Security system with smart connection module

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11455164-B2
Application number	US-202017128469-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 21, 2020
Priority date	Oct 2, 2018
Publication date	Sep 27, 2022
Grant date	Sep 27, 2022

Abstract

Systems and techniques are described for a sensor designed to connect to and monitor devices in an ecosystem. In some implementations, a system monitors a property that includes the sensor configured to generate sensor data reflecting an attribute of the property. The sensor includes a host board that generates the sensor data and a core board connected to the host board. The core board identifies a type of the host board and communicates with a monitor control unit. The monitor control unit receives a request for firmware associated with the type of the host board from the sensor. In response, the monitor control unit accesses the firmware and transmits the firmware to the sensor. The core board of the sensor receives the firmware and stores the firmware. The core board receives the sensor data from the host board and transmits the sensor data to the monitor control unit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A sensor that is configured to generate sensor data that reflects an attribute of a property, the sensor comprising:
a host board that is configured to generate the sensor data; and
a core board that is connected to the host board, that is configured to identify a type of the host board, and that is configured to communicate with a control device of a monitoring system that monitors the property,
wherein the core board of the sensor is configured to:
send, to the control device of the monitoring system, a request for firmware associated with the type of the host board;
receive, from the control device of the monitoring system, the firmware associated with the type of the host board;
store the firmware associated with the type of the host board;
receive, from the host board, the sensor data; and
transmit, to the control device of the monitoring system, the sensor data.

2. The sensor of claim 1 , wherein the core board is configured to:
connect to the host board through an adaptable connector that comprises one or more pin connectors;
retrieve the firmware associated with the type of the host board from a memory of the core board; and
configure a function of the one or more pin connectors based on the firmware associated with the type of the host board.

3. The sensor of claim 2 , wherein the one or more pin connectors comprise multi-function pins and single function pins.

4. The sensor of claim 3 , wherein a function of at least one of the multi-function pins is configured to change based on the type of the host board.

5. The sensor of claim 3 , wherein a function of each of the multi-function pins is configured to change based on the type of the host board.

6. The sensor of claim 2 , wherein a pin connector layout of the adaptable connector comprises 22 multi-function purpose pins, 23 power and ground pins, and 21 single function pins.

7. The sensor of claim 2 , wherein the core board is configured to:
maintain the one or more pin connectors in RESET mode until configuring the function of the one or more pin connectors based on the firmware associated with the type of the host board.

8. The sensor of claim 2 , wherein the core board is configured to identify a type of the host board by:
transmitting a request to a memory of the host board; and
receiving data identifying the type of the host board from the memory of the host board.

9. The sensor of claim 8 , wherein the data identifying the type of the host board comprises unique serial information of the host board.

10. The sensor of claim 8 , wherein the data identifying the type of the host board comprises data indicating a product type of the host board.

11. The sensor of claim 8 , wherein the data identifying the type of the host board comprises a pin configuration for the one or more pin connectors based on the product type of the host board.

12. The sensor of claim 8 , wherein the data identifying the type of the host board comprises unique serial information of the host board, data indicating a product type of the host board, and a pin configuration for the one or more pin connectors based on the product type of the host board.

13. The sensor of claim 1 , wherein the core board comprises one or more add-on boards that provide additional functionality to the core board and the host board.

14. The sensor of claim 1 , wherein the core board is configured to:
connect to an additional host board that is different from the host board;
identify a type of the additional host board;
determine that additional firmware corresponding to the additional host board is not locally found on the core board;
transmit a request to the control device for the additional firmware;
receive the additional firmware from the control device; and
configure a function of one or more pin connectors based on the additional firmware associated with the type of the additional host board.

15. The sensor of claim 14 , wherein the type of the additional host board is a thermostat specific host board and the type of the host board is a smoke sensor specific host board.

16. A method comprising:
identifying, by a core board that is connected to a host board, a type of the host board, the host board being configured to generate sensor data that reflects an attribute of a property and the core board being configured to communicate with a control device of a monitoring system that monitors the property;
sending, by the core board and to the control device of the monitoring system, a request for firmware associated with the type of the host board;
receiving, by the core board and from the control device of the monitoring system, the firmware associated with the type of the host board;
storing, by the core board, the firmware associated with the type of the host board;
receiving, by the core board and from the host board, the sensor data; and
transmitting, by the core board and to the control device of the monitoring system, the sensor data.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:
connecting, by the core board, to the host board through an adaptable connector that comprises one or more pin connectors;
retrieving, by the core board, the firmware associated with the type of the host board from a memory of the core board; and
configuring, by the core board, a function of the one or more pin connectors based on the firmware associated with the type of the host board.

18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:
maintaining, by the core board, the one or more pin connectors in RESET mode until configuring the function of the one or more pin connectors based on the firmware associated with the type of the host board.

19. The method of claim 16 , wherein identifying the type of the host board comprises:
transmitting a request to a memory of the host board; and
receiving data identifying the type of the host board from the memory of the host board.

20. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:
connecting, by the core board, to an additional host board that is different from the host board;
identifying, by the core board, a type of the additional host board;
determining, by the core board, that additional firmware corresponding to the additional host board is not locally found on the core board;
transmitting, by the core board, a request to the control device for the additional firmware;
receiving, by the core board, the additional firmware from the control device; and
configuring, by the core board, a function of one or more pin connectors based on the additional firmware associated with the type of the additional host board.

Assignees

• Alarm Com Inc

Inventors

• Ulen Colin

Classifications

• G08B26/008

  central annunciator means of the sensed conditions, e.g. displaying or registering · CPC title

• H05K1/117

  Pads along the edge of rigid circuit boards, e.g. for pluggable connectors · CPC title

• H05K7/1451

  with connections between circuit boards or units · CPC title

• H05K2201/09163

  Slotted edge · CPC title

• G06F8/654 Primary

  using techniques specially adapted for alterable solid state memories, e.g. for EEPROM or flash memories · CPC title