Patent ID: 7356128

Claim:
A system for sending a status of an alarm sensor within a structure to a telephone over a first network comprising: a telephone status file connected to a telephone status monitor for receiving the telephone status from the telephone, wherein the telephone status is indicative of the on-hook and off-hook status of the telephone and wherein the telephone is connected to the first network; an alarm sensor, wherein the monitoring device is adapted to provide output signals indicative of the status of the alarm sensor; an alarm sensor status file for receiving the output signals from the monitoring device; a processor connected to the first network and to the telephone status file and the alarm sensor status file via a second network, wherein the processor comprises instructions for, prior to sending the alarm sensor's status to the telephone over the first network: reading the alarm sensor status file; if the alarm sensor status has changed, reading the telephone status file; if the telephone status is off-hook, then reading the telephone status file; and if the telephone status is on-hook, then sending the alarm sensor's status to the telephone over the first network.