Premises security monitoring system

Abstract

Provided is a security monitoring system comprising a security monitoring installation at premises protected by the security monitoring system, the system including a monitoring centre, remote from the premises, for monitoring alarm events reported by a controller of the installation, the installation including: a plurality of detection nodes; and a plurality of verification nodes; the system further comprising a tool providing an operator with access to a stored floorplan of the premises, the floorplan showing the disposition of nodes of the installation; the tool being configured to provide the operator with an option to: define one or more of multiple potential zones within the protected premises; identify one or more detection nodes as belonging to a particular defined zone; identify at least one particular verification node as belonging to the particular defined zone to create an association between the or each verification node and the one or more detection nodes of the particular defined zone; and to share the association with the installation controller, the controller being configured, in the event that any of the detection nodes of the particular defined zone is triggered, while the installation is in an armed state, to cause data captured by the or each verification node of the particular defined zone to be shared with the monitoring centre, the controller first activating the or each verification node of the particular defined zone if the or each verification node is not already in an active state.

Description

Technical field

[0001] The present invention relates to a method of configuring a premises monitoring system, a method of operating a premises monitoring system, a related software application, and a corresponding monitoring system.Background

[0002] Security installations that are or include security monitoring systems for monitoring premises, often referred to as alarm systems, typically provide a means for detecting the presence and / or actions of people at the premises and reacting to detected events. Commonly such systems include sensors to detect the opening and closing of doors and windows, to provide a secure perimeter to the premises, thereby creating one or more protected interior spaces, movement detectors to monitor spaces (both within and outside buildings) for signs of movement, microphones to detect sounds such as breaking glass, and image sensors to capture still or moving images of monitored zones. Such systems may be self-contained, with alarm indicators such as sirens and flashing lights that may be activated in the event of an alarm condition being detected. Such installations typically include a control unit (which may also be termed a controller or a central unit), generally mains powered, that is coupled to the sensors, detectors, cameras, etc. ("nodes"), which processes received notifications and determines a response, and which manages the alarm state (fully armed, partially armed, and disarmed) of the system. The controller may be linked to the various nodes by wires, but increasingly is instead linked wirelessly, rather than by wires, since this facilitates installation and may also provide some safeguards against sensors / detectors effectively being disabled by disconnecting them from the central unit. Similarly, for ease of installation and to improve security, some or all of the nodes of such systems each typically include an autonomous power source, such as a battery power supply, rather than relying on mains power (although some "power hungry" nodes, such as video cameras may be mains powered with battery backup).

[0003] As an alternative to self-contained systems, a security monitoring system may include an installation at a premises, domestic or commercial, that is linked to a remote Central Monitoring Station (CMS) where, typically, human operators manage the responses required by different alarm and notification types. The link to such a central monitoring station may be direct, or indirect via a system back end. In such centrally monitored systems, the controller at the premises installation is typically arranged to process notifications received from the nodes in the installation and, depending upon the arm state of the installation, to notify the Central Monitoring Station of only some of these, depending upon the settings of the system and the nature of the detected events. In such a configuration, the controller at the installation effectively acts as a gateway between the nodes and the Central Monitoring Station. Again, in such installations the controller may be linked by wires, or wirelessly, to the various nodes of the installation, and these nodes will typically be battery rather than mains powered. Such security monitoring systems contribute to the safety and wellbeing of occupants of the protected premises, as well as safeguarding articles within the protected perimeter - which may of course not simply be limited to a house or dwelling but may also extend to the grounds of the house, protected by a boundary fence and gate, for example.

[0004] The performance of a security monitoring system - at least in terms of level of security - is dependent upon the selection of the appropriate node types and the installed locations of the nodes deployed in any security monitoring installation. But this consideration is balanced by the fact that the cost of implementing a security monitoring is also a constraint for most users - in general users will set a budget limit or ceiling, and this must be taken into account when designing an installation - and the choice of node types, the number of nodes of different types, and the total number of nodes may therefore be constrained by the client's budget. Also, although nodes in the form of video cameras may contribute to increased security - at least if the system is monitored, many users have reservations about installing video cameras within the home, especially if there are children in the household, because of concerns about loss of privacy and the perceived risk that strangers may gain access to video of occupants at home. The configuration of the premises to be protected, and the location and situation of the premises, are also preferably taken into account when designing a security monitoring installation for premises to be protected.

[0005] The applicants have realised that designing security monitoring installations may be facilitated, and the performance of such installations improved (while taking account of any cost constraints) by performing a method in which a floorplan of the premises is produced using the results of an optical scan of the premises, performed using an electronic device. The method may further comprise: reviewing the detected locations of the one or more installed nodes, based on predefined rules such as predetermined installation planning rules and / or predetermined design constraints; identifying an alternative position for one or more of the nodes, relocating one or more of the affected nodes to the identified alternative position(s); and optionally performing a further optical scan to capture the new positions of the relocated node(s), and producing an updated floorplan that includes the new position(s). The review may be designed to provide an optimum installation configuration of one or more nodes, the installation configuration including one or more of: number of nodes, types of nodes and placement of nodes. The recommendations made as a result of the review may be ignored, in whole or in part. For example, an installation engineer may realise that a wall or other support surface, at a site suggested for the mounting of a camera, is unsuitable by virtue of its construction (thin plasterboard, or glass brocks), its surface finish (e.g. too friable, or too precious - e.g. expensive wall covering), or due to concerns about passing (human) traffic. An owner / occupier may also object to the proposed placement of a node on aesthetic grounds or due to concerns about privacy. A review may also conclude that no changes are needed - in other words that the existing disposition of nodes satisfies all the relevant rules, constraints and requirements. The task of reviewing the system may be performed by an expert system. The installation as designed may then be put into place by installing one or more nodes in the premises in accordance with the design. The initial floorplan may be revised to include details of the types and positions of the nodes actually installed.

[0006] Owners and / or occupiers of premises protected by security monitoring systems may also find it helpful to have a floorplan of the protected premises, the floorplan indicating the locations of nodes of the system and their relationship to the rooms, windows, doors and other features of the premises. In addition, such a floorplan may be used to inform decisions about the handling of events reported by nodes of the installation. Embodiments of the present invention seek to provide enhanced security monitoring systems, and corresponding apps, methods and other implementations that improve the scope of security monitoring systems to address aspects of various problems, as well as providing new functionality and methods.Summary

[0007] According to a first aspect there is provided a security monitoring system comprising a security monitoring installation at premises protected by the security monitoring system, the system including a monitoring centre, remote from the installation, for monitoring alarm events reported by a controller of the installation, the installation including: a plurality of detection nodes selected from the group comprising door contact sensor, window contact sensor, shock sensor, motion detector; and a plurality of verification nodes selected from the group comprising camera, microphone, Wi-Fi sensing controller, radar device; the system further comprising a tool providing the operator with access to a stored floorplan of the premises, the floorplan showing the disposition of nodes of the installation; the tool being configured to provide the operator with an option to: define one or more of multiple potential zones within the protected premises; identify one or more detection nodes as belonging to a particular defined zone; identify a particular verification node as belonging to the particular defined zone to create an association between that verification node and the one or more detection nodes of the particular defined zone; and to share the association with an installation controller, the controller being so configured, that in the event that any of the detection nodes of the particular defined zone is triggered, while the installation is in an armed state, data captured by the verification node are shared with the monitoring centre, the controller first activating the verification node of the particular defined zone if the verification node is not already in an active state.

[0008] Optionally the tool is provided in the form of a software application installed on a device of the operator. Alternatively, the tool may be provided in the form of a remotely accessible backend system.

[0009] Optionally, in a security monitoring system according to any variant of the first aspect the installation may include one or more user interface devices to accept user input to arm or disarm the installation, the one or more user interface devices being treated as detection nodes.

[0010] Optionally, in a security monitoring system according to any variant of the first aspect the installation may include one or more user interface devices to accept user input to arm or disarm the installation, the one or more user interface devices being treated as verification nodes.

[0011] According to a second aspect there is provided a software application for installation on a host device that includes a display for the display of images, the application comprising instructions that when executed on the host device provide access to a floorplan of a premises installation that is part of a security monitoring system, the system including a monitoring centre, remote from the installation, for monitoring alarm events reported by the installation, the installation including: a plurality of detection nodes selected from the group comprising door contact sensor, window contact sensor, shock sensor, motion detector; a plurality of verification nodes selected from the group comprising camera, microphone, Wi-Fi sensing controller, radar device; the floorplan showing the disposition of nodes of the installation; the software application being configured to provide the operator with an option to: define one or more of multiple potential zones within the protected premises; identify one or more detection nodes as belonging to a particular defined zone; identify a particular verification node as belonging to the particular defined zone to create an association between that verification node and the one or more detection nodes of the particular defined zone; and to share the association with an installation controller, the controller being configured, in the event that any of the detection nodes of the particular defined zone is triggered, while the installation is in an armed state, to cause data captured by the verification node of the particular defined zone to be shared with the monitoring centre.

[0012] More than one verification node may useful be linked to a given detection zone, for example two or more cameras at an entrance may be linked to a given detection zone to capture opposed sides of an entrance or approach to a door or to capture images of the front and back of people loitering near the house / premises, optionally near an entrance to the premises.

[0013] A software application according to the second aspect may be so configured that in the event that the installation includes one or more user interface devices to accept user input to arm or disarm the installation, the one or more user interface devices are treated as detection nodes.

[0014] A software application according to the second aspect may be so configured that in the event that the installation includes one or more user interface devices to accept user input to arm or disarm the installation, the one or more user interface devices are treated as verification nodes.

[0015] According to a third aspect there is provided a method of configuring a security monitoring system comprising a security monitoring installation at premises protected by the security monitoring system, the system including a monitoring centre, remote from the installation, for monitoring alarm events reported by the installation, and an installation controller, the installation including: a plurality of detection nodes; a plurality of verification nodes; the method comprising: providing an operator with access to a floorplan of the premises, the floorplan showing the disposition of the nodes of the installation; providing the operator with an option to: define one or more of multiple potential zones within the protected premises; identify one or more detection nodes as belonging to a particular defined zone; identify a particular verification node as belonging to the particular defined zone to create an association between that verification node and the one or more detection nodes of the particular defined zone; and to share the association with the installation controller, so that in the event that any of the detection nodes of the particular defined zone is triggered, while the installation is in an armed state, data captured by the verification node of the particular defined zone are shared automatically with the monitoring centre.

[0016] The detection nodes may be selected from the group comprising door contact sensor, window contact sensor, shock sensor, motion detector.

[0017] The verification nodes may be selected from the group comprising camera, microphone, Wi-Fi sensing controller, radar device.

[0018] In any of the aspects of the invention, the details of the installation locations (and optionally types and / or identities) of the nodes may be provided in the form of an overlay to the floorplan rather than on the floorplan itself, or in the form of a schedule that accompanies the floorplan. That is, references to the floorplan including these details should be understood also to include the situation of the details being associated with the floorplan and not just to situations in which the floorplan includes markings showing the locations of nodes, etc., unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.Brief description of Figures

[0019] Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying figures, in which: Figure 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a premises monitoring system according to an aspect of the invention; Figure 2 is a schematic diagram corresponding to figure 1, but showing an arrangement of zones that have been defined for premises protected by a monitoring system according to an aspect of the invention; and Figure 3 is an event timeline illustrating a method according to an aspect of the invention. Specific description

[0020] Figure 1 is a schematic part plan view of a premises 100 protected by security monitoring system according to an aspect of the invention. The premises 100 are provided with an installation of "nodes" which form part of the system. Each of these nodes may include one or more of: a sensor to detect the state of doors and windows, a motion sensor, a shock sensor, a microphone, a camera (e.g. one or more video cameras), and the nodes may be arranged to communicate with a controller or central unit, which may in turn communicate with one or more user interfaces (another type of node) at the premises and with a system back end and / or a remote monitoring station. Alternatively, the nodes and user interface(s) of the installation may communicate with the system back end and / or remote monitoring station without recourse to a local central unit - for example using an internal RF transceiver and one or more of the internet of things communications protocols to report to a remote controller or the system back end and / or remote monitoring station. The installation may also include one or more nodes in the form of intervention devices, for example devices arranged to release vision inhibiting substances such as smoke, gases or vapours, and / or devices to generate high intensity sounds (e.g. 110dB or more).

[0021] Figure 1 illustrates some of the elements of the ground floor accommodation of the premises, omitting for example any stairs and many other details present in real life. A front door 102 leads into the protected interior space 104 of the premises, and in this case into an entrance hall 104 which forms part of the protected interior space of the premises. Each of the windows 106, the front door and the rear door 108 is fitted with a sensor 110 to detect whether the relevant portal is open or closed, and hence detect the opening / closing of the relevant portal. Doors and / or windows may also be fitted with shock sensors (which may be nodes in their own right or which may be integrated into a door / window sensor 110). Likewise, windows may be fitted with nodes in the form of glass-break detectors. Each of the nodes 110 may include a radio transceiver to report events to a controller, such as a central unit, 112 of the security monitoring system. If one of the nodes 110 is triggered, a signal is sent to the controller 112 which, depending upon the arm state of the system may signal an alarm event to a remote central monitoring station 114 and / or another monitoring service / entity (such as a nominated person - such as a carer, relative or companion) via a user device such as electronic device 126. The controller 112 may be connected to the remote central monitoring station 114 via the Internet 116, either via a wired or a wireless connection, or both. The controller 112 may connect directly with the remote monitoring station 114, or via a system backend 118. The controller 112 may be located at the monitored premises, as shown, but may equally be located remotely from the monitored premises.

[0022] Although figure 1 exemplifies the monitoring station (or alarm receiving centre) as a staffed establishment where human operators sit at (desktop) computers to deal with notifications - which is the classic approach for remote monitoring stations or alarm receiving centres, within the present disclosure the terms monitoring station and alarm receiving centre are used more broadly to include such establishments but also to include a smartphone application (and applications for other portable electronic devices) accessible either by occupants / owners / managers of the premises, and / or one or more monitoring agents of a remote monitoring centre / alarm receiving centre, and many other options.

[0023] The installation may further include at least one node in the form of a user interface device 119, typically located quite close to the main entrance door to the premises, for example, in the entrance hall 104 into which the front door 102 opens, and optionally another may also be provided within the rear space of the premises, e.g. close to the back door 108.

[0024] The installation will typically also include other nodes within the protected interior space, such as one or more interior video cameras 120, 121 and associated motion sensor 122 (which again may be integral with the camera 120 / 121 or separate), freestanding motion sensors (such as a PIR sensor or a Thermal MOS sensor) 122 not associated with a camera, and each of the interior doors 105 may also be provided with a sensor 110 to detect the opening / closing of the door. There may also be one or more nodes in the form of external video cameras, for example one 125 adjacent the main entrance 102 to the premises, with an integral or associated motion sensor 122, to provide a view of the approach 127 to the main entrance. The installation may also include one or more microphones, either as independent nodes or incorporated into or associated with nodes that also have another purpose - such as user interface devices 119, cameras 120, 121, 125, and video doorbell 129.

[0025] The installation may further include (inside and / or outside the buildings of the premises) one or more nodes that include a radar (or other ranging) functionality to detect human presence, movement, and location. Additionally, or alternatively, the installation may include a Wi-Fi sensing functionality which provides the ability to detect human presence and location by means of disturbance of the propagation of Wi-Fi radio signals and which may use channel state information and / or other parameters of RF signals.

[0026] The nodes may be coupled to the controller 112 wirelessly. For example, particularly if the controller is located at the premises, using transceivers operating in one of the industrial scientific and medical (ISM) bandwidths, for example a sub-gigahertz bandwidth such as 868 MHz. Alternatively, if the controller 112 is located remotely from the premises 100, the nodes and the controller may communicate using one or more suitable RF protocols - such as an LTE M and / or NB IoT protocol.

[0027] The communications between the controller and the nodes, and vice versa, are preferably encrypted, for example using shared secret keys.

[0028] Also shown in figure 1 are a user electronic device 126 (which may for example be a smartphone, tablet, computer, or smart watch, or the like), preferably loaded with an appropriate app - as will be described later, and a public land mobile network (PLMN) 128 by means of which the central monitoring station 114, and the controller 112, may communicate with each other and with the user device 126. Operation of the security monitoring system may be controlled by one or more of: the controller 112, the user interface device 119, the remote monitoring station 114, and a security monitoring app installed on the user device 126. The installation controller 112 may be installed within the premises 100, as shown, or may be located remote from the premises for example with the nodes and the controller communication using one or more suitable RF protocols - such as an LTE M and / or NB IoT protocol.

[0029] It will be appreciated that typically many domestic premises have many more rooms or different living spaces than are shown in figure 1, and in such multi-room premises it may be desirable to have multiple video cameras to provide image captures of various spaces / rooms which are likely to be of interest to burglars / intruders and / or into / through which any villain is likely to enter / pass. Likewise, each significant room / space may be provided with its own motion sensor (e.g. a PIR sensor, thermal MOS sensor, or radar arrangement) to increase the chance of detecting the presence of any intruder. Figure 1 can however be taken as an example of an open plan living arrangement: doors 105 lead from the entrance hall 104 into linked spaces or zones 134, 144, and 154. The zone marked as 144 may contain a kitchen, with adjoining space 134 serving as a dining area to provide an open plan kitchen / dining area. The right hand hall door 105 leads to a living space 154, perhaps accommodating a television and more comfortable seating such as sofas and armchairs. The living space extends as far as the kitchen zone 144. Thus, even though the space beyond the hall 104 is continuous it is possible to identify distinct zones or areas 134, 144, and 154, each corresponding to different activities and / or different styles of furnishing

[0030] The electronic user device 126, which may be a smart phone, or a tablet such as an Apple iPad, or any other suitable device, may also be used to perform an optical scan of the interior of the premises, to capture details of the configuration of the premises. The details of the configuration may include the position of doors (external and internal), windows, and other openings such as doorways and arches, the layout of individual rooms, corridors, stairways, spaces, etc. Such a scan may also be performed, of course, using a device other than a user device 126 - i.e. a device that does not include or host a security monitoring app for the system.

[0031] If the user device includes a lidar capability, as later generation Apple iPhones do, image captures generally in the form of video captures may be used in association with the lidar functionality to acquire information about the distance between the device and features of the premises. Tools exist for the generation of floorplans even without lidar data, and these tools may often have sufficient accuracy to be useful. But if lidar data are available, it makes sense to use these data. The captured images / video, plus any associated information (such as, for example, lidar data if available) may be transmitted to (or otherwise shared with) a remote facility 150 for the generation of a floorplan of the premises. For example, the remote facility may be an enterprise or back end function that optionally uses AI and other technologies to generate floorplans (and optionally 3D models and renders and the like). Alternatively, the user device used to perform the optical scans may have a software application installed to enable it to generate a floorplan - such as the Magic Plan app, Planner 5D, Canvas Lite, etc. As an alternative, the captured information may be shared with another processing device (local or remote) for that device to generate a floorplan. Of course, an optical scan of the premises may be performed using a device that includes camera functionality but may not include all the features of a smartphone of tablet, for example an optical scan may be performed with a suitable camera, such as a Matterport Pro camera, or a dedicated device for performing captures for the generation of floorplans, and the captured videos (and / or other optical data) may then be suitably processed to generate the floorplan.

[0032] Optical scanning of the premises may be performed before installation of any of the nodes of an intended installation, and a resulting floorplan used in planning an initial disposition of various nodes of the installation - either as a result of human consideration (e.g. from a suitably trained salesperson or engineer) or as the result of an automated process in which design and placement rules for producing an optimised security monitoring installation may be applied in order to generate one or more suitable installation plans. For example, in either case plans may be prepared for what might be considered a minimum viable product (MVP), or for a maximalist solution (e.g. for the customer who wants to know that they have the best available system), and one or more designs for intermediate level solutions to bridge the gap between the two extreme solutions. For example, an MVP solution should provide an acceptable minimum level of security - perhaps restricted to providing a secured perimeter with motion sensing only in a small subset of the premises' rooms or interior spaces, while a maximalist design may include multiple internal video cameras, one or more external video cameras, shock sensors on all windows and external doors, plus optionally radar or Wi-Fi sensing as an alternative (or in addition) to PIR or thermal MOS motion sensors. Intermediate solutions can be considered as alternatives to the MVP solution for initial installation but may also be considered in terms of future upgrades.

[0033] Once an acceptable solution is agreed by the customer, the relevant nodes may be installed according to the agreed plan - although it is not unusual for problems to arise during installation, requiring the repositioning of a node away from a planned place of installation (e.g. because a wall turns out to be friable and unsuited to the mounting of a device such as a video camera), or because a customer decides that the proposed location of a node is visually intrusive or otherwise aesthetically unacceptable wall, or a customer may object to the proposed location of a video camera for fear of a loss of privacy.

[0034] Once the nodes have been installed a second optical scan of the premises may be performed, the installed locations of the nodes captured, and the relevant data passed to the floorplan generating function (optionally within the device being used to perform the optical scans, but more usually an external device or system). In order to facilitate capture of the node locations and types, the nodes may carry an external optically readable visual indicator (optionally a code, e.g. a bar or other code, such as a QR code) that can readily be detected in video captures of the relevant parts of the premises. Optionally, the code or other identifier carried by each node may include an identifier unique (at least within the installation) to that particular node - so that as well as identifying a node-type within a video frame or captured image, it is possible to identify particular nodes of any type, so that the floorplan can include such identifiers - something which may be helpful in the subsequent handling of events reported by nodes of the installation.

[0035] The floorplan containing the node locations (or the floorplan with its associated schedule or overlay of node locations) may be subject to a further review (human or automated) to determine whether the installation that has been created satisfies all relevant requirements / standards, or whether some modification of node type and / or placement is required or is advisable. The need for any such modifications that are required may be communicated to the installation engineer, for example by communicating with the device that was used to perform the optical scans. The changes may, for example, relate to repositioning cameras and / or motion sensors in order to avoid restricted or obstructed fields of view. Any required changes may then be made by the engineer before departing the premises, and a further optical scan performed to capture at least any changes of node position and / or installed node type. The floorplan is then further updated, as before, and then stored in the system back end 118 or otherwise made available to the remote monitoring centre 114.

[0036] Rather than performing an initial optical scan before installing any nodes, with a subsequent scan after node installation, the first optical scan may be performed only after installation of the nodes of the installation - the installation engineer having designed the installation (node types and their placement) based on the engineer's experience and any predetermined or standard or other design rules. Different node types may be subject to different rules (i.e. node-specific rules), so for example for a camera an improvement might be identified based on a field of view, or perhaps a height, or if a big obstacle were detected in front of it. Similarly an improvement might be identified for motion sensor such as a PIR or TMOS sensor could also be based on a field of view, but additionally or alternatively might be based on other rules for example relating to the presence of heat sources (radiators, cooking appliances, stoves or open fires) or of windows or glazed doors that may admit strong sunlight or provide a view of external features likely to be warmed significantly by the sun, or which provide a view of foliage whose movement is likely to trigger the sensor). There therefore may exist a rule e.g. not to place such a sensor where it will directly face a window. For a shock sensor, a rule might be based on proximity to a point of opening into the premises, such as a window or a door, or perhaps a central or upper part of the door frame, for example.

[0037] The floorplan created after this initial optical scan is then preferably reviewed either by another human, or by an automated system (e.g. an AI based system) in order to identify any errors in design / deployment and / or any potential improvements. Any consequent changes may be handled as previously described.

[0038] Advantageously, given that it would be preferable to have up to date floorplans for all the (potentially hundreds, or even thousands of) premises supported by the monitoring centre 114 (of which there may be several), the visual scans of premises are conducted in a standardised manner. For example, scanning of premises may always be conducted using a clockwise (when viewed from above) path around the premises starting at the main entrance, and with each floor completed before the next floor is scanned. In multi-storied premises the standardised approach may involve scanning the floor of the main entrance first, then dealing with any lower floors in turn, and then dealing with floors above the level of the main entrance (or vice versa). If the main entrance opens to a landing the standardised approach may involve scanning while moving to the next lowest floor, and so on, before continuing with a sequential scan of the floors at levels above the main entrance. Depending upon the approach required by the floorplan generating entity, it may be preferred to carry out a single continuous optical scan of the premises (which may anyway be the standard approach for single-storey premises with a small room count), or to perform a separate optical scan of each floor in turn. It may also be required to perform an optical scan of areas (e.g. stairways and landings) linking different floors, to enable separate optical scans to be given appropriate context - so that the relationship between the different floors can be understood and a floorplan corresponding to the actual premises produced.

[0039] Optically scanning the premises may involve capturing video of the ceilings of the premises, rather than of the premises' floors, as this may better enable the layout of the premises to be determined since it can avoid the masking effects of furniture and features that conceal the floor. Likewise, optical scanning may include scanning both ceilings and floors (optionally choosing one or the other depending upon the condition, configuration, and / or other property of the room or space being scanned).

[0040] In performing optical scans of premises care should be taken to capture the location of windows and doors (both external and internal), as well as radiators and ventilation outlets - since each of these may need to be taken into account when considering the placement of motion sensors and cameras, particularly those that use thermal sensors (such as PIR or T-MOS) to detect motion. The aspect of windows, that is the compass direction that a window faces, and in particular whether the window is substantially exposed to the sun at any time during the day, may also usefully be captured - given the likely impact on thermal sensors of solar exposure.

[0041] As previously noted with reference to figure 1, an installation typically includes a plurality of detection nodes in the form of door contact sensors, window contact sensors, shock sensors, motion detectors, and may include at least one (and often a plurality of) verification node in the form of a camera, microphone, Wi-Fi sensing controller, or radar device.

[0042] With monitored security installations it is important to reduce the incidence of false alarms, so that the emergency services are notified or summoned only for real alarm events. Typically, this means that monitoring services seek to verify alarm events before involving the emergency services, and that is where verification nodes such as cameras and microphones (and possibly radar and Wi-Fi sensing) become important as they enable the monitoring service or monitoring entity to verify that an alert received from a detection node is associated with other activity at the premises that suggests the presence of intruders or some other security-related incident.

[0043] The window / door contact sensors 110, shock sensors, glass break detectors, and the motion sensors 122 are examples of detection nodes which when triggered issue an alert which is received by the installation controller. Depending upon the arm state of the installation (at least in respect of the relevant node), the installation controller 112 may be configured to communicate an alert in respect of a potential alarm event to the remote monitoring centre 114. But such detection nodes tend to binary in their behaviour: the node is either triggered or not and their output is effectively either a zero or a one (although some detection nodes, e.g., shock sensors and thermal motion sensors may provide an output that varies according to the size of the stimulus received). Conversely, verification nodes such as cameras, microphones, Wi-Fi sensing controllers, and radar device, tend to provide much richer data from which it is possible to infer or determine human presence and possibly activity - improving the ability to discriminate between real and false alarms.

[0044] To facilitate prompt and accurate verification of potential security events notified following the triggering of a particular detection node it is useful to associate an appropriately located verification node from which further information can be gathered to determine whether triggering of a detection node is actually associated with a security event or is likely to be a false alarm. To this end the system further comprises a tool that provides an operator (such as an installation or service engineer) with access to a stored floorplan of the premises, the floorplan showing the disposition of nodes of the installation. The tool may be configured to provide the operator with an option to associate at least one particular verification node with a particular detection node. There may be a one to one mapping but given that there are typically many more detection nodes than verification nodes it will often be appropriate to associate multiple detection nodes with a single verification node. Conveniently, such an association may be created by defining a zone at the monitored premises (e.g., a subset of the space contained between the external walls of a building of the premises, an exterior space at the premises or a subset of such an exterior space, or possibly including both internal and external space), with potentially all of the detection nodes serving a particular zone being associated with a particular verification node.

[0045] The tool may be provided in the form of a software application installed on a portable electronic device of the operator (e.g. on a smartphone or tablet). Alternatively, the tool may be provided in the form of a remotely accessible backend system such as a cloud-based server.

[0046] The tool may be configured to enable an operator to: define one or more of multiple potential zones within the protected premises; identify one or more detection nodes as belonging to a particular defined zone; and identify a particular verification node as belonging to the particular defined zone to create an association between that verification node and the one or more detection nodes of the particular defined zone.

[0047] It will be appreciated that, because motion sensors, cameras, radar and Wi-Fi sensing all have fields of view (rather than being arranged to detect an event at a point location), nodes with such functionality may be located outside a particular space or room yet still capture information in respect of that space or room.

[0048] The association can then be used, for example, by the installation controller in the event that any of the detection nodes of the particular defined zone is triggered, to identify a verification node positioned to provide verification content (video, audio, more generally data files) suitable for verifying whether an apparent incident is or is not a false alarm. For example, the installation controller may be configured to use a stored association to identify a verification node from which data could usefully be shared with the monitoring centre to facilitate rapid determination and, if necessary, rapid and appropriate intervention. Sometimes the action of an intruder or other unauthorised person may trigger a detection node but not the associated verification node (e.g. an associated video camera), in which case the installation controller may signal the associated verification node to activate the node, the node then sending captured data (e.g. video, and / or audio, and / or other data) to the installation controller which in turn may transmit the received data capture to the monitoring station. In some arrangements the verification nodes of the installation may be capable of transmitting data captures to the monitoring station without using the installation controller as an intermediary, in which case the installation controller may be arranged to instruct a verification node to transmit data captures to the installation controller.

[0049] Sometimes a detection node may be triggered without an associated verification node being triggered. Under such circumstances the installation controller may be configured to send an activation instruction to the verification node in addition to instructing the verification node to send data captures to the installation controller or direct to the monitoring centre, as appropriate.

[0050] Once the floorplan, populated with node locations (optionally by means of an overlay), has been completed it may be stored, along with any zoning and node associations as just described, on a memory accessible by the installation controller (which may be an internal memory of the controller) so that the floorplan can be accessed and utilised by the controller. The floorplan may also be stored, along with the floorplans of other premises protected by the system, in memory at the system back end 118 (which may itself be distributed), or elsewhere (e.g. at a location of the remote monitoring centre 114 or at a networked memory at a location other than the monitoring centre), the memory being accessible by operatives and systems in the remote monitoring centre 114, and / or the floorplans may be stored in memory at the remote monitoring centre 114.

[0051] Subsequently, when an alert is received from a monitored installation at the remote monitoring centre 114, following the triggering of a node at the installation, an operative (or smart agent) dealing with the reported alert may access a stored floorplan of the premises, the floorplan including details of the installation locations of the plurality of nodes, and determine, based on the reported event and the locations of the nodes, an action to be performed - for example an action to be performed by a particular installed node of the premises. For example, the operative or smart agent may, based on the location of the triggered node, determine that it is appropriate to turn on a particular camera at the premises or to activate a particular intervention device (e.g. a vision impairing device, such as a smoke or fog generator). As a result of such a determination the operative / agent may then transmit an instruction to the relevant installation, for example instructing that installation's controller 112 (if present) to activate the relevant installed node to cause it to perform the determined action. For example, the premises in respect of which an event is reported may contain multiple video cameras and multiple intervention devices (e.g. smoke or fog generators), and the reported event may include the triggering of just one of the video cameras. An operative at the monitoring station 114 may determine based on consideration of images received from the triggered video camera, and the location of the triggered camera as shown on the relevant floorplan, that activation of a particular intervention device or of a particular different video camera is appropriate. Based on that determination, the operative may issue an instruction for the relevant node (camera or intervention device) which is then transmitted to the installation (either the control unit 112, if present, or directly to the relevant node if such direct communication is possible).

[0052] Figure 2, which is based on figure 1, indicates how zoning may be applied. Here, a first zone 200 is defined based around the entrance hall 104. In this zone the video camera 120 of the entrance hall serves as verification node for several detection nodes, including control panel 119, together with the door sensors 110 of the front door 102 and of the inner doors 105. A second zone 202 serves the kitchen area 144. Again, a video camera, 121, serves as verification node for multiple detection nodes, including the door sensor 110 of back door 108, and the window sensors of the windows 106. A third zone 204 serves the approach 127 to the main entrance, front door 102. Here, the external video camera 125 serves as verification node for the zone 204. The detection nodes for the third zone 204 may include a doorbell 129 (which may be a conventional doorbell or a video doorbell), a free standing external motion sensor 122, the window sensor 110 of the window adjacent the front door 102, and optionally also the door sensor 110 of the front door 102. In particular, if the door sensor 110 of the front door includes both a shock sensing function and a sensing arrangement to detect opening of the door - for example one based on sensing a magnetic field from a magnet positioned in or adjacent the fixed frame of the door, the shock sensing function could usefully be used as a trigger for the external camera 125, whereas the detection of door opening could usefully be used as a trigger for both the external camera 125 and hall camera 120. Of course, this double sensor functionality in respect of the front door could be provided by means of a node that incorporates more than one sensor (e.g. shock and door contact), by two separate nodes (a shock sensor node and a door contact node), or by means of a node that incorporates an integrated sensing arrangement that is responsive both to shocks and to door opening (with or without use of a locally mounted magnet). In the cases where the door sensing arrangement uses two or more sensors or sensing arrangements it may be possible to assign the different sensing modalities to different zones: e.g. a shock-sensing modality may be assigned to the third zone 204, while a door opening modality may be assigned to the first zone 200.In cases where zones overlap, as shown here with the first and third zones, two or more verification nodes may be linked to a single detection node (which may incorporate one senor or multiple sensors) which means that the monitoring station or monitoring entity is likely to have access to verification data - e.g. verification video - from multiple sources. A decision to be made, preferably at the design / installation stage, is how to handle these verification data: should they be supplied or made available to the monitoring station / entity with equal weight, should they be ranked but all made available, should they be ranked (triaged) with only the highest ranked data supplied / made available (at least initially). Considering the arrangement described with respect to the first and third zones of figure 2, it will be appreciated that the two zones can be characterised as outside the front door (the third zone, 204, outside the perimeter protected by the security monitoring installation), and behind the front door (the first zone 200, which is inside the building and within the protected perimeter). Speaking very generally, particularly when considering domestic security monitoring installations, threats typically come from outside the protected perimeter - so it makes sense to give priority to events occurring or likely to be occurring outside the protected perimeter of the building - that is, within the third zone 204. The detection nodes for the third zone 204 include the doorbell 129, the external motion / presence sensor 122, the window sensor 110 of the front window, and the door sensor 110 of the front door 102. Considering now the last mentioned door sensor 110, if there is both shock sensing functionality and door opening functionality, so that these can be detected separately and treated separately, it makes sense to consider shock - which may be a precursor to a forced entry, as most appropriately considered to be a marker for an external activity - and hence most appropriately associated with the third zone 204. The situation with respect to door opening is more complicated in that the fact of opening may be verified from video from both external camera 125 and internal camera 120. But again, considering the fact that threat is more likely to come from outside, it makes sense to (at least initially) to prioritise video from the external video camera 125 - so that the monitoring station / entity can preferably get an earlier view of the source of any shock sensed in respect of the front door. After all, a would be intruder who wishes to enter through the front door 102 will initially appear in the approach 127 to the door before the door can be opened, and will only later appear within the hall, and hence be visible to the camera 120, after the door has been opened wide enough to admit the intruder to the hall. With this in mind, and mindful also that (at least as shown in Figure 2) the external video camera 125 may only provide a back of side view of the potential intruder, whereas the hall camera 120 faces the front door and hence can be expected to catch a near head-on view of the intruder's face, the system / installation / controller (depending upon the particular set up chosen) may usefully be configured initially to supply the monitoring station / entity with video from the external video camera 125 following detection of a shock, upon the front doorbell actuator 129 being pushed, or when the external motion sensor 122 is triggered. But in the event that the front door node 110 signals that the door 102 is being (or has been) opened, then the video supplied to the monitoring station / entity may be switched to that from the hall camera 120. An alternative approach is to provide the two video streams to the monitoring station / entity simultaneously. But given that early intervention is generally a priority, it makes sense to apply a triage process in this situation, so that the monitoring station / entity is presented with the most relevant video with a higher priority than what is likely to be the less relevant video.

[0053] Figure 3 is an event timeline illustrating a method 300 according to an aspect of the invention. The columns, taken from right to left, correspond to a monitoring station MS, for example a station such as 114 of Figures 1 and 2, an installation controller, CONT, for example controller 112, a detection node, DN1, of a first zone of protected premises, a verification node VN1, of the first zone of the protected premises, a detection node, DN2, of a second zone of protected premises, and a verification node VN2, of the second zone of the protected premises. At step 302 a detection node, DN1, of a first defined zone of protected premises, is triggered and reports an event to the controller of the installation (e.g. 112). If the installation is in an armed state (at least in respect of the relevant detection node, e.g. if the installation is armed in respect of the first defined zone), the controller CONT responds at step 304 by activating the verification node VN1 of the first zone (e.g., by transmitting an appropriate instruction addressed to the verification node VN1). At step 306 the verification node, which may be a video camera, having been activated supplies (e.g. transmits) verification data (e.g. video) to the controller. At step 308 the controller notifies the monitoring station MS of the event reported at step 302: in an alternative embodiment at step 303 the controller notifies the monitoring station MS of the event reported at step 302. In reporting at step 308 the controller shares (e.g. streams video or sends one or more images or video clips) with the monitoring station MS. In another embodiment, rather than the verification node transmitting the verification data to the controller at step 306 as the result of instructions received at step 304, the verification node may be configured or instructed to transmit, at step 310, the verification data to the monitoring station rather than to the controller. For example, the verification node may comprise a transceiver or transmitter for communication with the monitoring station without recourse to the controller - e.g. optionally using a communication protocol such as an LTE M and / or NB IoT protocol.

[0054] It is possible that the verification node of a zone is triggered directly by some activity within the vicinity of the verification node. The consequences of such activation depend upon the configuration of the installation / system, and may be influenced by whether the verification node relies on an autonomous power supply (such as a battery) or whether it is powered from an external source such as mains electricity, and particularly where the node is reliant on battery power the quantity of data that the verification node provides (and the amount of power necessarily consumed by transmitting these data, e.g. to the controller) may also influence behaviour of the installation / system. For example, in the case that the verification node is a video camera transmitting video in colour with reasonable resolution and with a frame rate of at least 15fps is very demanding in terms of power consumption. This is not generally a concern where the verification node can rely on a amins power supply, but if the node is reliant on a battery power supply (which may also become an issue if the mains power supply fails or is cut off) it may be that the verification node is configured or programmed not to transmit video simply as the result of the node (or its associated triggering sensor) having been activated, but rather to hold off transmitting video until such time as the node receives an express instruction to transmit video. Such a video camera may be configured to buffer a quantity of video in the meanwhile, following triggering, or to capture clips, or a set of still images, or to compress video images by reducing resolution, frame rate, colour, etc. to enable image data to be stored on the node on a memory with a relatively small storage capacity. But it may also be the case that a video camera has such limited memory capacity that on-device image storage is in effect impractical - in which case it may be that no video / images are stored or transmitted unless and until an express instruction is received by the camera (and likewise for other verification nodes that produce data files of large size). In such a situation it may be particularly important to ensure that the verification node receives an appropriate instruction as soon as possible, to ensure that as much relevant verification data (and in particular verification data in respect of early stages of an incident) are captured and made available.

[0055] To this end, an alternative approach, which may be used in respect of some or all of the verification nodes of zones of the installation, instead of the approach described with reference to steps 302 to 310 is illustrated by steps 312 to 320. At step 312 a detection node, DN2, of a second defined zone of protected premises, is triggered and reports an event to the controller of the installation (e.g. 112). Let us assume that the verification node VN2 is a battery powered video camera. If the verification node VN2 is triggered it may be configured to report the fact to the controller CONT, e.g. at step 313, but because the node is a battery powered camera no video may be captured, and no video is shared with the controller CONT.

[0056] If the installation is in an armed state (at least in respect of the relevant detection node, e.g. if the installation is armed in respect of the first defined zone), the controller CONT may respond, at step 314, to receipt of the notification from DN2 by activating the verification node VN2 of the second zone (e.g., by transmitting an appropriate instruction addressed to the verification node VN2). But if the controller has received a notification from the verification node VN2, at step 313, meaning that the verification node VN2 has already been activated, the instruction at step 314 may, instead of being an instruction for the verification node to activate, be an instruction for the verification node VN2 to start to supply verification data (e.g. captured video) to the controller, which it may do at step 316. The controller may then, at step 318, supply the received video to the monitoring station MS. Alternatively, the instruction at step 314, or a subsequent one from the controller to the verification node VN2 may be for the verification node VN2 to transmit (or otherwise supply) the captured video to the monitoring station / entity MS, which the verification node does at step 320.

[0057] In general an installation controller, such as controller 112, responds to notifications received from nodes of the installation by alerting the monitoring station, such as 114, only while the security monitoring installation is armed in respect of the node from which an alert is received - for example, the controller 112 of figures 1 and 2 will generally be arranged to report an event to the monitoring station in respect of the opening of door 102 or door 108 only if the monitoring installation is either in a fully armed state or an armed at home state (which provides a secure perimeter, but which typically disregards any notifications received from nodes within the building), but not while the installation is in a fully disarmed state. There are classes of nodes in respect of which the controller will generally be configured to report to the monitoring station even while the installation is in a fully disarmed state, and these are nodes that report events associated with fire, smoke, flood, or SOS events.

[0058] Such an approach was assumed in the discussion of figure 3. But systems and installations according to aspects of the invention may usefully also be arranged to report other notifications received while an installation is in a fully disarmed state - and these are notifications, typically sequences of notifications, that are recognised as being indicative of certain types of what might be termed notifiable behaviour. An example of such a behaviour is burglary.

Examples

Embodiment Construction

[0020]Figure 1 is a schematic part plan view of a premises 100 protected by security monitoring system according to an aspect of the invention. The premises 100 are provided with an installation of "nodes" which form part of the system. Each of these nodes may include one or more of: a sensor to detect the state of doors and windows, a motion sensor, a shock sensor, a microphone, a camera (e.g. one or more video cameras), and the nodes may be arranged to communicate with a controller or central unit, which may in turn communicate with one or more user interfaces (another type of node) at the premises and with a system back end and / or a remote monitoring station. Alternatively, the nodes and user interface(s) of the installation may communicate with the system back end and / or remote monitoring station without recourse to a local central unit - for example using an internal RF transceiver and one or more of the internet of things communications protocols to report to a remote controll...

Technical field

[0001] The present invention relates to a method of configuring a premises monitoring system, a method of operating a premises monitoring system, a related software application, and a corresponding monitoring system.Background

[0002] Security installations that are or include security monitoring systems for monitoring premises, often referred to as alarm systems, typically provide a means for detecting the presence and / or actions of people at the premises and reacting to detected events. Commonly such systems include sensors to detect the opening and closing of doors and windows, to provide a secure perimeter to the premises, thereby creating one or more protected interior spaces, movement detectors to monitor spaces (both within and outside buildings) for signs of movement, microphones to detect sounds such as breaking glass, and image sensors to capture still or moving images of monitored zones. Such systems may be self-contained, with alarm indicators such as sirens and flashing lights that may be activated in the event of an alarm condition being detected. Such installations typically include a control unit (which may also be termed a controller or a central unit), generally mains powered, that is coupled to the sensors, detectors, cameras, etc. ("nodes"), which processes received notifications and determines a response, and which manages the alarm state (fully armed, partially armed, and disarmed) of the system. The controller may be linked to the various nodes by wires, but increasingly is instead linked wirelessly, rather than by wires, since this facilitates installation and may also provide some safeguards against sensors / detectors effectively being disabled by disconnecting them from the central unit. Similarly, for ease of installation and to improve security, some or all of the nodes of such systems each typically include an autonomous power source, such as a battery power supply, rather than relying on mains power (although some "power hungry" nodes, such as video cameras may be mains powered with battery backup).

[0003] As an alternative to self-contained systems, a security monitoring system may include an installation at a premises, domestic or commercial, that is linked to a remote Central Monitoring Station (CMS) where, typically, human operators manage the responses required by different alarm and notification types. The link to such a central monitoring station may be direct, or indirect via a system back end. In such centrally monitored systems, the controller at the premises installation is typically arranged to process notifications received from the nodes in the installation and, depending upon the arm state of the installation, to notify the Central Monitoring Station of only some of these, depending upon the settings of the system and the nature of the detected events. In such a configuration, the controller at the installation effectively acts as a gateway between the nodes and the Central Monitoring Station. Again, in such installations the controller may be linked by wires, or wirelessly, to the various nodes of the installation, and these nodes will typically be battery rather than mains powered. Such security monitoring systems contribute to the safety and wellbeing of occupants of the protected premises, as well as safeguarding articles within the protected perimeter - which may of course not simply be limited to a house or dwelling but may also extend to the grounds of the house, protected by a boundary fence and gate, for example.

[0004] The performance of a security monitoring system - at least in terms of level of security - is dependent upon the selection of the appropriate node types and the installed locations of the nodes deployed in any security monitoring installation. But this consideration is balanced by the fact that the cost of implementing a security monitoring is also a constraint for most users - in general users will set a budget limit or ceiling, and this must be taken into account when designing an installation - and the choice of node types, the number of nodes of different types, and the total number of nodes may therefore be constrained by the client's budget. Also, although nodes in the form of video cameras may contribute to increased security - at least if the system is monitored, many users have reservations about installing video cameras within the home, especially if there are children in the household, because of concerns about loss of privacy and the perceived risk that strangers may gain access to video of occupants at home. The configuration of the premises to be protected, and the location and situation of the premises, are also preferably taken into account when designing a security monitoring installation for premises to be protected.

[0005] The applicants have realised that designing security monitoring installations may be facilitated, and the performance of such installations improved (while taking account of any cost constraints) by performing a method in which a floorplan of the premises is produced using the results of an optical scan of the premises, performed using an electronic device. The method may further comprise: reviewing the detected locations of the one or more installed nodes, based on predefined rules such as predetermined installation planning rules and / or predetermined design constraints; identifying an alternative position for one or more of the nodes, relocating one or more of the affected nodes to the identified alternative position(s); and optionally performing a further optical scan to capture the new positions of the relocated node(s), and producing an updated floorplan that includes the new position(s). The review may be designed to provide an optimum installation configuration of one or more nodes, the installation configuration including one or more of: number of nodes, types of nodes and placement of nodes. The recommendations made as a result of the review may be ignored, in whole or in part. For example, an installation engineer may realise that a wall or other support surface, at a site suggested for the mounting of a camera, is unsuitable by virtue of its construction (thin plasterboard, or glass brocks), its surface finish (e.g. too friable, or too precious - e.g. expensive wall covering), or due to concerns about passing (human) traffic. An owner / occupier may also object to the proposed placement of a node on aesthetic grounds or due to concerns about privacy. A review may also conclude that no changes are needed - in other words that the existing disposition of nodes satisfies all the relevant rules, constraints and requirements. The task of reviewing the system may be performed by an expert system. The installation as designed may then be put into place by installing one or more nodes in the premises in accordance with the design. The initial floorplan may be revised to include details of the types and positions of the nodes actually installed.

[0006] Owners and / or occupiers of premises protected by security monitoring systems may also find it helpful to have a floorplan of the protected premises, the floorplan indicating the locations of nodes of the system and their relationship to the rooms, windows, doors and other features of the premises. In addition, such a floorplan may be used to inform decisions about the handling of events reported by nodes of the installation. Embodiments of the present invention seek to provide enhanced security monitoring systems, and corresponding apps, methods and other implementations that improve the scope of security monitoring systems to address aspects of various problems, as well as providing new functionality and methods.Summary

[0007] According to a first aspect there is provided a security monitoring system comprising a security monitoring installation at premises protected by the security monitoring system, the system including a monitoring centre, remote from the installation, for monitoring alarm events reported by a controller of the installation, the installation including: a plurality of detection nodes selected from the group comprising door contact sensor, window contact sensor, shock sensor, motion detector; and a plurality of verification nodes selected from the group comprising camera, microphone, Wi-Fi sensing controller, radar device; the system further comprising a tool providing the operator with access to a stored floorplan of the premises, the floorplan showing the disposition of nodes of the installation; the tool being configured to provide the operator with an option to: define one or more of multiple potential zones within the protected premises; identify one or more detection nodes as belonging to a particular defined zone; identify a particular verification node as belonging to the particular defined zone to create an association between that verification node and the one or more detection nodes of the particular defined zone; and to share the association with an installation controller, the controller being so configured, that in the event that any of the detection nodes of the particular defined zone is triggered, while the installation is in an armed state, data captured by the verification node are shared with the monitoring centre, the controller first activating the verification node of the particular defined zone if the verification node is not already in an active state.

[0008] Optionally the tool is provided in the form of a software application installed on a device of the operator. Alternatively, the tool may be provided in the form of a remotely accessible backend system.

[0009] Optionally, in a security monitoring system according to any variant of the first aspect the installation may include one or more user interface devices to accept user input to arm or disarm the installation, the one or more user interface devices being treated as detection nodes.

[0010] Optionally, in a security monitoring system according to any variant of the first aspect the installation may include one or more user interface devices to accept user input to arm or disarm the installation, the one or more user interface devices being treated as verification nodes.

[0011] According to a second aspect there is provided a software application for installation on a host device that includes a display for the display of images, the application comprising instructions that when executed on the host device provide access to a floorplan of a premises installation that is part of a security monitoring system, the system including a monitoring centre, remote from the installation, for monitoring alarm events reported by the installation, the installation including: a plurality of detection nodes selected from the group comprising door contact sensor, window contact sensor, shock sensor, motion detector; a plurality of verification nodes selected from the group comprising camera, microphone, Wi-Fi sensing controller, radar device; the floorplan showing the disposition of nodes of the installation; the software application being configured to provide the operator with an option to: define one or more of multiple potential zones within the protected premises; identify one or more detection nodes as belonging to a particular defined zone; identify a particular verification node as belonging to the particular defined zone to create an association between that verification node and the one or more detection nodes of the particular defined zone; and to share the association with an installation controller, the controller being configured, in the event that any of the detection nodes of the particular defined zone is triggered, while the installation is in an armed state, to cause data captured by the verification node of the particular defined zone to be shared with the monitoring centre.

[0012] More than one verification node may useful be linked to a given detection zone, for example two or more cameras at an entrance may be linked to a given detection zone to capture opposed sides of an entrance or approach to a door or to capture images of the front and back of people loitering near the house / premises, optionally near an entrance to the premises.

[0013] A software application according to the second aspect may be so configured that in the event that the installation includes one or more user interface devices to accept user input to arm or disarm the installation, the one or more user interface devices are treated as detection nodes.

[0014] A software application according to the second aspect may be so configured that in the event that the installation includes one or more user interface devices to accept user input to arm or disarm the installation, the one or more user interface devices are treated as verification nodes.

[0015] According to a third aspect there is provided a method of configuring a security monitoring system comprising a security monitoring installation at premises protected by the security monitoring system, the system including a monitoring centre, remote from the installation, for monitoring alarm events reported by the installation, and an installation controller, the installation including: a plurality of detection nodes; a plurality of verification nodes; the method comprising: providing an operator with access to a floorplan of the premises, the floorplan showing the disposition of the nodes of the installation; providing the operator with an option to: define one or more of multiple potential zones within the protected premises; identify one or more detection nodes as belonging to a particular defined zone; identify a particular verification node as belonging to the particular defined zone to create an association between that verification node and the one or more detection nodes of the particular defined zone; and to share the association with the installation controller, so that in the event that any of the detection nodes of the particular defined zone is triggered, while the installation is in an armed state, data captured by the verification node of the particular defined zone are shared automatically with the monitoring centre.

[0016] The detection nodes may be selected from the group comprising door contact sensor, window contact sensor, shock sensor, motion detector.

[0017] The verification nodes may be selected from the group comprising camera, microphone, Wi-Fi sensing controller, radar device.

[0018] In any of the aspects of the invention, the details of the installation locations (and optionally types and / or identities) of the nodes may be provided in the form of an overlay to the floorplan rather than on the floorplan itself, or in the form of a schedule that accompanies the floorplan. That is, references to the floorplan including these details should be understood also to include the situation of the details being associated with the floorplan and not just to situations in which the floorplan includes markings showing the locations of nodes, etc., unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.Brief description of Figures

[0019] Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying figures, in which: Figure 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a premises monitoring system according to an aspect of the invention; Figure 2 is a schematic diagram corresponding to figure 1, but showing an arrangement of zones that have been defined for premises protected by a monitoring system according to an aspect of the invention; and Figure 3 is an event timeline illustrating a method according to an aspect of the invention. Specific description

[0020] Figure 1 is a schematic part plan view of a premises 100 protected by security monitoring system according to an aspect of the invention. The premises 100 are provided with an installation of "nodes" which form part of the system. Each of these nodes may include one or more of: a sensor to detect the state of doors and windows, a motion sensor, a shock sensor, a microphone, a camera (e.g. one or more video cameras), and the nodes may be arranged to communicate with a controller or central unit, which may in turn communicate with one or more user interfaces (another type of node) at the premises and with a system back end and / or a remote monitoring station. Alternatively, the nodes and user interface(s) of the installation may communicate with the system back end and / or remote monitoring station without recourse to a local central unit - for example using an internal RF transceiver and one or more of the internet of things communications protocols to report to a remote controller or the system back end and / or remote monitoring station. The installation may also include one or more nodes in the form of intervention devices, for example devices arranged to release vision inhibiting substances such as smoke, gases or vapours, and / or devices to generate high intensity sounds (e.g. 110dB or more).

[0021] Figure 1 illustrates some of the elements of the ground floor accommodation of the premises, omitting for example any stairs and many other details present in real life. A front door 102 leads into the protected interior space 104 of the premises, and in this case into an entrance hall 104 which forms part of the protected interior space of the premises. Each of the windows 106, the front door and the rear door 108 is fitted with a sensor 110 to detect whether the relevant portal is open or closed, and hence detect the opening / closing of the relevant portal. Doors and / or windows may also be fitted with shock sensors (which may be nodes in their own right or which may be integrated into a door / window sensor 110). Likewise, windows may be fitted with nodes in the form of glass-break detectors. Each of the nodes 110 may include a radio transceiver to report events to a controller, such as a central unit, 112 of the security monitoring system. If one of the nodes 110 is triggered, a signal is sent to the controller 112 which, depending upon the arm state of the system may signal an alarm event to a remote central monitoring station 114 and / or another monitoring service / entity (such as a nominated person - such as a carer, relative or companion) via a user device such as electronic device 126. The controller 112 may be connected to the remote central monitoring station 114 via the Internet 116, either via a wired or a wireless connection, or both. The controller 112 may connect directly with the remote monitoring station 114, or via a system backend 118. The controller 112 may be located at the monitored premises, as shown, but may equally be located remotely from the monitored premises.

[0022] Although figure 1 exemplifies the monitoring station (or alarm receiving centre) as a staffed establishment where human operators sit at (desktop) computers to deal with notifications - which is the classic approach for remote monitoring stations or alarm receiving centres, within the present disclosure the terms monitoring station and alarm receiving centre are used more broadly to include such establishments but also to include a smartphone application (and applications for other portable electronic devices) accessible either by occupants / owners / managers of the premises, and / or one or more monitoring agents of a remote monitoring centre / alarm receiving centre, and many other options.

[0023] The installation may further include at least one node in the form of a user interface device 119, typically located quite close to the main entrance door to the premises, for example, in the entrance hall 104 into which the front door 102 opens, and optionally another may also be provided within the rear space of the premises, e.g. close to the back door 108.

[0024] The installation will typically also include other nodes within the protected interior space, such as one or more interior video cameras 120, 121 and associated motion sensor 122 (which again may be integral with the camera 120 / 121 or separate), freestanding motion sensors (such as a PIR sensor or a Thermal MOS sensor) 122 not associated with a camera, and each of the interior doors 105 may also be provided with a sensor 110 to detect the opening / closing of the door. There may also be one or more nodes in the form of external video cameras, for example one 125 adjacent the main entrance 102 to the premises, with an integral or associated motion sensor 122, to provide a view of the approach 127 to the main entrance. The installation may also include one or more microphones, either as independent nodes or incorporated into or associated with nodes that also have another purpose - such as user interface devices 119, cameras 120, 121, 125, and video doorbell 129.

[0025] The installation may further include (inside and / or outside the buildings of the premises) one or more nodes that include a radar (or other ranging) functionality to detect human presence, movement, and location. Additionally, or alternatively, the installation may include a Wi-Fi sensing functionality which provides the ability to detect human presence and location by means of disturbance of the propagation of Wi-Fi radio signals and which may use channel state information and / or other parameters of RF signals.

[0026] The nodes may be coupled to the controller 112 wirelessly. For example, particularly if the controller is located at the premises, using transceivers operating in one of the industrial scientific and medical (ISM) bandwidths, for example a sub-gigahertz bandwidth such as 868 MHz. Alternatively, if the controller 112 is located remotely from the premises 100, the nodes and the controller may communicate using one or more suitable RF protocols - such as an LTE M and / or NB IoT protocol.

[0027] The communications between the controller and the nodes, and vice versa, are preferably encrypted, for example using shared secret keys.

[0028] Also shown in figure 1 are a user electronic device 126 (which may for example be a smartphone, tablet, computer, or smart watch, or the like), preferably loaded with an appropriate app - as will be described later, and a public land mobile network (PLMN) 128 by means of which the central monitoring station 114, and the controller 112, may communicate with each other and with the user device 126. Operation of the security monitoring system may be controlled by one or more of: the controller 112, the user interface device 119, the remote monitoring station 114, and a security monitoring app installed on the user device 126. The installation controller 112 may be installed within the premises 100, as shown, or may be located remote from the premises for example with the nodes and the controller communication using one or more suitable RF protocols - such as an LTE M and / or NB IoT protocol.

[0029] It will be appreciated that typically many domestic premises have many more rooms or different living spaces than are shown in figure 1, and in such multi-room premises it may be desirable to have multiple video cameras to provide image captures of various spaces / rooms which are likely to be of interest to burglars / intruders and / or into / through which any villain is likely to enter / pass. Likewise, each significant room / space may be provided with its own motion sensor (e.g. a PIR sensor, thermal MOS sensor, or radar arrangement) to increase the chance of detecting the presence of any intruder. Figure 1 can however be taken as an example of an open plan living arrangement: doors 105 lead from the entrance hall 104 into linked spaces or zones 134, 144, and 154. The zone marked as 144 may contain a kitchen, with adjoining space 134 serving as a dining area to provide an open plan kitchen / dining area. The right hand hall door 105 leads to a living space 154, perhaps accommodating a television and more comfortable seating such as sofas and armchairs. The living space extends as far as the kitchen zone 144. Thus, even though the space beyond the hall 104 is continuous it is possible to identify distinct zones or areas 134, 144, and 154, each corresponding to different activities and / or different styles of furnishing

[0030] The electronic user device 126, which may be a smart phone, or a tablet such as an Apple iPad, or any other suitable device, may also be used to perform an optical scan of the interior of the premises, to capture details of the configuration of the premises. The details of the configuration may include the position of doors (external and internal), windows, and other openings such as doorways and arches, the layout of individual rooms, corridors, stairways, spaces, etc. Such a scan may also be performed, of course, using a device other than a user device 126 - i.e. a device that does not include or host a security monitoring app for the system.

[0031] If the user device includes a lidar capability, as later generation Apple iPhones do, image captures generally in the form of video captures may be used in association with the lidar functionality to acquire information about the distance between the device and features of the premises. Tools exist for the generation of floorplans even without lidar data, and these tools may often have sufficient accuracy to be useful. But if lidar data are available, it makes sense to use these data. The captured images / video, plus any associated information (such as, for example, lidar data if available) may be transmitted to (or otherwise shared with) a remote facility 150 for the generation of a floorplan of the premises. For example, the remote facility may be an enterprise or back end function that optionally uses AI and other technologies to generate floorplans (and optionally 3D models and renders and the like). Alternatively, the user device used to perform the optical scans may have a software application installed to enable it to generate a floorplan - such as the Magic Plan app, Planner 5D, Canvas Lite, etc. As an alternative, the captured information may be shared with another processing device (local or remote) for that device to generate a floorplan. Of course, an optical scan of the premises may be performed using a device that includes camera functionality but may not include all the features of a smartphone of tablet, for example an optical scan may be performed with a suitable camera, such as a Matterport Pro camera, or a dedicated device for performing captures for the generation of floorplans, and the captured videos (and / or other optical data) may then be suitably processed to generate the floorplan.

[0032] Optical scanning of the premises may be performed before installation of any of the nodes of an intended installation, and a resulting floorplan used in planning an initial disposition of various nodes of the installation - either as a result of human consideration (e.g. from a suitably trained salesperson or engineer) or as the result of an automated process in which design and placement rules for producing an optimised security monitoring installation may be applied in order to generate one or more suitable installation plans. For example, in either case plans may be prepared for what might be considered a minimum viable product (MVP), or for a maximalist solution (e.g. for the customer who wants to know that they have the best available system), and one or more designs for intermediate level solutions to bridge the gap between the two extreme solutions. For example, an MVP solution should provide an acceptable minimum level of security - perhaps restricted to providing a secured perimeter with motion sensing only in a small subset of the premises' rooms or interior spaces, while a maximalist design may include multiple internal video cameras, one or more external video cameras, shock sensors on all windows and external doors, plus optionally radar or Wi-Fi sensing as an alternative (or in addition) to PIR or thermal MOS motion sensors. Intermediate solutions can be considered as alternatives to the MVP solution for initial installation but may also be considered in terms of future upgrades.

[0033] Once an acceptable solution is agreed by the customer, the relevant nodes may be installed according to the agreed plan - although it is not unusual for problems to arise during installation, requiring the repositioning of a node away from a planned place of installation (e.g. because a wall turns out to be friable and unsuited to the mounting of a device such as a video camera), or because a customer decides that the proposed location of a node is visually intrusive or otherwise aesthetically unacceptable wall, or a customer may object to the proposed location of a video camera for fear of a loss of privacy.

[0034] Once the nodes have been installed a second optical scan of the premises may be performed, the installed locations of the nodes captured, and the relevant data passed to the floorplan generating function (optionally within the device being used to perform the optical scans, but more usually an external device or system). In order to facilitate capture of the node locations and types, the nodes may carry an external optically readable visual indicator (optionally a code, e.g. a bar or other code, such as a QR code) that can readily be detected in video captures of the relevant parts of the premises. Optionally, the code or other identifier carried by each node may include an identifier unique (at least within the installation) to that particular node - so that as well as identifying a node-type within a video frame or captured image, it is possible to identify particular nodes of any type, so that the floorplan can include such identifiers - something which may be helpful in the subsequent handling of events reported by nodes of the installation.

[0035] The floorplan containing the node locations (or the floorplan with its associated schedule or overlay of node locations) may be subject to a further review (human or automated) to determine whether the installation that has been created satisfies all relevant requirements / standards, or whether some modification of node type and / or placement is required or is advisable. The need for any such modifications that are required may be communicated to the installation engineer, for example by communicating with the device that was used to perform the optical scans. The changes may, for example, relate to repositioning cameras and / or motion sensors in order to avoid restricted or obstructed fields of view. Any required changes may then be made by the engineer before departing the premises, and a further optical scan performed to capture at least any changes of node position and / or installed node type. The floorplan is then further updated, as before, and then stored in the system back end 118 or otherwise made available to the remote monitoring centre 114.

[0036] Rather than performing an initial optical scan before installing any nodes, with a subsequent scan after node installation, the first optical scan may be performed only after installation of the nodes of the installation - the installation engineer having designed the installation (node types and their placement) based on the engineer's experience and any predetermined or standard or other design rules. Different node types may be subject to different rules (i.e. node-specific rules), so for example for a camera an improvement might be identified based on a field of view, or perhaps a height, or if a big obstacle were detected in front of it. Similarly an improvement might be identified for motion sensor such as a PIR or TMOS sensor could also be based on a field of view, but additionally or alternatively might be based on other rules for example relating to the presence of heat sources (radiators, cooking appliances, stoves or open fires) or of windows or glazed doors that may admit strong sunlight or provide a view of external features likely to be warmed significantly by the sun, or which provide a view of foliage whose movement is likely to trigger the sensor). There therefore may exist a rule e.g. not to place such a sensor where it will directly face a window. For a shock sensor, a rule might be based on proximity to a point of opening into the premises, such as a window or a door, or perhaps a central or upper part of the door frame, for example.

[0037] The floorplan created after this initial optical scan is then preferably reviewed either by another human, or by an automated system (e.g. an AI based system) in order to identify any errors in design / deployment and / or any potential improvements. Any consequent changes may be handled as previously described.

[0038] Advantageously, given that it would be preferable to have up to date floorplans for all the (potentially hundreds, or even thousands of) premises supported by the monitoring centre 114 (of which there may be several), the visual scans of premises are conducted in a standardised manner. For example, scanning of premises may always be conducted using a clockwise (when viewed from above) path around the premises starting at the main entrance, and with each floor completed before the next floor is scanned. In multi-storied premises the standardised approach may involve scanning the floor of the main entrance first, then dealing with any lower floors in turn, and then dealing with floors above the level of the main entrance (or vice versa). If the main entrance opens to a landing the standardised approach may involve scanning while moving to the next lowest floor, and so on, before continuing with a sequential scan of the floors at levels above the main entrance. Depending upon the approach required by the floorplan generating entity, it may be preferred to carry out a single continuous optical scan of the premises (which may anyway be the standard approach for single-storey premises with a small room count), or to perform a separate optical scan of each floor in turn. It may also be required to perform an optical scan of areas (e.g. stairways and landings) linking different floors, to enable separate optical scans to be given appropriate context - so that the relationship between the different floors can be understood and a floorplan corresponding to the actual premises produced.

[0039] Optically scanning the premises may involve capturing video of the ceilings of the premises, rather than of the premises' floors, as this may better enable the layout of the premises to be determined since it can avoid the masking effects of furniture and features that conceal the floor. Likewise, optical scanning may include scanning both ceilings and floors (optionally choosing one or the other depending upon the condition, configuration, and / or other property of the room or space being scanned).

[0040] In performing optical scans of premises care should be taken to capture the location of windows and doors (both external and internal), as well as radiators and ventilation outlets - since each of these may need to be taken into account when considering the placement of motion sensors and cameras, particularly those that use thermal sensors (such as PIR or T-MOS) to detect motion. The aspect of windows, that is the compass direction that a window faces, and in particular whether the window is substantially exposed to the sun at any time during the day, may also usefully be captured - given the likely impact on thermal sensors of solar exposure.

[0041] As previously noted with reference to figure 1, an installation typically includes a plurality of detection nodes in the form of door contact sensors, window contact sensors, shock sensors, motion detectors, and may include at least one (and often a plurality of) verification node in the form of a camera, microphone, Wi-Fi sensing controller, or radar device.

[0042] With monitored security installations it is important to reduce the incidence of false alarms, so that the emergency services are notified or summoned only for real alarm events. Typically, this means that monitoring services seek to verify alarm events before involving the emergency services, and that is where verification nodes such as cameras and microphones (and possibly radar and Wi-Fi sensing) become important as they enable the monitoring service or monitoring entity to verify that an alert received from a detection node is associated with other activity at the premises that suggests the presence of intruders or some other security-related incident.

[0043] The window / door contact sensors 110, shock sensors, glass break detectors, and the motion sensors 122 are examples of detection nodes which when triggered issue an alert which is received by the installation controller. Depending upon the arm state of the installation (at least in respect of the relevant node), the installation controller 112 may be configured to communicate an alert in respect of a potential alarm event to the remote monitoring centre 114. But such detection nodes tend to binary in their behaviour: the node is either triggered or not and their output is effectively either a zero or a one (although some detection nodes, e.g., shock sensors and thermal motion sensors may provide an output that varies according to the size of the stimulus received). Conversely, verification nodes such as cameras, microphones, Wi-Fi sensing controllers, and radar device, tend to provide much richer data from which it is possible to infer or determine human presence and possibly activity - improving the ability to discriminate between real and false alarms.

[0044] To facilitate prompt and accurate verification of potential security events notified following the triggering of a particular detection node it is useful to associate an appropriately located verification node from which further information can be gathered to determine whether triggering of a detection node is actually associated with a security event or is likely to be a false alarm. To this end the system further comprises a tool that provides an operator (such as an installation or service engineer) with access to a stored floorplan of the premises, the floorplan showing the disposition of nodes of the installation. The tool may be configured to provide the operator with an option to associate at least one particular verification node with a particular detection node. There may be a one to one mapping but given that there are typically many more detection nodes than verification nodes it will often be appropriate to associate multiple detection nodes with a single verification node. Conveniently, such an association may be created by defining a zone at the monitored premises (e.g., a subset of the space contained between the external walls of a building of the premises, an exterior space at the premises or a subset of such an exterior space, or possibly including both internal and external space), with potentially all of the detection nodes serving a particular zone being associated with a particular verification node.

[0045] The tool may be provided in the form of a software application installed on a portable electronic device of the operator (e.g. on a smartphone or tablet). Alternatively, the tool may be provided in the form of a remotely accessible backend system such as a cloud-based server.

[0046] The tool may be configured to enable an operator to: define one or more of multiple potential zones within the protected premises; identify one or more detection nodes as belonging to a particular defined zone; and identify a particular verification node as belonging to the particular defined zone to create an association between that verification node and the one or more detection nodes of the particular defined zone.

[0047] It will be appreciated that, because motion sensors, cameras, radar and Wi-Fi sensing all have fields of view (rather than being arranged to detect an event at a point location), nodes with such functionality may be located outside a particular space or room yet still capture information in respect of that space or room.

[0048] The association can then be used, for example, by the installation controller in the event that any of the detection nodes of the particular defined zone is triggered, to identify a verification node positioned to provide verification content (video, audio, more generally data files) suitable for verifying whether an apparent incident is or is not a false alarm. For example, the installation controller may be configured to use a stored association to identify a verification node from which data could usefully be shared with the monitoring centre to facilitate rapid determination and, if necessary, rapid and appropriate intervention. Sometimes the action of an intruder or other unauthorised person may trigger a detection node but not the associated verification node (e.g. an associated video camera), in which case the installation controller may signal the associated verification node to activate the node, the node then sending captured data (e.g. video, and / or audio, and / or other data) to the installation controller which in turn may transmit the received data capture to the monitoring station. In some arrangements the verification nodes of the installation may be capable of transmitting data captures to the monitoring station without using the installation controller as an intermediary, in which case the installation controller may be arranged to instruct a verification node to transmit data captures to the installation controller.

[0049] Sometimes a detection node may be triggered without an associated verification node being triggered. Under such circumstances the installation controller may be configured to send an activation instruction to the verification node in addition to instructing the verification node to send data captures to the installation controller or direct to the monitoring centre, as appropriate.

[0050] Once the floorplan, populated with node locations (optionally by means of an overlay), has been completed it may be stored, along with any zoning and node associations as just described, on a memory accessible by the installation controller (which may be an internal memory of the controller) so that the floorplan can be accessed and utilised by the controller. The floorplan may also be stored, along with the floorplans of other premises protected by the system, in memory at the system back end 118 (which may itself be distributed), or elsewhere (e.g. at a location of the remote monitoring centre 114 or at a networked memory at a location other than the monitoring centre), the memory being accessible by operatives and systems in the remote monitoring centre 114, and / or the floorplans may be stored in memory at the remote monitoring centre 114.

[0051] Subsequently, when an alert is received from a monitored installation at the remote monitoring centre 114, following the triggering of a node at the installation, an operative (or smart agent) dealing with the reported alert may access a stored floorplan of the premises, the floorplan including details of the installation locations of the plurality of nodes, and determine, based on the reported event and the locations of the nodes, an action to be performed - for example an action to be performed by a particular installed node of the premises. For example, the operative or smart agent may, based on the location of the triggered node, determine that it is appropriate to turn on a particular camera at the premises or to activate a particular intervention device (e.g. a vision impairing device, such as a smoke or fog generator). As a result of such a determination the operative / agent may then transmit an instruction to the relevant installation, for example instructing that installation's controller 112 (if present) to activate the relevant installed node to cause it to perform the determined action. For example, the premises in respect of which an event is reported may contain multiple video cameras and multiple intervention devices (e.g. smoke or fog generators), and the reported event may include the triggering of just one of the video cameras. An operative at the monitoring station 114 may determine based on consideration of images received from the triggered video camera, and the location of the triggered camera as shown on the relevant floorplan, that activation of a particular intervention device or of a particular different video camera is appropriate. Based on that determination, the operative may issue an instruction for the relevant node (camera or intervention device) which is then transmitted to the installation (either the control unit 112, if present, or directly to the relevant node if such direct communication is possible).

[0052] Figure 2, which is based on figure 1, indicates how zoning may be applied. Here, a first zone 200 is defined based around the entrance hall 104. In this zone the video camera 120 of the entrance hall serves as verification node for several detection nodes, including control panel 119, together with the door sensors 110 of the front door 102 and of the inner doors 105. A second zone 202 serves the kitchen area 144. Again, a video camera, 121, serves as verification node for multiple detection nodes, including the door sensor 110 of back door 108, and the window sensors of the windows 106. A third zone 204 serves the approach 127 to the main entrance, front door 102. Here, the external video camera 125 serves as verification node for the zone 204. The detection nodes for the third zone 204 may include a doorbell 129 (which may be a conventional doorbell or a video doorbell), a free standing external motion sensor 122, the window sensor 110 of the window adjacent the front door 102, and optionally also the door sensor 110 of the front door 102. In particular, if the door sensor 110 of the front door includes both a shock sensing function and a sensing arrangement to detect opening of the door - for example one based on sensing a magnetic field from a magnet positioned in or adjacent the fixed frame of the door, the shock sensing function could usefully be used as a trigger for the external camera 125, whereas the detection of door opening could usefully be used as a trigger for both the external camera 125 and hall camera 120. Of course, this double sensor functionality in respect of the front door could be provided by means of a node that incorporates more than one sensor (e.g. shock and door contact), by two separate nodes (a shock sensor node and a door contact node), or by means of a node that incorporates an integrated sensing arrangement that is responsive both to shocks and to door opening (with or without use of a locally mounted magnet). In the cases where the door sensing arrangement uses two or more sensors or sensing arrangements it may be possible to assign the different sensing modalities to different zones: e.g. a shock-sensing modality may be assigned to the third zone 204, while a door opening modality may be assigned to the first zone 200.In cases where zones overlap, as shown here with the first and third zones, two or more verification nodes may be linked to a single detection node (which may incorporate one senor or multiple sensors) which means that the monitoring station or monitoring entity is likely to have access to verification data - e.g. verification video - from multiple sources. A decision to be made, preferably at the design / installation stage, is how to handle these verification data: should they be supplied or made available to the monitoring station / entity with equal weight, should they be ranked but all made available, should they be ranked (triaged) with only the highest ranked data supplied / made available (at least initially). Considering the arrangement described with respect to the first and third zones of figure 2, it will be appreciated that the two zones can be characterised as outside the front door (the third zone, 204, outside the perimeter protected by the security monitoring installation), and behind the front door (the first zone 200, which is inside the building and within the protected perimeter). Speaking very generally, particularly when considering domestic security monitoring installations, threats typically come from outside the protected perimeter - so it makes sense to give priority to events occurring or likely to be occurring outside the protected perimeter of the building - that is, within the third zone 204. The detection nodes for the third zone 204 include the doorbell 129, the external motion / presence sensor 122, the window sensor 110 of the front window, and the door sensor 110 of the front door 102. Considering now the last mentioned door sensor 110, if there is both shock sensing functionality and door opening functionality, so that these can be detected separately and treated separately, it makes sense to consider shock - which may be a precursor to a forced entry, as most appropriately considered to be a marker for an external activity - and hence most appropriately associated with the third zone 204. The situation with respect to door opening is more complicated in that the fact of opening may be verified from video from both external camera 125 and internal camera 120. But again, considering the fact that threat is more likely to come from outside, it makes sense to (at least initially) to prioritise video from the external video camera 125 - so that the monitoring station / entity can preferably get an earlier view of the source of any shock sensed in respect of the front door. After all, a would be intruder who wishes to enter through the front door 102 will initially appear in the approach 127 to the door before the door can be opened, and will only later appear within the hall, and hence be visible to the camera 120, after the door has been opened wide enough to admit the intruder to the hall. With this in mind, and mindful also that (at least as shown in Figure 2) the external video camera 125 may only provide a back of side view of the potential intruder, whereas the hall camera 120 faces the front door and hence can be expected to catch a near head-on view of the intruder's face, the system / installation / controller (depending upon the particular set up chosen) may usefully be configured initially to supply the monitoring station / entity with video from the external video camera 125 following detection of a shock, upon the front doorbell actuator 129 being pushed, or when the external motion sensor 122 is triggered. But in the event that the front door node 110 signals that the door 102 is being (or has been) opened, then the video supplied to the monitoring station / entity may be switched to that from the hall camera 120. An alternative approach is to provide the two video streams to the monitoring station / entity simultaneously. But given that early intervention is generally a priority, it makes sense to apply a triage process in this situation, so that the monitoring station / entity is presented with the most relevant video with a higher priority than what is likely to be the less relevant video.

[0053] Figure 3 is an event timeline illustrating a method 300 according to an aspect of the invention. The columns, taken from right to left, correspond to a monitoring station MS, for example a station such as 114 of Figures 1 and 2, an installation controller, CONT, for example controller 112, a detection node, DN1, of a first zone of protected premises, a verification node VN1, of the first zone of the protected premises, a detection node, DN2, of a second zone of protected premises, and a verification node VN2, of the second zone of the protected premises. At step 302 a detection node, DN1, of a first defined zone of protected premises, is triggered and reports an event to the controller of the installation (e.g. 112). If the installation is in an armed state (at least in respect of the relevant detection node, e.g. if the installation is armed in respect of the first defined zone), the controller CONT responds at step 304 by activating the verification node VN1 of the first zone (e.g., by transmitting an appropriate instruction addressed to the verification node VN1). At step 306 the verification node, which may be a video camera, having been activated supplies (e.g. transmits) verification data (e.g. video) to the controller. At step 308 the controller notifies the monitoring station MS of the event reported at step 302: in an alternative embodiment at step 303 the controller notifies the monitoring station MS of the event reported at step 302. In reporting at step 308 the controller shares (e.g. streams video or sends one or more images or video clips) with the monitoring station MS. In another embodiment, rather than the verification node transmitting the verification data to the controller at step 306 as the result of instructions received at step 304, the verification node may be configured or instructed to transmit, at step 310, the verification data to the monitoring station rather than to the controller. For example, the verification node may comprise a transceiver or transmitter for communication with the monitoring station without recourse to the controller - e.g. optionally using a communication protocol such as an LTE M and / or NB IoT protocol.

[0054] It is possible that the verification node of a zone is triggered directly by some activity within the vicinity of the verification node. The consequences of such activation depend upon the configuration of the installation / system, and may be influenced by whether the verification node relies on an autonomous power supply (such as a battery) or whether it is powered from an external source such as mains electricity, and particularly where the node is reliant on battery power the quantity of data that the verification node provides (and the amount of power necessarily consumed by transmitting these data, e.g. to the controller) may also influence behaviour of the installation / system. For example, in the case that the verification node is a video camera transmitting video in colour with reasonable resolution and with a frame rate of at least 15fps is very demanding in terms of power consumption. This is not generally a concern where the verification node can rely on a amins power supply, but if the node is reliant on a battery power supply (which may also become an issue if the mains power supply fails or is cut off) it may be that the verification node is configured or programmed not to transmit video simply as the result of the node (or its associated triggering sensor) having been activated, but rather to hold off transmitting video until such time as the node receives an express instruction to transmit video. Such a video camera may be configured to buffer a quantity of video in the meanwhile, following triggering, or to capture clips, or a set of still images, or to compress video images by reducing resolution, frame rate, colour, etc. to enable image data to be stored on the node on a memory with a relatively small storage capacity. But it may also be the case that a video camera has such limited memory capacity that on-device image storage is in effect impractical - in which case it may be that no video / images are stored or transmitted unless and until an express instruction is received by the camera (and likewise for other verification nodes that produce data files of large size). In such a situation it may be particularly important to ensure that the verification node receives an appropriate instruction as soon as possible, to ensure that as much relevant verification data (and in particular verification data in respect of early stages of an incident) are captured and made available.

[0055] To this end, an alternative approach, which may be used in respect of some or all of the verification nodes of zones of the installation, instead of the approach described with reference to steps 302 to 310 is illustrated by steps 312 to 320. At step 312 a detection node, DN2, of a second defined zone of protected premises, is triggered and reports an event to the controller of the installation (e.g. 112). Let us assume that the verification node VN2 is a battery powered video camera. If the verification node VN2 is triggered it may be configured to report the fact to the controller CONT, e.g. at step 313, but because the node is a battery powered camera no video may be captured, and no video is shared with the controller CONT.

[0056] If the installation is in an armed state (at least in respect of the relevant detection node, e.g. if the installation is armed in respect of the first defined zone), the controller CONT may respond, at step 314, to receipt of the notification from DN2 by activating the verification node VN2 of the second zone (e.g., by transmitting an appropriate instruction addressed to the verification node VN2). But if the controller has received a notification from the verification node VN2, at step 313, meaning that the verification node VN2 has already been activated, the instruction at step 314 may, instead of being an instruction for the verification node to activate, be an instruction for the verification node VN2 to start to supply verification data (e.g. captured video) to the controller, which it may do at step 316. The controller may then, at step 318, supply the received video to the monitoring station MS. Alternatively, the instruction at step 314, or a subsequent one from the controller to the verification node VN2 may be for the verification node VN2 to transmit (or otherwise supply) the captured video to the monitoring station / entity MS, which the verification node does at step 320.

[0057] In general an installation controller, such as controller 112, responds to notifications received from nodes of the installation by alerting the monitoring station, such as 114, only while the security monitoring installation is armed in respect of the node from which an alert is received - for example, the controller 112 of figures 1 and 2 will generally be arranged to report an event to the monitoring station in respect of the opening of door 102 or door 108 only if the monitoring installation is either in a fully armed state or an armed at home state (which provides a secure perimeter, but which typically disregards any notifications received from nodes within the building), but not while the installation is in a fully disarmed state. There are classes of nodes in respect of which the controller will generally be configured to report to the monitoring station even while the installation is in a fully disarmed state, and these are nodes that report events associated with fire, smoke, flood, or SOS events.

[0058] Such an approach was assumed in the discussion of figure 3. But systems and installations according to aspects of the invention may usefully also be arranged to report other notifications received while an installation is in a fully disarmed state - and these are notifications, typically sequences of notifications, that are recognised as being indicative of certain types of what might be termed notifiable behaviour. An example of such a behaviour is burglary.

Examples

Embodiment Construction

[0020]Figure 1 is a schematic part plan view of a premises 100 protected by security monitoring system according to an aspect of the invention. The premises 100 are provided with an installation of "nodes" which form part of the system. Each of these nodes may include one or more of: a sensor to detect the state of doors and windows, a motion sensor, a shock sensor, a microphone, a camera (e.g. one or more video cameras), and the nodes may be arranged to communicate with a controller or central unit, which may in turn communicate with one or more user interfaces (another type of node) at the premises and with a system back end and / or a remote monitoring station. Alternatively, the nodes and user interface(s) of the installation may communicate with the system back end and / or remote monitoring station without recourse to a local central unit - for example using an internal RF transceiver and one or more of the internet of things communications protocols to report to a remote controll...

Claims

1. A security monitoring system comprising a security monitoring installation at premises protected by the security monitoring system, the system including a monitoring centre, remote from the premises, for monitoring alarm events reported by a controller of the installation, the installation including: a plurality of detection nodes; and a plurality of verification nodes; the system further comprising a tool providing an operator with access to a stored floorplan of the premises, the floorplan showing the disposition of nodes of the installation; the tool being configured to provide the operator with an option to: define one or more of multiple potential zones within the protected premises; identify one or more detection nodes as belonging to a particular defined zone; identify at least one particular verification node as belonging to the particular defined zone to create an association between the or each verification node and the one or more detection nodes of the particular defined zone; and to share the association with the installation controller, the controller being configured, in the event that any of the detection nodes of the particular defined zone is triggered, while the installation is in an armed state, to cause data captured by the or each verification node of the particular defined zone to be shared with the monitoring centre, the controller first activating the or each verification node of the particular defined zone if the or each verification node is not already in an active state.

2. A security monitoring system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the installation controller is configured to cause the sharing of the data by instructing the verification node of the particular defined zone to transmit captured data to the remote monitoring centre.

3. A security monitoring system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the installation controller is configured to cause the sharing of the data by transmitting to the remote monitoring centre captured data received from the verification node of the particular defined zone.

4. A security monitoring system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the tool is provided in the form of a software application installed on a portable electronic device of the operator.

5. A security monitoring system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the tool is provided in the form of a remotely accessible backend system such as a cloud-based server.

6. A security monitoring system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the installation includes one or more user interface devices to accept user input to arm or disarm the installation, the one or more user interface devices being treated by the controller as a detection node.

7. A security monitoring system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the installation includes one or more user interface devices to accept user input to arm or disarm the installation, the one or more user interface devices being treated by the controller as a verification node.

8. A security monitoring system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the controller of the installation is a control unit located at the premises.

9. A security monitoring system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the controller of the installation is located remotely from the premises.

10. A security monitoring system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the detection nodes and the verification nodes each include a transceiver that supports communication with the installation controller, optionally using an LTE M and / or NB IoT protocol.

11. A security monitoring system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the installation includes a gateway device with which the detection and verification nodes can communicate, and which can communicate with the remote installation controller.

12. A software application for installation on a host device that includes a display for the display of images, the application comprising instructions that when executed on the host device provide access to a floorplan of a premises installation that is part of a security monitoring system, the system including a monitoring centre, remote from the installation, for monitoring alarm events reported by the installation, the installation including: a plurality of detection nodes selected from the group comprising door contact sensor, window contact sensor, shock sensor, motion detector; a plurality of verification nodes selected from the group comprising camera, microphone, Wi-Fi sensing controller, radar device; the floorplan showing the disposition of nodes of the installation; the app being configured to provide the operator with an option to: define one or more of multiple potential zones within the protected premises; identify one or more detection nodes as belonging to a particular defined zone; identify one or more particular verification nodes as belonging to the particular defined zone to create an association between that verification node and the one or more detection nodes of the particular defined zone; and to share the association with an installation controller so that in the event that any of the detection nodes of the particular defined zone is triggered while the installation is in an armed state, data captured by the verification node of the particular defined zone are shared with the monitoring centre.

13. A software application as claimed in claim 12, wherein the installation includes one or more user interface devices to accept user input to arm or disarm the installation, the one or more user interface devices being treated by the installation controller as detection nodes.

14. A software application as claimed in claim 12, wherein the installation includes one or more user interface devices to accept user input to arm or disarm the installation, the one or more user interface devices being treated by the installation controller as a verification node(s).

15. A method of configuring a security monitoring system comprising a security monitoring installation at premises protected by the security monitoring system, the system including a monitoring centre, remote from the installation, for monitoring alarm events reported by the installation, and an installation controller, the installation including: a plurality of detection nodes; a plurality of verification nodes; the method comprising: providing an operator with access to a floorplan of the premises, the floorplan showing the disposition of the nodes of the installation; providing the operator with an option to: define one or more of multiple potential zones within the protected premises; identify one or more detection nodes as belonging to a particular defined zone; identify a particular verification node as belonging to the particular defined zone to create an association between that verification node and the one or more detection nodes of the particular defined zone; and to share the association with the installation controller, so that in the event that any of the detection nodes of the particular defined zone is triggered, while the installation is in an armed state, data captured by the verification node of the particular defined zone are shared automatically with the monitoring centre.

16. A security monitoring system as claimed in any of claims 1 to 11, a software application as claimed in any one of claims 12 to 14, or a method as claimed in claim 15, wherein the verification nodes are selected from the group comprising camera, microphone, Wi-Fi sensing controller, radar device.

17. A security monitoring system as claimed in any of claims 1 to 11 or 16, a software application as claimed in any one of claims 12 to 14 or 16, or a method as claimed in claim 14 or claim 16, wherein the detection nodes are selected from the group comprising door contact sensor, window contact sensor, shock sensor, motion detector.

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