Alarm system with two-way voice

1. A method of connecting a call with an alarm system to a monitoring system to establish a voice communication session between the alarm system and an operator handling an alarm event for the alarm system, the method comprising:

receiving, by an intermediary alarm server, alarm data over a wireless data channel, the alarm data being transmitted from a wireless communication module included in an alarm system in response to the alarm system detecting an alarm event, the alarm data indicating the alarm event and the intermediary alarm server being different from the alarm system;

establishing, over a wireless voice channel, a first call between the wireless communication module and the intermediary alarm server;

associating, by the intermediary alarm server, the alarm data with the first call between the wireless communication module and the intermediary alarm server;

based on association of the alarm data with the first call between the wireless communication module and the intermediary alarm server, coordinating, by the intermediary alarm server, a voice communication session between the alarm system and a monitoring system that is different from the intermediary alarm server and the alarm system, the coordinating comprising:

transmitting, by the intermediary alarm server, the alarm data to the monitoring system over a wired communication medium;

establishing, over the wired communication medium with which the intermediary alarm server transmitted the alarm data to the monitoring system, a second call between the monitoring system and the intermediary alarm server; and

connecting, by the intermediary alarm server, the first call established, over the wireless voice channel, with the wireless communication module to the second call established, over the wired communication medium, with the monitoring system, thereby establishing the voice communication session between the alarm system and the monitoring system.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein:

establishing, over the wireless voice channel, the first call between the wireless communication module and the intermediary alarm server includes receiving, over the wireless voice channel, a first call from the wireless communication module;

transmitting, by the intermediary alarm server, the alarm data to the monitoring system over the wired communication medium includes transmitting the alarm data to a monitoring system over a wired telephone line;

establishing, over the wired communication medium with which the intermediary alarm server transmitted the alarm data to the monitoring system, a second call between the monitoring system and the intermediary alarm server includes:

initiating a second call to the monitoring system over the wired telephone line; and

establishing the second call with the monitoring system over the wired telephone line; and

connecting, by the intermediary alarm server, the first call established, over the wireless voice channel, with the wireless communication module to the second call established, over the wired communication medium, with the monitoring system includes, in response to establishing the second call with the monitoring system over the wired telephone line, connecting the first call received from the wireless communication module with the second call initiated to the monitoring system.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein connecting, by the intermediary alarm server, the first call established, over the wireless voice channel, with the wireless communication module to the second call established, over the wired communication medium, with the monitoring system includes patching the first call established, over the wireless voice channel, with the wireless communication module onto the wired communication medium after transmitting the alarm data to the monitoring system over the wired communication medium.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising, in response to receiving the alarm data, waiting, by the intermediary alarm server, for a call from the wireless communication module included in the alarm system.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein waiting, by the intermediary alarm server, for a call from the wireless communication module included in the alarm system includes delaying processing of the alarm data and monitoring incoming calls for a call from the wireless communication module included in the alarm system.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein waiting, by the intermediary alarm server, for a call from the wireless communication module included in the alarm system includes, when the intermediary alarm server does not receive a call from the wireless communication module included in the alarm system in a predetermined and configurable amount of time, initiating, by the intermediary alarm server, processing of the alarm data.

7. The method of claim 4 wherein waiting, by the intermediary alarm server, for a call from the wireless communication module included in the alarm system includes, when the intermediary alarm server does not receive a call from the wireless communication module included in the alarm system in a predetermined and configurable amount of time, sending, by the intermediary alarm server, a command to the wireless communication module included in the alarm system that instructs the wireless communication module included in the alarm system to place a call to the intermediary alarm server.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein establishing, over the wireless voice channel, the first call between the wireless communication module and the intermediary alarm server includes sending, by the intermediary alarm server to the wireless communication module included in the alarm system, an electronic communication that includes a phone number and receiving, over the wireless voice channel, a first call placed by the wireless communication module to the phone number included in the electronic communication.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the wireless data channel is a GSM/GPRS data channel; and

the wireless voice channel is a GSM voice channel.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the alarm data is transmitted by the wireless communication module as Internet Protocol packets over a wireless data channel configured to transport Internet Protocol packets, and

establishing the voice communication session includes exchanging cellular voice communications over a wireless voice channel configured to transport cellular voice communications.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the alarm data is transmitted by the wireless communication module as a Short Message Service (SMS) message over a wireless data channel configured to transport SMS messages, and

establishing the voice communication session includes exchanging cellular voice communications over a wireless voice channel configured to transport cellular voice communications.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the alarm system is a security system installed in a building, the security system being configured to receive a signal from at least one sensor and detect an alarm event based on the received signal; and

coordinating, by the intermediary alarm server, the voice communication session between the alarm system and the monitoring system includes coordinating, by the intermediary alarm server, a voice communication session between the security system and the monitoring system that enables an operator of the monitoring system to listen in on an area in the building proximate to the at least one sensor and that enables the operator to communicate with a person who is in an area in the building proximate to the at least one sensor.

13. An intermediary alarm server comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one computer-readable storage medium coupled to the at least one processor having stored thereon instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, causes the at least one processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving alarm data over a wireless data channel, the alarm data being transmitted from a wireless communication module included in an alarm system in response to the alarm system detecting an alarm event, the alarm data indicating the alarm event and the intermediary alarm server being different from the alarm system;

establishing, over a wireless voice channel, a first call with the wireless communication module;

associating the alarm data with the first call established with the wireless communication module;

based on association of the alarm data with the first call established with the wireless communication module, coordinating a voice communication session between the alarm system and a monitoring system that is different from the intermediary alarm server and the alarm system, the coordinating comprising:

transmitting the alarm data to the monitoring system over a wired communication medium;

establishing, over the wired communication medium, a second call with the monitoring system; and

connecting the first call established, over the wireless voice channel, with the wireless communication module to the second call established, over the wired communication medium, with the monitoring system, thereby establishing the voice communication session between the alarm system and the monitoring system.

14. The intermediary alarm server of claim 13 wherein:

establishing, over the wireless voice channel, the first call with the wireless communication module includes receiving, over the wireless voice channel, a first call from the wireless communication module;

transmitting the alarm data to the monitoring system over the wired communication medium includes transmitting the alarm data to a monitoring system over a wired telephone line;

establishing, over the wired communication medium, a second call with the monitoring system includes:

initiating a second call to the monitoring system over the wired telephone line; and

establishing the second call with the monitoring system over the wired telephone line; and

connecting the first call established, over the wireless voice channel, with the wireless communication module to the second call established, over the wired communication medium, with the monitoring system includes, in response to establishing the second call with the monitoring system over the wired telephone line, connecting the first call received from the wireless communication module with the second call initiated to the monitoring system.

15. The intermediary alarm server of claim 13 wherein connecting the first call established, over the wireless voice channel, with the wireless communication module to the second call established, over the wired communication medium, with the monitoring system includes patching the first call established, over the wireless voice channel, with the wireless communication module onto the wired communication medium after transmitting the alarm data to the monitoring system over the wired communication medium.

16. The intermediary alarm server of claim 13 wherein the operations further comprise, in response to receiving the alarm data, waiting for a call from the wireless communication module included in the alarm system.

17. The intermediary alarm server of claim 16 wherein waiting for a call from the wireless communication module included in the alarm system includes delaying processing of the alarm data and monitoring incoming calls for a call from the wireless communication module included in the alarm system.

18. The intermediary alarm server of claim 16 wherein waiting for a call from the wireless communication module included in the alarm system includes, when the intermediary alarm server does not receive a call from the wireless communication module included in the alarm system in a predetermined and configurable amount of time, initiating processing of the alarm data.

19. The intermediary alarm server of claim 16 wherein waiting for a call from the wireless communication module included in the alarm system includes, when the intermediary alarm server does not receive a call from the wireless communication module included in the alarm system in a predetermined and configurable amount of time, sending a command to the wireless communication module included in the alarm system that instructs the wireless communication module included in the alarm system to place a call to the intermediary alarm server.

20. The intermediary alarm server of claim 13 wherein establishing, over the wireless voice channel, the first call with the wireless communication module includes sending, to the wireless communication module included in the alarm system, an electronic communication that includes a phone number and receiving, over the wireless voice channel, a first call placed by the wireless communication module to the phone number included in the electronic communication.

21. The intermediary alarm server of claim 13 wherein:

the wireless data channel is a GSM/GPRS data channel; and

the wireless voice channel is a GSM voice channel.

22. The intermediary alarm server of claim 13 wherein:

the alarm data is transmitted by the wireless communication module as Internet Protocol packets over a wireless data channel configured to transport Internet Protocol packets, and

establishing the voice communication session includes exchanging cellular voice communications over a wireless voice channel configured to transport cellular voice communications.

23. The intermediary alarm server of claim 13 wherein:

the alarm data is transmitted by the wireless communication module as a Short Message Service (SMS) message over a wireless data channel configured to transport SMS messages, and

establishing the voice communication session includes exchanging cellular voice communications over a wireless voice channel configured to transport cellular voice communications.

24. The intermediary alarm server of claim 13 wherein:

the alarm system is a security system installed in a building, the security system being configured to receive a signal from at least one sensor and detect an alarm event based on the received signal; and

coordinating the voice communication session between the alarm system and the monitoring system includes coordinating a voice communication session between the security system and the monitoring system that enables an operator of the monitoring system to listen in on an area in the building proximate to the at least one sensor and that enables the operator to communicate with a person who is in an area in the building proximate to the at least one sensor.