM band, the interface
being configured to: receive sensor data from the sensors and generate reportable event data therefrom; and communicate the reportable event data to a signalling
service via one or more communications pathways; an integrated wireless hotspot for providing Internet access to one or more network devices via either an integrated
Internet Gateway or an external Internet Gateway connected to the alarm panel via a
WAN port.
Brief Description of the Drawings
Features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of embodiments thereof, by way of example only, with reference
to the accompanying drawings, in which;
Figure 1 is a schematic illustration of a system configured in accordance with an
embodiment of the present invention;
Figure 2 is a schematic of the internal components of the communicator depicted in Figure 1;
Figure 3 is a schematic illustration of a system configured in accordance with an
alternative embodiment of the present invention;
Figure 4 is a process flow for zone mapping, in accordance with an embodiment; and
Figure 5 is a schematic illustration of a system in accordance with yet another
alternative embodiment.
Detailed Description of an Embodiment
With reference to Figure 1, there is shown a schematic of a system 10 configured in accordance with a first embodiment of the invention. The system 10 comprises an
alarm panel 12 located at a protected business or residential premises. The alarm panel 12 is in communication with a plurality of alarm sensors 14 that are each
configured to produce a sensor signal indicative of an alarm condition. The alarm sensors 14 may comprises, for example, motion sensors, entry sensors, glass breakage sensors or any other form of alarm sensor. The alarm sensors 14 may be connected to the alarm panel 12 via a wired or wireless connection, depending on the desired implementation. Although not shown in Figure 1, the alarm panel 12 may also connect to typical alarm hardware, such as a keypad, siren and the like.
The alarm panel 12 is also in communication with an alarm signalling device 20
(hereafter "communicator") that is configured to communicate with a remotely
located signalling service 40 via a private network 62 implemented by the service 40. The signalling service 40 is in turn configured to communicate with a monitoring
service 50 (also commonly referred to as a "monitoring centre" or "alarm receiving centre") implementing a control room 52. It will be understood that successful
communication of alarm events requires that the alarm panel 12 receives a confirmation from the monitoring service 50 that the alarm event signal has been
successfully received. If no confirmation is received within a set time period, the alarm panel 12 will re-send the event signal (and continue to re-send until a return
communication is received from the monitoring service 50).
While Figure 1 depicts the monitoring service 50 comprising a single control room, it
will be understood that the monitoring service 50 may be distributed with multiple control rooms 52 located in different locations, that are each arranged to
communicate with the alarm panel 12/signalling service 40. Typically, the signalling service 40 and monitoring service 50 are managed by separate entities. However, it
will be understood that if the same entity is responsible for managing both the signalling service 40 and monitoring service 50, communications and control
equipment may be located at the same site and operated as a unified resource.
Communications between the communicator 20, signalling service 40 and monitoring
service 50 may be made over either a public communications network 60 or private communications network 62, as will be described in more detail in subsequent paragraphs. According to one embodiment, alarm event communications may also be sent to an end user device 15, either via an API or via an application implemented by the signalling service 40 or monitoring service 50, depending on the desired configuration.
With additional reference to Figure 2, the communicator 20 according to the illustrated embodiment comprises an integrated cellular modem 22, router 23 and
hotspot 24. While shown as discrete components, in combination they
advantageously allow the communicator 20 to operate as a fully featured Internet router (and wireless hotspot, if so configured), with remote management capabilities.
Hereafter the modem 22, router 23 and optionally hotspot 24 will collectively be referred to as a cellular Internet gateway 25. According to a particular embodiment,
the communicator 20 is pre-configured with network end-points (in this case APNs) for the signalling service 40 that allows for (a) remote configuration of the
communicator 20 (i.e. from the first installation), remote "pushing" of firmware updates, and reporting of its external IP address at all times.
As will be described in more detail in subsequent paragraphs, such a fully featured cellular Internet gateway 25 advantageously allows the pre-configured
communicator 20 to provide numerous advantages over conventional communicators, including, for example:
- The ability for the communicator 20 to serve as a means for keeping network
devices (e.g. retail POS terminals, computers, etc.) at the premises operational during a primary network outage; - If an IP or DVR/NVR camera system is connected to the communicator 20, the
communicator 20 and/or signalling service 40 can be configured for zone mapping, thereby allowing alarm events to be linked to video recordings, in
turn enabling easy visual verification of alarm events irrespective of the
combination of hardware being used (i.e. alarm system and camera brand);
- The ability for both video camera data and alarm event data to be reported
using the same communications pathway; - In the event of a primary network outage, cameras connected to the
communicator 20 can still be accessed for monitoring the premises;
- The communicator 20 operates as a generic IP gateway, thereby allowing communication between an alarm panel and a corresponding manufacturer cloud service without the need for a manufacturer specific communicator
disposed therebetween (which is currently the case);
- The ability to switch between public and private pathways (e.g. APNs), thereby providing redundancy in the telecommunications infrastructure;
- The ability to connect various brands of alarm system with cameras and provide connectivity to other devices.
Still with reference to the schematic of Figure 2, the communicator 20 hardware
additionally comprises a dialler interface 26 for communicating alarm event data to the signalling service 40. In addition, the communicator 20 comprises a serial
interface 27 for connecting to the alarm panel 12 to facilitate remote management
thereof. One or more LAN ports 28 are additionally provided for exchanging network data with connected network devices, such as IP cameras, digital/network video
recorders (DVR/NVRs), as well as for connecting with a network-enabled alarm panel 12. A WAN port 30 is provided for connecting to an on-premises router 35.
Depending on the desired configuration, the communicator 20 may also be equipped
to control various external wired devices (i.e. based on control signals received via any one of the network pathways), such as garage doors, gates and the like. In addition, the communicator 20 may receive device inputs providing information as to the status
of the external wired devices (e.g. closed, open, etc.). For achieving this functionality, the communicator 20 comprises one or more switched outputs 37 and one or more
control signal inputs 39.
The communicator 20 also comprises a processor 32 (in the illustrated embodiment,
taking the form of a microcontroller) that implements an interface module 34 based on program code stored in memory 36. It will be understood that the interface
module 34 may be implemented as software, hardware or a combination of the two, depending on the desired implementation. The interface module 34 facilitates the
afore-described functions which are described in more detail below.
A battery 38 may be provided for powering the communicator in the event of a power
outage. In an alternative embodiment, the communicator 20 may be powered by a battery connected to the alarm panel 12.
Polling via Multiple Pathways
Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that an advantage of managed communicators/alarm panels is the ability for the communicator 20 to periodically poll (e.g. every 20 seconds) to establish whether it is online and operational.
With additional reference to Figure 3, there is shown a process flow for active polling
via multiple pathways (P1, P2, P3). In this example system configuration 10a, the signalling service 40 is configured as a cloud-based service implementing a polling
server 44 and a web server 45. The polling server 44 is configured to record the
communicator device IP address for each pathway. The first communication pathway P1 is via the WAN port 30 (which is connected to the on-premises router 35). The
second pathway P2 is via a GPRS connection over network 62 using a private mobile APN. It will be noted that the second pathway P2 is implemented using a private APN.
The last pathway P3 is via a GPRS connection using a public mobile APN over network 60.
The communicator 20 is configured to periodically poll the polling server 44, with UDP
hole punching used if the polling server 44 is responding via pathway P1 or P3. As
persons skilled in the art will appreciate, UDP is a low-level network protocol that establishes an open port through any external firewalls allowing the polling server 44 to connect in-bound traffic to the communicator 20. Depending on the network availability, the communicator 20 will be configured to simultaneously poll either P1 and P2 or P1 and P3. If the polling server 44 has not received a communication from the communicator 20 via any of the configured pathways P1, P2, P3 within some predefined period since the last successful communication, it will output an alarm event signal that is communicated to the monitoring service 50 or device 15 (via web server 45).
Reporting Alarm Events
As previously stated, the communicator 20 may implement a dialler interface 26 that is configured to receive alarm event data from an alarm panel 12. The event data may
be packaged in a standard alarm signalling format, such as Contact ID (hereafter "CID"), which contains information about the event, as well as where and when it
occurred (which may be defined as zones, areas or partitions). In response to receiving CID for a triggered event, the communicator interface module 34 receives and reports
the data to the signalling service 40 via the primary pathway P1. If connection over
the primary pathway P1 cannot be established, the communicator 20 will attempt to establish a connection over the second configured pathway (i.e. either P2 or P3). It
will also be understood that the signalling service 40 may be configured to forward the CID to the remote monitoring service 50 via any one of the same three pathways.
Internet Gateway Operability
As previously stated, the communicator 20 may implement an Internet gateway 25 that allows network devices to connect to the communicator 20 for Internet
connectivity. For example, in the event of a power outage or wired network
outage/failure at the premises, the communicator 20 may be addressed to provide backup Internet connectivity (via either the second or third configured pathways P2,
P3) using, for example, a GPRS connection. Network devices can connect to the communicator 20 via the LAN interface 28, wireless hotspot or the external router 35.
This may be particularly advantageous for retail premises where network connectivity
is business critical. Further, the cellular network connection may maintain connection with any cameras connected to the communicator 20 during a primary network
outage, thereby enhancing the safety of the alarm system.
Zone Mapping Returning to Figure 1, the signalling service 40 may be configured to map alarm zones
(e.g. rooms/locations) to cameras installed at the premises for allowing alarm events
to be readily linked to video recordings.
In Figure 1, multiple cameras 13a to 13n are connected to an NVR/DVR 13, which is in turn connected to the communicator 20 via the LAN port 28. It will be understood that
the cameras may be IP cameras that can alternatively connect directly to the communicator 20 via a LAN or WiFi connection, with a cloud-based video server 72
responsible for remote video clip storage. In yet another embodiment, the video data may be uploaded to the video server 72 via any suitable connection (i.e. and without
being directly connected via the communicator 20). A video server 70 is responsible
for fetching video clips from either the NVR/DVR 13 or the cloud-based video server 72, depending on the desired configuration. According to a first embodiment,
the signalling service web server 45 comprises a software application that maps each zone monitored by the alarm panel 12 to a particular one or more cameras. In an
alternative embodiment, the interface module 34 implemented by the communicator 20 is configured to facilitate the mapping. Once configured, the zone
mapping data is stored by the application/module for subsequent evaluation.
In terms of process flow, and with additional reference to Figure 4, at step S1, a CID
event is sent from the alarm panel 12 to the signalling service web server 45. The event is relayed (via any suitable configured pathway P1, P2 or P3) to the respective
control room 52 for reporting. If the corresponding event (derived from the CID) is determined to be associated with a monitored zone (based on an evaluation of the zone mapping data) and the client has a configured video source (as outlined above), at step S2, the server 45 instructs the video server 70 to fetch the required video clip. The instructions include the relevant camera IP address, port, duration and start time.
If a third-party cloud-based server 72 is being utilised, the video server 70 requests the video clip from the cloud-based server 72 via a suitable API (step S3a). Alternatively, a
request is sent to the DVR/NVR 13 for fetching the video clip (step S3b). At step 4 an extended CID event (comprising an extended number of ASCII characters) is sent to the
control room 52. The extended CID event includes a URL pointing to a network
resource implemented by the corresponding video server (i.e. cloud server or DVR) that can be accessed to stream the video clip. This enables easy visual verification for
control room operators of alarm events, regardless of the combination of hardware being used in the premises (specifically alarm system and camera brand). In addition,
or alternatively, an alert push notification may be sent from the web server 45 to any registered mobile devices 15, allowing end users to view the video clip.
Communicator incorporating Alarm Panel and Internet Gateway
In a particular embodiment, the communicator 20 is additionally configured to operate as an alarm panel, providing a direct connection for one or more alarm sensors 14 via
any one of the aforementioned inputs (including using WiFi and/or z-wave enabled alarm components). According to a particular embodiment, the communicator 20 is
operable to communicate with RF sensors that operate in the ISM band, allowing the communicator/alarm panel to be easily retrofitted for use with such sensors. The
interface module 34 may additionally be programmed to generate CID events from sensor output data, in the same manner as a convention alarm panel. As persons
skilled in the art will appreciate, this may remove the need for a separate alarm
panel 12. Again, the Internet Gateway 25 may provide network connectivity for network devices, including network cameras.
Managed router
With reference to Figure 5, there is shown yet another alternative embodiment of the
invention. In this instance the communicator functionality has been omitted such that the device 20a operates solely as a router (with LAN and wireless hotspot connectivity)
that can be remotely managed and polled by the signalling service (in the same manner as previously described) for reporting on online connectivity. The device 20a
still may include the ability to control external devices (e.g. by way of the switched outputs 37) and receive control inputs 39 providing a status of the external devices.
While the invention has been described with reference to the present embodiment, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that alterations, changes and
improvements may be made and equivalents may be substituted for the elements thereof and steps thereof without departing from the scope of the invention. In
addition, many modifications may be made to adapt the invention to a particular situation or material to the teachings of the invention without departing from the
central scope thereof. Such alterations, changes, modifications and improvements, though not expressly described above, are nevertheless intended and implied to be
within the scope and spirit of the invention. Therefore, it is intended that the
invention not be limited to the particular embodiment described herein and will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the independent claims.
In the claims which follow and in the preceding description of the invention, except
where the context requires otherwise due to express language or necessary implication, the word "comprise" or variations such as "comprises" or "comprising" is
used in an inclusive sense, i.e. to specify the presence of the stated features but not to preclude the presence or addition of further features in various embodiments of the
invention.

Claims (3)

THE CLAIMS DEFINING THE INVENTION ARE AS FOLLOWS:
1. An alarm communicator for providing a constant secure link between a supervised premises and a network signalling service, comprising:
an integrated cellular modem configured as an internal Internet Gateway facilitating communication with the network signalling service via at least one network communications pathway;
an interface communicable with both the integrated cellular modem and an external alarm panel, the interface being configured to:
receive reportable event data from the alarm panel; and communicate the reportable event data to the signalling service via any one of
the communications pathways; and an integrated router configured to provide Internet access to network devices
associated with the supervised premises via the integrated cellular modem.
2. An alarm communicator in accordance with claim 1, wherein the router is
additionally configured to operate as a wireless hotspot for providing wireless Internet access.
3. An alarm communicator in accordance with claim 1 or 2, further comprising an
input means for receiving video data recorded by a video recording device and wherein the interface is further configured to communicate video data received via
the input means to a remote video server via one of the communications pathways.
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Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US20100277300A1 (en) * 2009-04-30 2010-11-04 Alan Wade Cohn Configurable controller and interface for home sma, phone and multimedia
WO2011143273A1 (en) * 2010-05-10 2011-11-17 Icontrol Networks, Inc Control system user interface

Patent Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US20100277300A1 (en) * 2009-04-30 2010-11-04 Alan Wade Cohn Configurable controller and interface for home sma, phone and multimedia
WO2011143273A1 (en) * 2010-05-10 2011-11-17 Icontrol Networks, Inc Control system user interface

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