Monitoring apparatus and system
A monitoring system and associated methodology for response to incidents sensed by at least one sensor of an individual signal unit includes transmission to a central control facility by the individual signal unit, of at least a unique identifying code for that individual signal unit, over a communication network; the response includes a transmission of data from said central control facility to one or more recipients nominated by a registered owner of the individual signal unit wherein registration of the individual signal unit and configuration of sensing and of said response is via a web-based interface.
1. An individual signal unit, said individual signal unit comprising:
(a) a transceiver module,
(b) a power supply and power control module,
(c) a logic circuit, and
(d) at least one internal sensor;
(e) logic to register said individual signal unit with one or more remote servers accessible via a Wide Area Network to utilize functions provided by one or more third party output devices or external event sensors, said third party output devices or external event sensors selectable from a plurality of third party output devices or external event sensors;
registration of said individual signal unit including configuration of a set of protocols for utilization of the functions, and said registration effected, at least in part, through user data entry into a web-based interface to said one or more remote servers;
wherein said third party output devices or external event sensors are one of: directly connected to said individual signal unit; operating on the same Local Area Network as said individual signal unit; or connected to another device directly connected to, or operating on the same Local Area Network as said individual signal unit;
and wherein said individual signal unit is configured to:
detect an event from said internal or external event sensors; and
send a signal to said one or more remote servers to cause said one or more remote servers to execute a number of predefined steps in response to said signal, wherein said predefined steps include communicating to one or more users according to the set of protocols for utilization of the functions, as configured by user data entry into said web based interface, in response to events sensed by any one of said internal or external event sensors, and wherein other providers configure said individual signal unit using appropriate ones of the set of protocols to provide their own products and services in response to events sensed by any one of said internal or external event sensors thereby allowing centralized global access to the consumer by way of the one or more remote sensors and the individual signal unit.
2. The individual signal unit of claim 1 , wherein said communicating to one or more users comprises sending an email to said one or more users.
3. The individual signal unit of claim 1 , wherein said communicating to one or more users comprises sending a push notification to a mobile device of said one or more users.
4. The individual signal unit of claim 1 , wherein said communicating to one or more users comprises sending a text message to a mobile device of said one or more users.
5. The individual signal unit of claim 1 , wherein said communicating to one or more users comprises a communication indicating the time of the event.
6. The individual signal unit of claim 1 , wherein said communicating to one or more users comprises a communication indicating the nature of a detected event.
7. The individual signal unit of claim 1 , wherein said communicating to one or more users comprises a communication indicating a status of an item or a system.
8. An individual signal unit, said individual signal unit comprising:
(a) a transceiver module,
(b) a power supply and power control module,
(c) a logic circuit, and
(d) at least one internal sensor;
(e) logic to register said individual signal unit with one or more remote servers accessible via a Wide Area Network to utilize functions provided by one or more third party output devices or external event sensors, said third party output devices or external event sensors selectable from a plurality of third party output devices or external event sensors;
registration of said individual signal unit including configuration of a set of protocols for such utilization, and said registration effected, at least in part, through user data entry into a web-based interface to said one or more remote servers;
wherein said third party output devices or external event sensors are one of: directly connected to said individual signal unit; operating on the same Local Area Network as said individual signal unit; or connected to another device directly connected to, or operating on the same Local Area Network as said individual signal unit;
and wherein said individual signal unit is configured to:
detect an event from said internal or external event sensors; and
send a signal to said one or more remote servers to cause said one or more remote servers to execute a number of predefined steps in response to said signal, wherein said predefined steps include communicating instructions to said one or more third party output devices, and wherein other providers configure said individual signal unit using appropriate ones of the set of protocols to provide their own products and services in response to events sensed by any one of said internal or external event sensors thereby allowing centralized global access to the consumer by way of the one or more remote sensors and the individual signal unit.
9. The individual signal unit of claim 8 , wherein said communicating instructions to said one or more third party output devices comprises instructions to perform at least one action.
10. The individual signal unit of claim 8 , wherein said communicating instructions to said one or more party output devices comprises instructions to activate at least one feature of said one or more third party output device.
11. The individual signal unit of claim 8 , wherein said communicating instructions to said one or more party output devices comprises instructions to deactivate at least one feature of said one or more third party output device.
12. The individual signal unit of claim 8 , wherein said communicating instructions to said one or more party output devices comprises instructions to cause audio signals to be emitted from said one or more third party output device.
13. The individual signal unit of claim 8 , wherein said communicating instructions to said one or more third party output devices comprises instructions to lock or unlock a device.
14. The individual signal unit of claim 8 , wherein said communicating instructions to said one or more third party output devices comprises transmitting instructions through said individual signal unit.
15. The individual signal unit of claim 8 , wherein said communicating instructions to said one or more third party output devices comprises transmitting instructions other than through said individual signal unit.
16. A method of controlling third party output devices, said method comprising:
registering, by an individual signal unit comprising a transceiver module and at least one internal sensor, with one or more remote servers over a Wide Area Network, registration of said individual signal unit including configuration of a set of protocols for utilization of functions, and said registration effected, at least in part, through user data entry into a web-based interface to said one or more remote servers;
connecting, by said individual signal unit, to one or more third party output devices or external event sensors, said third party output devices or external event sensors selectable from a plurality of third party output devices or external event sensors, or to a Local Area Network to which are also connected one or more third party output devices or external event sensors, said third party output devices or external event sensors selectable from a plurality of third party output devices or external event sensors;
detecting, by said individual signal unit, an event from said internal sensor or said external event sensors;
transmitting, by said individual signal unit, a signal to said one or more remote servers to cause said one or more remote servers to execute a number of predefined steps executable in response to said signal, said predefined steps configured, at least in part, through user data entry into a web-based interface maintained by said central control facility, and wherein said predefined steps include communicating instructions to said one or more third party output devices; and
enabling other providers to configure said individual signal unit using appropriate ones of the set of protocols to provide their own products and services in response to events sensed by any one of said internal or external event sensors thereby allowing centralized global access to the consumer by way of the one or more remote sensors and the individual signal unit.
17. The method of controlling third party output devices of claim 16 , wherein said transmitting causes said one or more remote servers to communicate instructions to said one or more third party output devices to perform at least one action.
18. The method of controlling third party output devices of claim 16 , wherein said transmitting causes said one or more remote servers to communicate instructions to said one or more third party output devices to activate at least one feature of said third party output device.
19. The method of controlling third party output devices of claim 16 , wherein said transmitting causes said one or more remote servers to communicate instructions to said one or more third party output devices to cause audio signals to be emitted from said third party output device.
20. The method of controlling third party output devices of claim 16 , wherein said transmitting causes said one or more remote servers to communicate instructions to said one or more third party output devices to lock or unlock a device.
21. The individual signal unit of claim 1 wherein the function is an application script executing on the one or more remote servers.
22. The individual signal unit of claim 1 wherein the function is an application script executing on the individual signal unit.
23. The individual signal unit of claim 1 wherein the function is an application script executing on the one or more remote servers and in accordance with the set of protocols configured for the individual signal unit at registration of said individual signal unit.
24. The individual signal unit of claim 1 wherein the function is an application script executing on the individual signal unit and in accordance with the set of protocols configured for the individual signal unit at registration of said individual signal unit.
25. The method of claim 16 wherein the function is an application script executing on the one or more remote servers.
26. The method of claim 16 wherein the function is an application script executing on the individual signal unit.
27. The method of claim 16 wherein the function is an application script executing on the one or more remote servers and in accordance with the set of protocols configured for the individual signal unit at registration of said individual signal unit.
28. The method of claim 16 wherein the function is an application script executing on the individual signal unit and in accordance with the set of protocols configured for the individual signal unit at registration of said individual signal unit.
29. The method of controlling third party output devices of claim 16 , wherein said transmitting causes said one or more remote servers to communicate instructions via the individual signal unit to said one or more third party output devices to perform at least one action.
30. The method of controlling third party output devices of claim 16 , wherein said transmitting causes said one or more remote servers to communicate instructions via the individual signal unit to said one or more third party output devices to activate at least one feature of said third party output device.
31. The method of controlling third party output devices of claim 16 , wherein said transmitting causes said one or more remote servers to communicate instructions via the individual signal unit to said one or more third party output devices to cause audio signals to be emitted from said third party output device.
32. The method of controlling third party output devices of claim 16 , wherein said transmitting causes said one or more remote servers to communicate instructions via the individual signal unit to said one or more third party output devices to lock or unlock a device.