Patent ID: 8446276

Claim:
A monitoring system enabled by the internet and a communication system; said monitoring system including an individual signal unit in two way communication with a central control facility; said monitoring system further including at least one external event sensor for sensing external events; said external event sensor being in communication with said individual signal unit; said individual signal unit provided with output relays to activate one or more output devices; said individual signal unit configured for communication with said at least one output device; said at least one output device able to be activated by said central control facility of said monitoring system via the individual signal unit; said system responsive to incidents sensed by said at least one external event sensor; a response of said system including in a first instance, transmission by said individual signal unit of at least a unique identifying code for that individual signal unit; said transmission made to said central control facility over a distributed communication network; said response including in a second instance, execution by said central control facility of pre-determined steps according to protocols stored at said central control facility; said steps including transmission of data to one or more recipients; and wherein said pre-determined steps may include activation of a said output device communicating with said individual signal unit, and wherein said individual signal unit and said external event sensors or output devices are registered by an applicant user with said central control facility; registration and structuring by said applicant user of said protocols effected by means of data entry into a web-based interface maintained by said central control facility; events sensed by any one of said external event sensors being available for communication to any one of said recipients as effected by data entry into said web based interface by said applicant user wherein the user via the web-based portal can induce the central control facility to download protocols to the individual signal unit to configure the individual signal unit to activate one or more output devices.