Patent ID: 8842001

Claim:
A non-volatile computer readable medium, not including transmission media for transmitting waves, wherein said medium comprises: a first plurality of programmatic instructions, wherein, when executed by a first computing device, said first plurality of programmatic instructions: transmit a message from the first computing device to a second computing device wherein said message is a request to have the first computing device assume primary responsibility for annunciating an alarm; establish and maintain a heartbeat, wherein said heartbeat provides a consistent confirmation that a communication link between the first computing device and second computing device is operational; receive data indicative of an alarm state from the second computing device; and in response to receiving said data indicative of an alarm state from the second computing device, transmit an acknowledgement from the first computing device to the second computing device; and a second plurality of programmatic instructions, wherein, when executed by the second computing device, said second plurality of programmatic instructions: receives said message from the first computing device; in response to receiving said message, establish and maintain said heartbeat; monitor said heartbeat to confirm that a communication link between the first computing device and second computing device is operational; transmit said data indicative of an alarm state; suspend executing programmatic routines for annunciating an alarm in response to the alarm state if said acknowledgement from the first computing device is received; and cause said alarm to be annunciated in response to the alarm state based on said data indicative of an alarm state and said heartbeat status.