System and method for monitoring security at a premises

Abstract

Digital audio sensors receive and digitize audio signals and transmit the digitized signals to a central monitoring station for monitoring by an operator. The system can allow load balancing and other improvements.

1 . A security system for monitoring security at a premises comprising: 
 at least one audio sensor located at the premises that receives audio signals;    a digitizer at the premises that receives the audio signals from the at least one audio sensor and converts the audio signals to digitized audio signals; and    a central monitoring station located remote from the premises that receives the digitized audio signals and converts the digitized audio signals into audible audio for an operator that is monitoring the premises.    
   
   
       2 . (canceled)  
   
   
       3 . (canceled)  
   
   
       4 . (canceled)  
   
   
       5 . A security system according to  claim 1 , and further comprising a premises controller located at the premises and operatively connected to each audio sensor and said digitizer for receiving the digitized audio signals and transmitting said digitized audio signals through said digitizer to said central monitoring station.  
   
   
       6 . (canceled)  
   
   
       7 . (canceled)  
   
   
       8 . A security system according to  claim 1 , wherein said central monitoring station includes a server, and further comprising a client in communication with said server for accessing said server and receiving data regarding security.  
   
   
       9 . A security system according to  claim 8 , and further comprising a communications network interconnecting said client and server.  
   
   
       10 . A security system according to  claim 9 , wherein said communications network comprises an internet.  
   
   
       11 . A security system according to  claim 9 , wherein said communications network comprises a local area network.  
   
   
       12 . (canceled)  
   
   
       13 . (canceled)  
   
   
       14 . (canceled)  
   
   
       15 . (canceled)  
   
   
       16 . (canceled)  
   
   
       17 . (canceled)  
   
   
       18 . A method for monitoring security at a premises, which comprises: 
 converting an audio signal at the premises into a digitized audio signal;    transmitting the digitized audio signal along a communications network to a central monitoring station; and    converting the digitized audio signal into audio for an operator that is monitoring the premises.    
   
   
       19 . (canceled)  
   
   
       20 . A method according to  claim 18 , which further comprises transmitting the digitized audio signal from the central monitoring station along a communications network to a client for monitoring.  
   
   
       21 . A security system for monitoring security at a plurality of premises comprising: 
 at least one audio sensor located at each of the premises that receives audio signals at the respective premises;    a digitizer at each premises that receives the audio signals from respective audio sensors at the premises and converts the audio signals to digitized audio signals;    a server located remote from the plurality of premises that receives the digitized audio signals from each of the premises; and    a plurality of clients in communication with said server, wherein said server is operative for selecting a client for receiving digitized audio signals for a selected premises, and said client is operative for converting said digitized audio signals from the selected premises into audio for an operator that is monitoring the premises.    
   
   
       22 . A security system according to  claim 21 , wherein said server is operative for load balancing to select a client for receiving digitized audio signals.  
   
   
       23 . A security system according to  claim 21 , and further comprising a premises controller located at each premises for receiving the audio signals.  
   
   
       24 . A security system according to  claim 21 , wherein said communications signal comprises a signal representing a voice.  
   
   
       25 . A security system according to  claim 21 , and further comprising a communications network interconnecting said clients and server.  
   
   
       26 . A security system according to  claim 25 , wherein said communications network comprises an internet.  
   
   
       27 . A security system according to  claim 25 , wherein said communications network comprises a local area network.  
   
   
       28 . A security system according to  claim 21 , and further comprising a first receiver located at said server for receiving digitized audio signals generated by said audio sensors and a second receiver for receiving analog audio signals.  
   
   
       29 . A method for monitoring security at a plurality of premises, which comprises: 
 converting audio signals received from a plurality of audio sensors at each of the plurality of premises into a digitized audio signal;    transmitting the digitized audio signals along a communications network to a server;    selecting a client in communication with the server for receiving digitized audio signals for a selected premises; and    converting the digitized audio signals into audio for an operator that is monitoring the selected premises.