Automated methods and apparatus for facilitating the design and deployment of monitoring systems

A control system for use in deployment of monitoring devices at a customer premises location, the control system comprising:

• memory including a database of government rule information including rule information for a location of the customer premises, said rule information including information on a required location of a monitoring device or number of monitoring devices located at the customer premises;
• an interface including a receiver and a transmitter;
• and
• a processor configured to control the control system to perform the steps of:
• generating, at said control system, a monitoring system design based on received customer premises layout information and rule information included in the database;
• and
• communicating installation information, from said control system to a portable communications device corresponding to a customer instructing the customer how to install a first wireless monitoring device at the customer premises in accordance with the generated monitoring system design;
• sending an instruction from said control system to the portable communications device of the customer instructing the customer to place the first wireless monitoring device in the location at which the first wireless monitoring device is to be mounted;
• determining, at said control system, if the first wireless monitoring device is capable of supporting wireless communications at a data rate sufficient to support operation of the first wireless monitoring device;
• and
• performing one of:
• i) sending an instruction from the control system to the portable communication device instructing the customer to secure the first wireless monitoring device in place in response to determining that the first wireless monitoring device is capable of supporting wireless communications at a data rate sufficient to support operation of the first wireless monitoring device;
• or
• ii) sending an instruction from the control system to the portable communication device instructing the customer to reposition the first wireless monitoring device in response to determining that the first wireless monitoring device is not capable of supporting wireless communications at a data rate sufficient to support operation of the first wireless monitoring device.

A non-transitory computer readable medium including computer executable instructions which when executed by a processor of a control system cause the control system to perform the steps of:

• receiving, at a control system, information about a customer premises at which a monitoring system is to be installed and information indicating one or more types of monitoring to be performed at the customer premises, said control system being located external to said customer premises;
• accessing, at the control system, a database of government rule information for a location of the customer premises to determine, based on the location, at least one of:
• a type of monitoring device required by applicable rules, a location at which a required monitoring device is to be placed at the customer premises, or a number of monitoring devices required to be placed at the customer premises location;
• generating, at said control system, a monitoring system design based on received customer premises layout information and rule information included in the database;
• and
• communicating installation information, from said control system to a portable communications device corresponding to a customer instructing the customer how to install a first wireless monitoring device at the customer premises in accordance with the generated monitoring system design;
• sending an instruction from said control system to the portable communications device of the customer instructing the customer to place the first wireless monitoring device in the location at which the first wireless monitoring device is to be mounted;
• determining, at said control system, if the first wireless monitoring device is capable of supporting wireless communications at a data rate sufficient to support operation of the first wireless monitoring device;
• and
• performing one of:
• i) sending an instruction from the control system to the portable communication device instructing the customer to secure the first wireless monitoring device in place in response to determining that the first wireless monitoring device is capable of supporting wireless communications at a data rate sufficient to support operation of the first wireless monitoring device;
• or
• ii) sending an instruction from the control system to the portable communication device instructing the customer to reposition the first wireless monitoring device in response to determining that the first wireless monitoring device is not capable of supporting wireless communications at a data rate sufficient to support operation of the first wireless monitoring device.