Patent ID: 7843336

Claim:
A system comprising: a plurality of sensors configured to communicate wirelessly; a relay configured to communicate wirelessly, wherein the relay does not comprise a sensor; and a monitoring system configured to communicate with the sensors; wherein: a first sensor of the plurality of sensors is configured to sense information relating to a specified condition and send a first wireless message relating to the sensed information to a second sensor of the plurality of sensors; the second sensor is configured to verify a possible threat associated with the specified condition and to notify the first sensor whether the possible threat has been verified; at least one of the first and second sensors is configured, if the second sensor verifies the possible threat, to organize the first and second sensors along with one or more additional components into a collective sub-unit in the system; the components in the collective sub-unit, including the first and second sensors, are configured to communicate and collectively track the verified threat; and at least one of the components in the collective sub-unit is configured to send a second wireless message relating to the verified threat to the monitoring system; wherein the first sensor is configured to send the first wireless message using a first communication protocol, the first communication protocol defining a first set of messages for identifying the possible threat, verifying the possible threat, mustering components into the collective sub-unit, and identifying desired functionality for one or more of the components in the collective sub-unit; wherein the at least one component in the collective sub-unit is configured to send the second wireless message using a second communication protocol, the second communication protocol defining a second set of messages for reporting the verified threat, transmitting video or still images associated with the verified threat, and conditioning a response of the collective sub-unit to the verified threat; wherein the first set of messages is distinct from the second set of messages; and wherein the relay is configured to: receive the second wireless message from the at least one component in the collective sub-unit and send the second wireless message to the monitoring system; receive the first wireless message from the first sensor and join the collective sub-unit; and load and use an analysis program to track the verified threat.