Energy monitoring system and method

Abstract

In one embodiment, a video surveillance, communications, and control system for the home is disclosed. The system may include one or more video cameras located in one or more rooms in a home, one or more motion detectors in one or more rooms in a home, one or more lights in the one or more rooms, each of the one or more lights being remotely controllable, and a console. The console may display video images sent from the one or more video cameras. The console may include a split screen capability for viewing one or more images of the one or more rooms, one or more buttons for remotely controlling lights in the one or more rooms, one or more motion indicators describing which of the one or more rooms have motion, and at least one button that enables a user to signal the police or security company.

1 . A video surveillance, communications, and control system for a home, the system comprising:
 one or more video cameras located in one or more rooms in the home;   one or more motion detectors in one or more rooms in the home;   one or more lights in the one or more rooms, each of the one or more lights being remotely controllable; and   a control console configured to display one or more images of the one or more rooms captured by the one or more video cameras, the control console including:
 a split screen capability for displaying at least two images of the one or more rooms; 
 a light control capability for remotely controlling the one or more lights in the one or more rooms; 
 one or more motion indicators describing which of the one or more rooms have motion; and 
 at least one button that enables a user to signal the police or security company. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the control console has a touchscreen capability. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the light control capability uses the touchscreen capability. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the split screen capability uses the touchscreen capability for the user to choose one or more images to display. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein the console displays the chosen one or more images. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein at least two of the one or more video cameras are in one of the one or more rooms. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein one of the one or more lights is associated with one of the one or more video cameras. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein one of the one or more lights is associated with one of the one or more motion detectors. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the system has a voice command capability. 
     
     
         10 . A control console for a video surveillance system for a home, the control console including:
 a display capable of displaying to a user one or more video images of one or more rooms in the home, the one or more video images captured by one or more video cameras located in the one or more of rooms in the home;   motion indicators for informing the user which rooms in the home contain a potential intruder when one or more motion detectors in one or more rooms in the home detects motion;   a split screen capability for viewing, at the same time, at least two images of the one or more video images of one or more rooms in the home;   a light control capability for remotely controlling one or more lights in one or more rooms where each of the one or more lights may initially be off and then may be remotely turned on by the user; and   at least one button enabling the user to signal the police or a security company.   
     
     
         11 . The control console of  claim 10 , wherein the control console has a touchscreen capability. 
     
     
         12 . The control console of  claim 11 , wherein the light control capability uses the touchscreen capability. 
     
     
         13 . The control console of  claim 11 , wherein the split screen capability uses the touchscreen capability for the user to choose one or more images to display. 
     
     
         14 . The control console of  claim 13 , wherein the console displays the chosen one or more images. 
     
     
         15 . The control console of  claim 10 , wherein the console displays two or more images from two of the one or more video cameras that are in one of the one or more rooms. 
     
     
         16 . The control console of  claim 10 , wherein the console has a voice command capability. 
     
     
         17 . The control console of  claim 10  capable of associating one of the one or more lights with one of the one or more video cameras. 
     
     
         18 . The control console of  claim 10  capable of associating one of the one or more lights with one of the one or more motion detectors. 
     
     
         19 . A video surveillance, communications, and control system for a building comprising:
 one or more video cameras located in one or more areas of the building;   one or more motion detectors in one or more areas in the home;   one or more lights in the one or more rooms, each of the one or more lights being remotely controllable; and   a control console configured to display one or more images of the one or more areas captured by the one or more video cameras, the control console including:
 a split screen capability for displaying at least two images of the one or more areas; 
 a light control capability for remotely controlling the one or more lights in the one or more areas; 
 one or more motion indicators describing which of the one or more areas have motion; and 
 at least one button that enables a user to signal the police or security company. 
   
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein at least one of the one or more areas of the building is outside.