U.S. patent application number 12/207865 was filed with the patent office on 2009-10-08 for emergency telephone with integrated surveillance system connectivity.
Invention is credited to David A. Monroe.
Application Number | 20090252302 12/207865 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 29710027 |
Filed Date | 2009-10-08 |
United States Patent
Application |
20090252302 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Monroe; David A. |
October 8, 2009 |
Emergency Telephone With Integrated Surveillance System
Connectivity
Abstract
Embodiments provide an emergency telephone system including an
emergency telephone, an interface connecting the emergency
telephone to a network, a camera on the network, the camera being
focused on the emergency telephone, a control system for activating
the camera, and a monitoring station for displaying camera captured
data.
Inventors: |
Monroe; David A.; (San
Antonio, TX) |
Correspondence
Address: |
MOORE LANDREY
1609 SHOAL CREEK BLVD, SUITE 100
AUSTIN
TX
78701
US
|
Family ID: |
29710027 |
Appl. No.: |
12/207865 |
Filed: |
September 10, 2008 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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10163679 |
Jun 5, 2002 |
7428002 |
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12207865 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
379/37 ; 348/143;
348/E7.085; 370/352 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04N 7/15 20130101; G08B
13/19658 20130101; G08B 13/19671 20130101; G08B 25/08 20130101;
G08B 13/19634 20130101; G08B 13/19656 20130101; H04N 7/181
20130101; G08B 25/005 20130101; G08B 13/19645 20130101; G08B 25/016
20130101; G08B 13/19684 20130101; G08B 13/19695 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
379/37 ; 348/143;
370/352; 348/E07.085 |
International
Class: |
H04M 11/04 20060101
H04M011/04; H04N 7/18 20060101 H04N007/18; H04L 12/66 20060101
H04L012/66 |
Claims
1-53. (canceled)
54. A visual surveillance system comprising: an emergency telephone
at an emergency call location, the emergency call location being
remote from a monitoring station, the emergency telephone being
operable for use by an emergency user at the emergency call
location to place an emergency call, the emergency telephone being
in communication with an IP network; when an emergency call is
placed an emergency call signal being provided from the emergency
telephone to the IP network; a surveillance camera trained on the
emergency user during use of the emergency telephone to place an
emergency call, the camera being connected to the IP network, the
camera when activated being operable to provide to the IP network
compressed image data, the compressed image data including at least
one visual image of the emergency user during the use of the
emergency telephone; and the monitoring station being connected to
the IP network for receiving the compressed image data, the
monitoring station being operable to display from the compressed
image data at least one visual image of the emergency user.
55. The system of claim 54, and further comprising: a control
system in communication with the IP network, the control system
being operable to receive the emergency call signal, the control
system being operable to provide to the monitoring station notice
of the emergency call signal.
56. The system of claim 54, and further comprising: an access door
operable by the emergency user to gain access to the emergency
telephone, the control system being responsive when an emergency
user opens the access door.
57. The system of claim 54, and further comprising: the emergency
telephone being a VOIP telephone.
58. The system of claim 54, and further comprising: the emergency
telephone being an incompatible telephone, the incompatible
telephone being incompatible for communication over an IP network;
a voice over IP conversion device connected to the incompatible
telephone for receiving an incompatible telephone signal, and the
conversion device being operable to transmit to the IP network a
sequence of IP packets conveying the telephone signal.
59. The system of claim 58, and further comprising: a PBX switch
for switching a plurality of incompatible telephones, the IP
conversion device being connected to the PBX for transmitting to
the IP network a sequence of IP packets conveying an incompatible
telephone signal from any of the plurality of incompatible
telephone.
60. The system of claim 57, and further comprising: a hub for
connecting the camera and the VOIP telephone to the network.
61. The system of claim 60, and further comprising: a power supply
associated with the hub for powering the camera and the VOIP
telephone.
62. The system of claim 54, and further comprising: a telephone
associated with the monitoring station, the telephone being
operable for an emergency operator to communicate with the
emergency user during use of the emergency telephone.
63. The system of claim 54, and further comprising: the monitoring
station having VOIP communications capability for personal to
communicate with the emergency user.
64. A surveillance system adapted for use with an emergency
telephone system. the emergency telephone system including an
emergency telephone accessible by a respective emergency user at a
respective emergency call location for placing a respective
emergency call, the emergency location being remote from personnel
receiving the emergency call from the emergency telephone on the
emergency telephone system, the surveillance system comprising: an
internet protocol network; a network interface connected to the
internet protocol network, the network being connected to the
emergency telephone system. the emergency telephone system via the
network interface being in communication with the internet protocol
network to provide to the internet protocol network the emergency
call, the emergency call being provided to the internet protocol
network in a format compatible with the internet protocol network;
a surveillance camera separate from the emergency telephone, the
surveillance camera being operable to capture visual image data of
the emergency user placing the emergency call on the emergency
telephone, the surveillance camera being in communication with the
internet protocol network to provide to the internet protocol
network captured visual image data of the emergency user placing
the emergency call on the emergency telephone; a monitoring station
in communication with the internet protocol network to receive the
captured visual image data of the emergency user placing the
emergency call on the emergency telephone, the monitoring station
upon receiving the captured visual image data of the emergency user
placing the emergency call on the emergency telephone being
operable to display for viewing by personnel at the monitoring
station a visual image of the emergency user placing the emergency
call on the emergency telephone; and the emergency call received
from the internet protocol network being provided to personnel at
the monitoring station.
65. The system of claim 64, and further comprising: the monitoring
station displaying an icon on a map for indicating a position of
the emergency telephone.
66. The system of claim 64, and further comprising: an apparatus
for archiving a call and security system data for later retrieval
purposes.
67. An emergency communication system comprising: an emergency
telephone at an emergency call location, the emergency call
location being remote from a monitoring station, the emergency
telephone being usable by an emergency user at the emergency call
location to generate an emergency call, the emergency telephone
being in communication with the internet protocol network to
provide to the internet protocol network the emergency signal; a
surveillance camera at the emergency call location, the
surveillance camera being operable to capture visual image data of
the emergency user using the emergency telephone to generate the
emergency call, the surveillance camera being in communication with
the internet protocol network to provide to the internet protocol
network captured visual image data of the emergency user; and a
monitoring station in communication with the internet protocol
network to receive the captured visual image data of the emergency
user, the monitoring station upon receiving the captured visual
image data of the emergency user being operable to display for
viewing by personnel a visual image of the emergency user, the
emergency call being directed to the personnel at the monitoring
station viewing the visual image of the emergency user.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The subject invention is generally related to emergency
telephone systems and is specifically directed to an emergency
telephone system capable of being connected to and integrated with
a network supported comprehensive multi-media surveillance
system.
[0003] 2. Discussion of the Prior Art
[0004] It is common practice to provide emergency telephones in
strategic locations such as elevators, along highways and in
various facilities such as airports, schools and hospitals.
Typically these telephones are pre-programmed to dial a security or
response station and automatically dial upon removal of the handset
from the switch-hook or cradle. Most of these telephones are "Plain
Old Telephone Service (POTS)" devices and are hard-wired to the
landline telephone system and rely on a common carrier to transmit
the call. In some cases, closed circuit systems or dedicated
point-to-point systems sometimes called "ring-down circuits" may be
utilized. More recently, some emergency telephones have been
installed utilizing wireless telephone technology such as cellular.
Solar power of these installations allows for easy installation
without relying on other public services such as telephone lines
and power lines. These are appearing along remote highways, on
college campuses, in parks, and in other outdoor public areas.
[0005] In use, the caller requiring emergency assistance will pick
up the telephone and once answered, will provide the responding
party with details of the emergency. In more sophisticated
installations the identification of the emergency telephone will be
conveyed utilizing Caller ID (CLID) technology, which then can
index into a database and present the location of the telephone
from which the call is being made. While these systems have been in
wide use for many years, there remain several drawbacks to the
usefulness of the system in dealing with many emergency situations.
First, the receiving station must be continuously manned in a
specific location such as at a guard station. There are many
instances where a guard or other personnel is busy making rounds or
with other duties and is not available to answer the call
immediately upon transmission. In certain types of situations, time
may be a very critical factor in dealing with the emergency, and
such delays in response can diminish the opportunity to deal with
the emergency in the most effective manner.
[0006] Further, such systems do not permit the responding personnel
to make any personal direct assessment of the emergency. They are
required to take the information given to them as accurate and
accordingly develop their response. This presents a problem in
determining whether the caller is overstating or understating the
emergency conditions. This problem is magnified by the fact that
the caller may be under some stress when placing the call and may
not be able to give accurate information in a calm manner, leaving
it to the response personnel to make an assessment of the situation
with less than optimum information. In extreme cases, the person
making the call may be injured or even incapacitated and not be
able to make adequate disclosure of the emergency. The person may
also be forced to flee the location of the emergency telephone
before a complete disclosure has been made.
[0007] Recently, security systems have been developed which have
the capability of better assessing an event and of transmitting
information to a hierarchy of recipients depending on the assessed
conditions. In additions, such systems have back-up capability so
that when the first response destination is not available the
information is forwarded to back-up response destinations in a
selected priority, assuring that a response can be made in a timely
manner. An example of such a system is shown and described in my
copending applications Ser. Nos.: 09/257,720, filed on Feb. 25,
1999; 09/594,041, filed on Jun. 14, 2000; and 09/853,274, filed on
May 11, 2001.
[0008] Such systems greatly enhance the assessment of a situation
and expedite appropriate responses. To date, emergency telephone
systems have not been able to assure the quick and accurate
responses that are available with the comprehensive, multi-media
surveillance systems such as described in the aforementioned
application.
[0009] An additional disadvantage is the reliance on landline
telephone systems to transmit the call. Often this form of
communication is one of the first systems to break down in an
emergency. Alternative and back-up communications systems are
desired to assure that an emergency call can be properly
transmitted to the intended recipient.
[0010] More recently, appliances have been designed that permit
analog telephone systems to provide voice data that can be
converted to IP protocols, permitting digitizing of the information
for transmission over digital systems such as LANS, WANS and the
Internet. An example of such an appliance is the MULTIVOIP
Standalone voice/IP gateway appliance offered by MultiTech Systems
of Mounds View, Minn. This system supports analog voice and fax
communication of an IP network. These voice over IP or VOIP systems
permit standard, analog telephones (sometimes called by the
industry POTS--Plain Old Telephone Service telephones) to be used
to communicate voice transmissions directly over a digital network
system. Cisco Systems also makes a similar product, the ATA 186
Analog Telephone Adapter that allows POTS telephone instruments to
perform on an IP telephone system.
[0011] Purely digital IP telephones have also been designed. These
devices do not convert existing analog telephone instruments to IP;
instead they are devices that include the telephone handset, the
analog to digital/digital to analog converter (CODEC) and the IP
interface into one device. These devices also facilitate
transmission of voice over digital networks such as LANS, WANS,
Wireless LANS and the Internet. Cisco Systems manufactures two such
IP telephones. The Cisco 12 SP+ model is the Cisco IP telephone
designed for business professionals and office workers. This voice
instrument supports 12 programmable line and feature buttons, an
internal, high-quality two-way speakerphone, and microphone mute.
This phone also features a large LCD display for call status and
identification. An LED associated with each of the 12 feature and
line buttons provides feature and line status. The Cisco 30 VIP
model is the full-featured Cisco IP telephone for executives and
managers. This voice instrument provides 30 programmable line and
feature buttons, an internal, high-quality, two-way speakerphone
with microphone mute, and a transfer feature button. A large
40-character LCD display features 5/8'' characters provides
information such as date and time, calling party name, calling
party number, and digits dialed. An LED associated with each of the
30 feature and line buttons provides feature and line status.
[0012] Each model, including the analog telephone adapter with a
POTS telephone attached, is a full-featured telephone that can be
plugged directly into a standard 10BaseT Ethernet connection. Each
provides toll-quality audio, with no need for a companion PC.
Because they are IP-based telephones, they can be installed
anywhere on a corporate IP network. The telephones are connected to
typical network switched hubs and routers in a like manner to PC's.
In a preferred implementation, the phones and analog telephone
adapters are DHCP Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP)
supported and do not need to be co-located with the IP switch.
Typically the analog telephone adapters and IP telephones
communicated with digitized compressed voice conforming to a
standard such as the popular G.711 and G.723.1 audio compression
for low-bandwidth requirements.
[0013] Advanced functions are also provided by the more
sophisticated IP telephones. In the case of the Cisco IP
Telephones, each model also contains an integrated Ethernet
repeater, so you can use a single Ethernet switch port for the
computer (data) and the IP telephone. Cisco IP telephones are also
Microsoft NetMeeting(.TM.) enabled. Using NetMeeting, features such
as application sharing and videoconferencing are available simply
by pressing a button on your Cisco IP telephone. The phones are
configured M using your Web browser.
[0014] It is important to note that the switching function in an IP
telephony system is provided by one or more computer processing
element(s) on the network to which the IP telephones/adapters are
attached. That processing element typically contains a plurality of
System Processing Engine (SPE) cards. An SPE card is a computing
platform that runs the telephony applications that support the IP
phones. The number of cards that are required is dependent upon the
number of stations that are to be supported. The processing
elements can provide a range of telephony applications. Currently
they include: [0015] Call Manager Application--an application that
provides connection and management of the voice calls. This
software maps directories entries and telephone numbers to
telephone sets. This includes all of the logic necessary to "route"
the data from the IP address of the origination telephone to the
correct IP address for the destination telephones. [0016]
Conference Bridge Application--this function allows three or more
IP telephones and/or adapters to be connected in a virtual
conference. This requires mixing or adding of the voice information
in the digital domain and the conference bridge application. [0017]
Media Transfer Point Application--this function allows connection
of calls over a wide variety of circuits. These may be traditional
telephony circuits such as ISDN, T-1, T-2, OC-3, etc. They also may
be IP circuits. An example of an IP transfer application is the
Cisco IP Transfer Point (ITP), a product for transporting Signaling
System 7 (SS7) traffic over IP (SS7oIP) networks. [0018] Integrated
Voice Mail Application--this application allows the digital streams
of voice coming from the IP telephones, analog adapters, and
incoming circuit trunks to be recorded in digital format on a
System Processing Element or a designated File Server. Access to
the server can be made utilizing this application to access the
stored digital voice information over the IP network. Access can
also be accomplished from the IP telephones, analog adapters, and
incoming circuit trunks.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0019] The subject invention is directed to apparatus 1)
integrating legacy emergency telephone systems into a
comprehensive, multi-media surveillance system with network
connectivity, 2) creating emergency telephone systems with IP
telephones integrated into a comprehensive multi-media surveillance
system with network connectivity, 3) providing enhanced security
appliances with one-way or two-way IP audio capability in order to
interoperate with guard stations, IP telephones, and IP analog
telephone adapters, and 4) provide a method of searching a
multimedia database by voice recognition or audio processing/sound
recognition.
[0020] In the case of integrating legacy emergency telephone
systems, either a digital telephone or an analog telephone system
with VOIP conversion is linked into the surveillance system and
transmissions therefrom are treated as an event requiring an
emergency response from the system. By way of example, in my
aforementioned copending application activation of various classes
of sensors and appliances will trigger specific types of responses
and send the data to an appropriate response team. The activation
will also initiate follow-up activity within the system, such as,
by way of example, activating cameras to start the transmission of
live video from the scene or zone where the sensor or appliance is
located. Additional actions are also initiated including, but not
limited to: mapping the area where the event occurred; providing
flashing icons on a screen map showing the location of the event;
sending programmed informational data transmissions to the scene;
locking or unlocking secure doors depending on the event, and
various other response functions.
[0021] The subject invention is specifically directed to
integration of emergency telephone systems to take full advantage
of a multi-media surveillance system and to permit comprehensive
and multiple responses to an event triggered by receipt of the
emergency phone call transmission. The subject invention captures
the telephone transmission and transmits it to the surveillance
system processor. Upon receipt, the system can react with any of
numerous responses. First, the telephone call is transmitted to a
manned station and may be answered in the normal fashion with a
live voice response. The receipt of the call also activates the
entire system in the same manner as a triggering signal from any
other sensor or appliance. This may activate cameras focused on the
location of the telephone for transmitting live video data to the
manned station as well as to the system server for management and
for archiving both the audio and video data. In addition, various
other responses may be activated, either manually or in a
pre-programmed hierarchy. For example, if the telephone call is not
answered within a certain number of rings, it can be automatically
sent to a second level priority and so on. The video of the scene
is immediately presented on the manned station screen, permitting
the response personnel to monitor the events while communicating
with the person initiating the call. In addition, the live or
archived data may be sent via a network, including LANs, WANs and
the Internet, to remote stations for monitoring and response.
[0022] Various sensors and appliances may be combined with the
emergency telephone system in this manner, greatly enhancing the
response to the call while at the same time permitting response
personnel to monitor the call for accuracy and authenticity.
[0023] An additional feature of the invention is to permit
immediate response from various response stations anywhere on the
security system network. For example, the call may be sent via both
wired and wireless transmission systems to any station. One
important feature is that the emergency call can be sent directly
to roving personnel via a wireless PDA or other handheld device,
virtually eliminating the likelihood of no answer. The PDA includes
full functionality with voice response and with a monitor to
provide assessment of the situation. This capability is also more
fully described in my aforementioned copending application.
[0024] It is, therefore, an object and feature of the subject
invention to provide for enhancement of emergency telephone systems
by incorporating such systems directly into an interactive security
system.
[0025] It is also an object and feature of the subject invention to
provide for the capability of monitoring and assessing the
situation at the location from which the call is generated.
[0026] It is an object and feature of this invention to flash an
icon on the map indicating the position of the specific emergency
telephone based on an emergency telephone being accessed.
[0027] It is a further object and feature of the subject invention
to provide for archiving the call and additional data for later
retrieval purposes.
[0028] It is an additional object and feature of the subject
invention to provide for a hierarchy for answering incoming
emergency calls to assure that if the first priority recipient does
not respond additional recipients are contacted in an established
priority.
[0029] It is an object and feature of this invention to utilize
off-the-shelf IP telephones and/or IP analog telephone adapters as
emergency telephones for origination of emergency calls in a
comprehensive multimedia security system.
[0030] It is an object and feature of this invention to utilize
off-the-shelf IP telephones and/or IP analog telephone adapters as
response telephones for answering emergency calls in a
comprehensive multimedia security system.
[0031] It is an object and feature of this invention to utilize
off-the-shelf IP telephones and/or IP analog telephone adapters as
intercommunication telephones between two or more monitoring
stations in order for multiple response personnel to hear emergency
calls simultaneously.
[0032] It is an object and feature of this invention to utilize
off-the-shelf IP telephones and/or IP analog telephone adapters as
intercommunication telephones between two or more monitoring
stations in order for multiple response personnel to discuss
emergency response actions among themselves.
[0033] It is an object and feature of this invention to utilize
off-the-shelf IP telephones and/or IP analog telephone adapters as
intercommunication telephones to monitor audio sensors in IP
security appliances.
[0034] It is an object and feature of this invention to utilize
off-the-shelf IP telephones and/or IP analog telephone adapters as
intercommunication telephones to speak to IP security appliances
that are equipped with loud speaker output transducers.
[0035] It is an object and feature of this invention to utilize
off-the-shelf IP telephones and/or IP analog telephone adapters to
recall stored audio information that has been recorded in a
comprehensive multimedia database, and to recall data that is
associated with it.
[0036] It is an object and feature of this invention to utilize
off-the-shelf IP telephones and their advanced display capability
to display real time alarm events by name, location, type and
description in textual and graphical forms.
[0037] It is an object and feature of this invention to utilize
off-the-shelf IP telephones and their advanced display capability
to display information on the IP telephone related to prerecorded
alarm events by time, name, location, type and description in
textual and graphical forms.
[0038] It is an object and feature of this invention to utilize
off-the-shelf IP telephones and their advanced display capability
to display a map on the IP telephone showing the alarm
location.
[0039] It is an object and feature of this invention to utilize
off-the-shelf IP telephones and their advanced display capability
to display a bar graph on the IP telephone showing the relative
location of voice during playback of a pre-recorded audio
event.
[0040] It is an object and feature of this invention to utilize
off-the-shelf IP telephones and their advanced display capability
to display real-time events by name, location, time and the like on
the IP telephone as they are happening, such as door
access/denials, alarm sensors triggering, and the like. Audio, if
available, will be presented synchronized with the text/graphical
display.
[0041] It is an object and feature of this invention to utilize
off-the-shelf IP telephones and their advanced display capability
to display pre-recorded events by name, location, time and the like
on the IP telephone as they are happening, such as door
access/denials, alarm sensors triggering, and the like. Audio, if
available, will be presented synchronized with the test/graphical
display.
[0042] It is an object and feature of this invention to utilize the
processing element that provides IP voice applications to host the
voice processing functions of the comprehensive multimedia security
system.
[0043] It is an object and feature of this invention to utilize the
processing element that provides IP voice applications to provide
the audio switching/connection functions of the comprehensive
multimedia security system.
[0044] It is an object and feature of this invention to utilize the
processing element that provides IP voice applications including
the voice mail functions, to provide the audio recording and
playback functions of the comprehensive multimedia security
system.
[0045] It is an object and feature of this invention to provide for
an audio search capability allowing for searching by voice
recognition, then playback of all multimedia data such as audio,
video, and textual event data from the key point found by voice
recognition.
[0046] It is an object and feature of this invention to provide for
an audio search capability allowing for searching by audio
processing seeking events such as gunshots, loud noises, screams,
and the like, then playback of all multimedia data such as audio,
video, and textual event data from the key point found by audio
processing.
[0047] It is an object and feature of this invention to utilize the
IP audio capability of a PC that is being utilized as a monitor
station to interact with analog telephones, digital telephones, IP
telephones, and security sensors for the purpose of monitoring the
audio data.
[0048] It is an object and feature of this invention to utilize the
IP audio capability of a PC that is being utilized as a monitor
station as response telephone for answering emergency calls in a
comprehensive multimedia security system.
[0049] It is an object and feature of this invention to utilize the
IP audio capability of PCs that are being utilized as a monitors as
a telephone as intercommunication telephones between two or more
monitoring stations in order for multiple response personnel to
hear emergency calls simultaneously.
[0050] It is an object and feature of this invention to utilize the
IP audio capability of PCs that are being utilized as a monitors as
intercommunication telephones between two or more monitoring
stations in order for multiple response personnel to discuss
emergency response actions among themselves.
[0051] It is an object and feature of this invention to utilize the
IP audio capability of PCs that are being utilized as a monitors as
telephones to intercommunicate with as IP Telephones and/or IP
analog telephone adapters in order for multiple response personnel
to hear emergency calls simultaneously.
[0052] It is an object and feature of this invention to utilize the
IP audio capability of PCs that are being utilized as a monitors as
intercommunication telephones to monitor audio sensors in IP
security appliances.
[0053] It is an object and feature of this invention to utilize the
IP audio capability of PC's that are being utilized as a monitors
as intercommunication telephones to speak through speakers in IP
security appliances.
[0054] It is an object and feature of this invention to utilize the
IP audio capability of PC's that are being utilized as a monitors
as intercommunication telephones to speak to IP security appliances
that are equipped with loudspeaker output transducers.
[0055] It is an object and feature of this invention to utilize the
IP audio capability of PCs that are being utilized as a monitors to
recall stored audio information that has been recorded in a
comprehensive multimedia database, and to recall data that is
associated with it.
[0056] It is an object and feature of this invention to utilize a
PDA configured with a wireless LAN module and Voice-Over-IP speaker
and microphone to operate as a mobile guard station.
[0057] It is an object and feature of this invention to utilize a
PDA configured with a wireless LAN module and Voice-Over-IP speaker
and microphone to operate as monitor for listening to IP appliances
equipped with IP microphones.
[0058] It is an object and feature of this invention to utilize a
PDA configured with a wireless LAN module and Voice-Over-IP speaker
and microphone to be utilized as an intercommunication telephone to
speak to IP security appliances that are equipped with loudspeaker
output transducers
[0059] It is an object and feature of this invention to utilize a
PDA configured with a wireless LAN module and Voice-Over-IP speaker
and microphone to be utilized as an intercommunication telephone to
speak to other monitor stations of the PC type or of the wireless
PDA type for the purposes of intercommunicating about security
breaches, alarm events and other matters.
[0060] It is an object and feature of this invention to provide an
IP security telephone that is encased in a protective housing and
that encodes Voice-Over-IP.
[0061] It is an object and feature of this invention to provide an
IP security telephone that is encased in a protective housing and
that encodes Voice-Over-IP and that generates alarm events
communicated over IP in when the door is opened.
[0062] It is an object and feature of this invention to provide an
IP security telephone that is encased in a protective housing and
that encodes Voice-Over-IP and that generates alarm events
communicated over IP in when the handset is lifted off of its
restraint.
[0063] It is an object and feature of this invention to provide an
IP security telephone that is encased in a protective housing and
that encodes Voice-Over-IP and that has a display that is presented
with data over IP and displayed with a micro browser such as is
utilized on IP desk telephones.
[0064] It is an object and feature of this invention to configure
alarm appliance such that they can communicate to an IP telephony
processing system in a manner compatible with IP telephones.
[0065] It is an object and feature of this invention to configure
alarm appliance such as a multimedia camera appliance such that it
can communicate to an IP telephony processing system in a manner
consistent with IP telephones, and originate emergency calls to a
specified emergency monitor station or stations.
[0066] It is an object and feature of this invention to utilize
voice recognition to select actions based upon detection of key
words, such as detecting the word "police" signaling the police
guard station, "fire" signaling the fire department station, "heart
attack" or "blood" or "hurt" or "broken" signaling the EMS station,
and the like.
[0067] It is an object and feature of this invention to flash an
icon on the map indicating the position of the specific emergency
telephone based on an emergency telephone being spoken into
utilizing voice amplitude threshold detection (VOX).
[0068] It is an object and feature of this invention to flash an
icon on the map indicating a guard station response, which is
indicated by a guard pushing a button, speaking into a microphone
utilizing voice amplitude threshold detection (VOX), or speaking
into a POTS telephone with IP adapter or speaking into an IP
telephone.
[0069] It is an object and feature of this invention to utilize
Voice Activated Recording.TM. to gate the audio onto the Server in
order to reduce the amount of storage space required. The data
stream will be stamped with time information such that during
playback exact recording time may be determined.
[0070] It is an object and feature of this invention to provide for
a buffer status "bar graph" to indicate health of transmitted
and/or received audio data in a manner previously described for
video in my aforementioned pending applications..
[0071] It is an object and feature of this invention to provide an
emergency telephone with a built-in LAN interface.
[0072] It is an object and feature of this invention to provide an
emergency telephone with a built-in WAN interface.
[0073] It is an object and feature of this invention to provide an
emergency telephone with a built-in wireless LAN interface.
[0074] It is an object and feature of this invention to provide an
emergency telephone with a built-in LAN HUB.
[0075] It is an object and feature of this invention to provide an
emergency telephone with a built-in camera.
[0076] It is an object and feature of this invention to provide an
emergency telephone with a built-in camera interface for an
associated external analog video camera.
[0077] It is an object and feature of this invention to provide an
emergency telephone with a built-in camera interface for an
associated external digital video camera.
[0078] It is an object and feature of this invention to provide a
specialized IP video camera that is configured for hosting an
interface for an associated analog or POTS emergency telephone.
[0079] It is an object and feature of this invention to provide a
specialized IP video camera that is configured for hosting an
interface to an associated digital emergency telephone.
[0080] It is an object and feature of this invention to provide a
specialized IP video camera that has an internal LAN HUB. It is an
object and feature of this invention to provide a specialized IP
video camera that has a built-in WAN interface.
[0081] It is an object and feature of this invention to provide a
specialized emergency telephone modem that has a built-in interface
for an analog camera and a built in interface for a built-in analog
or POTS telephone.
[0082] It is an object and feature of this invention to provide a
specialized emergency telephone modem configured with a LAN
interface that has a built-in interface for an analog camera and a
built in interface for a built-in analog or POTS telephone.
[0083] It is an object and feature of this invention to provide a
specialized emergency telephone modem configured with a WAN
interface that has a built-in interface for an analog camera and a
built in interface for a built-in analog or POTS telephone.
[0084] It is an object and feature of this invention to provide a
specialized emergency telephone modem configured with a wireless
LAN interface that has a built-in interface for an analog camera
and a built in interface for a built-in analog or POTS
telephone.
[0085] It is an object and feature of this invention to configure
an emergency telephone to receive power over a LAN connection in a
well-known manner to power the emergency telephone.
[0086] It is an object and feature of this invention to configure
an emergency telephone to receive power over a WAN connection in a
well-known manner to power the emergency telephone's associated
camera.
[0087] It is an object and feature of this invention to configure
an emergency telephone to receive power over a WAN connection in a
well-known manner to power the emergency telephone.
[0088] It is an object and feature of this invention to configure
an emergency telephone to receive power over a LAN connection in a
well-known manner to power the emergency telephone's associated
camera.
[0089] It is an object and feature of this invention to utilize
Session Initiated Protocol (SIP) to establish and maintain voice
connections between emergency telephones and fixed guard
stations.
[0090] It is an object and feature of this invention to utilize
Session Initiated Protocol (SIP) to establish and maintain voice
connections between emergency telephones and wireless guard
stations.
[0091] It is an object and feature of this invention to utilize
Session Initiated Protocol (SIP) to establish and maintain voice
connections between guard stations.
[0092] It is an object and feature of this invention to utilize
Session Initiated Protocol (SIP) to establish and maintain voice
connections between guard stations and standard telephone networks
and telephones.
[0093] It is an object and feature of this invention to utilize
Session Initiated Protocol (SIP) to establish and maintain voice
connections between multiple voice elements, including guard
stations, emergency telephones, and standard telephones.
[0094] It is an object and feature of this invention to utilize
Session Initiated Protocol (SIP) to establish voice links between
security sensors that have audio capability for monitoring and
guard stations or telephones.
[0095] It is an object and feature of this invention to utilize
Session Initiated Protocol (SIP) to provide event notification from
sensors to clients, such as guard stations, that an event of
interest should be monitored.
[0096] It is an object and feature of this invention to utilize
Session Initiated Protocol (SIP) to provide an indication of a
failure of event notification from sensors to clients, such as
guard stations, that an event of interest should be monitored and
why the failure occurred (i.e. no answer, circuit not available,
and the like).
[0097] It is an object and feature of this invention to utilize
Session Initiated Protocol (SIP) to provide initiation of an audio
stream from a security sensor appliance that is equipped with an
audio transducer.
[0098] It is an object and feature of this invention to utilize
Session Initiated Protocol (SIP) to provide initiation of a video
stream from a security sensor appliance that is equipped with a
video transducer.
[0099] It is an object and feature of this invention to utilize
Session Initiated Protocol (SIP) to provide initiation of a
step-video stream from a security sensor appliance that is equipped
with a video transducer.
[0100] It is an object and feature of this invention to utilize SIP
Proxy servers for information security authentication and
authorization of connection to security sensor appliances and/or
guard stations or elements utilized as monitor points.
[0101] It is an object and feature of this invention to utilize SIP
redirector servers for routing security messages from location to
location.
[0102] It is an object and feature of this invention to utilize SIP
registrar servers to process requests from security appliances or
guard stations for registration of their current location.
[0103] It is an object and feature of this invention to utilize SIP
gateways to provide connection control between security appliances,
security guard stations, SIP endpoints and other terminal
types.
[0104] It is an object and feature of this invention to utilize SIP
gateways to provide translation functions as required including
audio and video CODEC translations between security appliances,
security guard stations, SIP endpoints and other terminal
types.
[0105] It is an object and feature of this invention to utilize
H.323 Protocol to establish and maintain voice connections between
emergency telephones and fixed guard stations.
[0106] It is an object and feature of this invention to utilize
H.323 Protocol to establish and maintain voice connections between
emergency telephones and wireless guard stations.
[0107] It is an object and feature of this invention to utilize
H.323 Protocol to establish and maintain voice connections between
guard stations.
[0108] It is an object and feature of this invention to utilize
H.323 Protocol to establish and maintain voice connections between
guard stations and standard telephone networks and telephones.
[0109] It is an object and feature of this invention to utilize
H.323 Protocol to establish and maintain voice connections between
multiple voice elements, including guard stations, emergency
telephones, and standard telephones.
[0110] It is an object and feature of this invention to utilize
H.323 Protocol to establish voice links between security sensors
that have audio capability for monitoring and guard stations or
telephones.
[0111] It is an object and feature of this invention to utilize
H.323 Protocol to provide event notification from sensors to
clients, such as guard stations, that an event of interest should
be monitored.
[0112] It is an object and feature of this invention to utilize
H.323 Protocol to provide an indication of a failure of event
notification from sensors to clients, such as guard stations, that
an event of interest should be monitored and why the failure
occurred (i.e. no answer, circuit not available, and the like).
[0113] It is an object and feature of this invention to utilize
H.323 Protocol to provide initiation of an audio stream from a
security sensor appliance that is equipped with an audio
transducer.
[0114] It is an object and feature of this invention to utilize
H.323 Protocol to provide initiation of a video stream from a
security sensor appliance that is equipped with a video
transducer.
[0115] It is an object and feature of this invention to utilize
H.323 Protocol to provide initiation of a step-video stream from a
security sensor appliance that is equipped with a video
transducer.
[0116] It is an object and feature of this invention to utilize
H.323 Protocol gateways to provide connection control between
security appliances, security guard stations, SIP endpoints and
other terminal types.
[0117] It is an object and feature of this invention to utilize
H.323 Protocol gateways to provide translation functions as
required including audio and video CODEC translations between
security appliances, security guard stations, SIP endpoints and
other terminal types.
[0118] Other objects and features of the subject invention will be
readily apparent from the accompanying drawings and
description.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0119] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing certain features of a
surveillance system and an emergency telephone system in
combination therewith.
[0120] FIG. 2 is similar to FIG. 1 showing analog telephone
conversion capability.
[0121] FIG. 3 shows a system as illustrated in FIG. 1, adapted for
incorporating a multi-station emergency telephone network.
[0122] FIG. 4 is a modification showing the use of IP emergency
telephones with a power inserter and a hub for driving the
emergency telephone system and certain appliances such as the
illustrated cameras.
[0123] FIG. 5 is an illustration of a system wherein the legacy
emergency telephone is replaced by a speaker and microphone
appliance for use as an entry sentry device.
[0124] FIG. 6 is an illustration of a system having a dual monitor
guard station with VOIP telephone connected to an IP network.
[0125] FIG. 7 is an illustration of a system having multiple dual
monitor guard stations having a microphone and speaker
communications system.
[0126] FIG. 8 is an illustration of a multiple manned station
system. Note the multiple voice IP capability between all
stations.
[0127] FIG. 9 is an illustration of a PDA handheld device for
origination and receiving of VOIP calls in accordance with the
subject invention.
[0128] FIG. 10 is an illustration of a comprehensive
multi-functional unit for VOIP connectivity.
[0129] FIG. 11A is a flow diagram of circuitry for connecting the
emergency telephone to the surveillance system utilizing IP
technology.
[0130] FIG. 11B is a flow diagram of circuitry for connecting the
emergency telephone to the surveillance system utilizing wireless
IP technology.
[0131] FIG. 12A is an illustration of a VOIP telephone system with
companion video over a LAN.
[0132] FIG. 12B is a flow diagram of the circuitry for the system
of FIG. 12A.
[0133] FIG. 13A is an illustration of a system similar to FIG. 12A,
adapted for a WAN.
[0134] FIG. 13B is a flow diagram of the circuitry for the system
of FIG. 13A.
[0135] FIG. 14A is a an illustration of a system having wireless
units and a transmitter system for a VOIP telephone with companion
video.
[0136] FIG. 14B is a flow diagram of the circuitry for the system
of FIG. 14A.
[0137] FIG. 15A shows multiple, mixed units in a system, connected
over a LAN.
[0138] FIG. 15B is a flow diagram of the circuitry for the system
of FIG. 15A.
[0139] FIG. 15C is an optional flow diagram of the circuitry for
the system of FIG. 15B, with an internal camera.
[0140] FIG. 16A is similar to FIG. 15A for a WAN.
[0141] FIG. 16B is a flow diagram of the circuitry for the system
of FIG. 16A.
[0142] FIG. 17A is an illustration of a system having wireless
units and a transmitter system for a VOIP telephone, with an
internal camera.
[0143] FIG. 17B is a flow diagram of the circuitry for the system
of FIG. 17A.
[0144] FIG. 18A is an illustration of a system having VOIP with
companion video using a switching hub.
[0145] FIG. 18B illustrates the LAN interface configuration for the
system of FIG. 18A.
[0146] FIG. 18C illustrates the LAN interface configuration for a
system similar to FIG. 18A, but having an internal camera.
[0147] FIG. 19A is an illustration of a system having a VOIP
telephone with an internal LAN hub and a companion IP camera.
[0148] FIG. 19B illustrates the LAN interface configuration for the
system of FIG. 19A.
[0149] FIG. 19C illustrates the LAN interface configuration for a
system similar to FIG. 19A, but having an internal camera.
[0150] FIG. 20A is an illustration of a system for a VOIP telephone
with an internal LAN modem and hub for an IP camera.
[0151] FIG. 20B illustrates the basic WAN configuration for the
system of FIG. 20A.
[0152] FIG. 20C illustrates the basic WAN VOIP telephone
configuration for the system of FIG. 20A.
[0153] FIG. 20D illustrates the basic WAN VOIP telephone
configuration for the system of FIG. 20A with an integral LAN
hub.
[0154] FIG. 20E illustrates the basic WAN VOIP telephone
configuration for the system of FIG. 20A with an integral LAN hub
and an internal camera.
[0155] FIG. 21A is an illustration of a wireless VOIP telephone and
companion wireless video.
[0156] FIG. 21B is an illustration of the flow diagram for the
circuitry of FIG. 21A.
[0157] FIG. 21C is an illustration of the flow diagram for the
circuitry of FIG. 21A, with an internal camera.
[0158] FIG. 22A is a system similar to that of FIG. 21A, with a
switched hub.
[0159] FIG. 22B is an illustration of the flow diagram for the
circuitry of FIG. 22A.
[0160] FIG. 22C is an illustration of the flow diagram for the
circuitry of FIG. 22A, with an internal camera.
[0161] FIG. 23A is an illustration of a VOIP telephone and
companion video system for a WAN.
[0162] FIG. 23B is an illustration of the flow diagram for the
circuitry of FIG. 23A.
[0163] FIG. 23C is an illustration of the flow diagram for the
circuitry of FIG. 23A, with an internal camera.
[0164] FIG. 24A is an illustration of a system similar to that of
FIG. 23A, with a switched hub.
[0165] FIG. 24B is an illustration of the flow diagram for the
circuitry of FIG. 24A.
[0166] FIG. 25A is an illustration of an analog telephone or a POTS
telephone with an integrated LAN and VOIP encoder and companion
video.
[0167] FIG. 25B is an illustration of the flow diagram for the
circuitry of FIG. 25A.
[0168] FIG. 26A is an illustration of an analog telephone with
companion IP video with the analog telephone signal converted to IP
in an internal converter in the companion video unit.
[0169] FIG. 26B is an illustration of the flow diagram for the
circuitry of FIG. 26A.
[0170] FIG. 27A is a wireless version of the system of FIG.
26A.
[0171] FIG. 27B is an illustration of the flow diagram for the
circuitry of FIG. 27A.
[0172] FIG. 28A is an illustration of an optional VOIP telephone
system having companion and internal video configured for a
WAN.
[0173] FIG. 28B is an illustration of the flow diagram for the
circuitry of FIG. 28A, with companion video.
[0174] FIG. 28C is an illustration of the flow diagram for the
circuitry of FIG. 28A, with internal video.
[0175] FIGS. 29A-D are schematics of the processor, RAM and NVM for
the circuits of the various embodiments.
[0176] FIG. 30 is a schematic of the audio interface for the
circuits of the various embodiments, specifically the emergency
telephone audio circuits.
[0177] FIGS. 31A-C are schematics of the LAN interface for the
circuits of the various embodiments.
[0178] FIGS. 32A-D are schematics of the WLAN interface for the
circuits of the various embodiments.
[0179] FIGS. 33A-F are schematics of the video interface for the
circuits of the various embodiments.
[0180] FIG. 34 is a schematic of the power supply for the circuits
of the various embodiments.
[0181] FIG. 35 is an illustration of a system interconnect for
voice gateways implemented with an SIP VOIP, network.
[0182] FIG. 36 is a diagram of an SIP request path through a proxy
server, supporting the system of FIG. 35.
[0183] FIG. 37 shows the SIP response path through a proxy
server.
[0184] FIG. 38 shows an SIP session through a proxy server.
[0185] FIG. 39 shows an SIP request through a redirect server.
[0186] FIG. 40 shows an SIP session through a redirect server.
[0187] FIG. 41 is an illustration of SIP gateway-to-gateway call
via an SIP proxy server with a record route.
[0188] FIG. 42 shows a gateway-to-gateway call with call
redirection.
[0189] FIG. 43 shows an SIP gateway-to-SIP gateway call setup.
[0190] FIG. 44 is a representation of recorded surveillance audio
data being searched to generate an index into a comprehensive
multimedia database.
[0191] FIG. 45 is a representation of how voice recognition routes
signaling among multiple monitoring stations.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0192] A typical surveillance system as more fully described in my
aforementioned copending application is shown in FIG. 1 and
includes, in this example, IP cameras C1, C2, C3, C4 and C5; a pair
of manned guard station No. 1 and No. 2 on the intranet or LAN 10;
a system server 12 also on the intranet 10; a gateway 14 to the
Internet or other Wide Area Network (WAN) 16 and remote support
such as the remote monitor station 18. An emergency IP voice
telephone 20 is connected to the system via the intranet 10. In
this embodiment, the emergency telephone sends IP protocol voice
transmissions to the system via the intranet, where the system can
capture the incoming call signal and transmit it to the various
guard stations No. 1 and No. 2 and, via the Internet 16, to the
remote station 18. This transmission can be done simultaneously or
in a hierarchal order, as preferred and as managed by the server
12. In addition, once the incoming call is received, the location
of the telephone 20 is identified and the appropriate IP cameras C1
and C2 are activated to start transmitting video data to the
stations and to the server. This permits the guard personnel to
quickly monitor and assess the situation at the monitor screens
provided at each of the various stations. The personnel at each of
the stations may communicate directly with the caller at the
emergency telephone 20 via the microphone/speaker system 22, 24 as
provided at guard station No. 2 or via a VOIP telephone 26 as
provided at guard station No. 1 or the remote station 18. The
emergency call can be received and heard by guard stations No. 1,
No. 2 and No. 3 simultaneously. Any or all of the three guard
stations can respond to the caller at emergency telephone 20 by
pushing their push-to-talk at their station, or if desired by
activating voice operated switching (VOX) by speaking. Further, if
one guard station is responding with voice, all of the other guard
stations will hear the audio from the responding station. Audio is
enabled by more than one station by an audio bridge function in a
well-known manner consistent with IP telephony. This function can
operate on any processing node on the system capable of audio
bridging, but the preferred embodiment would implement this
function on the security server element 12. It can also be
implemented on a different element than the security server 12, for
example could be implemented on the corporate IP telephone
processing system (not shown). Additional surveillance activity may
also be initiated by the call in accordance with the full
capability of the system described in my aforementioned copending
application. For example, a map on one of the monitors at each
station may include a flashing icon showing the location of the
emergency call. It also can flash based on voice (VOX) activation,
from the emergency telephone 20. Audio response from guard stations
No. 1, 2 and 3 can also trigger VOX which will flash the icon for
that respective guard station that had audio. Also, various
security functions may be performed such as securing the facility
or opening escape doors. Response instructions may be sent to
response teams either automatically based on programmed responses
or voice recognition of key words from the emergency telephone 20
or manually selected by the response personnel. In sum, the
incorporation of the emergency telephone system into the
surveillance network permits the telephone to be used as a full
function appliance as with the many other sensors and appliances on
the system.
[0193] A modification of the system is shown in FIG. 2, wherein a
legacy analog telephone 30 may be connected to the system using a
Voice Over IP converter appliance 32 for converting the voice
signal to IP protocol. The station telephones 34 may also be analog
telephones connected with a converter 32. Signaling from the analog
telephone can be generated by the telephone going off-hook, by
special contacts provided in the enclosure of emergency telephone
30, and can be further enhanced by performing voice recognition on
the voice stream coming from the emergency telephone 30.
[0194] A modification showing the incorporation of an existing
emergency telephone network of multiple telephones is shown in FIG.
3. An example of this system may be the use of an emergency
telephone in each of a plurality of elevator cars in a large
building. In this system a plurality of emergency telephones E1-E4
are connected through a PBX switch 36. A single VOIP converter
gateway device 38 is required to convert the call transmissions to
IP protocol. In this embodiment, other analog telephones are also
support such as the independent telephone 40 and various other
components such as facsimile machines and the like. Also, the
original response telephone 42 may be used in combination with a
typical manned station 19. One advantage to this configuration is
that the system may be readily expanded by connecting additional
analog telephones to the PBX switch 36 or by connecting compatible
VOIP telephones such as telephone E5 directly to the intranet via
the power inserter 42 and hub 44 which is used to connect the
various IP cameras C1, C2, C3 and C4. It should be noted that the
power inserter 42 is not required if each of the components have
local power. It should also be noted that the camera does not need
to be a separate component but could be imbedded in compatible
telephones such as the VOIP telephone E5. Analog cameras can also
be utilized with IP encoders in a manner as disclosed in my other
applications. The PBX 36 utilizes a data gateway 39 to transmit
call identification information such as Caller ID (CLID) to the
monitor stations. This can be utilized to announce the particular
emergency telephone that is originating the call and to activate
icons on a floor plan associated with individual emergency
telephones.
[0195] A multiple unit VOIP telephone system configuration is shown
in FIG. 4. In this configuration all of the emergency telephones
E1, E2 and E3 are VOIP telephones connected directly to the
intranet via the power inserter 42 and hub 44, as are the various
IP cameras C1-C6. Additional VOIP telephones such as telephone E4
may be added with or without the cameras. This is a "pure" IP
solution and therefore is the preferred embodiment of the appliance
implementations allowing for great flexibility in deployment over
an IP network that is configured for multiple rooms, buildings, and
widespread geographic locations. The same switches, routers, and
circuits that are providing an enterprise wide computer
interconnection can be utilized for multimedia security integrated
with voice over IP.
[0196] One advantage of the voice over IP technology is that other
voice devices may be connected in addition to or as an alternative
to the emergency telephone systems. As shown in FIG. 5, a
speaker/microphone system 46 with VOIP capability can be used in
connection with a door access control system such as the strike
control 48, the card swipe 50, or other similar access control
device. This permits the personnel at station 1 to communicate with
an individual seeking access through the door. The related cameras
C1 and C2 also give visual monitoring capability. One method of use
is as follows. A person swipes his card at 50. The server (not
shown) will verify the validity of the card and open the door after
utilizing the IP electric strike 48. As an extension of the
process, the swiping of the card can signal the guard station 1 and
flash the image of the person desiring entry with cameras C1, C2
and C3 in the intercom unit. The unlocking of the door would be
blocked. Images from the cameras will be stored on the server. The
database will pull up the information about the person desiring
entry and display it on the guard station 1. The guard can then
decide to authorize entry (or not) and unlock the electric IP
strike 48 (or not). If the guard desired to communicate with the
person desiring entry, a VOIP session would be established between
guard station 1 VOIP telephone and the IP intercom module 46. A
camera directly on the intercom module C3 can provide a close-up
image of the subject.
[0197] As another example, a person not having a badge at all can
request entry by depressing PTT button on intercom 46. This will
generate an event and signal the guard station 1. The guard can
then respond utilizing IP and carry on a conversation with the
subject at intercom 45. The images from cameras C1, C2 and C3 are
being recorded on the database. The guard can decide to send the
command to electric strike 48 (or not) and unlock the door (or
not). The voice from the guard at station 1 and the voice of the
person at the door speaking into intercom 46 can be recorded as
VOIP on the multimedia server. This recorded voice can be played
back with time information later in an investigation, and can be
played back in synchrony with video and/or images captured by
cameras C1, C2 and C3, and events such as PTT button pushes such as
PTT on intercom 46.
[0198] It will be noted that the power inserter 42 and the hub 44
can be replaced with a powered hub 50, as desired. Industry
standards are currently being developed for powered IP devices, but
are not yet in place. The techniques available for power insertion
are outline in my aforementioned copending applications. Also, it
should be noted that the powered hub or power inserter is not
required where local power is supplied to each device. This is true
for all of the various configurations disclosed herein.
[0199] An enlarged view of guard station No. 1 (FIG. 1) is shown in
FIG. 6. The processor 90 is connected to the network 10 and
includes typical input devices such as the keyboard 92 and the
mouse or trackball 94. The processor supports two or more monitors
96 and 98 to permit full screen view of multiple cameras and to
permit one monitor to be used for displaying a camera transmission
while the other is used for system data such as a system map or the
like. In this configuration a VOIP telephone 26 is used to
communicate with the integrated emergency telephone system. Both
the digitized voice and the digitized sensor data such as encoded
camera data is communicated over network 10.
[0200] Guard station No. 2 (FIG. 1) is shown in FIG. 7. It is the
same in all respects to guard station No. 1 with the exception that
the VOiP telephone is replaced with the more typical microphone 22
and speaker 24. Half duplex operation (PTT or VOX) is preferred.
The microphone may have a push-to-talk button 23 integral to the
microphone, or the buttons on the mouse 94 can be utilized for
Push-To-Talk (PTT). Voice Operated Switching (VOX) can also be
utilized, or full duplex operation (less desirable, particularly in
multi-station installations.)
[0201] FIG. 8 shows a typical system with multiple emergency VOIP
telephones E1 and E2, with at least one of the telephones (here
telephone E2) having cameras C1 and C2 focused on the zone
surrounding it. All components are connected via the intranet 10 to
server 12 and two LAN guard stations GS1 and GS2 and a remote guard
station GS3 via the Internet 16. During an emergency call, multiple
guard stations can be alerted when the door of the emergency
telephone is opened, when the handset is picked up, or when a
button is pushed. During the call the voice of the subject at
emergency telephone E2 would be communicated over IP to one or more
guard stations. The broadcast protocol easily enables transmitting
voice to all stations. Unicast from the emergency telephone E2 to
the server 12, followed by unicast transmissions to the individual
guard stations can then be implemented. A hybrid of unicast and
broadcast can be beneficial when, for example, GS1 and GS2 are both
on a local network that does not have quality of service (QOS)
issues. The station GS3, on the other hand, does have QOS issues
such as packets being delivered out of sequence because it is being
delivered over the Internet through an unspecified plurality of
switches and routers. In this case transmitting unicast to the
guard station GS3 is an advantage.
[0202] Note that not only can guard stations GS1, GS2 and GS3 can
listen to audio from emergency telephone E2, they can talk back to
E2 utilizing their microphones. Any or all guard stations can call
back in a "junkyard" technique. That is all stations on the network
can hear all other stations on the net when they talk. Again, this
can be implemented by all stations utilizing multicast in
transmitting their signaling and audio, or by utilizing a server
such as server 12 as a conference bridge.
[0203] In the preferred embodiment, in all cases the audio from all
emergency telephones and all guard stations will be recorded on
server 12 for future investigative playback. Additional data would
also be recorded to allow exact determination of time and
determination of which telephone or guard station is recording.
Voice Activated Recording.TM. would be utilized to reduce data
required on the security database.
[0204] FIG. 9 shows a typical PDA 100 having a wireless LAN access
card for receiving data from the system via a wireless access
point, as described in my aforementioned copending application. The
Wireless LAN (WLAN) standards 802.11, 802.11A, 802.11B or any
subsequent standard may be implemented. The PDA includes a monitor
display screen 102, a microphone 104 and a speaker 106. This
permits a roving guard to communicate directly with the emergency
telephone user even when not present at the permanent guard
station, station 1 or station 2. Voice transmit and receive data
would be communicated with digitized compressed voice such as the
popular G.711 and G.723.1 audio compression for low-bandwidth
requirements. The voice data streams would be transmitted over the
WLAN. The voice would be communicated in exactly the same manner as
has been described for the wired monitor and guard stations in this
application. Other multimedia data would displayed on the PDA
display 102. This includes textual data, images, and fall motion
streams such as MPEG-1 or MPEG-4. These streams also would be
communicated over the wireless channel in concert with the audio.
All multimedia data would be played in a synchronous manner, such
that voice, video and data would be largely synchronized.
[0205] Wireless streams are subject to widespread drop-outs and
distortions from well know RF aberrations such as multipath, noise,
absorption, and the like. In order to recover from reception
problems, a receive buffer may be utilized. This buffer will ebb
and flow with data, filling when the signal is strong and clear,
and emptying when the signal is weak or noisy. A bar graph is
implemented for the audio, and video as was previously disclosed in
my aforementioned earlier application, such that the user of the
portable station can be assisted in keeping the signal strong and
keep the audio buffer fall to provide for continuous clear audio.
In the preferred application, the user would move the PDA to areas
to keep the bar graph high. When the user saw the bar falling, they
would be alerted to move to improve the signal strength. With the
frequencies utilized in 802.11 systems, this may amount to
distances of only a few inches.
[0206] FIG. 10 shows an SIP IP telephone configured to be used in
conjunction with the system of the subject invention. An example of
a suitable SIP telephone is the Cisco Systems' SIP IP Phone for use
in VOIP infrastructure solutions. The telephone here described is
not novel, per se, but the application in accordance with the
overall system of the subject invention is believed to be a novel
application. The telephone is described to permit a better
understanding of the various features useful when employed by the
subject invention. The SIP phone includes an LCD screen 200 for
displaying information transmitted in text or video format. The
line buttons 202 are used to open a new line in multiple line
systems. The information button and keys 204 provide access to
phone control information. The control keys 206 are volume control
keys and are used to increase or decrease the volume of the
handset, headset or speakerphone options. Keys 208 are soft keys
used to activate text functions displayed on the LCD screen. Dial
pad keys 210 are standard dial pad touch-tone keys. The handset is
designated by the numeral 212. This telephone can be used in any of
the various configurations for incorporating a VOIP telephone in
accordance with the various embodiments of the invention.
[0207] FIGS. 11A and 11B show a basic circuit for connecting a VOIP
telephone to a network. Specifically, FIG. 11A shows a hard-wired
LAN configuration and FIG. 11B shows a wireless LAN (WLAN)
configuration. In both cases, the VOIP telephone includes a handset
60 carried in a suitable housing 62 with a call button or call
keypad 73. In a typical installation the housing will have a
suitable door 64. In these configurations, the telephone is
hardwired to an interface via the RJ-45 jack 66. Handset/cradle
contacts 70 are responsive to use of the handset for activating the
telephone. When the contacts are activated the control circuit 68
is operational to activate the protocol processor 72. The handset
includes an earphone 74 and associated decoder 76, and a microphone
78 and associated encoder 80 for transmitting voice data to and
receiving voice data from the protocol processor. A door switch or
other control switches may also be employed through a status
circuit 82 to further control the activation and deactivation of
the telephone. The protocol processor communicates with the LAN
interface 84. In the embodiment of FIG. 11A, power may be provided
over the LAN via the transformer 86 and power supply 82 and/or may
be powered by auxiliary external power. The configuration of FIG.
11B for the wireless LAN is identical through the LAN interface 84,
but includes a wireless LAN receiver 85. The power supply 88 is
connected to local external power.
[0208] Power for operating subscriber equipment has been
distributed by centralized telephone plants since before the turn
of the century. This technique was initially applied to powering
carbon granule variable resistance telephone transmitters with
batteries in the telephone exchange. This was called "common
battery" equipment. Techniques developed for distributing the power
over the same pair of wires that the signal was transmitted on.
This is called "loop powered" equipment.
[0209] Since the early days of telephony, other devices have been
configured to operate over the telephone loop. For example, Plain
Old Telephone Service, or POTS, typically distributes--48 VDC
central office battery power through a current loop to the
subscriber. This is commonly utilized to power the telephone, but
is now also utilized to power simple devices such as caller ID
units or call blocking devices.
[0210] With the advent of Wide Area Network (WAN) digital
subscriber loops, such as T-1, ISDN, DSL and the like, powering of
subscriber equipment from the central office over the data loop has
not been utilized. On the other hand, digital termination devices
or "loop extenders" have been powered over the loop. Common loop
power conventions include -48 VDC and -130 VDC loop power sources.
One such standard for loop power is the TR-TSY-000057 Class A2
standard for powering ISDN or DSL termination devices. An example
of a termination device that utilizes this technique is the Digicom
BritePort 9100 ADSL Modem. This device draws 7.33 watts at -79 VDC,
and is current limited to 55 mA. Another such device is the Adtran
TRI-R "Total Reach" ISDN remote unit. This device is a loop powered
ISDN Simple Coded-Pulse Amplitude Modulation (SC PAM) modem that is
utilized to transport 160 kpbs data to the subscriber end over
longer loops without repeaters. Other examples of remote loop
termination equipment also exist.
[0211] In the subject invention, the emergency telephone, IP
camera, and audio/video analog modem devices described in this
invention utilized embedded WAN interfaces such as DSL or ISDN.
These devices are configured with internal "WAN Power Tap" circuits
that utilize the central office battery, such as TR-TSY-000057
Class A2 standard power, for powering not only the WAN interface,
but also the emergency telephone and/or associated camera. This
provides ultimate simplicity and lowest cost installation of the
emergency telephone and video surveillance camera devices because
it is a "one unit" install. In other words, the central office pair
that is hosting both two way data and power is brought directly
into the security appliance. This minimizes the number of devices
to buy, install, protect and maintain. This is particularly
attractive for outdoor installations where the pair can be brought
directly into the appliance's water resistant housing.
[0212] My aforementioned copending applications discuss powering an
IP video camera over the same wiring as the LAN data signal, much
in the manner described for the WAN above. The preferred embodiment
of the emergency telephone of this invention is also powered in
this manner. This recent technique has been adopted by IP Telephony
manufacturers such as Cisco Systems, Inc. in their VOIP telephones.
An example of this telephone is the model 7960. Cisco at this time
utilized a proprietary technique for power insertion on to the LAN
wiring. There are industry groups currently defining standard
techniques for power insertion that will likely be adopted on a
widespread basis.
[0213] The emergency telephone, IP camera, and audio/video analog
modem devices described in this invention may utilize embedded LAN
interfaces. These devices are configured with internal "LAN Power
Tap" for powering not only the LAN interface, but also the
emergency telephone and/or associated camera. This again provides
ultimate simplicity and lowest cost installation of the emergency
telephone and video surveillance camera devices because it is a
"one unit" install. In other words, the LAN CAT-5 cable that is
hosting both two way data and power is brought directly into the
security appliance. This minimizes the number of devices to buy,
install, protect and maintain. This is particularly attractive for
outdoor installations where the pair can be brought directly into
the appliance's water resistant housing.
[0214] FIGS. 12A-28C show various configurations for the system and
demonstrate its wide versatility. FIGS. 12A and 12B show a typical
local or LAN installation and supporting circuitry, respectively.
In this configuration each telephone is a standard POTS telephone
300 with a separate companion video camera 302. The telephone and
camera are each hardwired to a LAN interface 304 for communication
over the LAN 306. The basic circuitry modules are shown in FIG.
12A. The heart of the interface is the processor 308. The telephone
circuitry in the interface module 304 includes the tone
decoder/generator 310, the ring generator 312 and an audio codec
314. DC power is supplied by over the LAN power tap 316, external
power 318 or an external power supply 320 to the DC transformer
322. The camera 302 includes a video front-end circuit 324, and a
digital video encoder 326. The video and voice signals are managed
by the processor 308 that is connected to the LAN protocol circuit
328 that is connected to the LAN interface 330.
[0215] A similar system for a wide area network or WAN 332 is shown
in FIGS. 13A and 13B. As shown in FIG. 13B, the LAN interface is
replaced with a WAN protocol circuit 335 and a WAN modem 334. The
power split 336 is optional.
[0216] A wireless configuration for either the LAN or WAN is shown
in FIGS. 14A and 14B. In this configuration the interface module
338 includes a WLAN transceiver 337 and antenna 339 for
transmitting a wireless signal to a suitable wireless access point
340 which is connected to the LAN or WAN.
[0217] As shown in FIGS. 15A, 15B and 15C each telephone 300 may
include a companion camera 302 or an integral camera 342 or a
combination. In this configuration the LAN interface is an integral
part of the telephone component. The circuitry for an external
companion camera is shown in FIG. 15B. The circuitry for a system
including an optional integral camera is shown in FIG. 15C. All of
the processing circuitry is self-contained within the housing for
the telephone 300. In this configuration the telephone can include
an optional display 344, such as the LCD display of the telephone
of FIG. 10. An integral camera 346 is shown in FIG. 15C.
[0218] The same hardware system configured for a WAN is shown in
FIGS. 16A and 16B, with the LAN interface component being replaced
with the WAN protocol circuitry 335, the WAN interface 333 and the
WAN modem 334. The wireless configuration is shown in FIGS. 17A and
17B. In this configuration, the telephone is equipped with an
integral WLAN interface 350 that operates in the same manner as the
external wireless interface module 338 shown in FIGS. 14A and 14B.
The cameras may be internal cameras 346, companion cameras 302, or
a combination. In this configuration the companion camera interface
352 is an integral part of the telephone 300.
[0219] FIGS. 18A-C, and FIGS. 19A-C show various configurations
utilizing switched hubs 352. In the configuration of FIGS. 18A-C
the camera signal is connected directly to the hub. In FIGS. 19A-C
the camera signal is connected to an integral interface provided in
the telephone unit. As shown in FIG. 18A, not all cameras 302 and
telephones 300 are required to be connected through the hub 352. A
combination of direct connect and hub connect components may be
deployed. FIG. 18B is a circuit without a camera component and FIG.
18C includes an integral camera component. FIGS. 19A-C show a
similar set up with the camera interface being an integral
component of the telephone, as previously shown in FIGS.
15A-17C.
[0220] An emergency telephone system with a VOIP telephone with an
internal LAN modem and hub for an IP camera is shown in FIGS.
20A-20E. In this configuration the telephone 300 includes either or
both of a LAN interface and a WAN modem 334 for supporting the
telephone 300, companion camera 302 and/or the integral camera 346.
The basic WAN configuration is shown in FIG. 20B. The WAN VOIP
configuration with internal camera is shown in FIG. 20C. A WAN VOIP
configuration for supporting a companion camera with an internal
hub is shown in FIG. 20D. A comprehensive system for supporting
both companion cameras and internal cameras is shown in FIG.
20E.
[0221] A wireless configuration is shown in FIGS. 21A-21C. In this
configuration each companion camera 302 and each telephone 300 is
provided with an integral wireless transceiver 350 and antenna 339
for transmitting wireless signals to an access point 340. The
access point is connected to a WAN 332 via a WAN modem 334 or to a
LAN 306 via a LAN interface 328. A basic configuration with
companion cameras is shown in FIG. 21B. The system is adapted to
support internal cameras in FIG. 21C.
[0222] A wireless configuration wherein the telephone 300 includes
an internal LAN interface 328 is shown in FIGS. 22A-22C. In this
configuration the companion camera includes a transceiver 350 and
an antenna 339. The telephone 300 includes a mated transceiver 350
and antenna 339 for receiving data from and transmitting data to
the camera. The separate units may be coupled to a hub 352 or
connected directly to the LAN 206 or through a WAN modem 334 to a
WAN 332. A basic system for a companion camera is shown in FIG.
22B. The system includes an integral camera in FIG. 22C.
[0223] A wireless system with integral WAN modem is shown in FIGS.
23A-23C. In this configuration the telephone units 300 include an
integral WAN modem or interface 333 for connecting the unit and the
companion camera 302 and/or integral camera 346 to the WAN 332. The
companion camera 302 is wirelessly connected to the associated
telephone unit using mated transceivers 350 and antennas 339. A
basic system with companion cameras is shown in FIG. 23C. The
configuration including the internal camera 346 is shown in FIG.
23C.
[0224] The configuration of Figs: 24A-24B includes a wireless
telephone 300 connected to a companion camera 302 that is connected
to the LAN/WAN via a suitable modem 334 or hub 352. In this
instance the telephone data signals are sent to and from the camera
via a wireless connection comprising the mated transceivers 350 and
antennas 339. The system may optionally include internal cameras
346. The version without an internal camera and with direct
interconnect to the LAN is shown in FIG. 24B.
[0225] A companion IP camera is shown in combination with an analog
telephone and VOIP encoder in FIGS. 25A-25B. In this configuration
an analog or POTS telephone 300 may be connected to a companion
camera 302. Each camera includes an interface component 328 with
conversion means for the telephone signal, permitting connection to
the WAN/LAN 306/332. As shown in FIG. 25B the conversion components
for converting the telephone signal to IP protocol is contained in
the IP camera, specifically the tone generator decoder 310, ring
generator 312, audio codec 314 and power supply 322.
[0226] A companion IP camera is shown in combination with a VOIP
telephone in FIGS. 26A-26B, and is similar to the system of FIGS.
25A and 25B. The camera LAN interface is replaced with a WAN
interface 334. The circuit configuration is shown in FIG. 26B.
[0227] FIGS. 27A-27B show a wireless configuration similar to the
wired version of FIGS. 26A-26B. The transceiver 350 and the antenna
339 are added to each camera 302 for communication with an access
point 304 for connection to the LAN/WAN 306/332. The circuit
configuration is shown in FIG. 27B.
[0228] FIGS. 28A-28C show a configuration where both the camera and
the telephone are equipped with integral WAN modems. A system with
companion cameras is shown in FIG. 28B. A system including optional
internal cameras is shown in FIG. 28C.
[0229] FIGS. 29-34 are schematic diagrams for the various circuits
for the each of the configurations. The pin numbers are those of
the manufacturer. The processor 30, including RAM and NVM, is shown
in FIGS. 29A-D. The audio interface is shown in FIG. 30. The LAN
interface is shown in FIGS. 31A-C. The WLAN interface is shown in
FIGS. 32A-E. The video interfaces are shown in FIGS. 33A-F. The
power supply is shown in FIG. 34.
[0230] A typical interconnect for voice gateways solution
implemented with a Session Initiated Protocol (SIP) VOIP network is
shown in FIG. 35. There are two widespread standards for exchange
of streaming multimedia information including voice and video. The
oldest standard is the International Telecommunications Union (ITU)
multimedia standard H.323. This standard is utilized for both
packet telephone applications and for video streaming such as video
teleconferencing. The H.323 incorporates sub-standards such as
Q.931 for call initiation and signaling, H.245 for call negotiation
and Registration Admission and Status (RAS) for session
control.
[0231] A more recent standard is Session Initiation Protocol (SIP)
that is the Internet Engineering Task Force's standard for
multimedia conferencing over IP. SIP is an ASCII character
transmission application layer protocol that is utilized to
originate, maintain and terminate calls between two or more end
points. The control protocol is defined in the RFC 2543
documents.
[0232] There are many analogies between the two multimedia
standards: [0233] Clients must be intelligent for both standards
(protocol capable) [0234] Network Intelligence is provided by
servers in SIP, by gatekeepers in H-323 [0235] SIP is based on the
Internet/WWW, H.323 is based on Telephony Q.SIG [0236] SIP
Signaling is UDP or TCP, H.323 is also UDP (ver.3) or TCP [0237]
Medial Protocol is RTP in both standards [0238] Control Data is
ASCII in SIP, Binary in H.323 [0239] SIP embodies IETF/IP
sub-protocols, H.323 embodies ITU/ISDN sub protocols [0240] SIP is
targeted for wide interoperability; H.323 is limited to telephony
carriers.
[0241] Because the Engineering Task Force's Session Initiation
Protocol (SIP) is rapidly becoming the industry platform for
widespread application of VOIP telephony, adaptation of security
applications and appliances to utilize SIP provides an existing and
expanding platform on which to implement sophisticated security
applications. It also a allows widespread interoperability between
the security system with other IP devices supported by SIP, such as
VOIP devices. A more in-depth discussion of Session Initiation
Protocol (SIP) follows Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) is the
Internet Engineering Task Force's (IETF's) standard for multimedia
conferencing over IP. SIP is an ASCII-based, application-layer
control protocol (defined in RFC 2543) that can be used to
establish, maintain, and terminate calls between two or more end
points.
[0242] Like other VOIP protocols, SIP is designed to address the
functions of signaling and session management within a packet
telephony network. Signaling allows call information to be carried
across network boundaries. Session management provides the ability
to control the attributes of an end-to-end call.
[0243] SIP provides the capabilities to: [0244] Determine the
location of the target end point-SIP supports address resolution,
name mapping, and call redirection. [0245] Determine the media
capabilities of the target end point--Via Session Description
Protocol (SDP); SIP determines the "lowest level" of common
services between the end points. Conferences are establishing using
only the media capabilities that can be supported by all ends.
[0246] Determine the availability of the target end point-If a call
cannot be completed because the target end point is unavailable;
SIP determines whether the called party is already on the phone or
did not answer the allotted number of rings. It then returns a
message indicating why the target end point was unavailable. [0247]
Establish a session between the originating and target end
point--If the call can be completed, SIP establishes a session
between the end points. SIP also supports mid-call changes, such as
the addition of another end point to the conference or the changing
of a media characteristic or codec. [0248] Handle the transfer and
termination of calls-SIP supports the transfer of calls from one
end point to another. During a call transfer, SIP simple
establishes a session between the transferee and a new end point
(specified by the transferring party) and terminates the session
between the transferee and the transferring party. At the end of
call, SIP terminates the sessions between all parties. Conferences
can consist of two or more users and can be established using
multicast or multiple unicast sessions.
[0249] With specific reference to FIG. 35, the heart of the system
is the SIP gateway 400 with unified messaging 402. The SIP
telephones 403 are connected to the SIP proxy server 404 via a
firewall 403. Facility security databases 406 are associated with
each facility on the system and are connected to the associated
proxy server. Signal controllers 408 and links 410 are connected
via the gateway 400. Various units may be connected to the system
such as the POTS telephones 300(A), the IP telephones 300(IP); the
guard stations GS and the companion cameras 302, via both the
gateway 400 and through the PSTN network link. A PBX connection 412
may also be utilized.
[0250] Components of SIP: SIP is a peer-to-peer protocol. The peers
in a session are called User Agents (UAs). A user agent can
function in one of the following roles: [0251] User agent client
(QAC)--A client application that initiates the SIP request. [0252]
User agent server (UAS)--A server application that contacts the
user when a SIP request is received and that returns a response on
behalf of the user.
[0253] Typically, a SIP end point is capable of functioning as both
a UAC and a UAS, but functions only as one or the other per
transaction. Whether the endpoint functions as a UAC or a UAS
depends on the UA that initiated the request.
[0254] From an architecture standpoint, the physical components of
a SIP network can be grouped into two categories: clients and
servers.
[0255] In addition, the SIP servers can interact with other
application services, such as Lightweight Directory Access Protocol
(LDAP) servers, location servers, a database application, RADIUS
server, or an extensible markup language (XML) application. These
application services provide back-end services such as directory,
authentication, and billing services.
[0256] SIP Clients: SIP clients include: [0257] Phones--Can act as
either a UAS or UAC. Softphones (PCs that have phone capabilities
installed) and Cisco SIP IP phones can initiate SIP request and
respond to requests. [0258] Gateways--Provide call control.
Gateways provide many services, the most common being a translation
function between SIP conferencing endpoints and other terminal
types. This function includes translation between transmission
formats and between communications procedures. In addition, the
gateway translates between audio and video codecs and performs call
setup and clearing on both the LAN side and the switched-circuit
network side.
[0259] SIP Servers: An SIP request through a proxy server 406 is
shown in FIG. 35. If a proxy server is used, the caller UA sends
and INVITE request to the proxy server, the proxy server determines
the path, and then forwards the request to the callee. As shown in
FIG. 36, the callee responds to the proxy server, which in turn,
forwards the response to the caller, see FIG. 37. The proxy server
forwards the acknowledgements of both parties. A session is then
established between the caller and callee. Real-time transfer
protocol is used for the communication between the caller and
callee, as shown in FIG. 38. If a redirect server 420 is used, see
FIGS. 36, 37, 38, the caller UA sends and INVITE request to the
redirect sever, the redirect server contacts the location server to
determine the path to the callee, and then the redirect server
sends the information back to the caller. The caller then
acknowledges receipt of the information, as shown in FIG. 39. The
caller then sends the request to the device indicated in the
redirection information. Once the request reaches the callee, it
sends back a response and the caller acknowledges the response.
Real-time transfer protocol is used for the communication between
the caller and the callee as shown in FIG. 40.
[0260] The SIP gateway-to-SIP gateway record route and timing
sequence is shown in FIG. 41. Call redirection is shown in FIG. 42.
FIG. 43 shows call set-up in SDP for a voice call with or without
associated video. FIG. 44 shows a typical time sequence for the
audio, event and video streams associated with the system,
including audio over the telephone, event detection and associated
video.
[0261] SIP servers include: [0262] Proxy server--The proxy server
is an intermediate device that receives SIP requests from a client
and then forwards the requests on the client's behalf. Basically,
proxy servers receive SIP messages and forward them to the next SIP
server in the network. Proxy servers can provide functions such as
authentication, authorization, network access control, routing,
reliable request retransmission, and security. [0263] Redirect
server--Provides the client with information about the next hop or
hops that a message should take and then the client contacts the
next hop server or UAS directly. [0264] Registrar server--Processes
requests from UACs for registration of their current location.
Registrar servers are often co-located with redirect or proxy
server.
[0265] How SIP Works: SIP is a simple, ASCII-based protocol that
uses requests and responses to establish communication among the
various components in the network and to ultimately establish a
conference between two or more end points.
[0266] Users in a SIP network are identified by unique SIP
addresses. A SIP address is similar to an e-mail address and is in
the format of sip:userID@gateway.com. The user ID can be either a
user name or an E.164 address.
[0267] Users register with a registrar server using their assigned
SIP addresses. The registrar server provides this information to
the location server upon request.
[0268] When a user initiates a call, a SIP request is sent to a SIP
server (either a proxy or a redirect server). The request includes
the address of the caller (in the From header field) and the
address of the intended callee (in the To header field). The
following sections provide simple examples of successful,
point-to-point calls established using a proxy and a redirect
server.
[0269] Over time, a SIP end user might move between end systems.
The location of the end user can be dynamically registered with the
SIP server. The location server can use one or more protocols
(including finger, rwhois, and LDAP) to locate the end user.
Because the end user can be logged in at more than one station, it
might return more than one address for the end user. If the request
is coming through a SIP proxy server, the proxy server will try
each of the returned addresses until locates the end user. If the
request is coming through a SIP redirect server, the redirect
server forwards all the address to the caller in the Contact header
field of the invitation response.
[0270] Using A Proxy Server: If a proxy server is used, the caller
UA sends INVITE request to the proxy server, the proxy server
determines the path, and then forwards the request to the
callee.
[0271] The callee responds to the proxy server, which in turn,
forwards the response to the caller.
[0272] SIP Response Through A Proxy Server: The proxy server
forwards the acknowledgments of both parties. A session is then
established between the caller and callee. Real-time Transfer
Protocol (RTP) is used for the communication between the caller and
the callee.
[0273] Using a Redirect Server: If a redirect server is used, the
caller UA sends an INVITE request to the redirect server, the
redirect server contacts the location server to determine the path
to the callee, and then the redirect server sends that information
back to the caller. The caller then acknowledges receipt of the
information.
[0274] The caller then sends a request to the device indicated in
the redirection information (which could be the callee or another
server that will forward the request). Once the request reaches the
callee, it sends back a response and the caller acknowledges the
response. RTP is used for the communication between the caller and
the callee.
[0275] In addition to SIP, there are other protocols that
facilitate voice transmission over IP. One such protocol is H.323.
H.323 originated as an International Telecommunications Union (ITU)
multimedia standard and is used for both packet telephony and video
streaming. The H.323 standard incorporates multiple protocols,
including Q.931 for signaling, H.245 for negotiation, and
Registration Admission and Status (RAS) for session control. H.323
was the first standard for call control for VOIP and is supported
on all Cisco Systems' voice gateways. SIP and H.323 were designed
to address session control and signaling functions in a distributed
call control architecture. Although SIP and H.323 can also be used
to communicate to limited intelligence end points, they are
especially well suited for communication with intelligent end
points. Although SIP messages are not directly compatible with
H.323, both protocols can coexist in the same packet telephony
network if a device that supports the interoperability is
available. For example, a call agent could use H.323 to communicate
with gateways and use SIP for inner-call agent signaling. Then,
after the bearer connection is set up, the bearer information flows
between the different gateways as an RTP stream.
[0276] FIG. 45 depicts a system having a plurality of
pre-programmed signals in addition to the voice stream associated
with the VOIP telephone. In this configuration certain sounds such
as a gunshot or cough will activate the system as well as the voice
stream 500. In addition, preprogrammed requests in word or text
form may also be included such as HELP, POLICE, FIRE, AMBULANCE,
BLEEDING, EMS, DOCTOR and the like. The selected request is then
routed to the appropriate response team by activating a signal to a
guard station 502, police 504, fire department 506, and EMS 508 and
the like. The system data base is also notified as indicated at 510
and various notification priorities and responses may be activated
such as e-MAIL, TELEPHONE, INTERNET and WIRELESS, and the like.
[0277] While certain embodiments and features of the subject
invention have been described in detail herein it should be
understood that the subject invention includes all modifications
and enhancements within the scope and spirit of the subject
claims.
* * * * *