Security Controller Connection-Loss Alarm Reporting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing home security and automation systems require multiple devices for control and monitoring, lack flexibility, and are prone to single-point failures, making them vulnerable to communication losses and intrusions.
Innovation Solution
A server-based system that detects cessation of network connections between a security, monitoring, and automation (SMA) controller and a remote server, automatically reporting alarm messages to users and central stations after a delay, ensuring that disarm indications or alarm clearing messages are not prematurely sent.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a single centralized controller is used for security, monitoring, and automation, then device complexity and equipment quantity are reduced, but reliability deteriorates due to single-point failure risk
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the centralized controller functionality into distributed components: a gateway device within the home that interfaces with security/monitoring/automation systems, and a separate remote server that handles communication and data processing. This segmentation eliminates the single-point failure risk while maintaining centralized control capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary persistent connection mechanism (always-on network connection) between the gateway device and remote server. This intermediary layer ensures reliable communication and allows the system to detect and respond to connection failures, thereby improving overall system reliability without requiring multiple controllers.
2Loss of time
If communication failure detection is immediate, then response time is reduced, but false alarms increase due to transient network issues
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary action by establishing an always-on persistent connection that continuously monitors communication status. This allows the system to detect connection failures promptly while maintaining awareness of the system's armed state and recent zone fault events, enabling intelligent differentiation between actual threats and transient network issues.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses feedback mechanisms where the remote server receives continuous status updates from the gateway device about the system's armed state and zone fault events. This feedback loop allows the server to make informed decisions about whether to generate alarm notifications, reducing false alarms by considering the contextual state of the security system at the time of connection failure.
Data Source
AI summary
A server-based environment for reporting a status of a security, monitoring and automation controller is provided. Detecting cessation of an always-on persistent network connection between the SMA controller and the server is also provided. Reporting the cessation of the network connection to an end user and defined others is further provided. A further aspect provides for automatically reporting an alarm event to a central station, the end user, and others, in the event the cessation of the network connection occurs while the SMA controller is aimed and after a zone fault event, and not receiving a disarm notification prior to expiration of a preset entry delay.