System and process for distributed network of redundant central stations
Techniques are described for distributing, to a distributed network of central stations, alarm events detected in monitoring system data collected by sensors included in monitoring systems located at monitored properties. A system receives monitoring system data collected by sensors included in monitoring systems located at monitored properties, tracks alarm events detected within the monitoring system data, and generates, for central station servers in a distributed network of central stations, load profiles that reflect a volume of alarm events being handled at each of the central station servers at a particular period of time. The system determines capacities to handle additional alarm events for the central station servers, determines relative priorities for the central station remote servers based on the determined capacities, and directs subsequent alarm events to the central station servers based on the relative priorities.
1. A system for determining a priority for handling monitoring data, the system comprising:
a 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 monitoring data from different security systems installed by security service providers at different monitored properties of different users;
identifying an alert at a monitored property based on at least a portion of the received monitoring data;
classifying the alert into an alert category;
determining a severity of the alert category into which the alert was classified;
assigning a priority to the monitoring data indicating the alert based on the determined severity; and
handling the monitoring data based on the priority assigned to the monitoring data,
wherein classifying the alert into the alert category comprises:
determining an occupancy status of the monitored property where the alert was identified, the occupancy status indicating whether one or more users are occupying the monitored property at a time of the alert, and
determining the alert category based on the determined occupancy status of the monitored property where the alert was identified, and
wherein handling the monitoring data based on the priority assigned to the monitoring data comprises routing, to a central station server and relative to other monitoring data being processed by the system, the monitoring data based on the priority assigned to the monitoring data, the central station server handling dispatching of emergency services to the monitored property.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein classifying the alert into the alert category comprises determining the alert category based on an amount of harm that could result from situation involving the alert.
3. The system of claim 1 , wherein determining the severity of the alert category into which the alert was classified comprises determining a severity of the alert category relative to severities of other alert categories that are currently active.
4. The system of claim 1 , wherein determining the severity of the alert category into which the alert was classified comprises determining the severity of the alert category based on an occupancy status of a property associated with the alert, a time-sensitivity associated with the alert, a response time of available units for responding to the alert, or whether the alert is preventative.
5. The system of claim 1 , wherein assigning the priority to the monitoring data indicating the alert based on the determined severity comprises assigning the priority to the monitoring data relative to other monitoring data being processed by the system.
6. The system of claim 1 , wherein assigning the priority to the monitoring data indicating the alert based on the determined severity comprises assigning the priority to the monitoring data based on monitored data traffic experienced by a distributed station network of multiple central station servers.
7. The system of claim 1 , wherein assigning the priority to the monitoring data indicating the alert based on the determined severity comprises assigning the priority to the monitoring data based on monitored data traffic for a specific central station server through which the monitoring data is to be directed.
8. A system for determining a priority for handling monitoring data, the system comprising:
a 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 monitoring data from different security systems installed by security service providers at different monitored properties of different users;
identifying an alert at a monitored property based on at least a portion of the received monitoring data;
classifying the alert into an alert category;
determining a severity of the alert category into which the alert was classified;
assigning a priority to the monitoring data indicating the alert based on the determined severity; and
handling the monitoring data based on the priority assigned to the monitoring data,
wherein determining the severity of the alert category into which the alert was classified comprises determining the severity of the alert category based on monitored data traffic experienced by a distributed station network of multiple central station servers, and
wherein handling the monitoring data based on the priority assigned to the monitoring data comprises selecting, from among the multiple central station servers in the distributed station network, a central station server based on the priority assigned to the monitoring data and routing the monitoring data to the selected central station server, each of the multiple central station servers in the distributed station network being available to handle dispatching of emergency services to the monitored property.
9. The system of claim 8 , wherein determining the severity of the alert category based on monitored data traffic experienced by a distributed station network of multiple central station servers comprises altering the severity of the alert category based on an increase in the monitored data traffic experienced by the distributed station network of multiple central station servers.
10. A method for determining a priority for handling monitoring data, the method comprising:
receiving monitoring data from different security systems installed by security service providers at different monitored properties of different users;
identifying an alert at a monitored property based on at least a portion of the received monitoring data;
classifying the alert into an alert category;
determining a severity of the alert category into which the alert was classified;
assigning a priority to the monitoring data indicating the alert based on the determined severity; and
handling the monitoring data based on the priority assigned to the monitoring data,
wherein classifying the alert into the alert category comprises:
determining an occupancy status of the monitored property where the alert was identified, the occupancy status indicating whether one or more users are occupying the monitored property at a time of the alert, and
determining the alert category based on the determined occupancy status of the monitored property where the alert was identified, and
wherein handling the monitoring data based on the priority assigned to the monitoring data comprises routing, to a central station server and relative to other monitoring data being processed, the monitoring data based on the priority assigned to the monitoring data, the central station server handling dispatching of emergency services to the monitored property.
11. The method of claim 10 , wherein classifying the alert into the alert category comprises determining the alert category based on an amount of harm that could result from situation involving the alert.
12. The method of claim 10 , wherein determining the severity of the alert category into which the alert was classified comprises determining a severity of the alert category relative to severities of other alert categories that are currently active.
13. The method of claim 10 , wherein determining the severity of the alert category into which the alert was classified comprises determining the severity of the alert category based on an occupancy status of a property associated with the alert, a time-sensitivity associated with the alert, a response time of available units for responding to the alert, or whether the alert is preventative.
14. The method of claim 10 , wherein assigning the priority to the monitoring data indicating the alert based on the determined severity comprises assigning the priority to the monitoring data relative to other monitoring data being processed by the system.
15. The method of claim 10 , wherein assigning the priority to the monitoring data indicating the alert based on the determined severity comprises assigning the priority to the monitoring data based on monitored data traffic experienced by a distributed station network of multiple central station servers.
16. The method of claim 10 , wherein assigning the priority to the monitoring data indicating the alert based on the determined severity comprises assigning the priority to the monitoring data based on monitored data traffic for a specific central station server through which the monitoring data is to be directed.
17. A method for determining a priority for handling monitoring data, the method comprising:
receiving monitoring data from different security systems installed by security service providers at different monitored properties of different users;
identifying an alert at a monitored property based on at least a portion of the received monitoring data;
classifying the alert into an alert category;
determining a severity of the alert category into which the alert was classified;
assigning a priority to the monitoring data indicating the alert based on the determined severity; and
handling the monitoring data based on the priority assigned to the monitoring data,
wherein determining the severity of the alert category into which the alert was classified comprises determining the severity of the alert category based on monitored data traffic experienced by a distributed station network of multiple central station servers, and
wherein handling the monitoring data based on the priority assigned to the monitoring data comprises selecting, from among the multiple central station servers in the distributed station network, a central station server based on the priority assigned to the monitoring data and routing the monitoring data to the selected central station server, each of the multiple central station servers in the distributed station network being available to handle dispatching of emergency services to the monitored property.
18. The method of claim 17 , wherein determining the severity of the alert category based on monitored data traffic experienced by a distributed station network of multiple central station servers comprises altering the severity of the alert category based on an increase in the monitored data traffic experienced by the distributed station network of multiple central station servers.