Security system with serial number coding and methods therefor

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] This invention relates to security systems, and in particular to a system and method for using a masking algorithm as an operator on a security system device serial number to ensure that the device is compliant with the system.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] Random or sequential serial numbers have been used to set up unique identification codes for various radio controlled appliances such as garage door openers, and security systems devices such as intrusion detectors, smoke alarms, PIR sensors, etc. These identification codes are embedded in each security system device and registered or “learned” at the time of their installation by the control panel that operates the security system. Once registered with the control panel, the device will be able to communicate with the control panel as required (e.g. send and receive status messages, etc.) A device that has not been properly registered will be unable to communicate with the control panel.

[0003] It may be desirable for a security system to register security devices manufactured at a certain location, but not from others, even if the serialization and other communications protocols would otherwise render the device registrable. As such, the present invention relates to the use of an encoding algorithm utilizing the existing serial number formats to allow or disallow registration of particular security devices, depending on the implementation of the algorithm.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0004] Provided is a method for configuring a security system in which a plurality of security devices are programmed with a unique identification number, and those security devices are subsequently installed in a security system.

[0005] The security devices are programmed with unique identification numbers by first generating a series of initial serial numbers, and for each of those serial numbers, then applying a masking algorithm to the serial number. If is the masking application provides a true result, then the security device is programmed with that serial number. If the masking application provides a false result, then the serial number is discarded and not used.

[0006] The installation of the security device includes the process of obtaining the serial number from the security device, and then applying the masking algorithm to the serial number. Registration of the security device with the control panel is allowed if the masking algorithm application provides a true result, and registration is disallowed if the masking algorithm application provides a false result.

[0007] As a result, any security device that does not provide a true result when the masking algorithm is applied will not be registered. If a security device is provided to an installer by a manufacturer that has not utilized the masking as a sort of screening process, it may not be registrable.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

[0008]FIG. 1A is a block diagram of the system of the present invention;

[0009]FIG. 2 is detailed block diagram illustrating the encoding of the serial number in conjunction with the masking algorithm;

[0010]FIG. 3 is a table illustrating the functionality of an example masking algorithm;

[0011]FIG. 3A shows a table that contains the subset of those serial numbers used from the sample in FIG. 3;

[0012]FIG. 4 is a block diagram of the application of the masking algorithm at the device registration;

[0013]FIGS. 5 and 6 are flowcharts of the present invention;

[0014]FIG. 7 is a block diagram of an alternative embodiment of the invention; and

[0015]FIG. 8 is a table showing the results of the logic operations of the circuit of FIG. 7.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0016] The preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described with respect to the Figures. A security system device <b>8</b>, such as a PIR sensor, intrusion detector, smoke alarm or the like, is programmed with a unique serial number or identification number sometime during the manufacturing process. A serial number generation function <b>6</b> operates in conjunction with a mask generation algorithm <b>4</b> to utilize only certain serial numbers from the pool of available serial numbers; i.e. only those that meet or comply with the masking algorithm. After the device <b>8</b> is distributed to a system installer, it is physically connected to a control panel <b>12</b> (either by wired bus <b>14</b> or a wireless connection such as an RF link) and a registration or learning process is undertaken by the control panel. During this process, the control panel will store the serial number of the device <b>8</b> so that it can communicate with it during normal operation, as well known in the art. In accordance with this invention, a mask reading algorithm <b>10</b> is applied to ensure that the control panel will learn only the serial numbers of the compliant devices <b>8</b>.

[0017]FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of the serial number generation and masking of the present invention, and FIG. 5 is a flowchart of the methodology employed. In this embodiment, serial numbers are generated sequentially by using a counter function <b>20</b>, which simply cycles through a given pool of serial numbers as required. A 16-bit serial number <b>20</b> is generated that can range from 0000000000000000 to 1111111111111111. Of course, any size serial number may be used, and a 16-bit number is shown here for illustration purposes only. In addition, other types of serial number generation methods may be used, such as a random or pseudo-random number generator.

[0018] An exclusive-OR gate <b>24</b> operates on two of the available bits, which may be arbitrarily chosen. In this example, Bit <b>1</b> and Bit <b>4</b> are used, but any combination will work within the spirit and scope of this invention. Moreover, any number of inputs may be used, bearing in mind that the number of bits operated on will affect the amount of available serial numbers as will become apparent below.

[0019] An Enable signal <b>25</b> is generated by the XOR gate <b>24</b>, which will be true (logic 1) whenever the inputs bits are different, and which will be false (logic 0) when they are the same. FIG. 3 is a table that shows the progression of this relationship for a sample subset of the available states of the serial number. Whenever the Enable signal <b>25</b> is true, the serial number <b>22</b> will be utilized by the programming logic function <b>26</b> to program the associated device with that serial is 15 number by programming it into a register <b>28</b> on the device as well known in the art. Whenever the Enable signal <b>25</b> is false, however, the serial number will be discarded and not programmed into the register <b>28</b>. The counter <b>20</b> will increment to the next sequential serial number, and the same logic process will be undertaken until the Enable signal <b>25</b> is true and the associated serial number is used to program the device.

[0020] As a result, only those serial numbers where Bit <b>1</b> and Bit <b>4</b> have different values will be used; those where both bits are logic one or both bits are logic 0 will not be used. FIG. 3A shows a table that contains the subset of those serial numbers used from the sample in FIG. 3. As a variation, any logic function such as an OR gate or an AND gate could be used, and of course the resulting truth table that produces Enable <b>25</b> will change accordingly.

[0021]FIG. 4 is a block diagram of the application of the masking algorithm at the device registration stage, used to ensure that only compliant devices will be learned by the control panel. FIG. 6 is a flowchart of the methodology employed herein. A device data word <b>40</b> is output by the device during the learning/registration stage in a manner well known in the art. Included in the device data word <b>40</b> is the device serial number <b>22</b>, which had been previously programmed into the device as explained above. Bits <b>1</b> and <b>4</b> are extracted by the control panel logic and input into an exclusive-OR gate <b>42</b>, and an Enable signal <b>44</b> is generated by the output of the XOR gate. When Bits <b>1</b> and <b>4</b> are opposite states, then the Enable signal <b>44</b> is true, and the device registration logic <b>46</b> is allowed to store the serial number <b>22</b> into the control panel device table <b>48</b>, as well known the art. This table <b>48</b> is used by the control panel during normal operations to determine if the device that is trying to communicate with the control panel has been properly registered. Of course, any device that has been manufactured using the masking algorithm explained in FIG. 2 will be compliant with the registration process described here, and will be properly registered in the table <b>48</b>.

[0022] If, however, a non-compliant device (i.e. one with bits <b>1</b> and <b>4</b> both logic 0 or both logic 1) tries to register with the control panel, then the Enable signal <b>44</b> will be false and the device registration logic will disallow registration of the serial number <b>22</b> with the control panel device table <b>48</b>. Optionally, user feedback could be provided (such as a beep or visual display), to signal to the installer that the process has failed.

[0023] The masking functionality employed by this invention may also be used for another purpose; for segregating device types amongst the available serial numbers, rather than (or in addition to) filtering out serial numbers from the available pool. That is, by preparing appropriate logic functions with selected bits of the serial number, certain serial numbers can be used to program smoke alarms, others can be used to program PIRs, etc., depending on the bits chosen, the algorithm (i.e. logic) chosen, etc. This may result in sequential blocks of numbers being used for a given type of device (in a simple case), but it is not necessary to have sequential numbers.

[0024]FIG. 7 illustrates an example of this embodiment. There, three types of devices may be programmed with serial numbers as determined by logic functions <b>70</b>, <b>72</b> and <b>74</b>. That is, smoke alarm device serial number registers <b>78</b>, microwave device serial number registers <b>80</b>, and PIR device serial number registers <b>82</b> will be programmed with a given serial number in accordance with the map shown in FIG. 8. When SMOKE ALARM signal <b>71</b> is true due to the logic states of Bits <b>0</b>, <b>2</b> and <b>3</b>, then the serial number <b>22</b>, generated by the counter <b>84</b>, will be used to program the serial number register of a smoke alarm device <b>78</b>. When MICROWAVE signal <b>73</b> is true due to the logic states of Bits <b>0</b>, <b>2</b> and <b>3</b>, then the serial number <b>22</b> will be used to program the serial number register of a microwave device <b>80</b>. When PIR signal <b>82</b> is true due to the logic states of Bits <b>0</b>, <b>2</b> and <b>3</b>, then the serial number <b>22</b> will be used to program the serial number register of a PIR device <b>82</b>. Other logic functions and bit selections may of course be made in the spirit and scope of this invention.

[0025] At the control panel, similar logic functions will be utilized to parse the serial number of a device that is being registered, and the control panel logic will know that type of device being registered by examining the serial number bits in the same manner. This information can be used by the control panel in any manner necessary as a result of this intelligent registration process.