Patent ID: 7869582

Claim:
A method using a remote, hand held networked appliance that provides a user with images from both sides of a garage doorway and a notification message that a garage door is open, in which the images and notification are supplied from a door monitoring system connected to a network; wherein the door monitoring system comprises: a door status sensor comprising a door open state and a door closed state; a timer; a timer alarm period parameter that specifies the period of time the door status sensor can be in the door open state prior to sending a notification message; a generator capable of generating at least one notification message for the user; a first camera positioned to view area near the garage doorway from the interior side; a second camera positioned to view area near the garage doorway from the exterior side, and at least one parameter for specifying at least one message destination for the message to be sent via the network connection to the user; the method comprising steps of: detecting the state of the door status sensor; calculating an open door time period, wherein the open door time period is the time period that the door status sensor is in the door open state; sending at least one notification message to the hand held networked appliance, a first image from said first camera, and second image from said second camera via the network connection to the message destination at the hand held networked appliance to inform the user that the door status sensor has been in the door open state for a time period not less than the timer alarm period whereby the user can assess door status from both sides; receiving at least one command to enable remote actuation of the garage door, said at least one command being sent from the hand held networked appliance.