Patent ID: 7440554

Claim:
A method of notifying a user of an alarm event status, comprising the steps of: programming, by a user, an alarm event notification protocol, the protocol including an alarm event to be monitored, a time for monitoring the alarm event, and a notification method for notifying of the alarm event; monitoring, using parameters of the alarm event notification protocol, the alarm event to be monitored relative to the time for monitoring the alarm event; and notifying, using the notification method, whether the alarm event has occurred relative to the time for monitoring the alarm event, wherein said step of programming, by a user, an alarm event notification protocol, the protocol including an alarm event to be monitored, a time for monitoring the alarm event, and a notification method for notifying of the alarm event comprises the step of programming a middleware server of the notification protocol; and wherein the alarm event to be monitored is at least one of arming and disarming an alarm system, such that the user is notified in real time by the notification method that the alarm system has been armed or disarmed relative to the time for monitoring the alarm event, wherein the notification method comprises at least one of an e-mail, a text message on a text messaging device, a phone call, a pager message, or a wireless communication.