Communicating Within A Wireless Security System

Abstract

Techniques are provided that enable a wireless security system that is designed to detect and receive wireless transmissions in one protocol, to use sensor-transmitters that operate in a different protocol. The techniques involve, generally, the use of an integration device, and in some implementations, first enrolling sensor-transmitters of a first protocol into the integration device, along with device type information for the sensor-transmitters. Thereafter, during system operation, transmissions with message packets in the first message packet protocol are received by the integration device, recognized as having been previously enrolled, and a message packet in a second message packet protocol that includes device type information is then formulated and transmitted by the integration device, for receipt by a system control device for the wireless security system. In some scenarios, an enrollment process need not be done in the integration device, and the integration device is utilized in the communication process.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of communicating within a wireless security system, the method comprising:
 receiving, at an integration device, information that identifies a device type for a particular sensor-transmitter that is configured to transmit information in message packets that are each formatted according to a first packet protocol that comprises a) a first identity code field in a first identity code field format, and b) a first condition information field in a first condition information field format;   receiving, at the integration device and from the particular sensor-transmitter, a wireless transmission that includes a first message packet comprising a) a first identity code in the first identity code field, the first identity code identifying the particular sensor-transmitter from among other sensor-transmitters, and b) first sensed condition information in the first condition information field, the sensed condition information indicative of condition information sensed by the particular sensor-transmitter;   building, by the integration device, a second message packet formatted according to a second packet protocol comprising a second identity code field in a second protocol format, a device type encoding mechanism, and a second condition information field in a second condition information field format, the second message packet comprising a) a second identity code in the second identity code field, the second identity code identifying the particular sensor-transmitter from among other sensor-transmitters, b) information in the device type encoding mechanism that identifies the device type identified for the particular sensor-transmitter, and c) translated sensed condition information in the second condition information field, the translated sensed condition information being derived from the first sensed condition information; and   transmitting, by the integration device, the second packet for receipt by a system control device for the wireless security system.