Home automation system deployment
A technician assistance application aids installation and diagnostics for an automated home monitoring system often referred to as an “Intelligent Home” system. The monitoring system includes a plurality of security sensor devices deployed around a dwelling and responsive to a monitoring application on a central computing device. The central computing device provides an on-site console for gathering signals from the security sensors and forwarding the gathered signals to a monitoring station or central office. The central office interprets the received signals to identify an anomaly or other signal consistent with a need to notify first responders or otherwise trigger an alarm. In addition to basic intrusion and fire protection, the monitoring system may monitor a variety of other non-emergency aspects such as lights, visual camera signals, door locks and environmental conditions.
1. A method for installing a security monitoring system, comprising:
identifying, at an application launched on an onsite console, a plurality of security sensors in a monitored environment;
determining RF characteristics of a signal transmitted from a security sensor of the plurality of security sensors; and
adjusting an expected signal to be received at the onsite console via a wireless communication medium from the security sensor based on the determined RF characteristics, the RF characteristics based on the type of the security sensor, a distance to the security sensor, and intervening objects in a transmission path from the security sensor;
verifying a communication path from each of the identified security sensors to a central office via the onsite console, verification including:
i: transmitting a value from an on-site console in the monitored environment based on a signal received from each sensor of the plurality of sensors;
ii: transmitting an identity of the onsite console, the on-sire console identity stored with the value in a registration database for associating the sensor with the monitored environment in which the onsite console is disposed; and
iii: receiving an acknowledgement indicative of associating, at the central office, each of the identified security sensors with a location defined by the monitored environment, the association for triggering an alert on behalf of the location based on signals received from any of the associated plurality of sensors.
2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
iterating, for each security sensor at a location associated with the on-site console, a message transmission to the central office, the message indicative of the security sensor, the location, and a status indicative of a sensed parameter at the location; and
receiving, at the on-site console, an acknowledgement of receipt of each the transmitted messages, the iteration pairing each of the security sensors at the location with the on-site console and occurring in an uninterrupted sequence during a timeframe allotted to an installation.
3. The method of claim 2 wherein identifying the security sensors includes:
determining a bandwidth range transmitted by the security sensor; and
receiving a signal in the determined bandwidth range indicative of data obtained by the security sensor.
4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
determining when any of the plurality of sensors in the monitored environment indicates a potential anomaly in the monitored environment; and
issuing a request to a response entity indicative of a exigent situation at the location.
5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
determining when any of the plurality of sensors in the monitored environment indicates a breach of the monitored environment; and
issuing a request to a response entity indicative of a exigent situation at the location.
6. The method of claim 1 wherein associating the security sensors further comprises:
registering, for each of the security sensors, a response entity to be notified upon triggering of an alert from the security sensor.
7. The method of claim 6 further comprising identifying a test mode, the test mode for suppressing a call to a response entity based on a triggered alert.
8. The method of claim 7 further comprising:
accumulating an event history for a security sensor, the event history based on a message indicative of a state change detected by the security sensor;
transmitting at least a portion of the event history to the central office, the central office configured for correlating the events in the event history with the test mode;
in response to the test mode, denoting successful transmission of an alert from the security sensor and suppressing notification of a response entity based on the security sensor.
9. The method of claim 8 further comprising:
generating test events by intentional triggering of the security sensors associated with the location;
receiving an event history from the central office, the event history indicative of messages received based on the triggered security sensors; and
correlating an event history including triggered alerts from the security sensors.
10. The method of claim 8 , further comprising accumulating an event history for a plurality of state changes of the security sensor received by the central office.
11. The method of claim 1 wherein transmitting values for verifying the communications path includes iterating through each of the identified security sensors for invoking a sensed parameter, the sensed parameter transmitted from the security sensor to the on-site console.
12. The method of claim 11 further comprising:
receiving a message from the security sensor, the message transmitted according to a first protocol; and
transmitting, according to a second protocol, a message to the central office, the message indicative of successful receipt of the message from the security sensor and of the location for which the security sensor is to be associated.
13. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
capturing an indication of the signals received from the security sensors to identify operational parameters of successfully received signals; and
storing the received signals as a baseline snapshot for comparison in future diagnostics.
14. The method of claim 13 further comprising:
capturing an indication of the signals received from the security sensors to identify operational parameters of the signals at a successive time from initial installation;
retrieving the stored baseline snapshot; and
comparing the captured operational parameters from the successive time to the baseline snapshot to identify differences.
15. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving a signal of an adjusted frequency from the security sensor, and storing the adjusted frequency in association with the security sensor.
16. The method of claim 1 further comprising establishing a wireless communication path between the security sensors and the onsite console, and establishing a wired communication path between the onsite console and the central office.
17. A home monitoring device, comprising:
a wireless interface to a plurality of security sensors in a monitored environment, the wireless interface responsive to an application launched on an onsite console;
a network connection for providing a communication path from each of the identified security sensors to a central office via the onsite console, the communication path configured for transmitting a value from an on-site console in the monitored environment based on a signal received from each security sensor of the plurality of security sensors, and for
transmitting an identity on the onsite console, the on-sire console identity stored with the value in a registration database for associating the sensor with the monitored environment in which the onsite console is disposed the on-site console responsive to determined RF characteristics of a signal transmitted from each of the security sensors,
and operable for adjusting an expected signal to be received at the onsite console via a wireless communication medium based on the determined RF characteristics, the RF characteristics based on the type of the security sensor, a distance to the security sensor, and intervening objects in a transmission path from the security sensor;
a rendering screen for displaying a received acknowledgement indicative of associating, at the central office, each of the identified security sensors with a location defined by the monitored environment, the association for triggering an alert on behalf of the location based on signals received from any of the associated plurality of sensors; and
a processing device for interpreting logic instructions directing the interface, network connection and rendering screen.
18. The device of claim 17 wherein the processing device is configured to:
iterate, for each security sensor at a location associated with the on-site console, a message transmission to the central office, the message indicative of the security sensor, the location, and a status indicative of a sensed parameter at the location;
the network connection configured to receive, at the on-site console, an acknowledgement of receipt of each the transmitted messages, the iteration pairing each of the security sensors at the location with the on-site console and occurring in an uninterrupted sequence during a timeframe allotted to an installation.
19. The device of claim 18 wherein the rendering screen is adapted to identify a test mode, the test mode for suppressing a call to a response entity based on a triggered alert.
20. The device of claim 19 wherein the logic instructions are configured for:
accumulating an event history for a security sensor, the event history based on a message indicative of a state change detected by the security sensor; and
the network connection adapted to transmitting at least a portion of the event history to the central office, the central office configured for correlating the events in the event history with the test mode, the central office responsive to the test mode for denoting successful transmission of an alert from the security sensor and suppressing notification of a response entity based on the security sensor.
21. The device of claim 17 wherein the processing device is further configured to:
generate test events from intentional triggering of the security sensors associated with the location;
receive an event history from the central office, the event history indicative of messages received based on the triggered security sensors; and
correlate an event history including triggered alerts from the security sensors based on a rendering of the event history and input attesting to triggered sensors.
22. The device of claim 17 wherein the network connection is for transmitted values for verifying the communications path, and iterating through each of the identified security sensors for invoking a sensed parameter, the sensed parameter transmitted from the security sensor to the interface on the on-site console,
the interface configured for receiving a message from the security sensor, the message transmitted according to a first protocol; and
the network connection configured for transmitting, according to a second protocol, a message to the central office, the message indicative of successful receipt of the message from the device and of the location for which the device is to be associated.
23. A system for security monitoring of a dwelling, comprising:
an on-site console operable to launch an application for identifying a plurality of security sensors in a monitored environment, the on-site console responsive to determined RF characteristics of a signal transmitted from a security sensor of the plurality of security sensors, and operable for adjusting an expected signal to be received at the onsite console via a wireless communication medium from the security sensor based on the determined RF characteristics, the RF characteristics based on the type of the security sensor, a distance to the security sensor, and intervening objects in a transmission path from the security sensor;
a network connection for verifying a communication path from each of the identified security sensors to a central office via the onsite console, verification including transmitting a value from an on-site console in the monitored environment based on a signal received from each sensor of the plurality of sensors, and transmitting an identity of the onsite console, the on-sire console identity stored with the value in a registration database for associating the sensor with the monitored environment in which the onsite console is disposed; and
a central office for associating, at the central office, each of the identified security sensors with a location defined by the monitored environment, the association for triggering an alert on behalf of the location based on signals received from any of the associated plurality of sensors,
transmitting the values for verifying the communications path includes iterating through each of the identified security sensors for invoking a sensed parameter, the sensed parameter transmitted from the security sensor to the on-site console.