LIfestyle multimedia security system

A security system for remote monitoring of a premises by a user of a remote client, said security system comprising:

• a security system server, said security system server being capable of authenticating said user of said remote client and, upon authentication of said user of said remote client, providing said remote client with information necessary for said remote client to access a security gateway for said premises via a network;
• said security gateway operatively coupled to said security system server via said network, said security gateway being capable of managing the monitoring of one or more portions of said premises;
• one or more cameras located at said premises and operatively coupled to said security gateway;
• and
• one or more audio stations located at said premises and operatively coupled to said security gateway;
• wherein said user is at a location which is geographically remote from said premises;
• wherein said security gateway provides an audiovisual signal at said premises for notifying an occupant at said premises that remote monitoring is occurring;
• and
• wherein said remote client cannot access said security gateway without said information provided, to said remote client, by said security system server.

A security system for remote monitoring of a premises by a user of a remote client, said security system comprising:

• a security system server, said security system server being capable of authenticating said user of said remote client;
• a security gateway operatively coupled to said security system server via a network, said security gateway being capable of managing the monitoring of one or more portions of the premises;
• a monitoring client operatively coupled to said security system server and said security gateway via said network;
• one or more cameras located at said premises and operatively coupled to said security gateway;
• one or more audio stations located at said premises and operatively coupled to said security gateway;
• wherein said remote client is at a first location geographically remote from said premises and said monitoring client is at a second location geographically remote from said premises;
• wherein said one or more cameras and/or said one or more audio stations are available for use, by said authenticated user at said remote client, for lifestyle monitoring of said premises in non-alarm situations;
• and
• wherein, in response to an occurrence of an alarm condition, said lifestyle monitoring using said one or more cameras and/or said one or more audio stations is preempted so that monitoring personnel at said monitoring client have control over said one or more cameras and/or said one or more audio stations.

A method for remote monitoring of a premises, said method comprising the steps of:

• operatively coupling a remote client to a security system server via a network, said security system server being capable of authenticating a user of said remote client;
• upon authentication of said user of said remote client, said security system server providing said remote client with information necessary for said remote client to operatively couple with a security gateway, located at said premises, which manages the monitoring of one or more portions of said premises;
• operatively coupling said remote client to said security gateway via said network;
• and
• transferring information between said security gateway and said remote client;
• wherein said remote client is at a first location geographically remote relative to said security gateway and said security system server is at a second location geographically remote relative to said security gateway;
• and
• wherein said remote client cannot be operatively coupled with said security gateway without said information provided, to said remote client, by said security system server.

A security system for remote monitoring of a premises by a user of a remote client, said security system comprising:

• a security system server, said security system server being capable of authenticating said user of said remote client and, upon authentication of said user of said remote client, providing said remote client with information necessary for said remote client to directly access a security gateway located at said premises via a network;
• said security gateway operatively coupled to said security system server via said network, said security gateway being capable of managing the monitoring of one or more portions of said premises;
• one or more cameras located at said premises and operatively coupled to said security gateway;
• and
• one or more audio stations located at said premises and operatively coupled to said security gateway;
• wherein said remote client is at a first location geographically remote relative to said security gateway and said security system server is at a second location geographically remote relative to said security gateway;
• and
• wherein said remote client cannot directly access said security gateway without said information provided, to said remote client, by said security system server.