Connection gateway for communicating monitoring and control information between a remotely located mobile device and premises devices/appliances on a premises network

Abstract

A home security and control system for monitoring and controlling an external environment such as a home environment comprising: an Internet browser connectable to an extranet; an extranet located external to the home environment and accessible via the Internet browser; a communications server located in the extranet and adapted to interconnect on demand with one of a series of connection gateways located in predetermined home environments; and a connection gateway located in the home environment adapted to control and/or monitor the operation of at least one security device in the home environment; wherein upon accessing a predetermined address by the Internet browser on the extranet, the communications server connects to a predetermined one of the connection gateways to control and/or monitor the operation of the security device. The extranet can ideally be implemented as a Virtual Private Network (VPN) across an Internet substrate.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system comprising:
 (a) at least one connection gateway located in a user premises network;   (b) at least one server located in a network external to the user premises network and configured to establish communication sessions involving the at least one connection gateway and one or more access devices running a user interface application; and   (c) at least one premises device or appliance located in the user premises network and communicatively coupled to the at least one connection gateway and not communicatively coupled to the server, wherein the at least one premises device or appliance is configured to output premises monitoring information and receive premises control information;   
       wherein:
 (i) one or more of the communications sessions involve the transfer of one of the premises monitoring information and the premises control information; 
 (ii) the at least one server is configured to determine which connection gateway to establish one of the communication sessions with based on authentication details received from the access device, wherein the authentication details are used by the at least one server to retrieve premises connection data; and 
 (iii) the user interface application is configured to receive and display the premises monitoring information or output premises control information. 
 
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the network is a Virtual Private Network (VPN). 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one premises device or appliance is a surveillance device. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one premises device or appliance is a user appliance. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one server is configured to receive and send the premises monitoring information and the premises control information as part of the communications sessions. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the access devices running a user interface application is configured to receive the premises monitoring information from one of the server and the connection gateway as part of the communications sessions. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the connection gateway and the at least one premises device or appliance are enclosed in a common housing. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the connection gateway is configured to generate an alarm state in response to determining that the premises monitoring information received from the at least one premises device or appliance is related to an alert condition. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the connection gateway is communicatively coupled to the at least one premises device or appliance through a wireless communications protocol. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the authentication details comprise a user name and password. 
     
     
         11 . The system, of  claim 1 , wherein the server is configured to store the premises monitoring information. 
     
     
         12 . A connection gateway comprising:
 (a) a gateway web server configured for installation at a user premises to connect to at least one service node; and   (b) a services module communicatively coupled to at least one premises device or appliance located at the user premises, wherein the connection gateway is configured to establish communications sessions involving the at least one service node and the premises device or appliance, which is not directly connected to the at least one service node, and wherein the premises device or appliance is configured to output premises monitoring information and receive premises control information;   
       wherein:
 one or more of the communication sessions involve the transfer of one of premises monitoring information and premises control information between the at least one service node and the premises device or appliance; 
 and wherein the gateway web server is further configured to:
 (i) receive or send the premises monitoring information and premises control information as part of the transfer of premises monitoring information and premises control information; 
 (ii) receive information originating from an access device upon the at least one service node's authentication based upon authentication details the at least one service node receives from the access device running a user interface application, wherein the authentication details are used by the at least one at least one service node to retrieve premises connection data and establish the one or more communications sessions; and 
 (iii) output premises monitoring information in a format for display by the access device running a user interface application. 
 
 
     
     
         13 . The connection gateway of  claim 12 , wherein the at least one premises device or appliance is a surveillance device. 
     
     
         14 . The connection gateway of  claim 12 , wherein the at least one premises device or appliance is a user appliance. 
     
     
         15 . The connection gateway of  claim 12 , wherein the access device is a mobile device. 
     
     
         16 . The connection gateway of  claim 12 , wherein the gateway web server is configured to send the premises monitoring information to one of the service node and the access device running a user interface application. 
     
     
         17 . The connection gateway of  claim 12 , wherein the services module and the at least one premises device or appliance are enclosed in a common housing. 
     
     
         18 . The connection gateway of  claim 12 , wherein the gateway web server is configured to generate an alarm state in response to determining that the premises monitoring information received from the at least one premises device or appliance is related to an alert condition. 
     
     
         19 . The connection gateway of  claim 12 , wherein the services module is communicatively coupled to the at least one premises device or appliance through a wireless communications protocol. 
     
     
         20 . The connection gateway of  claim 12 , wherein the gateway web server is configured to store the premises monitoring information. 
     
     
         21 . A provider network comprising:
 (a) a login facility server configured to authenticate users based on authentication details received by the login facility server from one or more access devices running a user interface application; and   (b) a communications server configured to establish communications sessions involving the provider network and at least one connection gateway located in a user premises network and configured to receive from the connection gateway premises monitoring information from at least one premises device or appliance located at the user premises and receive premises control information from one or more access devices running a user interface application, wherein the at least one premises device or appliance is configured to output premises monitoring information and receive premises control information; and   wherein:
 (i) the communications server is not directly communicatively coupled to the premises device or appliance; 
 (ii) one or more of the communications sessions involve the sharing of premises monitoring information and premises control information between the access device and the premises device or appliance; 
 (iii) the communications server is configured to receive the premises monitoring information and send the premises control information as part of one or more of the communications sessions; 
 (iv) the communications server is configured to determine which connection gateway to establish one of the communication sessions with based on the authentication details, wherein the authentication details are used by the provider network to retrieve premises connection data; and 
 (v) the communications server is configured to provide premises information to the access device in a format for display by the user interface application. 
   
     
     
         22 . The provider network of  claim 21 , wherein the at least one premises device or appliance is a surveillance device. 
     
     
         23 . The provider network of  claim 21 , wherein the at least one premises device or appliance is a user appliance. 
     
     
         24 . The provider network of  claim 21 , wherein the connection gateway and the at least one premises device or appliance are enclosed in a common housing. 
     
     
         25 . The provider network of  claim 21 , wherein the connection gateway is configured to generate an alarm state in response to determining that the premises monitoring information received from the at least one premises device or appliance is related to an alert condition. 
     
     
         26 . The provider network of  claim 21 , wherein the services module is communicatively coupled to the at least one premises device or appliance through a wireless communications protocol. 
     
     
         27 . The provider network of  claim 21 , wherein the communications server is configured to store the premises monitoring information. 
     
     
         28 . Computer readable program code configured to cause an access device to perform a method of receiving premises monitoring information and sending premises control information comprising:
 (a) initiating a communications session by a provider network involving an access device and a communications gateway, wherein the communications session is initiated based on authentication details received by the provider network from the access device, wherein the authentication details are used by the provider network to retrieve premises connection data related to the communications gateway;   (b) sending premises control information to one of the provider network and the connection gateway for delivery through the connection gateway to a premises device or appliance, wherein the connection gateway is located in a user premises network and is communicatively coupled to the premises device or appliance, wherein the premises device or appliance is configured to output premises monitoring information and receive premises control information and is not otherwise connected to the provider network; and   (c) receiving premises monitoring information from one of the provider network and the connection gateway and processing the premises monitoring information for display by the access device.   
     
     
         29 . The computer readable program code of  claim 28 , wherein the access device is configured to receive an alarm state from one of the communications gateway and the provider network in response to a determination that the premises monitoring information received from the at least one premises device or appliance is related to an alert condition. 
     
     
         30 . The computer readable program code of  claim 28 , wherein the connection gateway is communicatively coupled to the at least one premises device or appliance through a wireless communications protocol.