Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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TITLE: SECURITY SYSTEM WITH INFORMATION DISPLAY
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a security system
and in particular, to a security system having the
capability of displaying selected information not directly
related to the operation of the security system.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Security systems are becoming widespread in use
with most commercial establishments and many residential
establishments having security systems installed. Such
security systems generally include a control panel which
controls the overall operation of the system, one or more
keypad controllers for user access to the system and
various detectors and sensors. The control panel is
generally mounted in an area of restricted access, such as
a utility room or basement, and contains the system
electronics, back-up power sources, and includes an
interface for remote monitoring and two way communication
over telephone lines or other systems. Security systems
are generally divided into several zones or areas of
protection and each of these zones generally has one or
more detection devices or sensors such as motion detectors,
door or window contacts, glass break detectors, or shock
sensors connected to it. In some security systems, smoke
detectors or other fire detection devices may also be
connected to the control panel.
Security systems generally have one or more keypad
controllers which are used by the user to instruct the
security system. The keypad controller is used to send
commands to the system to control the operation of the
system and may also display system information. Such
keypad controllers generally have a status display which
may include either individual indicators, such as light
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emitting diodes or may include a LCD or LED display, which
is capable of displaying a number of alpha-numeric
characters used to display simple messages regarding the
status and operation of the system.
The control panel of a security system includes a
microprocessor and sufficient memory for the security
application. At certain times for example during
communication of an alarm event or during check-in with a
remote security monitoring station, the system utilizes
most or all of these processing capabilities. At other
times, the processing capabilities of the system are less
active.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention, is directed to a security
system which, in addition to its normal function, acts as
an information display for display of user selected
information not directly related to the security system.
Such information may include weather information, news
reports, sports information, financial information, E-mail
summaries, voice mail summaries, and personal reminders and
calendar information. The display of such information is
preferably under user control and is selectable to be
customized for each individual user. The security system
includes an interface means for communicating with a data
access provider for retrieval of the user selected
information for display on the keypad controller. This
information is updated frequently in a communication
between the data access provider and the security system.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention,
the keypad controller for controlling the function of the
security system includes a graphical interface comprising a
display screen capable of displaying a graphical
representation of the security system and the components on
the screen.
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BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Preferred embodiments of the present invention are
illustrated in the attached drawings, wherein:
Figure 1 is a schematic view of a security system,
embodying the concept of the present invention;
Figure 2 is a perspective view of a preferred
embodiment of a controller for the security system of the
present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
A typical security system according to the present
invention is illustrated in Figure 1. Security system
comprises a control panel 10 which controls the operation
of the overall security system. A number of detection
devices 12, utilized for monitoring a zone or area of
protection, are connected to the control panel in a typical
manner. Detection devices 12 may be any of the commonly
utilized detection devices such as motion detectors, door
contacts, glass break detectors, shock sensors, fire
detectors, water detectors, etc. The detection devices 12
in Figure 1 are shown hard wired to the control panel 10,
however, wireless technology is in common use and any of
the detection devices 12 could use wireless communication
between the detection devices 12 and the control panel 10.
The security system reports to a remote monitoring station
14, utilizing any of the commonly employed methods of
communication such as utilizing a telephone dialer sending
messages to the remote monitoring station 14 using local
telephone systems 16. In some situations, the connection
between the control panel 10 and the remote monitoring
location 14 may also be wireless, utilizing cellular
telephone technology or other means of wireless
communication. The system can also use other communication
arrangements such as two way cable systems. A keypad
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controller 20 is also connected to the control panel 10 for
allowing the user to interface with the security system, to
program the system and control the operation of the system
and for displaying the status of the system and its various
components.
The security system of the present invention can
display user selected information not directly related to
the operation of the security system. Such information may
include, for example, current weather, news headlines,
sports or stock markets quotes, etc. In this system, the
security system cooperates with a data access provider 40
through a suitable interface module associated with the
control panel 10. The interface module includes
communication arrangements for communicating with the data
access provider 40 and preferably also contains sufficient
memory for storage of the user selected information
obtained from the data access provider 40 for display on
the keypad controller 20. The interface module may also
include means for controlling the communication between the
security system and the data access provider 40.
The interface module may utilize the components of
the control panel 10 used in communication with the
monitoring service for communicating with the data access
provider 40 or the interface module may be provided with
separate communicating arrangements independent of the
monitoring service comml]n;cation components. In those
situations where the keypad controller 20 displays only one
or more lines of alphanumeric characters, such a system
could utilize the monitoring service communication
components. Typically, monitoring service communication
components utilize a relatively slow communication link, on
the order of 1200 baud or less, as the information being
communicated between the security system and the monitoring
service is small in size. Such a communication rate is
acceptable for the communication between the keypad
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controller 20 and the data access provider 40 as the
information can be communicated when convenient and stored
in memory for recall by the user. If the information being
communicated includes graphical components, then more
memory and possibly a higher speed modem may be required.
In these situations, a higher speed modem, for example a
9600 baud or greater modem may be provided as part of the
interface module. It is also desirable for the keypad
controller 20 to have an input/output connection to enable
the user to down load the information to a personal
organizer or other device. This connection could also
enable the user to use the personal organizer or other
device to enter personal information in the system or could
be used to program the system as to the type of information
to be displayed.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the
data access provider 40 is an Internet Service Provider
(ISP) at which the user maintains an account. If the data
access provider 40 is an ISP, the interface module would
include the required information for retrieving the desired
information form the relevant sources of the information.
For example, the interface module could include the means
for establishing a link to a weather information service or
news information provider, the means for querying the
service for the desired information and retrieving such
information, and the means for packaging the information
for display on the keypad controller 20. The interface
module would also have a means for allowing the user to
program the interface module to specify the type of
information they wish to receive as well as the sources of
such information. This programming of the module could be
accessible through the keypad controller 20 by selecting
from menu items in a programming mode for the interface
module or the programming may be accomplished by other
means, such as by the installer of the system, through the
monitoring service or through the connection with a
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personal organizer. The communication between the
interface module and the information service could utilize
any of the protocols associated with the Internet. For
most information providers, the communication would likely
utilize Telnet or HTTP protocols utilizing a suitable
Telnet or text based HTTP client, however, other protocols
could be utilized if desired or necessary.
In another embodiment, the data access provider 40
may be a value added service either directly accessible by
modem link or accessible through the Internet. In this
situation, the data access provider 40 would have the
required information available for retrieval by the user
utilizing a protocol or method which provides for rapid
communication of the information for display on the keypad
controller 20.
If the data access provider 40 is a value added
service, the data access provider 40 would preferably have
a user profile for each individual location or
establishment at which keypad controllers 20 are located.
For locations at which there are multiple users, the data
access provider could have a user profile for each
individual user for the location. This user profile would
be selectable and programmable by the user such that they
could select the specific types of information which they
wish to have displayed on the keypad controller 20, as well
as for some situations, the times for display of such
information. For example, a user could program their user
profile to have the current weather conditions and weather
forecast available for display on the keypad controller 20
from the time they normally rise in the morning until the
time they would normally leave their home to go to work.
The data access provider 40 would retrieve the
desired information from the required sources and repackage
the information for transmission to the security system of
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the user. Thus the data access provider 40 may access
news, sports, business information, stock market quotes,
weather, etc. information sources to provide the
information requested by the user in their profile. The
relevant information may be retrieved from commercial or
other database providers 42 either by a direct link access
or the database providers 42 may be accessed through the
Internet using any of the commonly employed methods or
protocols. Some sources may be accessed through the World
Wide Web (WWW) using a suitably configured web browser.
Other sources may be accessed by Telnet, Gopher, FTP or E-
mail, depending upon the access method necessary for
retrieving the information from the database provider 42.
When utilizing protocols other than the HTTP protocol used
on the WWW, the database provider 42 may be accessed by the
enhanced capabilities of Web Browsers or by applications
separate from a Web Browser.
Once the information is retrieved by the data
access provider 40, it is repackaged in a form suitable for
transmission to the security system for display on the
keypad controller 20. The repackaging required would
depend upon such factors as the format of the data, the
amount of the data, whether the information is to be
abstracted or highlighted, the way the data is to be
displayed and other factors which would be apparent to
those skilled in the art. Once the information is
repackaged in the desired format, it is transmitted to the
security system for storage and subsequent display when
requested by the user. Depending upon such factors as the
type and amount of information to be displayed, the type of
keypad controller 20 and the user's desired preferences,
the information displayed on the keypad controller 20 may
first present a menu of topics from which the user can
select to display further information on a particular
topic. For example, a menu list giving the types of
information such as news highlights, weather, sports
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scores, etc. may be initially displayed. The user could
then select one of the items from the list and either a
further user selectable sub-menu may be displayed or the
information for the topic itself may be displayed. The
information could be displayed line by line, such that one
line of information is displayed for sufficient time for
the user to read the information. The keypad controller 20
would, after the selected time, display the next line of
information. Alternatively, the keypad controller 20 may
display the information in its entirety by scrolling
through all of the information in a topic. The scrolling
rate of the display would be such as to enable the user to
read and comprehend the information displayed. When the
keypad controller 20 is configured to present the
information by scrolling, some of the keys on the keypad
controller 20 may be programmed to enable the user to
pause, advance, back up or fast forward the scrolling if
they wished to skip over some information, or view some
information for a longer time such as for example to make
written notes of the information. A scrolling display
could also be used to present all of the information
continuously without the use of menu items. In these
situations, the keypad controller 20 could scroll through
all of the information and once the end of the information
has been reached, it could commence again at the beginning.
Thus, the keys of the keypad controller 20 can function in
a different manner relative to the operation in a security
mode.
Depending upon the capability of the keypad
controller 20 and/or interface module, the information to
be displayed may be downloaded and stored in the interface
module or keypad controller 20 for display at a later time
or the information may be displayed live during the
connection with the data access provider 40. In the
preferred embodiment, the interface module or keypad
controller 20 is provided with sufficient memory and the
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information from the data access provider is downloaded in
its entirety and stored in the memory for display. In this
situation, the user recalls from memory the stored
information.
If the interface module did not have sufficient
memory for storing all of the information or were
configured to maintain a live connection, the connection
would be established and maintained based upon the
instructions in the user profile. In this system, the user
profile could instruct the data access provider 40 to
retrieve the desired information and establish a connection
with the user~s security system at specified times set in
the user profile. Alternatively, the times for the
connection between the security system and the data access
provider 40 could be programmed into the user's security
system such that the system initiates the contact for
downloading the information from the data access provider
40. For those times outside of the usual connection times
set in the user profile, a means could be provided whereby
the user could prompt the system to initiate a connection
to the data access provider to retrieve and view the
information.
The information provided to the user is generally
updated on a predetermined basis. The user could specify
in their user profile the frequency of updating for each of
the types of information. For example, the user could
specify that they wished to have the weather information
updated on a very frequent basis such as hourly or in
shorter time frames. For less time critical information,
such as sports scores, the updates could be less frequent,
perhaps daily.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the
functions of the data access provider 40 may be provided as
an additional service provided by the security system
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monitoring service 14. In this type of setup, the
communications between the data access provider 40 and the
keypad controller 20 could use the same circuitry as the
communication between the keypad controller 20 and the
security system monitoring service 14. Often this is a
proprietary system and therefore more desirable for use of
integration. The security system monitoring service 14
could provide the information in the manner described above
to the security system for display on the keypad controller
20. In addition, the security system monitoring service 14
would also perform its usual functions and could, while
communicating with the keypad controller 20 to provide the
user selected data, receive feedback on the status of the
security system. If an alarm condition is detected in the
security system, the control panel 10 of the security
system immediately terminates the information display mode
and switches to the functions of the security system in a
conventional manner. This includes terminating any outside
non-security communication, or if connected to the security
system monitoring service 14, passing a signal causing the
communication to assume the security mode.
The functions of the data access provider 40 and
the security system monitoring service 14 may also be
provided by different entities. For example, the dealer
who installed the security system or the manufacturer of
the keypad controller 20 could provide the services of the
data access provider 40 as an additional service to the
purchaser. In many locations, the dealers or manufacturers
do not themselves provide the security system monitoring
but use a central service to provide such functions to
their customers. In these situations, the dealer or
manufacturer could provide the data access provider
services in the manner described above.
Many security systems are configurable for multiple
users, each of the users being assigned a personal
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identification number (PIN) unique to them for the system.
Such PIN's are used for arming and disarming the system as
well as accessing the programming functions of the system.
For such systems, information for different users of the
security system can also be provided in a customizable
manner. Upon entering their unique PIN number to disarm
the security system, for example, the security system
provides stored information for the particular user
identified PIN for display on the keypad controller 20.
For example, a summary or note that E-mail or voice mail
has been received could be displayed. Personal family
calendars could also be available, either stored in the
memory of the security systems or could be provided to the
data access provider by E-mail, fax, etc. and then
selectively downloaded to the control panel for another
particular day. Different calendars for different PINs can
also be stored and displayed.
Upon leaving a premise, a user's PIN can be entered
to leave information such as expected return time, or
location information. In this way, the keypad controller
20 can act as a note pad and family calendar.
As the primary purpose of the keypad controller 20
is the control of a security system, the keypad controller
20 would be programmed to give priority to the monitoring
of the security system. The keypad controller 20 could be
constantly monitoring the conditions of the detection
devices 12 on a regular time interval, even when the keypad
controller 20 is displaying the user selected information.
If at any time the keypad controller 20 detects the
activation of any of the detection devices 12, then the
keypad controller 20 would immediately cease the display of
information and switch to the security system monitoring
and control functions.
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In setups in which the data access provider 40 is
separate from the monitoring service 14, the communications
between the keypad controller 20 and the data access
provider 40 may be distinct from the communications between
the keypad controller 20 and the security system monitoring
service 14, although, as set out above, some of the
circuitry utilized for this communication may also be used
for the comm1]n;cation with the data access provider 40.
For example, security systems which communicate with a
monitoring service 14 typically do so over the regular
telephone system. These security systems are generally
provided with a modem as part of the control panel 10 which
is utilized for this commllnication. The modem circuitry
for the communication with the monitoring service 14 could
also be utilized for the communication with the data access
provider 40. In these situations, the security system
would be configured to drop any connection with the data
access provider 40 when an alarm condition is detected to
enable the immediate communication with the monitoring
service 14. Alternatively, the communication path for
communicating with the data access provider 40 may be
provided with its own modem separate and apart from the
modem for the monitoring service 14. Once again however if
the security system detects an alarm condition while
communicating with the data access provider 40, the keypad
controller 20 would immediately drop the connection to
enable the security system to communicate with the
monitoring service 14. This would be preferred, even if
the two modems were on separate telephone lines as it would
be desirable that the keypad controller 20 would be
dedicated to its primary function of security system
monitoring and control functions in these situations.
The keypad controller 20 of the present invention
may also be utilized in conjunction with the control panel
10 for controlling of home automation functions. Such home
automation functions may include turning on and off
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selected lights at selected intervals, and other typical
functions normally associated with home automation. For
example, the keypad controller 20 may be configured such
that one of the function keys 30 or a code entered using
the keypad may provide for access to home automation
functions. Once the home automation function protocol is
activated, then the selected home automation functions
associated with a particular area of the establishment may
be controlled through selection using the keypad. Thus,
for example, a user could select a menu item and could
program the turning on or turning off of a light in a
selected area at selected times. Similarly, the system
could be utilized to influence the environmental conditions
within the establishments by setting temperature set points
for varying the temperature within the establishment at
selected times. Thus, for example, in a home environment,
the user could program the system to maintain a relatively
low temperature when no one is expected to be home and to
program the system to increase the temperature just prior
to the time when people are expected to arrive at the
establishment.
In a preferred embodiment, the keypad controller 20
would also provide an interface to the utility services to
monitor energy usage in the environment in which the
controller is located. For example, in many locations, the
meters utilized by utility services such as the electrical
power or hydro service, water and gas services are provided
with an interface to allow downloading of information to
the utility service for billing purposes. The keypad
controller 20 of the present invention could utilize this
interface to provide the user with an indication of the
user's usage of the energy source provided by the utility
service. If the keypad controller 20 were also provided
with the current rate schedule of each of the utility
services, the controller could also display the cost of the
services utilized.
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Some security systems currently being manufactured
are provided with audio or voice capabilities. Such
systems may have intercom capabilities built in and in
addition may have voice synthesis capability. With these
systems, the user selected information may be transmitted
to the user by audio means. For example, when the user
prompts the keypad controller 20 for display of the
information, the information could be communicated using a
suitable text to speech conversion capability which could
be provided as part of the security system. Additionally,
in establishments having multiple users, the users could
leave audio messages for one another. Such messages could
be stored in the keypad controller 20 or interface module
as a digital audio file for playback by the intended
recipient of the message.
Figure 2 illustrates a perspective view of a
preferred embodiment of a controller 20 for use in security
systems of the present invention. As illustrated,
controller 20 has a case 22 typically constructed of
plastic for containing the components of the controller 20.
On the front of the case 22, there is provided a window 24
in which a suitable graphic display 26 is located.
Preferably, the graphic display is a LED or LCD display
having a display resolution sufficient to permit readily
discernible graphical and alpha-numeric information to be
displayed thereon. Preferably, the display has a
resolution of at least about 300 pixels horizontally and at
least about 200 pixels vertically to enable the display to
provide readily discernible graphical and alpha-numerical
information. In the embodiment of the controller 20 as
illustrated in Figure 2, the controller may be provided
with a numeric key pad having numeric keys 28 typical of
security system controllers. Controller 20 may also be
provided with function keys or "hot" keys 30 for rapid
access to various features of the controller 20.
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The screen 26 of the controller 20 is preferably a
touch sensitive screen whereby the operation of the
security system may be controlled through touching of the
screen 26 in the appropriate position. As illustrated in
Figure 2, the controller 20 may be set up to display a
floor plan of the establishment at which the security
system is located. The display could be programmed to show
the location of the various detection devices 12 of the
security system and their status. Should a user wish
further information on a detection device 12, in a
particular location, or should they wish to program the
functions of the security system with respect to the
detection device 12, touching the screen 26 in the
appropriate location could bring up a selection list to
check or program the operation of the detection devices 12.
Such selection list could be provided as a graphical menu
overlay visible over the floor plan, or alternatively could
be provided as a "hot" button list 32 displayed below the
floor plan. Touching one of the menu items or buttons 32
in the hot button list would activate a command or provide
further information on a detection device 12. Depending
upon the function of the controller 20 selected on the
touch screen 26, the options available on the hot button
list 32 could be varied.
In a manner similar to that described above, the
controller could also provide an interface to the utility
services to monitor energy usage in the environment in
which the controller is located.
The controller 20 of Figure 2 is also especially
usable as an information display for display of user
selected information as described above. The information
repackaged in the desired format as described above, is
transmitted to the controller 20 for display on the
graphical display. Depending upon the type and amount of
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information to be displayed as well as the user's desired
preferences, the information displayed on the graphical
controller may first present a menu of information which
the user can select from to display further information on
a particular topic. For example, a menu list giving the
types of information such as news highlights, weather,
sports scores, etc. may be initially displayed. The user
could then select one of the items from the list and either
a further user selectable sub-menu may be displayed or the
information for the topic itself may be displayed. The
information could be displayed screen by screen, such that
one screen of information is displayed for sufficient time
for the user to read the information. The controller
would, after the selected time, display the next screen of
information. Alternatively, the controller may display the
information in its entirety by scrolling through all of the
information in a topic. The scrolling rate of the display
would be such as to enable the user to read and comprehend
the information displayed. When the controller is
configured to present the information by scrolling, a hot
button could also be provided to enable the user to pause
the scrolling if they wished to view the information for a
longer time such as for example to make written notes of
the information. A scrolling display could also be used to
present all of the information continuously without the use
of menu items. In these situations, the controller could
scroll through all of the information that has been
downloaded and once the end of the information has been
reached, it could commence again at the beginning.
As the controller has a display capable of
displaying graphical images, the controller could also aid
in monitoring of the establishment at which the security
system is installed. For example, video cameras could be
provided at various locations and the controller could
display the image seen by the camera on the graphical
display. If there are a number of cameras located
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throughout the establishment, the controller could display
the images of each camera in sequence. Alternatively,
depending upon the resolution of the graphical display
screen and the capabilities of the system, the images from
multiple cameras could be displayed in a split screen
manner. If the user wished to see one of the images on
full screen this could be selected by function key, a
programmed key on the keypad, or by touching the desired
image on the touch screen if the graphical display included
a touch screen.
The user would also have the ability to select to
display only the output of one camera for monitoring
purposes. For example, if a camera were located at an
entry point into the establishment, such as a door, the
user could monitor the camera to identify any caller and
decide whether or not to admit them into the establishment.
Cameras located at strategic places within the
establishment could also be used for accessing and
monitoring alarm conditions. For example, establishments
which have large cold rooms, such as walk in refrigerators,
may have temperature sensors located in the cold area to
monitor the temperature. Should the sensor detect that the
temperature is outside the programmed range, an alarm
condition is generated. In this situation, the user could
examine the image displayed from the camera in the cold
area, to attempt to determine the cause of the alarm
condition.
Security systems using such camera monitoring could
also be configured to pass the image of the camera to the
monitoring service 14 in an alarm condition. Thus if the
security system detects an alarm condition in a zone or
area of the establishment in which a monitoring camera is
located, the image of view of the camera in that location
could be communicated to the monitoring service 14 as part
of the communication of the alarm condition. Additionally,
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for those users having security systems in multiple
locations, such as a homeowner who has a security system at
their cottage, the security systems could be configured to
communicate one with the other either by direct
communication or through the monitoring service. In this
setup, if an alarm condition is detected at a location
other than where the user was present, the notification of
the alarm condition and the image of view of any camera
located at the other location could be communicated to the
user.
The security system of the present invention
provides enhanced services to the user of the security
system, by providing for display of user selected
information at user selected times. The security system of
the present invention helps users of the system in their
daily life by providing timely and needed information, and
helps in the planning of their daily activities.
The graphical controller of the preferred
embodiment of the present inventions provides for enhanced
capabilities of security systems using the controller as
set out above. This controller is especially useful in the
security systems having the capability of displaying user
selected information not related to the operation of a
security system.
Although various preferred embodiments of the
present invention have been described herein in detail, it
will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, that
variations may be made thereto without departing from the
spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended
claims.
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