State validation using bi-directional wireless link

A method for communicating between a remote unit and a master unit in a radio-frequency building monitoring and control system, wherein:

• the remote unit is capable of transmitting to and receiving messages from the master unit of the building monitoring and control system;
• the remote unit has a non-communicating low power consumption state in which the remote unit can neither receive nor transmit, a receiving state in which the remote unit can receive, and a transmitting state in which the remote unit can transmit;
• the remote unit has at least one sensor for producing a sensor change event;
• and
• wherein the at least one sensor may be for detecting temperature, BTU's, pressure, humidity, air flow, water, damper position, valve position, light, smoke, CO, CO2, movement, noise, vibration, glass breakage, window opening or closure, door opening or closure, water flow, and/or the like. the method comprises:
• waiting for the sensor change event while in the non-communicating state;
• entering the transmitting state and transmitting a message upon detecting the sensor change event;
• entering the receiving state and waiting for acknowledgment of the
• data transmission;
• and returning to the waiting for sensor change step.

A building monitoring and control system utilizing bi-directional radio frequency communication comprising:

• at least one master unit including a radio frequency transmitter and receiver;
• and
• a plurality of remote units each having a radio frequency transmitter and receiver;
• and
• wherein:
• the remote units are capable of transmitting to and receiving from the master unit of the building monitoring and control system and capable of generating polling events in response to a poll message received from the master unit;
• the remote units each have at least one timer for generating a timeout event;
• the remote units each have at least one sensor for measuring selected variables;
• the selected variables comprise temperature, pressure, humidity, air flow, water, BTU's, damper position, valve position, light, smoke, CO, CO2, movement, noise, vibration, glass breakage, window opening or closure, door opening or closure, water flow, and/or the like;
• the remote units are capable of generating a sensor event in response to a sensor change of measurement;
• and
• the remote units each have a non-communicating state with low power consumption and in which the remote units can neither receive nor transmit, and a receiving state having higher power consumption than the non-communicating state and in which the units can receive, and the selected remote units are in the receiving state only after selected event occurrences;
• and
• the selected events are selected from the group consisting of timeout events, polling events, and sensor events.