Patent ID: 7747018

Claim:
In a security system installed in a premises, said security system comprising a wireless transmitting security module, a wireless receiver module in wireless communication with the wireless transmitting security module, and a control panel connected to the wireless receiver module; the wireless transmitting security module comprising a wireless transmitter and an alarm detector for monitoring a physical condition of the premises, a method of operating the security system comprising the steps of: a. transmitting a wireless message with the wireless transmitting security module that comprises a wireless transmitter and an alarm detector for monitoring a physical condition of the premises, the wireless message comprising a unique wireless transmitting security module identification number, a status portion comprising at least one status bit, and a sequence count, the sequence count being advanced one increment by the wireless transmitting security module each time a status bit has changed from a previous transmission, the status bit indicative of a state of the alarm detector that monitors a physical condition of the premises; b. the wireless receiver module, in wireless communication with the wireless transmitting security module, receiving the wireless message, converting the wireless message to a digital message and sending the digital message to the control panel; c. the control panel, connected to the wireless receiver module, processing the digital message by the steps of: i. the control panel extracting the sequence count and wireless transmitting security module identification number from the message; ii. the control panel retrieving from memory a previous sequence count associated with the wireless transmitting security module identification number; iii. the control panel comparing the sequence count from the message with the previous sequence count from memory; if the sequence count from the message is less than the previous sequence count, then the control panel ignoring the message; and if the sequence count from the message is not less than the previous sequence count, then the control panel processing the message and replacing the previous sequence count in memory with the sequence count from the message.