The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 09, 2000
Filed:
Dec. 22, 1997
James E Miller, Highlands Ranch, CO (US);
Adam N Marx, Boulder, CO (US);
U S West, Inc., Denver, CO (US);
MediaOne Group, Inc, Englewood, CO (US);
Abstract
An enhanced telephony system for use in premises monitoring is disclosed. More particularly, such system provides an alert signal upon sensing of a predetermined condition of interest at a business or residential premises. The system provides for the receipt of a sensor signal at telephony service equipment, located at the premises in response to the sensing of a predetermined condition of interest. In turn, such telephony equipment is employed, in response to receipt of a sensor signal, to automatically provide at least one of a human-perceivable alert signal at the premises, or the initiation of a telephony call to a predetermined telephone number corresponding with the service control point maintained within a telephony services network. Preferably, the human-perceivable alert signal provided comprises a ringer cadence distinct from that employed in connection with the receipt of incoming telephone calls from third-parties. Such distinct cadence alerts individuals at the monitored premises that the predetermined condition of interest has been sensed. When a telephony call is initiated to a number corresponding with the service control point, additional AIN-enabled features may be included. Such features include directing of an alert call to one or more predetermined numbers corresponding with service companies for monitoring premises, emergency response stations (e.g., fire, police, etc.), call forwarding stations, and mobile stations. Such added features provide a readily configurable system for providing alert signals upon the detection of one or more predetermined conditions of interest at the monitored premises.