510, a second timing block 520, and a third timing block 530. The first timing block 510 includes an example half-wave pulse 512 for powering up circuitry in an electronic chime such that the circuitry can accept a ring signal corresponding to a ring power signal 522 of the second timing block 520. The first timing block 510 also includes an example half-wave pulse 514 for a power sharing sequence that enables batteryless operation of the video doorbell 202, the electronic chime 208, or both. The second timing block 520 includes an indication of shorting or interrupting the ring power signal 522 for a predetermined, threshold time period.

During this predetermined, threshold time period, the video doorbell 202 can generate a power signal concurrent with generating the ring power signal and in response to interrupting the half-wave pulse 512. This power signal can be a capacitor-based power signal generated using one or more super capacitors installed at a circuit integrated in the video doorbell 202. The power sharing sequence provides power to the video doorbell using the power signal concurrent with causing the chime to initiate outputting the audio using the chime/ring power signal.

FIG. 6 illustrates an example circuit 600 for implementing the power sequencing technique. The circuit 600 includes circuit blocks that cooperate to generate one or more power signals. For example, circuit 600 includes a first circuit block 602 configured to generate a power signal 608 that rings an electronic chime, which causes the electronic chime to initiate outputting or playing audio. The power signal 208 generated at circuit block 602 can correspond to an AC power signal generated from a source such as transformer 204. In some implementations, power signal 208 is a full wave sinusoidal or square alternating current (“A/C”) power signal.

Circuit 600 includes a second circuit block 604 configured to generate a power signal 610. For example, the power signal 610 can be a half-wave pulse. In some implementations, the power signal 610 is a half-wave rectified AC waveform signal. Circuit 600 includes a third circuit block 606 configured to generate a power signal 612. In some implementations, circuit block 606 is alternative option for generating a power signal that is the same as, or substantially similar to, the power signal 608. In some implementations, the circuit 600 may be included as part of the video doorbell 202. In some other implementations, the circuit 600 is a special-purpose circuit that includes multiple circuits or circuit portions, where some (or all) of the circuits may be separate from the video doorbell 202, included as part of the video doorbell 202, or included with the electronic chime 208.

FIG. 7 illustrates an example process 700 for executing the power sequencing technique. Process 700 is implemented or executed using at least the electronic chime 208, the circuit 600, and other associated hardware circuitry of the video doorbell 202. For example, process 700 can be implemented using a special-purpose circuit for powering an electronic chime that outputs audio in response to a trigger event detected by video doorbell 202. Hence, descriptions of process 700 will reference the computing resources described herein. In some examples, the steps or actions of process 700 are enabled by programmed software instructions, firmware instructions, or both. Each type of instruction may be stored in a non-transitory machine-readable storage device and is executable by one or more of the processors or other resources described in this specification.

Referring again to process 700, a first power signal is received at the circuit (710). The first power signal can be an AC power signal received from a source such as transformer 208. A half-wave pulse for a power sharing sequence of the circuit is generated based on the first power signal (720). The half-wave pulse can be generated for a predetermined, threshold time period. For example, the threshold time period can be approximately 0.5 seconds to 1.5 seconds. The half-wave pulse that was generated based on the first power signal is interrupted using control logic of the circuit 600 (730). For example, as described above with reference to FIG. 5, the second timing block 520 includes an indication of shorting or interrupting the ring power signal 522 for a predetermined, threshold time period. In some implementations, the first power signal is interrupted based on an interrupt control signal of a control logic of a microcontroller of circuit 600 or system 100.

A second power signal is generated in response to interrupting the half-wave pulse (740). The second power signal is generated for a first predetermined, threshold time period. In some implementations, the first predetermined, threshold time period is approximately ¾ of one second. In some other implementations, the first predetermined, threshold time period is a value selected from a range between ½ of one second to one second.

The second power signal corresponds to the first power signal and causes the electronic chime to initiate outputting the audio. For example, the second power signal can include a signal waveform that corresponds to, or is consistent with, a signal waveform of the first power signal. In some implementations, the first power signal and the first second power signal are full wave sinusoidal or square alternating current (“A/C”) power signals.

In some implementations, the video doorbell is configured to generate a third power signal concurrent with generating the second power signal. For example, the third power signal is generated in response to interrupting the half-wave pulse. The system 100 can provide power to the video doorbell 202 using the third power signal concurrent with causing the chime to initiate outputting the audio using the second power signal. For example, the video doorbell 202 can generate a power signal concurrent with generating the ring power signal and in response to interrupting the half-wave pulse 512. This power signal (e.g., third power signal) can be a capacitor-based power signal generated using one or more super capacitors installed at a circuit integrated in the video doorbell 202. Thus, the system 100 or video doorbell 202 can generate the third power signal (or other power signals) from at least one super capacitor installed at the circuit.

After causing the electronic chime to initiate outputting the audio using the second power signal, process 700 resumes generating the half-wave pulse to power the electronic chime using the power sharing sequence (750). For example, the video doorbell of system 100 can generate the example half-wave pulse 514 for the power sharing sequence to power the electronic chime and to enable batteryless operation of the video doorbell 202, the electronic chime 208, or both.

FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of a home monitoring system 800. The monitoring system 800 includes a network 805, a control unit 810, one or more user devices 840 and 850, a monitoring server 860, and a central alarm station server 870. In some examples, the network 805 facilitates communications between the control unit 810, the one or more user devices 840 and 850, the monitoring server 860, and the central alarm station server 870.

The network 805 is configured to enable exchange of electronic communications between devices connected to the network 805. For example, the network 805 may be configured to enable exchange of electronic communications between the control unit 810, the one or more user devices 840 and 850, the monitoring server 860, and the central alarm station server 870. The network 805 may include, for example, one or more of the Internet, Wide Area Networks (WANs), Local Area Networks (LANs), analog or digital wired and wireless telephone networks (e.g., a public switched telephone network (PSTN), Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN), a cellular network, and Digital Subscriber Line (DSL)), radio, television, cable, satellite, or any other delivery or tunneling mechanism for carrying data. Network 805 may include multiple networks or subnetworks, each of which may include, for example, a wired or wireless data pathway. The network 805 may include a circuit-switched network, a packet-switched data network, or any other network able to carry electronic communications (e.g., data or voice communications). For example, the network 805 may include networks based on the Internet protocol (IP), asynchronous transfer mode (ATM), the PSTN, packet-switched networks based on IP, x.25, or Frame Relay, or other comparable technologies and may support voice using, for example, VoIP, or other comparable protocols used for voice communications. The network 805 may include one or more networks that include wireless data channels and wireless voice channels. The network 805 may be a wireless network, a broadband network, or a combination of networks including a wireless network and a broadband network.

The control unit 810 includes a controller 812 and a network module 816. The controller 812 is configured to control a control unit monitoring system (e.g., a control unit system) that includes the control unit 810. In some examples, the controller 812 may include a processor or other control circuitry configured to execute instructions of a program that controls operation of a control unit system. In these examples, the controller 812 may be configured to receive input from sensors, flow meters, or other devices included in the control unit system and control operations of devices included in the household (e.g., speakers, lights, doors, etc.). For example, the controller 812 may be configured to control operation of the network module 816 included in the control unit 810.

The network module 816 is a communication device configured to exchange communications over the network 805. The network module 816 may be a wireless communication module configured to exchange wireless communications over the network 805. For example, the network module 816 may be a wireless communication device configured to exchange communications over a wireless data channel and a wireless voice channel. In this example, the network module 816 may transmit alarm data over a wireless data channel and establish a two-way voice communication session over a wireless voice channel. The wireless communication device may include one or more of a LTE module, a GSM module, a radio modem, cellular transmission module, or any type of module configured to exchange communications in one of the following formats: LTE, GSM or GPRS, 5G CDMA, EDGE or EGPRS, EV-DO or EVDO, UMTS, or IP.

The network module 816 also may be a wired communication module configured to exchange communications over the network 805 using a wired connection. For instance, the network module 816 may be a modem, a network interface card, or another type of network interface device. The network module 816 may be an Ethernet network card configured to enable the control unit 810 to communicate over a local area network and/or the Internet. The network module 816 also may be a voice band modem configured to enable the alarm panel to communicate over the telephone lines of Plain Old Telephone Systems (POTS).

The control unit system that includes the control unit 810 includes one or more sensors. For example, the monitoring system may include multiple sensors 820. The sensors 820 may include a lock sensor, a contact sensor, a motion sensor, or any other type of sensor included in a control unit system. The sensors 820 also may include an environmental sensor, such as a temperature sensor, a water sensor, a rain sensor, a wind sensor, a light sensor, a smoke detector, a carbon monoxide detector, an air quality sensor, etc. The sensors 820 further may include a health monitoring sensor, such as a prescription bottle sensor that monitors taking of prescriptions, a blood pressure sensor, a blood sugar sensor, a bed mat configured to sense presence of liquid (e.g., bodily fluids) on the bed mat, etc. In some examples, the health-monitoring sensor can be a wearable sensor that attaches to a user in the home. The health-monitoring sensor can collect various health data, including pulse, heart rate, respiration rate, sugar or glucose level, bodily temperature, or motion data.

The sensors 820 can also include a radio-frequency identification (RFID) sensor that identifies a particular article that includes a pre-assigned RFID tag.

The control unit 810 communicates with the home automation controls 822 and a camera 830 to perform monitoring. The home automation controls 822 are connected to one or more devices that enable automation of actions in the home. For instance, the home automation controls 822 may be connected to one or more lighting systems and may be configured to control operation of the one or more lighting systems. In addition, the home automation controls 822 may be connected to one or more electronic locks at the home and may be configured to control operation of the one or more electronic locks (e.g., control Z-Wave locks using wireless communications in the Z-Wave protocol). Further, the home automation controls 822 may be connected to one or more appliances at the home and may be configured to control operation of the one or more appliances. The home automation controls 822 may include multiple modules that are each specific to the type of device being controlled in an automated manner. The home automation controls 822 may control the one or more devices based on commands received from the control unit 810. For instance, the home automation controls 822 may cause a lighting system to illuminate an area to provide a better image of the area when captured by a camera 830.

The camera 830 may be a video/photographic camera or other type of optical sensing device configured to capture images. For instance, the camera 830 may be configured to capture images of an area within a building or home monitored by the control unit 810. The camera 830 may be configured to capture single, static images of the area and also video images of the area in which multiple images of the area are captured at a relatively high frequency (e.g., thirty images per second). The camera 830 may be controlled based on commands received from the control unit 810.

The camera 830 may be triggered by several different types of techniques. For instance, a Passive Infra-Red (PIR) motion sensor may be built into the camera 830 and used to trigger the camera 830 to capture one or more images when motion is detected. The camera 830 also may include a microwave motion sensor built into the camera and used to trigger the camera 830 to capture one or more images when motion is detected. The camera 830 may have a “normally open” or “normally closed” digital input that can trigger capture of one or more images when external sensors (e.g., the sensors 820, PIR, door/window, etc.) detect motion or other events. In some implementations, the camera 830 receives a command to capture an image when external devices detect motion or another potential alarm event. The camera 830 may receive the command from the controller 812 or directly from one of the sensors 820.

In some examples, the camera 830 triggers integrated or external illuminators (e.g., Infra-Red, Z-wave controlled “white” lights, lights controlled by the home automation controls 822, etc.) to improve image quality when the scene is dark. An integrated or separate light sensor may be used to determine if illumination is desired and may result in increased image quality.

The camera 830 may be programmed with any combination of time/day schedules, system “arming state”, or other variables to determine whether images should be captured or not when triggers occur. The camera 830 may enter a low-power mode when not capturing images. In this case, the camera 830 may wake periodically to check for inbound messages from the controller 812. The camera 830 may be powered by internal, replaceable batteries if located remotely from the control unit 810. The camera 830 may employ a small solar cell to recharge the battery when light is available. Alternatively, the camera 830 may be powered by the controller's 812 power supply if the camera 830 is co-located with the controller 812.

In some implementations, the camera 830 communicates directly with the monitoring server 860 over the Internet. In these implementations, image data captured by the camera 830 does not pass through the control unit 810 and the camera 830 receives commands related to operation from the monitoring server 860.

The system 800 may also include a thermostat 834 to perform dynamic environmental control at the home. The thermostat 834 is configured to monitor temperature and/or energy consumption of an HVAC system associated with the thermostat 834, and is further configured to provide control of environmental (e.g., temperature) settings. In some implementations, the thermostat 834 can additionally or alternatively receive data relating to activity at a home and/or environmental data at a home, e.g., at various locations indoors and outdoors at the home. The thermostat 834 can directly measure energy consumption of the HVAC system associated with the thermostat, or can estimate energy consumption of the HVAC system associated with the thermostat 834, for example, based on detected usage of one or more components of the HVAC system associated with the thermostat 834. The thermostat 834 can communicate temperature and/or energy monitoring information to or from the control unit 810 and can control the environmental (e.g., temperature) settings based on commands received from the control unit 810.

In some implementations, the thermostat 834 is a dynamically programmable thermostat and can be integrated with the control unit 810. For example, the dynamically programmable thermostat 834 can include the control unit 810, e.g., as an internal component to the dynamically programmable thermostat 834. In addition, the control unit 810 can be a gateway device that communicates with the dynamically programmable thermostat 834. In some implementations, the thermostat 834 is controlled via one or more home automation controls 822.

A module 837 is connected to one or more components of an HVAC system associated with a home, and is configured to control operation of the one or more components of the HVAC system. In some implementations, the module 837 is also configured to monitor energy consumption of the HVAC system components, for example, by directly measuring the energy consumption of the HVAC system components or by estimating the energy usage of the one or more HVAC system components based on detecting usage of components of the HVAC system. The module 837 can communicate energy monitoring information and the state of the HVAC system components to the thermostat 834 and can control the one or more components of the HVAC system based on commands received from the thermostat 834.

In some examples, the system 800 further includes one or more robotic devices 890. The robotic devices 890 may be any type of robots that are capable of moving and taking actions that assist in home monitoring. For example, the robotic devices 890 may include drones that are capable of moving throughout a home based on automated control technology and/or user input control provided by a user. In this example, the drones may be able to fly, roll, walk, or otherwise move about the home. The drones may include helicopter type devices (e.g., quad copters), rolling helicopter type devices (e.g., roller copter devices that can fly and roll along the ground, walls, or ceiling) and land vehicle type devices (e.g., automated cars that drive around a home). In some cases, the robotic devices 890 may be devices that are intended for other purposes and merely associated with the system 800 for use in appropriate circumstances. For instance, a robotic vacuum cleaner device may be associated with the monitoring system 800 as one of the robotic devices 890 and may be controlled to take action responsive to monitoring system events.

In some examples, the robotic devices 890 automatically navigate within a home or outside a home. In these examples, the robotic devices 890 include sensors and control processors that guide movement of the robotic devices 890 within the home or outside the home. For instance, the robotic devices 890 may navigate within the home using one or more cameras, one or more proximity sensors, one or more gyroscopes, one or more accelerometers, one or more magnetometers, a global positioning system (GPS) unit, an altimeter, one or more sonar or laser sensors, and/or any other types of sensors that aid in navigation about a space. The robotic devices 890 may include control processors that process output from the various sensors and control the robotic devices 890 to move along a path that reaches the desired destination and avoids obstacles. In this regard, the control processors detect walls or other obstacles in the home or outside the home and guide movement of the robotic devices 890 in a manner that avoids the walls, trees, fences, and other obstacles.

In addition, the robotic devices 890 may store data that describes attributes of the home and the area outside the home. For instance, the robotic devices 890 may store a floorplan, a property map, and/or a three-dimensional model of the home that enables the robotic devices 890 to navigate the home. During initial configuration, the robotic devices 890 may receive the data describing attributes of the home, determine a frame of reference to the data (e.g., a home or reference location in the home), and navigate the home based on the frame of reference and the data describing attributes of the home. Further, initial configuration of the robotic devices 890 also may include learning of one or more navigation patterns in which a user provides input to control the robotic devices 890 to perform a specific navigation action (e.g., fly to an upstairs bedroom and spin around while capturing video and then return to a home charging base). In this regard, the robotic devices 890 may learn and store the navigation patterns such that the robotic devices 890 may automatically repeat the specific navigation actions upon a later request.

In some examples, the robotic devices 890 may include data capture and recording devices. In these examples, the robotic devices 890 may include one or more cameras, one or more motion sensors, one or more microphones, one or more biometric data collection tools, one or more temperature sensors, one or more humidity sensors, one or more air flow sensors, and/or any other types of sensors that may be useful in capturing monitoring data related to the home and users in the home. The one or more biometric data collection tools may be configured to collect biometric samples of a person in the home with or without contact of the person. For instance, the biometric data collection tools may include a fingerprint scanner, a hair sample collection tool, a skin cell collection tool, and/or any other tool that allows the robotic devices 890 to take and store a biometric sample that can be used to identify the person (e.g., a biometric sample with DNA that can be used for DNA testing).

In some implementations, the robotic devices 890 may include output devices. In these implementations, the robotic devices 890 may include one or more displays, one or more speakers, and/or any type of output devices that allow the robotic devices 890 to communicate information to a nearby user.

The robotic devices 890 also may include a communication module that enables the robotic devices 890 to communicate with the control unit 810, each other, and/or other devices. The communication module may be a wireless communication module that allows the robotic devices 890 to communicate wirelessly. For instance, the communication module may be a Wi-Fi module that enables the robotic devices 890 to communicate over a local wireless network at the home. The communication module further may be a 900 MHz wireless communication module that enables the robotic devices 890 to communicate directly with the control unit 810. Other types of short-range wireless communication protocols, such as Bluetooth, Bluetooth LE, Z-wave, Zigbee, etc., may be used to allow the robotic devices 890 to communicate with other devices in the home. In some implementations, the robotic devices 890 may communicate with each other or with other devices of the system 800 through the network 805.

The robotic devices 890 further may include processor and storage capabilities. The robotic devices 890 may include any suitable processing devices that enable the robotic devices 890 to operate applications and perform the actions described throughout this disclosure. In addition, the robotic devices 890 may include solid-state electronic storage that enables the robotic devices 890 to store applications, configuration data, collected sensor data, and/or any other type of information available to the robotic devices 890.

The robotic devices 890 are associated with one or more charging stations. The charging stations may be located at predefined home base or reference locations in the home. The robotic devices 890 may be configured to navigate to the charging stations after completion of tasks needed to be performed for the monitoring system 800. For instance, after completion of a monitoring operation or upon instruction by the control unit 810, the robotic devices 890 may be configured to automatically fly to and land on one of the charging stations. In this regard, the robotic devices 890 may automatically maintain a fully charged battery in a state in which the robotic devices 890 are ready for use by the monitoring system 800.

The charging stations may be contact based charging stations and/or wireless charging stations. For contact based charging stations, the robotic devices 890 may have readily accessible points of contact that the robotic devices 890 are capable of positioning and mating with a corresponding contact on the charging station. For instance, a helicopter type robotic device may have an electronic contact on a portion of its landing gear that rests on and mates with an electronic pad of a charging station when the helicopter type robotic device lands on the charging station. The electronic contact on the robotic device may include a cover that opens to expose the electronic contact when the robotic device is charging and closes to cover and insulate the electronic contact when the robotic device is in operation.

For wireless charging stations, the robotic devices 890 may charge through a wireless exchange of power. In these cases, the robotic devices 890 need only locate themselves closely enough to the wireless charging stations for the wireless exchange of power to occur. In this regard, the positioning needed to land at a predefined home base or reference location in the home may be less precise than with a contact based charging station. Based on the robotic devices 890 landing at a wireless charging station, the wireless charging station outputs a wireless signal that the robotic devices 890 receive and convert to a power signal that charges a battery maintained on the robotic devices 890.

In some implementations, each of the robotic devices 890 has a corresponding and assigned charging station such that the number of robotic devices 890 equals the number of charging stations. In these implementations, the robotic devices 890 always navigate to the specific charging station assigned to that robotic device. For instance, a first robotic device may always use a first charging station and a second robotic device may always use a second charging station.

In some examples, the robotic devices 890 may share charging stations. For instance, the robotic devices 890 may use one or more community charging stations that are capable of charging multiple robotic devices 890. The community charging station may be configured to charge multiple robotic devices 890 in parallel. The community charging station may be configured to charge multiple robotic devices 890 in serial such that the multiple robotic devices 890 take turns charging and, when fully charged, return to a predefined home base or reference location in the home that is not associated with a charger. The number of community charging stations may be less than the number of robotic devices 890.

In addition, the charging stations may not be assigned to specific robotic devices 890 and may be capable of charging any of the robotic devices 890. In this regard, the robotic devices 890 may use any suitable, unoccupied charging station when not in use. For instance, when one of the robotic devices 890 has completed an operation or is in need of battery charge, the control unit 810 references a stored table of the occupancy status of each charging station and instructs the robotic device to navigate to the nearest charging station that is unoccupied.

The system 800 further includes one or more integrated security devices 880. The one or more integrated security devices may include any type of device used to provide alerts based on received sensor data. For instance, the one or more control units 810 may provide one or more alerts to the one or more integrated security input/output devices 880. Additionally, the one or more control units 810 may receive one or more sensor data from the sensors 820 and determine whether to provide an alert to the one or more integrated security input/output devices 880.

The sensors 820, the home automation controls 822, the camera 830, the thermostat 834, and the integrated security devices 880 may communicate with the controller 812 over communication links 824, 826, 828, 832, 838, and 884. The communication links 824, 826, 828, 832, 838, and 884 may be a wired or wireless data pathway configured to transmit signals from the sensors 820, the home automation controls 822, the camera 830, the thermostat 834, and the integrated security devices 880 to the controller 812. The sensors 820, the home automation controls 822, the camera 830, the thermostat 834, and the integrated security devices 880 may continuously transmit sensed values to the controller 812, periodically transmit sensed values to the controller 812, or transmit sensed values to the controller 812 in response to a change in a sensed value.

The communication links 824, 826, 828, 832, 838, and 884 may include a local network. The sensors 820, the home automation controls 822, the camera 830, the thermostat 834, and the integrated security devices 880, and the controller 812 may exchange data and commands over the local network. The local network may include 802.11 “Wi-Fi” wireless Ethernet (e.g., using low-power Wi-Fi chipsets), Z-Wave, Zigbee, Bluetooth, “Homeplug” or other “Powerline” networks that operate over AC wiring, and a Category 8 (CAT5) or Category 6 (CAT6) wired Ethernet network. The local network may be a mesh network constructed based on the devices connected to the mesh network.

The monitoring server 860 is an electronic device configured to provide monitoring services by exchanging electronic communications with the control unit 810, the one or more user devices 840 and 850, and the central alarm station server 870 over the network 805. For example, the monitoring server 860 may be configured to monitor events generated by the control unit 810. In this example, the monitoring server 860 may exchange electronic communications with the network module 816 included in the control unit 810 to receive information regarding events detected by the control unit 810. The monitoring server 860 also may receive information regarding events from the one or more user devices 840 and 850.

In some examples, the monitoring server 860 may route alert data received from the network module 816 or the one or more user devices 840 and 850 to the central alarm station server 870. For example, the monitoring server 860 may transmit the alert data to the central alarm station server 870 over the network 805.

The monitoring server 860 may store sensor and image data received from the monitoring system and perform analysis of sensor and image data received from the monitoring system. Based on the analysis, the monitoring server 860 may communicate with and control aspects of the control unit 810 or the one or more user devices 840 and 850.

The monitoring server 860 may provide various monitoring services to the system 800. For example, the monitoring server 860 may analyze the sensor, image, and other data to determine an activity pattern of a resident of the home monitored by the system 800. In some implementations, the monitoring server 860 may analyze the data for alarm conditions or may determine and perform actions at the home by issuing commands to one or more of the controls 822, possibly through the control unit 810.

The monitoring server 860 can be configured to provide information (e.g., activity patterns) related to one or more residents of the home monitored by the system 800 (e.g., an example user). For example, one or more of the sensors 820, the home automation controls 822, the camera 830, the thermostat 834, and the integrated security devices 880 can collect data related to a resident including location information (e.g., if the resident is home or is not home) and provide location information to the thermostat 834.

The central alarm station server 870 is an electronic device configured to provide alarm monitoring service by exchanging communications with the control unit 810, the one or more user devices 840 and 850, and the monitoring server 860 over the network 805. For example, the central alarm station server 870 may be configured to monitor alerting events generated by the control unit 810. In this example, the central alarm station server 870 may exchange communications with the network module 816 included in the control unit 810 to receive information regarding alerting events detected by the control unit 810. The central alarm station server 870 also may receive information regarding alerting events from the one or more user devices 840 and 850 and/or the monitoring server 860.

The central alarm station server 870 is connected to multiple terminals 872 and 874. The terminals 872 and 874 may be used by operators to process alerting events. For example, the central alarm station server 870 may route alerting data to the terminals 872 and 874 to enable an operator to process the alerting data. The terminals 872 and 874 may include general-purpose computers (e.g., desktop personal computers, workstations, or laptop computers) that are configured to receive alerting data from a server in the central alarm station server 870 and render a display of information based on the alerting data. For instance, the controller 812 may control the network module 816 to transmit, to the central alarm station server 870, alerting data indicating that a sensor 820 detected motion from a motion sensor via the sensors 820. The central alarm station server 870 may receive the alerting data and route the alerting data to the terminal 872 for processing by an operator associated with the terminal 872. The terminal 872 may render a display to the operator that includes information associated with the alerting event (e.g., the lock sensor data, the motion sensor data, the contact sensor data, etc.) and the operator may handle the alerting event based on the displayed information.

In some implementations, the terminals 872 and 874 may be mobile devices or devices designed for a specific function. Although FIG. 8 illustrates two terminals for brevity, actual implementations may include more (and, perhaps, many more) terminals.

The one or more authorized user devices 840 and 850 are devices that host and display user interfaces. For instance, the user device 840 is a mobile device that hosts or runs one or more native applications (e.g., the home monitoring application 842). The user device 840 may be a cellular phone or a non-cellular locally networked device with a display. The user device